What footwork does

In the ITF System, good footwork reliably controls:

• Distance — you land at effective range, not at full reach.
• Angle — you change the line without twisting or drifting.
• Readiness — you can stop at any moment and still be stable.

The footwork rule

Feet move to support the base. If the upper body has to compensate (leaning, reaching, wobbling), the footwork didn’t do its job.

The clean step checklist

• Quiet posture — no head bob, no shoulder lift.
• Stable landing — no wobble, no catch step.
• On the line — hips/shoulders/feet agree on direction.
• No reset — you don’t need to adjust your feet after landing.
• Finish standard — you can hold it for 2 seconds.

If any item fails, you’re not “moving faster” — you’re hiding instability.

Footwork primitives

Most footwork in patterns and basics is built from a small set of moves:

• Step — forward/back to manage distance.
• Shift — change weight without changing the base too much.
• Pivot — change angle while staying balanced.
• Slide — move without breaking stance structure (when appropriate).

Each one is still the same primitive loop: Move → Align → Deliver → Finish.

Two failure modes

• Over-reaching — stepping too far forces leaning and weakens delivery.
• Resetting — extra shuffles after landing waste time and break timing.

Common causes (fast diagnosis)

• Wobble → uncontrolled weight shift.
• Drift off line → feet land, hips don’t; or hips turn late.
• Heavy landings → tension during motion instead of at finish.
• Short reach (or overreach) → inconsistent distance choices.

Drills

• Freeze Check — step and hold the finish for 2 seconds (no adjustment step). See Freeze Check.
• Line Walk — move on a straight line and keep hips/shoulders stacked on it.
• One-variable reps — keep the technique the same; change only the step distance.

Next

For footwork to matter, the base must be reliable: go to Stances, then Transitions & Resets.