The Real Reason Your Best Shots Don’t Show Up in Matches

Watch club tennis long enough and a pattern jumps out: players talk endlessly about grips, racquet paths, and “finishing the swing,” yet rallies break down for a far simpler reason. They stop being active and moving their legs.

Tennis is not played from the arms outward. It’s played from the ground up. When the legs switch off, everything above them degrades—timing, balance, power, and decision-making.

Former Wimbledon champion and elite coach Conchita Martínez distilled this reality perfectly:

“When your legs stop moving, your tennis stops.”

It’s not a metaphor. It’s a diagnostic.

What “Active With the Legs” Really Means

Being active with the legs doesn’t mean sprinting nonstop or bouncing theatrically between shots. It means three very specific things:

Early engagement – The legs prepare before the ball arrives, not after it bounces.
Continuous adjustment – Small, reactive steps right up to contact.
Purposeful loading – Using the legs to stabilize, rotate, and drive the stroke.

The moment a player plants their feet too early, they hand control to the ball instead of taking it themselves.

The Split Step Is a Trigger, Not a Ritual

Many players perform a split step mechanically—jump, land, hope for the best. But the split step only works if it’s timed to the opponent’s contact and immediately followed by movement.

Think of it as a decision trigger. The legs are primed, not paused. From that instant, the feet must stay alive—micro-steps, shuffles, and re-centering until the stroke is complete.

A good rule of thumb: if your heels are heavy before contact, you’re already late.

Legs Drive Timing More Than Talent

Players often describe being “off” or “out of rhythm.” In most cases, this isn’t a swing problem—it’s a footwork problem.

Active legs:

Keep the contact point consistent
Allow last-second corrections
Reduce rushed swings under pressure

Inactive legs force compensations: arm flicks, late wrist action, and over-hitting. What looks like a technical flaw is often just poor movement underneath it.

Stability Beats Speed

Counterintuitively, being active with the legs isn’t about speed—it’s about stability. The best movers aren’t frantic; they’re grounded.

Good leg activity creates:

A stable base at contact
Better weight transfer
Cleaner recovery after the shot

If recovery feels slow, the issue usually started before the hit, not after it.

A Simple On-Court Cue

Here’s a cue that works at every level:

“Move until you hit.”

Not move, stop, hit.
Move until you hit.

This mindset keeps the legs engaged right up to contact and prevents early planting—one of the most common causes of mistimed shots.

Why This Matters More As We Age

As players get older, footwork often declines quietly. Strength and flexibility get attention; leg activity does not. Yet staying active with the legs actually reduces strain on the arms and back by letting the body share the workload.

Good legs don’t just create better tennis—they extend careers.

Final Thought

You don’t need prettier swings. You need livelier legs.

The next time your game feels flat, resist the urge to tinker with technique. Instead, ask a simpler question:

Are my legs still alive?

Chances are, the answer explains everything.

The Real Reason Your Best Shots Don’t Show Up in Matches