Thursday, 4 December 2014

Can Tennis Backboard Help You Improve

By Claudine Hodges


Every athlete has to work hard to improve their skills and succeed in their respective sports. No champion was created overnight. Besides the passion to win, every athlete must be properly conditioned to win the game. Hence, each one has to undergo adequate training and practice. The results of the training can be maximized when the right equipment and materials are used.

Certain sports require a partner, so practicing alone can be difficult. Tennis is one example of such sports. Still, you cannot allow the results of your training to a partner. If you badly want to be better, you must find ways to improve on your own. Fortunately, there are training materials you can use. A tennis backboard, for instance, can serve as your partner.

If you want to be good at tennis, you cannot just go around hitting a thousand balls. You cannot possibly play against yourself, either. That is why you will need to use a backboard. You can hit the ball towards the board then it bounces right back off. In a way, the board becomes your imaginary opponent.

This setup is perfect for practicing your technique. The way a ball bounces back from a board is quite predictable as it depends on the racket's position. This is an easy way to work on certain techniques like the backhand stroke. Start by striking the ball once using a backhand, then catch it as it returns. Hit it once again with backhand. Repeat this until you start to feel comfortable using the backhand grip.

This can also help enhance your skills in hitting a target. You can set up targets on the board then practice on hitting them again and again. This can help you gain more control on the ball's direction in an actual match. You can also adjust the size of the target depending on your level of play.

Since the ball bounces back pretty fast when hit really hard, your footwork eventually becomes gets better, too. As the ball approaches, you must immediately adjust your position so you can keep up with its speed. Before you know it, your footwork has already shown significant improvements. In the side line, your endurance is also stretched because of the efforts in running and hitting of the board.

Conditioning is also an important aspect in any sports. With the help of the backboards, you can work on conditioning by simulating a tough rally. Hit the board with at least five shots without fail. Take it a notch higher and start a rally of twenty shots. This can help you practice with high intensity, which is something you ought to expect in an actual match.

Finally, this setup helps you come up with a consistent play. Many backboards have a line drawn simulating a real net. Hit the area above the line twenty times without stopping. Once you got better, increase the number of shots. This practice improves your consistency in a game.

If you want to be really good in tennis, the backboard is definitely an indispensable tool. Hence, it is not enough to settle with just the kitchen or garage wall when practicing. Although the wall could make the ball bounce as any other hard surface do, it is not a good alternative. Notice that if the ball hits the wall hard, it does bounce back. Rather, it bounces away. In the end, you have to stop just to pick it up. Not only is this tiresome, but it helps little to your training, too. You absolutely have to use the right types of equipment for a more effective training.




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