Rafa is Back! Here is the change that has him back at the top of the game!

Rafael Nadal is back! It is great to see him playing with the confidence that has been his trademark throughout his illustrious career. So what is different from just a year ago? In watching hours of video of Rafa from recent years, I see a big difference in his footwork! Yes, footwork. You may be thinking how could he get any quicker? I am not talking about speed, but rather technique, particularly on the forehand when pulled wide. Rafa would always play an open stance on these wide balls, even into a stretched, off balance, open stance. The result was he did not get “behind the ball”, and the typical result was a shot that landed shorter with less speed, spin and depth. His opponents knew this and routinely took advantage of this by playing to the backhand first, then wide to the forehand. Rafa would often play a short ball and was immediately on the defense.

So what has he changed?

Rafa is now playing through more wide balls to the forehand with what I call a “Dynamic Open Stance”. This footwork stance has rarely been discussed or presented even though many pros use this footwork routinely on the forehand. So what is the “Dynamic Open Stance”? Quite simply it is when you load on the outside leg and spring into the ball to get to the contact range. The result is a right-left-right footwork combination (for right-handers) that is athletic, powerful and rhythmic! This footwork stance does require 2 additional steps. However, if Rafa is able to play a penetrating ball and keep his opponent behind the baseline, then he has time to recover. My video on this stance will be posted in the forehand lessons section on May 25th.

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