Shoes out, backhanded - play healthier tennis!
An Austrian tennis coach has found a way to play gentle tennis. However, this will probably not work without a temporary drop in performance.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Oct 17, 2019, 11:17 am
No doubt: anyone who is actively involved in tennis sports lives healthier than the rest of the population. The tennis player usually moves in the fresh air, works unconsciously on his endurance, has to bring high coordination skills, speed does not hurt. The pitfalls, however, are in danger of wear and tear, which may affect the knee joint, shoulder, elbow, etc.
As reported by the Oberösterreichischen Nachrichten , tennis coach Gerhard Schneider has found a way to operate the white sport more gently - namely, by renouncing the backhand.
"If all the blows are done with one hand, you continue the one-sidedness of everyday life in tennis even further. This can lead to tension, "Schneider, who teaches at the Trainingsacademy (TA-MSS), cited n achrichten.at .
Monica Seles has done it
Now there are three steps to minimize the risk of injury: First, an open leg position. This should also be widely used in the amateur area anyway.
Step two would be to play tennis without shoes and socks, that is, barefoot. Certainly a big challenge on some surfaces. The decisive point is still there: the renunciation of the backhand. Depending on the requirements, the racket changes hands, there are only forehand shots. "That's how I work on my body in equal measure, and the one-sidedness ends," continues Schneider.
It goes without saying that the serve will continue to be carried out only with the "main hand". The volley could become a borderline case, but in terms of speed of reaction one must also decide on one hand.
There are precedents for the considerations of Schneider even in the professional field, albeit in a slightly modified form: Monica Seles, for example, the former world ranking first, has acted on both sides of the square ambidextrous. And thus her body even processed.