Tennis footwork drills for better spacing and recovery

Useful footwork gets you to the ball with enough space to hit, then puts you in a position to play the next shot. A fast run or a neat ladder pattern does not tell you whether you can do that in a rally. Start with a task that connects your movement to an incoming ball, a target and a recovery position.

This Stakhovsky Tennis guide gives you five practice tasks and a way to record what happens. For help choosing a priority for your own game, Leonard Stakhovsky offers a 90-minute assessment in Prague.

Choose the task from the problem

The table can be scrolled horizontally on a narrow screen.

Choose one row first. If every task changes at once, it becomes difficult to tell what helped.

1. Split step and first response

Set up: Use a partner or coach across the net. Begin with controlled feeds to either side within a manageable range. The feeder should use a visible hitting action so you can connect your preparation with their contact.

Task: Prepare as the feeder plays, respond to the ball and return it toward a large central target. Reset before the next feed. Concentrate on seeing and responding, rather than guessing a direction to make the drill look faster.

Record: Count controlled returns out of a recorded number of feeds. Add a short note when you move early in the wrong direction or react too late to create space. A small filmed sample can help distinguish those problems.

Adjust: Use an announced direction if the task is too difficult. Progress to an unannounced direction, then a controlled live rally. Keep feed difficulty similar when comparing attempts.

2. Adjust the spacing around the ball

Set up: Ask the feeder to vary depth slightly while keeping the pace manageable. Use a generous cross-court target.

Task: Move to the incoming ball and make the final adjustments needed for a comfortable contact. Play to the target and recover. The aim is to create usable space, not to force the same number of steps on every ball.

Record: Separate three outcomes: crowded contact, stretched contact and contact with usable space. Note whether the ball reached the intended area. Landing a ball in the target once does not prove the spacing was repeatable.

Adjust: Start with one stroke and a predictable feed. Add depth variation before adding more pace or a second direction.

3. Play the wide ball and recover

Set up: Begin near your normal rally position. The feeder sends a controlled wide ball, followed by a second ball to a reachable area. Agree the first feed and the likely second-ball options before starting.

Task: Play the wide ball with control, recover according to the shot you have played and prepare for the next ball. Your recovery target depends on the situation; it is not automatically the centre mark after every shot.

Record: Count complete two-ball sequences. Note whether the breakdown happened before the wide contact, during recovery or on the second response. This is more useful than recording only whether the first ball went in.

Adjust: Make the second feed predictable first. Add a choice of two second-ball directions when the sequence is manageable.

4. Move forward to a short ball

Set up: The feeder alternates a neutral rally ball with a shorter ball. Choose a clear, generous approach target and agree how the next ball will be played.

Task: Recognize the shorter ball, move forward under control, play the approach and prepare for the opponent’s response. Keep the approach and the next action connected.

Record: Count sequences in which you reach the short ball, play toward the intended area and remain ready for the next shot. Note rushing, loss of balance or an unclear target separately.

Adjust: Begin with a known short feed and a predictable response. Later, let the feeder decide whether to send a short ball so you must recognize it.

5. Test one movement priority in points

Play a short set of points with one agreed observation. For example, review whether you recovered after a wide forehand and were ready for the next ball. Keep the normal point score and a separate record of that observation. Winning the point and completing the movement task are related but different outcomes.

Repeat the same task before deciding it worked. Record the opponent or feeder, target, number of attempts and feed conditions. If the next test is harder, a lower score may reflect the task rather than a decline in your movement.

Keep a useful practice record

Use the practice log to write the problem, task, target, attempts and successful attempts. Add one observation and one change for the next session. A record such as “controlled two-ball sequence on 7 of 12 attempts” is more useful than “footwork felt better.” It still describes that practice sample, not a match-performance guarantee.

For a broader plan, see tennis drills for intermediate players. To understand how movement problems appear in your matches, use the match-analysis template.

Get help choosing the first priority

At Stakhovsky Tennis, Leonard Stakhovsky can assess your movement alongside your strokes and decisions in points. The first on-court assessment in Prague lasts 90 minutes and costs 3,800 CZK (≈ €155) plus court hire. You receive written priorities. If you continue into a program, the full assessment fee is credited toward the first program period.

Request your first assessment. If you are outside Prague, ask about a remote match review.