VR Tennis Training has become a game changer for top tennis players who need to stay sharp off court. With a significant foot injury keeping Jennifer Brady, a 2021 Australian Open finalist and top-15 player, off the court for over a year, she’s using VR to stay in the game.
“It has allowed me to immerse myself back in the tennis world and swing the racquet without hindering my rehab process,” says Brady. “It has been hugely beneficial and it can only help me return back to play sooner.”
Jack Sock, a four-time Grand Slam winner, is also using VR for training. He says it’s “pretty eye-opening” and a “game changer.” Sense Arena, a company based in the Czech Republic, has developed a VR platform for tennis to enhance players’ mental and physical preparation.
How This Works In VR
Paired with a MetaQuest 2 VR headset, Sense Arena has developed a haptic tennis racquet. This replicates the grip and swing weight of a regular racquet. Players can choose from various variables to simulate real match situations, like a rowdy crowd or a shaded court. So, they can work on reaction time, anticipation, and cognitive skills.
“It’s very realistic visually, and the racquet feels like a real tennis racquet,” says Brady. “It helps players with different skills in terms of anticipation and seeing visually just the ball rotation, what types of speeds are coming at you, slice, topspin, flat balls. It’s very immersive.”
Benefits of VR Tennis Training
Using VR for training offers many benefits. It can be used for a warm-up to speed up the brain. It can also help players prepare for a specific match, or just help them deal with pre-match anxiety. With tennis being a sport that requires speedy decisions, VR can help players get comfortable with match situations again.
“Even 20, 30 minutes a day is huge mentally,” says Brady. “Physically, the sport has changed so much and everybody is a physical specimen right now. Any little bit of mental edge that you have over someone is huge. Immersing myself in this and not having to deal with the physical load on my body is important.”
In conclusion, VR has become a valuable tool for top tennis players to prepare for matches and stay sharp off court. So, it offers an experience that replicates real match situations, allowing players to work on their mental and physical skills. With the potential to evolve and improve, VR is just at the beginning of its journey in the world of tennis training.