Adjustment Steps
Also known as: small adjustment steps, small steps before hitting, little steps before the ball, fine footwork, spacing footwork, too close to the ball in tennis
Adjustment steps are the small, quick steps you take just before contact to fine-tune your distance from the ball. After the big steps that get you there, shorten your stride and keep your feet moving until the ball is in your strike zone. They fix being too close, too far or late.
Big steps get you to the right area of the court. Small steps put you in the right spot. In the last moment before the ball arrives, the bounce, spin and wind change its path a little. Adjustment steps let you correct for that. The ball then meets the racquet at a comfortable distance and height.
Many club players plant their feet too early and then reach, lean back or get jammed. Keep the feet light and take two or three short steps as the ball approaches. Stop with a stable base as you start the forward swing. If the ball is jamming you, a short step away from it frees the swing. If you are reaching, a step toward it brings it into range. A good spacing check is whether you can swing with the arm comfortably extended, without leaning.
Many coaches teach the rhythm as big steps, then small steps. A simple drill is to rally while saying 'small, small' as you take little steps before each shot. Another uses a feeder who mixes spin and depth. Each ball then needs a fresh adjustment. Good adjustment steps matter most when time is short, such as when you take the ball on the rise.
Tips by skill level
In a slow rally, say 'small, small' as you take two little steps before every shot. It builds the habit of fine-tuning your spacing.
Use adjustment steps to choose your contact height as well as your distance. A small step back or in lets you take the ball at the height your grip prefers.
Example
He keeps getting jammed on his forehand. His coach notices he sprints to the ball and plants his feet too early. Adding two quick, small steps as the ball bounces lets him settle at the right distance, and his contact cleans up.
Why it matters
Many mis-hits from bad spacing are footwork errors, not swing errors. Small steps before contact make the swing repeatable.
Common mistakes
- Planting the feet too early and then reaching or leaning
- Taking big strides right up to contact
- Standing still and waiting for the ball to come to you
- Stopping the feet without settling into a stable base before the swing
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop being too close to the ball in tennis?
Keep your feet moving with small adjustment steps as the ball approaches. If it is jamming you, take a short step away to free your swing. Planting your feet too early is the usual cause.
What are adjustment steps in tennis?
They are the small, quick steps you take just before contact to fine-tune your distance and position. Big steps get you to the ball. Small steps set you up for it.
Why do I keep reaching for the ball?
Usually you stopped moving too soon or read the bounce late. Take a few small steps after the big ones until the ball arrives at a comfortable arm's length.
Related terms
- Contact PointOn a forehand, meet the ball out in front of your body, at a comfortable distance to the side and around waist height. A one-handed backhand meets the ball even further in front, and a two-handed backhand a little closer to the body. On the serve, hit the ball at full reach, slightly in front.
- Mis-Hit CausesMis-hits usually trace to four root causes: contact timing, footwork spacing, balance, or grip mismatch. Finding the one that repeats is the fastest fix.
- Balance Through ContactBalance through contact means the center of mass stays controlled through impact, even on the move. The swing then transfers full power and direction.
- Sidestep / ShuffleA sidestep or shuffle moves the player sideways while facing the net. The feet never cross, so the player stays balanced and ready to load for a groundstroke.
- Split StepA split step is a small hop timed to the moment your opponent strikes the ball. It primes your legs to push off explosively in any direction.
- Movement PatternA movement pattern is the sequence of footwork steps a player uses to reach the ball, execute the shot, and recover to position — combining split step, approach steps, stance, and recovery.
Related guides & benchmarks
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