My first two videos in this three part series focused on the technique and the timing of a split step. Today we’re going to take a look at how the pros use the split step during competitive points to move around the court as efficiently as possible.

I’ll also be showing you two different examples of when you do NOT want to use a split step, something that often gets left out of tennis footwork instruction.

The details shown by the pros in this video really explain why they look so smooth and effortless moving around the court. Your average person has no idea all of this is going on during the points that they see on TV, even if they play tennis a lot themselves. If you can start implementing these patterns even a little bit on the court then I promise your court coverage will increase dramatically!

Video 1 of 3: Split Step Technique — Click Here!
Video 2 of 3: Split Step Timing — Click Here!

In my first video in this series about the split step (click here to view) I spoke in detail about how the split step really is a make-or-break element of your tennis footwork. High level players use it and low level players don’t, period. I also used David Ferrer as a model to teach the 3 main technique keys to a quality split step.

In today’s video you’re going to learn about what is really the art behind the split step: timing. Just doing it in general is your first step down the road to success, but once you get past that point performing your split step at precisely the right time is the difference between getting to the next shot or watching it go by.

As with most things, the way the pros perform the split step is incredibly precise. So much so that the point in time that they actually touch their feet to the ground will probably surprise you (it definitely surprised me the first time I found out).

A word of warning: if you’re currently just getting started with the split step then I don’t recommend that you try and copy the timing of the pros. I explain why and what I suggest instead in today’s video!

Did the pro’s timing surprise YOU? Let me know in the comments below! 

Video 1 of 3: Split Step Technique — Click Here!
Video 3 of 3: Pivot and Fake — Click Here!

The split step is so incredibly important to your success on the tennis court and yet SO many recreational players completely skip it. If you’re one of those players (be honest!), or if you currently only use a split step once in a while then you’re going to want to pay very close attention to this video and the two others about the split step coming out very soon.

In this video I’ll be defining the purpose of the split step and also using David Ferrer as an example to teach the correct technique of the split step. In video 2 of 3 (coming soon) I’ll be using the pros again to show you precisely how to time your split step correctly, and in video 3 of 3 I’ll be showing you examples of how the pros use the split step during actual competitive points.

So be honest: do you currently use the split step every time your partner/opponent hits a shot? Tell me below after you check out the video. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Video 2 of 3: Split Step Timing — Click Here!
Video 2 of 3: Pivot and Fake — Click Here!

Today we’re going to do a Roger Federer tripple play! I just got done posting a bunch of new pro video to the Essential Tennis YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/essentialtennis) and wanted to share a few strokes from Roger along with my thoughts. Make sure to check out all three!

Federer Video #1: Forehand and Backhand Rally

This is Roger getting a hit in before his match against Del Potro in the evening. He looks loose and relaxed enough while he’s actually competing but during practice it’s just ridiculous. Please keep in mind that he isn’t working on anything during these rallies, they’re simply meant to groove his timing a bit and help him break a light sweat. You should be trying to copy this during your first 5-10 minutes of hitting either before a competitive match or a practice session. Raise your intensity level a bit at a time until you reach full speed while still maintaining a smooth and relaxed swing!

Federer Video #2: Backhands in Slow Motion

Roger’s backhand is commonly looked at as a weakness of his but it’s still a beautiful stroke. You’ll see him hit both topspin and slice backhands in this video and one main thing strikes me about both techniques right away: length of swing. On each and every topspin shot you’ll see the butt cap of his racket (the bottom of the handle) at least pointing down towards the court, often times it even points out towards his hitting partner on the other side of the court. This is from loosely “releasing” the racket head and allow it to rotate, something a LOT of rec players don’t do on their one handed backhands.

On the slice you’ll see him draw the racket all the way across his body until the tip of the racket points towards his hitting partner with a straight and extended arm. Most rec players have a motion that falls well short of that and so they have to try and jerkily accelerate the racket through their short swing to get any racket head speed at all.

Try your best to avoid these two common technique pitfalls on your backhand next time you hit!

Federer Video #3: Serve Warm Up in Slow Motion

Ok, first off, do NOT practice your serves with 5 tennis balls in your opposite hand. Definitely not something that I recommend, haha.

Once again you can see that relaxed and fluid technique is the name of the game! What I’d like you to really take note of, however, is Roger’s rhythm as he swings. This is something that slow motion video helps us see. Watch how the take back of the racket all the way up to the trophy pose is one smooth, slow speed, and then once the racket starts to drop everything begins to accelerate up towards contact. Slow then quick, slow then quick, without any stopping or hesitating. Many rec players have what’s known as a “hitch” in their service motion, a jerky stopping and then starting of their racket. Or, they have a quick-slow-quick rhythm which is terrible for timing and consistency. Roger makes everything as smooth as possible, something that you should try your best to copy at home!

So which is your favorite stroke? Does anything specific jump out at you right away about any of these three videos? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for watching!

Volley technique is one of the things that I’m pickiest about when it comes to tennis instruction. It’s for that reason today’s video is one of my favorites that I brought back from Cincinnati, Ohio. It features David Ferrer deflecting volleys back to Andy Murray who’s hitting forehands and backhands on the other side. Two things that you should watch for:

1. Ferrer’s hands and racket head. I absolutely LOVE how simple he keeps things with his racket motion on both the forehand and backhand side, nothing extra at all.

2. Ferrer’s footwork. Watch how he split steps on EVERY shot that Murray hits without exception, always on the balls of his feet.

Start copying these fundamentals and your net game will definitely improve!

This is a really special series of 5 videos for two main reasons:

1. It’s almost impossible to find high quality video of top level pro players competing from this vantage point, you’re really not going to find this anywhere else. The points that you watch on TV are always shot from a much higher spot up off the court so that it’s easy to see exactly where the ball is landing on both sides. The downside to that is it’s very, very difficult to get a true sense for what the shots are like that the players are hitting. If you’ve never been to a pro event and watched from court level before these 5 videos will be an eye-opener for you.

2. Not only was I fortunate to camp out and get this great camera angle but Andy Murray’s hitting partner happened to be another top 10 player in the world! Usually the top pros hire top college players or low level ATP players to warm them up before matches, getting both Murray and Ferrer on the court together for a practice session was a real stroke of luck for me. Not only that, but they played points full out!

Enjoy these videos, make sure to check out all 5! (Click “Read More” below to see all 5).

Up until pretty recently I was NOT a fan of Novak Djokovic’s serve. His trophy pose and racket drop was kind of herky-jerky (yes, that’s the technical term for it) and things just didn’t seem very efficient in general. Like a lot of other elements of his game I think he has really improved his serve a lot in the last year or two. It’s much smoother now and as a result he’s getting much better results!

Rafael Nadal is on the exact opposite end of the spectrum as Roger Federer while he practices: full out and 100% all the time. In this video you see him crushing forehand after forehand at pretty high intensity. This is something that I saw him do over and over again while hitting various strokes, sometimes getting run all over the court by his coach while he was hitting. During this particular drill his coach was actually at the net volleying these huge shots back, impressive hands!

It doesn’t get a whole lot better than watching Roger Federer hit forehands and backhands! He’s hands down the most loose and relaxed looking player that I filmed at Cincinnati, almost to the point that it was annoying to be honest. Why? Roger doesn’t seem to like to really go full speed in practice, that just seems to be his style. As a result his practice sessions come off as being incredibly easy, they usually only last 15-20 minutes, at least while I was there filming him and the other pros. I would have loved to get him really going all out, but the footage that I did get is still awesome to study!

I love seeing recreational tennis players taking the initiative to practice on their own by using a backboard or hitting wall but it drives me CRAZY to see them making the same mistakes over and over again. In this video I outline the three big mistakes that rec players make while spending time hitting against a backboard, why they’re so destructive to your tennis game, and also what you should be doing instead so that you can make the best use of your time and effort. Stop making those three mistakes and start practicing with a purpose so that you can improve more quickly!