The Role of Agility Training for Tennis Players

Agility is such an important component when it comestheir side of the court.
to an athlete being fast. Tennis requires the athlete toBaseline players tend to focus a little more on their
be fast over short distances, in multiple directions andlateral movements of going from the forehand side to
have the ability to develop explosive starts fromthe backhand side. This lateral movement requires the
various positions.athlete to accelerate to a ball, stop, pivot, mogul and
Agility training is sports specific and it has to simulatethen recover back to position. At any time they may
the exact movements required by your sport. Forneed to push off and sprint forwards for a short ball.
athletes that require linear speed then agility training willKey Components that Will Assist the Athlete to be
have little benefit.More Agile:
Agility refers to the ability of an athlete to speed up,Increasing flexibility
slow down and change direction while maintainingIncreasing your strength
balance and control. Athletes in sports such as soccer,Increase your power
football, netball, basketball, lacrosse and tennis are justImproving explosive starts
a few sports where athletes need to be agile.Improved reaction speed
Trainers who believe that one drill fits all do notPerforming a variety of sports specific drills
understand the true meaning of sports specificity!Improved core strength
Greater improvements will be found when training forFree from injuries
your sport.Appropriate footwork to assist in performing the
Characteristics of Being Agile for Tennis Players:required skill
Changing direction quicklyUsing the correct technique
Possessing good flexibilityWearing appropriate clothing and footwear
Ability to react quickly to various situationsTraining on the surface that you play on
TwistingDevelop all areas of agility
TurningAgility Drills for Tennis Should Include these
Ability to stop suddenlyMovements:
Side-steppingSprinting forwards
Back peddlingSide-stepping
Multi-taskingBack peddling
Combining multiple fitness components (speed, agility,Bounding combinations with speed and agility
power)Footwork
Ability to perform a skill while maintaining balanceSudden changes in direction
(hitting a forehand on the run)Explosive starts
Being agile is also position specific. For example inRecovery steps
soccer a midfielder will be required to possess all the5 Great Agility Drills for Tennis Players:
above characteristics. A goal keeper will also requireAgility box run
additional abilities such as diving, rolling, get-ups after3 line agility test
being on the ground, jumping from a variety ofWave run agility test
positions and performing different skill tasks while"T" agility test
under a considerable amount of pressure.Bow tie agility drill
In tennis, you will also want to differentiate betweenAs a tennis coach or player you will need to conduct a
the movements of a serve and volley player to that ofneeds analysis of your movement which is best done
a baseliner.by watching a video of yourself playing. This will allow
A serve and volley player requires an explosive takeyou to see exactly how you move, your strengths and
off immediately after completing the serve. A split stepweaknesses, rate your reaction time, strength and
is then performed near the service line prior to thepower in acceleration and ability to recover from a
player moving left, right or forwards to hit a volley. Thestationary position. Then put together a plan of action
agility aspect comes into play when the athlete mustto improve your on court speed and agility.
be able to quickly respond to a return hit any where on