Split step landing on the balls of your feet or on the toes? Or both?

Whare do you land on your split step/hop?


  • Total voters
    8

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
Hi,

I've seen the phisio yesterday for hints on my hammer toes and she suggested that I should land both on the toes and the balls of my feet, while I was primarily landing on the balls of the feet.


She also suggested that I should practice jumps like I am in hot sand (when I jump on a thick mattress).

What do you guys do/think?
Somehow I feel more stable landing on the balls of my feet, but I wonder if that's "aggressive"/"ready to move" enough?

Small hop/split step, that is, but ideally continuously.
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
I've never actually thought about it until now.

I don't think it makes sense to only land on my toes because how will I generate the force to move quickly? I would think I'd at least need the balls of my feet to provide that and I don't see how I'm going to land just on the balls without involving the toes unless I somehow curl my toes upward or lean backward.

Look at any pro split stepping: can you detect any of them landing only on one or the other as opposed to both?
 

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
I've never actually thought about it until now.

I don't think it makes sense to only land on my toes because how will I generate the force to move quickly? I would think I'd at least need the balls of my feet to provide that and I don't see how I'm going to land just on the balls without involving the toes unless I somehow curl my toes upward or lean backward.

Look at any pro split stepping: can you detect any of them landing only on one or the other as opposed to both?
I agree with yout that we land both on the balls and the toes of the feet, but I think that I'm using mainly the balls, while the phisio wanted to me to involve the toes more.

I'm also very heavy: 100 kgs/220 Lbs, on a good day (and alas Tsonga, who has the same weight is retiring now).
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
I agree with yout that we land both on the balls and the toes of the feet, but I think that I'm using mainly the balls, while the phisio wanted to me to involve the toes more.

I don't see how my toes could be excluded unless I went to extremes like I mentioned, neither of which seem bio-mechanically sound and possibly are contributing to your hammer toe.

Does the physio have some sort of device that measures pressure and how it's distributed when you land? Or was it purely a visual observation?

One way you could practice at home is to wet your feet before the split step and look at your footprint: if you're using your toes, they should make a mark on the ground. Or I guess landing in dirt or sand would work also.

[Edit: I was thinking of doing this exercise bare-footed; easier to see the weight distribution.]
 
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Fintft

G.O.A.T.
I don't see how my toes could be excluded unless I went to extremes like I mentioned, neither of which seem bio-mechanically sound and possibly are contributing to your hammer toe.

Does the physio have some sort of device that measures pressure and how it's distributed when you land? Or was it purely a visual observation?

One way you could practice at home is to wet your feet before the split step and look at your footprint: if you're using your toes, they should make a mark on the ground. Or I guess landing in dirt or sand would work also.
Well, my toes are somewhat currled upward, that's what hammer toes are.
And no measuring neither from the visio, nor me, just a feel(at least for me)
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
@SystemicAnomaly said in 2018 "stand on the balls of the feet after the split-step", but do you also land on the balls of the feet(primerly)?

What I actually wrote was, "... you really should not be standing at the finish of the split step, you should be moving. If you are standing & waiting then perhaps you've executed the split step too early."
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
When landing the SS, I feel that my weight is primarily on the balls of my feet. However, my weigh is forward -- so there is also some weight bearing on the toes.

Look at any pro split stepping: can you detect any of them landing only on one or the other as opposed to both?
Depends on the exact timing of the SS. Often, the SS is initiated during the forward (or upward) swing and the landing is fairly balanced on both feet. However, if SS is initiated a split second later, or if the player picks up the direction of the ball as they are landing, they might land unbalanced (primarily or exclusively on one foot).
 
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BlueB

Legend
Don't do the toes! I landed (by mistake) full force onto my 2nd toe, about 2 weeks ago. At that moment I thought I broke it. It still sore when I step on it.
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
Depends on the exact timing of the SS. Often, the SS is initiated during the forward (or upward) swing and the landing is fairly balanced on both feet. However, if SS is initiated a split second later, or if the player picks up the direction of the ball as they are landing, they might land unbalanced (primarily or exclusively on one foot).


Sorry: unclear on my part. When I wrote "one or the other or both", I was referring to toes and/or balls of the feet, not one or both feet.
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
Don't do the toes! I landed (by mistake) full force onto my 2nd toe, about 2 weeks ago. At that moment I thought I broke it. It still sore when I step on it.
Ouch! Yeah, I feel the weight /pressure primarily on the balls of my feet. Only modest or moderate pressure on the toes.
 
My weight is slightly forward so the balls of my feet touch the ground first. My whole foot is on the ground by the time I’m pushing off to change direction though, you need the heel to engage the glutes.
 

Jay_The_Nomad

Professional
I’m not a physio but that sounds like horrible and painful advice. Landing on your toes first sound like it’ll put tremendous strain on the toe bones.

But then again it’ll help her get more business from you lol!

I sense a conflict of interest here.
 

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
I’m not a physio but that sounds like horrible and painful advice. Landing on your toes first sound like it’ll put tremendous strain on the toe bones.

But then again it’ll help her get more business from you lol!

I sense a conflict of interest here.

I think she was getting to this:

When the landing the SS, I feel that my weight is primarily on the balls of my feet. However, my weigh is forward so there is also some weight bearing on the toes of the feet.
 
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