Category: Tennis

Concept2 SkiErg Total Body Workout at EZIA

Rob
Apr 11 |17:38

Thanks to Coach Rob Wessels for trying out our new SkiErg, which we just mounted on the wall. Our members have been loving this new piece of equipment. It is great for athletic training for many sports and is not limited to Cross-Country Skiing. MMA, Stand Up Paddle Boarding, Lacrosse, Surfing, Tennis, Triathalons, Volleyball, you name it, this piece of equipment is extremely functional.

And here’s some pointers on form when using the SkiErg from Concept2′s Greg Hammond:

 

Improve Agility with Six Speed Hurdle Drills

Ryan
Mar 14 |10:41

Throughout the NFL Scouting Combine this week, the spotlight will shine brightest on speedsters running sub-4.4s in the marquee event, the 40-Yard Dash. Most scouts and coaches, however, are just as concerned with how those same athletes blaze through the two agility tests: the 5-10-5 Pro Agility and the L-Drill. Sprinters aside, athletes rarely reach their top-end speed during competition. On the other hand, the ability to quickly change directions (agility) applies to almost every sport.

At EZIA Human Performance, we firmly believe that improving athletes’ agility is key to increasing their overall performance. That’s why one of our benchmark tests is the Pro Agility Drill. From Olympic rugby players to aspiring pro surfers, we help all athletes achieve their peak performance by boosting their agility.

Central to our agility training are mini hurdle drills designed to enhance foot speed, lateral movement, “cutting” ability and the fast-twitch muscle fibers essential for explosive movements. Mini hurdle drills emphasize maximum quickness, so we keep the volume low, performing six sets for 30 seconds each exercise. We use three to six hurdles, from four to six inches in height, aligned parallel with each other and placed two to three feet apart, depending on the athlete’s height.

Perform these six speed hurdle drills during your speed workouts to improve agility.

1. Lateral Shuffle

  • Assume athletic stance with hurdles in front and to right
  • Shuffle right between first and second hurdles
  • Stop and shuffle left between second and third hurdles
  • Continue weave pattern in alternating fashion through hurdles
  • Change direction and shuffle through hurdles back to start position

Variations: For an additional challenge, perform the drill moving backward or with your eyes looking up.

2. Lateral High Knees

  • Assume athletic stance with hurdles positioned to right
  • Step over hurdle with knees as high as possible
  • Quickly touch feet to ground between hurdles and immediately perform over second hurdle
  • Repeat over each hurdle
  • Change direction and perform in opposite direction

Variations: For an additional challenge, perform with a resistance band or sled. You’ll need to reposition the resistance band or sled when changing directions.

3. Weave Drill

  • Assume athletic stance with hurdles positioned to right
  • Sprint forward until slightly beyond hurdle
  • Backpedal between first and second hurdles until slightly beyond hurdle
  • Continue weave pattern in alternating fashion through hurdles
  • Change direction and shuffle through hurdles back to start position

Variation: For an additional challenge, toss a tennis ball to a partner during drill.

 

Tennis Training

admin
Dec 26 |15:06

 

EZIA Athlete Jennifer Dawson wins National Championship

admin
Dec 5 |19:59

We couldn’t be happier for EZIA athlete Jenn Dawson, who took home the title of National champion in the USTA 40 Hard Court Championship this past weekend! Jenn has been training in the EZIA ESP Program twice a week since June. She began in the Pre-Fit program, progressed through the Active program and on November 23rd, passed into the Amateur program. She is one of our clients who finds extreme benefit in training with multiple coaches. Shout out to all her coaches who got her there– Cody, Ryan, Bianca, Rob, Sara, Jason, Isaiah & John. From Coach Rob, “Jenn is probably the most modest and fierce competitor I know. I am so proud that she crushed it!” Below is an article from USTA.com documenting the match.

Dawson takes women’s Hard Court title

December 5, 2011 11:35 AM
By J. Fred Sidhu, special to USTA.com
La Jolla, Calif. – Second-seeded Jennifer Dawson of Carlsbad, who lost in last year’s singles final of the USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships, came back to win the title this year when her opponent, Dina McBride of Woodland Hills, Calif., retired at 3-3 in the first set of their final due to a left Achilles tendon injury.On a cool and mostly sunny morning at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, Dawson and McBride began their highly-anticipated championship singles match on Court No. 1.McBride, a former collegiate player at the University of San Diego in the mid-1990s, scored an impressive 6-4, 6-1 semi-final victory over Gretchen Magers, the top seed and five-time tournament champion. Dawson,who also played for USD from 1985 to 1989, is a teaching pro at the nearby La Jolla Tennis Club and had a large group of vocal supporters watching her match.In what was an entertaining start to the first set, Dawson and McBride moved each other around the court as each player patiently waited for an opportunity to advance to the net to put the ball away. With McBride serving at 2-2, 30-40, Dawson scored the first service break of the match when McBride’s backhand slice drop shot clipped the tape and fell back onher side of the court.McBride quickly came back with her own service break to tie the score at 3-3 as Dawson sent a shot wide on break point. In the next game, McBride served at 30-30, but after losing the next point, she was forced to stop and retire from the match due to her injury.

“It’s feels great to win it, but I wish I could have won it in a real match, rather than by an injury. You’re happy, but kind of sad at the same time because you really want to earn that. It’s a little bittersweet,” said Dawson following the match, which lasted just 30 minutes.

Coming into the final, Dawson anticipated a difficult match against McBride. “I knew it was going to be a tough match. She’s a very good player,” Dawson said. “I was just planning on hitting a lot of balls and doing a lot of running and hitting and just battling through it. I expected it to be a long match.”

At the post-match presentation, Dawson was awarded a USTA gold ball for winning the national championship. “It’s always an honor toget a gold ball. It’s not easy to come by,” she said.

USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships
La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club
La Jolla, Calif.
Surface: Hard

Women’s Singles
Championship
Jennifer Dawson (2),Carlsbad, Calif., def.  Dina McBride,Woodland Hills, Calif., 3-3, ret.

Women’s Doubles
Championship
Alissa Finerman, SantaMonica, Calif., and Erika Smith, Oakland (2), def.  Gretchen Magers, San Diego, and Ros Nideffer,Poway  (1),  6-4, 6-3

 

Tennis Training at EZIA

admin
Oct 31 |12:52

Coach Cody takes one of our tennis pro regulars through a tennis specific workout that will help him improve skills used on the court. Some of them are pretty tricky… do you think you can use the slide board, pass a cup of water back and forth in your hands & catch a tennis ball all while keeping your head up?