The Pros Have The Best Footwork

There is something that's incredibly important—possibly the most important thing when it comes to playing tennis or improving in tennis. I often talk about my research where I studied the greatest players in the world and I set their technique as the benchmark of how tennis should be played. 

But something else that I've done in my research is that I listened to and read transcripts of a lot of players' interviews. There's so much value in listening to professional tennis players talk about tennis.

One player in particular, Roger Federer, said something that stuck with me. He mentioned, "The greatest tennis players are always the greatest movers." 

If you think about the greatest players in the history of tennis, you will understand that this is one of the most accurate statements ever made. Thus, in today’s article, we will dive into why the pros’ footwork is so good and how you can improve yours.

Remembered For A Reason

Now, let's talk about some of the greats. For example, Bjorn Borg—an unbelievable athlete and mover on the court. How about Steffi Graf? She's known for her excellent footwork. Pete Sampras, too.

I'll never forget seeing a clip of Pete Sampras playing out a point in a group lesson when he was just 11 years old. I've never seen a kid move like Sampras did at that age. He's truly one of the greatest movers in tennis history.

And of course, we can't overlook the big four: Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer. They're some of the greatest movers we've ever seen on the tennis court.

Even the new kid on the block, Carlos Alcaraz, who has risen to number one in the world and won the US Open and Wimbledon, is an unbelievable athlete and an incredible mover.

So, if your goal is to reach the elite level of the game, if you aspire to be among the best players in the world, it's important to recognize that you'll face a significant challenge in achieving that without being a great mover.

Long Limbs, Big Problems

I know what you're thinking about John Isner, Riley Opelka, Milos Raonic, Maria Sharapova? These are not the greatest movers, but yet they reached the top of the game.

Well, you have to understand one super important distinction when it comes to movement on the tennis court. There's a big difference between speed and footwork. It's crucial not to confuse these two things.

When we talk about speed, we're thinking about players like Sampras or Alcaraz, who are incredibly fast on the court. Speed is undoubtedly a critical factor in tennis.

You could argue that on the ATP Tour, where the game is extremely physical, lacking speed might make it challenging to win Grand Slam tournaments or secure a number-one ranking. 

On the WTA Tour, while it's becoming more athletic, players with excellent footwork like Maria Sharapova can still excel.

Maria Sharapova serves as a prime example. She had excellent footwork even though she might not have been the fastest player relative to others on the WTA tour. It's important to distinguish between footwork and speed.

You could become an elite-level tennis player with relatively slower speed, but possessing good footwork is an absolute necessity. Without it, there's no chance you'll even reach a high level in the game.

Speed vs Footwork

When it comes to tennis, imagine yourself on the baseline in a ready position. Someone hits a drop shot, and you have to sprint to get to it. Or they hit a great angle, and you have to sprint laterally towards the ball.

This is where your speed becomes the most critical factor in whether you'll successfully defend a shot like that. Players like Alcaraz or Nadal, who are naturally fast, have an advantage running down drop shots, compared to players like Sharapova or others who aren't as naturally fast.

Now, let's talk about footwork. Footwork refers to the number of steps required to set up a specific shot. In other words, regardless of the shot's direction, you always need to set it up.

In tennis, you can never predict how a ball will come to you. Even if it's aimed right through the middle of the court, it still demands footwork and setup. Every shot involves a certain number of steps to prepare for the shot properly. Without this crucial footwork, advancing in the game of tennis will be extremely difficult.

As mentioned earlier, good footwork is essential if you aim to reach a high level in tennis. You won't find a high-level player with poor footwork.  

While you might see players who aren't the fastest, you'll never encounter a high-level player without good footwork.

Developing Lightning Speed

So, here's the important question: what Roger Federer said is absolutely true, and all of us should strive to improve our footwork and speed. These improvements can greatly enhance our performance on the tennis court.

After all, we have to be ready to chase down the ball—tennis is all about movement. This should serve as a reminder that during practice, it's crucial not to stay stationary. While it's okay to work on technical aspects in place, every tennis practice should involve movement.

This is the real deal. When you step onto that match court, the balls won't come to you; you'll need to rely on your movement.

Now, let's discuss how you can develop your speed. First, we need to encompass everything related to speed on the court: flexibility, range of motion, agility. These are all aspects you'll need to work on.

Look into implementing various tennis-specific exercises, drills that closely mimic movements you'd perform on a tennis court. Some of these drills are ones I've been doing in my personal practices.

I highly recommend you to start incorporating these drills to enhance your overall fitness and speed on the tennis court.

Feather-Like Footwork

Tennis-specific footwork; this is where things get more complex, more complicated. There are rules to follow when it comes to tennis footwork. It's not all natural—some movements in tennis are counter-intuitive.

One thing that I can tell you, which is also featured in this course, is something I've discussed many times in my articles. It's possibly the biggest flaw at the recreational level: the fact that players often stand on their heels, lacking intensity and readiness.

They gauge the pace of the incoming ball to determine their movement. If the ball comes in slow and easy, they become nonchalant and lose intensity.

This behavior isn't seen at the high level because, regardless of the ball's speed, it remains unpredictable. Every ball must be taken seriously; every ball requires setting up with a tremendous amount of intensity.

Final Thoughts

I always insist on people to go to a local club, take a look at the players, especially when they play doubles. You'll see tons of players just standing on their heels. I'm going to keep repeating this until it clicks, because you guys need to change this. You'll never see a high-level player standing on their heels. High-level players are always on their toes, moving around, and ready. This is something very important—readiness connected to intensity.

Increase your intensity; get your heels off the ground. John McEnroe once said one of the greatest tips ever: always try to keep your heels off the ground when playing tennis. It's something I've started to do.

Also, always strive to improve your tennis speed. But most importantly, what you can do right now is get those heels off the ground. Start getting on your toes, be ready, and don't underestimate any balls. It makes a big difference.