Non-racquet foot forward

i guess sometimes when you're out of position or when the shuttle is hit to an unexpected position then your foot positioning might also be wrong. most of the time this doesn't happen but when you're desperately trying to reach the shuttle, your footwork might get messed up.

 

Possible.

However, I think it also serves the purpose to keep balance when out of position.

 

I think they just came out of the regular stance and did a push shot. normally as a right hander, when receiving the serve, you stand with your left foot (non racket) in front and when you lunge forward to hit a push, you step with your left and maybe slightly drag your back leg (right, racket). Well at least that's how I do it .

 

from what i have seen yeah that appears that they were awaiting a serve and played a shot by rushing the net lunging on their left foot to get their faster a few players i have seen do that but not many. personally i dont do that i dont really find it effective for me, ill toe the line with left foot and then push off right foot and come forward on my right foot, hit the shot and recover back to a position that i can be usefull in doubles while in singles i dont seeing a need to do that shot using your left foot. Other than that if its used in a normal rally that ones a good question could be so much pressure that footwork gets messed up and all like Dreamzz said.

 

Yup exactly. Usually this is for rushing the short serve in doubles. It feels faster than coming forward with your racket foot since you don't have to turn your body.

 

i dunno, i guess it depends. i always stand with my non racquet foot in front when receiving a serve, so if i were to rush a short serve, i'd always end up with my racquet foot in front after the move. i guess different people do things differently.

 

for average levels of play, we receive serve about 1.2 foots' length from the service line in doubles (just my estimate), that's why we usually step our racket foot forward to receive short serves. But for pros, they stand right at the service line. this gives them the ability to take short serves really fast, by springing their non racket foot forward...

For other cases they might be caught on the wrong foot? for example, their right foot had just taken a step backwards, only to realise the shuttle is coming at the net.

 

it is like the backhand, u train to always take with forehand unless u are out of position (usually due to being too slow) or unable to for some reason. in this case, u train to always contact with the racket foot in front unless u are unable to.

 

When stand very close to the service line to receive and when people serve tight to the to the net and very near the short service line, it is better to step with the non-racket leg. This way the the shuttle won't be too close to the body when stepping with the racket leg, which is usually a larger step forward. I remember Nat Robertson mostly step with his non-racket leg b/c he is tall and stand almost on the service line. If he step with his racket leg, he will be taking a bigger lunge, which isn't necessary for his height.

 

A principle in quick movement is to step first with the foot in the direction you wish to move. On the right side that would be the right foot, on the left side the left foot.

In terms of extensibility, lunging with the racquet foot is best for maximizing your reach. This is because you don't waste distance reaching across your body to get to the bird.

When the shuttle is on your non-racquet side, you have to make decision regarding quickness and extensibility. If you can reach the shot with your non-racquet side stepping, then you can get there a bit quicker, and recover more quickly too (your backside isn't facing the opponent).

 

receiving serve in doubles is probably the only time where you play with non-racquet foot leading. it is purely for quicker interception. it feels awkward, but allows for quicker movement. it means you can move instantly, whereas, you'd have to bring your racquet foot up past your other foot before lunging, which takes time. all top players in doubles receive serve this way.

 

Wow, very nice pictures.

I believe the situation do occur when players receive serve during doubles matches. Whether the player chooses to have the non-racket foot forward or not, mostly depends on the circumstances (good service... ), their habits and how best to position to take the return shot.

 

There are several circumstances where a non-racket foot lunge is more effective:

• Many midcourt and forecourt backhand strokes, when the shuttle is not too far to the side.
• Some returns of (doubles low) serve, providing that you stand right at the front.

For example, backhand drives should often be played off a non-racket foot lunge. Stepping across with your racket foot gives you more reach, but the non-racket foot lunge is quicker.

If you receive serve standing right at the front (as the pros do), then you may find it helpful to step forwards with your non-racket foot. If you watch the pros, you can see that most of them will not always use the same foot to step forwards into the serve return.

It's a very subtle choice. In my view, the non-racket foot is better for serves that are a little faster, and would land slightly deeper in the service court (maybe 20 cm + behind the line); conversely, the racket foot is better for slower serves that would land very tight to the service line. Also, I think the non-racket foot is better if the serve is really tight to the net, whereas the racket foot is often good is the serve is less accurate.

With the racket foot, you are off-balance during your spring forwards, and you can get stuck with the shuttle too close to your body as you are trying to hit it. The non-racket foot step, however, maintains balance and the ability to hit at any time throughout the movement.

I would say that the racket foot "spring forwards" is more aggressive, with a longer reach, whereas the non-racket foot step is safer, with less chance to make a mistake.

It also depends on your height. Tall players will use the non-racket foot more often than short players. Very tall players might use it all the time.

Note that this only applies if you toe the service line. If you stand back from the service line, you will definitely be better using your racket foot.