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Video Capture: Tennis Movement Tip: Quicker Reaction To The Ball — Tennis Evolution
Okay previously we talked about the flow step and that means we're landing on one foot so that the other leg can be pushed away. Now that is for when you're anticipating the shot and you see the ball early. A lot of times that's not possible! A lot of times in tennis you're going to have to run! Okay so when you're running, it involves a 'drop step'. So we're talking about the very first reaction. When I need to run somewhere I need to do this kind of move...watch! I go into a wide base. So.
The wider my base the less I can do this kind of thing that I showed you before. So when do you go to a wider base? Of course if you're anticipating being attacked, if you make a weak shot then naturally you should go into a very, very wide base because you're anticipating getting attacked if your shot is weak you're going to get challenged or attacked. Okay so you naturally go into a very wide base and that base is going to allow you to be very explosive either to.
The right or to the left. Now watch me carefully when I land in a wide base, I'm landing almost with my feet double shoulder width apart. Then this foot is going to drop. So this foot just going to drop under my body, it's going to do this kind of thing. So I'm going to do a drop step, I drop step and then I explode! Using both arms! So we cannot do this kind of thing that we see a lot of times at recreational level. Standing with the feet almost together and then.
Trying to the ball but with both hands on the racquet or with the arms not really working. You cannot be explosive like that. You have to get into a very low center of gravity and execute that lower move, the drop step is like creating a little pushing device. I drop and then I drive alright. So how do we practice it? The ladder drills are great! Alright so I'm going to bring Subash in. Okay so watch! I'm just going to have him.
Stand like this...so he's going to put his feet apart like this and we're going to use the little box to practice the drop step. Watch carefully! So he's going to go into a base so I'm going to ask you to bring the right foot into the box. Okay drop step, hold it! Good! Don't push yet I just want them to see the drop step. So you use a ladder like this and you use a square here to practice the first move, so the first reaction when I'm running to the ball is to bring the right foot under the body see very.
Different from what we did before where I was anticipating already where the balls going and I wasn't being attacked. So I was just rallying and I was anticipating by doing the flow step. Now I'm being attacked so watch carefully! This is a drop step for me. Drop your foot in, Stop! Don't cross over yet just drop it in. Drop your foot in. Stop! Okay see that creates a beautiful little platform here he's on the ball of his foot, this heel is up and now that platform is going to allow him to push this.
Foot across and be very explosive! Push it for the cross! Very good. Now do it slowly and I want you to do this progression about this slow. So we're going to do a split step first. We're going to do a split step over the ladder. We split step over the ladder, drop and push! Do it that slow. Okay split step, split...drop...push! Very good! One more time. Split...drop...push! Very good. Now we just do it a little bit faster So now you do a couple of steps. So you go split...drop...push! Okay and.
Get off the mark! You don't have to do a full sprint. Ready? Split....drop.... Push! Very good! One more time. That looks very good. Split...drop...push! Very good! Alright now once I can do that once it becomes confident at that, I'm going to have him do the jump rope again.. The ready steps, jump roping is just like doing ready steps in tennis on the balls of your feet. So he's going to do ready steps, then I'm going to tell him to split...drop...push! Right, ready step...split...
Drop...push! Alright so I'm going to give him the command watch! Ready steps and split...drop...push! Very good! One more time. Ready steps! Split...drop...push! Very good. Now hopefully by the end of all that if we do that enough, I'm going to be able to take the ladder away and he's going to be able to execute that on his own. So stand there just to the left of center okay. Go into ready steps! And split...Boom boom boom! That's pretty good right there!
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