Tennis Serve PerformanceNCT06221514
Effect of Core Versus Shoulder Strengthening on Tennis Serve Velocity in Young Adult Tennis Players
A study testing Core Strengthening Programs and Shoulder Strengthening Programs in people with Tennis Serve Performance and Tennis, run by Cairo University at 1 site in Egypt.
Trial summary
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effect of a 4-week core strengthening program on flat serve velocity and arc of shoulder rotation in amateur young adult tennis players . Participants will serve the tennis ball four times during the initial and final flat tennis serve assessments. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 25 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Tennis Serve Performance, Tennis
- What is being tested?
- Core Strengthening Programs and Shoulder Strengthening Programs
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 50 participants
- Where
- 1 siteEgypt
- Study dates
- 20 Feb 2026to Jun 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 25 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- (1)Tennis playing experience between 1 to 3 yrs.(2)Trains 2-3 times per week for a minimum of 1-2 hours per day.(3)Trained in flat serve.(4) Right and Left-handed Players.(5) Females and males.(6) Young adults age ranging from 18-25 years.
Who cannot join
- (1)Players who underwent specific shoulder or core strength training in the past year.(2)Players who had a history of UE injury (dislocation, rupture, fracture, surgery ) that prevents them from playing .(3) back or knee pain for at least the past year .(4) Players with Cardiovascular diseases or metabolic disorders. (ex: DM)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Egypt1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences
Giza, 2334
Ahmed ElMelhat, 01112595022, ahmed.elmelhat@cu.edu.eg
About this study
Official title: Effect of Adding of Core Versus Shoulder Strengthening on Tennis Serve Velocity in Young Adult Tennis Players
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effect of a 4-week core strengthening program on flat serve velocity and arc of shoulder rotation in amateur young adult tennis players .
Participants will serve the tennis ball four times during the initial and final flat tennis serve assessments. Furthermore, participants will be divided into two groups and given different strengthening programs.
Researchers will compare Group A (shoulder strengthening group) and Group B (core strengthening group) to see if there is any difference between the core and shoulder training programs on the flat serve velocity.
Read the detailed description
Design:
This study was designed as a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of a 4-week core strengthening program on the flat serve velocity and arc of shoulder rotation in amateur young adult tennis players.
Sample Size:
The sample size was estimated using data from websites that provide information on the Lebanese population, the International Tennis Federation (ITF, 2020), and the Lebanese Tennis Federation (LTF). It is estimated that the age range is 18-25 years. accounts for around 13.84% of the 2,000 tennis players in Lebanon, which equates to 276 players. Of these 276, 64 players (23.19%) were professionals (LTF, 2021), 53 players (25%) were estimated as beginners and the remaining 159 were assumed amateur players. By estimation, 39 players (25%) of the 159 players were excluded as per the exclusion criteria. The population size for the study was determined to be a total of 120 players. Using a scientific sample size calculator software (Qualtrics 2021), the confidence level was set to 90%, and the margin of error was set to 10%. The ideal sample size for this study was calculated and determined to be around 44 ± 10% amateur tennis players. According to this calculation, around 50 amateur tennis players will be recruited for this study.
Participants :
The amateur tennis players will be recruited from multiple tennis academies and online platforms in Beirut, Lebanon through an electronic enrollment form. After collecting all the questionnaires, those that meet the inclusion criteria will be selected, and the participants will be contacted later by email, phone calls, or WhatsApp messages with additional information about the length of the study, the training program, and the number of times per week they expect to be seen.
Players will sign an informed consent sheet provided by the Beirut Arab University (BAU) Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Evaluation:
The initial and final assessments will be performed will be completed in an indoor tennis court to limit the air factor interfering and impacting the serve's velocity after receiving consent from one of the academies and, if necessary, paying rent to use it for 1-2 hours. Following approval, the specific shoulder and core training programs will take place in the BAU gym or at the BAU Physical Therapy Outpatient Clinic under the supervision of the therapists.
Materials
Radar Gun :
Radar will be used to measure the serve speed; it will calculate the time elapsed between the ball's emission and the reception of its reflected echo and the distance traveled by the ball between two points (the ball launch point and a second point) (Tubez et al., 2018). The radar that's held by the assessor will be positioned at least 6 ft behind the player and at a height approximate to the center of the racket head at the point of ball contact.
Resistance Bands Therapy resistance bands will be used for the shoulder and core training resistance exercises (Treiber et al., 1998). For the core exercises, the bands will be placed above the knees, ankles, or around the feet while the participants are performing the exercises in various positions. Additionally, the band will be used for shoulder flexion, abduction, IR, and ER exercises while wrapped around different surfaces.
Statistical Analysis The normal distribution of the data will be checked using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Paired t-tests will be used to compare mean differences between pre-and post-test assessment data for the separate experimental and control groups. One-way ANOVA test will used to compare the pre- and post-assessment means between the groups. The relationship between the independent variables (height, BMI, experience, dominant hand) and dependent variables (pre and post-serve velocity) will be described using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients (r). The level of significance for all statistical tests will be set at p < 0.05. All statistical analysis will be conducted through the statistical package for social studies (SPSS).
- Conditions
- Tennis Serve Performance, Tennis
- Being tested
- Core Strengthening Programs, Shoulder Strengthening Programs
- Keywords
- tennis, serve velocity, strength, core, shoulder, radar gun
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Core Strengthening ProgramsOther
The program will be carried out for 4 weeks, 2 times a week, for approximately 50 minutes.
Each exercise was performed in 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Shoulder Strengthening ProgramsOther
The program will be carried out for 4 weeks, 2 times a week, for approximately 50 minutes.
Each exercise was performed in 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Core Group | Other | Each session will begin with a 5-10-minute core dynamic warm-up exercise and 20-minute shoulder exercise training.
The participants then will perform approximately 10 minutes of core exercises using therapy resistance bands. All players will rest for a few seconds between the exercises. The core exercises will include: bicycle crunches with the band placed around the feet, standing knee tucks with the band placed around the feet (without shoulder rotations and while applying posterior pelvic tilts), flutter kicks with the band placed above the ankles, leg raises with knees flexed and no resistance band, and posterior pelvic tilts from a supine position with hold.
Lastly, the training session will end with a 5-10-minute cool-down. Receives: Other: Core Strengthening Programs |
| Shoulder Group | Other | Each session will begin with a 5-10-minute shoulder dynamic warm-up exercise.
The participants then will perform approximately 30 minutes of shoulder exercises using therapy resistance bands. All players will rest for a few seconds between the exercises. The shoulder exercises will include: internal and external rotations with the elbow flexed and band wrapped around an object of appropriate height, shoulder abduction to 90˚ with band placed under feet for fixation, shoulder flexion to 90˚ with band placed under feet for fixation, and seated rowing with band held in hands while being placed around the feet were all performed in a sitting position to avoid activation of core muscles.
Lastly, the training session will end with a 5-10-minute cool-down. Receives: Other: Shoulder Strengthening Programs |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Serve Ball Speed Analysis
- The flat serve speed will be measured in miles per hour using the Bushnell Velocity Speed Radar Gun, which measures the speed of the ball up to 90 feet away (10 to 110 mph) within +/- 1 mph accuracy.
The therapist will hold the radar at least 6 feet behind the player in the center of the baseline, aligning it with the height approximate to the center of the racket head at the point of ball contact and pointing down the center of the service box (Fernandez-fernandez et al., 2013; Myers et al., 2015).
Measured: Baseline (pre- the-4 week training program) , post-the- 4 weeks training program .
Secondary outcomes (1)
Total Glenohumeral Arc of Rotation
The Total Glenohumeral Arc of Rotation (TGAR) will be measured by a bubble inclinometer .It assesses each range of motion ( internal rotation and external rotation) three times and the average of these measurements is calculated.
The TGAR is then determined by adding the average values of internal and external rotations.
Measured: Baseline (pre- the-4 week training program) , post-the- 4 weeks training program .
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Jan 2024
- Study start20 Feb 2026
- Primary completionMay 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionJun 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Tennis Serve PerformanceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Cairo UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ahmed ElMelhat, Cairo University
- Investigators
- Ahmet M. El Melhat, Phd, Study director, Cairo University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06221514
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Core training on TS velocity
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 15 Jan 2024
- Last updated
- 14 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Fernandez-Fernandez J, Ellenbecker T, Sanz-Rivas D, Ulbricht A, Ferrautia A. Effects of a 6-week junior tennis conditioning program on service velocity. J Sports Sci Med. 2013 Jun 1;12(2):232-9. eCollection 2013.
PubMed 24149801Treiber FA, Lott J, Duncan J, Slavens G, Davis H. Effects of Theraband and lightweight dumbbell training on shoulder rotation torque and serve performance in college tennis players. Am J Sports Med. 1998 Jul-Aug;26(4):510-5. doi: 10.1177/03635465980260040601.
PubMed 9689369Myers NL, Sciascia AD, Westgate PM, Kibler WB, Uhl TL. Increasing Ball Velocity in the Overhead Athlete: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Oct;29(10):2964-79. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000931.
PubMed 25763521
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of Adding of Core Versus Shoulder Strengthening on Tennis Serve Velocity in Young Adult Tennis Players
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06221514
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Core training on TS velocity
- Conditions
- Tennis Serve Performance, Tennis
- Keywords
- tennis, serve velocity, strength, core, shoulder, radar gun
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 20 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- May 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jun 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Jan 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effect of a 4-week core strengthening program on flat serve velocity and arc of shoulder rotation in amateur young adult tennis players .
Participants will serve the tennis ball four times during the initial and final flat tennis serve assessments. Furthermore, participants will be divided into two groups and given different strengthening programs.
Researchers will compare Group A (shoulder strengthening group) and Group B (core strengthening group) to see if there is any difference between the core and shoulder training programs on the flat serve velocity.
Detailed description
Design:
This study was designed as a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of a 4-week core strengthening program on the flat serve velocity and arc of shoulder rotation in amateur young adult tennis players.
Sample Size:
The sample size was estimated using data from websites that provide information on the Lebanese population, the International Tennis Federation (ITF, 2020), and the Lebanese Tennis Federation (LTF). It is estimated that the age range is 18-25 years. accounts for around 13.84% of the 2,000 tennis players in Lebanon, which equates to 276 players. Of these 276, 64 players (23.19%) were professionals (LTF, 2021), 53 players (25%) were estimated as beginners and the remaining 159 were assumed amateur players. By estimation, 39 players (25%) of the 159 players were excluded as per the exclusion criteria. The population size for the study was determined to be a total of 120 players. Using a scientific sample size calculator software (Qualtrics 2021), the confidence level was set to 90%, and the margin of error was set to 10%. The ideal sample size for this study was calculated and determined to be around 44 ± 10% amateur tennis players. According to this calculation, around 50 amateur tennis players will be recruited for this study.
Participants :
The amateur tennis players will be recruited from multiple tennis academies and online platforms in Beirut, Lebanon through an electronic enrollment form. After collecting all the questionnaires, those that meet the inclusion criteria will be selected, and the participants will be contacted later by email, phone calls, or WhatsApp messages with additional information about the length of the study, the training program, and the number of times per week they expect to be seen.
Players will sign an informed consent sheet provided by the Beirut Arab University (BAU) Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Evaluation:
The initial and final assessments will be performed will be completed in an indoor tennis court to limit the air factor interfering and impacting the serve's velocity after receiving consent from one of the academies and, if necessary, paying rent to use it for 1-2 hours. Following approval, the specific shoulder and core training programs will take place in the BAU gym or at the BAU Physical Therapy Outpatient Clinic under the supervision of the therapists.
Materials
Radar Gun :
Radar will be used to measure the serve speed; it will calculate the time elapsed between the ball's emission and the reception of its reflected echo and the distance traveled by the ball between two points (the ball launch point and a second point) (Tubez et al., 2018). The radar that's held by the assessor will be positioned at least 6 ft behind the player and at a height approximate to the center of the racket head at the point of ball contact.
Resistance Bands Therapy resistance bands will be used for the shoulder and core training resistance exercises (Treiber et al., 1998). For the core exercises, the bands will be placed above the knees, ankles, or around the feet while the participants are performing the exercises in various positions. Additionally, the band will be used for shoulder flexion, abduction, IR, and ER exercises while wrapped around different surfaces.
Statistical Analysis The normal distribution of the data will be checked using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Paired t-tests will be used to compare mean differences between pre-and post-test assessment data for the separate experimental and control groups. One-way ANOVA test will used to compare the pre- and post-assessment means between the groups. The relationship between the independent variables (height, BMI, experience, dominant hand) and dependent variables (pre and post-serve velocity) will be described using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients (r). The level of significance for all statistical tests will be set at p < 0.05. All statistical analysis will be conducted through the statistical package for social studies (SPSS).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Core Group | Other | Other: Core Strengthening ProgramsEach session will begin with a 5-10-minute core dynamic warm-up exercise and 20-minute shoulder exercise training. The participants then will perform approximately 10 minutes of core exercises using therapy resistance bands. All players will rest for a few seconds between the exercises. The core exercises will include: bicycle crunches with the band placed around the feet, standing knee tucks with the band placed around the feet (without shoulder rotations and while applying posterior pelvic tilts), flutter kicks with the band placed above the ankles, leg raises with knees flexed and no resistance band, and posterior pelvic tilts from a supine position with hold. Lastly, the training session will end with a 5-10-minute cool-down. |
| Shoulder Group | Other | Other: Shoulder Strengthening ProgramsEach session will begin with a 5-10-minute shoulder dynamic warm-up exercise. The participants then will perform approximately 30 minutes of shoulder exercises using therapy resistance bands. All players will rest for a few seconds between the exercises. The shoulder exercises will include: internal and external rotations with the elbow flexed and band wrapped around an object of appropriate height, shoulder abduction to 90˚ with band placed under feet for fixation, shoulder flexion to 90˚ with band placed under feet for fixation, and seated rowing with band held in hands while being placed around the feet were all performed in a sitting position to avoid activation of core muscles. Lastly, the training session will end with a 5-10-minute cool-down. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- (1)Tennis playing experience between 1 to 3 yrs.(2)Trains 2-3 times per week for a minimum of 1-2 hours per day.(3)Trained in flat serve.(4) Right and Left-handed Players.(5) Females and males.(6) Young adults age ranging from 18-25 years.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- (1)Players who underwent specific shoulder or core strength training in the past year.(2)Players who had a history of UE injury (dislocation, rupture, fracture, surgery ) that prevents them from playing .(3) back or knee pain for at least the past year .(4) Players with Cardiovascular diseases or metabolic disorders. (ex: DM)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Core Strengthening ProgramsThe program will be carried out for 4 weeks, 2 times a week, for approximately 50 minutes. Each exercise was performed in 3 sets of 15 repetitions. | Other | Core Group |
| Shoulder Strengthening ProgramsThe program will be carried out for 4 weeks, 2 times a week, for approximately 50 minutes. Each exercise was performed in 3 sets of 15 repetitions. | Other | Shoulder Group |
Primary outcome
Serve Ball Speed Analysis
Time frame: Baseline (pre- the-4 week training program) , post-the- 4 weeks training program .
1. The flat serve speed will be measured in miles per hour using the Bushnell Velocity Speed Radar Gun, which measures the speed of the ball up to 90 feet away (10 to 110 mph) within +/- 1 mph accuracy. The therapist will hold the radar at least 6 feet behind the player in the center of the baseline, aligning it with the height approximate to the center of the racket head at the point of ball contact and pointing down the center of the service box (Fernandez-fernandez et al., 2013; Myers et al., 2015).
1 secondary outcome
Total Glenohumeral Arc of Rotation
Time frame: Baseline (pre- the-4 week training program) , post-the- 4 weeks training program .
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Apr 2026.
- Background: PubMed 24149801Fernandez-Fernandez J, Ellenbecker T, Sanz-Rivas D, Ulbricht A, Ferrautia A. Effects of a 6-week junior tennis conditioning program on service velocity. J Sports Sci Med. 2013 Jun 1;12(2):232-9. eCollection 2013.
- Background: PubMed 9689369Treiber FA, Lott J, Duncan J, Slavens G, Davis H. Effects of Theraband and lightweight dumbbell training on shoulder rotation torque and serve performance in college tennis players. Am J Sports Med. 1998 Jul-Aug;26(4):510-5. doi: 10.1177/03635465980260040601.
- Background: PubMed 25763521Myers NL, Sciascia AD, Westgate PM, Kibler WB, Uhl TL. Increasing Ball Velocity in the Overhead Athlete: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Oct;29(10):2964-79. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000931.
- Lebanese Tennis FederationLink provided by the sponsor.
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Effect of Upper-limb Plyometric Training Versus Strength Training for Enhancing Serve Velocity, Strength, and Power in Competitive Tennis Players
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Ahmet M. El Melhat, Phd study director
Cairo University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Core Strengthening Programs and Shoulder Strengthening Programs in people with Tennis Serve Performance and Tennis, run by Cairo University at 1 site in Egypt.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Egypt. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Ahmet M. Elmelhat, PhD (01112595022, ahmed.elmelhat@cu.edu.lb), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Serve Ball Speed Analysis (time frame: Baseline (pre- the-4 week training program) , post-the- 4 weeks training program .). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06221514, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Apr 2026.