During the heat of a tennis match, one of the deciding factors among two players of similar abilities is the physical tennis fitness. Players that have done a variety of tennis workouts in training will be able to outlast their opponent on the sole factor of being in peak tennis conditioning.

Most club and recreational tennis players do not incorporate any tennis specific workouts into their training regimen, and this accounts for why they are unable to compete at an elite level of tennis. World class tennis players not only understand the need for tennis workouts for fitness and conditioning, but at the same time they realize that even a small amount of time working on the tennis workouts and fitness component will pay huge dividends in the long run.

Below are some tennis workouts specifically designed for tennis players looking to gain an edge in the tennis fitness and conditioning department. They should be done with full intensity to maximize the benefit of these tennis workout exercises.

Chest press tennis workout

To accomplish the chest press tennis workout, you need two dumbbells and a physioball. This is one of the tennis workouts that help to develop your Pectoralis major and Triceps brachii muscles. To prepare for this workout, hold one dumbbell in each of your hand and sit on the physioball. Then rest your hands with the dumbbells on your lap. Then slowly slide down so that your back is now sitting on the ball. Imagine yourself as if you lying down in a floor with your two feet suspended. Make sure to maintain straight spine. With your two feet firmly on the ground, use them to adjust your position in such a way that your head and your back are sitting on the ball.

The next step is to bring up your hips and with your palms facing towards your knees, bring up the dumbbells over your shoulder. Maintain this position for several seconds then adjust your lower arm so that they become perpendicular to the ceiling. This means that your upper arms and your lower arms are angled at 90 degrees. Lastly, slowly stretch your arms such that your whole arms (the upper and the forearms) are now perpendicular with the ceiling. Go back to the original position and repeat the process.

Chest fly tennis workout

In this tennis workout exercise, you also need two dumbbells and a physioball. This exercise helps develop your Pectoralis major, Trapezuis and Biceps brachii. This workout has the same preparation as that of the chest workout exercise. As your head and back sit on the physioball (again follow the step above), put the dumbbells on your chest but make sure that when you hold the dumbbells, your palms should be facing one another and you have to bend your elbows slightly as well. The next step is to straighten you arms to your side until your arms level off with your shoulder and your palms are facing the ceiling. Maintain this posture for several seconds and then bring your arms up until your arms are perpendicular with the ceiling. Return to the original position and repeat the workout.

Push ups tennis workout

All you need in this exercise is the physioball. This tennis workout is important for the development of your Transversus abdominals, Triceps brachii, Anterior deltoids, Pectoralis major and minor muscles. To start with, you stand in front of the physioball and slowly lay down on the ball with your face facing the ground. With the use of your feet, adjust your position such that your thighs sit on the ball and then lift up you feet from the ground. Position your two hands just like when you do the normal push up (arms directly under your shoulder). At this stage, both of you arms are still stretched. When you are sure that your feet and the thighs already in proper position, bend your elbows to bring you upper body towards the ground then straighten again. Repeat the process as many as you can.

Standing plank tennis workout

Same as the other tennis workouts, all you need here is a physioball. Start this drill by standing in front of the physioball with your right foot in front of the left foot or vice versa. Then bend slowly to place your two elbows on the ball then put your hands together. Once your elbows are on the ball, transfer your weight to your elbow the move back the front feet beside the other feet. Then pull down your shoulder using your abdominal and back muscles. Remember not to use your elbows to bring back your shoulder or else you lose the importance of this exercise. Maintain this posture as long as you can or until your abdominal and back muscles are too tired to continue the process. When you return to the standing position, you have to move one foot forward and slowly get up.

Decline chest press tennis workout

To accomplish the decline chest press tennis workout, you need a machine where you can attach the cable that is needed to complete this exercise. The objective of this tennis exercise is to develop your Biceps brachii, Anterior deltoids, Anterior deltoids muscles. And to achieve this goal, you need to connect the cable to the machine the right way. To do this, make sure to assemble it at a high angle (way above your head) and select the appropriate weight that you put on it.

Position yourself in such a way that your back is towards the machine. Hold the cable with one of your hands and put other hand on your hip. If your right hand is the one holding the cable, put your right foot in front and put your left hand on your hip. With your chest and hip in straight and steady position, bend your front foot and at the same time pull the cable in a forward and downward motion. While you do this, make sure that you don’t bend your elbow. Then return to the original position and repeat the process.

Incline chest press tennis workout

The equipment you need in this tennis workout exercise may vary. Some machines are designed in such a way that you are positioned in a upright manner. In such cases, when you execute the proper exercise, the direction where you push your hand is towards the ceiling. Some machines on one hand, position you in a such a manner that you have to lean back on it. In this case, you need to push our hand towards the wall. Some machines used in this workout or the other tennis workouts similar to this include a foot bar. If you are using one like this, you need to push the machine handles to start the exercise.

This tennis workout and exercise helps to develop your Triceps brachii, Anterior deltoids, and Pectoralis major and minor muscles. To start the exercise, you have to sit on the designed sit of the machine. Then press you back towards the back pad and make sure that your feet are firmly placed on the floor. Grab the handles of the machines and push them in the direction as described above. Again, the direction where you push the handles depends on the type of the machine. Also when you hold the handles, make sure that the weight of the machine lies on the heel of your palm.

At this stage of the tennis workout exercise, your hand must be supporting the handles but your elbows are still bent and pointing towards the ground. Then the next step is to slowly push the machine handles until your elbows are bent at 90 degrees angles. As you reach this stage, go back to the original position and repeat the process as many as you can handle.

Running and pivoting tennis workout

This is one of the tennis workouts that help you develop your speed and agility. Agility and speed are two of the vital tools in tennis for you to be able to put yourself in the right place to hit powerful and accurate shots. In running and pivoting tennis workouts, you will strengthen you ankle and calf which also help you minimize injuries in these pars of your body. The other parts of your body that are involved in this exercise are your forearm and biceps. These body parts are also prone to injuries, thus this exercise is also important to prevent those injuries.

Lying windscreen wipers tennis workout

This is one of the tennis workouts that do not need lots of equipment to complete. All you need here is a mat for you lie down. Slowly position yourself on the mat in such a way that you are lying on your back. Then put you arms beside your body. Then slowly bring up your two legs up in the air until your hip is positioned at an angle of 90 degrees. When you bring up your legs, make sure that you do it by contracting your abdominal muscle. When your legs are up on the air, straighten them in such a way that they are perpendicular with the ceiling but maintaining the 90 degrees angle of your hip.

From this position, move your leg to the both sides. When you do this, be sure that your hip and shoulder remain on the floor. After bringing your legs to both sides, stop in the center and return to the original position. Repeat the process as many as you can.

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Let’s start by saying that getting to an elite level in tennis is partially the result of talent, but primarily the consequence of working to get into peak physical and mental condition.

Sure, there have been a few players who have sniffed the top level of tennis on sheer talent alone, but it was maximizing their physical condition that pushed them over the top and made them a factor.

Ask Mardy Fish. Ask Andy Roddick. Heck, you can even ask Novak Djokovic. He not only cut gluten from his diet, he got much more serious about his workouts off the court, and now he could be on the verge of one of the most dominant eras in the history of the game.

How Do You Shape Your Own Tennis Workout Routine?

Yes, your immense talent will get you somewhere in tennis, but if you want to run with the big dogs, you are going to have to work like a dog. That doesn’t mean that getting into shape is all about drudgery.

You can do many things to make workouts more enjoyable—do them with a friend, add variety every day, find exercises that you like the best, etc.

However, you will indeed need to work out if you hope to ascend to the heights. You can’t do the workout described below for a week and then quit it and go back to eating chips and drinking soda.

You’ll need to stick to this tennis workout routine if you want to achieve greatness. Understand that this tennis workout routine is no guarantee of greatness, only the means by which you can harness your talent and will to win to maximum effect. Will you become great? Who knows? Will you get better? No question.

What Sacrifices Does It Really Take to Follow a Tennis Workout Routine?

It should also be noted that most, if not all, of the top tennis players in the world have a single-mindedness that others lack. They know that they will spend a lot of time by themselves on the court with only a coach or fellow player around, then spend time off the court with a small group of people as well.

They are not worried about going to the mall and hanging out, not concerned with the hottest TV shows, not striving to be a Facebook champion. They know that in order to touch greatness, they will have to make some sacrifices to get there.

That brings us to our sample tennis workout routine, as reported by a lower-ranked professional that tailed a former top-50 player for a couple of years in hopes of having some of his achievement rub off on him.

This routine is impossible if you are in school or working a full-time job. It is possible if you have the summer off, have a friend who wants to train with you or a coach that can help you out, and have the time to prepare intensely for a tournament schedule.

Learning From a Sample Tennis Workout Routine

This workout is done during the off-season, obviously, but it will prepare anyone for an amazing season once the matches begin. This tennis workout routine is actually best done as a lead-up to a big tournament, perhaps that one time when you hope to get a big break (wild card at a local pro tournament? a satellite tourney that you have to win?).

For those who know their tennis history, this tennis workout routine was followed by the great Ivan Lendl, who might have been one of the fittest players of all time, if not one of the best-liked. Here is the schedule from early morning to evening:

6:30 a.m.-Awaken to a breakfast of oatmeal and bananas, lots of oatmeal and bananas. Be sure not to drown your oatmeal in sugar or fancy flavors. Add berries to make it more delectable. Be sure to hydrate during breakfast as well, drinking lots of water even if you are not thirsty.

You will need those fluids badly as the day progresses, and hydrating ahead of time is always a smart move.

7:30 a.m.—Three to Six-mile run to build endurance. Find a course that you like and that has enough visual appeal to keep you happy during the next 45-60 minutes. If you are working out at a club, perhaps there is a golf course nearby where you can run.

A long 18-hole course will be about five miles.

9 a.m.—Hit the court for intense hitting drills. Start with 100 balls of forehand to forehand, then 100 balls for the backhand and 100 balls to practice your volley. You obviously will need either a partner or a ball machine for this part of the tennis workout routine. Oh, here’s the kicker on the type of training that the pros do: if you mis-hit a ball, you start over at 0 until you get to 100 consecutive shots in on all strokes. This type of session will build lots of great muscle memory. Concentrate on great form before the matches begin later in the day.

11:30 a.m.—Lunch and relaxation, usually heavy on the fruit, grilled chicken, perhaps some pasta. You also might want to sneak in a quick cat nap at this point. You’ll need it.

1 p.m.—Match play, with every loss carrying a penalty, usually running or push-ups. Go best out of 3 sets or best out of 5, whichever you have time for in the next 2 ½ hours. Use this time to work on the strategic aspects of tennis and becoming a player who is iron-strong mentally. You have no other time during the course of a typical day to try a new shot, change an old strategy, experiment with a new spin on the serve. Use actual game play to polish the rough edges of your arsenal.

4 p.m.—Hit the gym for a complete workout: one hour on the stair-climber, 45 minutes on the stationary bike and then a complete circuit of weight lifting. To vary this part of the tennis workout routine, you can ride an actual bike outdoors to get out of the gym atmosphere. As for weight lifting, don’t forget to work your core as well as your arms, shoulders, upper back and legs. Your legs will feel like jelly the first time that you work out after a 2-hour match, but eventually you will gain much-needed strength and this last session will not be too much of a chore. Blare the music and vary the exercises to stay fresh during this final portion of the day.

6:30—dinner followed by rest and an early bed time.

If this tennis workout routine becomes too taxing, cut back on the exercises and the tennis playing. You certainly do not want to try and follow this tennis workout routine if you are in poor shape right now. Start with a scaled-back version of this routine and begin to fill it out to near the intensity described above. Also, be sure to take 1-2 days off in the course of a week and vary your weight training so that a muscle group is worked every other day, not every day.

What Do You Have to Do to Learn a Thing or Two From A Professional Tennis Workout Routine?

Most likely, your tennis workout routine looks nothing like the above routine, or anything close to a professional workout routine for that matter. In fact, if you are anything but a professional tennis player, you will likely not have ample time to incorporate a tennis workout routine like the above.

But no worries, you can still learn a thing or two from the tennis workout routine above.

Even if you can only take 1 thing, like getting up earlier in the morning, to practice a basket of tennis serves, you’ll already be on the path to playing better tennis.

This tennis workout routine has a great mix of exercises to build both endurance and quickness, with lots of hitting in between. As you can tell from simply reading its description, a person who will follow such a workout must be extremely motivated to become one of the best. Anyone who follows this tennis training schedule will soon see that the long run in the morning becomes easy, the court time much less tiring and, before you know it, you will be strong as an ox in the fifth set while your opponent is fading.

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Perhaps no other sport can match tennis for the breadth of fitness required to play at a high level.

Forget those two older guys with pot bellies that tap it around on your club court. If you want to hang with the best in the sport and win age-group or appropriate-level tournaments, you’re going to have to get into fantastic shape to not only endure, but have plenty left in long, closely contested matches.

Not just any tennis workout program will do.

What is a Tennis Workout Program, And Why?

Tennis calls on many aspects of fitness in the course of a match, from strength to speed, from agility to flexibility, and add endurance on top of all that. Tennis players are strong, they are fast, they are quick, they are agile, they are flexible and they can play all day.

The next time that you watch a professional match, notice how many times players nearly do the splits, how many times they dart back and forth across the court during a long rally, how fresh they look even after three hours, summoning more strength then than many athletes can muster even in the opening minutes.

Better yet, take a look at a slow-motion video of a player hitting a powerful forehand—you will see muscles rippling like you never have before. Tennis players have it all yet cannot concentrate too much on any one aspect of fitness. That makes finding a sound tennis workout program a challenge.

Key Focus of Every Tennis Workout Program

Tennis players do not want to get too buff and tighten all of the muscles that they use in a match. They also do not want to focus solely on endurance because they have many short, explosive movements to make in the context of a match.

They also don’t want to simply build up their fast-twitch muscles because they must perform at a high level for several hours. This unique mix makes the compilation of an ideal tennis workout program difficult to prescribe, but here are a few hints in that quest:

Any tennis workout program that is worth the paper it’s printed on must include exercises done both on the court and in the gym. A little work on the track would be great, too.

Core Muscles and Exercises That Must Be Covered in a Tennis Workout Program

To produce the strength needed to hit shots with both pace and spin, the legs, core, arms, back and shoulders must be worked. Those body parts will also come into play as dozens of short sprints are run in the playing of a match and lightning-fast changes of direction are required time after time. Standard leg exercises include the leg press and squats in the gym.

Standard arm exercises include the bicep and tricep curls, as well as the bench and shoulder presses. The core is really the key to strong ground strokes and the serve, so be sure to spend most of your time getting that part of the body fit. To work the core and shoulders, use a medicine ball, as many top tennis players do.

Toss it back and forth with a partner either in the gym or across the net. To amplify the exercise’s effects, make an exaggerated movement to either side as you catch and throw the ball. You should also throw it overhand to get your shoulders buzzing. Your back will also benefit from flinging the ball around.

Speed and Agility Exercises in a Tennis Workout Program

To increase your speed and agility, do any variety of shuttle runs on the court and incorporate a few footwork exercises as well.

Here are the details on one great shuttle run: place four tennis balls on the court, two at the “T”, one at the net, one halfway between, all in a line.

Starting at the baseline, sprint to each ball and pick them up, one at a time, placing them on the baseline. Touch the baseline each time and when the last ball makes it there, begin to return the balls one at a time to their original spots.

Continue until all balls are in their starting positions. This is a standard shuttle run that tennis players have done for many, many years.

A good footwork drill proceeds as follows: place two cones two feet apart, then run a figure eight around the cones without knocking them over. Continue this for one minute. Another good cone drill is placing three in a triangle and running around each one in order as you hit phantom forehands and backhands. This drill has been used by Roger Federer, among others.

Tennis Workout Program – Endurance Exercises

To build up your endurance for that long match that you must win at all costs, practice interval running, preferably on a track. This will most closely simulate the type of running that you do in tennis, when long rallies are interspersed with short sprints (unless you are playing a human backboard on clay, which does happen occasionally).

Incline Exercises to Build Tennis Strength in the Lower Body

On a track, sprint on the straight-aways and jog on the curves (walk if you must, but alternate speeds depending on where you are on the track). If you are not able to use a track, get on a treadmill and adjust it to a slight incline. Sprint uphill for 100 meters, then walk down 100 meters and repeat.

If you aren’t near a treadmill, find a good hill to do this same exercise. Such interval running will boost your heart rate recovery between long points in the course of a game.

For greater flexibility, stretch all of your major muscle groups before working out. Some players even use yoga to improve their flexibility and balance. Added flexibility will help to prevent injuries and also increase your defensive capabilities, as well as the power on your strokes. If you do choose to do yoga, practice it at least once a week.

Structuring Your Tennis Workout Program – Key Guidelines

It will be impossible to do all of these types of workouts in the course of one day. You would have to quit your day job to work it in! That’s part of the point. Your body will need rest as you tax it in a variety of ways with this tennis workout program. Thus, be sure to alternate your training, spacing out leg presses, for instance, with at least a day’s rest in between.

When you are not working on strength one day, do some interval running. The next day, you can do yoga and a few shuttle runs, then back to strength training. Be sure also to give your body a day or two off from all exercise.

Here is a proposal for how to structure your tennis workout program:

Monday—Strength workouts for arms, legs, shoulder, core

Tuesday—Shuttle runs and play

Wednesday—Strength workouts

Thursday—Interval running

Friday—Yoga

Saturday—Light strength training and play

Sunday—Off

Cool Down & Maintenance in Your Tennis Workout Program

As you vary your tennis workout program, you will find that no one part of your body becomes overly tired and sore. If you overdo it early in your tennis workout program, be sure to ice any soreness and talk to a doctor if certain pains persist. A lot of problems can be avoided if you don’t try to become super-fit in the course of two days or even two weeks. Start off many exercises with one set the first time, no matter how short the workout feels. Then, increase the number of sets in successive weeks as your body gets used to being stretched and pulled in new ways.

All of the fitness training in the world might not make you a better player if your strokes are weak, but if you are already a solid player, excellent fitness can be the thin difference between winning and losing. The fit player is confident even in the third or fifth set, knowing that he has put in the hard work necessary to outlast anyone across the net. A good tennis workout program will be interesting enough and varied enough to keep you at it for the long haul.

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For competitive players and those seeking to improve their game, it is not enough that they simply practice their strokes over and over again. This effort should be complimented by a regimented fitness program that can boost the player’s ability to hit harder, reach more balls, have more stamina and avoid injuries.

Basics of a Tennis Workout Plan

A tennis workout plan can be perfect only if it develops strength, flexibility, power and endurance for all muscle groups of the entire body while paying special attention to the critical muscle groups and joints that are placed under repetitive stress when playing.

A program must also be individualized to tailor fit a particular player’s unique anatomic and physiologic traits.

Periodization is a concept that is used for designing a tennis workout plan. It breaks down a long program into shorter periods, each with its own objectives. These periods are sequentially arranged and must be followed in their specified order.

Building a Solid Tennis Workout Plan

The first phase of any tennis workout plan aims to build a solid foundation of overall body strength. As an athletic endeavour, strength is valuable in order to play the game well. The muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones and joints must be conditioned for the sport.

However, tennis places uneven stresses on the body which might lead to postural problems and injuries. This makes it even more vital to train the entire body in order to counteract any tendency to develop imbalances.

The following tennis weight training routine is recommended to be performed only twice a week for 6-8 weeks. This allows ample time for rest and recovery in between sessions. The main targets are the major muscle groups in order to strengthen the whole body. These exercises are done during the off season like in winter.

Tennis Workout Plan Using Free Weights

Around 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions are done per exercise using only 40-50% of the maximum weight load you can do for 1 rep. Lifts should be smooth and controlled. Either free weights or machine weights can be used. The rest interval between sets should be no more than 90 seconds.

Before doing the actual work out, start with a 10 minute aerobic warm up and some dynamic stretches:

• Light jogging in place, jumping rope or jumping jacks
• Wrist circles
• Arm circles – start from small to medium to full circles
• Trunk twisting
• Toe touching
• Side bending
• Abdominal stretching over stability ball
• Groin stretching on stability ball
• High knee kicks
• Rear kicks

An ideal tennis workout plan includes a cool down part. After the work out, another additional 10 minutes are taken to cool down with some static stretches:

• Wrist stretches
• Tricep stretches
• Shoulder stretches
• Chest stretches
• Lower back stretches
• Groin stretches
• Quadriceps stretches
• Hamstring stretches
• Calf stretches
• Achilles stretches

These static stretches are held for around 10 seconds each.

The main part of the workout makes use of the exercises usually recommended for this initial phase of your tennis workout plan:

• Squats or Leg Presses
• Bench Presses or Push Ups
• Back Extensions on Stability Ball
• Lunges
• Single Arm Dumbbell Rows
• Twisting Crunches
• Shoulder Presses
• Standing Barbell Curls
• Standing Calf Raises
• Barbell Upright RowsThe following exercises are specific for the rotator cuff and the forearm and are done not just in the first phase but throughout all phases.

• Horizontal external rotations
• External rotations with knee support
• External rotations while lying on one side
• Internal rotations
• Forearm pronation and supination
• Wrist curls
• Wrist extensions
• Wrist rotations
• Grips Tennis Workout Plan to Develop Strength

The second phase of your tennis workout plan aims to develop maximum strength. The exercises used during this period are more intense. If an athlete can train to attain maximum strength, he or she has greater potential to develop more power and muscular endurance.

A tennis player should be able to hit the ball just as hard at the end of a long match as he or she has at the beginning. This phase takes just about as long as the first phase (6-8 weeks). Each exercise is done 2 to 3 times a week. 3-4 sets of 5-8 smooth and controlled repetitions are done with a rest interval of 3-4 minutes.

The weight used is 80-90% of maximum capacity for one rep. Just as in the first phase, a proper warm up and cool down should precede and conclude each work out session. The exercises used during this phase are the following:

• Barbell Squats or Lying Leg Presses
• Bench Presses
• Lat Pull Downs
• Shoulder Shrugs
• Bent Over Rows
• Weighted Crunches

In the third phase of a tennis workout plan, the maximum strength that was developed in the previous period is now going to be converted to power and endurance. Exercises are now more tennis specific in the sense that they mimic the movements used in the sport.

Tennis Workout Plan: Movement Specific Exercises

These movements are quick and explosive. Simple weight training is not the only component anymore. Instead, plyometric exercises are done additionally.

These include jumping exercises and medicine ball throwing exercises. The length of this period is 1-2 months. Each exercise is done no more than twice a week. Three sets of 8-10 reps with a rest interval of 3-4 minutes should be performed. Like the previous phases, a proper warm up and cool down should bookend each training session.

• Squat Jumps
• Medicine Ball Side Throws
• Hurdle Jumps with Sprint
• Medicine Ball Over the Back Toss
• Box Drill with Rings – four rings are drawn on four corners of a square and the athlete must hop clockwise or counter-clockwise from one ring to the next.
• Slams – this is a medicine ball exercise where you pick up the ball from the ground, hoist it over your head and slam it back down as hard as you can.

Plyometric Exercises in a Tennis Workout Plan

Aside from power-building plyometric exercises, a strength endurance circuit training session should be done twice a week. Schedule these such that they don’t fall on the same day that you will be doing your plyometrics. Circuit training makes use of different body weight exercises each being done for one full minute.

After each exercise, a 30 second rest period is taken before moving on to the next exercise. After completing all exercises, you are said to have accomplished one circuit. A 2 minute rest is taken between circuits until 2 or 3 circuits have been completed. Needless to say, a proper warm up and cool down should be done before and after a training session.

Squat Jumps Push Ups Squat Thrusts Sit Ups with Twist Box Step Ups with High Knee Drive Bench Dips Alternating Split Squats Alternating Superman exercises – lie prone on the floor and lift up your left arm and right leg off the ground for 10 seconds then do the same with the opposite arm and leg.

Incorporating Proper Nutrition and Diet in a Tennis Workout Plan

A total tennis workout plan also takes into account your nutritional needs. A proper diet can be formulated based on a player’s need to gain or lose weight. Carbohydrates are the main fuel of the body for physical activity and should be taken before a training session.

Complex carbohydrates are best because they are more gradually metabolized and do not get converted to fat as easily as simple sugars. Examples include wheat based bread and cereals, brown rice and pasta.

Proper Tennis Diet in a Tennis Workout Plan

Simple sugars can be taken during or right after a training session to replenish depleted stores of carbohydrates. Proteins from eggs, white poultry meat and lean red meat are important in muscle and tissue repair and development. Hence, the ideal time to eat such food is after a training session.

Dietary fibre is also important as it improves digestion and contributes to better metabolic regulation. Vitamins and minerals should not be neglected as well. Deficiencies in any of these will result in suboptimal performance due to their effect on the nervous, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and endocrine systems.

Fluids and electrolytes should be replaced during and after your work out. However, be careful not to drink too much while working out. Instead, limit yourself to just a few sips during rest intervals. Drink a lot after the training session.

There was a time when even the professional players didn’t have a real tennis workout plan. But today, every serious tennis player must undergo some kind of fitness regimen in order to be successful. Whatever your definition of success is, a fitness program specially designed for you will help make the realization of your goals more easily achievable.

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Tennis Workout Drill #1: Return and Identify

This series of tennis workout drills serve to enhance the player’s serve return game. One player acts as the server and the other is the returner. The server is to hit any one of five or six different types of serves to the returner. The returner must first identify the serve, call it out, then return the serve. The serves that can be used for this drill are: pure slice, topspin-slice, topspin, twist and flat serves, even the reverse slice if you are able to hit that one as well.

The returner cannot move on to receiving a different type of serve until he or she correctly identifies the serve and returns it successfully. Once each serve has been identified and returned well, the server should be sure to mix up the serves to confuse the returner. After about five or ten minutes of serving, the returner should take over the job of server and begin to offer a wide variety of serves.

This drill can be an excellent one to build service recognition and anticipation. The return of serve is a constant weak point for most players. Any drills that focus on this stroke are welcomed.

Tennis Workout Drill #2: Serving Cat

Serving Cat is actually a game that can be disguised as a tennis workout drill. The idea of the game is the same as in H-O-R-S-E in basketball.

The first player describes what his serve will do in precise terms, where the ball will land, etc., and if he or she strikes a serve that does what he or she says, the other player must duplicate the same serve. As errors are made, letters are accumulated to spell C-A-T.

If the server does not execute what he or she says, he or she does not get a letter. The control of the game simply passes to the other person.

You can spice up this game by not only calling out where the serve will land, but how many bounces it will take until it hits the fence, how many bounces it will take before reaching the baseline, etc. You can even predict where on the fence the ball will hit after it bounces. For those with more powerful serves, they can predict that their serve will hit the fence after just one bounce within the service box.

Serves always need to be perfected, and this can be a fun way to work on exact placement of the serve with a variety of spins added. If you want to extend the game, add the letters F-U-R and B-A-L-L. Each of you will be eager to avoid being called a “Cat Fur Ball”!

Tennis Workout Drill #3: Drop Volley Drill

Drop volleys are yet another skill that is not often worked on during a match—not enough of them are attempted in the course of a match to really help a player get better at this difficult stroke. The soft touch and delicate spins required to hit a great drop volley will be mastered through this fun tennis workout drill.

An excellent drop volley should have a low trajectory and thus bounce several times before reaching the service line.

Three bounces are often considered the minimum for an effective drop volley, but it is possible to hit one that bounces several more times before reaching the service line. An outstanding drop volley will actually remain within the service box. The rare player who can add tons of spin to his drop volley can even make it bounce back to his side of the net!

The feeder stands at the service line and hits six balls so that the returner will meet the ball below the top of the net.

The goal of the returner is to make the ball bounce as many times as possible before rolling out of the opposite service box. For each bounce that the ball takes before crossing that line, one point is awarded.

A shot is disqualified if it reaches a height of greater than six feet because such a volley would be easy to return in a match situation. After the returner hits six drop volleys and calculates the score of total accumulated bounces, the feeder takes his turn.

To spice up this series tennis workout drills, hit to both the forehand and backhand an equal number of times. Another way to heighten the excitement is to stand further and further back behind the service line as you feed, ensuring greater pace and a greater level of difficulty for the returner. This will really give the drop volley hitter a workout! Do the tennis workout drill multiple times to ensure a solid dose of practice of this difficult shot.

Tennis Workout Drill #4: Side Pocket Shot Drill

This tennis workout drill works on a player’s ability to hit angle shots. A side pocket shot is a groundstroke that is hit so sharply crosscourt that it bounces in the service box and then out of the court of play before ever crossing the imaginary line extending from the service line—an extreme angle.

This is by far the best crosscourt passing shot and it can also open up the court quite a bit in the midst of a baseline rally. This shot is also one that is rarely practiced but can be extremely effective. Use a little drill time with your buddy to perfect this devastating stroke.

The feeder should hit the ball to the left and right so that the ball will be returned about halfway between the baseline and the service line, a little short, in other words. This will be the type of shot that a player can attempt a side pocket shot on, so it makes sense to hit it at that depth during the drill.

The feeder should strike about five balls and see how many the runner can effectively hit into the side pocket. The runner can then serve as the feeder and hit five balls to his friend. This game can be played in a number of ways as you keep score—highest overall percentage of balls hit into the side pocket (for you math whizzes), individual “matches” of five balls hit at a time, etc. Keeping score will increase the intensity and seriousness of the drill. Before you know it, you and your friend will be masters of this difficult shot, although it will take longer to master the backhand shot than the forehand one. Lots of topspin will enable you to hit the side pocket more frequently.

Tennis Workout Drill #5: Drop Shot Contest

This particular tennis workout drill serves to improve a player’s drop shot. The feeder stands at the baseline and hits shots of normal depth that the returner attempts to hit as a drop shot. A successful drop shot will be judged as one that bounces at least three times before crossing the service line. Shots that are hit higher than six feet, and thus easily returnable, are automatically disqualified in the contest.

The feeder and returner can alternate every five balls or so. Score can be kept in a variety of ways, as described above.

In order for a set of tennis workout drills to be effective, they must be fun and must work on parts of your game that usually do not get a lot of attention. The tennis workout drills described above meet both of these criteria. Each shot or stroke that is tested is vital to a complete game. The return of serve always needs polish, as does the serve placement. The drop volley could be the toughest shot in tennis, if the side pocket shot is not. The drop shot can be a great weapon in the course of a match, but when do you get to practice it? Answer: when you adopt the quick and easy workout plan of tennis workout drills outlined in this posting.

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