There are many ways to practice your tennis game, even if you don’t have a tennis court in your local area. The beauty of tennis is that you can be creative with the sport as all you really need to practice is a ball and a racket. Well, you can visit Ping Pong Beast if you are interested in Ping Pong, Table tennis, and other table games.
The court, the net – and yes, the audience, if a cheering crowd is what you need to keep you motivated – can all be left to the imagination. As long as you’re exercising your body in the same way you would during an official match, you’re already doing a lot towards perfecting your tennis game. If you’ve got a big match or tournament coming up soon, follow these tips on practicing tennis at home.
Find a Partner in Your Wall
If you have a large exterior wall in your driveway or garden, put it to good use by turning it into your silent, non-participating tennis partner. By playing against a wall you can keep training for as long as you want without having to worry about tiring out your opponent. This method allows for a great warm up and will get you practicing your swings. Plus, this type of one-on-one practice is strangely meditative which will help you hone your focus.
Set up the Ping Pong Table
Playing an alternative sport such as Ping Pong throughout the winter season can be another great option for keeping up your practice. Ping Pong strokes may not be as big and powerful as the ones you need to keep up an exciting game of tennis, but the moves are close enough to keep you in good tennis form. Ping Pong is a great way to keep up your game and have a good time with your friends and family in the process. Unlike tennis, that requires a bigger playing field, you won’t need a huge space to set up your table, hence, you could easily deck out your basement, garage or even the spare-room and transform it into Ping Pong practicing space.
Shadow Swinging
Boxers aren’t the only ones to practice their moves in front of the mirror – tennis players have their moments too. You’ll want to avoid the bathroom mirror unless you have a very spacious bathroom in which to practice your groundstrokes as well as your backhand and forehand. By watching yourself in the mirror you will be able to pay special attention to the movements of your hips and shoulder, your foot placement and ideal weight transfer and see where there is room for improvement.
Tossing the Sock Ball
A great way to practice the most important part of your tennis serve – namely, the toss – is by putting rolled-up socks to good use. You won’t even need a racket for this exercise – all you need is a rolled-up ball of socks and a good attitude and you’re set to go. You may feel silly repeatedly tossing your sock ball into the air, but you’ll quickly come to realize that this is an at-home-practice that will pay off on the court.
Study the Game
A more passive but equally important approach to practicing tennis at home is by studying the game this could be by reading tips on blogs or watching matches, tournaments and instructional videos on TV or on YouTube. Watching the pros is only intimidating if you’re not willing to put the time into truly studying their techniques, so set up your viewing area by preparing a notepad and pencil for you to take notes with. Jot down any move, strategy or technique you deem important to practice and watch the same match repeatedly if necessary. Once you feel hyped up enough and have gone over your notes several times, grab your racket and a ball and partner up with your wall to put your newly-learned techniques to the test.