Heat, altitude, and eight hours of daily court time. I went to Phoenix expecting to grind fitness. I came back with a completely different footwork model.
Why Phoenix in November
The PPA Tour launches in Phoenix in January. I wanted court time in that specific environment — the outdoor hard courts bake heat upward even after sunset. Movement patterns that work in a climate-controlled indoor facility fall apart on hot hard courts.
I went with two other tour players and a footwork specialist. Structure: 6am morning session (footwork only), break, 2pm–6pm match play and point construction.
The Footwork Revelation
I've been recovering to the center of the court my entire career. Step, step, reset to center. Every coach I've had reinforced this.
In Phoenix I started watching the elite players at our camp. They don't recover to center. They recover to their dominant angle — the position from which they control the most court. It's 18 inches of adjustment. It changes everything.
