The Great Tennis and Golf Tune-Up

A set of four exercises from Head Trainer Brendan Fox designed to promote the rotational stability required to excel at tennis and golf this summer.

By Brendan Fox

After one of our longest winters ever, golf courses are opening and the nets are finally going back up on the outdoor tennis courts. And if you’re going to be on the links or the courts a lot this summer, it’s a good time to start building up your strength to prevent injury. Both sports require something called rotational stability, which is the ability to twist the core in a controlled and consistent manner. So here are four exercises that work well to build strength for tennis and golf. Get to them!



1. Begin by sitting on ball and roll your way down until laying with head and upper back supported over the ball.  

2. Raise hips so body is level. Extend arms straight up to ceiling, with hands clasped together (like a handgun).    

3. Draw belly button in toward spine and slowly rotate the upper torso and arms side to side.

4. Don’t let shoulder girdle collapse, keep strong posture.



1. Stand behind a ball with hands on top, and knees touching.  Make sure you’re close to a bench or wall for balance.  

2. Press your knees against the ball and roll forward with your hands on top, until balancing on the ball.

3. Progress to a tall kneeling position (2 point balance), while keeping just the fingertips on the bench.  

4. If you lose balance, start again.  Continue trying to balance for the time duration of your set (set a timer).    

5. As a progression, try moving the ball side to side. Further progressions would include going hands free, and going hands free while moving the ball side to side.   



1. Lie on back with hips bent 90 degrees, and calves on top of the swiss ball (ball should be snug to rear end).

2. Stretch your arms out on the floor, palms up, straight out from shoulder like the letter “T.”  

3. Slowly rotate the legs down to each side, as far as comfortable, keeping a 90 degree angle at the hips and trunk.

4. You may support the inside leg with the hand to make the movement more smooth.  

  • Note: If you have a history ofback pain or herniated discs, avoid or limit rotation from the low back.



1. Lie face down over a swiss ball, with arms and legs straight. Tense the abdominal muscles.  

2. Raise one arm up diagonally forward (45 degrees) to the midline of the body, with thumbs up, while simultaneously raising the opposite opposite leg up to parallel,  keeping the head in line with the spine (looking down).  

3. Hold for 5 seconds, then lower & repeat, alternating sides.  

  • Progression: Do with eyes closed

To learn more, check out Head Trainer Brendan Fox's Distance Fitness Coaching Program, designed for those who are interested in fitness who otherwise find it difficult to make it into Medcan for personal training sessions. To book a personal training session, call (416) 350-5900 or email bookings@medcan.com.

Tennis Lessons


Email: lessons@rhltc.ca

Telephone: 416-570-5457

Club Operations

Club Manager: manager@rhltc.ca

Telephone: 905-737-2491

161 Newkirk Road,
Richmond Hill, ON
(We're located at Crosby Park)

FaceBook  Twitter
Copyright RHLTC 2011
Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software