Feet Of Strength: Forehands and finesse are important in pickleball, but footwork is the foundation to success

Callie Jo Smith is a former Division I tennis player at the University of Utah who teaches both tennis and pickleball when she’s not traveling on the PPA Tour.

It always makes me laugh, but one of the first things people tell me when they come to learn more about pickleball is how much they love my “Callie feet”—how much I bounce and move my feet on the court. Now, I’ll admit that I probably move my feet a bit more than most, but every good pickleball player knows how to move their feet correctly on the court.

Good footwork and movement are crucial to staying in balance and hitting better shots. When you can move your body and feet in correct position, it’s easier to contact the ball out in front of you, which increases the control of the shots you hit. Footwork and positioning also allow players to remain balanced, which helps them recover quicker and prepare for the next ball.

How can you train to get “quick feet” on the court? Ladder drills are a great way to improve footwork because they help strengthen the joints, ligaments, and tendons in your lower extremities, improve balance and coordination, and increase quickness, speed and agility performance.

And best of all, these can be done on the court, at home, or at the gym to improve your footwork and movement.

LADDER DRILLS

Grab a footwork ladder—or make your own with chalk or tape—and try the following drills. When creating your own ladder, make sure to include at least 10 squares that measure approximately one foot by one foot each. For best results, repeat each exercise four times, or twice on each leg. Remember to stay on the balls of your feet during the exercises and to complete each exercise as quickly as possible while still maintaining balance and control. The more you practice, the better you’ll get!

1. FORWARD SPRINT

Start at one end of the ladder. As quickly as possible, place one foot in each square, alternating left and right. Make sure you pick up your feet and continue down the full length of the ladder. For a more effective exercise, try picking your knees up higher while running through.

2. LATERAL STEPPING LADDER

Stand laterally to the ladder with your left foot ready to lead. Begin by placing two feet in each square (left foot first, then the right). Make sure to stay on the balls of your feet as you move. Your toes and hips will be facing forward the entire time until you’ve reached the opposite end of the ladder. Repeat this exercise twice with the left foot leading, and then twice more with the right foot leading.

3. TWO FEET IN EACH SQUARE

Start at one end of the ladder. As quickly as possible, place both feet in each square—first one foot, then the other—and continue down to the end of the ladder.

4. IN AND OUT DRILLS

• Start at one end of the ladder, standing with both feet on the left side of the first square. Place your right foot in the square and then your left foot in the square. Then, step outside of the square with your right foot, followed by your left foot, leaving both of your feet on the outside of the ladder. Continue following the pattern of in in, out out, until you reach the end of the ladder. When you come back through, begin by leading with your left foot first. Follow the same pattern until you reach the end again.
• Begin by standing below the first square of the ladder so that the ladder is in front of you. Start by placing your right foot in the first square, followed by your left foot in the square. Then take your right foot out of the square, followed by your left foot out of the square, so that now you have both feet back on the outside of the square. Continue the in in, out out pattern until you reach the end of the ladder. On your way back through, start the exercise with the other foot first (left foot in, right foot in, left foot out, right foot out)

5. ICKY SHUFFLE

Begin by standing at one end of the ladder and to the left side of the first square, facing forward so the ladder extends straight in front of you. Step laterally into the first square of the ladder with your right foot. Immediately after, move your left foot into the same square. As your left foot enters the square, move your right foot laterally to the outside of the square. After your right foot moves outside of the square, your left foot will immediately enter into the center of the square directly ahead of you, followed by the right foot into the same square. As the right foot enters the square, the left foot will immediately move outside of the square. Continue moving towards the end of the ladder, alternating which foot goes first into each square. Repeat the exercise beginning on the right side of the first square, so your left foot can lead.

6. SCISSORS

Stand behind the first square of the ladder. The ladder will be in front of you with the rest of the ladder extending to your right side. Do a scissor jump with your right foot crossing over the line of the first square of the ladder and into the first square, while your left foot goes behind and outside of the first square of the ladder. Perform another scissor jump into the first square so that your right foot now moves behind and outside of the first square of the ladder, and the left foot crosses in front of your right foot and into the first square of the ladder. Repeat another scissor jump into the second square of the ladder so your right foot crosses over your left and into the second square of the ladder, and your left foot crosses behind your right foot and outside of the second square of the ladder. Repeat the pattern and continue alternating feet until you reach the end.

TENNIS.com makes its way to the kitchen line this week with a spotlight on pickleball. We dive into this court sport with an array of content, including rules and strategies; player profiles; and behind-the-scenes access to the PPA Tour. Tune into Tennis Channel and Tennis Channel Plus for coverage of the pros at the Orange County Cup in San Clemente, Calif., and read about this fast-moving phenomenon to help your own game.