Can Regular Yoga Practice Improve Your Tennis Performance?

Hello all, my name is Dhruv and I am Puneeta’s 17 year-old son, and writing today as a guest writer. I have been playing tennis for most of my life since I was around four years old. I have achieved a national ranking and was ranked in the top 60 in my age group in Victoria. With my mum as a yoga teacher, it is inevitable that I have been held against my will and practise yoga. I hate to admit it but it has improved and heightened my performance on court exponentially.

By practising yoga as a tennis player, I have found that the flexibility I have developed in yoga has translated to my game. It has also improved my core strength, allowing me to increase balance whilst performing difficult shots in awkward positions. Yoga has also strengthened the muscles throughout my entire body, making it easier to hit stronger shots. My muscle recovery is well looked after by practising yoga, decreasing my chances of injury and cramping. Yet, whilst all of these advantages are physical, perhaps the greatest strength yoga has offered me has been to increase my mental strength and ability to ground myself in high-pressure moments.

Increased Flexibility:

Flexibility is a very important skill to have as a tennis player, and it can pay off when we are forced into playing uncomfortable shots on the run, having to extend our bodies in all sorts of positions. In these situations, being flexible allows me to reach balls that are difficult to hit and recover for the next shots without compromising my position on the court.

Yoga improves flexibility as it places the body in positions that stretch the muscle fibres. By loosening the muscle fibres, I am able to move more freely and therefore have a greater range of motion, allowing me to hit more comfortably in tight circumstances.

The following asanas improve flexibility:

Half Moon
Crescent Lunge
Downward Facing Dog

Increased Core Strength:

Core strength is undoubtedly the most important feature in tennis. The core is the center of gravity that stabilises the movement, assisting in balance. It is also the source of much of our power from the momentum it generates when hitting a shot, working with our legs, arms and momentum of our motion.

Certain yoga asanas create strength in our core by putting us into positions that challenge the muscles to stay upright and stable. The regular practice of yoga asanas improving core strength results in increased stability, better balance and more power and strength in our shots. I practice the following asanas to improve strengthen my core:

Dolphin Plank
Chaturanga
Cat Cow Stretch

Strengthened muscles:

Being strong in tennis is crucial to the game as strength is the basis of our shots. It is essential to have strong legs to explode into the ball and a strong upper body to exert as much momentum and speed into the ball as possible.

Yoga can vastly improve our strength. Asanas often require us to hold ourselves in tricky positions and require our strength to support our bodyweight in certain poses. Regularly practising them can therefore improve our strength and can be transferred to the court and in our shots. I practice the following asanas to improve my strength:

Downward dog
Chaturanga
Locust pose
Reverse tabletop
Upward dog

Recovery of muscles:

Tennis is an extremely taxing sport physically, as almost all of our muscle groups are used whilst playing, in a range of varying motions at all times. As a result, my muscles get extremely sore and tight, and this can lead to decreased movement and increased cramps.

Yoga recovers and rehabilitates the muscles as it stretches and loosens our muscle fibres. This results in much better movement as we are not restricted by the tightness of our muscles, allowing us to reach the ball quicker and hit with greater power due to a greater range of motion and move quickly and easily. This also dramatically decreases our chances of cramping, either during or after a match. I practice the following asanas that stretch and loosen the muscles:

Pigeon
Shoelace pose
Bridge Pose
Spinal Twist
Reclined Belt Stretch

Increased mental strength:

Not only is tennis a taxing sport physically, but mentally and emotionally it is extremely draining, especially because we are on alone on the court for hours. It seems no matter who we play, I will always be challenged to remain emotionally grounded.

Whilst yoga offers a plethora of physical benefits, I have found that the most beneficial skill it has helped me develop is mental strength. Certain breathing techniques have been shown to be able to calm ourselves down and to remain level-headed, regardless of the circumstances we face. Therefore, by learning these techniques and applying them in high-pressure situations, I have the advantage of a clear mind and grounded emotions over my opponent. The following techniques have helped me in matches:

Prithvi Mudra
Savasana
Ujaiyee Breathing
Bhastrika
Meditation

How Often I do Yoga:

Not often enough to be perfectly honest. On a good week I do it twice a week, and on a lazy week I will do it only after a match to assist recovery. But what I do daily are the breathing techniques and meditation, which I will never start my day without.

I hate to admit it, but in this instance, mum may be right (held at gunpoint to say this). Yoga has worked for me and my sport.