Overview
The fact that most top tennis players devote a significant percentage of their training time to working on physical fitness speaks to the level of importance that physical training holds to reaching the top levels of the game.
Let’s get specific about the different aspects of fitness training, related to tennis. These are the areas of physical ability and training we are talking about:
- Strength
- Mobility
- Balance
- Agility
- Flexibility
- Speed
- Aerobic Fitness
- Vision Fitness
- Reaction Time
- Injury Prevention/Recovery
That is a formidable list! Take a moment to consider each item and where your ability level is, at this moment. Most people have strengths and weaknesses with their fitness. You could be lightning quick, but have poor stamina. Or, you might be very strong but have limited mobility.
The most important thing to recognize is that a little work can take you a long way … as long as you use a program that is gradual, gentle, and consistent.
Path to Mastery
- Commit to a regular workout schedule.
- Keep a training log.
- Keep your workouts simple and between 15 and 60 minutes. (Do not underestimate the power of short, consistent workouts)
- Measure and record your progress.
- Challenge yourself to improve in each area.
Next Actions
Beginner
Do the Full Body Maintenance workout and the Aerobic Base Training once a week for three weeks.
Intermediate
Do the Baseline Test and evaluate your starting point. Commit to two workouts a week for the next four weeks. See the Intermediate Start-Up Plan.
Advanced
Do the Baseline Test and evaluate your starting point. Commit to three 1 hour workouts a week for the next month. Do the Advanced Start-Up Plan.
Tournament
Commit to 3 strength workouts and two movement/agility workouts a week for the next 8 weeks. Plan to do these in the off-season, or work them around weeks when you have tournaments scheduled.