Tennis is an incredibly dynamic and demanding sport that requires a high level of skill and athleticism to be successful. That said, there are many ways to improve one's tennis performance, ranging from physical training to mental techniques. To help you take your tennis game to the next level, 11 proven methods have been carefully outlined in this blog post. All of these strategies have been put to the test and have helped numerous tennis players achieve their performance goals. From increasing flexibility and strength to developing the proper technique and improving focus, the 11 strategies discussed in this blog post will give you a comprehensive plan to help you become a better tennis player.

Whether you’re looking to compete at a higher level or just want to become a better tennis player, these strategies will help you reach your goals.

1. Develop Your Footwork

One of the most important aspects of tennis is the footwork. Being able to move quickly and efficiently around the court is critical to success. Developing your footwork should be one of the first steps in improving your tennis performance. You can practice your footwork by working on drills and exercises that focus on agility, balance, and coordination. This will help you become more efficient and effective at moving around the court, allowing you to quickly and easily respond to your opponent’s shots.

2. Tennis Specific Weight Training

Tennis specific weight training is a great way to increase your performance on the court. Weight training helps build strength, power and endurance, all of which are essential for playing a successful game of tennis. By focusing on exercises that target the muscles used for tennis, you can maximize your performance and reduce the risk of injury. In addition, weight training can improve your speed, agility, balance, and overall coordination. To get the best results, it’s important to work with a trainer who understands the biomechanics of tennis and can guide you through the right exercises and form.

3. Eat A Pre-Match Meal

Eating the right kind of food before a match can help to fuel your performance. Choose a meal that is low in fat and high in carbohydrates such as a bowl of wheat-based cereal and a banana. Make sure your meal is light enough to not weigh you down but dense enough to give you the energy you need for your match. Eat this meal at least two hours before your match so your body has enough time to digest it.

4. Don’t Consume Just Water During Your Matches

Fourth on our list of proven ways to increase your tennis performance is to not consume just water during your matches. While water is important for keeping your body hydrated, it does not provide the energy your body needs to stay focused and energized during long and intense matches. Instead, you should look for options that provide carbohydrates and electrolytes to help your body perform optimally. Good options include sports drinks, energy bars, and bananas. Make sure to consume these snacks in moderation to avoid upsetting your stomach.

5. Eat A Post-Match Meal

Eating a light meal after a match is a great way to help your body recover and soothe your muscles. Eating a meal of complex carbohydrates and proteins will help to restore your body with the energy and nutrient stores it needs to recover quickly and be ready for the next game. Make sure to time your post-match meal so that it is consumed within 30 minutes of completing the match. Eating too soon could cause nausea and discomfort, while eating too late could reduce the effectiveness of the nutrients your body needs.

6. Utilize Active Recovery Methods

Just as important as an intense training session is the recovery period that follows. An active recovery method can help you to reduce fatigue and muscle soreness while getting you back to peak performance levels faster. Examples of active recovery methods include foam rolling, stretching, and light jogging. Incorporating active recovery methods into your routine will help you to ensure that you are adequately rested and ready for your next tennis match.

7. Get 7-9 Hours Of Sleep Every Night

Sleep plays a vitally important role in your overall health and performance, and it is no different when it comes to tennis. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night is proven to improve your reaction times, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. This will help you serve more accurately and return shots faster. Additionally, getting enough rest will help you reduce your risk of injury while on the court. Make sure to get to bed early so you can get the amount of sleep your body needs to perform at its best!

8. Perform At-Home Skills Drills

One of the best ways to increase your tennis performance is to practice your skills at home. Setting aside a few minutes each day to work on specific drills can help build your strength, endurance, and accuracy. You can practice simple drills like bouncing the ball off the wall or complex ones like volleying against an imaginary opponent. You can even make it more challenging by aiming to hit specific targets. Practice makes perfect, and these drills will help you hone your skills!

9. Meditate

There are some non-believers in meditation out there, but they instantly become believers when you point them towards the dozens and dozens of studies that have been done demonstrating a positive effect on both body and mind. Meditation helps you relax, reduce anxiety, improve recovery, improve blood flow, become mentally stronger, and even drastically improve your inflammation and hormonal profiles.You will be amazed at what just ten minutes of meditation per day can do for your entire life and overall tennis performance.

10. Eat High-Quality Food

Calories in vs. Calories out determines your body weight. Your macronutrient split determines what you’re going to look like at that body weight. Your micronutrient content determines how you’re going to feel at that body weight. It’s not enough to just count calories. Tennis players need a high amount of micronutrient dense foods to optimize their energy production pathways, sleep quality, gut health, inflammation, electrolyte status, and overall health. We couldn’t tell you how many times some slight variations in food selection have been total game changers for us. Calories matter, but your food choices matter too.

11. Write Out Your Goals

There is power in writing out your goals and setting deadlines for yourself. Think of all the crazy times in our life where we had to get a lot done in a short period: Planning a vacation. Buying a racquet at the last minute. Working on a project the day before it’s due. Studying frantically for that test tomorrow. These aren’t just examples of your productivity ability, but they are perfect examples to articulate the power of deadlines. We all operate better with deadlines. Proper goal setting for tennis is a real art to make sure you’re always heading in the right direction and setting the correct goals for yourself. Because of this, we created Chasing 13 to set a goal to reach a 13 UTR.