Sport Science Seminar

Physiology

I) Two Kinds of Exercise

A) Aerobic Activity
.......1) Slow to moderate intensity
.......2) Long(er) duration
.......3) Fat burning

B) Anaerobic
.......1) High intensity
.......2) Short duration (less than two minutes)
.......3) Glycogen (carbohydrate) burning

II) Tennis is Anaerobic

A) Points are short
B) Points are high intensity
C) We burn glycogen (carbohydrates)

III) Other Important Facts About Tennis

A) Muscles need Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP) to work - - we only have a small amount stored in our muscles to start each point
B) We burn glycogen (carbs) to produce more ATP.
C) When we burn glycogen to produce more ATP, we produce lactic acid, which contributes to cramps and muscle fatigue. We produce so little, however, that .....tennis is considered an alactic activity (less than 30 seconds in duration).
D) The rest periods (in between points and games) in tennis have an aerobic component, and so we need an aerobic base.
E) A warm stretch is preferred to a cold stretch.

IV) Proper Work/Rest Ratios are important

A) The more time we take between points, the more ATP we replenish and can use to start the next point.
B) The more time we take between points, the more lactic acid will be removed from our muscles via the bloodstream.
C) Rest periods have an aerobic component, which increases our aerobic capacity and allows us to maintain our aerobic base without aerobic training.
D) Training without rest tires the central nervous system which is what we use to "groove" proper stroke mechanics.

V) Theory of Specificity

A) As we get closer to our tournaments, our workouts should more closely resemble a tennis match.
B) Periodization - - planning a tennis season
.......1) Pre-Season (Preparation Phase)
...........a) Aerobic workouts to develop aerobic base (may not be necessary and may be detrimental)
...........b) Weight training and conditioning = strength, power and endurance
...........c) Stroke work can include mechanical changes and new skills

.......2) Pre-Competitive Season
...........a) Sprint training
...........b) Weight training and conditioning = speed, flexibility, agility
...........c) Stroke work should emphasize shot-making capabilities

.......3) Competitive Season
...........a) Sprint Training
...........b) Weight training and conditioning = speed, flexibility, agility
...........c) Drills should emphasize match play
...........d) Rest periods before matches

.......4) Off-season (Transition Phase or Active Rest)
...........a) No tennis, rest, then cross-train

.......5) Macro vs. Micro cycles

Periodization is a long-term training plan designed to systematically control the volume, intensity and frequency of rest, training and competition to optimize the chances that peak performance will occur at the most desired times.

VI) Conditioning

A) Principles of Conditioning
.......1) Adaptation - - Physical changes occur in the body to meet goals
.......2) Specificity - - Adaptation is specific to ability (aerobic vs. anaerobic)
.......3) Variety - - Cross train
.......4) Individuality - - Respect different athletes physical attributes and needs
.......5) Progression - - ability improves with training
.......6) Recovery - - Within each session and day to day

B) Strength, Power & Endurance
.......1) Slower exercises
.......2) Emphasized in pre-season
.......3) Higher volume of work, lower intensity

C) Speed, Agility, Quickness
.......1) Quicker exercises
.......2) Emphasized in pre-competitive and competitive season
.......3) Lower volume of work, higher intensity

Recommendations

•Tennis training should mirror the body's demands during a match. Do not practice at maximum intensity for more than 30 seconds without a realistic break.
•Coaches should follow the theory of specificity both on court and off (conditioning).
•Train with a 1:2 Work/Rest ratio, depending on your player's condition.

Motor Learning

I) The process by which we learn a sport skill and remember it is called Motor Learning.

A) Brain/Central Nervous System/Muscles
B) People learn by doing.
C) There can be no learning without knowledge of results.
D) People should learn skills in an environment similar to the one in which they will eventually use them.
E) Feedback
.......1) Results
.......2) Coach's Positive comments (specific and non-specific)
.......3) Coach's Negative comments (specific and non-specific)
.......4) 50% results; 40% positive; 10% negative

II) Different Types of Feeds

A) Block - - same feeds to same place/stroke
.......1) Quickest for learning

B) Variable - - different feeds to same stroke
.......1) Helps learning and promotes retention

C) Random - - different feeds to different places
.......1) Best for retention

III) Physiology must be respected

A) Mental Toughness or conditioning drills which tire the student, depress the central nervous system and build up lactic acid in muscles actually "groove" poor .... strokes.

IV) Psychology must be respected

A) People are nervous in a match because they have to hit to a target area and there are points involved. They must have some practice under these .....conditions.

V) Three learner types

A) Audio
B) Visual
C) Kinesthetic

VI) Opposite-Hand Learning

A) Speeds up learning
B) Helps with corrections

VII) Relation of Sport Psychology

A) Sport Psychology can help trigger the correct motor response via:
.......1) Visualization and Imagery
.......2) Rituals

Psychology

Sport Psychology is moving away from a narrow mental focus to a study of the links between the body and the mind.

I) Ideal Performance State

A) Tanking
B) Anger
C) Choking
D) Ideal Performance State

II) Visualization & Imagery

A) Visualization = skill + outcome
B) Imagery = skill
C) What do they do? Help brain send correct message to muscles.

III) Rituals

A) Trigger correct motor response
.......1) Repetition
.......2) Familiarity

IV) Principles of Goal Setting

A) Set performance goals, not just outcome goals
B) Make them challenging enough
C) Realistic
D) Make them specific, not general
E) Short-term, intermediate and long-term
F) Individualize

V) Importance of the Score

A) Helps you anticipate opponent's likely strategy
B) Helps you plan your point

VI) "Big Points"

A) Try to win every point
.......1) 99% of matches are won by the person who wins the most points
.......2) 97% of matches are won by the person who wins the most series (three) of points
.......3) Belief in "Big Points" adds stress

VII) Take Time Between Points

A) Rituals trigger correct motor responses
B) Lets you lower heart rate
C) Calms you down
D) Helps body rest and regenerate

VIII) Training with Target Areas and Points

A) Points and target areas simulate the match environment and prepare your player to perform desired motor skills in actual match play.

IX) Parent/Player/Coach Relationship

A) It is the coach's responsibility to develop and maintain this relationship
B) Parents should generally not be involved in coaching
.......1) Involve parents in diet, statistics, goal-setting, etc.

C) Watch out for parents who tie love/acceptance to winning
D) Watch out for parents who live through their children
E) Winning at tennis should not be tied to self-esteem

X) Reward vs. Punishment

A) Reward should not evolve into motivation for performance
B) Punishment (push-ups) should be for a specific reason (hitting a ball on two bounces); should not violate training principles (tire a player during a workout) and should not imprint to the student that the punishment (sit-ups) is a bad thing (vegetables vs. dessert).

XI) Essence of Sport Psychology

A) Sport Psychology is more motoric than psychological
B) Sport Psychology techniques simply aim to help players hit the ball where they want, how they want, when they want
C) Incorporate Mental Toughness training into your practices, including:
.......1) Use of time between points
.......2) Positive self-talk
.......3) Rituals
.......4) Stroke changes during choking

E) Practice competitive situations
F) Play sets
G) Conditioning
H) Cool-down

Biomechanics

I) What is "Power?"

A) Force = Mass X Acceleration
B) Body Mass
C) The Kinetic Chain
D) Linear vs. Angular Momentum

II) Stroke Mechanics

A) Forehand
.......1) Closed Stance
.......2) Open Stance

B) Backhand
.......1) One-handed
.......2) Two-handed

C) Return of Serve
.......1) Footwork
.......2) Technique
.......3) Tactics

D) Serve
.......1) Kinetic Chain
.......2) Ball Toss (High vs. Low)

E) Volley
.......1) Eliminate the Arm

F) Topspin Lob

III) Technical Stereotype vs. Dynamic Stereotype

A) Technical = Stroke mechanics
B) Dynamic = Power, Speed, Rhythm, Timing

IV) Footwork

A) Most errors in tennis are made with the feet, not the hands
.......1) Ball reception skills
.......2) Positioning skills
...........a) Too close to ball
...........b) Too far from ball (hit and run back)
...........c) 45 degree angle approach (get to the side and behind ball)

Poor drilling promotes poor footwork!

V) Sweetspots

A) There are three "sweetspots" on a racquet
.......1) Power Zone
.......2) Center of Percussion
.......3) First Node of Harmonics (tip of racquet -- serving "sweetspot")