Sport Specific Skills

Sport Specific Skill#1: Hand Eye Coordination Variations

• Small Ball Dribble: Get a small ball like a tennis ball and dribble it like you would a basketball.
• Wall Ball Bounce: With the same small ball from the first exercise toss a ball at a wall underhand and try to catch it with just one hand.
• Balloon keep-up: Blow up a balloon and try to keep it up in the air as long as possible
• Juggle: Get multiple small balls and try to juggle them add more balls to make it harder

Sport Specific Skill#2: Serve

Serving is one of the most important skills in tennis. You can practice serving in your backyard, driveway, or go to an outdoor tennis court and practice your serve while practicing social distancing. You can also substitute a ball with a balloon to practice indoors

• Practice tossing the ball up
• Practice hitting the ball and serving the ball
• Practice placing the serve in the specific spot
• Make a workout out of it. Serve the ball in your yard or from one end of the driveway to the other. After hitting the ball sprint or run after it. Walk the ball back to spot where you started and repeat.

Sport Specific Skill #3: Forehand and Back Hand Strokes

If you can make it to an out door tennis court try to hit ball back hand and forehand. Have a family member throw balls towards you and hit them across the net. You can also do this in your back or front yard. Just make sure to hit the balls softly and not too hard as you do not want to lose them or break anything. Also you can use a balloon to practice this as well.

For more fun skills and actives visit Net Generation and USTA website

Sport Specific Exercises

Check out these sport specific exercises that will also improve your performance next time your back on the court!

Sport Specific Exercise#1: Run

Endurance is an important part of Tennis. You will want to make sure you can play a full game and not run out of breathe. One of the best ways to increase your endurance is to go for a run! You can go for a run around the neighborhood or in your back yard by doing laps. Start off with a shorter distance run at a slow pace and gradually increase the distance and pace as your endurance grows.

Sport Specific Exercise #2: Skaters

Skaters help improve your cardio and your agility, both are very important for tennis players to have

• Start by jumping to your right and landing on your right foot. Bring your left foot stretched out behind your right. Reach down with your left hand and touch the ground. Now explode off your right foot and jump to your left, land on your left foot with your right stretched out behind it. touch the ground with your right hand.
• Repeat 6-10 times for each foot
• Tips: to make it easier take smaller jumps, to make it harder jump further.
• Modifications: Try just a lateral shuffle!

Sport Specific Exercise #3: Russian Twist

Russian twist help strengthen your core. This will also help prevent lower back injuries that can be common in tennis.

• Sit on the floor and bring your legs out straight. Lean back slightly and bend your knees slightly while raising them off the ground. Your body should be in a V-like shape, bracing your abdominal wall to engage your core. Balancing here, twist your torso from side to side without moving your legs
• Do for 10 -30 seconds repeat 1-3 times
• Modifications: Place your feet on the ground.
• Tip: the farther you learn back the harder it will be. Add a weight (dumbbell, can of soup, water bottle to make it harder)