ITF Coaching & Sport Science Review

Editorial

2024-05-06T10:12:22+00:00

In this issue, you will find a variety of articles including an introduction to the use of artificial intelligence in tennis, the study of some important body muscles for high-performance tennis, the role of self-talk routines, visualization and motivation in juniors, the severity of medical conditions of players, the factors that enable breakthroughs in tennis, an overview of listesic damage in tennis, a study on influential tennis literature, and some practical considerations on notational analysis research of the game, among others.

7 important upper body muscles for high performance tennis players

2024-05-18T16:40:17+00:00

This article focuses specifically on the training of key, yet sometimes overlooked by amateur players, muscles and muscle groups that play a major role in both injury prevention and performance enhancement. We can learn from many high performance and professional tennis players and coaches who have adopted these important upper body exercises. The purpose of the selected muscles is to assist in stabilizing a specific joint and additionally allow these joints their proper range of motion. This information is important for players as well as coaches in helping to their players obtain optimal tennis performance. Although many muscles and movement patterns could be addressed, the specific focus of this article is on those often characterized as secondary muscles of the upper body.

A routine combining motivational self-talk and mental imagery improves service performance

2024-05-18T16:40:38+00:00

The aim of this study was to test the effects on the performance of experienced tennis players of a service pre-performance routine consisting of internal motivational discourse combined with mental imagery centred on the trajectory of the ball and the target zone to be reached in the service box. Twenty-seven male players (M = 17.5 years) from the second series (ranked between 5/6 and 3/6), who had been playing tennis for more than 10 years, volunteered to take part in this experiment. The participants were divided into 3 groups (control, discourse, and discourse + imagery) and carried out 3 phases: Pre-test (20 serves in playing condition), Acquisition: 16 sessions (warm-up + 20 serves + super tie-break), Post-test (20 serves in playing condition). The percentage of success, speed and efficiency of the serves were measured at the Pre- and Post-tests and served as dependent variables for statistical analyses (repeated measures ANOVAS). The results of this study show a further improvement in serve performance when internal motivational discourse is combined with mental imagery. We recommend that experienced tennis coaches and players use internal self-talk as well as imagery in their pre-serve performance routines.

Important Performance Characteristics at Wimbledon: Implications for Coaches

2024-05-18T16:40:34+00:00

Severity of medical conditions of top-level male tennis players: implication for prevention

2024-05-18T16:40:31+00:00

Although tennis is one of the most popular sports practiced worldwide by millions of players, there are no data on the time necessary to return to playing after injuries or illnesses. To contribute to the discussion regarding time-loss medical conditions (TLC), a retrospective web search was conducted on the first fifty tennis players listed in the ATP ranking on February the 20th 2022, looking for TLC in a five-year period (1-1-2018 to 25-12-2022). We recorded 267 TLC 137(51%) of them occurred during tournaments and 130(49%) during training sessions. Recurrences were 31% affecting 27(54%) players. Most TLC were treated conservatively (N=256; 96%), while 11(4%) needed surgery. The median time loss of all the 267 TLC was 17 days (range 1-378). For conditions requiring surgery (n=11), the median was 61 days (range 10-367). Injuries, as opposed to illnesses, accounted for 81% of all TLC. Players and coaches should know the effects of medical conditions on the career of players and how to set-up an effective prevention program starting from early childhood. Prevention in top players should consider also playing surfaces and overall lifestyle including nutrition and sleep, together with other healthy measures such as vaccinations, especially for players traveling around the world.

Influential literature in tennis medicine and science

2024-05-18T16:40:27+00:00

This study examined the most influential peer-reviewed journal articles and books in tennis medicine and science based on citations (C). Systematic searches were performed to extract authors, titles, year, journal, C, and research focus for the top cited publications indexed in Google Scholar (GS). The top 100 articles had high numbers of citations (85 to 1,164) and citation rates (3 to 41 C/year) that were similar between tennis medicine and science, with fewer citations to tennis books. The influence of tennis research has increased over the last decade, with citations and citation rates were higher than was previously reported (Knudson, 2012). The study confirmed important research topics and journal outlets and identified influential authors. Influential tennis research continues to focus on injuries, physiological and psychological factors, with recent increases in analytics and business aspects of the sport.

Factors that enable breakthroughs in tennis: A case study of elite college tennis players in Japan

2024-05-18T16:40:25+00:00

In the world of sports, the phenomenon of a dramatic improvement in competition results at some point is called a “breakthrough.” In this study, “breakthrough” is defined as “a dramatic improvement in competition results at some point,” and the purpose of this study is to reveal hypothetical findings on the factors that enable “breakthroughs” in tennis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Japanese college tennis players who had experienced a “breakthrough” in the past, and who had records of being in the top 8 or above in national championships. The interview content was transcribed and used to conduct a qualitative analysis. As a result, the following three hypothetical findings were revealed: “maintaining high motivation,” “continuous growth,” and “high performance during games” are important for enabling “breakthroughs” in tennis. Those hypothetical findings will be useful information for athletes who are aiming for “breakthroughs” and for coaches who support them.

How can emerging tennis nations survive the tennis arms race? My thoughts through a strategic lens!

2024-05-18T16:40:20+00:00

This article provides an opinion of the current challenges and unique perspectives experienced by emerging tennis federations. It delves into a comprehensive analysis around strategic development derived from qualitative research involving esteemed individuals in the field, including senior leaders, national coaches, and board members from two distinct nations: Tennis Malaysia and Tennis Ireland. Through this investigative journey, numerous critical challenges have emerged, shedding light on the intricate landscape that smaller federations navigate. The article offers some practical applications for federations to consider when making strategic decisions.

Presumable role of tennis in the evolution of listesic damage: focus on the technical gesture of the forehand in open stance in amateurs

2024-05-18T16:40:43+00:00

Although there is an individual style by virtue of which each athlete interprets the basic technical gesture by mediating it according to their own biomechanical characteristics, most tennis instructors suggest executing the forehand in open position or, borrowing the term from the English language, in open stance (shoulders parallel to the net) as there is a potential increase in ball speed. All, however, to the detriment of the integrity of the spinal tract, especially in genetically and anatomically predisposed subjects (Lisi, 2018). Without wanting to go into the merits of professional tennis, the Authors advise - in those who approach racket sport as an amateur without ambitions of excellence - the use of the traditional closed position (shoulders perpendicular to the net) or, at least, a semi-open stance as it is sufficient to limit any harmful consequences at the level of the spine and to maintain one's competitive performance (Lisi, 2018).

What can artificial intelligence do for tennis?

2024-05-18T16:40:14+00:00

In the current era of Artificial Intelligence, we are witnessing how this technology is revolutionizing the world of sports. Through a review of the main Machine Learning research in tennis over the last decade, players, coaches, and fitness trainers can discover new proposals to improve and personalize training sessions, enhance player effectiveness, and optimize decision-making during competition.

Analysis of serve and first shot sequences in U-12 and U-14 tennis players

2024-05-18T16:40:11+00:00

Stroke sequence analysis in junior tennis helps identify patterns of play and could help improve the performance of players in formative stages. The purpose of the study was to analyze the sequences of serve and third shot (serve +1) in elite youth tennis, in the men's U-12 and U-14 categories. The direction of the serve, the position of the players when executing the third stroke and the direction in which they send the ball were evaluated. It was found that U-12 players have less effectiveness in second serves. The location of the shots varies depending on the category and the situation of the game. The importance of training service sequences and first shots to improve performance in junior tennis is highlighted.