Jump into Plyometrics
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009Before 1975 the word plyometrics was unheard of, until the Eastern Europeans showed remarkable results in track and field, and this was the reason for it. Plyometrics was new but it was effective, the runaround forehand of athletics.
Plyometrics training is resistance training that involves the rapid stretching of a muscle from a eccentric(lengthening) contraction to a concentric (shortening) contraction to produce a forceful movement in a short period of time. Pylometrics are specific exercises for the enhancement of power and essential in training for tennis. Just think about instances when:
- a ball clips the top of the net and pops over
- an opponent hits a neta well disquised drop shot
- an opponent strikes that perfect lob
- you are moving in after a serve and want to hit a decisive attacking volley
On all these occasions you want to reach maximum strength in as short a time as possible so you can get to the ball easily. You want to hit the ball at the top of the rise and have enough time to get balanced and set, thus achieving maximum weight transfer and optimum timing.
Explosiveness is the key, followed by sound footwork. If you want to strat quickly, change direction rapidly, be agile and improve your overall court speed then pylometrics is the answer.
It produces quick, explosive and fast reacting movements, linking speed and strength to produce power. Perfect for tennis, as tennis is a power game.
Plyometrics can take many many forms including jump training for lower extremities and medicine ball for upper extremeties.
Examples of jump training include:
- jumps in place
- standing jumps
- mutiple hops and jumps
- bounding
- box drills
- depth jumps
Examples of medicine ball work include:
- overhead throws
- chest passes
- contact moves
You should alaways start with low impact plyometrics such as skipping with a rope, and progress to high impact activities such as depth jumps. Just a few words of warning: don’t attempt these kinds of exercises until you have the required strength base. You must also have information how to structure plyometrics into your program.
Note: Avoid plyometrics altogether if you are under 13 years of age or cannot do five repeition/ five second parallel squats at 60% of your body weight
The best way to work with this type of training is to go sport specific. In tennis an example may be jumping over cones and on a visual signal run to hit a passing shot. With plyometrics you allow maximum energy to be stored in the muscle, and with plyometric exercises designed specifically for tennis you will be firing towards your target like a bullet.