How can you incorporate functional training into tennis programs?

1 Assess your needs

Before you start any functional training program, you need to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a tennis player. What are your goals? What are the skills and abilities that you want to improve? How is your current level of fitness, mobility, and stability? You can use various tests and tools to evaluate your needs, such as the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), the Tennis Fitness Test (TFT), or the Tennis Functional Assessment (TFA). These assessments will help you design a functional training program that is tailored to your needs and objectives.

2 Choose your exercises

Functional training exercises should replicate the movements and patterns used on the court, such as lateral steps, lunges, twists, swings, jumps, and sprints. These exercises should also challenge your core stability, balance, coordination, and power. For example, lateral skater jumps can improve your lateral explosiveness, agility, and balance. To do this exercise, start in a squat position and jump sideways to land on one foot. Then jump back to the other side and repeat. You can use a cone or a marker to measure the distance of your jumps. Medicine ball rotational tosses are another exercise that enhances your rotational power, core strength, and coordination. Stand sideways to a wall and hold a medicine ball in front of your chest. Rotate your torso and throw the ball against the wall as hard as you can. Catch the ball and repeat on the other side. You can vary the angle and height of your tosses to mimic different tennis strokes. Lastly, single-leg Romanian deadlifts strengthen your posterior chain and improve your balance and stability. Stand on one leg and hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand. Hinge at your hips and lower the dumbbell to the floor while keeping your back straight and your knee slightly bent. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other leg.

3 Plan your frequency and intensity

Functional training should be integrated into your overall tennis training plan, not replace it. Depending on your schedule, goals, and recovery, you can do functional training 2-3 times per week, preferably on non-consecutive days. You can also vary the intensity and volume of your functional training sessions according to your periodization cycle. For example, you can do more high-intensity and low-volume functional training during the pre-competition phase, and more low-intensity and high-volume functional training during the off-season phase.

4 Monitor your progress and adjust

Functional training is not a one-size-fits-all approach. You need to monitor your progress and adjust your program accordingly. You can use the same assessments that you did at the beginning to measure your improvements and identify any areas that need more attention. You can also use feedback from your coach, your performance on the court, and your own perception of effort and enjoyment to evaluate your functional training program. Remember to keep challenging yourself, but also respect your limits and avoid overtraining.

Functional training can be a great way to enhance your tennis skills, fitness, and health. By following these tips, you can incorporate functional training into your tennis programs and enjoy the benefits of this dynamic and effective method of exercise.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?