Tennis Baseline Footwork: Big Toe To Start, Heel First To Stop

Most of us put almost all of our attention on the stroke itself — the backswing, the impact, the follow-through. That part matters, but the ball never lands in a convenient spot just because your swing is in order. You have to hit while moving left, right, slightly forward or back. That's why so many people tell me they hit well standing still, but it falls apart the moment they're on the move. So in this video I go through baseline footwork in detail. From the side, whether your weight sits on your heels with your knees locked, or slightly forward with the heels just off the ground. From the front, how wide your legs are — that's what I think the split step is really for. Then the moment you actually start moving: pushing off from the metatarsal head of the big toe, not just lifting the leg into the air. I'm not a fast mover myself, which is exactly why I had to get the basic stance right. And there's the other half that people miss. Plenty of players move fast but can't stop, and their shots come out unstable because their heels never touch down. When you're running in to hit, plant the heel first, then roll onto the ball of the foot so the whole sole is on the ground — that's what gives you a stable base to swing from. I also talk about the non-slip socks I've been using since I found them at an exhibition, and I'll leave a link at the bottom. If you have questions about anything else in tennis, leave a comment and I'll make it into a video. 0:00 The differences you need to see 0:29 Why footwork decides the shot 2:29 Basic stance from the side: heels or front of the foot 4:32 Basic stance from the front: how wide the legs go, and the split step 6:37 Pushing off with the metatarsal head of the big toe 8:52 A drill you can do in place: left, right, back to center 10:02 Fast on your feet, but can't stop 11:03 Heel first, then the whole foot, then the swing 13:44 The non-slip socks I use 17:26 Wrapping up A note on this video This is the English version of a Korean video. The audio is an AI dub of my own voice, and the subtitles match what you hear. Online lessons, in English: https://holistictennis-course.vercel.... #tennisfootwork #baselinefootwork #splitstep #bigtoepushoff #metatarsalhead #howtostopintennis #tennisstance #footworkdrills #tennistraining #sportsbiomechanics #tennistechnique #physicaltrainingfortennis