Tennis Tip

Presented by Chris Young, Camp Director
Nike Tennis Camp at Oklahoma State

Tennis Tip: Preparing to Practice and Play Like a Champion!

The importance of the process of preparing to play cannot be overstated. A dynamic and active warm up to get your body ready for practice, jsut hitting balls, a workout or a match, need to be taken seriously. It can be difference between wins and losses. Check out Oklahoma State's Head Tennis Coach Chris Young's tips on the dynamic warm up and importance of a cool down after playing/training.

The Dynamic Warm-Up

This is an essential part of preparing each day, whether it is for practice or a match. The dynamic warm-up incorporates stretching with movement and does five very important things for a tennis athlete.

1. Increases body temperature allowing muscles to work more efficiently
2. Primes the cardiovascular system and gets the heart and lungs ready for vigorous activity.
3. Stretches muscles actively, preparing them for the forces of experiences during tennis.
4. Engrains proper movement patterns and the coordination needed in tennis
5. Wakes up the nervous system and gets the brain talking with the muscles.

Following Practice or Matches

A proper cool-down will aid in your physical recovery and is essential. The benefits that come with performing the proper exercises are:

1. Slows the body’s systems down in a controlled manner, from the high performance levels needed during the practice or match
2. Helps to “flush out” metabolic waste products that can impair muscle function and performance if they are not removed from the body
3. Maintains the flexibility and range of motion of various components of the musculoskeletal system.

It is important for each athlete to take the time to properly prepare and cool down before and after a match. Never walk onto the court to play without performing an acceptable warm-up, or leave the court without cooling down properly.

Be sure to enroll for Coach Young's Nike Tennis Camp at Oklahoma State this summer to learn more great tennis tips and improve your game!