Working on technique might improve your slice or serve, but it won't necessarily help you react more quickly. Tennis players need to possess three forms of explosive speed to be successful on the court: core rotational speed, hand speed and foot speed.
Tennis players who want to develop these three forms of speed have to do more than drill or strength train. Try these six exercises once week to help develop your hand, foot and core speed.
Core Rotational Speed
The initial movement for almost any action on the court originates in the core, which essentially encompasses everything outside of the arms and legs. The turn of the core instigates and ignites the hands and feet.
It's not glamorous, but to maximize this rotational speed, players need to work this hugely important part of the body. Numerous movements can be used to strengthen this region, and the following are two that are particularly good for tennis.
The number of sets and repetitions should be customized to suit the player's ability level; a typical routine consists of 3 sets of 10 reps.
Stationary Mat Twist: Kneeling on a mat while holding a weight or medicine ball, rotate to the right. Return to the center, then rotate left, performing the same movement to complete the repetition.
Dumbbell Torso Rotation: Holding a dumbbell in the right hand, coil and touch the weight to the ground in front of the left foot. Then explode from low to high, finishing with the dumbbell above the head on the right side. After performing the appropriate number of repetitions, repeat the exercise for the left side of the body.
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