BASIC FOOTWORK TIPS
by Marcus Rutsche, Academy Head Professional

Great footwork is the gateway to a great stroke. Without preparing your feet you cannot place your body correctly to the ball or around the court effectively and efficiently. Here are a few key things to consider when working on the most important part of your tennis game.

- Posture is essential to good foot control. A great way to gain good playing posture is to stick your backside out with a wide base to obtain balance and gain control over your center of gravity. By doing this you will have a better body shape in preparation for the split step. Balance will be increased during acceleration, slowing down and turning. Good posture will help to maintain stroke production. Every player on tour possess’ this characteristic, watch them and learn to copy this posture.

- Poor recovery has a lot to do with players being lazy between shots. The best players work just as hard in between their shots as they do getting to the ball. Make sure you practice recovery and this will enhance your performance around the court.

- Keep relaxed but controlled rhythmic movements around the court. Keeping your shoulders relaxed and smooth breathing will take the tension out of your movement. Keep the body in motion by swaying and drifting instead of a stop/start movement. Great players like Federer seem to glide around the tennis court. His movement he was not born with but it is learned and practiced over and over.

- Maintain a smooth movement to the ball by avoiding pre- setting the front foot. Weight transfer onto the front foot needs to work in conjunction with the forward swing. Only beginners’ use: step, then hit. To advance to a high level you must master the technique of using momentum to allow timing and power.

All these tips are extremely important to your tennis game but rarely do we hear of academy players working outside of their practice schedules to gain these advantages.
Are you going to be the first to start becoming great at basic footwork?