I am trying to get in top shape for summer tennis season. How many days of actual playing is optimal? I cross train .

Hii Jim. I am a Sports Performance Coach and tournament tennis player. I have trained many, many USTA junior and adult players throughout the years. Getting in "top shape" for the Summer tennis season requires a multi-faceted approach. As you know tennis requires speed, agility, strength (particularly in the core, shoulders and legs), flexibility, and power. Training that addresses each of these components will help improve your fitness for tennis. In my opinion, here really is no "optimal" amount of actual playing time. A lot depends on whether you're playing competitively each week (tournaments and/or leagues), and how long you are practicing on your non-competitive days. One problem that seems to haunt a lot of tennis players is the problem of overuse injuries (e.g. tennis elbow or shoulder problems). Playing too much, not getting adequate rest from hitting tennis balls, and not taking the time to train are all contributing factors to these types of injuries. So, playing too much can actually be counterproductive.

Playing is important, training is important, but always remember, REST is also important. I hope this helps.

LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
lecfitness@yahoo.com