Efficient Tennis Footwork - How To Move Quickly To A Short Ball

www.feeltennis.net/footwork-s...
How should you move to a short ball so that you end up there with enough time, in a correct stance and with your tennis stroke already prepared?
What kind of footwork should you use that gets you to the ball quickly and efficiently?
Short balls give you a chance to attack - usually with your forehand, but sometimes also with your backhand - and yet so many times tennis players waste this opportunity with incorrect footwork.
As you'll see in the video article the footwork patterns are the same regardless of whether you're moving to a forehand or a backhand side.
There are two types of footwork - adjusting to shorter balls and running footwork for really short balls.

[@VilleMetsola]

This is my favorite channel for tennis instruction. Also, I must say your groundstrokes are beautiful. :)

[@itsyou8418]

Subscribed. Your verbal skills are just as smooth to the ears as your playing style are to the eyes. Wow Edit: typo

[@sportssteverino]

Excellent video yet again. Thanks for your well explained instructions

[@wangdu123]

You have always been my favourite. On KZbin this is the only coach I trust. His videos and explanation are perfect. Good job. I have a feedback for u coach. In this video I saw a error that u were looking at the ball at the point of contact. You looking up.

[@dania_884]

The turn and shuffle tip is great. Thanks for the video.

[@honchileong]

Thank you for sharing this great footwork exercise as I have been teaching my young son and his friends tennis and this is something i can do instinctively as a player of 25+ yrs, but breaking it down like this to teach is another thing.. Thanks from Hong Kong

[@haasws]

Rather simple, yet hugely important! Thank you!

[@dandalee]

Tomaž, this is the most useful video on important footwork that I have seen. Thank you for your hard work! You really have helped elucidate a lot of things I need to work on.

[@qianhuang59]

Great tips. Thank you!

[@allboutthemojo]

Best tip on handling the short ball. Thank you!

[@markobusljeta234]

Amazing as always. I love to watch your videos, great stuff. This is my next practice

[@krejcikpeter5059]

Hi Tomaz! I really like your videos, they are so instructive. Well explained and practical tips! This one helps me a lot. It is pure gold. Thanks a lot!

[@yonexyatnapgam2725]

Thank you to all your tennis video lesson. It helps a lot.

[@kankaann5772]

been searching for best tennis advice and here I found feeltennis. All vdo are great and very practical. I can improve a lot after trying your lessons. Many thanks :)

[@beaglesrfun5896]

This lesson is exactly what the doctor ordered for me! Thank you, Tomaz!

[@kaiboger1839]

Very helpful video! Thanks a lot!

[@N17Gunner]

Great video. Looking forward to practicing this.

[@terryjones7598]

clear and clean instructions, I like it

[@itsyou8418]

Keep your eye on the ball. I noticed some strokes land the ball on zone 2 of your racket- just outside the sweet spot. I learned everything I know from your videos. Thumbs up on another important lesson.

[@jorgewsanabria]

Excellent!! I appreciate this video. Really help me a lot!!!!

[@yurichoe6063]

excellent as always! Thanks!

[@renos77]

yes very good tips. Many thanks.

[@quangtranminh1048]

very nice instruction. Easy and effective method to apply into practice and play

[@Piggy123407]

Super helpful, thank you so much.

[@carlosm4215]

Excelentes sugestões. Grato, do Sul do Brasil 👏👏

[@AlexanderGr8]

Another great video Tomas 👍

[@sveinungjrgensen5125]

This is great, as usual. Thanks!

[@tae-woongkim5017]

Wow. this is very intuitive to me and then I can step up to the next level. Thanks a lot

[@ckn711]

great lesson! Thanks!!!!!

[@Maxtizzart]

Clear, easy understanding .. I want u as my teacher .. next holidays in Slovenia !!

[@BeeTB1]

Thanks! Great video!!

[@tungleduy6711]

Thanks, amazing video!

[@justinm4971]

Brilliant video, again

[@infamousmoonballer193]

Hi Tomaz, Great advice especially for Club-Level-Players. Most points on this level have been lost, having a bad preparation while moving to a short Ball. Thank you verry much. All the best, Jörg

[@matjazbozic4736]

Hi Tomas, This and all the other videos are fully helpfull. Sometimes you give just a hit and a lot times you project a training which works. And what is the most important - you teach to play tenis whit brains. Thanks a lot.

[@sistemamarco]

As usual excellent content.

[@GrungePopRecords]

Fantastic video

[@draa1234]

Very good advice- similar patterns may be followed at the base line following wide balls both side

[@praveenbhide]

nice video. very useful tip.

[@yannicksks]

It's really amazing how the loading bar lines up perfectly with the court line. I thought there were one million segments to the video at first...haha

[@anhvu3780]

Yes yes, footwork is the core of tennis. the tip is great. you have to turn before you step. I always run first and got jammed or couldn't hit the ball deep. Running to the short balls is much harder and requires a lot of practice b/c you'll have many things to consider: ball protectory, spin, height, decide to hit forehand/backhand, grip, strike technique. your target placement, following into the net... For the short balls, I try to get there as soon as I could, even before the ball bounce, and try to turn with little jumping/hopping steps like the Brian brother. It works well for me. Footwork must become a muscle memory for you to succeed. Thanks coach.

[@ganeshmaha8213]

Thank you coach 👍👍👍

[@suvarnarao9082]

Great .. nyc tips ... helped me..tqsm

[@nishachainani]

Great video

[@mindarientejames3414]

I am 3.5 player your instructions are fabulous I have learned so much and you keep it simple

[@Nill757]

Nice footwork for getting the feet out of the way of the short ball. Note the positioning shown here however telegraphs direction. In near every instance, the only shot available here is cross court. More body distance from the ball is required to play DTL.

[@kaur_in_netherlands307]

Really good video

[@thomasfernando8790]

Very wood instructions on footwork

[@eduardodigioia1820]

Thank you! I Will practice it!!! it would be really useful If you could post other videos with exercises like this that can be practiced even in absence of a sports field and tools or of other players or coach, . this would give the possibility to many players to practice daily even when they do not have the opportunity to go on a real tennis court

[@giselaholmgren1017]

Thanks to you 😊

[@Tigermvn]

Thanks.

[@bohemianrapsody5692]

wonderful expression :)

[@asarahma7314]

Tq Coach

[@FairwayJack]

good stuff

[@anacap007]

Great stuff. Only thing I would perhaps change is for the shorter ball is to learn to hit in mid-stride. I suggest this because you should be looking to close out the point when you get this short of a ball. Approach, be aggressive and look to close out the point. If you just run, stop and hit you are stuck in no-man's land.

[@obaidfarghani9202]

Many thanks coach. I m a strong 4.5 and singles and love pace. Few of my smart opponents start with me with pace and as I get my rhythm they just take pace off and start hitting slow or short balls sometimes loopy and that kills me as i make tons of errors. This is very good as the issue is reaching the ball with proper body rotation and staying sideways which is very crucial - pls let me know if any other tips. I am left with big forehand, two handed backhand and a very good slice. Thanks in advance coach.

[@meditationman415]

do you have a camera on me? You seem to pin point exactly what I need to learn 😂🙏

[@TheDrakulie]

Awsome video, extremely helpful footwork tip. Can you do a video on how to take the ball on the rise without making too many unforced errors ?

[@2008M5]

Tomasz, excellent as are most of your videos. My problem is with ball directed straight at me. Do you have any drills to deal with that? Thanks

[@akudroid1]

Great video, as always! Can you please make the similar one about footwork to the wide balls? It seems that I got "locked" :-( every time when I run, especially to backhand side (two-handed)...

[@johnbarron137]

Great

[@bong111467]

I used this steps during the match after practice , it was sooooooooo gooooooooood!

[@addyphoenix2655]

omg really??

[@athenacajas8230]

Hi Tomaz, I notice that on both the short ball and longer ball on the forehand side you use a crossover step in combination with the shuffle you do not mention this, but you can easily see it when you watch the slow mo. Good as always, Athena Cajas

[@LanceJordan]

Great video Tomaz! But how can we do the very short balls in your examples on a HARD court? You appear to do a lot of sliding of the front foot as you move into the contact point, but this obviously would be very dangerous if not impossible on hard courts. I wish I could always play clay, but here in USA most public courts are hard. Thanks for any advice you might have on this as I really need to work on the footwork for finishing the very short balls.

[@smileydamp]

Pausing a bit before hitting gives good topspin shots. But if the drop shot is really good n short, one may have to hit on the run like Nadal! I usually slice on the run but many folks hit topspin too (stay low, don't pause, turn a bit side-ways and then jump up during hit).

[@RichardsWorld]

"These balls are the balls of opportunity"

[@rl1491]

lol

[@adlib8096]

I know right😂😂😂

[@sleepinglion1192]

Hahaha. Beat me to it.

[@raidraid6672]

can you help with tips to keep proper spacing for the forehand stroke?

[@diabeureudjambeu6172]

Amazing ! How can we train the first strike after the serve?

[@MiguelAcantaros]

With a friend close by throwing a ball with his hand after you serve (for real or just the motion). You can do it by yourself, too.

[@PauloWang]

Great advice! How do I move and turn if I have to step deep back to the court and hit the ball?

[@gcs7817]

Paulo Wang probably unit turn and step back. Problem is reading the ball speed coming off of the racquet in time

[@theeachuisge]

Should I stop approaching/moving before returning/hitting the ball?

[@thehiddenfamily]

What Racquet do you use? Is there a certain reason you chose that racquet like specs?

[@Grulnork]

What do you think about using cross-over steps to reach the further balls?

[@aladelaademola9531]

Good day,I'm from Nigeria.i want to come to counter to learn tennis from you. Thanks

[@LantianDirect]

What’s your advice on moving backwards. I have seen club players backpedaling and actually fall.

[@rajeshwardoraisubramania7138]

V shuffle in cricket too.

[@bigappleY]

步伐要好好练习

[@kohenlau]

Cool vid! But I don't LOVE tennis but it's good!

[@kohenlau]

Yeah your right me! Haha

[@Victor-bi1gt]

0.0 Km/H wind that day?

[@ILIANPERUHOV]

Summary in one second: Start always with the outside leg. E.g. right balls - left leg and left ball - right leg. Turn immediately for close balls. Turn on the run for far (shorter) balls. Period.

[@carlobacca7840]

If i have problem with forehand closed stance? How can i fix?

[@feeltennis]

Can you describe the problem?

[@longnguyenxv]

one of the common mistake is to run directly into the ball and you get stuck! How to avoid this?

[@giselaholmgren1017]

Hi where is your club?

[@feeltennis]

Slovenia!

[@aladelaademola9531]

Country

[@umutkara739]

Like.

[@akaebbassouan4979]

Short balls are dangerous Thank U

[@Nill757]

The reason players on short balls are “not in a good position “ is because … people don’t train short balls. Club players don’t because it always means moving when the club player likes hitting groundstrokes w minimal movement, and modern pros don’t because they don’t want to dedicate coaches time to that when they’re in love w big power 2M behind the baseline. As a result, the net transition play of most tour players compared to 25 years ago is poor for a professional athlete. Federer, a couple others are the large exception.

[@jailenreddish2365]

It’s Felix

[@shanmugasundaram6625]

this is not really that short.. the real challenging ones are flat, fast short balls below the knee level.

[@dania_884]

Shanmuga Sundaram same question from me

[@dania_884]

Shanmuga Sundaram but they gave this vide nicely, your question can be in other video for depth deep flat ball

[@nazneenakter4267]

Give speech with English subtitles

[@jailenreddish2365]

My coach is better