Tennis Athletic Stance

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Tennis Athletic Stance - Your Movement, Agility and Balance Start Here
By Kathy Toon 
Just like any other sport, tennis requires a "ready position" - that is, an athletic stance that will allow you to be prepared to move in any direction the instant the ball is hit by your opponent. This ready position has several major points to it, from feet being spread shoulder-width apart, to knees slightly bent, to arms relaxed and out in front of your body preparing for action, and weight on the balls of the feet preparing for movement and action.

Doing so allows your body to easily and efficiently move in any direction as you react to the ball coming off your opponents racquet, and can improve your reaction time and overall quality of your game as it adequately prepares you for movement and changing direction.

Start With The Base

Start with your feet shoulder width apart. Too wide or too narrow, and you run the risk of failing to move efficiently, or, at worse, falling over and losing balance as you try to react to a ball being hit. With your feet shoulder width apart, you create a strong and stable base that can easily transfer your weight and momentum in any direction.

Where's Your Weight?

Stand up right now and do a test with a friend. With feet shoulder width apart, put your weight all on your heels, and then react by moving in directions toward which your friend points. Pretty awkward to transfer weight off your heels and move quickly, isn't it? Now try it on the balls of your feet. You'll see quickly that your natural movements are made much easier when your weight is up on the balls of your feet and you are prepared for movement. Tennis is no different; always keep your weight on the balls of your feet!

Torso and Upper Body

Your arms and upper body should be relatively loose and relaxed, so that you may react quickly and move, but they should also be upright just enough so that you have a full field of vision in front of you to see your opponent and react to the ball. Too tall and you can lose balance or waste precious time transferring weight; too hunched over, and you may lose visibility and sight contact with the ball as you move.

Prepare For Anything

What the ready position really comes down to is that you must be able to prepare for any movement, at any time. Whether it's a forehand or a backhand, a lob or a volley at the net, you must be prepared to move in any direction and react quickly to any ball being hit.

A good, strong ready position will make a huge difference in your tennis game, as it can make the difference of several feet of range in either direction. That range, of course, directly correlates to how many balls you can return, and in turn, how successful you can be on the court. Tennis is an athletic game, and it requires an athletic ready position in order to be played successfully!

I'm Kathy Toon author of the book Get Your Game Face On! and former Division-1Tennis Coach at UC Berkeley. Discover how to play your best tennis when the game is on the line by grabbing your free copy of The X Factor Report: Secretes to Winning Doubles at http://GlamSlamTennis.com

Article Source:  Tennis Athletic Stance - Your Movement, Agility and Balance Start Here