MATCH POINT: STAYING IN THE GAME PART 2
ATTENTION TENNIS PLAYERS: Want to play better, longer, and with less aches and pains?
Last time, we talked about the importance of warming up and cooling down when it comes to staying healthy and avoiding injury. This month, we bring you exercises to improve your game. Tennis involves quick moves, rotation, and reaching that incorporates
the whole body. Training programs with these aspects in mind will help you get the most payoff for your effort.
IMPROVING YOUR MOVEMENT ON THE COURT Incorporate exercises that develop acceleration and deceleration into your on-court practice session or anytime.
• Lateral shuffles (staying in your athletic stance) • Lateral shuffles with crossover (stepping outside foot over) • Ground stroke recoveries (side to side and diagonals) • Spider drills (run side, side, forward, back, and diagonals and lunge, reach, and touch your racquet down at each • end point.) • Split steps (small jump up and turn in direction you want to move; run a few steps and repeat in opposite direction) • Monster walks (diagonal 45 degrees) Monster walk Stance Split step
LOWER BODY STRENGTHENING A strong lower body is needed to allow the transfer of forces from the ground up to the rest of the body.
• Squats/squats with overhead reach • Lunges (linear, multidirectional, and diagonal) • Deadlifts • Single-leg bridges • Calf raises
CORE AND TORSO STRENGTHENING
The core connects the lower with the upper body. A strong core is necessary for efficient energy transfer from the lower body to the upper body. Without this connection and strength, the energy transfer is lost, leading to reduced power in the upper extremity and possible injury.
Ball rotations start
• Crunches/diagonal crunches/bicycles • Planks/side planks • Exercise ball twists • Pallof presses • Prone swimming • Supermans
Ball rotations finish
Pallof press start
Pallof press finish
Continued on Back ...
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