Your position on the court is crucial in order to give yourself the best chance of winning each point. Here are tips on how you can master your tennis footwork skills with 4 key positions.
Ready Position
The first position to master your tennis footwork is the Ready Position. This is the position you start out in before returning a shot. The ready position is usually at our behind the baseline. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart and your weight evenly distributed to both. Lastly, hold your racquet out in front of you gripped by both hands. This position allows you to move in any direction.
Split Step
The second technique to master your tennis footwork is called the Split Step. The split step can be an intuitive reaction if you maintain high intensity. From your ready position, the split step is a quick hop just before moving towards the ball. To time it just right, your hop should be done at the moment when your opponent makes contact with the ball. This will put you on your toes and give you enough time to explode in the direction of the ball.
Side Shuffle
Next up is the Side Shuffle. Now that you’ve returned the ball to your opponent, you need to get back into the best position for the next return. To return to the middle of the court, the side shuffle comes in handy. Instead of turning your whole body to move back to position, the side shuffle is a lateral movement. The reason this is ideal is because your opponent could easily place their shot the opposite side you are moving if you were to turn your body. The side shuffle allows you to change direction much quicker if needed and you can face your opponent.
Cross Step
The last technique to learn when mastering your tennis footwork is the Cross Step. As we mentioned in the last section, it’s not ideal to turn your body when moving because you can’t change direction. However, if you need to cover a lot of ground, you can use the cross step. To do this, bring your leg, one over the other in the direction you choose to move in. Cover as much ground as you can, and then move back into your side shuffle quickly.
Tennis Footwork Tips with a Pro
It’s one thing to read about tennis footwork, but another thing to practice it! You can work with our tennis pros to master these and more.
Tennis Lessons & More