Tennis players at all levels should approach taking care of their body as a priority. Only a combination of long-term hard work and conscious daily recovery will guarantee effectiveness and good sports results. Coach Marcin Bieniek, founder of Enjoy Tennis Blog, will show us his Top 3 tools for self-massage at home for optimum rehab.
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Importance of proper recovery in tennis
Proper massage and body care play a crucial role in the life of a tennis player. To be able to go through practice sessions from Monday to Saturday and maintain high-quality performance, players have to feel well physically and mentally. It is important to remember that when the body is tired, mind will also be affected and players will have problems focusing on tasks and making right decisions.
Injury can lead to short-term layoffs or can be the reason of struggling to play tennis even for years. The are some injuries that players can’t really avoid, but a lot of physical problems are happening because of too much work and not enough recovery.
Tennis market is full of accessories and equipment that can be beneficial in all areas of athletic development. A lot of times, players are looking for new racquets, comfortable shoes or just released apparel, but they don’t pay enough attention to the recovery stuff that can take care of their health and make a big impact on their performance.
Recommended at-home massage products for tennis players
1. Spiky massage ball
Most of the people hearing the words “at-home massage” immediately think about the foam roller. On my list, foam roller takes the second position, because feet should be the number one body part to take care of. Every move an athlete makes puts a lot of pressure on the feet and when the feet are tired they are also weaker, so more pressure is going to the upper parts of the body. Using small object such as the spiky massage ball on a daily basis is a great recovery tool that will prevent possible injuries and take care of your long-term health.
2. Foam roller
Foam roller is definitely the tool that all tennis players should possess. Foam roller helps muscles to recover much faster than the popular static stretching. It significantly reduces the pain in the muscles during the next days. Foam roller can be used for lower and upper body, so players don’t have to spend additional money on physiotherapist to get ready for the next intense day/week of work.
If you’re in the USA, shop Pro-Tec Foam Roller Black Travel Size 4″x12″ Extra Firm or Pro-Tec Foam Roller Light Blue. If you’re in Europe, choose the Trigger Point Grid Foam Roller available in a variety of bright colors.
3. Theragun
Theragun is quite a new tool on the market but it has many followers. It offers pin-point accuracy while massaging different groups of muscles, so players can focus on a small area or get a general recovery. It is more effective than foam roller because it allows to get to sensible parts of the shoulders blades or IT bands. It costs definitely more but it is a worthy purchase for many years with healthy body.
Being a tennis player, you are as effective as your body. You can have a great serve and a powerful forehand, but if you feel pain in the shoulder or if your legs are too tired in the final set, you will never achieve great results. It confirms the fact that recovery has to be addressed on a daily basis and the best thing is that you can do it on your own with the help of a handful of tools that you can use at home.
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 most appropriate tennis racquet, best strings, and much more.
