Stop Chasing The Ball

Your bad footwork is costing you points...

Author

Shea Underwood
March 21, 2025

Week 44

Welcome back to the Road to Pro Newsletter! Just by opening this issue, you are now automatically eligible for this week’s paddle giveaway! Last week’s winner was Albert from South Carolina.

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:

  • Footwork techniques that’ll get you more points

  • One drill to help you put this into practice

If you’re reading this, you now have a chance to win this week’s paddle giveaway!

Now, let's get to it!

Big shoutout to Selkirk for sponsoring this newsletter and making all the paddle giveaways I do possible! I personally have been using a Selkirk paddle for over five years now, and every paddle I’ve used has been better than the last one. Currently, I’m using their newest paddle - the Project 008, and it’s giving me more power and spin than I’ve ever had before. You can pick yours up at Selkirklabs.com and use code INF-Shea for a gift card on a future purchase.

Move Efficiently On The Court

Bad footwork is one of the main reasons for unnecessary mistakes on the court and for lack of control over your shots. One of the most foundational footwork techniques is to always move your feet in the direction you actually want to go. I know…it sounds so obvious, but so many players don’t do this correctly. What I see happen very often is players will pick up one of their already-planted feet, move it and replant it to gain traction, then launch forward in the direction they want to go, rather than pushing off their already-planted foot. This unnecessary extra movement can cost you precious time getting to the ball. Instead, if you’re properly balanced, use your already-planted foot to push off and immediately move in the right direction. This keeps your movement intentional and saves you time.

Go check out one of my recent videos where I talk about this a little more in-depth and show you exactly what it looks like (13:04).

The ability to move efficiently on the court directly helps you with your overall shot improvement. If you want to give yourself better control and accuracy over the shots you take, you need to be in the right position. Any chance you can, make sure you get behind the ball before you make contact.

The more you position yourself behind the ball, the more shot options you’ll have. When you’re stretching to reach for a ball, you limit your choices and will often resort to desperation shots that lack a lot of control. By moving your feet and getting squarely behind the ball, you’ll find you have a far easier time controlling direction, spin, power, and placement. Overall, your shot is going to be a lot better and much more effective.

If you can move efficiently without wasting movement and if you can get behind the ball quickly and be in the right position, you’ll be an infinitely better player. Honestly, it’s a game changer.

The 50 Dink Challenge

Surprisingly, the drill I’m about to give you demands way more focus than you’d expect. It forces you to get behind the ball, keep your eyes on it, and stay locked in the entire time. The goal is straightforward: you and your drilling partner try for 50 dinks in a row without hitting the ball out or into the net. If either of you messes up at all, start again at 0. I know it sounds simple, but even at the 5.0 level, if you get lazy for a second, you’ll end up sending dinks into the net. I’m telling you, going for 50 flawless dinks means bringing your A-game—using proper footwork, pushing off the right foot, and making sure you’re behind the ball to set up the best possible shot.

But, here’s what makes the drill actually difficult: don’t take it easy on each other. Move each other around on the court with strategic dinks so you’re constantly having to move, stay low, keep your knees bent, paddle up, and your footwork on point. Go try it and see how quickly you’ll rack up mistakes if you’re not in the right spot. Trust me, you’ll soon realize how important it is to position yourself squarely behind the ball and avoid any wasted movement in the wrong direction. This drill will help you put everything I taught you this week into practice.

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