Having played tennis for over ten years now, I have always been looking for effective ways and tennis tips to improve my game and my overall enjoyment of the game.
In previous years, I found that with the rapid bursts of acceleration, frequent side to side motions, lunges and stretches common to tennis, I suffered from repeated injuries, especially in my neck/shoulders, knees, back and calf muscles.
Also, I found that if I played long matches in the summer heat, I was very susceptible to cramping in my legs and hands, which always seemed to happen at the most critical point in the match.
These injuries and cramp issues were seriously impacting my enjoyment of tennis.
It was at this point that I decided to do some research.
After talking to many people and lots of 'Googling', it turns out that I was making the very common mistake of playing tennis not just for enjoyment, but as my primary method of keeping fit.
This is a big mistake and the primary reason I was so prone to injuries.
My wife (also a keen tennis player) and I decided to join our local gym and seek out the advice of a fitness professional.
Fortunately, we found a personal trainer who did lots of research on tennis related exercises and conditioning and so we started on a program to improve our overall fitness.
This is one of the best tennis tips I know.
The exercises were specifically targeted towards the muscle groups important to tennis players.
After several months, I found that my overall strength, agility, speed and stamina had improved to the extent that I was now starting to win a lot more of my tennis matches.
My weight also decreased, which meant that I was faster on court and there was less stress on my knees.
Perhaps more importantly, I was not suffering from the repeated injuries and cramp problems that had plagued me in the past.
Of course, overall fitness is not the complete story.
Proper diet, nutrition and a good mental approach is also important.
Another key aspect of improving your game is to take lessons from a good tennis professional.
Many people omit this vital step and think they will improve just by playing a few games and watching the US Open on television! Not only has my tennis pro.
helped me improve my shots, but he has improved my understanding of strategy, shot planning and the importance of a good mental approach (how to play the big points!).
Getting lessons early on in your tennis life will stop you developing bad habits and improve your game dramatically.
So this is the big picture.
My purpose in sharing this article is to introduce you to the concepts I will be expanding on in more detail in future articles.
I intend to cover specifics of fitness, nutrition, better tennis shots, understanding the mental game and the tennis strategies that have helped me so much in the past.
So please watch out for upcoming tennis tips.