Improve Endurance? No!

Improve Power? No!

Improve Agility? No!

Improve Speed? No!

Improve Quickness/Footwork? No!

Before you write a bunch of f-bombs about me and my blog, let me explain to you that all of the aforementioned focal points of performance enhcncement are very importent for one’s game improvement, but “Injury Prevention Training” must be the #1 priority and is absolutely the most impotant tennis success factor.  Keep in mind that one should do injury prevention training aka “Prehabilitation” in order to prevent injuries and  at the very least help one recover much quicker from an injury. Yes, strengthening ones bones, tendons, and other connective tissue will keep away those nagging injuries.

Off the top of my head, the following are the most common areas of the body that can get injured while playing tennis:

ankle

hamstring

knee   

hip flexor

groin

lower back

stomach

shoulders

wrists

(I wrote the above list quickly, and am sure to have left a few areas out!)

Just make sure that while you are improving your fitness, you are also focusing on keeping your body healthy throughout the year.

Please note that since there are really no built-in off weeks from competition in tennis, it is important that several strategic “off periods” are included in ones yearly schedule. These off periods are an excellent time for doing game improvement skill training as well as strength and conditioning for tennis.

In this video Torando Ali Black and I demonstrate how reaction, agility(balanced change of direction), and quickness (fast feet adjustments) can be easily practiced. Try doing this for several sets of 20 seconds of movement followed by 20 seconds of rest. Doing so will significantly improve one’s anaerobic endurance. BEWARE: Tornado makes this drill look easy but it is actually not so easy. The player is required to react and change directions quickly and not get too close to the cones.

Why do you think that Manny Diaz has had an amazing record as Men’s Head Tennis Coach at the University of Georgia for the past 20+ seasons. Why do so many top players want to go there? Well, there are many reasons, but one thing is for sure…HIS SUCCESS IS DEFINITELY NO ACCIDENT. Since this video was posted on youtube, perhaps all of the coaches who still have their players run for many miles can learn from this video. This is how you do it!!! Repeated short agility is the name of the game if you actually want to be able to get to the ball and build tennis specific endurance. If anyone wants to debate me on this topic, I will be glad to do so. I just don’t want to be too scientific and long-winded here.

The video shows the Director of the International Performance Institute doing fitness for tennis at the tennis academy with Maria Shishkina who is one of the top junior prospects in the world. She has potential to become a junior tennis and perhaps a professional superstar. I need to emphasize that it is crucial for strength and conditioning professionals to focus on injury prevention first.  Parents truly must be aware and they are really the ones who must use common sense and look out for the welfare of their junior tennis playing children. 

Standing on top of a stability ball may look really cool and look great in a tennis academy advertisement, but are you aware how unsafe it truly is? You get the same benefits and do excellent balance training without putting people at risk of a potentially catastrophic and career ending injury by having the player stand on a bosu ball(1/2 stability ball), balance discs, or a balance board? One must be extra cautious when doing physical training for tennis with a junior tennis player because their growth plates are not yet closed. There is just no excuse for this type of negligence in the fitness profession!  Notice that during the video the junior tennis phenom comes very close to smashing her head into a brick wall while chasing a soccer ball that goes over hear head… Holy cow!!! That had potential catestrophic consequences written all over it. It does not matter what credentials and degrees a strength coach has, they must be able to use some common sense when working with junior tennis players or. Should a fitness for tennis coach have kids do fast  feet drills in a fire pit?  Perhaps the fitness for tennis coache should do some reaction drills with an alligator’s mouth?   or……standing on top of a stability ball!!!

Unfortunately, Tornado Ali Black makes this drill look much easier than it really is. She is simply in a relaxed intense focus state. This drill serves a few tennis specific purposes. Notice how the drill initially places focus on the explosive first crossover step. Next, I cue her in to the dropshot cone by saying go and pointing to the cone. She must react and move through the stroke without ever getting too close to the cone. Then we work on closing in on the volley, gettin back for the overhead and then closing back in for the volley. This is meant to be an explosive drill. Each set should last between 20 and no more than 40 seconds. Short rest periods of 20 seconds will place more focus on building anaerobic endurance, while longer 90 second rest periods will place more focus on building explosiveness. Note: You really can’t work on both explosiveness and anaerobic endurance during the same workout. Therefore, focus on what is most needed for the athlete.

Until recently, I did not realize how much of a positive effect a fitness program for tennis had on one’s ability to have the endurance and focus that is necessary to get the most out of their technical training. Several players, parents, and coaches informed me of this benefit. When one participates in a fitness program for tennis everything appears to snowballs in a positive manner. Besides the obvious increased fitness for tennis, everyone becomes quite pleased about the improved technical results coming from the players increased focus, physical capability, and less need for breaks during technical training sessions.

 In general, most people would agree that speed or distance over time is an important component to tennis court coverage. What many people do not agree on is whether or not an athlete can be trained to achieve great speed.  It is definitely true that some athletes are naturally faster and stronger than others because of the length of their limbs, muscle attachments, and amount of white/fast-twitch muscle fiber they possess.  I can testify to the fact that on many occasions I have both witnessed and strength coaches have told me about situations of untrained athletes being faster or stronger than trained athletes.  While it is true that not all players have the genetic makeup to become Olympic caliber speedsters, with proper training all players can and will significantly improve their own speed and strength capabilities. Now, it is time to focus on the two most basic elements of tennis speed. 

In this article, the two general components of speed (distance over time) that will be looked at are stride length and stride frequency. Stride length is the distance covered in one stride while running. In order to increase the length of a stride, maximum force during sprints must be increased. Stride length can be increased through resistance training such as weight training, sled or tire pulling, running uphill, running with weighted vests, plyometrics, elastic cord resisted runs, running with chutes, harness/cord resistance etc. Stride frequency is the number of steps taken over a specific distance or time. In order to improve stride frequency, sprint assisted training such as running downhill or cords that pull the athlete may be used.

When performing drills for stride length and stride frequency it is of utmost importance to make certain that proper running form is not sacrificed. During stride length training, stride frequency must be kept at normal levels and during stride frequency training; stride length must be kept at normal levels. Therefore, the fitness for tennis coach should make sure that the overspeed devices or resistances used are not too great or too heavy for the athlete. 

Please note that for this article we have only placed our focus on getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible. This absolute measure of tennis speed is only one basic element of getting to tennis balls faster. There are many aspects of court coverage that must be looked at when developing a fitness program for tennis. Along with raw speed, some tennis footwork court coverage necessities are reaction, agility, anaerobic conditioning, first step explosiveness, balance, and flexibility.   All of those aforementioned tennis footwork elements should be focused upon and enhanced for a physical conditioning program for tennis program to be most effective.   

Functional Training may be one of the most overused and least understood terms in the history of physical conditioning.  Quite frankly,  it does sound quite impressive, but what in the world is functional training?  Simply stated, functional training is training the body for the purpose of enhancing a specific activity. Tennis specific functional training  focuses on the muscles, movements, and energy systems that are specific to tennis. The majority of a functional training program focuses on the training of movements similar to the sporting acivity.  Performing exercises that isolate the training of a specific muscle and are not functional generally have no place in a fitness training for tennis program. 

In the following video by trainer Todd Norman of Cutting Edge Sports Training, demonstrates one good example of a functional for tennis exercise. This is exactly the type of fitness training for tennis that creates real results that you can see on the court.  The following will explain why this would be considered a functional training for tennis exercise. Continue Reading Functional Training: What is it? »

Why would someone need to do strength and conditioning in order to get in good tennis condition? Isn’t playing and practicing for tennis supposed to be the best way to get in shape for and fit for tennis? That may seem quite logical at first glance. Unfortunately, even players who train 5+ hours a day without doing other tennis specific physical conditioning may be in extremely poor match playing condition.   I am aware that this seems strange, but players who only practice and play tennis are in no way improving their physical fitness for tennis.  Will all types of off court physical training help my tennis?

After being extremely tired, overpowered, and or not able to effectively run down balls, players oftentimes come to the harsh conclusion that their fitness levels are just not allowing them to advance to the next level.  At that point of realization, a tennis player can choose to take several different paths. Some will lead them to extreme success and others will cause little or no improvement, or possible injury. Here we are going to look at three different training scenarios and their potential to either help or hinder performance.

Example 1:

A player may choose to run 3-5 miles/3-5x a week in an effort to gain more endurance and become more fit.  By doing this, the player may believe that they will have more stamina and a greater ability to endure long matches.  The reality of what players are actually doing is harsh.  Running these long distances will train players to move slower. How is this so? Well, all exercise physiologists and certified strength and conditioning specialists are well aware of the S.A.I.D. Principle.  S.A.I.D. is the acronym for specific adaptions to imposed demands.  All fine and good, but what the heck am I saying??? Simply stated, it means that you should train as you would play. Running 3-5 miles at a continuous pace, in a straight line, with no rest will train the legs to move slowly and the heart to beat at a continuous tempo.  A tennis match consists of many points that seldom last for more than 25 seconds  and have a rest period of 25 seconds between points and 90 seconds during changeovers. Therefore, doing repeated interval runs of 100-400 yard distances  with repeated agility work of (10-40 seconds) would be the best approach for the necessities of tennis. (anaerobic endurance, speed, heart rate spikes)

Example 2:

A player heads to the weight room and begins doing several machine exercises in an attempt to somehow magically  hit the tennis ball harder and handle pace better.  Although machines may have some place in a beginning strength program, they will not translate into the type of functional strength necessary for tennis.  Unfortunately, machines dictate a players range and motion of movements. Unlike machines, tennis strokes use many different muscles in various planes of movement.  A better idea for gaining functional strength for tennis is the usage of free weights and medicine balls, which will allow the user to utilize their own particular range of motion and several muscle groups that are specific to tennis during an exercise.

Example 3:

I know so many players who read about their favorite tennis professional and then over zealously attempted to copy an exact routine.  The player does this with the intention of getting into shape quickly. Unfortunately, they are usually not anywhere close to the fitness levels of Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer. Therefore,  copying one’s favorite players routine can at best lead to muscle staleness and at worst can lead to burnout or injury.  One should begin a program at their own pace. Preferably, they would want a customized or semi-customized program created for them after taking a fitness for tennis test.  Training should be tennis specific, specific to the players playing style, and specific to the players needs.

Service Box racket touches drill- while facing the net the entire time how many times can you touch the singles sideline and center service line with your racket in a specified amount of time which is usually not more than 30 seconds (great for practicing and improving your crossover steps and may be used for an endurance enhancement drill)

It is amazing that so many hours are spent on technical training skills and so little time is spent on improving ones tennis footwork. Perhaps people do not know how to train tennis footwork properly? If I received a nickel for every time someone came up to me and told me that their son or daughter needed to improve their crissover step for tennis, I would be quite wealthy. Unfortunately, well-intended parents and even coaches oftentimes ask me the best ways to improve explosiveness and change of direction/recovery.  In todays fast paced game everyone understands that it is necessary to explode back towards the middle of the court after retrieving a wide ball.  It amazes me how many people talk about the crossover step and understand that it will help them recover quicker, but do not know how to properly do the crossover step. In order for this aspect of tennis footwork to be performed effectively, it must be performed correctly.  

The video shown above is a good example of a right-handed player using the crossover step when going wide to hit a forehand.  Notice that the crossover step does not need to be used every single time you hit a stroke. It is used on balls that take you out wide, in order to more efficiently get back towards the middle of the court.  When a wide ball is hit to you, take your back let (the one closest to the sideline) and cross it in front of your other leg. Then push off hard and to the side you are going towards with that front leg. This action will spring you back towards the center of the court. Continue Reading Crossover Steps Tennis Footwork »