Training Defensive Footwork in Large Groups

with David Bailey,
Founder of The Bailey Method (a research-based, data driver tennis footwork & movement training program);
footwork & movement consultant and trainer to over 21 Grand Slam players;
over 30 years of coaching experience;
USPTA World Conference presenter, writer for TennisPro Magazine and tennisplayer.net

David Bailey shares many of the progressions and training tips he uses to teach defensive footwork for tennis players. You'll learn multiple footwork patterns and shots specific to defensive play that will ensure you're never caught off-guard by an aggressive opponent during a match.

Defensive Footwork

The focus of this video is how to handle balls that put the player in a defensive position. Defensive footwork is needed when a player is pushed very wide or back off the baseline by a high, floating ball. Coach Bailey guides a group of players through four footwork patterns that can be utilized to handle these defensive situations:

• The Mogul Move - The most common method to handle wide balls.
• The Power Move - A fun footwork pattern to generate more power on wide balls
• Backfoot Hop - A way to handle balls that push the player back and still generate lots of topspin.
• Reverse Spin Move - For players who love to hit semi-open and generate a heavy ball - even from a defensive position.

Throughout the video, Bailey gives technical quick tips on how to adjust the forehand and backhand for each of the footwork patterns.

5 Stages of Footwork Training

With over 30 years of footwork and movement training coaching experience to draw upon, Coach Bailey has developed a fun and effective progressive method of learning footwork. The power of this method is that even beginners can perform the footwork patterns and improve their movement. For each of the four rallying footwork patterns, Bailey demonstrates each stage of his footwork progression:

1. Shadow - This first progression is done without a racket. The player executes the footwork pattern at a slow pace with emphasis on performing quality repetitions for both the backhand and forehand.
2. Shadow the Move - The second progression is done at the baseline with the racket but no tennis ball. The player shadows both the forehand and backhand. The instructor can observe every player in a large group very easily.
3. Lines - In the third progression, the instructor introduces the ball with hand feeds. The player executes the footwork pattern for both forehands and backhands in a slow, controlled manner.
4. Self-Feed - In the fourth progression, the player feeds a ball to themselves and executes the footwork pattern. By this stage, the player will start to become more comfortable with the footwork.
5. Full Court - In the fifth progression, players self-feed and play out points. The emphasis is still on executing the footwork pattern correctly in a live ball situation.

There will be times during a match where all players must go on the defensive in order to win points. This video from Coach Bailey will help you shore up your defensive footwork, or teach it to your athletes, so you can emerge victorious in more matches.

58 minutes. 2019.