Learn the side shuffle in tennis: technique, milestones, typical mistakes, safety tips and FAQ for covering short distances to the ball.
The side shuffle (also called adjustment step or sidestep) is a sideways glide: you move sideways without crossing your legs and keep re-setting your feet. You use it when the ball is only one or two steps away – for example a tight forehand next to the centre.
The honest answer to "do I have to learn this separately?": yes, because tennis consists of many small corrections. In a video analysis of 8,545 split steps in pros and juniors, speeds around the split step ranged from 0.55 to 1.9 m/s depending on the stroke [2] – a brisk walk up to a relaxed jog. These are not sprints but controlled steps. That is exactly what the side shuffle is for.
A note on context: there is little direct research in tennis on "which step is best when". A study of 22 team and racquet sport athletes compared four initial steps for lateral acceleration over 5 m from a standstill: for very short distances the jab step (a forward-moving sidestep, closest to the side shuffle) was ahead, over longer distances the counter step (a small step against the running direction, the "false step") [1]. That is not a tennis court study and not a test of the side shuffle itself – we use it only as a hint that the choice of step depends on distance. In tennis you also usually start from the split step, not from a standstill.
How long does it take? You learn the pattern in one session. Until it comes automatically in the rally, expect weeks (practical experience, not a study).
You land from the split step with knees bent, weight on the balls of your feet, racket in front. The shoulder later points to the ball. Whoever is already stiff here starts too late.
Milestone: You stand relaxed in the ready position for 20 seconds without your heels touching the ground.
Make the first step with the foot pointing in the running direction (near foot); the other foot follows without overtaking it. As a lab study on initial steps shows, the effectiveness of a step depends on distance [1]. For one to two steps the small lateral step (practical standard) is ideal.
Milestone: You manage 10 shuffle steps sideways without crossing your feet once.
Your feet stay roughly the same distance apart while gliding; they do not touch. Especially on approach to the ball, let the steps get smaller. The LTA has you hit the ball in front of and beside the shoes [3].
Milestone: On 8 of 10 feeds you arrive so that the ball is in front of you and slightly to the side.
Set both feet before you hit; a stroke while gliding is rarely clean. The path to the ball changes trunk coordination but not necessarily racket speed: a study with 18 students found differences in pelvis-trunk coordination for different run-ups before the forehand, but no difference in racket speed at the contact point [4]. In short: you may adapt technique without losing pace.
Milestone: You hit 7 of 10 balls with both feet on the ground.
After the shot you go back to the centre with the same pattern and into the ready position. The LTA names as a teaching point: return to the ready position after every shot [3].
Milestone: After 8 of 10 shots you are back in the centre before the opponent hits.
Practise the side shuffle with a mini task: after the bounce your partner calls "right" or "left", you react with two shuffle steps and tap the line with your foot. That trains reaction and step together. The video analysis of 8,545 split steps shows that speed differs by stroke [2] – so do not always train at the same pace but alternate between slow and brisk.
A sideways adjustment step where you do not cross your legs. It is used for short distances of one to two steps.
The side shuffle suits short distances, the crossover step longer ones. A lab study found that the effectiveness of the initial step depends on distance [1].
In an analysis of 8,545 split steps, speeds around the split step ranged from 0.55 to 1.9 m/s depending on the stroke [2].
Not only. In an analysis of 188 games at an ATP 500 tournament, game losers covered less distance but moved faster and spent more time in the defensive zones [6]. Good positioning beats pure speed.
Two to three times a week for 10 minutes each is enough at the start (practical experience, not a study).
Crossover Step in Tennis: Covering Long Distances to the Ball Fast