tennis101

Tennis Movement

Many people claim that the serve is the only shot in tennis that you control 100% from the begining to the end. However, each tennis player can also control their footwork and the aggressiveness of their movement. While a person’s energy will ebb and flow depending on the day, each person is still capable of giving 100% of what they can on every time they play. It’s imperative to understand proper movement and the pressure it puts on your opponents.

Learning how to correctly move on a court is much more important than any single shot a player might hit. If you are not in position and in time to hit the shot there is no way even if your technique is great, to be able to do some real damage with it. Roger Federer had a difficult 2008 and he stated that the main difference for his drop in form was his movement. By being able to recognize where to move to on the court, and the speed it takes to move to the shot and by being there on time puts pressure on your opponents to do more with their shots. Tennis is a sport dictated on time, those who maximize their time while taking the most away from their opponents will prosper.

Frequently, you can see club players having difficulties with their mobility. However, that is only a small part of the equation. Even those players whose movement is above average often lose due to bad footwork. One misstep per shot in a rally leads to an off-balance play and limited shot making. More importantly, instead of dictating play the player becomes reactionary and defensive giving the upper hand to their opponent. Here are a few tips to help improve your movement on the court:

Split Step: Right before your opponent makes contact on every shot including the serve, you should try and take a small balanced hop. This action will help you to be at the right position to react for a quick movement in any direction.

Large Steps: Use large steps initially to get to the ball as fast as possible. The quicker a player can get to a shot, the easier it will be to prepare for it and take control of the point.

Small Steps: As you approach the ball shorten up your steps. Using small steps allows for you to adjust to the ball and hit the ball in your contact zone all while staying balanced.

The importance of movement according to the surface you are playing on : The general rules remain as stated above but there are adjustments in every surface due to the uniqueness of it. For example, on clay the ball moves slower than a hard court but bounces higher. On clay you have to incorporate the slide in order to reach the ball and remain balanced. On grass the ball moves quicker and skids so the bounce is as low as it gets.You can't slide like on clay and you have to be prepared quicker. That means shorter backswing and more bending of the knees.
All the above of course are pretty general and are applied by every individual a little differently due to biomechanical and tennis technique issues.

In conclusion, proper movement before and after your opponents hit the ball gives you an unbelievable advantage also allowing you the time to make the correct decision regarding the shot you will use.