The Split Step

The Split Step

The split step or pre-stretch is the movement before every shot that is hit by your opponent. The move is to allow players to unweight before they move to a shot. Good footwork begins with the ready position with the knees bent and weight forward on the balls of the feet. The lower the center or knees bent the more stable the position. This allows the player to explode in any direction from the split step or pre-stretch. The question comes to mind, how low should I be before I move to the ball? The best example is to think of sitting down in a chair and before you would actually touch the seat is the best position. If you were to touch the seat you are too low and movement would decrease. This is a process of balance and using momentum with the forces of gravity to explode to the ball with quick speed. The entire process starts with the split step or pre-stretch