Around The Bend October 2018

AROUND THE BEND

OCTOBER 2018

PAGE 13

H B C C T E N N I S N E W S

TIPS FOR PLAYINGGREAT TENNIS INCOOLERWEATHER By Luke Burden, Director of Athletics

Early Preparation Even though we should be preparing early no matter the time of year, it can be a great thing to focus on during the cooler months. With the ball being heavier it is much harder to control the ball if you make contact late. Likewise, you will tend to be moving forward more often for shorter balls and an early preparation can really help on these shorter mid court balls. Restring your racket The pace of a ball is determined by several factors, including the bounce of the ball. With the heavier and lower bounce in colder weather, the ball will naturally come off the racket slower, making it harder to generate more pace. To offset this, it is a great idea to have your racket restrung at 2 pounds less during the winter. Why would that make a difference? In general, rackets strung on the lower end of the tension range provide more power than tightly strung rackets. When you hit a tennis ball, the impact causes the strings to deform or stretch. Energy from that impact is stored in the strings and then returned to the ball as it rebounds off your racket. Loose strings stretch more than tight strings and therefore store more energy; so, when the energy is returned to the ball, you have a more powerful shot. Try to incorporate some of these tips into your game for the winter months to take your game to the next level!!!!

With the cooler weather arriving over the next few months, there are a few things we can be doing to maximize our success on the court. Dress the part It is important to be dressed for success during the cooler weather. Several thinner layers is much better than a shirt and heavier jacket. Once you start to warm up, it will be much easier to find the right temperature. Also it is much easier to move around in several thin layers compared to a heavy jacket. Remember to warm up and stretch This is probably the most important item here, remember to stretch. Our muscles take a lot longer to warm up in the cold, meaning it will be easier to injure ourselves. Be sure and stretch at home and then warm up and stretch again before you get on the court. Remember we need to raise our temperature just a little by walking or jogging around before we begin stretching. Best shots for cooler weather tennis The cooler weather will not only have an effect on you but also on how the ball and court plays. During the cooler months the ball will tend to have less bounce and feel “heavier”. Likewise the courts (in particular clay courts) will tend to play much slower. Taking this into mind there are some shots that can be very effective during this time of year. • Slice: Incorporate more slice into both your groundstrokes and approach shots. This will keep the ball low and out of the hitting zone of your opponent. With the ball being heavier it will also make it more difficult for your opponent to get under the ball. • Drop shot: Take advantage of the heavier, lower bounce and use the drop shot often. • Flat and slice serves: These serves will force your opponent to have to get down under the ball. Topspin isn’t as effective as the heavier ball will tend to negate the “kick” • Hit higher for depth: The ball will be “heavier”, so you will need to hit all shots a little higher when you are wanting to hit depth.