Following the recent success of Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon many of your clients may be dusting of their tennis racquet and wanting to improve their game. Here are some exercises you can use to help improve your client’s tennis game.
The key to success will be to communicate effectively with your client. This will help the player to understand what they are trying to create through certain exercises.
Having a strong core is important for getting powers into the tennis shot. These exercises are a great way to improve the power of your shot.
Russian twists
Rotational side plank
Medicine ball slams
Medicine ball passes
Foot work is important in tennis to ensure you’re in the right position to play the shot. These exercises are designed to improve your speed, agility and power endurance. Approximately 50% of the movement in a tennis game is lateral, 49% is forward and 1% is backwards. Try to create this when performing performance drills.
Lateral Ice skaters
Frontal hops and lateral hops over the base line
Frontal and lateral speed drills using a speed ladder
According to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) the alactic system is used 70% of the time, the lactic system (both under the anaerobic umbrella) 20% and the aerobic 10%. Recreate this when performing cardio vascular training with high tempo power recreating the movement patterns of tennis for the best results.
