SportsmetricsTM Tennis is a program that combines neuromuscular retraining techniques and sport-specific enhancement tasks to improve player skill and aerobic fitness, and decrease the risk of injury to the lower extremity. The program was designed by Alex Hermeto, a USPTA certified professional at Gateway Golf and Country Club of Fort Myers, FL and Sue Barber-Westin, Director of Clinical Research at the Cincinnati Sports Medicine Research and Education Foundation. Dr. Frank Noyes, President of the Foundation, served as the orthopaedic and research consultant. It is the first program that uses components of a proven knee injury prevention program, SportsmetricsTM, along with strength, conditioning, and agility exercises designed specifically for competitive tennis players. SportsmetricsTM Tennis is a 6-week program that targets 5 components: dynamic warm up; jump/plyometric drills; strength training; tennis agility, skill, and endurance training; and flexibility exercises. It is designed to be conducted during a time period in which competitive players are not peaking for important tournaments or school competition. Training is conducted 3 days a week in approximately 1½ hour sessions and can be done entirely on the court.

The neuromuscular retraining techniques incorporated into SportsmetricsTM Tennis are designed to re-program the body and mind to act together to improve dynamic balance, or how the player moves and positions the body before, during, and after making contact with the ball. Because certain body positions may be harmful in terms of increasing the risk of injury, exercises have been developed that successfully change how the player jumps, lands, runs, cuts, and responds to certain tasks. The elements of the traditional SportsmetricsTM program that are incorporated into SportsmetricsTM Tennis have been scientifically proven to increase the strength of the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles, reduce harmful ground reaction forces, increase knee flexion angles and improve overall body position on landing. The enhancement of overall body strength, improvement in stroke technique, increase in aerobic fitness, and gains in flexibility are also important aspects of injury prevention.

• Dynamic Warm-up: Prepares the body for the physical demands of tennis with functional activities designed to raise core body temperature, increase heart rate, increase blood flow to the muscles and enhance flexibility, balance, and coordination.
• Plyometric/Jump Training: Helps develop muscle control and strength considered critical to reduce the risk of knee ligament injuries. Increases muscular power, vertical jump height, acceleration speed, and running speed. Focus is placed on correct jumping technique.
• Strength Training: Targets the major muscle groups of the upper and lower extremities and core. It includes exercises such as medicine ball drills, backward lunges, single leg toe raises, seated press ups, push-ups, wall sits, and a variety of abdominal routines.
• Tennis Agility, Skill, and Endurance Training: Each training session includes 4 to 6 tennis specific drills. Emphasis is placed on correct footwork and swing mechanics, along with body dynamic control and balance.
• Flexibility:The static flexibility component, performed upon completion of each session of the training program, targets the hamstrings, quadriceps, iliotibial band, hip flexors, calf muscles (gastrocnemius, soleus), deltoids, triceps, biceps, and low back.

For More Information Contact:
Alex Hermeto, Director of Tennis, Gateway Golf & Country Club, Fort Myers, FL
239-561-1422 or tennis@gatewaygcc.com
Sue Barber-Westin, Fort Myers, FL
239-561-7335 or sbwestin@csmref.org