What’s on your mind? For the avid tennis player, that’s easy: tennis, tennis and more tennis. But you’re not playing tennis right now. Exactly. But that doesn’t prevent you from thinking: What are some everyday activities to improve tennis skills?

Here are some tips from Core Performance, which we’ve modified to fit your daily schedule:

• Overhead Slams: Fitness experts suggest using an 8-pound medicine ball. You lift the ball over your head and, while staying tight, you thrust the ball down hard enough to cause your feet to come off the ground. We suggest packing the ball with your lunch and maybe going outside to do this. We’re not sure upper management would appreciate airborne medicine balls zooming around the office or thumping on the floor. Three sets of eight repetitions are good.
• Medicine Ball Perpendicular Throws: This exercise improves your volley. In the same movement of a swing, throw the ball against a wall or building. If you do decide to do this at work or  school, we suggest getting permission first. You don’t want to be interrupting an important meeting. Doing three sets of eight works.
• Single-Leg Squats: This one improves balance and strength. And this one you can do at your desk, although you may garner some strange looks. This is basically doing squats with one leg. Doing three sets of eight again.
• Ys, Ts, Ws and Ls: While these sets of exercises have the most unusual names, they are important for strengthening upper-body muscles. These are done by getting into a slightly squatted position and by bending forward at about 45 degrees. The exercises incorporate four different movements. The first involves lifting your arms forward with thumbs up as if handing something to a king. The second is lifting your arms sideways like you’re trying to fly. The third involves moving your arms like you’re hitchhiking (while staring at the ground). The last involves raising your elbows first horizontally to the ground and then your lower arms like you’re surrendering.

While we at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club are confident these exercises will improve your skills and your game, we’re not so confident they’ll improve the office perception that you’re not a little weird or fanatical about tennis. But who cares about being weird when you can play tennis like a tornado.

Golden Ocala Provides Top Tennis Program

We at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club provide you with the equipment and the training to help you improve your game. Our facilities include:

• Six Har-Tru Hydro-Grid® Courts, all lit for night play.
• Private tennis lessons with our tennis professionals.
• Youth tennis programs.
• Champion tennis leagues.
• Tennis Pro Shop offering the latest in tennis fashion.
• Custom racket stringing.

Contact one of Golden Ocala’s tennis professionals today at 352-402-4351.

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