Example of specificity principle8/11/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() Recall that tennis players rarely move beyond 3-5m (usually less) per change of direction (COD) - and there are between 1-15 CODs per point (depending on rally length). If I want a tennis player to improve their work capacity (endurance/stamina) I wouldn’t make them run 5k - there is simply no specificity with the training task of long distance running compared to actual tennis play. This essentially means, when a stimulus is administered, it will elicit a specific response to THAT stimulus. Specificity is often referred to as the SAID principle - or, Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. Lastly, while tennis specific fitness, in terms of how it’s normally perceived, doesn’t really exist, there is a way to tailor off-court training schemes to improve or ‘potentiate’ on-court tennis play - with exercises that are more or less specific to the demands of actual tennis play. This will also be tackled in today’s post. We’ll define specificity and provide examples of what it is and what it isn’t. This is what we’re going to explore in today’s post. ![]() I’ve got news for you though, there’s only one training component that is truly specific to tennis play and that’s.wait for it…. When these same tennis folks see programs that include a variety of plyometric work and ballistic lifting in the weight room instead of rotational band work, quick footwork drills, and other movements that ‘mimic’ tennis play, they think to themselves - “this isn’t tennis-specific”. Often times, tennis coaches, players and parents are brought to believe that to be a successful tennis player, one must be subscribed to a physical development program that is ‘tennis specific’. It’s a term that’s been somewhat of a buzzword for the better part of a decade (or longer). Specificity is this week’s topic of interest. There are other of equal - or perhaps even greater - importance, especially when it comes to tennis training. These training principles were linked to both off-court as well as on-court training for the elite/developing tennis player - in hopes that they could provide the astute coach or player with more insight into the organization of practices and long-term training schemes. In the last couple of posts, we explored two key sport science training principles, progressive loading and variation. ![]()
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