Balance, strength, flexibility, coordination and focus

If you could have one exercise that will train simultaneously your strength, balance, coordination, flexibility and mental toughness, would you do it? Such exercise does exist – it is called one-leg squat (or ‘pistol’ in some other athletic areas). You don’t need any fancy equipment or location, only a serious focus and strong will. As a result, your tennis fitness will improve tremendously.

In the one-leg squat you exercise power through the full range of motion while balancing on one leg. Your legs will get extremely strong and with strong legs your movement on the court will be faster, more explosive and more graceful.

One-leg squat is one of the most important and useful exercises that you can find. It is very easy to describe, but so much more difficult to execute. But with practice you can master it soon.

One-leg Squat

Stand on right leg and lift the left leg up in the air, almost parallel with the ground. Slowly sink down, resisting with the left leg’s muscles, until you reach the bottom position where your hamstrings and butt are resting on your left calf. Keep the right leg in the air at all times. Now stand up again. See how many repetitions you can do. Your goal is at least 15.

Even though it sounds easy, if you have any weakness or limitations in your balance, flexibility or strength, you will find it hard to execute this exercise correctly.

1. If you cannot keep your balance, start practicing easier exercises on one leg: standing, jumping and with closed eyes.
2. If it is hard to keep your right leg straight in the air, your hamstrings and low back are tight, and you should work little extra on stretching the hamstrings, hips and low back.
3. If you cannot sit down completely on your heel, your quadriceps or calf is tight, or your ankle has decreased range of motion. Stretch your quadriceps, and loosen up your ankles with some foot circles exercises.
4. If you are not strong enough to perform one-leg squat, don’t worry, you will soon. It is a very demanding movement, because your thigh and butt have to stabilize your body on a very little base (your foot) and lift and sink all your weight on one leg only. Your core works hard as well to keep the balance and proper alignment.
5. If a full one-leg squat is too difficult, start with a “baby” version – get support from a net pole or a thin tree. Stand close to the pole and start performing the squat. Try to do as much movement on your own as possible, and when you reach a point that you cannot move further use the pole to assist you. Over time as you get stronger, you will need less help until one day you will do it completely on your own.
6. Make sure that your working leg is perfectly aligned with the foot in all planes: don’t let the knee stick in- or outward, or forward beyond the toes. Keep the heel on the ground at all times. Follow the same form as a regular two-leg squat. If you are not 100% sure how to do it, refresh your memory here…
7. If you feel pain in the front of your knee, you might be extending it too far forward. Sit further back on your heel, and work on your ankle flexibility as well. If you feel pain on the side of the knee, you might be rotating your knee or body too much off the ideal line of alignment. Find the position where you feel the unstable point and try to adjust the knee and body a little bit, until you find the correct and pain-free position. Sometimes the lack of stability comes from a weak core. Keep contracting your core through the whole range of motion. Perform plank exercises on a regular basis to keep your core strong: plank with arm lifts, with hip twists, knee touch or side plank.

As you can see, you need to master many elements to become proficient on one-leg squat: strong focus, balance, coordination, flexibility, endurance and strength. And all this will greatly help your tennis game.

For more info: ex Ms Natural Olympia Suzanna McGee is an experienced athletic trainer, competitive tennis player and a freelance writer. She lives in Venice Beach, CA and online at www.sixftlion.com

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