Library Designed to Aid Coaches and Players in Developing Fundamentals of Technique
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 12, 2007– The USTA today announced the launch of the Player Development Digital Video Library housing 200 clips of 40 of the world’s top players executing a variety of shots, including serves, returns, ground strokes and complete points. All of the shots contained in the library were captured at past US Opens, so this dynamic new teaching tool—which aids in developing proper technique and fundamentals for all strokes—essentially gives the viewer a front-row seat at the US Open.
The digital video library can be viewed on the USTA Player Development website (www.Playerdevelopment.usta.com) and can be accessed via the “Learn from the Pros: Ground-Breaking Video Instruction” banner on the right side. Coaches and players can access video clips of Venus and Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters and 32 other players simply by clicking on the photo of the player to load his or her videos and a select shot. A viewer can choose to watch as much or as little as desired, from an entire point from start to finish to a specific frame of a particular groundstroke.
“We are thrilled to bring coaches and players the latest in digital technology and have confidence the video library will provide them with a valuable teaching and learning tool,” said Paul Roetert, Ph.D., Managing Director, USTA Player Development. “Now we can use advances in digital technology to analyze technique and see how the best players in the world execute their strokes.”
“This video library is a great example of how digital media can provide a one-of-a-kind teaching tool,” said Jeffrey Volk, Director, Advanced Media, USTA. “Through this new online experience, we are able to bring the game closer to coaches, players and fans of all levels.”
Technique training is designed to give coaches and players the ability to identify and understand what the fundamentals of technique are and to distinguish between fundamentals, styles and technical flaws. It is vital to teach technique within the context of a player’s overall progressive development. No standard stroke is optimal for all players. However, each player can develop optimum technique by learning the mechanical fundamentals of stroke production.
The digital video library was established through a collaborative effort between the USTA’s Advanced Media and Player Development departments along with Dartfish, the leader in digital image enhancements for interactive internet content. Nearly 60% of the competitors at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Italy, used Dartfish as a training tool.