Tennis Training: Footwork, Strength, Shoulder Care and Tournament Planning

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Six a.m. at the public courts, before the heat. A coach rolls out a ladder, sets four cones on the baseline and calls out “split step, recover, split step.” Twenty minutes later the racquets come out. That’s what tennis training looks like at every level, from a 12-year-old at an academy to a college team in preseason or a 45-year-old getting ready for league season. Tennis rewards quick feet, a strong and healthy shoulder, a body that can repeat short bursts for hours, and a plan that peaks for the right tournaments. This page covers what the sport demands, footwork and speed, strength, shoulder care, and how to plan training around a tournament schedule.

General information, not a personal program. If you’re new to training, coming back from injury or have a health condition, check with a doctor, physical therapist or certified strength coach first. Start at our tennis hub for the big picture.

What a tennis match asks of your body

Tennis is a stop-and-go sport. Reviews by tennis physiologist Mark Kovacs found that the average point lasts under 10 seconds, and that the ball is in play for only about 20–30% of total match time. Rest between points and at changeovers makes up the rest, with work-to-rest ratios of roughly 1:3 to 1:5 in competitive play. In one study of 85 minutes of match play, players’ average heart rate was about 145 beats per minute. High-level players also have good aerobic fitness (a VO2 max generally above 50 ml/kg/min), which helps them recover between points across a long match. And fatigue costs you where it hurts: it has been shown to greatly reduce hitting accuracy.

What that means for training: short, sharp efforts with the right amount of rest, built on an aerobic base, plus strength for the shoulder, forearm, trunk and legs. Long, slow runs alone don’t match the sport.

Footwork and speed

Good tennis footwork is a split step, a quick first move, small adjusting steps, a balanced hit and a fast recovery back to position. Kovacs suggests stop-start sprints of no more than about 20 meters, because that’s about as far as a player ever runs for one shot. Practical ideas:

• Ladder and cone work for quick, light feet. A simple agility ladder like the SKLZ Quick Ladder fits in a tennis bag.
• Change-of-direction drills along the baseline: sprint, plant, shuffle, recover. Keep efforts short and rest long enough to stay fast.
• Sometimes leave the racquet behind. In a 2025 study of 31 players around 16 years old, eight weeks of in-season sprint and change-of-direction training improved speed and jumping with or without a racquet in hand. The group that trained without the racquet improved more in short sprints and change of direction.
• Then add tennis. Live-ball drills tie the footwork back to hitting. Our speed training equipment guide has more tools.

Strength training for tennis

Strength work pays off on court. In a classic study, 24 college women’s tennis players were split into three groups for nine months. One group did periodized, multiple-set resistance training, one did a single-set circuit, and one didn’t lift. The periodized group gained strength, power and serve speed over the full nine months. The single-set group improved only in the first four months. Kovacs lists the shoulder, forearm and wrist, lower back and core as priority areas. He also notes that internal rotation of the upper arm is the biggest single contributor to racquet-head speed on the serve.

• Legs: squats, split squats, lunges in different directions and step-ups. Every stroke starts from the ground.
• Trunk: rotation and anti-rotation work (cable or band chops and presses), side planks and carries. The serve and groundstrokes are rotational.
• Upper body: rows and pulling for balance with all the pushing and hitting, plus forearm and grip work.
• Power: medicine-ball throws and jumps, once you have the basics. Coaching matters here.
• Young players: the American Academy of Pediatrics says supervised, technique-focused resistance training is safe and useful for kids and teens. Start light, learn the movements and build gradually. See our youth tennis guide.

Shoulder care: the tennis player’s insurance

Every serve and overhead loads the shoulder, so it needs its own routine. A 2025 review of 29 studies linked shoulder rotation strength, internal rotation range of motion and weekly tennis volume to injury in the serve. Tennis players often lose some internal rotation on the hitting arm. In a small 2023 trial of 30 players with that deficit, two simple stretches (a modified sleeper stretch and a cross-body stretch) both improved range of motion and arm function after four weeks, with no difference between them.

• Rotator cuff: band external and internal rotation, done slowly and with control.
• Shoulder blade: rows, “Y-T-W” raises and band pull-aparts for the muscles that hold the shoulder blade in place.
• Range of motion: gentle sleeper and cross-body stretches if a PT or AT finds you’ve lost internal rotation.
• Watch the serve count. Volume is a risk factor, so ramp up serving gradually before a season and after a break.

Light resistance bands are the classic tool, and a set like the THERABAND beginner kit fits in any racquet bag for a pre-match activation routine. Our resistance bands guide compares more sets. If the shoulder already hurts, see a PT or sports medicine doctor before adding exercises. Our tennis injuries guide explains why.

Planning around tournaments (periodization)

Tennis has no single “season”. Juniors, college players and pros can compete most of the year, so planning matters. Research shows what tournament play does to the body. In a study of trained players who played four-hour matches on four days in a row, sprint and jump performance dropped from day two onward. Serve accuracy fell, and muscle damage markers, soreness and fatigue rose every day. A follow-up found more unforced errors by day four and a lower second-serve win rate after day one. The International Olympic Committee’s consensus on load warns that poorly managed load (training plus matches, a crowded calendar, travel and stress) is a major injury risk.

• Pick your peaks. Mark the events that matter most and plan backwards from them.
• Build blocks: a base block heavier on strength and conditioning, a pre-competition block with more speed and match play, then lighter training during tournament weeks.
• Taper before big events. Cut volume in the days before a key tournament while keeping some short, sharp work so you stay fast.
• Keep lifting in season, but shorter and lighter, timed away from match days.
• Schedule real rest after long tournament stretches. Our tennis recovery guide covers back-to-back matches and travel.

A heart-rate strap like the Polar H10 helps you check that hard days are hard and easy days are easy. Our best tennis wearables page covers watches and recovery trackers, and HRV for athletes explains readiness scores.

Warm-up before you hit

AAOS suggests 3–5 minutes of light cardio such as jumping jacks, cycling or jogging in place, then gentle stretches held for 30 seconds, because cold muscles are more prone to injury. Most coaches then add dynamic moves (leg swings, lunges with a twist, arm circles), a few band exercises for the shoulder, and short sprints before the first ball. Start the hit with mini-tennis and build up to full serves.

Back to the tennis hub, or continue with match day and tennis nutrition. Playing a team sport too? Compare with soccer training.

Tennis training questions

How do I improve my footwork in tennis?

Practice the split step and recovery steps on every ball, and add short ladder, cone and change-of-direction drills two or three times a week. Keep sprints under about 20 meters with enough rest to stay quick. Research in junior players suggests some of this work is best done without a racquet.

Should tennis players lift weights?

Yes, with good coaching. In a nine-month study of college women’s players, periodized multiple-set training increased strength, power and serve speed. Focus on legs, trunk rotation, pulling and the shoulder, and keep it lighter during tournament weeks.

What shoulder exercises do tennis players do?

Band external and internal rotation, shoulder-blade work such as rows and Y-T-W raises, and, if a professional finds a deficit, gentle sleeper or cross-body stretches. A PT or athletic trainer can tailor this to your shoulder.

Is running good training for tennis?

Some easy aerobic work helps you recover between points, but tennis is made of short bursts. Most of your conditioning should be intervals and court sprints with rest, close to the 1:3 to 1:5 work-to-rest pattern of a real match.

How should I train during a tournament week?

Lightly. Keep a short warm-up, some speed work and your shoulder routine, but cut heavy lifting and long sessions. Studies of back-to-back match days show speed, power and accuracy dropping as days add up, so save your energy for the matches.