Staying on the balls of the feet
Footwork
Ilia Minkin Asked 9 years ago
Hi Alois,
Today during a standard backhand to backhand warmup I noticed that if I stay on the balls of my feet all the time with heels barely touching the floor, it is much easier to make small adjustments of my position. I started to make small movements automatically instead of reaching with my hand! So should I try to keep myself in such position all the time, in rallies and exercices, or I can fall back to my heels during the stroke, and shift my weight to the balls afterwards? And what is the best out of the table exercise to improve one's ability to stay on the balls?
Alois Rosario Answered 9 years ago
Hi Ilia,
Staying mobile is good and staying with the weight on the from or balls of your feet will help this.
Skipping can be a good exercise to help with this feeling.
Recommended Video
Staying Alive
We could have called this master class never give up. It's amazing when you are on the back foot in a rally how many times you can actually win the point just by making your opponent play one extra ball. Watch the video to find out how effective this is and how you can practice this skill.
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D K Posted 9 years ago
Illia,You can stay on the balls of your feet DURING A STROKE?
I am always blown back a little,or I have to use only my arm,not the body,because I need to press my heels into the ground to fully utilise my body power
Without this,I have nothing to lean on.
Is it normal?
And,if I can ask,are your feet so much sore and red after the trainings?
I experience it nearly immediately after every footwork training or skipping and it does not seem to be usual
Ilia Minkin Posted 9 years ago
D K,
>Ilia,You can stay on the balls of your feet DURING A STROKE?
If it is a short stroke, like a counterhit or a topspin against block, then I certainly can, it is not that hard. But if the swing is larger, like when looping backspin, it is a bit harder to keep balance.
>I am always blown back a little,or I have to use only my arm,not the body,because I need to press my heels into the ground to fully utilise my body power. Without this,I have nothing to lean on. Is it normal?
I don't know, I think that it is better to keep your weight forward all the time -- it gives you faster recovery. But let's ask Alois :) Though during the show he certainly said that one should stay on balls as long as possible.
>And,if I can ask,are your feet so much sore and red after the trainings?
My calves are a bit sore sometimes, though now I'm getting better. What I do is I try to keep my weight on the balls all the time -- during service practice, when doing simple crosscourt (or parallel) drills and so on. Believe me or not, it makes HUGE difference, I just became much less lazier with this this slight shift.
Interesting idea.