Far too many players obsess over developing the "perfect" stroke when in fact the "perfect" stroke is absolutely useless if you cannot get into position to execute it.  Thus a large portion of a player’s practice time (once they have learned the fundamentals) should be spent on developing sound footwork.  A vast majority of stroking errors is a direct result of improper positioning due to----bad footwork.

Tennis is a reactive game, where we are constantly forced to respond to our opponent’s shots.  More often than not, players do not move properly and are rarely in position to execute a smooth, balanced stroke.  The stroking motion is a function of our bodies' position to the ball.  If we line ourselves up correctly, we can execute an efficient stroke, if not, our bodies, and in particular, our arms, will contort themselves in order to compensate for our poor positioning.  Laziness, lack of knowledge on the proper way to move about a tennis court, or simply poor fitness all play a factor in our lack of movement.

Where does good positioning begin?  With the “ready position”.  Holding the racket out in front, racket head above your wrist, non-racket hand steadying the racket at the throat, knees approximately shoulder-width apart and slightly bent.  So far so good.  However you are missing one MAJOR addition -- heels off the court and your body moving either side to side or up and down.

When your feet are firmly planted on the court, the force between your shoes and the court is equal to your body weight…basically all of your weight is holding you down.  When your opponent hits their shot, your first movement will not be a reaction to their ball, but rather to get yourself up and moving.  This movement is called "unweighting" and if it is done after your opponent has hit their shot, you will lose valuable preparation time.  You must first "unweight" and only then can you react.

So, by moving side to side or bouncing up and down in between your shots you are already largely "unweighted" and ready to spring into action as your opponent hits the ball.  While you are moving and waiting, you are also closely watching the ball on your opponent’s side of the net.  As your opponent begins their forward swinging motion you are preparing for what is unquestionably one of the most important, and also underused elements in the game of tennis..........the SPLIT-STEP.

Simply put, you should be making a split-step just before your opponent makes contact with the ball.  As you land from the hop, you can then quickly bounce off into the direction of the on-coming ball.  It could be argued that a well-timed split-step is the single most important factor toward achieving proper positioning.

Once you've completed your split-step and have determined which way your opponent has hit, as you are bouncing back up toward the ball, you want to execute a "unit turn." This is an immediate turn of your shoulders and hips with your racket beginning its backswing.

Keep in mind that there is a big difference between getting to a ball and being in position to execute a smooth stroke and the distance that you have to move will dictate the size of your steps.  The farther away the ball is, the larger your steps…the closer, the shorter.  You may need to just shuffle a few feet, or sprint several yards, depending upon where the ball is hit.  As you begin to get closer to the ball, your steps should begin to get smaller and more frequent as your thoughts move from merely getting to the ball, toward lining up to hit it.  These short, adjusting steps will slow you down and allow you to fine-tune your positioning.  As you reach your desired spot continue to keep your feet moving so that you will be able to make any last second adjustments in case you get a bad bounce or have judged the ball incorrectly.

Once the time comes to swing, plant your back foot to stabilize yourself, step into the ball to re-direct your weight forward, and execute a smooth, balanced stroke.  A good way to tell if you are properly balanced is to try to freeze after you've finished your shot.  If you can comfortably hold your position, then you are balanced, if you find your back foot swing around or your body falling backwards, you are not.  Try this little test a few times and I'll bet you'll be shocked at how often you are off balance.

After your shot, begin to shuffle back into position, always keeping your feet moving and ready to split-step just before your opponent hits their next shot.  A good exercise to work on this movement is to hit shadow strokes.  By this we mean, start in the middle of the court or any area where you have a few feet to move each way.  Get into your ready position, practice the split-step, bounce off to the right, turning your entire body and bringing your racket back, move across, shorten your steps, plant your right foot, step forward with your left and take a practice swing (forehand or backhand depending upon whether you're right or left-handed).

After the stroke, freeze for a brief moment, and then shuffle back to your starting point. Keep your feet moving, split-step, and then move to your left in the same manner.  Go back and forth 10 times.  To make it a bit more realistic, you could have a partner yell out "forehand" or "backhand" as you take your split-step so that you learn to make a quick decision on which way to move.  Give the split-step a try.  We guarantee that you'll notice an improvement in your movement on the court and we think you will also find that as your footwork improves, your "beautiful" strokes will miraculously become easier to execute.