Whilst sporadically playing the vets tennis tour, it is interesting to talk to many players about what they consider their pre-match rituals. They range from the most strange (warming up in the toilet cubicle) to the having no idea at all. But the question is where do you fall into this equation? Are you a player that just rushes on to the court a few minutes prior to the match and just cuff it?
Remember the match starts way before you step onto the court and by becoming aware of a great set of pre-match rituals you give yourself an even better chance in the battle arena. I am going to cover your routine at the venue itself.
Everyone has there own idea of a pre-court routine but below are 4 key areas that should be apart of any routine.
· Scouting of opponent for his/her strengths or weaknesses
· Taken in the right nutrition and hydration prior to playing
· The appropriate amount of your time for relaxation or energising yourself and to work on strategy
· The ability to take note of the conditions to ensure you try to plan what end to start from if possible
During the warm up
Look to get your feet moving and get a rhythm and looseness about your strokes. This doesn’t mean going full out to hit at 100% of your all out speed. Start slow and then gradually pick up the speed to your match rally pace. Aim to go out and warm up without missing a ball! That will warn your opponent he is in for a match with a very consistent player!
Remember your aim is to look at what your opponent likes to hit and then look between the lines, what shots has he/she not hit? Why not?
Now go work out your personalised at venue pre-match plan and again help yourself to winning ways.
Andy
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