Footwork question

997turbo

Rookie
After hitting the groundstroke, when side-stepping (recovering) to the middle of the baseline, are you guys still weighted on the front of your feet? Or do you relax and side-step on the entire foot?

Lately I have been on the front of my feet while side-stepping, doing it for a couple of hours has given me plantar fasciitis. Should I relax during this recovery period and put my weight on my entire two feet (front and back of the foot) instead?

Does it matter anyway? Since I will have to do a split step immediately after that and be back on the front of my feet anyway?
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
Much, if not most, proper tennis footwork is executed on the balls of the feet. This includes most of your recovery steps. The heels do not spend much time on the ground at all when moving around the court. This should be apparent in the videos below.

Are you flat-footed or have very high arches? Either of these conditions might be one of the primary reasons for your PF rather than moving around the court on the balls of your feet. If this is the case, you might benefit from appropriate exercises, stretches, shoes or orthotics.

Note that your ideal recovery position will usually not be the middle of the baseline as you assumed in the OP. The 1st footwork video below discusses this.

 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
The calf is loaded, but every single push has a moment in time when the entire foot is on the ground, ending with the balls of the feet as it leaves the ground.
NOBODY can stay on the balls of their feet when loading the legs.
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
The calf is loaded, but every single push has a moment in time when the entire foot is on the ground, ending with the balls of the feet as it leaves the ground.
NOBODY can stay on the balls of their feet when loading the legs.

Moving around the court isn't loading the legs. Lots of nimble people can side step and crossover step on their toes. Sure, once they load to drive into the shot, they'll plant the whole foot, but that's not where the OP is having issues.

My pre-tennis warmup includes several runs of carioca steps that are all done an the balls of my feet. And I'm a overweight guy. I imagine light people are even more able to stay on their toes for long periods in a tennis match.

I'd suggest looking at shoes and insoles if the OP is getting plantar pain with his footwork.
 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
Running around like a fairy isn't useful for tennis.
Moving in one direction, stopping, PLANTING, pushing off in the other direction is what we do lots of.
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
Running around like a fairy isn't useful for tennis.
Moving in one direction, stopping, PLANTING, pushing off in the other direction is what we do lots of.

There is difference between being light on your feet and dancing like a fairy. Watching Fed and Graf move (and they are the best footwork pros IMO), they are very light on their feet and stay on the balls of their feet a lot as they recover from shots. And yes, when they plant to strike the ball the whole foot plants. But that's just for the stroke. There are several seconds of movement while the ball crosses and then comes back, where they are back on their toes.

Just watch those excellent Graf videos and see how light she is on her feet. Beautiful stuff.
 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
Can't change directions without pushing off the entire foot, including the heels. Dancing in a continuous circle is not tennis movement.
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
Can't change directions without pushing off the entire foot, including the heels. Dancing in a continuous circle is not tennis movement.

That's one step in a myriad of moves. Nobody is saying you never plant your feet in tennis. You just aren't doing it EVERY step.

There's a reason Achilles and plantar fascia issues are common in tennis. Lots of bouncing on the balls of the feet loads those soft tissues excessively.
 
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