The Cross-Step

As you now may well know, an area that I constantly write about is the room for improvement with footwork; getting into the proper position to hit the ball will give you your best opportunity to hit an effective shot.

For the most part, I personally like to set myself in an open stance, following the path of the ball with my paddle and body positioning and I always aim to reset my body with my legs shoulder width apart.

However, there are a few scenarios when a closed stance - where your opposite foot crosses the body, comes into play.

An easy example of this would be on an overhead smash the non-dominant foot will lead the body, which is set up in a closed-off stance.

Other sports, such as tennis or squash incorporate the cross-step quite a bit and so for players who are working hard to adjust their game to play “technical” pickleball, adjusting out of the cross stop can be a particularly difficult thing for these players - the years of engrained muscle memory is hard to erase but rarely in pickleball do we actually need to cross stop.

Here are some instances where we would see players crossover, and I also identify areas where it’s actually less efficient to do so, versus keeping an open stance...

Image credit: Sara McInnes

Backhand Crosscourt Dinks

The backhand dink is an uncomfortable shot for most newer players and it takes a lot of work to find the rhythm of this shot. Most of this is due to the timing of when to strike the ball and the footwork that’s required to keep your body behind the ball.

So, the habit of crossing the dominant foot to hit a backhand dink is pretty common. Most people feel they can get closer to the ball and hit the ball at a better angle if they cross the foot into the kitchen.

However, on the other hand, crossing over does close the body off to the rest of the court and can limit the player's spots as to where the ball can be placed.

That habit from other racquet sports (such as tennis, squash, and even badminton) comes from the learned footwork of a backhand groundstroke.

Crossing with the opposite foot usually means the feet are late moving to the ball in the first place and also takes away time from you to recover back to the middle of your side of the court.

This means that if you’re up against a solid dinker, they can likely push the ball to your backhand and then drop the ball to the forehand side and have you scrambling around to keep up with their pace.

Many players are under the assumption that crossing one foot over will provide more overall control, more than likely because they're getting closer to and behind the ball.

However having an open stance demands that power and control come from the lower body and shoulder rather than from the wrist and elbow. By using the lower body to move through the backhand dink you will create a more consistent shot in the long run.

Image credit: Sarah Ansboury

On the Forehand

I have witnessed plenty of players crossing over during a forehand as well, again, this is usually by the long-term tennis players who have been conditioned to close their body on forehand shots.

If you think about tennis being a predominantly singles sport, but regardless of that, the game is mainly played from the baseline then yes, a cross-step is necessary to generate the power and accuracy to get the ball to the opponent's baseline.

However, keep in mind that the pickleball court is much shorter and the rallies are played at the non-volley lines, which are only 14 feet of distance. Cross-stepping actually causes a player to lose time and requires more energy than standing in an open stance. 

Another important factor to consider while playing at the non-volley line is the risk of stepping into the non-volley zone when hitting a volley.

The cross-step literally has you stepping in a forward motion, which, if you’re holding the line pretty tightly then it’s inevitable that you’re following through in the NVZ.

If you’re sitting there thinking “I don’t step in the NVZ and I cross over” there is a chance that all four of you on the court aren’t catching the fault as it happens. It takes a lot of effort to keep an eye on the ball and to have a glance at the NVL.

A big mistake that people make while playing the game at the NVL is that they move too much; try thinking and implementing the strategy of “less is more”.

Image credit: Racket Sports World

Tips to Avoid the Cross Step

- Move the head, eyes, and paddle with the ball and follow its flight path

- Stay light on the feet to slightly shift the weight of the body, hips, and torso with the ball

- When the ball is going back and forth cross court stay light on the feet but don’t move too much

- Always aim to hit the ball in front of the body so that the ball doesn’t get behind you

- Incorporate footwork drills into your lessons or practice sessions and focus on how you’re transferring the weight of your body as you prepare to hit the ball

This article was taken from our 'Control the Kitchen' Newsletter, if you're interested in receiving more content like this, please feel free to sign up using the subscribe section located at the bottom left of this page (or underneath the article if you're on mobile), thanks!