Make Footwork “Your Thing”

In keeping it simple, here are ten reasons to work on your footwork.

1. Improve your ability to get to the ball to make each shot.
2. Improve your positioning and spacing to hit each shot.
3. Maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your shots.
4. Better control to your advantage the position on the court where you hit each shot (e.g. inside the baseline).
5. Better control to your advantage where you’re able to hit the ball in relation to the bounce (e.g. on the rise)
6. Improve your ability to recover after hitting the shot.
7. Minimize your risk of injury with better balance, core stability and weight distribution.
8. Improve your ability to transition from defense to offense (and from offense to defense) and from one court position to another.
9. Minimize your vulnerability to bad bounces and errant spins.
10. Improve your ability to sustain intensity and focus through the length of an entire match.

In my next article, I will outline a plan to improve footwork and the steps necessary to successfully execute a number of key footwork patterns of play.