LESSON 8 OF 8 • BEGINNER • 8 MIN
Footwork and Where to Stand
The short answer
Do a small hop, called a split step, just as your opponent hits the ball. Then take small adjusting steps to get set up, hit, and move back to the middle behind the baseline. At the net, don't stand in the exact center. Shift toward the side the ball came from.
Why feet matter more than arms
You can have a lovely swing and still miss because you arrived at the ball in the wrong spot. Good footwork gets you into the right position so that the swing from the last four lessons can happen at all. Pros look fast partly because they start moving early.
The split step
A split step is a small hop. You do it just before your opponent hits the ball, and you land as they make contact. Your feet end up a bit wider than your shoulders, knees bent, weight on the balls of your feet. From that position you can push off in any direction. Hop low, not high. A few inches is enough.
Small steps near the ball
Run with big steps to get close to the ball, then switch to little adjusting steps to fine-tune the distance. Most mistimed shots come from being too close or too far, and short steps fix that fast.
Recover to the middle
After every shot, head back toward the middle of the court behind the baseline. Not the exact middle of the baseline necessarily, but a spot that covers the angles of where your opponent can hit. If you hit wide to the right, your best spot is a bit to the right of center, not the far-left corner.
At the net: shade the angle
If you come to the net, standing in the dead center feels natural but it isn't ideal. If your opponent is on one side of the court, they have a bigger angle of open court to hit to on your other side. So move slightly toward the side where the ball came from. Drag the ball in the tool below to see where the "blue player" should stand.
Common beginner mistakes
- Standing still after hitting and admiring the shot.
- Hopping too late, landing after the ball is already past you.
- Running with big steps right up to the ball and having no room left to swing.
Try this at the court
- Clap and hop. Have a friend feed a ball and clap when they hit it. Land your split step on the clap.
- Side-to-side rally. Rally cross-court, then switch to a down-the-line shot. Move back to the middle after every ball.
Questions people ask
What is a split step in tennis?
A split step is a small hop you time with your opponent's shot, so you land ready to push off in any direction.
Where should I stand to receive a serve?
Around the baseline, roughly centered on the angle the server can hit. Move a bit closer for slow second serves.
Where do I stand at the net?
Shade toward the side the ball was hit from, so you cover the passing angle, instead of standing in the exact center.