5 tips for the clay court season

The weather isn't really good yet, but the clay court season is in the starting blocks. Some clubs have already opened a few places, but for most there is still some time before the popular team games and first tournaments.

Today five tips to get off to a successful start on the ashes.

1. The right shoes

Grip is everything on the red clay, as even serve-and-volley players find themselves involved in longer rallies where they have to change direction. The footwork is different than on carpet or hard court, you have to slide into the corners and stop more gently. There have already been several experts who wanted to save money and thought they would just give the worn-in hardcourt shoes a try this year. If your athleticism is not comparable to that of Diego Schwartzman, then I would strongly advise against such experiments. Almost every supplier on the market now has special clay court shoes in their range. Good footwear is one of the best investments to prevent injuries. Pro tip: If a shoe works well, buy it three times straight away and you'll have peace of mind until the end of the season.

2. Strengthen the adductors

Because of the amount of sliding, different muscle groups are put under strain than on a hard court. The adductors are stretched and stressed when sliding. It is therefore advisable to train the adductors more before the first clay court sessions. On the one hand, through classic strengthening, the adductor machine and the Copenhagen plank are suitable exercises. On the other hand, you should work on the mobility of the adductors and hips (yoga, stretching, etc.)

3. Prepare the shoulder

On outdoor clay, the balls bounce higher than on any other surface and more forehands are played. Many of these forehands are at shoulder height or even above, which puts a little more strain on the shoulder. Before the clay court season, I recommend placing more emphasis on shoulder training and prevention. Face pulls and Y raises help activate the lower trapezius muscles, which relieve and stabilize the shoulder. Plank variations in the push-up activate the rotator cuff and are an important factor for shoulder stability. Furthermore, you should always try to do an intensive warm-up at the beginning of the clay season. Other stresses and often lower temperatures are dangerous for the body.

4. Endurance training

The faster the surface, the shorter the rallies. On carpet or fast hard courts, a lot depends on the serve plus the first ball after the serve. On sand, however, there will be many longer rallies. In these longer rallies, your body needs different energy systems. Tennis players often complain about severe muscle soreness after the first few sessions on the sand; the long periods of strain cause much more lactate to form in the body. A simple drill that you can do on the tennis court is to play the classic 11s, i.e. points without serve and return. However, you have to play back and forth at least 4 times each time until you can play the point freely. It's best to start doing this towards the end of the indoor season so that you can start the sand season fitter. If you are interested in special fitness programs, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram.

5. Use kick serve

The sand slows down the game and there are more breaks than on any other surface. In order to still maintain your serve, you have to serve smarter. A simple trick on clay is to use the kick serve more. Due to the high jump on the clay courts, you can put enormous pressure on your opponents. The kick serve doesn't give you direct free points, but it forces your opponents to make short returns. You can then attack these and find your rhythm.

I wish you a successful start to the clay court season!!!

Hendrik