Footwork Drills
Racquetball
Speed and Footwork Drills
Stay away from the ball - Keep
your feet moving to stay away from the ball so the ball can be struck at full
extension (see Forehand / Backhand articles).
Stay dorsiflexed - Pull
toes up as if lifting a bucket of sand. This puts the balls of the feet on the
ground and lends itself to faster explosion to the ball.
Make the last step a crossover - When
moving up or back strive to step-over with the foot closest to the front wall
to create a better base.
Stay low - Stay low between shots so you
can get to the ball faster.
Stay back - Part of footwork is to create
the better angle. To do this, play deep in the middle, behind the dotted line
to create better angles.
Five Footwork
Drills on the Five Principles
Tap and freeze - Set up
to hit a ball off the front wall and then freeze before you hit the ball. You
may find yourself too close to the ball.
Ball drops - Have a partner drop a ball in
front of you and try to catch it before it bounces twice. Put both feet against
the back wall to avoid false stepping with the dominant foot.
Move and hit - Same as the ball drop except
with a racquet. Move forward and make the last step a crossover to strike the
ball.
Random ball drops with a partner - Same
as ball drop except your partner drops racquetballs randomly all over the
court. You must stay low to get to the ball.
Tape the center court spot - Take a
couple of strips of electrical tape and make an "X" where center court
should be. Strive not to get in front of that spot.