FSHP Academy
Racquet Sports S&C — all lessons

Module 1 – Assessment & Evaluation

Assessment protocols for racquet-sport athletes

Module 2 – Sport-Specific Movements

Movement patterns unique to racquet sportsMulti-directional load and movement analysis

Module 3 – Strength Training

Strength exercise selection and integration

Module 4 – Power & Explosive Training

Upper- and lower-body power for racquet sports

Module 5 – Speed, Agility & COD

Speed, agility and change-of-direction drills

Module 6 – Endurance & Conditioning

Conditioning for match play: interval and sport-specific methods

Module 7 – Overtraining & Recovery

Overtraining, load monitoring and recovery strategies

Module 8 – Practical Application

Racquet-sport S&C case studies and programme design

Assessment protocols for racquet-sport athletes

Testing tennis, badminton, squash and table-tennis players — speed, agility, power, shoulder strength, intermittent endurance and sport-specific tests.

Advanced Evidence: Established consensus 3 min read Reviewed 2026-10-31 Status: draft

Learning objectives

  • Relate tests to racquet-sport demands
  • Design a test battery
  • Include shoulder and trunk strength measures
  • Interpret and apply results

Before this lesson

Why this matters

Testing guides training priorities for multidirectional, intermittent sports.

Battery

QualityTest
Speed5/10/20 m sprint
Agility/CODSpider drill, 505
PowerCMJ, med-ball throws (forehand/backhand side)
ShoulderER/IR dynamometry [stark2011]
EnduranceIntermittent tests, sport-specific shuttles
MobilityHip and shoulder rotation

Tennis testing has value when linked to performance [fernandez2014]; demands are intermittent [kovacs2007], as in badminton [phomsoupha2015].

Common mistakes and misconceptions

Case study

A junior tennis academy adds the spider drill and shoulder ER/IR testing. Players with weak external rotators receive targeted programmes; shoulder complaints decrease.

Further learning: video lessons

Video links are only marked “verified” after a human has watched them. Unverified entries open a YouTube search for that channel and topic rather than a guessed link.

Technical needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Assessment protocols for racquet-sport athletes

racquet-sport S&C coaches and federations (search)

You will understand: assessment protocols for racquet-sport athletes

Why: Practitioner content; verify the specific video.
Technical needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Strength and conditioning in practice

racquet-sport S&C coaches and federations (search)

You will understand: applied S&C sessions

Why: Practitioner content; verify the specific video.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check · 0/5

1. Fernandez-Fernandez et al. (2014) discussed…

Answer B. Review.

2. Shoulder rotation strength testing is relevant because…

Answer A. Injury and performance.

3. A power test for racquet sports is…

Answer B. Rotational power.

4. Racquet sports demands are…

Answer B. Kovacs (2007).

5. A sport-specific agility test uses…

Answer B. Specificity.

Short-answer & application questions

  1. Design a battery for junior tennis players.
  2. Test shoulder ER/IR strength.
  3. Interpret a player profile.

Key takeaways

  • Racquet sports demand short, repeated high-intensity efforts with multidirectional movement.
  • Tests: short sprints, COD/agility, jumps, medicine-ball throws, shoulder rotation strength, intermittent endurance.
  • Sport-specific tests (e.g., court-based footwork) add relevance.
  • Use results to individualise training.

Connected topics

racquet sports

Movement patterns unique to racquet sports

sports technology

Dynamometry

References

  1. Fernandez-Fernandez J, Ulbricht A, Ferrauti A (2014). Fitness testing of tennis players: how valuable is it?. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(Suppl 1):i22–i31. Narrative review check pending
  2. Kovacs MS (2007). Tennis physiology: training the competitive athlete. Sports Medicine, 37(3):189–198. Narrative review check pending
  3. Phomsoupha M, Laffaye G (2015). The science of badminton: game characteristics, anthropometry, physiology, visual fitness and biomechanics. Sports Medicine, 45(4):473–495. Narrative review check pending
  4. Stark T, Walker B, Phillips JK, Fejer R, Beck R (2011). Hand-held dynamometry correlation with the gold standard isokinetic dynamometry: a systematic review. PM&R, 3(5):472–479. Systematic review check pending

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.