Explosive Tennis - The Forehand

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P. O. Box 460429 Escondido, CA 92046 Tel: (760) 480-0558 Fax: (760) 480-1277

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Sports Training's mission is to be the preeminent sports training and exercise resource for athletes. From youngsters through professional and senior levels, coaches, doctors, personal trainers, and others our unique services allows you to improve athletic performance; such as the ability to run faster, hit further, throw further and faster, jump higher, kick further, cut faster and perform better. Michael Yessis 2000

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About The Authors Dr. Michael Yessis is president of Sports Training, Inc., a diverse sports and fitness company. Dr. Yessis is also Professor Emeritus at California State University, Fullerton, where he was a multi-sport specialist in biomechanics (technique analysis) kinesiology and sports conditioning and training. In his work, Dr. Yessis has developed many unique specialized strength and speed-strength (explosive) exercises and training programs. He has been the training and technique consultant to several Olympic and professional sports teams, such as the L.A. Rams and L.A. Raiders football clubs, Natadore Diving Team and the U.S. Men's Volleyball Team. He has successfully worked with athletes from junior high school to the professional levels. Some of the sports in which he specializes include golf, tennis, basketball, soccer, baseball and track. Coaches and athletes who use his methods of training (which incorporate the latest technology from the Eastern bloc) have developed many outstanding athletes. Comparisons have shown that most of

these athletes improved more in six months than fellow athletes had in two years! Dr. Yessis writes monthly features in Muscle & Fitness. His "Muscles in Motion" column has been the number one article read. Other topics include sports medicine, bodybuilding and sports training. He also contributes a monthly column called Swing Doctor for Senior Golfer. In addition, Dr. Yessis writes for other magazines on sports training and fitness topics. Many of his articles have been translated into German, Spanish and Japanese and published in foreign journals. Some can be read in various web sites. His TV appearances have been the Today Show, PM Magazine, Good Morning Los Angeles, Eye on San Diego, Cablevision, Sports Page on Cox Cable and CNN News. He has also been featured in newspapers and referred to in many journals, including Sports Illustrated, Sport, California Magazine, Time, "M," Special Report, Los Angeles Times, People, and others.

Brad Albert is a member of the United States Professional Tennis Association, United States Tennis Association, Orange County Community Tennis Association, and National Athletic Trainers Association. Brad has served as on-site trainer for the USPTA national tournament in Palm Springs, the Seventeen tournament, Junior World Pentathlon and Battle of the Sexes. He also serves as an Oral examiner for the NATA national exam. While working on his Masters Thesis in Specialized Strength Training he attended the Institute of Physical Culture and Sport, in Moscow for insight on Soviet training methods. In 1984 Brad worked with the USA coaching staff (cycling) for the Summer Olympics. Since 1983, Brad has been Director of Tennis at Dana Hills Tennis Center in Dana Point, CA. Under his guidance and with the support of his head and assistant pros he oversees 150 children a week in the junior lesson program. The facility has received national honors from the USTA for being the "Tennis

Center of the Year, 1991". In January of 2000 he received the OCCTA teaching pro community service award. As tennis director at DHTC he has been involved with numerous events and programs including the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis, Rehabilitation Institute of Orange, local civic groups and Sports for Understanding. He has worked with beginners to competitive, highly ranked juniors, and collegiate players. He is also the tournament director for the Boys National Championships and the Roy Emerson Adoption Guild Tournament. Brad has published articles in sports medicine, strength training and/or tennis for Sports Fitness Magazine, Muscle & Fitness, USPTA Journal & Tennis Magazine.

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CONTENTS

..................................................................... i

About The Authors ....................................................................................................................... ii

Preface........................................................................................................................................... vii

Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ x

CHAPTER 1 .................................................................................................................... 11

Improving Your Game ............................................................................................................... 12

Step 1 – Biomechanical and Physiological Evaluation .......................................................... 14

Step 2 – Special Strength Training for Learning and Improving Stroke Execution............. 15

Step 3 – Special Strength, Speed and Explosive Training..................................................... 16

CHAPTER 2 .................................................................................................................... 17

Improving Your Forehand Groundstroke through Biomechanics & Kinesiology..... 18

Side-Facing vs. Open-Stance Forehands ................................................................................ 19

Force and Power......................................................................................................................... 21

Role of Biomechanics and Kinesiology ................................................................................... 24 Biomechanics.......................................................................................................................... 25 Kinesiology.............................................................................................................................. 25

CHAPTER 3 .................................................................................................................... 27

Forehand Technique: General Description.......................................................................... 28

The Ready Position .................................................................................................................... 28

The Side-Facing Position .......................................................................................................... 29

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CHAPTER 4 .................................................................................................................... 32

Basic Biomechanical and Kinesiological Background Information ............................. 33

Types of Muscle Contractions .................................................................................................. 33 Concentric Strength ............................................................................................................... 33 Eccentric Strength.................................................................................................................. 34 Isometric Strength .................................................................................................................. 34

The Rebound Effect (The Stretch Reflex) ............................................................................... 34

Stability........................................................................................................................................ 35

Force ............................................................................................................................................ 36

Levers .......................................................................................................................................... 37

Vision ........................................................................................................................................... 38

CHAPTER 5 .................................................................................................................... 40

Biomechanical and Kinesiological Swing Analysis of the Forehand........................... 41

The Backswing ........................................................................................................................... 41

Side-Stance Power Phase.......................................................................................................... 43

The Follow-Through................................................................................................................... 52

Open-Stance Power Phase........................................................................................................ 53

Learning and Improving ............................................................................................................ 57

CHAPTER 6 .................................................................................................................... 59

Forehand Groundstroke Cinematograms with Trouble Shooting & Solutions ......... 59

Cinematogram 1 - Side View of Forehand Groundstroke - Kirsten....................................... 59

Troubleshooting & Solutions for Cinematogram 1................................................................. 61

Cinematogram 2 - Side View of Forehand Groundstroke - Erin ............................................ 61

Cinematogram 3 - Front View of Forehand Groundstroke - Erin........................................... 62

Troubleshooting & Solutions for Cinematograms 2 & 3 ........................................................ 64

Cinematogram 4 - Side View of Forehand Groundstroke - Rick............................................ 65

Cinematogram 5 - Front View of Forehand Groundstroke - Rick .......................................... 65


Cinematogram 6 - Side View of Forehand Groundstroke - Celeste ...................................... 67

Cinematogram 7 - Front View of Forehand Groundstroke - Celeste..................................... 68

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Cinematogram 8 - Side View of Forehand Groundstroke - Bill.............................................. 70

Cinematogram 9 - Front View of Forehand Groundstroke - Bill ............................................ 72


Cinematogram 10 - Side View of Two-handed Forehand Groundstroke - Michelle ............ 74

Cinematogram 11 - Front View of Two-handed Forehand Groundstroke - Michelle........... 75

Troubleshooting & Solutions for Cinematograms 10 & 11 .................................................... 76

Cinematogram 12 - Side View of Forehand Groundstroke - Brian ........................................ 77

Cinematogram 13 - Front View of Forehand Groundstroke - Brian ...................................... 78

Troubleshooting & Solutions for Cinematograms 12 & 13 .................................................... 79

Cinematogram 14 - Side View of Open-Stance Forehand Groundstroke - Bill .................... 80

Troubleshooting & Solutions for Cinematogram 14............................................................... 81

Cinematogram 15 - Side View of Open-Stance Forehand Groundstroke - Kirsten ............. 82

Troubleshooting & Solutions for Cinematogram 15............................................................... 83

Forehand Exercise Chart ………….……….………………………………………………………… 84

CHAPTER 7 .................................................................................................................... 85

General vs. Special Strength Exercises ............................................................................... 86

The Need for Analysis ................................................................................................................ 87

Commonality of Movements and Exercises ............................................................................ 88

The Need for Rubber Tubing (Active Cords) ........................................................................... 88

CHAPTER 8 .................................................................................................................... 90

Specialized Strength Exercises for the Forehand ............................................................. 91

1. Hip (Leg) Abduction......................................................................................................... 91 2. Hip Abduction .................................................................................................................. 92 3. Forward Hip Rotation ...................................................................................................... 92 4. Forward (Shoulder) Rotation.......................................................................................... 93 5. Shoulder Rotation to the Rear........................................................................................ 94 6. Shoulder Rotation in a Side Stance ............................................................................... 96 7. Shoulder Rotation in the Open-Stance.......................................................................... 97 8. Shoulder Rotation - The Russian Twist......................................................................... 98 9. The Arm Swing............................................................................................................... 100 10. Wrist Flexion .................................................................................................................. 101 11. Wrist Extension.............................................................................................................. 102 12. Medial Shoulder Joint Rotation.................................................................................... 103

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13. Supination/Pronation .................................................................................................... 104 14. Hand Grip........................................................................................................................ 105 15. Lower Body Stabilization .............................................................................................. 108 16. Hip Rotation with an assist from the Active Cords® ................................................. 109 17. Hip Extension................................................................................................................. 110 18. Combined Weight Shift and Hip Rotation ................................................................... 111 19. Side Arm Throw ............................................................................................................. 112 20. Back Extension. ............................................................................................................. 113 21. Breathing Exercise ........................................................................................................ 115

CHAPTER 9 .................................................................................................................. 116

Designing Your Workout Program....................................................................................... 117

Proper Breathing During Exercise.......................................................................................... 118

Getting Started.......................................................................................................................... 119

Personalize Your Program....................................................................................................... 120

When to Work Out .................................................................................................................... 121

Reps and Sets............................................................................................................................ 121

Days Per Week .......................................................................................................................... 122

Increasing the Difficulty........................................................................................................... 122

Making the Workout More Specific ........................................................................................ 123

Maintaining Speed, Strength & Endurance............................................................................ 124

Recovery ................................................................................................................................... 124

CHAPTER 10................................................................................................................ 127

Principles of Training .............................................................................................................. 128

1. Individualization ................................................................................................................ 128

2. Gradualness....................................................................................................................... 128

3. Progressiveness................................................................................................................ 129

4. Overload............................................................................................................................. 129

5. Awareness ......................................................................................................................... 129

6. Consistency ....................................................................................................................... 130

SERVICES AVAILABLE FROM SPORTS TRAINING, INC................................................ 131

Contact us for more information about any of the equipment used in this book. ............ 131

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Preface

Our search to provide the most comprehensive guide for tennis training,

which integrates specialized strength and flexibility exercises to improve technique and stroking power, culminated in the development of this book. The main objective was to reveal a deeper understanding of how efficient technique and motor performance are deeply intertwined with specialized strength and flexibility.

Most books written on fitness or player development cover the general principles of strength training but fail when it comes to showing how strength is a multifaceted quality and is very specific in nature. Typical training programs are based on very simple models addressing only strength or endurance. They rarely identify the different types of strength such as general and specific, relative and absolute, speed-strength, strength-endurance, explosive strength, etc. As a result, U.S. athletes have been limited in developing their true potential. We hope to help remedy this problem and at the same time introduce a method of training that is highly specialized and has shown tremendous results.

For over thirty years the Eastern Bloc countries dominated most Olympic

sports by applying the main concepts presented in this book. In tennis, the Czechs along with various European countries brought this training philosophy and method into their tennis schools. Unfortunately, most Americans have yet to subscribe to scientifically based training methods, which come mainly from the former Soviet Union and East Germany especially in the area of specialized strength training.

Few individuals had the technical training and translation ability to uncover

these advanced training methods. Fortunately, Dr. Michael Yessis, the foremost expert on Russian training methods has combined his expertise with Brad Albert, a teaching tennis professional for over twenty years, to bring this information to you in a simple, understandable manner. For those of you who seek a more detailed and thorough understanding of the symbiotic relationship between technique and strength training we suggest checking out the Fitness and Sports Review International (formerly the Soviet Sports Review). Other training aids that can be cross-referenced for their application to tennis can be found in Women’s Soccer Using Science to Improve Speed, Explosive Running, Explosive Golf, and Secrets of Soviet Sports Fitness and Training.

This book is not a "work out" or fitness book. It is a stroke and game play improvement book, which incorporates specialized strength and flexibility exercises. When a stroke deficiency is determined (based on a biomechanical analysis of the stroke), a specific exercise or exercises that are based on the needs of the player are prescribed. They help to modify and improve the stroke so that technique, and as a result, total execution is improved.

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An example of how strength impacts technique can be seen in young

children when they use two hands to hit the backhand (and sometimes forehand) groundstroke. The reason for using two hands is obvious, they lack the strength to hit the ball with only one arm. By introducing the second arm the stroke becomes much easier! The help that children receive by using two hands is related to specific strength and applies to anyone who plays tennis. If you do not have the strength to execute the stroke, technique will be impeded and the chances of hitting a clean shot will be greatly diminished.

Resolving technique problems is typically addressed by seeking out the

advice of a teaching pro by taking lessons to improve the shot in question. Unfortunately, most teaching pros do not have a keen sense or understanding of specialized strength and technique training. Consequently, stroke deficiencies that are related to the strength component are often ignored or corrected in reverse order (technique before strength). As a result, corrections are made through repetitive practice in the hope that strength will improve together with technique. Rarely is the player informed that one or two specific strength exercises would correct the problem and allow them to develop a better stroke in a shorter period of time.

The application of the theories and practices presented in this book produce positive results and their impact can be enormous. Once you read this book you will learn that by incorporating specialized strength exercises to address problem areas your game will improve greatly. When coupled with guidance from a good teaching professional you may be able to develop your true tennis ability to an even higher level.

Those of you who wish to use this book as fitness guide may be somewhat

disappointed because the information is specific to the tennis stroke and only partially to fitness. Although the exercises are specific to the tennis stroke, by doing the exercises, you also become more fit. Getting fit is a consequence of doing the program rather than being the primary focus.

The information in this book can carry over into other sports, especially the sports medicine field. Injury is a constant concern of elite athletes as well as those who participate in sport for recreation and health. Developing adequate strength and flexibility levels specific to your style of game and way of hitting is critical in long term development and enjoyment of the game without injury. In addition, the stroke analyses are very valuable in uncovering the causes of injury. By correcting technique you can correct the problem. Also the application of specialized strength and flexibility exercises can target the specific muscles and actions involved in the injury for faster recovery and prevention of the injury or a repeat injury.

The quality of the images reproduced in this book may not be as good as you are accustomed to seeing. The reason for this is that they were taken from a

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digital video-camera tape which was used to capture a true action groundstroke and actual execution of the exercises. This is the best method suited for seeing exactly what takes place. None of the pictures are posed which typically occurs in tennis books. Also the digital high shutter speed video camera is needed for biomechanical analyses. Some 8mm camcorders, which are readily accessible and relatively inexpensive can also be used for these purposes. However, the digital camera captures motion better than any other photographic medium, though the images do not reproduce as well as conventional 35-mm cameras.

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Acknowledgments

We are deeply indebted to the people who helped make this book possible. Their assistance and patience during the long process of filming, editing and exercising made our task that much easier. The order in which the names appear is not related to the importance of the work and assistance they provided. More specifically we would like to thank: • Kirsten Smith, a top California and ex-collegiate player from Pepperdine

University for her assistance as a model in filming the forehand groundstroke and specialized exercises.

• Bill Howie, a former junior college All-American and University of Illinois collegiate player. Currently a teaching pro at Dana Hills Tennis Center who served as a model for the forehand groundstroke and specialized strength exercises.

• Chip Dunbar, a junior varsity conference double champion, who served as a model for the exercises.

• Erin Ivey, a nationally ranked junior player who was a model for the forehand groundstroke and the exercise pictures.

• Rick Conkey, an Open category player, President of the Laguna Beach Tennis Foundation and previous coach for club teams in Austria, Sweden, England and Germany who served as a model for the forehand groundstroke.

• Michelle Manley, an open category and ex-collegiate player from UCI who served as a model for the forehand groundstroke.

• Brian Barry, an open category player and teaching pro from Phoenix, Arizona, who served as a model for the forehand groundstroke.

• Celeste Wallace-Albert, Brad's lovely wife who pulled double duty, first as a model for the forehand groundstroke and for spending countless hours proofreading the material for this book.

• Marissa Yessis, who spent countless hours with the graphics, web site development and computer work.

• Edie Yessis, Mike's lovely wife for all of her assistance and in putting up with the two of us.

• Loren Nelson, our guru to the internet and for all of his time, input, skill and talent in designing our web site, his marketing savvy and efforts in helping us launch this project.

CHAPTER 1

Improving Your Game

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CHAPTER 1 Explosive Tennis: The Forehand 12

Improving Your Game Welcome to EXPLOSIVE TENNIS: THE FOREHAND. This book is the

first in a series of books that will cover all the important aspects of playing tennis. Subsequent books will be on the backhand, serve, volley, footwork (agility and quickness), singles and doubles strategy and others. Each book will present the most comprehensive analysis and treatment of the skills or tactics involved. Each book will contain the latest in biomechanical/kinesiological analyses of the different strokes and skills pertinent to tennis. In addition, each book will address how each skill and strategy can be improved through technique changes and application of specialized strength and flexibility exercises. By following the guidelines presented in each book you will be able to play your best and capitalize on your maximum potential.

The books planned in this series will introduce a new concept for improving your tennis skills and overall tennis play. It is known as the "Yessis Method" that revolves around specificity of instruction and training. Specificity is not a new term to tennis. Several authors have used this term differently than how it is addressed in this book. These authors used specificity to indicate that an exercise or movement involves the same muscles used in the execution of the skill. However, this is an example of general muscle specificity, not true specificity of training.

In true exercise specificity not only does the exercise involve the same muscles but it involves them in the exact way they are used in the execution of a stroke or movement. True exercise specificity has certain criteria that must be met. This includes duplicating the same type of muscular contraction, the same range of motion of muscle action and the same movement pathway as seen in the stroke. In order to adhere to this concept of specificity, many new exercises must be created to duplicate exactly what occurs in the tennis stroke. Therefore, you will see many exercises presented in these books never before seen in tennis literature.

Each book will introduce and expand upon the "Yessis Method" for both learning and improving tennis skills. This method has been perfected over many years of working with tennis players and other athletes. Not only is it based on the


latest scientific and theoretical knowledge but practical experience. It consists of a 3-step approach to improving and perfecting your tennis play.

For many years and in most circles today, players have been told to increase their practice and playing time in order to improve tennis play or tennis skills. Thus it is not uncommon to find many tennis players playing year round, for several or more hours a day beginning in early youth. However, merely playing the game and practicing tennis skills does not improve your ability to hit harder with greater control and accuracy, to move faster on the court, to leap higher for overheads or to exhibit greater quickness.

The three proven methods to improve and perfect your tennis skills, athletic abilities and overall game performance are: 1. Improve technique (skill execution); 2. Improve your physical qualities as they relate to tennis to the optimal level; 3. Improve your technique and physical abilities simultaneously.

Of the three, technique coupled with specific physical development shows the fastest and greatest improvement! One reason for this is that your execution of a tennis stroke depends to a great extent on your physical abilities. In other words, your swing is only as good as your physical abilities allow. If you do not have the strength and flexibility needed to execute a particular movement or joint action, you will unable to execute the most effective shot or swing. For example, if you do not have the wrist strength to hold the racquet in a particular position while striking the ball you will not be able to execute a good shot.

The many differences in the physical abilities of players explain why there are so many different styles of hitting as well as styles of play. This includes how they move on the court, execute various shots, and how they select a particular strategy in their game play. Because of this, each player requires a different training program. This is one of the main principles of training: individualization, i.e., your exercises and exercise program must be individualized to you and only to you.

Following is a detailed description of the "Yessis Method", which is the basis for improving your game. It is based on the latest scientific principles and practical experience and has been proven to be very successful by both professional and amateur athletes.


Step 1 – Biomechanical and Physiological Evaluation

Knowing exactly what you do in the execution of the main tennis skills is needed before specific exercises and drills can be developed to modify and enhance your technique and improve your physical abilities. To analyze technique and to allow for an accurate biomechanical analysis of your tennis skills, video taping of each stroke must be done. This is why in each of the books in this series; many players from all levels of play are analyzed in the execution of the different strokes. This in turn makes it possible to get a good understanding of the stroke, which then enables you to make speedy and effective progress in your improvement.

The key actions executed in each of the skills are determined from the frame-by-frame analysis of the videotape. As expected, all good players use basically the same joint actions but with some modifications. As a result, each one may look different in execution due to differences in the amount of force applied in certain actions or in the sequence of joint actions, or one part of the total stroke may be emphasized, and the range of motion of the different body parts involved will differ. Therefore, even though everyone executes the same basic skill and uses the same or most of the same joint actions, they are still different because of how the movements are executed.

In the biomechanical analysis a videotape is made of the stroke from different views. The tape is then viewed at different speeds and in detail, frame-by-frame, to see exactly what occurs. Once determined, it is then possible to uncover the changes that must be made to make the execution more effective. In addition, it then becomes possible to create the exercises that are needed to not only modify skill execution, but to enhance the skill execution.

With this information, technique changes are made. When you understand what must be done to have an effective stroke, you can then physically go through the changes that must occur. If you do not have the physical abilities to make the changes, then you must incorporate special strength and flexibility exercises to enable this. For example, the reverse trunk twist (See Fig. 1.1) allows for 90 degrees of separation between hip and shoulder rotation and determines midsection strength along with flexibility. If you cannot raise the legs from position a to b, this indicates a lack of strength in your oblique muscles. If you cannot touch the floor (b to c) while keeping your shoulders from rising you lack midsection and shoulder flexibility. Either way, you need to practice this exercise to develop the strength and flexibility in this area to allow for technique modifications to occur in


your stroke. Some of these exercises are also included in Step 2 for enhancing the stroke.

Figure 1.1 The Reverse Trunk Twist

Step 2 – Special Strength Training for Learning and Improving Stroke Execution

In Step 2, special strength and flexibility exercises, which duplicate the action in the execution of the forehand, backhand etc. are introduced. The exercises created and presented in this and in future books duplicate exactly what occurs or should occur in the execution of the most effective stroke. The specialized strength and flexibility exercises simultaneously develop the strength and flexibility needed to execute the movements and refine technique so that it is more effective.

By doing these exercises you learn not only how to better execute the movement, but you develop a muscular feel for the action so that it can more easily be incorporated into the total skill. You experience what it is like to execute the movements needed for more effective stroke production. Thus, by doing these exercises, not only can you learn more effective stroke execution but you are able to make the changes and corrections needed in your technique.

These are not ordinary strength and flexibility exercises. They are highly specific to what occurs in the stroke. They duplicate the same exact movement pathway that you need for the most effective execution. In addition, they include the same muscular contraction and the same range of motion over which your strength and flexibility are displayed. The beauty of using these exercises are that you not only will learn technique but also enhance it as well.


Step 3 – Special Strength, Speed and Explosive Training

Speed is the key to success in most sports. Speed is usually associated with running, but keep in mind that in hitting it is the speed generated by the racquet that determines how hard and how far the ball will travel. Initially, speed and explosiveness will improve dramatically through the special strength training but as you gain additional amounts of strength, you need more speed and explosive training to physically convert increases in strength to more speed and explosiveness. Not doing this may make you slower!

Many of the exercises done at this time are faster and more explosive in nature. They are executed quickly and forcefully. In addition, you are introduced to new and more advanced strength exercises, and you continue doing some of the special strength exercises from Step 2.

Prior to peaking or when you are getting ready for major competition, the exercises and workouts become highly specific to the tennis skills being worked on. At this time you will be perfecting your technique in relation to the levels of strength, flexibility, speed and explosiveness that you now possess. This means that you will be able to leap higher, be quicker in changing direction on the court, be able to move to the ball faster, be able to hit harder under control and with accuracy, and have better all-around movement skills on the court. Because of your ability to execute the skills more effectively and to move more efficiently on the court, you will be able to carry out any planned strategy that you desire. You will be able to carry out the strategy because you will have the skills and abilities needed to implement the type of play you desire! The ball is in your court. Do you want to play at your maximum potential or do you want to continue doing the same thing and playing at the same level? Because you have already purchased this book it shows that you are desirous of playing at your maximum potential. To get you started on the right path, read on for details on the forehand stroke.

CHAPTER 2

Improving Your Forehand Groundstroke through

Biomechanics & Kinesiology

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Improving Your Forehand Groundstroke through

Biomechanics & Kinesiology The forehand can be considered the bread and butter stroke in tennis. It is

used more often and in more situations than any other stroke. In fact many players, including professional players, run around their backhand so that they can hit another forehand. This is understandable (although not always the best strategy) since most players can execute the forehand better than any other stroke.

The forehand is usually the first stroke learned and is practiced more than any other stroke. The reasons for this are simple: With the forehand not only can you create more force but you can hit the ball more accurately for better placement. On the highest levels of play, winning or losing is often determined by how accurately your shots are placed in addition to how hard or how fast the ball is traveling.

World-class players can literally hit the ball to just about any spot on the court, especially when they have ample time to execute the shot. As a result they can have a much more effective shot, making it more difficult for the opponent to return the ball. When they are rushed, they still have great placement because they are capable of making last minute modifications in wrist, arm and body position when hitting the ball to change the direction of the shot.

The ability to execute well-placed shots depends to a great extent on how well hitting technique is mastered. Not only is technique the most important quality to be developed from the very earliest ages, but it also plays a major role with adults and high level players who are able to execute the best shot for the given circumstances. When they do not execute the stroke well, and their shot is closely analyzed, it is possible to see that they were not in the best position to execute a good shot or did not get into the most advantageous position (within the time possible) to execute the most forceful or well-placed shot. There are also instances when they did not have the physical ability to return the ball as well as they could have. If they had more specific strength, a better or even a great return would have been possible.

It is important to understand that when you have correct or effective technique you can generate more power than another player who is very strong but has poor technique. In the latter case, the shots are usually wild and not under


control. Understand that control comes not only from your levels of strength and how hard you hit the ball, but more importantly, how effectively you hit the ball with ample power. Thus, technique should not be ignored. It is the most important factor for ensuring success from the early stages through the highest levels of play.

All too often, however, we see instructors who rely more on teaching particular shots rather than how well the player can execute the particular shot with the technique that he is capable of acquiring. In other words, technique is usually ignored and emphasis is on where the ball goes. The placement of the shot becomes more important rather than how well the ball is being struck. What is overlooked here is that when your technique is mastered placement of shots and execution of a particular shot becomes much easier and effective. This in turn will allow you to hit the ball more effectively so that your opponent will not be able to get to it or have difficulty in returning your shot. Because of this, when we analyze a player we do not pay particular attention to where the ball goes. Our initial concern is to see what the body and limbs do in execution of the shot. This is where most players can gain tremendous improvement.

Side-Facing vs. Open-Stance Forehands There are now two distinct views as to how the forehand should be hit in

today’s game. Many advocate the open-stance forehand while others maintain that the classic side-facing stance is best. Because many pros often hit from an open-stance it has been assumed that this is the best way to hit the forehand. But this is not necessarily true. Instructors who teach the open-stance have not closely examined the reasons for hitting in an open-stance nor have they determined how the classic side-facing stance is related to the open-stance. The role of the player's physical abilities or playing style appear to have been ignored as well as the court surface which often dictates hitting stance.

If you can hit an effective classic forehand that uses the side-facing stance, you should not have any problems in hitting the open-stance forehand, which is basically the latter half of the side-facing forehand. Better players who use the open-stance forehand usually do so whenever there is insufficient time to assume the side-facing position to execute the total swing. This is often seen in the return of service. At other times, it is used to save a step or to recover faster when time is critical or when you are becoming fatigued or are too tired to execute the footwork needed for getting into the side-facing stance.

For some reason the open-stance forehand is considered to be a unique and different stroke. As a result, many instructors teach only the open-stance and ignore the more effective and powerful classic side-facing stance. The belief in the open-stance is so strong with some instructors that they begin teaching it to youngsters who then never learn how to hit the ball from a side-facing position. As a result they do not develop the ability to impart the most power into the shot.


In addition, they do not learn the proper footwork for getting into position,

which is also important for movement on the court. When they execute only the open-stance stoke they remain flat-footed and wait for the ball to come to them. As a result it is very difficult for them to be in the best hitting position. If you look closely at many players using the open-stance you will see that they are often jammed in execution of their swing. The elbow is in very close to the side of the body, even when they have ample opportunity to get into a more favorable position to have the arm more extended which gives them even more force. This is visible in Fig. 2.1. Even though this highly ranked player goes into a side-facing stance in these pictures, she is basically an open-stance player. Because of this, she hits with the elbow in in almost all forehand shots. This leads to a loss in power and control and increases her risk of elbow injuries.

Figure 2.1 The elbow leads the stroke (see cinematogram 2, frames 5-10).

When you assume an open stance position you have a wider than shoulder- width stance which is very effective for sideward stability which makes it more


difficult to move out of this position. As a result many of the shots taken in the open-stance are not always the best possible. As you will see in the following discussion, the classic forehand side-stance is still the best stroke, not only for the production of force and power but for ball placement and the prevention of injury. When executed well, it also puts you into position for all-around movement and prepares you for your next shot (See Fig. 2.2). Even a combination of the side and open-stances is more effective than only the open-stance.

Figure 2.2 (For full stroke see cinematogram 1, selected frames 11-13).

Force and Power

In today’s hard-hitting game the production of power is very important. To generate the most force possible you must get the body and racquet into motion with maximum acceleration. Note that the formula for force is F=m x a where F is equal to force, m is for mass, and a is for acceleration. This means that the more mass (body) you can put into motion with acceleration, the more force you will be able to generate.

In order to exhibit great force in any stroke and especially in the forehand, it is necessary to utilize the entire body, i.e., involve as many body parts and muscles as possible. Yet, this does not mean that involving large muscle groups into the swing will guarantee you a powerful shot. To effectively hit the ball with pace, each joint action must occur in sequence so that the force generated by one action can then be transferred to the next action. When the force generated from


one joint action is transferred to the next joint, such as the legs to the hips to the shoulders to the arm to the wrist and finally the racquet, this will allow for the culmination of maximum force (and speed) of the racquet when you contact the ball.

Therefore, the most efficient and powerful stroke occurs when the force from the preceding joint is added on to the next joint action in the swing. For this to occur, all the joint actions cannot occur simultaneously. They must occur in sequence with some overlap between them if you want to generate the maximum amount of force.

Because the game of tennis is becoming faster and the ball is being hit with increasingly greater force, very often there is insufficient time to involve a maximum number of joint actions. As a result, you must cut down on some of the actions. This is why it is not uncommon to see some players hitting mainly with arm actions while others use trunk rotation or a combination of shoulder rotation and arm swing to generate hitting force. (See Fig. 2.3.) When time permits players should include the legs, hips, midsection and arm to create the most force in the most efficient way.

When you use a limited number of actions (for example: only shoulder

rotation and an arm swing even when time allows for total body involvement) you are inviting serious arm, shoulder or back problems. When you involve a sequential combination of the large body actions (i.e., weight shift, hip and shoulder rotation) with finer arm and wrist actions not only can you generate more force but also there will be less chance of injury. As an added bonus you will have greater accuracy.

Understand that when you involve a sequential progression of body actions

(weight shift, hip and shoulder rotation), they produce most of the force so that the arm and wrist actions can be used to produce greater accuracy rather than to create more force. In other words, use the major large body actions to produce the force so that the arm and wrist actions, even though they still contribute additional force, can be used more for directing the ball to the intended target. In this way when you have an effective sequential combination of actions, you not only become more accurate with your shot but you also have increased your power with less chance of injury.


Figure 2.3 (For full stroke see cinematogram 6, selected frames 5-11).


Role of Biomechanics and Kinesiology

Because the forehand groundstroke in tennis is most often superficially

described, in order to determine the key actions involved, it is necessary to analyze the stroke biomechanically and kinesiologically. Only in this way can you uncover the finer points of execution and know with greater assurance exactly which actions are used, the sequence and timeliness of their occurrence, the muscles involved, the type of muscle contractions used and other important details. A general description of the stroke does not address these points and as a result is often misleading. An analysis, however, answers such questions as: • Is the stroke effective? If yes, why is it effective? • What is the role of each joint action? • Which actions can be changed to make the technique more effective? • How can the actions be changed to bring in greater involvement of specific

muscles? • How can specific actions be made more powerful? • Should the stroke be modified? If so, how?

Most sources of standard instruction fail to address important points such as these. Because of this there is often lack of agreement among coaches, players and teaching pros as to how the forehand stroke should be executed or why a particular joint action in the stroke is needed. Seldom is there agreement when identifying the key actions or in describing the total execution that is needed to insure safety and to produce maximum force in the stroke. Rarely is there conformity as to how each joint action involves specific muscles.

Instead we see articles expressing the opinions of players, coaches and teaching pros who are often at odds with one another’s views. For example, you have probably read articles dealing with certain issues such as whether the open- stance or the side-facing stance should be used when executing the forehand stroke or whether the hips or arm should lead in the hit. Most of these are based on personal opinion, trial and error or copying the latest trend with little or no scientific inquiry.


Biomechanics

Biomechanics is the study of movement: more specifically, the movements involved in skill execution. It deals mainly with physical factors such as speed, mass, acceleration, levers and force as well as the physical functions of the movement. Biomechanics is often considered the science of movement based on principles derived from physics and anatomy. It explains the "why" of a movement and how the movement can be improved through scientifically based modifications.

Kinesiology

Kinesiology is the study of human motion and deals mainly with the muscles and muscle functions. It describes movement, which muscles are involved in the movement and how they are involved. It explores the muscular involvement in the stroke technique while biomechanics looks at the physical factors involved in the movement.

By applying basic scientific laws it is possible to come up with accurate descriptions, not only of what should take place in execution of the forehand, but also the role that each key action plays. By studying the physical characteristics of the human body and the principles of mechanical physics, it is possible to determine the most effective technique for people with different physical abilities and levels of skills. It also gives you the basis for selecting and using specific exercises to produce the results needed in the execution of the skill.

Biomechanics, and to a limited extent kinesiology, is relatively new to tennis but is very important emerging sciences. For example, if you use biomechanics to analyze technique you will be able to determine the strong and weak points of the technique and to an extent how they should be corrected. In essence, the biomechanics helps to determine the most effective way to execute the skill in relation to your physical abilities. Once weaknesses and strengths are identified, it is possible to identify which exercises are most effective to remedy or enhance the technique as well as show how the exercises should be done most effectively.

With information from the kinesiological analysis you will know exactly which muscles are involved in the particular actions or in the new actions that must be learned, so that you can select or create the best exercise to improve the skill. As a result of doing this, you will be able to improve the execution of your forehand stroke faster and more effectively than with any other known method.

The information from the biomechanical and kinesiological analyses will not only help determine how to most effectively execute a skill, which exercises you should do, and how your workouts should be conducted, but also if the exercises


you use are safe. Biomechanics shows you the way to do exercises most effectively, while kinesiology tells you exactly which muscles are involved and how they can be strengthened in the joint actions that take place.

CHAPTER 3

Forehand Technique: General Description

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Forehand Technique: General Description (Note: all descriptions are based on a right-handed player)

The Ready Position Before being able to execute a forehand stroke you must be able to move

out of the ready position. There are several ways of doing this, and they are discussed in detail in the book on footwork and agility. At this time, only a cursory look will be taken at how you move out of the ready position into the side-facing position to execute the forehand.

In the ready position, you assume a front-facing position to the net with the feet approximately hip to shoulder-width apart. The legs are slightly bent, the trunk is inclined forward about 20-30 degrees and you are ready to move out in any direction with your weight equally distributed on both feet (Fig. 3.1).

Figure 3.1

To move into the side-facing position when the ball is hit deep you must first shift your weight onto the left leg and then step back or turn with the right leg. As you do this, your body turns to the right into a side-facing position. When the back, right foot is placed on the ground, the foot should be parallel to the baseline, and a


line through your hips should be at right angles (perpendicular) to the net and baseline. You then unweigh the left leg getting it ready to step into the ball for the shot.

If the ball is short and you must move into the court to hit it, you then must first unweigh the right leg and then turn the foot so that it is parallel to the baseline. As you do this you also turn your body and put your weight on the now rear right leg and then step toward the ball, as you push off your rear leg.

In some cases, it is possible to see players literally leap out of the ready position and jump into a side-facing position ready to execute the forehand. Regardless of which method you use to get into the side-facing position, the key is to assume this position in order to execute the forehand stroke. Not getting into a side-facing position will automatically force you to hit in an open-stance or in a partial open-stance if you only turn your body part way. For the most power, it is best to get into the full side-facing position in order to execute the most effective forehand groundstroke.

The Side-Facing Position

In the classic forehand stroke, assume a side-facing position with the weight distributed on the right rear leg. Bring the racquet back with the right arm until it is in line with the shoulders. As you complete bringing the racquet back, step into the ball. The first action is hip abduction (hips move away from the leg) in the rear hip joint. In this force-producing action, the hips are pushed forward to place the weight on the forward left leg.

At the same time as you push the hips forward, the left leg is raised and moved in front (left hip joint abduction) and you step forward. Thus, there is abduction in the left hip joint (leg moves away from the hips) as you step out to meet the incoming ball and to move your body weight on to the front leg. At the same time, the hips go into action via hip abduction in the rear hip joint. This starts the hips in motion to push the hip (body) forward.

Once the front (left) leg is placed it becomes the axis of rotation and the hips (and often the shoulders) rotate forward (accelerate) to the open position toward the intended target. As the hip rotation slows down in the open position, forward shoulder rotation should begin with acceleration while the rear right foot stays back or slides forward slightly if you have a strong forward weight shift. After this, forward movement of the arm with the racquet begins together with the shoulder rotation. The shoulder rotation pulls the arm into initial motion and creates moving inertia.

As the shoulders get square to the target, (open-face position) the arm action begins to pull the racquet forward with greater speed. As the arm moves


forward, the wrist is laid back (wrist hyperextension) to create a shorter lever arm for greater forward speed. Wrist flexion takes place prior to the contact phase to square the racquet and then is laid back to remain perpendicular. Wrist flexion then picks up again in the follow-through.

When there is insufficient time to execute all of the major body actions, it may be necessary to hit from the open-stance position, that is, with the feet, hips, and shoulders facing the target. In this case, there is usually only time to rotate the shoulders to the rear and to utilize the shoulder and arm actions to generate the force needed to hit the ball. The more shoulder rotation you can achieve, the more powerful the shot will be.

When time is at a premium you should shorten the backswing, and as a consequence, have a shorter follow-through. This will enable you to prepare for the next shot, especially if the return is going to be fast. Some players when in basically the open-stance also forcefully extend the right leg, to shift weight from the right leg to the left leg to get more topspin and to be in a better hitting position. (See Fig. 3.2.)

Figure 3.2 (Cinematogram 7, frames 7-12 and Cinematogram 15, frames 7-14.)


These actions are similar to what occurs in the side-facing stance forehand stroke after weight shift and the hips have rotated forward. It is also possible to see some hip rotation to the rear if the weight is kept on the right leg (after it turns) to allow the hips to turn. Some players also turn the right foot to the side to get into more of a side-facing position. (See cinematograms 2, 4, 8.)

Continual use of the open-stance to hit the ball, however, is not recommended. Hitting from this stance is less accurate and produces more wear and tear on the body. Even though you will see well-placed shots from the open position by top players, you do not see the amount of practice that it takes to develop this accuracy. In the classic forehand stroke not only is it easier to get greater accuracy but you can get additional force generated from the forward weight shift (stepping into the ball) and hip rotation so that there is less stress on the arm actions involved.

It is important to understand that top players execute an open-stance forehand stroke primarily to allow for a quicker recovery and to limit the available angles of return for their opponent to capitalize on. Their accuracy is very acute mainly as a result of the years of practice spent to perfect this method of hitting. Because of this the open-stance forehand should be treated as an advanced method of hitting if you expect to be successful with it.

CHAPTER 4

Basic Biomechanical and Kinesiological

Background Information

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Basic Biomechanical and Kinesiological Background

Information

A general stroke analysis is effective in giving you a picture of what takes place in the forehand stroke. By following each of the actions you can visualize the stroke taking place. However, a general analysis does not address the intricate coordination of the muscles that are constantly firing to allow the various actions to occur. By looking deeper into the exact mechanisms involved, you can get a very good idea of how the muscles operate as well as how the mechanical movements of the body and body parts are integrated to produce the force and coordination needed for the shot.

Before going into exercise or stroke details, it is important to have a good

understanding of how the muscles function, especially the different kinds of muscular contractions and how they operate during execution of the stroke and in the strength exercises.

Types of Muscle Contractions

Concentric Strength In a concentric contraction the muscles shorten and produce movement. It is sometimes known as overcoming strength. In other words, when the muscle contracts, it overcomes the resistance and puts the limb into motion. An example is the biceps curl exercise. When you contract the biceps and other elbow flexor muscles you get movement of the forearm which raises the weight held in the hand. Concentric strength is usually measured by the maximum amount of weight that can be overcome in one repetition.


Eccentric Strength In an eccentric contraction (often known as a yielding contraction), the muscle lengthens (stretches) as it contracts. The more the muscle lengthens or the faster it is stretched, the greater the tension that is developed. An eccentric contraction plays a very important role in controlling and stopping movement and in preparing the muscle for an explosive type contraction. It can generate up to 50% greater force than the concentric contraction.

For example, in the biceps curl exercise when you lower the weight to return to the initial position, the muscles are involved eccentrically. They contract as they lengthen in the lowering action. Since gravity is the force involved in lowering the weight, the eccentric contraction counteracts the pull of gravity to guide the movement. The intensity of the contraction depends on the resistance being handled. In a ballistic movement, (an initial explosive contraction which puts the limb into motion with acceleration after which the limb moves or continues to move with momentum) as the antagonist muscle lengthens it increases in the intensity of its contraction. When it is strong enough, it stops the movement.

Isometric Strength In an isometric contraction you exhibit strength but there is no movement of the limbs. The muscle develops tension and there is some shortening of the muscle fibers and tendons, but there is no limb or body movement. This type of contraction is seen in stabilization of a joint or the body as when you hold a particular position to execute a stroke. You can generate approximately 20% greater strength in an isometric contraction than you can in a concentric contraction.

When executing a tennis stroke or a strength exercise, all three muscle contraction regimes are involved. As you perform a movement, the main muscles undergo a concentric contraction while the antagonist muscles undergo an eccentric contraction. The adjacent parts of the body that are not in use are stabilized via the isometric contraction. Thus, all three operate simultaneously, each with a very important function.

The Rebound Effect (The Stretch Reflex)

The elasticity of the muscles and tendons is used to a great extent in tennis play and in strength training. In tennis play the ability of the muscles to stretch and to contract very quickly – often explosively – is the key to executing fast and powerful shots. It is also the secret to moving quickly on the court especially when making quick cuts (changes in directions).

In order for the muscles to act resiliently they must first be placed on stretch (eccentric contraction) in the backswing and then quickly contracted in the


concentric regime to bring the racquet forward in a change of direction movement. To place the muscle on stretch you must bring the racquet back (backswing) or hold the arm and racquet in place while the body turns forward and then quickly bring the racquet forward in the forward swing.

A perfect example of the stretch reflex in action is Andre Agassi’s forehand groundstroke. With his limited backswing and firm wrist most players could never develop the power he does. In Agassi’s case the forearm and shoulder undergo a short but powerful stretch that develops great tension so that he can produce a powerful shot with this compacted stroke.

The stretch reflex also is useful in court movement. When changing direction on the court the leg muscles (mainly the quadriceps) contract eccentrically to stop movement in one direction and when the contraction quickly switches to concentric to extend the leg you are pushed in the opposite direction. This is commonly seen when a player is pulled wide for a service return on the forehand side/court where you must lunge by stepping out to the right with your right leg to make contact with the ball, then quickly pushing off with the same leg to start moving to cover the open court.

In a strength training exercise, muscle elasticity is used to handle more weight and to enhance fast and explosive movements. For example, when doing the bench press, as the weight is being lowered, the muscles involved undergo a strong stretch (eccentric contraction) and the muscles become strongly tensed. As a result, when the bottom position is reached, there is a great amount of energy stored. To utilize it, you must quickly reverse directions and push the weight back up in the concentric mode. If you stop in the bottom position, the tension (energy) in the muscle decreases (turns to heat) and you then have to develop much more muscle force to push the weight upward.

We call making a quick reversal in the bottom position (without bouncing or when switching from the backswing to the forward swing) the rebound effect, which is the key to explosive movements. It is basically the stretch reflex. However, the amount of stretch is not the critical factor. Most important is the amount of forced tension developed, how quickly it is developed in the stretching action and how quickly you change directions.

Stability

Maintaining a stable (balanced) body is needed to ensure a safe and effective stroke. The basic principles of stability are simple: the larger your base of support, the greater your stability. This is why you should always have a hitting position in which your feet are shoulder width or slightly wider. If you have your feet together you have a very small base of support which will not give you the foundation needed to execute a powerful stroke.


Another way of increasing stability is to bend your knees in order to lower your center of gravity, i.e., where your weight is concentrated. The lower it is, the more stable you become. Thus a knee bend is necessary for hitting, but when you want to be active and move quickly on the court, you must be relatively tall with little knee bend so that you are ready to go into motion immediately. In this case you want to be on the verge of becoming unstable, i.e., being in motion.

Foot placement also plays an important role. If your feet are parallel and shoulder-width apart while in a side-facing position, you will have good stability in a left to right direction (forward-to-back motion to the net). If you are in a front-facing open-stance, and your feet are parallel and wider than shoulder-width apart, you will have good balance in a side-to-side direction (to the sidelines). In a side-facing stance with better balance forward to back is another reason why the side-facing forehand can be a more powerful stroke.

Force When you exhibit a force, it must have a specific direction. In the forehand,

the direction of the force should be applied directly through the ball in a line with the target. The point of application of the force is also important as this entails the exact positioning of the ball on the racquet. If the ball is contacted directly in the center of the racquet, i.e., in the “sweet spot”, there will be little or no rotational forces present so that all the force developed from the racquet will be transferred into the ball. If the ball makes contact low on the racquet (See Fig. 4.1), rotational forces will come into play causing the racquet face to slightly "close".

Figure 4.1 (For full stroke see cinematogram 4, selected frames 10-12.) Also important in regard to production of force is the line of force, i.e., the

direction in which the force is supplied during the hit. This is why you lay the


racquet back by using wrist joint hyperextension (See Fig. 4.2a,b,c) to ensure that the racquet and ball travel in a straight line during contact. Therefore, for effective transferring of force, the racquet needs to stay perpendicular to the target line.

Figure 4.2 Notice the wrist position during contact for all of these players

It is also important to understand the definition of force and its relationship

to mass and acceleration. In essence, when you generate a force you must accelerate an object. For example, when you bring the racquet forward you must accelerate the racquet to apply great force to the ball. If you move the racquet at a steady speed through its entire range of motion, the racquet will have some momentum that is applied to the ball; however, if the racquet is accelerating as it moves into the hitting area, then you will be able to generate even greater force when contact is made. This is also related to generating power or explosiveness. The faster the racquet moves and the quicker you execute the stroke, the more power you can generate.

Levers

Levers are very important in the execution of the forehand groundstroke. In essence, the longer the lever, the greater the force you can generate at the end of the lever. This is why many club players started using longer racquets. However, for speed of bringing the racquet through, you want as short a lever as possible (the extra length will actually slow the swing down - all other factors being equal).

Thus, after you take the backswing and as you begin bringing the racquet forward, it is laid back and your arm is bent to help create a shorter lever of the arm. This positioning helps to bring the arm through faster, but before contact is


made, you must flex the wrist to bring the racquet square to the target line and in line with the arm (which may straighten somewhat) to create a longer lever to create even more force when you make contact with the ball.

Levers also apply to rotation of the various body parts. For example, if you stand in one place with the weight equally distributed and rotate the hips, you will see that one side of the hips moves forward while the other side moves backward. Thus you effectively have only a lever half the size of the hip width. To create a longer lever for more force the axis should be in the forward leg so that you can rotate the entire hip forward to generate more force (in effect doubling the size of the lever). This same principal applies to shoulder rotation as well. The axis for the rotation should be in the left shoulder (on the left side) rather than in the spine for more power.

Vision

For greatest accuracy of contact, it is important that you follow the flight of the ball as long as possible up to the moment of impact. By following the path of the ball, your eye-hand coordination is improved. For example, if you look at Fig. 4.3 (frame 12 of Erin) you can see the vision focused on the ball and the ball making excellent contact in the sweet spot. The same can be seen in Fig. 4.3 (frame 9 & 12.)

Figure 4.3 For full stroke see Cinematograms 3, 1and 8.

In Fig. 4.4 you can see slight miss hits (frame 11) and the eyes are not focused on the ball (frames 11 & 12). Many times you can still have good contact even if you are not looking directly at the ball but only if you have exceptional eye-


hand coordination. However, to insure that the shot will be maximally accurate, it is important that you maintain visual contact.

Figure 4.4 (For full stroke see cinematograms 4, 6, and 10.)

CHAPTER 5

Biomechanical and Kinesiological Swing

Analysis of the Forehand

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Biomechanical and Kinesiological Swing Analysis of

the Forehand

The Backswing

Getting into the side-facing position from the ready position is explained in the general description of the forehand. Suffice it to say it is necessary to get the entire body turned to a side-facing position. As you do this, you will also be beginning the backswing. See cinematograms 2-12 in chapter 6 for full stroke. In Fig. 5.1 you can see how the racquet is brought back as the body goes into rotation to attain the side-facing stance.

Figure 5.1 (For full stroke see cinematogram 2, selected frames 1-5.)

As you turn your body your weight must be shifted onto the rear right leg. For greater power you should also have the right hip directly above the right leg at the end of the backswing. This means that all your weight is on the back leg and you are in good position to forcefully shift your weight forward and to step out with


the left leg to begin the forward stroke. See Fig. 5.2 and 5.3 for good hip positioning (cinematograms 1 and 8 for full swing).

Figure 5.2 Note how hips have shifted from the rear leg to front leg.

Figure 5.3

As your hips and trunk rotate to the rear and you shift your weight to the rear leg, you also bring the arm with the racquet back to the rear in an action known as shoulder joint horizontal abduction (See Fig. 5.1). In essence, the arm moves basically perpendicular to the trunk from in front of the body to the rear. The muscles involved in this action include the posterior deltoid, teres minor and infraspinatus. They are responsible for bringing the arm to the rear while the middle trapezius and the rhomboid muscles pull the scapula in toward the spine to


move the shoulder joint to the rear. This scapula action allows for the full range of motion of the arm to the rear.

As this action occurs it places the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid muscles of the chest and front of the shoulder respectively, on stretch. These are the muscles that will pull the arm forward when they contract concentrically. By being placed on stretch, the muscles will contract with greater force, or even explosively if executed with sufficient speed.

Side-Stance Power Phase

While the arm is moving to the rear and approaches the final position you initiate the forward weight shift and step into the ball. The forward weight shift should occur basically through movement of the pelvis forward via contraction of the gluteus medius and minimus in the right hip joint. (See Fig. 5.4.)

Figure 5.4 Taken from cinematogram 12, frames 5-7

As the hips move forward, the entire body joins in. In addition, you step forward with the left leg in toward the ball. If a step is not taken you will at least have shifted your weight forward to create more force. In Fig 5.5 you can see how the hips have moved forward considerably. Other good examples are seen in cinematograms 4 and 12.


Figure 5.5 Forward movement of the left leg is made possible by concentric contraction

of the hip abductor muscles in the left hip joint (gluteus medius and minimus). This assumes you step forward sideways towards the target. If you step to the side and front you will also involve the hip joint flexor muscles. The hip joint abductors play a very important role not only in weight shift actions but in all side leg movements on the court. After you step out and the forward (left) leg is placed on the court, most of your weight is then shifted onto your front leg. (See Fig. 5.6 and 5.7.)

Figure 5.6


Figure 5.7 Even with a short step this players weight is shifted to the front foot. You are now ready to begin sequential movements of the body to generate maximal force. Note however that many players begin other body actions before the leg is placed on the court. When these actions occur simultaneously with the forward weight shift, you will not be able to generate the maximum force possible. It also indicates that you rely more on the shoulder and arm actions and not the body for producing force. For example, in Fig. 5.8 the player has rotated her body to the full front facing position as the left leg is placed on the ground.

Figure 5.8 (For full stroke see cinematogram 6, frames 5-11.)


When the weight is on the forward leg you establish a new axis of rotation for the hip rotation which should be the next sequential action to occur. If you start rotating the hips or trunk while stepping out you will not generate as much force for the hit. The hips should begin forward rotation when your weight is on or moving onto the forward left foot.

However, not all players initiate the swing with the hip turn; instead, they begin an early arm action or shoulder rotation (This is seen in cinematograms 1 and 4). As a result, they do not get the maximum force that is possible had they first rotated the pelvis around the left leg. Hip rotation not only creates a tremendous amount of force but also sets you up for more a more powerful shoulder turn.

The hip rotation, which should be the first major body action in your summation of forces, involves the gluteus minimus and the tensor fascia latae of the left hip joint. As the hips turn forward the left internal and right external abdominal oblique muscles undergo an eccentric stretch in preparation for their concentric contraction when they pull the shoulders around in the next action. For maximum force it is imperative that there is separation between the hips and shoulders. Even if the hips only rotate 20 to 30 degrees instead of a full 90 degrees to the open position (without the shoulders rotating) they will still place the oblique muscles on stretch. As a result you will get a stronger contraction of the muscles to produce more force from the shoulder rotation.

When the hips slow down and stop rotating as they approach the open, front facing position, acceleration of the shoulders takes place. The deceleration and stopping of the hips is needed to create a firm base upon which the abdominal oblique muscles can pull. If the shoulders begin to rotate before the hips are open, so that the hips and shoulders rotate together as a unit, less force is created. In essence, the greater the separation between the hip and shoulder rotation, the greater the force generated. But, as important as these actions are, very few players master them. Most often you can see the hips and shoulders rotating together in trunk rotation. As a result these players rely more on the arm actions for hitting power. (See Fig. 5.9 and cinematograms 1, 9 and 10.)


Figure 5.9 Two-handed forehand - notice how hips, shoulders and arms act as

one unit - for full stroke see cinematogram 11, selected frames 8-11. When the initial shoulder rotation begins with acceleration, the arm should

remain to the rear so that the chest and shoulder muscles can be placed on stretch in preparation for the arm movement. In this case the force generated by the shoulders is transferred to the arm to produce even greater total force. Keep in mind that in each consecutive joint action, the force generated is transferred to the next action. For example, force from the hip rotation is transferred to the shoulders and the force generated by the shoulders is transferred to the arm, which is then transferred to the wrist and then the racquet.

The internal and external obliques contract forcefully (explosively) to execute shoulder rotation. At the same time, the pectoralis major and the anterior deltoid go on stretch but only if the arm remains to the rear. In the stretch, the muscles develop greater tension through the eccentric contraction so that when they begin to shorten, they contract with much greater force than if they were not stretched prior to their contraction.

This is analogous to a spring or rubber band being pulled. The more the rubber band or spring is stretched, the greater the tension that is stored in the stretching action. When the band or spring is then released, it quickly shortens to return to its original resting state. As a result you get tremendous force in the release of this energy.

As the shoulders begin to decelerate, the arm is partially through its range of motion due to being pulled by the shoulder rotation. (See Fig. 5.10, Fig. 5.11 and Fig. 5.12.)


Figure 5.10 For full stroke see cinematogram 5.

Figure 5.11 The shoulder initiates the arm movement forward.


Figure 5.12 In Fig. 5.12 above, the shoulders help initiate the arm swing. (Taken from cinematogram 7, frame 10 and cinematogram 13, frame 7.)

As a result, the arm has momentum so that when the pectoralis major and the anterior deltoid muscles contract they accelerate the arm to move it even faster. As a result, the arm can move with greater speed and power. Note also that the force generated by the hip and shoulder (or trunk) rotation has also been transferred into the arm movement. This is why the arm has speed and force.

How quickly you bring the arm through in the hit is also determined by how far away the ball is from the body. If the ball is in close, and you have a slightly bent arm, the racquet can be brought through faster. (See Fig. 5.13 and cinematograms 6 & 8.) But it will have less force than an arm that is almost fully

Figure 5.13 (Taken from cinematogram 1, frames 8-10.)


extended when ball contact is made away from the body. (See Fig. 5.14 taken from cinematogram 4, frames 10-12.)

Figure 5.14 Notice how the arm is almost fully extended.

Also the more the arm is bent the more there is a tendency for the elbow to jam into the side of the body which does not allow you to swing freely or make last minute corrections. (See Figure 5.15, and cinematogram 3.)


In the ideal situation for maximum production of force, and for greater ability

to direct the ball to exactly where you want it to go, it is more effective to have a straighter arm when contact is made. The reason for this is that you can increase your accuracy with a straighter arm. This is done by having slightly more or less extension in the elbow or wrist joints so that you have two joints with which to


change the pathway and the head of the racquet face and thus, the pathway of the ball. If your arm is bent severely at the elbow especially when the ball is in tight, your only recourse to change the direction of the shot is through the wrist, which leads to less control of the ball.

The arm swing continues through the contact phase into the follow-through. There is little to no wrist action during the contact phase. Instead, the wrist is used to maintain or to modify the position of the racquet head to keep the ball on target. Most often there is wrist extension-hyperextension to keep the racquet face perpendicular to the target line.

As the arm and racquet come into the hitting area, the grip tightens. This is extremely important not only to produce the most powerful hit but also to prevent injury to the wrist, elbow and even shoulder. A firm to tight grip at contact is needed in order to transfer the forces that have been generated into the ball. If you have a relaxed or loose grip at contact, the racquet is capable of moving and will “give” at ball contact to absorb some of the forces. This is a method used to hold the ball on the racquet longer and to keep the ball from rebounding strongly as seen when executing a drop shot. A firm to tight grip, on the other hand, does not allow for any absorption of forces and allows for maximum pace or transfer of force.

A strong grip at the moment of contact also prevents off-center forces from rotating the racquet or traveling up the arm to cause elbow injuries. The prevention of injury becomes especially important if you constantly hit off-center. Anytime the ball is contacted off the “sweet spot”, there is a tendency for the racquet to rotate in the hand. Your grip must be able to counteract this rotational tendency and still direct the ball where it is needed. If the racquet is capable of turning, not only must the hand and wrist experience the forces but they are also transferred up the arm to the elbow or shoulder. In addition, your hitting accuracy will diminish greatly.

However, having a tight grip throughout the swing will restrict your movements greatly and not allow for effective wrist actions. The tightness of grip can translate to greater tension throughout the body, which leads to a choppy and ineffective technique when executing a particular shot. Thus, it is important that you have a relaxed grip when in the ready position and as you get into the side- facing position. As you step into the stroke and then begin the arm action, the grip should firm up as you are ready to make contact with the ball. At the exact moment of contact, the grip should be very firm to tight and then change to relaxed in the follow-through. These changes usually take place subconsciously but they must be learned. If not, you will experience decreases in the amount of force applied to the ball when you make contact.


The Follow-Through After contact, the arm and racquet continue to move forward and around the

body to help dissipate the forces. Following the arm, shoulder rotation picks up again followed by the hip rotation and a step forward (or a sliding forward) with the rear leg to reassume the ready position. In addition, the arm bends in the elbow to shorten the radius of rotation and to dissipate more forces. (See Fig. 5.16.) The exact amount of follow through depends upon how forcefully you swing and the type of stroke you execute, i.e. topspin or flat. The greater the force generated, the longer the follow-through will be.

Figure 5.16 Note how the elbow bends during the follow-through.

Even though the ball is already on its way and you cannot change the ball

pathway in the follow-through it still plays an important role. It includes: 1. Generation of maximum force. If you do not have a full follow-through, you will be unable to generate maximum speed of the arm and racquet. Understand that the racquet is moving at its fastest speed immediately before and somewhat during contact. If you did not have a follow-through and wanted to stop the racquet immediately after contact, you would have to begin braking the body and arm speed prior to contact. This would then decrease the amount of force generated. 2. Production of a smooth swing. If you tried to stop the racquet suddenly or within a short period of time, the braking action would cause erratic movement of the racquet, which would lead to a jerky swing and less control of your shot. 3. Less chance of injury. Trying to stop immediately after making contact with the ball is very hard on the muscles and joints. When there is no smooth and full dissipation of the forces, the stopping action has to be accomplished by very


strong antagonist muscles, which must undergo a powerful, quick, short stretch. If the muscles are not adequately prepared for this type of powerful contraction, injuries can easily result not only to the muscles but also to the joint soft tissues. 4. Greater accuracy of the hit. Once you get the racquet moving on a certain pathway, it should not be disrupted. Any disruptions in the pathway leads to erratic racquet movement which throws off the accuracy of the stroke. When you have a smooth full swing, without any deviations in its pathway, your accuracy will be maximal (This is also why you do not always have to "see" the ball make contact).

A few additional points must be made in regard to injury prevention. In the follow-through, the antagonistic muscles on the back of the right shoulder undergo a strong eccentric contraction to slow down and to control the arm movement through the full range of motion. When the eccentric contraction becomes sufficiently great and as the forces are dissipated, arm movement with the racquet stops. During the follow-through, the arm also undergoes additional medial rotation in the shoulder joint. This places additional stress on the teres minor and infraspinatus, which are also involved in slowing down the horizontal adduction movement of the arm in the follow-through.

The involved muscles undergo an eccentric contraction while the subscapularis muscle is responsible for medially rotating the arm (along with the pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi and anterior deltoid of the shoulder) in the follow-through. In essence, some of the muscles are involved in pulling the arm through and in rotating it forward at the same time. Failure to have an adequate follow-through can give rise to rotator cuff muscle tears and strains over a period of time.

Open-Stance Power Phase

The open-stance forehand stroke is basically the same as the classic side- facing stance except that there is no forward weight shift, no hip rotation and the side facing position is eliminated in most instances. This saves time if the ball is hit back to you so fast that it is impossible for you to get into the side-facing stance. However, you do not gain any power or accuracy by staying in the open-stance while hitting because the stroke is without some of the key force-producing actions - notably weight shift and hip joint rotation.

For example, look at Fig 5.17 and 5.18. The players have an open-stance, and as the ball approaches and they start the backswing, they rotate the shoulders to the rear. In order to get full rotation of the shoulders they pick up and turn the right foot to the side so that they are capable of rotating not only the shoulders but the hips to the rear. This is almost identical to what takes place in the classic side- facing stance, but without a weight shift to begin the build up of force and to overcome inertia. As they turn the right leg they also shift their body weight onto this leg so that it now becomes the axis of rotation allowing the left foot to become


unweighted. The arm is not brought as far back but it is very close to the position attained in the side-facing stance stroke.

Figure 5.17 (Taken from cinematogram 14, frames 1,5 & 6.)


The players rely on shoulder rotation, together with the arm swing, to generate the forward force. Most of the force is in the arm as can be seen in Fig. 5.19 and Fig. 5.20, in which the arm gets ahead of the shoulders. The entire arm and racquet are ahead of the shoulders that have not yet reached the front-facing position. Thus the shoulders do not provide as much force in the stroke as possible. To do this, they would have to precede the arm action and end in a front- facing position when the arm action takes place. Instead the players use mainly the arm (especially in Fig. 5.20), and the arm pulls the shoulders around.


Figure 5.19

Figure 5.20


In both players notice that as the arm and racquet are brought through the contact zone, the wrist remains laid back to insure the perpendicular racquet face position at the exact moment of contact. (See Fig. 5.19 frame 9 and Fig. 5.20 frame 11.) The wrist action then picks up with some wrist flexion in the follow-through by a straight arm position.

At the exact moment of contact, the chest is in a front-facing position, as are the hips. Most people see this at the moment of contact and believe that the player never rotated and only remains in the open position while hitting. But as it is possible to see there is a full 90 degrees of rotation in these and other open stance players to create the force needed to hit the ball with appreciable power.

If they did not have the body rotation and relied solely on the arm action, very little power and accuracy would be produced. In fact, it would be impossible to maintain the same swing pathway without shoulder rotation. The shoulder rotation brings the arm back through a greater range of motion (longer pathway) than if only the arm is involved and starts the racquet in motion so the arm can generate more force. In addition, if you used only the arm, the ball would have to be somewhat further away from the body when contact is made if you were to impart sufficient force to the ball. But with the shoulder rotation, and especially by adjusting the amount of shoulder rotation, and where it occurs, you can control how far the ball is from the body especially if you have poor footwork and use the open-stance when hitting forehands.

In the open-stance, stability is greatest in a side-to-side direction, i.e. from sideline to sideline. Backward to forward (from the baseline to the net) stability is compromised. As a result you cannot shift your weight forward for more force. This makes you hit off your right leg, i.e., contact the ball alongside the body further in front as occurs in the side-facing stance when you step in. This in turn does not allow for the production of most force. This is very visible in cinematograms 14 and 15.

In order to make up for the open-stance deficiencies, players usually shift their weight from the right to the left leg. (See cinematograms 7, 13, 14 & 15.) However, if most of the weight shift occurs after the hit as in this example, it does not contribute force. Its main value is in creating a longer swing pathway for greater topspin and to help dissipate the built up forces.

The player in cinematogram 14 demonstrates this pattern that is so common in many players. Most characteristic is the weight shift from the right side to the left side mainly because there cannot be any weight shift forward. Thus, only a portion of this side weight shift actually assists in the stroke especially in creating more forward force. It is not near the amount that can be generated in the true side-facing position. Also, the weight shift must occur before the hit in order to have any transfer into the hit. If it occurs in the follow-through, as it does with the player in cinematogram 14 and 15 (See Fig. 5.21), the weight shift is a


consequence of the stroke and does not contribute any force. If weight shift occurs during the contact phase of the stroke, only a portion of the force generated will transfer into the shot.

Figure 5.21

Learning and Improving

By using the major body actions, such as weight shift (stepping into the ball) and hip and shoulder rotation to create swing force you make the forehand stroke less taxing on the joints (especially the arm and shoulder), even though you are generating more power. But the ability to execute weight shift, followed by hip and shoulder rotation requires mastery of the coordination involved.

Execution of these actions separately but in sequence requires practice, not only to learn the movements, but also to be able to execute them as needed in match play. Once they are perfected, you will notice that the amount of force generated will be quite significant.

When learning the forehand or when making changes in the stroke, you must concentrate on the actions involved in the force production phase of the stroke. You must maintain the exact hitting technique used in practice in play. In other words, in all your practices the stroke must be executed exactly the same way as when you are hitting the ball during play. Only in this way will there be a direct transfer of any technique changes or enhancement of the hitting technique into your game. Practicing one way and then hitting the ball another way in match play leads to poor results. There should never be any “easing up” or “goofing off” when executing practice strokes. Only in this way will your practice show the greatest improvement in your ground strokes and game play.


Special technique exercises can also be used to speed up the learning process. By doing specialized strength and flexibility exercises that duplicate the movements involved, not only can you enhance the learning of these major actions but you can substantially increase the amount of force generated. You will then be able to hit the ball harder, with the same or even a greater degree of accuracy and with less effort!

CHAPTER 6

Forehand Groundstroke Cinematograms with Trouble Shooting &

Solutions

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Cinematogram 1 – Side View of Forehand Groundstroke – Kirsten

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Troubleshooting & Solutions for Cinematogram 1

Kirsten - (Side view) - The open category player in these sequence pictures displays some very strong points and some key actions that can be improved to further increase hitting power. In essence, she can be classified as an arm swinger after a powerful weight shift. If you look from frames 2-8 you can see how she shifts her hips (and body) forward as she steps out and pushes from the rear hip joint. The push-off leg remains basically bent so that the major action is hip joint abduction.

However, she does not follow up with hip rotation to fully capitalize on the

body actions. Notice how the hips remain basically in a side-facing position from frame 4-8 while the arm with the racquet is brought forward. In frame 7-8, there is slight rotation of the hips together with the shoulders but the arm out-races the shoulders in frame 8-9. In frames 9-10 where contact is made, the shoulders still have not come around to the full open-face position. Thus, she does not get the most out of the hip or shoulder rotation and relies mostly on the arm. Her finish position, in which she is ready to move again in any direction, is excellent.

To develop the ability to create more force she should do exercises such as

hip rotation (Ex. 8.3), weight shift with hip rotation (Ex. 8.18), the reverse trunk twist (Ex. 8.4) and shoulder rotation (Ex. 8.6).

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Cinematogram 2 – Side View of Forehand Groundstroke – Erin

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Cinematogram 3 – Front View of Forehand Groundstroke – Erin

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Troubleshooting & Solutions for Cinematograms 2 & 3

Erin - (Side view) – This top ranked junior player has limited body and arm actions. By making several technique changes she can impart even more power to the ball and increase her accuracy. First, her push-off can be much stronger. Weight shift occurs from frame 5 to frame 8 but the hips are not driven forward very far or very forcefully. They remain fairly centered between the legs. Ideally we would like to see the hips over more of the left leg. This action can be improved by doing the hip abduction exercise seen in Fig. 8.2.

Most striking is her arm action. She is basically an arm swinger and has

very little hip and shoulder rotation before the arm action. Doing exercises 8.3 (forward hip rotation), 8.4 (forward shoulder rotation), 8.7 (shoulder rotation in an open-stance), and 8.8 (the russian twist) would be beneficial to improve these actions. Notice in frames 6-8 it is basically the arm that is coming forward and bringing the racquet with it. The elbow of the arm appears to be jammed into the side of the body rather than kept away from the body to allow for an effective and free arm swing. She leads with the elbow (frames 8-10) and then forcefully extends the elbow to make contact with the ball. In time this action can lead to elbow injury. Her hip and shoulder rotation follows the arm rather than precedes it so that they contribute very little force to her shot. It appears as though the rotation helps to clear the arm action. (See cinematogram 3.) Also in her follow-through she has full extension of the body rather than staying in a slight crouch so that she can be ready to move for the next shot. This is possibly a consequence of her using her legs in extension to gain more topspin on her stroke.

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Cinematogram 4 - Side View of Forehand Groundstroke – Rick

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Cinematogram 5 - Front View of Forehand Groundstroke – Rick

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Rick - (Side view) – This open category player is a powerful hitter. He relies to a great extent on his arm action rather than utilizing the hips and shoulders to their maximum potential. For example, after his weight shift, he begins to bring the racquet forward with shoulder rotation as can be seen in frames 6-8. The hips are still basically in a side-facing position. In frames 9-12, the arm is in motion through the hit and there is a little shoulder turn. His shoulder rotation gets the arm and racquet moving forward. He finishes up with all of his weight on the forward foot and is ready to go into action for his next shot. In cinematogram 5 showing the front view of this player it is possible to see a modified open-side facing stance. The hips remain basically in place and rotate with the shoulders from frames 4-7. After this he brings the arm through to finish. However, because of the stance he cannot shift his weight forward but shifts his weight from the right side to the left side, in order to allow a longer range of motion of the arm and racquet and at the same time, allow him to put more top spin on the ball as he hits a cross court shot. To get more force from the hips and shoulder this player should do exercises 8.3 (forward hip rotation), 8.4 (the reverse trunk twist), 8.6 (shoulder rotation in a side stance) and work on modifying his technique so that the hips and shoulders precede his powerful arm action.

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Cinematogram 6 - Side View of Forehand Groundstroke – Celeste

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Cinematogram 7 - Front View of Forehand Groundstroke – Celeste

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Celeste (Side view) – This 4.5 (National Tennis Rating Program – NTRP) level club player hits with basically an open-stance and can be characterized as a total body swinger. As she executes the swing, she steps into the ball with the body rotation (frames 6-13). In frame 6 it is possible to see the arms, shoulders and hips basically in the same plane. She then turns the trunk together with the arm up until just before contact (frames 6-10). To make some changes in the swing, she should first learn the weight shift with Exercise 8.1, 8.2, 8.18. After the weight shift is mastered, separation of the body actions is needed with exercises to develop the flexibility and strength of the midsection (Ex. 8.4 - the reverse trunk twist). Doing these exercises may help keep her weight on the forward foot so that she does not end up falling slightly backward as can be seen in frames 14-15. Once these changes are made reevaluation should be done to see if other exercises might need to be prescribed. The total body rotation can also be seen in cinematogram 7. Also note how the weight shift from the right to left side allows for the arm and shoulder to let the racquet travel over a longer pathway.

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Cinematogram 8 - Side View Forehand Groundstroke – Bill

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Cinematogram 9 – Front View Forehand Groundstroke – Bill

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Bill - (Side view) - This high level, open category player can make relatively small adjustments in his swing to create even more force. Most important would be to improve the power of the weight shift onto the front leg. He exhibits a weight shift (Figures 5-8) at which point he blocks with the front leg so that the hips never move fully onto the front leg. This could be one reason why he does not fully rotate the hips before the arm and shoulder actions take place. To improve these actions, he should work on hip abduction (Ex. 8.2) and hip rotation while holding the shoulders still (Ex. 8.3). Exercises 8.9 and 8.6 should help him develop the ability to separate his arm swing and shoulder rotation.

In cinematogram 9, frames 7-11 (front view), it is possible to see how the hips, shoulders and arm move simultaneously during the hit. From the side facing body position (frames 5 and 6) the hips have turned just slightly together with the shoulders and the arm is already on its way forward. This becomes more obvious in frames 9-11 and through the contact phase. His front leg remains slightly bent but straightens to hold his weight back. Slightly more knee bend and muscle strength from Exercise 8.15 (squat) will allow the weight to come forward and stay there. It can also put him into a lower position to hit this ball which is slightly below hip height. His follow-through is somewhat long and extremely high which does not place him in a ready position for a quick return.

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Cinematogram 10 - Side View Two-Handed Forehand Groundstroke – Michelle

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Cinematogram 11 - Front View Two-Handed Forehand Groundstroke – Michelle

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Michelle (Side view) – Players using the using the two-handed forehand still use some of the same body actions as those using the one-handed stroke. It is possible to see weight shift from frame 6 through 10 although it is not powerful. She takes a step forward but does not shift her hips onto the forward leg. To make up for this, she leans in with the head and shoulders, which is not very efficient (Cinematogram 10, frames 9-13, and cinematogram 11, frames 6-11). Because of the forward lean of the upper body, it becomes impossible for her to rotate the hips prior to the shoulder rotation, thus she loses out on additional force from this very important body part action.

This player relies heavily on trunk rotation and somewhat on the arms to bring the racquet around into the hit. In cinematogram 10, frame 10, and cinematogram 11, frame 8, you can see how the racquet and shoulders are still in the side facing backswing position. In frames 13 and 11, respectively, where contact is made, the shoulders have rotated and the arms have brought the racquet slightly in front of the body. Most of the effort at this moment comes from the arms in comparison to the shoulders.

Thus some important exercises for her would be to work on shifting and

rotating the hips forward with exercises 8.3 (forward hip rotation) and 8.18 (combined weight shift and hip rotation), which would then change what happens in the upper body. Also important would be hip abduction to get a stronger weight shift leading with the hips (Ex. 8.2). After she makes the change with the hips and weight shift, additional exercises for the upper body would be recommended.

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Cinematogram 13 - Side View Forehand Groundstroke – Brian

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Cinematogram 13 - Front View Forehand Groundstroke – Brian

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Brian (Side view) – This open category player demonstrates some excellent actions that other players do not have, and also some poor ones. There is good weight shift and hip rotation as can be seen from frames 5 to 10 but there is little separation between the hips and shoulders. Doing the reverse trunk twist (Ex. 8.4) would be needed to develop the flexibility and strength needed for this separation and separate actions. He gets his hips and shoulders through and onto the forward leg.

Notice how his head and shoulders stay back behind the hip during the stroke (frames 7-12) which creates less force. However, he does this to get more topspin on the ball or to hit higher trajectory balls.

In the front view, open-stance position of this player it is also possible to see how the shoulders stay back in cinematogram 13, frames 7-8. As he did in the side view, he appears to be leaning backward with his weight on the rear, right leg rather than the front leg (frames 7-10). This is partially due to the rapid lifting of the racquet to generate topspin. Also, there is a slight collapse in the rear leg, which is inefficient for transferring force.

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Cinematogram 14 - Side View of Open-Stance Forehand Groundstroke – Bill

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This cinematogram is an example of hitting from an open-stance, but also shows elements of the side-facing stance. As the player goes into the backswing, he lifts the right leg and turns the foot so that he can turn his body into the side facing position. If he did not turn the foot, then only the shoulders would be able to rotate to the rear to bring the racquet and arm back.

In execution of the forward swing to hit the ball there is no weight shift forward because of the stance and how he rotates the hips and shoulders together with the arm to bring the racquet around. He hits off the right leg rather than the left (which many open-stance players do). A partial reason for this is the location of the ball and the type of shot being executed. Additionally, by shifting the hips from the right leg to the left leg the racquet can travel over a longer distance. The key exercise for him would be the reverse trunk twist to get the flexibility and strength needed to separate the hips and shoulders to create more force. In addition exercises such 8.7 and 8.8 for shoulder rotation would also be important.

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Cinematogram 15 - Side View of Open-Stance Forehand Groundstroke - Kirsten

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She shows a similar open-stance but with a few different actions. She turns the right foot outward to get a full body turn (frames 1-5) and to place all her weight on it. Her forward swing is a total body swing off the right leg and only in the follow-through does the weight get shifted to the left leg. Part of the reason for this is that she is hitting a flat return and possibly cross-court.

For a more compact swing and more power she should do the reverse trunk twist (Ex. 8.4) to get more flexibility and strength in the midsection so that a leg turn is not needed and so that the swing can be executed faster. This would give her more time to get into position for future returns.

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Leg Abduction Hip Abduction Forward Hip Rotation Reverse Trunk Twist Back Raise With Twist Shoulder Rotation CS Should Rotation OS The Russian Twist Arm Adduction Wrist Flexion Wrist Extension Medial Shoulder Joint Rotation Supination/Pronation Grip Strenghtening Squat Assisted Hip Rotation Good Morning Exercise Medicine Ball Throw Side Arm Medicine Ball Throw Back Extension Breather Exercise

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8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21

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CHAPTER 7

General vs. Special Strength Exercises

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General vs. Special Strength Exercises

The specialized strength and flexibility exercises that will be described in this book duplicate what occurs in the forehand swing. When there is a high degree of duplication, the exercises have an immediate effect on how effectively and forcefully you execute the stroke. Merely doing general exercises, i.e., exercises that develop overall strength can make you stronger, and may give you some stroke improvement, but it is far from the amount that can be generated through the use of specialized exercises.

The push-up exercise can be used to illustrate the difference between a general and a specialized strength exercise. This exercise is most often done with the elbows held in close to the sides of the body. The action in the shoulder joint is flexion, in which the arm moves directly forward in front of the body from a position of being alongside and behind the body. This action involves the anterior deltoid and upper pectoral muscles.

However, in the forehand stroke the arm moves diagonally across the body. The push-up does not duplicate this action. The diagonal arm movement involves the anterior deltoid and upper pectoral muscles as in the push-up, but in a different pathway. It also brings into play the lower pectorals (which are more powerful than the upper pectorals), and the coracobrachialis muscles which are not involved in the push-up. Thus, the push-up is of limited value in the tennis forehand swing.

To truly enhance the forehand it is necessary to do specialized exercises to strengthen the muscles in a movement pattern that duplicates the same arm pathway used in the stroke, as well as in the same range of motion in which the strength is displayed. Doing a general exercise that simply gets some of the muscles stronger, but not necessarily as they are used in the forehand, will not produce the same results. More specifically, specialized exercises fulfill one or more of the following criteria: 1. The exercise must duplicate a portion of the forehand stroke. This means that the movement involved in the strength exercise must duplicate the same movement involved in the forehand stroke: for example, a special strength exercise that duplicates weight shift, another that duplicates the hip rotation, still another that duplicates shoulder rotation and so on. The more closely each exercise duplicates the actual joint action in the skill, the greater will be the transfer of


strength and flexibility to the stroke. At the same time you will develop a muscle "feel" for the action involved. 2. The exercise must involve the same range of motion as used in executing the forehand stroke in competitive play. This means that you should gain strength and flexibility in the same range of motion as used in the skill segment being duplicated. For example, the arm action (moving the arm forward to make contact with the ball) begins after the shoulder rotation. At this time, the arm should be about halfway forward from the backswing position.

Thus, the exercise should start with the arm in this position or slightly more to the rear. Doing an exercise beginning with the arm all the way back from the body, as in the end of the backswing, and then pulling forward to the front will enhance arm power when the arm is all the way back but not prior to contact where the greatest power is needed. 3. The exercise must involve the same type of muscular contraction as seen in the stroke execution. For example, the squat is an excellent exercise since it can improve dynamic strength in the legs which is needed for movement on the court (during the push-off) and in the execution of certain shots. Thus the squat would be a specific exercise for these movements. In hitting the forehand, however, after you stride out (or when you use the open stance), the legs remain stationary to stabilize the lower body and allow for more accurate movements of the upper body. At this time, the leg (quadriceps) muscles undergo a static contraction to hold your position. Thus, you must develop static strength to duplicate what the legs do when hitting the forehand stroke.

For a right-handed player in the classic side stance, the left leg is usually the leg off of which the hit occurs and the right leg is used to push the weight forward. However, if you use an open-stance, both legs basically remain under static contraction during the swing. There are some exceptions to this when players incorporate a combined open-side stance. They come around to a 45° angle to the net with some push off forward, but most movement is from the right leg to the left.

The Need for Analysis

It is important that you know where and through what range of motion each movement occurs so that the strength and flexibility exercise can duplicate what happens in the swing. This is best done through a biomechanical analysis of your forehand stroke.

From the biomechanical analysis, which is done by viewing a high shutter speed video tape of your stroke, frame by frame in stop action, it is possible to


identify not only which body actions you involve in the stroke but also how effectively you execute the actions and the range of motion involved in each action. This in turn makes it possible to determine the muscles and muscle actions involved.

With this knowledge, it is possible to create special exercises to make corrections of or modifications in how you stroke the ball or simply make it even more effective. Doing specialized strength exercises at this time will enhance your learning of more effective technique while simultaneously increasing the amount of force that you can generate in the hit. In essence, the biomechanical analysis makes it possible to create a personalized program that fits your capabilities.

For information on obtaining a biomechanical analysis of your strokes contact Sports Training, Inc., P.O. Box 460429, Escondido, CA 92046. Tel: (760)480-0558 Fax: (760)480-1277, by email: [email protected] or visit our web site at http://www.dryessis.com

Commonality of Movements and Exercises Even though each specialized strength and flexibility exercise and training

program is unique to every player, there are some common exercises that duplicate the key actions involved in the forehand. These key actions are based on analyses of professional and top amateur players who have effective forehands. Every player uses these actions but to differing degrees. As a result, each player may look different in his or her execution of the forehand. Body position and the type of shot being executed can also alter the looks of the forehand stroke.

Some of the better exercises that duplicate the key actions in the forehand are explained below. They not only enhance your technique of hitting the ball but also increase your hitting power. In addition, the strength and flexibility that you gain will establish the needed foundation for doing explosive exercises at a later time. Such training can hasten your mastery of the stroke, increase the speed of execution and the force produced in hitting the forehand.

The Need for Rubber Tubing (Active Cords®)

Most of the strength exercises described in this manual are done with rubber tubing (more specifically with the Active Cords® set) for two very important reasons:


1. Most tennis players who compete, do extensive traveling and find it difficult if not impossible to carry heavy equipment with them. In addition, they often cannot find a gym with the needed equipment. The Active Cords® set, however, is light and can be carried around easily, enabling you to do the exercises at home or in a hotel room. Also, most of the exercises can be done on the court! Doing the exercises with these elastic cords are very effective and you will not gain any significant advantage by doing other exercises in a gym. In some cases, gym or machine exercises can be a disadvantage. 2. Many of the exercises done with the Active Cords® involve rotation, which is impossible to duplicate with exercise machines or free weights (dumbbells and barbells). If you do work out in a gym, you can duplicate a few of the exercises with free pulley cable machines but for the hip and shoulder rotational exercises, you will still have to use rubber tubing. The Active Cords® allow you to rotate and move the body and limbs in a manner that duplicates what occurs in the swing in competitive play.

The exercises and the exercise program recommended in this book are not intended for a total body conditioning program. Information on how to get in shape is available from many different sources. In this book, emphasis is on improving the forehand stroke, thus the exercises are specific to the stroke itself. By doing these exercises you will find improvement in the stroke and as an added benefit, you will also become more fit. The prime objective is to improve your tennis skills and to do this in the quickest and most effective way possible. The following exercises are very specific in nature and duplicate various aspects of the tennis forehand stroke.

CHAPTER 8

Specialized Strength Exercises for the

Forehand Groundstroke

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Specialized Strength Exercises for the Forehand

1. Action: Hip (Leg) Abduction Hip abduction (with the leg in motion) is a key movement involved in weight

shift and stepping into the hit from the classic stance (when moving the forward leg toward the ball). When the rear foot is in contact with the ground, hip abduction pushes the hips forward, to shift your weight forward and to make stepping into the ball more effective. Hip abduction is also the key force producing action in all side (lateral) movements to initiate movement of the body or to continue movement as in the side shuttle. Since your hips are where your center of gravity is located; when you get your hips in motion, you in essence, have the body in motion. Execution: Attach the Active Cord tubing to the ankle strap around the lower shin of the outside leg (the one to be in action) and the other end to an immovable object close to the floor. Stand erect with your feet together and the leg to be exercised farthest from the attachment and slightly forward so that the cord does not rub against the stationary leg. Inhale and hold your breath as you keep the leg straight and pull it out to the side as far as possible. Maintain an erect upper body and keep the toes pointed in front. (See Fig. 8.1. For stability hold on to a training partner.) Exhale as you return to the initial position and then repeat. The range of motion will not be very great.

Figure 8.1 Leg Abduction using the Active Cord®


2. Action: Hip Abduction Hip abduction with the hips in motion occurs in the push off when driving the

hips forward. This is also the key action for initiating all side movements. Execution: Assume a side facing position with the feet approximately shoulder width apart. Secure the Active Cords® belt around the hips (about 2 inches above the pubic bone) and attach one end of the cord to the side of the belt on the rear hip. Attach the other end to an immovable object approximately hip high. When you are ready, hold the head and shoulders basically in place as you drive the hips forward and step out. Keep the hips level as you concentrate on driving the hips forward for a powerful weight shift. (See Fig. 8.2.)

Figure 8.2 Hip abduction using the Active Cord®

3. Action: Forward Hip Rotation The forward hip rotation exercise is great for improving your ability to drive

the hips forward and to rotate the hips forward quickly from the side-facing stance. Note that the hip rotation should always follow weight shift, which is first needed to establish the axis of rotation in the front leg. When the weight is on the forward leg, it becomes the axis of rotation for the entire pelvis which creates twice the force in comparison to keeping the axis in the mid-body (weight equally balanced between the feet) during the swing. If you keep the weight on the rear leg you will create backward forces which make you lean backward in the hit and in the follow-through. In some cases you may even lose your balance. Execution: Attach the Active Cords® belt around the hips and secure it firmly. Do not place the belt around the waist! Nor should you wear “silky” spandex clothes, which will slip around the body and not allow you to do the exercise


correctly. Wear cotton or some other type of material that is non-slip. Attach one end of the cord to the ring in front of the right hip and stand with your right side closest to the attachment of the other end of the tubing at hip height. When you are ready, rotate the hips slightly to the rear as in the backswing while still retaining tension on the tubing. Then shift your weight onto the left leg to create more tension in the tubing. As you conclude the weight shift, turn the hips to the left (rotate them forward) against the resistance of the tubing. (See Fig. 8.3.)

Figure 8.3 Hip rotation using the Active Cord® Do not rotate the shoulders. They should remain in the side facing position. This is an exaggerated movement which is great for learning not only correct hip rotation, but for getting more power out of the hip turn and as a result more force in the hit.

4. Action: Forward (Shoulder) Rotation The reverse trunk twist is one of the best exercises to strengthen the

abdominal oblique muscles that are involved in rotating the shoulders forward. This exercise is also excellent for developing midsection flexibility to ensure a full range of motion for the shoulder rotation. Execution: Lie face up on the floor with your arms out to the side and your palms down. Your arms should be perpendicular to your trunk so that your body forms the letter T. Raise your legs so that your thighs are vertical and together. Bend the knees slightly to accommodate "tight" hamstrings and then maintain this leg-trunk position throughout the entire exercise.


When you are ready, lower your legs to one side while continuing to hold the 90-degree angle in your hip joints. Touch the floor with the outside of the foot (or knee if the knees are fully bent) keeping your shoulders and arms in full contact with the floor. Then raise the legs up and over to the other side and repeat in an alternating manner. (See Fig. 8.4.) Exhale as you lower the legs and inhale and hold your breath as you raise the legs. If the almost straight leg position makes the exercise too difficult, bend the knees more, however, be sure to keep the thighs vertical at all times. If your shoulders raise up as you do the exercise, have someone hold them down.

Figure 8.4 Reverse trunk twist

5. Action: Shoulder Rotation to the Rear To give you a strong and full backswing, especially if you use the open-

stance, you should do the back raise with a twist or simply, back twist. It is an excellent exercise for developing the erector spinae muscles of the lower back which are involved in shoulder rotation to the rear. This is the key action in the forehand backswing and is also used to create force when hitting the stroke


especially when hitting a high shot or when rotating and extending the back during the hit.

This exercise also plays a role in situations in which you must hit off the rear foot, for example when you are going deep to return the shot. You must rotate the shoulders backward in order to get the shoulders around to generate some power to return the ball. Today it is possible to see many players hitting off the back foot because of faster play and their inability to get to the ball and set up for a better return. Execution: Position yourself face down on the Yessis Back Machine® (or high sturdy table) so that when your feet are secured, your pelvis rests directly on top of the seat. This position is needed to stabilize the pelvis so that the action is only in the waist when the shoulders are rotated. Your upper trunk should hang down at approximately a 60-degree angle with a long pole placed across the shoulders and held in place on outstretched arms. Your arms and trunk should form the letter T. When you are ready, inhale and hold your breath as you raise the trunk slightly above the horizontal position. Hold this position and then rotate 90 degrees to the right, twist back to the face down position and then lower yourself to the initial position, exhaling as you do so.

After a momentary pause, inhale again and raise your trunk. When your body is horizontal, rotate to 90 degrees to the opposite side. Turn back to the face down position, lower your body, relax and then repeat, twisting to alternating sides. When you are sufficiently strong, you do not have to lower the trunk and then raise it for each twist. In this case hold your body in the up position with the normal spinal curvature and then rotate the shoulders left and right a full 90 degrees in each direction. (See Fig. 8.5)


Figure 8.5 Back raise with a twist

If the Yessis Back Machine® (See Fig. 20) is not available, you can use a high sturdy table. Position yourself face down so that your navel is at the far edge of the table and have an assistant hold your legs down. Place a folded towel under your hips (lower abdomen) for a stronger effect and greater comfort. Execute in the same manner.

6. Action: Shoulder Rotation in a Side Stance Shoulder rotation is a major force-producing action in the forehand stroke.

To get maximum power from this action, however, it is important that you clear the hips first, i.e. shift and rotate the hips forward. As the hips rotate forward, they forcefully stretch the abdominal rotational muscles (the internal and external obliques), but only if the shoulders remain in the side facing position. Because of the quick stretching action, the oblique muscles contract with greater force and more quickly to accelerate the shoulders around. If the hips and shoulders rotate at the same time, you will only get slightly more force than if you used only the shoulder rotation.


Execution: To execute shoulder rotation with the Active Cords® assume a side-facing stance holding the handle attached to one end of the cord and with the other end secured approximately shoulder high. The arm holding the handle should be bent approximately 90° in the elbow and the hand should be in line with the shoulders. When you are ready, inhale slightly more than usual and hold your breath as you rotate the hips forward. Then, keeping the arm in line with your shoulders, rotate the shoulder/arm unit forward. (See Fig. 8.6.)

There should be tension on the tubing when you first start and as you rotate the hips forward. You can also take a slight step forward before you rotate the hips and then the shoulder/arm unit. The key to successful execution is to rotate the shoulders after the hips have rotated forward, or start to rotate forward, i.e., so that the hips are somewhat open.

Figure 8.6 Shoulder rotation in a "closed stance" using Active Cord®.

7. Action: Shoulder Rotation in the Open-Stance Many players, especially professional players, are hitting more

groundstrokes with an open-stance. Hitting in the open-stance is needed when time is of the essence and you cannot get set up in the classic side-facing stance to execute the hit. Using the open-stance for all forehands is not the most effective stance because you cannot generate as much force as you can in the side-facing stance. To create more power in the open-stance, you must rely on more forceful shoulder rotation and arm swing actions. Doing this over a period of time, however, often leads to back, shoulder or elbow injury.


Execution: Assume an open-stance holding the Active Cord® handle in the right hand with the shoulders rotated to the rear. The arm should be in line with the shoulders. Keep the knees slightly bent and the hips open toward the target. In the initial position, the shoulders should be closed, (rotated to the rear) in relation to the open, forward facing hips. The arm should be bent in the elbow and held in line with the shoulders. (Note that this positioning is similar to the position described in exercise #6, after you rotate the hips forward). When you are ready, inhale slightly more than usual, hold your breath and then rotate the shoulders forward in a vigorous action until the shoulders are in a front-facing position. (See Fig. 8.7.) Return to the initial stance under control and repeat. Be sure to start off with ample tension on the tubing when first beginning the forward shoulder turn. This is where most force production is needed to accelerate the shoulders forward.

Figure 8.7 Shoulder rotation in an "open stance" using Active Cord®.

8. Action: Shoulder Rotation - The Russian Twist The Russian Twist is for those who have adequate strength in the lower

back and abdominal muscles. To do this exercise without assistance, you should use a Yessis Back Machine®. This is the only machine that has the adjustability needed to fit all body types and sizes. If an assistant is available you can execute the exercise on a sturdy table or bench. Execution: Adjust the apparatus so that when you sit with your pelvis directly on top of the rounded seat, your legs will be straight when your feet are placed between the rollers. Lower your trunk backward to the horizontal position so that


your entire body is straight and basically parallel to the floor. Raise your arms so that they are perpendicular to your trunk.

Rotate the shoulders to the right a full 90 degrees and then back, continuing the movement up and over to the other side until your arms are once again parallel to the floor (See Fig. 8.8). Alternate the right and left shoulder rotation movements

Figure 8.8 Russian Twist.

until you have completed the desired number of repetitions. Hold a light weight in your hands for greater resistance. (For most tennis players, extra resistance is not needed.) When you rotate upward from the right side, you duplicate the muscular action in the sideward swing. However, both sides should be exercised for muscle symmetry and maintaining correct spinal alignment.

The Russian Twist is considered a highly specialized tennis exercise as it duplicates a major swing action (shoulder rotation), having the same type of muscular contraction and range of motion. It can dramatically increase the force with which you can hit the ball.

In this exercise, you must hold your body in proper alignment at all times. If you find yourself weakening and your back hyperextending, then immediately stop


doing the exercise. In this, as in other rotational exercises, when you rotate with your spine in a flexed or hyperextended position, there are great shearing and compression forces that may injure the spinal discs or vertebrae. Always maintain the natural spinal curvature.

9. Action: The Arm Swing In the forward swing when the shoulders accelerate forward, the arm

remains to the rear so that you can get a stretch of the chest and front shoulder muscles which play the major role in bringing the arm and racquet forward. The early arm momentum from the shoulder rotation, the stretch of the muscles and the following concentric contraction allows the arm to move forward with greater speed to create even more force in the hitting action. The initial arm movement that occurs together with the shoulder rotation when the arm is brought back full range creates a long pathway over which you can generate force.

The arm begins its maximum force production when it is approximately half way through its full range of forward motion prior to contact. The shoulders decelerate as they approach the front facing position so that you can begin movement of the arm with maximum speed (and force) to make contact with the ball. The exact positioning of the arm is determined by how close the ball is to the body when contact is made. If the ball is sufficiently far from the body, the arm will be basically straight, if it is close to the body, the elbow will be bent as the arm goes into action. The closer the ball is to the body the greater the elbow bend. Execution: Hold the handle of the Active Cord® in the arm to be exercised and secure the stationary end approximately waist high. When you are ready, stand with your back to the attachment and far enough away so that the tubing has tension. Then rotate the shoulders 90 degrees to the rear with the arm in line with the shoulders. There should be tension on the tubing in this starting position. Inhale and hold your breath as you rotate the shoulders forward then pull with the arm to maintain position. Be sure that the shoulders lead, not the arm. As the shoulders become open, pull strongly with the arm so that it gets in front of the shoulders in the contact area. (See Fig. 8.9.)

If you swing mainly with the arm and do not fully rotate the shoulders forward, you will probably maintain the shoulders basically in a side facing position as you pull the arm across the body. However, if you use an open stance or the classic forehand stance and fully rotate the trunk, then not only should the hips be in an open position, but also the shoulders when the arm is brought forward (unless you use a combination of actions).


Figure 8.9 Arm adduction using Active Cord®.

10. Action: Wrist Flexion In initial stages of swinging the arm forward, the wrist is first flexed to

accelerate the racquet head. The flexion stops when the racquet face is square to the ball and target line or slightly before. The wrist then gets laid back (hyperextended) as the hand continues to move forward through the contact area to ensure that the ball travels in the intended direction. In addition, the wrist hyperextension places the wrist flexor muscles on stretch so that they can contract with force in whipping the racket through at the end of contact and into the follow through. The main purpose of the wrist hypertension is to keep the racquet face square to the target. Execution: Assume a seated position holding the handles attached to the Active Cord® in the hands. The middle of the cord should be secured under the feet and you should have ample tension on the tubing when in the initial position. Rest your forearms on the thighs with the wrists and hands free to move through a full range of motion while holding the handles. When you are ready, lower the hands in full hyperextension and then raise the hands as high as possible with wrist flexion. Inhale and hold your breath as you execute wrist flexion and exhale as you return under control, to the initial position. You should be able to bring the hand approximately 45 to 60 degrees above the horizontal (See Fig. 8.10). Strengthen the muscles mainly from the hyperextended to the neutral position. This is where the major force production occurs in hitting the ball. Full wrist flexion occurs in the follow-through but this range of action does not contribute any force to ball contact. It does, however, allow for a full, smooth swing.


Figure 8.10 Wrist flexion using the Active Cord®.

11. Action: Wrist Extension Wrist extension is not used to generate force in executing the forehand

stroke. However, it is important that your wrist flexors and extensors be strong to prevent wrist injury. Because of this, the wrist extension-hyperextension exercise is included at this time even though it plays its most important role in the backhand. Execution: Assume a seated position holding a handle attached to each end of the cord in the hands. The middle of the Active Cord® should be secured under the feet and you should have ample tension when in the initial position. Rest your forearms on your thighs with the wrist and hands free to move through a full range of motion while holding the handles. Palms should face downward. When you are ready, lower the hands in wrist flexion and then rise as high as possible. (See Fig. 8.11). Most force should be generated from the flexed to slightly beyond the neutral position. For best results go through the full range of motion.


Figure 8.11 Wrist extension using the Active Cord®.

12. Action: Medial Shoulder Joint Rotation Before the arm comes through the hitting area, there is some turning of the

arm (medial shoulder rotation) to square the racquet face to the ball. During contact the racquet remains square to the ball and the medial rotation picks up again in the follow-through. Because of this and because both medial and lateral shoulder joint rotation take place not only in the forehand but in other strokes, it is important to strengthen the muscles involved in these actions (mostly rotator cuff muscles). This is needed not only to prevent injury, but also to create additional force. Execution: Grasp a Strength Bar® with the weighted end upward and hold it on an extended arm. The bar should be perpendicular to the hand and arm. Raise the arm so it is approximately 45 degrees to the horizontal and incline the trunk to a slightly forward position as when hitting the forehand.

When you are ready, keep the arm straight and then rotate it so that the weighted end is lowered to the outside (lateral rotation) and the palm turns upward. Then rotate the bar up and over to the inside (medial rotation) so that the palm is down (See Fig. 8.12). Modify the position of the arm to more closely duplicate where the medial and lateral rotation take place during the swing. Be sure to keep the arm straight. To keep the stress off of your back bend slightly from the waist with knees also slightly flexed.


Figure 8.12 Lateral & medial shoulder joint rotation with the Strength Bar®.

13. Action: Supination/Pronation Supination/pronation is used to a great extent by players who are more

"wristy" and when hitting with a bent arm. Supination/pronation occurs in the backswing and in the forward swing prior to contact. The exact amount depends on your particular stroke. These actions are also needed independently and jointly with medial and shoulder joint rotation to position the racquet face for executing different serves and touch shots such as the dink and drop shot. Pronation and medial rotation in the shoulder joint usually occur together and are natural follow-through movements. Strengthening the muscles involved can not only enhance these movements, but can prevent injury, especially tennis elbow. Execution: Execution of supination/pronation is done with a Strength Bar®. In supination, you turn the hand palm up and in pronation, you turn the hand palm down. Assume a kneeling position crosswise to an exercise bench with the forearm in full support on the bench, holding a strength bar with the weighted end up. If an exercise bench is not available, the exercise can be done with the forearm supported on the thigh when in a seated position.

When you are ready, hold the strength bar in the right hand at a 90 degree angle to the forearm and then lower the weight all the way to the right (supination) and then up and over to the left (pronation). You should go through a full 90 degrees of motion on both sides. (See Fig. 8.13.)


Figure 8.13 Elbow joint supination/pronation using the Strength Bar®.

14. Action: Hand Grip The firmness of the grip is extremely important when hitting the forehand

stroke. If you have a loose grip when contact is made and especially when you are hitting hard, some of the forces will be absorbed (lost) and the shot will be weak and off target. To ensure that all the forces generated by the body and arm actions are transferred to the ball, your grip must not only be firm, but tight at the exact moment of impact. The grip, however, is relaxed in the backswing and initial stages of the forward swing and in the follow-through. But during contact, it must


be tight in order to ensure that the forces are transferred, so that you have maximum accuracy and that no injury to the wrist or elbow will occur. Execution: For a stronger grip, use of the Exer Rings®, which have different tensions, is most advantageous. For example, place a round ring at the base of the thumb and palm of the hand and in the middle of the fingers. Then squeeze until the ring assumes the shape of a hairpin and then relax the ring. Repeat at a moderate pace for the desired number of repetitions. This exercise can be done at your convenience, as for example, when watching TV. (See Fig. 8.14a,b.)

Figure 8.14 Grip strengthener using the Exer Rings®.

To strengthen individual fingers, use a ring with a flat outer surface and place on the tips of the fingers to be exercised. For example, if you wish to strengthen the thumb, place the fingers on a table with the thumb uppermost. Press down on the ring with the thumb, release and then repeat as needed. (See Fig. 8.14c,d.)


Figure 8.14 Thumb exercise using Exer Ring®. If you wish to strengthen the index and middle finger, place the flat surface

ring on the fingertips with the thumb down against a table top and the fingers to be exercised uppermost. Then squeeze down with the fingers until the ring is in the shape of a hairpin and then release until it reassumes its shape. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. (See Fig. 2.14e,f.)


Figure 8.14 Individual finger strengthening using the Exer Rings®.

15. Action: Lower Body Stabilization To ensure a stable body position when the forehand stroke is executed, it is

important that the legs maintain a slight knee-bent position. There should be no up or down movements during the contact period except when hitting topspin. One of the best exercises to strengthen the leg muscles in stabilization is the delay squat. Execution: Execution is basically the same as in a regular squat except that you modify speed of movement and you pause several times on the down phase. For example, begin in a standing position with the middle of the Active Cord® under the feet and holding the ends in each hand in front of the shoulders with bent arms. Or, you can hold dumbbells in the hands. When you are ready, lower the body very, very slowly for a count of four (four seconds) so that the most you travel down is about six inches. Hold this position for a count of four and then again slowly lower the body for another count of four. When using Active Cords® be sure to start with the greatest resistance in the standing position. Stop three times in approximately the same leg positions as when you swing the racquet with the ball at different heights. Hold each position for up to 4 seconds. After the last (lowermost) stop and hold, then rise up as fast as possible. Pause and repeat for the desired number of repetitions. If your legs begin to shake on the down phase, stop immediately. This is your body’s way of letting you know that you have had enough work. (See Fig. 8.15.)

You can vary the exercise once you know the exact angle in the knees that you use most often when hitting the tennis forehand with both an open and side- facing stance. Duplicate this angle by doing the squat to this position, hold for four to six seconds and then come up as fast as possible to complete the exercise. When using dumbbells you can leap up.


Figure 8.15 Squat using the Active Cords®

16. Action: Hip Rotation with an assist from the Active Cords® This exercise is used to learn and develop the feel of hip rotation. Because

of the assistance from the tubing, you also develop greater quickness in getting the hips shifted and rotated prior to the shoulder rotation and arm action. Execution: Attach the Active Cord® belt snugly around the hips and hook one end of the cord to the ring on the right posterior hip. The other end should be attached to an immovable object approximately hip high. Turn your body and step into the tubing a full 180 degrees so that the tubing goes across the front of your body and your left side now faces the immovable attachment. Be sure that you stand far enough away from the attachment so that you have ample tension on the tubing.

When you are ready, rotate the hips backward as in the backswing and after you bring your arm back and then take a short step forward, shift the weight forward and then rotate the hips. As you do this, the Active Cord® will pull the hips around quickly and forcefully to give you the feel of rotating the hips quickly. (See Fig. 8.16.)


Figure 8.16 Hip joint rotation assisted with Active Cords®.

17. Action: Hip Extension The "good morning" exercise is one of the best exercises that you can do to

strengthen the hip extensor muscles (gluteus maximus and hamstrings) that are responsible for holding the trunk in a forward lean when stroking. In addition, this exercise strengthens the erector spinae muscles of the lower back, which are responsible for maintaining the proper and safe curvature of the spine. When you have the correct curvature of the spine, hip and shoulder (trunk) rotation can take place safely and effectively. Trunk rotation with a rounded or hyperextended spine can be dangerous!

This exercise appears easy, but in reality, it is difficult for most tennis players, even experienced and professional players. The reason for this is that most players are accustomed to bending over from the waist with a rounded spine rather than bending over from the hips. In analyzing professional, amateur, and recreational tennis players, I can safely say that at least one third to one half of all players assume a rounded spine in the initial stance. For many of them, this leads to lower back problems. But, by doing the "good morning" exercise on a regular basis, you can develop the strength and flexibility needed to hold an effective stance and to eliminate problems that arise from the rounded spine position. Execution: When learning the "good morning" exercise, use only the resistance of your upper body. Assume an erect standing position and lock the lower back in its normal, slightly arched spinal position. When ready, inhale and hold your breath as you bend over from the hips, maintaining the normal spinal curvature. Keep the legs straight in order to get a good stretch of the hamstrings as


you bend over. If you experience any stress in the knees or if they hyperextend hold the knees slightly bent during execution.

As you incline the trunk forward from the hips, push the pelvis to the rear to keep the body in balance. Note that this is also the action that you use when assuming an effective tennis stance! Allow the arms to relax and hang freely or allow them to rest next to the body as you bend forward. When you reach the lowest position, that is, where you feel the greatest stretch of the hamstrings on the posterior thighs, hold the position for two to three seconds (See Fig. 8.17). Then return to the upright position and relax. Repeat the same movement and lower the trunk slightly more than you did previously if more flexibility is needed. For greater strengthening, hold light dumbbells in your hands to increase resistance.

The "good morning" is especially important for women who are pregnant or who have a large bosom. The increased weight in front of the body makes it extremely important to have a strong lower back and hip extensor muscles to hold not only the trunk erect but to hold the basic stance. By strengthening the lower back muscles, the normal position of the spine can be held comfortably for longer periods of time, which allows you to play a good game of tennis without fatigue or danger of injury.

Figure 8.17 The Good Morning exercise with weights.

18. Action: Combined Weight Shift and Hip Rotation This exercise is similar to Ex. 8.3 (Forward Hip Rotation) but it also involves

the use of a medicine ball to get greater resistance.


Execution: Attach the Active Cord® to the right side of the hip and stand sideways to the attachment. Hold the medicine ball in both hands so that you have the resistance of not only the tubing but the medicine ball. When you are ready, take a backswing and then push the hips (weight) forward. Then rotate the hips forward to increase the muscle tension and then rotate the shoulders to bring the ball across the body until the hands are on the left side of the body. Return to the initial position and repeat. When this exercise is mastered you will be ready to release the ball. Also you should now be able to demonstrate greater speed of movement for all the actions in sequence. (See Fig. 8.18.)

As you do this exercise, you should feel the built-up tension in the muscles prior to letting go of the medicine ball. This is effective in letting you know that you have cleared the hips which in turn will increase the speed of the arms coming through the hitting area. After you have mastered these actions with the Active Cords®, remove the belt and do the same exercise with only the medicine ball or with no resistance. You will experience easier and faster movements of the hips.

Figure 8.18 Hip rotation and weight shift using Active Cord® and medicine ball.

19. Action: Side Arm Throw This exercise is used to duplicate the entire forehand stroke. The only

difference is that you are using both arms rather than one. Because of this it is especially beneficial for two-handed players. Execution: Hold a ball weighing approximately 4-10 pounds on extended arms while in the forehand stance. The exact ball weight will depend on your physical abilities and exercise mastery. Rotate the shoulders to the rear as in the backswing. If you take a sufficiently long backswing, there will also be some hip


rotation to the rear. When the trunk is rotated back, shift your weight forward and then rotate the hips and shoulders forward to release the ball. If you are in an open stance there is no weight shift. Simply rotate the shoulders to the rear and then rotate forward with a release of the ball. (See Fig. 8.19.)

In the initial stages, hold the medicine ball on extended arms as you execute the backswing, forward swing and follow-through. Keep the movements at a moderate speed and concentrate on developing the rhythm of the movement. Throw the ball in a sidearm motion to a partner or against a rebounding surface if practicing by yourself. After catching the ball on the return, stop and prepare for another throw. This exercise can also be performed together with Active Cords®. It should be noted that even though the balls provide resistance they do not interfere with your swing mechanics. The muscles of your midsection and hips are large and strong and they can handle heavy weights without detracting from the fine points of the stroke.

Figure 8.19 Side arm throw with Medicine Ball.

20. Action: Back Extension. The back raise is not directly related to the forehand but is included here

because of its importance in preventing lower back problems. It is the most effective exercise you can do to strengthen the lower back muscles through a full range of motion. Once strengthened, they will be able to easily hold the needed natural curvature of the spine and help to prevent low back muscle fatigue, strains, and other problems. As an added benefit, you will have an effective trunk position for stroking and better posture. Execution: For best results, do the back raise on a Yessis Back Machine®. Lie facedown on the apparatus so that your pelvic girdle is in full support on the seat when your feet are placed between the rear pads. Hang over from the waist as far as possible (about 50 to 60 degrees down) and relax. This is the active stretching phase. (See Fig. 8.20-1.)

When ready, inhale slightly more than usual and raise your trunk until it is above horizontal. You should have a slight arch in the lower back. Exhale as you


return to the down position, pause momentarily, and then repeat. Hold the top position for one or two seconds if you want greater stability of the spine. If a Yessis Back Machine is not available, the exercise can be done on a high, sturdy table. Position yourself so that the pelvic girdle is in full support on the end of the table (naval at the edge). Place a small rolled-up towel under the lower abdomen to help create greater intra abdominal pressure. (On the Yessis Back Machine®, the rounded seat creates the necessary pressure.) To be held in position, you must have someone hold your legs down. Execute as described previously. (See Fig. 8.20-2.)

Figure 8.20-1 The Back Extension using the Yessis Back Machine®.

Figure 8.20-2 The Back Extension using a table.


21. Action: Breathing Exercise Resistive breathing is very important for strengthening the inspiratory and

expiratory muscles to delay the onset of fatigue and to improve muscular and cardio-respiratory endurance. To most effectively strengthen the respiratory muscles, you must use a resistive device such as The Breather®. With this device, you can adjust the resistance for inhalation and for exhalation to better match your capabilities. Execution: To exercise the muscles, inhale against a pre-set resistance on the Breather® and then exhale against a preset resistance at a steady rhythm for up to one minute and then rest for a minute and repeat. The breathing can be modified to match different conditions. For example, since there is breath holding when executing the forehand, inhale, hold your breath and then forcefully exhale so that you can prepare for the next shot or move. Since one of the key actions in breathing is forceful exhalation, you should concentrate on greater development of this ability. The faster you can get the air out, the quicker you can take in more air for greater effectiveness in exchanging gases in the lungs. This is also a great exercise for players who have asthma or other respiratory problems. (See Fig. 8.21.)

Figure 8.21 Resistive breathing using The Breather®.

CHAPTER 9

Designing Your Workout Program

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Designing Your Workout

Program

It is generally understood among tennis players that strength training can lead to greater speed and power. However, many players and coaches still believe that resistance training will make them slower, decrease their flexibility, and lead to injury. These are myths that have persisted in tennis for many years and should be dispelled. Weight or resistance training, when done correctly, is a player’s ally.

Depending upon the type of strength training program that you undertake, you can: 1) improve hitting technique, 2) increase leg speed and quickness, 3) increase muscular and aerobic endurance, 4) prevent injury, and 5) increase speed of movement and power.

By tailoring the training program to fit your needs, you can develop any specific type of strength that is required. This includes strength-endurance, absolute and relative strength, speed-strength, eccentric strength, explosive strength, and starting strength. You should not think of strength training simply as a means of getting bigger or stronger. Think of it as a means to improve various aspects of your game.

As brought out in research by Dr. Yessis, strength and endurance are related and are on a continuum. In the initial stages of training both strength and endurance are developed simultaneously. Yet, they are both very specific physical qualities and development of each requires a separate training program. There is no single type of exercise that is capable of simultaneously developing both of these or other qualities to the levels needed in tennis.

Since specific strength is developed through specific adaptation to the demands you place on the muscle, muscle overloading must be carried out in a progressive manner in order to constantly raise the level of strength. This is best done through the use of pulley weights, rubber tubing, and/or free weight training (dumbbells and barbells). This equipment is most effective for the development of strength in tennis players and the total energy output is minimal when compared to


hill running, heavy labor or playing itself. Weather conditions do not prohibit their use and the resistance can be adjusted to your abilities. Resistance training can be done at home with adjustable weights and rubber tubing as with the Active Cords®. The most important advantages of using such equipment are: 1. The overload principle can be made progressive by the gradual increase in the resistance used, thereby assuring a continuity of strength gains in the desired actions or body areas. 2. Resistance training can be used to develop strength in any or all of the muscles of the body according to the requirements of your hitting or playing style. 3. The strength development program can be designed primarily to develop strength in those muscles which assist you in making the most effective use of your speed, skill, endurance, and tactics as required for your best playing.

For your exercise program to be most effective you must individualize it according to whether you are a recreational or competitive player. In addition, the amount of resistance that you use, the kind and number of exercises that you execute, and the number of sets and reps used for each exercise depend on your mastery of the exercises and your mastery of game skills. As your ability levels improve you should move up to the next level of exercise difficulty.

Proper Breathing During Exercise

When you do your exercises the way in which you breathe is very important. Because of this, you should develop proper breathing patterns from the start. This also applies to execution of the forehand.

The instructions for the exercises tell you to inhale and hold your breath on exertion—that is, on the hardest part of the exercise, when you are overcoming resistance. You then exhale on the return, staying in control of the movements. But don’t be surprised if you read or hear the opposite from other sources—that you should exhale on the exertion and inhale on the return.

The widely used recommendation to exhale on exertion is based on theory, not research, and applies mainly to people with heart and circulatory system problems. For example, if you hold your breath for too long (up to eight seconds with a maximal exertion), you could pass out. This happens because the internal pressure in your chest and abdomen increases when you hold your breath on exertion. If it increases greatly, especially when using maximal resistance, it squeezes down on the blood vessels shuttling blood and oxygen to and from the


heart. When this happens, you can black out. But this occurs very rarely and mainly on a maximum exertion, not in general weight training.

If you are without cardiovascular problems and do not hold your breath for more than a few seconds in the recommended exercises, the breath holding on exertion is perfectly safe. It makes the exercises safer and more effective. If you have high blood pressure or other circulatory system or heart problems, avoid heavy resistance and breath holding.

Inhaling and holding your breath briefly on exertion—any exertion, and in all sports, comes naturally. Many studies have shown that whenever athletic skills are executed properly, athletes hold their breath on the exertion—during the power phase, when maximum force is generated. The breath holding is especially important in hitting strokes and in all explosive movements. The inhaling and holding of the breath on exertion provides up to 20 percent greater force, stabilizes the spine, and helps prevent lower back injuries. It transforms the trunk (and, in fact, the whole body) into a stable unit against which your hips, shoulders, and arms can move more effectively.

Breathing exercises can also help you relax. For example, a common recommendation is to inhale fully and then exhale before starting play or before a point. This is a good technique to help you relax. But before starting, it is important that the muscles have some tension—not excessive tension, but sufficient tension to start with power and quickness. This is also the reason why players hold their breath during stroke execution.

Studies done with devices to monitor breathing patterns have proven this beyond any doubt. To execute a powerful swing, you must hold your breath during execution.

In effective breathing, do not take a maximal breath and then hold it. Doing this can make you very uncomfortable. Just take a breath slightly greater than usual and then hold it to experience the positive benefits. This is especially important for stabilizing the body, holding the spine in position, and getting greater power in your swing. Execution of the swing or exercise is relatively fast. Thus, you should have no fear of holding your breath too long or of overexerting yourself.

Getting Started

For beginners and those who have not worked out for months or years, it is necessary to first go through a learning and familiarization stage. It is used to accustom your body to exercise gradually without soreness or discomfort. To begin, read (and sometimes re-read) exactly how to do the exercises. Have this


book with you when you train. Since most of the key exercises can be done at home, you can do them at your leisure and with privacy.

Do one exercise for 3-5 repetitions with light resistance. When using rubber tubing, adjust the length so that you can execute the exercise easily through a full range of motion. This means that you do the exercise (up and down or away and back) 3-5 times. Execute each repetition at a moderate rate of speed.

As you do the exercise, concentrate on exactly how you are doing it and how it feels. Recognize what each exercise feels like and which muscles are working. In this way you will gain a better feel for the movement and how it relates to your stroke. After completing 3-5 repetitions, relax and then get ready for the next exercise. Read the description and then do several repetitions. Proceed in this manner until you do all the exercises selected.

You do not have to do every exercise that is described in this book for each aspect of the forehand stroke. When beginning, pick out exercises for your troublesome areas or the joint actions you would like to improve. Other exercises can be attempted the following week or as you get used to doing the core (for you) exercises. For example, a sample exercise program for the player in cinematogram 2 would consist of three exercises:

1. Forward Hip Rotation 2. The Reverse Trunk Twist 3. The Russian Twist

If you desire greater improvement of other particular actions, include even

more exercises. However, for many players this sample program is quite sufficient for the first 2 to 4 weeks, especially in regard to learning the exercises. It is important that you record each exercise and the number of repetitions done so that you know exactly where you are on each exercise at the next workout. A record keeping book or e-book with many workout tips is also available and can be used to evaluate your progress. For information contact: Sports Training, Inc., P. O. Box 460429, Escondido, CA 92046, phone: (760) 480-0558, fax: (760) 480-1277; e-mail: [email protected]

Personalize Your Program

Each of you is a unique individual and you will respond to the exercises differently. This is why you should never copy what someone else is doing. Because someone you know may have responded quickly to the exercises, it does not mean that your body will also respond in the same manner. This is especially true in the senior years.


If you copy someone else's program regardless of how successful it is, you

take a chance of getting injured. Not only may the resistance be greater than what your muscles and joints can handle, but the way the exercise is executed by another person may not fit the way your body is designed to move. In these instances there is a high likelihood of injury. Your training program must be individualized, just as your tennis game is very individual.

When to Work Out Schedule your workouts so that they are not done immediately before or after your playing. An ideal situation would be to do the exercises in the morning and to play (or practice) in the afternoon. If you prefer playing in the morning then you should do the exercises in late afternoon or evening. The key here is to give yourself a few hours of rest and recovery in between. Do the exercises consistently and at a fairly regular time so that you have ample time for recovery and for your body to adapt to the exercises.

Reps and Sets Add one or two repetitions at each workout (or each week) until you reach

15-20 repetitions maximum (RM). This means you cannot do any more repetitions. When you repeatedly reach 20 RM or more you will be ready to increase the resistance for that particular exercise. If you have not reached 20 RM in the other exercises, remain on the same level for those.

After a few weeks you will become more comfortable with the exercises and have greater confidence. Since you will be able to handle more resistance and execute more repetitions without any discomfort or trepidation, you may want to add other exercises at this time. This is especially true if you are also doing special exercises for other strokes and footwork. If you experience soreness on any workout day or on the day after, it means you did too many repetitions or used too much resistance. When this happens use the same or even less resistance in the next workout to help your body recover. When you feel good, then you can gradually increase the resistance or the repetitions.

You should do only one set of each exercise at this time. A set means doing a particular number of repetitions of one exercise one time. For example, if


you do 20RM of the squat this constitutes one set of the exercise. If you then do an additional 20 RM or less, it is considered set number two.

Since the main purpose of the workout program at this time is to familiarize you with the exercises and to gradually have your body adapt to the exercises and the workout, only one set is needed. Doing more than one set will not produce greater results. A greater number of sets are needed as you make progress and become more fit and have greater mastery of the exercises. This is where additional sets play their most important role.

Days Per Week

You should work out three days per week. The workouts should last a maximum of 20-30 minutes at this time. That's right, 20-30 minutes! This is not a long time. For a maximum of ninety minutes a week, you can gain sufficient strength and flexibility to enable you to hit harder, be faster and play better. Elite players may require more time because of the need for higher levels of not only strength but speed-strength.

You will reach 15-20 RM fairly rapidly in some exercises while in other exercises progress may be much slower. This is perfectly normal since some muscles take longer to respond and certain exercises are easier to learn than others. For many individuals it takes 1-2 months to reach 15-20 RM in all the exercises.

It is important that you work out on a regular basis. When on a 3 days per week program you must not skip days and say, "I will do four days next week because I only did two this week." This is not effective. Working out more than three days per week does not bring additional benefits, and can lead to overtraining and the possibility of injury and soreness. A three-day a week program allows for a day's rest in between to give your muscles ample time to fully recover. As a result, it will not interfere with your playing! When you are more fit, working out 4-6 times per week can be successfully integrated with your playing

To get maximum benefit from the strength training program, you should continue playing and practicing to constantly make minor adjustments in how you hit. Most of the changes will be made unconsciously because of the muscular feel developed when doing the exercises. The changes will feel very natural to you!

Increasing the Difficulty

When you reach 15-20 RM for each exercise, and the exercises become "easy", you will be ready to make changes. At this time the workouts become


more strenuous. If you are already strong and have been working out, you should begin on this level, especially if you are already familiar with the exercises. However, when starting a new exercise, start as previously described and gradually build up to the level needed.

Regardless of whether you use rubber tubing, dumbbells or barbells, when

you reach about 20 RM regularly, increase the resistance. Doing this should bring you down to 12-15 RM. Then work back up to 20 RM and repeat the process. When you do an exercise for 15-20 RM it is important that the last repetition be the most that you can do with proper technique. Do not, for example, do 15 or 20 repetitions and still feel refreshed. When you finish the set you should feel slightly out of breath and have muscular fatigue.

Be in tune with your body as you do the exercises. Only in this way can you find out what is working for you and determine which exercises appear to be most effective. You can then make the necessary changes in the exercises or exercise program to produce the desired results. If you need more work on certain muscles add another set to selected exercises. Also add a set to some exercises if more development of the muscles is needed.

Making the Workout More Specific

You can change your hitting significantly, depending not only on which exercises you use, but also on how many repetitions and sets you use. Thus, how you set up your program at this time is critical to your success. Most important is that you make your workout specific not only to your event but to the changes you desire.

Keep in mind that your workout program for strength is different from that for producing increases in muscle mass as well as being significantly different from a program aimed at increasing speed and explosiveness. In essence, the workouts must be geared toward the qualities you are desirous of improving as well as the role that they play in your particular event.

For example, a beginner may find great success from doing only one or two sets of 15-20RM in improving their performance. Greater strength at this time will not be as important as raising the levels of muscular and cardiovascular endurance which play more important roles. An advanced player on the other hand needs greater levels of strength (both eccentric and concentric) as well as greater levels of speed-strength, starting strength, and explosive strength. Thus the programs for both types of players must be distinctly different, yet include some of the same exercises.


Maintaining Speed, Strength & Endurance It is not necessary to continually increase your strength or muscular endurance levels. This is especially true if you are a recreational player. Once a desired level of hitting ability is reached maintaining your developed strength or endurance levels becomes most important. Keep in mind that if you cease your workouts and only play, you’ll lose some of the gained strength and endurance. This in turn will affect not only your force and speed but also your hitting technique and may even lead to injury.

Keep in mind that continual increases in strength and other physical qualities are typically not called for in season because it may cause changes to your technique. When in season, maintaining the same technique for accuracy and for the development of strategy based on one’s physical and technical abilities becomes most important for winning success. All increases in your physical qualities and technique changes should take place prior to the season or major competition.

To maintain your level of strength or endurance, you should continue to work out 1-2 days per week. Do one set of each exercise to maintain your hitting abilities. In some cases two sets may be needed. The number of repetitions will vary depending on your level of fitness and your goals. For most players doing one set of the key strength and endurance exercises for 10-20 RM is usually sufficient when done twice a week.

If you stop your training and only play (or if you do not exercise to maintain your fitness levels), you may find your hitting technique changing. This is especially true as you age. But by maintaining your strength and flexibility levels, you will be able to maintain the ability to hit basically the same way in the later years as in your youth. Increase your physical abilities and you will hit and play on a higher skill level.

Recovery The amount of tennis played and the training load have increased greatly

over the last few years. In addition, more tennis players are getting involved in physical conditioning than ever before. As a result, the body is undergoing much greater stress than previously. This in turn results in greater fatigue, a decrease in the immune system, overtraining and more injuries. In order to reverse this trend you must get more rest to allow for sufficient recuperation between workouts.

The use of natural ways of restoring the body, i.e., getting the body rested and ready for more work as soon as possible is gaining greater recognition by athletes and coaches. By helping the body to recover faster after workouts you


can actually increase the amount of playing and conditioning work that can be done.

In order for the tennis player of today to train longer and harder, specific means of recovery to allow his/her body to withstand and cope with the loads must be incorporated into the training plan. By using natural scientific recovery methods it is possible to significantly increase (sharply in some cases) the volume and intensity of training. From using various methods of restoration the number of injuries and ailments that occur to the player’s skeletal-muscular system do not increase, but are reduced!

There are three phases of the normal recovery process that are recognized. They are ongoing recovery, quick recovery, and delayed recovery. Ongoing recovery occurs during the actual workout. It takes place mainly in between games, workouts or whenever there is a rest period during match play. To maximize the rest period you should include some exercises for relaxing and sometimes some easy stretching. Some mild activity such as easy walking can also assist in ongoing recovery.

One of the most important areas relating to ongoing recovery is adequate hydration during practice sessions or match play. Since heat is generated during muscle activity your body responds by sweating to allow for proper internal temperature control. The process of sweating (water loss primarily from the circulatory system) cools the body down and dissipates the heat, but in turn, the oxygen rich blood increases in viscosity because of the loss in water. The heart now must work that much harder to circulate oxygen to the working muscles. A 2-4% loss of water can cause premature fatigue (definitely hindering your ability to play third set tiebreaks); your susceptibility to muscle cramps increases, and fine motor coordination deteriorates. A 4% loss in water (sweat) in a tennis player weighing 150 lbs. equals 6 lbs., or 3 quarts of water intake. Obviously, such losses cannot be replaced during a match, but this amount is generally more than most will encounter. However, replacing a portion of the water lost is absolutely critical and easy to do for anyone concerned with performance and ongoing recovery. From the above discussion it should be obvious that the best fluid replacement available is water, preferable clean, cold water (45-55 degrees) with good taste and water drinks such as Oxy Water which contains additional oxygen. The oxygen helps greatly in recovery by removing some waste products and helps to reduce fatigue.

Quick recovery begins immediately upon cessation of play or the workout and leads to greater removal of waste products and replenishment of expended resources. It is at this time, that supplements to assist in the process can be of benefit. For example, using Oxy Water immediately after the workout speeds up the removal of lactic acid and other waste products while also bringing in additional oxygen for energy replacement. Also helpful in replacing the expended energy supply is to immediately take in some carbohydrates and then after a period of


time, protein and other nutritional products. The carbohydrates immediately replenish the energy sources and make it possible for the protein to work more effectively. Whole food nutritional bars such as those made by Standard Process® are especially beneficial when you do not have time for a regular meal until much later.

Delayed recovery, which is also known as the supercompensation phase, is usually considered the most important. From studies in endocrinology, physiology and medicine, experts believe that the optimal recovery process occurs during the phase of supercompensation. During this time, your functional capabilities are increased beyond the initial levels. In other words, your body does not only replace what was used up, but leaves additional supplies of energy so that you are then capable of doing more work in the next workout.

Such supercompensation is the key to progress. It is most important for developing the physical qualities and increasing the levels of energy expenditure. At this time however, it is critical that you have ample nutrients in the body. If your diet is lacking it may inhibit the process of supercompensation. When this occurs you may not be experiencing any gains from the workout.

This explanation may seem to be very simplistic, but it is extremely important! Very often tennis players, because they cannot look inside the body to determine what is occurring, think that lack of progress is due to the actual workout or in the amount of weight or repetitions that are employed. However, in many, if not in most cases, the real problem is poor nutrition resulting in inadequate supercompensation.

Specific recuperative means should be used for each of the three phases of recovery. For example, some of the measures that are used in your warm-up such as easy aerobic activity or active stretching are also effective in ongoing recovery. The methods that you employ during the workout and immediately after the workout assist in quick recovery, as well as in supercompensation.

The exact methods and procedures, however, depend upon the workout and the individual player. Much research is being devoted to determine exactly when each of the different methods can be used most effectively. For example, different kinds of sports massage can be employed on a regular basis. In addition you can use various kinds of hydrotherapy including the sauna, spa (Jacuzzi) various types of showers, and underwater stream massage. Other methods include electrical stimulation, neurolymphatic system stimulation and psychological methods with light and sound.

CHAPTER 10

Principles of Training

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Principles of Training

Working out can mean many things to different people, but how you work out is critical to your development. To get the maximum results, you should adhere to the following principles of exercise:

1. Individualization You are a unique individual. Aside from the obvious structural differences

there are also physiological differences in your muscular, circulatory and nervous systems that require differences in your program. This is why you must be the one to make the final decision as to exactly which and how many exercises are done and how many sets and reps should be in effect. Your training program should be for you and only you.

Even though you cannot change your genetic make-up (which determines only one third of your potential), you can greatly modify your speed, strength, flexibility and other qualities. I have worked with many players who have literally transformed their bodies and their hitting and playing abilities. Some started off being fairly lackadaisical about doing various exercises but ended up being the most active exercisers (and players) I have ever seen.

2. Gradualness Regardless of your exercise program or level of performance, any increases

in flexibility, strength, resistance, repetitions or sets should be very gradual. For example, if you are accustomed to doing 15 RM for two sets, you should not in one day change to 50 or 60 repetitions or do four sets. Your body is not ready for such abrupt changes and because of this injuries may occur. To prevent injury and to maximize your results, all gains should be gradual.


3. Progressiveness In order to continually show increases in speed, muscular strength and

endurance, you must progressively but gradually increase the amount of resistance (intensity), the number of exercises or the total number of repetitions (volume) used. If you continue working at the same level and do the same number of exercises, sets and reps you will only maintain your achieved fitness level.

4. Overload Overload means that you do more than what your body is accustomed to.

In order to develop greater strength you must use additional resistance. To increase flexibility you must increase the range of motion. Other ways to achieve overload include increasing the rate of work, i.e., doing the exercises at a slightly faster rate of speed or in an explosive manner. These methods apply to all fast, explosive players and should be used only after you have achieved base levels of strength and endurance. They include plyometrics, explosive and other speed-strength type exercises.

5. Awareness To put this principle into practice you should keep a record of your workouts.

Record not only the resistance, sets and repetitions for each exercise, but also how you feel. Make notations of what you experience, both mentally and physically.

This is especially important for women who respond differently in each phase of the menstrual cycle. Some women do their best work (or playing) before or after menstruation, while others perform better at the actual time of menstruation. Because of this, women should determine when they can do their most productive work and schedule the workouts (and playing) around the menstrual cycle. In general, stay away from very strenuous activity (such as using heavy resistance) during the menstrual period.

Awareness also means being cognizant of what is happening to your body. You should learn what each exercise feels like and how your body responds to it. In time, you develop a muscle memory so that when you execute the exercise (or the forehand stroke) you can tell immediately if it is working for you or if something is amiss. When things do not feel right, you should check to see if your execution is correct or if there is some other problem that is interfering.


6. Consistency Without consistency in your exercise and tennis program, all the work that

you do may come to naught. For example, after each workout your energy supply is depleted. It is replaced while you are resting and sleeping which is also when additional energy supplies for later use are deposited. This is known as supercompensation. If you do not exercise sufficiently to use the extra energy that has been deposited, your body will re-absorb it and as a result you may be left with the same energy as before. For example, I am sure you have noticed that when you have not played for a while or have become sedentary you actually become more tired than if you were active throughout the entire day.

Consistency, which means doing the exercises on a regular basis, is the key to success in any exercise or tennis training program. What I recommend, therefore, is that you block off the time needed in your busy schedule so that the exercise program becomes as important as all your other activities.

If for some reason you are unable to work out for a week or two, start your exercises again upon your return using less resistance. In one or two days you should get back into the groove of doing the exercises and seeing the results. Do not be overly concerned when situations arise that do not allow you to continue the program since they can be made up. However, do not allow this to happen on a regular basis.

If you want to improve your hitting most effectively and in the shortest amount of time, schedule your workouts. Once you set up a regular exercise and training program you will see the benefits quite soon. It is at this time that you will become hooked. You will look forward to doing the exercises because you will see what the exercises are doing for you and how they are improving your hitting. You will also experience greater confidence in yourself, which will show up in better hitting and in everyday life.

131

SERVICES AVAILABLE FROM SPORTS TRAINING, INC.

• Biomechanical/kinesiological analyses of your strokes

• Analysis of your physical abilities

• A personalized exercise program

• Technique enhancement

Contact us for more information about any of the equipment used in this book.

P. O. Box 460429 Escondido, CA 92046 Tel: (760) 480-0558 Fax: (760) 480-1277

E-mail: [email protected] Visit our web site at: www.dryessis.com

Sports Training's mission is to be the preeminent sports training and exercise resource for athletes. From youngsters through professional and senior levels, coaches, doctors, personal trainers, and others our unique services allows you to improve athletic performance; such as the ability to run faster, hit further, throw further and faster, jump higher, kick further, cut faster and perform better.

Documents

Explosive Tennis - The Forehand