Week two of my ankle mobility experiment focuses on a different plane of movement. Last week’s banded ankle mobilization activity targeted dorsiflexion, which is the forward and backward glide of the ankle joint. This week’s exercise addresses inversion and eversion, which describe the side-to-side tilt of the ankle. These motions are essential for balance, agility, and for quickly adjusting foot placement during points. In tennis, that control determines whether a player can recover smoothly from an awkward landing or plant firmly when executing a shot.
Not for nothing, inversion and eversion are also vital for developing ankle strength and mobility that support stability in every aspect of life. As the body ages, maintaining control in these small yet critical motions becomes a crucial factor in preventing falls. Training this movement pattern doesn’t just serve performance goals on the court but also reinforces balance and coordination. It helps prevent injury and maintain confidence in daily movement.
The exercise of the week is called heel rocks, a simple yet highly effective drill for improving lateral ankle mobility. This movement trains the small stabilizing muscles that support the ankle as it rolls inward (inversion) and outward (eversion). Building strength and control through this motion increases resilience against sprains while enhancing responsiveness when making directional changes.
Heel rocks can be performed on any flat surface, but for this phase of my project, I am using my Sidekick Axis Board. The Axis Board is a compact balance platform with a configurable base that can be set to perform controlled side-to-side rolling. It provides immediate feedback on movement symmetry and stability, amplifying the benefits of the heel rock motion. The addition of this subtle instability forces the ankle to engage throughout its full range while maintaining control, simulating the constant micro-adjustments made on the court.
This exercise is performed while standing with feet hip-width apart. The soles of the feet are placed on the ground (or in my case, the balance platform.) The body weight is shifted to the outer edges of the foot, slightly lifting the inner arch. That motion is then reversed to roll the ankle inward, lifting the outer edge. The idea is to perform a smooth, continuous, and controlled movement. I perform 20 reps in each direction, emphasizing precision over speed.
For tennis players, this exercise enhances both stability and proprioception, which is the ability to sense your body position, movement, and orientation in space without relying on sight. It’s sometimes called the “sixth sense” of movement awareness. Improved inversion and eversion control translates to smoother adjustment steps, better balance on wide balls, and more confidence on unpredictable surfaces.
The Sidekick Axis Board is a relatively recent addition to my training toolbox, but it is already quietly proving its worth. It is compact, durable, and deceptively challenging, and it provides an ideal surface for a wide variety of foot and ankle mobility drills. It also doubles as an excellent balance trainer for overall lower-body coordination.
As this four-week journey continues, each new exercise builds on the last to expand the ankle joint’s functional range and control. Incremental gains in mobility often translate into noticeable improvements in fluidity and reaction time on court. Consistent effort adds up, and the heel rocks exercise is a perfect example of a small change that could make a big difference.
Sidekick Axis Board Single Leg Balance Board (<- Sponsored Link)
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