Try using a heart-rate monitor during tennis drills to make sure you are training at the right intensity.
In the heat of summer, pushing beyond one’s capacity can be dangerous. Athletes can hit the physiological wall faster and heart rates can soar dangerously off the charts. In tennis, recovery during the 20 seconds allowed between points is one of the biggest physical demands. This is where training with a heart-rate monitor can make a world of difference.
While heart-rate monitors have long been used in cardiovascular exercise, their use in tennis has been very limited. The contraptions consist of an adjustable chest-strap monitor and a user-friendly wristwatch to display results. Here’s an example of using one during tennis drills:
According to the American Heart Association, a 30-year-old female has an optimal aerobic workout range between 133 and 152 heartbeats per minute (70–80 percent of her maximum heart rate, which is 220 minus her age). During high-intensity training situations, her heart rate may even peak around 190 beats per minute. For competitive tennis purposes, the key is to check how she recovers during the allowable 20 seconds between points. If her heart rate drops about 30 beats per minute, to around 103–122 beats per minute, after these high-energy deployments, it confirms two things. First, that her fitness level is quite good. And second, that she can continue to train at that level of intensity with good results.
But if she can’t recover adequately, then continuing the practice at that level will be counterproductive to her improvement, and may be downright dangerous. She should work up to that intensity in increments to ensure safe training.