Introduction . 6.1. Developing your range of motion with flexibility, strength, and balance functional routines, that work the connectivity between the upper and lower body in groundstrokes , and the serve.
Warm up. 15 mins, it makes sense in preparing to play that you increase body warmth and circulation first with:
- Two laps 1 court. Jog then split step moving forward /backwards to net.
- Keep Ball .Ball skill games to sharpen perception and movement
- Repeat muscle / joint flexibility and strength in 3 planes.
- Squat Matrix with 3 plane feet.
- Upper Torso workout. Frontal plane with fixed lunge leg.
This functional workout illustrates a particular set of chain reactions, a fixed lunge leg with shoulder to overhead single arm reaches, which builds mobility and stability in those chains (fascial lines/pathways). They emphasise that the upper body is reliant on the lower body and does not operate independently in space.
You can tweak the directions of the leg positions and the height and directions of the arm reaches to resemble tennis movements, for instance a fixed leg same side rotational lunge with an same side bilateral arm swing backwards at shoulder height, and arms dropping down to swing forward from waist to shoulder height which establishes a pathway (Chain Reaction) for a forehand. It is a whole body movement not an arm dominated one.
Teaching points.
Ground strokes. 15 mins
- Moving forward and back using service line. Extend to baseline rallying.
- Functional exercises for greater range of motion at the hitting arm
You can see how problems start with the position of the feet which in turn affect hip mobility, which impact torso rotation, and range of motion at the shoulder and the hitting arm...it’s a chain reaction. The good news is that functional routines address all these dysfunctions.
Serve. 20 mins Part of every lesson.
- Revise serve basics. Anterior Chain reaction in ball toss
- Revise set up and ball toss, against the fence
- Toss and catch same arm.
- Move from fully loaded into transitional zone to explode
- Six chains tweaked for stages of the serve.
As with the groundstrokes description above, the position of the feet impact hip mobility, torso and shoulder extension and the effectiveness of the hitting arm in the chain reaction in all three planes that is the serve
- Team singles. Magic 4 if applicable. (singles points with second serve)
- Tie break singles or doubles
Warm down. 5 mins. To restore equilibrium and equilibrium