Is a Dysfunctional Lateral Subsystem Sabotaging Your Tennis Game?

Are you struggling with your tennis game?

Whether you’re hitting the court for a friendly match or training competitively, your body mechanics are everything in tennis. Quick direction changes, explosive serves, and lateral lunges all rely on one essential — and often overlooked — muscular system: the lateral subsystem.

If your tennis game feels off — maybe your movement is sluggish, your knee feels unstable, or your balance isn’t what it used to be — there’s a good chance your lateral subsystem isn’t working the way it should.

At BodyMoxie, we specialize in identifying and correcting dysfunctional movement patterns using NeuroKinetic Therapy® (NKT) and GYROTONIC®. Let’s break down what the lateral subsystem does, how it affects your performance on the court, and what we can do to get it firing again.

What Is the Lateral Subsystem?

The lateral subsystem is a group of muscles that work together to stabilize your pelvis, spine, and legs during side-to-side (lateral) movements. It plays a major role in activities like:

• Changing directions quickly

• Balancing on one leg

• Transferring power from the ground into your swing or serve

• Preventing knee collapse during lunges or pivots

The key players in the lateral subsystem include:

• Gluteus medius

• Tensor fasciae latae (TFL)

• Adductors (inner thighs)

• Quadratus lumborum (QL) on the opposite side of the torso

These muscles work across the body in diagonal patterns — for example, your left gluteus medius stabilizes your pelvis while your right QL helps maintain balance during a right-handed forehand. Pretty amazing, right?

But when even one part of this chain isn’t pulling its weight, the whole system starts to break down.

Lateral Subsystem

How a Dysfunctional Lateral Subsystem Impacts Your Tennis Game

When the lateral subsystem isn’t firing correctly, your body starts to compensate — often with muscles that aren’t meant to stabilize the pelvis or spine. This creates inefficiencies, fatigue, and eventually, pain or performance decline.

Common issues we see in tennis players with lateral subsystem dysfunction:

• Knee pain on the lead leg when lunging

• Lower back tightness from overusing the QL instead of the glutes

• Foot instability, leading to rolling ankles or poor grip on the court

• Loss of power during lateral movements or explosive changes of direction

• Hip tightness or overuse on one side of the body

• Difficulty staying balanced or “centered” during serves and volleys

In short: if the lateral subsystem isn’t doing its job, the rest of your body has to overwork to compensate — and that’s a recipe for injury and poor performance.

How BodyMoxie Can Help

At BodyMoxie, we take a whole-body, brain-informed approach to fixing dysfunctional movement patterns — especially those that impact athletes like tennis players.

We use NeuroKinetic Therapy (NKT) to find out exactly which muscles are compensating and which ones are underperforming, so we’re not guessing — we’re testing.

What We Do:

✅ Assess your movement — looking at how your glutes, adductors, and core stabilize your pelvis and spine in real time✅ Use NKT to uncover faulty motor patterns (e.g., your QL overworking for a weak glute medius)✅ Release and re-activate specific muscles to restore correct neuromuscular sequencing✅ Reinforce with movement using functional training (including Gyrotonic®-based patterns) to integrate changes into your game✅ Create a tailored home plan so your lateral system stays strong, stable, and responsive on the court

The result? A more connected, powerful, and resilient body — with better agility, stronger pivots, and less wear and tear.

Why This Matters for Your Game

Tennis is a rotational, high-impact sport that requires precision, power, and endurance. When your stabilizers are out of sync, not only do you lose performance, you become more susceptible to:

• Overuse injuries

• Knee and ankle sprains

• SI joint pain

• Core instability

• Fatigue from inefficient movement

Addressing the lateral subsystem isn’t just about avoiding pain — it’s about unlocking greater force transfer, faster reactions, and longer-lasting performance.

Whether you're recovering from injury, trying to break through a plateau, or just want to feel stronger and more connected on the court, the work we do at BodyMoxie can make a huge difference.

Ready to Up Your Game?

Don’t let faulty movement patterns hold you back from playing your best. If you’re serious about improving your tennis game — or just want to move and feel better in your body — let’s look deeper.

At BodyMoxie, we’re here to help you:

• Improve balance and control

• Eliminate compensations

• Reduce injury risk

• And boost performance — from the ground up

🎾 Book your session today at BodyMoxie.org

Let’s get your lateral subsystem working with you — not against you.