Court Positioning
- Good court positioning can make or break the game
Positioning yourself
After the serve relocate to the center of court behind the dotted line. From there you can cover more ground.
Always keep your eye on the ball
Keep your foot staggered back as to easier to make movements and watch the ball without shifting too much weight
Don’t let your feet face the side wall or find yourself too close, that will hinder your positioning and cause you to have to move two steps just to get back to a central location
A helpful tool to make sure you don’t wrongly position yourself on accident, is to imagine a “X” on the floor and use that imaginary line to position yourself.
It is important to keep your weight back, this allows a better serve and push into center court
Moving to the ball
Always remain balanced and positioned. Keep your knees comfortably spaced between your hips.
Never sprint to any position, just “flow” there.
Ready Position
The ready position is with your knees slightly bent, your butt is low, and your ready to receive any shot
Keep your racket above waste, due to a shot know as the reflex shot.
Read your opponent’s Shot
Watch your opponents shoulders. If the shoulders dip down, usually means low shot, if they tilt up, it will probably be a defensive shot.
Watch your opponents hips. If they open up or face forward, they are usually going crosscourt. If hips stay closed, they are going down the line.
Watch your opponents feet. If they step toward the side wall, they are probably going to hit it on the side wall.
In time, you will be able to start being able to “sense” your opponent.
Dictate Your Opponent’s Shots
Play the center location of the court well. Set up in the area so you can cover all of court, but in a way limit your opponents variety of a shot by not being in the way but putting yourself somewhere they cannot make a different approach on the ball that you don’t want them too, stunt them.
Know your opponent
If the opportunity arises, always watch the person you will be playing play, it gives you a familiar advantage.
Center- and Deep-Court positioning
Try relocating to the center after a shot.
Stay behind your opponent and try to prevent them from being able to make center shots
If your opponent is going for a defensive shot, stand a body and a half width apart behind, there to put pressure on them to hit that perfect shot.