Uncle Ebeneezer
Rookie
So one of the things that I realized over the past few weeks is that I have a really bad tendency to let my footwork suffer as I get tired. My footwork is way above average generally, but when I often take too many big steps and find myself lunging when I run down balls, especially as a set/match goes along. So the past couple hitting sessions I've been really focussing on taking small steps constantly and WOW what a difference it seems to make. I'm pretty fast so running down balls is something I've always done well, but with the many-small-steps approach I find that now when I actually GET TO a ball, I'm much more prepared to do something with it and the quality of the shot is much more consistent. Also, even on balls that are more-or-less directed to me, I still move my feet and find that my setup and balance are much better. I know this isn't much of a revelation, but I just thought I'd share it for anyone else who is struggling with their strokes, game, consistency etc. Along with watching the ball and good follow-thru, this is the 3rd item on my short-list of quick fixes and most important habits to try to do on every shot, every point. It's amazing how such simple things can show such positive results and how easy it is for us, even after decades of playing, to forget to do them or not truly grasp their importance. Cheers!
