As winter quickly creeps up many of us are going to be facing colder conditions than we like. Many players will be forced to play indoors soon.
Until then, here are some tips to ensure the cold weather doesn't affect your tennis game.
Scott Baker is a singles and doubles expert based in central Ohio. To learn more from Scott, visit Tennis4You.com.
Dress the Part
Playing tennis in 40 degrees as opposed to 90 degrees is definitely a change. Most importantly, you have to dress accordingly.
Wear several thin layers of clothing so you can take off small amounts as you warm up.
If you have a large, warm sweatshirt on over a T-shirt, you will go from one extreme to the other once you remove the outer layer.
Sunglasses and Gloves
I find it extremely difficult to feel the grip with gloves on, no matter how thin the gloves are.
Gloves are not a bad idea on change-overs if you can find a way to keep them warm as you play. The colder your hands are the harder it is to find the right position on your grip.
Sunglasses can be helpful as the winter sun is lower in the sky and more likely to be a constant bother. I have seen few people who can actually play tennis well while swearing sunglasses, but it's definitely a challenge.
Stretch
Be sure to stretch a lot before you play and as you warm up. Your muscles will take longer to loosen up in the cold and you don't want to pull any muscles.
Be sure to take your time in the warm up, and try to hit in the warm-up five to 10 minutes longer than you usually would.
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