In a deep lunge stance, small, springy up-and-down movements are performed with quick, short ground contacts. The jump height stays low, and the stance is maintained. At the same time, a tennis ball is held with an outstretched arm and released straight down. The other hand moves diagonally across the body and catches the ball across the body. In the easier variation, the ball is caught after one bounce. In the more difficult variation, it is caught directly out of the air before the ball touches the ground. Afterwards, the catching direction changes, and after several repetitions the front leg switches.
Training Goal
- Train short ground contacts with low jump height in a deep stance.
- Coordinate diagonal arm movements and crossing the body midline.
- Improve eye-hand coordination and movement timing under an additional footwork task.
- Develop leg axis control and balance during the springy movement.
- Perform arm and leg movements at the same time without losing the quality of each task.
Transfer to tennis
In tennis, the legs must make quick adjustments while the arms and upper body prepare the stroke movement. This exercise therefore combines a continuous footwork task with a precise diagonal hand movement.
Crossing the body midline picks up a movement principle that also appears in many Forehand and Backhand movements. At the same time, the deep stance requires controlled alignment of the legs and pelvis. The exercise trains these demands in general; the connection with contact point, racket control and match situation is then created in tennis-specific tasks.
Load Management
As an entry point, 2–3 rounds of 10–15 seconds per stance are suitable. Plan about 30–45 seconds of rest between efforts.
First secure the springy movement without the ball. Then add the catching task. End the load as soon as ground contacts become noticeably longer, the stance becomes unstable, or the diagonal catch can no longer be executed in a controlled way.
Coaching Keys
- Bounce low: quick, short ground contacts instead of high jumps.
- Maintain the deep stance and guide the knees in a controlled way toward the toes.
- Let the ball drop straight down instead of throwing it to the catching hand.
- Reach diagonally across the body to the ball with the other hand.
- Keep the rhythm of the legs as even as possible while releasing and catching.
Progressive Adaptation
Preparation – without the ball:
First perform low, rhythmic bounces in the stance. Practice both leg stances.
Easier variation – catch after the bounce:
Let the ball drop straight down, let it bounce once, and then catch it diagonally across the body with the other hand. Keep bouncing while doing so.
More difficult variation – catch directly out of the air:
Catch the ball across the body with the other hand before it touches the ground. The shorter available time increases the demands on coordinating the catching movement with the ongoing footwork.
Further progression:
Change the catching direction more often or carefully increase the side reach. The prerequisite remains an even bounce rhythm with a stable stance.
Possible Corrections
The jump height becomes too large:
Reduce the movement amplitude. Focus on short ground contacts and an even rhythm.
The legs stop with each catching action:
Switch to the variation with a bounce first, or initially build individual catching actions into several bounces.
The stance becomes progressively higher:
Shorten the round. Choose a depth that can be controlled throughout the entire load.
The knees cave in:
Reduce speed and movement depth. Stabilize the leg axis first without the ball task.
The ball is thrown at an angle:
Only open the release hand and let the ball drop straight down. The diagonal movement is performed by the catching hand.
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