Stutter step

A stutter step is a footwork technique in tennis and other sports.

The term has fallen out of usage in the modern game, but the technique is still used. The stutter step is basically running forward with small steps while squatting, having the back perpendicular to the ground, and having the racquet up in front. It is a technique used to approach the net after a strong approach shot in preparation for a volley. It allows the player to be in a stable ready position while moving forward and creating a higher percentage volley.

Common meaning in modern usage

Although the term is mainly used in tennis, it has also become a modern term that is used commonly meaning to "unsurely make a decision or perform a job or activity". For example, you could 'stutter step" in a decision, or take slow, unsure steps and be cautious towards it instead of to just make up your mind and go for it.

In basketball

In basketball, the stutter step is a common warm-up drill where you shuffle and scuff your feet in a quick moving motion across a length of flooring. This warm-up is supposed to keep the players alert and help them prepare to defend players in a real game, since the stutter step is a littler version of shuffling.

In track and field

In track and field, a stutter step is usually related to an event where foot placement needs to be precise: shortened adjustment steps leading up to a hurdle, or on a runway event where the final step initiates the jump, vault or throw.

In video games

RTS games have players issuing orders to units on a game field. Some units are unable to attack while moving. Stutter-stepping is when units are ordered to move the moment their attack animation begins, allowing them to follow or flee from enemy units while attacking. It is a form of animation canceling. A method of attacking for certain characters in the games such as League of Legends and DotA. More specifically, mainly those who can deal more damage than is generally weaker than the other characters. A certain type of character that is called an Attack Damage carry. They are efficient in the lane and they can lead the player towards them without taking any damage by stutter-stepping. It is an essential skill to learn and it will give the player a minuscule advantage towards the other opponents as the player’s character can unleash more damage while taking less unnecessary damages.

By canceling the auto-attack it minimizes the time between the attack command and movement targeted from a specific character. This allows the character to move freely without being forced to choose between the two movements. Stutter stepping in games such as League of Legends may not be as extensive than it was in DotA, as there are only slight manipulations that a player can manipulate in auto-attack delays. Animation-canceling by stutter-stepping can be intended to use on other characters that help the player chain more abilities with an auto-attack to deal more damage.

Proper use of stutter-stepping will allow the player to fire an attack without wasting minimum frames out of movement animation. This allows the player to lead the enemy while not being in danger of being attacked. By proper stutter-stepping it allows the player to efficiently farm waves of minions and helps them to push. If the player is being pushed, canceling an animation helps the player receive most of the gold from the minions. Additionally, stutter-stepping allows the player to maneuver against the opponent’s chain of attacks and minimizes the damage taken from the skill shots. The player can also kite the opponent while dealing out damage instead of forcing a risky trade up of skill shot damages from both characters. To successfully create this technique, the player must know when to cancel the auto-attack animation while the skill shot is still preserved in the queue of animations. After learning the methods of stutter-stepping, the player can now move forward and attack the target and auto-attack, while still breaking the auto-attack, the skill shots will still be in a queue to target the opponent. Then by auto-attacking, the player at the same time can be able to move towards a forward motion and continuously pressing A button key and left-click on the target.

To execute the method of stutter-stepping the popular way is by learning how to use the A button on the keyboard. By either pressing the A button on the keyboard key and clicking with the left button on the mouse on targets. This stops the unnecessary animations and proceeds the character to immediately attack and move at the same time. Consequently, using the A button can be risky due to unknown reasons it may accidentally make the character turn around and attack the enemy instead of moving into them. Another way to reveal the range and specified target selection from using this method is by allowing smart cast option to be enabled on the game settings.

The benefits of pressing the A button and left-clicking makes it harder for the opposition to dodge the player’s attack as this combination of command prioritizes the auto-attacks on the specified location that the player clicks on. Additionally, another benefit of pressing A and clicking provides the most effective way of controlling auto-attack animation as it does not interfere with the clicking from the left and right mouse buttons and by pressing A it specifically targets an object or character and immediately use the right mouse button to move without wasting minimum frames out of the attack or movement animation.

Further advanced techniques that can be used while still implementing stutter-stepping is by chaining skills. This means that a combination of skills used from a certain champion while auto-attacking at the same time in a much quicker way possible. The more single auto-attack damage dealt with the opponent will provide an advantage in fights. It is a minuscule effect, however, to understand the chain of attacks. The player must understand the earliest time possible to execute a skill and by interrupting the animation by right-clicking and pressing the A button, as a result, it will fire the animated shot instantly towards the target. The benefit of chaining skills allows the Attack Damage characters to attack more quickly and enhances the damage output towards the opponent by forcing auto-attacks while casting a skill mid frames.