What tennis asks for
Three things, repeatedly, for as long as you are on court:
Overhead range on the serve side. The trophy position and the follow-through both live at the far end of shoulder range.
Fast lateral movement. Wide steps, quick recoveries, and a great deal of loading and unloading of one hip at a time.
Rotation, mostly one direction. Groundstrokes and serves are asymmetric by nature.
A warm-up that visits all three beats one that jogs a lap and calls it done.
The six-minute routine
Lightest tension. Standing, courtside.
Minute 1, general. Easy movement, arm swings, a few side shuffles.
Minute 2, shoulders. 10 slow pass-overs with the widest comfortable grip.
Minute 3, the serve position. Trophy position holds, elbow up and forearm vertical, 15 seconds with the bar oscillating, twice per side. Conservative range only.
Minute 4, rotation. 10 standing rotations per side, turning from the ribs.
Minute 5, hips. 8 lateral lunges per side, then 6 hip circles per leg.
Minute 6, rehearsal. Slow shadow serves and slow shadow groundstrokes. No ball, no speed.
Do both sides
Tennis is one-sided and the warm-up does not have to be. Matching reps on the non-dominant side costs about a minute and keeps the routine from reinforcing the asymmetry the sport already builds.
Between matches
If you have played and are waiting to play again, a two-minute version keeps you warm: pass-overs, one round of trophy holds per side, and a set of rotations.
Off-court work
The things that most limit tennis players between sessions tend to be mid-back rotation and hip range, not wrist or forearm work. Ten minutes twice a week on thoracic rotation and hip mobility is a better use of time than more arm-specific drills for most club players.
What this will not do
It will not prevent injury, and nobody should promise that it will. It gets you warm and rehearses the positions you are about to use, which is what a warm-up is for.
Shoulder or elbow pain that persists between sessions is a reason to see a qualified professional rather than to add more preparation.
Common questions
How long before a match should I warm up?
Finish within about ten minutes of your first point so you are still warm when you start.
Should I stretch statically before playing?
Save longer static holds for afterwards. Dynamic and loaded work is a better use of pre-match time.
Exercises in this guide
Keep reading
5 min read
Pickleball Warm-Up Routine: Four Minutes Before the First Game
Drop-in play tends to skip warming up entirely. Four minutes is a realistic compromise.
7 min read
Shoulder Mobility with an Oscillating Bar: A Complete Routine
Overhead range is a shoulder blade problem and a mid-back problem before it is a shoulder problem. This routine treats it that way.
6 min read
Warm-Up vs Cool-Down: What Each One Is Actually For
One of these prepares you and one of these downshifts you. Confusing them is why so many warm-ups leave people tired.
BendyBar for tennis
The full overview for tennis players.
All sports
Warm-ups for other sports we cover.
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