The main purpose of this site is to help people enact life changes whilst improving tennis. Tennis is a metaphor for life. The way we move through space, handle pressure, diminish ego and embrace competition are comparable to business life and social interaction.
Alexander technique
The Alexander technique has been typically used with musicians and actors to maximize breathing capacity and posture alignment. It teaches how to free ones-self from self-imposed limitations that may have been incidentally learned in past skill building. Its main purposes are movement freedom, self-improvement affecting poise, impulse control and directing attention. After several sessions with Carolyn, I found I had a mechanical ability on all strokes. My serve speed improved and my arms became more relaxed over time. I introduced Carolyn Kepes to a few of my tennis players and they now see her on a regular basis. If you are interested in more information about the Alexander Technique you can email Carolyn at this address carolyn7k@gmail.com
Rolfing
I was lucky enough to receive a phone call recently from a woman named Aline Newton. Aline introduced me to rolfing and after two sessions I found I can move with more efficiency which also translated to the tennis court. Luckily enough, she was interested in learning tennis so our little barter worked out well.
The greatest part about this post is that it can help players of all levels. First we can observe how players like Roger Federer and Andy Roddick rotate and maintain proper postural alignment.
Notice how relaxed Federer’s neck is and how whip like his arms are. Ground force from his leg drive facilitates torso rotation. His smooth kinetic chain sequence is enabled due to his well aligned torso.
Roddick achieves maximal torso rotation on his serve which is made possible by a perfect 90 degree knee bend and finishing in a balanced position. If you observe carefully you’ll notice that his arm is not culprit in producing force yet it is his legs and torso rotation that provides this force. His posture is neutral throughout the swing’s entirety.
