Jak Beardsworth Tennis

AUGUST 2009

THE SPLIT STEP: Defending the Court, Rushing the Net, and More...

Movement and agility are at a premium in a run-and-gun, change of direction sport like tennis. Being both quick and fast are real assets in getting the ball right where you want it, and when you want it for optimal shot making.

But defending your side of the court well, or your section of it in doubles play, is essential if you’re going to posses a solid defensive game as needed – always #1. Shrinking the court can also plant a thread-the-needle perception in opposing players, leading them to almost always committing more unforced errors than they ordinarily would make. Movement without the ball can win points too!

Speed, however, is not an end all solution. The best base stealers in baseball are not always the most fleet of foot. The fastest runners are not always the best receivers in football. Movement management is, more than anything, paramount to success in any ball-in-play sport.

"Rotating his body in midair..." The split-step is the key component in maximizing one’s existing movement skills in tennis, on offense or defense, whether you’re fast, slow, or in between. It can be defined this way: a soft momentary landing on the balls of both feet, while squared off to the opponent, at the precise moment their shot is struck in order to then spring immediately right, left, forward, back, or on some diagonal variation without delay to the approaching ball. Players who stand poised but absolutely motionless are not only comparatively slow off the mark, but also put much greater stress on their joints from their “static” start.

There is no “right place” on the court to land your split step. It can rightly occur anywhere on the court, at anytime, whether moving laterally back into a defensive position in the back court, when moving towards the net in transition (see photo on right), when already positioned at the net in doubles, or when returning serve - even if you’re not exactly positioned where you’d like to be at that moment.

Steffi Graff epitomized a very “high” version of it – pogo stick like quads - yet, nonetheless, landing at the perfect moment. Rafeal Nadal’s is minimal, almost an imperceptible hop prior to touching the court, preferring to stay low. Yes, good news, there’s lots of room to put your own athletic signature on yours.

If you’re not sure at this juncture that you actually have a consistently occurring one of your own, then you don’t, and that, even if you are relatively quick and fast, minimizes both your court coverage and your shot making, not to mention your ball watching!

Need a quick tutorial? Take a moment to observe tour players employing their own split steps on television – imagine that you’re the player closest to you on the screen and practice it every time your “opponent” hits a shot - and/or go to the Links Page on this site where you’ll find a number of excellent opportunities to do the same.

So get positively more physical. Move around the court with greater fluidity. Play better.

Questions and comments are welcome at anytime for all tips present and past via email.

Tips Archive

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March, April, 2013 SELF-TALK: Good, Bad, or Indifferent [read more]
January, February, 2013 BOOK-A-MILLION: Do Tennis Players Read? [read more]
December, 2012 THE KEY TO TOUR LEVEL BALL STRIKING: And How to Learn It [read more]
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March, 2012 BENDING THE SERVE IN [read more]
February, 2012 UNDERSTANDING TERMINOLOGY: Drill vs Clinic vs Team Practice [read more]
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December, 2011 CUTTING OFF THE ANGLE…VERTICALLY [read more]
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August/September, 2011 NEVER TOO LATE FOR OLDER DOGS [read more]
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April/May, 2011 JAW DROPPNG [read more]
March, 2011 CLUB DOUBLES' INCREASINGLY MISSING LINK [read more]
February, 2011 TIP 2 | POOH POOHING DOUBLES STRATEGY SESSIONS [read more]
February, 2011 TIP 1 | CLAY TO HARD, HARD TO CLAY [read more]
January, 2011 ICING THE SERVER WHEN RECEIVING IN THE BIG MOMENTS [read more]
December, 2010 JOHN ISNER’S “GOOD MISS” [read more]
November, 2010 THE MOST NEGLECTED SHOT IN THE GAME [read more]
October, 2010 BALL BOUNCING and the SERVE [read more]
September, 2010 TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE BALL [read more]
July-August, 2010 SUMMER SCHOOL COURTSIDE CRIB SHEET [read more]
May-June, 2010 THE 2-HANDED JUMP BACKHAND: The Dumbest Shot in Tennis [read more]
April, 2010 THE STANDING AROUND SYNDROME [read more]
March, 2010 THE ELUSIVE SERVICE TOSS [read more]
February, 2010 PREPARING TO START THE POINT: Serving and Receiving [read more]
January, 2010 DEBUNKING THE MODERN GAME [read more]
December, 2009 RELAX – IT'S JUST A RALLY BALL [read more]
November, 2009 DEFEATING THE POACHER [read more]
October, 2009 PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE [read more]
September, 2009 SERVING SUCCESS: Warming-Up vs Match Play [read more]
August, 2009 THE SPLIT STEP: Defending the Court, Rushing the Net, and More [read more]
July, 2009 THE THIRD GROUNDSTROKE [read more]
June, 2009 HOW MANY HANDS DOES IT TAKE? [read more]
May, 2009 THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL [read more]
April, 2009 PLAYING IN THE FLORIDA WIND [read more]
March, 2009 Letting them Play for Peak Performance in Clubland [read more]
February, 2009 SUPPORTING YOUR GAME [read more]
January, 2009 RESPECTING THE GAME: Top 10 Do's & Don'ts [read more]
December, 2008 Getting the Warm-up Right [read more]
November, 2008 Visualize...Realize: The Mind Body Connection [read more]
October, 2008 Reading Their Mail [read more]