The Top Fitness Exercises for Tennis Players: How to Improve Your Forehand and Power

Tennis is a physically demanding sport that requires a variety of skills for optimal athletic performance on the court. To acquire these skills, you’ll need a purpose-driven training program that is specifically geared toward tennis players.

A good forehand and powerful movements are essential for a successful tennis match. Without these core techniques, your game will suffer and you are less likely to achieve your athletic goals.

Here are the top fitness exercises for tennis players that will improve your forehand and boost the power of your movements.

Grip Training

A good grip on your racket is the backbone of a powerful forehand shot. Improving your grip strength will help you absorb more force, and therefore give you more control over your swing and the ball. Having a strong grip also reduces your risk of tennis elbow, which is a common side effect of having a weak grip. To enhance your grip, you should incorporate simple exercises such as farmer’s walks, towel twists, and resisted wrist extensions into your workouts.

Cardiovascular Endurance

Tennis matches sometimes go on for hours, which requires players to maintain their energy and power levels through the duration of the game. This takes a substantial amount of cardiovascular endurance, which means you should be doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT), running, swimming, or cycling to help build up your endurance and become more resistant to fatigue.

Upper Body Plyometric Exercises

Upper body plyometric exercises are essential for explosive power and movement during a tennis match. Focusing on pushing, pulling, and rotations will help you build strength and power to make you a more dominant force during your matches. 

Some great upper body plyometric exercises for tennis players include wall chest presses, overhead forward throws, and decline pushups. These exercises are vital for putting more power behind your forehand and improving your performance. It’s important to determine how many sets and reps you need to build muscle to achieve your personal goals, and to design a strength-building routine that will help you excel during your matches.

Mobility Training

Mobility is an often-overlooked facet of training for tennis players, but plays a vital role in how well you perform. Mobility training improves the range of motion of your joints, which allows you to move more freely and quickly switch positions with ease. A greater range of motion also generates more power behind your movements to improve your forehand and your overall performance. Better mobility also helps stabilize your body to improve your balance so you can transfer power from your core and lower body to your upper body more effectively. Additionally, mobility training can improve your coordination to help you time your shots better for enhanced accuracy.

Upper body fitness is crucial for tennis players to improve their athletic prowess and dominate their matches. By incorporating a few key exercises into your workout regimen, you’ll be able to improve your forehand by increasing your accuracy and generating more power for an impressive follow through.