A workout strategy plan is very important in almost every sport but can differ greatly depending on what attributes are most important for success in that sport. For an instance, a workout specifically for a football player should consist of muscle-enhancing activities which are specifically designed to build their lean muscle.
Tennis is different from the others
Likewise, good tennis players have their own set attributes that will allow them to excel at the game. Good footwork, flexibility, and a powerful swing are all important.
We would like to have that flexible yet stable support while having a good grip on the tennis racquet with enough power to hit the ball. When you see the pros on the TV it may not look complicated one, but the amount of preparation, exercise, and practice that each of the professional tennis players had gone through is incomparable.
A good workout regime is essential. A right mix of everything should be coordinated accordingly. Thus, a good workout plan especially structured for tennis players is recommended to be included in our routine. We’ll never know that we are close to reaching the most awaited Golden Set of our entire career.
But like everything else in the world, we have to work for our goal. Thus, sweating and practicing through workouts will help us in reaching our goal. Working out is a process that can never be sped up. We need to tune ourselves up in a right way and focus on it.
Abilities to focus on as a Tennis Player
Needless to say, it is important to know what we should develop and maintain, both physically and mentally, with these workout tips to prepare for the big game.
- Speed
- Agility
- Endurance
- Flexibility
- Balance
- Hand-eye coordination
- Explosiveness
- Ball judgment
Digging deeper into tennis
Generally, like other types of sports, it is also important to have enough speed to reach the ball with agility in an efficient manner. A flexible body influences the body to do Punch Volley in a fast-paced scenario while making the body keep up due to the endurance developed.
Balance, on the other hand, works both ways with the hand-eye coordination. Enabling us to accurately follow the ball, the body should act and at the same time maintain its balance in the right timing, place, and force.
Equally important is the ability to do explosive movements like sprints and leaps while having enough understanding of the pace estimation for that perfect jump smash. Deeply understanding the basics, we now go to the warm-up activity before the main workout itself.
Warm-up
Warming up the body before a strenuous movement is an utmost priority. Our high school teacher would even allow time for warm-up before the activity itself. With that being said, one should do this to avoid further injuries in the tennis court. Here are the highly suggested warm-up exercises:
- Knee to chest walk
- Alternating lunges including upper body rotation
- Hip dynamic flex
- Plank workouts
- Wrist circles
- Abdominal stretching with the use of a stability ball
- Toe touch
- Trunk/ body twist
Now, we’re ready to start our workout.
Good tennis workout guide
As aforementioned, a good workout should specifically focus on the said abilities accompanied by proper mental focus. Here is a great compilation of helpful workout guide to free the inner Andy Murray in us.
X-band walks
An X-band walk is done by stepping on a band on both feet that comes in either closed or open bands. We should step either side to side or forward depending on the band that is used. While both ends of the band are being held, remember to keep the elbows in a stable position. Each step will create tension with the band and further mold correctly the gluteal muscles.
Lateral band walks
This is done by placing a stretchable band at both feet while holding a Thera-Band on both hands. Both the bands at hand and feet should create tension by rotating the arms while elbows are at the same place and slowly stepping side to side. This is a great practice that also activates the gluteus medius.
Overhead slams
With the use of a medicine ball, we raise it over our head in both hands. Then slam the ball down with full force. This can be repeated up to 8 times which further develop the upper body explosive power beneficial to us.
Y raise
To do the Y raise, a person should stand in a squat position with both feet away from each other. Then slowly raise the two arms upward, forming a y shape. This maintains and strengthens the shoulders and is very important, especially for accurate ball hits while preventing injury.
Single leg squats
Single leg squats are fulfilled by holding two small weights with both hands while standing on one foot. Then, the hips move slowly downward until we are in a squat position. Do this several times on the left foot, then another on the right foot. This improves our balance and strength in our torsos.
Bench-Split Squats
Bench-Split Squats is done by standing in front of a bench while holding barbells in both hands. We should place one of our foot above the bench and slowly do squats as low as we can by flexing the knee and the hip. Do this while keeping the chest up and the core tight.
Ending the Tennis workout
After the workout, it is also advisable to do cooldowns. This is like a trigger in our body to say that we are ready to take a break with the exercise. Therefore, calming the muscles that were stressed upon the workout is a must. Also, having proper focus and mindset should be added in our preparation. The body should always be in coordination with our head.
Discipline is a must in every sport. Complementing these tips with a nutritional diet can lead our way to win the open competition.
