Minus two degrees in the car park outside the air dome. You slip out of your warm jacket, your fingers are stiff, and the first ball skids low past you. Only after ten minutes do you feel warm. By then a sixth of the hour is already gone.
Tennis in winter is not summer tennis with a roof. The air is cooler, the balls react differently, and many indoor surfaces are faster than clay. With a few habits around warm-up, clothing and equipment, you still play freely from the first ball. How to use the hour on court with a clear focus is covered in the post Indoor court hour: train more with one focus. This post is about everything around it.
Warm up for longer in the cold
Cold muscles need more time before they work fast and smoothly. In winter, plan 10 to 15 minutes of warm-up, beside the court and before your hour begins. That way you lose no court time. The routine needs little space:
- Heart rate up: two minutes of easy jogging or skipping with a rope.
- Legs: one short length each of high knees, heel flicks, side steps and crossover steps.
- Hips and core: lunges with an upper body twist, then deep side lunges, alternating sides.
- Arms and shoulders: ten big arm circles forwards and backwards, then ten relaxed shadow swings without a ball.
- Speed: three short sprints over five metres, each from a split step. That is the small hop you use to get ready before each of your opponent’s shots.
Build up from easy to brisk and never start at full speed from a standstill. For me too, tennis in winter often takes place indoors. One simple rule helps me: the jacket stays on until I am properly warm.
Dress in layers
Several thin layers keep you warmer than one thick jumper. You can also take them off one by one as soon as you warm up. This is what dressing in layers looks like on the tennis court:
- Inner layer: a technical shirt that moves sweat away from your skin. Cotton soaks it up and turns cold.
- Middle layer: a light fleece jacket or a long-sleeved shirt that keeps you warm and still lets you move freely.
- Outer layer: a jacket that repels wind and water, for the journey and for playing outdoors.
- Head: a beanie for the journey and the breaks. Outdoors, a cap protects you from the low winter sun.
Pay special attention to your lower back. A short shirt rides up on the serve and lets cold air reach a spot that cools down quickly. A longer base layer or a shirt you tuck into your trousers solves the problem.
Warm hands and a warm drink
With cold fingers you have a poor feel for the grip. For the journey to the indoor court and for warming up outdoors, touchscreen winter gloves are a good choice. They let you use your phone without taking the gloves off. So you can send your hitting partners a quick message even at the bus stop.
When you play, you usually take the gloves off. With a bare hand you feel the racket better. If you don’t want to go without them outdoors in the cold, thin sports gloves with a silicone grip are a compromise.
Drinking stays important in winter too. In the cold, thirst often shows up later, even though you are sweating under several layers. A warm tea from the Tennis Schweiz thermos flask 750 ml does you good in the breaks and warms you on the way home.
Indoor surfaces: shorter backswing, ready earlier
On many indoor courts you play on carpet, sand-filled artificial grass or hard court. There the ball usually bounces lower and comes through faster than on clay. So you have less time. Three adjustments help:
- Shorter backswing: The racket goes back early, but not as far.
- Prepare earlier: Turn your shoulders as soon as you see which side the ball is coming to.
- Bend your knees more: Take low balls with bent legs, not with a rounded back.
Many indoor centres require clean shoes that you only put on once you are there. Ask which sole is allowed on the surface. And because indoor courts are scarce in winter, it is best to book a regular winter slot early in the autumn.
Balls and strings in the cold
The cold changes your equipment too. Cold balls bounce less high and feel harder. So don’t leave the ball cans in the car overnight, take them into the house with you. Fresh balls with good pressure make a further difference.
Strings also get harder in the cold, and contact feels stiffer. That is why some players have their racket strung a little looser in winter. Talk about it with the person who strings your racket. If you play with two rackets, have both strung the same.
After practice: dry and loose
After the hour your body cools down quickly, especially in wet clothes. So put on a dry shirt before you go outside. Jog easily for a few minutes or walk briskly to the car or the stop. A few gentle stretches for calves, thighs and shoulders round off the session.
Then take two minutes for your training log. What went well, and what will you take on for the next hour?
Frequently asked questions about tennis in winter
From what temperature can you play tennis outdoors?
There is no fixed limit. The court matters more than the thermometer. If it is frozen, wet or slippery, you are better off playing indoors. Clay courts are usually closed in winter. If you play outdoors, warm up for longer and dress in layers.
Should I wear gloves when playing tennis?
On the way and during the warm-up, yes, when playing usually not. Without gloves you feel the grip better. For cold days outdoors, thin sports gloves with a silicone grip are a compromise.
Do I need different tennis balls in winter?
Usually not. It matters more that the balls are fresh and stored somewhere warm. A cold ball bounces lower, whatever type you play with.
How to get through the indoor season well
The guide to the winter indoor tennis season shows you how to plan the weeks until spring. It explains how to use your indoor court hour, adapt your game to fast surfaces and keep improving at home or at the wall. Each of the 16 exercises has a measurement. There is also a sample week, a test record and a roadmap for the last twelve weeks until the clay court. All three guides by Tennis Schweiz are available together in the guide set.
You will find more posts under All winter tennis posts.
