Eight Exercises to Build Power and Improve Your Tennis Game

Tennis requires an athlete to be strong, agile, powerful and coordinated. “It’s a lot of short, fast movements that you need to be able to repeat for hours,” says Ms. Ball. “You’re really not taking more than four steps in any direction. You need power to be able to get to any ball from any spot on the court. It’s often the difference between winning and losing.”

The kind of physical power needed for tennis comes from the ability to perform strength-based movements quickly, Ms. Ball says. Even if you aren’t an athlete, training to develop power is important. As we age, our bodies’ muscular power diminishes. “Being more powerful increases our reaction time, which can help us recover if we trip or fall,” she says. “And exercises that help build power enhance bone density, which can reduce the risk of fractures in older adults.” This eight-exercise workout is designed to help build strength and power. In the beginning, focus on good technique rather than heavy weight and gradually increase weight as you master the drills. Many of these exercises will also get your heart rate up, providing a cardio workout.

THE WORKOUT

Squat to Press

Why: This exercise develops strength and power from the lower body through the core and finishes in the upper body, says Ms. Ball. “The squat to press is a functional move for everyday life, but it will also help improve vertical force production, which is necessary for a good tennis serve,” she says.

How: Start standing with dumbbells at shoulder height. Palms should face each other. Squat down, sitting back into your hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground. As you push up to a standing position, press the dumbbells directly overhead. Maintain a tall spine and try to produce power from the hips to press the weight overhead. Shoulder stability at the top is important. If you feel wobbly, reduce the weight. Complete two to three sets of 10 reps.

Option: Start with a body-weight squat, pressing hands overhead or hold light objects such as water bottles or a pair of sneakers.

Rotational Medicine Ball Slam

Why: “This rotational power move focuses on transferring energy from the upper body down through the core, while also working on lower body stabilization,” says Ms. Ball. “The rotational medicine ball slam improves shoulder mobility and stability, and challenges the core to maintain good posture through the movement.” Completing this exercise with intensity increases the heart rate. “The more power you can produce from this exercise, the better your overheads and serves will be on the tennis court,” she says.

How: Start standing, holding a medicine ball with two hands at your chest. Bring the medicine ball around the outside of the left shoulder, behind the head. Both heels will come off the ground as you raise the ball up. When overhead, slam the ball down in front of your body. Finish in a quarter squat position as you slam the ball down. Alternate sides and complete two to three sets of 10 reps per side.

Options: Medicine ball slams can also be completed without the rotational component. Bring the ball from chest to overhead and then slam it down. Lighter objects like a soccer ball can be used, but be cautious of using a bouncy ball. You will need to catch it before it bounces back up to you, says Ms. Ball.

Medicine Ball Throw

Why: “Medicine ball throws are a great power exercise to improve your forehand and backhand groundstrokes,” says Ms. Ball. “This exercise is really important for learning to use your body to create easy power from the ground up. Medicine ball throws use the entire body, improving strength and power in the lower body, trunk and upper body, as well as improving coordination.” Completing with intensity will challenge the cardiovascular system, she says.

How: Take a neutral stance near a wall, hips perpendicular to where you are throwing. Squat down holding the medicine ball with two hands at chest height. Keep your arms long and elbows slightly bent, and have the inside hand under the ball and the outside hand behind the ball. Load into your back leg and hip, then explosively throw the medicine ball toward your target by transferring your weight to the front leg, rotating the hip, trunk and shoulders simultaneously, and then releasing the medicine ball with both hands. Maintain good posture and focus on using your legs and trunk to produce the power. Catch the ball and return to the starting position. Complete two to three sets of 10 reps per side.

Option: “Lighter objects like a soccer ball are a great starting tool to nail down the movement and stability of this exercise,” Ms. Ball says. If you can handle the weight but don’t have a medicine ball, you can use a bag of dog food or a duffle bag filled with sand or dirt.

Band Torso Rotation and Press

Why: “Your core is vital to producing power in any direction,” says Ms. Ball. “Energy moves through your body like a domino effect, and if any domino doesn’t fall, the chain is broken, and the power is lost.” In tennis, you need a solid and stable core that allows energy to transfer efficiently from the lower body to the upper body. Any weakness in your core will allow the energy you produce to dissipate, reducing the power of your groundstrokes or serves, she says.

How: Attach a resistance band to a stable anchor at chest height. Stand facing perpendicular to the anchor with feet shoulder-width apart and knees and hips slightly bent. Hold the band in both hands and extend your arms in front of you until there is tension on the band. Keep your hips and knees square as you rotate your torso and upper body toward the anchor. Return to center and pull the band in toward your chest slowly in a straight line, then press your hands back out so your arms are fully extended. Repeat on the opposite side. Complete 10 reps on one side, then repeat on the opposite side. Perform two to three sets.

Options: To make this exercise more difficult, use a weighted cable or change your standing position to a lunge position.

Single Leg Broad Jump

Why: “Many sports, including tennis, require athletes to change direction backward and forward,” says Ms. Ball. “The single leg broad jump improves the reaction of fast twitch muscle fibers and challenges the body to produce power from one leg, which is necessary when sprinting forward towards a volley.” The landing of this exercise is just as important because it increases strength and stability in the lower body, she says.

How: Start standing on both feet. Lift the right leg off the ground and sit back into the left hip. Take your arms behind you and swing them forward as you jump explosively forward. Land on both feet in a squat. Alternate jumping from each leg. Distance isn’t important. Focus on landing softly on both feet. Complete two to three sets of 10 jumps.

Option: If one foot is challenging, try starting the jump from two feet.

Crossover Step

Why: The crossover step is a common movement in tennis, as well as other sports and daily activities, such as chasing your kids or dog. “Training an explosive crossover step allows you to gain more distance more quickly, which will vastly improve your movement efficiency in any direction,” Ms. Ball says. “This drill will improve your lower-body power, your coordination and the stability of your ankles, hips, and core.”

How: Start in an athletic stance, with feet shoulder-width apart and knees and hips slightly bent. Load your weight into your inside leg (in the direction you want to move). So if you are moving to the right, push off of your right foot as you drive your left knee toward your right shoulder. Your left foot will cross in front of the body and land, followed by your right foot to finish in an athletic stance. Try to get as much distance as possible. Repeat in the opposite direction. Complete two to three sets of 10 reps in each direction.

Explosive Side Steps

Why: “Whether you are changing direction from side to side or just want to improve your agility and reaction time, the explosive side step improves your power production and will increase leg strength, ankle stability and balance,” Ms. Ball says.

How: Start standing tall on your left foot with your right knee tucked up toward your chest, in a high knee position. Drive your right foot straight down to explosively push off the ground as you side step to the left with the left foot. Land low and balanced on your left foot and then stand tall. Start slow and controlled. Try to get as much distance as possible. Complete two to three sets of 10 reps in each direction.

Skater Hops

Why: The ability to produce power and move quickly side to side is essential on the tennis court and many other activities. “The skater hop is a plyometric exercise that improves lower body strength, power, and stability,” Ms. Ball says. Because you land on a single leg it also challenges your balance.

How: Stand on your right foot, sink back to load your weight in the left hip and jump to the left, landing and balancing on the left leg in a quarter squat position. Repeat side to side, trying to get as much height and distance as you can, and sticking every landing before jumping again. “Maintain good posture throughout the movement and focus on loading and landing with your ankle, knee, and hip facing forward and aligned to improve your balance,” she says. Complete two to three sets of 10 reps in each direction.

Options: Make the drill more reactive by bounding back and forth, without pausing. You can also skater hop in a diagonal direction in front of you to change the angles you have to produce power and stabilize your landings.

Write to Jen Murphy at [email protected]