7 Shot Tennis
Match Charting
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
The purpose of the 7ST Standard Tennis Match Charting Certification Program is to provide certification training and testing to ensure that certified individuals have demonstrated at least minimum levels of training, understanding, skill and proficiency in standard tennis match charting conventions and practices.
This program is available to all tennis players, coaches and instructors.
For teaching pros and coaches, becoming certified gives you a leg up over others in your field by recognizing that you have demonstrated that you have the qualifications to accurately observe and record, in real time, information about a tennis match that is the most important for assessing player strengths, weaknesses and tendencies.
Have you ever needed someone to chart one of your own matches, or to chart a match of one of your tennis students, but you couldn’t identify anyone with the credentials to do so? Now you can.
Studies have shown that one of the best ways to teach good point-construction and tennis tactics to high school tennis team players, is to have non-playing team members take turns charting the matches of playing team members. The 7ST Standard Match Charting Certification Program provides a way of recognizing and rewarding those individuals who achieve various levels of proficiency in charting tennis matches.
THREE TENNIS MATCH CHARTING CERTIFICATION LEVELS
“PRO LEVEL” CERTIFICATION
To become certified at PRO LEVEL tennis match charting, you must take and pass the PRO LEVEL Match Charting Certification Exam. The exam is available online to anyone and can be taken at any time. The cost of the PRO LEVEL Certification Exam is $40, but you can take the PRO LEVEL Certification Exam (up to two times) for FREE with the purchase of a downloadable digital copy of the book “Standard TENNIS MATCH CHARTING and NOMENCLATURE” by Steve Clark and Dave Howell for $50.
The PRO LEVEL match charting certification exam has approximately 75 multiple-choice questions, including questions about basic tennis match scoring, tennis court layout and target zone notation, along with standard levels 1a-1c match charting conventions and nomenclature as described in “Standard TENNIS MATCH CHARTING and NOMENCLATURE“.
The PRO LEVEL Certification Exam usually takes about 45 minutes to complete.
Test takers who score between 85% and 90% on the exam receive “PRO 1” certification, which generally indicates that the individual is proficient at level 1a match charting, as described in “Standard TENNIS MATCH CHARTING and NOMENCLATURE“. PRO 1 match charting is entry-level charting. This level of charting is good for all players, coaches and spectators interested in tracking the flow of a tennis match. PRO 1 certified charters are proficient at keeping track of whether each point of a match has ended due to a “good” shot or due to an “error” by a particular player, as well as recording service winners and double-faults.
Test takers who score between 90% and 95% on the exam receive “PRO 2” certification, which generally indicates that the individual is proficient at level 1a and level 1b match charting, as described in “Standard TENNIS MATCH CHARTING and NOMENCLATURE“. PRO 2 charting is basic stoke-based charting that may be useful for players, coaches and spectators. An easy, but important, step up from PRO 1 charting, PRO 2 charters are not just proficient at charting whether each point-deciding shot was a “good” shot or an “error”, they are can additionally keep track of the strokes (i.e., forehand, backhand, volley, overhead, etc.) of those “good” shots and “errors”, as well as record where (in the service box) any service winners land.
Test takers who score above 95% on the exam receive “PRO 3” certification, which generally indicates that the individual is proficient at levels 1a, 1b and 1c match charting, as described in “Standard TENNIS MATCH CHARTING and NOMENCLATURE“. PRO 3 charting is good, uncomplicated, mid-level charting for players, coaches and spectators who not only want to get a sense of the flow during a live tennis match, but who may also want to go back after the match to review what shots were working and which shots weren’t working. PRO 3 certified charters are proficient not only at tracking what the strokes (i.e., forehand, backhand, volley, etc.) of the “good” shots and “errors” are that decided the outcome of each point, but PRO 3 certified charters are also proficient at recording where each of those point-deciding shots landed inside or outside of the court.
“ELITE LEVEL” CERTIFICATION
To become certified at ELITE LEVEL tennis match charting, you must take and pass the ELITE LEVEL Match Charting Certification Exam. A minimum score of 90% is required to pass the ELITE LEVEL March Charting Certification Exam. Only individuals who have previously taken and passed the PRO 3 certification exam are allowed to take the ELITE LEVEL certification exam. The ELITE LEVEL certification exam is available online and can be taken at any time.
The cost of the ELITE LEVEL Certification Exam is $40. You can sign up to take the ELITE LEVEL certification exam at any time simply by clicking the button below and paying the exam admission fee.
The ELITE LEVEL match charting certification exam has approximately 45 multiple-choice questions. The ELITE LEVEL exam includes questions on level 2 charting conventions and notations as described in “Standard TENNIS MATCH CHARTING and NOMENCLATURE”.
ELITE LEVEL certification exam requires test takers to demonstrate a knowledge of basic tennis match scoring, tennis court layout and target zone notation, as well as a proficiency at match charting conventions and nomenclature. Exam questions require the test taker to demonstrate proficiency in keeping track of whether each point of a tennis match has ended due to a “good” shot or due to an “error” by a particular player, keeping track of the strokes (i.e., forehand, backhand, volley, overhead, etc.) of those “good” shots and “errors”, recording where those point-deciding shots landed inside or outside of the court, recording service winners and double-faults, and recording where (in the service box) any service winners land.
This level of charting is useful for providing coaches and tennis instructors with a good overview of a player’s (and a player’s opponents’) shot production effectiveness, as well as a useful scorecard for indicating which areas of shot production likely need to be worked on during practice.
“MASTER LEVEL” CERTIFICATION
To become certified at MASTER LEVEL tennis match charting, you must take and pass the MASTER LEVEL Match Charting Certification Exam. A minimum score of 90% is required to pass this exam. Only individuals who have previously taken and passed the ELITE LEVEL certification exam are allowed to take the MASTER LEVEL certification exam. The MASTER LEVEL exam is available online and can be taken at any time.
The cost of the MASTER LEVEL Certification Exam is $40. You can sign up to take the MASTER LEVEL certification exam at any time simply by clicking the button below and paying the exam admission fee..
The MASTER LEVEL match charting certification exam has approximately 45 multiple-choice questions. The MASTER LEVEL exam includes questions on level 3 charting conventions and notations as described in “Standard TENNIS MATCH CHARTING and NOMENCLATURE”.
MASTER LEVEL certified match charters know how to capture all of the most relevant outcome-influencing features of a match that have been found to be most useful to coaches, tennis instructors and teaching pros… without getting bogged down with recording and sifting through unimportant additional stats.
The MASTER LEVEL certification exam requires the match charter to demonstrate a proficiency at match charting conventions and nomenclature that include keeping track of whether each point has ended due to a “good” shot or due to an “error” by a particular player, keeping track of the strokes (i.e., forehand, backhand, volley, overhead, etc.) of those “good” shots and “errors”, recording where those point-deciding shots landed inside or outside of the court, recording service winners and double-faults, and recording where (in the service box) any service winners land, as well as recording the tactical (e.g., defensive, neutral, attacking, concluding) situations from which players hit every point-deciding shot of the match, and noting point-deciding shot combinations, sequences and patterns.