Core strength is one of the most crucial features for any athlete, but it is extremely beneficial for tennis players. According to a paper published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, core stability training can increase serve velocity by as much as 4.9%. That is a tremendous deal!
It’s no secret that having a strong core helps you perform better. It’s not always simple to identify the exercises and routines that are best for you as a player, though.
In this article, I’ll go over some of the best Exercises for Tennis players to help you stay healthy, strengthen your core, and hit stronger shots!
Why Core Strength is Essential for Tennis Players
Enhances Power in Strokes
The power behind a forehand, backhand, or serve doesn’t just come from the arms—it originates from the core. A strong core allows you to rotate efficiently, transferring force from the legs and hips into your shots.
Improves Balance and Stability
Tennis requires sudden changes in direction, lunges, and quick stops. A strong core helps maintain stability, preventing unnecessary falls or injuries while allowing for better control over movements.
Boosts Endurance and Reduces Fatigue
A weak core leads to inefficient movements and quicker fatigue. Strengthening these muscles helps maintain energy levels throughout long matches by reducing the strain on other body parts.
Prevents Injuries
Core strength protects the spine and lower back, reducing the risk of injuries such as lower back pain, muscle strains, and stress fractures.
Top Core Exercises for Tennis Players
Your core distributes forces from the ground to your arm and then to your racket. If your core is weak, you lose strength and are more likely to get overuse problems.
So, here are 5 essential tennis exercises that every player should undertake to dramatically improve their game.
1. Plank Variations
Planks are one of the best exercises tennis players can do to help develop core endurance, stability, and total body control. Because tennis requires high-velocity movements as well as explosive stops and rotational power, developing the core through various plank positions improves balance, posture, and resilience against injury.
a. Basic Forearm Plank
This base plank engages the entire core and enhances muscular endurance.
How to Perform:
- Lie on your forearms, elbow under your shoulder, and pull up your body in a straight line from head to heels and balance your body weight on the forearm.
- Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, and do not sag or arch your back.
- Hold for 30–60 seconds.
- Repeat for 3 sets.
b. Side Plank
Benefits: Side planks strengthen the obliques, an important area for rotational power in tennis strokes.
How to Perform:
- Rest on your side with your elbow directly below your shoulder.
- Elevate your hips up off the floor, keeping your body in a straight line from the top of your head to your feet.
- Hold for 30 seconds per side.
- Repeat for 3 sets.
c. Plank with Shoulder Taps
This variation introduces a level of instability that requires greater core control and upper-body coordination.
How to Perform:
- Begin in a forearm plank with your arms straight.
- Release one hand from the ground and touch the opposite shoulder while maintaining a strong core.
- 30 seconds on each side.
- Perform 3 sets.
d. Plank with Leg Raises
Leg raises added to a plank challenge your core strength and hip stability.
How to Perform:
- Start in a forearm plank position.
- Raise one leg up off the ground, keeping it straight.
- Pause for 2-3 seconds, lower it, and switch legs.
- 3 sets of 10 reps per leg.
2. Medicine Ball Rotational Slams
The use of rotating power is essential for tennis players during explosive strokes and quick movement changes. Rotational medicine ball slams improve shot accuracy, power transfer, and oblique strength simultaneously. This exercise is beneficial for tennis players because it simulates the rotations required during tennis strokes.
How To Do It?
- Start with a medicine ball at chest level while standing upright with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Twist your torso to one side while keeping your hips steady, bringing the ball behind your torso.
- Slamming the ball beside your foot, explosively twist your torso to the opposite side, and smash the ball into the floor.
- Reset and repeat the exercise on the other side, or catch the medicine ball off the rebound and pick it up.
- During the exercise, ensure inhalation and exhalation are steady and the core is held tight.
3. Shoulder External Rotation
Strengthens the shoulder rotator cuff muscles, increasing stability and lowering the risk of shoulder injuries frequent among tennis players.
How to Do It:
- Attach a resistance band to a fixed position at waist level.
- Keeping the elbow tucked to your side, spin your arm outward while holding the band in one hand with the elbow bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Do 10–15 repetitions on each side.
4. Dead Bugs Exercise
For tennis players, anti-rotational core exercise is crucial. On the tennis court, being able to move the arms and legs in unison without allowing the core to disengage will assist prevent injuries.
How To Do It?
- Start by lying on your back on the floor.
- Straighten both arms and raise them to the heavens.
- Raise the legs till the knees are exactly vertical from the hips after bending both knees to a 90-degree angle.
- Flatten the low back into the floor and tuck the hips.
- Lower the left arm and right leg toward the floor while bracing the core.
- The arm should finish squarely overhead, six inches off the ground.
- The leg should finish just below the hip, six inches off the ground.
- Lower the opposing arm and leg after returning both to the initial posture.
5. Back Extension
Strengthens the lower back, shoulders, and core muscles to help with posture, stability, and balance during matches.
How to Do It:
- Raise your chest high while lying on your stomach.
- Point your thumbs toward the heavens as you extend your arms straight out in front of you.
- Draw your shoulder blades in and down and pull your arms down with deliberate, slow motions.
- For ten to fifteen repetitions, go back to the starting position.
How Does Core Strength Translate to Tennis Success?
Every element of a player’s game is improved by a strong core, including:
- Balance and Control: Remain composed in the face of awkward shots and frantic rallies.
- Power Generation: Make serves, forehands, and backhands more forceful.
- Injury Prevention: Lower the chance of hip and lower back problems.
- Mental Resilience: On the court, mental toughness is developed through the dedication needed for core training.
Problem-Solving Skills and Tennis Performance
Core strength is more than simply physical strength; it also includes mental strength. Fostering problem-solving abilities in young athletes is similar to building resilience through physical exercise. Players should be encouraged to think for themselves, assess opponents, and enter games with confidence.
Parents and Coaches:
- Players should be challenged to find solutions to on-court issues, such as changing their approach in the middle of a game.
- Instruct them in activities and drills that replicate actual game situations.
- Describe opponents and pose the question, “How would you beat them?” while you role-play games.
When paired with core training, these methods help players become both emotionally and physically prepared.
Final Words
All right, folks! This is our ultimate guide to core exercises for tennis. Now that you have the knowledge, you can create a core that is so strong that the country club will be envious! Be consistent, be patient, and most of all, enjoy yourself! You’ll be smashing forehands, serving aces, and navigating the court like a pro in no time if you incorporate these drills into your regimen. What’re you waiting for, then? Step off the couch and begin strengthening your core! Both your abs and your tennis game will appreciate it. Now get out there and prove yourself to the tennis community!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a strong core for tennis?
Yes, a strong core is essential for tennis. It enhances stability, power, balance, and agility, allowing players to generate stronger strokes, move efficiently, and prevent injuries. A well-developed core also improves endurance and helps maintain proper posture during long matches.
How to engage the core in tennis?
In order to activate the core of your abdominal muscles, pull your navel towards your spine while keeping the rest of the body still. Make sure to activate your core during rapid movements such as strokes, serves, and quick movements by stabilizing your torso and rotating through the hip joint instead of the lower back. Prevent, control, and strengthen injuries through stability, power, and core-focused exercises such as rotational slams, planks, wood choppers, and many more.
What muscles do you use most in tennis?
Tennis focuses majorly on the core, legs, shoulders, and forearm muscles. The core muscles—the abs, obliques, and lower back muscles—greatly aid in providing stability and power strokes. The legs, inclusive of your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes, are responsible for enabling quick movements with agility, along with explosive shots. Powerful serves, volleys, and proper control of the racket are all aided by the shoulder muscles—deltoids and rotator cuff—alongside the forearm muscles, wrist flexors, and extensors.
