Warm-up · Level 1
Hamstring pendulum
Single-leg hinge reaching the other leg back, body in a straight line.
- Suggested dose
- 1 × 5 rep per side · 15s rest
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Works
- Hamstrings, Glutes, Abs
- Pattern
- Hip hinge, Mobility
How to do it
- Stand on one leg with the knee slightly bent.
- Tip your torso forward as the other leg rises behind, forming a line.
- Arms toward the floor or out to the sides. Come back up slowly.
Key points
- Hips square to the floor
- One line from head to heel
Common mistakes
- Opening the hip upward
- Rounding your back
Why it helps your tennis
Single-leg balance and control, as in open-stance strokes.
Source: Complete Conditioning for Tennis, ch. 5
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.
- Lunge with rotationForward lunge and trunk rotation toward the front leg.
- World’s greatest stretchDeep lunge, elbow toward the instep and arm opening to the sky.