How not being late in back swing

[nacolo]

How not being late in backswing when your opponent is a big hitter.
I have this problem, hitting back a ground strokes poorly due to being late in my back swing.
Most of the time I ended up slide the balls back defensively which I do not like it. I think I am late about haft a step or more.
Should I back up a step a more at the time opponent's ball crosses the net ...

[FH2FH]

You have lots of options here, but they all require practice & time to develop.

Move back - obviously gives you more time. Learn to move forward quickly if required and possibly hit your balls deeper.

Shorten swings - you need less swing anyway b/c this player provides the pace. Good to do anyway.

Get faster - run, bike, do drills, etc. You'll get in position faster.

Different stroke - for example, a slice is requires less time on your part AND takes longer to get back to your opponent. It can also disrupt his/her timing, but don't let it "float" and sit up unless its a drop shot.

Equipment - is your racquet too head heavy or just heavy in general? This is a last resort and I generally wouldn't recommend changing your racquet for one type of player.

[naylor]

...particularly his first two points about moving a bit further back (so that when you hit the ball you're actually moving into the shot so you can put momentum into it to counteract your opponent's heavy hit), and shortening your swing (particularly when you haven't had time to move back and have to stand your ground). And when you make your swing more compact, you end up playing a different shot, more of a block/punch than a full, flowing forehand/backhand. These are the short-term solutions you can put in place immediately.

As he says, improving your footwork and getting sharper generally, will also help but it does take time to put in the conditioning work, so that's more of a longer term solution.

As for equipment, I would put his advice in a slightly different way. It may well be that your current set-up is OK when you're not put under much pressure, but when you are you find that the balance/weight/swingweight of the racket contributes to your being late (basically, your racket is difficult to get moving in a hurry). I found that when I was playing n90s and k90s, beautiful rackets to hit and grove a swing with (when I had plenty of time) and also play S&V (when I could dictate the play to set up the volley), but I could never get it in place early enough to play forehands in a fast, pressure rally situation. I solved that problem by changing to another racket with the same balance and only fractionally lighter, but with a much lower swingweight.

[boojay]

I'm having the same problem and I've found simultaneously executing the unit turn (as best you can) with the split step helps, however, this has to happen naturally. If you have to think about it (which I do most of the time), you'll still be late, but on those days when everything's clicking and the footwork's in perfect sync with the stroke, it feels like you can take on any shot.

[plowmanjoe]

just shorten your backswing when the ball is faster than you are used to.

standing further away from the baseline will give you more time to react, but you will also have to run longer distances.

[Nellie]

I'm having the same problem and I've found simultaneously executing the unit turn (as best you can) with the split step helps, however, this has to happen naturally. If you have to think about it (which I do most of the time), you'll still be late, but on those days when everything's clicking and the footwork's in perfect sync with the stroke, it feels like you can take on any shot.

Yes, if you initiate the stroke with the unit turn (take the racquet back with a torso/shoulder rotation and not with the arms), you can prepared a lot fast. You also need to practice the turn to make it automatic, so that you are already turned when the ball crosses the net. Look, for example, whether you are turned when the ball hits the net. Most novice players wait for the ball to bounce before the turn, which is too late. It is pretty easy to tell when the ball is going to the forehand/backhand side and to turn appropriately. You can then take little steps to get into position.

Before anyone complains, I know that it is faster to move to a spot before turning when the ball is wide.

[fuzz nation]

No complaints here, Nellie.

Everyone can stand to take the racquet half way back to either side immediately, even if they have to move a lot. The sooner the racquet is partially back, the sooner you can start swinging it forward. Bigger hitters can make us painfully aware of just how much time we waste by not making that first move right away.

Even if you need to run after a ball, you still need to swing at it and that needs to start happening before the ball gets past you. No need to run like a corkscrew, but that half turn to either side can't wait. Fixate on it during practice sessions the same way you'd fixate on keeping your eye on the ball so that it becomes routine for you.

The general idea is to adopt habits that "make time" for you. Aside from getting more familiar with a quicker first move, it's also smart to recognize those situations where your opponent can hit harder shots - time to back off a little bit. That's a good measure to keep an opponent from hitting through you, but if he's giving you too much short stuff or finding angles too often, you need to consider stepping in a little and also placing your shots deep enough to deny an opponent too much of an opening.

[sureshs]

A D2 woman's player told me a simple rule of thumb: racquet takeback should start by the time the ball is coming over the net, and should be complete before the ball bounces. It also helps to look at the racquet face angle of the opponent just prior to hit to gauge the direction early.