July 2003 --
Question:
From the ready position (or landing the split step) how does one best move quickly to the forehand (or backhand) for a wide and difficult ball? Which foot do you move first and where?

Terminology:
(presumes moving to the forehand)
In moving to the ball, lateral motion occurs when the hips face the net (instead of the ball). Forward motion occurs when the hips turn and face the direction of movement. The crossover step leads with the left foot, and the pivot creates forward motion. The jab step, or side shuffle, leads with the right foot out toward the ball, creating lateral motion. The gravity turn, or drop step, drops the right foot away from the ball as the hips turn, creating forward motion. The difference involves the relation of the initial step to the center of gravity. The crossover strikes the ground beneath or beyond the center of gravity (balance); the jab step strikes the ground beyond the center of gravity (balance); and the gravity turn, or drop step, strikes the ground behind the center of gravity (dynamic balance).

Paradigm:
At the 2002 USPTA World Conference in Las Vegas, I posed the question, “What is the quickest and/or least effortful way to move for a wide and difficult ball?” About 90 percent of the audience chose the jab step, while less than 10 percent chose the crossover step, and only a handful from an audience of 200 chose the drop step. Footwork drills in Tennis magazine paint a similar picture. In January 2002, we learned of horizontal repeaters: “Holding a racquet, stand on the far left corner of the court, facing the net, side step to the middle and back to the left corner, then sprint to the right corner, repeat the drill from the right side.” In February 2002, the side shuffle with forward sprint drill involved moving with either a shuffle or crossover step to get to the ball, and alternating methods on subsequent repetitions. And finally, back in the January issue we read that, Tennis is a lower body sport … it takes a lot of power to run to the ball.”

The case for the gravity turn:
John Bunn wrote in Scientific Principles of Coaching: “To start quickly in one direction (to the ball), keep the center of gravity as high as possible and as near as possible to the edge of the base nearest the direction of intended motion. This position of least stable equilibrium … takes advantage of the force of gravity in speeding the starting movement.”

In order to create this dynamic imbalance from the ready position, one moves the center of gravity past the base of support. The jab step and the crossover step do not do this, and inadvertently emphasize the need for subsequent muscular power and explosiveness. On the other hand, the drop step instantly moves the center of gravity beyond the base of support. Study Fred Perry in the Kings of the Court video, and examine the volleying footwork of Edberg and McEnroe. They all rely on an initial drop step when moving quickly to the ball. And in each instance, the moves appear nimble rather than powerful.

The first step is key, for it takes more effort to initiate movement than it does to sustain movement (inertia). Overcoming resting inertia with gravity rather than muscular force conserves effort. Adding muscular force to accelerate a moving body produces greater results. Less effort plus quicker starts equals agility. Gravity motion appears (and occurs) more often with players renowned for effortless movement skills (visualize the quick-footed Fabrice Santoro, Arancha Sanchez Vicario or Lleyton Hewitt), but is seldom employed by less agile players.

The essence of the gravity turn:
A wide ready position stance (the wider the better). Read the ball, and then the following three actions occur:

1. Turn the hips (90 degrees) toward the ball and simultaneously …

2. Unweight the leg nearest the ball and bend that knee; the leg furthest from the ball remains grounded and causes the dynamic imbalance to the ball.

3. Place the drop step behind (not beyond) the now moving center of gravity, which accelerates the reaction steps.

Terminology includes: gravity turn, drop step, sprinter’s start, negative step or floating pivot.

I believe our coaches perpetuate the jab step/strength paradigm. Sampras (not as quick at the net as Edberg or McEnroe) trained with the jab step, yet resorted to the gravity turn on his desperation stab forehand volley in the fifth set tiebreaker against Correjta. Interviewed in Tennis magazine, Jim Courier wished his on-court movement had been better, in spite of his power training. Pat Cash relied on gravity turns in the 1987 Wimbledon final, yet his coach was certain he had trained with the opposite jab step. Lindsay Davenport has done plyometric power training, but on occasions when she gives up on the baseline (unfortunate, but true) she is simply unable to overcome an initial jab step.

World Class Tennis Technique encourages anticipation (to overcome the mechanical inefficiency of the jab step). Yet a skilled player capable of holding his shot can easily direct the ball to the opponent’s off side when that opponent has either committed too early or anticipated wrong. A prime example is in the 1984 Wimbledon final between Graf and Navratilova. With Graf at the baseline and Navratilova at the net, Steffi plays the backhand down the line, then announcer Joanne Russell exclaims, “Look at how long Steffi waited (to start reading Martina’s volley, not anticipating) and look at how quickly she started!” (You guessed it, she used a gravity turn; check your video archives.)

Today there are excellent resources for players and coaches to study every aspect of the game of tennis. Yet reading between the lines, stroking mechanics are examined in great biomechanical detail. Footwork mechanics, however, are painted with a broad brush, where power and muscular training provide scant insight into the biomechanics of efficient movement. But no less than the underspin backhand approach, or the dipping forehand crosscourt pass, the gravity turn can be taught, can be repetitively practiced and can be mastered.

E-mail the author for detailed research and reference materials at mclennan@tennisone.com.

Teaching and learning the gravity turn

Experiment with the feel of dynamic imbalance. Stand alongside a wall, shoulders aligned at a right angle to the wall, positioned so you can barely reach the wall with the right hand (right-hander moving to the forehand). Spread your feet, since this wide base of support (BS) balances the center of gravity (CG). Lift the right foot off the ground. At this moment, you either rebalance, shifting your CG over the left foot (BS), or fall toward the wall (remember to catch yourself with the outstretched arm). Gravity induces the movement without muscular force. Similarly, gravity can initiate the force that overcomes resting inertia, and start you moving toward the ball. When learning or teaching this move on court, the trick is not to reposition as you drop the leading foot, but rather learning to feel the subtle “fall.”

Training on court: The mover stands on the baseline, in the ready position, with the baseline center mark exactly between his feet. The teacher faces the mover, standing 15 feet away. The teacher looks for a quarter (90-degree) hip turn toward the direction of movement, and a simultaneous drop step placed on the baseline near the baseline center mark. The hip turn and drop step position this foot parallel to the baseline. As the mover practices the start, the teacher looks for quickness and ease of movement. In a variation, the teacher claps her hands and quickly points left or right. The mover practices gravity turns to the forehand or backhand depending on where the teacher points. The clap resembles the ball contact, and pointing to one side or the other immediately after the clap approximates the player reading the direction of the ball. Key words the teacher may use to assist the training include: wide stance, posture, stand tall, turn to start, turn the hips then move the feet, drop step with the turn.

“Go” is a more advanced drill. The player assumes a wide ready stance, and begins quick, rat-a-tat-tat footwork, moving in place, left-right-left-right. The teacher calls out a tempo and sequence that the player follows. As the player continues moving in place, with a wide stance, alternating left and right foot strikes, the coach prepares to signal movement with a clap and an immediate pointing either right or left. Now the fun begins. Carefully watching, just prior to a left-footed landing, the coach claps and points for movement to the player’s right. When done correctly, the player will be able to land on the left foot and perform a gravity turn to the right.

And whether training senior club members or junior tournament players, the gravity turn will enhance agility, enabling quickness and ease of movement. Indeed, the USA Tennis High Performance Coaching Program expects all the aspiring junior players to learn an effective underspin backhand by age 14. Imagine a world when they would also be expected to master the gravity turn.

Jim McLennan, USPTA, is the head professional at the Fremont Hills Country Club in Los Altos Hills, Calif. He holds a master’s degree in sports psychology, is the senior editor of TennisOne.com, a past president of the USPTA Northern California Division and a member of the Dunlop advisory staff.