Footwork

[uspta146749877]

Any comments about a foowork
advocated by

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBdALVOCwHw

[uspta990770809]

Any comments about a foowork
advocated by
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBdALVOCwHw

I have a helluva time trying to correct students who have gotten into the habit of hitting openstance forehands with this kind of footwork, not on balls that are out wide,but even right in the center of the court. I still believe, even if you hit open stanced, that you need to set the shoulders and probably the hips sideways to the net (or at least the intended path of the ball - so farther inside on the inside out shots) and the best way to do that is set that right foot (for right handers) perpendicular to that path or at least parallel to the net.

We have plenty of shots from this weekends matches (Serena/Elena and Roger/Andy, Roger/Tommy, Andy/Andy) to see players moving back and forth in a hurry to see if David is on to something new here in recovering from wide balls, but I still think you should be stopping to hit the ball whenever possible if ever so briefly.

I'd like to hear John's comments.
don brosseau

[uspta990770809]

Back foot has not become the front foot

Almost see it, but after a quick look at clips of Roger, Rafa Djokovic and Agassi; it isn't happening in the pro game yet. Almost is in this clip of Agassis forehand:

FH Wide OpenStance CourtLevel Side.

But when you consider it relative to the intended line of the shot, the back foot is still the back foot and has not become the front foot.

You need to set and load "whenever possible" to hit with the power of todays game.

don

[uspta146749877]

David Potter

I have a helluva time trying to correct students who have gotten into the habit of hitting openstance forehands with this kind of footwork, not on balls that are out wide,but even right in the center of the court. I still believe, even if you hit open stanced, that you need to set the shoulders and probably the hips sideways to the net (or at least the intended path of the ball - so farther inside on the inside out shots) and the best way to do that is set that right foot (for right handers) perpendicular to that path or at least parallel to the net.

We have plenty of shots from this weekends matches (Serena/Elena and Roger/Andy, Roger/Tommy, Andy/Andy) to see players moving back and forth in a hurry to see if David is on to something new here in recovering from wide balls, but I still think you should be stopping to hit the ball whenever possible if ever so briefly.

I'd like to hear John's comments.
don brosseau

Probably it would be good to mention that by David you meant Dave Potter

[uspta146749877]

Agassi-just checking

Almost see it, but after a quick look at clips of Roger, Rafa Djokovic and Agassi; it isn't happening in the pro game yet. Almost is in this clip of Agassis forehand:

FH Wide OpenStance CourtLevel Side.

But when you consider it relative to the intended line of the shot, the back foot is still the back foot and has not become the front foot.

You need to set and load "whenever possible" to hit with the power of todays game.

don

Do u mean

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/pro_men/andreagassi/aa_forehand/aa_fh_center/aa_fh_center.html?AAFHCenterOpenStanceFront1.mov

[uspta990770809]

Do u mean
http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...anceFront1.mov

The one I was referring to is

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/pro_men/andreagassi/aa_forehand/aa_fh_wide/aa_fh_wide.html?AAFHWideOpenStanceCourtLevelSide.mov

but that is a good one too, although my point about which is front or back foot is not so clear here. But either way, I don't see the right foot moving through as the ball is hit. Even in reviewing Dave Porter's clip (not Potter), I don't see the juniors demonstrating his technique doing what he is saying. They are planting that right foot before they swing. And I don't see the pros in the clips even doing that.

[airforce1]

I think I have a nice example of roddick doing it below and Fed did it at 5-5 on one of the deuces on a FH dtl that almost looped long.

The kids are not doing it that well because it is just being intro'd to many of them (that is how it appears)

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/pro_men/andyroddick/andyroddick_forehand/ar_fh_wide/ar_fh_wide.html?ARFHWideSide2.mov

Actually stepping all the way to the front would be a rare thing I would expect for pros due to how the balls go thru the ct., but I would say there is a place for this footwork and variations off it.

[CraigC]

My $.02

Kids should learn to hit from every position. Closed, neutral, open, and as I refer to this one, reverse open stance. You will see Fed and others use this shot in a very specific situation, although I disagree with Porter as to which situation it is.
They use this shot when a ball is coming from crosscourt and they are approaching the net. They will position the outside foot behind the ball and load the outside leg so it can push them forward. By putting this outside foot in front, they are able to cut the angle off the crosscourt shot and maintain their ability to run in a straight line towards the net. I completely disagree with Porter that this facilitates recovery because the final position is exactly the same as players hitting with the open stance.
If anything, the reverse open tends to make kids pull off the shot, a terrible habit to develop in youngsters.
As for more power, I'd think we could look to another sport (Boxing) to discover which approach will generate more power. I haven't seen it in their sport yet, and based on the discussion I just had with Pacquiao's trainer tonite, we won't see it any time in the near future. His laugh is still ringing in my ears.
But hey, here's to evolution and people trying new things!
CC

[uspta990770809]

I think I have a nice example of roddick doing it below and Fed did it at 5-5 on one of the deuces on a FH dtl that almost looped long.

The kids are not doing it that well because it is just being intro'd to many of them (that is how it appears)

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/pro_men/andyroddick/andyroddick_forehand/ar_fh_wide/ar_fh_wide.html?ARFHWideSide2.mov

Actually stepping all the way to the front would be a rare thing I would expect for pros due to how the balls go thru the ct., but I would say there is a place for this footwork and variations off it.

Roddick is lining up classically with the right foot posterior and then stepping through on the follow through. What Porter is saying is that step goes before the hit on the outside shot to turn the player back to the center for earlier recovery. I just don't see it.

[uspta990770809]

Kids should learn to hit from every position. Closed, neutral, open, and as I refer to this one, reverse open stance. You will see Fed and others use this shot in a very specific situation, although I disagree with Porter as to which situation it is.
They use this shot when a ball is coming from crosscourt and they are approaching the net. They will position the outside foot behind the ball and load the outside leg so it can push them forward. By putting this outside foot in front, they are able to cut the angle off the crosscourt shot and maintain their ability to run in a straight line towards the net. I completely disagree with Porter that this facilitates recovery because the final position is exactly the same as players hitting with the open stance.
If anything, the reverse open tends to make kids pull off the shot, a terrible habit to develop in youngsters.
As for more power, I'd think we could look to another sport (Boxing) to discover which approach will generate more power. I haven't seen it in their sport yet, and based on the discussion I just had with Pacquiao's trainer tonite, we won't see it any time in the near future. His laugh is still ringing in my ears.
But hey, here's to evolution and people trying new things!
CC

I wonder whether in the instance Craig is approving of here, the right foot would be parallel to the net and setting the hips and shoulders perpendicular to the net or at least to the intended path of the ball. If that foot is then loaded, the rear left foot is really incidental because the hips are in front of the right foot. Otherwise, as you point out in boxing, you ain't got nut'in to hit da bum wid!

[uspta146749877]

For Don

Don,
I asked John to provide some comments,
regards,
julian

[airforce1]

Roddick is lining up classically with the right foot posterior and then stepping through on the follow through. What Porter is saying is that step goes before the hit on the outside shot to turn the player back to the center for earlier recovery. I just don't see it.

I would ask you to re-listen to what coach Porter is saying at about 1:07 into the vid.
He states Not --"that step goes before the hit" as you state in your post.
But,
He clearly says that "as he starts his swing" the foot is brought up.

In the Roddick clip, if you go frame by frame, you can see his foot start forward, AS his racket starts forward. Almost exactly the same frame, which by the way, is far more like Coach Porter describes than what any of the students exhibit. If this is classic form as you say?, then we should applaud what he is teaching, right?
I still think the biggest problem here is that none of the kids provide a very good example of what he is teaching.

[uspta990770809]

Sorry, I can't see it.

I would ask you to re-listen to what coach Porter is saying at about 1:07 into the vid.
He states Not --"that step goes before the hit" as you state in your post.
But,
He clearly says that "as he starts his swing" the foot is brought up.

In the Roddick clip, if you go frame by frame, you can see his foot start forward, AS his racket starts forward. Almost exactly the same frame, which by the way, is far more like Coach Porter describes than what any of the students exhibit. If this is classic form as you say?, then we should applaud what he is teaching, right?
I still think the biggest problem here is that none of the kids provide a very good example of what he is teaching.

Sorry, Air Force, but I just don't see it. The clip of Roddick is almost a full classical square stance with his feet lined up almost exactly perpendicular to the baseline, 80 to 90 percent of his weight is on his left side before he swings while the racket is still pointed at the back fence (right foot at about 45degrees to court) and at contact (which we can't quite see), his right toe is still on the ground. In fact his followthrough is almost the classic 11 y.o. Sampras before he finally makes his wrap (3rd frame after contact). He is certainly releasing his right side through the ball, but this is no step through the shot. Porter is talking about a wide situation where the right foot is literally in front of the left or at least stepping to in front of the left by the time the contact is made. I don't see it.