How good can you get without split stepping?

Gregory Diamond said:
Tennis without split step.

It was my last practise before my last tournament. Of course I won that tournament because I like to win. It is obvious that if I win so many matches there must be something in my play what gives me great advantage. Lack of split step, shortened reach, injured wrist and other problems with my body shouldnt help but we see that this "something" is more important than those factors. I just try do control the balls as long as it is possible. I dont throw the racket at the ball. It is more fast pushing. Even in unstable positions I rarely make errors. My opponents are forced to go for winners if they want to win a rally. Even when I can hit a winner I prefer to force my opponent to run. When he cant catch a breath after fast running he gives me easy points. What is more important he is more and more tired. This strategy on clay is very effective. You can see that I almost never play with open or semi open stance. I know disadvanteges of this but neurtal position gives me greater control. Split step, open stance, laid back wrist, ...are only tools. You dont have to use all tools if one or two are enough to win. If you want to win you should have something what nobody has and you should be able to force your opponent to play what you like. I hear all the time my opponents saying after they lost match that it was their one of the worst matches. I am not surprised because I dont try to play a good match. I try to force my opponent to change his game. He should be uncomfortable all the time. It really works.
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Good for you and I'll watch your video from home. Chris Evertt agrees with you that whoever controls the point, wins.

I do art for the sake of the art and want to improve my ratio of winners vs UFEs myself, including on clay.
 
The split step into a wide base (or wide for you) is how you load your legs to increase your push when you start to turn and move to the ball. High speed video shows the top players are usually at the top of split with both feet in the air when the opponent makes contact.
 
To me the bigger question is at what age do you stop split stepping? I think its around the same age you start foot faulting. Once you lose the jam in your quads you start stepping into your serves rather than jumping and you start shuffle stepping instead of split stepping.
 
What da matter wit da step?

I had Achilles niggles. Served fast low slices powered by taking a step with my rear foot past my front foot. Got just as many UEs with those as my full serve.

As long as you open the shoulder and then rotate it back as you step there's plenty of power
 
WestboroChe said:
I sometimes sing to myself to avoid getting tight. Keeps me from thinking too much about the score or whatever I’m doing. Like if I’m serving out a set I’ll sing a little hip hop chorus to myself while starting my routine. It helps.
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sometime when im stressed out i take the racket handle and i wipe the sweat away from under my armpits. then i take the handle to my nose and inhale deeply three times.

before you know it, im good to go! LOL
 
JohnYandell said:
Split step should adjust to age or level. But without it time to respond to the ball is probably diminished.
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Agreed. It doesn't have to be a big hop into a line backer's prep stance at each contact. But, you should pause your momentum and get balanced with weight forward and ready to react. Even the pros don't always hop into the split stance. Federer seems to float into his split step.
 
I dont waste energy for split step. That is why I have won almost all matches in tournaments since the beginning of May. It was really funny to watch my opponents jumping all the time.
 
Gregory Diamond said:
I dont waste energy for split step. That is why I have won almost all matches in tournaments since the beginning of May. It was really funny to watch my opponents jumping all the time.
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Gregory, you are wasting your time trying to convince us that the SS is unnecessary. You really need to pass your wisdom on to the top ATP and WTA players that they are wasting energy with the SS. That way they can win all their matches as well.
 
SystemicAnomaly said:
Gregory, you are wasting your time trying to convince us that the SS is unnecessary. You really need to pass your wisdom on to the top ATP and WTA players that they are wasting energy with the SS. That way they can win all their matches as well.
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Split step means destabilization. It is justified only when you try to return fast balls or when you are approaching the net. Otherwise it is waste of energy. It may work on high professional level but in general it is an error. The older you are the greatest error you make if you use split step. You cant be surprised that I dont use split step and it doesnt effect my results.
 
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Gregory Diamond said:
Split step means destabilization. It is justified only when you try to return fast balls or when you are approaching the net. Otherwise it is waste of energy. It may work on high professional level but in general it is an error. The older you are the greatest error you make if you use split step. You cant be surprised that I dont use split step and it doesnt effect my results.
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Your crusade against the SS is misguided.

It is NOT an error. It is not a waste of time. It is not just for pro players. It works at intermediate levels of play as well as advanced levels. For older players, the SS can be modified. It need not be a high jumping or hopping action.

A subtler, more subdued SS can be employed for heavier players or for older players. It need not be completely abandoned. I have talked about SS variations before that will produce a quicker movement to the ball w/o hopping or jumping off the ground.
 
SystemicAnomaly said:
Your crusade against the SS is misguided.

It is NOT an error. It is not a waste of time. It is not just for pro players. It works at intermediate levels of play as well as advanced levels. For older players, the SS can be modified. It need not be a high jumping or hopping action.

A subtler, more subdued SS can be employed for heavier players or for older players. It need not be completely abandoned. I have talked about SS variations before that will produce a quicker movement to the ball w/o hopping or jumping off the ground.
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You are funny. It is obvious that if you called every adjustment to approaching ball a "split step" then split step is necessary. Real split step means jumping on both feet before the stroke. This activity usually is a waste of energy.
 
Gregory Diamond said:
Split step means destabilization. It is justified only when you try to return fast balls or when you are approaching the net. Otherwise it is waste of energy. It may work on high professional level but in general it is an error. The older you are the greatest error you make if you use split step. You cant be surprised that I dont use split step and it doesnt effect my results.
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Would you like to cut down on all those keep-the-ball-in-play stretched out one-handers? Splitstep, and you'll find yourself in position to hit about half of them with your beloved THFH.

On a side note, splitstepping doesn't destabilize you, and definitely is not a waste of energy. It actually saves you some.;)
Lastly, no-splitstep/match results are not correlated, so why bring that in to support your position?
 
SystemicAnomaly said:
Your crusade against the SS is misguided.

It is NOT an error. It is not a waste of time. It is not just for pro players. It works at intermediate levels of play as well as advanced levels. For older players, the SS can be modified. It need not be a high jumping or hopping action.

A subtler, more subdued SS can be employed for heavier players or for older players. It need not be completely abandoned. I have talked about SS variations before that will produce a quicker movement to the ball w/o hopping or jumping off the ground.
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Your wasting ur time, let him not split step and be slower to the balls, it doesn't matter for him anyway, hes playing against old slow dudes that bunt the ball slowly over the net.
 
Federer would probably still be top 20 without split stepping whereas Nadal would probably not be in top 100! Djoko maybe top 40.
 
ARKustom93 said:
Would you like to cut down on all those keep-the-ball-in-play stretched out one-handers? Splitstep, and you'll find yourself in position to hit about half of them with your beloved THFH.

On a side note, splitstepping doesn't destabilize you, and definitely is not a waste of energy. It actually saves you some.;)
Lastly, no-splitstep/match results are not correlated, so why bring that in to support your position?
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Split step can help to catch 10% of balls but it destabilizes our position in 90% of situations when the ball is within our reach without split step. It is a simple economy.
 
Gregory Diamond said:
Split step can help to catch 10% of balls but it destabilizes our position in 90% of situations when the ball is within our reach without split step. It is a simple economy.
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Well the thing is that at the time of the (correctly timed) split step u dont know if the ball will be within u reach pr not. And even a ball within ur reach can be hit at u so fast that u cant get in proper ready position without split stepping. And even if it isnt u might be wrong as it is better economy to always be moving even slightly with a small splitstep that to be stopping and starting all the time.
 
peoplespeace said:
Well the thing is that at the time of the (correctly timed) split step u dont know if the ball will be within u reach pr not. And even a ball within ur reach can be hit at u so fast that u cant get in proper ready position without split stepping. And even if it isnt u might be wrong as it is better economy to always be moving even slightly with a small splitstep that to be stopping and starting all the time.
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I always move while waiting for the ball but it has not anything to do with split step.
 
Gregory Diamond said:
I always move while waiting for the ball but it has not anything to do with split step.
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So where are u moving towards if u are already at the correct spot before he hits the ball? U should be staying in that spot and split step just when he hits the ball so that u can quickly moved towards where u need to go. Capice?
 
peoplespeace said:
So where are u moving towards if u are already at the correct spot before he hits the ball? U should be staying in that spot and split step just when he hits the ball so that u can quickly moved towards where u need to go. Capice?
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You think you are clever to ask that question. Maybe you are clever but this question is not. I try to foresee the most probable direction of the ball and slightly move my body in that direction. If I guess right I am where I should be almost at once. If I dont guess then my weight is on the opposite leg than direction of the ball so I can jump in the opposite direction at once. So I can reach most balls faster(because most balls go in direction I foresee) and I am equally fast as guys who use split step if I dont guess the direction of approaching ball. That is why I win almost all matches. That is why I win almost all long rallies. That is why I dont need winners to win almost all matches. Probability is my best friend on the court.
 
Gregory Diamond said:
You are funny. It is obvious that if you called every adjustment to approaching ball a "split step" then split step is necessary. Real split step means jumping on both feet before the stroke. This activity usually is a waste of energy.
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I am not merely talking about adjustment steps. Don’t get hung up on exactly what we call split step variations or split step alternatives. The “split step” movements I am talking about are synchronization actions. They are timed to the actions/hitting of the opponent. Yes, a conventional SS involves a hop or a jump to activate the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) of the leg muscles. The alternative SS movements that I refer to are also synchronizating actions of the legs that utilize the SSC — but just not quite to the degree that a conventional SS does.
 
SystemicAnomaly said:
I am not merely talking about adjustment steps. Don’t get hung up on exactly what we call split step variations or split step alternatives. The “split step” movements I am talking about are synchronization actions. They are timed to the actions/hitting of the opponent. Yes, a conventional SS involves a hop or a jump to activate the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) of the leg muscles. The alternative SS movements that I refer to are also synchronizating actions of the legs that utilize the SSC — but just not quite to the degree that a conventional SS does.
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Sounds like you're moving the goal post. So, now according to you SS is broadly defined as any synchronization actions . With such a broad definition basically everyone I know does SS. I don't know any player who don't move (or react) to opponent's hitting.
 
SystemicAnomaly said:
I am not merely talking about adjustment steps. Don’t get hung up on exactly what we call split step variations or split step alternatives. The “split step” movements I am talking about are synchronization actions. They are timed to the actions/hitting of the opponent. Yes, a conventional SS involves a hop or a jump to activate the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) of the leg muscles. The alternative SS movements that I refer to are also synchronizating actions of the legs that utilize the SSC — but just not quite to the degree that a conventional SS does.
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Tennis without split step. It was cold and windy. And I havent played for a week because of problems with my back so I was slow here. Yesterday`s practise.
 
Gregory Diamond said:
Tennis without split step. It was cold and windy. And I havent played for a week because of problems with my back so I was slow here. Yesterday`s practise.
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I have to say that while I disagree with you on many technical things, I respect you for playing your game, competing with your peers and posting here.

J
 
user92626 said:
Sounds like you're moving the goal post. So, now according to you SS is broadly defined as any synchronization actions . With such a broad definition basically everyone I know does SS. I don't know any player who don't move (or react) to opponent's hitting.
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Not just a synchro action, but a synchronization actions that employs the SSC of the legs. And, yes, I am making a distinction between a conventional SS and SS variants.

Coach Mauro has his Fatso split step. And I have described a different variation of the SS that is often employed by badminton players. Some of their split steps involves a hop/jump — but usually less pronounced that a tennis SS hop. At other times, badminton players employ a no-hop SS. This no-hop SS is something that I have taught to older tennis players. It can also be employed by those who are very heavy or have some physical limitation that makes jumping or hopping difficult.
 
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Gregory Diamond said:
Tennis without split step. It was cold and windy. And I havent played for a week because of problems with my back so I was slow here. Yesterday`s practise.
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You are split stepping, at least some of the time [probably unconsciously]; certainly not a giant Murray leap but after your very first serve, your right foot was elevated and it came down just after opponent contact; both knees compressed. Exactly what happens during a split step or. You may not call it that but I would. It's subtle but detectable, like Goffin or Brown.

And if you had split stepped at 0:19, you could have at least attempted to retrieve the drop shot; you were stuck to the ground.

At 1:24, you were leaning to your right and had to correct since the ball went to your left. If you had split stepped, you would have had a lower center of gravity and could have shifted your weight more quickly.

Again, I'm not saying you're not a good player; your tournament results are way better than mine. I am saying I think you could be even better if you incorporated the split into your game.
 
S&V-not_dead_yet said:
You are split stepping, at least some of the time [probably unconsciously]; certainly not a giant Murray leap but after your very first serve, your right foot was elevated and it came down just after opponent contact; both knees compressed. Exactly what happens during a split step or. You may not call it that but I would. It's subtle but detectable, like Goffin or Brown.

And if you had split stepped at 0:19, you could have at least attempted to retrieve the drop shot; you were stuck to the ground.

At 1:24, you were leaning to your right and had to correct since the ball went to your left. If you had split stepped, you would have had a lower center of gravity and could have shifted your weight more quickly.

Again, I'm not saying you're not a good player; your tournament results are way better than mine. I am saying I think you could be even better if you incorporated the split into your game.
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I dont think that I could catch those two drop shots. We usually played long rallies from baseline so drop shots were really unexpected. They were not played as often as in this video.I know that there are situations when split step would be a good solution but I say that there is always a cost of this technique. Loss of energy and destabilization.
 
Gregory Diamond said:
I dont waste energy for split step. That is why I have won almost all matches in tournaments since the beginning of May...
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If you have won nearly all of your matches since May, then you really need to be playing against stronger or better players. But then your SS philosophy might need to be adjusted.

Destabilization? Do you have an inner ear or some other balance issue?
 
Gregory Diamond said:
I dont think that I could catch those two drop shots. We usually played long rallies from baseline so drop shots were really unexpected. They were not played as often as in this video.I know that there are situations when split step would be a good solution but I say that there is always a cost of this technique. Loss of energy and destabilization.
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You did split step after that first serve; you chose to ignore that in your response.

I agree that a split step costs energy; I disagree that it's destabilizing. It stabilizes me. And that's worth more than the energy expended.
 
SystemicAnomaly said:
If you have won nearly all of your matches since May, then you really need to be playing against stronger or better players. But then your SS philosophy might need to be adjusted.

Destabilization? Do you have an inner ear or some other balance issue?
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SystemicAnomaly said:
If you have won nearly all of your matches since May, then you really need to be playing against stronger or better players. But then your SS philosophy might need to be adjusted.

Next year I am going to play almost only in ITF tournaments. I gained so many points in Polish ranking that to the end of May I will stay in third place in my category. In Polish ranking if you are in Top 100 ITF ranking you are above everyone with only Polish points.
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S&V-not_dead_yet said:
If this were true, why do these guys constantly split step, even in practice? Why would they A) waste energy; and B) destabilize themselves? For the challenge of it?

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They split step because it is just nervous tick. They were forced to jump when they were very young and they cant stop. They should find a good psychiatrist. You could ask why Nadal makes all those silly movements before the serve.
 
SystemicAnomaly said:
Your crusade against the SS is misguided.

It is NOT an error. It is not a waste of time. It is not just for pro players. It works at intermediate levels of play as well as advanced levels. For older players, the SS can be modified. It need not be a high jumping or hopping action.

A subtler, more subdued SS can be employed for heavier players or for older players. It need not be completely abandoned. I have talked about SS variations before that will produce a quicker movement to the ball w/o hopping or jumping off the ground.
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Spot on


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Gregory Diamond said:
You think you are clever to ask that question. Maybe you are clever but this question is not. I try to foresee the most probable direction of the ball and slightly move my body in that direction. If I guess right I am where I should be almost at once. If I dont guess then my weight is on the opposite leg than direction of the ball so I can jump in the opposite direction at once. So I can reach most balls faster(because most balls go in direction I foresee) and I am equally fast as guys who use split step if I dont guess the direction of approaching ball. That is why I win almost all matches. That is why I win almost all long rallies. That is why I dont need winners to win almost all matches. Probability is my best friend on the court.
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So now we are getting closer, and if u dont resist, we will reach a climax! U said that in that decisive moment u lean to the side that u think the ball will come and if u are wrong u have u weight on that side and can push off in the other direction. That is actually ur version of the split step. The real split stepper makes the same considerations as u and the weight that u have on one foot he has on both feet, becus that is what the split step does. Aditionally he his muscles are more loaded with potential energy becus he has timed the split step well, plus, as he is not leaning, he can easily explode to either side. Which u would also be able to do if u did not instead do the leaning/step off version of the split step. So although u own technique is not without merit, and it is indikative of the same kind of reflexion as the pro does, it is inferior to the split step. U should try it. U dont have to JUMP in to the air. Just 5 cm, and when ur feet hit the ground u just sink downwards until u reache that decisive moment where u know if u have guess right or not! Capice?
 
peoplespeace said:
So now we are getting closer, and if u dont resist, we will reach a climax! U said that in that decisive moment u lean to the side that u think the ball will come and if u are wrong u have u weight on that side and can push off in the other direction. That is actually ur version of the split step. The real split stepper makes the same considerations as u and the weight that u have on one foot he has on both feet, becus that is what the split step does. Aditionally he his muscles are more loaded with potential energy becus he has timed the split step well, plus, as he is not leaning, he can easily explode to either side. Which u would also be able to do if u did not instead do the leaning/step off version of the split step. So although u own technique is not without merit, and it is indikative of the same kind of reflexion as the pro does, it is inferior to the split step. U should try it. U dont have to JUMP in to the air. Just 5 cm, and when ur feet hit the ground u just sink downwards until u reache that decisive moment where u know if u have guess right or not! Capice?
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I have contact with the ground all the time and can react instantly but the player who is jumping 5 cm must wait for his feet to touch the ground. What is also important he is tired because of about 2 hours of jumping.
 
Gregory Diamond said:
I have contact with the ground all the time and can react instantly but the player who is jumping 5 cm must wait for his feet to touch the ground. What is also important he is tired because of about 2 hours of jumping.
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If the split step is correctly timed the players feet will be on the ground after the small jump when the opponent hits the ball, only difference from u is that his muscles will be stored with explosive energy becus of the stretch-shortening cycle principle. If u dont know this principle just google it. No he is not tired, but u may be, but that is not the split steps faults, that is a matter of getting in better shape.
 
@Gregory Diamond

This 90-year old grandfather keeps up with his two 9-year granddaughters. For the most part. He does the moonwalk, running man dance steps, split steps, etc. Wasting energy? Nervous tics? Think not. Keeping his heart rate up. Living life.

And here is a running man dance tutorial to get you in better shape for your SS
 
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I will say, when I had the machine set up to just hit backhands, just trying to find my groove again, it was much better to not split step and to just focus on staying loose and ball tracking.

The machine was set up to deliver the ball to the exact same spot though.

The fact it felt so much easier to hit without splitting makes me wonder if my split step is mis-timed in general, or if is is too big...
 
sredna42 said:
I will say, when I had the machine set up to just hit backhands, just trying to find my groove again, it was much better to not split step and to just focus on staying loose and ball tracking.

The machine was set up to deliver the ball to the exact same spot though.

The fact it felt so much easier to hit without splitting makes me wonder if my split step is mis-timed in general, or if is is too big...
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Yes, it could either be that your SS is mis-timed or just too damn big if you are getting to the ball late. Start the SS on the forward swing by your opponent so that you are at the top of the hop at their contact. You are then landing and moving shortly after their contact. Depending on the exact timing of you SS, you might be landing 2-footed or 1-footed.

Are you moving to and away from the ball when you are on the machine? Some machines make an early warning sound before they spit out the ball. If so, you can possibly SS to that sound.

Also try some SS with self feeds. Execute a SS. As you land, toss the ball away from you and start moving to it right away.
 
Gregory Diamond said:
I have contact with the ground all the time and can react instantly
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You cannot react instantly. Period.

but the player who is jumping 5 cm must wait for his feet to touch the ground.
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If he was still in the air when he needed to react, then yes, the *timing* of his split step will cause him to react later than you.

But if timed properly, he will be landing a few ms after opponent contact, long enough for him to see where the ball is going so he can start moving.

What is also important he is tired because of about 2 hours of jumping.
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It depends on how tired he is. I don't feel like I've ever lost because I was tired from split stepping; maybe tired from sprinting full speed to run down good shots by my opponent, each of which takes maybe 30x the energy a split step does.
 
Gregory Diamond said:
I have contact with the ground all the time and can react instantly but the player who is jumping 5 cm must wait for his feet to touch the ground. What is also important he is tired because of about 2 hours of jumping.
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Being in the air a bit is a big advantage because one can turn ones feet and torso while in the air for optimum explosion on landing. Your feet are stuck. And therenis a difference between jumping and hopping.
 
Shroud said:
Being in the air a bit is a big advantage because one can turn ones feet and torso while in the air for optimum explosion on landing. Your feet are stuck. And therenis a difference between jumping and hopping.
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I hadn't even thought of factoring in the friction between foot and ground if one is planted. I like it!
 
SystemicAnomaly said:
...
Start the SS on the forward swing by your opponent ...
...
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This is great advice for those having trouble with timing. I have been starting my SS as the opponent starts the forward swing, for ground strokes and the serve. I figured this out recently after reading all sorts of advice on how to time the SS correctly. In my case, even if the timing is slightly off, things work out okay. Also, in my case, I think I probably jump about one inch max, if that... ha ha! But what matters is that the SS gets my body ready to move in an instant, and I find that I can get to balls that I never was able to before, sometimes pleasantly surprising myself!
 
Tartar said:
O


K. Is it morning or do you flow step, occasionally split step and all sorts of reaction steps to the ball??

And you start doing it less as the match progresses. So what are we talking about?

You use various abreviations of split step. If not it might be me beeing to tired or i just skipped to the parts in the clip where i imagined unicorns.
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I move my legs all the time to adjust to aproaching ball but I dont use split step. My feet are on the ground. I dont jump. I dont waste energy. I try to foresee the direction of the ball. I use my mind and I always win when I play with guys who use split step. They think they dont need their mind.
 
lol this @Gregory Diamond guy is hilarous, he claims something then posts a video that completely goes against what he says, getting stuck in the ground completely flat footed and drop shoted, when if he would be moving and split steping he would most likely get those drop shots, hilarious stuff.

Fact: the bette players you play, the faster the ball is, the more you need the split step, you might get away with it since ur playing guys who hit the ball slow so you don't technically need to split step to get to the balls, even tho you could get to a few points here and there like thos drop shots possibly, but its not game breaking u still keep winning, but the better and faster the shots the more you will get exposed and the more points you will lose by not split stepping.
 
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