Get Fit for Tennis

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Cast your mind backto last year’sWimbledon finalbetween Nadal andFederer - a 4 hour, 48minutes long, displayof power, stamina,strength and skill fromtwo top athletes. Ok,you might be more of aSunday slogger thanWimbledon wonderbut you can improveyour game.

Tennis

By Caroline Sandry

19-5 p44 Fit 4 Sport Tennis:Layout 1 01/06/2009 17:42 Page 44

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‘Win Tennis’ providesquality tennistraining for all:working closelywith local

communities, they search out futurechampions and fast track them along thewinning pathway. Mike Walker (Chief Execand director of tennis) explained, “Our aimis to help players maximise their potential,by putting the right people in the rightplace…” I went along to meet the rightpeople at the right place! Namely, RyanBlake - head of strength and conditioningand sports science co-coordinator at theprestigious Bisham Abbey National SportsCentre in Marlow.

Ryan showed me around the beautifulBisham Abbey Sports centre and after abrief chat about my fitness and tennisexperience (teenage lessons and nothingmuch since, fitness level pretty good) wegot down to work.

As with all the athletes Ryan trains, westarted in the gym with a warm up on thetreadmill before moving onto functionalmovement screening – the aim of this is toshow an individual’s movement efficiencyand any limitations they might have.Screening plays a crucial part of thetraining process - athletes are screenedtwo to four times per year and after anyinjury. Mobilisation drills were next up –these provided Ryan with moreinformation about my body’s functions andweaknesses, which could potentially leadto injury. Moving out onto the court, nextwe did dynamic movement drills to reallyget my mind and body prepared for boththe playing surface (clay) and tennisspecific movements.

Ryan then introduced me to Martin Lee,coach to the junior players and an ex-pro,who has been at Bisham Abbey from theage of 14! Martin took me onto the claycourt and we began with some simplehand to eye coordination drills so that hecould see how I responded. As I hit theballs, Martin asked how it felt, andprovided positive feedback that gentlyimproved my strokes. The session wasvery intuitive. Martin explained that he islooking for natural talent and ability andencourages your own natural rhythm –although this can be adjusted at a laterstage. After forehands, we moved tobackhands and then to the serve. I waspleasantly surprised by my own ability andfelt during that short session the I hadimproved and learnt a great deal. Havingplayed tennis as a teenager (a long timeago!) I was happy to still have a good eyefor the ball, and was surprised what adifference new kit makes (especially a topracket). One thing that I did have tochange though was the effort I put into mystroke play, the more I relaxed, the bettermy strike of the ball and it soon begun tofeel effortless. UF

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Pro TrainingRyan has significantly improved the condition of the players he works with. Initially hediscovered that their strength and conditioning sessions were neither of the volume norspecificity needed. Now under his guidance players do 3 to 4 strength sessions a week and 3to 4 conditioning ones - of which 2 of the latter are speed and agility focused and involvetennis specific movement drills performed at high intensity. The week also includes 4-6workouts designed to prevent injury – these include pre-habilitation exercises, which focus oncore stability, strength and flexibility.

Strength and ConditioningRyan explained that the conditioning programme is designed to create physical adaptationthrough integrating fitness components into a training programme, which compliments otheraspects of the performer’s development. He went on to clarify that this includes, though notexclusively, strength, speed, power, endurance, agility and flexibility, all of which improves theplayer’s game whilst reducing the risk of injury

Warm up■ Foam roller – to mobilise, warm up and wake up muscles

Roll any areas of tightness, 20 reps and 90sec hold on tightest areas.■ Heart rate raising activity (5-10mins), for example:

Court joggingSkipping drillsTreadmill run at slight gradient (to mimic road running)

■ Mobilisation work – all done with bodyweight and/or rackets x 10 repsOverhead squatsAnkle to elbow lunges Zombie walk (walk with arms held parallel to the ground, swing one leg at a time straight up in front of you as high as you can)Spiderman Crawl (on all fours crawl like Spiderman moving arms and legs together in a 45-degree diagonal direction – repeat to the left and right)

■ Dynamic movement preparation drillsSide stepsCross oversHigh kneesGlute kicks

■ Muscle activation work with thera/flexi band to recruit and fire specific musclesWalking forwards/backwardsCrab side steps (with band around ankles at a hip-width with tension, walk laterally like a crab only moving legs, keep whole body still)Jumping ankle touches (with band around ankles at hip-width, jump vertically, clicking heels together and hold. Land with feet in same position as take off)

■ Tennis specific movement drillsAcceleration to net and open/closed stance backpedalingClock drillWide forehand/backhand shot shadowing


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Strength Training■ ‘Training mature’ that’s those with years of relevant

conditioning behind them players, perform the following dynamic strength exercises:

■ Power/Hang CleanPower/Hang SnatchPush PressSplit JerkOverhead SquatFront SquatDead-LiftPull-Ups – of different varieties

Recovery■ Cool Down:

Up to 5 min. light C.V work at no more than 50% intensity■ Developmental static/PNF stretching for 20-30mins

(the latter involves resistance being applied to a stretch by use of a dyna-band or partner and then after the release of the resistance the stretch being extended)

■ Further recovery techniques such as:Ice baths after long court workoutsHydrotherapy pool sessionsIndividual massageStrictly monitored nutrition plans

Avoiding shoulder injuryRegular tennis can damage the shoulder and in particular theglenohumeral joint and the rotator cuff muscles*. Theligaments, tendons and muscles that support the ball andsocket joint can become over developed in the hittingdirection and not in the opposite movement. Repetition and aweakness in the joint then results in shoulder problems. Thereare a number of exercises that you can do to combat this –here’s an example of one:

External shoulder rotation using dyna-bandYou’ll need a training partner to assist you and a shortmedium strength dyna-band or similar rubber band typeof exercise tube. Description for right handed player (reverse for left-hander)

1 Stand in a ‘ready’ position with feet shoulder-width apart and left hand on hip

2 Place a towel between your (right) upper arm and side to act as a pivot and ensure your elbow is positioned directly below your shoulder

3 Grasp the handle of the dyna-band and flex your elbow to a 90-degree angle, holding the grip just in front and to the left of your navel

4 Your training partner should be positioned to the left, just behind you with a firm grip on the other end of the dyna–band (there must be tension in the band, so that when you externally rotate your shoulder, you pull against a resistance)

5 Rotate your shoulder externally (ie take your hand away from your naval and out to the side) to stretch the dyna-band. Keep your lower arm parallel to the ground and your hand position held constant

6 Control the movement back to the start position and repeat

* Rotator cuff muscles – there are four of these that basically function tokeep the ball in the socket of the glenohumeral joint

Power/Hang Clean

Overhead Squat


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For further info on Win Tennis, go to: www.wintennis.com or email: [email protected]

Tennis KitSpecific tennis shoes are a must – I wore ASICS Tennis, but most decent sports manufacturers will offer a specific tennis shoe. A running shoe willnot offer enough support for the multiple and dynamic lateral movements involved in the game – see page 82 for Andy Barber’s court shoe test.Lightweight, breathable clothing is best: My outfit was by Ellie Gray – Skort (skirt with shorts built in) £25 and top £20Rackets are highly personal, and a teacher or pro may suggest a racket that will suit you. I recommend Prince, and used a Ladies Prince O3 Blackwhich felt great and was very light. £80.00Stockists: www.elliegray.com www.asics.co.uk www.tennisnuts.com www.princetennis.com

How you can get tennis fitSpeed and agility drills1. ‘W’ drillDo back pedal, side step, cross-over step sprints in a ‘W’ shape on court - develops multi-directional tennis specific movement capability

2. Clock drillStart in the centre of the court and get your partner/coach to call out a number on the ‘clock’, sprint to touch the relevantly positionedcone and then return to the start position as quickly as possible.Do: 4 to 6 reps (of each exercise) with 20sec rest. 4-6 sets with 1min rest between.

Specific Strength ExercisesBody weight exercises are a great place to start.

1. Overhead SquatLower to thighs parallel to floor position, with arms shoulder-width apart, fully extended and held vertical throughout the wholemovement. Keep your chest up, shoulders back and head up. Progression: hold your racket over-head.

2. Press-Ups With hands under shoulders lower until your chest touches floor. Keep your body straight. Progression: Try this at a slight decline off of a bench or step to target your shoulders more or perform on a Swiss ball (feet on ball) toenhance core stability. Further progression: do plyometric (jump) press ups for explosive power. Press up as fast as possible to jump your body into the air, land and rebound into another rep.Do: 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps with 1min rest


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Get Fit for Tennis