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John,
How many times have we heard: Federer makes tennis looks so easy. Does the man sweat at all? He looks like he dances on the court! What a balance!
I believe part of the answer is his remarkable footwork. We could go on and on as to how good it is. However, the observation I made by watching some tennis matches is how he "commits" his left foot on his open stance forehands and his left foot, again, on his close stance backhands. No matter where he is in relation to the incoming ball, or how the ball is comming (does not include slow high bouncing balls), he will set his left foot down before the ball bounces on his side of the court. From here he will take either a short step with the right foot or sometimes a huge one (3 shoulder widths) to reach a position to hit the ball in balance. He will do this on any direction.
It looks like by doing this he will always be in balance. If he takes either a short or long step (and I don't say towards the ball because in some forehands he also takes a huge step back away from the incomming ball after having set up his left foot to get the ball in the strike zone) he transfers his weight and springs up to hit the ball as if he was there confortably. He looks like he does not struggle to get the ball at the strike zone.
Have you or anybody observed this? Is there an average distance between an incoming ball and the court at which one has to set up your left foot and then step to the shot?
I believe I have not read this in the footwork articles or anywhere else, but if it is there I apologize.
I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this.
Best regards,
ALVERO
How many times have we heard: Federer makes tennis looks so easy. Does the man sweat at all? He looks like he dances on the court! What a balance!
I believe part of the answer is his remarkable footwork. We could go on and on as to how good it is. However, the observation I made by watching some tennis matches is how he "commits" his left foot on his open stance forehands and his left foot, again, on his close stance backhands. No matter where he is in relation to the incoming ball, or how the ball is comming (does not include slow high bouncing balls), he will set his left foot down before the ball bounces on his side of the court. From here he will take either a short step with the right foot or sometimes a huge one (3 shoulder widths) to reach a position to hit the ball in balance. He will do this on any direction.
It looks like by doing this he will always be in balance. If he takes either a short or long step (and I don't say towards the ball because in some forehands he also takes a huge step back away from the incomming ball after having set up his left foot to get the ball in the strike zone) he transfers his weight and springs up to hit the ball as if he was there confortably. He looks like he does not struggle to get the ball at the strike zone.
Have you or anybody observed this? Is there an average distance between an incoming ball and the court at which one has to set up your left foot and then step to the shot?
I believe I have not read this in the footwork articles or anywhere else, but if it is there I apologize.
I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this.
Best regards,
ALVERO
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