Trunk and shoulder rotation
Every groundstroke is a coiling and uncoiling of the trunk, finished by the shoulder. Both need to move for the stroke to feel repeatable.
Sports Movement Lab · Tennis
A bigger court, and a longer reach.
Tennis asks for rotation through the trunk and shoulder, a reach that extends beyond comfortable range, and direction changes across a full-size court — then asks for them again twenty seconds later.
Movement demands
What the activity actually asks for.
Every stroke in tennis starts as rotation and finishes as reach. The serve asks the shoulder and upper back to move together overhead; the groundstroke asks the trunk to turn and unwind; the wide ball asks the hip and ankle to hold a position most people never otherwise visit. Between points, the sport gives you twenty seconds to be ready again.
Reaching
The stretched forehand and the wide backhand take you past comfortable range. How far you can reach without losing your base is a mobility question.
Direction changes
Accelerating, stopping, and recovering to the middle, over and over. The stopping is usually the harder half.
Hip and ankle movement
Open-stance strokes and wide balls ask the hip to rotate and the ankle to accept load in positions that daily life never uses.
Preparation and recovery between points
Twenty seconds between points, ninety at changeovers. Staying loose in those gaps is part of the sport.
Overhead capacity
The serve is a full overhead motion under speed, repeated. Shoulder and upper-back movement have to share it.
Interactive 3D Tool
3D Tennis Movement Explorer
Rotate a 3D model through key tennis movement phases, see what each position asks of your body, and reflect on where your own motion feels restricted.
Self-check
A quick movement self-check
Tick anything you notice. There is no score, and none of this is a diagnosis.
Nothing here is stored or sent anywhere. Ticking boxes changes nothing but the note above.
Preparation
Before your next session.
General preparation ideas, not a prescribed programme. Move within a comfortable range, and stop if anything is painful.
- Turn the upper back: rotations in both directions before you pick up a racquet
- Open the shoulders: slow overhead movement and shoulder-blade circles before the first serve
- Move the hips: side steps, easy rotations, and a few open-stance rehearsals
- Build up the serve: half speed before full speed, always
- Between points and at changeovers: keep moving rather than standing still
- After the match: walk for a few minutes before you sit down
Questions people ask
Straight answers.
Will this improve my serve or my ranking?
No. Dr. Bob does not coach tennis and does not promise performance outcomes. A movement evaluation assesses range of motion and movement quality. What you do with that information, and how it interacts with technique, belongs to you and your coach.
My shoulder feels different on serve. Is that normal?
A change in how a motion feels is worth having looked at rather than playing through. Call the office at 561-831-5222 and describe it. Shoulder symptoms have several possible sources, and identifying the right one matters more than guessing.
Do I need to be competitive for this to be worth it?
No. Most people who ask about movement are playing socially and want to keep playing comfortably. Understanding where your motion is limited is as useful at a weekly doubles game as it is in a league.
How is this different from working with my coach?
A coach works on technique, tactics, and practice. A movement evaluation looks at physical range of motion and movement restrictions. They answer different questions, and the useful conversations tend to happen when both are informed.
Dr. Bob's background
Who is doing the evaluating.
36+ years
in chiropractic practice
DC, CCSP
Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician
Certified Golf Doctor
and Palmer extension faculty
Deerfield Beach
serving Boca Raton and South Florida
Dr. Bob is a Florida-licensed chiropractic physician. A sports movement evaluation assesses range of motion and movement quality. It is not coaching, it does not include a training plan, and it does not promise improvements in score, speed, distance, or athletic performance.
Also in the lab
Other sports and activities.
Tennis movement evaluation
Request an evaluation.
An individual appointment with Dr. Bob to assess range of motion and movement quality. Educational and evaluative — not coaching, and not a promise of athletic improvement.
Prefer to talk? 561-831-5222