In midst of being unable to practice in Butler University’s tennis bubble due to recent wind damage, it is important to remember that you do not need a tennis court in order to improve certain skills and stay focused. This is especially useful on days where there is only access to outdoor courts but the weather drops too low for comfort. Here are some ways that practice can continue off the court:

  1. Find an area with a tall ceiling and place a piece of tape on the floor. Pretend that this is the baseline. Grab a tennis ball, and mimic the motions of a serve, focusing on the toss. Dictate the rhythm of the toss, keep your muscles relaxed, toss the ball in the air and let the ball drop to the ground. Do this until you can toss the ball at your desired height and bounce at the desired place past the “baseline” 100 times in a row. 
  2. Footwork is huge in the game of tennis, because improving footwork can aid in other aspects of the sport. There are tons of Youtube videos and websites that list various agility training workouts specific to tennis. One to check out is http://www.optimumtennis.net/tennis-footwork-exercises.htm 
  3. Lifting weights is beneficial, but don’t forget to stretch it out! It is very important to have long lean muscles, and one of the best ways to do that is stretching after a strengthening exercise. 
  4. Do some research. The pros know it the best, and there are plenty of sources online that show how and why they chose their personal methods of playing. Sometimes, in order to improve, you need to take it back to the basics and learn from the ones who know best. 

Although it is still encouraged to utilize these tips, with the help of Butler Club Sports, the Club Tennis team has found another place to practice starting November 6th! See you all on (and off) the courts!

Good luck to the few players traveling to the Badger tournament this weekend! Go Dawgs!

Sources: 

http://blog.fiveseasonssportsclub.com/tennis-drills-you-can-do-at-home 

http://tennis.isport.com/tennis-guides/how-to-practice-tennis-off-the-court 

Posted by Abram

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