Footwork Quick Tips and Exercises
By:  Scott Baker | Tennis4you  | Tennis Forum  | E-mail

Footwork Quick Tips:

1. Never stop running for a ball. Give yourself a chance, you might be faster than you think.

2. Take a split step right before your opponent hits each shot.

3. Take smaller steps to adjust to each ball hit to you.

4. Move up to short balls early to be more aggressive with your shots.

5. Return to the center of the court immediately after each shot you hit.

6. Step into your shots and keep your weight moving forward.

7. Watch the pros and study how they move their feet and what they do before, during and after they hit each shot. Some great examples to study are Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Exercises for Become Quicker:

Being a fast mover on the court can pay dividends on the court. You put all kinds of extra pressure on your opponent if you can run down more shots. A lot of opponents try to go for more on their shots than they are use to when they play faster players. Usually that results in your opponents hitting more errors. Work on your speed and be sure to practice exercises to help you move faster around the court. Below are some general exercises you can do to help increase your speed.

1. Sprints
2. General Running
3. Jump Rope
4. Lunges

In addition, here is a link to the Tennis4you Workshop Footwork Drill section that will provide you with footwork drill on the tennis court: http://www.tennis4you.com/workshop/footwork/footwork.htm

Good Luck on the Court!
Scott Baker
Tennis4you.com