STEVE FOSTER: Hi, Welcome to AllAboutTableTennis.com
I'm just going to explain two Footwork Patterns today.
I'm going to explain the basic Side-to-Side Footwork Pattern and
also the Footwork Pattern used for balls very wide to the forehand side.
So for the Side-to-Side Footwork
Start in your Ready Position
And what you do is move your outside foot first
To move from the backhand to the forehand
And the same with moving from the forehand to the backhand
Move your outside foot first
So, as a right-hander
What I would do to get to the forehand ball
I move my left foot first - which is the outside foot
In halfway, then bring my other foot there
My right leg, so that I can play the stroke
And coming back, outside foot first to come back
So I'll go backhand, forehand, backhand, forehand
Always making sure that my weight is on my toes, so my weight's going forward
So that I can play good shots.
Backhand, forehand, backhand, forehand
OK. And for the wide ball
What we would use is a Cross-over Footwork
So for the Cross-over Footwork, what I would do is bring my left foot across
then use that as a pivot, to then play the shot
which is nice and wide
OK, so starting from here
If I get a wide ball, I step across, and then play the shot
I'll just show you that again
Those are the two basic Footwork Patterns.
Side-to-Side Footwork demonstration
Cross-over Footwork demonstration