Greg Shanaphy | Tumblr Blog

An accomplished golfer, Gregory Shanaphy shot a hole in one over 175 yards at a par-three hole in Pennsylvania. Since amateur golfers should focus on their specific technique and swings, Greg Shanaphy explains, many intermediate golfers get wrapped up in specific movements. These players may try to process several different bits of information at once instead of trusting their muscle memory, which inevitably results in poor accuracy. When individuals pay more attention to their arms than the way the clubface hits the ball, they lose control over the swing. 

To improve accuracy, individuals must focus on the path of their swing and ensure that the clubface makes square contact with the ball. To practice this motion, players can take two short-iron clubs and lay them parallel to each other and pointing toward the target. These clubs should lie about half a foot apart with the tee in the middle. In this exercise, the clubs become the channel for the swing. Ideally the club’s head make a parabolic shape, moving into the target line to hit the ball square before retracting back in front of the target line. This drill teaches the hands and forearm how to properly move the club head through the target for maximum accuracy and control.

Since 1958, the Little Sisters of the Assumption (LSA) Family Health Service has worked to advance the health of families across New York’s East Harlem neighborhood. Gregory Shanaphy is proud to support the work of this important community institution. Guided by the principle that charity alone does not make for change, the group works to empower New York’s poorest families to take charge of their own health. 

LSA Family Health Service offers a broad range of programming geared toward adults and children in East Harlem. Some services bring visiting nurses into family homes on a weekly basis, while others—such as a centralized food pantry and Sharing Place thrift store at the group’s headquarters—help families to meet their basic needs. The support of donors and volunteers like Greg Shanaphy ensures that LSA Family Health Service can help to strengthen families and improve health outcomes for generations to come.

New York’s Irish-American community has long been a vital part of the region’s business prowess and cultural diversity. The Irish Business Organization of New York (IBO) celebrates this legacy, working to advance the interests of Irish and Irish-American businesspeople throughout the tri-state area. Since its establishment in 1973, the IBO has organized networking meetings and special seminars to help members advance their careers and expand their business horizons.

The IBO’s central “mantra” of “Network, Communicate, and Reciprocate” captures the ethic of mutual support and growth at the heart of the organization. Informal exchanges among members are just as important as formal events; countless businesspeople have benefitted from the feedback and advice of their fellows. Over breakfasts or drinks, across dinner tables or boardroom tables, the IBO helps facilitate the interactions that drive commerce forward.

About Greg Shanaphy: An investment analyst with extensive experience building wealth management strategies, Gregory Shanaphy belongs to the Irish Business Organization of New York.

A dedicated and experienced golfer, Gregory Shanaphy often works with novices to help them learn how to drive the ball further and with more accuracy. Gregory Shanaphy explains that power primarily comes from the core of the body, which acts like a coil. Golf instructors use the phrase “connected swing” to describe the fluid motion of the hips, torso, shoulders, and arms as they unwind into the ideal swing. 

In order to achieve this all-important motion, individuals must keep the non-dominant arm close to the chest during both the backswing and the downswing. On the follow-through, the golfer should pull the dominant arm close into the chest. This motion allows the golfer to put the greatest amount of power into the swing. To practice the movement, individuals can take a shirt or towel and place it across their chest with it tucked under the armpits. During the swing, the fabric should stay across the chest, held in place first by the non-dominant arm and then the dominant arm. Golfers should focus on moving the arms, shoulders, and chest in unison and subsequently following through with the hips. If the towel falls, individuals can try swinging more slowly until they get the motion just right.

Dedicated to personal fitness, Gregory Shanaphy spends a significant amount of time training with weights. Within the weight training community, Gregory Shanaphy notes, a great debate exists about whether to train at home or at the gym. For novices, the gym provides both professional trainers and a variety of equipment to test, making it an indispensable asset. However, once proper technique has been learned and a set routine is established, is it beneficial to purchase equipment for home use? 

A home gym allows individuals to work out at any time and completely eliminates the travel obligations associated with working out at the gym. Also, it could encourage family members or friends to begin exercising. On the other hand, some find a home gym actually too convenient and end up working out less because they continually put their routine off for a later time. In addition, many enjoy the sense of community that many gyms have or simply enjoy having a regular venue besides work and home. 

Ultimately, the decision is up to the individual. Weight trainers should think about their goals and what they enjoy about exercise before making a decision. Whether at home or at a gym, they must ensure that working out remains enjoyable and engaging.

by Gregory Shanaphy

In honor of the Year of Faith, St. Philomena’s Catholic Church in Livingston, New Jersey, will offer a series of classes on theology and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict declared 2012-2013 the Year of Faith in order to mark the 50th anniversary of Vatican II and the 20th Anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.These classes will give people in the parish a way to participate in the spirit of the Year of Faith. The first class, led by a theology professor from Seton Hall University, explained the concept of the four marks of the Catholic Church. Future talks will delve into topics like the sacraments, the saints, and the meaning of suffering. The talks take place in the church and reservations are not required.

Gregory Shanaphy is a parishioner at St. Philomena’s Catholic Church in Livingston, New Jersey. Shanaphy also supports a variety of religious orders and a retirement home for priests.

Established in the thirteenth century, the University of Siena is one of the oldest universities in Italy. 

Originally called Studium Senese, the university was able to attract students in the early fourteenth century due to a mass exodus of students from nearby University of Bologna. The university stayed open until 1808, when forces sympathetic to Napoleon took over the area and shut the school down. The Studium Senese did not open again until Ferdinand III, known as the Grand Duke of Tuscany, came to power in 1814. 

After several years of peace, the university’s students united to revolt in April 1848, showing their opposition to the unification of Italy as a single state, and their flag is still preserved in the chancellor’s building. 

With the 1900s came expansion and growth—the number of students grew and the local bank financed the creation of a biology department. The university recently celebrated its 770th anniversary. 

About the author: Gregory Shanaphy is Vice President at UBS, where he acts as a Senior Portfolio Manager, Investment Wealth Advisor, and Institutional Consultant. As an undergrad, he studied abroad in Italy at the University of Siena.