Footwork is a very general term that has come to have many different meanings. For some it means the ability to get ready for a hit or throw, for others it means how to get to the ball quicker and for still others it means the ability to do the side shuttle or simply to maneuver around on the court or field.
Major emphasis, however, is on quickness, the ability not only to get to the ball to execute an action, but to get to the ball soon enough to get set up to be able to execute the most effective action. Before going into the exact mechanics of footwork, it is important to understand why certain types of footwork are more effective in certain situations and for different purposes.
For example, the side shuttle is a very popular foot pattern used in tennis, basketball, football and other sports. It is most important when you must look forward to see what your opponent is doing and what is happening on your opponent’s side.
However, it is not the fastest means of moving sideways. Much faster is to use a running pattern, as for example, when the hips face in the direction that you are moving and the legs execute the basic running action. In the running action, you use multiple muscles and joint actions.
For example, the hip flexors to drive the thigh forward, the calf muscles and the quadriceps to push you forward and the hamstrings and gluteus maximus to push the body forward after the foot makes contact with the ground. In the side shuttle, it is mainly the abductors that are used to move you.
The abductors consist of two relatively small muscles located on the side of your hip (the gluteus medius and minimus). The adductors which are fairly big and powerful, are used mainly to bring the outside leg in close to the inside leg in preparation for the next sideward push-off. They may also assist in the side movement.
In addition, when using a side shuttle, you have relatively straight legs and it takes longer to move straight legs than it does bent legs. In essence, the bent legs have short levers which are fast to move, whereas the straight leg is a long lever which takes longer.
For example, to see how this relates to movement of swinging a bat or racquet, compare the speed of moving a very short bat or racquet in comparison to a very long one. If there is a sufficient difference in length, you cannot help but see a distinct difference in speed of movement.
You may now be wondering how you can move sideways in a running fashion but yet maintain full vision to see what is happening on your opponent’s side. The answer is simple, you must develop sufficient flexibility in the mid section to allow your hips and legs to go in one direction while your shoulders and head face another direction.
In essence, you should have a 90 degree separation between the hips and shoulders. This is also needed for the most powerful hitting and throwing in all sports. Because of this it is a very valuable quality to have. And it is relatively easy to acquire!
It is possible to see this in some players, even those who execute the side shuttle when they must make a quick break to the opposite side in order to get to the ball. Thus, these players use a combination of both.
Personally, I prefer to use the “running” technique for moving sideways as it is much faster and quicker. It takes a while to master this technique but once mastered it makes the overall gameplay much faster.
This technique is used not only in moving sideways but at any angle, forward, forward into the side, forward and to the rear and to the rear. It requires a higher level of fitness in order to continually execute this pattern. This, is quite easily done through proper training.
For more information on footwork see Build a Better Athlete