Tennis is a physically demanding sport, which requires movement preparation in order to prevent injury, improve efficiency, and maximize power. This movement preparation for the upper body can be achieved with a few easy mobility exercises demonstrated below.
The forehand is a fundamental ground stroke in tennis and requires a significant amount of anterior shoulder mobility. This stroke requires the arm to extend beyond the body with the palm facing forward. One of the major muscles in the anterior shoulder, that restrict motion, is the pectoralis. This muscle can be stretched using a doorway as demonstrated below.
This doorway stretch will improve the ability reach back, in preparation for the forehand stroke, and explode through the ball with power and precision. The position of the neck should always be monitored.The goal is to feel a stretch, not pain.
Another fundamental ground stroke is the backhand. Whether you hit a one or two-handed backhand, the posterior aspect of the shoulder needs to be mobile in order to functional optimally. The next video demonstrates a stretch for the posterior capsule of the shoulder, lats, and upper thoracic spine. These are important structures to prepare for rotational movement.
The cross-over stretch will improve mobility and allow the shoulder to reach across the body without strain. This will allow for a greater range of motion through the ground stroke and also encourage rotation of the thoracic spine which is a key in increasing power of the strokes.
Along with anterior and posterior shoulder mobility, spinal rotation is also very important in movement preparation. In order to advance your game, add more power and speed to the ball, and prevent upper extremity injury, the shoulder girdle and thoracic spine need to be mobile. There are various exercises that can be done to improve this mobility. The bow and arrow exercise includes posterior shoulder, thoracic rotation, and anterior shoulder all in one.
Swinging at the ball with the racket, only using your arms, will definitely increase your risk for injury and will significantly limit your production of power. Having the mobility in the arms to achieve the starting positions for the ground strokes and then using the core to rotate the spine will help to maximize power and decrease risk of injury.
