The new Netflix series “Break Point” provides brief glimpses of how professional tennis players train and get ready for big tournament matches. Consequently, it is no surprise that weighted medicine balls got serious air time on the first season of the show. The equipment is ubiquitous in tennis training. In fact, if I had to confine myself to only one off-court training device, the medicine ball would certainly be in the conversation.
Paula Badosa is seen working out with a weighted medicine ball during Season 1, Episode 4. The sequence starts with vertical wood chops. Immediately after that, a clip of “Medicine Ball Groundstrokes” is shown, which Victoria Azarenka and Daniil Medvedev previously performed in Season 1, Episode 1.
“Vertical Wood Chops” is similar to the exercise I wrote about in “Slam Ball for Service Power.” The key difference is that the ball isn’t released on the downswing. This movement essentially replicates splitting firewood with an axe. It is an effective way to work the muscles that contribute to service power.
A great variation of this exercise for tennis players is to perform the wood chops on a diagonal across the body on both sides. That produces the same functional rotational movement used in groundstroke production. It also supports balance and core stability.
Later in this sequence, Ons Jabbeur is also seen performing “Medicine Ball Groundstrokes” with her husband. She is also shown doing medicine ball chest passes. That sequence was accompanied by an explanation of how hard it was for Jabbeur’s husband, who serves as her personal trainer, to learn to deliver the ball correctly. Their heartwarming relationship is one of the high points of the show.
Medicine ball exercises are a very effective way to work on functional tennis movements while extending core strength. It is one of the best methods for building service power and developing balance and coordination. Medicine ball work should be a regular feature of off-court training for tennis players at all levels.
Fiend At Court participates in the Amazon associates program and receives a paid commission on any purchases made via the links in this article. Details on the disposition of proceeds are available on the “About Fiend at Court” page.
