200501 racquet sports industry

2005STRING SURVEYOur exclusive rankingswill help you and yourcustomers pick theright strings

Special Section:How the TIA is paving theway for your business

Anatomy of a Shoe

Facility-of-the-Year Awards� String Playtest

� Ask the Experts

� Tips and Techniques

� Science: Spin and Control

January 2005Volume 33 Number 1 $5.00

DEPARTMENTS

R S I J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 5Contents

page 17

January 2005 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

Contents

4 Our Serve

14 Focus on Footwear

36 RSI/ASBA Facility-of-the-Year Awards

38 String Playtest: Prince Lightning Power

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 TIA names industry award winners

7 Franklin Johnson is the new USTApresident

7 USTA honors outstanding facilities

8 SuperShow adds BusinessIntelligence Series

8 ITF report on Auto-Ref accuracy

8 Sportwall introducesinternet-based challenge

9 Florida’s Johnston makesUSA League history

10 Ashaway debuts line ofsquash racquets

11 Fans receive Penn prizesat Masters Cup

11 Lotto presents new Raptortennis shoes

11 Tennis health and performancebook launched

12 Penn, USTA renew dealfor league tennis

13 Racquet sales up in dollarsand units

TIA SPECIAL SECTION17 Paving the Way

New TIA initiatives promise to keep your businessmoving forward in 2005.

18 Growing Your Business, Growing Our SportPresident Jim Baugh says the TIA has tools andprograms ready to help you in your business.

20 The Tennis CampaignThe TIA and its industry partners are focusedon growing the sport, for the benefit of all.

22 Tennis . . . Fit for LifeCardio Tennis offers the “ultimate workout.”

23 Money to Grow the GameWith the Growing Tennis 50/50 co-op fundingprogram, you can get help in bringing in players.

24 Make the [Tennis] Connection!New software helps facilities reach their members.

26 Market IntelligenceThrough the extensive research available from theTIA, you can increase your business, and your profits.

28 Reduce Your Expenses!The TIA Merchant Card Services and TIA Advantagecan help you keep costs under control.

29 Increase Your Net PlayIndustry websites provide news, trends, and more.

30 Support Your IndustryThe TIA has membership levels to suit your needs.

32 Why You Should Join the TIAHelp grow the game and your business.

2005 STRING SURVEY33 USRSA Members’ Choice Awards

Our exclusive rankings, and special poster, will helpyou pick the right strings for your shop.

40 Ask the Experts

42 Tips and Techniques

46 Science: Spin and Control

48 Your Serve, by Liza Horan

page 33

here is nothing wrong with trying to sell the most rac-quets, build the most courts, recruit the most members,or teach the most players. In fact, that is what guaran-

tees that the best products and services will be available toall customers of a given category. Competition is what cre-ates added value for consumers. Competition between rivalsin any tennis business category is good, and being a goodcompetitor is prerequisite to success.

But another key to success might be to focus beyond your particularcategory. What if we had an infrastructure of “coopetition” between ten-nis business categories? That means that we compete within a category,but we cooperate between categories. What if every tennis business hada formal, reciprocal business relation with at least two to five other ten-nis businesses in the community? The goal of this relationship would befor each business to actively engage in bringing business to the other.

For example, if a customer is buying a racquet at a tennis shop, whynot have the store formally set the player up with a partner, schedule alesson with a pro, enter them in a league or tournament, or schedulethem a court? If the customer now has a new racquet, let’s make surehe is going to use it—a lot! And let’s make sure of it now, when the cus-tomer is in the retailer’s presence.

No matter at what “node” of the tennis business infrastructure a con-sumer/player is located, whether making a purchase, asking a ques-tion—or whatever—why not have that node facilitate, orchestrate, andmotivate the entire tennis experience, if need be, for that person?Instead of, “Do you want fries with your cheeseburger,” it should be,“Would you like a court, partner, lesson, program, league, tournament,etc., with that racquet? I can set you up right now.”

Retail stores are a focal point of tennis. Everyone has to have a rac-quet before they go to the court. As such, they are the perfect candidatesto become “TennisNOW Coordination Centers.” And any shop thatwants to compete by cooperating can do so. They just have to set it up.Every racquet sold should at least come with a contact list of area courts,clubs, stringers, teaching pros, leagues, programs, partner matching ser-vices, and court builders.

In a perfect world, such coopetition would push players to play more.And players who play more draw other players into playing more. Andmore players playing create a vitality and energy that begins to seep intothe community. The energy resonates with nonplayers, who, before youknow it, become players. Soon there is more of everything for every-body.

Oops! There’s my alarm. Time to wake up. Man, I had a strangedream…

Crawford LindseyEditor-in-Chief

Our ServeTennis NOW Through “Coopetition”

(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

PublishersDavid Bone Jeff Williams

Editor-in-ChiefCrawford Lindsey

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Assistant to the PublisherCari Feliciano

Contributing EditorsCynthia Cantrell

Rod CrossJoe DinofferLiza Horan

Andrew LavalleeJames MartinMark Mason

Chris NicholsonMitch RustadDrew Sunderlin

Jonathan Whitbourne

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRYCorporate Offices

330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171

Email: [email protected]: www.racquetTECH.com

Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time

Advertising DirectorJohn Hanna

770-650-1102, [email protected]

Apparel AdvertisingCynthia Sherman203-263-5243

[email protected]

Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly Januarythrough August and combined issues in Septem-ber/October and November/December by TennisIndustry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.January 2005, Volume 33, Number 1 © 2005 by USRSAand Tennis Industry. All rights reserved. Racquet SportsIndustry, RSI and logo are trademarks of USRSA. Print-ed in the U.S.A. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102x.125. Phone circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177.Yearly subscriptions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Racquet SportsIndustry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2005

T

dream…

Crawford Lindsey

MEMBER

he winners of the inaugural Tennis Industry Association Retailer Awards were announced inNovember and include the top 10 pro shops, top 10 specialty shops, and chain store of the year.

“We’re pleased to honor the pro and specialty retailers who are not only doing a fantas-tic job with their own businesses, but also are helping this sport to grow,” says TIA President JimBaugh. “The response from the industry about these awards has been huge. While we are honor-ing 20 shops here, it was clear from the nominations that there are many more who are highly suc-cessful and doing great things for this sport.”

Retailer Award winners, who will receive a plaque from the TIA, were selected by represen-tatives from various manufacturers and associations. Selection criteria included technical expert-ise and product knowledge, merchandising excellence, how and how frequently they “give back”to the sport, and whether the retailer is the “go to” shop when it comes to tennis in their area.For the purposes of the awards, pro shops are defined as a tennis shop at a club or facility withcourts. Specialty shops are defined as free-standing tennis shops not at a club and not withcourts (although they may have a hitting lane). Specialty shops can have products from no morethan two other sports and tennis must be at least 35 percent of all sales.

The TIA’s chain store of the year, selected by a panel of hardgood and softgood manufactur-ers, is The Sports Authority/Garts Sports. The TIA will shortly announce other award winners,including the top Tennis Welcome Centers in each of the 17 USTA sections for the year, and topsoft-goods and hard-goods manufacturer or supplier for the year.

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 5

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Franklin JohnsonTo Lead USTA

In 2005, FranklinJohnson of LosAngeles starts histwo-year term aschairman of theboard and president

of the USTA. Johnson has been onthe USTA board of directors for eightyears, including two-year stints asfirst vice president and secretary-treasurer.

Johnson will replace Alan Schwartzas president, following what someindustry insiders termed a “con-tentious” process leading up to thechoice. Schwartz, who reportedlyhad garnered widespread supportfor an unprecedented second termas president, remains on the boardas immediate past president.

“Tennis is poised for a resurgence inour country with unprecedented col-laboration at every level,” says John-son. “I embrace the opportunity tobuild on this momentum and thankcurrent President Alan Schwartz forhis significant efforts and achieve-ments.”

Other members of the 2005-2006USTA board of directors include:Jane G. Brown (Middle States) asFirst Vice President; Lucy S. Garvin(Southern), Vice President; Gordon A.Smith (Southern), Vice President; andJames S. Chaffin (Texas), Secretary-Treasurer.

Directors at large are: Katrina Adams(USA Tennis Florida), James R. Baugh(Midwest), Martin H. Blackman(Middle States), David N. Dinkins(Eastern), Joseph A. Grover (Mid-west), John Korff (Eastern), JoaquimRasgado Jr. (USA Tennis Florida),Donald L. Tisdel (Pacific Northwest),and David J.Wheaton (Northern).

I N F O R M A T I O N T O H E L P Y O U R U N Y O U R B U S I N E S S

he USTA has named 15 winners of its 2004 Outstanding Facility Awards. The awards pro-gram, in its 23rd year, encourages higher standards for the construction and/or renova-tion of public tennis facilities throughout the country.

Selection was based on overall layout and adaptation to the site; excellence of court surfaceand lights; ease of maintenance; accommodations for players, spectators, press/officials; aes-thetics, including landscaping; amenities; and programs supporting the USTA and growth of thegame. The winners are:� Small (2 to 10 courts): Amarillo (Texas) Municipal Tennis Center; Baltimore (Md.) Fitness and

Tennis; Littleton (Colo.) Golf and Tennis Center; Vineyard Youth Tennis (Oak Bluffs, Mass.)� Large (11 courts or more): Beerman Family Tennis Center (Lakeland, Fla.); Harrison Tennis

Center (Marietta, Ga.); Palmetto Tennis Center (Sumter, S.C.)� Collegiate: Alexis Boss Tennis Center & Alan Gordon Pavilion, Dartmouth College (Hanover,

N.H.); Ambassador E. William Crotty Tennis Complex, Embry-Riddle University (DaytonaBeach, Fla.); College of Charleston Tennis Center at Patriots Point (Mount Pleasant, S.C.); J.W.Isenhour Tennis Complex, N.C. State University (Raleigh, N.C.)

� Private: Middlebury (Vt.) Indoor Tennis; Paul Rowton Indoor Tennis Center (Paducah, Ky.);Tunica (Miss.) National Golf & Tennis Center; Woodfield Country Club Tennis Center (BocaRaton, Fla.).

TUSTA Names Outstanding Facility Award Winners

TIA Honors Top Pro, Specialty, Chain Retailers

The top 10 pro shops:• Ballen Isle Country Club, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.• Bath & Racquet Club, Sarasota, Fla.• Boca West, Boca Raton, Fla.• Brookhaven Country Club, Brookhaven, Miss.• Indianapolis Racquet Club, Indianapolis, Ind.• Midland Tennis Club, Midland, Mich.• Midtown Tennis Club, Chicago• San Francisco Tennis Club, San Francisco• T Bar M Racquet Club, Dallas• Tennis Professionals, Port Chester, N.Y.

The top 10 specialty shops:• All About Tennis, Scottsdale, Ariz.• Chicago Tennis & Golf, Chicago• Courtside Sports, Mocksville, N.C.• Hank Lloyd’s Tennis, Capistrano Beach, Calif.• Player’s Choice, Birmingham, Ala.• Rocky Mountain Racquet Specialists, Boulder, Colo.• Swetka’s, Mountain View, Calif.• Tennis & Golf Co., Royal Oak, Mich.• Tennis Express, Houston• Your Serve Tennis, Marietta, Ga.

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SuperShow AddsInternational BusinessIntelligence Series

The International Sports Product Experience(ISPE), a feature at The Super Show, includes athree-day schedule of events with more than 40

onsite and offsite gatherings for industry professionals.The Super Show will be in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 17 to 19.

Included in the ISPE will be the InternationalBusiness Intelligence Series (IBIS), featuring presen-tations by industry leaders such as Doug Morton,president and CEO of The Sports Authority; RobertCorliss, president and CEO of The Athlete’s Foot;Kevin Plank, founder and president of UnderArmour; and Richard Heckmann, chairman andCEO of K-2. IBIS also includes a series of 40 one-hour research-based presentations covering topicssuch as color and style, forecasting, the Latin mar-ket, and the impact of health and aging issues onthe business of sports.

“We’ve set up the International Business Intelli-gence Series in direct response to the changingneeds of the industry,” says Tom Cove, president ofSGMA International. “We’re committed to providingreal, tangible value to attendees, and we’re confi-dent this jam-packed program will deliver.”

Also offered is a Sports Executive Series gearedtoward strategic planning issues, as well as a Fas-Trax Series aimed at buyers and manufacturers in anumber of different categories. Admission to eachIBIS session is $20 (in recognition of the show’s20th anniversary). A limited number of passes alsowill be distributed free to exhibitors, which theymay pass on to their customers.

The International Sports Product Experiencealso brings business leaders together for two lunch-eon presentations. On Jan. 17, the SGMA Interna-tional State of the Industry Address plus aManufacturers’ View from the Top will examinedata from 2004 and identify key market trends for2005 and beyond. On Jan. 18, the Retailer Viewfrom the Top will feature a panel of speakers frommega-retailers and major sports industry execu-tives. The ISPE also will include 20 networking par-ties in 20 different categories.

“In our first 19 years, buyers came to The SuperShow for the show,” says Peter Haines, the showdirector. “In recent years, the impetus for manyindustry professionals has shifted toward informa-tion-gathering and networking. We recognize, sup-port and encourage this trend as part of the show’sevolution.”

For more information, log ontowww.thesupershow.com or call 800-327-3736.

Sportwall Introduces Internet-Based Challenge

Sportwall International introduced its internet-based Off theWall Skills Challenge at the recent USPTA World Conference inLa Quinta, Calif. Sportwall is a partner with the USPTA.

The Off the Wall Skills Challenge encourages participants toimprove their tennis skills and compete with their peers locally, nation-ally, and internationally using the Sportwall Sports-PC computerizedbackboard. Participants track and compare their scores on the internetin seven skill categories and 63 instructor-certified skills tests.

“We created the Off the Wall Skills Challenge and Sports-PC to bringtechnology to the world of tennis in a way that makes learning andpracticing more fun,” says Sportwall founder and CEO Cathi Lamberti.“Now players of all ages have a fabulous tool to learn and honeadvanced physical and mental skills, improve speed and agility, andmaximize cardiovascular fitness while enjoying competition with oth-ers around the world.”

For more information, visit www.sportwall.com.

ITF Report Says Auto-Ref Accurate to 4 Millimeters

The International Tennis Federation report on the Auto-Ref line-callingtechnology says the system is capable of an accuracy of 4 millime-ters, and that all decisions made by the system during testing were

correct. The report bases its findings on three areas: practicality, accura-cy and consistency.

“We feel the report was extremely positive about Auto-Ref’s perform-ance in all three areas,” says Auto-Ref CEO Peter Szirmak. “Nevertheless,we continued our discussions with the ITF to explore how we could fur-ther strengthen the technology’s credibility within the industry.”

Auto-Ref combines high-speed cameras and advanced software algo-rithms to track the flight of the ball during play. Its software then mapsthe point of the ball’s impact relative to the court lines, providing real-time determination of whether the ball is in or out. The system madeinternational news following the Serena Williams-Jennifer Capriatimatch at the 2004 US Open in which there were several wrong line calls.

Shortly after the ITF report, Auto-Ref, based in Canada, was usedunofficially at the Bell Challenge in Quebec City in early November, run-ning simultaneously with existing line calling. Attending the trial wererepresentatives from the ITF, WTA, ATP and USTA.

“The system captures every shot digitally and provides a broad rangeof statistics that can be instantly displayed and analyzed,” says Szirmak.

Penn has revamped its Pink Tennis Ball withupdated color and packaging. The new PinkBall, featuring extra-duty felt, is now a softpink. It’s packaged in a Penn Championshipcan with a breast cancer awarenesssticker on the outside. The spe-cial-edition ball is availablenationwide for $4.99 a can. Aportion of the proceeds fromeach sale will be donated tobreast cancer awareness charities.

I N D U S T R Y N E W S


Two-time Grand Slam winner JuanCarlos Ferrero of Spain has signed along-term deal to use Head racquets,bags and acces-sories and Penntennis balls. As partof the partnership,Head and Ferrerowill collaborate onthe development ofa new tennis rac-quet concept anddesign.

Florida’s Johnston MakesUSA League Tennis History

USA League Tennis player John Johnston madehistory recently. In October, “Johnny” becamethe first wheelchair tennis player to partici-

pate in a USA League Tennis National Champi-onship, competing against able-bodied players.He’s also the first wheelchair player to captain anable-bodied team, the 3.0 Senior men’s team fromGainsville, Fla.

Johnston’s USA Tennis Florida team didn’t bringhome the national title, but Johnston and his able-bodied doubles partner, Rich Romano, won their match against a team from theMissouri Valley Section in a third-set tie-break.

In addition to his role as captain of the Florida men’s team, Johnston is coachof the girls’ tennis team at Buchholtz High School in Gainsville. His girls’ team hasbeen champion four out of the five years he’s been at the helm. And he’s alsocoached nationally ranked wheelchair players Beth Arnoult and Julia Dorsett.

Johnston, 56, who lost the use of his legs after being shot in Vietnam, becamethe first person in a wheelchair to be certified as a tennis teaching pro in 1989.He recently received the Wheelchair Pro of the Year Award from the PTR.

If it weren’t for tennis, Johnston says, “I know I wouldn’t have done half the stuffI have done. Tennis is a great game that anyone can play for the rest of their life.”

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Players Drink is a newproduct developed byGeorge Fareed, the for-mer team doctor for theU.S. Davis Cup team. The30 percent fruit juiceblend, which comes infour flavors, balancessodium, potassium, elec-trolytes, and other nutri-ents. For moreinformation, visitwww.playersdrink.com.


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Ashaway Introduces Line ofSquash Racquets

Ashaway Racket Strings recently introduced anew line of squash racquets, designed towork with the company’s line of squash

strings.The racquets feature three strategic stringing

nodes for enhanced string performance andmaximum kinetic advantage, says the company.The frames also feature “Full Motion” string holes, which allow the strings to pivotagainst the outside of the frame, rather than the inside, adding up to 2 cm of activestring length.

“For years, players and distributors have asked us to throw our hats into the squashracquet and accessories markets,” says Steven Crandall, Ashaway’s vice president ofmarketing. “But we weren’t willing to do that until we knew we could offer somethingunique and innovative. With these four new racquets, I believe we’ve done just that.”

The four frames are the Rad 475, Liberty 495, Destiny 490 and Hornet 495. Eachframe is made of Carbon 4 and high or extreme modulus graphite.

For more information, contact 800-556-7260 or visit www.ashawayusa.com.

> Head’s Protector racquet receivedTennis magazine’s Editor’s Choice desig-nation in the November/December issue.The magazine described the Protector asa “smart racquet” that “gives playerswith arm pain new hope.”

> Ashaway Racket Strings has beennamed the official string of both USARacquetball and the International Rac-quetball Tour. Each agreement runs forthree years. Also, Ashaway has beennamed the official string of both the Pro-fessional Squash Association and theWomen’s International Squash PlayersAssociation. Those agreements extendthrough 2005 and 2006, respectively.

> Tail Inc. celebrated its 30th anniver-sary on Nov. 17. The company was start-ed in 1974 by Cheryl Singer, whose firstoffering was a denim tennis skirt withred hearts and matching jacket. Tailexpanded to golf apparel in 1977. Thedenim skirt is now encased in glass onthe wall in the company’s Miami head-quarters.

> The court surface at the LexingtonTennis Complex in South Carolina, RSI’sMunicipal Facility of the Year, isNovacrylic Combination Surface installedby Howard B. Jones & Son, of Lexington.The 20 outside courts are Novagreenand Grass Green, and the stadium courtis Canadian Violet and Grass Green.

> The PTR has extended its partnership withDiadora America for an additional two years,which includes offering Diadora shoes to PTRmembers at deeply discounted prices.

> Head NV announced that net revenues forthe nine months ended Sept. 30, 2004,increased 11 percent to $300.3 million, com-pared to the same period in 2003. For the Rac-quet Sports division, revenues increased 6.7million in the same period, or 5.2 percent, to$135.5 million, from $128.8 million in 2003.

> Prince Tennis has partnered with Univer-sal Studios Home Entertainment for therelease of the “Wimbledon” DVD, from the“Wimbledon” movie that stars Kirsten Dunstand Paul Bettany. Accompanying the DVD’srelease will be an ad campaign providing con-sumers and players with information on boththe Wimbledon DVD and Prince, along withan opportunity to enter sweepstakes to win aMaria Sharapova autographed Prince rac-quet. Visit Princetennis.com for more infor-mation.

> Head/Penn is an official partner of Ath-letes’ Performance, a leader in integrated per-formance training for elite athletes at itsfacilities in Tempe, Ariz., and Los Angeles, anda consultant to the USTA. AP recentlyreleased a Core Performance Tennis SystemDVD designed to improve a players, speed,strength and effectiveness on court. Visitwww.athletesperformance.com for moreinformation.

SHORT SETS

Cardio TennisBusiness Manager – NationalThe TIA is looking for the right candidateto help implement a new, nationwidetennis program being developed to giveplayers a high-energy workout.

Extensive travel involved, marketing andPR skills are desired. Teaching back-ground and interests in research analysisand health/fitness trends are a plus.

This is the perfect opportunity for a self-starter to be part of an exciting newnational launch of fitness and tenniscombined to help combat the ever-increasing obesity crisis for adults andkids while increasing tennis participationin America.

Position will report to the president ofthe TIA but work with all allied organiza-tions. Position starts immediately.

Interested candidates can email theirresumes to: [email protected] also receive a more detailed jobdescription.

Or, you can fax resumes to 843-686-3036or mail to TIA, P.O. Box 7845, HiltonHead Island, SC 29938.



Penn Offers Prizes for Fans At Tennis Masters Cup

At November’s season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Houston, Penn RacquetSports provided free autograph cards and conducted several product giveaways.

Fans entering tournament grounds received hand-held fans featuring aphoto of a Penn tennis ball on one side and an invitation on the other side to visitthe Head/Penn booth to pick up a free set of ATP player autograph cards featuringthe top 12 players on the men’s tour.

Also, as part of several radio station call-in promotions, local Houston residentsand tournament attendees were able to win prize packages containing a giantautograph Penn tennis ball, cans of balls, a camera bag and more. A computer atthe Head/Penn tournament booth allowed fans to enter to win a Head Liquidmet-al racquet signed by Andre Agassi.

Dennis Van der Meer, founderand president of the PTR andthe Van der Meer TennisUniversity, was awarded anhonorary doctorate of sciencedegree in October from theUniversity Greenwich inEngland. The ceremony tookplace in the Old Royal NavalCollege’s Chapel of St. Peterand St. Paul.

LOTTO PRESENTS NEWRAPTOR SHOESLotto Sports Italia PresidentAndrea Tomat presents playersPaolo Suarez and Virginia RuanoPascual with the first new pairof WTA Tour Raptor tennisshoes, the latest addition to theLotto Spring/Summer 2005collection. The top-rankeddoubles duo was headed to LosAngeles in November for theseason-ending WTA TourChampionships.

Tennis Medicine Book Launched at Party

Pro Richard Krajicek attended the official launchparty Oct. 14 for the new USRSA book From Break-point to Advantage: A Practical Guide to Optimal Ten-

nis Health and Performance, by Babette Pluim, M.D.,Ph.D., and Marc Safran, M.D. The Royal

Netherlands Lawn Tennis Association hosted the party, and Pluim wasthe toast of the town in an event featuring tennis celebrities, VIPs,media, and tennis enthusiasts, and concluding with a 20-minuteauthor interview on national television. The book may be purchasedonline at www.racquettech.com or by calling 760-536-1177. The priceis $26.95 for USRSA members and $29.95 for nonmembers.

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Corrections� The Industry Resource Guide in the

Nov/Dec issue of RSI had a misprintin the contact information for TheLBH Group. Correct information is:18700 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance, CA90504, phone (310) 768-0300, fax(310) 768-0324. Katie Curry emailaddress is: [email protected]

� The Industry Resource Guide in theNov/Dec issue of RSI had Lily’s ofBeverly Hills spelled incorrectly.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano attended theSouthwest USPTA Convention at Mesa CountryClub in Phoenix in October. After officiating atan exhibition with several area tennis players,including Greg Mason, the director of market-ing and sales for Head/Penn, Napolitano waspresented with a Head Liquidmetal racquet anda can of Penn balls, which are manufactured inArizona.

Penn, USTA Renew BallDeal for USA League Tennis

Penn Racquet Sports and the USTA have signed a multi-yearrenewal of Penn’s sponsorship of USA League Tennis. Penn willcontinue to serve as the official ball of league play for more

than 550,000 players through 2009.Participation in USA League Tennis, which is

celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2005, hasgrown 15 percent since 2000. It is thelargest recreational tennis league in theworld. Players compete in three categories:adult, senior, and mixed doubles.

“USA League Tennis has a long history with Penn,and we’re pleased to extend our relationship with the No. 1 sellingball in the U.S.,” says Kurt Kamperman, the USTA’s chief executiveof Community Tennis.

“The USTA and Penn share a common goal—to grow participa-tion in the sport of tennis,” adds Kevin Kempin, vice president ofinternational sales and marketing for Penn. “By partnering with theUSTA’s premier grassroots program, we will continue to reach andsupport hundreds of thousands of recreational tennis players.”



*

• Marat Safin, playing with a

Head Liquidmetal Prestige racquet, won

two Masters Series titles in the fall, the

Master Series Madrid and BNP Paribas

Masters in Paris.

• Mark Wigley joins Tail Inc. as the appar-

el company’s new tennis rep in Louisiana

and Mississippi.

• At the ITF Super-Seniors World Individual

Championships in Philadelphia in September, King-

don and Yvonne Van Nostrand of New York became the first husband

and wife to both win singles titles at the same World Championships.

Kingdon won in the men’s 70s and Yvonne in the women’s 70s.

• Mardy Fish, the U.S.’s fourth-ranked male pro, has signed a multi-

year agreement with Adidas. In 2005, Fish will join other top Adidas

athletes in promoting the ClimaCool Footwear and Apparel Ranges,

which is a line of cooling and climate-controlling products.

• Alberto Landi is the new marketing director for Lotto Sport Italia.

• Ellesse apparel has signed 23-year-old British

twins Richard and William Barker to a one-year

deal to wear Ellesse clothing, footwear and

accessories. The Barker twins, who reside in

Houston, have been NCAA doubles champs

for the last two years and are undefeated in

their four-year college career.

• Andy Roddick will appear in the reality TV

show “My Ride,” a behind-the-scenes look at his life.

The show will follow Roddick, Mardy Fish, and Bob and Mike Bryan as

they hop a bus and travel to Minnesota, Alabama and Tennessee play-

ing tennis matches.

• Bälle de Mätch has added two new sales reps. Rose Jones will han-

dle Oregon, Washington and Alaska, and John Byron will

handle Arizona, New Mexico, Las Vegas and El Paso,

Texas. For information on the apparel maker, con-

tact 800-356-1021.

• Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova signed

a multi-year international deal with Canon that

will include global advertising, retail promotions,

and events.

• The USTA named Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish and Bob

and Mike Bryan to the Davis Cup team that met Spain for the

final in early December. It was the first time since 1997

that the U.S. made it to the final round. Also,

Patrick McEnroe will continue as Davis Cup

captain through 2006.

PE O P L E W AT CH Pro/Specialty Racquet Sales Up8% in Units, 7% in Dollars

Sales of tennis racquets at pro/specialty storesincreased by 8 percent in units and 7 percent indollars through the end of the third quarter 2004,

as compared to the same period in 2003, according tothe TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys Retail Audit. Also, theBabolat Pure Drive Team racquet led dollar sales at thepro/specialty level for the nine months ended in Sep-tember 2004.

In addition, nearly 50 percent of dealers are pre-dicting an increase in racquet sales, while only 14 per-cent are predicting a decrease, according to DealerTrend research from the TIA. The organization says thisis the lowest number of dealers predicting a decreasesince 2001.

The full Retail Audit and Dealer Trend research areavailable to TIA members starting at the $100 level.Visit www.tennisindustry.org for details.

What’s In a Name? A Lot Fewer Letters

The U.S. Tennis Court & Track Builders Associa-tion has formally changed its name to the easi-er to handle American Sports Builders

Association, along with adopting the much-shorteracronym “ASBA.” With the change comes a newer,more exciting logo.

The name change became official at the organiza-tion’s Technical Meeting in New Orleans in December.Both name and logo are available now for members’use.

“Steps to Success” Book Updated

The new edition of Tennis: Steps to Success by JimBrown includes in-depth, progressive instructionand illustrations for each stroke and 80 drills that

feature a scoring system to gauge and accelerateprogress. The author, who has taught, coached,played, and written about tennis for 40 years, is theexecutive editor of Sports Performance Journal, anonline publication of Athletes’ Performance. Tennis:Steps to Success is $17.95, from Human Kinetics(www.humankinetics.com).


FOCUS ON footwear

INSOLEAlso called the “sock liner,” it’s made of EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) orporon material. Many consumers don’t realize the insole is removableand can be replaced with over-the-counter insoles to customize the fit.

Anatomy of a ShoeShoes are an essential piece of equipment for your players. Here’s what you andyour staff need to know to best service your customers. B Y D A V I D S H A R N O F F

k

David Sharnoff, a podiatrist in Shelton, Conn., is a longtime advisor to the WTATour and a member of Tennis magazine’s Technical Advisory Panel. Dr.Sharnoff also is a longtime contributor to professional journals in the field ofpodiatric medicine.

HEEL COUNTERCups the heel and, if firm on compression, shouldstabilize the heel as the foot contacts the ground.

UPPERMade of leather, synthetic leather,nylon mesh or new high tech material,the upper is either glued to the outsideof the shoe or pulled over the midsoleand attached to the outsole in a “uni-body” design. May also have supportbeams integrated into the lacingsystem.

LASTBetween the insole and the midsole,there are three types: Board last,which looks like cardboard and pro-vides a firmer/stiffer ride; Strobel orCalifornia last, which looks like awoven material with stitching exposedalong the edge and provides a softerride; and Combination last, which is acombination of the features above.

MIDSOLEThe meat-and-potatoes of the shoe,made of either EVA or PU(polyurethane). EVA is lighter and pro-vides more comfort; PU is heavier andprovides more support. Air pockets inthe rearfoot and/or forefoot areas ofthe midsole provide a more comfort-able ride.

ACHILLES NOTCHA cut out area at the top center of theheel counter that cradles the Achillestendon.

OUTSOLEThe bottom of the shoe, made of syn-thetic rubber, PU or EVA. It may havea herringbone, nubby or pillar design.

CRADLE SYSTEMFound in the midpoint of a shoe, it’stypically made of TPU (thermoplasticurethane) that strengthens the mid-foot/outsole design. It cradles theupper and is integrated with thelacing system.

CUPSOLEPart of the outsole that extends upinto the shoe’s upper. It can be a par-tial, three-quarters, or full cupsoledesign, each providing greaterdegrees of stability to the shoe’supper.

TOE BOXEncapsulates the toesand is often reinforcedto protect the forefootand extend wear.

LACESFlat laces are more common, buttend to unravel easier. Round, orspaghetti, laces are designed not tounravel as easily.

LACING SYSTEMStraight lacing is most typical, but it doesn’tprovide the chance to personalize the fit. Vari-able lacing allows players to adjust fit to theirliking. Hidden lacing behaves like straight lac-ing; Integrated lacing threads through supportpieces for a more secure fit; Speed lacingoffers loops rather than traditional eyelets.

FLEXPOINTSimply put, it’s where the shoe bends. If it bends at the midpoint (arch) area, findanother shoe. The shoe should bend closer to the toe box area and have flexgrooves on the outsole to assist in this function. The deeper the cut out in themidpoint area, the greater chance for a poor flexpoint.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSSteve BellamyThe Tennis ChannelDave BoneUSRSAMax BrownleeBabolatRick DevereuxIHRSABrian DillmanWilson Sporting GoodsSteve DunlapThe Sports AuthorityBill FoyPrince Sports GroupDon GalliersSportMasterChris GaudreauRacquet KoopDave HaggertyHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsTim HecklerU.S. Professional Tennis AssociationBob KainInternational Management GroupKurt KampermanU.S. Tennis AssociationIlana KlossWorld TeamTennisDebbie MitchellK-SwissKai NitscheDunlop Sports Group AmericasChris PearsonVolklDale QueenYour Serve TennisJ. Wayne RichmondSportwall InternationalDan SantorumProfessional Tennis RegistryBruce SchillingNikeGene ScottTennis WeekVictor TaylorATPJohn WelbornLee Tennis ProductsJeff WilliamsTennis Magazine

The Tennis Industry Association has for years done a noblejob in representing manufacturers in our industry.

However, we realize the Tennis Industry Association is justthat, the entire industry. In looking toward thefuture of your association and your sport, we realizedwe need to do much, much more for all parts of our indus-try. We need to grow. You need to grow. We must grow prof-itably!

To do this, we need more programs and tools for you to use and to help you inyour business. And that's exactly what we're doing.� For Facility Operators, the TIA is offering a phenomenal new software product,TennisConnect.org, to help you retain frequent players better while “connect-ing with players through technology.”

� For all Merchants—whether you're a retailer, facility operator, or manageretc.—the TIA has formed a great relationship with Preferred Card Services tooffer members a Merchant Card that can help you reduce your credit-cardprocessing fees.

� For all Travelers, the new TIA Advantage will allow you to save on flights,hotels, car rentals, meals, etc.

� For Retailers and Facility Operators, our new TIA “Cost of Doing Business”survey of Facility Operators and Retailers will give you information about yourpeers that will allow you to run your business more profitably.

� For EVERYONE in our industry—if you want to help grow the game, the TIA isdedicated to making this happen. We are expanding the Tennis Campaignincluding programs such as Tennis Welcome Centers, Cardio Tennis, “KeepingFrequent Players Playing Frequently” seminars, 50/50 Co-op, and more!

On the following pages, you will learn more about the ways we are trying to pro-tect your future.

We would also love to have you join the TIA. We have many levels of member-ship for you to join and to show your support for your association... and yoursport.

Thanks for helping make the future of tennis even brighter!

Jim BaughTIA President

For information on becoming a member of the TIA, visitwww.TennisIndustry.org or call 843-686-3036.

Growing Your Business...Growing Our Sport... Together!

F R O M T H E T I A P R E S I D E N T


28 Reduce Your Expenses!The new TIA Merchant Card Services andTIA Advantage can help you keep costsunder control.

29 Increase Your 'Net PlayWebsites for the industry provide news, trends,and information to build yourbusiness.

30 Support Your IndustryThe TIA's membership levels offer productsand services designed to suit any individualor business involved in tennis.

32 Why You Should JoinThe TIA

Facility operators, retailers, managers,companies, associations—anyone involved

in the sport has a lot to gain with the TIA.

20 The Tennis CampaignThe TIA, USTA and industry partners are looking togrow the sport, for the benefit of all.

22 Fit for Life...Cardio TennisWith a focus on fitness and the new Cardio Tennis, thesport aims to get Americans healthier.

23 $$$ To Grow the GameFor the last three years, the Growing Tennis 50/50program has been helping entrepreneurs throughoutthe country grow the game.

24 Make the [Tennis] Connection!New TennisConnect.org software helps increaseparticipation in facilities and gives them the powerto increase their revenue.

26 Market IntelligenceThrough the extensive research available from the TIA,you can increase your business, and your profits.

C O N T E N T S

The TIA: Promoting the Growth and EconomicVitality of Tennis . . . For 30 Years

� The Source for Tennis Research� Programs to Increase Participation and Grow the Game� The Conscience of Our Sport� Unifying the Entire Industry Under One Brand . . . TENNIS


Fonte

y many measures, this has been an amazing year for the tennisindustry. The launch of the Tennis Campaign, through the effortsof the USTA, TIA and many other people and organizations

involved in tennis, has brought this industry together in an unprecedent-ed way.

Through a unified approach and support from manufacturers, organ-izations, teaching pros, retailers and others, the TIA has helped create avariety of programs and initiatives all designed to generate more inter-est in tennis, bring more people into the game, and importantly, bringmore business to retail shops and tennis parks andfacilities.

Tennis Welcome CentersThis past spring, the TIA, together with the USTA, teaching professionals,andmany other industry partners, launched the largest grassroots effort

ever in this sport: Tennis Welcome Centers.Now, more than 4,000 facilities andparks across the country offer intro-ductory programs designed to bringnew players into the game and bringback those who have left tennis. TWCs

may vary in size, appearance, and thenumber and type of entry-level programs, but the

objectives are the same: Make tennis fun, and get people playing rightaway.

Both facilities and potential players have an easy entry point into theTWC initiative. Parks and tennis facilities can sign up at a website,www.Partners.TennisWelcomeCenter.com. Consumers simply visitwww.TennisWelcomeCenter.com, plug in their ZIP code, and find facili-

ties and parks in their area offeringintroductory tennis programs. Traffic onthe consumer website has increasedsteadily throughout the summer, peak-ing with nearly a quarter of a millionpage views in September. Most impor-tantly, more than half of the TWCs sur-veyed said they've seen an increase innew players at their facilities.

Moving forward, the TIA says theTennis Campaign will focus on “retain-ing beginners” by feeding them intoother programs, leagues and teams,plus, there will be an emphasis onbringing the existing, and potential,TWCs to a “higher level” of service and quality.

Rebuilding the ParksBut the Tennis Campaign includes much more. One key is rebuilding thetennis infrastructure in America's parks. Research shows that parks arethe No. 1 place where Americans play tennis, followed by play on courtsat schools and colleges. Yet players have a shorter “tennis life span”when they play at parks, schools or colleges (13 years at parks and eightyears at schools and colleges, versus 19 years at private or commercialfacilities).

Add to this the fact that two-thirds of all tennis players are in parks orschools, yet two-thirds of all teaching pros work in private or commercialfacilities, and you have a park system that needs work.

“The USTA is committed to expanding our efforts to grow tennis inpublic parks,” says Kamperman. “Increasing the number of pros inparks is a key to increasing participation. We are working closely with theNational Recreation and Park Association to address this.”

Frequent PlayersAnother focus of the Tennis Campaign is to retain and increase frequentplayers, which are the heart of the recreational market. Tennis has lost1.4 million frequent players in the last three years. The major reasonmost likely for reducing or stopping their play has been lack of time.

The good news on this front is that TIA research withformer frequent players gives the industry a roadmap towhat will influence them to “recommit” to tennis orincrease their play. TIA President Jim Baugh calls themthe “5 T's.”

“Jill Fonte came up with the term '5 T's,' and we likedit,” says Baugh. “It describes exactly what facilities andpros need to do to increase play frequency.”

Is The Tennis Campaign Working?While the 2004 Tennis Participation Study will not be available for a fewmore months, there are early signs of success. There are individual testi-monies and the fact that 51 percent of Tennis Welcome Centers have seenan increase in new player participation.

A great indicator is recent ball and racquet shipment reports. “Year-to-dateball unit sales are up 8 percent and racquet sales are up 20 percent,” saysTIA President Jim Baugh. “And, prestrung racquet sales are up even more.I'm confident these indicators are showing we are making a difference.

“We are making progress. We also know we have some issues to overcome.And we will attack them. Overall, this has been a great start to a long-terminitiative. Everyone must continue to work together to grow the brand weall work for …TENNIS!”

The TIA and its industrypartners are focused ongrowing the sport, for thebenefit of all. BY PETER FRANCESCONI

B

CampaignThe Tennis

“The TennisWelcomeCenterprogram hasto be a partof our future

for years and years. We'reon the road to turningthis sport around.”

—Kurt Kamperman, USTAChief Executive ofCommunity Tennis


� Teaching pros: Players who take lessons to improve their skills stay inthe game. We need to elevate the stature of our pros in facilities, andpromote more lessons and drills. This will keep players active in ten-nis.

� Teams and leagues: Organize more team or league events, which willkeep players “engaged.”

� ParTies: Organize more parties and other social events, becauseresearch with successful facility owners shows that keeping tennissocial is a big factor.

� Telephone and Telemarketing: Players want someone to contactthem to arrange matches. Assign this responsibility to someone onyour staff. It will pay off.

� Technology: Communication with players is key in helping to schedulematches, lessons, tournament and event registration, and more.Invest in new software packages like TennisConnect.org to help youconnect with your players through technology.

Fitness: Tennis' Key AttributeBut the “trump” card in terms of frequent player retention, says Baugh,is focusing tennis on fitness. “After 'fun,' exercise is the top reason peo-ple play tennis,” says Baugh. And research shows that for women andthe 50-plus market, exercise is even more important than fun. Also,many new and former players say they'd play more if they knew tennisprovided a good workout. Importantly, the sport of tennis recentlygained the “seal of approval” from The Cleveland Clinic, the nation'sleading cardiovascular care facility.

The Tennis Campaign will include supplying retailers, facility man-agers and others in the industry with specific reasons why tennis issuch a good sport to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Also, the campaign willpromote a “new” form of tennis, “Cardio Tennis.”

“Cardio Tennis will be to tennis what spinning is to riding a bike,”says Baugh. Expected to roll out to the trade this spring, then to con-sumers in the summer, Cardio Tennis is a drill-based program taught byteaching pros and designed to provide a great cardiovascular workoutand to get the heart rate up.

“It will be less about super strokes andmore about a super workout,in 60 minutes or less,” says Baugh.

Tennis for the People

The visibility of the sport received a huge boost throughout the year,with special sections on the health benefits of tennis inserted into adozen different consumer magazines, along with the increased televi-sion coverage of tennis at both the newly created US Open Series of protournaments that took place for six weeks over the summer and at theUS Open itself. And that coveragealso included key placement of theTennisWelcomeCenter.com webaddress on the court.

Ads running throughout the springand summer included endorsementsof tennis by celebrities such as racecar driver Jeff Gordon, championboxer Roy Jones Jr., actress DaisyFuentes, TV journalist Mike Wallace,and real-estate-mogul-turned-celebDonald Trump.

For 2005, Kamperman promisesmore promotion and excitement. “Weare formulating our plans right now.We will again be very aggressive withour advertising, using celebrities topromote our sport, and always push-ing new players to try our sport theright way by going toTennisWelcomeCenter.com. We arealso looking at kicking off our 2005campaign with a huge push aroundMay, USA Tennis Month.”

“The Tennis Campaign, and espe-cially the Tennis Welcome Center ini-tiative, is vital to the long-term growthof our sport,” says incoming USTAPresident Franklin Johnson. “Wecould not accomplish our goals with-out the strong support and efforts ofthe TIA. Both of us are committed toincreasing our support of the TennisCampaign and improving on areaswhere we know we can be better.”

The united efforts of all the organ-izations and companies in tennis arepaying off, for the sport as whole, andfor your business, too.

TWC Success:ClubSport Valley Vista

Dale Miller of ClubSport in Valley Vista, Calif., calls hisentry-level TWC program “Tennis 101,” a series of 12 one-hour lessons over 12 weeks, for a total cost of $79. BySeptember, he received 40 inquiries, and 38 of themsigned up for Tennis 101.

“We marketed the program and the facility through emailblasts, fliers and direct mail,” he says. And after students in Tennis 101graduated, 25 of them remained in ClubSport's follow-up tennis program,a beginner league called, appropriately enough, Tennis 201. And impor-tantly, the TWC inquiries ended up generating about $6,000 in revenue forthe club.

TWC Success: Wellbridge ClubsFor Randy Chamberlain, the Midwest regional tennismanager for the Wellbridge Clubs, the Tennis WelcomeCenter program has been a huge success. As of October,about 1,200 people have gone through the “Tennis First& Fast” program available at 10 clubs.

For three one-hour group lessons, the total cost for clubmembers is $20, which includes a free racquet. For nonmembers, the costis $30, and the racquet is $20 more. About 80 percent of the participantsare adults. “Sometimes in new programs, the tendency is to bury them intoSunday at 6 in the morning slots,” says Chamberlain. “We did this in primetime,” offering both an adult class and a family class. And, he adds, “Goodnumbers of people are doing the next step. We're seeing better than aver-age retention for entry-level programs.”

The Tennis First & Fast program will continue at Wellbridge. “We alwaysknew that if we had somebody doing marketing for us, which is really whatthe Tennis Welcome Center initiative is, and if we had a stream ofpeople coming in, it would become a fixture in our programming,”Chamberlain says.

Nascar driver Jeff Gordon, TVstar Daisy Fuentes, and boxerRoy Jones Jr. were part of theTennis Campaign in 2004,with more celebrities slatedto join the campaign in 2005.

Tennis CampaignCelebrities


or a majority of tennis players, the physical workout gained fromplaying tennis is just as important as the enjoyment of competing.In fact, the TIA/USTA Tennis Participation Survey determined that

51 percent of people play the sport for exercise, second only to thosewho play for “fun,” at 60 percent. And for women and players in the 50-plus market, exercise and fitness through tennis were even more impor-tant than playing tennis for fun.

Focusing on that knowledge, the TIA and the USTA, with the help oftheir industry partners, are teaming up to create a program designed toget the heart rate up and give an individual the ultimatetennis workout in 60 minutes or less.

“Cardio Tennis” is what TIA President Jim Baugh calls“a new form of tennis.” Its focus is all about fitness, andthis drill-based program, taught by teaching professionals,is a compliment to both singles and doubles play. “Thedrills focus less on strokes and more on a valuable work-out,” says Baugh, adding that Cardio Tennis will be to ten-nis “what spinning is to riding a bike.”

Doctors at The Cleveland Clinic (which was named theNo. 1 health-care facility in the country by U.S. News &World Report) say that exercise through sports such astennis can mean a 50 percent reduction in possible heartdisease. In a press conference during the 2004 US Openthat introduced both The Cleveland Clinic and the CardioTennis plan, Dr. Ellen Rome and Dr. Gordon Blackburn, colleagues at therenowned hospital, both hailed tennis as a “lifetime sport.”

“[Participants] can get a good workout at various ages,” says Rome,stressing the importance of consistent exercise—at least 30 to 60 min-utes a day, three to five days a week, with the goal of breaking a sweat—for children and adolescents. Tennis, she says, is one of the more car-diovascularly challenging sports.

Research has shown that tennis players get their heart rate up high-

er, more consistently, when they take part in Cardio Tennis versus sin-gles tennis. In one study, participants were “in the zone,” as far as theirheart rate was concerned, 87 percent of the time with Cardio Tennis,compared to 77 percent of the time while playing singles. The samestudy showed that 10 out of 11 participants burned more calories perhour playing Cardio Tennis over singles tennis, an average 436 versus378.

The TIA, working with the USTA's Sport ScienceDepartment, has turned to Polar, the leading heart-rate

monitor company in the world, for help in meas-uring heart rates and calories burned in CardioTennis activities. The plan is for participants inCardio Tennis to wear small Polar monitors tokeep track of their heart rates, to make surethey're staying “in the zone.”

For facilities and teaching pros, it's importantto make sure consumers know that fitness is,first and foremost, the key attribute of tennis.Speakers at industry seminars and conventionswill stress that point, Baugh adds, as will expo-sure in media throughout the country.

Cardio Tennis is being developed now with thehelp of top teaching pros throughout the country.Some professionals have been running aerobic

tennis drills for years.One extremely successful program has been going on for 20 years in

Hawaii. Dino and Donnia Bondallian run a program they call“TennisCize” at the Holua Resort on the Big Island. “Itsprimary mission is to get players fit,” says DinoBondallian. “We constantly have people moving to get agreat cardio workout. The bonus part of it is that every-body improves, either in movement, skills or tactics.”

“We are going to package some ofthe existing ideas, add more drillsand approaches to an ultimate tennisworkout, do real scientific testing, and then launchthis to our pros and facilities in early 2005,” Baughsays. “We're also looking to recommend the use ofmusic and heart-rate monitors in future programs.”Consumer promotion will start in themiddle of 2005.

“We want to get more people playing tennis,”adds Kurt Kamperman, the USTA's chief executive ofCommunity Tennis, “but beyond that, we want to getAmerica healthier. Tennis is the perfect sport to dothat.

With a focus on fitness, Cardio Tennis™offers the “ultimate high-energy workout” toget Americans healthier. BY KRISTEN DALEY

Fit for LifeF

Tennis...

In Cardio Tennis, a player keeps his heart rate in the desired zone 87 percent of thetime. In a traditional singles match, a player’s heart rate is in the desired zone 77percent of the time.

“Our sport needsthis new form oftennis to offerAmericans whatthey want—asuper fitness

program—and to competewith other fitness activitiesthat have been capturing theattention of active people.”

—Dr. Jack Groppel, LGEPerformance Systems

Bondallian


rowing the game of tennis is a team effort, dependent on ten-nis facilities of all types, teaching professionals, industry lead-ers, and players getting the word out about the sport. The TIA

is stressing the importance of this cooperation with its Growing Tennis50/50 program geared toward entrepreneurs who want to grow theirbusiness.

Since 2002, the program has offered matching advertis-ing/promotional dollars from the TIA and USTA to tennis pros and facili-

ties looking to attract adult players to thegame. By investing some of their ownmoney and agreeing to promote entry-level tennis programs, they can receivebetween $500 and $5,000 in funds avail-able for a 50/50 match.

The TIA works with each tennis profes-sional or facility to coordinate the pro-gram. The participating facility must payfor 50 percent of the total promotionalspending, and the TIA/USTA pays theother half. A marketing plan and budget isdetermined and agreed upon before anyof the funds are spent.

The programs promoted by the pro or facility must be for new orreturning entry-level players, with the goal of attracting and retainingthose players. The participants have the flexibility to develop their ownprogram and give it any title they choose. They then can develop the cre-ative for the campaign (which must be approved by the TIA) and placead buys, with the TIA offering assistance when needed.

“We give the facility extra marketing power,” says Mireles. “I think

this program has been very well-received with these pros. The pro getsmore involved in the marketing and advertising process for their facili-ty.”

Each pro or facility thatreceives funding must return aprogram roster form, includingthe names of new players andother information, to the TIA.The form is used to measurethe success of the program andthe cost per player.

The Circle C Tennis Club inAustin, Texas, is a three-yearrecipient of $1,500 in fundsthrough the Growing Tennis50/50 program. Through news-papers and fliers, the club pro-motes its adult beginners pro-gram, which features six lessons for $60 and a complimentary member-

ship to the club.According to Fernando Velasco, the club's general

manager and tennis director, Circle C “wouldn't be aliveright now” if it wasn't for the cooperative funding pro-gram. The first year saw 100 new players receiving les-sons, with 22 eventually joining the club; those numbersincreased to 176 and 33 respectively in 2003, and 180and 44 in 2004.

In 2004, the Coosa Valley Tennis Association in Rome, Ga., received$4,000 through the TIA initiative. The money went to promote “PlayTennis Rome,” a beginner's instructional program for adults. The mar-keting dollars were used primarily for radio advertising time and bill-boards.

Last year, “Play Tennis Rome” brought 150 new play-ers to the game. “When we bring those new players intotennis, our league program grows,” says Bobby Walker,a Coosa Valley Tennis Association board member whoalso serves as tennis director for the Rome-Floyd Parksand Recreation Authority. “I think this 50/50 coopera-tive funding is a great way to grow tennis.”

What They're SayingAbout Growing Tennis 50/50

“It's helped us create new leagues. We've been able tocreate new permanent court time. We've been able tohave a bigger ad and frequency in the paper than we nor-mally would have taken.” —Chuck Kuhle, Decatur AthleticClub, Decatur, Ill.

“Previous to the 50/50 program, our racquet club did nothave the resources nor the connections to advertise on television. This isour third year, and we have easily supplied about 100 new names and newconnections to tennis per year. We've gotten a lot of mileage out of a 30-second spot.” —Paul Harclerode, Hershey Racquet Club, Hershey, Pa.

Game$$$ To Grow theDuring the last three years, the TIAand USTA have given out nearly $750,000in matching funds to bring more playersinto the game. BY KRISTEN DALEY

G How to Apply for 50/50 FundingVisit www.tennisindustry.org or www.growingtennis.com and complete anonline application, or download the application from the site and send it byfax (843-686-3078) or mail (TIA, PO Box 7845, Hilton Head Is., SC 29938).

“We arehere to helpfacilitiesand facilitymanagersto further

their marketing dollarsand reach out toconsumers.”—Chris Mireles, TIA National

Program Coordinator

Velasco

Walker


new software package now offered by the TIA is giving tennisfacility operators the power to connect with their members,manage their business from practically anywhere, day or night,

and increase revenue potential with a click of a button.TennisConnect.org is designed to help facility operators increase

communication and fre-quency of play throughthe use of technology.The product helps tennisfacilities build and main-tain a website, or movetheir existing site to Ten-nisConnect.org serversand use the program'shelpful content-man-agement tools. Webhosting is included atno extra charge.Through their websites,facilities can offer otherservices to help themconnect with their play-ers, and help their play-ers connect with each

other.With TennisConnect.org, authorized players can make online court

reservations through a tennis court scheduler available 24 hours aday, seven days a week. The program then sends email confirmations

to the players and thefacility operators. Thescheduler also allowsfacilities to post avail-able lessons, creatingthe potential for anincrease in lesson rev-enue.

A player-match fea-ture takes the pres-sure off of facilities toarrange matches orround out teams. Withthe new software, anonline database ofplayer profiles—including playingpreferences, generalavailability and levelor NTRP rating—canbe created, and that

TennisConnect.org Features� Website Builder: Allows facilities to build and maintain a website, or move

an existing website to TennisConnect.org's server. Web hosting is includedwith the package.

� Online Tennis Court Scheduler: Supports online court reservations for 24/7access. Players receive email confirmations, and the facility receives notifi-cation and a complete audit trail.

� Player Match: Provides an online database of player profiles, the data fromwhich can be used to create sets of compatible players.

� Group Email Engine: Allows facilities to send emails to all members, or toa specific group meeting a select profile.

� eCalendar: Posts event details and controls online event registrationoptions.

� eNewsletter: Can save tennis facilities hundreds of dollars in postage andmaintains newsletter archives on the website.

New TennisConnect.org software helpsfacilities communicate with their memberswhile increasing their revenue. BY KRISTEN DALEY

Connection!Make the [Tennis]

A information can be used to create sets of compatible players.To make communication with players more efficient, a group

email engine allows a facility to send email to all its members orsend specific invitations to players that meet a select profile.

With an eCalendar, event and program promotion is as simpleas filling out an online form. TennisConnect.org takes care of therest by automatically updating the website, and can provide onlineregistration capabilities. Through the software, facilities can alsogenerate an online eNewsletter that is also suitable for printing,and a newsletter archive can be maintained on a facility's website.This option can mean substantial savings in postage fees andincreases in website traffic and visits.

And even facilities and parks without internetaccess can make use of the system. “We have anoption to 'restrict current day' from the court sched-uler,” says Charlie Ruddy, TennisConnect.org devel-oper. “This allows a player to make a 'future day'reservation 24/7, but it freezes the current day fromonline booking. A 'print the courts' report can beprinted from home or the park district office each

morning. Current day visitors to the website will see where theremight be an opening and they can call the park for same-day reser-vations.”

According to TIA President Jim Baugh, consumer research ledthe organization toward the creation of TennisConnect.org. Today'stennis players, he says, “want to be contacted,” want their matchesset up for them, and want the option of online registration. “The

Ruddy


What They're Saying AboutTennisConnect.org“This program is the thing that keeps my courts full. The Member Matchfeature is the stuff that makes my club sizzle.” —Mike Boston, OldProvidence Racquet Club

“We saw an increase in play. There's an increase of use,for a lot of spur-of-the-moment [play]. It's been a greatconvenience.” —Debi Bashleben, The Racquet Club,Neenah, Wis.

“Our members that use the program to sign themselvesup for courts love it. The program is a lifesaver when

booking league courts, scheduled lessons or anything that takes place regu-larly. The block reservation capability is excellent.” —Deb Ridgeway,Providence Country Club

“The website builder is so easy anyone can use it. It's a quick way to con-nect with all of my club members. Member Match is a user-friendly tool fornew members to get involved and for existing members to stay in thegame. For the future for a club to operate, TennisConnect.org is the answer.For all that is in this TIA Facility Member package, the cost is ridiculous—it's a no-brainer!”—David Britt, Providence Plantation Racquet & SwimClub.

research also made it clear that if we don't 'connect' with our play-ers and keep them activein the game, other influ-ences could pull themaway from tennis,” addsJolyn de Boer, executivedirector of the TIA.

Baugh says the TIAstrived to offer anaffordable packagethat would enable facil-ity operators to realizethat connection andhelp them increaseplay frequency. “Weresearched the mar-ket and found a com-pany in NorthCarolina that alreadyhad the programsrunning at severalfacilities across thecountry with all thefeatures we werelooking for, plusthe infrastructure

to service tennis facilities andpros around the country,” he explains. “The result…

TennisConnect.org was created.”“One of the biggest benefits is the convenience for your play-

ers,” says Ruddy. That also makes it a huge benefit to facilities, interms of keeping courts occupied. Players can search for potential

court partners or opponentsby area, gender, age, abilityand other characteristics,and can open themselves upto new playing possibilitiesby registering themselvesand posting their informa-tion. “How you set your priva-cy settings determines howvisible you become on thesite,” Ruddy says.

TennisConnect.org, oneof the TIA's six new productsand services, is available toTIA Facility Plus Members for$595 per year. This member-ship category offers otherbenefits, including TIA

Merchant Card Services, Facility “Cost of Doing Business”research and more.

The new software was officially released for purchase inSeptember. At the USPTA World Conference on Tennis inLaQuinta, Calif., the Tennis-Connect.org team “had a few clubssign up on the spot,” says Ruddy.

According to Doug Cash, chief operating officer for theTennis Corporation of America, TennisConnect.org “adds to theprofessionalism” of a tennis operation. Cashalso recognizes the benefits of keeping tennisplayers connected. “I think it will help peoplejust play more tennis,” he says.

“TennisConnect.orgoffers an idealpackage for mosttennis facilities. Itoffers great func-tionality, is user-

friendly, and is priced right. Theonline bookings, club calendar,and member matching featuresare excellent. It allows you topick and choose what you want.The product is definitely neededfor our tennis industry.”

—Doug Cash, COO, TennisCorporation of America

“Coming from the ITindustry, I researchedmany leading softwarecompanies and foundTennisConnect to beahead of its time and

far superior to the competition.”—Matt Allen, IT & Research Coordinator,

Tennis Industry Association


Through the extensive researchavailable from the TIA, you canincrease your business, andyour profits.

IntelligenceMarket

he days when you could run a successful tennis retail shop orfacility without receiving any kind of outside marketing andresearch help are long gone. To stay alive and to thrive in this

information age, you need market intelligence—about customers, com-petitors, suppliers, trends, prices, and more.

The Tennis Industry Association specializes in information on thetennis marketplace. More than 50 tennis-specific research reports areavailable each year to TIA member companies, organizations, and

manufacturers. The amountand type of research availableto TIA members varies with themembership level and type ofbusiness. All levels of mem-bership include eitheroverviews or executive sum-maries of all TIA research.

The TIA is the researchsource for every type of retailshop or facility. And the infor-mation you can receive fromthe TIA—in conjunction withSports Marketing SurveysUSA, one of the leading mar-ket research firms in thecountry—will lead to increasedbusiness and greater profits.

Cost of DoingBusiness ReportNew in 2004 for both tennis facility and tennis retailer members is theCost of Doing Business Report (CODB), an essential reference tool

that tells businesses how they com-pare to facilities or retail shops ofsimilar size and type. You can usethis data to benchmark your busi-ness in key operating areas.� For Facilities: The report pro-vides a comprehensive study ofoperational data by region andtype of facility, including rangeof revenue expectations,expenditures, and businessratios, such as revenue per

court, percent of gross revenuespent on rent, utilities, salaries/wages, insur-

ance, repairs and maintenance. It also includes capitalexpenditure plans.

� For Retailers: A comprehensive study of operational data for tennisretailers by region and type ofstore, including range of rev-enue expectations and expendi-ture. The report also includesamount of floor/wall space allo-cated to racquets, footwear,apparel, and accessories.Business ratios providedinclude revenue per squarefoot, stock turns by productgroup, capital expenditureplans, and pay structure for staff(employed, contract, hourly, etc.).

TennisParticipation StudyThis annual report, conducted by The Taylor Research & Consulting

Group and Sports Marketing Surveys,monitors national participation rates,player profiles and the “state of thegame.” The study, conducted in con-junction with the USTA, providesdata nationally, by region, by USTAsection, and by state. Data is com-piled from more than 25,000nationally representative screen-ing interviews, and in-depth inter-views with 1,500 tennis players,

1,000 non-players and 1,000 for-mer players.

Data in this annual report includes participationtrends by age, gender, and play frequency; player profiles

and demographics; analysis of attitudes; consumption of tennisproducts and services; competition from other sports; analysis of freetime; and much more. Depending on membership levels, you'll receive

the full report, executive summary or overview.

The Tennis MarketplaceThe Tennis Marketplace reports provide an execu-tive summary of all TIA research and market intel-ligence. Each report includes an overview fromour tennis participation study, consumer report,specialty retail audit, dealer trends and opera-tional analysis. This 12- to 16-page summary,issued twice a year, is an excellent overview of

“Throughout the year,more than 30,000tennis players,10,000 facility own-ers, and 2,000 tennisretailers are inter-

viewed. We have research andmarket intelligence reports thattennis businesses of all sizes willfind useful in determining whatthey need to do to stay profitable,and to increase their profits. TheTIA can also run customizedresearch to fit the specializedneeds of any business.”—Jolyn de Boer, TIA Executive Director

“The Cost ofDoing BusinessReport is thelargest and mostcomprehensivestudy of tennis

facilities we have ever carriedout. It is vital for facilities tosee how they compare withother similar facilities.”—Keith Storey, Sports Marketing

Surveys USA

T


current marketplace trends.

Tennis Facilities DatabaseThe TIA has compiled and is maintaining the most comprehensiveand accurate record of U.S. tennis facilities.

Database contents includes: address, contact names (pro,manager), telephone, fax, e-mail, number of courts by type, type offacility (private, commercial, etc.), tennis retail space and volume.From this extensive database, the TIA conducts cost of doing busi-ness surveys (such as marketing, maintenance, utility costs, etc.)and establishes tennis operation benchmarks (such as the num-ber of members per court, dollars generated per court, etc.) andindustry standards.

Specialty Retail AuditThese quarterly reports, which monitor racquets, footwear and

strings through the pro/specialtychannel, tell you what is sellingat the brand and model levels.The TIA compiles data monthlyfrom more than 75 retail out-lets, which is represen-tative of the country byregion and by storesize. For racquets,monthly reports areavailable that includebrand share and best-selling models, plusfull quarterly reports

that include brand share by productattribute (such as head size and composition).

Quarterly reports for footwear and strings include brand shareand best-selling SKUs.

Dealers who contribute to the audit receive a monthly pricecheck report and a quarterly summary of the pro/specialty tennismarket.

Dealer Trend SurveysThe Dealer Trend Surveyevaluates manufacturers'performance amongpro/specialty dealers. Ittracks dealers' attitudestoward their suppliers andwill tell what dealers reallyare thinking.

Each bi-annual report isfrom mail and telephoneinterviews with 100 dealers,representative by region and

store size. The reports include aDealer Confidence Index, dealers' verbatim com-

ments, and forecasted sales changes by brand, along withratings of suppliers for sales reps, customer service, product delivery,product innovation, and advertising promotion.

Dealers who respond to the survey receive a summary ofthe results to see how their industry experience compares to the mar-ketplace.

Consumer ReportsEarly- and late-season Consumer Reports on racquets, footwear,strings, apparel and balls evaluate buying and playing habits, brandstrength, and brand image among frequent players. The reportdefines attitudes and habits of the most avid tennis players, who are

the heart of your market.Each year the TIA conducts more than 2,500 in-depth, face-to-face

and online interviews with avid players. The data consists of playingcharacteristics, buying habits and motivations, brand strength (includ-ing awareness and propensity to buy), brand image, sources of infor-mation, and influences at point of purchase.

The TIA in conjunction with Sports Marketing Surveys can designand create tennis consumer research studies to investigate any mar-keting issue. They have access to tennis players online and at events.A custom tennis consumer panel is being developed.

Distribution StudyA new report for 2004 gathers retailerinformation from manufacturers toproduce an in-depth analysis of thesize of the pro/specialty tennis rac-quet market by region. The databasecan now be used to produce customstudies such as: allocation of salesterritories, market size for sales ter-ritories, analysis by drive-times andsmaller geographical areas of theU.S.New distribution studies are

planned for 2005 to include tennis footwear andtennis racquets.

Census ReportsThe quarterly Census Reports conductedon racquets, balls, and strings define thetotal size of the U.S. market. Thesereports enable participating companiesto track market changes and determinetheir own market share. Ball shipmentsare also closely correlated to tennisparticipation.

The reports consist of confidentialquarterly reports provided by manu-

facturers on wholesale shipments (unitsand dollars). The surveys are conducted by an inde-

pendent third-party accounting firm, W&W Services Inc.

What They're SayingAbout TIA Research

“Every month I study the TIA research. It's a tool I cannot livewithout. In addition, the consumer research and special proj-ects give me valuable insight into the marketplace.”—Kevin Kempin, Vice President of Sales andMarketing, Head/Penn

“The great thing about the TIA research is we get timelytrade and consumer feedback for all of our products.”—Bill Foy, President, North America, Prince Sports Group


wo new TIA membership benefits promise to let retailers and facili-ties keep more of the money they earn.

With the new Merchant Card Services, retailers can reduce therates they're currently paying for Visa andMastercard processing fees. Andthe new TIA Advantage will give TIA members discounts on hotel and carrental rates, airline fares, restaurants and many other events and servic-es.

TIA Merchant Card ServicesWhat fees are you currently paying toprocess Visa and Mastercard purchas-es? With the TIA's exclusive relation-ship with Preferred Card Services, one

The new TIA Merchant Card Services and TIAAdvantage can help you keep costs undercontrol and boost your profits.

Expenses!Reduce Your

T of the premier firms that special-ize in helping merchants lowertheir bank-card processing fees,you can be saving more money.

TIA members can receive pro-cessing rates from Preferred aslow as 1.69 percent + $0.22 pertransaction for Visa andMastercard, and 1.50 percent +$0.22 per transaction for checkcards.

“Preferred Card Services ishungry to do business with TIAmembers,” says TIA ExecutiveDirector Jolyn de Boer. “Weresearched a number of compa-nies in this field, and Preferred'srates are good and their servicerecord is outstanding. Savings inthis program will add up quickly. For some retailers, this program byitself will save enough money to pay for membership in the TIA.”

TIA AdvantageThe TIA is working with majorbrands such as Avis, Budget,American Airlines, Ramada, HowardJohnson and many other compa-nies to bring discounts to membersthrough the new TIA Advantage.

“All TIA members can get thesediscounts,” says de Boer, who hasbeen using TIA Advantage herselfsince August. “Plus, there are other savings, including restaurant dis-counts, Travel Assistance Programs, and event tickets.”

The TIA Merchant Card Services and TIA Advantage are part of anumber of new products and services available to TIA members. “Withthese new products and benefits, we're reaching out to the entireindustry—retailers, pros, and facility operators, as well as manufactur-ers and associations,” says de Boer. “We know we need to continue toadd value to TIA membership, and our new products do this.”

Start Your Savings Now!Once you become a TIA member (memberships start at $100), you can hopright onto the savings bandwagon with the TIA Merchant Card Services. CallJim Parmes at Preferred Card Services at 800-656-0077, ext. 16, or email himat [email protected]. Remember to ask for the “TIA rate.”

“By workingwith an entireindustry, wecan leverageyour buying power. We havesimilar alliances with otherindustries. We know how toservice both small and largeretailers. Become a TIA mem-ber and we'll work with youto come up with a plan toincrease your profitability.”

—James Parmes,National Sales Manager,Preferred Card Services


he internet has been a key means of keeping TIA members,and the industry in general, informed about what's going on inthe business of tennis. The TIA has been moving aggressively

on this front to make the exchange of information easy and ongoing.Now, with a new site designed to help those in the industry keep ontop of the news from manufacturers (www.tenniswire.org) and arevamped website (www.tennisindustry.org), there is more reasonthan ever to manage your business from your computer.

TennisWire.orgDo you want to read the news and the latest press releases from all

the top manufacturers and companies in tennis? Now there's aneasy way to stay up to date withproduct releases and industry newsonline: www.TennisWire.org. Thissearchable database provides thelatest press releases from tennismanufacturers, suppliers, andorganizations. It's one-stop shop-ping to keep you informed so youcan better serve your customers.

Press releases—which are sub-mitted by TIA partners and support-ing members such as Head/Penn,Wilson and Prince—are searchableby company and category and arearchived by date.

"When welaunch a new prod-uct or new cam-

paign, we know we have to post it on TennisWire-.org," says Dave Haggerty of Head/Penn. "I also valuethe fact that TennisWire.org is where I can see all therecent releases from all parts of the industry."

Visitors to TennisWire.org can sign up for a freeemail newsletter that summarizes news and provides insight.

TennisIndustry.org

Websites for the tennis industry provide news, trends,Net Play

Increase Your

T Find vital information about the tennis business on the TIA's revamped web-site at www.TennisIndustry.org. And there's much more. Market IntelligenceReports containing vital research on every aspect of the tennis marketplaceare a click away with streamline secure online access for current TIA members.

The site's overhaul features a sleek, easy-to-navigate design with moreinformation to help prospective members discover the benefits of member-ship and inform members of key factors to influence their business. And, amultimedia introduction to the site reflects the dynamism of the TIA's mis-sion—to promote the growthand economic vitality of tennis.

While the online researchfeature is the main componentof the website for its members,other features include grow-the-game activities and pro-gram information, industrynews, research descriptivesand surveys for facilities andretailers.

“The TIA's aggressive strate-gy to promote the game hasresulted in lots of programsthat service large and small businesses," says Jolyn de Boer, executive direc-tor of the TIA. "This website describes all the tools and services available tothem so they can help grow their business and in turn grow our great sport."

Prospective members can review the benefits of each of the six levels ofmembership, and sign up online through a new and secure credit-card pay-ment page. Just go to TennisIndustry.org and click on "Membership."

GrowingTennis.comLooking for help in attracting players to tennis? Visit www.Growing-Tennis.comfor information on the Growing Tennis 50/50 co-op funding program, whichcan provide money to help you advertise and promote your programs to bringadult players into the game. Tennis pros and facilities can receive between$500 and $5,000 in funds available for a 50/50 match.

It’s simple: The participating facility pays for 50 percent of the total promo-tional spending, and the TIA/USTApays for the other half. The goal isto attract and retain new or return-ing entry-level players.

Visit the website for more infor-mation or to apply online, or call843-686-3036.

“Trying tostay on topof develop-ments in theindustrytakes a lot of

time, which no one hasenough of. TennisWire.orgwas designed to congre-gate the news so themedia and industry insid-ers can get all the informa-tion in one place—a.s.a.p."

—Liza Horan,Online Editor, Tennis.com

Haggerty


The TIA puts your membership dollarsto work. Over the past eight years, nearly 80percent of TIA revenue—more than $15 mil-

Your IndustrySupport

Individual Member ($100)(For individuals from the tennis industry)� Support for the Tennis Campaign� TIA Merchant Card Services� TIA Advantage� Overview of Tennis Participation Study� The Tennis Marketplace Executive Summaries

Retailer or Facility Member ($250)(Tennis retail or facility operators)� Support for the Tennis Campaign� Retailer or Facility “Cost of Doing Business” Research� TIA Merchant Card Services� TIA Advantage� Executive Summary Tennis Participation Study� The Tennis Marketplace Executive Summaries

Facility Plus + Member ($595)(Facility operators who use technology to connectwith their players)� Support for the Tennis Campaign� Access to www.TennisConnect.org� Facility “Cost of Doing Business” Research� Executive Summary Tennis Participation Study� The Tennis Marketplace Executive Summaries� TIA Merchant Card Services� TIA Advantage

Supporting Member ($1,000)(Major retailers, facility operators, companies,organizations, and associations)� Support for the Tennis Campaign� Newsmaker access to www.TennisWire.org� Full Report of Tennis Participation Study/Executive Summaries� Access to TIA's USA Facilities Database� Facility and Retailer “Cost of Doing Business” Research� The Tennis Marketplace Executive Summaries� Access to www.TennisConnect.org� TIA Merchant Card Services� TIA Advantage

Participating Partner (Assessment*)(Ultimate TIA partner who desires all the TIAproducts and services)� Support for the Tennis Campaign� Full Reports of All Specialty Retail Audit Research**� Full Reports of All Dealer Trends Surveys**� Full Reports of All Consumer Reports**� Quarterly Census Reports**� Full Report of Tennis Participation Study/Executive Summaries� Newsmaker access to www.TennisWire.org� Access to all TIA Databases (Facilities, Retailers, Media)� The Tennis Marketplace Executive Summaries� Facility and Retailer “Cost of Doing Business” Research� Access to www.TennisConnect.org� TIA Merchant Card Services� TIA Advantage* % of sales**Research available in area of manufacturing

lion—has gone to supporting grassroots programs.


T H E B E N E F I T S O F T I A M E M B E R S H I PIndividualMembers

Facilities &Retailers

SupportingMembers

ParticipatingPartners

SERVICES

TIA Merchant Card Services • • • •TIA Advantage • • • •WEBSITES (secure research access and industry news)

TennisIndustry.org • • • •TennisConnect.org (Facility Plus+ Member) • • •TennisWire.org (Contributing Newsmakers) • •GrowingTennis.com • • • •TennisWelcomeCenter.com • • • •Partners.TennisWelcomeCenter.com • • • •

RESEARCH

Tennis Participation •Full Report/CD annual • •Executive Summary annual • • •Overview annual • • • •

The Tennis Marketplace •Executive Summary mid-year/year-end • • • •

Cost of Doing Business Reports •Tennis Retailers annual • • •Tennis Facilities annual • • •

Specialty Retail Audit •Full Report-Racquet quarterly/monthly •Full Report-Footwear/Strings quarterly •

Dealer Trends Survey •Full Report-Racquet/Footwear/Strings early/late season •

Consumer Reports •Full Report-Racquet/Footwear/Strings/Apparel/Balls mid-year/year-end •

Census Reports •Racquets/Balls/Strings quarterly •

Facilities Database •U.S. Tennis Facilities • •Media/Retailers/Industry Contacts •


Grow your business. Grow your industry.Join the TIA now! Call 843-686-3036 or visit www.TennisIndustry.org

• Be better informed and up-to-date—The Tennis Marketplace Executive Summaries• Know what tennis consumers are thinking—Overview of Tennis Participation Study• Reduce your credit-card processing fees—TIA Merchant Card Services• Reduce your travel expenses—TIA Advantage• Help grow the game and your business—Support your Tennis Campaign

Why YOU Should Join The TIAFacility Operators

“I’ve never seen such aquality software productas TennisConnect atsuch an affordableprice.”

—Mike Woody, MidlandCommunity T.C.

“The research tells mewhere my businessstands, and now theTIA is offering lowercredit-card processingfees, too.”

—Chris Gaudreau,Racquet Koop

Manufacturers, Companies, Associations“If I am looking for whatdealers or consumersare thinking, I look tothe TIA for research.”

—Brian Dillman, WilsonRacquet Sports

Individuals, Reps, Managers“The market summarieshave helped grow ourbusiness. Everyonewould benefit from thesegreat tools and servicesfrom the TIA.”

—Eric Wammock, Sea Pines Racquet Club

• Use new technology to connect with your players—TennisConnect.org• Learn how your peers are successful—Facility “Cost of Doing Business” research• Learn what retailers are doing—The Tennis Marketplace Executive Summaries• Reduce your credit-card processing fees—TIA Merchant Card Services• Know what tennis consumers are thinking—Executive Summary: Tennis Participation Study• Reduce your travel expenses—TIA Advantage• Help grow the game and your business—Support your Tennis Campaign

• Learn how your peers are successful—Retailer “Cost of Doing Business” research• Reduce your credit-card processing fees—TIA Merchant Card Services• Learn what other retailers are doing—The Tennis Marketplace Executive Summaries• Know what tennis consumers are thinking—Executive Summary: Tennis Participation Study• Reduce your travel expenses—TIA Advantage• Work together to protect your future—Join with others to support the market and the game• Help grow the game and your business—Support your Tennis Campaign

• Chart a profitable course for your company—Extensive trade and consumer research• Know what tennis consumers are thinking—Full report of the Tennis Participation Study• Promote your company—Access to www.TennisWire.org to post your news• Increase your marketing—TIA Database access: Facilities, Retailers and Industry Contacts• Reduce your credit-card processing fees—TIA Merchant Card Services• Reduce your travel expenses—TIA Advantage• Help grow the game and your business—Support your Tennis Campaign

Tennis Retailers

“The TIA is great for tennis because they only care about theone brand that really pays the bills—TENNIS.”

—Tim Heckler, CEO, USPTA

“Growing Tennis 50/50 marketing for tennis programs, andnow the Tennis Welcome Centers. These initiatives are great,we just need to expand them!”

—Dan Santorum, Executive Director/CEO, PTR

“The Tennis Industry Association is always pushing us toaccomplish our mission . . . and to do better. And, that is agood thing!” —Lee Hamilton, Executive Director, USTA

“We invest a lot of money in the TIA, and it is a greatinvestment. With what the TIA is doing to grow the game,between Tennis Welcome Centers and the 50/50 Co-opprogram, we get a great return.”

—-Dave Haggerty, President/CEO, Head USA

“If it weren't for the TIA, there probably would not be aTennis Welcome Center initiative. The programs the TIA getsbehind work. And now we are taking them nationwide!”

—Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA

Your Support Helps Fund Grassroots Programs Across the Country

Help grow the game and your business—Support your Tennis Campaign


2 0 0 5 S T R I N G S U R V E Y

What string is best for your customer? It’s a tricky question toanswer, since there are so many different strings out there that allhave unique combinations of benefits. But once again, we’vegone right to the experts, the thousands of U.S. Racquet StringersAssociation members, and asked them to rate strings in three cat-egories: playability, durability, and comfort.

Our 28th annual string sur-vey, which is on the posterinserted into this issue of RSI,is a compilation of surveyquestionnaires sent in Sep-tember to 2,500 randomlyselected U.S. members of theUSRSA (no chain stores).Recipients were given a list ofevery string on the marketand asked to rate the onesthey are familiar with from 1to 10 in each of the three cat-egories. Then an averagescore was calculated for eachstring in each category.

For a string to qualify for arating, the respondent musthave strung at least 20 sets ofthat string in the past year.This 20-set minimum ensuresthat respondents are rating astring they know somethingabout and that has somevitality in the marketplace. Forsome businesses, 20 sets mayrepresent 20 percent of theirtotal business, and for others,1 percent. Some businessesmay only sell 20 sets of thestring; others may sell 500.Each ranking, however, car-ries the same weight, and all

are included in the total sum and average for that string. Weadded the scores from each respondent to obtain a sum for thatstring, then divided the sum by the number of respondents whorated it.

To ensure that strings with a reasonable breadth of distribu-tion are included, each string must be rated on at least 12 ques-

tionnaires. We feel thathaving at least 12 respon-dents allows us to includeenough strings by enoughmanufacturers, includingsmaller market share com-panies. Too high a numberwill mean the surveyresults will only include thetop two or three manufac-turers.

Remember, the catego-ry scores for each stringare averages of all therespondents’ rankings fora given string. Often, theseaverages are very close;the differences betweenrankings can be mere hun-dredths of a point. Thoughonly one string can claimthe top spot in a category,many of the strings closeto each other in rankingare of equal stature. Inpractice, each of thesestrings is one of the best ofits niche.

Hang our String Surveyposter in your shop and letyour customers determinewhich strings may besthelp their games.�

Brand 2005 2004 2002/3 2001 2000 1999 1998Gamma 22.9 24.7 25.6 25.9 27.2 25.0 28.0Wilson 22.0 21.9 23.8 21.6 30.5 27.0 24.0Prince 19.6 19.8 19.2 20.7 23.7 30.0 31.0Head 7.7 7.4 7.3 4.0 7.0 2.0 2.0Babolat 7.2 7.1 6.1 6.9 6.3 7.0 8.0Tecnifibre 4.8 4.1 4.1 4.7 3.4 2.0 1.0Luxilon 3.4 3.0 - - - - -Forten 2.3 2.6 2.6 3.5 0.5 3.0 2.0Gosen 1.8 1.9 1.9 3.2 1.4 2.0 2.0Ashaway 1.6 1.8 1.7 2.2 <1.0 <1.0 <1.0Dunlop 1.2 1.1 - - - - -Alpha 1.0 - - - - - -Klip 0.9 - - - - - -Kirschbaum 0.8 - - - - - -TOA 0.4 - - - - - -Others 2.3 4.6 5.2 4.4 - - -

Most Responses by Brand

Gauge 2005 2004 2002/3 2001 2000 1999 199816 62.0 62.4 61.9 58.9 54.8 51.0 58.017 28.2 23.1 26.2 27.0 31.8 29.0 22.015L 4.3 5.7 5.9 7.8 11.1 13.0 13.016L 3.8 4.3 2.8 1.5 - - -18 1.3 1.4 1.8 2.9 0.9 1.0 -17L 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.6 1.0 2.019 - 1.7 0.4 0.4 - - -18/17 - 0.5 0.4 - - - -15 - 0.5 - 0.8 0.8 1.0 -

Most Responses by Gauge


Our exclusive rankings, based on responses by USRSA members,will help you pick the right strings for your shop.Our exclusive rankings, based on responses by USRSA members,will help you pick the right strings for your shop.


O U T S T A N D I N G F A C I L I T Y - O F - T H E - Y E A R A W A R D S

RSI and the ASBA bring you the best in tennis court construction.

nce again, we’ve joined forces with the AmericanSports Builders Association (formerly the U.S. TennisCourt & Track Builders Association) to bring youexamples of excellence in court construction.

Each year, based on entries submitted by an ASBA mem-ber, whether a contractor, designer, or supplier, the associ-ation selects outstanding tennis facilities that meet thestandard of excellence determined by the judging committee.For the 2004 contest, 23 courts or tennis facilities were

deemed to be outstanding by the panel of judges. But twowere chosen for special honors: The WaterColor TennisCenter at WaterColor Resort in Seagrove Beach, Fla., wasnamed the Tennis Facility of the Year, and the multipurposeThorbeckes Fit Life Center in Chehalis, Wash., was selectedas the Indoor Facility of the Year.The WaterColor Tennis Center, completed in June 2003,

is a state-of-the-art facility with five Hydrocourts (including

O

WaterColor Tennis CenterGeneral contractor:TENNIS SYSTEMS INC., CRAWFORDVILLE, FLA.Specialty contractor: RITZMAN TENNISSurface: LEE TENNISFencing: TENNIS SYSTEMS INC.Nets, net posts, line tapes: LEE TENNISLighting: LSI INDUSTRIESShade shelters: TENNIS SYSTEMS INC.

EXCELLENCEone stadium court with terraced seating), a 4,000-square-footclubhouse in a “Southern Coastal” design, coordinating main-tenance building, and custom cypress fence and shade shel-ters. Amenities for tennis players run the gamut, from seatingat courtside to a pro shop, restaurant, p.a. system, etc.To build the courts, Tennis Systems Inc., of Crawfordville,

Fla., had to stabilize the soil to a depth of 18 inches due to thesandy conditions. The unique fence design was constructedusing 460-pound cypress posts then, two three-man crewsfabricated on-site 10-foot by 10-foot wood and chain-linkpanels.Thorbeckes Fit Life Center is a multipurpose athletic facil-

ity that combines three synthetic turf courts with weighttraining, rock climbing, gymnastics, a therapy area, soccerand a restaurant. The project, which was completed in March2004, has a total area of 56,000 square feet. �

—Peter Francesconi

All-Around

STRATEGIES

Ask Headline B Y L I N E ?


Thorbeckes Fit Life CenterSpecialty contractor:ATLAS TRACK & TENNIS, TUALATIN, ORE.Surface: CALIFORNIA PRODUCTSSynthetic turf: GRASS MANUFACTURERS PTY. LTD.Indoor curtains: M. PUTTERMAN & CO.Nets and straps: COURT 1 SPORTSNet posts: DOUGLAS SPORTS NETS & EQUIPMENT

For details of the 2005 Outstanding Tennis Facility Awards, contact the ASBA at 410-418-4875 oremail [email protected].

� Allenwood Tennis Center, Great Neck, N.Y.(DeRosa Tennis Contractors Inc., Mamaroneck, N.Y.)

� Chautauqua Tennis Center, Chautauqua, N.Y.(Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)

� Corash Tennis Courts at Clark University,Worcester, Mass.(Geller Sports Inc., Boston, Mass.)

� Four Seasons Resort, Emerald Bay,Great Exuma, Bahamas(Fast Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)

� Hunnewell Tennis Courts, Wellesley, Mass.(Geller Sport Inc., Boston, Mass.)

� North Shore Park Tennis Center, Miami Beach, Fla.(Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)

� Ona Orth Athletic Complex at Bethel College,St. Paul, Minn.(Anderson-Johnson Associates Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.)

� Residential Court, Greensboro, N.C.(Oehler Court Co. Inc., Durham, N.C.)

� Residential Court, Lexington, Mass.(Cape & Island Tennis & Track, Pocasset, Mass.)

� Residential Court, Morgantown, Pa.(Horizon Sports Group, Coopersburg, Pa.)

� Residential Court, New Vernon, N.J.(The Racquet Shop Inc., Colts Neck, N.J.)

� Residential Court, Palm Beach, Fla.(Fast Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)

� Residential Court, Rye, N.Y.(DeRosa Tennis Contractors Inc., Mamaroneck, N.Y.)

� Residential Court, West Linn, Ore.(Atlas Track & Tennis, Tualatin, Ore.)

� River Forest Tennis Club, River Forest, Ill.(Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)

� Tennis Facility at Johns Island, Vero Beach, Fla.(Fast Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)

� Tennis Facility at Logansport High School,Logansport, Ind.(Leslie Coatings Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.)

� The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas(Trans Texas Tennis Inc., Houston, Texas)

� The Stirling Club at Turnberry Place, Las Vegas, Nev.(Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)

� VillageWalk of Sarasota, Sarasota, Fla.(Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)

�Woodfield Country Club, Boca Raton, Fla.(Fast Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)

Taking the PrizeIn addition to the WaterColor Tennis Center and Thorbeckes Fit Life Center, these 21 locations were chosen by the 2004 panel of judges for theASBA as outstanding examples of court construction. You’ll read more about them in upcoming issues of Racquet Sports Industry.(The nominating company is in parentheses.)


string PLAYTEST

Lightning Power is Prince’s new solid-

core/multi-wrap string in its all-around

performance category. Prince orients

strings in this category toward players

who are looking for improved durability,

comfort, feel, and spin. Prince feels that

Lightning Power is ideal for players who

are looking for power and a softer feel in

a solid-core construction, yet with

improved durability when compared

against traditional strings with solid cores

and outer wraps.Prince’s Powerfoil technology (also found

in Lightning XX) brackets the solid core.Around the core and PowerFoil arewrapped specially fused bundles of poly-ester and nylon—two materials that arenormally difficult to bond to each other.Prince’s Poly/Nylon Fusion technology, how-ever, makes it possible, and gives the playerthe responsiveness of polyester without theharsh feel of a typical monofilament poly-ester string. Prince claims that its Poly/NylonFusion and Powerfoil technologies combineto provide unmatched power and ball bitewithout sacrificing comfort and feel.

Lightning Power is available in 16 and 17gauges in clear/silver. It is priced from $9. Formore information or to order, contact Princeat 800-2 TENNIS, or visit

www.princetennis.com. Be sure to read theconclusion for more information about get-ting a free set to try for yourself.

IN THE LABWe tested the 17-gauge Lightning Power.The coil measured 41 feet. The diametermeasured 1.28-1.30 mm prior to stringing,and 1.21-1.22 mm after stringing. Werecorded a stringbed stiffness of 79 RDCunits immediately after stringing at 60pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x18 pattern) on a constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 72 RDC units, represent-ing a 9 percent tension loss. Our controlstring, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold16, measured 78 RDC units immediatelyafter stringing and 71 RDC units after 24hours, representing a 9 percent tension loss.Lightning Power added 13 grams to theweight of our unstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeks by41 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratingsfrom 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind tests, withplaytesters receiving unmarked strings inunmarked packages. Average number ofhours playtested was 29.5.

Lightning Power has little coil memory,and there is plenty of string for most rac-quets. The outer wrap is smooth with a hintof lubrication, so the crosses pull througheasily, although it is sometimes a bit moredifficult to grab the end of the stringbetween your fingertips during weaving.Tying knots is easy with Lightning Power.

No playtester broke his sample duringstringing, had problems tying knots, orreported a problem with friction burn. Threereported problems with coil memory.

ON THE COURTIt’s not a surprise that our playtest groupgave Prince Lightning Power above-averagescores. What is a surprise is that each andevery one of Lightning Power’s scores wasabove average. Unlike many of the strings

tested by the USRSA,Lightning Power did not fall down in anycategory, so there was no low score to pulldown the overall average. In fact, LightningPower’s scores are so comparable across allnine categories that it is one of the best

PrinceLightning Power

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 3somewhat easier 14about as easy 22not quite as easy 2not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 3about as playable 18not quite as playable 16not nearly as playable 3

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 12about as durable 24not quite as durable 3not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.4Durability 3.5Power 3.4Control 3.3Comfort 3.3Touch/Feel 3.1Spin Potential 3.1Holding Tension 3.3Resistance to Movement 3.2

“ Great string. I liked the feel and the power.”5.0 male serve-and-volleyer using Wilson H Tour strung at 64 poundsLO (Wilson NXT 16)

“ One of the best synthetics I have tested. Has great control, touch,and feel. Lacked a little on power, but overall a great string.”5.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Head Liquidmetal Prestigestrung at 58 pounds CP (BDE Performance 16)

“ Excellent string for my game. Felt above-average power and above-average spin, espe-cially on my spin serve.”4.5 male all-court player using Head Liquid-metal 8 strung at 60 pounds LO (Prince Syn-thetic Gut with Duraflex 16/17)

“ This string played very well. It presentedno problems in regard to stringing. Controland power were satisfactory. Tension holdingwas normal. I would recommend this stringas an above-average string.”4.0 male all-court player using Fischer Pro Impact FT strung at 59pounds CP (BDE Perf 17)

“ This is a very nice string. Gave good bite for a 16-gauge. Felt equallygood on touch and power shots, and held its tension very well. It’s akeeper!”5.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Head Liquidmetal Radical OSstrung at 51 pounds LO (Prince Synthetic Gut Original 17)

“ I really like this string. While not quite the feel or touch of my regularstring, very responsive overall. Looks like a Prince string. If mid-priced orlower, I will definitely recommend it.”4.0 male touch player using Prince Bandit OS strung at 62 pounds LO(Gamma TNT Pro Plus 17L)

“ I really enjoy this string. It has a crisper feel than I’m used to. Thestring provides a nice “pop” to my shots. It was comfortable to teachwith, also. Lastly, the string’s cosmetics are impressive—good lookingstring! I had many of my customers interested in it. Please notify meASAP with the name of this string.”5.5 male all-court player using Wilson nSix-One Tour strung at 60pounds LO (Wilson NXT Tour 17)

“ Seemed like an average synthetic gut. Noexceptional qualities plus or minus noted.”4.0 male all-court player using Pro KennexCore 10 strung at 65 pounds LO (TecnifibreX-One Biphase 17)

“ A truly average string across the board,except for excellent tension holding and avery nice physical appearance.”4.0 male baseliner with moderate spin usingWilson T3 strung at 54 pounds CP (WilsonStamina 17)

“ I liked the way this string glided across the mains during stringing.Not wild about the color but that is just me. This string played all right,but did nothing to stand out.”5.0 male all-court player using Prince More Precision strung at 70pounds CP (Prince Sweet Perfection 16)

“ This string has very little texture. Doesn’t bite the ball very well.Decent feel. Not sure what level player it is for. Probably would notstock this string.”5.0 male all-court player using Head i.x6 strung at 61 pounds LO (Wil-son NXT OS 16)

For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com.

“Very good string.Played very well and lasted

well. Would definitely like to

play with it.”45.0 male all-court player using

Prince Hornet MP strung at 62/65

pounds LO (Klip Hardcore/Kicker 16)

TESTERS TALK

(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in parentheses.)


balanced strings out of the 84 strings playtested bythe USRSA to date. Interestingly, two other stringsthat fit this description are Prince Attitude andPrince Premier with Softflex.

CONCLUSIONAccording to our playtesters, Lightning Power is theall-around string that Prince designed it to be.Those looking for a quality string to recommend toa wide variety of customers should give PrinceLightning Power a try. If this sounds interesting toyou, Prince is offering USRSA members who sendback the coupon a free set of Lightning Power 17.

—Greg Raven �

FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAMPrince has generously offered to send a free set of Lightning Power to USRSA members who request it.

To get your free set, just cut out (or copy) this coupon and mail it to:USRSA, Attn: Prince Lightning Power String Offer, 330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

or fax to 760-536-1171 Offer expires Feb. 15, 2005One set of free string per USRSA membership • Offer only available to USRSA members in the US

FREE! Prince Lightning Power!Name:USRSA Member number:Phone:Email:

If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your sample will be sent.

the EXPERTSask

STRINGING THE EKTELON DPRI’VE READ THROUGH THE STRINGINGinstructions for the Ektelon DPR 2500and DPR 2500 Lite, and I have only

one question: How the heck do you stringthese darn things? With the frame mountedin the stringing machine, you can’t get tothe “dual power rings,” and even withoutmounting it, it seems just about impossibleto get the string around one of the powerrings but not around the other. Help!

AS IS THE CASE WITH MANY of thenew racquetball racquets, the Ektelon

DPRs require a bit of ingenuity to get strungproperly. Here are a couple of techniquesthat will make the job easier:First, take your needle-nose pliers and

kink the string about 3/16 inches from bothends. This will allow you to thread the stringaround the desired power ring when feed-ing from the outside up through the center.

Second, pre-lace the mains—eitherwith the frame off of the machine, or, onsix-point machines, mounted using onlythe head and shoulder supports, leavingthe throat support loose so you haveaccess to the power rings. Once you havepre-laced the mains, mount the frame asyou normally would.One further complication of these

frames is that the mains “stack” aroundthe left power ring from bottom to top,while they stack around the right powerring from top to bottom. (This is true nomatter which side is up when you mountthe frame.) The stacking order seems tobe important only in that when done asspecified, the strung racquet will look as itdid when it came from the factory. If youstack the mains from top to bottomaround both power rings, the “fans” ofstring at the throat will look different, butplayability should be the same, especially

considering the fact that the ball is notoften struck using that area of thestringbed.

MACHINE PRE-STRETCHINGCAN YOU GIVE ME ANY infor-mation on pre-stretching string?I just got my first electronic

stringer, a Prince 3000, and it has afunction to pre-stretch string. A few ofthe people I string for are very power-ful players (5.0+) and go throughstrings pretty quickly. A lot of them usepolyester string so it rarely breaks, butit seems to lose tension and die prettyquickly, so they wind up replacing itregularly anyway. I was thinking thatmachine pre-stretching might extendthe string life.

TO SOME EXTENT YOU AREattempting to square the circle.

Q

A


Your Equipment Hotline

Q

A


The reason that pre-stretching—bymachine or by hand—works is that itstraightens out the molecules in thestring. Typically, the straighter these mole-cules are, the less elasticity remains in thestring, and the stiffer the stringbed. Ineffect, you are pre-deadening the stringby pre-stretching. Therefore, pre-stretch-ing does allow you to maintain theinstalled tension of strings better, andreduce tension loss. At the same time,though, it decreases what players oftenrefer to as power, touch, and/or feel. It’sworth a try, however, as your customersmay prefer the feel of the racquet whenthe strings are pre-stretched, and by elimi-nating some of the tension loss, theywon’t feel that they have to restring asoften, barring breakage.

SOURCE FOR OLD RACQUETSA FRIEND OF MINE PLAYS with aWilson Sledge Hammer 2.8 Stretch.He wants to find at least one more

of these racquets, but they have been dis-continued. Do you have any suggestionson how to find one "out there"?

USRSA MEMBERS CAN PLACE afree classified ad in RSI magazine.

You’ll probably be amazed at theresponse. Failing that, you might try eBay(www.ebay.com), or other on-linesources. Be aware that there are two dif-ferent versions of this frame: each has the16x19 pattern, but one has skips at 7Hand 9H, while the other has skips at 7H,9H, and 10H.

STRINGING AWOODEN RACQUET

DOES THE USRSA HAVE string pat-terns for some of the classics? Ihave been contacted by a client

who has a wooden racquet and a pack-age of natural gut. Talk about a chal-lenge! I’ve used gut before (usually ashybrids, which makes the job easier) but Ihave never strung a classic. I use a PrinceNeos 1000. Do you know if I will have aproblem mounting it? Is there anything Ineed to be aware of when stringing awooden racquet? I am looking forward toit, but I want to be sure I am preparedand equipped.

Q

Q

A CHECK YOUR Racquet ServiceTechniques book for the section

called “Stringing the Conventional WoodFrame.” You shouldn’t have any troublemounting the frame on your machine.Probably the biggest difference between awooden racquet and the typical moderngraphite racquet is that the wooden rac-quets have a lot of shared holes. Youshould also check with your client to see ifhe is going to use the racquet for play ordisplay. If he’s using it only for display,restring the racquet with the lowest possi-ble tension to prevent warping.If he’s going to be using for play, checkthe racquet thoroughly for defects andwarpage. You might also remind your cus-tomer that for the price of restringing hisracquet with natural gut, he could easilypurchase a pre-strung racquet that willout-play and out-last his wooden racquet.

—Greg Raven �We welcome your questions. Please send themto Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista,CA, 92084; fax: 760-536-1171; email:[email protected].

A

towel. I then pull each end until most ofthe memory is removed. It works quitewell for natural and poly.5 sets of Prince Polygut 16 to:George McKelvey, Mount Lebanon, PA

POWER HOLESPOWER STRINGERThe biggest problem with stringing a Wil-son racquet with Power Holes is that it isdifficult to get the string through theframe on the far side after weaving across. The solution is to put a light downlevel with the frame. This will allow you tosee through the hole, so you can get thestring through much more quickly. I havea desk lamp next to my stringing machinejust for this purpose. Of course, this tech-nique works on other racquets, where youcan use a visual cue to help get the crossthrough the grommet on the far side.Ashaway String sample pack(5 strings per pack) to:Dan McManus, Auburn, WA

was breaking strings twice each week in aclimate that is oftentimes cold and damp.We have been able to more than doublestring life by adopting a five-minute proce-dure each day after play. After wipingdown the strings, he moves the crossesslightly away from where they intersect themains, and applies car wax to clean andseal the strings, and reduce friction. Follow-ing this regimen, it is not unusual for thecrosses to break before the mains. Theplayer says that he does not detect any dif-ference in the playability of the strings.Alpha String sample pack(5 strings per pack) to:James M. Shaughnessy, Wakefield, RI

PRE-STRETCH POLEThere’s no reason to put up with stringkinking or excess coil memory. Whenever Iopen a package of string that seems tohave too much coil memory, I pass thestring around a floor post in my basement.The pole is cushioned with a terry-cloth

and TECHNIQUES

SLICK GROMMETINSTALLATIONOver the years I have tried heating grom-met strips with a heat gun and prying theminto place with an awl, but the way I cur-rently install them works quicker and easierfor me. I spray the grommet strip with alight coating of silicone lubricant and itslides into the racquet. Silicone lubricant isespecially nice to use in this applicationbecause it seems to dissipate on its own, soa quick wipe with a cloth is all that’s need-ed for clean-up. Any residue that is leftbehind is completely benign and, if it’sinside the grommets, actually makes string-ing easier.5 sets of Gamma Synthetic Gut 16w/ wearguard to:Dan Kerr, MRT, Warton, Ontario,Canada

INCREASING STRING LIFEI string racquets at 60 pounds using 17-gauge string for a high school player who

Readers’ Know-How in Action


tips

BEGINNERSWAX ON, WAX OFFTry using wax paper instead of a block ofwax or some other lubricant to preventfriction burn between strings, or betweenthe string and parts of your machine. Youcan rub the wax paper over the strings foran even coating of lubricant, and you cantear off small pieces to place between thestring and whatever part of your machinethe string is rubbing against.5 sets of Volkl Power-Fiber 18 to:C. Buzz Johnson, Riverview, FL

CHECKING FOR MISWEAVESRight before I do the final tie-off afterinstalling the last cross string, I performtwo quick checks for misweaves, whichtogether take about 30 seconds.

First, I get my head down to racquetlevel and scan the string bed on a diago-nal to see if there is a consistent weavepattern showing throughout the stringbed. The wrong weave will show up as aninconsistency, as opposed to looking like asteady stream of waves off a beach of aproperly-done string job.

Second, I place the tips of my indexfingers on separate main strings starting


Tips and Techniques submitted since 1993 by USRSAmembers, and appearing in this column, have all beengathered into a single volume of the Stringer’s Digest—Racquet Service Techniques which is a benefit of USRSAmembership. Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330Main St., Vista, CA 92804; or [email protected].

at the throat of the racquet, in such away that each fingertip is on the samekind of main that starts either as an overweave or as an under weave with thecrosses. I usually pick mains that are aswide as I can go before getting to thecross strings or running into my clamps. Irun my fingertips on those two mains allthe way up to the head of the string bed,going across every one of the crosses. Iwill feel the alternating bump of an overweave cross or the smooth run over theunder weave cross. Using the sensitivefingertips in a parallel run lets me knowquickly if there is an inconsistency in thebump / smooth pattern that should exist.

Only if these two tests are good do Ido the final tie-off.Bow Brand String sample pack(5 strings per pack) to:Timothy Stankewicz, Manitowoc, WI

MARKETINGCUSTOMIZING KIDS’RACQUETSKids love to be different, and they can beif you customize their racquets with sten-cils. The kids can come up with their ownideas, or you can show them simple

designs. (A good source of designs is theclip art that comes with many computerprograms.) You can use a stiff piece ofcardboard, like the back of a legal pad, totrace the design, then cut out a stencilwith a razor knife. Keep the stencil on filefor the next time the customer comes in.Some designs can even be done freehand, if you have a steady hand.

You can promote this free service bymaking a poster with examples ofdesigns that you already have. Offer afree racquet tune-up for the best newdesign.

The idea is to create excitement withyour customers and set you apart fromthe competition.5 sets of Wilson Stamina 17 to:Steve DeGrenier, CS, Sarasota, FL

—Greg Raven �

WANTED: Technical manual (or acopy) for the Winn Pro (Model WN-1000) stringing machine. Pleaseemail: [email protected]

PowerAngle is looking for CertifiedStringers to learn easy DiagonalStringing of Power Angle Rackets.The names of the stringers will beadded to the list of qualifiedstringers on the PowerAngle website.Sales reps also wanted. Contact:www.powerangle.net or Toll-Free:877/769-3721


ClassifiedsFOR SALE: Gamma 7000 ES stringingmachine (electric) in excellent condi-tion. Includes tools, cover, manual, +clamps. Asking: $1200 plus shipping,OBO. Contact: George Tompkins,Grand Junction, CO 81506 • 970/241-9043 or email: pilonero [email protected]

FOR SALE: Brand new Babolat RDCmachine. Asking: $4000 + shippingfrom San Jose, CA. Contact: Yung Doan• 408/737-6100 or email:[email protected]

WANTED: One Wilson Pro Staff Lite 5.8oversize. Prefer 4-3/8 grip size. Pleasecall John Foster @ 843/766-8773.

WANTED: Babolat RA Tester, must bein good to excellent condition. Contact:[email protected] or505/299-8052

WANTED: Owners manual and headupgrade kit for an Ektelon Model D.Contact: Vinnie • 909/948-9311 oremail: [email protected]

U S R S A330 Main St., Vista CA 92084 Tel: 760 • 536 • 1177

President Patrick CurryPartner/Business Development Steve Schein

Executive Director David Bone, MRTManaging Editor/Webmaster Crawford Lindsey

Advertising Director John HannaDesign/Art Director Kristine Thom

Technical SupportDot Hogen, MRT; Greg Raven, MRT

Membership ServicesNancy Crowley, Barbara Smith

Shipping/Receiving Pat Regan

USRSA TECHNICAL ADVISORSWarren Bosworth Professional stringer,racquet designer and industry advisor

Dr. Howard Brody Professor Emeritus of Physics,Univ. of Pennsylvania; Science Advisor, PTR

Ron Carr R&D Manager, Gamma Sports

Rod Cross Associate Professor of Physics,Univ. of Sydney, Australia

Bill Severa Director of Technology, Innovation andDesign Group,Wilson Racquet Sports

Steve Davis VP of Next Generation, Prince Sports

Dr. Simon Goodwill Research Assistant,University of Sheffield, UK

Dr. Carl Love Professor Emeritus, Metallurgy;President, Love Sports Enterprises

Bill Mitchell Director R&D, Powers Court

Tom Parry Product Development Manager/Pro Tour Services Manager; Volkl Tennis GmbH

Roger Petersman Business Manager-Accessories,Head/Penn Racquet Sports

USRSA MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

USRSA membership dues: $99 annually. (CA res-

idents add 7.75% sales tax. $106.67 total.) Cana-

dianMembers add $20 (US) for postage costs. US

Total: $119. Mexican Members add $25 (US) for

postage costs. US Total: $124. All other Interna-

tional Members add $36 (US) for airmail postage

costs. US Total: $135. Membership includes: 10

issues of Racquet Sports Industry, the five-volume

Stringer’s Digest, free consultation, free classified

advertising and access to the member's-only

website.


science

Most players are familiar with the generalprinciple that low tension gives morepower and high tension gives more con-trol. The lower tension strings stretch moreduring impact and thus store more energy.When the ball rebounds from the racquet,more energy is returned, so it leaves with ahigher speed. (Though the increased speedis typically less than 1 percent, but that cantranslate to balls traveling 1 to 2 feet fur-ther on a baseline to baseline shot,depending on the speed.)

The claim that higher string tensiongives more control is less easy to explain.There is certainly plenty of anecdotal evi-dence that players “feel” more controlwhen using a high string tension. Further-more, in the professional game, playerslike Andy Roddick and Serena Williams arereported to be using string tensions of over70 lbs. Do they string this way to gain con-trol? And if so, what is the link betweenhigh string tension and control?

We will assume that “control” meansthe ability to consistently make the ballland at an intended location. But there ismore to it than that. Many players reportthat there is an associated “feel of control”when they are hitting their targets. So thequestion is what is happening duringimpact at different string tensions to affectboth the bounce location and the player’sfeel of that shot? We will examine fourvariables: spin, string movement, impactdwell time, and ball travel distance acrossthe string face.

SPINIt is often assumed that control is linkedwith the ability to apply spin to the ball. Ifthat is so, then does spin depend on stringtension? Players often say “high tensionstrings bite into the ball giving more spin.”(“Biting” is used in common tennis par-lance to mean creating more friction byincreasing the space between strings forthe ball to sink into; using rougher, sticki-er, textured, or shaped strings to “grab”the ball; using thinner strings to dig into

the ball; or using higher tension to incre-sase surface contact forces.)

Fortunately, the spin generated for atypical ball-racquet impact can easily bemeasured. This has been done at the Uni-versity of Sheffield in England, and theresults showed that the spin on the ball isnot dependent on string tension or stringtype. In that testing it was concluded thatall stringbeds are sufficiently “rough” toachieve maximum spin for the given shot.Therefore, even if thin, sticky, and tightstrings were used in an attempt to increasestringbed “roughness,” there would be noactual increase in rebound spin.

However, the fact remains that playersfeel that they can achieve more spin withhigh-tension strings. Three possibilitiesarise: (1) the players are simply incorrect;(2) players feel a difference in some otherimpact related event like more or less dwelltime, string movement, or ball travel acrossthe racquet and incorrectly interpret thatas more spin; (3) the player, not the rac-quet, does something differently whenplaying with higher tension strings that,indeed, produces more spin. So, we didmore tests to find the answer.

The study compared two identical ten-nis racquets, one strung at 40 pounds andone strung at 70 pounds (the same ten-sions as in our previously mentioned spinstudy). The impact apparatus can be set upto simulate a player hitting a topspingroundstroke, and we can measure the

ball rebound spin using a high speed videocamera operating at 240 frames/sec. As inprevious testing, it was found that themeasured rebound spin for both racquetswas identical. So have the players’ percep-tions been proven wrong?

Not necessarily. Because tighter stringsproduce less velocity, the ball will landshorter in the court. To make up for this,the player might swing harder generatingmore spin. In this case, it is not tighterstrings that produce more spin, but theplayer’s response to tighter strings. In anycase, the player is likely to notice thegreater spin without realizing that he isswinging faster.

Similarly, even if the player does notswing harder, he may think there is morespin with higher tensions. That is because,although the spin is not greater at highertensions, the ball speed will be lower, sothe ratio of spin to speed will be greater.The ball will then appear to land shorter inthe court at slightly steeper angles and tobounce higher—in reality just conse-quences of less velocity.

If string tension doesn’t influence spin,it can’t influence control through spin. Sowe are forced to look elsewhere for ourconnection between string tension andcontrol. Fortunately, we find three vari-ables that do vary with string tension—string movement, dwell time, and balltravel across the stringbed—that mightinfluence control.

Does Higher String Tension GiveMore Control and Spin? B Y D R . S I M O N G O O D W I L L

U N I V E R S I T Y O F S H E F F I E L D , U K

Figure 1 View from behind the tennis racquet—(a) ball just in contact with strings, and (b) ball midway through impact.

LATERAL STRINGMOVEMENTThe impacts were also recorded frombehind the racquet, using an ultra high-speed video operating at 3,700frames/sec to see and measure what hap-pens to the ball and strings during animpact. Figure 1 shows typical views fromthis camera; Figure 1(a) shows the balljust in contact with the strings, and Figure1(b) shows the ball midway through theimpact. We are simulating a topspingroundstroke, where the racquet iswhipped upwards and, therefore, inthese images, the ball travels downwardson the racquet during impact. The rac-quet shown in Figure 1 was strung at 40pounds, and you can see that the mainsstrings deform downwards during theimpact. However, this downward stringmotion was generally not seen in ourtests for the racquet strung at 70 pounds.

Does this string movement affect con-trol? In theory, if the strings deformeddownwards but then recovered to theiroriginal position before the end ofimpact, then they would increase theamount of spin applied to the ball. How-ever, we found that the strings did notrecover during impact and were perma-nently deformed. (Hence, remaining con-sistent with our findings that spin isindependent of tension.) You can tell ifyour strings do the same by having a lookat them after you’ve hit a topspin ground-stroke.

However, the amount of movement ofthe strings will affect the impact becauseit influences the location at which the ballleaves the racquet. Therefore this stringmovement will affect the speed and angleat which the ball leaves the racquet andthus where the ball will land on the court.Furthermore, we found that the amountthat the strings deform is very inconsis-tent. It depends on how hard the ball ishit, the position of the strings beforeimpact, and also exactly where on the rac-quet you hit the ball—i.e., did the ball ini-tially land on one string or on two strings.The lesson is that a low-tension string willgive you less consistency in your strokes.

In sum, lower tensions result in morelateral string movement, which, in turn,contributes to more unpredictable balltrajectories. The player may also be ableto feel this string movement since it willresult in a softer impact.

DWELL TIME AND BALLTRAVEL ON RACQUETDifferent groundstroke speeds were simu-lated by varying the velocity at which theball and racquet collided. At these differ-ent ball-racquet collision speeds, we mea-sured the distance that the ball travelledalong the stringbed during impact (usingimages such as those shown in Figure 1).We also measured the length of time(dwell time) that the ball was in contactwith the strings during impact.

Figure 2(a) shows that the contact timefor the balls impacting on the racquetstrung at 70 pounds is 20 percent shorterthan for the racquet strung at 40 pounds.This is simply due to the 70-poundstringbed being stiffer than the 40-poundstringbed. Figure 2(b) shows that the balltravels consistently further across thestringbed for impacts on the racquetstrung at 40 pounds. This is because theball remains in contact with the strings fora longer time on this racquet, and it there-fore travels further across the stringbed.

The importance of the contact distancecan be illustrated by considering the actionof a tennis player hitting a “heavy” topspinshot. The racquet is moved forwards andwhipped upwards. The probability that theshot is executed correctly will be increasedif the distance that the ball travels acrossthe stringbed is minimized. This highlightsthat the contact distance will have a directlink to the players ability to play a topspinshot. So, tighter strings will increase theprobability of a successful topspin shot.

How does this correspond to what theplayer feels? Well, players may be correct-ly identifying that the ball travels a shorterdistance across the stringbed when theyuse a high string tension because the shot

feels “clean” or “solid.” A shorter trav-el distance at higher tensions may beinterpreted as “biting” or “grabbing”the ball (i.e., less ball movement). Intruth, this shorter contact distance hasnothing to due with “biting” but is sim-ply due to the shorter length of timethat the ball is in contact with thestrings and thus can’t travel as far.

The contact time will also influenceyour perception of control in anotherway. For any shot in which the ball doesnot land perfectly on the long axis ofthe racquet, the head will rotate duringimpact. The longer the ball remains incontact with the racquet, the greaterthis undesirable rotation will be, lead-ing to large errors in your shot preci-sion.

So, the longer the ball is on thestrings, the farther it will travel on thestringbed, increasing both the racquettwisting in your hand and the chancefor hitting the frame or less responsiveparts of the stringbed. Higher tensionsreduce all of these unwanted effects.

CONCLUSIONChanging racquet tension does notaffect spin, but it does affect stringmovement, dwell time, and ball contactdistance. These latter parameters allcan affect the ball trajectory as well asthe player’s feel of the impact.

The main advice is that high stringtensions make your shot more consis-tent and make it easier to hit topspinshots. If you do not like the “boardy”feel of high tension strings, then use alower tension but remember to restringregularly to minimize the affects ofundesirable string motion .�

Figure 2a Figure 2b


Ball-racquet collision speed (m/s) Ball-racquet collision speed (m/s)

Your ServeHelp Yourself in 2005A relatively small investment on your part will bring the force of awhole industry behind your business.

I'm going to tell you how $100 can make a

difference for you in 2005. First, though, I

must note that as I write this, neither the

staff of RSI nor the Tennis Industry Association

know what I plan to cover here. No one put

me up to it.

Now, back to this greenback. Thesedays a crisp bill with Ben's portrait buysfewer things than it did a decade, a year,and even a month ago. The willingness tospend it is relative to the reward, of course.I won't think twice about the $100 feeAmerican Airlines requires in order toswitch my return flight from the AustralianOpen. But the extra $100 on my electric bill

in July isn't as easy to face. While the for-mer allows me to spend more time in themagical land Down Under, the latter likelymeans more to my cat and guests than tomyself.

One hundred dollars is very easy tospend these days without much thought.I'd like you to give some thought to it,though: Spend $100 on a one-year mem-bership to the TIA.

I assure you that it's not aboutdropping alms into some black hole.The money gets put to use doinggood work for the sport. But, per-haps more importantly from yourown perspective, you will directlybenefit from it. Your business willgain exposure and tools toincrease your profits. Need I con-tinue?

Sure, I do: The margins inretail are sliding as inflation isrising, customers have manychoices of where to buy, andthe internet is choking offlineshops.

“If you're not a member,how can you voice youropinion? It's like talking politicsif you haven't registered to vote,” saysChris Gaudreau, the owner and presidentof Racquet Koop in New Haven, Conn.,who became a TIA member last summer.“I'm a one-man show here, but I networkwith a lot of retailers. Whether you ownfive stores or you're like me with one, we'reon the same team. Our concerns are thesame. We bounce ideas off each other,share opinions, get advice, and trade prod-uct with each other.

“I want to be an active participant inthis association,” says Gaudreau, one ofthree retailers who sits on the TIA board.“It's in my best interest to do it. Theresearch alone is worth it.”

Now, there are several levels of mem-bership and accompanying benefits. The$100 “Individual Membership” is the entry-level one that affords links from TIA-relatedwebsites and overviews of key researchconducted by the TIA. Such reports coverdealer trends, tennis player participation,and the “Cost of Doing Business,” amongothers. You can find all the details by visit-ing www.tennisindustry.org and clicking on“Membership.” Of course, once you seesome of the benefits that the “Supporting

Membership” guar-antees, along with important market-ing and promotion efforts, you may betempted to bump up to the $1,000 level.

These days people are looking for mea-sured risk and returns. So take it slow andeasy, join the TIA for a Ben Franklin and getto know the staff—people who spend 100percent of their time promoting tennis to themasses and trying to boost the tennis econo-my—and your fellow members. They are thebig manufacturers, the small specialty-shopowners, tennis instructors, the media, keyassociation personnel, and many more.

You never know how it could impactyour own way of doing business. Now isn'tthat worth $100?

P.S.—It's tax-deductible!�

We welcome your opinions. Please emailcomments to [email protected] or faxthem to 760-536-1171.

Industry veteran Liza Horan isthe director of Tennis.com, thewebsite for Tennis magazine.

B Y L I Z A H O R A N


“The [membership]

money gets put to use

doing good work for

the sport. But, perhaps

more importantly, you

will directly benefit

from it. Your business

will gain exposure and

tools to increase

your profits.”

200501 racquet sports industry

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