Step, Step, Rip !

Is the Step Step Rip your key to hit more winners? Picture this: you work the point and your opponent gives you the perfect short forehand. You move forward to put the ball away, but instead you put it into the net, the back fence, or three feet wide. And that happens more than you'd like to admit. Is it a flaw in you swing--do you need a "new" short forehand? Or maybe it's a mental error? I have a different answer. I believe that in many, if not most cases, the real problem is your feet! If we look closely at pro players like Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, or Maria Sharapova we can see a clear footwork pattern on the short ball. This is what I call the "Step, Step, Rip." Although it is common in professional tennis, the Step, Step Rip has never been identified or incorporated into teaching--until now. It's a simple two step pattern, back foot, front foot, hit. This footwork pattern--not some change in your basic swing or your mental game--is what you need if you want to hit winners consistently on short balls. If you could routinely hit short balls for winners, would that...