Shoes problems from sliding on hard court

jeffykrunks

New User
I slide a decent amount on hard court and it's causing a range of problems for my shoes. Right now, the biggest problems are my laces constantly breaking and the tongue of my shoe.

My laces break quite often (each pair lasts a few hours) either by the bottom or near the knot. They get super thin, I'm assuming from being dragged on the court while sliding, before breaking. How do the pros avoid this? I've never seen this happen in a match to anyone besides Tsitsipas. I slide a fraction of the amount of Djokovic does in a match and mine still managed to break.

The other problem I'm facing (this has only been happening with my newest pair, downgraded a half a size for better fit) is the tongue ripping. It started as a small hole about a week ago, but now it's pretty noticeable and I find myself frequently adjusting it/fitting it back into my shoe.

Images

I have wide and small feet, so these were one of the few pairs of shoes that fit me. I'm considering switching to a cheaper and more durable shoe (heard good things about the Barricade), but my foot shape is pretty limiting.
 

Lorenn

Hall of Fame
Get good enough to get a shoe contract?

Mainly I would guess it is about how you slide. Most of the time, if you watch Novak , he is not sliding on his upper. He slides on the side sole of his shoes. Especially on hardcourts.
 

jeffykrunks

New User
Get good enough to get a shoe contract?

Mainly I would guess it is about how you slide. Most of the time, if you watch Novak , he is not sliding on his upper. He slides on the side sole of his shoes. Especially on hardcourts.

I recorded myself sliding and it's pretty obvious why my shoes are tearing. My back foot is face town, dragging the top of the shoe and laces on the court. I'm sort of sliding in a lunge position. Do you have any idea how to fix this? When I slide, I don't really think too much about it - I just sort of do it - so it's hard to control my form.
 

Sardines

Hall of Fame
There are shoes out there which have protection of the laces, like K-Swiss, and the Stycon does away with laces altogether. Personally I had to learn to slide on clay for ground strokes. You can train to slide on the side of your feet instead of the top, that's what most clay coaches have insisted on. Even then, I've snapped laces a few times on the side drag too. I occasionally drag the top of the shoe when hitting a low backhand groundstroke or volley, but nothing that would shred laces.
 

Lorenn

Hall of Fame
I recorded myself sliding and it's pretty obvious why my shoes are tearing. My back foot is face town, dragging the top of the shoe and laces on the court. I'm sort of sliding in a lunge position. Do you have any idea how to fix this? When I slide, I don't really think too much about it - I just sort of do it - so it's hard to control my form.

Did we ever mention if we were talking about clay or hard courts?:)

Basically like almost all learned behaviors, it is about practice. Learning proper technique. Training your body to perform as it should. The problem is you have to unlearn your existing method. Unlearning it normally difficult. Suggest you take the retraining slowly as you might be using different muscles/tendons. Here is a video with reasonable basics.


There were also shoes designed to make sliding easier. Sliding on hard courts is kinda ultra modern. Hard Courts were designed to have maximum traction... I don't consider the speed improvement worth the risk, then again I am not playing for such a large amount of money. Theory is it improves recovery time.
 
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Everyone who is sliding should learn proper footwork and should improve his fitness: there is no excuse for an amateur to slide on HCs.

:cool:
 

jeffykrunks

New User
Did we ever mention if we were talking about clay or hard courts?:)

Basically like almost all learned behaviors, it is about practice. Learning proper technique. Training your body to perform as it should. The problem is you have to unlearn your existing method. Unlearning it normally difficult. Suggest you take the retraining slowly as you might be using different muscles/tendons. Here is a video with reasonable basics.


There were also shoes designed to make sliding easier. Sliding on hard courts is kinda ultra modern. Hard Courts were designed to have maximum traction... I don't consider the speed improvement worth the risk, then again I am not playing for such a large amount of money. Theory is it improves recovery time.

It is on hardcourt. I saw that video a while ago, but I'll give what he says a try. Thanks for the info.
 

jeffykrunks

New User
Everyone who is sliding should learn proper footwork and should improve his fitness: there is no excuse for an amateur to slide on HCs.

:cool:

I don't slide nearly as much as players like Djokovic or Monfils. I mainly just slide when chasing a drop shot or what would otherwise be a winner.
 

SinneGOAT

Legend
I don't slide nearly as much as players like Djokovic or Monfils. I mainly just slide when chasing a drop shot or what would otherwise be a winner.
Exactly, in fact it’s the opposite of what the guy you responded to said. Players with good flexibility can slide well without a problem. I can slide depending on the court condition most times, most tournaments are not in the greatest so I can get some good slide. Other times it’s the shoes, like you could have shoes with smooth traction.
 

JackSockIsTheBest

Professional
Yeah I slide quite a bit and I don't ruin my laces but I burn through the side & the side of the upper. But my opinion my laces is to tie them more so they won't be hanging long & loose or tucking them.
 

RedBeard

Rookie
I slide a decent amount on hard court and it's causing a range of problems for my shoes. Right now, the biggest problems are my laces constantly breaking and the tongue of my shoe.

My laces break quite often (each pair lasts a few hours) either by the bottom or near the knot. They get super thin, I'm assuming from being dragged on the court while sliding, before breaking. How do the pros avoid this? I've never seen this happen in a match to anyone besides Tsitsipas. I slide a fraction of the amount of Djokovic does in a match and mine still managed to break.

Taylor Fritz just put up an Instagram story showing a bag full of dozens of laces. I think the pros go through them really quick, or just chuck the shoes after a couple of matches.

Shoe technology is just now starting to catch up to modern movements. I can't imagine attempting hard court sliding with the kind of shoes I wore as a junior 25 years ago.

The bootie construction shoes are a move in the right direction, as they take some of the pressure off of the laces, but most are made pretty narrow and probably won't work for your feet. Some have reported the Asics Court FF2s working for wide feet, but I've got a narrow foot and they're plenty snug for me. Maybe they break in over time and eventually mold to a wide foot?
 

antony

Hall of Fame
I don't try to slide but I do an acceptable and maybe even appreciable amount to me playing on hard courts with quick changes in direction in Asics Gel Resolution 8's
 

jeffykrunks

New User
Yeah I slide quite a bit and I don't ruin my laces but I burn through the side & the side of the upper. But my opinion my laces is to tie them more so they won't be hanging long & loose or tucking them.

I recorded myself playing and it become pretty obvious why my shoes and laces are getting destroyed so quickly. I’m sliding basically in a lunge position, so my back foot is face down instead of dragging sideways. Instead of having the sides (I’d imagine they’re much more durable) drag on the ground, it’s the laces and tongue of the shoe, which aren’t too hard to rip.

I’m not really sure how I can fix this. I was considering just buying a cheap shoe knowing that they would last only a month or two, but it’s already hard to find something that fits my foot. Changing the way I drag my back foot seems difficult because I’m never really thinking about sliding or how I’m doing it, it just sort of happens. I don’t think I could just go on a tennis court and run and slide — I feel like I’d hurt myself.
 

puppybutts

Hall of Fame
I recorded myself playing and it become pretty obvious why my shoes and laces are getting destroyed so quickly. I’m sliding basically in a lunge position, so my back foot is face down instead of dragging sideways. Instead of having the sides (I’d imagine they’re much more durable) drag on the ground, it’s the laces and tongue of the shoe, which aren’t too hard to rip.

I’m not really sure how I can fix this. I was considering just buying a cheap shoe knowing that they would last only a month or two, but it’s already hard to find something that fits my foot. Changing the way I drag my back foot seems difficult because I’m never really thinking about sliding or how I’m doing it, it just sort of happens. I don’t think I could just go on a tennis court and run and slide — I feel like I’d hurt myself.
a good way to practice slide technique i've found during quarantine is to put on some slippery socks and go on some smooth flooring, like hardwood or laminate. that way you don't have to sprint to build up the momentum, think about playing, or anything else, just your form. do at your own risk of course...be careful of slipping and hitting your head on any nearby objects :X3:
 
Everyone who is sliding should learn proper footwork and should improve his fitness: there is no excuse for an amateur to slide on HCs.

:cool:
Stop sliding on hardcourts.

These are such hilariously bad takes by people who don't understand the point of sliding or can't slide altogether.

Sure, some people slide way too much on hardcourts and use it inappropriately, but telling people to just never slide on hardcourts when they have the ability is silly. It allows for greater reach, stability, and recovery on end of reach shots. Also, improving fitness and footwork is not mutually exclusive from sliding. It isn't like sliding for some shots suddenly take away from your other abilities.
 
These are such hilariously bad takes by people who don't understand the point of sliding or can't slide altogether.

Sure, some people slide way too much on hardcourts and use it inappropriately, but telling people to just never slide on hardcourts when they have the ability is silly. It allows for greater reach, stability, and recovery on end of reach shots. Also, improving fitness and footwork is not mutually exclusive from sliding. It isn't like sliding for some shots suddenly take away from your other abilities.

I play tennis, not figure skating.

They might not be mutually exclusive, but people that need improvement in those areas probably could do that at the expense of excessive sliding/or sliding at all, for that matter. Who do they think they are, Djokovic?

Read the OP: he is sliding with the top of his shoe down. Tell me that that improves his "stability".

:cool:
 

jeffykrunks

New User
I play tennis, not figure skating.

They might not be mutually exclusive, but people that need improvement in those areas probably could do that at the expense of excessive sliding/or sliding at all, for that matter. Who do they think they are, Djokovic?

Read the OP: he is sliding with the top of his shoe down. Tell me that that improves his "stability".

:cool:

What do you mean by stability?

I agree that sometimes good footwork can replace the need to slide, but there are many instances where sliding accomplishes what good footwork can't. I already have pretty good footwork and there are many times where without sliding, I would not be able to get to a ball. Lots of people that I play with who don't slide aren't able to get similar shots because they can't sprint the entire time until they hit the ball. Sometimes they have to slow down to avoid running into the net while chasing down a dropshot or they just can't hit the ball while they're still sprinting.
 
I play tennis, not figure skating.

They might not be mutually exclusive, but people that need improvement in those areas probably could do that at the expense of excessive sliding/or sliding at all, for that matter. Who do they think they are, Djokovic?

Read the OP: he is sliding with the top of his shoe down. Tell me that that improves his "stability".

:cool:

I mean, it is almost as though as you didn't read what I said and you don't remember what you said.

You say there is "no excuse for an amateur to slide on HCs." Do you think none of the pros slid at all when they were learning? They got their first ATP points and then were like, "time to learn how to slide"?

And I conceded in my reply that some people do use sliding as a crutch. But it isn't as simple as not sliding -> better footwork.

And in regards to OP, he should probably change his sliding mechanics, but yes, depending on the shot, it could still provide him with stability.
 
What do you mean by stability?

I agree that sometimes good footwork can replace the need to slide, but there are many instances where sliding accomplishes what good footwork can't. I already have pretty good footwork and there are many times where without sliding, I would not be able to get to a ball. Lots of people that I play with who don't slide aren't able to get similar shots because they can't sprint the entire time until they hit the ball. Sometimes they have to slow down to avoid running into the net while chasing down a dropshot or they just can't hit the ball while they're still sprinting.

IMO, the only acceptable sliding on HCs for amateurs is something that happens when one is stopping, not when he is sliding into his shot. I am talking specifically HC here (clay is a completely different animal). If one has so much momentum, that he cannot stop normally, it means that he started sprinting late, and is late for the shot, as I said.

I am also talking about the context of this thread also. There is no way that sliding with a foot dragging on its shoelaces improves stability. I can't see how it improves the recovery from the shot either.

:cool:
 
I mean, it is almost as though as you didn't read what I said and you don't remember what you said.

You say there is "no excuse for an amateur to slide on HCs." Do you think none of the pros slid at all when they were learning? They got their first ATP points and then were like, "time to learn how to slide"?

And I conceded in my reply that some people do use sliding as a crutch. But it isn't as simple as not sliding -> better footwork.

And in regards to OP, he should probably change his sliding mechanics, but yes, depending on the shot, it could still provide him with stability.

Of course these statements are not absolute, but if one doesn't have an absolute statement as a muster, he will always err on what he thinks is "best" whatever that means. There are all sorts of situations, where a little bit of sliding might help. It doesn't mean that one has to make it part of his normal court coverage.

Anyway, we all have our views. I expressed mine, and I am fine with someone completely disagreeing with me. After all, I also completely disagreed with the way the OP moves (his description of why he destroys his shoelaces).

:cool:
 
These are such hilariously bad takes by people who don't understand the point of sliding or can't slide altogether.

Sure, some people slide way too much on hardcourts and use it inappropriately, but telling people to just never slide on hardcourts when they have the ability is silly. It allows for greater reach, stability, and recovery on end of reach shots. Also, improving fitness and footwork is not mutually exclusive from sliding. It isn't like sliding for some shots suddenly take away from your other abilities.

Agreed!! The fact that someone has the ability to slide means that they are so athletic that they can move at a pace which allows them to slide. The reason Federer and Djokovic can slide and others like @Tennis_Hands can't is because of their extreme speed and acceleration. Some people need to accept that tennis has gotten faster and more athletic, and to accomodate, we, as a younger generation have adapted our style to maximise or performance. You look at any player on tour < 25; there is not one who wont slide on HC, it is a part of the game, just as much as the split-step is to them. In fact, it is coached in some cases. If people actually believe that the slide is ruining the game or not a legitimate skill, they need to watch any ATP hardcourt tournament - you'd be hard pressed to find a point where a player isn't sliding to maximise their recovery or reach.
 
I play tennis, not figure skating.

They might not be mutually exclusive, but people that need improvement in those areas probably could do that at the expense of excessive sliding/or sliding at all, for that matter. Who do they think they are, Djokovic?

Read the OP: he is sliding with the top of his shoe down. Tell me that that improves his "stability".

:cool:

The ignorance here.
 

golden chicken

Hall of Fame
I recorded myself playing and it become pretty obvious why my shoes and laces are getting destroyed so quickly. I’m sliding basically in a lunge position, so my back foot is face down instead of dragging sideways. Instead of having the sides (I’d imagine they’re much more durable) drag on the ground, it’s the laces and tongue of the shoe, which aren’t too hard to rip.

I’m not really sure how I can fix this. I was considering just buying a cheap shoe knowing that they would last only a month or two, but it’s already hard to find something that fits my foot. Changing the way I drag my back foot seems difficult because I’m never really thinking about sliding or how I’m doing it, it just sort of happens. I don’t think I could just go on a tennis court and run and slide — I feel like I’d hurt myself.

What you need are called spats.
 
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kdwithketchup

New User
I burn through the laces as well so I buy extras and replace as needed. Only happens to the left shoe. Mine last closer to a month though.
 

14OuncesStrung

Professional
Roger Federer when he at his fastest in his prime, never slid on a hard court. Not everyone's ankles are up to that force.
I still stand by my philosophy, sliding on a hardcourt is just a fad. It encourages you to get off balance.
It doesn't help you recover from a defensive position for the next ball. If you need to slide to get to a ball, you're not moving fast enough.
Time for you to do more sprints/resistance training.
 
Roger Federer when he at his fastest in his prime, never slid on a hard court. Not everyone's ankles are up to that force.
I still stand by my philosophy, sliding on a hardcourt is just a fad. It encourages you to get off balance.
It doesn't help you recover from a defensive position for the next ball. If you need to slide to get to a ball, you're not moving fast enough.
Time for you to do more sprints/resistance training.

Sliding doesn't impart anymore force on your ankles than stopping and turning does.

The fact that you think it is a fad is really confusing. It isn't supported by what we see on tour.

The parts I have bolded in your quoted text are just plain wrong.
  • You are more on balance by sliding and reaching for a ball, than by running and reaching for a ball. Sliding allows you to keep your center of gravity between your legs while your torso and arms might somewhere else.
  • It allows you to recover from a defensive position for the next ball much better than running through the ball as you will be using the friction from sliding to stop quickly and turn around rather than taking a couple extra steps to slow down or trying to stop on a dime (if you want to talk about ankle injuries, here would be the place).
  • Your last statement about "not moving fast enough" and needing more training is absolutely bonkers ignorant. Like please call up Djokovic, Monfils, De Minaur, Medvedev, and pretty much every other great ATP mover and tell them that they shouldn't slide, but instead just be faster. You are doing the same BS as other posters where you conflate sliding during a point in a match with slacking in physical training. Nobody is spending hours practicing sliding when they could be practicing fitness.
There is nothing that functionally different with sliding on clay and sliding on hardcourt other than sliding being used much more defensively on hardcourts. It is a lot harder to slide on hardcourt and you can't slide as far, but they are very similar in regards to their defensive function.
 
Sliding doesn't impart anymore force on your ankles than stopping and turning does.

The fact that you think it is a fad is really confusing. It isn't supported by what we see on tour.

The parts I have bolded in your quoted text are just plain wrong.
  • You are more on balance by sliding and reaching for a ball, than by running and reaching for a ball. Sliding allows you to keep your center of gravity between your legs while your torso and arms might somewhere else.
  • It allows you to recover from a defensive position for the next ball much better than running through the ball as you will be using the friction from sliding to stop quickly and turn around rather than taking a couple extra steps to slow down or trying to stop on a dime (if you want to talk about ankle injuries, here would be the place).
  • Your last statement about "not moving fast enough" and needing more training is absolutely bonkers ignorant. Like please call up Djokovic, Monfils, De Minaur, Medvedev, and pretty much every other great ATP mover and tell them that they shouldn't slide, but instead just be faster. You are doing the same BS as other posters where you conflate sliding during a point in a match with slacking in physical training. Nobody is spending hours practicing sliding when they could be practicing fitness.
There is nothing that functionally different with sliding on clay and sliding on hardcourt other than sliding being used much more defensively on hardcourts. It is a lot harder to slide on hardcourt and you can't slide as far, but they are very similar in regards to their defensive function.
Yes. The ignorance of some believing sliding is a fad... are poly strings a fad too then?
 

puppybutts

Hall of Fame
i think it's safe to say that there are pros who slide, and pros who don't slide, showing one is not right or wrong. even pros who do slide don't do it consistently. for example, serena in her prime was one of the best defensive sliders, but sometimes she opted not to slide. i think it's safe to say it's more a style/situation choice, just like how some players hit more or less topspin. not inherently bad or good, just whatever you feel incorporates well into your game. personally, i don't really notice a difference in my recovery speed when i slide out of shots vs. step out of them. what dictates slide vs step for me is usually which foot i'm on when closing in on the ball on which side of the court. if i need an extra lunge step to get to it, no slide (sorry, i can't do the splits). if i can slide better into my strike zone, yes slide. are my shoes new and the outsole still sticky? no slide. are they beat up and slippery as hell? well, i have no choice but to slide lmao.
 
Roger Federer when he at his fastest in his prime, never slid on a hard court. Not everyone's ankles are up to that force.
I still stand by my philosophy, sliding on a hardcourt is just a fad. It encourages you to get off balance.
It doesn't help you recover from a defensive position for the next ball. If you need to slide to get to a ball, you're not moving fast enough.
Time for you to do more sprints/resistance training.

Because tennis has gotten faster in the last 15 years. 2005 Federer wouldn't be able to chase down the balls he does today. It's a fact. Sliding has become a necessity for high-level success on the ATP tour.
 

jeffykrunks

New User
IMO, the only acceptable sliding on HCs for amateurs is something that happens when one is stopping, not when he is sliding into his shot. I am talking specifically HC here (clay is a completely different animal). If one has so much momentum, that he cannot stop normally, it means that he started sprinting late, and is late for the shot, as I said.

I am also talking about the context of this thread also. There is no way that sliding with a foot dragging on its shoelaces improves stability. I can't see how it improves the recovery from the shot either.

:cool:

I rarely slide to recover earlier, and when I do, my foot isn't dragging face down. I generally slide to stop when I'm too close to the net or a fence to stop without running into something. I do slide into balls when they would otherwise be a winner.
 
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