INSTRUCTION
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b i b Junior Tennis and o CardinalRate RulesMonitors for Heart
By Joe Dinoffer
vidual’s age, height and weight. In general, the monitor calculates the top level of the workout zone by subtracting the player’s age from 220 and then taking 85 percent of that number. This calculation is the maximum heart rate that a player should sustain during an aerobic workout. To calculate the lower end of an acceptable workout range, subtract the player’s age from 220 and multiply that figure by 65 percent. For example, a 13-year-old would have a target range between 135 and 176. The monitor then signals users by beeping when their heart rate is either too slow or too fast. I’d like to introduce another application of heart rate monitors; namely, as a training tool for competitive junior athletes. Two facts support this theory.
Facts Behind the Theory
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or junior tennis players, fitness is a major ingredient in the recipe for successful competition. Among the components of overall tennis fitness, one of the biggest demands is physical recovery during the 20–25 seconds allowed between points. This is where training with a heart rate monitor can make a world of difference. While these monitors have long been used in the medical profession, their use in tennis has been rather limited. However, the hospital units now have sport-specific cousins that offer many beneficial applications to tennis players. The sport-specific models consist of an adjustable chest strap monitor and a user-friendly wristwatch to display results. The first broad introduction of heart rate monitors to tennis players has been through Cardio Tennis, the popular initiative cre-
“In a Cardio Tennis program, each player uses a heart rate monitor to help him or her maximize the benefit of the aerobic workout.” ated by the Tennis Industry Association in the last several years to help players of all levels combine their aerobic workouts with the fun and camaraderie of playing tennis. In a Cardio Tennis program, the instructor guides participants through active drills designed to keep their heart rates in their individual workout zones in order to maximize the benefit of the aerobic workout. Participants use heart rate monitors to help them stay in their specific workout zone, which is based on the indi-
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2008
First, since junior tennis at its highest levels leads to collegiate and possibly pro tennis, it is understood that there are a handful of critical years to properly train juniors for the demands of those higher levels of play. Second, movement and positioning in tennis are among the most important aspects of successful play, and strong fitness levels are required for consistency in these areas. A tennis match is not a 26-mile marathon; rather, it is rapid deployments of energy always followed by short periods of recovery. An average set of tennis consists of about 60 points and the same number of recovery opportunities after each point. If two athletes of identical technical, tactical and mental capacities were to compete, the fitter player would always win. Consequently, it makes sense to not only work on a player’s fitness level, but also to have an objective means of evaluating the function (deployment and recovery) of a player’s energy system
Evaluating Deployment
The evaluation of deployment, or use, of a player’s energy sys-
tem on court is observable by checking positioning, balance, court coverage and so on. Coaches around the world encourage this tennis-specific behavior all the time, and they evaluate energy deployment by simply watching how well a player covers the court, gets into position and establishes balance to strike the ball point after point.
Evaluating Recovery
Unfortunately, the tennis coaching industry has not come up with a simple and affordable objective means to train competitive players to most efficiently recover between points. Of course, most of us are familiar with recovery concepts such as the “16-Second Cure” established and popularized by sports psychologist Dr. Jim Loehr. Yet while these practices do help players recover, they do not objectively evaluate how well players recover nor do they help coaches train players to achieve their best recovery process.
Objective Recovery Training
I’d like to see heart rate monitors used with junior players to track their pulse rate after each point or drill sequence. This idea is different than a standard Cardio Tennis workout in which athletes are to maintain their heart rate in the aerobic zone. The goal of using heart rates in training competitive junior players would be to
monitor the heart rate recovery speed in between points. In an average point, the heart rate may be at or above a player’s optimum workout level. However, if the athlete is in top physical condition, his or her rate should drop significantly after 15 to 20 seconds. Most fitness experts agree that the recovery goal should be 130 beats per minute or lower. If the athlete cannot recover to at least the 130 mark, then the performance of the next point or drill sequence will be hindered. Far too often coaches and parents push children to work harder, even to the point where the kids are criticized for being lazy. However, the reality may be that these children have hit a physical “wall” because their recovery heart rate is too high and their ability to perform on the next point is limited. Armed with objective recognition of when a recovery wall is reached, coaches can work with (not against) players to achieve improved recovery results. By monitoring players’ heart rates after each recovery period, coaches will know when to back off and when to push players to higher levels of fitness.
A Training Example
A highly competitive 13-year-old girl weighing 110 pounds is evaluated by a heart rate monitor to have an optimal yet safe aerobic workout range of 15 to 175 beats per minute. During highintensity tennis training situations, her heart rate
may frequently peak between 180 and 190 beats per minute. The key is to check how she recovers during the allowable 20 seconds between points. If she recovers to around 130 beats per minute after these highly explosive energy deployments, it confirms two things: (1) her fitness level is quite good, and (2) she can continue to train at that level of intensity with good results. However, if she cannot recover adequately, then continuing the practice at that level of intensity will not only be unproductive, it will be counterproductive to her improvement, and perhaps, downright dangerous. In this situation, the coach should ease up on the training, understanding that more aerobic training, perhaps off the tennis court, is required. Given that the evaluation of how an athlete deploys his or her energy systems is critical to planning the most effective training program for the individual, heart rate monitors can be a very effective tool. Coaches who use heart rate monitors in training juniors will be able to objectively determine the optimum intensity level at which players should train. This is an effective and healthy approach to developing elite athletes. Joe Dinoffer is a Master Professional in both the PTR and USPTA, a distinction awarded to only a handful in the tennis industry. He has published numerous books and videotapes and is a frequent speaker at tennis conferences around the world. For more information, visit www.oncourtoffcourt.com.
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