By Luke Jensen, French Open Doubles Champion
I hope you are all ready for warmer temperatures and the chance to get out and play in the sunshine. The spring is such a mixed bag for me on the court. If you have been playing indoors all winter, then getting used to the elements can be challenging. I grew up in Michigan, so six months out of the year was mainly indoor tennis. Looking back, going south for junior tournaments, like the Easter Bowl junior tournament or Orange Bowl football games, always put me at a disadvantage. Through the years, it took me four solid days of two-a-day sessions before I felt comfortable outside. When I coached at Syracuse University, going from indoors to outdoors was our biggest challenge. There were many times my team would fly in and play the same day, basically giving us absolutely no time to adjust. The players that played with more margin over the net (with looping ground strokes) adapted quicker, while the power ball strikers that played shots closer to the net struggled!
Depending on how much time you have to adjust before your spring tennis begins, consider playing practice sets right away and then work out all the issues with wind, sun, and the big sky above to adjust to depth perception. Drilling or hitting tons of balls is OK, but it’s in too much of a controlled environment for me. Another thing, hit tons of serves and overheads. They’re the toughest shots to hit in the elements.
Even if you have been outside all winter, spring tennis can be tricky with the elements. The cold and wind can be a bear! But you can learn how to use the elements in your favor. When against the wind, think about driving the ball more. When you’re with the wind, add more topspin and margin to your targets to keep the ball in. Tactically, anytime you can bring your opponent in with a drop shot or low, short balls gives you a big advantage when you lob them to let them play a tricky overhead.
Now if you have a strong crosswind or blustery breeze … good luck with that! Accept the challenge and make it a point to be emotionally better than your opponent in those conditions!
The spring also is a good time to look at summer tennis camps. I LOVE summer camps; they can improve your child’s performance. I went to my first one at 13 years old for two weeks at the famous Nick Bollettieri Camp in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. It was tennis and fitness all day! I had so much fun and improved so much. There were all levels of players and even pros practicing. It was that experience that really gave me a massive boost toward choosing tennis as a career.
Today, camps are available for all ages, levels, and experiences. When I was 15, I went to Europe to play, and boy was that fun! Tennis Europe was a company that still takes teenagers to compete in Europe today. Dr. Martin Vinokur has been providing an excellent experience for more than 6,000 players for over 50 years! It was these experiences that drew me closer to tennis and lessons learned have stayed with me for life.
I highly recommend a super summer tennis camp to give your tennis star a wonderful tennis experience.
