Athleticism is one part of playing sport. Knowledge of the rules, where to stand, when to move, and how to keep the turn taking going is important. Separating having a hit versus winning the game helps develop greater endurance for the sport of tennis versus being able to hit a tennis ball with others.
Focus on:
Rallies from different areas of the court without fatigue or lack of accuracy. Rallies are not just 4 or 5 shots back when you stand still and hit a forehand, build up the skill. Not all forehands are the same. How many flat soft shots can you do in a row between two people? How many flat medium speed shots can you do between two people in a row? How many flat hard speed shots can you do between two people in a row? Try this from the base line. Then from a metre behind the base line. Then a metre in front of the base line. Try standing off the court and rallying from there. Tennis is a game of you play from where the ball lands.
Body awareness with your eyes closed. What does that look like for a tennis player? A smash requires you to run backwards and not look what you are doing. Playing with a partner in doubles requires the same thing. Knowing where you are on the court, how far the distance is to get to where you need to, how many foot steps it will take. That’s body awareness. Eyes open or eyes closed. How much do you think about that extra reach versus how far you know you can reach. When do injuries occur for you.
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Taking care of yourself when you play tennis:
Sometimes it’s better to use a wall to hit against rather than play with a coach or people that you don’t like.
Sometimes it’s better to have a lesson once a week than to play competitively or to play socially.
Cold water is helpful, water with ice is also helpful. A towel with you can be hot but using it to wipe off sweat can make your feel better and make you think less about how tired you are or how sore your muscles are becoming. Simply because you are not wet / sweaty you don’t think about your body as much because your clothes don’t cling to you.
Don’t wear clothes that are too tight or too loose.
If you get hot or have trouble with your coordination, it may be helpful to have a lesson first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon / early evening when the weather isn’t as much of an impact. Tennis courts may have lights for night play.
Buy a few more cans of balls rather than just one can. It stops you from having to pick them up constantly. Yes you need to make sure you don’t trip on them, push them to the side of the court or to the base of the net (if the net comes all the way to the ground).