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TennisOne Lessons 
Serve Harder, Hurt LessDave Starbuck Smith So how do you serve harder? Fix your posture. How do you hurt less? Fix your posture. The two go hand in hand because they both speak to your body’s ability to function. By function I don’t mean your ability to still go to work while nursing a hangover. I mean your ability to reach, twist, turn, flex, extend and move without limitation in all directions. I know what you’re thinking, “I can’t move like that because I’m in pain.” Actually it’s the opposite- you’re in pain because your body has temporarily lost its ability to move- and I’m going to show you how to get that motion back.
I’ll give you two tests to determine the function of your shoulders and your hips. The first one is simple: Bend down without bending your knees and touch your toes. No, your tight hamstrings are not the problem. Your hamstrings are tight because they attach to your pelvis and your pelvis doesn’t move. Specifically, the inability of your pelvis to move into flexion and lengthen the hamstrings is the problem. Further, if the pelvis is limited in its motion and function then so is the lower back. This means that when you serve you’re asking your compromised, and not very mobile pelvis and lower back to twist, bend backward and then forward again suddenly. Sound like a bad idea? Not only are you risking injury and/or creating pain, but there’s no way you can get the most out of your serve. For the second test stand against the wall with your heels, butt and upper back on the wall. Now bring your arms up overhead in a stick-um-up position with your elbows bent at a right angle and touching the wall. Now try to get the back of your hands against the wall without your elbows coming off. Do your hands touch without you having to severely arch your back to do it? You should be able to do this easily without any effort. If not, you’re experiencing a limitation in one or both shoulders that will severely affect your ability to serve. Without the full function of those shoulders you’ll compensate by arching your back or twisting more. Not good. However, you are very fixable. The following exercises are designed to restore the motion and function of your hips, back, and shoulders so that you can get the most out of your serve as well as the rest of your game. Do these every day even after the pain or limitation has subsided. Standing Elbow Curls -- 30 reps
This exercise will restore the ability of your shoulder to abduct and externally rotate just like you do when you serve. Stand with your heels, butt, head and upper back touching the wall. Your feet should be pointing straight ahead rather than turned out. With an outstretched hand curl the middle knuckles of your fingers down into a golfer’s grip.
Put your pointer knuckles on your temples and let them pivot as you bring your elbows together until they touch, then bring the elbows back until they touch the wall. Counter Stretch -- 1 Min This exercise will reconnect all the muscles of your lower and upper back and begin to restore the neutral length of the hamstrings. With your arms outstretched on a wall about chest height bend at a right angle keeping your hands from sliding down the wall. Keep your ankles directly below your hips –and your feet straight- as you bend and slightly arch your lower back to increase the pull in the back of your legs. Keep your elbows straight!
Ab Crunches This will restore the ability of the pelvis and lower back to move together as a unit. Interlace your hands together behind your head and put your feet on the wall so your hips and knees form a right angle. Keep your elbows back as you raise your trunk 3-5 inches off the floor. Keep your eyes focused above you on the ceiling as you raise up so your head and neck don’t come forward. Crocodile -- 1 Min This exercise asks the lower back to twist and extend just like the serve while keeping a stable base of support. With your palms down straight out from your shoulders and your right foot on top of the left, roll to your hips to the left keeping your shoulders on the ground. Keep your thighs tight, knees locked out and your butt contracted as you roll. Turn your head to the opposite side and hold for 1 min. Switch feet and repeat to the opposite side.
Pelvic Tilts -- 15 reps This exercise asks the pelvis and the spine to work together in flexion and extension. Keeping your butt on the ground the entire time, flatten your back into the floor and then roll your back and hips the opposite way until your lower back arches off the floor. Remember, your butt never comes off the floor!
Downward Dog -- 1 Min This exercise done correctly will return the muscles on the back-side of your body to their neutral and functional length. On all fours with your hands underneath your shoulders and knees directly under your hips pike up until you form an inverted “V” position. Keep your thighs tight, arms and elbows straight, and your heels up off the ground as you continue to pull your hips up and back as far as they can go. Drop your heels only as far as is comfortable feeling a stretch in the back of the calf.
Static Back -- 10 Min
This exercise lets gravity do all the work of realigning your hips, shoulders and lower back. Put your legs up at a 90 degree angle on a chair or couch. You should have your palms up and arms at a 45 degree angle below your shoulders. Breathe in and let your stomach rise and breathe out and let it fall. Relax and enjoy! Keep the exercises in the order they appear and do them daily. When full function of those hips and shoulders return you’ll be able to recruit all the necessary muscles to make your serve bigger and better. You might also feel better along the way! Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Dave Smith's article by emailing us here at TennisOne.
David Smith is a former tennis player at UC Berkeley and is now the Director of the Egoscue Exercise Therapy Clinic in San Francisco. To contact him with questions go to www.egoscue.com or call (415)391-3336. |
