"I spend a lot of time making sure my movements feel natural and repeatable. When my footwork is in rhythm, everything else flows." - KL Rahul
If strength is the engine of performance, then footwork is the steering wheel.
Across cricket - and many sports - it’s the foundation of rhythm, balance, timing, and confidence.
For KL Rahul and Jason Roy, movement isn’t something you add to training. It is the training.
KL Rahul: 'Movement creates rhythm'
Indian cricket star KL says that rhythm is central to his batting - and rhythm always begins with movement.
Reflecting on his training approach, KL said: “I spend a lot of time making sure my movements feel natural and repeatable.
"When my footwork is in rhythm, everything else flows - timing, balance, even decision-making."
KL's focus is never just on hitting balls. His sessions often begin with:
- Lateral movement drills
- Forward-press patterns
- Weighted bat shadow work
- Reaction footwork with a coach or bowling machine
These drills build the movement foundation he needs before a single shot is played.
Jason Roy: 'Movement brings my game back'
Jason has been open about the phases in his career where rhythm deserted him - and how movement was the way back.
"I just took myself away and worked hard and trained hard," he said. "I found my game again by stripping things back and building the foundations again."
Those foundations were movement. During batting rebuild phases, Jason's sessions included:
- Fast-twitch movement patterns
- Small-space agility drills
- Split-step and trigger-step rehearsals
- Footwork ladders for speed and balance
Jason's message is clear: when movement is sharp, confidence follows.
Why Footwork Matters (for Everyone)
Sports movement coach Stuart McMillan explains that elite skills are always built on movement before technique:
"Footwork dictates posture, posture dictates power, and power dictates performance," he says. "If movement is wrong, everything built on top of it is unstable."
In other words:
- Better footwork = better balance
- Better balance = better timing
- Better timing = better skill execution
This applies whether you’re batting, playing tennis, sprinting, boxing, or simply trying to move better in the gym.
The Bottom Line
Movement isn’t the warm-up to skill - movement is the skill.
KL Rahul builds rhythm through repeatable footwork patterns. Jason Roy rebuilt his confidence by rebuilding his movement base.
And modern performance science backs them: agility, balance, and rhythm are the hidden engines behind elite sport.
Build the foundation, and everything stacked on it becomes better: timing, power, coordination, endurance - and the belief that your body will respond the way you need it to.
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