If you have poor footwork then you are more likely to misjudge the line of the ball and this means more errors and mis hits!!!
Also, the quicker you get to the ball the more options you have and the easier it is to delay and disquise your shot!
Hey readers …..give me some thoughts on this….
I went to the local newsagency to purchase the latest Australian Tennis Magazine and they said they don’t sell it anymore!!!
When I asked why? the newsagent said -
” We have only sold 1 in the last 8 months!!!”
To me this is a massive concern on our industry or is it the quality of the magazine or what……e-mail your thoughts to me balancedaction@hotmail.com
Thanks DB
If people criticise your form, performance, methods, thoughts, philosophies, beliefs…..
“Get better, don’t get bitter”
Power comes from the balls of your feet not the heels, toes or from being in the air!
A major aim of any tennis player should be the transfer of weight in the direction of the intended hit!
Try and avoid any transfer of weight sideways or even worse backwards (if it can at all be avoided….this comes with good reaction and anticipation)
I like to talk about -
1.) Weight transfer - where feet or hips attack the ball and the weight goes from the back foot to the front foot
2.) Balance transfer - where there is a high emphasis on balance, body alignment, rotation around a fixed point and a stable stance
3.) Lateral transfer - where the weight shifts or lunges sideways off an unstable stance. This can be also forward at an angle.
4.) Backwards transfer - where the weight shifts backwards off an unstable stance
Contact moves that emphasise weight transfer are the most offensive, balance and lateral transfer more rally and backwards more defensive. If you cut the angle out to the ball then there is much more of a rally than defensive element.
When you visit your favourite resturant you always select from the menu what is the most appealing dish for YOU!!!
It is the same with footwork selection in tennis.
I teach 15 different contact moves….some which are more advanced than others but I always get the player to use the footwork that works for them!!! Experimentation is the key as is good communication with the coach i.e. “How does this shot feel?”
You can use footwork and contact moves that feel different but if they feel uncomfortable you will never use them!!
A lot of the time I feed a certain ball to a player, get them to use up to 4 different moves…..then rank them as a gold, silver, bronze then fourth favourite shot. I then get them to give me feedback on each shot because certain moves have a cross court or down the line feel, a go for it feel, a move that imparts spin or a move you use on a body ball or wide ball etc…
Following is an example-
Feed a deep ball that would cross the baseline at the midpoint between the centre line and the baseline.
The player will take 3 steps (I call these cha,cha,cha steps i.e. step out, step forward at 45 degrees then step back into a semi-open stance.
The player will hit the ball -
1st) 2 foot pivot (both feet turns on ball of feet and the hips square up)
2nd) 1 foot pivot (pivot on 1 foot and lift the inside knee up for balance. The pivot foot ends up facing the net)
3rd) Lateral hop (hop from the outside foot sideways and keep the inside knee up for balance)
4th) Low hip spin (spin the hips so both feet become elevated, outsdie foot lands flat, facing the net and the elbow of the hitting arm, bent and facing forward)
Get the player to rank each shot in order of preferance and what seems to be a strength/unique aspect/feel/result of each contact move.Note: I use the word seems as every player is different.
i.e. a 2 foot pivot is simple and suits the ball closer to the body, 1 foot pivot easier to impart spin and suits down the line, lateral hop is great to hit angles and hit off a wider ball, low spin is more off an aggressive passing but a lot harder to time and easier to miss hit!!
Like I said there is no RIGHT or WRONG and it is fun to go out and test your athletic skills and master the moves!!
Further note: I use the menu selection on nearly all shots. Particularly try the same idea on floating, high deep , angled and fast balls cramping the body!!!
My goal is to give the teaching of tennis footwork the RESPECT that it deserves!
This is by having a teaching METHOD that is STRUCTURED, PROGRESSIVE and based around COMMUNICATION and a SIMPLE COMMON LANGUAGE!
There are many reasons a mistake might be made when playing tennis. And, as a footwork coach it is important that the correct reason for the mistake be indentified (though it might be a combination of reasons). Many coaches are very swing orientated ( i.e. wrong grip, turned racket face up or down, not enough spin on the ball etc …..and this EXTREMELY IMPORTANT but they also need to think about other causes of errors. These could include-
All the above can and will be reasons for missing a shot, and it is important that coaches have a great understanding of footwork so they can be more complete when assessing! A player can have perfect footwork and miss a shot and also have a perfect swing and miss a shot because they are not positioned properly.
Many times I ask my players….”Do you think your missed shot was a footwork. shot selection, balance, swing or contact point error?” …..It is really important that our players UNDERSTAND & FEEL why they missed and know the difference between the discussed points above!!!