Effects of Sprint and Change-of-Direction Training With or Without the Racket in Young Tennis Players

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of sprint and change-of-direction (CoD) training, with and without the racket, on performance-related qualities of young tennis players. METHODS: Thirty-one young male players age 16.5 (0.3) years (body height 180.6 [4.6] cm; mass 71.5 [6.3] kg) were randomly allocated to a specific sprint and CoD training program using a tennis racket versus the same training without using the racket during an 8-week in-season training phase. Pretraining and posttraining included linear sprint (10 m with 5-m split times), CoD speed (5-0-5 CoD test, pro-agility test), and muscle power (bilateral and unilateral countermovement jumps, and the 10/5 repeated-jump test). RESULTS: Results showed a significant main effect of time for linear sprint speed (10-m: P < .001), CoD (P < .001), CoD deficit (P = .003), pro-agility (P = .044), and all analyzed jump measures (P values ranging from <.001 to .006). Selected significant group-by-time interactions were found, with 5-m (P = .008) and 10-m sprints (P = .021), CoD speed (P < .001), and pro-agility test (P = .018), as well as countermovement jumps (P < .001) and repeated-jump-test jump height (P = .003), favoring the no-racket group. CONCLUSION: Although both training strategies have been shown to be effective in improving the physical fitness components analyzed, the use of specific sprint training without additional equipment (ie, racket) seems to be the most beneficial method to improve baseline capacities in young tennis players.