Stretching · Level 1
Posterior shoulder stretch
Cross your arm in front of your chest and pull it in with the other hand.
- Suggested dose
- 1 × 30 s per side · 5s rest
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Works
- Rotator cuff, Upper back, Deltoids
- Pattern
- Mobility, Rotator cuff
How to do it
- Bring one straight arm across your chest.
- With the other hand, press gently just above the elbow.
- Keep the shoulder blade stable (don’t let it slide forward).
Key points
- Shoulder down
- Gentle tension in the back of the shoulder
Common mistakes
- Rotating the torso
Why it helps your tennis
Fights the loss of internal rotation typical of the dominant arm.
Source: Complete Conditioning for Tennis, ch. 5 and 12
Related exercises
- Knee hug + lungePull one knee to your chest while balancing, then flow into a forward lunge.
- Straight-leg kick (Frankenstein)Straight-leg raise toward the opposite hand, under control.
- Hamstring pendulumSingle-leg hinge reaching the other leg back, body in a straight line.
- Lunge with rotationForward lunge and trunk rotation toward the front leg.