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Shaughnessy distinguished as USPTA Master Pro

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Five Earn USPTA Master Professional Distinction

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NEW ORLEANS – The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) honored five of its members for achieving Master Professional status, the highest professional rating within the tennis profession.

Michael Chamberlain, Christopher Chopra, Stan Oley, James Shaughnessy and John Trinity were honored at the annual awards presentation during the USPTA World Conference on Sept. 25 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans.

Members must hold USPTA’s highest certification rating (Elite Professional) for more than 10 years before becoming eligible for the Master Professional designation. Then each must fulfill a broad spectrum of requirements, including making significant achievements in areas such as tennis teaching and coaching, business, education and volunteer work.

Michael Chamberlain’s career has come full circle, beginning at the Memphis Racquet Club’s Junior Academy Program in 1985 to now serving as the club’s director of tennis where he is the director of the club’s junior academy. He has been a USPTA member for more than 10 years and holds multiple certifications. In 2013, Chamberlain was named the USPTA Tennis Professional of the Year by the USPTA Southern Division. A year prior, he was named the USTA Tennessee Professional Coach of the Year.

Christopher Chopra began teaching tennis in Richmond, Ind., in 1999. In 2006, he was named the Indiana USPTA Tennis Professional of the Year. He has presented at several USPTA Midwest conventions and Indiana High School Tennis Association Conferences over the years. He is a USPTA Elite Professional, a USTA High Performance Coach, and a member of the Prince National Team. Chopra is currently serving as a Vice President of the USPTA Midwest Executive Board and on the USTA Midwest Talent/ID committee. He is a State Head Coach for the USTA/Midwest Section where he oversees high performance and early developmental camps for all juniors under 14 years old.

Stan Oley has been a tennis-teaching professional for 30 years and is the product marketing specialist for Playmate Ball Machines. He has been a national speaker and a clinician since 1990, and he is a member of the Cardio Tennis Global Speakers Team. Oley’s drills and articles have been published in several publications, including ADDvantage magazine, Tennis Week and PTR Tennis Pro Magazine, and he has been featured in “On Court with USPTA” on the Tennis Channel.

James Shaughnessy is the founder of SCIO 3D Sports, a software company that utilizes data analysis of 3D kinematics and visuals to analyze a tennis player’s technique. Shaughnessy has been a USPTA member for more than 22 years. He is also the Director of Tennis at Oakwood Country Club in Enid, Okla. He is part of the adjunct faculty teaching courses on biomechanics at Oklahoma Baptist University.

John Trinity has been a USPTA member for more than 25 years and is currently the Director of Tennis for the Maplewood Tennis Program and a health and physical education teacher in Dover, N.J. He coached several teams to county and state championships over a 26-year stretch. He was the USPTA High School Coach of the Year in 1991 and chosen New Jersey State Girls’ Tennis Coach of the Year in 2009. Trinity also received the prestigious NJSIAA High School Sports Award for contributions and service to high school sports in 2010.

The USPTA National Awards program is conducted annually. Nominations are submitted by the organization’s 17 divisions and by individuals. Recipients in each category are decided by the USPTA’s awards committee.

NADAL’S SIMPLE 7

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7 Simple Techniques Nadal Uses to Hit His Extremely Powerful Backhand Consistently

Scio 3D Sports analysis of Rafael Nadal’s backhand has revealed techniques used by Nadal which are often overlooked or impossible to be seen with the naked eye by even the best players and coaches.

Nadal hits a high velocity ball with an exceptional amount of spin. Since, spin slows the ball down, how can Nadal hit so fast?  Scio 3D Sports set out to measure Nadal’s technique, to find out how Nadal achieves high velocity with extreme spin.

Scio 3D Sports analysis revealed unseen techniques used by Nadal that players and coaches can use. Five different Nadal backhands are seen below in 3D visuals and data.

Scio 3D Sports analysis reveals that;

1. MEETS THE BALL AT THE SAME IMPACT HEIGHT.  http://youtu.be/Qvq-O3MF9xs for real time and http://youtu.be/JbgR1j5nwSQ

The five balls approaching Rafael Nadal are coming from different directions at different speeds and depths.  Nadal is also moving to the shots from different positions in the court.  The amazing thing is the Rafael positions himself to meet the ball between 40-42 inches off the court for each shot.  Nadal also hits two balls crosscourt and three balls down the line.

Yellow Skeleton = shot coming in down the line and going out down the line. Nadal moving back.

Red Skeleton = shot coming in crosscourt and going out down the line.  Nadal hitting off back leg with stance closing as he is swinging.

White Skeleton = shot coming in down the middle and going out down the line.  Nadal moved back a small step then set up and gets a good push from the back leg to the front.

Blue skeleton = shot coming down the line and going out cross court. Nadal is moving laterally very quickly and is hitting off his back leg while swing his front leg from an open to a closed stance.

Green Skeleton = shot coming in from down the line and going out crosscourt.  Nadal is comfortably setting up in a closed stance.

2. EVEN WITH A COMPLETELY CLOSED STANCE NADAL NEVER LETS HIS HIPS (PELVIS) TURN SIDEWAYS OR PERPENDICULAR TO THE NET. First watch a top view of Nadal’s 5 backhands at http://youtu.be/MGNkswaeUc8  then we cut away the body so you can just see the hips (pelvis)   http://youtu.be/PXf1xfocFK4 .

This is another fact that can only be picked up by 3D motion analysis.  This is an incredible move that allows Nadal to maximize the “serape effect” allowing him to rotate his shoulders into the ball more forcefully and efficiently.  Look closely at the models of Nadal’s pelvis and notice that they never get fully sideways to the net even though his stances are completely closed.

3. AT IMPACT NADAL’S SHOULDERS ARE POSITIONED 45 DEGREES CLOSED TO THE NET. THE HIPS ARE 55 DEGREES CLOSED TO THE NET.  See the same top view in with tubes representing the body parts to make the angles easier to see.  http://youtu.be/HJu1lAjeU-U and frozen at impact here http://youtu.be/zYKWUnKivO8

The angle of NADAL’s shoulder segment (a straight line segment drawn from shoulder joint to shoulder joint) is surprisingly closed to the net.  Most people equate heavy topspin with more open stances.

4. WHEN NADAL’S BACKSWING IS FULLY LOADED NADAL’S SHOULDERS ARE COILED AN AVERAGE OF 30 DEGREES BEYOND PERPENDICULAR TO THE NET.  http://youtu.be/HJu1lAjeU-U

Nadal uses a very large trunk twist to setup a very closed trunk position (facing away from the net) in relation to the net to set up for the explosive forward swing.  When you combine the closed shoulders with the open hips you get a large “serape effect” which causes efficient and powerful contractions of the muscles that rotate the trunk and shoulders.

5. THE TRAJECTORY OF NADAL’S RACKET TIP IS AN AVERAGE OF 33 DEGREES UPWARD AT IMPACT.

http://youtu.be/i9Mu9QAU5h8

A 0 degree trajectory is a swing that is level to the ground.  A swing that goes straight up to the sky is 90 degree trajectory.  Nadal’s stroke is far from level but even further from straight up.

The reason he gets so much spin is the upward velocity of his stroke.  These five strokes average
35 MPH of upward velocity.

6. NADAL IS STAYING DOWN AND NOT LIFTING WITH HIS LEGS THROUGH IMPACT.

When one views Nadal’s physical stature, his thick thighs (quadriceps) stand out.  His gluteus maximus muscles are also large relative to other tennis players.  These muscles are used to straighten the knees and hips which lifts the body.  When Nadal hits his backhand he does not lift up with his powerful legs rather he stabilizes and keeps his pelvis level.  He lifts the racket tip with his upper arms and the rotation of his forearms.  Nadal’s center of mass is only rising slightly due to the rapid lifting of the arms.

7. NADAL LIFTS THE RACKET TIP 22.16 INCHES UP TO IMPACT.  (16.7 INCHES ON HIS FLATTEST SHOT).  Rafael’s racket tip drops below the ball/racket impact point 17 inches on the Red Skeleton that is moving back and hitting a counter-attacking shot down the line at 72.8 MPH.  The racket tip drops a maximum of 27 inches below the ball/racket impact point on the Blue Skeleton.  That shot will have a great deal of topspin but still was hit at 70.7 MPH.

HOW DOES NADAL HIT SO MUCH SPIN AND STILL MAKE THE BALL GO SO FAST?

Nadal keeps his hips open a little while he steps in with extremely coiled shoulders. This creates a serape effect that viciously efficiently uncoils his shoulders. The shoulder segment’s uncoiling provides the forward racket velocity to hit the ball hard.  Nadal uses his arms to lift his racket from a position 16 to 27 inches below impact to provide incredible upward racket velocity which provides the energy for rolling friction on the ball.  Nadal ensures consistency of execution of this pattern by moving his feet to a spot in the court that allows him to impact the ball at 41-42 inches high.