Frequently Asked Technical Questions:

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THE MOGUL MOVE

Question:
Of all the 15 contact moves, why is the mogul move on of your favourites?

Answer:

Firstly, I love its simplicity.

Second, it is very effective to aid quick recovery to the centre of the court. I believe the mogul move won Lleyton Hewitt (it defines his game) many many tennis titles as he was always able to mogul instead of hitting shots on the run and thus not taking all those extra steps when trying to stop the body.

The mogul is such a great shot for quick footwork recovery because it is so very fast when done correctly. This is because, by shifting your hips, you blend the contact move with the recovery braking step. It also incorporates crossing steps out and back from the ball….which are so important for speed and explosiveness on the court.

It is also a favourite because it introduces the open stance backhand, which is so important in the modern day game. It really is essential to be able to hit off both feet. I also find the mogul one of the easiest contact moves to teach!

It is definitely in my top 3 as it also teaches the essential skills of shifting the hips and ‘going beyond the ball’ which really helps swing lines. I love the fact that it also can be performed in several different directions, i.e. sideways, forward at an angle and backwards at an angle.

Question:

Can you compare and contrast the mogul with the low spin, as they do both look quite similar?

Answer:

  1. Both the low spin and mogul are hit of the outside foot and very similar approaching balls (low fast and deep) though the mogul is hit off a wider ball. This gives the mogul a more defensive feel to it than the low spin.
  2. I like to describe the mogul like a stone skimming across the surface of a shining still lake where a hip spin is much more of a rotational (Top spinning - head fixed) action.
  3. The mogul uses a open hitting with the weight evenly distributed and the low spin a semi-open stance with about 65% of the weight on the back foot. The mogul is hit off a unstable stance i.e. there is no sit and load whereas the low spin is hit off a stable set stance.
  4. With both moves it is important to hit the ball at the side of the outside foot. Equally important is to make contact first before attempting the move.

I love and always use the phrase “Let the ball come to you!” to help my players understand this concept!

Question:

How do you progressively teach the mogul move?

Answer:

I like to progressively teach using the 5 R’s, i.e. Getting ready, reading, reacting with out steps and setting up a hitting stance, mastering the responding part (contact move + balance move) and then recovering with brake and recovery steps. Work on each section 1 at a time then put them all together. Start with shadow tennis first then progress to fed ball! The progressions for the mogul are:

  1. Getting ready: Work on keeping a wide base and bouncing on the balls of the feet.
  2. Read: Visualize that the approaching ball is low, deep and wide.
  3. React: Perfect the drop step first, then master 1 cross over step, a second crossover step and then add setting the feet into a hitting stance with the racket back ready to hit. It is important to glide out to the ball and keep the angles in the legs.
  4. Respond: Shift the feet sideways, replacing the outside foot with the inside foot. At toes turn and the hips square up to face the net. Stay low and land with the outside foot flat on the ground.
  5. Recover, again drop step the inside foot, front cross the outside leg then side skip to a central recovery position.

It is important not to cut corners…every player will have different skills and strengths and weaknesses when moving…some have recovery problems, others are slow to react, others will miss time the contact point…so isolating, practicing and understanding the 5R’s is essential.

Question:

So you are not a fan of double cross recovery steps?

Answer:

No, it is important to level out the hips early so you can shift split and go “back in behind “ you. If your feet are crossed over when the opponent strikes the ball it is very difficult to change direction and to return to the side you just moved from.

Question:

What are some common errors when attempting a mogul move?

Answer:

  1. Jumping up is a common error, so it is important to actually sink as you hit and keep the legs very relaxed.
  2. Loosing your body alignment is also common as because the player feels they are in a defensive position they try and recover before the shot is finished and lean in as they hit. A good way to check for this error is the outside foot turns in towards the centre and the player lands on the toe instead of pointing at the net with a foot flat.
  3. Not being quick with the crossing steps thus they end up hitting the shot on the run. To perform the mogul well the player must cross over very quickly and keep the steps even. Do not take little adjustment steps. It becomes like a bad long jump run up. I like to practice moguls up stairs 2 at a time and shadow the mogul on the flat at the top of the stairs. This will ensure smooth even crossing steps and get the legs strong and explosive. It also gets the player to trust their feet.
  4. Making contact too early. The contact point is too the side as the stance is open, thus let the ball come through. If you contact the ball too early the hips will spin around and the ball will dump in the net. It is also very important to “go beyond the ball” as this well lengthen the swing line and move the weight from outside foot to outside foot not from the outside foot to the inside foot.

Question:

Why did you name it a mogul move?
Answer:

Well firstly the difference between a mogul move and a mogul step is that a move involves the swinging of the racket i.e. as in shadow tennis. A mogul step involves moving the hips only i.e. like shifting across a low step reebok shifting the feet over a disc placed on the ground.

The mogul was named because it is similar to a mogul movement down a ski slope, though it is very similar to a downhill skier who finishes his run down a slope and shifts his weight powerfully onto the edge of the ski, stopping on a dime and spraying the snow sideways.

I like to use the phrase “push the sand away” as keeping the weight down and using the side of the foot to help you recover is essential in the mogul move.

Question:

Is the forehand mogul move easier than the backhand mogul?

Well firstly the difference between a mogul move and a mogul step is that a move involves the swinging of the racket i.e. as in shadow tennis. A mogul step involves moving the hips only i.e. like shifting across a low step reebok shifting the feet over a disc placed on the ground.

The mogul was named because it is similar to a mogul movement down a ski slope, though it is very similar to a downhill skier who finishes his run down a slope and shifts his weight powerfully onto the edge of the ski, stopping on a dime and spraying the snow sideways.

I like to use the phrase “push the sand away” as keeping the weight down and using the side of the foot to help you recover is essential in the mogul move.
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.

Question:
Is the forehand mogul move easier than the backhand mogul?

Answer:

I have always found that the open forehand is a lot more natural than the open backhand. Just like the step down backhand is more natural the step down forehand. You can always hit a forehand latter than a backhand as the wrist is a lot further behind the grip.

In general the open backhand is not practiced as much as the open forehand. It is really important to get a great shoulder turn when hitting a shot off an open stance.

I do think that being able to hit an open backhand is great for deep balls as recovery is quicker but it also helps prevent injury! Once the leg is stepped cross further than the horizontal (when hitting) there is a lot of pressure placed on the lower back (especially the 2 handed backhand). If the leg is going to be stepped across at an angle greater then 45 degrees I would much rather an open stance be selected.