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TENNIS
 What
should a tennis player concentrate on when
conducting his or her sport specific
training and conditioning program?
According to The American Journal of
Sports Medicine 28:626-633 (2000),
resistance training for the upper and lower
body will go a long way in improving the
speed of the serious tennis player’s serve.
Journal of Sports Sciences, Volume
20, Issue 4 April 2002, pages 311 – 318
reports fatigue diminishes tennis skills.
Therefore, the serious tennis player should
incorporate
whole body workouts to ensure fatigue
doesn’t cause a decline in his or her skill
level.
The American Journal of Sports Medicine
26:510-515 (1998) recommends
dumbbell exercises to assist in
functional performance and strength
improvements.
Other components to a
complete tennis conditioning strategy
should also include
speed training,
plyometric training, and
flexibility training for the hips and
shoulders.
Athletic Training & Conditioning, Inc.
recommends utilizing
exercise ball routines and
medicine ball routines to assist the
serious tennis player in stabilizing their
core and
abs. (Click
here to receive a free e-book on ab
workouts – enter “ab e-book” in subject
line.) By stabilizing this area, energy can
be efficiently transferred during the
training of athletic movements such as
agility type movements for example.
Incorporating a
complete tennis conditioning strategy
will make
tennis drills more productive.
Tennis players must be able to use their
short-term energy system and their long-term
energy system to be successful. The
combination of serious training, practice
and multiple matches in a short amount of
time causes the tennis player to deplete
their energy stores. Eating the recommended
5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
is the best way to replenish these energy
stores. If the serious tennis player is
falling short of these daily-recommended
values for the proper replenishment of the
essential fatty acids,
protein and
other essential nutrients, the tennis
player’s performance may suffer
dramatically.
Supplements that comply with the NCAA
guidelines should be a consideration for
the serious tennis player.
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