The Straight Leg Kicks Dynamic Hamstring Stretch warms up the musculature of the posterior thigh used during running and serving.
The straight leg kicks dynamic hamstring stretch prepares the hamstrings for explosive action, such as jumping during the serve, reduces the risk for injury and improves flexibility of the hamstrings by increasing muscle tissue temperature.
If you are interested in finding out why you should warm up before you play tennis take a look at the benefits of a proper warm up routine.
Ensure that you perform the straight leg kicks in a controlled fashion, especially if you haven’t performed any other warm up exercise before, because it is easy to pull the hamstrings when they are “cold”.
If you have hamstring flexibility issues then you might not be able to kick up the leg to hip level without flexing the knee. If that’s the case then raise the leg as far as possible without bending the knee.
Straight Leg Kicks Description Summary

Straight Leg Kicks Dynamic Hamstring Stretch
- Face forward
- Keep leg straight and raise it as far in front of you as possible
- The ipsilateral (opposite) hand touches the toes of the raised leg
- Release the leg back to the ground
- Repeat with other leg
Targeted Musculature
- Hamstrings
More Dynamic Stretches
Of course we have more great dynamic stretches that you can do before you start playing tennis to get yourself prepared and ready for action.
Simply chose 6-8 dynamic stretches for your dynamic stretch routine that warm up the major muscle groups of the legs and hips and you are ready to go!
Here are a few suggestions:
- Single Leg Romanian Deadlift Dynamic Stretch
- Dynamic Piriformis Stretch
- Lunge And Twist Core Stretch
- Single Leg Romanian Deadlift Dynamic Stretch
- Dynamic Piriformis Stretch
- Lunge And Twist Core Stretch
Other Static Stretches For You
Apart from the straight leg kicks dynamic hamstring stretch we have some other static stretches for you that target the muscles acting on the hip and the knee.
You can use these stretches during the cool down once you are finished with your match or training session.
Simply click on them to learn more or watch the videos:
- Quadriceps Stretch
- Hamstrings and Erector Spinae Stretch
- Static Hamstring Stretching
Training Zone
In this section we provide you with some more workouts and training tips you may be interested in to optimize your training: