A coaching mentor and friend of mine, Coach Chuck Kriese, often says to his players, “The legs are the engine and the hands are the steering wheel.” This simple phrase is packed with wisdom. Here is a video explaining how power on the backhand is generated from the ground up and the arms play a role more focused on directing the swing path (more vertical for spin and more horizontal for power).
In tennis you can have perfect strokes but it you cannot get to the ball that technique is useless. Efficient movement patterns are becoming more an more important as the game continues to speed up and I wrote about why movement is paramount way back in 2014.
Here is a video I put together explaining the lateral (sideways) footwork patterns for the forehand.
I realize that there are variations and there must be. Each ball that comes to your side of the court and where you are positioned to receive it at that moment are unique. Sometimes you have more time and will make small adjustment steps, sometimes you are pressured on time and simply have to do something athletic to get the ball back. These are the basics and when basic concepts are understood and practiced it aids players in moving better.
In teaching footwork I find that the best way is to really let the human body figure it out. After all we are pre-programmed to move. No one teaches a baby with slow motion footage and words how to roll, walk, and run. If you put a child into a game of tag they immediately find angles to push off the ground and accelerate, create angles to decelerate and stop, and then reaccelerate to avoid getting tagged. And the more they are in that tag environment the better they become at it. The same thing happens on a tennis court, once a student understands the stroke techniques/concepts the best thing to do is get out there and move while hitting the ball.
In tennis you can have perfect strokes but it you cannot get to the ball that technique is useless. Efficient movement patterns are becoming more an more important as the game continues to speed up and I wrote about why movement is paramount way back in 2014.
Here is a video I put together explaining the lateral (sideways) footwork patterns for a two handed backhand.
I realize that there are variations and there must be. Each ball that comes to your side of the court and where you are positioned to receive it at that moment are unique. Sometimes you have more time and will make small adjustment steps, sometimes you are pressured on time and simply have to do something athletic to get the ball back. These are the basics and when basic concepts are understood and practiced it aids players in moving better.
In teaching footwork I find that that best way is to really let the human body figure it out. After all we are pre-programmed to move. No one teaches a baby with slow motion footage and words how to roll, walk, and run. If you put a child into a game of tag they immediately find angles to push off the ground and accelerate, create angles to decelerate and stop, and then reaccelerate to avoid getting tagged. And the more they are in that tag environment the better they become at it. The same thing happens on a tennis court, once a student understands the stroke techniques/concepts the best thing to do is get out there and move while hitting the ball.
In tennis you can have perfect strokes but it you cannot get to the ball that technique is useless. Efficient movement patterns are becoming more an more important as the game continues to speed up and I wrote about why movement is paramount way back in 2014.
Here is a video I put together explaining the lateral (sideways) footwork patterns for a one hand backhand.
I realize that there are variations and there must be. Each ball that comes to your side of the court and where you are positioned to receive it at that moment are unique. Sometimes you have more time and will make small adjustment steps, sometimes you are pressured on time and simply have to do something athletic to get the ball back. These are the basics and when basic concepts are understood and practiced it aids players in moving better.
In teaching footwork I find that the best way is to really let the human body figure it out. After all we are pre-programmed to move. No one teaches a baby with slow motion footage and words how to roll, walk, and run. If you put a child into a game of tag they immediately find angles to push off the ground and accelerate, create angles to decelerate and stop, and then reaccelerate to avoid getting tagged. And the more they are in that tag environment the better they become at it. The same thing happens on a tennis court, once a student understands the stroke techniques/concepts the best thing to do is get out there and move while hitting the ball.
Here is a video post explaining the more advanced technical aspects of a forehand. Levers and lag in particular are the fancy things that get a lot of attention and they are essential to having a high level forehand. But as I discuss in the video the foundation of developing coordinated power from the ground up and just basic athletic skills in general, like hand-eye coordination, are what the more advanced technical aspects of the forehand are built upon. You have to think long-term and not skip any steps along the way.
I was listening to a podcast with Lee Taft while riding the spin bike the other day. I was introduced to the Lee Taft’s work over a decade ago and he changed my coaching life showing me what really happens in multi-directional movement. Footwork in tennis is essential because you have to both get to and recover quickly from every shot you make. The podcast inspired me to make a video on the importance of the split step. It it critical to understand the use of elastic energy (stretch-shortening cycle), the angles of force that are applied into the ground, and the directional step. One of the best ways you can improve your split step at home right now is simply jumping rope.
I have utilized video in my coaching for years but with school now online I have really had a renewed focus. I also very much miss working on the court with kids and hitting tennis balls myself. With that being said I have been diving into helping kids at home with video coaching along with filming and analyzing my own technique. There is always a way to turn challenges into opportunities for growth and social distancing provides an ideal opportunity to make technical changes. There are no competitions or tournaments to worry about and the best way to actually make a technical change or learn a skill is to slow down and focus all your intention on the movement itself and not the outcome.
Here is a video of myself making a key technical change in my forehand. First, I identified the specific areas that I wanted to improve. Then I slowed the movement down with deliberate practice on the Eye Coach and then slowly built the skill back up into full speed over the course of a few days. Now I am in a much better position to pull my hand and racket towards the ball and make contact with a straight arm. The left is the before and the right is the after.
That is exactly what Feder and Nadal do and they both have pretty good forehands.
I also realized I was not watching the ball all the way to contact. I was pulling my head up too quickly. I don’t know if this is a habit I developed from coaching tennis and always watching what players across the net are doing or I was afraid to get crushed by the returning ball off the wall of my house. Either way with some practice of focusing my eyes at the contact point it will clearly lead to a more clean hits.
How I made these changes was relatively simple and easily replicated. I designed some drills to perform slowly and deliberately on the Eye Coach. This tool is perfect for this because it holds the ball stationary like a hitting tee in baseball. This allows you to slow things down and focus specifically on the movement. The added benefit of doing this without a tennis court or net is that there is no outcome to focus on. I am not worried if I made or missed the shot, instead I am only focused on my technique. This is the quickest way to learn and it is called deep or deliberate practice just like in the books “The Talent Code” or “Talent is Overrated.”
If you have access to tennis balls and a racket during the time of social distancing use the tool of slow motion video and send me one. I’ll be happy to take a look and provide feedback on how you too can improve at home. That way when we can get back on the court you will be more than ready to go.
And don’t forget if you do want to get yourself an Eye Coach you can do so using the code “SlezakPro” and it will net down to $150 which is the lowest price it has ever been sold for. Great time to pick one up for your house.
Tennis is still on hold…
However, I have been remotely coaching a few kids on their technique who already have an Eye Coach at home. It it is pretty simple and cool. Just get an Eye Coach and film your kids hitting forehands/backhands and send me the video. I’ll then use an app that allows me to do slow-motion video, voice over and drawing to provide feedback and specific things to practice. There is no charge for video coaching. I am just happy to help make the world a little better place and give your kids something to do and a way to continue to improve. The circumstances stink but provide a perfect opportunity to focus exclusively on technique.
I even called Peter Schmitt who runs the business operations for the Eye Coach and got it discounted down to $150 and FREE SHIPPING which is the lowest the Eye Coach has ever been sold for. All you have to do is type in the coupon code “SlezakPro”and you’ll receive the special pricing. If you purchase the Pro version without the bag it should net down to exactly $150.
Any questions please let me know. Here are some examples of using video coaching just in the past few months…
You can still register for the Spring and Summer Camps but for right now the start date for Sundays in the Spring is to be determined.
Sundays – 2020 Spring Tennis Info & Registration
2020 Summer Tennis Camp Info & Registration
Stay safe and healthy all!
Best,
Coach Alex Slezak
The weather is changing and we are ready again for outdoor tennis!
We will continue with our Sunday tennis sessions in the Spring moving outdoors March 29th and concluding June 7th. Information and how to register for the spring sessions can be found at by CLICKING HERE – Spring 2020 Tennis Registration.
We will transition right into the summer camp sessions Monday-Friday beginning June 15th and concluding August 7th. These dates are still tentative and will only change if we do not get a blizzard in March and have a bunch of snow make-up days. Info on the summer camp can be found by CLICKING HERE- Summer Camp 2020 Registration.
Assuming the end of the school year does not change through the rest of the winter, tennis camp will tentatively run for 8 weeks this summer, Monday-Friday June 18th – August 10th.
Tennis camp has grown tremendously over the past few years. I thank you for that because it you who took the time to share your experiences with your friends and family. Last summer we reached full or near full capacity especially in the intermediate and advanced groups. If you plan on attending please register your son or child early to avoid any conflicts and allow me to best plan for an excellent experience.