Top players are also exceptional athletes in today modern tennis game. Any tennis training program will include at least one component of a tennis agility drill to not only improve a player’s balance but their explosion and quickness around the tennis court.
Often times, the tennis fitness aspect of the game is overlooked by club players worldwide. This is a shame, because a player that is in good physical shape can outlast a player who has not yet included tennis agility drills into their training regimen. For any good player, tennis agility drills are a big part of their fitness element.
Below are some of the tennis agility drills that help tennis players develop their speed, balance, quickness and coordination. Specifically, these drills aim to develop the players’ ability to change direction, footwork flexibility, hip extension, etc.
Tennis Agility Drill #1: The skip for height supplemental
The objective of this series tennis agility drills is to help players increase their hip extension. It also helps the players to strengthen their flexion and to develop ankle stiffness. This drill is just one of the tennis agility drills that a player must follow to gain speed and quickness that is necessary to win tennis matches.
Steps:
- Skip with your left or right leg and move forward while doing so. While skipping, you should maintain proper body posture where your spine is in straight position and your body in steady posture. You arm should also be in proper action. When the left leg is up, the right hand is up as well and vice versa.
- Make sure that the knee of the leg that is up in the air is fully extended and fully flexed. Also, the ankle of the raised leg should level off with the knee of the leg on the ground.
- When the raised leg is fully up, your foot on the ground should be on plantar flexion movement or the front portion of your foot and the shin is angled at 90 degrees.
- When your foot lands on the ground, create an explosive but gentle power but never bang it on the ground.
Tennis Agility Drill #2: The 40-yard square carioca tennis agility drill
This is one of the tennis agility drills that aim to develop your ability to quickly change direction. It also helps you enhance your hips and footwork flexibility.
Steps:
- Execute this drill with the use of cones. Simply place one cone on every corner of the court.
- Position yourself at one corner and execute the two point stance. To do this, stand with both of your knees bent and feet staggered (one foot is in front while the other stays back) and put your weight over your front foot. Bend your elbows and then place your arms in front of your chest with your head up.
- From your present position, sprint towards one corner and pivot in reverse manner when you reach the corner.
- After you pivot, execute Carioca instead of sprinting to reach the next corner.
- Then execute another reverse pivot when you reach another corner and go to the remaining corner using Carioca steps. Repeat the drill as many as you can or as prescribed by the coach.
Tennis Agility Drill #3: The quick and wide shuffle with ladder
Same as the other tennis agility drills, this drill help you improve you speed, coordination and balance.
Steps:
- Start with a two-point stance position (as described above).
- Stand in such a way that the ladder is front of you.
- Then step with your left and right feet on the first step or square
- Then move out of the ladder laterally. Say move to your right side by a side step using your right foot first then your left foot follows.
- Then you move in but this time on the next step or square. Move in with your left foot first to be followed by your right foot. As your right foot touches the square, move out you’re your left foot quickly (this time to the left side of the ladder) and your right foot follows quickly.
- Repeat the move in and move out steps as many as you can. Remember to maintain balance when you execute this drill.
- Once you reach the top of the ladder, you can repeat the drill and start again from the first step or square.
Tennis Agility Drill #4: The 15-yard turn agility drill
In addition to other tennis agility drills, this drill helps you improve your ability to change from one direction to another. It will also make you more flexible in your hips and footwork. To complete this drill, put one marker (cone1) at around five yard forward from the starting your point (which is also the finish point) and another marker (cone 2) five yards to the right of the starting point.
Steps:
- Execute the two-point stance posture while you are at the starting point.
- The next step is for you to sprint towards cone 1. Upon reaching the first marker (cone 1), quickly make a right turn towards the next maker (cone 2).
- As you reach cone 2, make a quick left turn and sprint towards the starting point or the finishing point. Take note that cone 1 and cone 2 should be in diagonal position.
Tennis Agility Drill #5: The lateral skaters to sprint agility drill
The purpose of this set of tennis agility drills is for the development of your cutting ability and enhancement of first lateral quickness. In addition to other tennis agility drill, this drill must be done regularly to develop your speed and quickness.
Steps:
- To start with this drill, stand with straight and steady body posture and bring your left and right feet together. Then push off your body using either of your legs laterally. This means that when you are pushing you body towards you right, it is you left leg that pushes you off, but you land with your right foot.
- Once you land on the ground or on the floor (make sure that you land with only one foot), pause for three to four seconds and quickly push off again to the other side. This time, you push your body with your right leg and land on your left leg.
- For this agility drill for be more effective, repeat it as many as you can and at regular basis. After you have completed the reps, sprint around the court.
Tennis Agility Drill #6: The medicine ball agility drill
This is one of the tennis agility drills that enhance your explosive power to help you execute powerful throwing and overhead shots. In this tennis agility drill, all you need is a medicine ball.
Steps:
- Stand in front of a wall with your two feet spread at hip-width distance. Keep your body straight and in steady manner, your head up and knees bent.
- Hold the medicine ball with your both hands and bring it up over your head. With your elbows bent, hit the wall with the ball successively at a very fast pace. Do this as long as possible and do it regularly as well.
- You can do variations in this drill. One variation is the position of your feet. You can have one of your feet in front while the other stays back. You can also execute this drill while you are in kneeling position.
Tennis Agility Drill #7: The sprint/backpedal agility drill
This tennis agility drill aims to develop your reaction speed and quickness. It also aims to develop your quickness in changing directions, which is vital when playing tennis matches. To complete this drill, make markings on the starting point and the finishing point. The distance between the two points should be around 30 yards.
Steps:
- Stand at the starting point and wait for your partner’s or coach’s signal to start.
- Once you hear the first whistle, spring quickly towards the finishing marker.
- When you hear the second whistle, stop and move backwards) at a very fast pace (backpedal.
- The drill continues where you change directions (forwards or backward movements) after each whistle. The coach on one hand should see to it the interval of each whistle varies. So that the player won’t be able to anticipate the whistle and when to stop. In the end, the drill becomes more effective in developing the player’s ability to quickly change direction.
- The player should also not anticipate the whistle and should maintain the same speed all throughout the drill.
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