How a tennis coach switched to online training because of the corona pandemic
Due to the corona pandemic, the tennis courts are currently closed, tennis coaches face an uncertain future. Benedikt Dümig has come to terms with the situation and is now offering his students tennis lessons live over the Internet - with great success.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Mar 24, 2020, 01:38 pm
Benedikt Dümig, 33, comes from Aschaffenburg, is a state-certified tennis trainer, personal trainer and head of several school working groups. He has been a full-time tennis coach for more than ten years.
Benedikt, you are currently offering online tennis training after the tennis courts are currently closed. How did you get this idea?
I have a certain number of subscriptions. I contacted these people, wrote them a long email and asked them if they wanted to make up for the lessons - or if we would try an alternative online. I didn't want to put anyone under pressure, but almost 80 percent of all subscribers took advantage of the offer. Of course, I could also have created and sent videos. But taking the time for your people and doing it "live", as is usually the case on the pitch, offers added value.
How does that concrete look? Playing tennis in the apartment is rather difficult.
I worked out six areas: coordination training with balance exercises, athletic training for beginners and advanced, tactical and mental training, nutritional and nutritional training and training about the different types of players in tennis - tips on how to play against them. It's great fun for me. Many parents are also happy, and you can see “your” children from the training too. We all don't know when we'll be back on the pitch. If you just wait and see, it will be difficult. Sure, you can catch up on the hours, but that will be a lot if in doubt. When 100 hours accumulate and you are still not allowed to play in May ..?
# IMG2 #
The British Tennis Association has come up with a few ideas on how to maintain the “social distance” that is currently in place in open spaces. For example, by only one player picking up the balls. An interesting option for summer?
Absolutely. When training, you could even consider that the players do not take the ball in their hands, that only the coach should do it. You would have to do without a surcharge for a while. You could collect with a tube and disinfect it after the hour. Sure, you still need a rule for the sanitary facilities. But we love sport, for a certain period you have to pay attention to certain things.
Tennis has the advantage that you are relatively further apart and don't get in your way.
It's more difficult in football, it's a contact sport. But besides golf we are the sport that has few players in a huge area. If in doubt, you could split a group of four into two people, who then only train every 14 days. Sport is important, it also means that the risk group separates whether someone does sport or not, also because of the breathing - roughly stated. I would like one or the other professional to point out: Hey, our tennis sport lives from the instructors - if they are no longer there, tennis will not survive. And if a lot of coaches have to stop now, it will be difficult to do everything again.
Do you have a few simple exercises that we can pass on to our readers for home training?
One of my favorite coordination exercises: You stand on one leg and have a tennis ball in your hand. Then you put the ball on the floor, stand again, then you have to pick it up again. So lie down, pick up, lie down, pick up ... always on one leg. You can also do crunches with the tennis ball: you lie on your back, bend your legs, and when you go up, you pass the ball from one hand to the other. This keeps you in the final tension a little longer.
Benedikt, thank you for the interview and all the best!
# IMG3 #
If you want to learn more about Benedikt Dümig or request him for a course, you can do so here !