Staying hydrated and eating smart are two of the most important ways to prevent cramps, heat related illnesses and low energy during a match.

WHAT TO DRINK: If you have an important match coming up, you can prepare your body by drinking lots and lots of fluids. Hydrate the night before the match, the morning of the match, and all the way until it is time to play. Once you begin to play, hydrate with a sports drink, such as Gatorade or coconut water, that contains electrolytes, such as sodium. These electrolytes are lost in sweat and need to be constantly replenished. It is recommended that you consume 250 calories per hour of exercise to maintain a high level of energy. I like to use a gas tank analogy to describe proper hydration. Don’t wait to “refill your tank” until you are empty, or dehydrated. Drink water before you feel thirsty to prevent dehydration.

WHAT TO EAT: The night before, eat a meal that is rich in carbohydrates, such as pasta. Carbs are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. Glycogen is the body’s most accessible form of energy. If you run out of glycogen during your match, your body “hits a wall” and must resort to fat as its source of energy. This will slow you down and prevent you from playing your best tennis. Sodium is not the only electrolyte lost in sweat. Potassium is lost as well, so if you get hungry during a match, eat a banana. It is packed full of potassium, fiber, and vitamins such as vitamin B6 and vitamin C.

It is vital for athletes to fuel their bodies with the proper foods and drinks. A balanced diet gives your body what it needs for peak performance.

About the Author:

Gino Carosella is the Director of Adult Programs at the Nassau Tennis Club in Skillman, NJ. 

When you are struggling with your backhand or your forehand is your strength, you may want to consider an inside-out forehand. This is when the receiver is standing on the ad side and runs around to avoid hitting a backhand, and instead returns the ball with the forehand. For most players, the forehand is stronger than the backhand. Inside-out forehands allow for more topspin, especially if the majority of your shots have been flat backhands.  

Inside-out forehands, if disguised well, can execute a very powerful shot. If your opponent has recognized that your backhand is in fact weaker than your forehand and keeps pounding to your backhand, try the inside-out return. This deadly shot allows a player to deliver a powerful but precise cross-court shot that is extremely difficult to return.

About the Author:

Gino Carosella is the Director of Adult Programs at the Nassau Tennis Club in Skillman, NJ. 

Tips from Tennis Professional Joao Pinho on how to improve your doubles game through communication.

When you or your partner is serving, make sure to use hand signals or talk in between points about the plan for the next point. Failing to do so can facilitate the returner’s job since they “know” the net player is not doing a pre-planned poach.  The returner’s job is to simply get the ball cross court or away from the net player.

Commonly used signals:

• Palm of hand open = Poach
• Hand closed/fist = Stay
• Flashing hand (opening and closing hand a few times) = Fake poach

Signals should be used for both first and second serve and the server needs to verbally acknowledge that they saw the signal.  The more advanced players should also include the direction of the serve in addition to the action of the net player (poach, stay or fake).

When poaching, the server should, most of the time, try to serve to the “T or Body” in order to reduce the returner’s angle and increasing the chances that the net player will poach successfully. 

About the Author:

Joao ‘Jay’ Pinho is Manager of Tennis Operation and High Performance Tennis Coach at the Nassau Tennis Club in Skillman, NJ.  For more information on the High Performance Academy visit, www.NextLevelTennis.Net

An opponent pops the ball high, and in that instant you need to decide what shot to hit. Should you let the ball bounce or take it out of the air? Should you hit an overhead or a volley? When should you hit a swinging volley like many of the pros on tour are hitting these days? What should you do?

First, try not to let it bounce. Move into the court and take the ball out of the air giving your opponent less time to react.

Second, measure where the ball is relative to you. If the ball is higher than your head, try an overhead. But, if it is right at your head or shoulder level, get your feet set for a swinging volley. You should remain in an open or semi-open stance as you approach the ball. Make sure you are balanced so that you can execute with more power.

As you hit the ball, aim for the middle of the court and make sure to put a lot of power behind it. This results in less error. The swinging volley is a very aggressive shot and should keep your opponents from putting any balls high. Players who wish to integrate the swinging volley into their game can do so by being patient and begin recognizing when it’s the right time to use this specialized shot.