The Addition of Core Muscle Training on Tennis Serve Speed in Tennis Players

NCT07733869 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: Core Vs shoulder in tennis
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Compared with shoulder-only training and with continued tennis training alone, will the addition of core strengthening to shoulder training produce significantly greater improvements in flat serve ball speed in healthy tennis players? Secondary Hypothesis:

• Combined core + shoulder training will produce greater improvement in serve accuracy than shoulder-only training or tennis training alone.
• Combined core + shoulder training will produce greater improvement in TGAR than shoulder-only training or tennis training alone.
• Combined core + shoulder training will produce greater improvement in core strength/endurance and shoulder rotational strength than the comparator groups.

Conditions

Tennis; Tennis Serve Performance

Keywords

Serve Speed; Core Training; Shoulder training; strengthening; total glenohumeral arc of rotation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Flat serve ball speed

  Flat serve ball speed (km/h or mph), measured via radar gun (e.g., Stalker Pro II) or equivalent validated device, averaged across the best 5 of 10 flat serves hit into the deuce-side service box, measured at baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 12).

  measured at baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 12).

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Serve accuracy

  measured at baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 12).

• Total glenohumeral arc of rotation (TGAR)

  measured at baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 12).

• Shoulder rotational strength

  measured at baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 12).

• Core strength/endurance

  measured at baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 12).

Study Arms (2)

Shoulder+ sham core

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Shoulder strengthening + sham/placebo core exercises (non-loading trunk mobility).

Other: Shoulder Strengthening Program+ Sham core Treatment

shoulder strengthening exercises+ core strengthening

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in EG performed the same shoulder strengthening exercises as in CG, coupled with a physical therapy core strengthening program.

Other: Shoulder Strengthening Program+ Core Strengthening Program

Interventions

Shoulder Strengthening Program+ Sham core Treatment OTHER

Delivered 2×/week for 10 weeks under supervision of a licensed physical therapist or certified strength and conditioning specialist. Progressive resistance program including: * External/internal rotation strengthening (resistance band, cable, or dumbbell) at 0° and 90° abduction * Scapular stabilization exercises (rows, Y-T-W raises, serratus punch) * Posterior shoulder stretching (sleeper stretch, cross-body stretch) for the TGAR component * Progressive overload every 2 weeks based on tolerated resistance/repetitions Sham :Low-intensity, non-progressive trunk mobility exercises with minimal loading (e.g., seated trunk rotations without resistance, cat-camel stretches), matched for session time and attention to control for non-specific training effects, without targeting core strength/endurance adaptation.

Shoulder+ sham core

Shoulder Strengthening Program+ Core Strengthening Program OTHER

Delivered 2×/week for 10 weeks, same sessions as the shoulder program (combined \~50-60 minute sessions), progressive core program including: * Anti-rotation exercises (Pallof press) * Rotational power exercises (medicine ball rotational throws, cable woodchoppers) * Anterior/lateral/posterior chain stability (plank variations, side plank, bird-dog) * Progressive overload via increased resistance, hold time, or instability surface every 2 weeks

shoulder strengthening exercises+ core strengthening

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy adults aged 18-35 years
• Recreational to competitive non-professional tennis players (currently playing ≥2 sessions/week for ≥1 year; NTRP 3.0-5.0 or equivalent ITN; no professional ranking or tour-level competition history)
• Right- or left-hand dominant (serve arm recorded)
• Able to perform a full flat serve without pain
• Willing to maintain current tennis training routine and refrain from starting other new strength/conditioning programs during the study

You may not qualify if:

• Current or history of shoulder pain/injury in the past 6 months (e.g., rotator cuff pathology, labral injury, impingement)
• Low back pain or lumbar spine pathology in the past 6 months
• Prior shoulder or spine surgery
• Systemic conditions affecting neuromuscular function (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, neurological disorders)
• Pregnancy
• Current participation in a structured core or shoulder strengthening program

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cairo University: lead

Study Sites (2)

Beirut Arab University

Beirut, Beirut, 1100, Lebanon

RECRUITING

BAU activities

Beirut, Giza, 2356, Lebanon

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Ahmad El Melhat, PhD

CONTACT

+20 111 259 5022; a.melhat@bau.edu.lb

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 21, 2026
• First Posted: July 29, 2026
• Study Start: June 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 20, 2026
• Last Updated: July 29, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

LE (2)