How To Use A Tennis Rebounder

Tennis rebounders--usually a net, wall or backboard--can do more damage than good if not used correctly. Understanding how rebounders differ from the conditions of a tennis match will help you use them more effectively and avoid degrading your strokes.

Step 1

Create a realistic time frame. When you hit a tennis ball, you're usually hitting from your baseline to an opponent on the opposite baseline, 78 feet away. After you hit the ball, you have the time it takes the ball to get to your opponent to finish your follow through and get ready to receive the next ball. You then have the time it takes the ball to travel from your opponent to you to play the ball.

With a rebounder, the distance from you to the backboard is often half that of a tennis court (or less), and while you are still finishing your follow through, the ball is already coming back at you. This results in a rushed swing and late contact point. Hitting in this manner over and over and over results in "grooving" a late contact point.

To give yourself a more realistic time frame, stand farther back and hit the ball with less power. Try using the new, larger foam balls which slow speeds down.

Step 2

Create a realistic ball bounce height. Many people who practice against a backboard hit the ball on two bounces. This is because a wall does not project the ball back hard enough or with a high enough trajectory to make it to the player on one bounce. Players then practice hitting balls below their knees, on the second bounce. Hitting a ball on two bounces is not allowed in a tennis match, and so you end up grooving a stroke with a low contact point you won't be using during a match.

To produce a more realistic ball bounce, aim higher on the rebounder, wall or backboard, which will create a higher rebound and project the ball deeper and higher.

Step 3

Create realistic rest periods. The average tennis point lasts fewer than 10 seconds, according to research conducted by the Deutsche Tennis Bund, Vic Braden and others. During this 10 seconds, each player hits the ball only two to four times. The work/rest ratio in tennis is 1:3 (one part hitting to three parts resting), according to the U.S. Tennis Association. This in-between point time allows your bloodstream to remove "bad" chemicals (e.g., lactic acid) and replace good chemicals (e.g., adenosine tri-phosphate). Hitting balls for many minutes against a rebounder tires your central nervous system, loads your muscles with "bad" chemicals and results in muscle fatigue, late contact points, poor footwork and more.

To ensure that you don't "feel the burn" in your arm, take frequent breaks and change strokes, hitting serves, forehands, backhands, volleys, etc. If you feel you're getting a great aerobic workout practicing against a backboard, realize that tennis is an anaerobic sport which requires glucose (carbs) to fuel your muscles---not the fat burned during aerobic exercise. If you want to work on your tennis fitness, you'll need a 1:3 work/rest ratio.