I had a great tennis lesson with a new instructor yesterday, and we chatted a bit before starting, and in particular noted that the warm-up I had been doing was not what tennis players typically do. I mentioned that I have a dynamic warm-up for tennis video that I would be happy to send to him. As the discussion ensued, I realized that I have a couple of other videos and bits of information that would probably be of interest to tennis players, so I decided to write this post.

Dynamic warm-up for tennis

Try this while you’re waiting for the court. It only takes about 5 minutes.

Hip rotation training

These are actually videos I put together for training skiers, but I realized while watching a tennis player do a cross-over that this would also be very helpful for tennis players. As you watch it, every time I refer to turning the skis, pretend I said changing direction on the court and I suspect you’ll find it makes a lot of sense.

Note: In addition to the videos below, if you have a hip injury, or find that your hips bother you when (or after) you play, you may find my ebook about Training Around Hip Injuries very helpful. Note that the currently available version is specifically for individuals with Femoro acetabular Impingement or FAI, but I have a new version coming out that is intended for a wide array of hip issues, including labral tears, arthritis and even hip resurfacing or replacements. If that is more interesting to you, I suggest you add yourself to this list and I will send out an email when it is available.

Standing hip rotation:

Mini-band hip rotations:

Single-leg squat:

Reverse lunge with hip rotation:

I hope this post is useful for some tennis players out there, and that some of it helps you to improve your performance and/or helps you stay healthy so you can enjoy this great (but sometimes frustrating) sport.

Elsbeth Vaino, B.Sc., CSCS, is a personal trainer in Ottawa Canada who works primarily with athletes and individuals returning to active lifestyles post-injury.

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