The Secret to Grass Court Movement: Why Smaller, Quicker Steps Win
If your first instinct on a tennis court is to take a big, athletic lunge or try to slide into your shot, you’re in for a rough time on grass. We’ve all seen it: a player plants their foot for a hard stop, and their legs go right out from under them.
The problem is that grass is not a high-friction surface. It’s slippery, often damp, and completely unforgiving of the footwork habits we build on hard courts and clay.
On clay, you can slide. On a hard court, you can pivot. On grass, you must dance.
The key to unlocking grass court movement is to abandon the lunge and use smaller, quicker steps – be precise and ready to adjust at any time. This is the secret to feeling balanced and in control on the game’s fastest surface.
The Problem with “Big” Steps
Trying to take large steps on grass creates two major problems:
- You Lose Your Balance: A long stride or a hard plant of the foot is a gamble. You are committing all your weight to one spot on a surface that can’t guarantee a grip. This is when the “banana peel” slips happen, leaving you on the ground while the ball sails by.
- You can’t adjust to the Low Bounce: The ball skids fast and low. If you take one big step to where you think the ball will be, you have no way to make a last-second correction when it takes a bad hop or skids lower than you expected. You’re locked in, off-balance, and unable to get your racket under the ball.
Why “Busy Feet” are Better Feet
The solution is to keep your feet “busy” with more small, shuffling, or “choppy” steps. It might feel strange, but this approach gives you three huge advantages.
1. Constant Balance and Stability
Think of it this way: more steps = more points of contact with the ground. Each small step is a micro-adjustment that keeps your centre of gravity under you. You are never over-committed. This allows you to stay stable and “on top” of the surface, rather than fighting against it.
2. Precise Racket Preparation
The low, fast bounce on grass demands pinpoint positioning. Small, quick steps allow you to make those tiny, last-millisecond adjustments to the ball. This is the only way you can consistently get your body low (our Tip #1) and in the perfect position to hit a clean shot.
3. Faster Recovery
After you hit the ball, you need to recover—either back to the ‘T’ or forward to the net. A big lunge leaves you out of position and takes a long time to recover from. A series of small steps allows you to hit your shot and then immediately transition those same quick steps into your recovery. Your movement becomes more fluid and efficient.
How to Practice Quick-Step Footwork
You need to retrain your muscle memory. This is about building agility and breaking the habit of “planting” your feet.
- Mental Cue: Imagine you are walking on hot coals. You don’t want to leave your feet on the ground for very long. This mindset will naturally make your steps lighter and quicker.
- Split-Step Focus: Your split-step is the start of your movement. Land your split-step and then immediately “buzz” your feet into position. Avoid the “land and lunge” habit.
- Shadow Swings: Practice shadow-swinging your groundstrokes, but with one rule: you must take at least five small steps to prepare for every imaginary shot. This will feel exaggerated, but it will help build the new habit.
Put It Into Practice: The “Quick-Feed” Agility Drill
This drill trains you to move, hit, and recover with the correct footwork.
- Objective: To force rapid adjustment steps and immediate recovery.
- Setup: Stand at the centre of the baseline. Have a partner or coach stand at the net with a basket of balls.
- The Drill:
- Your partner feeds you a ball, deliberately short and low, forcing you to move forward.
- Your goal is to move in with quick, choppy steps, hit the ball, and then immediately backpedal with quick steps to the baseline.
- As soon as you get back, your partner feeds you another ball (e.g., slightly to your forehand).
- Move, hit, and recover again.
- Why It Works: There is no time for “lazy” feet. The rapid-fire nature of this drill forces you to use efficient, small steps to get in and out of your shots. It directly punishes large, lunging movements, which will make you too late for the next ball.
Mastering this footwork is the key to feeling comfortable on grass. It’s not about being the fastest runner; it’s about being the most efficient and balanced mover. Check out this video for more information. Also, got to our Play Tennis Tips for more help.
