Strength is defined as the maximum amount of force a muscle can produce. Strength is an integral part of a tennis player’s development for many reasons. Players need to have muscular strength to not only execute the movements involved in stroke technique, but also to propel their bodies into position to hit a tennis ball. And, strength is especially important in preventing injuries.

There are various types of strength associated with tennis:

Relative strength: This is the amount of force that can be produced relative to one’s body weight. Lighter people who are relatively strong typically move better and have good levels of conditioning.

Optimum strength: Optimum strength refers to the ability to generate the right amount of force at the right time. This is important for tennis strokes due to time sensitivity and force production.

Endurance strength: The ability to produce and maintain force over a prolonged period of time is a definite requirement in an extended match.

Speed strength: Speed strength is closely related to movement and is another term for power. It is the ability to exert force as fast as possible. There are several variations of speed strength – starting strength, explosive strength and reactive strength. The ability to start movement quickly (starting strength) can be seen in the initiation of the return of serve or getting to the drop shot. Generating power for a serve or groundstroke requires explosive strength. Changing directions rapidly in a baseline rally relies heavily upon reactive strength.