In this month’s Tennis Tips guest post, coach Marcin Bieniek, founder of Enjoy Tennis Blog, helps us set goals for 2021 that will take our tennis to the next level. Marcin is currently looking for new career opportunities, so if you are interested in cooperation, you can contact him via his personal website.
The year 2020 was full of insecurity and doubts about the future in all areas of life, including tennis. Good news is that 2021 looks much more promising. Let’s see what we can do to make the best out of the months ahead and improve our tennis results.
Focus on technical, tactical, physical, and mental aspects
To become better competitors, players have to take care of different skills that will allow them to perform at a high level and give them advantage over other hard-working opponents.
Technical execution is fundamental in this sport, so conscious work has to be a priority in practice sessions. Without tactical advancement, it is impossible to win matches and lift trophies, so this area also has to get better from month to month. From the physical perspective, players who are able to run more, hit harder and endure hours of battle will always have bigger chance to dominate the rival. And let’s not forget about the mental aspects, as without the ability to focus and control emotions, it is impossible to maintain good performance for longer period of time.
By planning your actions ahead and working hard on a daily basis, it is guaranteed that you will finish the year as a better athlete.
New Year’s resolutions for tennis players
We have all experienced the process of trying to be better at the beginning of the year, but let’s be more dedicated to this goal this time around. Below you can find some proven ideas about things you should do to take your tennis to the next level:
• Start a tennis diary
• Write down three things you have learned during each practice session
• Start eating healthy
• Eat post-practice meal within 45 minutes
• Do your stretching routine at the end of every day
• Use cold shower for your legs at least once a week
• Watch tennis matches and learn from them
• Read one tennis book per month
• Start visualization
• Develop your own between-the-points routine
• Record your game and analyze it
Most of these recommendations are totally free. The only thing you need is motivation to implement new activities into your life. With this approach, it won’t matter if the restrictions in your country will allow you to get on the court or to leave the house. Tennis is the game of adjustments, so right now it is your moment to show how you can adjust and get better with simple but effective actions. If you want, add your individual tasks to this to-do list and start being the best tennis version of yourself.
Visit our Tennis Tips page for a lot more articles by tennis coaches. There you can learn how to improve specific shots and skills, handle pressure, adapt your game to all surfaces and weather conditions, choose the best tennis racquet, and much more.
