PHYSICAL TRAINING

FOR TENNIS PLAYERS

Models of tennis fitness
training

S.U.I.S.M.
Torino

Prof. Luigi Casale

casale.luigi@davide.it

Why physical training in

tennis sport.

Martina Hingis

Justine Henin

Rafael Nadal

Tommy Hass

Tennis is a SITUATIVE sport

(L. P. Matveev, 1977)
DURATION OF GAME: 9 17% actual time, 27, 65, 83 (R. Schonborn)
25% total time, 100 350 play actions (Le Deuff)
STROKE FREQUENCIES:
FREQUENCIES 6 (clay), 5 (hard), 2 (grass).
SPATIAL DIMENSIONS: 1300 2500 m.
SERVE SPEED: 248 203 Km/h
BALL FLIGHT TIME: 045 090 15
LACTATE CONCENTRATION: 0,15 1,5. 5,5 6 mmol/l
In 4 x 8 forehan/backhand drill: 4 14 mmol/l

ATP RE-SYNTESIS SYSTEM

Aerobic system (O2): for 10%
Aerobic/anaerobic system (Al, O2): for 20%
Lactacid/alactacid anaerobic system (Atp-PC, Al): for 70%
(Fox, Browers, Foss)

Aerobic system (O2): for 10%

Lactacid anaerobic system (Al): for 20%
Alactacid anaerobic system (Atp-PC): for 70%
(J. Chandler)

Very important: alactacid power and capacity,

Important : stamina, lactacid power and capacity,
No important: aerobic power. (Bellotti, Benzi, Dal Monte)

Biomechanics models of tennis

(Play evolutions and physical training)

Preparation

Hitting phase

Follow-through

T.Hass: center forehand

Wrist
Elbow

Shoulder
Force

Trunk and back

Legs
Time

Juan Carlos Ferrero: center short forehand

Andr Agassi: inside-out

forehand

Preparation

Hitting phase

Follow through

Gustavo Kuerten: side one-handed backhand

Elena Dementieva: side two-handed backhand

Choise of close stance, open stance or square stance depend-on play

situation

Tennis physical skills

Speed, Rapidity, Endurance, Strength and balance (Jeff Chandler)

Flexibility, Strength, Endurance, Power, Agility and speed, Weight

control, Aerobic-anaerobic capacity (Paul Roeter)

Speed endurance, Strength, Balance, Explosive power, Flexibility,

Agility , Eye-hand coordination (Pat Etcheberry)

Coordination, Power, Bioenergetics capacity, Recovery capacity.

(Roche, Perrin, Laigret)

Maximal strength (dynamic and static),

Quick strength,
Endurance strength.

Strength skill

Safin

Rafter

List of the muscles involved:

(T. Ellenbecker, C. Tiley).

Forehand:

Acceleration phase:
Calves (75% ST, 15% FTa, 10% FTb); Quad. (50% ST, 15% FTa, 35% FTb);
Gluteus (50% ST, 20% FTa, 30% FTb); Obliques e abd. (46% ST, 54% FTb);
Back extensor (50% ST, 50% FTb), Deltoid (60% ST, 40% FTb); Subscapular;
brachial bicep (50% ST, 50% FTb); Serratus anterior; pectoralis major (42% ST,
58% FTb); Wrist flexors and pronators (50% ST, 50% FTb).
Follow through phase:
Calves; Quad.; Gluteus; Obliques; Back extensors; Abd.; Infraspinatus; Brachial
triceps (33% ST, 67% FTb); Serratus anterior; rhomboid (45% ST, 55% FTb);
Trapezius (54% ST, 46% FTb); Wrist flexors and pronators.

One-handed backhand:

Acceleration phase :
Calves; Quad.; Gluteus; Obliques; Abd.; Back extensors; Infraspinatus; Deltoid;
Rhomboid; Serratus; Trapezius; Brachial triceps; Wrist flexors and pronators.
Follow through phase :
Obliques; Back extensors; Abd.; Sub-scapular; Pectoralis major; Brachial bicep;
Wrist flexors.

Serve and overhead:

Windup:
Calves; Quad.; Gluteus; Obliques; Abd.; Back extensors.
Cocking:
Back extensors; Obliques; Abd.; Infraspinatus; Supraspinatus; Bicips; Serratus
anterior; Wrist extensor; Sub-scapular; Pectoralis major.
Acceleration:
Calves; Gluteus; Quad.; Femoral Biceps (65% ST, 10% Fta, 25% FTb); Abd.;
Obliques; Back extensors; Sub-scapular; Pectoralis major; Serratus anterior;
Brachial triceps ; Wrist flexors and pronators; Brachial bicep.
Follow-trough:
Calves; Quad.; Gluteus; Back extensors; Obliques; Abd.; Infraspinatus;
Serratus; Trapezius; Rhomboid; Wrist flexors.

Body areas stressed:

Shoulder, elbow, wrist, abdomen, spine, gluteus, thigh, calf, foot, ankle. (Herv
Le Deuff).

Speed skill
capacity.
Simple and complex models of speed.
Quick footwork.
Legs and trunk independence movements.
Quick movements of racquets-arm.
Psychophysics

Muscles % engaged.
z Sport specificity.
z Muscles energy
transformation.
z Motor stress Type.
z

Endurance
skill
Central
components
Peripheral
components

Vo2 max.

57- 60 ml./Kg.

(tennis)
80 (cycling), 65 (soccer), 53
(golf). (Hollmann, 1980)

4 training zone (E. Burke, 1998):

Very Light or Daily- Activity Zone (50 60% MHR)
Exercise for Health Zone: (60 70% MHR)
Aerobic for Fitness Training Zone: (70 85% MHR)
Improved-Performance Training Zone: (85 100% MHR)
Heart rate

below 100

Between
100 and
140

Between
140 and
175

Over 175

% in relation
to the match
duration

5 15%

10 15%

25 50%

20 40%

Anaerobic thresholds

Flexibility skill
9
9

Articulation mobility,
Muscular extension.

AREAS STRESSED
Dynamic stretching

Static stretching (Bob Anderson)

P.N.F. (Kabat)
Contraction Relax Agonist Contraction.

POSTURE TECHNIQUES

Coordination skill
Eye-hand coordination,
Space-time coordination,
Background perception,
Static, object and dynamic balance.
z

(body scheme)

Motorial scheme.

Training Programme Components

FUNDAMENTAL EXERCISES

For strengthening:
Snatch

Neuromuscular
quality

Load
%

N of
ripetitions

Sets

Recovery

Performance
rhythm

Max strength

85/100

1-5

3-5

2 5 min

Slow

Hypertrophy

70/85

5 - 10

3-5

2 4 min

Slow

Quick strength

30/50

6 - 10

3-5

4 6 min

Max. speed

Enduring strength

40/60

20 - 30

3-5

30 45

Slow

Max. expl. streng.

70/100

1-6

4-8

3 4

Mid. expl. streng.

70/90

5 - 10

4-8

3 4

Hypertrophy

70/80

8 - 12

3-6

1' 2

Quick strength
high resistance
Enduring strength
high resistance
Enduring strength
mid. resistance
Quick movement
low resistance
Quickness and
frequency of
movements

50/70

10 - 15

4-6

3 4

50/70

20 - 40

2-4

45 90

30/50

30 - 60

2-4

45 90

30/50

10 - 15

4-6

3 4

15/20

15 - 20

3-5

3 4

D. Harre

Verchoshanskij

For quickness:

For Endurance:

For Flexibility:

For Agility:

SPECIAL EXERCISES
For Strength

For Quickness
For Endurance

SPECIAL EXERCISES

For Flexibility

For Agility

COMPETITIVE
EXERCISES

PLANNIG AND PERIODISATION

Periodisation is essentially a PLAN for conditioning based on scientific
principles of programme design.

The concept involves a plan for OFF-COURT and ONN-COURT

training over an extended period of time.

Periodisation for
tennis can be
divided into 4 basic
phases:
Preparation phase
Precompetitive
phase
Competitive phase
Active rest phase

The player will remain

active to avoid detraining
but will not play tennis. Is a
good time to begin longer
distance runs at a low
intensity. Cross training.

The player will focus on general athletic fitness

items such as aerobic endurance, strength and
muscular endurance. Resistance training may consist
of a hypertrophy phase progressing to a strength
phase with moderately heavy resistance.
Hypertrophy phase is important if maximal strength is
to developed in subsequent phases.

The athlete will gradually increase on-court

practice time and decrease the overall volume of
off-court training. The resistance training programme
will begin with a strength phase (higher res.) and
progress to a power phase (moderate res.). Short
sprints and agility training are performed to increase
on-court quickness.

The main goal of this phase is to

peak for one of the major events of
the year. Most of the training time is
spent playing tennis, however, there
is still some off-court training being
performed to maintain the gains
made in earlier phases. Focus on
continued speed, power and agility
training. 3 4 weeks is the longest
period of time an athlete can maintain
a true physiological peak.

Example of periodisation training

programs

MONVISO TENNIS TEAM (current season)

120
100
80

40
20

Volume

Competitive periods

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

December

November

0
October

Load

60

Intensity

Example of physical periodisation plan for

junior tennis players (current season):
Triple periodisation with 8 macro cycle of
conditioning training:
2 fundamental

3 specially
3 competitive
1 rest period
4 weeks of Test (25 Tests)
2 secondary competitive periods
1 principal competitive period

Example of micro cycle

120
100

60
40
20

at
ur
da
y
S

Fr
id
ay

Th
ur
sd
ay

da
y
W
ed
ne
s

Tu
es
da
y

on
da
y

Load %

80

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Progressive decreasing trend (P. Bellotti, 2001)

Main physical tests schedule

for tennis
Italian Tennis Federation:
Height, weight, shuttle 6 x 8 m., medicine balls throwing, 1
sit-ups, S.& R., shoulder flexibility, 20 m. dash, 4 alternated
jumps, force plate jump (S.J. C.M.J. Stiffness), Cooper test
(Lger test).

U.S.T.A.:
Height, weight, body composition test, mile run, hexagon
test, 5 ball drill (spider), 20 yd dash, vertical jump, medicine
ball, push-ups, sit-ups, grip strength, S.& R., shoulder
flexibility, shuffle.

I.T.F.:
Musculoskeletal examination; Functional movement testing
(deep squat, pelvic stability, in-line lunge, hand behind back,
hand behind head, trunk stability push-up, rotary stability).
Height, weight. Aerobic endurance (Cooper, 1 mile, max.
oxygen uptake test). Anaerobic endurance field test. Strength
test (push-up, grip strength, maximum bodyweight dips, 3RM
Squat or Bench divided by bodyweight, medicine ball throw,
vertical jump, standing long jump). Speed test (20 m. sprint, 5
m. sprint). Agility and Coordination Tests (sideways
movement, backwards movement, hexagon test)

Main physical tests schedule

for tennis

F.F.T.:
50 m. dash, shuttle, vertical jump, medicine balls throwing, 5
jumps, VO2 max, ankle shoulder hip flexibility.

Sanchez tennis academy:

Lger test, spider run, hexagon test, push-ups, maximal
strength, vertical jump, standing long jump, 5 m. shuffle
30, 400 m.

Suisse Tennis Federation:

Cooper test; Sit and Reach; 10 m. dash; Zig-zag run;
Seated taping; Drop jump; Grip strength; 4 jumps hop;
Medicine ball throw; Shuttle run; reaction time.
Roger Federer in 1993 (11 y.old):
3100 m. (Cooper test)
77 (50 m.)
154 (6 x 10 m.)
(Freddy Siegenthaler)

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