200707 racquet sports industry

July 2007Volume 35 Number 7 $5.00

DEPARTMENTS

R S I J U L Y 2 0 0 7Contents

July 2007 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

ContentsINDUSTRY NEWS

7 Sign up to participate in the newCourt Activity Monitor

7 Martina Navratilova headlines USTATennis Teachers Conference

7 Lee Tennis to host indoor claycourt conference

8 Prince says it’s poised to break$100 million in sales

8 Penn offers chance towin Chrysler Sebring

8 Dunlop expands its lineof Aerogel racquets

10 Lever 2000 launches hugegrassroots promotion

11 Head introduces newMicroGel Radical line

11 Aussie Open to get newcourt surface for 2008

16 USPTA schedules 2007World Conference on Tennis

16 Prince adds threenew Ozone frames

16 PTR Development Weekend setfor September

16 Head Radical promotion offerschance to hit with Agassi

4 Our Serve

42 String Playtest: Head Sonic Pro 17

44 Ask the Experts

46 Tips and Techniques

48 Your Serve, by Kevin Theos

FEATURES30 Court Appeal

The latest tennis apparel features something for every player.

35 Ball Machine SelectorOur exclusive guide will help you find the right ball machine for your business.

SPECIAL SECTION

18 Selling Tennis BallsBulk purchases, consumer promotions, and new packaging all help to giveyour customers what they need.

20 Ball TestingIn our exclusive tests, we follow the bouncing ball from the lab to the court.

26 How a Tennis Ball is MadeA tour through the Penn factory in Phoenix, where 330,000 tennis balls rollout every day.

hen it comes to tennis balls, some dealers just

don’t get it. They treat the product almost with a

kind of contempt. True, you may not be making a huge

percentage of your income selling tennis balls, but the

product is critical to your business—in so many ways.I was talking recently to Jason Collins, Wilson’s global business

director for tennis balls, and he said something that made methink about what selling balls means to a tennis business—orrather, should mean to a business. “We encourage our dealers notto fall into thinking, ‘It’s just a tennis ball,’” said Collins. He wenton to note that not only are there differences among brands, butwithin a brand, the different balls offered are all designed to helpplayers find the right product for the courts they’re going to playon.

That, fundamentally, is why you need to pay attention to thekind of tennis balls you stock for your shop. If you offer the wrongtype of ball to your customers, or don’t stock a variety that allowsthem to choose the right product for their game, they’ll simplylook elsewhere. And, as you probably know, players frequentlycomplain about the balls they use—probably because theyweren’t able to find the ideal ball for the courts and conditions.

But marketing tennis balls goes well beyond simply selling cansin your shop. It’s a pretty safe bet that tennis balls will bring peo-ple into your shop more times than any other product. (In theU.S., as Collins mentioned to me, the expectation is that playerswill pretty much open a new can of tennis balls for each match orday out on the courts. In Europe, the attitude is a bit different—they play more matches with the same can of balls.) This meansthat if you stock the right tennis balls in your shop, customer traf-fic will increase, and you’ll have more opportunities to sell cus-tomers more products.

In this issue, we have stories about the all-important tennis ball,including some tips on how to sell them (page 18) and our first-ever test of tennis balls (page 20), in which we put 26 differentkinds of balls from eight manufacturers through their paces, bothin the lab and on the court. And we take a tour of the Penn ballmanufacturing plant in Phoenix (page 26).

Tennis balls may command a small price from consumers, butthey pack a powerful punch for your business.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

Our ServeKeep Your Business Rolling

(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

PublishersDavid Bone Jeff Williams

Editor-in-ChiefCrawford Lindsey

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Contributing EditorsCynthia Cantrell

Rod CrossKristen DaleyJoe DinofferLiza Horan

James MartinChris NicholsonBob Patterson

Cynthia Sherman

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 Janu-ary through August and combined issues inSeptember/October and November/December byTennis Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA92084. Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443and additional mailing offices. July 2007, Volume35, Number 7 © 2007 by USRSA and Tennis Industry.All rights reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI andlogo are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A.Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circu-lation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscrip-tions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER:Send address changes to Racquet Sports Industry,330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2007

W

RSI is the official magazine of the USRSA, TIA,and ASBA

they pack a powerful punc

P F i

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I J U L Y 2 0 0 7

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

The TIA, USTA, PTR, and USPTA are backing a new system to keep tabson the amount of tennis being played at the grassroots level in the U.S.The new “Court Activity Monitor” will provide a monthly count of tennis

activity, but to be as accurate as possible, it requires some simple, no-cost stepsfrom tennis facilities, which stand to gain in benefits for their participation in this survey.“Providing input from each facility takes only a few moments,” says TIA Executive Director Jolyn

de Boer. “All data provided is confidential, and there is no fee required. Plus, for participating in theGrassroots Monitor, facilities will realize a host of benefits.”To participate, go to www.GrowingTennis.com/public and enter your facility details. You will see an

instant report on the level of tennis activity in your area.When you register your facility, you’ll:

� Automatically be entered in a drawing to win one of five $200 gift certificate atthe end of the year.

� Receive a quarterly summary of grassroots tennis activity in your area fromthe TIA.

� Qualify for a discounted rate on TennisConnect, an online business systemdesigned for tennis facilities that provides an e-calendar, online courtscheduling, an email marketing system to promote your programs,

and much more.As a bonus, facilities that register for the Court Activity Moni-

tor can link to www.GrowingTennis.com and enter additionaldetails about their website to get a free listing on the tennisindustry’s major online databases. The free exposure will help

players find your facility and can increase your business.“When you sign up now, you’ll be contributing toward the further

development of grassroots tennis in the U.S.,” says de Boer.

Sign Up to Participate In New‘Court Activity Monitor’

Martina NavratilovaHeadlines USTA TennisTeachers ConferenceHundreds of tennis coaches, instruc-tors, and professionals will againgather in New York City on the eveof the US Open to network, shareknowledge, and watch some of thebest tennis in the world as the USTAhosts the 37th annual Tennis Teach-ers Conference Aug. 25 to 28 at theGrand Hyatt New York.

This year’s theme, “WorkingSmart,Working Together,” promotesthe idea of presenting the latesttechniques and technologies toteachers and coaches. Tennis legendMartina Navratilova will be thekeynote speaker at the opening ses-sion, sharing the greatest momentsin her career and discussing coach-ing techniques and the importanceof fitness and nutrition.

Other top speakers include TomGullikson, former U.S. Davis Cupcaptain, Olympic coach and person-al coach to Jennifer Capriati; BruceElliott, internationally renownedAustralian bio-mechanist; andWayne Bryan, national clinician andfather of top U.S. men’s doublesteam Mike and Bob Bryan. USTAprograms, such as Jr. Team Tennisand the Schools program, will befeatured along with the newest ini-tiative, Project 36/60.

TTC sessions cover coachingskills, strategy and tactics, tennistechniques, health sciences, and thetennis business. Events are heldboth at the Grand Hyatt and theUSTA Billie Jean King National Ten-nis Center. Anyone who has aninterest in coaching or teaching ten-nis is welcome to attend.

For more information or to regis-ter, visit www.usta.com/ttc, call 914-696-7004 or e-mail [email protected].


Lee Tennis to Host Indoor Clay Court Conference

Lee Tennis, the manufacturer of Har-Tru, will host its Fourth Annual Conferenceon Indoor Clay Courts on Aug. 27 and 28 in Syosset, N.Y. The purpose of theconference is to bring together leading experts on indoor clay courts to discuss

the construction and maintenance of clay in an indoor environment.The event, held at Sportime Syosset, is designed for anyone managing, main-

taining, or considering installing indoor clay courts. Lee Tennis will share new find-ings on the causes of indoor surface compaction and what techniques are beingused to alleviate it. Additionally, there will be a discussion of ClayTech, a new claycourt surface from Lee that the company says is ideal for indoor facilities.The conference will consist of presentations, panel discussions and on-court demonstrations.

Attendees will tour several indoor facilities and participate in Q&A sessions with the facilitymanagers and maintenance personnel.For more information, contact Pat Hanssen at 877-4HARTRU or [email protected],

or visit the indoor forum at www.leetennis.com/indoorforum.

J U L Y 2 0 0 7IN

DU

ST

RY

NE

WS


Prince Poised to Break$100 Million in Sales

Prince Sports Inc. says it is looking tobreak $100 million in sales by theend of its fiscal year, which would be

the first time in 10 years the company hasreached that mark.“The first quarter of 2007 was

extremely positive for Prince, not onlycompared to our competitors, but also inthe company’s recent history,” saysGeorge Napier, CEO of Prince Sports. “Wehave come out of the gates strong and areheading in the direction of a banner year,with our sights clearly focused on break-ing the $100 million sales mark. Withoutquestion, our extended team of dedicatedretail partners, suppliers, coaches, andathletes, all of whom bleed green and aredoing so much to support us, deserve thebiggest ‘thank you.’”Global sales for Prince were up 12 per-

cent in Q1, led by the company’s Euro-pean region (Europe, Middle East, andAfrica), which surged up 52 percent ver-sus the same period last year. The U.Swas also strong, registering 11 percentgrowth.Prince says the global growth was led

by a solid performance in the company’sracquet category, due in large part to theextension of its line of O3 products. InJanuary, Prince launched its new O3Speedport racquets, a build on its originalO3 technology. In addition, Prince’sfootwear division contributed as its newM Series line expanded its distributionbase. And a successful introduction of anew Synthetic Gut Multifilament stringfueled additional growth, says thecompany.In a statement in mid-May, Prince says

its dollar share in performance racquetsin the specialty channel, as reported bySMS/TIA, hit 26.7 percent, the 31st con-secutive month in which Prince's sharehas been higher than the correspondingmonth in the prior year. Prince alsoreported having three of the top four, andfour of the top eight, best-selling racquetson a year-to-date basis—including the No.1 best selling racquet in the sport, the O3White. The company says that in the twoyears since it launched the O-tech plat-form, close to 100 touring pros haveswitched to O3 technology.

Penn Offers Chanceto Win Chrysler Sebring

For a limited time this summer, speciallymarked four-packs of Penn Championship andPro Penn tennis balls will include a chance to

win a 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible and otherprizes from Head/Penn. Also included in the packis a digital carabiner sports watch.Chrysler and Penn partnered through their

mutual sponsorship of USTA’s League Tennis pro-gram—the largest grassroots league program in thecountry with more than 600,000 tennis players.Chrysler is the presenting sponsor of the programwhile Penn serves as the official ball.“By offering the instant gratification of the sports watch as well as a chance to

win a 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible, we are able to provide our retail partnersand consumers with an incrediblevalue in these special packs of ten-nis balls,” says Jennifer Parker, busi-ness manager for Penn Tennis Balls.Special pack graphics and insert

cards alert consumers to the promo-tion. The “prize decoder” drivesconsumers to a website where theycan see if they have won theChrysler Sebring Convertible orother Head/Penn tennis products.

Dunlop Expands Aerogel Line

Dunlop is expanding its line of Aerogel racquets with the introduction of two newmodels: the Aerogel 7Hundred and 9Hundred.The new racquets feature Vibrocore com-

fort technology, which significantly reducesframe vibration, says Dunlop.The racquets are constructed using a

sleeve made from thermal plastic resin and asilicon core that greatly diminishes shockwaves at ball impact, according to the com-pany, resulting in a comfortable racquet thatreduces the risk of tennis elbow.Dunlop says that Aerogel, a substance used

by NASA scientists and nicknamed “FrozenSmoke” for its lightness and hologram-like trans-parency, is the lightest solid on earth, with a strength4,000 times its own weight. Currently three of theATP’s Top 12 players are playing with Aerogel frames:Tommy Robredo, Tomas Berdych, and Tommy Haas.The Aerogel 7Hundred is a lightweight, oversize frame

that Dunlop says is ideal for players seeking a blend ofpower and control. The Aerogel 9Hundred is the mostpowerful racquet in the line and is ideal for players look-ing for extreme power without sacrificing comfort, saysthe company. For more information, visitwww.dunlopsports.com.

Aerogel7Hundred

Aerogel9Hundred

J U L Y 2 0 0 7IN

DU

ST

RY

NE

WS


‘Yoga for Tennis’ DVDHealth and fitness industry veteran Rick Devereuxcombines two of his passions, tennis and yoga, ina new DVD, “Yoga and Yoga Stretches for Tennis.”As a tennis player, tennis coach, and yoga teacher,Devereux is fully aware of what yoga can do for aplayer’s tennis game, both the mental and physicalsides. His new DVD, which has a brief introductionby Bud Collins, is for tennis players of all ages andability levels. Chapters cover loosening up; attend-ing to tennis trouble spots; yoga routines for flexi-bility, balance, and strength; cool down, and more.It’s available from www.coacheschoice.com.

Lever 2000Launches GrassrootsPromotions

Lever 2000, the lead sponsor of theUS Open Series, will conduct oneof the largest tennis promotions

in history, intended to challengeAmericans of all ages to “raise thegame” on physical fitness, says theUSTA.The promotion includes a free ten-

nis lesson offer on more than 2 mil-lion specially-marked packages ofLever 2000 Bar Soap through Septem-ber 2007 and an on-line realitywebisode series featuring four ama-teur teams competing on US OpenCenter Court.Tennis fans can receive a free ten-

nis lesson by purchasing a six- oreight-bar pack of Lever 2000. Lessonscan be redeemed at participating ten-nis facilities across the country; loca-tions can be found at www.USTA.com/Lever2000.Lever 2000 is also producing an

online tennis reality show that startedfilming in mid-May at several USOpen Series sites as well as the USTABillie Jean King National Tennis Cen-ter, home of the US Open. The showwill feature a competition betweenfour mixed-doubles teams, selectedfrom a national pool of tennis enthu-siasts, who will participate in a seriesof events designed to test andimprove their tennis skills. Tennisstars Mary Joe Fernandez and MurphyJensen will serve as motivators andcoaches for the competitors, andPatrick McEnroe will make a guestappearance in the finale in New York.The winning team will be present-

ed with a VIP US Open Experience. Toview the webisodes, log on towww.USTA.com/Lever2000 through-out the summer.

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


New Surface for 2008 Australian Open

The court surface at the 2008 Australian Open will no longer be Rebound Ace,Tennis Australia officials announced in May. Reports indicate that the AussieOpen will use Plexicushion, an acrylic composition manufactured by U.S.-based

California Products Corp.Tournament Director Craig Tiley says the speed of the courts would continue to

play in the medium to medium-fast range, and the courts would be firmer and wouldalso have lower heat retention to reduce the chances of the event's extreme heat pol-icy being invoked. He said the new surface would also have more consistent paceand bounce.Rebound Ace, which is an Australian product, has been the court surface at the

Aussie Open for 20 years. Some in Australia voiced concern that the Australian Openwould now become a “second-rate” US Open, since the Plexicushion surface is man-ufactured by the same parent company that makes the DecoTurf surface used at theUS Open.

Head IntroducesMicroGel Radical Line

Head has launched its new Tour Series racquet line, theMicroGel Radical, featuring new MicroGel technology thatHead says will offer aggressive, competitive players with a

solid feel and tremendous spin properties.The MicroGel Radical line includes the MicroGel Radical Pro,

Radical MP, and Radical OS. Suggested retail price for each is$200. The line also includes new Radical bags in orange, black, andwhite.MicroGel Technology combines a new space-age material with a

stiff and strong carbon composite. MicroGel is a silica-based, semi-elas-tic solid with a honeycomb-like structure, and the lowest density of anyknown solid, says Head. When combined with carbon composite fibersin the racquet head, MicroGel deforms and compresses upon ball impact,uniformly absorbing and distributing the impact load around the entireframe, according to the company.“MicroGel gives the Radical amazing response qualities,” says Kevin

Kempin, vice president of sales and marketing for Head/Penn. “Fans ofthe original versions of the racquet will be wowed by the feel of thisone.” For more information, visit www.head.com.

Prince Offers New 5000 Stringing Machine

Prince’s new 5000 stringing machine offers many top features for professionalstringers. The “high-speed quad” four-point mounting system locks the frame

in place quickly, easily, and securely. The “Silencer” ten-sion head has a unique electro-mechanicaldesign and microchip processing to provideaccuracy, speed, and quiet operation, says thecompany.With the “Versa Clamp” system, stringers can

decide on gravity-based or pushbutton release,and the “Quick Click” clamp bases lock at the flip of a

lever. The unit adjusts for height, and it has a detachablepedestal so it can sit on a table top. It also comes with adrawer-style tool tray. And the liquid-crystal screen tilts upto 15 degrees for easy viewing.For more information, visit www.princesports.com.

J U L Y 2 0 0 7IN

DU

ST

RY

NE

WS


> Just before the French Open, pro play-er James Blake went back to DunlopSports Group. He’ll play with a DunlopAerogel racquet. Blake was with Princefor the last 18 months, and helped thatcompany develop new frames.

> The director-general of the French Ten-nis Federation says that he is optimisticthat Roland Garros could have aretractable roof over a nearly 15,000-seatcourt within four years. Jean-FrancoisVilotte told the Associated Press thatnegotiations with the Paris city councilhave been positive. He said constructioncould start in 2008 at an estimated costof $234 million.

> The U.S. will meet Russia July 14-15 ina Fed Cup semifinal match, to be playedat the Topnotch Resort and Spa in Stowe,Vt. The USTA will build a 3,000-seatvenue next to the existing indoor tennisfacility at Topnotch. For tickets for the

two-day, best-of-five match series, call 888-334-USTA (8782). Tickets will be sold as a two-day series with prices ranging from $35 to$250, with VIP packages available.

> Lee Tennis, the maker of Har-Tru, launchedits first national TV partnership with the TennisChannel’s coverage of the French Open in Mayand June. Lee endorsed live in-match features,custom vignettes, and billboards. “We’re excit-ed about this opportunity to educate, inform,and inspire…to demonstrate our commitmentto the clay-court community,” says John Wel-born, Lee’s director of business development.

> The fall version of the USPTA Texas South-west Tennis Buying Show will be Aug. 24-25 atthe Hilton DFW Lakes Executive ConferenceCenter, near DFW airport. For information onbuying a booth, call Jenny Gray at 903-561-3014 or e-mail [email protected]. Hotelrates are $99 per night for USPTA members,vendors and buyers. To get the special roomrate, call 800-243-3105 and mention USPTATexas.

SHORT SETS> “On Court with USPTA,” the cable TV showproduced by the USPTA, received the Award of Dis-tinction in the Videographer Awards 2007 compe-tition. The award-winning episode “Tennis—In theBalance,” which aired on The Tennis Channel, wonin the category of TV programs/sports. “On Court”is a 20-minute instructional show featuring USPTA-certified pros as guest instructors.

> USTA Members who upgrade to a five-yearmembership will receive one year free, plus a USOpen Sports Bag. Call 800-990-8782 and use code2678 for this offer, which is available while supplieslast and valid until Dec. 31.

> The USTA Tennis & Education Foundationawarded $288,160 to 17 programs throughoutthe country during its Spring grant cycle. Grantsranged in size from $7,660 to $50,000.

> The USTA announced that the 2008 U.S. Men’sClay Court Championships will move to the RiverOaks Country Club in Houston. The event has beenheld for the last seven years at Houston’s WestsideTennis Club.

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


USRSA MEMBERCLASSIFIEDS

FOR SALE: Tennis and HealthClub. Four indoor tennis courts,racquetball, Nautilus, freeweights, six outdoor courtswith clubhouse and garage.423-341-3484 visit web site atwww.toddsmith.usptapro.com

FOR SALE: (3) Fischer MagneticTour 100 sq. in. All in new con-dition, all strung at 60 lb. withdifferent strings. Grip #3—Allhave the plastic grip. Sell for$120 ea. with shipping. Pleasecall Jim Wahl 678-762-1466home, 404-539-3347 cell.

FOR SALE: 1 Prince SpeedPortRed Racquet—New condition,grip #3—$199.00 with ship-ping. Strung with Ashaway18ga. hybrid. Please call JimWahl 678-762-1466 home,404-539-3347 cell.

NGI Sports Offers Eco-Friendly Courts

Tennis courts are going “green.” And we’re notjust talking about the color. For the past nineyears, NGI Sports of Chattanooga, Tenn., has

been applying “environmentally sensitive” methodsfor manufacturing and installing tennis courts, usingrecycled and sustainable materials. The company, adivision of River City Athletics LLC, provides surfac-ing systems that replace the use of solvent andpetroleum-based materials and employ alternative “green” materials instead.For instance, NGI says that its Nova’ProBounce—a cushioned, all-weather surface system—

replaces environmentally unfriendly solvent and petroleum-based asphalt pavements. The pro-duction process for ProBounce, says the company, doesn’t employ high volumes of fossil fuels orrelease hazardous gases, such as carbon dioxide. Also, no heavy equipment is required for theinstallation, further reducing the dependence on fossil fuels.ProBounce is constructed using cold-applied, water-based resin coatings and natural aggre-

gates. The patented pavement also utilizes a urethane waterproofing, says NGI, which is madefrom 60 to 70 percent recycled and sustainable natural materials by weight. Components of thecoating are based on polymers extracted from soybean oil, a renewable resource. And NGI saysit is a stronger material than traditional latex backing that requires extreme heat in the produc-tion-curing process.NGI surfaces are “divorced slipsheets”—free-floating above the surface—and can be installed

directly over cracked existing asphalt and concrete courts. The existing surface does not need tobe removed, and the deteriorating pavement can be recycled, says the company. The surfaces canalso be used in new construction and installed directly over a crushed rock base.For more information, contact NGI Sports at 800-835-0033 or [email protected], or visit

www.ngisports.com.


• Tim Beyer,formerly with the USPTA

and Wilson Sporting Goods,has joined Lee Tennis of Char-

lottesville, Va., as a new marketssales associate. Beyer’s efforts will cen-

ter on creating Har-Tru and ClayTech play-ing experiences for players innon-traditional clay-court markets such asnorthern and southern California and Ari-zona. The addition of Beyer is a result ofLee Tennis’ commitment to advancing theclay-court experience nationally by furthereducating and engaging pros, club owners,and players about the benefits of clay tennissurfaces.

• World TeamTennis CEO and CommissionerIlana Kloss was named the “Sports BusinessWoman of the Year” by the James H. War-saw Sports Marketing Center in the LundquistCollege of Business at the University of Ore-gon. Kloss was honored for her significantcontribution to the advancement of womenin sports at a luncheon at the MultnomahAthletic Club in Portland, Ore.

• Don Paitrick, head tennis director at theUniversity of Mary Washington's newUniversity Tennis Centre, was honoredwith the NIRSA/USTA National ProfessionalTennis Ace Award at the 2007 NIRSA (Nation-al Intramural-Recreational Sport Association)Annual Conference and Recreational SportsExposition held in Minneapolis in April. Theaward honors an individual who has beenimplementing a NIRSA-endorsed USTA TennisOn Campus program.

• Bruce Fendell is the new vice president ofU.S. sales for Fila. Fendell will focus onrebuilding Fila’s footwear and apparel distri-bution in specialty and sporting goods tradechannels, as well as in tennis and golf special-ty accounts.

• USPTA pro Kevin Brandalik is the newdirector of high performance at the FiveSeasons Sport Club in Cincinnati. Bran-dalik has been coaching high-per-

formance players for 19 years andwas named the 2005-06

USPTA/Midwest JuniorCoach of the Year.

• The nation’sNo. 1 USTA Boys’ 18player, Jordan Rux of Kerrville,Texas, has signed an apparel con-tract with Bälle de Mätch.

• The International Rescue Committeetoday announced that Ivan Ljubi-

cic of Croatia, the No. 7 tennisplayer in the world, will pro-mote the IRC and the causeof refugees by wearing anIRC-logo patch at select

matches and events through thesummer. Ljubicic, who led Croatia

to victory in the Davis Cup in 2005, was him-self a refugee in 1992 as a 13-year-old whenhe and his family fled the city of Banja Luka,now in Bosnia, during the Balkan civil war, liv-ing for months as refugees in Slovenia andCroatia.

• Jack Huczek, a member of Head’s pro staff,won his eighth International Racquetball Tour

tournament title of the seasonrecently by capturing the Allen-town (Pa.) Open. With the win,Huczek retained his No. 1 IRTWorld Ranking. He plays witha Head Metallix racquetball

racquet.

• USPTA pro Ken Obermeier is the new tennissuperintendent for the City of Palm Coast, Fla.

• Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams havesigned on to play in the WTT Pro League pre-sented by Advanta, which begins July 5.Sharapova, currently ranked No. 2 in theworld, will play for the Newport Beach Break-ers and former World No. 1 Williams will playfor the St. Louis Aces. The Pro League regularseason is July 5 through July 25.

• Pam Shriver, Darlene Hard, Gertrude“Gussy”Moran, Charlie Pasarell, Dennis Ral-ston, and the late Ted Schroeder will beinducted into the Southern CaliforniaTennis Association Hall of Fame on July13 at the Four Seasons Hotel—Bever-ly Hills. For details concerning theblack tie gala, call 310-208-3838, ext. 252.

P E O P L E W AT C H

J U L Y 2 0 0 7I N D U S T R Y N E W S

Head ‘Radical’ PromoOffers Chance to Hit with Agassi

How radical can thegame of tennis get?Head is asking ten-

nis fans around the worldto weigh in with a new“How Radical Are You?”promotion that coincideswith the launch of thenew MicroGel Radical rac-quet.Head wants fans to

submit one- to two-minute videos showinghow their tennis gamehas “evolved into an indi-vidual, spontaneous, and

adventurous sport.” Participants will compete for a chance towin an afternoon on the court with Andre Agassi.Fans can submit their videos on www.head.com through

July 8.In addition to court time with Agassi, the Grand Prize win-

ner will receive round-trip airfare for two and a two-night stayin Las Vegas. The runner up will receive a new MicroGel Radicalracquet signed by Agassi.The MicroGel Radical line will hit shelves in July 2007 and fea-

ture three racquets, the MicroGel Radical OS, the MicroGel Radi-cal MP and the MicroGel Radical Pro.

PTR DevelopmentWeekend Slated

The PTR will hold its annual Profes-sional Development Weekend fromSept. 13 to 16 at PTR Headquarters

on Hilton Head Island, S.C.Mike Barrell, a world-renowned

expert on teaching tennis to children,will conduct a “Growing Kids,

Growing the Game” work-shop. Sports psycholo-gists Dr. Bryce Young and

Linda LeClaire will present a course on“Mental Game Mastery,” as well as con-duct “Mental Match Play.” PTR DirectorsIñaki Balzola and Jack Waite, are offeringa new course, “Teaching AdvancedStroke Production,” and in Stan Oley’sworkshop, “Teaching Today's ModernGame with a Ball Machine,” one partici-pant will win a Playmate ball mower, val-ued at $450.For information or to register, visit

Quick Links at www.ptrtennis.org.

Prince Adds New Ozone Frames

Prince introduces three new frames to its lineup: theOzone One, Ozone Four, and Ozone Seven.The Ozone line features Prince’s new Car-

bon Wave Matrix Construction. The racquetsalso have a re-engineered hitting zone thatPrince says will add extra strength and stabilityfor a larger, more consistent sweetspot.Prince says the 118-square-inch, 9-ounce

Ozone One is for players looking for lightweight powerand a larger hitting zone. The head-heavy racquethas a 16 x 19 string pattern.The oversize (110-square-inch) Ozone Four is

for players seeing an enhanced sweetspot, saysthe company. The evenly-balanced frame weighs inat 9.7 ounces and has a 16 x 19 string pattern.Prince describes the 105-square-inch Ozone Seven as

having the ultimate blend of power and control forplayers across all levels. The head-light frame is10.1 ounces and has a 16 x 18 pattern.All three frames carry a suggested retail price

of $190. For a limited time, with the purchase ofany Ozone racquet, Prince is offering a free triple bag anda four-pack of balls (valued at $29.99), at participating outlets. For more information,visit www.princesports.com.

Ozone One

Ozone Four

Ozone Seven

USPTA Schedules World Conference

The USPTA’s World Conference on Tenniswill be Sept. 17 to 22 at the SaddlebrookResort in Wesley Chapel, Fla. The confer-

ence, which typically attracts about 1,500 ten-nis professionals, industry leaders andrepresentatives, manufacturers, wholesalers,and media, will have more than 40 general ses-sions, seminars, and specialty courses.Also during the conference, USPTA hosts its International

Tennis Championships, board and executive committee meet-ings, nighttime parties, industry meetings, a tennis-only buyingshow, silent auction, awards presentation, and more.Details about the conference, including registration informa-

tion, will be available soon at www.uspta.com or by calling 800-877-8248.The Tennis Buying Show will be Sept. 20 during the World

Conference. Booth space is still available. Manufacturers areencouraged to submit booth registrations early to guaranteespace. To obtain booth reservation forms, visit www.uspta.comand click on the World Conference link.Exhibitors include marketers and wholesalers of hard and

soft goods, video-analysis and pro shop software, teaching aids,court surfacing and lighting, awards, backboards, educationalmaterials, nutrition bars and vitamins, and more.In addition, the USPTA Silent Auction, which benefits the

USPTA Foundation, will be held during the Buying Show. Anyoneinterested in donating an item for the auction can visitwww.uspta.com and click on the World Conference link toobtain a donation form, or call John Dettor at 713-978-7782.

J U L Y 2 0 0 7IN

DU

ST

RY

NE

WS



T E N N I S B A L L S

Bulk purchases, consumer promotions, andnew packaging all help to give your

customers what they need.B Y M I T C H R U S T A D

ou might call them the Rodney Dangerfield of tennisproducts.

They’re swatted mercilessly by tennis pros and tennishacks. Their lifespan can be a matter of hours. And even theirmaterial worth is abysmal—one can is cheaper than almostanything made by the barista at your local Starbucks.

We’re talking, of course, about tennis balls. These fuzzy fel-lows may be low on the tennis totem pole in some ways, butthey’re as essential to the game as a racquet, net, and whitelines.

In fact, the health of the whole industry is often linked to thesale of tennis balls—if sales are up, that’s proof that more play-ers must be hitting the courts, more often. The Tennis IndustryAssociation reports that 2007 first-quarter tennis ball ship-ments are up 8.4 percent in dollars and 8.7 percent in unitscompared to last year, which is welcome news for manufac-turers and retailers alike.

Tennis balls certainly lack the industry buzz of the latest rac-quet or string technology introductions—has any tennis prod-uct changed less in the last 25 years?—but they remain a stapleand barometer for the industry. Here’s a closer look at the cur-rent state of tennis balls, and where this product category maybe bouncing in the months to come.

Trend Watch: Buying in BulkConsumers may still be able to buy a can of balls for prettymuch the same price they paid some 20 years ago, but indus-try insiders have noticed at least one significant shift in recent

times—more tennis players are buying tennis balls in bulk.“The landscape of tennis balls has changed a lot over the

last five years,” says Jennifer Parker, business manager ofHead/Penn Racquet Sports in Phoenix, who notes that a risingnumber of consumers are buying the 4-can shrink-wrappedpackages. “People are just finding it easier and more conve-nient to buy them in packs,” especially when shopping the big-box outlets, says Parker. “Our pro specialty stores still tend tosell more single can units, because they are easier for them tostock.”

“There have been a lot more of the 4-, 6-, and 8- packs atretail,” says Jason Collins, Wilson’s global business director fortennis balls. “But 4-packs have been the most common.There’s a little more perceived value.”

Specialty retailers such as Chris Gaudreau, the owner andpresident of Racquet Koop in New Haven, Conn., however,have also noticed the “buy in bulk” trend and encourage cus-tomers to go beyond the single-can purchase.

“I’m finding a huge pattern in consumers buying balls bythe case,” says Gaudreau, who won’t display or visually pro-mote cases of balls on the sales floor, but makes sure his cus-tomers know they’re available. “If I see someone grabbing 12cans of balls, I’ll just suggest that they buy a case, and they usu-ally do it. You can’t play tennis without balls, so it’s a matter ofconvenience, because I charge the same price,” says Gaudreau,who will even offer customers a “mixed” case of balls, for bothclay and hard courts.

Specialty retailer Kim Cashman, owner of the AdvantageYours tennis shop in Clearwater, Fla., has also noticed tennis

Y

SELLINGTENNIS BALLS

SELLINGTENNIS BALLS


consumers bulking up. “We have found that offering the 4-pack of balls has increased our tennis ball business,” she says.

Promotions That Sell: Big & Small Some major ball manufacturers are looking to elaborate pro-motions to keep ball sales healthy. This spring, Penn rolledout a major promotion featuring a corporate sponsor(Chrysler) giveaway with an immediate gratification, high-endincentive (one can includes a sports watch), which follows onthe heels of other mainstream promotions such as puttingcodes for free music downloads in 4-pack cans of premiumballs.

“It adds value to what a lot of people consider a commod-ity purchase,” says Parker. “And these promotions give retail-ers a way to sell through their ball inventory more quickly.”

Other ball manufacturers use higher end products to pro-mote their ball brand. “We’re new to the product, so we’replanning to leverage our status in racquets in our summerpromotions,” says Jay Simmons, Prince’s senior categorydirector of tennis balls and recreational racquets.

In July, Prince launches a new racquet, and with each pur-chase, customers get a 4-pack of Prince balls and a racquetbag. “It’s a way to stimulate trial for our product and giveadded value with purchase,” says Simmons. “Then you haveeverything you need to go straight to the court and play.”Prince will turn to national print ads and in-store countercards to get the word out, he says.

Currently, Wilson is offering a visor with a 4-pack pur-chase, says Collins. “It’s generally a good incentive to buy,” headds. Wilson has future promotions planned, says Collins,that take advantage of Wilson’s “official ball” status at the USOpen, Australian Open, NCAAs, Davis and Fed Cups, andmore.

Tennis club managers like Ken DeHart of San Jose Racquetand Swim in San Jose, Calif., promote tennis ball sales byoffering freebies within the club, one way to gain a uniqueedge over the competition. Says DeHart: “Build a displaypyramid about 4 to 5 feet high featuring a "ball of the month"and members who purchase get their name immediatelyentered for a free tennis clinic or free hour on the ballmachine at the end of the month.”

Cashman opts for manufacturer-supplied “ball tower dis-plays” but suggests displaying it near the register, not near thefront door. “You want to have the customers walk by as manyproducts as possible before reaching the balls,” she says.“They just might see something else that they can’t live with-out.”

Options, options, options!While price points and general technology haven’t changedmuch over the years, the variety of options on many retailshelves can confuse even a seasoned tennis player. Theoptions can be mind-boggling—the “levels” of balls are taggedwith names like “Pro,” “Championship,” “Recreational,”“Practice,” “Extra Duty,” “Regular Duty,” “Pressureless,” ormerely branded with a variety of logos, such as the “official”ball for each Grand Slam.

“The manufacturers make so many different kinds of ballsnow that people get so confused because they don’t know thedifference,” says Vince Chiarelli, owner of String Along withVince, in Largo, Fla. “What I have to do is make my customersunderstand the quality of balls is different.”

One manufacturer says he hasn’t seen that much of a shiftin overall options—the changes are more on the can than inthe can.

“When it comes to producing tennis balls, the only thingyou can really change is the core compound or the felt, andeverything has to pass specifications, so there isn’t much totinker with,” says Simmons. “The things you can change aremore in the packaging.

“In the last 20 years or more, there’s always been the vary-ing felt types for specific court surfaces, and two-, three-, or four-ball cans, and different packs,” says Simmons.“Another change has been a shift to bulk packaging.”

To limit potential confusion, however, many specialtyretailers simply refuse to carry lower-end balls, leaving thelarger list of options to big-box outlets. But like most products,the ultimate decision to purchase isn’t in the hands of retail-ers or manufacturers.

“There’s a number of reasons why people choose one ballover another,” says Parker. “Whether it’s American-made ismeaningful to some, or others might like an ATP logo on thecan, so who knows what makes them tick? There isn’t oneball that fits all tennis players, and that’s why there’s such abig selection out there.”

The Never-Changing ProductWhile racquet and string technologies have changed dramati-cally over the last 30 years, basically the same balls have beenbouncing off your racquet for just as long. Despite all thedressed-up packaging, multiple logos, etc., there’s a limit towhat manufacturers can do to “improve” a tennis ball, saysParker.

“Coming up with new ball technologies always poses a lit-tle bit of a challenge,” says Parker. “It’s heavily regulated andall need to fall within the same general level of playability, soour challenges are to come up with new technologies withinthe limits imposed upon the industry by the ITF and USTA.”

“My feeling is, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” says Wilson’sCollins. However, that doesn’t mean the packaging can’tchange—for the better. Wilson has come out with ball canscontaining 25 percent post-consumer recycled material,Collins says, which will help reduce the amount of new plas-tic needed.

“The tennis ball package is one of the most difficult itemsto produce,” Collins says. “It’s pressure sensitive and heatsensitive. Any small changes have to be tested long before wego to market. We’ve been working on the new recycled pack-aging for 16 months.”

In the meantime, consumers (and retailers for that matter)can count on continuing to buy balls without much damage totheir wallets. “Tennis balls are viewed by consumers as a dis-posable commodity,” says Simmons, “so they’re willing topay a certain amount, but very reluctant to pay more. That’swhy the cost has stayed the same for so long.” �


Various tennis ball types are designed differently, manu-factured differently, and perform differently. We set outto measure these differences using 26 different kinds of

balls from eight manufacturers.We tested only one can from each manufacturer. Was

that can representative of all cans? Who knows? Would ballsfrom 100 cans test the same relative to each other? Again,who knows? Were some balls fresh from the factory and oth-ers months old? What we do know is that our sample wasprobably just as good as any player's "sample" when hegoes to the store. Chances are that we got an average slice ofreality, but we warn against making any absolute generaliza-tions about specific ball types based on this limited data.What you can take away from the data are commonalitiesabout the universe of balls. And these are interesting indeed.All balls must meet ITF regulations in order to be

approved for tournament play. Balls are subjected to stricttesting procedures to determine whether they fall into theapproved range of specifications for any given property ofthe ball. These tests include weight, size, rebound, anddeformation. The acceptable ranges for the standard type 2(medium speed) ball are as follows:

ITF SpecificationsMass: 56-59.4 gramsSize: 2.575-2.700 inches (6.541-6.858 cm)Bounce: 53-58 inches (135-147 cm)


B Y R O D C R O S S A N D C R A W F O R D L I N D S E Y

WE FOLLOW THEBOUNCING BALLFROM THE LABTO THE COURT

BALLTESTING:WE FOLLOW THEBOUNCING BALLFROM THE LABTO THE COURT

Forward deformation: 0.220-0.290 inches (0.559-0.737 cm)Return deformation: 0.315-0.425 inches (0.800-1.080 cm)

Together, these properties will determine how theball bounces and feels on your racquet.We performed the ITF tests plus a durability test.

After the durability test, we put the used balls throughthe same tests again. The durability test involved firingeach ball 30 times at high speed and oblique angle ontoa cutout slab of hardcourt. The ball hit the fence andwas returned to the ball machine via one bounce onthe tennis court. In this way, we were able to measurenew and used ball mass, diameter, bounce, and defor-mation.One caveat is necessary. Although we performed all

the ITF tests, they were not performed at the requiredtemperature of 68 degrees F. An air-conditioning glitchnecessitated that tests were performed at 73 degrees F.So the tests were not valid “pass/fail” tests, but theywere accurate indications of the difference betweenballs. In any case, balls bounce a lot higher on a hot daythan they do on a cold day, so a complete performancetest should really be done at several different tempera-tures.Due to time constraints, we did complete “used-

ball” tests on only one ball from each can. We did“new-ball” tests on all three balls in each can.

BALLTESTING:


Mass and Mass LossThe range of all masses wasbetween 54.66 and 59.04 grams.Three balls were below ITF specifica-tions. The average mass of all threeballs per can ranged from 55.25 to58.90 grams.The weight variance for all three

balls within a can ranged from .04 to.58 grams.After durability testing, balls lost

between .34 and .94 grams. Thephoto shows a ball next to .22 gramsof fuzz. Some balls lost four to fivetimes that much fuzz!

A ball loses mass by losingsome of its cloth cover (seeopening photo with ball fuzzaccumulating around thecourt slab, ball machine,and side of the court). Wesubjected each ball to arapid wear test by firing it30 times at high speed froma ball machine (which creat-ed and removed fuzz eachtime) onto a hardcourt slab.The slab itself acted likesandpaper in creating andremoving fuzz. The resultwas roughly equivalent to20 games of tennis on ahardcourt (depending on thesurface roughness of thecourt and the speed atwhich players hit the ball).

DiameterThe ITF approval is only a pass/fail test and does not measurethe actual diameters. For the test, the ball in all orientations mustbe small enough to slip through the large hole and too large todrop through the small hole (see photo). We additionally meas-ured the diameter of the largest of three perpendicular axes.Using a smooth vise, we measured the width of the vise gap thatallowed the ball to drop when aligned along its widest axis. (Mostballs were not absolutely round.)The interesting observation is that the ball changes shape a

little bit each time it is squashed, or in other words, after eachhit. This was especially obvious after removing balls from thecompression tester, but this is a slow compression (not like rac-quet impact) and the rubber has time to deform more.Diameter variance within a can for all three balls ranged from

0.01 to 1.27 mm.

Diameter is measured afterballs have been compressedthree times on three axes. Allballs complied with the ITFdiameter specifications.

Balls change shape veryslightly when they are hit orbounce very hard. One hitmight round out a ball or flat-ten it in the same direction inwhich it is already asymmet-rical. So the ball on the farright might be on the far leftnext time we measure thesame balls. The lesson of thegraph is to show the range inwhich this change of shapecan happen.

BounceUnder our test conditions of 73degrees, balls dropped from 100 inchesonto a granite surface bouncedbetween 52.93 and 58.43 inches. TheITF requirements are for a bouncebetween 53 and 58 inches at 69degrees.Surprisingly, most balls bounced

higher after the durability test thanbefore—some more than 1.5% higher.


We can speculate thatthe higher bounce ofmost of the used ballshas to do with theremoval of fluff. Therubber core on its ownbounces higher than thecore+ball cloth combi-nation. A bounce on acarpet is lower than on ahard surface because ofenergy loss in the car-pet. Similarly, addingcloth to the ball willincrease energy loss.

Stiffness (deformation)Standard ITF deformation (i.e., compression) tests wereperformed on all new balls. This involved (1) compress-ing each ball three times by 1 inch along all three axesto make sure the ball was round before testing it, (2)compressing the ball with a load of 18 pounds to meas-ure the “forward deformation,” (3) increasing the loaduntil the ball compressed 1 inch, and (4) decreasing theload back to 18 pounds to measure the “return defor-mation.” These steps were repeated for all three axesand the averages of each measurement were calculated.These are static (not dynamic) stiffness tests.

Consequently, it does not necessarily follow that a stati-cally measured softer or stiffer ball will also be relative-ly softer or stiffer on racquet impact or that it



Players sometimes com-plain that balls are eithertoo soft or too hard. Theofficial rules of tennisinclude specific guidelinesabout ball stiffness. A play-er can test a new or oldball by squeezing it byhand. The test hereinvolved compressing theball by 1 inch in a materi-als testing machine.

A used ball is generallysofter than a new ball sinceball stiffness depends onthe wall thickness and theamount of air inside theball. The rubber is about 3mm thick and the cover isalso about 3 mm thick. Ifthe cloth cover wears downto say 2 mm thickness, theball will become softer. Theball will also become softerif some of the compressedair leaks out (but this does-n't happen with pressure-less balls).

Stiffness (deformation) continued...will bounce higher or lower when it bounces off the court. Insome respects, step 3 is more important than steps 2 or 4.Surprisingly, there is no ITF rule about the force required tocompress a ball by 1 inch. A ball hit firmly compresses byaround 1 inch. The compressions at steps 2 and 4 are onlyabout 0.25 to 0.4 inch, which is about the same compres-sion as a player achieves by squeezing the ball by hand. The

ITF legislated “forward/return” deformation data is mean-ingless to most people, so we converted it to a simple stiff-ness calculation in terms of pounds necessary to compressthe ball 1 inch.Stiffness variance within a can for all three balls ranged

from 0 to 10.53 lb/in with an average variance for all ballsand brands of 2.63 lb/in.


After a pressurized ball isremoved from its can, airgradually leaks out over time.The results here show theresulting decrease in ball stiff-ness over a 5 month period forballs sitting unused in the canwith the lid on. Players canfeel this effect simply bysqueezing an old ball by hand.Two of the pressureless ballsbecame stiffer over the 5month period, indicating thatthe rubber became stiffer withage. This is a well knowncharacteristic of rubber. Thechange in stiffness over timedepends on the type of rubbercompound. The rubber in thepressurized balls may alsohave become stiffer, but theoverall stiffness of the balllessened due to loss of airpressure.

Regular and Extra Duty BallsWhat is the difference? Regular duty felt is composed of a com-bination of slightly more wool than nylon fibers woven onto acotton backing. As a rule, regular duty balls are designed for softsurfaces such as grass, carpet, and clay. These balls have a tighterweave, shorter nap, and thus play a little livelier and quicker dueto less air friction and drag. The tighter weave is more clay, dirt,and moisture resistant; indoors, it leaves less fluff cleanup on thecourt and it inhibits fluffing due to static electricity.

Extra duty balls are designed for hard surfaces such as asphalt,concrete, and other outdoor hardcourts. Extra duty felt has ahigher nylon content, resulting in a looser weave. Nylon does notweave as tightly as wool because it is a much smoother fiber.This causes the nylon to move around and fluff. A fluffy ballmoves a bit slower through the air. Nylon is more resistant toabrasion than wool, but on an abrasive, hardcourt surface thefluff tends to be cut off as it forms.

Thus, if you use a regular duty ball on a hard court, it will fluffbecause the wool is not good against abrasion. It will also sheermore quickly. If you use an extra duty ball on grass or clay, it willpick up dirt in the loose weave and become heavier. If the balldoes get fluffed up (from both the court and a lot of spin shots),it will tend to stay fluffy because there is not as much abrasionto shear it off. So if you use the wrong ball for the surface, youget either a prematurely bald ball or a poorly performing hairyone.

As a rule of thumb, a ball felt for your dog to chase in the backyard might be 100 percent unwoven Dacron or acrylic. An inex-pensive mass merchandise ball might have a felt that is 15 per-cent wool, and a performance ball will be woven with about 50-60 percent wool, with extra duty types having more nylon.

SummarySome very interesting and surprising observa-tions arise from the results of these tests. Someof these are:

� Balls may bounce higher after use.� Balls become softer with use.� Balls lose up to a gram even after minimaluse (if 30 bounces and throws by a ballmachine count as minimal).

� Each ball in a can is different in weight,diameter, and bounce.

� Each can from the same manufacturer canbe different.

� Balls bounce differently on different axes.� Balls are not round.� Balls change shape during play.� Balls bounce up to 5 inches differentbetween brands.

� Some balls/cans off the shelf may not belegal.

� Bounce depends on days out of the can, use,and temperature.

� Fuzz happens early in ball wear and thensheared off (this process might have beenexaggerated with the ball machine).So, differences abound. Seemingly, no two

tennis balls, like no two fingerprints, are thesame. No one can actually prove that. So far, all40 million fingerprints held by the FBI are differ-ent, but the next one might well be an identicalcopy of number 12,583,912. Similarly, no onecan prove that all tennis balls are different. Sofar, all 26 balls we tested were different, but it ispossible that we might find two balls one daythat are the same. �



B Y C R A W F O R D L I N D S E Y

Step OneA top-grade natural rub-ber compound is mixedwith 11 chemical ingredi-ents.

There’s nothing like opening up a new can of tennis balls. The “pssshhht” asyou pop the top, that new tennis ball smell, the distinct texture of the felt, thefirm feel of the pressurized ball—then the tingle of excitement you feel as youdrop the ball for that first hit.How does all that get packed into those clear plastic cans? We went to the

Penn factory in Phoenix to find out. Penn Racquet Sports manufactures 330,000tennis balls a day. Here’s how they do it.

Step TwoThe mixture is perfect-ly smoothed out andextruded into pellets,each made preciselythe same weight.

THE BALLGAMEHOW A TENNISBALL IS MADE

THE BALLGAMEHOW A TENNISBALL IS MADE

Penn

Racq

uetS

ports

Penn

Racq

uetS

ports


Step ThreeThe pellets areplaced into a moldand formed intohemispheres.

Step FourThe edges are thenbuffed to extremelyfine tolerances, thencoated with a naturalrubber adhesive.

Step FiveThe halves are thenplaced in anothermold for the secondcure process, whichfuses them into com-plete ball centers.

Penn

Racq

uetS

ports

Penn

Racq

uetS

ports

Step SixDuring this process, a controlled degreeof pressure (equivalent to twice theEarth’s atmosphere) is sealed into thecenters. These pressurized ball centers arethen abraded to better retain the adhe-sive and grip the cover when applied .

Step SevenThe cover for Pennballs is made of ablend of nylon, wool,and cotton felt, pre-tensioned to preventshrinkage in produc-tion as well as in play.

Step EightThe process of bonding the coversinvolves a unique mechanical processexclusive to Penn.

Step NineA third cure assures asolid bond betweencover and center.


Penn

Racq

uetS

ports

Penn

Racq

uetS

ports

Penn

Racq

uetS

ports

Step TenThe balls are steam-fluffed to raise thenap, thus ensuringthat they react betterto the court surfaceand racquet.

End of the LineOnce the balls are made, cans are filled, labelled, boxed and shipped.

The finished balls are tested for uniformity of bounce and deformation, durability of the cover, as wellas flight, impact, wear and resistance characteristics to ensure that every ball precisely meets theInternational Tennis Federation’s specifications in the Rules of Tennis.


COURTAPPEAL

F O C U S O N F A S H I O N


COURTAPPEAL

The latest tennis apparel featuressomething for every player.

TAILTail combines functional, breathablefabrics with dynamic color blockingof bright marina blues and yellows;and graphic prints in coordinatingpieces in pink, whites, grays, andblack. Black is also featured withcanary yellow, white, and sil-ver accents in clothing thatmoves well on and off thecourt in box-pleats, A-lines, and flirty flouncyskirts and matchingtops.www.tailinc.com;305-638-2650

B Y C Y N T H I A S H E R M A N

ACE COLLECTIONSAce Collections is a year-old company making a big splash out ofCanada. They combine classic styles with smart white coordinatestrimmed in signature “Ace” plaids of red, blue, green, or yellow. AceDiva is a youthful and fitted poly-spandex line, sporting a 13-inch skirtlength and features go-withbags and accessories. TheAce Classic line is geared to35- to 65-year-olds and fabri-cated of a high-quality Sup-plex, which is more forgivingand flattering. The skirt in theClassic line is 14 inches longand the Ace plaid trim runsup the side of the skirts anddresses. www.ace-collec-tions.com; 416-932-3308

BOLLEBlue is Bolle’s theme for its “Planet Blue” group, slat-ed for September delivery. Comprised of skirts, sko-rts, shorts, and a stylish mix of go-with tops, the lineshows off medium blue and white pieces, mixedwith trims and color blocks of black, yellow, andblue. Classy blue and white pinstripes are a highlightof this fashionable court-savvy group.www.bolletenniswear.com; 888-977-7272

LBHLBH/Lily’s/Wimbledon combines fashion and function in alltheir lines. Lily’s clothing is elegant with a more forgiving fitin contemporary looks. The decidedly feminine BellaDonna group’s graphic black and white print tops in “tactelpoly-spandex” combine with solid-black flouncy skirts. LBH,geared toward the 35-plus crowd, has a contemporary feeland transcends court wear to active lifestyle wear. TheWimbledon line focuses on the classic looks of the ’70supdated in stylish combos of white, jacquard, and plaidswith colorful trims. www.lbhgroup.com; 310-768-0300

FILAThe Fila US Open Collec-tion features traditional-retro red, white, andblue updated in con-temporary looksand linear pat-terns in youthful

feminine silhou-ettes. Poly-spandex

dresses, skirts, andtops highlight this col-

lection and will be promi-nently featured at the

Grand Slam event.www.fila.com; 800-845-FILA



LEJAYLejay’s “OppositesAttract” collection fea-tures a new take onthe very “in” black-and-white combo. Asplash of geometricand animal prints cre-

ates an abstract yetsophisticatedlook. Trendydetails likerhinestonesaccent this styl-ish theme group.Delivery sched-uled for Aug 15.www.lejay.com;800-932-7535

IN-BETWEENLast fall, In-BetweenSportwear introduced plus

sizes and fills a much-neededniche in this fashion group.They feature mix-and-match

skirts, performance shorts,tops, leggings, and under-garments in sizes 2-24.White, black, navy, andred combine with limeand coral in pieces thatgo from on-court tooff. In-Between’sCourtshorties line is astaple in active“innerwear.”

PRINCEApparel will be a huge focus for Prince. For the fall,the trendy, youthful “Tour” line in shades of pink,rose, and gray sports skirts and tank tops withmesh for breathability in poly-lycra-spandexblends. The accompanying men’s “Tour” collec-tion goes retro with zip-front shirts and shorts ingray, red, and white for a striking fashion state-ment. www.princetennis.com; 800-2-TENNIS

BÄLLE DE MÄTCHBälle de Mätch goes after the juniorfashion category in a big way withfunky shorts, tank tops, and hood-ies. A trendy red hooded sweatshirtpairs up nicely with green shortsand popular mix-and-matchpinks and reds are featured in

tank tops and shorts. This“tweener” category ships inDecember.www.balledematch.com;949-574-7305

WW

W.S

TU

DIO

-91

.CO

M

2 0 0 7 G U I D E T O B A L L M A C H I N E S

nvesting in a ball machine is kind of like putting money in a high-yield fund. The initial amount you may need to pony up maybe a stretch for you, but you know in the end you’ll come out

ahead.A ball machine should be a key component of your

business. It’s a versatile piece of equipment and can beused during lessons and clinics, to rent out to individ-uals or groups who want to work on their own, as anew member perk, and much more. Many playerslike the idea of going off on a court by them-selves to hone their strokes with a ballmachine—which frees up your pros to workon other courts.

Our 2007 Guide to Ball Machines hasall the information you need to help youfind the right machine for your business.The Ball Machine Selector on page 36charts all the machines available todayand the features they offer. Keep inmind that with ball machines, thereare a lot of things that you canchange about the unit at the time ofpurchase, or later. In our chart,we’ve listed the specs and pricesof the most basic model of eachmachine. Then, if options areoffered, we’ve listed the addition-al cost of adding that feature.

I

BALLMACHINESELECTOR

BALLMACHINESELECTOR


SportsTutorwww.sportstutor.com800-448-8867

Super Coachwww.tennismachine.com


PROPULSION

Economy Ball Bucket 202$469 2 12 x 12 x 2750 20 X 3, 6, 1255 X X $50Ball Bucket 201 $549 2 12 x 12 x 3150 28 X 3, 6, 1255 X X $50Hybrid 301 $689 2 36 x 13 x 21150 31 X 3, 6, 1270 X X $50Tournament 401 $789 2 36 x 13 x 21150 32 X 3, 6, 1270 X X $50Elite Freedom $799 2 24 x 16 x 19150 30 X 2 - 10 70 X X X X 8Elite Model 1 $1,049 2 24 x 16 x 19150 42 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X 1Elite Model 2 $1,299 2 24 x 16 x 19150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X 1Elite Model 3 $1,549 2 24 x 16 x 19150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X 1

Portable $1,695 1 19 x 21 x 25200 55 X 1 - 10 80 X X X 3 X 1ACE $3,495 3 35 x 21 x 38200 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X 3 X X X $SMASH $4,395 3 35 x 21 x 38300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X $DEUCE $5,495 3 35 x 21 x 38300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X $GENIE $5,995 3 35 x 21 x 38300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X $GENIE PC $7,995 3 35 x 21 x 38300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 8 ∞GRAND SLAM $7,495 3 35 x 21 x 38300 110 X 1 - 10120 X X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X $GRAND SLAM PC $8,995 3 35 x 21 x 38300 110 X 1 - 10120 X X X X X X 8 ∞

I-SAM Model 1 $549 1 19 x 17.5 x 18250 29 X 2 - 7 60 X X X $I-SAM Model 2 $749 1 19 x 17.5 x 18250 34 X 2 - 7 60 X X X $SAM Professional PortableModel 1$849 119.5 x 16 x 21.5300 48 X 2 - 1370 XX 4,6,10,11SAM Professional PortableModel 4$1,429 119.5 x 16 x 21.5300 48 X 2 - 1370 XX 4,6,10,11SAM Sport $2,099 3 35 x 25 x 50250 87 X 1.5 - 885 X X X X X 3 X $SAM Coach $2,499 3 35 x 25 x 50250 87 X 1.5 - 885 X X X X X 6 X X X X X 1

Boomer $14,450 138.5 x 31 x 21.5300124 X 1.0 - 10100 X X X X X 3

Ultra Lite $599 1 22 x 18 x 14200 35 X 1.0 - 1595 X X X X X 7Sport $949 1 22 x 18 x 14200 46 X 1.0 - 1595 X X X X X 1Pro $1,199 1 22 x 18 x 14200 48 X 1.0 - 1595 X X X X $7

Ace Attack $5,499 1 34 x 53 200 150 X 1.5 - 12110 X X X X X 4 X $

Tennis Twist $199 1 10 x 11 x2328 11 5 15 XTennis Tutor ProLite - Basic$549 1 12 x 19.5 x 18125 20 X 1.5 - 1060 X X X X $Tennis Tutor ProLite $649 1 12 x 19.5 x 18125 22 X 1.5 - 1060 X X X X $Tennis Tutor $989 1 12 x 19.5 x 20150 42 X 1.5 - 1285 X X X $Tennis Tutor - Plus $1,199 1 20 x 19.5 x 20150 46 X 1.5 - 1285 X X X X $Tennis Tutor - Plus Player Model$1,549 1 20 x 19.5 x 2015046 X 1.5 - 1285 XX 4,9Tennis Tower $1,195 1 44 x 23 x 22225 60 X 1.5 - 885 X X $200Shot Maker - Standard$2,900 238.5 x 31 x 21.5300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X X X 3 X $Shot Maker - Deluxe $4,000 238.5 x 31 x 21.5300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X X X 6 X X X X X X X

Lobsterwww.lobsterinc.com800-526-4041

Playmatewww.playmatetennismachines.com800-776-6770

Silent Part-ner

SpinningWheelPropulsion

AirPressure

Propulsion

FeedingInterval(seconds)

TopSpeed(MPH

)ElevationControl-Electronic

ElevationControl-Manual

Ableto

Feed

Lobs

Ableto

Feed

Topspin

&

BallCapacity

Weight(lbs)

Dimensions(Storage

War-Price(MSRPModelBrand

SportsAttack


SAMwww.MasterSports.com800-837-1002

Robot Opti-mizers

Ableto

Feed

Sidespin

*OtherOptionalAccessories1 - Spin adaptor $502 - Fast charger $993 - 3-Hour rapid recharger$219.70

5 - Built-in transformer for international powerstandards $1116 - 110/220 Volt AC converter $997 - Additional removable battery $408 - Extra heavy duty battery $25

MISC.


REMOTE CONTROLPOWEROSCILLATIONNoOscillation

Oscillation-Random

Oscillation-Programmable

Number

ofShots

inPro-

AdjustableDepth

Within

AdjustableSpin

Within

Pro-

AdjustableHeightWithin

RunsonBattery

orPower

RunsonPower

Cord

Only

RunsonBattery

Only

Battery

Amp/H

our

Battery

Life

Indicator

Battery

Swapability

Rem

ote

Control-Standard

Rem

ote

Control-Optional

Rem

ote

Control-Cord

Rem

ote

Control-Wireless

Rem

ote

ControlofOscilla-

Rem

ote

ControlofProgram

ServingTower

-Standard

ServingTower

-Optional

Cover-Standard

Cover-OptionalAccessory

Includes

WheelsforPorta-

Other

OptionalAccessories*

X X $70 X $49 1X X $70 X $49 1X X $70 X $49 X 1

T X X X X $70 X $49 X 1E X X 8.5 X X X X $49 X 2E X X 18 X X $199 X X $49 X 2E X X X X 18 X X $199 X X $49 X 2E X X X X 18 X X $199 X X $49 X 2

P 3 X 15 X X X X $85 3X 3 X X X $4,395 $85 5

X X 7 X X X $4,395 $85 5X X 7 X X X X X X X $4,395 $85 5X X 7 X X X X X X X $4,395 $85 5X X 8 ∞ X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85 5X X 7 X X X X X X X $4,395 $85 5X X 8 ∞ X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85 5

X $99 X X 7.5 X X X 6,8,11X $99 X X 15 X X X X X X 6,12

X X X $99 X X 15 X X X X XX

X X X X 2 $99 X X 15 X X X X X X XX

X X 3 X $99 X X 12,13X X 6 X X X X X 12,13

X X 301000 X X X X X X X X X X $3,895X X 15

X X 7.5 X X X $40 X 7S X X 15 X X X $40 X 7P X $299 2 $249 $80 X 15 X X X X X X $40 X

X 4 X $300 X X $200 X

X X 6 D Cells

X X $50 9 X $70 X $35X X $50 9 X $70 X $35X $200 4 $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 9

T X $200 4 $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 4,9X X X $200 4 X $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35

X $300 4 X $200 X X X X 4S X X 3 X $200 X X X XS X X 6 X X X X X X X

InteractiveFeed

Control

AdjustableIntervalWithin

SmartCharger

comes

Stan-

SmartCharger

availableas

9 - Ext. battery pack $130, ext. AC power supply $125,smart charger upgrade $4010 - Lob enhancer $2011 - Water-resistant cloth storage cover $4912 - Ships via FedEx Ground

13 - Feeds balls from 30 above ground14 - Can deliver any type of ball, (topspin, underspin, flat, lob) to any placecourt, in any sequence15 - Plays games, rates shots, uses a camera, talks to players, cordless head-phone system ($500 or $50/mo),

wireless printer for analysis ($2000 or $100/mo)

No.ofProgramsthat

Can



DISCLAIMERSSpecific Features

Keep in mind that whenever you try to devel-op a chart like this, it is necessary to createsome pretty broad, non-detailed features. Forexample, when we mark that a machine offersrandom oscillation, it means that the machinecan be set to shoot balls to different locationson the court in a random pattern. However,this does not indicate how many differentplaces the machine can shoot the ball. Somemachines will just shoot the balls randomlybetween as few as 2 locations at the samedepth, while other machines might be able toshoot the ball virtually anywhere on the courtat different heights and speeds.

DurabilityThere really is no easy way to measure the

durability of a ball machine. The only truetest of durability is to use the machine foryears and see how it holds up. We assumeyou don’t want to wait that long to see the restof this information. So, we don’t have a category for dura-bility. However, you can learn more about how long themachines last by talking to the manufacturers and asking forreferences from people they have sold machines to. Just likewe recommend when buying stringing machines, don’t justbuy a ball machine based on price. If you buy an inexpen-sive machine that isn’t designed for the type and amount ofuse you will be asking of it, it can end up costing you a lotmore money down the road than a machine that cost moreat first, but was designed for what you have in mind.

Make sure you have confidence in the durability of themachine and the customer service of the company to helpyou when you have problems. You should feel comfortablethat the company has a system in place to fix anything thatmight go wrong with your machine. In some cases, they

may have local service reps to come fix itat your facility, while in other casesthey should offer a way to ship all or

part of the machine back to the manu-facturer for repairs.So, you probably won’t want to buy a

machine strictly based on what you read inthis chart. Rather, this chart should help youto narrow the universe of machines by elim-inating the machines that don’t offer fea-tures you really want. Then, when youhave narrowed your choices, you can domore research by visiting the websitesor calling the phone numbers listed foreach company.

Demo Before You BuyAs always, when investing in a piece

of equipment as expensive as a ballmachine, we recommend that you look for an opportunityto try the machine before you buy it. Ask the manufacturersfor ideas about how you can try their machines. In somecases they may be able to send you a sample to try, in othercases they may have sold one to someone near you.

So, now that you know what we’re trying to do, let’s talkabout what all the features listed across the top of the chartmean.

Brand & Contact InfoThe name of the manufacturer

and how to get in touch withthem. You can contact them toget more information or to order themachine that looks best to you. There areeight manufacturers making machines undernine brand names.

ModelThe specific model of machine. However,

remember that many of the machines offerseveral different options. In some cases, whenyou buy different options, the name of the machinemay change slightly. But, in each case, the availableoptions for each machine list the price of adding that option.

PriceManufacturer’s suggested retail price. Prices range from

$199 to $14,450.

WarrantyHow long the manufacturer guaran-

tees the machine against defects. How-ever, keep in mind that many of themanufacturers do offer extended war-ranties. See the specific manufacturer formore information and costs of extendedwarranties.

DimensionsThese are the measurements of the

machines for storage or transport. Inother words, some machines will beconsiderably bigger than these mea-surements when you are using them

because you add a ball holder. We list the smaller mea-surements because the size of a machine really only matterswhen you are trying to fit it on a shelf or in the trunk of acar.

FEATURES

Lobster Elite

Playmate Genie Deuce

No OscillationMachines with an “X” in this column are not capable

of feeding the ball in more than one direction. So, if youwant to practice forehands you have to point the machinetoward your forehand and vice-versa for backhands. How-ever, you cannot practice forehands and backhands at thesame time unless you’re willing to use a little extra foot-work.

Oscillation – RandomThese machines are capable

of feeding balls randomly to dif-ferent locations on the court to

simulate real play. However, as we explained before, youneed to do a little more inquiring to find out just how ran-domly the machine can shoot balls. Some machines canchoose randomly between two positions, while others canshoot balls virtually anywhere on the court.

OSCILLATION

PROPULSION


Spinning Wheel PropulsionAn “X” in this column indicates that the

machine uses two spinning wheels to feed theball to you. In almost every case the spinningwheels are stacked vertically with just enoughspace between them for a ball to squeezethrough. So, the faster the wheels are spinning,the faster the balls will be propelled.

Air Pressure PropulsionAn “X” in this column indicates that the

machine shoots the ball through a tube like acannon. The amount of air pressure determinesthe speed and depth of the shot.

Feeding IntervalsThis column indicates how often the machine can feed

balls. Most machines offer a range of intervals. Smallerintervals make for a harder workout, while higher intervalsallow more time for preparation and watching your results.

Top SpeedAlmost every machine offers the ability to adjust the

speed at which the ball is shot from the machine. They allare capable of feeding a very slow ball for shotsshorter in the court and for weaker players.So, we just list the fastest speed that eachmanufacturer says the machine will shootthe ball. However, most of the time, mostplayers don’t need the ball speed maxedout because the players they play withdon’t hit that hard.

Elevation ControlElectronic — An “X” in this column indicates

that the machine can change the height of theshot by pushing a button or turning a knob.

Elevation ControlManual — An “X” in this column indicates that themachine can shoot balls at different heights, butyou have to physically aim a shooting arm or tilt

the machine in some way to do so.

Able to Feed LobsAn “X” in this column indicates that

the manufacturer tells us the machine iscapable of feeding lobs to allow you to

practice your overheads.

Able to Feed Topspin & UnderspinAn “X” in this column means that the machine uses spin-

ning wheels to propel the balls and you can make one wheelspin faster than the other to put spin on the top or bottomof the ball. If you see a price in this column, it means thatthe machine is capable of putting spin on the ball, but youmust purchase an extra option to do so.

Able to Feed SidespinAn “X” in this column indicates that

the machine has spinning wheels thatdon’t just touch the ball on top and bot-tom. The wheels that are on the sides ofthe balls can be spun faster than the oth-ers to put spin on the sides of the ball.This is mainly helpful for simulatingserves.

Ball CapacityThis indicates how many balls you can put in the

machine at a time. However, several of the manufacturersindicated that their machines can actually hold more ballsthan they have listed if you stack the balls higher than thesides of the machine. There are machines that hold as fewas 28 balls and as many as 300 balls. But keep in mind thatsome machine manufacturers tell us that mostpeople don’t come close to filling their

machines. Who wants to carry and pick up 200 or moreballs?

WeightThis is an indication of how much the basic machine

weighs without balls in it. So, if you add options or balls, theweight will increase. We list the weight without balls because

this is probably how you will transport the machineto the court.

SAM Millennium

Robot Optimizers Boomer

OSCILLATION CONT.



Oscillation – ProgrammableThis is another feature that requires a closer look.

Machines in this column have a control panelthat allows you to shoot balls in a patternthat you determine. But look to the nextfew columns to see how complicated a pro-gram you can give it.

# of Shots in ProgramThis column indicates how many differ-

ent shots you can program before themachine repeats its program. So, machinesthat have a higher number in this columnoffer you the opportunity to create a morecomplicated drill for yourself or your stu-dents.

Number of ProgramsThat Can Be Stored

If you see a number in this column, it indicatesthat the machine can store programs you design foruse at another time, and how many programs it canstore in its memory.

Adjustable Depth within ProgramThese machines offer the opportunity to create even more

complicated drills because they allow you to feed one balldeep in the court followed by another ball that is shorter inthe court.

Adjustable Spin within ProgramAgain, these machines offer more com-

plicated drills because they allow you to vary the amount oftopspin or underspin from one shot to the next.

Adjustable Height within ProgramThese machines allow you to vary the heightof the balls during the program. So, you canpractice against a ball that comes high over thenet followed by another ball that is fed lowover the net.

Adjustable Interval within ProgramThese machines allow you to vary the time

between ball feeds during the program. This wayyou can tell the machine to feed you a lob andwait long enough for you to hit the overheadbefore feeding the next ball. Or you can programa longer time between balls you will be hittingfrom the baseline than balls you will be hittingfrom the net.

Interactive Feed ControlThe Boomer from Robot Optimizers fea-

tures a video camera, a powerful computer,and can even talk to a player.

These features allow a player to play a game againstBoomer, where Boomer is the opponent, umpire, ball-boy,cheerleader, and wiseguy (it even trash talks). The camera isused to rate each shot a player hits from 1 to 9 based onspeed, depth, and width. In game mode the machine varies

its feeds based on the quality of the shot from theplayer. In drill mode, it says the score of eachball and even tells the player if the shot is out.

POWERRuns on Battery or Power Cord

An “X” in this column means that you canpower the machine with a battery or a powercord plugged into an electrical outlet.

Runs on Power Cord OnlyMachines in this column require an

electrical outlet for power.

Runs on Battery OnlyThese machines can only be powered by a rechargeable

battery.

Battery Amp/HourThis is an indication of how much “juice there is in the bat-

teries.” It is a measure of the number of amps of electricity

the battery can deliver in 1 hour. One manu-facturer described amp/hours as being like acar’s gas tank. More amp/hours is like a biggergas tank, meaning that the machine can run

longer on a charge. We are publishing this num-ber instead of the machine’s battery life. We feltpublishing this number for each machine helpsreduce any discrepancies in the battery life that is

indicated by each of the manufacturers.

Battery Life IndicatorThese machines have some sort ofindicator to let you know how muchbattery life is left. Once again, someof these indicators are more informa-

tive than others. Talk with the manufacturer for a moredetailed description of how it works.

Silent Partner Pro

Sports Attack Ace Attack

Cover Comes StandardThese machines come with a cover included

in the price listed.

Cover Available as an OptionThis column indicates whether the manu-

facturer makes an optional cover availableand how much it costs.

Includes Wheels for PortabilityMachines with an “X” in this column

have wheels attached to them to make themachine easier to move around.

Other Optional AccessoriesThis column lists any other optional acces-

sories that are available for each machine andhow much each accessory costs. It also listsany special features that we did not createcolumns for.

Remote ControlAvailable as Option

These machines do not come with a remote, but you canbuy one. Look at the next several columns to find out whatthe remote controls and whether it is wireless.

Remote Control – CordThe remote controls that are available for these machines

are actually wired to the machine, making them a little lessportable. However, some of them do allow you to controlmore of the settings on the machine.

Remote Control – WirelessThe remote controls that are available for

these machines are not actually attached tothe machine. So, you can take them wherever you

want as long as the signal is strongenough to reach the machine.

Remote Control of OscillationThese remotes are actually able to turn the oscillation fea-

ture of the machine off and on in addition to being able tostart or stop the balls from feeding.

Remote Control of Program SettingsThese remotes allow you to control the program settings.

So, you don’t have to go back to the machine to change theorder of shots.

Battery SwapabilityAn “X” in this column means that the machine allows you

to take out a battery that is almost out of juice and replace itwith a fresh battery. However, keep in mind that to do thisyou will have to purchase a spare battery.

Smart Charger comes StandardAll battery-operated machines come

with a charger to recharge the batteriesas they wear down. But, machines withan “X” in this column come with asmart charger included in the listedprice. A smart charger is designed torecharge your battery until it is fullycharged. Then, when your battery is fully

charged, it reduces the voltage that it feeds to the battery tojust enough to keep it fully charged. A regular charger wouldkeep feeding excess electricity to your battery after it is fullycharged until the charger is unplugged. This excess electricitycan degrade your battery and ultimately shorten your bat-tery’s lifespan. But, a smart charger allows you to keep yourcharger plugged in without damaging your battery.

Smart Charger available asOption

Machines with a dollar amount in thiscolumn come with a standard charger includ-ed in the listed price. But, for the extra feelisted in this column, you can get a smartcharger (as described in the previous fea-ture) instead.

REMOTECONTROL

Super Coach


MISCELLANEOUS

Tennis Tutor Pro Lite


string PLAYTEST

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 0somewhat easier 2about as easy 16not quite as easy 18not nearly as easy 2

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 0somewhat better 7about as playable 8not quite as playable 18not nearly as playable 4

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 0somewhat better 20about as durable 16not quite as durable 1not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.3Durability 4.2Power 3.6Control 3.5Comfort 3.1Touch/Feel 2.8Spin Potential 3.4Holding Tension 3.6Resistance to Movement 4.0

Sonic Pro is a new polyester string from

Head, the first polyester string it has

added to its Control line-up. According

to Head, Sonic Pro is a uniquely

processed co-polymer polyester with

extra combinations of resins and fibers.

Head tells us that it designed Sonic Pro

to be soft enough to give today’s mod-

ern, aggressive players the feel and con-

trol they want with the durability they

need.Sonic Pro is available in 17 in white

only. It is priced from $13 for sets of 40feet, and $180 for 660-foot reels. Formore information or to order, contactHead at 800-289-7366, or visitwww.head.com. Be sure to read the con-clusion for more information about get-ting a free set to try for yourself.

IN THE LABThe coil measured 40 feet. The diametermeasured 1.22-1.26 mm prior to string-ing, and 1.19-1.22 mm after stringing.We recorded a stringbed stiffness of 73RDC units immediately after stringing at60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95(16 x 18 pattern) on a constant-pullmachine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 64 RDC units, repre-senting a 12 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. Sonic Pro added 16grams to the weight of our unstrungframe.

The string was tested for five weeksby 38 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP rat-ings from 3.0 to 6.0. These are blind tests,with playtesters receiving unmarkedstrings in unmarked packages. Averagenumber of hours playtested was 23.9.

During stringing, Sonic Pro is similar toother polyesters in terms of stiffness andcoil memory. It does have a smooth sur-face, which is very nice for weaving and

pulling crosses. Sonic Profeels as if it has a verylight coating of lubricant,which also facilitatesstringing.

No playtester brokehis sample duringstringing, 14 reportedproblems with coilmemory, four report-ed problems tyingknots, and nonereported frictionburn.

ON THE COURTOf the 112 published string playtestreports to date, Head Sonic Pro rated inthe top 20 in five of our nine cate-gories: 6th overall for Resistance toMovement, 9th overall in Power, 11thoverall in Tension Retention, 13th over-all in Durability, and 18th overall in Spinpotential. Our playtest team also ratedSonic Pro well above average in a sixthcategory: Control. These ratings aregood enough to put Sonic Pro in thetop 20 of our published string playtestreports.

One playtester broke the sample,after two hours of play.

CONCLUSIONHead Sonic Pro does indeed seem to bebest suited for big hitters, given itsresistance to movement and durability.Players who prefer thinner strings willappreciate the fact that Sonic Pro’sdurability comes not from its gauge butfrom its construction. Finally, its powerlevel, as noted by our playtesters, mighteven provide an edge over other polystrings.

If you think that Head Sonic Promight be for you, fill out the coupon toget a free set to try.

—Greg Raven �

Head Sonic Pro 17

TESTERS TALK

FREE PLAYTESTSTRING PROGRAMHEAD has generously offered to

send a free set of theSonic Pro 17 to the first 500

USRSA members who request it.Just cut out (or copy) this coupon

and mail it to:USRSA, Attn: Head Sonic Pro 17String Offer, 330 Main Street,

Vista, CA 92084or fax to 760-536-1171, or emailthe info below to stringsam-

[email protected] expires 15 July 07

Offer only available to USRSAmembers in the US.

Name:

USRSA Member number:

Phone:

Email:If you print your email clearly, we will

notify you when your sample will be sent.


“ This string feels extremely solid at impact.Sound mechanics are rewarded with a refresh-ing amount of pop. Given the resistance tomovement, spin control is a constant. This isdefinitely a string I would stock and use.”4.5 male all-court player using Prince O3Speedport Red strung at 70 pounds CP (Poly-ester 16L)

“ This polyester has remarkable softness andcomfort. It is on par with the best polyesters onthe market. The playability makes it a good fitfor a wide range of stroke styles and ability lev-els. It performs like a fancy multifilament, butwith twice the durability. I’m sold.” 4.0 malebaseliner with moderate spin using Head i.S2MP strung at 55 pounds CP (Wilson Natural15L)

“ This string is quite stiff and boardy. Com-fort, touch and feel are not up to my multifila-ment standards. The tension maintenance andlack of string movement are impressive. This isa good string for big hitters with durability con-

cerns, but it’s too stiff for me.” 4.5 male all-courtplayer using Babolat Aeropro Drive strung at 57pounds LO (Gamma Live Wire Professional 17)

“ This comfortable polyester has uniquely con-trollable power. It seems to hit a very heavy ballwithout requiring a massive, energy drainingswing. Polyester fans looking for some pop areadvised to check this out.” 4.0 male all-courtplayer using Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 5.0 Stretch MPstrung at 54/52 pounds CP (Luxilon Big BangerTimo 18)

“While the string starts out stiff, it breaks inquickly and becomes quite comfortable. The ten-sion maintenance and resistance to movement aretop notch. The high level of control gives it a user-friendly predictability, making nearly every shoteasy to execute.” 4.5 male serve-and-volleyerusing Wilson Hyper Hammer 2.3 Stretch OS strungat 62 pounds LO (Wilson Sensation 17)

For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit

www.racquetsportsindustry.com.

“ This string has no learning curve. It's verypredictable. I never have to worry abouttweaking my swing path, head speed orangle of attack. Full swings can be executedwithout fear of hitting long, and counterpunches tend to find their mark. The controland spin inspire confident tennis.” 5.5 maleall-court player using Head i.Tour MP strungat 62 pounds CP (Polyester/Nylon 16)

“ This is a fun string to use. A full swing isrewarded with tons of spin and control. Thecomfort is unbelievable. If you have any wor-ries about getting into polyester, starthere.” 3.5 male all-court player using Dun-lop 200G 95 (Muscle Weave) strung at 60pounds LO (Nylon 17)

“ Excellent control and great bite. Morepower than I expected. This string’s spinpotential allowed me to achieve safer netclearance. The ball rotation is out of thisworld.” 5.0 male all-court player usingPrince Original Graphite OS strung at 56pounds LO (Head RIP Control 17)

the EXPERTSask

DOUBLE-BRIDGERACQUET MOUNTING

I HAVE A RACQUET TO STRINGthat I'm not sure how to mount.The racquet is a Wilson Hyper

Hammer 2.6 Overdrive with Rollers. I havea six-point stringer that would allow me toset the contact point either on the innerbridge or the bridge closest to the grip.Intuitively, I feel the bridge closest to thegrip (which looks strongest) is the place toset the post because it is taking the ten-sion for six strings whereas the innerbridge is merely touching the strings withrubber inserts. But I'm not experienced inthis area and would like an expert opinion.

YOU CAN MOUNT THIS RACQUETeither way. On some machines,

there's only enough room between thetowers to use the "inner" bridge. Howev-er, if your machine can accommodate theextra length, use the "outer" bridge (near-

er the butt of the racquet), which is clearlybuilt to withstand the stress. There is acomplete Service Review of this frame —including mounting procedures on manydifferent machines — on page 26 of theJuly 2000 issue of RacquetTECH magazine.

MISSING DIGEST LISTING?A STRINGING CUSTOMER OF MINEgave me a racquet to string that hepurchased during a recent visit to

Japan. It was strung there, but incorrectly.After cutting out the string I referred tomy Stringers Digest. Though the racquetwas listed, the listing didn't match the rac-quet I had.

Could the book be wrong, or couldthis racquet be made to different specs forthe Japanese market? Could this racquetbe mislabeled?

MANUFACTURERS DO SOMETIMESmake slightly different versions for

different markets, and very rarely youmight find a mislabeled racquet. Howev-er in this case, the listing in the Digestdidn’t match your customer’s racquetbecause we went to press before welearned the stringing instructions, so weonly showed the known (at that time)variant of that frame. Once we con-firmed the stringing instructions for thenew version, we made it available on-linefor USRSA members at www.usrsa.com.The Digest on-line also has many olderracquets that no longer appear in thesemi-annual books we send out.

USRSA members who find themselvesfacing a new racquet that is neither inthe printed Digest nor in the Digest On-line are invited to call technical supportat 760-536-1177. Our contacts with thevarious manufacturers are often able toprovide the stringing instructions, evenbefore the frame has been released tothe public.

Q

A


Q

A

Your Equipment Hotline


CHEWED-UP TURNTABLEOUR SHOP RECENTLY purchasedA brand new constant-pull string-ing machine, one of the better

models from a leading manufacturer. Ithas all the bells and whistles, and an alu-minum turntable. After a couple ofmonths of use, the underside of theturntable, where the clamp bases ride,has gotten pretty chewed up, to thepoint where it is difficult to slide thebase clamps when they are loose. I’vetried filing off some of the chewed-upaluminum that sticks out into the slots inthe top of the turntable, but it doesn’tseem to help much. How can we restorethe smooth operation of our baseclamps?

THE SITUATION YOU DESCRIBE ISnot normal, as the clamping sur-

face should not gall or deform as youdescribe it. Even if smoothing the rough-ened slot surface makes the situationbetter, you are filing off metal thatshould be part of the clamping surface.Sooner or later you’ll have to adjust theclamps to compensate for that missingmaterial. Once enough material hasworn away, you will not be able toadjust the clamps properly. Because youpurchased you machine new from a rep-utable manufacturer, you should contactthe manufacturer immediately about areplacement turntable.

BOOMERANG TOOLI UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS atool that helps in stringing thePrince O3 racquets. Does it work?

If so, where can I find one?

YOU ARE REFERRING TO THE“boomerang” tool. It’s used to

preserve string alignment through thetop four O-Ports when stringing thecrosses. Prince used to bundle one ofthese with each O3 racquet, but manystringers simply used the turntable brakeinstead of the tool. If your stringing

machine has an effective turntable brake, andyou can operate it quickly and easily, yourstringing time will probably be lower usingthe brake. If, on the other hand, yourmachine has no turntable brake, or it doesn’twork well or easily, the tool is invaluable.USRSA members who need a boomerang toolcan contact customer support at 760-536-1177 to have one sent free of charge.

—Greg Raven �

We welcome your questions. Please send them to RacquetSports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA, 92084; fax: 760-536-1171; email: [email protected].

Q

A

QA

inches long, and fold each section into a"V" shape, sticky side in, but not closed.Slide the lead tape down around the divider,so that if your racquet is standing handleup, the lead tape will be hanging down overthe divider. Use a screwdriver to press thelead tape against the divider wall. I've addeda little over an ounce on a racquet this waybefore, stacking layers of lead tape, and ithas never come loose. If you want to makesure it stays put, dab some rubber cementaround the edges where the tape meets thedivider. Then, reattach the trap door.

It's also easy to undo. Remove the trap

and TECHNIQUES

SHALLOW BUMPERGUARDSRegarding Jeremy Plumley’s February 2006tip on the shallow bumpers on the Headi.Radical and Ti Radical, it turns out that thedeep, well-made bumpers from the Liquid-metal Radical are interchangeable with theolder bumperguards.5 sets of Prince Tour 16 to:Bob Tuttle, MRT, Baldwin, NY

HANDLE WEIGHTINGWhen you need to add weight to the han-dle, some racquets make it much easier, viaa trap door that can be removed separatelyfrom the butt cap. All it takes is a smallscrewdriver to pry it out.

Once you get the trap door off, if yousee a piece of graphite dividing the insideof the handle in half, with two hollowchambers on either side, you’re in business.You'll also see the ends of the butt cap sta-ples, but they're easy to work around.

Cut your lead tape into sections about 6


tips

door, and pry the tape loose with a smallscrewdriver.Wilson Pro Staff 6 Racquet Bag to:Steve Huff, Mechanicsville, VA

GETTING STARTEDAS A STRINGERI have found that a good way for a begin-ning stringer to gain experience is to vol-unteer to string the store demo andrecycled "grassroots" racquets, such asthose that will be donated to youth pro-grams. The store owner is often so busystringing racquets for paying customersthat he is happy to have someone else dothe ones that "don't pay."

In my association with a shop, I havegained knowledge of how to string awide range of "classic" frames as well asdemos of the latest models.

Soon the owner might trust you withmore important jobs, like stringing hisown racquets!

Readers’ Know-How in Action


Tips and Techniques submitted since 2000 by USRSA members, and appearing in this column, have all beengathered into a single volume of the Stringer’s Digest—Racquet Service Techniques which is a benefit ofUSRSA membership. Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92804; or [email protected].

5 sets of Head FXP Power 16 andHydrosorb Grips and XtremesoftOvergrips to:Scot McMillan (age 12), Salisbury, CT

QUICK BOX PATTERNI know there are more exotic box patternstringing techniques out there, but the one Iuse comes from RSI Stringer of the Year BobPatterson.• Leave the last short side main unstrungand tie off at the head.

• With the long side main, leave off theoutside main and instead weave the firstcross at the top, then the last short sidemain, then the bottom cross, then thelast long side main.

• Install the rest of the crosses.Just remember, when installing that bottomcross during the “boxing,” if there is an oddnumber of crosses, the top and bottomweaves are the same. If there is an evennumber of crosses, the top and bottomweaves are opposite.5 sets of Dunlop M-Fil Tour to:David Pavlich, MRT, Mandeville, LA

Editor’s note: Typically, stringers use thebox pattern technique to (among otherthings) avoid blocked holes, minimizethe amount of string outside of theframe, or both. This technique doesn’tmeet either of these goals, but it doesallow you to do one-piece stringing on aracquet where you’d otherwise have todo two-piece stringing to start the cross-es at the head. Don’t forget that usingan around-the-world or box patterntechnique on Head racquets that specifytwo-piece stringing will void yourwarranty.

PERFECT NIPPERSI’ve been stringing for almost 40 years, andhave the tool collection to prove it, but TimSullivan of Laserfibre recommended my newfavorite tool to me: The end nippers fromSears (item 45698). He calls them grommetnippers, but they do a lot more than that.

In the closed position they push outundamaged grommets without scratchingthe inside of the racquet. Flared or crackedgrommets are easily snipped clean down tothe frame, still with no marring.

But that’s not all. These nippers cutstring bands, tie off knots, and make perfectplastic awls on any type string without

crushing of bubbling. There’s no danger ofdamaging your string job.

They come in a set that also includesdiagonal cutters and needle-nose pliers. Theregular price is under $10, but sometimesthey’re on sale for half price.5 sets of Babolat Xcel Premium 16 to:Glenn Brewer, Marietta, GA

—Greg Raven �

Recruit Volunteer LeadersA Tennis Service Rep says bringing in morevolunteers will unleash a giant sales force forthe sport and vastly increase participation.

Recreational tennis participation is on the rise.We see that not just through the playerresearch that the TIA and USTA does, but

also through leading industry indicators such asball and racquet sales. This is great news for all ofus in the tennis business.

But what if we could find a way toincrease tennis participation that woulddwarf the increases we’ve seen in recentyears! The solution may be easier than youthink.

Some of my Tennis Service Representativecolleagues and I believe that we can greatlyincrease tennis participation by activelyrecruiting more volunteer leaders to helporganize, administer, and sell tennis pro-grams, especially on our public tennis courts.

Our tennis sales force consists of individu-als who earn their living from tennis pro-grams—such as tennis pros—as well asvolunteers who love tennis and just want toshare our sport with others. While teachingpros do a fabulous job of promoting tennis,most teach at private clubs, not publiccourts, because private facilities appear toprovide greater income and stability.

Unfortunately, this leaves the 70 percentof people who play tennis on public courtswithout the opportunity to benefit from theorganizational services of a tennis teachingprofessional. Moreover, even where pros areavailable, they understandably tend to focuson programs that are the most profitable.Pros have relatively little time to devote toprograms that generate less revenue, butthat might increase participation, such asUSTA Junior Team Tennis.

Volunteer organizers compliment thework of tennis teaching pros because theycan operate programs that are not particu-larly profitable for a teaching pro. Volunteersalso can stimulate play on our publiccourts—where most individuals first experi-ence tennis. Relatively few public courts,however, are ever likely to generate suffi-cient revenue by themselves to sustain a ten-nis professional.

Examples of volunteer organizers are

everywhere. In fact, you probably know ofa volunteer in your area who has done anoutstanding job of organizing adultand/or junior play. We are fortunate tohave the involvement of many such indi-viduals. But imagine what we couldaccomplish if we could motivate many,many more people to become suchexceptional volunteers.

The USTA already assists volunteerleaders in a number of ways. The USTAtrains volunteers in how to teach tennisthrough its Recreational Coach Work-shops, and it provides training on a broadspectrum of other topics at its annualCommunity Tennis Development Work-shop. Andrew Feldman, who is the USTAVolunteer Development Manager, is alsoan outstanding resource for volunteers.More recently, the USTA has begun pro-viding advocacy training to volunteerswho wish to access resources in theircommunities to support the constructionof new and/or expanded tennis facilities.These resources benefit existing volunteerleaders greatly.

In addition, some of my TSR colleaguesand I are crafting an approach towardrecruiting far more community tennisleaders than we currently have. Duringthe last few months, we have been sur-veying volunteer leaders in order to learnhow their volunteer commitment evolved.The preliminary answers that we havereceived indicate that virtually all of ourtop volunteers began after being asked toget involved.

We don’t know how committed a par-ticular individual will eventually become.But, perhaps, by more frequently invitingpeople to volunteer, we not only willaccomplish more, but we will give our-selves greater odds of developing commu-nity tennis leaders.

Observing volunteer effectiveness inother youth sports as well as within tennisindicates that tennis would benefit fromhaving more volunteer organizers. By

Kevin Theos is the USTA SouthernSection Tennis Service Representa-tive for Alabama. He is a USPTA prowith more than 15 years teachingexperience and is the former execu-tive director of the Birmingham Area

Tennis Association. He may be reached [email protected].


B Y K E V I N T H E O S

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

actively recruiting greater numbers of vol-unteer leaders and guiding them towardavailable resources, we will multiply thenumber of people in and the effectivenessof our tennis sales force. Given the chance,volunteer leaders can augment the work ofour teaching pros by promoting programsthat pros cannot afford to promote, espe-cially on our public tennis courts.

Think again of a specific exceptionaltennis volunteer. By vastly increasing thenumber of similar volunteers, we can reachtoward our staggering potential for tennisparticipation, and encourage more peopleto have the audacity to think, as I do, thattennis can one day be the most popularparticipation sport in the country.

All you have to do is ask. �

Your Serve

200707 racquet sports industry

Documents