Tournament Prep
As the summer tournament season heats up, I wanted to share my updated tournament preparation guide with you all. Best of luck out there, and don't forget to share your experiences and successes with me!
Two weeks before: Drilling as much as possible. Work on parts of your game that are your strongest and also shots that may be exposed by your opponents.
One week before: High level match play with partner. Talk strategies and what works well for you as a team. Play against teams with different styles. See if you can find your opponents patterns, weaknesses and strengths early in practice matches.
Visualize your success and different scenarios during the tournament.
Night before: Do something that takes your mind off the tournament, go to a movie, hang with friends, etc.
Keep your margaritas to a minimum :)
Pre match nutrition:
1-2 hours before a match or a long day on the court
1/2 cup oatmeal, scoop of protein powder, 1-2 tbs of peanut butter, banana, two shakes of cinnamon. Lots of water.
Supplements: Vitamin D, Vitamin C, multi vitamin, B-12, fish oil, turmeric.
30 mins before playing two electrolyte pills. I use Hi-Lyte mainly and Liquid IV from time to time. Half a banana.
During play I take an electrolyte pill about every hour (I sweat a lot).
Banana half way through my session.
Warm up:
I like to use the lacrosse ball to loosen up the hips, some dynamic stretching or light yoga 30-45 mins before play.
At the courts I try to warm up the body with a simple full body routine.
Jump rope, high knees, Frankenstein walk, glute kickbacks, hip circles, arm circles and window wipers, light jogging and stretching.
On court warm up:
Focus on straight-ahead dinking, transitioning to more aggressive shots as you and your partner find your rhythm. Apply the same approach to cross-court dinking and drop shots, both straight ahead and cross-court. Practice hand speed with volleys from the kitchen. Incorporate a few skinny singles points, starting with serves, to round out your practice.
TIP: I focus on warming up the shots I use most frequently, as well as the shots I anticipate my opponents might target. For example, if I know or suspect that my opponents prefer aggressive play, I dedicate extra time to practicing counters and resets.
Light stretching once you are done for the day on the courts.
The day is done:
Quality meal with lean protein, veggies and carbs.
Water, electrolytes and multi vitamin.
Recovery time: Stretching, foam rolling, ice bath, lacrosse ball on the hips and feet.
