Introduction .Part 6.2. We are continuing the development work in the previous session using the six chains and tweaking  these chains to create pathways for specific tennis movements. The emphasis is still on the essential interdependence of the upper and lower body and the need to exercise that in both more local and global movements.

Warm up. 20 mins, it makes sense in preparing to play that you increase body warmth and circulation first with:

  • Two laps 1 court. Jog then other footwork second lap.
  • Keep Ball .Ball skill games to sharpen perception and movement
  • rehearse muscle and joint flexibility and strength in 3 planes.
  • Tennisleg 8 Biomechanical Functional Single Leg Balance Training
  • Lunge matrix  as per six chains above, in all three planes for mobility. Add bi lateral arms reaches and add pivot and stability matrices
  • Emphasize head/neck stretches for vestibular system, in all three planes which takes place in the six chain matrices.

Teaching points. To repeat the lower body tennis movements as per these videos, before moving up the chain to more global functional routines

  • Split step with Justine
  • Unit Turn flows seamlessly
  • Moving over short distances to the ball
  • .Racket skills, mini court. Split step/ turn with short racket
  • (8) Upper Torso workout Pat Mc GIW MRKT 0423 V003 – YouTube Moving play backwards to full court while still using a racket held at the the throat will require more motion from the upper body joints and musculature and this functional routine will help to develop this. The more dynamic lunging leg with single arm reaches works the front and back torso extending your range of motion in those areas. This video demonstrates a whole body functional exercise which I tweak to extend rotational pathways by reaching at shoulder height  for ground strokes and shoulder to overhead for the serve. Changing the position of the feet, direction of lunges and height and direction of arm reaches so they resemble tennis strokes is the objective. It’s  the interdependence that’s being worked as the upper body does not move in space independently which is unfortunately what is seen in the recreational game.
  • Serve. 20 mins Part of every lesson.
    • (8) Upper Torso workout with Pat Mc GIW MRKT 0423 V001 – YouTube to create more range of motion in in upper body with stable fixed lower body. Although the feet aren’t fixed and move in the service motion this routine is creating a greater range of motion in the upper body to facilitate a more powerful and fluid serve action.
    • Serve drills. Practice from different stations
    • Team singles. Magic 4 if applicable.
    • Tie break singles or doubles

Vaughan Ebrahim

LTA accredited  level 4,

Gray Institute movement specialist. CAFS 2013, 3DMAPS 2017. FT 2023