Tennis Workshops and Consultation LLC
Human Performance Research
Tennis is a test of capability that measures physical, psychological, and emotional performance under various conditions.
During my doctoral degree at Clemson University, I worked with undergraduates, graduates, and faculty to explore how engineering applications can be utilized to evaluate and improve tennis players' performance under fatigue conditions.
We utilize bio-sensing technology for physical measurements of heart rate, acceleration, body heat, body stress - electrodermal activity (EDA), and brain-visualizing sensors such as an electroencephalogram (EEG).
Research Grants and Sporsorship
The Creative Inquiry program at Watt's Family Innovation Center provided us with a home for our team's research and experimentation. The center provided visualization resources and top-of-the-line technological equipment as we explored the body's function within Tennis performance.
Decision-Making Impact by Performance Characteristics
Evaluating The Tennis Player Target Acquisition Under High Level of Stress and Endurance Conditions
Various performance characteristics (PC) are vital in the decision-making process. The human physical, emotional, and mental states and the environmental conditions in certain situations can articulate the PCs. Although the relationship between these PCs and decision-making has not yet been determined, this study addresses stress and endurance when evaluating risk-taking in a target acquisition game. The study evaluates the tennis player's ability to update his decision-making due to a change in his physical capability. Our research findings demonstrate that the player will select a lower-risk shot at some point under increasing levels of physical exhaustion (i.e., stress and endurance levels). A simulation model aims to train players to better assess decisions under decreasing resource levels and explain the player awareness delay and its consequences.
The decision-making under fatigue (DUF) drill was developed during our Creative Inquiry program with the Watt's Family Innovation Center at Clemson University. The tennis player starts at the Hitting Zone. He can decide to aim for Target A or Target B. Each target has specific requirements from the player as well as benefits. Seeking for target A requires less power, and the movement is diminished, thus allowing the player to recover. However, Target B requires more power and movement from the player and stresses his physical state. The players select which target to aim at, knowing that their objective is to get the highest score possible. Hitting Target B will earn the player more points than hitting Target A. The player will receive similar points if the ball hits any of the consistency zones surrounding both targets.
Relavent Publications
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​Shvorin, D., Taaffe, K., "Improving the Tennis Player Performance Using System Development Interpretations Methodology," International Journal of Quality Engineering and Technology (IJQET), Vol. 4, No. 3, 2014.
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​Shvorin, D., Taaffe, K., Baird M., Pirrallo, R., "Using Bio-sensing Technology and Simulation Modeling to Better Understand Tennis Player Performance Under Fatigue", Journal of Medicine & Science in Tennis (JMST), March 2020, Vol 25, Num 1, Page 14.
Dr. Matthew Baird, MD, a friend and colleague, is a sports medicine specialist in Spartanburg, SC and has over 16 years of experience in the medical field.