Balanced Footwork Makes the Difference
Good footwork is essential in pickleball, but sometimes less is more. Excessive pedaling, dancing, turning, or shuffling with your feet can throw off your balance and accuracy. While moving to the ball is crucial, staying grounded and balanced once you’ve reached your position is just as important.
Take the return of serve, for example. The goal is to hit a solid return and move toward the kitchen. It’s easy to let your feet keep moving as you hit, but a brief pause or split step before the shot can significantly improve your balance and control. This small adjustment boosts your consistency, letting you focus on the shot with less going on.
The same principle applies in a hands battle at the kitchen line. Excessive foot movement—whether stepping back, turning, or "dancing"—increases the likelihood of errors, popped-up balls, or losing the exchange. Staying grounded and balanced gives you the edge to win those fast-paced rallies.
While we use our legs to generate power, it’s important to avoid "chattering" feet that compromise stability.
Drill to Practice Balanced Footwork
Here’s a simple drill to improve:
Have a partner feed balls to various areas of the court.
Start with slow, lofty feeds so you can focus on:
Moving to the ball.
Executing a controlled split step.
Hitting your shot while balanced.
Returning to a split step to prepare for the next feed.
Gradually increase the difficulty of the feeds to challenge your movement and balance under pressure.
This focused practice will train you to move efficiently, stay balanced, and prepare for every shot with precision.
