Tennis Anyone?

Actually a game would be nice, but hard to arrange :-)

I'm wondering if anyone has hands-on experience doing GB and playing tennis, both on a regular basis?

I'm talking about moderately competitve singles play, in the 4+ range (intermediate+ level) or better?

FIN

I actually really enjoy playing tennis but recreationally, I normally play a couple of times a week during summer. Whether or not GB helps you with tennis I would say debatable. Possibly a more stable shoulder for a stronger serve but so much of tennis is technique really so no matter how strong you are you need to be able to use ur strength effectively.

I mean look at federer, he does not look like a strong guy to me, but he's an amazing player. Rafa on the other hand...

Demus said:

I actually really enjoy playing tennis but recreationally, I normally play a couple of times a week during summer. Whether or not GB helps you with tennis I would say debatable. Possibly a more stable shoulder for a stronger serve but so much of tennis is technique really so no matter how strong you are you need to be able to use ur strength effectively.

I mean look at federer, he does not look like a strong guy to me, but he's an amazing player. Rafa on the other hand...

Great to find another player. I totally agree technique is more important than strength in the game.

I mean people can always use a raquet that adds power if they are lacking it. The difference with technique in tennis is that there so many individual variations. Rafa and Fed use totally different stroke and serve technique. Very few players try to do exactly the same thing the same way, although perhaps there could be broad groupings. Perhaps I'm not astute enough in gymnastics to see it, but to me there is one ideal technique, the judges are looking for, and how close you come to it determines your score, to a large degree. So less individual freedom.

I have also been doing some specific tennis power/explosiveness type of things for my strokes and serves. So it will be hard to tell if GB or that is helping, but hopefully they are working together. I think my main concern is that it doesn't hurt. And getting injured, especially in the arms and shoulders is my main concern. Have you been pretty lucky with that so far?

So far I've had more pain and issues in my weaker left arm/shoulder. Hopefully that will even out over time.

If I can survive it. Am just ramping up into the program and seeing where it goes ...

You stand to benefit a lot by combining the two. A year ago, I was the strength coach for Division I Men's and Women's Tennis at the university. The coach of the teams and the head strength coach had a lot of personal drama, so it ended up I could only train them on court with either no equipment or my own personal stuff. Everything I did drew from what I've learned through Coach and Ido.

Based on my experience there, the reduction in injuries alone makes it worth your time. Even more-so once you attend a seminar and learn the additional shoulder, knee, and ankle prehab routines. I hadn't learned them yet, and still saw a major difference in the athletes. And never underestimate strength in life or a sport. It'll only help you. Plus, the coach loved that she saw her athletes get stronger with less time per session and less CNS fatigue, which translated into not having to work practices around working out. Steady State training works wonders here.

Try lots of concentric only work. No eccentric damage = no neuro-muscular inhibition due to damaged titin proteins. A lot of "CNS fatigue" is being confused with neuro-muscular inhibition caused by eccentric damage from what I am discovering.

coreathlete said:

You stand to benefit a lot by combining the two. A year ago, I was the strength coach for Division I Men's and Women's Tennis at the university. The coach of the teams and the head strength coach had a lot of personal drama, so it ended up I could only train them on court with either no equipment or my own personal stuff. Everything I did drew from what I've learned through Coach and Ido.

Based on my experience there, the reduction in injuries alone makes it worth your time. Even more-so once you attend a seminar and learn the additional shoulder, knee, and ankle prehab routines. I hadn't learned them yet, and still saw a major difference in the athletes. And never underestimate strength in life or a sport. It'll only help you. Plus, the coach loved that she saw her athletes get stronger with less time per session and less CNS fatigue, which translated into not having to work practices around working out. Steady State training works wonders here.

Thanks much for your reply CA. (Sorry for tardiness - just back from vacation). Also just received the rings...

That's very interesting. The emphasis on shoulders/core fits well with tennis, so I'm looking forward to it. Especially,

now, with the additional information you provided.

I have been feeling really good on the court when playing lately (knock on wood, er graphite composite ).

Time will tell more. Thanks for your feedback!

FIN

slizzardman said:

Try lots of concentric only work. No eccentric damage = no neuro-muscular inhibition due to damaged titin proteins. A lot of "CNS fatigue" is being confused with neuro-muscular inhibition caused by eccentric damage from what I am discovering.

Yeah, that is strange how only ECC work causes DOMS. At least supposedly ... I haven't verified this in my body yet.

Does that mean that even a massive amount of heavy CON work won't cause any at all?

Hear what you're saying about neural fatigue also ... my body or arms tend to feel lifeless and depressed more than sore from that. Maybe others are different. I feel a neural haze.

With tennis, I find going into a game just sore isn't a big problem. The motion tends to temporarily abate DOMS at least. When I say hurt, I mean really hurt, as in injured and can't swing without severe pain. So more of an acute injury situation, which one can't play with. Normally I'm hurt more playing the game than doing anything else, LOL, so what coach CA said in his last post is particuarlly appropos as to GB safety and use in cross-training.

Certainly I won't be overdoing the rings or GB. It's just one tool in my bag of tricks right now.

Just took a full week off everything except walking and a little swimming while on vacation ... it's funny because my body felt fine for a day or two, then for about 3 days it went through some weird pain contractions and convolutions, like it was spitting out sh*t it finally had time to deal with, and last two days have been pain free. So ready to start abusing it again, LOL.

Cheers,

FIN