Footwork Details

1.  When doing a one-step move to the wide Fh let the traling foot roll over on its side so it will slide on the floor if needed for extra reach.  Especially important for players who tend to stand flat footed.

2.  When doing a one-step move to the wide Fh rotate the leading foot outward so it lands with the toe pointing almost sideways.  This points your knee bend lunge movement to the side and allows for much more reach sideways without leaning.  It also sets up an easier leg push to drive you back to your original position.

3.  When doing a two step movement to the Bh side in order to hit a Fh, lean forward as you move.  There is a natural tendency to stand up straight when making this move and thinking "lean forward" actually keeps you in your good starting posture.  People who stand up straight in their starting posture often fall backwards when doing this move if they do not think lean forward.

4. When moving to hit a Fh ( in either direction) do not backswing by rotating the upper body until you have at least the trailing foot back on the ground.  If you rotate before the leading foot leaves the ground the foot is locked in place by the force needed to generate the rotation.  If you rotate while both feet are in the air, both upper and lower body turn and you lose the coiled spring effect that gives you power as you rotate forward to hit the ball.  Note:  Often you want to have the whole body to rotate to a new alignment because you moved so far left or right.  In those cases just make sure you wait to rotate into the backswing until after the whole body rotation and until one foot is back on the ground.  This is probably part of what is meant by the term "feet before hand".  However I always associated that more with reaching where the hand and arm move, you lean, and the feet stay planted until after hitting the ball and then move to recover balance from the lean.

These are my own thoughts and my have serious flaws so feel free to disagree.

Anyone else have some detail that suddenly made a big difference in how the executed footwork.

Mark - Now playing a coach on the internet full time.

So when do you rotate into the backswing:

1. While the trailing foot (first one to move normally) is in air but leading foot has not yet left ground.

2. When both feet are in the air

3. When trailing foot has landed (first one down normally) but leading foot is still in air

4.  Either 1 or 2 but not 3

5. Any of the three as long as you rotate before movement is complete.)

Mark

Did you notice she was using 3 step footwork.  Her leading foot moved first as part of her recovery.  Then she followed with the traditional 2 step movement where the trailing foot moved first and then the leading foot moved a 2nd time.   I think Larry Hodges wrote about this as an older technique not taught as much now, but that could be very useful even today for older and less atheletic players having trouble covering the needed distances with just the 2 step approach.

Mark

Thats for the good video links.

Mark