Using The Alexander Technique To Generate Power

by Gary Adelman

The initial article of this series introduced the concepts that the great strokes of the game incorporate the principles of the Alexander Technique and that integrating those principles into your own game can greatly elevate your level of play. The second article detailed how the principles can improve your movement. This article will cover the use of the principles of the Alexander Technique to generate power.

Notice Hewitt's spirallic movement thru his whole torso and out thru his arms in preparation for the shot. His upper torso winds more than his lower torso creating dynamic stretch.

As described in the first two articles, the heart of the Technique is learning to consciously control the use of the body. After intensive study, F.M. Alexander discovered a little known secret of coordinated movement that controls how we use ourselves in all our activities.

Simply put, this control is based upon a the head, back and neck in relation to the rest of the body. To properly and naturally use our bodies, whether in striking a tennis ball or any other movement, 1) our heads must initiate the movement forward and up and 2) our torso and the rest of our body must then follow the lead of the head by lengthening (as opposed to contracting).

The proper use of the neck is what allows that leading of the head and consequent lengthening to occur. A “free” neck allows the head to release delicately forward and up off the top of the spine. However, if the neck muscles are not free, but, rather stiff and over-contracted, the head can not release from the neck and initiate a lengthening response. Alexander called the proper use of the head, neck and torso the “Primary Control” since controlling the head, neck and torso enables you to control the entire body.

The Key to Power: Spiral Movement

Spiral movement is the secret to accessing enormous untapped power in your strokes. More specifically, two spiral movements, one done in the preparation phase of the stroke and the other done in the forward swing of the stroke, are the key.

Spiral movement is defined as a three-dimensional curve in space around a central axis. A spiral elongates as it turns so it has a built-in expansive quality to it. Spiral movement is a type of movement we naturally and frequently perform throughout the day.

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Gary Adelman, a former top player at Columbia University, has been teaching tennis for 25 years and the Alexander Technique for 10 years. Gary is a certified Alexander Technique teacher, having completed a 3-year teacher training program for the Alexander Technique in Cambridge, MA. He has worked with national and world-ranked players with this technique at the Israeli Tennis Center in Ramat Hasharon, Israel, including Anna Pistolesi.

Gary teaches tennis and the Alexander Technique to the tennis teams at Harvard, Princeton and Babson College. He will be the assistant varsity women’s tennis coach at Princeton University this fall. Gary will also be a presenter at the USPTA National Convention in September in Hollywood, Florida. Gary currently teaches tennis at Canyon Ranch Spa in Lenox, MA. Gary can be reached by email at Garyadelman@earthlink.com. By phone: 609 430-4710.

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