On clay courts, to stay balanced while you
stop and change directions, it helps to know how to slide. If
you play mostly on hard surfaces that grip your feet, you may
not have learned this clay-court technique. Let's take a look at
it.
On clay you want to slide into your shots
using your front foot as a brake pedal. Just before getting to
the ball, lean back slightly and plant your front foot flat on
the ground, pointed in the direction you are going. As you "push
the brake pedal", that is, transfer your weight from back foot
to front foot as you slide, you will gradually come to a stop.
Ideally you should come to a stop just as you reach the ball and
execute your stroke. This allows you to recover quicker and be
ready to move to the next ball.
Many players dislike clay courts because they
feel that they can not get their footing or change directions
quickly. This is usually because they are sliding
after they hit the ball.
This puts them out of position and takes valuable time away from
their recovery. Remember to slide into the shot, not after.
It takes some practice to develop the timing
for this technique so get out on the courts and improve that
slide.
