Warm-up · Level 1
Knee hug + lunge
Pull one knee to your chest while balancing, then flow into a forward lunge.
- Suggested dose
- 1 × 5 rep per side · 15s rest
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Works
- Glutes, Hip flexors, Quadriceps
- Pattern
- Lunge / single-leg, Mobility
How to do it
- Hug one knee to your chest, standing on the other leg (2 s).
- Release it and take a long step forward, lowering into a lunge.
- Push through the front leg to stand back up.
- Alternate legs.
Key points
- Tall torso in the lunge
- Squeeze the glute of the back leg
Common mistakes
- Front knee caving in
- Losing balance by rushing
Why it helps your tennis
Opens hips and hip flexors, often stiff from the ready position.
Source: Complete Conditioning for Tennis, ch. 5
Related exercises
- 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.
- World’s greatest stretchDeep lunge, elbow toward the instep and arm opening to the sky.