The 2 Best Strength Training Exercises For Tennis, Period!

To be a successful tennis player you have got to flat out be an athlete on the court. In order to be an athlete you have got to train like one. The best strength and conditioning training for tennis players must involve kettlebell training. I have included to hard hitting drills here that will certainly take your athleticism to a whole new place and help you to dominate the competition on the court.

1. Kettlebell Long Cycle: This is a kettlebell exercise that is wonderful for helping you to develop an athletic body and explosive nature to give you an edge in your tennis game. This very exercise is wonderful for conditioning your body for both strength and cardiovascular fitness. To execute this drill simply place the kettlebell on the ground between your feet. From here you must pick the bell up off of the ground with one arm and properly clean it to your chest. Next, simply execute a jerk/press and lock the bell out over your head. Make sure that your shoulder and elbow are secure and locked into place. As you lower the bell back to the racked clean position drop it into a swing by “hiking it” between your legs. As it swings back up from between your legs rack the bell again at the clean position to perform the next jerk/press.

2. The Single Arm Swing: In order to improve your serve and add some more power to your game the single arm kettlebell swing is a great strength training exercise for tennis. To execute this lift simply pick the bell up off of the ground with one arm. Make sure to secure your grip by hooking it around the kettlebell. This hook type grip is done by grabbing the kettlebell handle towards the inner half of the handle. Next, rotate your fist so that your knuckles are pointing right at the sphere of the bell. From here simply swing the bell between your legs and up to chest level. 

Make sure to properly utilize the hip snap in order to build the momentum to swing the kettlebell. As the bell descends to swing between your legs make sure to rotate your palm to a “thumbs down” position. As the bell swings up to your chest allow your forearm to rotate back to a “palms down” position. If you include these drills into your personal tennis strength program you will not be disappointed. This training is great for wrist strength, it’s great strength training for tennis elbow, and it’s great rotator cuff strength training as well. Remember that anyone can train hard, but only champions train smart!