I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Today’s exercise is the last one to appear in the Netflix docuseries Break Point. The show’s final episode chronicles how the young and upcoming American players all want to be the first from their cohort to rise up and win the US Open for the first time.
It is apparent that the show’s filming crews were initially focused on Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, and Coco Gauff as the likely American players to experience a breakthrough. Of these, only Gauff rose to the occasion by winning the title. The men suffered the indignity of having Ben Shelton spoil their party by becoming the top-performing American in the tournament.
While there were exercise scenes in this episode, most of the moves had already been previously covered in conjunction with the Netflix series. However, there was one new training technique that I almost skipped over because it is so ubiquitous I thought I had already written about it. Ben Shelton is seen performing 90-degree banded shoulder rotations just before taking the court to spoil Tiafoe’s US Open in their head-to-head matchup.
90-degree banded shoulder rotations are a great training exercise for tennis players. This movement targets the rotator cuff muscles, which enhances shoulder stability and strength. When used for muscle activation, it prepares the shoulder for the dynamic movements of tennis, particularly the serves and overhead. Since Shelton was uncorking 149-mile-per-hour serves in his matches at the tournament, that is particularly critical for him.
Shelton performed this exercise with a partner, who is clearly shown in this clip. An alternate way to do it is by anchoring the resistance band to a solid object at shoulder height. Facing away from the anchor point, the band is held with the elbows bent at 90 degrees at shoulder level and the arms pointed up at the ceiling. Keeping the elbow stationary, the forearms are rotated downward 90 degrees until they are pointed away from the body. The arms are then returned to the upward position.
When the objective is to build strength, more resistance should be used with a slow and controlled motion. Since Shelton is performing this exercise for muscle activation, he uses light resistance and more rapid movements.
Integrating 90-degree banded shoulder rotations into your warm-up routine can help activate the shoulder muscles before practice or matches. It’s also a valuable addition to a strength training program to improve shoulder endurance and resilience. By regularly including this exercise, tennis players can boost shoulder function, ultimately leading to better on-court performance and a reduced likelihood of shoulder injuries.
Resistance Exercise Band with Handles (<- Sponsored Link)
Tennis players at all levels should incorporate resistance bands into their training routines to enhance their performance and reduce the risk of injury. Resistance bands are valuable for warm-up routines, strength training sessions, and rehabilitation programs. If you carry already have this essential training device in your tennis bag… why not?
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