Can’t get to the gym to check out a class? Here are three key moves you can try on your own that will help improve your game before you even pick up your racquet.
From Core Conditioning Classes – One-arm chest press on a ball
A. Lie with your head, neck, shoulders, and upper back on a stability ball with your knees bent 90 degrees. Hold an 8- to 20-pound dumbbell (or just your racquet) in your right hand straight above your shoulder and your palm facing forward (keep your left hand bent at your side with your upper arm on ball).
B. Drop your hips and right arm until weight is just above shoulder, then powerfully press the weight up while driving your hips upward, firing through your glutes. Do 10–12 reps, then switch sides and repeat.
Why you should try it: “This move works both the core and the glutes, along with the chest, and helps transfer power from your hips through your arm so you can hit the ball harder,” says Jonathan Ross, owner of Aion Fitness in Bowie, Md.
From boot-camp classes – Crossing side lunge
A. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a medicine ball (or tennis racquet) in both hands with your arms extended at shoulder height. Lunge to left with your left leg, bending your knee 90 degrees while rotating your arms and chest left to 45 degrees. Keep your right leg straight the whole time.
B. Cross your left leg behind your body in a curtsy squat, bending both knees to 90 degrees (your right knee should continue to point forward and your knee should stay aligned with your ankle). At the same time, twist your torso to the right, bringing the ball diagonally across your body toward the outside of your right hip. Your arms should remain extended the whole time. Do 10–12 reps, then switch sides and repeat both A and B.
Why you should try it: Shifting your weight from one side to the other while rotating your upper body helps you develop more dynamic control, so you can change direction on the court more quickly, Ross says.
From yoga – Pigeon pose
A. Begin on all fours and lift your hips toward the ceiling, forming an upside down ‘V’ (this is called downward dog pose).
B. Lift your right leg straight behind you, then swing the leg forward, bringing your right knee toward your right hand and your right foot as close as you can to your left hand as is comfortable. Lower your left leg to floor and keep your hips facing forward. To increase the stretch, lean forward over the bent leg. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.
Why it helps: This classic yoga stretch opens the hips while stretching the chest, helping to increase flexibility in areas that can be tight among tennis players, says instructor Spencer Gee, of Two Worlds Dance & Fitness in Greenvale, N.Y.