In most any professional tennis match, injuries to the players is not uncommon. To have a high level seed drop out in the quarters, semis or even in the finals is fairly common. According to some tennis professionals, such injuries are inevitable. They blame it on the game. For example, “It is an explosive game the way it is being played. The body is going to take only so much punishment. All current players are going to be very rich and have very short careers”.
This statement appears to be true if one considers only the present scene. But it is also important to understand that the training that many of these players do, has little to do with prevention of injury or enhancing performance. Most of the exercises and training programs are for conditioning and maintaining fitness.
When they begin training in a more specific manner and use exercises that are specific to the strokes that they execute we will see fewer injuries and enhanced performance. However, this concept of specialized training, also known as the conjugate method in which stroke technique is combined with the strength or explosive exercise, has not permeated tennis training. When it does, we will begin to see changes. Until then, the status quo will prevail.
It is easy to blame how a player executes a particular skill for an injury, as some pros are doing in regard to Roddick’s serve. But there is little if any information in regard to how the skill should be executed to keep it safe and effective. There is very little if any information on what exercises players can do to prevent service injuries.
In other words, technique is not being analyzed nor are the players physical abilities being analyzed. If they were, through sound biomechanical analyses, steps could be taken and specialized strength and explosive exercises could be developed to duplicate what occurs in the player’s stroke. Yet, we do not see this; instead we see more lame excuses on how the game or stroke is destroying the player.
For example, only recently Andy Roddick pulled out of a tournament with a back spasm problem. I doubt very much that he is doing any exercises to strengthen the lower back muscles such as the back raise or back raise with a twist (based on inside information). He may be doing exercises such as the squat, but it does not strengthen the lower back as needed in the game. When will tennis move into the 21st century with science to improve player performance and prevent injury at the same time?