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Bodyweight Coaching Tennis

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njrick1

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Hello all,

I was fortunate enough to land a job coaching high school tennis this spring. I am working on a strength and conditioning program to give my team an edge and prevent injuries. Because we will not always have access to a gym during practice, I was thinking about giving them some Original Strength work and recommending reading easy strength and power to the people in their spare time.

I plan on following the 80/20 rule and dedicating no more than 20 percent of practice to strength and conditioning, but since we have don't have gym equipment available I figured Original Strength was our best bet. I was also thinking of incorporating some hardstyle planks, push ups and bodyweight squats. Any input would be greatly appreciated!
 
Do you have a background in coaching exercise or kinesiology? Or have access to someone who does?

Anything you can do to strengthen the torso would be good. Tennis, as all rotational sports, will require a powerful torso to transmit energy from the lower half to the upper half. Would you be able to get access to something even as simple as resistance bands? Anti-rotation exercises like chops/lifts as well as pallof presses would benefit.

Tennis athletes will need a good amount of hip mobility and especially t-spine mobility - the serve will require this. I would find an FMS person in your area for this if possible to figure out a baseline of movement.

I think you have a good start - OS will help mobility wise and planks/pushups squats will provide a good base. But if you can get some help from a trainer that would be great! Even if you don't have funds, you may find one willing to work for little to no fee if they are looking to make a name for themselves yet
 
wespom9 has some good advice there

What is your Tennis background?
What is your S&C background?

Bodyweight, jump stretch bands, FMT bands (gray cook bands) and a few Kbs would be all you would need for a basic program

Setting a movement baseline as suggested is a great starting point.
 
The rotational/torso work mentioned above is the most important thing for hitting the ball- it's all about planting on the front hip and rotating torso around that pivot. The other important skill is getting in position to quickly so you have time to get set up before the ball gets there. My Marine Dad was a very good tennis player, and when he taught my brothers and I how to play he didn't allow walking- every movement, chasing balls, changing courts, etc. had to be a sprint. We probably looked odd, but we were too winded to ever think about that. We did get quick with great stamina in a few weeks.
 
Do you have a background in coaching exercise or kinesiology? Or have access to someone who does?

Anything you can do to strengthen the torso would be good. Tennis, as all rotational sports, will require a powerful torso to transmit energy from the lower half to the upper half. Would you be able to get access to something even as simple as resistance bands? Anti-rotation exercises like chops/lifts as well as pallof presses would benefit.

Tennis athletes will need a good amount of hip mobility and especially t-spine mobility - the serve will require this. I would find an FMS person in your area for this if possible to figure out a baseline of movement.

I think you have a good start - OS will help mobility wise and planks/pushups squats will provide a good base. But if you can get some help from a trainer that would be great! Even if you don't have funds, you may find one willing to work for little to no fee if they are looking to make a name for themselves yet

I personally do not have a background. I have attended an multi-day Original Strength workshop and have trained with numerous SFGs, but my lack of professional training experience is another reason I would not want to incorporate too much iron.

Yes, I could definitely get some resistance bands to work on rotational exercises, and look into some local trainers. Thanks!
 
njrick
see if there is an SFG in your area you can consult with

Look at the Balanced Body Series on functionalmovement.com for information on the Chop and Lift patterns

Strengthcoach.com for Functional Strength Coach 5 by Coach Boyle can provide some great information for a beginning trainer

Be sure your liability policy is taken care of by the school etc... or if you need your own - you are taking responsibility for a group of young people.
 
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