Tennis Rebounders are common these days. They also comes with a price tag that might discourage you. But why should you even bother?
Do Tennis Rebounders work? Yes, Tennis Rebounders work very well. According to International Journal of Academic Research “Tennis Practice Backboard,” Rebounders are recommended when tennis players want to develop footwork and positioning, build up a whole range tennis skills, improve your timing during play, make your eye and hand coordination a lot better.
Tennis is a highly popular sport in the united states. The sport enjoys a large following throughout the country.
According to Wang, an average of 20 million Americans played table tennis in the year 2017.
Consequently, a lot of attention and money is given to the improvement of both tennis equipment and skill.
An equipment of major concern is the rebounder.
Tennis rebounders are tennis equipment designed to help simulate real life tennis matches.
This article aims to answer questions regarding the authenticity of the rebounders as training tools.
The Rebound Net
The rebound net comes in two forms: standard rebound net and the large rebound net.
A standard rebound net is 2m by 2m while the larger net is 2.7m by 2.3m. There are other forms of rebounders in existence but these two are the most favorable for professional use.
The standard rebound net is suitable for players who experience height or space issues during play.
For instance, if you find it difficult to serve the ball towards a particular section or at a certain height then it is best you practice with the standard rebound net.
The larger rebound net offers more space, the net-spacing is smaller for the standard rebound net.
The threads used to produce larger rebound nets are thicker than those used in standard rebound nets and as a result larger rebound nets are more durable.
The standard net has a faster rebound. With the standard nets, the rebound is faster and as a result you will have to stand farther out when using rebound nets.
Larger nets are known to absorb part of the ball velocity thereby reducing the rebound speed.
If you are training with large rebound nets, you will have to stand closer to the net. The standard nets can be tilted which causes the rebound to have an arc.
Rebounders help tennis players increase their cardiovascular health and consistency.
It also helps improve players foot work. Some of the best players in the world learn and use rebounders to practice tennis.
The Perfect Pitch Rebounder
The perfect pitch rebounder can be applied to all levels of play. It can be utilized by people of all ages and playing levels.
This rebounder can be adjusted to suit both beginners, intermediates, and experts.
For beginners, an entry level adaptor is fitted to the top of the rebounder.
This is done for two major reasons. Firstly, if the rebounder is adjusted in this way, it will give players more time to work on their positioning and strokes.
The bounce produced by this setup is consistent. This is good for beginners because it simulates a coach who is softly tossing the ball towards a player.
The intermediate level rebounder is set up without a square level adapter fitted at the top, the perfect pitch rebounder will deliver balls at frequency of 1.5 seconds per shot.
For this set up the ball does not roll down the rebounder before bouncing off. This speed will enhance your preparation to respond to return balls.
The expert level set up of the perfect pitch rebounder comes with a round power absorbing foam tube. The tube is added because experts are by nature harder hitters. Again the ball does not roll off the rebounder but it is deflected quickly.
The rebounder can also be used for practise by two players. One player could be practising with the fore hand while the next player could practise with the back hand.
The rebounder training tool is advantageous for the following reasons:
- It is lightweight
- It is easy to set up. The set up process does not require any tools.
- It often comes with an optional carry case for ease of mobility.
- It weighs an average of 30 pounds and can be easily balanced on one shoulder.
- It comes with wheels that can be locked.
- It can be used anywhere.
- It is suitable for all levels of play.
Do Rebounders Work?
When using the rebounder as an intermediate or expert player, you have to take note of the timing and direction of your shots.
This is where the difference between a rebounder and a wall or backboard can be clearly seen.
With a wall or backboard, you can play the ball in any way you choose.
Even if your form and technique is off, the ball will keep bouncing off the backboard. This is not the case with rebounders, rebounders are interactive play tools.
Although the ball will bounce off the rebounder, it will bounce off at an angle relative to the angle in which you served the ball. This is why rebounders are seen as interactive.
This is the basic reason why a lot of people are of the opinion that rebounders do not work.
The truth is they work but they are more challenging than the conventional backboards.
If you serve the ball cross court and the ball bounces off the rebounder at a 30 – 45 degree angle and you again respond with a cross court shot, the ball will most likely go off the rebounder.
This difficulty does not mean that rebounders do not work but that they demand more.
They are meant to improve your techniques in the game of tennis.
If the rebounder allows you to hit the ball in any way you choose, there will be no improvement in your game play.
Many believe that the rebounder is not a suitable training tool because an actual tennis court is much larger than a rebounder.
This belief is not completely true because although a tennis court is much larger than a rebounder, there are boundaries within which you are allowed to serve the ball.
The Rebounder and The Tennis court
According to Key Dimensions Court Guidance, a singles court is approximately 1053 square ft while a doubles court is 1404 square ft.
The twist is you can only serve the ball into an area less than thirty percent of the singles court and 22% for the doubles court.
The rebounder uses the same concept as the tennis court. For best results, you have to serve the ball into the center portion of the rebounder.
This will help prepare you for the challenges you will face when you have to play in the singles court.
A rebounder will help improve your footwork, strength and flexibility as a tennis player.
The Rebounder as an Interactive Practice Tool
A basic rebounder will have a designated target zone painted at its center.
Remember, the rebounder is an interactive practise tool.
In a situation where you keep serving the ball outside the target area and off to the sides of the rebounder, the return ball will be weak.
By returning weak shots, the rebounder is simply telling you that you probably have difficulty hitting down the line in actual tennis games.
It is also telling you that you are not extending through your contact zone long enough to make a good serve.
The tennis rebounder is an excellent practice tool because as long as you keep on serving the ball towards the center, the ball will be in play.
If you serve towards the sidelines consistently, a weak ball will not be returned by the rebounder.
This will signify that the game has come to an end. This game feedback mechanism is what makes the rebounder a better training tool than backboards or walls.
How to Set up a Tennis Rebounder
- The first step in setting up your rebounder is to lay out the parts.
- Insert the poles into the two sleeves. The rebounder will come with two poles that have no fittings on them. You simply have to insert each pole into the two sleeves.
- Next you unzip the zipper which will be used to secure the angle at the top of the unit.
- Set up the wheelbase. As a precaution, it is best you set up your wheels while they are in the lock position.
- You then identify the fitting for each pole and insert them respectively.
Benefits of a Tennis Rebounder to a Trainer
The velocity at which the ball will bounce off the rebounder is dependent on the velocity at which you serve the ball. If you want to stand far from the rebounder you will have to hit the ball harder.
The rebounder can also be adjusted so you can hit hard but still stand close.
Once you finish that step, you can begin practicing.
This is achieved by the foam power absorption adapter. The foam will absorb the velocity of the ball.
Another reason why the rebounder is the best choice is it improves your response rate to return balls. The rebounder will help you develop an early preparation for return balls.
According to Kovaks, the average tennis ball in a forty to fifty mile an hour ball rally that goes from one baseline to the other, the ball will be returned to you in two seconds. that means that you will have two seconds to fire a return shot.
With the rebounder, you will only have a second and a half. This will speed up your response rate to return balls.
The end result is that when you get on the court to hit the ball, you are going to be earlier and faster.
Conclusion
The article discussed the benefits of the rebounder to tennis players. It is suitable for players who want to improve their foot work and accuracy.
The equipment is easy to set up and you and will be of great help to your tennis career.
