The dreaded ice bath!
Today on Andy Murray's WEBSITE he answered a few fan questions about fitness and technique, here are a couple I thought were interesting.
Q: What's the best way of developing a powerful serve?
Andy: The thing with the serve is not to see adding muscle and strength as the best way of getting more juice on it. It definitely helps, but the best starting point is your technique. It all starts with the ball toss - the serve all flows from there, so it's really important to be consistent. Try and stay loose on your serve too, that helps. For sure technique is more important than muscles when you're still developing your game.
Source and photo: andymurray.com
Q: What do you think are the most time effective exercises to increase dynamic balance for tennis and what other exercises might you add to maximize control?
Matt: As we know, all tennis players require dynamic balance to control and maintain strong body positions when hitting the ball while on the move or at the end of a fast sprint. Improvements in single leg stability have also been proven to have a very positive effect on speed and agility. The best way to improve this quality is simply to practice 'hopping and sticking', although with younger players I would begin with even simpler exercises like balancing on one leg with eyes open, then eyes shut. Hopping and sticking drills would be to hop forward starting on 2 feet and landing on 2 feet, then try starting on one foot landing on 2 feet, starting on 2 feet landing on one foot and finally starting on 1 foot, landing on 1 foot. Jumping sideways should also be trained and I find alley hops the best for this. Simply jump (facing the net) sideways from doubles tram line to singles tram line using the same sequence of steps mentioned above. The emphasis when completing these exercises, is not so much about how far you can jump, but more about how well you control and absorb the landing. So each time you land, do so on a bended knee and hold in position for a few seconds before moving on to the next jump. Complete sets of 10 repetitions for all of the jumps mentioned above.
Q: If a player was physically well and he played a dramatic match (lasted for about 3 hours or more) and he was very exhausted, what is the best way to recover from it?
Matt: Recovery for the modern tennis player is as important as any of the off-court training they do. Getting this aspect wrong, particularly after long matches can significantly hamper a players chances of going deep into a tournament. Firstly, nutrition is vital. Within 30 minutes of finishing the match, protein and carbohydrates should be taken to re-fuel and repair tired and damaged muscles. A gentle cool down cycle or jog should be completed for 10-12mins. If the match was particularly tough, 10 minutes in the ice bath (8 degrees centigrade) is a fantastic way to flush out, the stiffness causing, acid and toxins from the muscles, as well as bring down any joint inflammation. Stretching needs to be completed, all major muscle groups, holding each stretch for 40-60 seconds and then finally rest, with a good meal rich in carbs and protein, low in fat. So now you know how much work continues after those tough matches!
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