Your foot has 33 joints comprising 26 bones and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. This network is responsible for your ability to balance, adjust movement direction and create the foundation for proper posture and spinal alignment. As a tennis player, weak feet can lead significant problems with performance and injury.
Weak Feet and Shoes
Shoes create support and cushion feet throughout the day. Tennis players actually require heavier shoes that can withstand the pounding feet and ankles take while playing a tennis match. Thicker soles, heavier cushioning and arch support are designed for the constant directional changes and sprints required on hard courts. However, wearing shoes all day long can actually create weaker feet. The smaller muscles of the foot used in fine motor control for balance and support don't get utilized as much while cramped into shoes.
Feet and Performance
Tennis players are told to "stay on their toes" when waiting for the opponent to strike the ball, but tennis players aren't really on their toes, but on the balls of their feet. The reason for this is simple: Your weight should be evenly distributed and prepared to go in either direction as soon as you track where the ball will go. To be in proper balance, both feet need to be equally strong, otherwise you have a natural lean. Players who seem to get that extra fast "jump" on a ball are relying on the fast-twitch strength of fine motor muscles starting in the feet and working up through the knees and hips to direct their bodies quickly.
Injuries
Feet are protected by shoes extremely well in a tennis match. If the shoe fits properly and isn't too big or small, there should be little risk of pulling a muscle or straining something in the foot, though it is possible. Common foot injuries for tennis players include blisters, mid-match cramping and plantar fasciitis. Of greater consequence to tennis players are knee and back aches and injuries. Poor arch support, a weaker body side or foot alignment such as a pigeon-toed posture create imbalances in the body, increasing the chance of injury. Providing proper foot support and increasing foot strength to improve postural alignment helps alleviate pain and reduce risk of injury.
Building Foot Strength
You don't need to lift weights with your toes to increase foot strength. Take your shoes off and walk in sand. Walking anywhere without shoes on allows your toes to stretch and wiggle independently. Practice stretching all of your toes and scrunching them in, like making a fist with your foot. Try picking up small pebbles with your toes to build dexterity and control with the small muscles. Subtle differences in foot strength might make you feel lighter and faster on the tennis court.
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