“Welcome to dance class.” This is how I usually start off my clinics when starting to work on moves. Tennis is dancing! One must be light on his/her feet while accomplishing certain moves for particular shots.

The Two Step-Split is my version of starting to approach the net. Whether it be singles or doubles, most of us need to stay stable and balanced when attacking. Please don’t compare yourself to the pros. Especially 3.0-4.0 NTRP players. 

One of the biggest mistakes is trying to get in to the net like players we see on TV. Professional Tennis players tend to be the fastest humans on a Tennis court. They work on movement all of the time and are able to adapt quicker than the rest of us.

For instance, Carlos Alcaraz. He is arguably one of the fastest humans to ever play tennis. This man gets to balls that most of us wouldn’t even consider going after. Yet, his recovery is rather simple and basic. “Cross Step, Side Shuffle-Split.” Watch him next time you have the opportunity, he recovers with the same moves as everyone else. The difference is his base is slightly wider than most and he is extremely quick.

When serving and volleying, I used to be able to get to my first volley a foot inside the service line. Today, as an older player, I find that I get caught a half-step to a full step deeper in the court. This promotes the opponent’s ball to catch me at that awkward spot between my racket and my toes. Tough half-volleys and reaching very low volleys are the product of not being able to get in closer. I even see this at the 4.5-5.0 level for players who are not quite as fast or older, but still have a relatively high level game.

The “Two Step-Split” buys players time and space. One can stay more balanced and have a solid base for reacting well to the next shot. 

Whether you are in a rally, returning a serve or serve and volleying, the move is relatively simple. Once you finish your stroke, take two steps into “Go Through Land” (many people call this “No Man’s Land”). Get into your split-step. This should land you around the middle of the big box behind the service boxes or at the 10 & Under baseline (some courts are marked with lighter lines inside the normal court to indicate the playing area for children).

When rallying, be ready to pounce on the opportunity to attack the opponent. Body language from the other side of the net helps to indicate when to approach. The opponent is either being forced off the court or reaching for a low short ball. Remember that “Low means Go!” This is another thought process that I preach to my students. When an opponent is reaching for a low ball in front of them, more than likely the ball is going to be popped up. This will allow for a good attacking volley or overhead from your side of the net. 

From the “Split” position, our body weight should be firmly on the balls on our feet. This will help with the reaction to the next shot. Because we are not attacking like kamikazes or our hair is on fire, we have an extra half second to go to the ball in a controlled manner. Whether the ball is hit short, wide or to us, we can react properly and hit the ball well to a better target. Even if we serve and volley where our net partner gets lobbed over their head, from the initial “Split” position we are in a good spot to retrieve that ball.

One of the biggest mistakes players make is getting stuck in “Go Through Land.” From the first “Two Step-Split” position, the same move has to be repeated after making the next shot. Be sure to follow the path of the ball to squeeze your opponent’s space. Keeping the constant approach simple like this makes things so much easier. Again, there is greater reaction time. More space is created between you and the opponent. The mind can stay calmer.

The first time I saw this was back in New York the initial year that the US Open moved to Flushing Meadows. Forest Hills Tennis Club was holding an event the week before the Open. I watched a Legend’s Match of doubles with Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Roy Emmerson and Fred Stolle. Stolle was serving. After he finished his service motion, he took two good sized steps into the court followed by his split-step. This allowed for a relatively easy half-volley. After he finished that shot cross-court, he did another “Two Step-Split” and hit a controlling volley cross court deep at his opponent. After doing the move one more time, he was then able to put the ball away with a winning volley from the middle of the service box. For me, this is where my life changed when it came to playing doubles.

After seeing this great player make the approach process so easy, my eyes and mind were finally opened. No more struggling to get into the net to apply pressure! Controlling and manipulating my opponents became much easier. I was able to apply this to singles as well.

Don’t get me wrong, if you are fast and can get inside the service line before the ball gets too low, please do. Some of my top juniors are close to Alcaraz’s speed. But they still need to be balanced on their split-step before hitting that next shot. Maybe add a step or two to the move. The most important thing is allowing yourself time to be stable and react well to the next shot from your opponent.

The “Two Step-Split” is a great recipe for winning doubles. Work on it with your partner or have your local pro help you find the right rhythm with this simple dance move. Have fun and good luck!