Fixing my stiff legs
maks_ answered 5 years ago
Hello,
I am a pretty advanced player who is very confident with most strokes. However, recently my coach pointed out that my legs are too stiff, and because of that I use too much energy and cannot move as swiftly.
He advised me to relax my legs and lean on the toes more, but I do not really know how exactly I should do it. He recommended me to use the skipping rope, which I did for a bit of time, but it seems my legs are still pretty stiff even when I skip the rope.
I think the problem here lies in my weak toe muscles. Could you please recommend some exercises to strengthen my toe muscles or generally lean on the toes more and keep my legs more relaxed?
Tom Academy Coach answered 5 years ago
Hi maks,
Yes I know a few players I work with have a similar problem to this with their legs and movement. A really good way is using speed ladders and doing fast feet exercises with them, this can help get you on your toes more and also improve general footwork too. I would also continue with the skipping as this can take time to show any results.
Lastly I would suggest doing stretching and flexibility exercises for your legs and lower body, sometimes flexibility can hold back your ability to move well, so make sure you are stretching,especially after your training and matches!
maks_Thanks for the advice Tom! Which stretches would you recommend doing, especially after a game or a training session?
No problem, I’d suggest stretches for the groin area, hips and also the quad muscles. There are a couple of good stretches in our warm up video in the fitness section of the Academy. We will also be adding more specific stretching videos in the near future! But for now you can find a lot of good stretching exercises on the internet for the legs.
