Tip of the week: Strengthen your legs

Tennis may look like a sport where you swing at a ball predominantly using your arm, but looks can be deceiving. You will not find a quality tennis player that doesn’t use their entire body when hitting ground strokes, and it all starts with the legs.

There are several reasons for getting good knee bend in tennis. First of all, it is essential for achieving an effective ready position, which involves getting your muscles loaded and ready to propel you towards the ball in an instant. Secondly, it provides stability when hitting your strokes. A lower centre of gravity (and wide stance) will make it easier to balance and therefore control your shots. Thirdly, it is crucial for generating power when using an open or semi-open stance, as this stance requires that the necessary shoulder turn is achieved by bending and twisting your trunk.

For these reasons, as well as other general benefits such as improving speed, agility and endurance, players serious about improving their game should dedicate part of their training to strengthening their legs. Apart from resistance work in the gym, jumping rope, shuttle runs and working with a medicine ball are just some of the ways you can improve the capacity of your legs. Beef up your engine and you’ll cruise through your matches! See you on the court!