Warm-ups are an essential element to include in your preparation routine for any sport. It’s helpful to loosen up the body and prepare the mind for a game so you can perform your best. Tennis is a sport that takes a lot of mental focus and intense skill, so warm-ups are helpful to get your head in the game. Here are three tennis warm-ups you should try before a match.
Stretching
Stretching is the perfect way to start your tennis warm-up. You want to make sure your muscles aren’t stiff and tight, and stretching helps loosen them up before a game. Stretching also helps you avoid injuries, so you’ll want to incorporate a few stretches into your routine to maintain healthy muscles and joints.
You can also use a foam roller to work out any muscle tightness before you get ready for your tennis match. You want to feel loose and limber and ready to play before a game, so get in as much stretching as you feel like you need.
Cardio
After you warm up your muscles with some stretching, cardio is the next thing you should do in your tennis warm-up. You can set aside at least 5 to 15 minutes for some light cardio before a match begins. The purpose of cardio is to get your blood flowing and your heart rate up.
Exercises like jogging, sprinting, jumping jacks, and jump roping are all great forms of cardio that will elevate your heart rate. Doing some light cardio before a match will help prepare your body and allow you to relax and release some nervous energy in the process.
Drills
Running drills is another great way to warm up before tennis matches. One of the best coaching tips to improve your tennis game is to run drills and practice shots before every match. While stretching and cardio help loosen up the body, running drills gets your head in the game.
It’s essential to practice serves, returns, volleys, overheads, and other various shots that you can utilize during the game. Practicing with a partner or opponent is beneficial so that you can return serves and test out your techniques on another player. It can also be helpful to talk to your coach about which drills to run before a match.
The next time you have a game, remember these three warm-ups to try before a tennis match. You will find that the right warm-ups will greatly improve your tennis skills and help you play better overall.
