Tennis Ready Positions

Three Ready Positions for Tennis

The tennis ready position is a comfortable athletic position that is the core of all movement in tennis. Establishing and maintaining a tennis ready position is the key to success.

The ready positions are as follows:

Normal ready position
Setup position for the swing
Recovery position

Normal Ready Position
Staying comfortable and athletic during play is crucial to successful movement and hitting.

Maintain a good base with feet wider than hips.
Keep a low center of gravity with the hips low and knees bent.
Hold the arms bent.

To lower the center of gravity, the feet should be far enough apart to allow the player to bend the knees while keeping the weight on the ball of the feet. Getting low allows for a quick explosive first step. The arms should be bent to allow the player to position the racquet the prepare to hit the tough shots as well as the easy ones.

Set up position for the swing
When preparing for the ball the player must maintain a strong athletic posture. The player should pick up the flight of the ball as soon as it leaves the opponent's racquet. The first step should be quick and balanced.

Recovery position

Maintaining a strong foundation while recovering is the key to improving speed and agility. The player must learn to use the outside leg to push off while remaining balanced with the shoulders level and hips and shoulders square to the net.