The Stark family have been warning us that winter is coming for 6 years now and it has finally arrived (if you don’t watch Game Of Thrones then you should because it is amazing!). Winter means cold temperatures but that doesnt have to mean an end to playing tennis. Here are some tips and advice to help you play tennis over the next few months.
Wear Many Small Layers
When you’re heading out to play there is a temptation to put on your warmest fleece and a woolly hat but this isn’t a good move. If you have put on warm clothing and you start to warm up as you play then when you take off your warm fleece you’ll go from roasting to freezing faster than you can say ‘Andy Murray would be considered an all time great if he had been playing a decade earlier’.
It’s much better to wear a lot of thin layers then as you warm up while you play you can gradually take layers off and your body won’t have to suffer a dramatic temperature drop. When I’m playing I wear a skin tight thermal under layer, a t-shirt, a long sleeved t-shirt and a thin hoody. By the end of a long match the under layer and the t-shirt are all that remain.
How The Tennis Ball Reacts
Cold weather will have an impact on your tennis balls. As a general rule cold weather will make a tennis ball bounce lower and the effects of spin will be greatly reduced. In cold conditions it is almost impossible to get a topspin groundstroke or kick serve to bounce up to your opponents shoulder level so my advice is to not waste your energy attempting it. You’ll find a lot of shots staying low or ‘dying’ whenever they land in the court so be prepared to bend those knees to return them.
Change Tactics
Cold weather means your muscles will not be as well warmed up as usual and they will be a bit tight and stiff. This means that there is a greater chance of injuring them. However if you play smart in the conditions you shouldn’t get injured. Cold weather isn’t the time to hit your hardest serve or attempt to hit booming forehand winners down the line, instead you should take a bit of pace off your normal shots and concentrate on keeping the ball in play and moving your opponent around the court.
Taking pace of your shots and the effects of cold weather on tennis balls mentioned in the previous section means that your opponent will be able to reach a lot more of your shots. Be prepared for this and try remain patient as you move them around the court.
Conclusion
Playing in cold weather can be very enjoyable. It provides you with the opportunity to work on your consistency and the tactical side of the game. However if there is ice on the court or the temperature is so low that your eyes are watering then I’d say it is a day for staying inside and watching Game Of Thrones (seriously, it is amazing).