The Key To Efficient Movement

Master the foundation for better footwork...

Author

Shea Underwood
April 05, 2025

Week 46

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 Jackson from Illinois!

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

  • Two foundational techniques for efficient footwork

  • A drill to put these techniques into practice

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

At the bottom of this newsletter, find out how you can earn free access to my book, “Literally Everything I Know About Pickleball.”

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. I recently started 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 on their website here and use code INF-Shea for a gift card on a future purchase.

Groundwork

Until you master good footwork and proper stance, you won’t be able to move very efficiently on the court. While speed and natural athleticism can take you far, you’ll quickly discover that at higher levels of play, you need to lock in your stance and ensure your footwork is on point if you want to keep up with better players.

The first thing you need to do is to keep a lower and wider stance. Bend your knees and place your feet shoulder-width or slightly wider apart. This athletic position helps you keep your weight evenly distributed, which improves your balance and lets you move quickly in any direction, ready for any shot. This stance is the foundation for strong, consistent footwork, and the sooner you train yourself to maintain it throughout every rally, the faster you’ll improve your overall movement.

The second thing you need to keep in mind in regards to footwork is that you should almost never cross your feet. Crossing your feet unnecessarily can throw off your balance and reduce the control you have over your shot. Instead, try to keep your hips relatively squared towards the net - even when you’re positioned to hit a ball - so that you can return to your ready position quickly. Staying squared helps you stay balanced and controlled on your shot, and it also helps you recover for the next one with no problem.

The one major exception to this is the pivot movement used to reach the ball with your backhand. This is when you really don’t have time to get behind the ball or stay squared towards the net. It’s good to learn how to pivot while remaining stable for times like these, but whenever you can, the ideal play is to shuffle or side-step to get behind the ball. You’ll have a much better chance of hitting a great shot this way.

When you can master these two foundational techniques, you will become a better player overall. Too often, bad footwork and bad stance prevent a good player from becoming a great one.

If you want to learn more about this or see it in practice, you can watch my video where I talk about this more in depth.

Just Keep Shuffling

This drill only needs two players and is all about staying low, keeping a wide stance, and building confidence in your footwork without the pressure of unpredictable shots. With your drilling partner, you can position yourselves straight across from each other or diagonally—or do both! This drill can be applied to dinks, drops, resets, or drives, so whichever shot you choose to work on will determine where one player is positioned in the court. The other player will be at the net.

Here’s how it works:

Use only half the court—no need to cover too much ground here.

Player 1 will stand at the net while Player 2 gets into a low, athletic stance with feet shoulder-width or slightly wider apart.

Player 1 starts by hitting the first ball to the left of Player 2, who returns it, then hits the next ball to the right of Player 2. Each shot shouldn’t be more than 2-3 feet away from where Player 2 is positioned. Continue alternating left and right while Player 2 returns each shot.

The goal for Player 2 is to focus on shuffling side to side, getting behind each ball and hitting controlled shots. Keep your hips relatively squared towards the net as much as possible and bend those knees to stay low and balanced. Keep your shots nice and controlled - there’s no rush since you already know where the next ball is headed. You need to focus on your movement here without the pressure of having to respond to unknown shots.

After a set number of reps or rallies, swap roles.

Pro Tip:

Concentrate on smooth, efficient steps and remember to reset your stance after every hit. The key is building muscle memory for that low, wide stance and shuffling correctly—so when you’re in a real match, your feet automatically move where they need to go.

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