The Split Step
The split step is a small timed hop that pre-loads the leg muscles and synchronizes the nervous system just before the opponent strikes the ball. Timing is critical: the feet should land on the court as the opponent's racquet makes contact. This pre-load allows instant explosive movement in any direction.
Related Concepts
- Tennis Footwork Patterns
- Recovery Footwork
- The First Step Principle
- Movement Efficiency in Tennis
Source inspiration: tennisplayer.net teaching library (John Yandell, 2002-2022) — not verbatim, this is original synthesis