Short Court Tutorial: Using Mini Tennis Effectively Part 1 of 3

Welcome to video 1 of 3 in a series that will focus on how to use “short court” or “mini tennis” as effectively as possible. My goal within these three videos is to either get you started using short court for the first time or, if you’re using it already, help you make the absolute best use of your time.

In this video I’m going to address a very, very common misconception about short court: that it’s just for low level or beginner type players. That is NOT true and I’ll tell you why.

Then I’m going to present a video of a top level professional player using short court to warm up while I talk about the big benefits to actually using short court as part of your routine.

Question: Do you already use short court? Tell me in the comments below! 

Video 2: Target and Positioning – Click Here!

Tennis Footwork, Split Step Lesson 3 of 3: Pivot and Fake

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!

Tennis Footwork, Split Step Lesson 2 of 3: Timing

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!

Tennis Footwork, Split Step Lesson 1 of 3: Technique

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!

Andy Murray Forehand/Backhand and David Ferrer Volleys

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!

Andy Murray vs David Ferrer – Court Level in HD!

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).

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Novak Djokovic Serve in HD

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 Crushing Forehands in HD

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!

Roger Federer Forehands and Backhands in HD

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!

Backboard or Wall Hitting Lesson

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!