3 Simple Exercises for A Big Tennis Serve

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The following three exercises strengthen the rotator cuff (RTC), and have been shown to lead to significant improvements in tennis serve velocity and the ability to produce rotational force at the shoulder.¹ Basically, performing basic RTC strengthening exercises can often improve the ability to serve the ball harder.

Exercise Program

To see the benefits, you should train at least four weeks. Research has shown that these exercises should be performed 3x per week for four weeks immediately after tennis practice.

The video in the body of the text includes a demonstration of three simple exercises that have been shown to significantly improve the speed of a serve.¹ The bands used are called Thera-Bands and can be purchased in various resistance levels at Amazon.com or many other online retailers.

Shoulder External Rotation (ER) at 90 Degrees

The band is attached to a stationary object midway between the hand and elbow. The exercise is performed standing toward a wall. Stand at a distance that allows fatigue at the end of each set without compromising form.

• Two sets of 20 repetitions at a slow continuous speed
• Two sets of 20 repetitions as fast as possible

Rest 20-40 seconds between sets.

Shoulder Internal Rotation (IR) at 90 Degrees

The band is attached to a stationary object midway between the hand and elbow. The exercise is performed standing away from the wall.  Stand at a distance that allows sufficient fatigue at the end of each set without compromising form.

• Two sets of 20 repetitions at a slow continuous speed
• Two sets of 20 repetitions as fast as possible

Rest 20-40 seconds between sets

Scaption (Full Can)

With hands at the sides and thumbs up, lift arms to shoulder level, approximately 30 to 45 degrees away from the body.  I recommend pulling your shoulder blades together and down prior to the lift. Weight should be between 1#-4#.

• Four sets of 20 repetitions at a slow continuous speed

Rest 20-40 seconds between sets

This should help performance especially in those who have not been training their RTCs.  Don’t worry about these exercises negatively affecting the mechanics of the serve. When these exercises were studied there were no noticeable changes in the actual mechanics of the serve.¹

These exercises are also a good start for preventing shoulder injuries in tennis players.

1. Treiber FA, Lott J, Duncan J, Slavens G, Davis H, (1998). Effects of theraband and lightweight dumbbell training on shoulder rotation torque and serve performance in college tennis players. Am J Sports Med 26(4):510-515.