Most players train the stroke.
Very few train what happens immediately after.

Beautiful training video of Wawrinka.

But if you look closely, the most interesting part is not the forehand.
It’s what happens right after.

The fluid way he moves back toward the center.
The quality of his recovery steps.
The precision with which he prepares the next shot before the opponent even hits.

That’s where time is won or lost.
And that’s exactly where most amateur players make their biggest mistake.

Recovery steps are not a detail

They are a skill.

Every time you hit a “normal” ball:

from the moment the ball leaves your racket
to the moment it reaches your opponent

you have a precise window to move correctly.

Inside that window, on average, you need:

  • the split step

  • plus three recovery steps

to return toward an effective central position.

Not to stand “in the middle of the court”.
But to be balanced and ready for the next ball.

Not all recoveries are the same

This is the part almost nobody trains consciously.

If the ball you hit is:

  • fairly central
    → your three recovery steps can be lateral.

But if the ball is:

  • more angled

  • deeper

  • wider

then your first recovery step must be a crossover step.

Why?

Because the crossover step:

  • covers more distance in less time

  • realigns your body faster

  • prevents you from getting stuck out of balance

If you go lateral when you should go crossover, you arrive:

  • late

  • out of position

  • forced to defend even on balls you could attack.

The real mistake I see every day

Players think the point ends
when they hit a good shot.

No.

The point continues in the recovery.

A good shot without good recovery is:

  • wasted power

  • gifted time

  • lost position

Wawrinka doesn’t just hit well.
He repositions better than everyone else.

And that’s why he always seems to have “time”.

If you really want to improve this part of your game

Training the stroke without training the recovery is a structural mistake.

Every technical drill should include:

  • a mandatory split step

  • three coded recovery steps

  • a conscious choice between lateral and crossover first step

Until returning to the center becomes automatic,
you’re not really training tennis.

You’re training isolated shots.

*****

✍️ Who wrote this article

This article was written by Federico Coppini,
mental coach and author specialized in mental performance, emotional stability in competition, and building a resilient competitive mindset.

🧠 Want to train your mind the same way you train your tennis?

If your game collapses when the pressure rises,
you can explore my mental coaching work here:
👉 https://coppinifederico.com/it/

This is where ideas like these become real tools for match performance.

🎾 From mind to court

The same inner skills that create clarity and control under pressure are the ones that win matches.

That’s what we build every day at Coppini Tennis Academy:
👉 https://coppinitennisacademy.com/

Training strokes without training the mind creates weakness.
Training the mind without testing it on court creates fantasy.