Too far would simply be farther than the partner. Assuming you're in contact and sensitive to his lead, this shouldn't really be a problem. You may, however, be dropping your center. This might tend to evoke the "You're lunging too far" response from a partner who isn't well acquainted with the body mechanics of partner dancing.
The size of your step will depend entirely on your partner. You can (and will) only step as far as he does. It's very diffiult to take a bigger step than he does; The presence of his body prevents this. Shifting position vertically (eg lowering more or less than your partner) is possible, but also fairly easily avoided with a minimum of partner awareness.
The biggest problem I find with beginner followers is the tendency to break the body into pieces and follow mostly from the top, leaving the hips and thighs behind. The center drops, the chest and head push forward into the frame causing the elbows to pinch backward. This process begins immediately as the step is first taken, so in order to fix the problem, you must start there.
Starting from the moment you begin to move away from your left foot, your knees & thighs should lead the action by rolling forward ahead of the rest of the body. Once the step is taken, this process should continue by flexing the knee over and then past the toe of the receiving foot. At the same time, you must allow the leg extended backwards to flex slightly and the foot to turn out to inside edge of toe, free of weight. (A minimum of pressure to the back toe might be ok, but a beginner who tends to end split weight should practice releasing the weight entirely from the back foot).
Whereas most movements in Tango require a vertical body position with the tailbone pointed straight to the floor, the Corte is a rare exception. It is one of the very few instances (if not the only one) in the American style syllabus where you want to have the feeling of swinging under and up, so that the tailbone does in fact tilt forward and on a diagonal toward the right leg. If the pelvis is left in the vertical position, you won't have much of lunge; You will simply have a walk. But even a basic walk is preferable to the awkward sensation of lunging through your top (which is actually allowing the tailbone to tilt backwards), so concentrate on the action of the thighs and knees from the very start, and you'll be in good shape. No pun intended.
Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson
www.ballroomdancers.com
