For those of you who don’t know me, my passion for tennis goes waaaay back.
Prior to picking up my first tennis racket at age 13, I was a promising rugby league player. But, when it became clear my growth had peaked at 5’3″, it was time to choose a new, non-contact sport.
Not long after, I discovered my sister’s old heavy aluminium racket and took myself down to the local school. In lieu of a net, I drew a chalk line on the wall and spent every opportunity rallying (with myself). If someone wanted me, they knew where to find me.
Recognising my passion, my cousin recommended I join a local tennis club; within a few weeks, I played my first division one competition. Consistent practice against the wall really paid off! Playing someone on the other side of a net gave me so much time to prepare for my next shot. I was accustomed to the ball coming back at me at twice, maybe three times the speed! I won my first match easily and remained undefeated for four years.
What’s all the racket about?
Tennis is a high-impact cardio activity which burns calories and builds cardio-fitness, improves agility, hand-eye coordination and reflexes.
However, I soon realised tennis wasn’t simply about hitting the ball over the net. Tennis is like chess; a strategic game requiring mental acuity and strength. Not only did I need to understand my strengths and weaknesses, I had to learn how to assess those of my opponent and quickly determine how to play to their weaknesses. And I had to learn how to keep my cool when things weren’t going my way (let’s say, that’s a work in progress…). Whether professional or amateur, the best tennis players are mentally strong; when you’re down a set, every point matters.
What other sport delivers the same mental and physical benefits?
Whether you want to play for fun or fancy yourself the next Roger Federer, one-on-one tennis coaching will:
- build your cardio fitness and agility
- improve your timing
- help you master the techniques
- equip you with practical game tactics.
The good news is, you don’t need a tennis court to experience the benefits of tennis!
As a certified tennis coach, I am able to bring the benefits of tennis to my personal training clients. For example, I have integrated aspects of tennis coaching into one-on-one sessions with my client Buffy to enhance her reflexes and shorten her reaction time. Here’s a short video of us hitting a few balls over a makeshift net.
As you can see, PT and tennis are a winning combo. ACE! (sorry… not sorry)
– Sam –
