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Peter
Nichol's Top 10 Tips
| Tip
1
Plan
to Play Well
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Tip
2
Get
into a Routine
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Tip
3
My
basic practises
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Tip
4
My
solo practise session
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Tip
5
Volleying
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My advice is to
start your preparations four to six weeks before you start playing
matches. During the first two weeks you should do lots of on-court
routines and off-court aerobic fitness work (eg: on the bike).
Every other day you should be doing a bit of weights work. I do a
lot of leg work to give me power around the court and upper body
work to keep me symmetrical.
Over the next two
weeks you should play conditioned and normal games. Concentrate on
what you want to improve rather than on winning the games. Also do
some quick ghosting (20-30 seconds, no more) and keep up the
weights sessions (light weights, more reps).
Before you
actually play a match you want to make sure you’ve hit plenty of
balls but at the same time that you’re well rested.
But what about
the mental preparation? The key is to set yourself goals and have
a clear idea of how you want to play tactically in your matches.
Don’t just
wander through your training routines. Every shot is important,
even in practice, and needs your full energy. Even when you’re
in the gym you should be concentrating on the good it will do you
on court.
If you play practice matches before real matches, don’t worry if
your game isn’t as polished as you’d like it. Be patient. You
goal should be to play well when it counts.
Once I actually
start playing in a tournament I let myself go onto auto-pilot. I
try to play within “the zone”. This means I’m completely
relaxed and I let all the practising and training speak for
itself.
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