6 Essential Gym Exercises Every Tennis Player Needs
To take your tennis game to the next level, you need more than just practice on the court. Incorporating the right strength and plyometric exercises can improve your power, speed and agility, giving you the edge during every match. Here are 6 types of exercises every tennis player should include in their gym routine to maximise performance.
Rotational Exercises
Rotational movements, where the entire body or a body part rotates around an axis, are essential exercises for tennis players. These exercises improve core strength and stability, key components for generating power in your shots and maintaining control while moving on the court.
Examples:
Side planks with rotation (bodyweight or with a dumbbell; shown below)
Bicycles
Lunges with rotation (bodyweight or with a dumbbell/weight plate; shown below)
Side plank with rotation - bodyweight
Reverse lunge with dumbbell rotation
2. Side-to-Side Movements
Side-to-side exercises, also known as frontal plane exercises, target muscles responsible for stabilising the body laterally. As tennis involves frequent side-to-side movements, training the body to efficiently perform these exercises will improve your performance, agility and endurance. Strengthening the muscles involved in these movement patterns, such as the adductors, abductors and glutes, will also reduce your risk of injury.
Examples:
Lateral lunges (shown below)
Lateral band walks
Side planks
Lateral lunge with knee drive
3. Balance/Stability Exercises
Tennis requires quick footwork and the ability to move rapidly in all directions. Having excellent balance will allow you to transition fluidly between movements without wasting energy or losing control. Building and maintaining stability around the joints in the lower body ensures you can maintain control during these movements, making your footwork more efficient and reducing your risk of injury.
Examples:
Standing on one foot (shown below; stand on an unstable surface like a foam pad or Bosu ball and pass a ball back and forth for an added challenge)
Squats on a Bosu ball
Single-leg squats
Single-leg calf raises (avoid holding onto the wall, or just lightly tap it for support)
Single-leg balance
4. Single-Arm Strength Exercises
Tennis players often experience muscular imbalances due to the unilateral nature of the sport. Performing single-arm strength exercises helps correct these imbalances, promotes symmetry and reduces the risk of overuse injuries such as shoulder or elbow strains. Strengthening your upper body exercises will also be beneficial for your serves and rallies as strengthening the muscles used in these motions can help you make more powerful and accurate shots.
Examples:
Single-arm dumbbell chest press
Single-arm rows/pulls (shown below; recommend varying the position of these: overhead, bent-over, seated, etc)
Single-arm dumbbell overhead press (shown below)
Single-arm dumbbell row
Half-kneeling single-arm shoulder press
5. Grip Strength Exercises
Performing grip strength exercises will allow you to build strength in your forearm so you can withstand the force of intense forehand and backhand shots. You will also benefit from having more precise control of the racket and reduce the risk of wrist, forearm and elbow injuries (like tennis elbow).
Examples:
Tennis ball squeezes (squeeze a tennis ball as hard as you can for several seconds, 10-15 reps per hand)
Wrist curls
Farmer’s carries
6. Plyometric Exercises
Plyometrics are explosive, high-intensity exercises that train your muscles to generate force quickly. For tennis players, plyometrics are especially beneficial for improving speed, agility and explosiveness. These exercises mimic the quick movements required on the court, such as sprinting to reach a ball, jumping for a high shot or changing directions rapidly. Plyometrics will allow you to move faster, react quicker and generate more power in your shots.
Examples:
Jump squats
Lateral bounds (skater jumps)
Lunge jumps
No matter your tennis level, strength and conditioning off the court can significantly elevate your game. Incorporating these exercises will undoubtedly improve your overall performance and help you dominate the court. If you’re looking for personalised guidance on adjusting your training to boost your tennis performance, contact me. We can set up tennis-specific training sessions, or I can create a bespoke programme for you.