MOG, there are a number of ways to move to position... and you get to unconsciously decide and do it right there and then... if you are consciously thinking about it, then you are SLOW no matter what.
So, you have to learn all the basic footworks, why you would use them when and how... then you would need some very structured training with lots of control and reps... eventually, this will become instinctive... and if you are balanced and ready to move, your feet will practically move themselves. (kinda like a Bruce Lee thing)(When Bruce Lee was asked in Enter the Dragon, he replied to the Grand Master that his fists strike on their own)(Or words to that effect)
One concept regardless is the TIMING and CADENCE of those steps, hps, slides, or whatever you do... they play a HUGE role in more ways than one.
- They allow you to be there on balance ready at the right time
... and IF you were SYNCED in your timing and step, you can step, plant, and CHANNEL that kinetic energy created (instead of creating it anew) into your shot.
- This means if you time the step and stroke, you can borrow energy from the kinetic energy generated in your step... which means you make the power EASIER... which means you can have more power (spin or speed or both) on hte shot... and it will be higher percentage with more leverage and control...
... and since you were on balance on time with the right energy used at the the right time... you can now step back off using plant foot and get back ready again much earlier than if you had stopped, waited, and had to start everything new.
Those are som concepts to put in the back of you mind when you are going about training to use footwork.
You will not suddenly be doing footwork "right" or effective right away, although some things you correct and perform pretty quickly.
Some things take YEARS to get past your thick skull, especially if you started TT late and ere not using effective footwork and power transfer.
Perosnall, all the hard-azz footwork oriented training I did in Korea had ALMOST ZERO IMMEDIATE EFFECT on my match performance. I mean ZERO or next to it.
However, years later, there are lasting effects.
I am at my personal all-time high weight pushing 250 lbs and did the Walnut Creek 4 Star tourney in one of the threads... and I can tell you that I was moving around hte court getting to balls I NEVER GOT TO before and strioking better than I ever did.
I credit that to Coach Lee, a female CHOPPER DEFENSIVE player, who banged me upside my head with footwork training, and I did not immediately yield her the results she was looking for... I prolly made her scratch her head more than go oh yeah.