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!

By: Brandon Richey

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Tennis Exercise Products Reviewed

The inventor of lawn tennis, Major Walter C. Wingfield, is credited with the concretization of the rules of the game, as well as inventing the tennis equipment. Wingfield named the game, ‘Sphairistike’, meaning ‘ball playing’. In this game, he combined ideas from older games, such as court tennis, squash and badminton. Tennis was a popular sport among European monks as well.

The first organized tennis tournament was held in Britain by the All England Croquet Club at Wimbledon in 1874. The news about the game spread to the US, and the first US National Championship was organized at Newport in 1881. However, the game remained restricted to men for a while. It was only after six years that women debuted in the 1887 women’s championship.

Tennis Equipment: Types

Here is a list of the different tennis equipment in use these days:

Tennis Ball – Inflated, felt-covered, unstitched, rubber balls, usually 6.7 cm in diameter, are the perfect tennis balls. Modern day tennis balls are composed of approximately 14-18 chemicals. They are available in a variety of colors; the most common color being bright yellow. The balls are prone to wear and tear. However, tennis balls can be used as long as the felt cover remains undamaged and the bounce is perfect.

Racquet – An oval-shaped racquet, with a hitting surface of resilient fiber is the most popular. This tennis equipment can be purchased within a price range of $12 to $18. The handle should be small, with a circumference of four-and-a-half inches. Modern racquets are heavier in the handle than at the head.

Nets – Cotton nets are common in gymnasiums and improvised lawn courts. However, outdoor nets should be made of tarred hemp, with a canvas top and steel/rope cable. There are steel nets too, which are entirely waterproof. A quality net will cost about $15 to $40.

Besides the above tennis equipment, a good game of tennis also depends on the right kind of tennis court. Courts can be of three kinds:

Composition courts – These courts, made from cement or asphalt are the most efficient but expensive. Clay or Gravel courts – These are the most common ones, since they are cheap to build. However, these are difficult and expensive to maintain. Grass courts – Building and maintaining grass courts entail heavy investment.

By: Kathleen Chester

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Tennis Exercise Products Reviewed