Being able to move quickly in response to your opponent's shots is a skill that can be developed using an agility ladder. Available from sporting goods stores, agility ladders are parallel straps or cords interspaced by horizontal rungs placed about 14 inches apart. There are a number of drills you can use to improve your agility and foot work.
Advancing Sideways Shuffle
To develop your ability to move sideways, which is important when responding to a serve, stand left side on to your ladder. Adopt an athletic position with your legs bent and your weight on your toes. Hold your hands in front of your body as if you were holding a racquet. Making sure both of your feet hit each box, shuffle sideways to the left for three boxes. Immediately shuffle two boxes back to the right. Continue this "three left, two right" pattern until you have covered the length of your ladder. Walk back to the beginning and perform the exercise again but this time leading with your right side. To make this exercise more realistic, try holding a tennis racquet in your hands.
Back Pedaling
Being able to move backward quickly is an important skill in tennis, especially when trying to return an overhead lob. Stand with your back to your ladder and adopt an athletic stance. Hold your tennis racquet or position your hands to simulate this position. Move backward as fast as possible while ensuring that both of your feet hit each box in turn. Stay low to the ground and keep looking forward and upward as if you where trying to track a ball in the air. To make this drill more sport-specific, raise your racquet overhead as you near the end of the ladder.
Sideways Shuffle Reaction Drill
Agility, speed and reaction time are important factors in successful tennis. This drill will enhance all three. You will need a partner or coach for this exercise. Stand in the middle of your ladder and adopt an athletic stance either with or without your racquet. Your training partner will call out a number between one and six and a direction--left or right. As soon as the number and direction are announced, shuffle that many squares to the side your partner has indicated and then return to the middle of your ladder. Continue responding to your partners' commands until you have completed the agreed number of reps or a preset time has elapsed, such as 60 seconds.
Hop Scotch
Being light on your feet and being able to transfer your weight from your left foot to your right foot quickly and smoothly will help with your movement around the court. Stand at the end of your ladder with your hands by your sides and your feet together. Jump into the first box, landing on both feet. Immediately jump forward into the next box, but this time land on your left foot. Hop forward to the next box, landing on both feet again and then jump forward to the next box and land on your right foot. Continue this pattern for the length of your ladder. Try to stay as low as possible and cover the distance as fast as you can. Walk back to the beginning and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
References
- "The Tennis Drill Book"; Tina Hoskins; 2003
- "Complete Conditioning for Tennis"; Paul Roetert, Todd Ellenbecker, and United States Tennis Association; 2007
- "High-Performance Sports Conditioning"; Bill Faran; 2001
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