Tennis Exercises?

Question

What are some good exercises that can make you a better tennis player outside of rallying like jumping jacks etc.

Answer 1

Push-ups give you stronger arms to hit the ball harder, and running in the evening makes your leg muscles stronger and can help you with speed on the court. Also, anything that makes you move in a pattern, such as marching, will help you with knowing where to be at the right times. Lifting weights can make your arms stronger for the at the net shots.

Answer 2

jumpropes help a lot.

Also, go check youtube for tennis exercise videos. They can help a lot.

Answer 3

Running really does the trick. But be sure to not just run in a straight line but make some twists and turns on your path. it really helps with balance on the quick moves to hit the ball.

Answer 4

Being a sport that requires many physical requirements, such as good flexibility, co-ordination, aerobic fitness, strength and a good mental ability, there is obviously a lot of room for improvement in most players of any racket sport.

Short bursts of explosive exercise, either sprinting, jumping or swinging the racket.

Short recovery between each point, especially for squash and badminton when played at a high standard. With tennis having short rest breaks at various intervals of the game.

A lot of running around back and forth with plenty of lateral movement to both sides.

Time on court can vary from 30 minutes to 3 hours plus, so a good endurance base is required for those that are serious about their sport.

There is no rest period during intense rallies, the rally stops when a player loses a point. Points are lost and won depending on the skills and fitness level of you the player.

When you play you're chosen racket sport, analysis each point you win and lose, with a number of different players to find your strength and weaknesses. Work on improving all areas, however start with the ones that you are weak on, in order to improve your game quickly.

Break your results down into two groups: -

Physical; Your fitness level, flexibility, and strength.

Mental; Co-ordination, skills, tactical abilities, and frame of mind.

Lets remember to get fit to play sport, not play sport to get fit, this way, we will enjoy the game more, and reduce the risk of injury.

Improving your physical fitness side is straightforward; you need to improve your endurance by ideally a minimum of 30 minutes cardiovascular activity at the right level 3 times a week.

Avoid doing your cardiovascular workout before you play your game. Look in the Bodywork's section of the site under Heart and Lungs for suitable exercises, and Aerobic training in the Fitness section for guidelines on how hard to train.

Both weight training exercises and explosive leg exercises such as short sprints and plyometrics can improve explosive power. Remember to work within your own limits.

Aim to spend 1 day a week doing either sprint / plyometric work. As these are both very demanding, avoid if you have a low fitness level, or any injury.

For your sprint work, try and do the sprints on the court you play on, wearing the same training shoes you play in. There are many variations, however keep them short as for your sport.

Shuttle sprints, from baseline to serving box and back, then up to the net and back. You can repeat this with either no rest or short rest. For best results run against a partner.

As above but sprint forward, and run backwards coming back.

Ball retrieval, place a number of balls across the court, sprint to each one pick it up, return it to the baseline, continue until all balls are recovered. Try timing yourself.

Partner Ball Throw, Stand with your back towards the net or wall, with your eyes shut, have your partner throw a ball in the air behind you somewhere. When they say "go", aim to reach the ball as quickly as possible, you can also aim to hit the ball over the net etc. with your racket.

North South East West, Sprint North towards the net / wall, as you get half way, side step East to the sideline / wall, then continue to sprint North. On reaching the net / wall, run backwards to halfway mark, and side step West to side line, then run back again to baseline. Take care when running backwards.

Answer 5

The jumprope is great. Also running sprints and shuffling between the lines help mimic the movements of an actual match.

Answer 6

Practice walling everyday. This will make your forehand & backhand perfect. It will enable your movement timing to be perfect as well.

Answer 7

hit the weights, will build up your shoulders and arms which will prevent future injuries.