Basic kitchen line footwork to move more efficiently
Tip 1
Good footwork habits can make or break your game, so you should make sure your movement is as efficient as possible!
Here’s some footwork concepts you should focus on when you’re at the kitchen:
- Shuffling side to side is the most effective way to keep the ball in front of you and keep your swing compact.
- Don’t cross your feet when moving side to side, unless it’s a brief crossover on your backhand to reach a ball. Crossing your feet does not help you gain more reach on your forehand side, and will only slow you down.
- Stay on your toes as much as possible so that you’re not caught flat-footed. Getting complacent with your footwork at the kitchen is an easy way to lose points fast!
Remember: Being skilled with the paddle in your hand is extremely important, but if you don’t have the footwork to match, it becomes much more challenging to succeed when the points get longer and faster.
Tip 2
One of the most common mistakes at the kitchen line is relying too much on your arms, especially when the ball drops below net height. A huge adjustment that will help elevate your game at the kitchen line is keeping a wide, low, athletic stance by bending your knees and lowering your center of gravity. By doing this, you can effectively get underneath shots that bounce low. This will also increase your balance, helping in situations where you are hitting a dink-volley over the kitchen line, so that you won’t fall forward and lose the point on a kitchen violation.
