Physical Function Training Strategies for Improving Tennis Players' Baseline Movement Stroke Ability

Area of Science:

• Sports Science and Medicine
• Biomechanics and Motor Control
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Tennis performance relies heavily on functional movement and specialized physical abilities.
• Optimizing baseline stroke mechanics is crucial for competitive success in tennis.
• The specific impact of physical function training (PFT) on tennis-specific skills requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-week physical function training (PFT) program.
• To assess PFT's impact on improving tennis players' baseline movement stroke ability.
• To provide evidence-based training strategies for enhancing tennis performance.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 32 national-level tennis players (16 male, 16 female).
• Experimental group received 12 weeks of PFT (3x/week, 60 min/session); control group maintained routine training.
• Evaluations included functional movement screens (FMS), specialized fitness tests (sprint, jump, agility), and baseline stroke performance metrics (frequency, depth, accuracy).

Main Results:

• The PFT group demonstrated significant improvements in functional movement capacity across all FMS items (p < 0.05).
• Specialized fitness tests showed significant gains in the PFT group for standing long jump, fan run, and lateral movements (p < 0.05).
• Baseline stroke performance significantly improved in the PFT group, including hitting frequency, depth, and accuracy (p < 0.05); the control group showed no significant improvements in depth or accuracy.

Conclusions:

• A 12-week physical function training intervention significantly enhances functional movement quality and specialized movement efficiency in college tennis players.
• PFT effectively improves baseline hitting performance, including stroke frequency, depth, and accuracy.
• This study provides evidence supporting PFT as a valuable training program for improving tennis players' baseline hitting ability and overall performance.