Frequently Asked Technical Questions:

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THE STEP-DOWN PIVOT

Question:

Of all the contact moves, why do you teach the step down move first? When do I hit a low step down and when do I hit a high step down? And, what is the difference?

Answer:

First of all I like to encourage positive footwork thinking and the step down needs you to be aggressive with your footwork and to go forward towards the ball instead of letting the ball come to you. Unlike an open stance where the contact point is in line with the outside toe the step down has a contact move that is out in front and in line with the toe of the front foot. So this encourages you to take the ball on the rise. Players that take the ball earlier, step down to a lot of shots. It also makes you comfortable at hitting off a neutral stance, which is a great stance to approach the net from.

The thing about the step down is it takes a lot of coordination and has a variety of out and recovery steps and moving forward to short balls, which seems to be a problem with many players. Out steps include step outs, rhythm steps, cha cha cha steps, cross over steps and run around C and U shaped steps. (See Bailey Method DVD). Players who don’t step down a lot (especially on the F/h side) tend to have lazy feet where as the step down encourages good footwork and make you pick up the flight of the ball and move quickly to the ball both which are great habits to get into.

The step down is definitely one of my favourite contact moves to teach and put into your game or coaches to put into their lessons.

Question:

When do I hit a low step down and when do I hit a high step down? And, what is the difference?

Answer:

The answer is that if the ball is about chest height then you make a high step down and on a knee height ball a low step down. What defines 1 move from the other is the balance move. On a low ball you use back knee drop on the medium height ball a kick back. (See contact move article for photos). Step-downs are shots where the player feels comfortable hitting of a stationary stance and prefer being grounded when hitting (both or one foot on the ground) as against being elevated (both feet off the ground when making contact).

Question:

What are some common errors made when hitting a step down pivot?

  1. Hitting before stepping so the foot is in the air is a common mistake usually due to not getting to the ball early enough and getting the weight on the outside foot so balance is gained and thus timing of the step is under control.
  2. Bringing the leg around too early is also a common mistake. I really believe the shot must be finished so the racket has completely finished the swing so when the trail leg comes around it performs more of a pushing role to the next recovery location than a braking step where the weight falls outwards and body alignment is lost. I like to compare to a swimmer who must finish the tumble turn before they push off the wall to getting maximum thrust off the wall.
  3. Foot points too much at the net or too much to the side fence. I like the front foot to point at the net post (45 degrees) when contact is made and again the foot should only pivot and finish pointing at the net when the swing has completely finished its swing path.
  4. Losing the angles in the legs means the player comes up with their legs as they hit the ball. The legs straighten up and all balance and athletic loading of the muscles is lost . A really good way to fix this is to have the player being able to see the ball that they have just hit bounce under the tape of the net as they are looking through the net. Or wear an athletic training belt that has a bungee chord attaches to both ankles and makes the athletes stay down on their shots. I recommend . It is important to lift the ball over the net with a low to high swing line and make the racket impart the spin on the ball with good racket head speed. The knees bend and legs stay down so you get under the ball with your legs and not getting under the ball by bending at the waist while putting pressure on the lower back.
  5. Going front foot to the back foot instead of going from the back foot to the front foot. If you front foot set too early then the toe of the front foot lifts on contact (especially on the backhand). If you set the feet up early and then step out to the side and keep the weight here then you can time you step forward like a boxer times his step. Not only will this give more power but better timing and also the ability to “hold” the shot and change direction at the last moment. It also enables you to step in the direction that you want the ball to travel. The other point is that with a step down the objective is to get the feet into a neutral stance not a closed stance which can lock off the hips especially on the forehand side. The 1 handed backhand will tend to be a lot more closed than the 2 handed backhand.

 Question:

What are some good teaching points?

  1. When covering larger distances I prefer the front cross over recovery step than to side skip back. This is because it is faster and cuts down the number steps taken. It also encourages you to roll the shoulders through the shot and stay down through the shot.
  2. When the trail leg comes around make sure it comes around 45 degrees. As this is the best position to either push off and go into the net or recover back to the baseline. Make sure the outside foot is flat on the ground and pointing towards the net.
  3. Train the step down with various out steps i.e. step out (1 step to side), rhythm steps (2 steps to side), cha cha cha (3 steps to side), front cross and step down, run around C and U shaped shuffle steps, forward rhythm steps (2+ steps down court towards the net), move back and step down on a deep floating ball. You can use these out steps with a kick back on the higher ball and a back knee drop on a higher ball.

Question:

Why is the step down your favourite shadow tennis contact move?

Answer:

The step down is on of my favourites as it can be trained with a variety of out steps. It is great and the step down is one of my favourite contact move to use as a warm up through shadow tennis as it really gets the feet moving well and because it is an aggressive offensive shot. It encourages a good mind set of taking the ball early before you play. If you are playing and hitting a lot of step-downs then you are in control of the match.

Question:

Is the forehand step down easier than the backhand step down?
Answer:

Most players will naturally step down on the backhand and prefer the open forehand but by being to open dominated on the forehand you take away the ability to take the ball early. With a step down the contact point is in front but with a open shot the contact point is to the side. It is important to feet comfortable to step down on the front foot as transition to the net will seem natural and instinctive.

The step down is a lot more difficult to a player with a forehand western grip as this grip does not suit low short balls. Players with a eastern forehand grip will feel very comfortable stepping down.

Remember the secret to a good step down is not to front foot set too early and making sure the step is timed in such away that the weight is going from the back foot to the front foot.
 
Question:

Is the step down more of a cross court or down the line shot?

Answer:

I believe that the step down is great for a cross court and down the line shot. But a good rule of thumb is that if your feet are inside the court then go down the line!! Thus I think the step down is a particularly good shot down the line as you take the ball early. By bringing the leg through and hitting the ball well you can then immediately push off the outside leg and sneak into the net and put away a volley.