How movement impacts your chance to be great

How movement impacts your chance to be great

In the world of tennis, there is so much more associated with being great than your serve or backspin. Different elements are at play here, including movement. You've probably heard the term "light on your toes" before, which is especially true in tennis. Both you and your opponent have identical sides of the court. However, the way you handle your side might be the difference between winning and losing.

Cover more distance

The idea of tennis is to put the opponent at a disadvantage, forcing them to move out of their comfort zone and even to tire them out. All of this is true. The average winner of any major tournament covers more ground while playing offense, manipulating their shot to exploit any defensive weaknesses the opposing side might have. Movement is more subtle here, yet it can play a major impact. From readying oneself for a backhand instead of a forehand shot and by anticipating where the defensive volley will be returned to, all of this helps with the increase in offensive movement, designed to put the defensive player at a greater disadvantage. 

Game strategy

Often when facing an opponent for the first time, you won't be sure how they play the game or how they set themselves up. This can take time during the match to determine. To stand as a great tennis player, it is important to not only act and react on the court, but learn what the opponent is doing and how they are moving. Probing defenses within the defender and how they react to each shot is important. How they move against a backhand; how they deal with topspin; if they return volley better on a low or high shot: all of this should be tested out early on. In return, it allows for subsequent sets to set up the necessary movement for creating the perfect offensive plan to pick apart what the opponent simply is not as strong with.

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2013 US Open (Tennis) - Stanislas Wawrinka by Steven Pisano licensed under Creative commons 4