There is a youtube video of in the Lin Dan thread of Lin Dan versus Chen Long. At about 13.12 and 13.52, there are a couple of slow motion shots of LD's footwork. Tremendous physical condition with a clear footwork. Sorry about not posting the link but I am on a smartphone and it is not easy to cut and paste the link.
Had a go at filming the forehand Footworks and variations, also have a 4 corner shadows video linked below. For some reason I look really stiff, and I think I was doing the movements a bit faster - I was shattered after the shadows set! Also not sure if the flying step is really big enough? I feel like I'm really throwing myself backward if I make it bigger, but it feels like I'm getting some extra distance and a decent pivot. The backhand corner has the additional 2 steps, because I'm trying to ingrain the 3 crossover steps there, as taught by my coach. Otherwise I think the flying step would have to be much bigger to make up for the 'left-left-right' movement Matt mentioned. Finally, my forward recovery position is further forward, simulating a net shot (even though I'm swinging my racquet like a lift :s) - I'd take two recovery steps back to roughly where I recover after a rearcourt shot if I played a lift. Hopefully the forehand video shows enough of the variations where I've mostly done the three clear steps, rather than the chasse. For the jump out interceptions I've done what is a 2 step movement in my head. You can see my 'preferred' movement as part of the 4 corner shadows. LD always makes footwork seem so effortless, even on that backhand round the head leap. When I try something like that, it feels like I'm uncontrollably diving back, almost like the movies where I'm being blown back by an explosion That movement looks very similar to his forehand jump out interceptions though - a chasse jump to set direction, and a leap to intercept...landing in the rear tramlines... Back to the overhead clear technique, I've uploaded a second video and edited my original post to include. Hopefully it shows me getting further behind, and moving forwards through the stroke. Does the movement look improved?
On your forehand side you're not preparing your racket early enough you can start preparing your shot after you turn. You're right about being a bit stiff too, you're controlling your movements a lot, and to do that you're staying very stiff.
Same for the second warm up clears video? In those footwork videos i'm more concerned about the footwork pattern. When I focus on footwork, my racquet carriage suffers. It's a battle to keep both habits in check so I tend to focus on one at a time and hopefully they'll become more natural. My non racquet arm is finally (after a few months) not totally hindering my movement now for example. I used to be practically kissing my left hand on rearcourt shots before! Still tends to get in the way when I'm under pressure :/
Good quality video and you did something about the height of the camera Overall not bad but some basics can do with improving. 1) approaching the net in forecourt. When your right foot lands on lunge, you are not turning foot to point outwards. So prone to ankle injury and instability on the lunge. 2) side step to rear court forehand side. Not enough clarity in your footwork pattern. Sometimes you are crossing the left foot behind and sometimes not. For any shot you are taking early on that position, use side steps and quicken the side step. The cross over left leg behind right leg is for shots that have gone past your body and you are starting to be on a defensive style. 3) on that backhand rear court side, keep to using side steps going backwards and keep it as a good habit. Don't walk backwards as it is a bad habit for this type of shot. Yes, you will see it used but try to avoid it - keep to good habits. The backwards walking footwork is used for shots which come to you from as a very high lift. For example, you do a spinning netshot, the opponent lifts very high.
Running steps are best used when the lift is played directly over you, I.e back hand net shot gets lifted straight back to the rear backhand corner. Same can apply going forwards like a crosscourt drop from your backhand, and they reply with a forehand net shot.
1) Very good point. I didn't realise it was as bad as the video shows. Should probably say sorry to my right ankle/knee...Part of this is my reluctance to land on my heel, especially for shorter lunges (no reason, just habit). Terrible, terrible habit. Any ideas on how to correct it other than to keep it in mind? In my head it actually feels straight by the way; if I make it actually straight, it actually feels like it's pointing outwards which obviously feels wrong 2) I'm generally going with a crossover step here which is defensive as you say - this is because I currently have a habit of not moving far enough at all if I try a shorter footwork. By side step, do you mean chasse steps which don't cross over? I don't crossover on intercepting jumps - strokes played before I land, rather than as I land, or after I land. 3) This actually feels like side steps to me. Do you mean chasse steps where I don't crossover? Either way, my backhand footwork here looks quite poor in my own opinion. Doesn't look like I'm stepping far enough at all - I would have thought a flying step pivot and 2 steps should be quite easily enough to reach the back tramline. Possibly the problem with practising the footwork patterns without the full space at home :/ Thanks about the video comments - I tried a bit more with the positioning this time. Looks pretty good for footwork, and might be good enough to film a game too
Do you mean an opponent plays a lift from their own backhand forecourt like running backwards in a diagonal line? Or do you mean a lift from their forehand forecourt to your own backhand? Nevertheless whatever forecourt lift, then we still differ. I learnt my footwork pattern off a guy who came from China and played no.1 singles for HK. I specifically asked him to emphasize footwork for singles. We never practiced the stepover running backwards except in one situation. That situation is if you played a netshot that forces the opponent to lift high and a bit short. You have time to relax your body, walk backwards, position yourself and then do a jump smash.
Example, you play a tight spinning net shot, you mark it for the kill, they don't have much time, they lift it straight over you. It's more efficient to use running steps than to turn, or return to the centre from this position. See a few players use this. Similar things apply around the centre line, if the lift is close to there, players tend to use running steps to reach these shots, as turning sideways actually turns their racket away from the shot or otherwise puts the shot in a difficult place to hit side-on.
@DarkHiatus Forehand rearcourt. Incorrect use of crossover step @ 0.03, 0.16, nearly did it 0.21, 0.25, almost again at 0.31, 0.44 The reason why it is an error is the shot you play. You play an overhead forehand shot. For these overheads, we move sidesteps out, leap up, and hit the overhead. This is a very quick movement - if you crossover the legs, you will fall over - which is why you didn't do in the match you posted before because there was a shuttle to hit
Your crucial point here which I already mentioned is if you have played a tight net shot and the opponent is forced to lift high. So, you choice of footwork is decided by what type of netshot you have played. If you have played a forecourt shot which an opponent is going to lift flatter and you are pressured for time, you won't be able to use a running/walking backwards footwork pattern. In DarkHiatus' all four corner footwork drill, he hasn't incorporated a scenario of tight netshot plus very high lift.
@DarkHiatus Rearcourt round the head 0.35 correct 0.41 incorrect and inefficient. One points of the flying step is that it enables you to rotate your right hip backwards so you will be quickly in a scissor kick. If you do sidesteps backwards, your right hip (and shoulders) are kept in a good position for a scissor kick. BTW, The flying step is ok in this video.
Thanks for the breakdown and clarification guys. I think I know what you are getting at now! I am getting the strong impression that both of you feel from a strong base position, there's no reason you would ever need to do crossover steps to retrieve a lift to the back (either backhand or forehand). Only after a very forward base would you use the crossover steps, which tend to be 3 quite large bounding steps. The scenario Charlie mentioned I've seen too - Wei Nan uses the running steps from his backhand net to his backhand rearcourt movement where his feet are less side on and looks a lot more like backwards running. LCW, Chen Long, Lin Dan, Axelsen don't tend to use this pattern at all and prefer the flying step pivot + big scissor jump. Given that my footwork from a normal base only brings me to the baseline after the landing of the jump, would it be sensible to do crossover steps to reach a very high lift (e.g. singles high serve) to get behind the shuttle. If not, how would you move for a high deep serve? Otherwise I'll modify my patterns to just use sidesteps from the base position. Also, you said from an overhead forehand position I'd want to use sidesteps, are you implying that you would use crossover steps exclusively for a low shuttle, or would you still want to use sidesteps to do a step out movement? The examples you took quite clearly highlight the efficiency of the sidestepping movement over crossover step movement. Looks less rushed and I get far enough to the baseline. Never occurred to me about staying side on but it makes sense to me.
If you have enough time to kick through, you shouldn't need to cross over. If I'm going to jump etc. I won't use crossovers. Simply put the cross over is where you don't have enough time to take two steps so you take one long one instead.
So Kowi Chandra's example of the forehand kick through at 1:08 in the first video below shows your proposed movement, with a chasse step leading to a kick through. His feet are clearly short of the back line, so surely this footwork isn't ideal for a deep high serve, or a high lift with a jump smash taken far back. Therefore, either a crossover with bounding steps to get further back, or an additional chasse is required to get all the way back. Would you then just go for the additional chasse step? Example is Okuhara's opening return of service below.
Chasse chasse is a bit faster than cross chasse, because you move both feet at a similar time. With the cross you have to step, and then step again to realign your feet, if you get what I'm saying. That said it's perfectly possible to misjudge it and use a cross because you think you have less time, and then switch to a chasse after because you realise you do have time.
I understand why you would want: 'split-chasse-chasse-stroke' vs. 'split-cross-chasse-stroke' (or 'split-cross-cross-stroke'). However, given that you earlier said a perfectly acceptable method of moving from the very front of the court to the execute a jump smash from the back is 'split-cross-stroke', would you not consider taking large cross steps to get to the back in the case of a deep, high serve instead of split-chasse-chasse? Example of split-cross-stroke (with a flying step) would be in the video below at 2:12. So given a very high, deep serve from a central base, why does it make sense to insist on split-chasse-chasse-stroke when a split-cross-stroke should get you there with time to spare?
Again I think that crosses are slower, but one cross is faster than two chasses. Please remember when you look at footwork to consider their height. LCW is only 5'7 or so LD is around 5'11 CL is 6'2 VA is 6'4 Where LCW might need a cross you might only need a chasse. I use a mix of LD and JoJ because it suits my height.
Receiving high deep serve - yes, a backwards crossover step is OK. You have plenty of time. It is not absolutely necessary to side step/chasse backwards. For a low shuttle to the forehand rear court, you have two options: A) sidesteps - these enable you to jump and outwards (without turning the body) and take the shuttle early. B) crossover step - left foot initially going behind the right foot. Commit yourself to being more passive. Mainly used for shots that have going past you towards the back of the court.
Finally found a decent clip of why you're completely right about the crossovers when you want to do a jump. The rally at 24:10 is really good for seeing the high lift crossovers (one returned with a jump smash, one cleared), and also the chasse+chasse and the chasse+jump in the forehand rear corner. Doesn't have a forehand crossover step-out, but these are so easy to find in so many other MS rallies.
