Top five tips for playing tennis in winter

Provided you have the right tennis equipment, wrap up warm and adapt your game accordingly, winter tennis can be some of the most enjoyable of the year – and is a great way to meet up with friends and family. 

Most importantly it’s key to stay safe when playing tennis in the winter. To help you prepare, we’ve outlined some top tips to make sure you’re ready before heading on court. 

Wear the right clothing 

Good footwear is essential for tennis in all weather, especially in wet or slippery conditions. You should make sure you have trainers with a durable outsole, good grip and are properly worn in.   

During the colder months, it’s important to bring appropriate clothing to manage the lower temperatures.  

We’d recommend starting your sessions wearing more layers, as it’s easier to remove layers when you’re warm rather than adding them when you’re cold. If you arrive at your session too cold, it can be tough to focus and perform your best. 

You might also want to bring a spare change of kit with you, such as a jumper or t-shirt, to account for any sudden downpours or change in the weather. That way, you can get changed into some dry, warm clothes after your hit.

Read our tennis equipment guide  

 Prepare equipment and personnel 

Tennis balls, rackets and other equipment can easily become wet and make play more challenging. For example, the cold and wet weather can affect your tennis racket grip by making it slippery and difficult to hold – increasing the chance of dropping and damaging your tennis racket.  

Equally, wet tennis balls become heavier and more difficult to play with, so will wear down faster in the poor conditions.

We suggest bringing fresh grips and tennis balls when you head out on court to make sure you’re prepared if your equipment starts to become effected by the conditions.

You can store the spare grips and balls in your tennis bag and keep it somewhere safe or dry. If you’re playing at a park tennis court, you can hide your bag under an effective and safe cover, or in your car if you drove to the session. Otherwise, you can leave your bag in a secure dry place within your clubhouse or locker at your tennis club to prevent your gear from getting wet.

Allow time for a sufficient warm up 

Warming up is key all-year round – but is even more significant in the winter. When the temperatures drop, your body is more susceptible to injury, so a warm up is even more essential than usual. 

We’d recommend allowing 90 minutes for a one hour tennis session – giving yourself around 15 minutes to carry out a sufficient warm up beforehand and have 15 minutes to cool down afterwards to ensure your muscles don’t stiffen up in the cold weather.

Dynamic stretches such as leg swings, arm circles, walking lunges, high knees and lateral lunges are great ways to prepare your body for a hit. 

Alternatively, where it’s practical and safe to do so, walking, cycling or running to your session are all great ways to warm up before you hit the court. 

Take a common sense approach  

When it comes to playing in bad weather, be sensible. If you think there is a chance the weather might be too dangerous to play in, or the weather forecast has issues warnings, then consider postponing your session. Playing in unsafe conditions could lead to injuries or accidents. 

We suggest monitoring court conditions regularly pre and during your session. If it rains, somebody slips or If the court becomes unplayable, you should stop the session immediately to ensure no one gets injured. 

With the winter months, comes less daylight. With the shorter days, it’s important to make sure you have adequate light to play safely, otherwise you could end up misjudging the ball and having an increased risk of tripping, slipping or falling over. 

Where possible, book a floodlit court so you can enjoy playing for longer, or plan out your session thoroughly to make sure you’re not playing too late in the day.

Make the most of your time on court in the quieter months  

We all love heading to the courts when its dry and the sun is shining, but there are plenty of positives of playing in the winter too. 

The main objective is to enjoy the sport for what it is, no matter the weather and look at it as an opportunity to get outside, exercise and reap the social rewards it offers. Sometimes, we can feel a bit more isolated in the winter months but playing tennis provides an idea opportunity to meet up with your friends for a hit or even meet new people through Free Parks Tennis sessions.

With the courts being quieter than in the summer, it’s also a good time to work on elements of your game you’ve been wanting to improve and you can use your sessions to carry out some drills as well.

Tennis drills

Ultimately, the main objective should be to try and enjoy the sport for what it is, rather than getting frustrated with the weather.