The article discusses the significance of seven key upper body muscles for tennis players, focusing on their roles in optimizing performance and preventing injuries. The muscles highlighted include:

1. Supraspinatus: Abducts the arm at the shoulder and stabilizes the humerus.

2. Infraspinatus: Externally rotates the humerus and stabilizes the shoulder joint.

3. Teres Minor: Controls deltoid action and decelerates the upper extremity during follow-through.

4. Subscapularis: Prevents displacement of the humeral head and assists in internal rotation and adduction.

5. Serratus Anterior: Stabilizes and protracts the scapula, vital for upward rotation during overhead movements.

6. Lower Trapezius: Retracts and rotates the scapula medially, aiding in shoulder blade stability.

7. Brachioradialis: Flexes the elbow and assists in pronation and supination, crucial for grip strength and shot execution.

Recommended Exercises

To target these muscles effectively, the article proposes several exercises:

1. 90/90 External and Internal Rotation with Abduction

• Focus: Strengthens shoulder stability and muscles required to decelerate the arm during serves.

• Execution: Use elastic tubing at shoulder height, externally rotate the shoulder, and hold near end range of motion.

2. Elbow-to-Hip Scapular Retraction

• Focus: Strengthens muscles for maintaining good scapular position, enhancing posture and stroke efficiency.

• Execution: Stand erect, contract lower trapezius and rhomboids to retract shoulder blades.

3. Shoulder Punches

• Focus: Develops serratus anterior for scapular stability.

• Execution: Lie on the back, raise a medicine ball towards the ceiling, and return to starting position.

4. Kneeling Lat Pulldown

• Focus: Enhances strength in the back muscles, especially for deceleration post-stroke.

• Execution: Pull down a cable machine bar to the sternum, focusing on squeezing shoulder blades.

5. Forearm Pronation/Supination

• Focus: Builds forearm strength and endurance to aid in shot execution and reduce injury risk.

• Execution: Perform supination exercises to engage the brachioradialis effectively.

6. Hammer Curl

• Execution: Not detailed in the extract but generally involves flexing the elbow with a neutral wrist position to engage the brachioradialis.

Conclusion

This article provides a detailed analysis of essential upper body muscles for tennis players. Implementing recommended exercises can enhance muscle stability, power, and injury prevention, thereby contributing to overall performance improvement in the sport.

Authors: E. Paul Roetert, Todd Ellenbecker, Mark Kovacs, Satoshi Ochi

Organizations: United States Tennis Association (USTA), Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Kovacs Institute (USA)

Keywords: Tennis, muscle groups, optimal performance, injury prevention