Five tips for tennis and the aging body
You want to have effortless strokes,
which allows for maximum control and power
with minimal effort. Young guys can stand on
their head when they hit the ball, but bad mechanics
really show up when you get older. Better
strokes lead to better play – and for seniors,
fewer injuries.
42 GASPARILLA ISLAND March/April 2019
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and more powerful,” he said. “There are also different
types of strings for different types of players. Some
enhance spin, some are softer, which means people
who, for example, have arm injuries don’t have to
work as hard to powerfully hit the ball.”
One of the biggest benefits to senior play at the
Boca Bay Pass Club is their courts. Instead of being
“hard,” meaning covered in an asphalt base, they are
covered with a material called Har-Tru. It is a
substance made from one billion-year-old Pre-
Cambrian metabasalt found in the Blue Ridge Mountains
of Virginia. The particles lock together to form
a more stable surface, and have more give than
asphalt.
“It is much easier on your body, but is harder to
maintain,” he explained. “It must be rolled, swept and
watered twice a day. It’s much less taxing on your
body than a hard court is, and trauma to the joints is
less. It’s also cooler, as it reflects less heat.”
One of the most important things to remember
when picking up tennis again after many years, H said,
is to take a lesson or two before playing against
someone else.
Seniors should play within their abilities.
A typical injury occurs when you are hitting back
and forth, and a player will run after a drop shot
like they are 20-years old. If you are 50, you
have to, at some point, realize you don’t play like
you are 20. Use realistic judgment and know
your limitations.
Smart senior players realize the body
needs to recharge and will play every other
day instead of every day. Even the top five players
in the world know the body needs to
recharge, so you have to know your own time
table for recovery.
The sooner a senior player starts playing
on a clay court, the better it will be
on their joints. Not only from a physical
standpoint in extending a career, but it also
teaches you to control the ball better. Playing
on a clay court also cuts down the heat
index.
A hard court will burn the skin right off when
you touch it, a clay court is dirt and is watered
regularly. The biggest growth in
United States Tennis Association tennis is
with seniors and super seniors and most of
them are playing on clay courts.
Play in the morning or in the evening.
Those are the best times to play for seniors
because you can play longer and don’t get
drained. No matter when you play, you want
to take fluids as you lose fluids. Take in fluids
a little at a time, every two games during a
changeover.
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H. Wetzel
/sixtyandme.com