Sprint & jump training

[WildVolley]

I've been getting back into sprint and jump training for athletic performance. Despite scrambling often on the tennis court, I've found my muscles and connective tissues aren't really well trained for top speed work and I've already had a mild hamstring pull, which most likely occurred in the eccentric phase of a full sprint stride. I'm holding off doing full out flying sprints with spikes until I have more of a speed base developed.

I'm also doing some basic plyometric work, mostly bounds and some depth and rebound jumping. I know a lot of people do box jumps because they reduce impact, but the the ability to bounce out of impact is sort of the whole point of plyometrics.

One of the nice things about sprint and jump training is that they can be accomplished in a short period of time. Most of the exercises involve reps/sets that are performed in under 5 seconds.

Top speed work probably has some carry over to tennis court coverage. The start training and jump training is definitely relevant to court movement. Anyone else do sprint or jump training as part of their overall/tennis conditioning?

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

So, you are saying that sprint & jump training is something different than plyo training?

 

[WildVolley]

So, you are saying that sprint & jump training is something different than plyo training?

There's definitely overlap, but much of sprint training isn't actually plyo training. The most obvious form of sprint training is just sprinting, which is just running as fast as you possibly can. I usually start out with less than full out runs and then if I'm healthy work into flying 10m or 20m sprints. Relatively slowly accelerating into top speed saves considerable energy compared to rapid acceleration. I time my speed using a camera.

There are a number of common sprint drills, such as A-skips, B-skips, isometric holds of high knees, etc. which aren't plyos. But, yeah, there's a lot of overlap between the plyometrics done by jumpers and sprinters. Single leg alternating bounds are probably the most relevant plyo for sprinting.

 

[WildVolley]

Full out speed work takes a lot of rest between efforts. Let's say that I'm going to do 3 full out 10m flying sprints. After a warmup, I'll do a flying sprint which is only going to take seconds. Rest between sprints needs to be five minutes so the body has time to recover to allow another full out effort. So three short sprints will take over 15 minutes. Most sprinters will only do full speed days two or three times a week.

 

[socallefty]

Most of us have much more low hanging fruit in terms of improving our tennis than doing sprint/jump exercises. We all have holes in our technique and inefficiencies in our footwork we can improve. We can lose weight and/or improve our endurance, improve our leg strength, do flexibility exercises etc. Even with improving speed on the court, it is more fun to do hand feed drills in certain patterns (Spanish X drill is an example) and hit the ball rather than doing pure sprint work if you are a tennis enthusiast. I don’t know how many of us are so motivated to improve our rec tennis by doing things outside of the tennis court and gym.

 

[WildVolley]

Most of us have much more low hanging fruit in terms of improving our tennis than doing sprint/jump exercises. We all have holes in our technique and inefficiencies in our footwork we can improve. We can lose weight and/or improve our endurance, improve our leg strength, do flexibility exercises etc. Even with improving speed on the court, it is more fun to do hand feed drills in certain patterns (Spanish X drill is an example) and hit the ball rather than doing pure sprint work if you are a tennis enthusiast. I don’t know how many of us are so motivated to improve our rec tennis by doing things outside of the tennis court and gym.

Lots of people are spending time in the gym and then saying it is for tennis. Sprint and jump work has more direct transfer to tennis than lifting weights. Sprinting and jump training also has more relevance to tennis performance than jogging, yet a lot of people on the board talk about distance running.

On the other hand, lifting weights is probably a safer method of building muscle than doing sprinting or plyometrics. But most professional tennis players don't carry much muscle for obvious reasons. Probably most people don't do sprint or jump drills because they're not in good enough shape to do them and the injury risk is high unless you're in good enough shape. And the risks are higher the older you get.

 

[WildVolley]

Here are some sprint warmup drills demonstrated by Noah Lyles, the current World Champ in the 100m and the 200m. The big difference between this form and distance running is the emphasis on forefoot landing and the very high knee drive, which relies much more on hip flexors like the psoas muscles than distance running. Foot and hip flexor strength is relevant to scrambling to a ball in tennis. Guys like de Minaur and Monfils probably have good foot and hip flexor strength.

 

[WildVolley]

Here's an example of a speed workout that doesn't take much time. Ideally, the flying 10s would be measured in order to track progress over time. I can track my flying 10s using a camera that shoots in slow motion. I use Kinovea (a free sports based video analysis software) to measure the time between the cones.

 

[WildVolley]

Doing start drills for sprinting can help court movement by improving acceleration. Some things to look for when scrambling for a tennis ball (if you have video) are the shin angle as you drop to accelerate (you can be closer to 45 degrees if you can generate a lot of power) and if you're able to stay up on your toes. If your heel is touching the court as you accelerate, you are losing a lot of power. Doing calf exercises and practice starts without letting your heel drop can train the proper motion and help build the foot stiffness to move quickly to the ball. Building up to aggressive starts will reduce the chance of rupturing your Achilles tendon while playing tennis.

Here's a video of Christian Coleman, the current world record holder in the 60m dash, running a ridiculously fast 40-yard dash the way it is measured for football players. Notice how his heels don't drop and how he keeps his feet low and strikes back at the ground with his feet. Normal people will be more upright because they can't generate as much force, but the overall form should be the same.

 

[WildVolley]

If you haven't accelerated aggressively in decades, it is best to start slow and work your way into it. I suggest starting with jumping rope using both feet and concentrating on not allowing your heels to touch the ground. Once you gain strength in that motion, it is best to start jumping rope on a single foot or switching feet. The next step would be doing slower accelerations on a hill. A hill can allow you to practice accelerations without needing a lot of power or quickness. Of course, the stress on your calf muscles will be greater than on flat ground, but I think it is an effective training surface.

For tennis, I think it is a good idea to do shuttle runs while focusing on keeping on your toes and aggressively drop stepping into acceleration which allows you to drop your knees closer to the court and get a more effective angle for pushing off.

I think for most adults, an aggressive start on a track while spiked up will put the most stress on the Achilles. I strained my calf muscle a couple of years ago by practicing block starts in spikes. This year I'll have more than three months of training before actually using spikes on a track.

 

[WildVolley]

Here's an inspirational video on how to train for speed by Tony Holler who is a high school track coach in Illinois. He is becoming known for his emphasis on developing speed for sports.

My worry with this advice for adults is that most aren't physically prepared to full out sprint without an unacceptable level of injury risk. So any sprint training should start with a realistic assessment of your physical capabilities. If you haven't sprinted in a decade, you need to progressively train running at higher speeds over months before attempting a full out sprint. Common sense is important, and injuries can set you back years. Progressive training, adequate rest, and proper nutrition are more important when you are 40 than when you are 18.

 

[bigR]

I did a little sprint, lateral shuffles and box jump landings off the box. It is definitely a good idea. I want to do more especially upper body for swing speed and such. I feel it’s great for the tendons

 

[WildVolley]

I did a little sprint, lateral shuffles and box jump landings off the box. It is definitely a good idea. I want to do more especially upper body for swing speed and such. I feel it’s great for the tendons

What do you do for explosive upper body training? Jez Green, the tennis performance trainer, advocates using medicine balls, especially those with handles, for rotational and upper body power.

I think drills like explosive push ups and things like sledge hammer training can allow someone to train upper body power in a safe way that can't be achieved with traditional barbell movements.

 

[bigR]

What do you do for explosive upper body training? Jez Green, the tennis performance trainer, advocates using medicine balls, especially those with handles, for rotational and upper body power.

I think drills like explosive push ups and things like sledge hammer training can allow someone to train upper body power in a safe way that can't be achieved with traditional barbell movements.

I have done some medicine balls full body throws out of a squat. I was recommended to get handheld 1-2lb medicine balls and do medial and lateral tosses for the rotator cuff muscles like this

It seems good for a coordination and natural firing of the muscles.

Other than that the torpedo balls for core power+ speed sounds great. I need one of those. I will sometimes toss the 10lb medicine ball and go pick it up. Not quite an efficient set of reps but you get practice. I have gone up to a 45lb plate standing rotation ab work so I imagine you can train some decent speed without the toss.

One more thing is sit ups on a swiss ball. This one feels great to simulate serve core mechanics. You can extend (depending in flexibility) 20-40 degrees BACK and snap upwards while tossing a tennis ball for warm up then a weighted ball or med ball. Helps train the core to move the body and keep the shoulder fluid. Let me know if I have not explained this very well. I can’t find a vid of exactly what i mean rn.

 

[WildVolley]

I have done some medicine balls full body throws out of a squat. I was recommended to get handheld 1-2lb medicine balls and do medial and lateral tosses for the rotator cuff muscles like this

It seems good for a coordination and natural firing of the muscles.

Other than that the torpedo balls for core power+ speed sounds great. I need one of those. I will sometimes toss the 10lb medicine ball and go pick it up. Not quite an efficient set of reps but you get practice. I have gone up to a 45lb plate standing rotation ab work so I imagine you can train some decent speed without the toss.

One more thing is sit ups on a swiss ball. This one feels great to simulate serve core mechanics. You can extend (depending in flexibility) 20-40 degrees BACK and snap upwards while tossing a tennis ball for warm up then a weighted ball or med ball. Helps train the core to move the body and keep the shoulder fluid. Let me know if I have not explained this very well. I can’t find a vid of exactly what i mean rn.

Thanks for the video of Alcaraz. I hadn't seen that drill with a weighted ball. I primarily use tubing for my external rotation work.

Jez Green had his athletes throwing a medicine ball off of a wall and then moving to catch it off of the bounce. That's made the exercise both dynamic and efficient.

 

[WildVolley]

Here's a video from the Sprint Project explaining why athletes over the age of 30 should be sprinting at least once a week. The basics are to train on grass if possible. Start slowly and progressively do sprint drills to regain the ability to go full speed without pulling a muscle. I've been working on it for about 7 months now, and I'm finally getting to the point at which I can go close to top speed without risking muscle pulls. It's nice to regain the ability to really turn over your legs.

 

[z00]

Here's a video from the Sprint Project explaining why athletes over the age of 30 should be sprinting at least once a week. The basics are to train on grass if possible. Start slowly and progressively do sprint drills to regain the ability to go full speed without pulling a muscle. I've been working on it for about 7 months now, and I'm finally getting to the point at which I can go close to top speed without risking muscle pulls. It's nice to regain the ability to really turn over your legs.

What causes muscle pulls during sprinting when warmed up? I keep pulling my adductor muscle on left leg, I keep playing, don't sprint too fast/hard, but I still feel the pain. It has been 3 months. I do warm up for 10min-15 before playing.

 

[onehandbh]

Here's a video from the Sprint Project explaining why athletes over the age of 30 should be sprinting at least once a week. The basics are to train on grass if possible. Start slowly and progressively do sprint drills to regain the ability to go full speed without pulling a muscle. I've been working on it for about 7 months now, and I'm finally getting to the point at which I can go close to top speed without risking muscle pulls. It's nice to regain the ability to really turn over your legs.

I haven't done any sprint training since I was a teenager.

After watching the video, I am ready to start.

 

[WildVolley]

What causes muscle pulls during sprinting when warmed up? I keep pulling my adductor muscle on left leg, I keep playing, don't sprint too fast/hard, but I still feel the pain. It has been 3 months. I do warm up for 10min-15 before playing.

It can be that it hasn't fully healed or that you just have a bad motor pattern which is causing those muscles to stay tight when they should be relaxing, leading to small strains again and again. Ideally, you should relearn the motion at slower speed and slowly work your way back into it. I had a hamstring pull which caused me some small problem over a 6 month period.

 

[WildVolley]

I haven't done any sprint training since I was a teenager.

After watching the video, I am ready to start.

My best advice is to start slowly and progressively build into it. I got two separate muscle pulls (calves and hamstring) by going too hard too soon, because I believed that playing a lot of tennis was a sufficient base for doing full speed sprints again.

Always do your sprint training fresh and immediately back off if you feel any pulls. Better to just call a workout early and then go lift weights or do something else rather than get a serious muscle pull. The good thing about sprint training is that it isn't too time intensive. The bad thing is you need the space to be able to do it. I'm doing all my training these days on a baseball field in a local park.

 

[z00]

It can be that it hasn't fully healed or that you just have a bad motor pattern which is causing those muscles to stay tight when they should be relaxing, leading to small strains again and again. Ideally, you should relearn the motion at slower speed and slowly work your way back into it. I had a hamstring pull which caused me some small problem over a 6 month period.

How did you resolve that hamstring pull and identify the bad motor pattern?
My abductor hurts only when I sprint from standstill to the net, and on fast direction/pivot changes. Box jumps, or any explosive leg dominant moves also irritate it.

 

[Fintft]

How did you resolve that hamstring pull and identify the bad motor pattern?
My abductor hurts only when I sprint from standstill to the net, and on fast direction/pivot changes. Box jumps, or any explosive leg dominant moves also irritate it.

Sorry to hear that and I have no answer for you, just a reminder to everyone else to warm up their hammies
On the topic I do sprints and jumps. Have neglected lately though, but I was thinking that it is about time to get back into it, also after noticing my endurance going down.

 

[WildVolley]

How did you resolve that hamstring pull and identify the bad motor pattern?
My abductor hurts only when I sprint from standstill to the net, and on fast direction/pivot changes. Box jumps, or any explosive leg dominant moves also irritate it.

First, I stopped trying to stretch my hamstrings and reduced anything that loaded it. Then I started doing gentle exercises of that muscle (leg weight curls and iso and eccentric portion of a heel bridge) while also doing a lot of muscle massage. In sprinting, the biggest threat to the hamstring is when the leg is driving down hard while contracting prior to the foot strike as the muscle is both tensing and rapidly lengthening. I did gentle leg cycles and dribbles (much like the sprinter drills on that video) before I upped the speed. I tried to make sure I wasn't reaching out too much with my foot as my speed increased. I used youtube to research rehab drills and tried to practice the motion that caused the injury without reinjuring the muscle, which meant less intensity. I also lifted when I could do it without pain, things like Romanian deadlifts and hamstring curls on a bench attachment.

There was a lot of info on hamstring rehab for sprinters online, including references to several studies. I doubt that there will be as much info on abductor rehab, but I'm sure that you can find some.

The hard part is that you might have to back off doing the explosive movements that aggravate your injury for a while, which is difficult if playing tennis is helping to cause the problem.

 

[WildVolley]

Here's Kalen Walker, a D1 sprinter, running a faster time (4.15 seconds) in the 40 yard dash (NFL measuring method) than anyone in the history of the NFL combine. Just some inspiration.

 

[Bambooman]

I do a lot of sprint and jumping work etc. For many better movement IS the low hanging fruit for tennis. None of the guys in my group really do any of this.