Step One: Bouncing
Keep your feet moving. Stay light on your feet (Butterflies). It’s like leaving your car in “idle”. You can generate speed more quickly while using less energy.
Step Two: Split Step
Probably the single most understated and underrated lesson in the art of moving is the split step. The split step can both get you two steps closer to every wide shot as well as out of the way of those balls that tend to jam you up.
Step Three: Sprint Step
Your goal for each shot is to “beat” the ball to the bounce. Race to the ball. When sprinting a long distance, the key is to have a wide balance base. The first step is to “drop” the foot nearest to the ball in before the outside foot crosses over.
Step Four: Stutter Step
Use the stutter step as you near the ball in order to set up your final position before the stroke. Run with big steps to get close to the ball, then use smaller steps as you near the bounce.Your steps ought to produce a squeaking noise on hard courts.
Step Five: Impact Step
This is the final step before you hit the ball. Make sure the heel of the foot strikes the ground first, not the toe.
Step Six: Crossover Step
After executing your shot, your trail leg swings around and crosses over as it strikes the ground.
Rhythm & Flow Tennis 