We are half way through the summer but the school year is right around the corner…
I am happy to announce we will begin our Sunday tennis program on Sunday, August 25th.
For more information or to register please click the link below.
When people think about their children playing tennis often the image of competitive tournaments and the college dream comes to mind. The competitive junior tennis scene is a fantastic journey in and of itself but this weekend I was reminded of the most important reasons to play tennis.
This is a picture of Al DeLuca. He was born in 1936 which makes him 87 years young. Mr. DeLuca and I met and became friends through tennis. He has played tennis his entire life and it has had a profound impact on him. He still hits tennis balls every Sunday with players in the program and has become a mentor to both them and myself.
This weekend in the frigid temperatures he still drove out to Lakevue to play. In doing that I was reminded of the real reason you want your children to play tennis. A quick Google search shows all of the studies stating that people who acquire the skills of hitting a tennis ball tend to play the sport for a lifetime. Studies show that playing tennis also adds approximately 10 years to your lifetime. The health and mental benefits of playing tennis are astounding!
Mr. DeLuca thank you for your inspiration to others. This past weekend you reminded me of the gift that coaching tennis truly is. I wish competitive success to everyone. Even more important is my hope that tennis helps them hopefully live a long and healthy life!
I am happy to announce we will move back outside on Sunday, April 2nd and continue through June 4th.
For more information or to register please click the link below.
Spring 2023 Tennis Information
Information on the Summer Camp is also tentatively out and can be found at the link below.
Summer 2023 Tennis Information
We will be having tennis classes indoors at Lakevue beginning November 6th until we can go back outdoors in the spring.
Complete details are at the link below.
Winter Tennis Registration & Information
We will begin doing clinics at Lakevue Athletic Club on Sunday’s beginning November 8th.
Elementary Aged Players 11am – 12pm
Middle & High School Aged Players 12pm – 2pm
I plan on keeping the number of players limited due to COVID-19 so please register early if you wish to join us.
All the information and online registration can be found here.
Winter Tennis 2020 Information & Registration
It was an honor for me to be on the master of speed Lee Taft’s tennis specific podcast this past week. Check it out!
I am taking a little time off from coaching tennis to spend with my family. However, once I get back I will continue with private lessons through the fall. It worked extremely well this summer given the current situation and allows me more flexibility right now. Once we get closer to the winter I’ll re-evaluate doing clinics once again. If you are interested please email me info@alexslezak.com.
I have spent more hours than I care to count developing strokes, studying technique and using video to enhance skill acquisition. The difference between good and elite technique is often small and takes a deep understanding of biomechanics. All elite groundstrokes and serves have the same fundamentals for power production, use of elastic energy and spin maximization. Although it may look like professional players at the top of the game have different mechanics they are all fundamentally the same. The way the human body (joints, muscles and nervous system) assemble a movement pattern makes it as unique to an individual as their DNA but the fundamentals remain the same.
The technology in our phones have made what was once impossible to see with the human eye as simple as using the slow motion function. With the knowledge it is now easier than ever to analyze technique, identify limiting factors and objectively measure improvement over time. The visual learning style also allows players to “see themselves” instead of only being able to “feel” what they are doing on the court.
If you are interested in video analysis please contact me via email info@alexslezak.com for more information.
This post is applies to everyone but it is aimed at those working with young kids especially. The ability to create rotational power is a natural movement pattern for the human body. In the video below I use an 8 Board (developed by fellow tennis coach Jack Broudy) to demonstrate how the hips are the engine for rotational power. Developing good tennis strokes is directly related to being efficient at this movement pattern. I am not even sure if the 8 board is still in production. I have had mine for a while but it has been a fantastic teaching tool because it allows you to feel the movement.
Now for those of you working with little ones this is my son using a full size racket hitting off an air tee in my driveway. If you put relatively heavy things in kids hands and allow them to experiment with swinging it you will be amazed at how quickly they get the rotational power movement. This is why I steer people away from light aluminum rackets and to heavier 25, 26 and sometimes even 27 inch rackets. Small light ones can be easily swung with just the arm but with something heavy the body is forced to use the hips and that is what you want for the foundation of a tennis stroke in the long term.
For those of you planning to keep on playing tennis throughout the Winter we will continue our intermediate (11:00-12:00) and Advanced (12:00-2:00) Sunday classes indoors at Lakevue Athletic Club. We will begin on Sunday, November 3rd and continue all winter until we can get back outdoors in the spring.
For complete information and to register click the link below. Please take note there is no Beginners class in the Winter, Intermediate from 11:00am-12:00pm, and Advanced training from 12:00pm-2:00pm.