We are now nearing the end of week five of the new training programme. Unfortunately due to the snow we were forced to cancel some of the outdoor hitting sessions over the last couple of weeks as the picture above was what greeted us on Monday morning. As a result I made sure I was getting in the gym a lot and got a few decent sessions of Ashtanga yoga in as well; which is a more strenuous and fast paced version of yoga. It's really good for improving core strength and flexibility and is a lot tougher than expected so I highly recommend it - you really feel it through your core the next day! It's also very good to do something that isn't cardio based or particularly focused on one area of the body so you can continue to train to your full on a tennis court. After a pretty big effort from the coaches to clear the courts around four hours later they looked more like this though.
And so we were able to get some really good training sessions in over the next few days, despite the freezing cold. The primary focus of this week has been on intensity of footwork in all situations. Every ball hit must have a purpose and we have been working on the depth of the ball on every shot ensuring that you never give an opponent any opportunity to attack. On top of this we have also been doing some sprint work which I really enjoy. In tennis sprinting is very different to what most people think of sprinting as it is more about a few big powerful steps and a lot of change of direction. This week we have just begun work on improving that first step and discovered that one thing I was doing that was holding me back was almost taking a step back first to get in the right position to sprint forwards. We have started to work on getting rid of this habit so that my first step is really powerful out of the legs going straight forwards which I can already see is going to improve my movement up and down the court massively, as every second counts on a tennis court!
Finally we have continued work on the footwork patterns that have been implemented in the previous weeks and this is beginning to work better and better. Along with a greater intensity of the footwork it means that I am getting in a better position to hit the ball as I am beginning to get in line behind the ball before my bodyweight comes forward and through to strike the ball. Our next step is to make sure I am doing this on every ball, no matter how much pressure I am under.
On top of this I have also done the usual gym programme workouts including a very good bodyweight and core day that allows me to use the gymnastic rings. Despite them being absolutely killer they are really, really good for a vast array of core exercises that not only improve your strength throughout your body but also your balance, stability and coordination. I will get some pictures of these exercises for the next blog if I can! Today snow has hit yet again, so I'm about to hit the gym for a big session before an hour of Ashtanga yoga this afternoon and a much needed rest day tomorrow!
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