Tennis footwork

Tennis footwork is the movement used to reach the ball, position the body, and recover between shots. It combines starting steps, directional movement, balance, and court repositioning.

Crossover step: A running step in which one leg crosses in front of or behind the other to cover distance quickly. It helps cover wide balls when a shuffle is too slow.
Dynamic balance: The ability to maintain or regain stability while the body is moving. Players must stay stable while accelerating, stopping, and hitting.
Tennis serve: The stroke that starts a point by sending the ball diagonally into the opponent’s service box. Serving footwork organizes the stance, leg drive, and landing.
Open stance: A stroke stance in which the hips and shoulders remain relatively open to the net. It enables rapid recovery but differs from stepping through a closed stance.
Shuffle step: A lateral movement in which the feet move sideways without crossing. It preserves facing and balance during shorter sideways adjustments.
Reaction time: The interval between a stimulus and the start of a response. Opponent cues and ball flight determine when the first step begins.
Tennis return of serve: The stroke used to put an opponent’s serve back into play. A compact split step and first move help meet a fast serve.
Closed stance: A stroke stance in which the body turns sideways and steps toward the ball. It supports forward weight transfer but can take longer to recover from.
Adjustment step: A small final step that fine-tunes body position before an action. It lets players correct spacing after the main approach.
Tennis court: The rectangular playing area divided by a net and marked with boundaries for singles and doubles. Court dimensions and shot angles shape the distances footwork must cover.

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