Training on soft sand shifting surfaces forces double the ground reaction energy compared to rigid hardwood court surfaces. Because the foot sinks into unstable grains, kinetic energy is dissipated through sand shearing rather than elastic tendon recoil.
For explosive guards like Tyrese Maxey, sand workouts build unmatched ankle stabilization, strengthen calf and hamstring muscle fires without high joint impact forces, and drastically reduce ground contact time delay when returning to hardwood courts.