Split-Step Reaction
PartnerNTRP 2.0–3.510 minfootworkfitness
Why this drill
The split step is the highest-leverage habit below 4.0 — most club players simply don't have one. This drill wires it to a visual trigger until it happens without thought.
Setup
No racquets needed. You at the service line; your partner faces you at the net with a ball in each hand, arms out to the sides.
The drill
Bounce lightly on the balls of your feet. Without warning, your partner drops one ball. Split-step as their hand opens, then explode toward the ball and catch it after one bounce. That's one rep. Do four rounds of ten, swapping roles between rounds. As you improve, your partner stands farther away or drops from lower heights.
One thought to take on court
Be in the air when the information arrives — land the split as the hand opens, not after.