Ever notice how the pros make the game look like it’s moving at .5 speed? There’s nothing slow about their play; they’ve just mastered a principle that puts them one step ahead on nearly every shot.
It’s called “cornering the ball” — and it’s the difference between hitting measured, intentional shots at the kitchen line and reaching to stab at that inevitable pop-up.
APP pro Richard Livornese, Jr. breaks it down.
✅ First, you must understand the difference between hitting a ball inside your feet vs. outside. When you’re behind the ball, you’re generally golden. But start to reach and that’s when you get into trouble. You’re forced to use too much arm and wrist rather than the full kinetic chain. Poor form, buster.
✅ Instead of reaching for a wide dink, take an extra step, or a cross-step if the ball is too far, to position yourself so the ball stays inside your leg when you hit it. Here’s the golden rule: you want your outside leg behind the ball before you make contact.
✅ This simple footwork adjustment gives you space behind the ball, keeps your arm in front of your body where you have maximum control, and allows you to hit from a mechanically sound position rather than a weak, overextended one.
When you corner the ball properly, you can change direction, add deception, and apply aggression, all the things you actually want to do when you're dinking. But from that stretched-out position? Forget about it. You're just trying to get the ball in the court.
