Like me, you’ve probably experienced a range of warmups before your match from the standard 10 minute warmup used before USTA matches (groundstrokes, volleys, overheads and serves) to a much briefer warmup that lasts a few minutes followed by eager players saying, “I’m ready, let’s play!”
When I go out onto the tennis court for a match, I invariably hope it will begin with a good warmup--an opportunity to warm up my body and brain, to engage my eyes on the ball, to reawaken the strokes I’ve practiced thousands of times and remind myself what they feel like.
It’s understandable that players are excited to play and want to start their games as soon as possible. Presumably, some people are fine with little to no warmup before a match. Personally, I prefer the well-rounded standard 10-minute warmup that covers all strokes.
Not only is it confidence building when I might feel a bit nervous right before a match, I use it as a way to glean important information from my opponent--does she avoid her backhand? Are her volleys crisp and punctuated or soft and easy to return? What kind of serves can I expect--deep, low, short, spin, loopy?
When I’ve experienced a good warmup, I’m much more focused and effective early on in my match. This leads to less stress, diminished errors, and greater enjoyment in my matchplay.
So, what makes a good warmup and how do we ensure we get what we need?
I believe we should approach the warmup with the Golden Rule in mind: do your best to give your opponent good quality cooperative shots that keep the ball in play and expect the same from your opponent in return.
When you start in mini-tennis, don’t power the ball at your opponent’s feet. Mini-tennis is intended to be played in the half-court, so don’t strike the ball hard. Just keep the ball moving back and forth over the net while you both get into your rhythm.
When you move back to the baseline, maximize the number of hits in a groundstroke rally, working on consistency, not power.
When it’s your turn to volley, send the ball back to the other player, not to unreturnable targets. This isn’t intended to be the time you put the ball away. It is meant to optimize the greatest number of hits in the short time it is your turn at net. If you send the ball to difficult targets during the warmup, players will spend too much valuable time chasing after balls and less time hitting them.
Bad warmups can happen--due to competitive tactics, indifference, apathy, laziness, ignorance, or lack of focus.
Too often, I’ve either been disappointed by a warmup where my opponent uses the warmup to intimidate me, posturing as the dominant player on court by hitting difficult to return balls at me, or by a warmup where the opponent is unfocused resulting in a reduced number of cooperative rallies. Sometimes players are so eager to start the match that they rush the process and completely skip the serve portion, opting for “first ball in” once the match begins.
Warming up serves is probably the most important part of the warmup and not the thing that should be skipped. If you want to shorten your time warming up, reduce the time spent hitting groundstrokes and volleys. You could even just abbreviate the warmup to mini-tennis and serves.
Without a good warmup, I start the match feeling gypped, rusty, and unprepared. But what can you do to ensure you get a good warmup since you cannot control what the other player does? I’ve thought a lot about this over the past few months and have come up with a solution that requires me to invest a little time before the match so that I come to the court prepared. There are several options for this.
If I have an important USTA match, I try to find a hitting partner to warm up on a court with me for about 45 minutes prior to my match.
If I cannot find another player to hit with, or if there are no courts available, I can still warm up on my own doing shadow swings (FH, BH groundstrokes, volleys, overheads, serves) and footwork patterns off court. What’s important is to get my body moving as a unit, to get the blood flowing to my muscles and brain, and to remind myself how it feels to use my feet, legs, and core in a stroke--not just my arms.
Sometimes I will add in time where I close my eyes and visualize me hitting shots including serves. When I do, I imagine what my body feels like as I hit the ball.
Watching tennis, either live or on videos, can also help prepare you before a match. The visual experience primes your brain for the activity you are about to perform. It gives you subtle cues to mimic and improves your readiness. So pull out your phone and watch tennis when you’re waiting to go into your match.
Even when I’m playing in a casual match, I like to feel prepared when I walk on the court, so I may run through shadow swings and visualization before I arrive.
Take it upon yourself to learn the steps of the standard 10-minute warmup* to benefit both you and your opponent. Stick to hitting cooperatively, not competitively. And be proactive by preparing yourself with some of the suggested activities above before arriving at the tennis court if a warmup is important to you.
Above all, I think it’s important we come to the court with good intentions. Following the Golden Rule and providing your opponent with a good warmup will not only result in a better warmup for yourself, it will probably result in a better, more enjoyable tennis match for both you and your opponent, one with interesting points that keep you coming back to play more tennis!
*A clear and concise summary of the standard 10-minute warmup can be found on p. 223 of Gyata Stormon’s On the Ball--Doubles Tennis Tactics for Recreational Players, available from Amazon.
