How good can you get without split stepping?

[FiReFTW]

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.

 

[Gregory Diamond]

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.

I am #3 in Polish ranking in my category. I play with the best in my country. Usually they have big forehands and try to hit winners. If since beginning of May I have won 8 tournaments and 2 times lost in the final it means that I have no problem to be where the ball is. If you watch my videos you could notice that my legs almost always are in the right position before the stroke. In last video we played long rallies from baseline and drop shots were very rare so I was surprised and didnt react well. Because I won most longer rallies I chose parts where my friend won. That is why we see those drop shots.

 

[Tartar]

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.

1:07
1:11
1:13
3:01

I don't say you use the standard where you jump over the fence and drop on the balls of your feet like the guy in white, but you use elements of it, reaction step, flow step ..

 

[Gregory Diamond]

1:07
1:11
1:13
3:01

I don't say you use the standard where you jump over the fence and drop on the balls of your feet like the guy in white, but you use elements of it, reaction step, flow step ..

I cant see any split step at 1:07,1:11,1:13. This video is shorter than 3:01(2:51) so I dont know what this means.

I move my legs but it is not split steping. Usually my weight is transfered on one leg.

 

[FiReFTW]

I am #3 in Polish ranking in my category. I play with the best in my country. Usually they have big forehands and try to hit winners. If since beginning of May I have won 8 tournaments and 2 times lost in the final it means that I have no problem to be where the ball is. If you watch my videos you could notice that my legs almost always are in the right position before the stroke. In last video we played long rallies from baseline and drop shots were very rare so I was surprised and didnt react well. Because I won most longer rallies I chose parts where my friend won. That is why we see those drop shots.

Of course you have no problems getting to those slow balls, you have posted videos of your play, infact you just posted a video in the previous page, where are the big forehands you are talking about lol?

 

[Gregory Diamond]

Of course you have no problems getting to those slow balls, you have posted videos of your play, infact you just posted a video in the previous page, where are the big forehands you are talking about lol?

Big forehands are here. And still no split step.

 

[FiReFTW]

Big forehands are here. And still no split step.

lol I only watched the first 20 seconds, and you split step on every single shot your opponent hit, not once are you flat footed, and you preach that you don't and shouldn't split step.

2:10 you would have got to that shot if you split stepped, but you were caught flat footed and slow to react.

 

[Gregory Diamond]

lol I only watched the first 20 seconds, and you split step on every single shot your opponent hit, not once are you flat footed, and you preach that you don't and shouldn't split step.

If you call every movement of legs "split step" then I use split step all the time. Split step means jumping on both feet before the stroke. The weight of my body is almost always transfered on one leg. Not both.

 

[Tartar]

@Gregory Diamond your first video of two-handed Monica Seles video has 3:22 on my youtube account.. i belive you have a really strict definition of split step also..

 

[Tartar]

 

[Tartar]

Low to the ground? Reflex? C'mon

 

[Gregory Diamond]

Jumping on both feet as I said.

 

[Tartar]

Dude you have all the elements of good footwork in your overall game. You don't jump like a goat but that doesn't mean you don't use it. Abbreviated forms or parts of it of course.

Anywho, I'm out of this madness.

 

[peoplespeace]

Big forehands are here. And still no split step.

Lol u ARE split stepping om almost every shot. u take a small hop in the air, land om both feet at the same time legs apart and then immediately run in the direction of the ball. That is text book SS. And it can happen uncounciously like in ur case becus it is so useful. Lol Ive been talking to a blind polish tennis player

 

[Gregory Diamond]

Dude you have all the elements of good footwork in your overall game. You don't jump like a goat but that doesn't mean you don't use it. Abbreviated forms or parts of it of course.

Anywho, I'm out of this madness.

I agree with you that this jumping like a goat is a waste of energy. Probably split step is used to make the opponent laugh so that he couldnt play.

 

[FiReFTW]

If you call every movement of legs "split step" then I use split step all the time. Split step means jumping on both feet before the stroke. The weight of my body is almost always transfered on one leg. Not both.

I don't know what kind of weird definitions you have for split steps, but in your video your basically split stepping on 80-90% of the balls from your opponent, sometimes ur flat footed, and sometimes u split step a bit late, but you are split stepping for the majority of the shots from your opponent.

A split step is unweighting the heels of your feet and hopping or springing in the air.

There are many versions of split steps, defensive, offensive, neutral, flowing etc...

But basically it means unweighting ur heels of feet and getting airborne with ur legs, it does not need to be a jump, even a very slight hop is a split step, and then you land in an athletic pose with feet wide and can ready to react and explode in either direction or forward or back immediately.
It keeps your momentum going and helps you react and explode easier and more effectively and ultimately get to the ball sooner, because you are in momentum already and can react instantly when landing aswell as because you are using ur legs as springs upon landing which gets you more explosion with them, just like on the serve where you bend ur legs you look to do it smooth like bend and release, if you hold that bend for a long time you lose the spring effect and explosion.

And you don't have to land on both ur feet either, infact alot of split steps are flowing split steps where you unweight ur heels and get airborne and as you are landing u see the ball going to one side and land with the opposite leg from the direction of he shot in order to push with it in the direction while keeping the other airborne still, your first split step in picture bellow is a clear example of a flowing split step.

So basically now we have figured out you are preaching against something that you are actually doing

Here some split steps of yours so you can see

 

[Gregory Diamond]

I don't know what kind of weird definitions you have for split steps, but in your video your basically split stepping on 80-90% of the balls from your opponent, sometimes ur flat footed, and sometimes u split step a bit late, but you are split stepping for the majority of the shots from your opponent.

A split step is unweighting the heels of your feet and hopping or springing in the air.

There are many versions of split steps, defensive, offensive, neutral, flowing etc...

But basically it means unweighting ur heels of feet and getting airborne with ur legs, it does not need to be a jump, even a very slight hop is a split step, and then you land in an athletic pose with feet wide and can ready to react and explode in either direction or forward or back immediately.
It keeps your momentum going and helps you react and explode easier and more effectively and ultimately get to the ball sooner, because you are in momentum already and can react instantly when landing aswell as because you are using ur legs as springs upon landing which gets you more explosion with them, just like on the serve where you bend ur legs you look to do it smooth like bend and release, if you hold that bend for a long time you lose the spring effect and explosion.

And you don't have to land on both ur feet either, infact alot of split steps are flowing split steps where you unweight ur heels and get airborne and as you are landing u see the ball going to one side and land with the opposite leg from the direction of he shot in order to push with it in the direction while keeping the other airborne still, your first split step in picture bellow is a clear example of a flowing split step.

So basically now we have figured out you are preaching against something that you are actually doing

Here some split steps of yours so you can see

At 2:14 you can see that there is no split step when I try to return the serve. Sometimes my two feet are above the ground but it is when I want to change position of the body. In first 3 pictures I thought that the ball was going to go to my backhand so I took the left foot back but I saw that the ball was on my forehand so I stopped this movement and pushed the right foot to the right. I try to find parts with next pictures.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

At 2:14 you can see that there is no split step when I try to return the serve. Sometimes my two feet are above the ground but it is when I want to change position of the body. In first 3 pictures I thought that the ball was going to go to my backhand so I took the left foot back but I saw that the ball was on my forehand so I stopped this movement and pushed the right foot to the right. I try to find parts with next pictures.

Nobody here appears to be buying your no-split step agenda. Why are you pushing this idea so hard? You are not doing anyone any favors by pushing this anti-SS foolishness.

While you don't have a robust Federer-like SS hop, you do employ some semblance of SS footwork a lot more often than you suggest. You are bending your knees (but not usually a huge amount) and are using a stretch-shortening cycle that is timed to your opponent's shots. Those are the most important elements of SS footwork -- not a huge jump or hop.

While yours is not the type of robust SS that is seen with the pros or top junior & college players, you are, nonetheless, engaging in SS behavior quite often. Accept it and please stop polluting/derailing this thread with this counterproductive agenda.

Nobody here benefits from your anti-SS crusade.

GregR

 

[FiReFTW]

Nobody here appears to be buying your no-split step agenda. Why are you pushing this idea so hard? You are not doing anyone any favors by pushing this anti-SS foolishness.

While you don't have a robust Federer-like SS hop, you do employ some semblance of SS footwork a lot more often than you suggest. You are bending your knees (but not usually a huge amount) and are using a stretch-shortening cycle that is timed to your opponent's shots. Those are the most important elements of SS footwork -- not a huge jump or hop.

While yours is not the type of robust SS that is seen with the pros or top junior & college players, you are, nonetheless, engaging in SS behavior quite often. Accept it and please stop polluting/derailing this thread with this counterproductive agenda.

Nobody here benefits from your anti-SS crusade.

GregR

Well said

https://www.scienceforsport.com/stretch-shortening-cycle/

This is quite a nice video about the split step

 

[ChaelAZ]

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.

Just because someone gets older and CAN'T split step because they are out shape and have less energy to use it, doesn't negate the effectiveness of what a split step does. This is true of all rec players.

The factual research out there goes against your casual observation above. More and more for athletes in a variety of sports the split step, or athletic hop is being utilized to improve reaction time and movement. There is only destabilization for people who are NOT athletic or trained, so that assertion needs to be qualified.

 

[Gregory Diamond]

Just because someone gets older and CAN'T split step because they are out shape and have less energy to use it, doesn't negate the effectiveness of what a split step does. This is true of all rec players.

The factual research out there goes against your casual observation above. More and more for athletes in a variety of sports the split step, or athletic hop is being utilized to improve reaction time and movement. There is only destabilization for people who are NOT athletic or trained, so that assertion needs to be qualified.

I dont split step and I win almost all matches on national level. It is the best proof that split step is usually a waste of energy. It can be useful only in extreme situations. It would be stupid to jump for 2 hours to return 3-4 additional balls.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

What about the 4 great players you mentioned with 2HFHs [ie Seles, et. al.]: did they split step?

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I dont split step and I win almost all matches on national level. It is the best proof that split step is usually a waste of energy.

Only it doesn't prove that. It only shows that you are better than your competition, not that any one factor is the difference. Maybe if you split stepped, you'd win 6-2 instead of 6-4.

Also, if you keep playing better competition, you will eventually not be able to win anymore. Then you wouldn't be able to use your above logic.

It can be useful only in extreme situations. It would be stupid to jump for 2 hours to return 3-4 additional balls.

It would only be stupid if the amount of energy was so large that it impacted your ability to play. You haven't shown that to be the case.

I suspect I get to more than 4 balls per match because I split step. Also, even if I get to the ball without a split step, the quality of my shot will be poorer because I'm late.

I don't believe it's a stretch to state that most of us think you win in spite of your lack of split step, not because of it. Your Win/Loss record doesn't change that perception.

 

[travlerajm]

I don't know what kind of weird definitions you have for split steps, but in your video your basically split stepping on 80-90% of the balls from your opponent, sometimes ur flat footed, and sometimes u split step a bit late, but you are split stepping for the majority of the shots from your opponent.

A split step is unweighting the heels of your feet and hopping or springing in the air.

There are many versions of split steps, defensive, offensive, neutral, flowing etc...

But basically it means unweighting ur heels of feet and getting airborne with ur legs, it does not need to be a jump, even a very slight hop is a split step, and then you land in an athletic pose with feet wide and can ready to react and explode in either direction or forward or back immediately.
It keeps your momentum going and helps you react and explode easier and more effectively and ultimately get to the ball sooner, because you are in momentum already and can react instantly when landing aswell as because you are using ur legs as springs upon landing which gets you more explosion with them, just like on the serve where you bend ur legs you look to do it smooth like bend and release, if you hold that bend for a long time you lose the spring effect and explosion.

And you don't have to land on both ur feet either, infact alot of split steps are flowing split steps where you unweight ur heels and get airborne and as you are landing u see the ball going to one side and land with the opposite leg from the direction of he shot in order to push with it in the direction while keeping the other airborne still, your first split step in picture bellow is a clear example of a flowing split step.

So basically now we have figured out you are preaching against something that you are actually doing

Here some split steps of yours so you can see

Textbook.

 

[ChaelAZ]

I dont split step and I win almost all matches on national level. It is the best proof that split step is usually a waste of energy. It can be useful only in extreme situations. It would be stupid to jump for 2 hours to return 3-4 additional balls.

Of course you do.

Thanks for your anecdotal experience. I'll just stick to what researchers and professionals have proven.

Just think how much better you would be if you did split step. What a silly thing to limit yourself with.

 

[Gregory Diamond]

Of course you do.

Thanks for your anecdotal experience. I'll just stick to what researchers and professionals have proven.

Just think how much better you would be if you did split step. What a silly thing to limit yourself with.

We all see that there is a great crisis in professional tennis. Young players taught "modern" tennis cant beat 35 years old guys. Lost generation because of "modern" tennis.

 

[JohnYandell]

Yet Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have the two most powerful and best timed splits in tennis. Gregory you are a real fighter and competitor. I actually looked at some of your video. Perfectly adapted split steps to your age and level.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Yet Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have the two most powerful and best timed splits in tennis. Gregory you are a real fighter and competitor. I actually looked at some of your video. Perfectly adapted split steps to your age and level.

[Channelling my inner @Gregory Diamond]
"Federer and Djokovic win in spite of their split steps, not because of them. And in spite of their weak one-handed FHs, as opposed to the obvious, superior, way-of-the-future, two-handed FH."

 

[Gregory Diamond]

[Channelling my inner @Gregory Diamond]
"Federer and Djokovic win in spite of their split steps, not because of them. And in spite of their weak one-handed FHs, as opposed to the obvious, superior, way-of-the-future, two-handed FH."

It makes sense. Just their younger opponents were taught so called "modern" tennis with split steps, loose wrist and throwing a racket at the ball. We cant be surprised that the average age of top 10 in men`s and women`s tennis is highest in history.

 

[JohnYandell]

No you don't!

 

[ChaelAZ]

We all see that there is a great crisis in professional tennis. Young players taught "modern" tennis cant beat 35 years old guys. Lost generation because of "modern" tennis.

Weird that all of them split step, both young and old. Look, we get you are not athletic enough to include a split step, but you are to conpensating by projecting your inability to do it on those that can.

 

[FiReFTW]

Weird that all of them split step, both young and old. Look, we get you are not athletic enough to include a split step, but you are to conpensating by projecting your inability to do it on those that can.

The funny thing is he is split stepping and still arguing against it lol.

 

[BallBag]

I believe that this is a ruse by Professor Diamond to cause all split steppers to stay flat footed and therefore win more Polish +65 matches. Next he will claim that one handed forehands cause cancer or some other silly thing like that.

 

[ChaelAZ]

I believe that this is a ruse by Professor Diamond to cause all split steppers to stay flat footed and therefore win more Polish +65 matches. Next he will claim that one handed forehands cause cancer or some other silly thing like that.

Or, like, everyone should be using a 2 handed forehand...or something silly like that, right?

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/most-people-have-disabled-one-hand.618092/

 

[Gregory Diamond]

I believe that this is a ruse by Professor Diamond to cause all split steppers to stay flat footed and therefore win more Polish +65 matches. Next he will claim that one handed forehands cause cancer or some other silly thing like that.

I am not that old. My opponents are jumping all the time and they are too tired to beat me. If we add that they throw a racket at the ball and they hit the ball with loose wrist then we shouldnt be surprised that I win almost all matches.

 

[BallBag]

I am not that old. My opponents are jumping all the time and they are too tired to beat me. If we add that they throw a racket at the ball and they hit the ball with loose wrist then we shouldnt be surprised that I win almost all matches.

Your plot for Polish +70 tennis domination has been foiled, Professor Diamond. And you would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for those meddling tt kids.

 

[Gregory Diamond]

Your plot for Polish +70 tennis domination has been foiled, Professor Diamond. And you would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for those meddling tt kids.

My plan is to be The Champion of the World in +85 category.

 

[BallBag]

My plan is to be The Champion of the World in +85 category.

Only your evil plot has backfired and now there is renewed enthusiasm for good footwork.

 

[Gregory Diamond]

Only your evil plot has backfired and now there is renewed enthusiasm for good footwork.

If you say "footwork" do you mean "jumping" ?

 

[BallBag]

Your trickery is for naught, Professor Diamond.

 

[J011yroger]

Your plot for Polish +70 tennis domination has been foiled, Professor Diamond. And you would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for those meddling tt kids.

You expect me to hit a two handed forehand?

No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.

J

 

[3loudboys]

This is possibly one of the most entertaining threads I’ve read on TT. Professor Diamond vs T-Force. Long may the saga continue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Gregory Diamond]

Your trickery is for naught, Professor Diamond.

My play is based on anticipation. Before my opponent hit the ball I am already slightly moving in the direction I think he is going to direct the ball. If I guess I am there much faster than a player using split step. If I dont guess right my weight is on the foot opposite to the direction of the ball so I can change direction almost at once. And because in most cases I can foresee where the ball is going I am much faster there than a player using split step. And what is equally important I am not tired because I dont jump like a goat.

This method might be inferior to split step when we try to return serves over 180 km/h or when we play volleys because you cant foresee where the ball is going.

 

[Yoneyama]

My play is based on anticipation. Before my opponent hit the ball I am already slightly moving in the direction I think he is going to direct the ball. If I guess I am there much faster than a player using split step. If I dont guess right my weight is on the foot opposite to the direction of the ball so I can change direction almost at once. And because in most cases I can foresee where the ball is going I am much faster there than a player using split step. And what is equally important I am not tired because I dont jump like a goat.

This method might be inferior to split step when we try to return serves over 180 km/h or when we play volleys because you cant foresee where the ball is going.

I am 99% sure you are the weird Polish guy who a few months ago was going on about how a split step is unncessary, yet in your hitting videos you clearly split step almost every time. I'm not mistaken am I?

 

[Gregory Diamond]

I am 99% sure you are the weird Polish guy who a few months ago was going on about how a split step is unncessary, yet in your hitting videos you clearly split step almost every time. I'm not mistaken am I?

I dont jump like goat before my opponent hit the ball. Sometimes when I am forced to change direction abruptly my two feet for a moment are above the ground but I begin this movement after I see where the ball is going. I win almost all tournaments so it proves that my method works really well.

 

[Yoneyama]

I dont jump like goat before my opponent hit the ball. Sometimes when I am forced to change direction abruptly my two feet for a moment are above the ground but I begin this movement after I see where the ball is going. I win almost all tournaments so it proves that my method works really well.

Split stepping is not jumping though, otherwise it would be called split jumping... Your method is still a split step just not as exaggerated as most professionals.

Some professionals employ a small split step though, Tomic for example his feet barely leave the ground but it's still a split step.

 

[Gregory Diamond]

Split stepping is not jumping though, otherwise it would be called split jumping... Your method is still a split step just not as exaggerated as most professionals.

Some professionals employ a small split step though, Tomic for example his feet barely leave the ground but it's still a split step.

If you call every movement of feet a split step then I use split step all the time. We all know that split step is just jumping on both feet like a goat before our opponent hit the ball. I dont do it at all. I am not a goat.

 

[FiReFTW]

i suggest you people stop arguing with Gregory, he is either heavily trolling or senile.

 

[Gregory Diamond]

i suggest you people stop arguing with Gregory, he is either heavily trolling or senile.

But I win almost all tournaments.

 

[Yoneyama]

i suggest you people stop arguing with Gregory, he is either heavily trolling or senile.

Aspergers by the sounds of it