When your opponent is about to strike the ball you want to be sure not to be moving one way or another. If you are moving, you give a smart opponent the opportunity to use your momentum against you by holding their shot and taking you forward if you move back, moving you back if you move forward, or taking you to one side if you move to the other. Not only are you going to be out of position, but you will waste tremendous energy containing your momentum and changing direction. Here are a few tips to avoid being a moving target.
Recover quickly back to the T. The sooner you get back to the T the better chance you have of getting set for the next shot and not still being in motion when your opponent strikes the ball. First, don’t “over run” the ball with an extra step after you hit the ball. Second, recover from your shot with a turn of your front shoulder back towards the T, utilizing the momentum of the turn your body to carry you back. You will recover more quickly, use less energy, and be more ready for the next shot.
Don’t guess. Don’t try to anticipate (guess) what your opponent is going to hit. Instead, carefully watch the ball strike your opponent’s racquet. As it comes off the racquet you will see where it is going and your opponent no longer has the ability to change the direction of the shot. I am reminded of the importance of this when I play great players who can change their shot up to the last millisecond, and are so dangerous with the ability to put the ball away in two , three, or even all four corners of the court. It is tremendously hard to keep yourself from diving one way or another as you want to get the earliest start for the ball, but invariably you end up going the wrong way as they see you move and change their shot. The habit of not guessing is hard to break and becomes more and more important as you play better players.
Double Step. The moment the ball hits your opponents racquet, take a double step (split step). By the time you come down you will see where the ball is going and you will be starting out from a balanced position instead of fighting off your own weight or momentum.
Try it out!
