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Your Body's Power Zone
The habits that conflict with the simple execution of
Step 3's
ideas are:
- you don't move your back foot first or keep it moving forward into the ball.
- your footwork pattern is off, see
Step 2, and you are sideways.
- prior to contact you turn sideways, either foot.
- at contact you turn sideways because you are bracing yourself
against the contact (popular on backhands).
It's new for you to be moving forward into the ball, and often
you feel the strength from your body won't be there unless you turn
sideways. Nothing could be further from the truth. In
fact, when you turn sideways to the contact spot, you're losing
strength because your body's power zone is no longer directed at
the ball.
WALK INTO THE BALL
Here's that same learning procedure as before. When
first walking into the ball your back foot points forward, on
an angle to your one side, pointing to the eventual contact
spot. Don't turn it out to the side ever. At contact keep
the back foot pointing in the same direction as it has been,
forward to the ball. Keep it simple.
Remind yourself to open up the front foot (‘cause it will land
sideways) towards the net more (not perpendicular to the net).
This also improves your vision, and thus the timing of
your swing onto the ball.
Move your feet heel to toe. Land on the heel and step
towards the tennis ball normally. What often happens is
your last step lands on its toe, effectively rocking you back
away from the ball.
People often turn sideways to the ball (especially on backhands)
as a way to brace themselves against the contact. As you
hit the ball toward your opponent, physics' equal and opposite
reaction comes into play. In essence, the ball hits you back.
Don't brace yourself against the contact. You've been moving
and you're not expected to stop, literally, and stand still to hit.
Shift (your body weight) into the ball.
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