200508 racquet sports industry

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French Open PlayerEquipment Log

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August 2005Volume 33 Number 8 $5.00

DEPARTMENTS

R S I A U G U S T 2 0 0 5Contents

August 2005 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

Contents

4 Our Serve

16 Focus on Footwear

18 Marketing Success

20 Customer Relations

22 Construction Trends

24 Facility Management

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Tennis teaching pros to meetat TTC in NYC

7 USTA commits $1.5 million to“Tennis in the Parks”

8 Prince offers its first tennis ball

8 Wilson debuts Crossfire Two shoe

8 MassMutual gives $525,000for college scholarships

9 Agenda set for USPTA WorldConference

10 Prince introduces new O3Blue racquet

10 ATP picks Gerflor Taraflex surface

11 Penn introduces Pro PennEncore ball

11 Mary Pierce wins with Lejay apparel

12 Gamma Sports teamswith Slinghopper

12 Diadora acquires Kaelinapparel license

12 Prince launches newQuiktrac GT shoe

13 Wilson debuts new line of Tour bags

EXCLUSIVE!

26 Retailing Success

40 French Open Equipment Log

42 String Playtest: Head FXP 16

44 Ask the Experts

46 Tips and Techniques

48 Your Serve, by Marcia Frost

GUIDE TO STRINGINGMACHINES29 String of Successes

Our exclusive guide will help you generate morerevenue from your stringing business.

32 Passing the TestDisplay your expertise, and help your business,by becoming a Certified Stringer or MRT.

34 Stringing Machine Selection Guide 2005Use our chart to help you choose the rightstringing machine.

t was vintage Jim Baugh—laser pointer in his right hand,

slide projector clicker in his left, explaining the latest devel-

opment in tennis. All of Baugh’s excitement about the sport

was there, as always, and he was thoroughly prepared, as

usual.But rather than addressing the usual group of industry bigwigs, Baugh was talk-

ing to a group of tennis teaching professionals about something dear to his heart:

fitness and tennis. This was a free workshop for teaching pros about Cardio Ten-

nis, a program that Baugh conceived and is bringing to fruition, together with the

Tennis Industry Association (of which Baugh is president) and with support from

the USTA.

I took part in this four-hour workshop, which was held at the USTA National

Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., in June and, even though I’ve known the

details of the program for many months, I was impressed and amazed. This was

one of 21 workshops being held across the country from May to September to give

teaching pros an in-depth look at the program and to help them deliver Cardio Ten-

nis to their players. If you haven’t been to one of these free workshops, you need

to go. (There’s still time to sign up for workshops at Stanford, Los Angeles, Orlan-

do, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, and Hilton Head. Visit

www.Partners.CardioTennis.com or call 866-686-3036.)

The workshops begin with a lively and informative hour and a half presentation,

then participants actually run through Cardio Tennis on court, wearing heart mon-

itors. Then it’s back in the classroom for a quick wrap-up. The excitement from the

nearly 40 people in the workshop was great to see. They clearly understood the

benefits for players, for their own businesses, and for the future of the sport.

The goal of Cardio Tennis is to get players moving, getting the heart rate into

the “Cardio Tennis Zone.” I was constantly on the move, and got an amazing work-

out, burning, according to my heart monitor, more than 1,240 calories in just over

an hour. And it was fun; I had a blast. Cardio Tennis lives up to the hype.

Key, of course, is the teaching pro, who needs to be able to keep the group mov-

ing and not stop to correct strokes or technique. Facilitating on court at my work-

shop were Michele Krause, the TIA’s national Cardio Tennis business manager; Bill

Mountford, the director of tennis at the NTC; Dr. Sophie Woorons, the director of

tennis at Performance Tennis at Brookstone Meadows in Anderson, S.C.; and for-

mer touring pro Katrina Adams. All were fantastic, keeping things moving while

still taking time to explain various aspects of the program to the pros.

The program will roll out to consumers during the US Open, with fitness expert

and Cardio Tennis advocate Denise Austin taking part. And every week, more facil-

ities are signing on to become Cardio sites.

If you haven’t looked into offering Cardio Tennis to your players, you need to.

It’s good for your players, and that’ll keep your business alive.

Peter Francesconi

Editorial Director

Our ServeYou Gotta Have Heart! (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 CrossKristen DaleyJoe 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.Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443 and addi-tional mailing offices. August 2005, Volume 33, Num-ber 8 © 2005 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rightsreserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo aretrademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Phoneadvertising: 770-650-1102 x.125. Phone circulation andeditorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions $25 in theU.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St.,Vista, CA 92084.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2005

I

It s good for your players, and tha

ormer pro and perennial US Open favorite Todd Martin (below) will be the keynotespeaker at the 35th annual USA Tennis Teachers Conference, to be held Aug. 27 to30 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, just as the US Open gets under way.

The theme of this year’s TTC is “Can we play now?” and it’s designedto help teaching pros and coaches instruct people to play tennis, admin-ister programs, and manage their businesses and careers. While technicalinstruction is an important part of learning tennis, simply "playing" thegame is key, and that’s the focus of many of the presentations and semi-nars at this year’s event.

Seminars and on-court demonstrations will be presented by experi-enced teachers and coaches such as Eliot Teltscher, Greg Patton, RodneyHarmon, Wayne Bryan, Steve Bellamy, Donna Yuritic, Craig Tiley, and others. Some ses-sions, including a session on Cardio Tennis, will be held at the USTA National Tennis Cen-ter, site of the US Open, in nearby Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Free transportation betweenthe Grand Hyatt and the NTC is included.

Register for the full three days by Aug. 9 for $200; after that date, it’s $255. Single-dayregistration is also available, as are group rates. Also, attendees are eligible for discount-ed rates at the Grand Hyatt ($168 per night, not including taxes), access to US Open tick-ets, welcome receptions sponsored by the USTA and PTR, and daily continental breakfast.There also is a trade show during the conference.

The TTC draws more than 700 tennis teachers and coaches from across the countryand around the world. For more information, email [email protected] or call 914-696-7004.To register online, visit www.usta.com/TTC.

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I A U G U S T 2 0 0 5


USTA Commits$1.5 Million to New“Tennis in the Parks”The USTA will invest $1.5 million in newfunding to support public parks tennisfacility improvements, renovations, andnew construction projects to providemore and enhanced tennis venues forincreased playing opportunities. The fund-ing of the “Tennis in the Parks” initiativefollows the USTA's recent announcementof a $10 million “Grow the Game” fundcreated to develop new programs toincrease player participation and raisethe profile of tennis in the U.S.

The new initiative includes a local com-munity advocacy component, in whichUSTA-provided grants will be matched onthe local level, with the total investmentin the sport totaling $7.5 million in work-ing dollars. This 20-fold increase in finan-cial support from last year will impactmore than 1,000 outdoor and indoorpublic facilities and thousands of courts.More than 70 percent of recreational ten-nis in the U.S. is played on public courts.

These grants can be applied toward newconstruction, reconstruction, or facilityimprovements, contingent upon ongoingprogramming, coaching and maintenancecommitments at the local facilities.

“The revitalization of tennis in our publicparks, where the majority of the sport isplayed at the grassroots level, is criticalto the growth strategy for tennis,” saysFranklin R. Johnson, USTA chairman ofthe board and president. “I have madethis the key focus of my presidency.”

For more information on USTA PublicFacility Funding, email [email protected]. These public tennis facili-ty funds will be awarded in three grantcycles during 2005.

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

tarting in September, ATP tournaments will feature changes to doubles that the ATPsays are designed to appeal to fans and better showcase the doubles game. ATPdoubles matches at many fall tournaments will feature no-ad games and sets

played to five games rather than six, with a tie-break at 4-4. Possible set scores will be 5-0, 5-1, 5-2, 5-3 and 5-4.

The ATP says that scheduling policies will be changed to ensure that more doubles willbe prominently featured on show courts for spectators and TV viewers alike. The ATP andtournaments also are developing a variety of promotional initiatives to showcase doublesand increase its appeal to fans and sponsors.

Many of the changes, approved by the ATP Board at Wimbledon, were initially recom-mended by a Research & Development Doubles Project Team chaired by HorstKlosterkemper, ATP president Europe and player relations. It included player representa-tives, tournament directors, and ATP staff and evaluated data from surveys from fourgroups: fans, players, media, and tournaments.

“All groups clearly acknowledged that doubles is an important part of tennis, butbelieve some enhancements were necessary,” Klosterkemper says. “Singles players saidthey would consider playing doubles on a more consistent basis if changes were made,citing the length of matches, which average more than 90 minutes, and scheduling diffi-culties as reasons for the lack of participation. The project team not only found remediesfor these challenges, but also identified some format changes that will broaden the appealof the game for fans.”

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Teaching Pros to Gather in NYC for 2005 TTC

ATP to Implement Changes in Pro Doubles

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USTA, Amex Sign NewUS Open Agreement

The USTA and American Expressannounced a new sponsorship and mar-keting agreement extending American

Express’s designation as the “Official Card”and “Official Travelers Cheque” of the USOpen. In the new agreement, AmericanExpress also becomes an “Official Sponsor ofthe US Open Series,” the six-week summertennis season that links all major NorthAmerican tournaments to the US Open.

The first program under the extendedrelationship was the option for Amex cardholders to buy tickets to the US Open in earlyJune, before sale to the general public. Also,Amex offered a buy-one ticket, get-one-freedeal for the first three evening sessions incertain seating areas.

“The US Open is a premier sporting event,and we are pleased to extend our long-stand-ing commitment to the USTA,” says NancySmith, Amex’s vice president of Global Mediaand Sponsorship Marketing. “Bringing spe-cial access and experiences to cardmembersat the US Open is one of the many ways werecognize and reward our cardmembers.”

In recent years, the USTA and AmericanExpress have developed extensive marketinginitiatives designed to elevate the profile ofthe sport and enhance the experience of theUS Open, including US Open-themed adver-tising and significant cardmember benefits.American Express again will sponsor ArthurAshe Kids’ Day presented by Hess on Satur-day, Aug. 27, a full-day tennis and music fes-tival for children and families.

MassMutual, Through USTA T&EF, Commits$525,000 for College Scholarships

The MassMutual Foundation for Hartford Inc. and the USTA Tennis & Edu-cation Foundation have awarded $5,000 college scholarships to 35 highschool seniors across the U.S. The honorees were selected by the USTA

T&EF on the basis of their commitment to academic success, their local com-munity, and the game of tennis.

The MassMutual Foundation is supporting the USTA T&EF with 35 col-lege scholarships annually for the next three years, for a total contributionof $525,000. Each year, at least one scholarship will be awarded in eachof the USTA’s 17 sections throughout the country. The program builds uponMassMutual’s current association with the USTA as a USTA CorporateChampion sponsor of the US Open.

Through all organization-wide educational initiatives, MassMutual andthe MassMutual Foundation are providing nearly $900,000 in scholarshipfunding to students in 2005.

Prince Offers ItsFirst Tennis Ball

Prince Sports has introduced a new tennisball—the Prince Tour. The company saysthe Prince Tour ball, which is Prince’s first

foray into the tennis ball category, is a premi-um grade, consistent, long-lasting ball.

The Prince Tour, which is USTA-approved, incorporates a hi-viswoven felt for optimal visibilityand a longer-lasting, dynamiccore for extended play, says thecompany, and the balls are hand-covered for consistent quality. TheTour ball is offered in Extra Duty felt forhard-court use, Regular Duty felt for softcourts, and a High Altitude Extra Duty felt for areasabove 3,500 feet.

For more information, contact 800-283-6647 or www.princetennis.com.

Wilson Offers Crossfire Two ShoeWilson’s latest tennis shoe for men, theCrossfire Two, includes Wilson’s DST 3Xtechnology, which the company saysoffers three times the cushioning com-fort in the core and forefoot for maxi-mum shock absorption and to aidquick-moving players on the court. TheCrossfire Two is designed for all-aroundtournament players. It retails for$199.99 in a white/black/silver colorcombination. Visit www.wilson.com.



USTA Creates New Community TennisDevelopment Position

Virgil Christian has been named director of Com-munity Tennis Development for the USTA. Inthis newly created position, he will be respon-

sible for strategic planning of community tennisdevelopment at schools, parks, colleges, Communi-ty Tennis Associations and the nationwide networkof 2,800 Tennis Welcome Centers.

In addition, Christian will further develop part-nerships with national organizations as well as theUSTA’s 17 sections. He will report to Scott Schultz,the managing director of recreational tennis.

“Virgil is highly regarded for his proven abilityto develop and grow tennis in communities byestablishing partnerships with local agencies andconstituencies,” says Schultz. “His expertise in community development will helpsupport all 17 USTA sections in their efforts to create effective and self-sustainingCommunity Tennis Associations.”

Most recently, Christian served as director of tennis for the Cary Tennis Centerin Cary, N.C., where he was responsible for tennis programming and teaching atover 50 courts citywide. He also directed several major events including the USTAPro Circuit $50,000 Women’s Challenger. Prior to joining the Cary Tennis Center,Christian served as executive director of the Development Authority in PeachtreeCity, Ga., and director of tennis for the Peachtree City Tennis Center.

WTT to Use Hawk-EyeInstant Replay

Hawk-Eye will provide instant replaytechnology for the World TeamTennisCoaches Challenge for selected regular

season WTT Pro League matches as well asthe WTT Finals. WTT officials selected Hawk-Eye as the official instant replay technology of the World TeamTen-nis Pro League following several months of research and testing.

The WTT Coaches Challenge allows teams to challenge callsduring a match utilizing the Hawk-Eye system. Established in2001, Hawk-Eye uses a refined image processing technique thatconverts the tennis action, recorded by on-court cameras, into ahighly detailed computer-imaging model. Unique to the comput-er-generated model of Hawk-Eye is the ability to analyze a shotfrom various angles and varying speeds.

Although instant replay has been tested in tennis and used inexhibitions, the WTT Pro League presented by Advanta will be thefirst time a challenge can be issued from the court in pro tenniscompetition.

In other WTT news, the Houston Wranglers have named JohnLucas as their new head coach. Lucas, a former player and coachin the NBA, played WTT with the Golden Gaters from 1976 to ’77and with the Sun Belt Nets in 1978. The Hartford FoxForce havenamed Aleco Preovolos as its 2005 head coach. Preovolos was afour-year All-American and Hall of Fame inductee at the Univer-sity of California-Davis.

Agenda Set for USPTAWorld Conference

Nick Bollettieri, Mary Carillo, AllenFox, Jack Groppel, Tom Gullikson,Rodney Harmon, Rick Macci, and

Brenda Schultz-McCarthy are among the featured speakers atthe 2005 USPTA World Conference on Tennis. Also featuredare Jim Baugh, Jill Fonte, Brett Hobden, and Luis Mediero.

The conference will be held Sept. 17 to 24 at the MarcoIsland Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Marco Island, Fla.Most major events—including night-time parties, nationalawards presentation, buying show and silent auction—areWednesday through Saturday, Sept. 21-24. The $30,000International Championships begin Sept. 17. In addition,more than 50 seminars and specialty courses will be pre-sented.

“We have been able to strengthen our agenda the pastfew years by holding more general sessions, with the help ofoutstanding speakers focused on modern tennis andbecause of feedback from members,” says USPTA CEO TimHeckler.

USPTA members and nonmembers are welcome. Regis-tration fees before Sept. 1 are $285 and $325, respectively.Special rates are offered for spouses and children. Registra-tion includes seminars and general sessions, dinner parties,the awards breakfast and buying show entry. For more infor-mation, visit www.uspta.com or call 800-877-8248.

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> Wilson’s nCode line of racquets claimed two titles at the FrenchOpen this year. Justine Henin-Hardenne won the women’s singlestitle playing with the nTour. Meanwhile in an all-nCode men’s dou-bles final, Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi, both playing with thenSix-One 95, beat Bob and Mike Bryan, both playing with the nProSurge. Other Wilson athletes who fared well at the French includedRoger Federer (nSix-One Tour) and Lindsay Davenport (nTour), whoboth reached the semifinals. For more info, visit www.wilson.com.

> Babolat had the winning racquet in the men’s final at the FrenchOpen. Both champion Rafael Nadal and runner-up Mariano Puertaplay with the Babolat AeroProDrive, which won the “Editor’sChoice” designation by Tennis magazine in April. For more informa-tion, contact 877-316-9435 or visit www.babolat.com.

> The new Prince O3 Tour had a strong showing at this year’s FrenchOpen. Playing with the frame, Paola Suarez won the women’s dou-bles title, Liezel Huber reached the women’s doubles final, and Niko-lay Davydenko reached the men’s singles semifinals. For moreinformation, visit www.princetennis.com.

> The 2005 US Open will be held Aug. 29 through Sept. 11 at theUSTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Arthur AsheKids’ Day presented by Hess, a full-day tennis and music festival forchildren and families, will take place Saturday, Aug. 27. Tickets forthe 2005 US Open and Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day can be purchased atusopen.org; by calling Ticketmaster at 1-866-OPEN-TIX; at all Tick-etmaster outlets; and at the USTA National Tennis Center box office.

> Penn will serve as the official ball in July and August for the Bank

of the West Classic (Penn Championship Ball) in Stanford, Calif.;the Acura Classic (Penn Championship Ball) in San Diego; and theWestern & Southern Financial Group Masters (Penn ATP Ball—men,Penn Championship Ball—women). In addition, the new Pro PennEncore is the official ball of USPTA Divisional Conventions.

> Southern California-based apparel manufacturer Bälle de Mätchis the official apparel supplier of the Orange County CommunityTennis Association in California. In related news, the companyadded Amanda McTavish as its new sales rep in Utah and Colorado.For more information on Bälle de Mätch, contact 949-574-7300.

> The USA Tennis Florida Section will spend $350,000 to help buildand improve public tennis facilities in the state. The USTA startedfunding public facility upgrades in 1999 with the Adopt-a-Courtprogram. Since that time, nine Florida facilities and 75 courts havereceived more than $40,000 in funding. “Our board realizes theimportance of increasing and improving our public tennis facilitiesin Florida," says USA Tennis Florida President Don Cleveland.

> World TeamTennis CEO/Commissioner Ilana Kloss announced adeal with ESPN2 for the cable network to televise eight hours ofWTT programming, including three regular-season marquee match-es in July and the WTT Finals in September.

> The city of Leuven, Belgium, will be the site for the USA vs. Bel-gium Davis Cup World Group Play-off Round Sept. 23-25. Theseries will be played on an indoor clay court at the 3,500-seat Sport-plaza Leuven. The winner remains in the 16-team World Group andis eligible to win the 2006 Davis Cup; the loser will be relegated tozonal competition for 2006.

SHORT SETS

Prince Introduces New O3 Blue

Prince Sports’ O3 Blue is the fourth addition to the Prince O3 family of racquets.The new frame is 110 square inches and, says the company, offers “the ulti-mate combination of more power and enhanced maneuverability and com-

fort for players looking for a soft, velvety feel.”Like the entire O3 line of racquets, O3 Blue utilizes Prince’s proprietary O-Port

technology. Prince re-engineered traditional small string holes into giant O-Ports,providing a livelier response across the entire string bed, says the company, andexpanding the sweetspot up to 54 percent. O-Ports also act as “wind tunnels,”says Prince, to reduce aerodynamic drag, creating a quick and maneuverableframe that produces a faster swing speed for more aggressive play.

"The addition of O3 Blue will allow players of all levels and skills to find theperfect racquet to enhance their game,” says Howard Lay, vice president of prod-uct development at Prince. “Feel is the best part about O3 Blue. The curved shaftof this racquet provides just enough flex to soften any off-center hit.”

For more information, contact 800-283-6647 or www.princetennis.com.

ATP Picks GerflorTaraflex Surface

The ATP announced a three-year partner-ship with Gerflor, manufacturer of indoorsports surfaces. Under the agreement,

Gerflor’s Taraflex will become the “OfficialATP Court Surface.” The ATP also has select-ed Taraflex as the court surface for the TennisMasters Cup Shanghai from 2005 to 2007.

Gerflor has supplied indoor surfaces forthe Olympic Games and many indoor WorldChampionships. Taraflex, an indoor synthet-ic surface, has been the official surface usedat the BNP Paribas Masters for the past 15years, the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon for18 years, the Kremlin Cup in Moscow since2001, and, since last year, the St. PetersburgOpen.

The ATP, in a statement, says its selec-tion of Taraflex was “motivated by the tech-nology used to manufacture the Taraflexsurface. The technology provides an idealcompromise between comfort, shockabsorption and high performance, allowingplayers to perform at a world-class levelwhile preserving their physical condition.”



Mary Pierce Wins With LejayWearing atwo-piece out-fit from Lejay,Mary Piercepowered herway to theFrench Openfinal in June.She also woreLejay outfitsat this year’sWimbledonChampionships. For more information onLejay and its apparel products, contact800-932-7535.

Penn Introduces New Pro Penn Encore

Penn introduces its new Pro Penn tennis ball, featuring Encore Tech-nology, which the company says makes it last 33 percent longer, and

Smart Optik felt, for greater visibility.Encore Technology is Pro Penn’s new core com-

pound that maximizes longer-lasting playing proper-ties, says Penn. By using a proprietary blend ofnatural and man-made polymers, ball softening islimited and the core stays fresher longer, the compa-ny says.

Penn says its tests show that after 30 minutes ofplay, new Pro Penn shows significantly less ball soft-ening than original Pro Penn, and after five weeks ofbeing out of the can, new Pro Penn Encore is just aslively as the original Pro Penn was after just 30 min-utes of play. In addition, new Pro Penn Encore fea-tures Smart Optik felt, which Penn says measures 19percent brighter than a standard tennis ball forgreater visibility, enhanced accuracy, and set-up time.

“Tennis balls that play like new longer and areeasier to see will make tennis more fun and success-ful for players of all levels,” says Jennifer Parker, busi-ness manager for Penn Tennis Balls. “Our clear goalremains offering tennis players a ball that will help

them play their best tennis.”For more information, visit www.pennracquet.com.

Osborn Named RegionalV.P. at Prince Sports

Charles Osborn is thenew regional vicepresident for the

Northeast Division ofPrince Sports, responsiblefor leading the region’ssales team. Osborn joinsPrince after nearly 20years at Wilson SportingGoods, where he was thedirector of national sales

for the racquet division.“Charlie’s energy, commitment and follow-

through make him an exceptional addition toour team,” says Doug Fonte, president of PrinceSports, USA. “We look forward to using hisexpertise to strengthen the Prince brand andcontinue the company’s successes.”

Early in his career, Osborn served as a teach-ing professional at various clubs throughout NewEngland. He has also been a top-ranked singlesand doubles player in both the USTA New Eng-land Section as well as at the national level.

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Prince Launches New Quiktrac GT Shoe

Prince Sports debuts its new performance footwear, the Quiktrac GT, which thecompany says is designed to compliment its O3 engi-neered racquets.

“Just as the O3 racquets are top of the line,the GT shoe offers the best in performanceand stability—with a stylish design to per-fectly coordinate with the O3 racquets,”says Gary Wakley, senior director offootwear and apparel at Prince.

The Quiktrac GT has the stylisticfeatures of Prince’s O3 racquets,displaying the unique visual cue ofthe racquets, the O-ports, in theupper of the shoe and color-coordi-nating with the racquets. The shoesprovide extreme comfort and sup-port, the company says.

The new shoe is part of the QTSeries, and Prince says it’s ideal for playerswho demand lightweight comfort. The shoe is built onGoodyear Max outsoles, with DSS (Dynamic Suspension Sys-tem) that the company says provides exceptional support, trac-tion, and durability for all players.

The GT comes in a low- and midcut for both men and women and is available inwhite with silver or blue accents for women and white with red, navy or blackaccents for men. For more information, visit www.princetennis.com.

Gamma Sports Teams WithSlinghopper

Gamma Sports will bethe exclusive distrib-utor for SlingHopper

Drill Bags. “We have along history of supportingtennis professionals andplayers with innovativeteaching and trainingaids,” says Gamma Presi-dent Matt Ferrari. “Sling-Hopper is another extension of that support.”

“We believe that Gamma is the right company to getSlingHopper Drill Bags on the court,” says SlinghopperPresident Paul Tobin.

The products include the SlingHopper Pro Drill Bag,which holds 40 balls and is designed for conductingactive drills, and the SlingHopper Rally Ball Bag, whichholds 20 balls and is designed to allow the pro moremobility. Both bags are available in right-hand and left-hand models.

For more information, contact Gamma at 800-333-0337 or visit www.gammasports.com orwww.slinghopper.com.

US Open Men’s Winnerto Receive New Lexus

The USTA and Lexus signed a multi-year worldwide marketing partner-ship that designates Lexus the

“Presenting Sponsor of the US OpenMen’s Singles Championship” and the“Official Vehicle of the US Open.”

The new three-year agreementincludes a significant on-site presenceat the US Open, national TV mediacommitments, an extensive presenceon USOpen.org, and all transportationservices for the more than 250 ath-letes participating in the US Open.Lexus is the USTA’s sixth CorporateChampion.

Lexus will award an all-new 2006Lexus GS 430 to the men’s singleschampion of the US Open—-a USOpen first. The same vehicle won bythe champion will be on display dur-ing the two-week tournament withother Lexus vehicles on the groundsof the USTA National Tennis Center.

Diadora AcquiresKaelin License

Diadora America Inc.,based in Kent, Wash.,recently acquired the

Kaelin license from ErmineInvestments of California.Under the licensing agree-ment, Diadora now has theworldwide license (excludingJapan) for the Kaelin brand.

Diadora President Bill Nut-tall says that Diadora can nowproduce product under theKaelin name while consolidat-ing its already establishedsourcing, customer service,account-base and other oper-ational functions. “Kaelin hasa great reputation in the ten-nis business,” he says. “Andit’s a reputation we will liveup to by adhering to the qual-ity and performance stan-dards Kaelin customersexpect.”

Penn RacquetSports Named Topsin Arizona

Penn Racquet Sports has beennamed No. 1 in the eighthannual edition of Ranking

Arizona: The Best of Arizona Busi-ness. More than 5,000 Arizonabusinesses, in more than 200business and leisure categories,are included in The Best of ArizonaBusiness, which is the largest busi-ness opinion poll taken in thestate.

The results were determinedby Arizona residents who casttheir votes online atwww.azbusinessmagazine.com.Penn shared the category of“Manufacturing: Non-Electronic”with companies such as Ping,Shamrock Foods, Watson Phar-maceuticals, and Holsum BakeryInc. Last year, Penn, which isbased in Phoenix, was rankedfifth in the poll.



• Baylor's Benedikt Dorsch and Miami's (Fla.) Megan Bradley have been named the 2005Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Players of the Year. Georgia's John Isner and Antonio Ruiz and

Stanford's Alice Barnes and Erin Burdette are the ITA National Doubles Teams of the Year. This year's award win-ners will be will be honored at the ITA All-Star Outing and Awards Luncheon, presented by the Nick Bollettieri Tennis

Academy, on Aug. 26 at New York City's Central Park.

• Zuzana Zemenova, a Baylor University freshman, has been voted the nation’s most outstanding college tennis player, accordingto results of national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program, now in

its 29th year. Zemenova, a native of Slovakia, completed the 2004–2005 season, earning the title of Big 12 Player-of-the-Year and Big12 Singles Champion with a 9-0 mark. The other nominees in the tennis category were: Audra Cohen from Northwestern, Jen-nifer Magley from the University of Florida, and Riza Zalameda from UCLA.

• The USTA has named Jean Desdunes, David Roditi, and Robin White new USA Tennis High Performance coaches. Des-dunes will work out of the USA Tennis High Performance Headquarters in Key Biscayne, Fla., while Roditi and White willwork out of the USA Tennis High Performance Training Center in Carson, Calif.

• Steve Henderson and Annabel Rimmer joined the USTA Southwest Section staff. Henderson will direct marketing, spon-sorship procurement and fund raising, while Rimmer will oversee office operations and communications.

• USTA Chairman of the Board and President Franklin R. Johnson and immediate past president Alan G. Schwartz (both atright) were elected to the board of directors of the International Tennis Federation for two-year terms ending in 2007.

• David Zeutas-Broer, USA Tennis New England's High Performance Coordinator, was recently named New England Profes-sional of the Year at the 2005 USPTA annual New England Spring Convention. Also at the convention, Paul Gagliardi ofBranford, Conn., the USA Tennis Community Coordinator for the Connecticut division of USA Tennis New England, wasnamed Western New England Professional of the Year.

• Harry Gilbert has been selected by Ginn Clubs & Resorts to assist with the development of the tennis facilities at Hammock Beach andReunion Resort & Club of Orlando, Fla. Gilbert is the USPTA’s first vice-president.

• USA Tennis New England inducted six into its section hall of fame recently: Dick Ernst of Cranston, R.I.; Elizabeth Freeman Youngof Newton, Mass.; Phil Kadesch of North Easton, Mass.; Sally B. Utiger of Weston, Mass.; John T. Moter of Winchester, Mass.;

and the late Dorothy Bruno Hills, formerly of Cambridge, Mass.

• R. Gary Pina of Falmouth, Mass., received the USA Tennis New England’s Gardner Ward Chase Memorial Awardfor outstanding contribution to tennis in New England. It is one of the section’s highest honors. Pina has been

working at promoting youth and adult tennis at the grassroots level for over 20 years. More than12,000 people have participated in Pina's programs, lessons, and camps.

P E O P L E W AT C H


Wilson Debuts New Line of Tour Bags

Wilson Racquet Sports debuted a new line of Tour bags atWimbledon, which features an updated look and newtechnology to better protect players’ equipment, says

the company.The new Tour line features the classic Wilson red with

additional touches of black and white incorporated into thedesign. The new Tour bag is used by Justine Henin-Hardenne, Roger Federer, Lindsay Davenport, VenusWilliams and others. All ATP and WTA Wilson touring pro-fessionals will be upgraded to the new version.

The Tour bag features Wilson’s patented Thermoguard,which insulates the bag to protect racquets from extreme

heat, and Moisture Guard, whichkeeps equipment safe from

moisture. Bags featureno-slip shoulder straps,padded carry handlesand a variety of com-partments, includinga shoe and wet pocket

compartment.The Tour line is available

in several different modelsincluding the Pro ($79.99), Super Six ($74.99), Six Pack($59.99), Court ($49.99), Triple ($39.99) and Backpack($39.99).

A U G U S T 2 0 0 5IN

DU

ST

RY

NE

WS

Dunlop Launches New I.C.E. Squash Frame

Dunlop’s new I.C.E. Elite Jonathon Power Signature squashracquet debuts in August. It’s the same racquet that Cana-dian Jonathon Power used in stringing together a winning

streak that returned him to world squash prominence.Power, who finished the season No. 4 in the Dunlop PSA

World Squash Rankings, has not lost since he started playingwith the I.C.E. Elite Jonathon Power Signature racquet prior tocapturing the Bermuda Masters title. He went on to win theCanadian Nationals and defeated No. 1-ranked Thierry Lincouof France at the Brit Insurance Super Series Finals in London.

“The I.C.E. Elite Jonathon Power Signature racquet featuresa forgiving 500-square-centimeter head that allows great con-trol while providing added power at the same time,” saysStephen Hall, director of Racquet Sport Sales for Focus Golf Sys-tems Inc., the exclusive licensee for Dunlop golf and racquetsports in North America.

Power’s strong finish highlighted a season that also sawDunlop competitor Alana Miller take the No. 2 spot in thewomen’s Canadian Squash Championships and junior playersKeith Pritchard and Stephanie Edmison claim the No. 1 rankingin Canada’s men’s and women’s under-19 championships,respectively.

In addition to Power, Lee Beachill of England, who plays theDunlop I.C.E. Tour racquet, is at No. 2, according to recent Dun-lop PSA World Squash Rankings.

FOCUS ON footweark

ennis teaching pros and facilitymanagers have a common goal—toget as many people as possible to

play tennis. It’s simple: The more theyplay, the more they pay—for racquets,shoes, apparel, court time, etc.

Since keeping people on court is soimportant to your business, you need todo everything you can to keep your play-ers healthy. One area that you need tobe aware of, and need to be able tocommunicate to your players about, isfoot care.

If a player’s feet, arches, ankles, orlower back hurt, rather than have themstop playing, suggest that they look intogetting orthotics for their tennis shoes.Like with any health-related issue, how-ever, have your players or members con-sult a podiatrist or other doctor forspecific care.

Orthotics, which are shaped like thebottom of the foot, are placed in theshoe and affect a player’s gait, yieldingbetter function and per-formance. Orthotics canbe prescribed by podia-trists, orthopedists,trainers, physical thera-pists, and chiropractorsfor a number of reasons,including:� To reduce fatigue and

lessen leg cramps.� To better align the foot and

lower extremities.� To beat a wide variety of

foot problems, including flatfeet, high arches, plantar fasci-itis/heel spur syndrome, bunions,neuromas, joint pain and instability,and calluses.

� To improve shoe comfort and support.� To rejuvenate an old, tired pair of

shoes.Many consumers don’t realize that

the insoles in an athletic shoe are remov-

Table and can be replaced with othertypes of insoles or orthotics. When play-ers are considering orthotics, they needto be aware of the two types: over-the-counter or custom.

Over-the-counter orthotics are fab-ricated as gender specific, with sizesranging from small, medium, and large,and with activity-specific designs. TheOTC product will elevate the arch of thefoot and attempt to restore the foot tonormal foot function and alignment.OTC orthotics are a good starting pointthat may improve a player’s comfort andrelieve pain.

Custom-fitted orthotics, on theother hand, are fitted to a player’s feetand particular foot pathology. When theorthotic device is worn during tennis orother activity, the foot functions closer tonormal and more efficiently. But oncethe device is removed, the foot returns toits normal pathologic position or pre-existing state. Custom-fitted orthotics aredesigned and intended to alter the

mechanics of the foot significantly, sothe foot and lower extremities func-

tion closer to normal. This trans-

lates into betterperformancewith less footand leg fatigueand pain.

Today, many people spend a lot ofmoney on over-the-counter products like

insoles, and you may want to considerstocking them in your shop. Often,these products will provide some help

for your players, but if pain persists,have them seek professional help.

The last thing you want to do is lose aplayer to pain or an ailment that is easilytreatable. �

David Sharnoff, a podiatrist in Shelton,Conn., is a longtime advisor to the WTATour and a member of Tennis magazine’sTechnical Advisory Panel. Dr. Sharnoff alsois a longtime contributor to professionaljournals in the field of podiatric medicine.

Orthotics Can Help Keep YourPlayers Playing B Y D A V I D S H A R N O F F


One of the first things he did was tocall a meeting with players and parentsand establish that spots on the teamwould be awarded based on attitudeand effort first and playing ability sec-ond. Burwash knew that with the rightattitude and work ethic, the wholegroup would flourish, rather than sim-ply be a springboard for a few eliteplayers with varying degrees of imma-ture attitudes.

The result of his drawing this line inthe sand was that he lost some of histop players. However, in the long run,he developed a team that made a dif-ference in the lives of the team mem-bers, and many more who they came incontact with. And, yes, most ended upbeing awarded college tennis scholar-ships anyway.

INGREDIENT #3GET THE PARENTS ON THESAME PAGEAny coach, teaching pro, or programdirector knows that tennis parents caneither be your best friends or give younightmares. Of course, they may not allbecome your best friends, but you canbe proactive. At the very least, get

SUCCESSmarketing&

A Recipe for Junior Success ThatGoes Beyond Tennis B Y J O E D I N O F F E R


ut yourself in a brainstorming ses-sion with other industry leaders.Your group’s assignment is to

come up with a recipe to help createmore dynamic and successful juniordevelopment programs and tennisacademies. The recipe must include allthe components needed to attract andretain both kids and their parents. Whatwould be your recipe for success?

Here’s what we came up with as astarting point.

INGREDIENT #1CREATE A "KIDS FIRST"CULTUREThe first step in establishing a “kidsfirst” culture is to find out what moti-vates the children. The first critical com-ponent of this ingredient is to developan atmosphere of mentorship. Regularlyrotate the children so even theyoungest players get to spend time withthe older ones.

If you run more of an “after school”program rather than a full-blown tennisacademy, this can become a reality byscheduling the most advanced playersfirst and then have them stay an extra30 minutes to help the next oldestgroup. Then the second group stays anextra 30 minutes to be with the thirdoldest group, and so forth. You’ll beamazed at the difference this smallscheduling adjustment can make. Theyounger kids will be more motivatedthan ever and, by helping one another,will each quickly evolve into more car-ing individuals.

Another feature of this ingredient isto make decisions based on what isbest for each individual child's develop-ment. Don’t sacrifice anything based onwinning and losing. An example is thatmany of the tennis academies that havetried creating their own mini-boardingschools are now switching back to non-boarding school programs. The result isa more stable environment for the chil-

dren. The lesson learned is that thegreatest long-term support for thejuniors will always come from their ownfamilies. Happy children will result inhappy tennis players.

INGREDIENT #2ESTABLISH AND MAINTAINSTANDARDSThis ingredient consists of many smallerparts, but each one is as important asthe other. Besides the practical aspectsof facility management, scheduling, andpromoting your programs, you need toset standards with the people part ofthe equation—your staff, the juniors,and their parents.

The bottom line is that we are in thepeople business and, while each of yourjuniors may not turn into world champi-ons, it is realistic to expect that they cangrow to experience the benefits of play-ing college tennis. Even more importantis that they can become better humanbeings through playing our lifetimesport.

I always remember how in the mid-1970s, veteran tennis teacher and entre-preneur Peter Burwash was in charge ofthe Hawaiian Junior Davis Cup Team.

P

CourtesyAustin

TennisAcadem

y


Joe Dinoffer is a Master Professionalfor both the PTR and USPTA. Hespeaks frequently at national andinternational tennis teacher work-shops as a member of both the

Head/Penn and Reebok National Speaker’sBureaus. He is president of Oncourt Offcourt Inc.and has written 16 books and produced morethan 30 instructional videos.

everyone—kids and parents alike—onthe same page.

The key is to set your standards andcommunicate them to the parents. Putthem in writing. Be clear about whatyou expect from the kids in your pro-gram and stress life skills and characterdevelopment. With this emphasis, youwill establish a solid footing in your rela-tionships and quickly gain the respectof the majority of the parents. Remem-ber that you can be both nice and firmat the same time. Communication andconsistency are essential touches to thisingredient in our recipe for success.

INGREDIENT #4ATTITUDE OVER APTITUDEIn addition to life-skill training and char-acter-building, you owe it to yourselfand the children to emphasize attitudeover aptitude. According to USPTAMaster Professional Jack Newman, “Allthings in life are connected, you cannot

be someone in one area of your life andsomeone else in other areas. For exam-ple, you cannot be a slacker in academicsand expect to be a focused, hardworkingathlete in tennis.”

INGREDIENT #5THERE IS NO "I" IN TEAMThe final ingredient in our basic recipe forsuccess is team building. Tennis can be alonely sport. For most individuals, it is alot more fun and satisfying to play tennisas part of a team rather than only as anindividual. Shared losses are easier toswallow and shared victories are sweetand enduring. Therefore, it is critical todevelop a team and family atmospherethat permeates your programs.

If a group goes to tournaments, makesure all the juniors support the others.This means that even if one junior loses inthe first round, he or she stays at thetournament site and supports the othersin the group.

The inspiration for this article camefrom a visit to the Austin Tennis Acade-my (ATA) in Austin, Texas(www.Austintennisacademy.com).Coach Jack Newman, theowner/director, is one of the best team-builders and junior tennis mentors inthe U.S. His project is only a few yearsold and growing by leaps and bounds.

Many people run academies; few doit with solid character-building at theheart of their programs. Along withbuilding solid citizens, the ATA also hasa growing group of national champi-ons. �

RELATIONScustomer

he paper towel dispenser is empty,the front door sticks, paper cups areblowing around the parking lot,

there’s a light out, the apparel fixtures aredusty. No big deal, right? Wrong. These

conditions, known as “moments oftruth,” all contribute to your cus-

tomers’ perception andsatisfaction with yourbusiness. They’rebrief—“moments”being the operativeword. They’re oftenunspoken. Theirimpact is often sub-

conscious. They’realways hugely powerful.

Moments of truth form our opinionsabout an organization. They can deter-mine whether we feel confident oruncomfortable with the service we’reabout to receive. They can either encour-age us or deter us from purchasing. Theycan indicate whether our business isappreciated or taken for granted. Theycan make us feel safe or at risk. If youand your employees have been therefor a while, it’s easy to stop noticingthem. It’s also risky. Though fleeting,moments of truth shout volumes to yourcustomers!

To illustrate, let’s look at some of themore common scenarios in a tennis envi-ronment which impact your customers’impressions of your business. Take a freshlook to determine whether you’re creat-ing positive or negative moments oftruth.

THE SIGNDo you still notice the sign in front ofyour club or shop? If not, go take a look.Is that sign hanging straight? Is the paintcrisp and fresh? If it’s lighted, are thelights in good repair? To your customers,your sign says “Here’s how we want topresent ourselves to you.” Does the signat your facility convey that your club is indisrepair and that you aren’t payingattention to detail, or does it show peo-ple that you’re on top of your game?

THE PARKING LOTFirst and foremost, is your parking lotclean? Trash and cigarette butts aren’tvery welcoming. If your parking lot ispaved and striped, are the painted stripeskept fresh? If it’s gravel, is it free ofweeds? If your shop is in a strip mall andyou’re not happy with the condition ofthe parking lot, is it time to have a talkwith your property manager? If you’re onmain street and have no parking lot, doyou keep the sidewalk in front of yourstore swept in the summer and free ofice and snow in the winter?

THE WALKWAYIs it clean, neat, and in good repair? If it’slighted, are all the lights working proper-ly? If they’re the little walkway lights, arethey all straight? Are the fixtures clean?Are the pavers, mulch, or gravel kept freeof overgrowth from grass or other vege-tation? Ask every employee to notice theparking lot and walkways every day andto pick up trash when they see it.

THE FRONT DOORLike the sign, the parking lot and thewalkway, you see your front door dozensof times each week. Do you really see itas your customers do? If so, does it putyour best foot forward? If it’s painted, isthe paint clean and in good repair? Is thedoor knob clean and tight? Does thedoor stick at all when it’s opened orclosed? If it has glass, is the glass keptclean?

WINDOW DISPLAYSAll of us have wandered into stores sim-ply because the window displays areinviting. The windows are clean, the mer-chandise is not dusty or faded, the man-nequins are in good repair. The displayssay, “Come on in. We have great mer-chandise and we display it with pride.”What do your window displays convey?

THE AMBIENCEOnce inside the shop or club, what doyour customers see from the condition of

the paint, lights, fixtures, and carpet?We’ve all walked into restaurants wherethe carpet is dirty, there’s food on thefloor and the hostess stand is cluttered.Subconsciously, we might say, “Yikes. Ifthis is how the front looks, what musttheir kitchen be like?” This is true in everyretail environment. If the store is neat,clean and in good repair, we may inferthat the business is just as buttoned up.Conversely, if the store is messy, dusty, ordirty, we may question whether ourrequests and transactions will be handledproperly.

THE FRONT DESKStand aside and really notice what goeson at your front desk. How are peoplegreeted? How is the phone answered?How are requests handled? The momen-tary interactions at your front desk shapeyour customers’ opinions of your facilityand your service.

RESTROOMS ANDDRESSING ROOMSYour customers are alone when usingthese facilities. Your concern for theircomfort is clearly on display here. Emptytoilet-paper holders and pins on thedressing-room floor don’t convey muchconcern. We expect overflowing trashbaskets, empty paper-towel holders, andmessy sink areas in public restrooms, butwhen we encounter them in private busi-nesses, we form harsh judgments. Makesure the private areas in your businesssend a message of caring and concern foryour customers.

THE SHOWERSCheck the drains periodically throughoutthe day to make sure they’re not coveredwith hair. Remove used razors and wettowels. Make sure every club memberwalks into that shower as you wouldwant to if you were the member.

THE COURTSAs a player yourself, what do you wantto see when you walk onto a court? If


Capitalizing on “Moments of Truth”B Y J I L L F O N T E

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you see cups blowing around, dirty orempty water coolers, empty cup dis-pensers, trash on the benches, orused balls littering the back fences,you don’t get a positive impression ofthe club. As a facility owner or man-ager, make sure these moments oftruth are tended to throughout theday so that each player’s impressionsare positive.

While the moments of truth sur-rounding the court setting are impor-tant, your customers have alreadyformed dozens of opinions aboutyour facility before they even get tothe courts. Try to see your businessthrough the eyes of someone whohas just moved to your area and islooking for a place to buy equipmentand/or play. You’re continually send-ing subtle messages about how thatperson’s experience with you willunfold.

By taking a fresh look, you cancheck to see whether you’re reallyputting your best foot forward andmaking the impression you want tomake. Moments of truth are a verybig deal. By knowing when theyoccur and by paying attention todetail, you can capitalize on them tobenefit your customers and yourbusiness. �


Jill Fonte isa speakerand trainerspecializingin manage-ment andcustomerservice.She is afrequentpresenterat tennisconven-tions and

workshops throughout the U.S. Anavid, frequent tennis player, she isthe current chair of the USTA'sNational Tennis Innovation Commit-tee. She has also recently joined Dr.Jack Groppel and Dr. Jim Loehr as aperformance coach and keynotespeaker at the Human PerformanceInstitute in Orlando, Fla.

ention logos, windscreen, and ten-nis facilities, and the word “brand-ing” keeps popping up. That word

simply means utilizing various marketingmethods to link an identity with a specificmessage in order to set oneself apartfrom the competition. Branding is, per-haps, the reason behind the growingpractice of printing club names and mas-cots on tennis-court windscreen. But talklong enough about the subject and,sooner or later, everyone gets around tothe money issue.

Larry Ball, president and CEO at BPInternational Inc. (formerly Ball Products) inDeland, Fla., equates his company’s quick-ly growing logo business with anincreased savvy and sophistication amonghis club and sports facility customers.

“The concept of printing on wind-screen is more widely understood than itused to be,” Ball says. “We’re seeing a lotof increased activity in our logo depart-ment from tennis clubs, high schools, andcolleges. They recognize that a standard-sized logo on windscreen is much moreeconomical than, say, a fancy sign.”

Ball points out that windscreen can beused for sponsorship opportunities, oreven as an advertising medium. He sug-gests that, although many higher endcountry clubs will maintain a more tradi-tional use of logos on their courtsidewindscreen, other types of facilities arelooking for ways to replace the cost oftheir sports equipment. “They like the ideaof windscreen as an income producer.”

“Windscreen on a tennis court is like agreat big billboard,” says Randy Futty,director of sales at Lee Tennis in Char-lottesville, Va. “For a public facility, it’s agreat way to generate income.”

With competition for membership andpatronage at an all-time high, even themore exclusive clubs want to distinguishthemselves. They logo their restaurantnapkins, their pro shop apparel, and nowthey are putting their logos on wind-

screen. “Attractive logos will set a clubapart, and spark recognition among mem-bers and guests. It can go so far as to be atool for increasing membership,” Futty says.

Part of the reason logoing has grow inpopularity has to do with technology. Costsare down, and design complexity is greatlyexpanded. Not very many years ago, thestandard logo was a one-color, blocky-look-ing item. Now, competent screen printerscan generate a multi-color, elaborate designthat will bond with the windscreen materialfor a long-lasting, highly visual effect.

John Douglas, national sales manager atDouglas Sport Nets & Equipment inEldridge, Iowa, estimates that he’s doubledhis quotes for logos in the last year. “Tennisclubs are using logos for branding—to dif-ferentiate their club.” He explains that

logos are becoming part of image-build-ing and awareness. “An attractive logogives the player a feeling that he is at ahigh-quality facility.”

Although costs have declined, Dou-glas admits that the logo is usually moreexpensive than the material. A large,

complex logo on a 9-foot windscreenpanel can be as much as $10,000. Anyonemaking that sort of investment, he says,should be committed to proper screenmaintenance—keeping the windscreenproperly attached to the fence or even tak-ing it down in extremely bad weather. Forthat reason, he encourages his clients toput their logos on a separate, smaller pieceof windscreen that can be removed if nec-essary.

And at Advantage Tennis Supply inRichmond, Va., manager Amy Ward esti-mates that her logo business is up about40 percent since last year. "We've had 25quotes for logos in the last three weeks,and that’s a lot for us, because it’s not ourmain thing,” says Ward. “We offer logoingon our website and in our catalog for cus-tomer convenience, but we subcontract allof our screen printing to a graphics compa-ny because they do a quality job."

“As far as the future,” Larry Ball says, “Ican’t see any way but up for this part ofour business.” He points out that the trendright now in Europe is for all clubs, evenhigh-end clubs, to carry advertisementsand/or sponsorships on their windscreen.

“We are usually a few years behindEurope but, when the fashion catcheson over here, it’s always much biggerthan anywhere else,” he says. “In thenot-too-distant future, in this country, Iexpect all public facilities, and some of

the more forward-thinking private ones,will begin utilizing printing on their court-side windscreen as a way to produce addi-tional income.” �

TRENDSconstructionEstablish Your IdentityPlacing logos on court windscreen helps schools, clubs, and parks“brand” their facilities. B Y L A U R I E B L A C K G R O S S

�

M


Douglas SportsDouglas Sports

BPIBPI

Magazine and newspaper writer Laurie BlackGross has recently completed her third book.

MANAGEMENTfacilityAre You Machine-Ready?Frequently overlooked, a vending machine may be essential to keepingyour members happy.

�

B Y M I T C H R U S T A D


tennis club's general manager (atleast a successful one) intimatelyknows every inch of his or her facil-

ity's real estate: the locker rooms,courts, front desk, café, lobby area,nursery, etc. These vital areas are con-stantly maintained and regularlyupgraded under the watchful eye of theGM, with the intended result of keep-ing even the most finicky membershappy.But there's one highly popular—but

ironically, virtually invisible—staple ofnearly every tennis club or public facili-ty that's so commonplace, even themost conscientious manager can tendto overlook it—the vending machine.In 2003, these ultra handy snack

and beverage dispensers brought in awhopping $42 billion in revenues inthe U.S., according to Vending Times.Though a cross-section of tennis man-agers interviewed for this story maynot view them as a crucial revenuesource, most agreed that they're ulti-mately as essential to a tennis club asthe net posts and cash register.“No matter how you slice it, you

have to have them,” says Ajay Pant,regional manager at Indian Creek Rac-quet Club in Overland Park, Kan.“When members are in a hurry ordon't want to wait in line in the caféor want a certain kind of soda, it'sthere to serve a purpose. I'd hate tohave a member go away frustrated. Tonot have at least one would be a dis-service to the members.”“I see them as a tool of conve-

nience,” says Scott Hanover, generalmanager at the Plaza Tennis Center inKansas City, Mo. “Especially duringoff-hours when the café isn't open,they provide a necessary service.”But that doesn't mean all club man-

agers are racking their brains decidingon what kinds of chips and snack barsto stock. “It's kind of off my radar

A machines, the decision to lease orbuy—even before what products tostock—is the first step to consider.How hands-on you are is completelyup to you, however; if you prefer,vending companies will handle virtuallyeverything from initial delivery torepairs to refills.Kim Mendonsa, who has dealt with

a variety of vending scenarios in herrole as the food and beverage directorat Mid-Town Tennis Club in Chicago,likes to implement both options as shejuggles her own list of daily responsi-bilities vs. the needs of her members.“Traditionally, if you get a vending

machine that’s an exclusive productmachine [like Coca Cola], you caneither purchase it outright or contractwith the vendor on the premises, thenyou can stock it yourself or contractwith the vendor and they will stock itfor you,” she says. “Ultimately, I seevending machines as another clubamenity.”From there, keeping tabs on ven-

dors is essential, whether you lease orbuy; you can’t just assume themachines will be maintained and/orstocked on time, says Hanover.“We’re outsourcing our machines

now, but when it was my responsibili-ty, I was always worrying whether thevendor would show up and fill them,”says Hanover, “because sometimesthey didn't show up on the day theywere supposed to, and then you'regoing to hear it from the players.”However, it’s also essential to moni-

tor each machine to decide if themachine is even worth maintaining.“I’ll monitor usage and assess thingsfrom there,” says Mendonsa. “If yousee the products are going stale beforethey’re being sold, it’s time to takethat machine out. I think most of thisis just plain common sense, like tryingto find a round hole for a round peg.”

screen,” says Laurie Wilson, the gener-al manager of the West Branch TennisClub in Pennsylvania, a six-court facili-ty with one vending machine fullymaintained by an outside vendor.“[The outside vendor] takes care ofeverything, so it's something I don'teven have to deal with.”

BUY OR LEASE?Though many club managers will sim-ply inherit a facility’s vending

Vending 101Does your club need a new vendingmachine? For vending newbies, here are afew “getting started” tips from Kim Men-donsa, the food and beverage director atMid-Town Tennis Club in Chicago.

1. Network! Before looking in the yellowpages or typing “vending” into Google,try networking with local business own-ers who already utilize on-site vending.“Ask them which companies are good,and make sure to choose a companythat’s regionally based,” says Mendon-sa, “because you'll need them to be ser-viced regularly.”

2. Contact Local Distributors: Local foodand beverage distributors are also agood place to start; in fact, they oftenwill throw in a vending machine withyour order, if it’s substantial enough.Restaurant supply stores also have vend-ing machines for lease.

3. Lease or Buy? This decision is easy onceyou consider these two factors—timeand space: “Can you commit time out ofyour schedule for restocking?” saysMendonsa. “And if you can spare twohours a week for that, does your facilityhave enough storage space? If not,you're better off leasing. Purchasing isbetter in the long run, if your facility isset up to handle it.”

WHAT TO STOCK?The presence of at least one vendingmachine may be a given, but that does-n't mean it has to add to a manager’sdaily headaches. But Pant says that tak-ing a moment to review the contents ofyour clubs' vending machines can bewell worth the few minutes of effort.“Moms and dads want healthy

stuff and kids want junk,” says Pant,“so when juniors come in, we stockthe healthy bars. We're very carefulnot to stock it with complete junk.”Pant's practical approach goes well

beyond caring for his members' nutri-tional needs, however. “There are cer-tain kinds of candy that can be so

messy and even ruin the carpets, sothe last thing I want to do is stock thatkind of stuff,” says Pant. “We willoften avoid chewing gum, becauseyou can have a real mess on yourhands. You have to take all that intoconsideration.”Stocking your vending machines is

also an ideal way to engage members,says Mendosa. “Get out and talk topeople, and ask members what theywant,” she says. “If you don't have arestaurant, offer samples and tastetests. For example, a lot of beveragecompanies will come out and offersamples, and it helps members feelthey’re participating in the decision-making process.”

JUST HANGING OUT?For Pant, however, vending machinesare merely a necessary evil, becausethey can detract from one of a success-


ful club's most essential elements—cre-ating an environment that encouragesmembers to hang around before andafter matches.“It's not like you can hang around

the vending machine with your friendsafter a match,” says Pant. “We’re try-ing to connect with our members. Ourbig picture goal is right after someoneis done playing, to give them a reasonto stay in the club, to socialize andconnect.”For larger clubs like Pant's, the

obvious solution is having a café,which can serve as a gathering pointfor members before and after play.But even if your club is too small to

warrant acafé, you canimprovise andgive yourmembers afeel-goodsocial setting.“Get a

fridge behindthe front desk,and stockitems whichpeople like,”says Pant,“and whenpeople come

off the court, make up a lounge areawith three chairs and a table, and youcan hand people the refreshments.This way they will sit down, and stayawhile.”

A CLUB STAPLEBut in lieu of a café (makeshift or oth-erwise), club managers like MikeWoody, the managing director of Mid-land Community Tennis Center in Mid-land, Mich., have come to rely onvending machines to keep their playershappy.“They’re important to our mem-

bers,” says Woody, who oversees the32-court facility’s five on-site vendingmachines (four beverage, one snack).“If they forget breakfast or lunch, atleast they [can] have something to eat.They’re not really a revenue source forus, but people would be prettybummed if we took them out.” �

A Different Kindof Ball MachineEveryone’s familiar with beverage and snackvending machines, but there also are vendingmachines for tennis ball cans. The Court Pal canbe equipped with coin/ATM/debit/credit cardreaders, so your members will always be able toaccess fresh tennis balls. Club or school logoscan be placed on the front and side panels. Formore information, call 269-806-8936, [email protected], or visit www.courtpal.com.

SUCCESSretailingFit the ProfileAnticipate what your customers will need—and want—by keepingrecords on them.

G

B Y C Y N T H I A C A N T R E L L


t isn’t necessarily a coincidence,nor the result of spousal extrasen-

sory perception, that causes an itemlongingly handled by shoppers at theFamily Circle Tennis Center’s pro shopin Charleston, S.C. to transform intotheir next birthday, anniversary or hol-iday gift. In fact, sometimes Santa hasa helper—merchandise managerPeggy Caulder.

“The key is to tune right in to yourcustomers whenever they’re in yourshop,” says Caulder, who freelyadmits to eavesdropping for thegreater good of providing exactlywhat her Family Circle member andnon-member clientele want and need.

“I learn who likes shorts, A-linedresses and black and red combina-tions, and I file that away so when Iget a shipment I can call or emailthem,” says Caulder, who hosts openhouses and fashion shows to get toknow customers more personally. Shealso records the names and contactinformation of customers’ spouses soshe can alert them when their partnerhas lingered over an item withoutpurchasing it. “Ninety percent of thetime, they’re so grateful they say wrapit up without even seeing it.”

Caulder is one of a growing num-ber of retailers who depend onrecord-keeping when ordering mer-chandise, in addition to past sales his-tory and memory. And the trendseems to be even stronger in racquetsales.

Kim Cashman, co-owner ofAdvantage Yours Tennis in Clearwa-ter, Fla., says her staff enters all rac-quet and stringing information into adatabase which also contains a play-er’s grip size, shoe preference andshoe size.

“When we restring, we can seeevery previous stringing statistic and

I our expertise is worth the trip to ourstore.”

Paul Kepler, owner of theSeascape Sports Club in Aptos, Calif.,agrees that good record-keeping is“absolutely essential” in generatingmaximum revenue. “It’s easy to carrya wide variety, figuring customers willfind something they like, and there’ssome validity to doing that. But it’sworth taking the extra step,” he says.“If you do, it can make a big differ-ence.”

According to Kepler, the stringersat Seascape Sports Club use their filesto proactively alert players when theirstring jobs are several months old andin need of attention. Stringers alsoadvise players on how a particularracquet will play at different tensions,based on an individual’s playing style.

Because shoes are generally a con-venience purchase for his clientele,Kepler says he tends to stick with onemanufacturer to limit his exposure.The club’s apparel buyer has a goodsense of what will sell, he says, butshe also invites customers to browsecatalogs before she places an order.

“The husbands don’t alwaysappreciate it, but the wives do,”Kepler says.

Steve Vorhaus, owner of RockyMountain Racquet Specialists in Boul-der, Colo., also tracks customers’ rac-quet and stringing habits. He doesn’tmake note of customers’ apparelpreferences, however, because styleschange too frequently and clothinglines from the same manufacturermay fit differently from year to year.

To compensate, he accepts specialorders—for which he is now consider-ing requiring a deposit. “The worst iswhen a customer doesn’t show up, ordoes come in and says she doesn’twant it after all,” says Vorhaus, who

help the customer decide if they justwant the same as last time, or if theyneed help with more power, more con-trol, tennis elbow or string breakageproblems,” Cashman says. “I do thinkthis is a valuable tool, and our cus-tomers love our professionalism.”

When placing orders, Cashman isalso mindful of the store’s largestdemographic, the 3.5 to 4.5 recreation-al doubles player. As a result, shestocks a minimum of frames designedfor advanced players. Her policy of con-stantly seeking customer feedback hasalso led, for example, to offering cus-tom hybrid stringing.

“Our customers get exactly whatthey want, and feel like they are get-ting special service, too,” Cashmansays. “We try to make it a fun andinformative experience. We like to getto know our customers and let themknow that we are here to help makethem better players. We know ourstuff, and we want them to realize that

marks down slow-moving merchandiseor donates pieces to charity in order togain a tax write-off and good publicrelations in the process. “This is a cus-tomer service-oriented business, but it isa business.”

Bob Patterson, owner of Player’sChoice Tennis in Birmingham, Ala., usesinventory control software to capturesales history and log racquet specs. Hecan then generate reports indicatinghow many of a certain Nike dress, forexample, are currently in inventory andwhen the last one sold. He can alsotrack how many sold this season asopposed to last season, indicating whenthe popularity of one style is giving wayto another.

Additionally, he can run brand-spe-cific reports. “If [one brand of] racquetshave 25 percent of the wall space butonly 10 percent of sales, then maybe it’stime to give more attention to [anotherbrand], which could be doing 25 per-


cent of sales with only 10 percent ofthe wall space,” says Patterson, whoalso uses his customer database tosend quarterly newsletters featuringtrends in apparel, shoes, racquets,and a tip from a local teaching pro.“You have to adapt, because if youdon’t, then you’ll miss a lot of sales.”

John Gugel, who owns e-tennisinc. with former ATP touring proTobias Svantesson in Winter Park,Fla., has specialized in racquet cus-tomization since opening the store inFebruary 1999. In fact, former ATPtouring pro Mikael Pernfors and cur-rent ATP pro Robert Kendrick areamong the 3,500 customers whosepersonal preferences in grip size, rac-quet weight, balance and stiffnessare painstakingly duplicated witheach stringing job. In all, Gugel sayshe collects about 50 pieces of dataabout each customer’s racquet usingindustry standard and custom diag-

nostic equipment, plus a proprietarysoftware system which he plans tomarket to the public later this year.

“As busy as we are, we take thetime to keep a ton of recordsbecause we need to know this kindof information in order to provide thebest customer service we can,” Gugelsays. Additionally, e-tennis recordsevery purchase along with customers’contact information (with the excep-tion of a quick cash sale from an out-of-town visitor). That information isused to create email blasts designedfor specific customers based on aspecific brand or interest, or evenwhen apparel in a hard-to-find sizesuch as extra small arrives at thestore. Customers are also emailedindividually when a newly strung rac-quet is ready to be picked up.

“People are grateful we do it,”Gugel says. “It keeps them comingback.” �

hether you’re sitting at the top of the pro rankingsor languishing at the bottom of your club’s singles

ladder, you won’t win a single point without them. And eventhe most high-tech racquets are merely well-honed sticks ofgraphite without this essential product.

Be it natural gut or good old-fashioned nylon, tennisstrings are one of a retailer’s best sources of regular income,if they treat them as a category on par with racquets, shoes,and apparel, and if retailers can afford to have a little patiencewhile building their clientele. With some savvy sales and mar-

keting help, your stringing operation can create repeat busi-ness at your cash register.

“You have to wait it out, because it’s hard work,” saysRandy Stephenson of Frisco, Texas, who’s been stringingfull-time for 11 years and was named RSI’s Stringer of theYear in 2004. “There is no easy way to do it but to put yourtime and effort into it.”

But how exactly can you turn your stringing business intoa cash cow? RSI caught up with some of the best stringers inthe tennis business to find out.


G U I D E T O S T R I N G I N G M A C H I N E S

Our exclusive guide will help you generate morerevenue from your stringing business. B Y M I T C H R U S T A D

STRING OFSUCCESSESSTRING OFSUCCESSESW

Our exclusive guide will help you generate morerevenue from your stringing business.


Nobody Does It BetterOne of the best arguments small retailers can make to grabcustomers from the big-box outlets is having the clear edge inmore personalized interactions, especially when it comes tostringing. “Don’t even try to compete with the big-boxstores,” says Vince Chiarelli, owner of String Along WithVince, a retail shop in Largo, Fla., that relies heavily on itsstringing business. “They cannot provide the level of servicethat you can provide, so you want to use that as your buildingblock.”

Offering each customer professional suggestions and mak-ing them aware if they’ve received a less-than-stellar stringjob from another store, says Chiarelli, can build a loyal fol-lowing and plenty ofrepeat business. “I con-stantly get frames inhere that are strungincorrectly,” he says.“Just putting strings inthe holes doesn’t do thejob.” By finding out yourcustomer’s style of playand taking their age,skill level and frame intoaccount, you’ll be build-ing a solid customerbase, says Chiarelli.

“I think you can be

successful in any size store, it just depends on what kind ofservice you give the people,” he says. “But in some cases,smaller is even better, and that’s how I’ve built my business.”

Keep LearningOf course, getting certified by reputable professional associa-tions like the USRSA (see page 32) is almost a prerequisitethese days to being successful. Mark Campanile, owner of TheRacquet Man in Northbrook, Ill., a racquet repair and cus-tomization company that strings about 80 frames a week,says, “Anytime you can become accredited in your profes-sion, it’s a feather in your cap.”

Joining the USRSA will give you access to all the profes-sional resources that can help your stringing business, and

you’ll get a certificate todisplay that indicates toyour customers that you’rekeeping abreast of the lat-est developments instrings, racquets and cus-tomizing techniques. Thenext step with the USRSAis the Certified Stringerlevel, then there’s the ulti-mate designation, theUSRSA’s Master RacquetTechnician, who isschooled in all aspects ofracquet customization.

Show It Off: Make your stringing machine a showpiece in your busi-ness; don’t hide it in the back room. If customers see you or a staffmember stringing a racquet, they’ll want to know more—about themachine itself, about different types of string, about the customizingand stringing process. And don’t ignore the effect that a well-knownstringing machine brand can have on your customers’ perception ofyour business.

Know Your Customer: “Decide what your clients are like and gofrom there,” says Stephenson. “Most of my clients are retired; theywant comfort from the strings, so I use multifilament string. It’s easieron the arm, and that in itself can make a big difference to people.”

Offer Deals and Specials: Build up your business with programsthat offer incentives to have racquets strung. For instance, offer a spe-cial string deal if a player buys a new frame from you. Or offer so manyrestrings, then the next one is free. Maybe offer a half-price string jobon a player’s birthday, or offer teams a special restringing price. Be cre-ative, and you can get more players hooked on regular string jobs.

Be Consistent: “This is a pure volume business, so one of the thingsyou can do is offer consistency,” says Campanile. “I make sure that sixmonths later your racquet will come out exactly the same as the oneyou get from me today.”

Don’t Forget Your Demos: Demo racquets can serve another pur-

pose, too—they can show off particular strings and tensions, in addition toshowing off your expertise in stringing and customizing racquets. Don’t letyour demos get ratty; you want them to play their best at all times. Keep afile on your demo racquets that lists string and tension.

An Eye For Detail: “The little things can make a difference,” saysStephenson, whose eye for detail goes down to the finishing touch—the fin-ishing knot. “I make sure the knot tail always faces the some direction, ratherthan going down or up. It always looks the same no matter that tension ortype of string, so the frame always looks clean after it leaves my machine.”

Keep Notes: Keep a file, either handwritten or on computer, on your cus-tomers and their stringing preferences, to make it easy to duplicate thingsthey like and change what they don’t like. Also, send your customersreminder notices when it’s time to restring their racquet, according to the lastrestring date you have in your files.

String by Appointment: “The big-box stores take too long to string rac-quets,” says Stephenson. “I make sure no matter how busy I am to get theframe done as soon as possible. There isn’t a tennis player out there who isn’tanxious to get their frame back. I insist on same day delivery, absolutely,that’s a must. I also string by appointment, they can wait while I string.”

Get Certified: Join the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association, then look intobecoming a Certified Stringer and a Master Racquet Technician. It will showyour players you really know what you’re doing.

Tips for Generating Stringing Revenue

“I try to display my cer-tifications and let playersknow I know my stuff,”says Stephenson. “Surpris-ingly, most tennis clubscould care less whetherthey have a good stringer.”

Another route to keep-ing your stringing businessfresh and competitive is tokeep on top of the latesttechniques. One of thebest ways of doing that isto apply to work at localpro tournaments or travelwith a manufacturer’s“team” to a Grand Slamevent, where the beststringers in the world arecustomizing and stringing for the best pros.

“It helps if you can get to travel on the pro tours,” saysJohn Li, who with his brother Julian has owned RacketsRacquets, two shops in Burbank and Arcadia, Calif., since1991, and who has previously worked for Team Babolat inFrance. “We’ve done it since 1993, and it’s a great way toget to know all the stringing techniques.

“Year after year we’ve learned more and more,” says Li,who has traveled as far as Shanghai to string for the pros.“It’s also a great way to get started and exchange informa-tion with other stringers.”

Education means potential income in the stringing busi-ness, but it’s not necessarily going to bloat your bankbookovernight, says Chiarelli. “Some people think they’re goingto go to the Slams to make money, but often it won’t nec-essarily even pay for your trip,” says Chiarelli, who strungat this year’s French Open. “It depends on each sponsor.It’s just something I really enjoy doing, and it doesn’t hurtbusiness to say you string at pro events.”

Customize, Customize, Customize!Providing a perfect string job is a must to keep customershappy, but knowing how to add those special touches tocomplement each string job—such as adjusting a frame’sweight, grip, etc. to the preferences or style of each play-er—can turn a successful business into a booming one.

“Knowing how to customize each racquet can really getyour income up,” says Li. “Try to learn from the best andthen create new ideas—and even new products.”

For example, Li worked with a chemist to create GlideStick, a dry material that you apply to the steel track of astringing machine, which then serves as a lubricant for themachine. Li says he’ll market the product to other stringersand retailers to supplement his business, but he remainsfocused on customization.

“We make enough profit on the racquet, but we makethe real profit on the strings and grips,” he says. “The rac-quet is less important, so we just want to sell the racquetsout and then get repeat stringing customers.”

But Li knows there’s nosecond chances in this busi-ness; you have to be per-fect—and innovative—rightfrom the second a new cus-tomer walks in the door.

“After one string job,we’ve got them hooked,” hesays. “Tennis is very hard. Ifyou don’t think of new ideas,you have to close down theshop. You need to keepbeing creative and knowwhat you’re doing and keepupdating with the latest tech-nology. We’re always on thelookout for new ideas.” �

An Educated Consumer . . .Strings don’t have to break to go bad. As they get older, they’ll lose tensionand will feel different. That will affect the player’s shots, making them lessand less effective as the player struggles to compensate for the racquet’schange in feel.

The rough rule of thumb is that a player should restring as many times eachyear as he or she plays each week. But a better, more technical way is tomeasure the string-bed stiffness of the freshly strung racquet and get itrestrung each time it loses 20 to 30 percent of its freshly strung value. (This iswhere good record-keeping comes in.)

You need to educate your players on the value of regular tension checks andrestringing. When possible, offer to do a quick tension check and visualinspection of the strings. Check for notches or frays. If a player uses “stringsavers,” make sure they understand that while they’ll make the strings lastlonger, the strings will still lose tension and resiliency over time.


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ant a surefire way to add to your credibility as astringer, and to help boost your stringing business?

Then you need to check out the certification program offeredby the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association. If you string andcustomize racquets and aren’t either a Certified Stringer (CS)or a Master Racquet Technician (MRT), you’re doing yourself,your business, and your customers a disservice.

Just like other professional certifications, USRSA certifica-tion adds to your credibility in the minds of your customers,peers, competition, vendors, and potential employers. This isbecause they know you’ve passed a test demonstrating yourability to offer the highest level of professional service. And,if you choose to be an MRT, you also have demonstrated thatyou continue to be up to date on the latest technology.

This means that customers will be quicker to accept youradvice and service. Your peers will have greater respect foryour opinion when you discuss issues with them. Your com-petition will find it much harder to undermine your authorityin the minds of customers. Your vendors and reps will feelmore comfortable recommending your service to playersthey meet. And, if you find yourself looking for a new job orjust looking to add another shop or school to your list ofclients, it will be much easier to get your foot through thedoor.

A lot of shop managers know nothing about racquet ser-vice. The only way they will know if you are any good is ifyou’re certified. It is also common for shops to pay theirstringers more if they are certified, because they understandthat a qualified professional stringer can keep more cus-tomers happy and bring in more new ones.

Among the benefits that Certified Stringers and MRTs canenjoy is a discount program offered by many of the majormanufacturers (visit the USRSA’s website,www.racquettech.com, for more information and a list of

participating manufacturers). In some cases, simply takingadvantage of one of these companies’ discounts can morethan pay for earning and maintaining your certification.

The USRSA’s original stringer certification program wasinitiated in 1986 to recognize individuals with a basic level ofstringing competence. Certification, either as a CertifiedStringer or an MRT, involves a comprehensive written testand a detailed practical test. Both measure your understand-ing and skills with respect to all facets of racquet service,such as installing grommets and string, regripping, handle-sizing, and customizing weight and balance. Additionally, toattain MRT status, you’ll be required to demonstrate anunderstanding of current frame and string technologies andhow those technologies translate to player satisfaction.

To receive an application for certification testing, go towww.racquettech.com, click on “Stringing,” then click on“Certification.” You’ll find links to the Certification Applica-tion, along with a Study Guide and Test Locations. For cur-rent USRSA members, the test fee is $95, for nonmembersit’s $180. The test fee for Certified Stringers looking toupgrade to MRT status is $55 for USRSA members, $135 fornonmembers. (USRSA membership is $99 annually.)

Certified Stringer status carries no expiration date, butMRT status is good for one year from the test date. Main-taining MRT status will require passing an annual writtenmini-test designed to demonstrate an understanding of theyear’s significant new technologies. The mini-test is openbook, administered through the mail.

Every month, more and more people join the USRSA orbecome either Certified Stringers or Master Racquet Techni-cians, demonstrating to their customers and to the industrythat they’re doing everything they can to keep their careersmoving forward. Don’t miss out in setting a standard ofexcellence in racquet service. �


PASSINGTHE TESTPASSINGTHE TEST

W

Display your expertise, and helpyour business, by becoming aCertified Stringer or MRT.

uying a stringing machine is one ofthe most important purchases youcan make for your business. It is

also one of the most difficult. With theplethora of machines, technologies, andfeatures available, selecting a machine isa daunting task.

Our Stringing Machine Selection Guide will guide youthrough the minefields and help you choose the bestmachine for your business. Below we explain the essentialmachine features, and the chart on pages 36-39 displaysthe features of almost every professional machine on themarket.

MOUNTING SYSTEMSThe chart lists machines with 2-, 4-, 5-, or 6-

point mounting systems.This refers to howmany places they sup-port the frame. Thereare many subtle dif-ferences in mountingsystems. The three

most common types of mount-ing systems are the 2-point, 4-

point and 6-point, thougheach of them is safe.

6-Point Mounting. Fans of

6-point systems will tell you that more points of contactmust be better. Six-point systems do sup-port the frame in more places, whichmeans it is a little easier to lock the rac-quet in place so it does not slide backand forth during stringing. It alsoallows a better view of the grom-mets at the head and throat of aracquet. Six-point systems canrequire fewer adapters forframes of different shapes.Finally, some of these systemshave side arms that can beadjusted simultaneously, making iteasier to center aracquet.

2-Point & 4-Point Mounting.Fans of two-point and four-point systems suggest thatit is quicker to mount aracquet on a 2-pointmachine because there arefewer mounting points to beadjusted. They will also saythat these systems offer moresupport at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock,(the two most important points to sup-port), because the amount of surfacecontact with the frame is greater atthese locations.

Turntable Lock. This allows you to

B

BabolatSensor

Klipper440-CS


AlphaOrbiter SE


stop the turntable in one posi-tion. Helpful for calibrating andtying knots.

360o Rotation Turntable. Allowsyou to turn the racquet all the wayaround during stringing.

3-D Rotation Turntable. Allows theturntable to tilt so that each string gets pulledstraight through the grommet. This isdesigned to reduce the friction of the stringagainst the grommet when tension isbeing pulled.

TENSIONING SYSTEMSThere are two main types of tensioning systems availabletoday—lockout and constant pull. Lockoutmeans that the machine pulls the string to thedesired tension and then locks the length ofthe string until you clamp it and release thetension head. So, as soon as you lock thelength of the string, it starts equalizing and los-ing tension. Constant-pull machines pull the stringto the desired tension, but when the string starts toequalize and lose tension, it pulls a little more tostay at reference tension. Constant-pull machinesgenerally achieve slightly higher stringbed stiffness(we find the difference to be about 5 percent to 10percent).

Drop Weight. These machines use a lever (with aweight attached to it) to pull tension on eachstring. Moving the weight on the bar determines

how much ten-sion it pulls.These machines quali-fy as constant pullbecause the weight

continues to pull thestring as the string

stretches.

Hand Crank. Tension is pulledby hand crank. These machines

lockout when the desired tensionhas been reached.

Electric. These machines requireelectricity to pull tension. Most ofthese machines are constant pull,but a few allow you to choose

between constant pull and lockout modes. Some offer multi-ple pull speeds and a prestretch mode.

Linear Pull & Rotational Tensioners. Machines that pull ten-sion in a straight line away from the machine are said to belinear pull. The alternative is a rotational tensioner, which

wraps the stringaround a spool,then rotates thespool to pull tensionon the string.

Diablo/Nosecone. The string iswrapped around the diablo ornosecone before it is put inthe tension head, allowingthe tension head to grip thestring more gently.

Foot Tension. Foot-activated ten-sion head.

Manual Calibration. Allows you to adjust (correct) thepulling force manually, asopposed to a few machinesthat are designed to calibratethemselves automatically.

Diamond Coated TensionHead. Grips the string with less

pressure.

Tension Sets. Three types: dialtension set, +/- key tension set, and numeric

keypad.

Knot Tensioning. The machine can beinstructed to pull the last string before a knot

tighter than the reference tension to allowfor the tension that is lost between theclamp and the knot.

CLAMPING SYSTEMSThe clamping system is meant to hold strings in the rac-quet under tension. If clamps slip, or allow strings to slipthrough them, a string job can be ruined. There are manydifferent clamps, but we will only discuss three here.

Flying Clamps. Theseclamps are not attachedto the machine. Theyuse one string to holdtension on anotherstring. They generally donot hold tension as consis-tently as the other two types ofclamps. The low price tag makesthem attractive to newstringers testing thewaters.

Fixed Clamps that Swivel.These clamps are attached to the

Silent PartnerAria

Mutual PowerES5 Pro

Gamma5800 Els

Prince3000


TecnifibreTF-8000

(Text continued on page 38.)


Tennis

Racquetball

Squash

Badm

inton

StandIncluded

StandAvailable

TableTopStandard

TableTopOp

tional

Sports

HeightAdjustable

Height

2-Point M

ounting

4-Point M

ounting

5-Point M

ounting

6-Point M

ounting

TurntableLock

360º

RotationTurntable

3-DTurntableRotation

Drop

Weight

FullClutch-Drop

RachetSystem

-Drop

Hand

Crank

2-SidedCrank

Electric

MultipleSpeedPull

ConstantPull

Lockout

Prestretch

LinearPull

Warranty(years)

Price(MSRP)ModelBrand

TensioningMounting

601F $219 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x602F $269 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x602S $379 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x603GB $549 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x604S $569 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x603S $699 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x607 $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

String Pal $129 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xPioneer FL $269 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xPioneer DC $419 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xRevo 4000 $549 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xShuttle Express $549 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAxis Pro $749 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xBlu-DC Plus $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xApex $1,149 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xOrbitor $2,695 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xOrbitor SE $2,995 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Super Stringer II $135 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTraveler $189 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sensor $5,200 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xSensor Expert $8,500 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

X-2 $135 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xProgression 602 $299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-6 $299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xProgression 602 FC $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-6 FC $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xProgression ST II $629 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-ST $629 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x5003 $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xProgression Es II+ $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xE-Es $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x6004 $1,199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x5800 Els $1,199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x6500 Els $1,699 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x7500 Els $2,799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x8500 Els $3,499 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Klippermate $145 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xKlippermate Bad’ton $155 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x280-CS $245 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x440-CS $445 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Viking 200 $79 Life x x x x x x x x x x x xAlpine 500 $179 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xHercules 610 $319 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAlpine 2000 $399 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

AGwww.gutermanintl.com800-343-6096

Alphawww.alphatennis.com800-922-9024

ATSwww.atssports.com800-866-7071

Babolatwww.babolat.com877-316-9435

Gammawww.gammasports.com800-333-0337

Klipper USAwww.klipperusa.com800-522-5547

Mutual Powerwww.mutualpower.com832-868-0168


FootPedal Tension

Activator

Automated

TensionRelease

Diablo/Nosecone

Rotational Tensioner

Pounds

&KilosTension

Manual CalibrationAdjustable

Self-Calibrating

Diam

ondCoatTensionHead

Grip

Knob/Dial Tension

Setting

Plus/Minus

TouchPadTensionSet

FullKeypad

TensionSetting

Flyin

gClam

psFixedClam

pson

GlideBars

Tensioning

NoToolNeeded

toAdjustClam

psToolTray

ReelRack

Cabinet w

ithDraw

ers

LevelingPads

onBase

Under 5

0lbs

Clamping

50-75lbs

Over75

lbs

Calibrator

StartingClam

pDiagonalCutters

Needlenose

Pliers

Weight

Self-ElevatingLinearPull

LED/LCDTensionDisplay

KnotTensioning

RemovableElectricTensioner U

nit

DualSw

ivel D

oubleActionFixed

DualSw

ivel SingleActionFixed

360Degree

Clam

pson

GlideBars

SingleSw

ivel Fixe

dClam

pDiam

ondDu

stClam

psAutomated

Base

ReleaseClam

psMagnetic

AutoClam

pBase

Release

Cover Included

StringMeasurer

Built-in

Ruler

Racquet S

tand

Tools Included

Awl

Flyin

gClam

pAssemblyInstructions/Video

OwnersManual/Video

GuidingAw

lBentNose

Pliers

AssemblyTools

Flyin

gClam

pStartingPins

Extra Features

601F $219 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x602F $269 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x602S $379 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x603GB $549 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x604S $569 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x603S $699 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x607 $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

String Pal $129 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xPioneer FL $269 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xPioneer DC $419 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xRevo 4000 $549 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xShuttle Express $549 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAxis Pro $749 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xBlu-DC Plus $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xApex $1,149 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xOrbitor $2,695 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xOrbitor SE $2,995 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Super Stringer II $135 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTraveler $189 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sensor $5,200 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xSensor Expert $8,500 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

X-2 $135 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x xProgression 602 $299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-6 $299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x xProgression 602 FC $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-6 FC $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x xProgression ST II $629 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-ST $629 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x5003 $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xProgression Es II+ $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xE-Es $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x6004 $1,199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x5800 Els $1,199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x x x x x6500 Els $1,699 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x7500 Els $2,799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x8500 Els $3,499 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Klippermate $145 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xKlippermate Bad’ton $155 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x280-CS $245 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x440-CS $445 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Viking 200 $79 Life x x x x x x x x x x x xAlpine 500 $179 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xHercules 610 $319 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAlpine 2000 $399 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Silent Partnerwww.sptennis.com800-662-1809

Tecnifibrewww.tecnifibre.com877-332-0825

Wise USAwww.tennishead.com888-836-7466

Mutual Powerwww.mutualpower.com832-327-0256

Princewww.princetennis.com800-283-6647

Alpine 2500 $499 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAlpine 6000 $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAlpine 6500 $569 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xHercules 630 $529 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xHercules 650 $629 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe-Bravo 550 $509 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe-Bravo 760 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Neos 1000 $1,199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x3000 $2,995 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Swing $199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer $249 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer 6 point $299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer CL $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xJazz $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer FL $699 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xMaestro $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer DG $999 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer Aria $1,599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Pro Cord $3,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-5500 $4,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-6000 $4,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-7000 $5,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-7000 w/ Cabinet $6,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-8000 $7,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

2086 Pro. ETH $495 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

ES5 Pro $6499 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Tennis

Racquetball

Squash

Badm

inton

StandIncluded

StandAvailable

TableTopStandard

TableTopOp

tional

Sports

HeightAdjustable

Height

2-Point M

ounting

4-Point M

ounting

5-Point M

ounting

6-Point M

ounting

TurntableLock

360º

RotationTurntable

3-DTurntableRotation

Drop

Weight

FullClutch-Drop

RachetSystem

-Drop

Hand

Crank

2-SidedCrank

Electric

MultipleSpeedPull

ConstantPull

Lockout

Prestretch

LinearPull

Warranty(years)

Price(MSRP)ModelBrand

TensioningMounting

machine and can be turned in any direc-tion, especially helpfulwhen stringing fan pat-terns. They also allowyou to switch frommain strings to crossstrings without havingto remove and replaceglide bars. There aretwo kinds: dual swivel,dual action fixed clamps

that require you to lock twolevers to clamp a string; and

dual swivel, single-action fixedclamps that require you to lockone lever. 360º glide bar clampsare clamps that rotate 360degrees, but they are mount-ed on glide bars. Single swiv-el fixed refers to machineswith only one clamp attachedto the machine. Machines withthis type of clamp will general-ly require a starting clamp orflying clamp for part of eachstring job.

Yonexwww.yonex.com800-449-6639

Wise2086 Professional ETH

ATSTraveler


Alpine 2500 $499 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAlpine 6000 $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAlpine 6500 $569 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xHercules 630 $529 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xHercules 650 $629 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe-Bravo 550 $509 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe-Bravo 760 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Neos 1000 $1,199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x3000 $2,995 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Swing $199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer $249 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer 6 point $299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer CL $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xJazz $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer FL $699 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xMaestro $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer DG $999 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer Aria $1,599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Pro Cord $3,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-5500 $4,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-6000 $4,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-7000 $5,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-7000 w/ Cabinet $6,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-8000 $7,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

2086 Pro. ETH $495 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

ES5 Pro $6499 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

FootPedal Tension

Activator

Automated

TensionRelease

Diablo/Nosecone

Rotational Tensioner

Pounds

&KilosTension

Manual CalibrationAdjustable

Self-Calibrating

Diam

ondCoatTensionHead

Grip

Knob/Dial Tension

Setting

Plus/Minus

TouchPadTensionSet

FullKeypad

TensionSetting

Flyin

gClam

psFixedClam

pson

GlideBars

Tensioning

NoToolNeeded

toAdjustClam

psToolTray

ReelRack

Cabinet w

ithDraw

ers

LevelingPads

onBase

Under 5

0lbs

Clamping

50-75lbs

Over75

lbs

Calibrator

StartingClam

pDiagonalCutters

Needlenose

Pliers

WeightSelf-ElevatingLinearPull

LED/LCDTensionDisplay

KnotTensioning

RemovableElectricTensioner U

nit

DualSw

ivel D

oubleActionFixed

DualSw

ivel SingleActionFixed

360Degree

Clam

pson

GlideBars

SingleSw

ivel Fixe

dClam

pDiam

ondDu

stClam

psAutomated

Base

ReleaseClam

psMagnetic

AutoClam

pBase

Release

Cover Included

StringMeasurer

Built-in

Ruler

Racquet S

tand

Tools Included

Awl

Flyin

gClam

pAssemblyInstructions/Video

OwnersManual/Video

GuidingAw

lBentNose

Pliers

AssemblyTools

Flyin

gClam

pStartingPins

Extra Features

Fixed Clamps that Don'tSwivel. These are clampsthat are attached to themachine by glide bars, butcan only be turned in twodirections (90 degrees and 0degrees). These require removingand repositioning glide bars toswitch from main strings to crossstrings.

Diamond Dust. Holds a string with lesspressure, avoiding string crushing.

WEIGHTCategories indicate whether the machine weighsless than 50 pounds, between 50 and 75 pounds,or over 75 pounds. Heavier machines can bemore stable and solid, but they can be less conve-nient when moving or traveling.

TOOLS INCLUDEDThis final category indicates which supplies and tools areincluded with the machine. For descriptions of each tool,see pages 9-10 of the USRSA Racquet Service Techniques

book. �


YonexES5 Pro

When Justine Henculmination of a gused in their bid ftheir favorite play


P L A Y E R E Q U I P M E N T L O G

ROLAND GARROSMEN

Round Racquet Racquet StringRank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand1 S Roger Federer SUI Wilson nSix-One Tour 90 Luxilon/Wilson2 DNP Lleyton Hewitt AUS3 W Rafael Nadal ESP Babolat AeroPro Drive 100 Babolat4 2 Andy Roddick USA Babolat Pure Drive Team+ 100 Babolat5 4 Marat Safin RUS Head Liquidmetal Prestige Mid 93 Luxilon6 1 Andre Agassi USA Head Flexpoint Radical OS 107 Luxilon7 S Nikolay Davydendo RUS Prince O3 Tour 100 Polystar8 Q Guillermo Canas ARG Wilson nPro Surge 100 Kirschbaum9 2 Tim Henman GBR Slazenger Pro X-1 95 Luxilon/Babolat10 2 Joachim Johansson SWE Yonex RDX 500 90 Luxilon/Babolat11 F Mariano Puerta ARG Babolat AeroPro Drive 100 Babolat12 4 Gaston Gaudio ARG Wilson nSix-One 95 Kirschbaum13 Q Tommy Robredo ESP Dunlop 300G 98 Luxilon14 4 Guillermo Coria ARG Prince O3 Tour 100 Luxilon15 Q David Ferrer ESP Prince Shark DB MP 100 Luxilon16 3 Radek Stepanek CZE Volkl Tour 10 Mid V-Engine 93 Pacific17 1 Ivan Ljubicic CRO Babolat Pure Drive Team + 100 Luxilon/Babolat18 4 David Nalbandian ARG Yonex RDX-500 98 Luxilon19 4 Carlos Moya ESP Babolat Pure Drive Team 100 Luxilon20 2 Thomas Johansson SWE Dunlop M-Fil 200 95 Luxilon/Babolat

WOMENRound Racquet Racquet String

Rank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand1 Q Lindsay Davenport USA Wilson nTour 95 Wilson2 Q Maria Sharapova RUS Prince Turbo Shark MP 100 Babolat3 3 Amelie Mauresmo FRA Dunlop 300G 98 Babolat4 DNP Serena Williams USA5 4 Svetlana KuznetsovaRUS Head Flexpoint Instinct 100 Luxilon6 4 Elena Dementieva RUS Yonex RDX-500 MP 98 Luxilon7 W J. Henin-Hardenne BEL Wilson nTour 95 Wilson8 S Nadia Petrova RUS Babolat Pure Storm MP Team 103 Luxilon9 DNP Alicia Molik AUS10 1 Anastasia Myskina RUS Head Flexpoint Instinct 100 Luxilon11 4 Patty Schnyder SUI Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP 98 Kirschbaum12 3 Vera Zvonareva RUS Fischer Pro No One FT 98 Kirschbaum13 F Mary Pierce FRA Yonex Ultimum RD Ti-80 98 Luxilon14 4 Elena Bovina RUS Head Flexpoint Radical MP 100 Luxilon15 S Elena Likhovtseva RUS Wilson nSix-One 95 Wilson16 3 Venus Williams USA Wilson n4 111 Wilson17 4 Kim Clijsters BEL Babolat Pure Drive Team 100 Babolat18 3 Nathalie Dechy FRA Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP 98 Babolat19 3 Tatiana Golovin FRA Volkl Catapult V1 Mid Plus 102 Tecnifibre20 1 Jelena Jankovic SCG Yonex NSRQ-5 105 Kirschbaum

nin-Hardenne and Rafael Nadal came off the French Open red clay as victors, it was thegrueling two weeks in Paris. Here’s a look at the equipment that the top 20 men and womenfor Grand Slam glory. Post these pages in your shop, so your customers can check outyers, too.


String String Footwear ClothingString Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model BrandBB Alu Power Rough/ Wilson Natural 16L 55/50.5 Nike VAPOR S2 Nike

Duralast 16 53 Nike Air Max Breathe Free II NikeVS Team 16 73 Reebok - LacosteAlu Power Rough 16L - Adidas ClimaCool Feather AdidasBig Banger Alu Power 16L 66 Nike MAX Breathe FREE NikeEnergy 16 55/53 Diadora - DiadoraSuper Smash Honey 1.2 53 - - KDYBB TIMO / VS Team 18 51.6 Adidas Barricade III -BB Alu Power/VS Team 17 - Yonex SHT-304 -Pro Hurricane 16 59.5 Babolat Team Clay BabolatSuper Smash 16 59.5 Diadora Protech DA2 DiadoraBig Banger Original 16 51 Sergio Tacchini - Sergio TacchiniBig Banger Original 16 52 Adidas ClimaCool Feather AdidasBig Banger Original 16 - Diadora Speedzone DA2 DiadoraTough Gut 17 61.5/57 - - -

1 BB TIMO / VS Team 17 57 Diadora Speedzone DA2 DiadoraBig Banger Original 16 64 Yonex SHT-304 YonexBig Banger Original 16 60 Nike MAX Breathe FREE NikeAlu Power/VS Touch 17/16 59.5 Adidas Barricade III Adidas

String String Footwear ClothingString Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model BrandWilson Natural 15L 63/64 Nike Air Zoom Thrive NikeVS Team 17 64 Nike VAPOR S2 NikeVS Touch 16 57.2 Reebok - Reebok

Big Banger Alu Touch 16L 53/50.5 Fila X-Point FilaBig Banger Alu Power 16L 51/48.5 Yonex SHT-304 YonexWilson Natural 16 57.5 Adidas Barricade III W AdidasMonotec Supersense 16L 61.5 Adidas Barricade III W Adidas

Big Banger TIMO 18 56/52 Nike - NikeTouch Turbo 17 55/53 Adidas ClimaCool Feather W AdidasSuper Smash 16L 55/53 Adidas ClimaCool Feather W AdidasBig Banger TIMO 18 - Nike Air Commit LeJayBig Banger TIMO 17 64/61.5 - - -

1 NXT 16 50.5/48.5 Wilson Crossfire SL WilsonWilson Natural 16 65 Reebok VESW DMX ReebokVS Touch 16 66 Fila X-Point FilaVS Touch 16 - ASICS Gel Enqvist LacosteX-tra Dynamic 16 66 Adidas ClimaCool Feather W LacosteSuper Smash - 61.5/55 - - -


customers FXP. This could wellbe the one string that “does it all” for themajority of your clients.

Head is so confident about FXP, that afree set of FXP 17 is being sent to eachUSRSA member in the United States inthis issue of RSI.

—Greg Raven �

Head FXP 16

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 7somewhat easier 11about as easy 16not quite as easy 0not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 9about as playable 8not quite as playable 14not nearly as playable 1

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 11about as durable 18not quite as durable 3not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.5Durability 3.5Power 3.4Control 3.5Comfort 3.4Touch/Feel 3.3Spin Potential 3.1Holding Tension 3.6Resistance to Movement 3.4

string PLAYTEST

FXP is a new multifilament designed to

build on Head’s well-established

FiberGEL technology. (See the playtest

report for Head FiberGel in the Septem-

ber 2002 issue of Racquet Tech maga-

zine, and the playtest report for Head

FiberGel Power in the January 2004

issue.) FXP starts off with a polyamide 6

core with an integrated “tri-cluster” of

gel fibers for power. Around this core is

a wrap of polyamide 6 monofilaments,

each of which incorporates three poly-

ester filaments for control. Finally, the

string is coated with DuPont 66 for

durability.The result according to Head is an

easy-to-install string that has a crisp feeland maximum ball pocketing, for powerplayers who need superior control.

FXP is available in 16 and 17 gauges innatural only. It is priced from $11 for coilsof 40 feet. For more information or toorder, contact Head at 800-289-7366, orvisit www.head.com.

IN THE LABWe tested the 16-gauge FXP. The coilmeasured 40 feet 10 inches. The diametermeasured 1.36 mm prior to stringing, and1.30 mm after stringing. We recorded astringbed stiffness of 81 RDC units imme-diately after stringing at 60 pounds in aWilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern)on a constant pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 73 RDC units, repre-senting a 10 percent tension loss. Ourcontrol string, Prince Synthetic Gut Origi-nal Gold 16, measured 78 RDC unitsimmediately after stringing and 71 RDCunits after 24 hours, representing a 9 per-cent tension loss. FXP added 15 grams tothe weight of our unstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeksby 34 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP rat-ings from 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind tests,with each playtester receiving anunmarked set of strings in an unmarked

package. The average number of hoursplaytested was 24.8.

Our playtest team agrees that FXPis easy to string. It has a nice feel, andalthough fairly soft, blocked holes areno problem. It has virtually no coilmemory, and even seems to unkink itselfduring stringing. More than half of ourplaytesters reported that FXP is easier toinstall than other strings, with nonereporting it was more difficult to install,making it one of the very easiest to installof strings we have playtested in the lastseveral years. This is not too surprising,given that FXP uses FiberGel technology,and Head’s FiberGel Power also garneredhigh marks for ease of installation.

As you might expect from a stringrated this easy to install, none of ourplaytesters broke his sample during string-ing, or reported any problems with coilmemory, tying knots, or friction burn.

ON THE COURTOur playtest team found Head FXP toexhibit above average performance almostacross the board. The team particularlyliked the Playability, Power, Touch/Feel,and Tension Holding of FXP, with strongscores for Durability, Control, Comfort,and Resistance to Movement.

What’s really telling are the over-whelmingly positive comments wereceived from our playtest team. Many ofthe comments echoed Head’s marketingmaterials, indicating that FXP has hit itsdesign goals dead on.

CONCLUSIONHead FXP is a solid performer in all theimportant categories, and according toour playtesters, if its description makes itsound like something in which you wouldbe interested, you’re likely to be veryhappy once you try it.

Judging by the response we receivedfrom our playtesters, Head FXP could be agreat “go-to” product for stringers withcustomers who don’t have a strong pref-erence for one string over another, butstill want a quality product. And, as easyas it is to install, you’ll love selling your


“ This string played great, and remained crisp during the entire threeweeks I used it. It holds tension better than any other string I used. This isa real winner, and when I find out what it is, I intend to use it in each ofmy racquets.”4.5 male serve-and-volleyer using Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 strung at 60pounds CP (Wilson NXT 16)

“ Two firsts for this string: One, it’s the first string I haven’t cut outafter the required 15-hour test period. Second, it’s the first string I’verated above average in every category. Really nice product. Played crisp,comfortable, and fresh for over 20 hours. Strings didn’t move for the first10 hours. Nice pocketing feel, and the control was excellent. Unless thisstring is priced outrageously, I’ve found my new favorite.”4.0 male all-court player using Wilson Pro Staff Surge 5.1 strung at 60/58pounds CP (Babolat Tonic 16)

“ An excellent soft syntheticstring. Very comfortable on thearm. The ball seems to hold on thestrings a tad longer due to theircomfort.”4.5 male all-court player usingVölkl Catapult 3 Gen 2 strung at55/53 pounds CP (BDE Perfor-mance 17)

“ This string provides very goodcontrol while yielding above-aver-age power. It holds tension well. Iwould like to know more about thisstring, and will definitely use it.”4.0 male all-court player usingHead Classic MP strung at 61pounds LO (Head Intellitour 17)

“ Nice soft string.”6.0 male all-court player using Wilson nSix-One 95 strung at 53 poundsLO (Poly/gut 16)

“ Good power, especially on serve. Nice solid feel. The string has agood combination of control and power.”4.0 male all-court player using Wilson Pro Staff Surge X 5.1 strung at58/56 pounds CP (Gamma TNT 18)

“ Easy to string. I thought this was a great synthetic. If the price is lessthan $10, I would highly recommend it. Will perform well by itself or in ahybrid set. Loved it. Best synthetic I’ve tried in awhile.”4.0 male all-court player using Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.0 strung at 61pounds LO (Wilson Natural 17)

TESTERS TALK

“ I recently purchased two racquets. One came strung with anaverage synthetic. I put the test sample in the second racquet, andthe improvement over the other string was profound. This string isvery “gut-like,” imparting excellent feel and control. It maintainedthis quality over the entire test period, but it did begin to notchnoticeably after about 10 hours of play, which indicated that it mightbreak earlier than typical “durability” strings. Nonetheless, I give itgood durability scores because it did maintain its resiliency over theentire test period. I would probably not switch from my referencestring, but I would have no problem recommending this string tobetter players who would really appreciate its overall playability.”4.5 male all-court player using Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 5G strung at62 pounds LO (Gamma Live Wire XP 16)

“ Easy to install. Nice soft string,which gives a good amount of comfortand power. I would play with this stringagain.”5.0 male all-court player using PrinceShark MP strung at 54 pounds CP(Prince Lightning Power 17)

“ This string plays very well. I used itin my USTA league matches and wasvery satisfied.”3.5 male serve-and-volleyer using Wil-son Pro Staff 6.5 strung at 63 poundsCP (Wilson Stamina 16)

“ This string has a solid feel from thefirst hit: it’s comfortable immediately. Itdisplays above-average power anddurability, and holds its tension well. It

didn’t quite have the playability of a 17 gauge, but the ball reboundswith vigor.”4.5 male all-court player using Head i.prestige strung at 57 poundsLO (Gamma TNT 17)

“ This test sample was relatively straightforward to string. It is agood choice for players who like to use lots of spin and for thosewho use control and feel. Volleying with this string is a joy, withboth excellent control and power readily achievable. Because of therigidity of the string, it provides less comfort than my usual string,but I became a fan and would certainly consider using it as my regu-lar string.”4.5 male serve-and-volleyer using Wilson Hyper Hammer 2.3 strungat 63 pounds LO (Wilson Sensation 16)

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

“This is probably thebest test string I haveever used. I would definitely buythis string when available. It held tension bet-

ter than any other good-playing string I have

ever tested. It also did not move much during

my 24 hours of test play. I highly recommend

this string for players wanting a great-playing

string.”

4.5 male all-court player using Head i.x6 strung at

60 pounds CP (Gamma Live Wire Professional 17)

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

the EXPERTSask

RACQUET MATCHINGI CAN SORT OF UNDERSTANDmatching two racquets, if one islighter and has a lower swing-

weight, but I’m having trouble gettingstarted on matching three racquets wherethe measurements seem to be all over theplace. Any tips?

THE FIRST TIP IS TO USE OUR on-linetools so you don’t have to wade

through mountains of calculations byhand. For example, you could use the Rac-quet Optimizer for fast and easy modelingof simple racquet modifications, but typi-cally you would use the Racquet Cus-tomizer. (Each of these is available toUSRSA members under the “Tools” head-ing at www.racquettech.com.)

The second tip is to realize that it is notalways possible to match two (or more)racquets. For example, there is no way tomodify the flex of a racquet, so if youhope to end up with matched racquets,you must start with similar racquets that

have the same flex. Even then, you maynot be able to match the weight, balance,and swingweight, but at least the possibili-ty exists. When it’s not possible to matchthe weight, balance, and swingweight oftwo racquets, Racquet Customizer will tellyou which characteristics can be matched.

The third tip is that adding mass underthe grip at 10 cm up from the butt capdoes not change the swingweight, eventhough it changes the weight and balance.

The fourth tip is to use the RacquetCustomizer solution that works best inyour situation. Racquet Customizer will cal-culate a lot of different ways that twoframes can be matched, but some of themwill call for adding a lot of lead tape ininconvenient positions on the frame. As arule of thumb, you want to keep sectionsof lead tape to 4 inches or shorter, so thatthe actual result will better correspondwith the calculated goal. Because there areso many solutions, you can pick andchoose based on what you want.

The fifth tip is to re-measure after every

modification, to ensure that your modifica-tions are correct.

Here is an example of three frames.The first is standard length, while theother two are 1/16-inch shorter. The first isthe heaviest, while the other two weighthe same. The first and second have thesame balance point, while the first andthird have the same swingweight.

Frame 1 2 3Length 68.58 68.42125 68.42125 cmStartingmass 336.00 332.00 332.00 gramsStartingbalance 30.20 30.20 30.40 cmStartingswingweight 313.00 310.00 313.00 kg•cm2

(Notice that we converted fractional inches to deci-mal centimeters for the Length measurement.)

These measurements allow us to calcu-late how differently the racquets willrespond in play:Center ofPercussion (COP) 56.12 56.22 56.21 cmRecoilweight 176 175 175 kg•cm2

Hitting-weight @ COP 147 145 147 kg•cm2

Q

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Your Equipment Hotline


Now we can start matching. Applyingtip three, we add four grams of lead tape10 centimeters up from the butt cap offrame 3. Measuring frame 3 after thismodification reveals that adding thisweight also moves the balance point toalmost exactly where we want it. Thisgives us two racquets with the sameweight, balance, and swingweight, andone racquet to which we can add weightto increase the swingweight.

Use Racquet Customizer to calculatethe amounts and positions where you willneed to add mass to make the secondframe (in our example) match the firstframe. Racquet Customizer comes up with98 solutions. Among these 98 solutions,you should find one that fits your needs.

For example, the first 21 solutionsrequire adding lead tape to the very tip ofthe racquet. If you don’t want to do this,you can eliminate all of these from consid-eration. The next 21 solutions requireadding lead tape to the highly-curved sec-tion of the hoop, where precise placementis difficult. You might also want to discardany solutions that require tiny pieces oflead tape, or so much lead tape that therewill be a huge lump at that location.

In this case, we’ll go for solution 5,which does specify a short piece of leadtape at the tip of the racquet, but we canput it underneath the bumperguard tohide it from view. In the hoop, there willbe four short sections of lead tape justover an inch long, and the remainder goesunder the grip, just above where the play-er’s hand normally holds the racquet. Hereare the masses and locations for addingweight to frame 2, so that it will matchframe 1.

Added mass 0.13 gramsLocation 68.42 cmAdded mass 1.09 gramsLocation 58.26 cmAdded mass 2.78 gramsLocation 12.54 cm

Here are the final measurements forour three matched frames:

Final mass 336.00 336.00 336.00 gramsFinal balance 30.20 30.16 30.16 cmFinalswingweight 313 313 313 kg•cm2

Final COP 56.1 56.2 56.2 cmFinalrecoil weight 176 176 176 kg•cm2

Finalhitting weight 147 147 147 kg•cm2

The weight and swingweight are iden-tical, and the balance is only .04 cm off.

Calculating the center of percussion,recoilweight, and hittingweight (whichcan be calculated under the “tools” head-ing at RacquetTECH.com) shows thatthese racquets are indeed very wellmatched.

Some racquets will be easier to match,and some more difficult, but using ouron-line tools eliminates a lot of thedrudgery, leaving you more time to con-sider how best to affect the modifications.

FEAR OF FLYINGI HAVE OFTEN WONDERED ABOUTthe effects of flying on a strungracquet. Does it matter to the

strings if the racquet is carried on or if theracquet is packed in a suitcase and put inthe cargo hold? People have asked methis and I’ve read and heard conflictinganswers.

PEOPLE WHO FLY WITH STRUNGracquets at some time or another

notice that the stringbed is different onarrival than it was on departure. There aretwo potential factors to consider when

transporting a racquet in a jet aircraft: airpressure and temperature. As far as weknow, air pressure has no effect on eitherracquets or strings, which leaves just tem-perature. If you take your racquet withyou in the passenger compartment, thetemperature differential is minimal. How-ever, if you check your racquet as bag-gage, the temperature extremes can andwill affect the stringbed. Therefore, youshould either carry on your racquets, orplan on having them restrung once youreach your destination.

Of course, temperature extremes arenot found only in airplane cargo holds.The temperature in the trunk of your carcan also kill your strings, as we showed in“The Effect of Temperature on StringTension,” published in March 1985. Thisarticle is available to USRSA members on-line at http://www.racquettech.com/members/strings/198503temperature.html.

—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

Q

BECOME ASTRINGING DOCTORSometimes when weaving the cross, Ifind the strings either slip or they are toohard to pull through the mains. Theanswer is very simple: I purchased somesurgical gloves that fit my hand perfectly.They allow me to grip the strings even ifthey have a lubricated coating, and at thesame time they offer some protection tomy hands. I still have great feel for thestring, and perhaps best of all, I look likea "stringing doctor" when I’m finishingup a racquet.5 sets of Head FiberGEL Power 16 to:Lazar Lowinger, Newton, MA

HAND ME THAT STAT, STAT!I recently purchased a set of military sur-plus medical hemostats from a discountstore and found that they are very usefultools for stringing racquets. The largeones are "beefy" enough to pull stringsthat have a lot of friction on them and

racquets before needing a grommet stripreplacement, so you can make those grom-mets available to others on the GrommetsNetwork. If you are a USRSA member andyou’re not a member of the Grommets Net-work, send an e-mail request to [email protected], and you’ll be addedto the list.

QUICKER CROSSESThe currently-available 40- to 44-foot stringsets are much longer than they used to be,and they usually have much more stringthan is needed to complete the normal rac-quet. After I weave the first few crossstrings, I count the remaining cross stringgrommets, measure and pull that number oflengths across the middle of the frame, thenmeasure two more racquet widths for insur-ance, and cut off the excess. This speeds upthe job as there is less string to pull, and itreduces wear and tear on the crosses.5 sets of Silent Partner Headspin 15L to:Bob Tuttle, MRT, Freeport, NY

and TECHNIQUES

END STRIP SEARCHESWhenever a customer of mine buys anew racquet from me or anywhere else, Iencourage them to buy extra grommetkits right away. I try to carry some kits,and there are others I can order, but intime the availability inevitably becomes aproblem. I have people bring in racquetsthat are only 3 to 5 years old, and alreadyI cannot find replacement grommet kits.5 Sets of Gosen OG Sheep Micro SuperJC 16 and a Gosen T-shirt to:Jon Miller, Battle Creek, MI

Editor’s note: Finding grommet kits forolder racquets continues to be a problem,but one that has been greatly mitigatedsince the introduction of USRSA’s Grom-mets Network: An e-mail newsletter thatputs you in contact with thousands ofother USRSA members with your grom-met kit needs. It might be a good idea toencourage your customers to turn overtheir grommet kits to you if they change

Readers’ Know-How in Action


tips


reattach windscreens, and to hold thenet to the net cord after the headbandsplits on top. You can even lubricate thehinges on the gates, and make minoradjustments to hinges and latches with apair of wrenches. If you put out fliers toadvertise your clean-up efforts before-hand and ask for volunteers, you shouldbe able to get a lot of help, and therewill be less risk of angering those whoshow up to play, only to find the courtsout of service. It’s also good to let yourlocal parks and recreation departmentknow what you’re doing, not only sothey see there is an active tennis commu-nity, but also because you can oftentimesget them to provide extra trash recepta-cles, so you don’t have to haul awaybags and bags of trash and leaves afterall your other hard work.

—Greg Raven �

Tips and Techniques submitted since 2000 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].

the small ones are perfect for getting intothose hard-to-reach places betweenframe and clamps.5 sets of Prince Premier withSoftflex 16 to:Harold Smallacombe, Montrose, PA

MARKETINGGENERATING NEW BUSINESSHelping maintain public tennis courts inyour community is one way to increaseyour customer base, gain exposure, andgenerate new business. Clean, well-main-tained courts are an enticement to playtennis. I stop by my local courts regularly,pick up any trash, report any major prob-lems to the recreation department, adjustnet heights, and repair nets as they fallinto disrepair.

In my community, the threads thathold the headband to the net disintegrate

over time, leaving a gap between the twolong before the nets are replaced. I bringan awl, snips, and used tennis string toreconnect the net to the headband. I punchtwo holes in the headband about a half-inch apart horizontally, lift up the net andinsert the tennis string through the twoholes catching a vertical net string, knot thestring on the other side, and snip off theexcess tails. It only takes a few minutes tomake several such ties and close the gap.

Many people see me maintaining thecourts and come over and thank me for myefforts. I get to know them, they get toknow me, and many of them give me a callwhen their racquets are in need of repair.5 sets of Gamma Zo Power 16L &Zo Hat & Zo T-Shirt to:Michael Shaughnessy, Wakefield, RI

Editor’s note: If you’re really ambitious, youcan set aside one day a year for a thoroughclean-up. Use leaf-blowers and brooms toclean the windscreens and court surface,trim up any encroaching vegetation, andthen hose down the windscreens andcourts. Heavy-duty tie-wraps are good tohave on hand, too, as they can be used to

Your ServeOpen the Door to College Players

As I finish my coverage of the 2005NCAA Championships forwww.CollegeAndJuniorTennis.com, I

can’t help but wonder if I will see any of thesetalented players at the US Open. Until threeyears ago, the winners of the NCAA Division IChampionships received wildcards into themain draw. It was also likely that the finalistsand a handful of other top college playerswould receive wildcards into at least the USOpen Qualifying event.

But all that changed with one memofour years ago, which seems to haveclosed the door to great opportunity fortalented college players. Just before the2001 NCAA Championships, the Intercolle-giate Tennis Association received the fol-lowing:

“The USTA and the US Open havemade several changes in our wildcard poli-cies this year. …The US Open WildcardCommittee will seriously consider offeringwildcards to singles and doubles winnersof the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Cham-pionship. That offer, however, will nolonger be automatic.”

Though many college tennis advocates,including myself, were disappointed in thisloss, we were still satisfied that in 2001there was an abundance of amateur play-ers given entrance into the Open. Unfortu-nately, the number of those playersdecreased each year, and by last year, col-lege tennis had nearly no representation atAmerica’s Grand Slam. Two-time NCAAchamp Amber Liu was the only collegeplayer given a wildcard in 2004. Even thequalifying event did not have a single col-lege tennis player.

So where did the American wildcardsgo? They were all given to the new crop ofteen professionals and another handful ofteens who were on the brink of turningpro. These kids, a few as young as 14,were talented indeed, but not able to playwith the world’s greatest. Almost all fell inthe first round. And while 17-year-old

Brendan Evans (who had already been apro for two years) won two rounds, adozen others didn’t advance at all.

One of the college players noticeablyabsent last year was the University of Ken-tucky’s Jesse Witten, a top-five collegianwho made the finals of the NCAAs,played the USTA Pro Circuit during hisbreaks from school, and had actually wontwo events. He was thought to be a shoo-in for at least a wildcard into qualifying.

But Witten had something against

him: He was set on going back to schoolin the fall and he did not want to turn proyet. (He has since finished his degree andjoined the circuit.) “We really thoughtthat he would get stronger considerationthan he got,” said a disappointed DennisEmery, Witten’s coach at Kentucky.

The college community has been vocalin its disappointment over last year’s lackof wildcards, but there has thus far beenno word from the USTA that things willchange this summer. The remaining setwildcards for the US Open main draw arefor the USTA National Hardcourt Boys’and Girls’ 18s winners. Last year, for thefirst time, the USTA passed a call itemallowing professionals under age 18 toplay the 18s National Hardcourts, and playthey did. The winners—Scoville Jenkinsand Jessica Kirkland, both professionals—were put into spots previously reserved forour nation’s most talented amateurs.

While I do not wish to discourage theupcoming group of talented Americans inour professional ranks, we need to recog-nize and reward players in our collegiate

system. In prior years, draws were filledwith many of these players. In 2003, mostof these players came from the spectacu-lar University of Illinois team that capturedthe singles, doubles, and team event atthe NCAAs that year. Three players fromthat team were given the opportunity toshowcase their talent without having togive away their amateur status.

Craig Tiley, former head coach of thatwinning team and former vice chair of theHigh Performance Committee for theUSTA/ITA, says, “I agree with the USTAthat the wildcards should be evaluated ona year-to-year basis. I would like to see awildcard set aside for a U.S. college playerwho has had success in the previous year,not only in college, but also in Futures andChallengers. Wildcards must be given toplayers who are serious about pursuing acareer in tennis and have the skills to beable to take advantage of the wildcard.”

It’s our Grand Slam event. US Openwildcards need to be given out based ontalent. The fact is that many of the mosttalented players in this country are trainingon college campuses. Let’s not punishthem for retaining their amateur statusand getting an education. It’s time to re-Open the door. �

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

Marcia Frost is the editor ofwww.CollegeAndJunior-Ten-nis.com, published by the non-profit Port Washington TennisAcademy. In her role as a collegetennis advocate, she is the edi-tor/manager of www.College-TennisConnect.com, owned byPWTA and Sports Marketplace,

where she writes the Monthly Guide To CollegePlanning. She is also a member of the USTA EasternSection College Tennis Committee.


Many of the most

talented players are

training on college

campuses.

B Y M A R C I A F R O S T

A longtime college tennis advocate says it’s time the USTA andUS Open stop shutting out top amateurs.

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Cynt

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200508 racquet sports industry

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