Bag Check

If anyone has ever seen "bag check" on the tennis channel, they'll know that this blog will be able what you should (and what you shouldn't) carry around with you as a tennis player at all times. Being prepared for your match requires that, like Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother says, you "Suit up." Now, this may mean to dress sharp on HIMYM, but on the court that means that you should have everything that you need at all times. Now on bag check, no matter who the cameraman is asking to unpack their tennis bags, you'll find some things in common, like

• a fresh set of clothes
• a jump rope
• a lucky charm of some sort
• a toiletries bag
• racquets and strings

So, a fresh set of clothes. You'll want to have an extra fresh set of clothes on you at all times, just case, say, you spill Powerade all over your new outfit, or if you sweat a lot on the court and need to change into something more dry. Don't wear anything that you have not yet worn in practice; I see this happen all the time, where a junior player wants to wear a pretty new tennis dress with thin strips, only to find that these straps inconveniently fall off every time they hit a ball, or rub them in the wrong places.

A jump rope. This is an essential that a lot of players don't have in their bags as juniors, but need to. Jump rope is a perfect way of getting ready for your match, or shaking out your legs when you've sat around the tournament site all day. I know a lot of players that sit around and watch their friends play until they are called for their match, and then wonder why for the first two games they can't get the ball in the court, and why they feel like they are moving in slow motion. I always tell players to give themselves at least fifteen minutes prior to their match to focus again on themselves, run around and warm up (jumping rope would be ideal here), and hit the court with focus for their match.

Lucky charm. Now this isn't an essential, but let's face it, tons of tennis players are superstitious. This would be a funny blog all on it's own, but just as an example; when I was playing, I would bounce the ball plus two of the number of the ball (So if the ball was a one, I would bounce three times). You ask, where did you get this silly idea? I have no idea. I just remember doing it since I was a kid. Superstitions are not bad, even though they have a bad connotation. Superstitions sometimes actually help players get their mind off of their nerves or make them feel they are more in control of things that they really can't control, like the weather. I've seen countless bag checks and almost all of them show a little toy or lucky charm that they have in the crevices of their bags that help them get through their matches.

Toiletries; for those who do not know of toiletries catered to the tennis player, this includes a mini baggie of chapstick, pain killers, sun block, tape and/or any other injury prevention, deodorant, massage cream (for injuries or post-match soreness), extra visors, nail clippers (hang nails are painful, and gross!), and any stray that refreshes you (I always like the bath and body works sprays).

Now, racquets and strings (just in case you break your strings on your current racquets) seem like a very obvious addition to a tennis bag, but you'd be surprised how many times I've seen players come to a match with only one racquet, or with racquets that are not "tournament ready," meaning they are not gripped or strung the way the player likes. This is different for all people. I know I liked to play with the grips I had from practice, but my brother, whose playing ITF's right now, likes to play with newly gripped racquets when he plays matches. Strings are also something that is personal preference. I kept in my bag a new racquet that was freshly strung at the tension I liked (57 pounds), as well as a practiced racquet that would have lost a few pounds of tension, just in case I didn't feel like I was controlling the ball as much as I could have that day. Multiple racquets are a must. You never know when strings will pop, nor do you know what could happen to your racquets.

Of course, when it's match day, you also need to bring hydration. This includes water as well as a supplemental beverage, typically Powerade with electrolytes, but sometimes more natural hydration like coconut water (which has equal amounts of electrolytes and double the amount of potassium compared to Powerade). You'll also want to bring sun block, hats and visors, wristbands, and a towel.

So that's your bag check for today, make sure when you come to Seminole High Performance you keep these rules in mind as you never know when your next bag check will be!