Strength Training Helps Your Tennis or Pickleball Game
Strength matters. The primary reason for weight classes in sports like boxing, and gender separation in sports generally is because strength matters even in games like tennis and pickleball. Strength is an insurmountable competitive advantage. With that said here are 3 ways strength training can take your tennis or pickleball game to the next level:
- Injury prevention: it’s impossible to prevent all injuries in a competitive sport, but strength training can reduce their frequency and severity at all ages – especially the more birthdays you’ve had.
- Tougher tissues: stronger bones, tendons and ligaments are harder to hurt or strain. Furthermore, injuries are less severe – injuries tend to be minor instead of catastrophic.
- Faster recovery: strength training conditions your body (immune system in particular) to be better at tissue repair, so consistent strength training means you can heal faster and better. This also means you will recover faster and better between games.
- Weak links: You should train your whole body, but all sports will put extra stress on certain body parts. A few minutes of extra focus on these areas means they can handle the extra stress better, yielding better performance and reduced injury risk.
- Speed and power: stronger legs make faster feet, and stronger arms a faster racquet whether you are playing tennis or pickleball.
- Quick change: the speed of your legs is as much about stopping as about starting. The stronger your legs the faster they can stop moving to the right so you can take the first step to your left.
- The stronger your arms the lighter your racquet and the faster you can move it. You still need good technique, but you have more potential.
- Stronger lasts longer: the stronger you are the easier and less exhausting everything becomes. If the same amount of force production is a smaller percent of your maximum ability you can play longer, have more fun and have a slower breakdown of technique and accuracy. Being stronger makes life and games easier, and more enjoyable. Just as when taking the stairs is difficult life is a lot less fun.
3 Excellent Exercises You’re Not Doing to Help Your Tennis or Pickleball Game (unless you’re training with us)
Face Pull
Why? each swing and serve requires the “breaks” in the back of your shoulder to stop your arm. When those muscles in the back of your shoulder/middle back can’t do their job your shoulder hurts and you’re less powerful.
Start: grab a tricep rope with palms down and knuckles in, and let the cable pull your shoulders as far forward as possible. You will feel like you’re “slouching.”
Finish: pull your thumbs back towards (if not past) your ears and pause for a beat.
Start with 3 sets of 15 reps.
Single leg deficit calf raises
Why? Force is created from the ground up – you step into a forehand, you wind up for your backhand, and you (obviously) run around on your feet. All of this is to say that your calfs play a crucial role in everything you do. They literally hold you up anytime you’re not sitting down.
Start: start with the middle of your foot on the edge of a ledge (or step). Let your heel drop as low as you can (usually you’ll feel a stretch).
Finish: keeping your knee straight, lift your heel up as high as you can. Push until you’re as tall as you can.
Work up to being able to do 3 sets of 20 each side at your body weight.
Wrist-ercise
Why? Your hands and wrists control your racquet, and they’re worn out your accuracy and control decline, and having too little capacity in your hands and forearms can lead to wrist and elbow pain. Lifting weights and carrying heavy things will do a lot for your hands and wrists, and most people (especially racquet athletes) will benefit from a little extra.
Start: grab a lopsided weight (weight plates like the ones in picture work great, as do adjustable dumbbels weighted on one side) with a secure grip and:
- Extension: elbows at 90. Knuckles pointing up. Let the weight bend your wrists down, and then lift your knuckles up as high as you can.
- Flexion: same as above, except in reverse – you will start with palms up instead of down.
- Radial deviation: forearms a little lower than horizontal. Thumbs pointed up. Let the weight pull your pinky side down, then, bending at the wrist pull the thumbs up.
- Ulnar deviation: arms straight and a little behind you, push the pinky side of your hand as far back as you can, and then, bending at your wrist, let the weight pull thumb side down. your palms will be up
Work up to being able to do 2 sets of 20 in each direction with 5-10lbs.
Adding in these exercises will help you stay stronger longer in your favorite games of tennis or pickleball.