Footwork is one of the most important parts of becoming a good tennis player. You will regularly hear the top players mention how their movement affected their match and contributed to a result, in a good way or a bad way.
As you can see from my photos there is different footwork necessary for different shot selections and there's different shot selections required for the times when the choice of footwork is not an option.
Once a player can understand that footwork can be applied to a choice of shot when there are options available to how a player would prefer to send a ball back and when a choice of shot must apply to the footwork that is necessary to retrieve a ball, as the options will be limited, then the level of that player will increase dramatically.
Let's look at the first 3 photos I have posted, all of which are backhands.
- I am pushed wide and at end range, therefore an open stance is necessary.
- I have managed to chase down a ball and get onto my front foot allowing a more aggressive shot
- The ball is received higher and I have used a hopping motion off my front foot to contact the ball
In some scenarios when a player is not pushed they can have several options of which shot to hit, depending perhaps on their opponent or even their own game style and the correct footwork must match the shot selection by the player. In the 3 photos I have posted I am in a position where my shot selection must match the footwork I was able to accomplish, as in all 3 scenarios I am tested by my opponents shot.
Here is a shot of my forehand using another type of footwork, as I got to the ball on the run, which required a full hip and body rotation to ensure I finished the shot as well as an important breaking step to allow me to recover back to the correct position on the court, which is shown in the next picture
There is no right or wrong as to which footwork is best, however, there can be better options in certain court positions and the footwork must match the shot selection by the player to ensure a higher chance of the tennis ball landing in the court.
There will also be other factors in a players technique that contribute to the shot making in a game but most players should work from the ground upwards as tennis is a leg sport and the feet, legs and stance all allow the upper body to do what is necessary to compete the intended stroke.
Here is a clip focusing on some footwork during a point. See if you can spot the different ones between the players.
Thanks for reading,
Oly
#tenniscoaching #footwork #movement #life #hobby #curie 