BOSU Tennis Exercises
In tennis, balance and core strength have a direct impact on your success. Good balance helps you make tricky shots without falling over and every time you swing the racquet, you are bringing your core muscles into play. The five tennis exercises below focus on the swinging, twisting motion that you use for every shot and help build the core muscles that power these movements.
1. Tennis Lunge and Twist Medicine Ball Drill
Equipment Required:
- 1 BOSU ball (dome side up)
- 1 small medicine ball
Instructions:
- Pick up the small medicine ball in both hands, place your left foot forward onto the BOSU and get your balance.
- Bend your knees and slowly lower your body down until your front knee is at a 90-degree angle, making sure that it does not go over your ankle. At the same time, swing the small medicine ball across your chest from right to left, making sure to keep your balance at all times.
- Slowly raise your body back up to the starting position and bring the small medicine ball back to your right-hand side.
- Repeat for as many repetitions as you desire.
- Take your left foot off the BOSU ball and step back.
- Place your right foot onto the BOSU ball.
- Bend your knees and slowly lower your body down until your front knee is at a 90-degree angle, making sure that it does not go over your ankle. At the same time, swing the small medicine ball across your chest from left to right, making sure to keep your balance at all times.
- Slowly raise your body back up to the starting position and bring the small medicine ball back to your left-hand side.
- Repeat for as many repetitions as you desire.
- Step off the BOSU ball and place the small medicine ball on the floor to complete the exercise.
2. Tennis Kneeling Cable Rotary Torso Drill
Equipment Required:
- 1 BOSU ball (dome side up)
- 1 cable crossover machine
Instructions:
- Adjust the cable crossover machine so that one of the cables is at the bottom and attach a handle to it.
- Place the BOSU ball just in front of this bottom set of cables.
- Select the weight you want to lift on the cable crossover machine and grab the handle with both hands.
- Kneel on the BOSU ball and place your toes on the floor.
- Slowly rotate your body and the cables to your left.
- Slowly rotate your body and the cables back to the starting position.
- Slowly rotate your body and the cables to your right.
- Slowly rotate your body and the cables back to the starting position.
- Repeat for as many repetitions as you desire.
- Stand up off the BOSU ball and release the cable to complete the exercise.
3. Tennis Shot Drill
Equipment Required:
- 1 BOSU ball (platform side up)
- 1 partner
- 1 tennis ball
- 1 tennis racquet
Instructions:
- Hold the tennis racquet in your left hand and place your left foot on the BOSU ball.
- Get your partner to stand about five feet away and slowly throw the tennis ball to you.
- Hit the tennis ball back towards your partner whilst keeping your left foot on the BOSU ball.
- Repeat for as many repetitions as you desire.
- Take your left foot off the BOSU ball and place your right foot on the BOSU ball.
- Switch the tennis racquet from your left hand to your right hand.
- Get your partner to slowly throw the tennis ball to you.
- Hit the tennis ball back towards your partner whilst keeping your right foot on the BOSU ball.
- Repeat for as many repetitions as you desire.
- Step off the BOSU ball to complete the exercise.
4. Tennis Squat and Twist Drill
Equipment Required:
- 1 BOSU ball (platform side up)
- 1 small medicine ball
Instructions:
- Pick up the small medicine ball in both hands, stand on the BOSU ball and get your balance.
- Slowly bend your knees and lower yourself down until your butt is parallel with your knees.
- Rotate your body and the small medicine ball to the left.
- Rotate your body and the small medicine ball to the right.
- Rotate your body and the small medicine ball back to the center.
- Repeat for as many repetitions as you desire.
- Slowly straighten your knees and raise yourself back up to the starting position.
- Step off the BOSU ball and place the small medicine ball on the floor to complete the exercise.
5. Tennis Swing Drill
Equipment Required:
- 1 BOSU ball (platform side up)
- 1 tennis racquet
Instructions:
- Hold the tennis racquet with both hands, stand on the BOSU ball and get your balance.
- Pull the tennis racquet back to your right-hand side and swing.
- Pull the tennis racquet back to your left-hand side and swing.
- Repeat for as many repetitions as you desire.
- Step off the BOSU ball to complete the exercise.
