The Framework Split / Ready

Movement and the swing are inseparable parts of all shots. In my first article (Click Here.) I proposed that most educational resources make an unhelpful separation between technique–the swing of the racquet–and movement to the ball. I further proposed that this separation has led to poor teaching and that only by marrying technique and movement can we develop an effective teaching model. Put another way, we must understand that a stroke is not a shot. Only by considering the way a whole shot unfolds can we most effectively help our students. Toward this end I have created The Framework, a model to help with analysis of tennis shots. The model breaks down all shots (other than the serve) into seven stages. Each stage has a stroke component and a movement component. The first stage is the Split Step / Ready Position or what I call the Split / Ready. Overlooked The idea of the Split / Ready has often been an after thought in tennis, almost a cliché. It has been the poorest stepchild in a teaching world that fetishizes glossy finishes. The Split / Ready is misunderstood and under emphasized. It is perhaps the most misunderstood, underemphasized and under…