To get started with the return, the timing of the split step is first trained in isolation. The coach throws the ball up in front of themselves and deliberately varies the height. The players watch the action and adjust the timing of their split step to the different flight time of the ball. This makes it immediately visible whether the split step is executed only in a fixed rhythm or actually adapted to the situation at hand. In the next step, this timing is linked with the return movement. The goal is an active landing from which the reaction to the incoming ball can be initiated immediately.
Training Goal
- Develop the timing of the split step for the return
- Adapt the takeoff to different timing situations
- Link perception and footwork together
- Develop an active landing as the starting point for the subsequent reaction
- Gradually connect the split step with the return movement
Coaching Keys
- Observe the coach’s action: Don’t jump in your own fixed rhythm.
- Perceive the flight height: Different heights change the available time and therefore the timing of the split step.
- Adjust the takeoff: The timing of the takeoff is adapted to the situation.
- Jump small and active: The split step is used to prepare for the subsequent reaction and is not a high jump.
- Land actively: Be ready for the next movement immediately after landing.
Possible Corrections
The split step always happens at the same time:
Vary the ball’s flight height more clearly. This makes it visible whether the player is actually reacting to the action or simply running through a practiced rhythm.
The takeoff happens too early:
Watch the coach’s action for longer and don’t initiate the split step too soon.
The takeoff happens too late:
Prepare the movement early so that the landing happens in time for the subsequent reaction.
The split step is too high:
Reduce the jump height. What matters is timing and a quick, active landing – not the height of the jump.
There is a pause after landing:
Understand the landing as the starting point of the next movement. The split step and the reaction should flow into each other smoothly.
Progressive Build-Up
1. Consistent flight height
The coach first plays the ball repeatedly to a similar height. This allows an initial feel for the timing of the split step to develop.
2. Different flight heights
The ball is deliberately played to different heights. The players have to adjust the timing of their split step accordingly.
3. Irregular variation
The flight height is changed without prior announcement. As a result, observing the action becomes more important than following a fixed movement rhythm.
4. Split step with subsequent directional reaction
After landing, a simple movement to the left or right follows. This increasingly links the active landing with movement toward the ball.
5. Transfer to the return
The isolated timing task is combined with a controlled return. The stroke movement remains compact at first so that the split step, reaction and contact point stay at the center.
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