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The Ace Elite program is designed for top-level players and those who aspire to be top-level players. It is a rigorous training program focused on preparing players for state, sectional, and national tournaments.
The Ace Elite Tennis Training Program is the premier junior tennis program at the Little Rock Racquet Club. The program is designed for top-level players and those who aspire to be top-level players. It is a rigorous training program focused on preparing players for state, sectional, and national tournaments.
The program utilizes the ACE Progressive System of Coaching, a comprehensive technical, tactical, philosophical, and evolving training system based on the fundamental commonalities of the best players that have ever played the game of tennis, both past and present. All coaches in the ACE Elite Program are certified in the ACE System. The system has produced over 20 national and international junior tennis championships. The first eight players to train in the system all achieved a top ten national ranking within three years of beginning ACE training. Some of the current players trained under this system include the 2008 Boys’ 14 Orange Bowl Champion and one of the final 16 women at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships.
The ACE System is based upon the principle of deep practice, a targeted, focused practice where the player operates at the edges of his or her ability and struggles to meet the demands of a particular drill or activity. Deep practice turns mistakes into skills. As the ACE player struggles to meet the demands of practice, ACE coaches provide constant feedback and correction. Deep practice is the type of practice utilized by almost every athlete who has achieved world-class skill.
Technical: Coaches in the ACE Elite program utilize the ACE technical system, which is based on the biomechanical commonalities of the best ball strikers in the world. Using Dartfish, the most advanced video analysis technology on the market, ACE coaches compare each player’s technique to the appropriate professional model and then work with the player to achieve the correct technical reference points.
Tactical: ACE coaches teach the ACE tactical system, a comprehensive system of strategy based upon the principle of putting constant pressure on one’s opponent. The system utilizes the principles of physics and geometry, enabling the ACE player to keep his or her opponent on defense and produce weak shots for the ACE player to exploit. Players are given a purpose or goal for every point they play, including the most effective shot and the appropriate recovery for each situation. Players are held accountable in both practice and in match play for all components of the tactical system. During practices, ACE coaches employ state of the art ball machine drills, live drills, point play, and match play to teach the tactical system and the shots required to execute the tactics. ACE coaches also use on-court video cameras and Dartfish video analysis to reinforce proper tactics.
Physical: The ACE system requires each player to be in top physical condition. Players are tested initially and periodically using USTA fitness testing protocol to identify each player’s strengths and weaknesses. Identifying each player’s strengths and weaknesses enables staff to recommend exercises or programs to enhance the player’s on-court performance and avoid injury. ACE players are trained by Wes Hall, a trainer at the LRRC who specializes in tennis specific physical training. Wes offers consultation and individual and group training so as to optimize each player’s strength, speed, quickness, flexibility, and stamina.
Mental Toughness and Focus: The ACE program instills mental toughness and mental focus in every player who participates in the program. ACE drills are designed to challenge each player so that he or she has to reach beyond his or her current ability and struggle to meet the demands of the particular drill. The ACE tactical system provides a goal and purpose for each point the player plays, thereby helping to instill mental focus.
Code of Conduct: Every player participating in the ACE Elite Program is required to agree to a written code of conduct setting forth the expected behavior of the player during practice and competition and the punishment for violation of the code. The purpose of the code is to ensure that the program develops players who respect their coaches, other players in the program, and their opponents, as well as produces players of the highest caliber.
Tournament Coaching: ACE certified coaches provide tournament coaching at most of the important state, sectional, and national tournaments. Tournament coaching includes conducting pre-match warm-up, watching and charting matches, split-set coaching, and post-match coaching.
ACE Elite Links: The ACE Elite Program has a facebook group, “Dojo Ace Elites.” The program also has a private Dartfish TV channel, “Dojo Ace Elite T.V.,” where players in the program and their parents can watch videos of the players as well as instructional videos.
The ACE Network: ACE coaches in the USTA’s Southern Section work together to produce the best players in the South and United States. ACE coaches, including Heath Waters, will travel to the LRRC and conduct high performance training sessions or ACE camps. In turn, ACE coaches at the LRRC will travel with players to Atlanta and other cities in the South for ACE training sessions and camps, as well as workouts with top level juniors and tour players.
Training Schedule: Afternoon group tennis training for the ACE Elite Program is held Monday through Thursday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Early morning drop-in group tennis training is held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. Group physical training for the ACE Program is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:10 to 7:50 a.m.
| Days per Week | Dartfish Videos | Session Fee (4 weeks) |
| 2 | 2 per year | $190 |
| 2 | 1 per session | $230 |
| 3 | 2 per year | $265 |
| 3 | 1 per session | $305 |
| 4 | 2 per year | $320 |
| 4 | 1 per session | $360 |
| Afternoon Drop-In | $30 per session |
| Morning Drop-In | $13 per workout |
| Physical Training | $15 per workout |
| Dartfish Analysis | $75 per hour |
| Private Lessons 60 minutes 45 minutes 30 minutes | $65 $50 $35 |
| Tournament Coaching Out of Town Local | $250 per day plus expenses (may be split among several players) $37.50 per hour |
Daniel Cornelison: Daniel is certified both by the USPTA and ACE. Daniel has studied the ACE technical and tactical systems extensively and has developed advanced ball machine drills specifically designed to teach the fundamentals of the ACE tactical system. He has more than a decade of tennis coaching experience, the last three of which have been at the LRRC. He has coached several D1 college players as well as top juniors. Daniel achieved a top seventy ranking in Boys 18’s in Texas after picking up a racquet only two years earlier. Daniel played D2 college tennis.
Will Campbell: An ACE certified coach, Will has worked extensively with Heath Waters, the founder of the ACE System and current coach on the ATP and WTA tours, in order to become an expert in the ACE technical and tactical systems. He also has spent considerable time with Brian Gordon, the leading expert in tennis biomechanics and the founder of 3-D Tennis Technologies. Will currently coaches one of the top 12 players in the USTA’s Southern Section and has coached several top junior players. He is a former Arkansas high school state singles champion, a former number 1 player in Men’s 40’s singles in Arkansas, and a member of an NAIA college tennis team that was ranked third nationally.
