What plyometric activities help lower-body power for tennis?

Plyometric activities that can be done to improve power in the lower body for tennis include squat jumps, tuck jumps, bounding, hurdle jumps, and lateral jumps. Work on improving your speed between landing and jumping, as well as increasing the height of the jumps. Remember to land softly with your knees lined up with your toes. Perform eight to ten repetitions of each plyometric exercise.

Plyometric exercise is any movement that uses maximum muscle force over a short period of time. Exercises falling into this category include:

• Jumping; including jump squats, broad jumps, and calf jumps
• Split Jumps
• Depth Jumps
• Vertical Jumps with arms overhead (measured for height.)
• Clapping pushups or ‘Bouncing’ pushups
• Medicine ball slams
• Med ball side throws
• Med ball throws against rebounder or to a partner
• Overhead push throws with medicine ball
• Box jumps, single or double leg
• Single leg hops or line hops with both legs
• Knee tuck jumps

These exercise examples require fast, explosive execution, training the muscles and the nervous system to generate higher velocity and more power.

For the greatest benefit, plyometrics exercises should not be done to failure. Sets should be stopped when form or speed break down. Use exercises that simulate a specific movement. For example, tennis players, baseball players and boxers can all derive direct benefits from doing wall throws from both sides.

SAQ training can help lower-body power.  SAQ consists of: Speed, Quickness and Agiilty.

SAQ drills you will want to start with are: 

• Stabilization
• Strength
• Power

Here are some drills to help get you started:

1. One-Ins: Stand in front of the ladder with one foot in and one foot out like you walking.
2. Two-Ins: Step and make sure both of your feet are in the same square before you move to the next square.
3. Side Shuffle: Stand with your side toward the front of the ladder and put one foot in the square then the other foot in the same square before moving to the next square.
4. In-In Out-Out: Stand facing the ladder with your feet  in the same square then hop out of the square with your left foot on one side and your right foot on the other as you doing this in and out movement move forward.
5. In-In-Out: Stand facing the ladder with your body at an angle with your left foot in the square and the right foot out as you move the right foot comes in the same square as the left the left moves at an angle then once you out the square the right foot goes in the square then the left as you doing this movement move forward.