200807 racquet sports industry

July 2008Volume 36 Number 7 $5.00

ContentsContents

DEPARTMENTS

R S I J U L Y 2 0 0 8

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Gimelstob to headline USTATennis Teachers Conference

7 Wilson celebrates 30 yearsas official US Open ball

7 Junior “Champions” programpartners with Head/Penn

8 Prince debuts O Seriesperformance footwear

8 Trion:Z introduces Broadbandline of wristbands

8 USPTA offers “junior circuit”for novice players

9 California Club choosesNGI Sports surface

9 PTR launches PTR Kids Tennistools, resources

10 New O3 Speedport squashframes from Prince

11 USPTA seeks nominationsfor annual awards

11 Tennis Magazine poised tobeef up digital media

12 USTA Foundation awardsgrants, scholarships

4 Our Serve

7 Industry News

15 Tennis Innovations

17 RSI Champions of Tennis Awards 2008

18 TIA News & Updates

21 Facility Manager’s Manual

24 Player Health

26 Junior Tennis

42 String Playtest: Tecnifibre TGV

44 Ask the Experts

46 Tips and Techniques

48 Your Serve, by Elizabeth Shestak

FEATURES

29 Ball Machine SelectorUse our exclusive guide to help you find the rightball machine for your business.

36 Flash PointsIn apparel, dazzling prints, bright colors and amix of textures are heating up summer.

40 Soft TouchesThe facility-of-the-year winners are fine examplesof soft-court construction.

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2008

e’re coming into the big pro tennis season in the U.S., asthe Olympus US Open Series kicks off in July and leadsright to the US Open. But while the pro tours provide a lot

of excitement, one of the things I look forward to in the summeris the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference, which takes place inNew York City at the end of August, just as the Open gets underway.

This will be the 38th year the USTA has put on the TTC, and for those of youwho have attended in the past, you know how informative and educational it is,and how much fun it can be. With an outstanding faculty, sessions are held at theGrand Hyatt in Manhattan (which also has a court set up in the ballroom) and, onthe Sunday before Open play begins, on court at the USTA Billie Jean King Nation-al Tennis Center. And there are plenty of opportunities to network with otherteachers and coaches.

No matter what you do in this industry—whether you run a facility, teach ten-nis, own a pro shop, coach a school team, build courts—keeping up with what’shappening in your field is important. Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunitiesto do that—and you should be taking advantage of them.

Toward the end of September, the USPTA will hold its annual World Conferencein California, again with a stellar lineup of speakers and presentations. In October,the second annual Grand Slam Stringers Symposium will be in Orlando, Fla., withpresentations geared toward stringing, racquet customization and more.

Court builders and others get together in December in New Orleans for theAmerican Sports Builders Association annual Technical Meeting, which is alwaysinformative and educational. The PTR’s annual Tennis Symposium is in February,and right on the heels of that large gathering is the USTA’s excellent CommunityTennis Development Workshop, both held in Hilton Head, S.C.

But there’s more: The TIA presents various “Growing Tennis” workshops,including Business & Technology Workshops and Cardio Tennis Workshops, atvenues across the country. The TIA also has “Online Open Houses” three times aweek that you can join from your own location. Many USTA, PTR and USPTA sec-tions and divisions have their own conventions and gatherings. And if traveling inthese tight economic times is a challenge, many also have comprehensive onlinelearning opportunities.

What this laundry list is meant to do is tell you—maybe reassure you—thatthere are a lot of groups who are looking out for your business, because they knowif you’re healthy, they’ll be healthy. The trick, of course, is taking advantage ofthese opportunities to expand your knowledge and grow your business.

This industry is trying to keep you moving forward. Now, it’s up to you to makethis a priority for your business.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

Our ServeContinuing Your Education

(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Contributing EditorsRobin BatemanCynthia Cantrell

Rod CrossKristen DaleyJoe DinofferLiza Horan

James MartinGreg Moran

Chris NicholsonBob Patterson

Cynthia ShermanMary Helen Sprecher

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 in

September/October and November/December by

Tennis Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA

92084. Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443

and additional mailing offices. July 2008, Volume

36, Number 7 © 2008 by USRSA and Tennis Industry.

All rights reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and

logo 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.


W

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

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I J U L Y 2 0 0 8

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

Do you teach or coach tennis? Stay up on the latest techniques shaping the sport and bea part of the changing U.S. approach to teaching tennis to thousands of youth and adultplayers by attending the 38th annual USTA Tennis Teachers Conference.

The TTC will be at the Grand Hyatt in New York City from Aug. 23 to 26, just as the 2008US Open begins. Special on-court demonstrations will be at the USTABillie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

More than 600 teaching pros and coaches from across the coun-try and internationally are expected to attend. Greg Patton, KenDeHart and Pete Collins will lead the American contingent of speak-ers, while international faculty include Dave Miley from the ITF, SteveMartens from the LTA and Wayne Elderton from Tennis Canada. Thesessions offer a full array of topics including drills, mental skills, filmanalysis of strokes, team practices, conditioning, injury prevention,nutrition, singles/doubles, and a look at QuickStart Tennis. In addi-tion, there will be a resource center where attendees can talk one-on-one with the top experts, manufacturers and suppliers in theindustry.

Justin Gimelstob will open the conference as the keynote speak-er on Sunday, Aug. 24. Gimelstob retired from the tour in 2007 afterwinning 13 doubles titles and now is a tennis TV commentator and writer for SI.com. On Aug.25, the conference will open with a special session, the TIA Tennis Forum, presented by Ten-nis Magazine, and will conclude with a reception at the USTA Billie Jean King National TennisCenter on the opening night of the US Open.

Registration this year will include an audio recording of all TTC sessions that will be sent toall registered attendees. For more information or to register, visit www.usta.com/ttc. (Early birdregistration ends Aug. 4.)

‘Champions’ ProgramPartners withHead/PennThe Junior TennisChampions Center, anot-for-profit juniordevelopment program in College Park,Md., announced an official partnershipwith Head/Penn Racquet Sports. Thethree-year agreement will see Pennbecome the official ball of the JuniorTennis Champions Center, and Headracquets become an official programracquet sponsor.

"Our players love Head racquets, andPenn is a great ball,” says MartinBlackman, director of the Championsprogram. “A partnership with an indus-try leader like Head/Penn brings us onestep closer to our goal of establishingour program as the best in the world.Whether it is on the court or in theclassroom, our program is all aboutexcellence.” The partnership will givestudents access to new Head equip-ment and product testing.

“It’s great to be associated with aboutique academy that works withnationally ranked junior players andhelps juniors that may not normallyhave the financial capabilities to playtennis,” says AmyWishingrad,Head/Penn’s national promotionsmanager.

The Junior Tennis Champions Centerbegan in 1999 and has produced 10national champions in all junior agegroups. More than 40 of its playershave gone on to play tennis at top uni-versities and four former ChampionsCenters students are currently compet-ing on the pro tours. The center alsooffers free clinics and financial aid forunderserved families. This year, the pro-gram awarded more than $200,000 infinancial aid to kids in the program.

July 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7

Wilson Celebrates 30 Years as Official US Open Ball

This is Wilson’s 30th year as the official ball of the US Open, and in honor ofthe anniversary, the company has changed the design of the US Open label,featuring a new, sleek black image. Each year during the Open, about 72,000

Wilson balls are used.In conjunction with the anniversary, Wilson also is offering a chance to “Win

a VIP Trip to the US Open.” The grand prize winner will win an all-expense-paidtrip for two to the 2008 Open, which is played from Aug. 25 to Sept. 7 at theUSTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Fordetails, visit www.wilson.com/usopentrip.

This year, the Wilson US Open Tennis Ball also will be the official ball for thetennis competition at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. It’sthe second consecutive Olympics to use the US Open Ball. (The Olympic tennisvenue in Beijing also is using the same DecoTurf surface that is used at the USOpen.)

Wilson is also the official ball of the Australian Open, the Davis Cup, Fed Cupand Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, as well as more than 50 ATP and WTA events.

Gimelstob Headlines Tennis Teachers Conference

J U L Y 2 0 0 8IN

DUSTRYNEW

S

USPTA Offers ‘Junior Circuit’ for Novice Players

The USPTA Junior Circuit provides an opportunity for older children tohave fun and stay active while competing with peers. The USPTA circuitis a series of tournaments created to introduce less experienced junior

players, ages 10 to 18, to competition and allow them to prepare for high-er-level tournament play.

This year, the USPTA Junior Circuit is tied into “Tennis—for the health ofit!”, the USPTA’s newest initiative, which strives to make the general publicaware of the health, fitness and psychological benefits of tennis and encour-age people to get out and play the sport as a part of their regular fitnessregimen.

The majority of local or regional tournaments are typically designed forplayers with competitive experience, and they draw the area’s top tennisathletes. Being matched against one of these players may make for a nega-tive experience for a novice. The USPTA Junior Circuit’s flexibility places norequirements or restrictions on tennis teachers or on the beginner com-petitor and helps build positive tennis experiences for junior players andenthusiasm for the sport throughout the community.

USPTA Junior Circuit tournaments target lower-level competition orrecreational players with a consistent tourney format. It also provides a“series” of events, in one city or metro area. A points system rewards allparticipants, even if they don’t win a match, and let’s them track theirstandings. There could also be “masters” tournaments or divisional playoffs.

Junior circuits are run by individual USPTA members. Visit uspta.com formore information.

Prince Debuts O Series Performance Footwear

After months of design and validation trials with competitive players,Prince is launching its new O Series of performance footwear. Prince saysthe O Series builds on the original M Series line by delivering improved

Precision Tube technology, which rounds the tubes for maximum energyreturn, providing quicker acceleration and improved footwork.

This second-generation Precision Tube technology also provides greatershock absorption for a smoother, more stable ride, says the company. O Series

is available in two versions: the OV1 for a slightly firmer ride whileoptimizing ventilation and breathability, and the OC1 with

lighter gauge Precision Tubes for a softer, more cush-ioned ride.

“Prince continues to succeed in footwearby understanding what tennis playersneed," says John Embree, president ofPrince Americas. "We are excited tointroduce O Series as we look to bringthe best quality products to players and

continue to grow our footwear category.”O Series saw immediate on-court suc-cess when Nikolay Davydenko, laced upa pair of OV1s for the Sony EricssonOpen, then went on to capture thebiggest title of his career. And at the

start of this year’s French Open in May,about 20 ATP and WTA players wore O Series footwear.

The men’s and women’s OV1 and OC1 have a suggested retail price of$110; the OC1 for juniors is $60. For more information, visitwww.princesports.com or call 800-2-TENNIS.


Trion:Z IntroducesBroadband Line

New from Trion:Z is the Broadband line ofionic/magnetic wristbands. The Broadbandline has a more traditional sports wristband

look than the dual-loop Trion:Z bracelets. But thenew line has the same technology of minus-ionproducing minerals and twin 1000-gauss mag-nets. The wider band provides extra moistureabsorption.

The company says the Broadband line wasdeveloped from feedback from tennischampion and avidgolfer Ivan Lendl,who endorses theproduct. “I’veworn Trion:Z forover two years,”says Lendl, “andit’s helped meenjoy my activelifestyle.”

Broadbandwristbands are hand-washable and will maintain their ion-producingpower after repeated washings or use in watersports, says the company. It’s available in five col-ors. For wholesale and other bulk pricing, and tolearn about custom logos, contact the company.Visit www.trionz.com or call 760-496-1048 formore information.

SportsmanshipSurvey Available

Dr. Robert Heller has compiled a “Sports-manship Tennis Quiz” as an aid to devel-oping character and sportsmanship in

players. Heller, a sport psychology consultantand tennis teaching pro, recently presented aseminar at the USPTA Florida Division’s annu-al conference on the topic of sportsmanshipand character development. Free copies of thesurvey are available by emailing [email protected].


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

California Club ChoosesNGI Sports Surface

After abnormal winter freezes cracked the asphaltcourts at the Livermore Valley Tennis Club in Liv-ermore, Calif. (below), over the past 18 years, the

club has chosen to resurface the 11 courts with NGISports’ Nova’ProXtreme synthetic surface.

The surface will go on top of the existing base andthe courts, according to Kim Fuller of the LVTC, willhave limited downtime, with no damage to currentlandscaping and fencing. “The fact that NGI Sportscould renovate two courts at a time was a realbonus,” says Fuller.

The Nova’ProXtreme surface is softer than asphaltand will be the only synthetic surface in the area, saysFuller. Rick Burke, president of NGI Sports, says theproduct is an environmentally friendly solution.

For more information on NGI Sports andNova’ProXtreme, contact 800-835-0033 or visitwww.NGISports.com.

PTR Kids TennisLaunched

The PTR has launched anew set of tools and resources designed tohelp tennis teachers work with children under age

10. PTR Kids Tennis updates the organization’sMunchkin Tennis, adding new elements to create amethodology that ensures success when teaching ten-nis to youngsters.

PTR Kids Tennis Workshops introduce tennis teach-ers to the key concepts of understanding physicaldevelopment, communicating with and organizingyoung players, maximizing learning in children, anddeveloping key skills like rallying, serving and scoring.Also covered is using modified courts and equipment.

Workshop participants will receive the new “PTRKids Tennis Instructor’s Manual,” designed to comple-ment the workshop. The manual includes progressionsfor teaching more skills, formats for organizing andcompeting, and more than 60 drills and gamesdesigned for children. It also comes with a CD withlogos and other graphics, along with editable certifi-cates to use in any PTR Kids Tennis program.

PTR Kids Tennis Workshops are being scheduledaround the country. For more information, visitwww.ptrtennis.org or call 800-421-6289.

Henin GoesOut On TopTop Wilson athlete Jus-tine Henin announcedher retirement from protennis in May, leavingthe game with the No.1 world ranking. Heninleft with a record thatincludes 41 titles and493 wins in her 10-yearprofessional career.She’s won seven GrandSlam singles titles. She’sbeen with Wilson forthe past 11 years.

USPTA Hosts Clinic with Garrison,Partners with Sports Medicine Group

The USPTA hosted a free Tennis Across America clinic in May with thetheme of “Tennis – for the health of it!” at Zina Garrison’s All CourtTennis Academy at MacGregor Park in Houston. The clinic, which

was open to the public, officially kicked off USPTA’s 19th annual TennisAcross America.

Zina Garrison (below), U.S. Fed Cup captain, former WTA touringpro and president of the Zina Garrison All Court Tennis Academy,accepted a $5,000 donation from the USPTA foundation, presented byRandy Mattingley, vice president of USPTA board of directors.

Jack Groppel, Ph.D., vice president of USPTA board of directors, andAdrian Hutber, vice president of the American College of Sports Med-icine’s Exercise is Medicine, were also in attendance to announce apartnership between the USPTA and ACSM. The partnership tiestogether major initiatives from the field of medicine with the arena ofsport.

For more information on “Tennis – for the health of it!” visituspta.com. For more information on Exercise is Medicine, visit exerci-seismedicine.org.

J U L Y 2 0 0 8


INDUSTRYNEW

S

2008 GSS SymposiumBehind the Scenes: How Racquets Are Made

One of the most popular presentations at last year’s Grand Slam Stringers Sympo-sium, presented by the USRSA, was a behind-the-scenes look at the racquet man-ufacturing process presented by Wilson. Ron Rocchi, Wilson’s principal designer

and Global Tour equipment manager, will once again lead the seminar at this year’sGSS Symposium in October.

“I plan to expand the presentation for this year with even more hands-oninvolvement by the participants,” says Rocchi. The presentation startswith ideas and concepts being developed for a racquet model andtracks the development process all the way to the finished product.Participants will see an idea turn into a concept and then into detaileddrawings and a prototype. After a vigorous research and developmentprocess, the prototype is ready to manufacture and market.

The presentation includes a video tour of one of the Wilson manufacturingplants showing the entire manufacturing process. It’s a rare opportunity to see thecomplex and labor-intensive process of manufacturing a premium racquet. But itgets better. In the seminar, participants will be able to feel the raw materials as Roc-chi provides examples of the racquet at various stages of production.

Attendees will see materials such as raw carbon fiber evolve through manystages to become a tennis racquet. Then the racquet is drilled, painted and graph-ics applied. They will see the handle, grommets and bumper added and finallystrung and ready for play. “It is truly a unique process that most people in our indus-try never get to see,” says Rocchi.

The GSS Symposium, presented by the USRSA, will be Oct. 11-14 in Orlando,Fla., at the Regal Sun Resort in Walt Disney World. Cost is $495 per person (regis-ter online on or before July 10 and receive a 10 percent discount). Group lodgingrates start at $115 per night.

To learn more about the GSS Symposium, including information on other semi-nars and presentations, seminar leaders, and the trade show, or to register, visitwww.grandslamstringers.com.

FREE ADMISSION TO THE 2008 GSS STRINGERS SYMPOSIUM

GSS is waiving the $495 symposium fee for one lucky winner. Just cut out this coupon and mail it to:

Baselines Racquet Sports LLC4710 Norwood St SW, Roanoke, Va 24018

One entry per month, per person please. Drawing will be held July 15th, 2008. Offer good for symposium admission only. Travel, lodging, and food not included.

Name _____________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________

Phone _____________________________________________________________

Email ______________________________________________________________winner will be notified by phone and email - please write legibly!

2008 GSS Symposium

Palmer Wins with Black Knight, Ashaway

The fourth time was the sweetest for squash great David Palmer. The fifth-seededPalmer beat England's James Willstrop in an epic final to claim his fourth BritishOpen men's squash title in Liverpool. Palmer uses racquets from Canadian man-

ufacturer Black Knight, which he helps to design. In September, Black Knight willintroduce a high-end line of David Palmer signature squash frames. All the new rac-quets will be strung with Powernick 18 from Ashaway.

For information on Black Knight, contact 800-663-8636 or visit www.playbk.com.For Ashaway info, call 800-556-7260 or visit www.ashawayusa.com.

Prince Unveils O3 SpeedportSquash Frames

Prince Sports hadcome out with twosquash racquets in its

new O3 Speedport line—the O3 Speedport Tour(right) and Black (below).The company says the newframes deliver a key compo-nent to a squash player’s game:extra speed.

Prince’s O3 Technology, intro-duced in 2005, uses oversizestring holes called “O-Ports” toimprove aerodynamics. Princesays O3 Speedport racquets are upto 24 percent faster through the airthan traditional frames.

“By refining the size, locationand shape of these ports, we havebeen able to increase racquetspeed dramatically, whichimproves the ability for players toget their racquet in position, mak-ing better ball contact and hittingcleaner, more precise shots,”says Roberto Gazzara, direc-tor of research and devel-opment at Prince.

The string holes,called Speedports, aresculpted like the airintake ducts on fighterplanes and high-perform-ance sports cars. Theyallow more air to passthrough the frame morequickly. In addition, Gazzarasays the sweetspot is “up to 59percent larger than traditionalracquets.”

The O3 Speedport Black, usedby world No. 1 player Nicol Davidand No. 3 James Willstrop, is forplayers looking for more powerand control in an aerodynamicand lightweight frame. TheSpeedport Tour, used by formerNo. 1 Peter Nicol, is designed foradvanced players looking for acrisp hitting feel and more control.Visit www.princesports.com.


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

ESPN, Wimbledon Extend Deal

ESPN and The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club have finalized a six-year agreementfor continued coverage of the Wimbledon Championships through 2013 featuringenhanced digital and international rights. ESPN has televised an extensive Wimbledon

schedule on its networks since 2003, plus Spanish-language coverage in the U.S. via ESPNDeportes.

“Wimbledon is a special place in the sports world, and we are proud to extend and expandour terrific relationship with the All England Club,” says John Skipper, ESPN executive vice pres-ident of content. “We believe tennis fans will actively pursue and enjoy the offerings that thisnew agreement makes possible on ESPN’s growing multimedia and wireless platforms.”

New Book Hitsthe Stands forPlayers Over 50

Available in July is a newbook from tennis industryveterans Kathy and RonWoods, “Playing TennisAfter 50: Your guide tostrategy, technique, equip-ment and the tennislifestyle.” Whether you haveolder players just startingout in tennis, players whohave been competing fordecades, or players who arereturning to the game afteran extended break, thebook will help themimprove their play andenhance both the on-courtand off-court experience.The book is published byHuman Kinetics(www.hkusa.com) and sellsfor $17.95.

Congratulations To theFollowing For AchievingMRT and CS StatusNew

Master Racquet Technicians - MRTs

Matt Zeldin San Diego, CANew

Certified Stringers - CSs

Alex Henthorn Vacaville, CA

Tennis Mag Company Beefs Up Digital Side

The Tennis Company, which owns Tennis.com and Tennis and Smash magazines, has namedDave Morgan as chairman and partner. Morgan, an expert in digital media, is the founderof Real Media and Tacoda, the world’s largest and most advanced behavioral targeting

advertising network. "Bringing Dave on board signals our shift from being just a magazine company with a web-

site to a true multi-platform sports enthusiast media company,” says Tennis Company princi-pal Bob Miller. “Tennis.com will no longer just be a site to complement our magazine. It will bethe primary driver of our business and will lead us into a future that will be driven by digitalvideo on a global basis, always keeping tennis enthusiasts first.”

"Tennis is an underleveraged sport with amazing numbers,” Morgan says. “Enthusiasts areinternational, affluent, active, passionate, loyal and most importantly, are growing. The TennisCompany has great assets thanks to Bob's visionary leadership. The company is poised forfuture growth with cross-platform delivery of premium branded content and digital mediagrowth around the world."

USPTA Accepting Nominations For Annual Awards Program

The USPTA is accepting nominations for its 2008 national awards program. Eachyear the USPTA seeks nominations for deserving USPTA Professionals who goabove and beyond their call of duty as tennis-teaching pros. The national awards

recognize members who have winning strokes, who teach tennis’ many life lessons,who build businesses that spur the industry, and who serve the sport and their com-munities with distinction.

The deadline for nominations is July 3. Recipients will be honored during the annual awardsbreakfast on Sept. 18 at the La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, Calif., during the 2008USPTA World Conference. All Professional-level USPTA members are eligible. The award cate-gories are:

� USPTA Stars—members who have dedicated many

years to volunteering in grassroots tennis, and

bring the sport and sportsmanship to players.

� USPTA Industry Excellence Award—given to

teaching pros who take both an altruistic and entre-

preneurial attitude toward their jobs. The recipient

will receive a $1,000 grant from the TIA and a Ten-

nis Tutor ball machine from Sports Tutor.

� Alex Gordon Award for Professional of the Year—

recognizes a member who, over a career, has

demonstrated exemplary achievement.

� Facility Manager of the Year Award—the only

USPTA award available to nonmembers.

� College Coach of the Year and High School Coach

of the Year—usually selected based on their results

as team coaches, however individual coaches may

be considered.

� Touring Coach of the Year—selected on the basis

of his or her work with professional-level players.

� Player of the Year Awards—players who have

been the most successful at the USPTA Internation-

al Championships, as well as at international,

national and sectional competition, may apply,

available in eight categories.

� George Bacso Tester of the Year—recognizes the

USPTA tester who does the most to advance certifi-

cation opportunities and the certification process.

Award nomination forms and guidelines areavailable at www.uspta.com, or call 800-877-8248 or email pr@ uspta.org.

J U L Y 2 0 0 8I N D U S T R Y N E W S

• Head hasre-signed an agree-

ment with world No. 11Andy Murray, who plays with

the MicroGEL Radical MP. The part-nership will continue through the end

of 2011.

• Yza Shady has joinedthe Membership Serv-ices staff of the PTR.Shady, an avid tennisplayer and enthusiast,is responsible for assist-ing PTR members world-wide with all the benefits and services PTRoffers.

• John McEnroe won his first ever title onthe Outback Champions Series at the eventin Boston in early May. He beat Aaron Krick-stein in the final.

• The International Tennis Hall of Fame hasannounced that Juan Maria Tintore, presi-dent of the Real Club De Tenis Barcelona,

is the 2008 recipient of the GoldenAchievement Award, presented

annually to individuals who havemade important contributions

to tennis in the fields ofadministration, pro-

motion or

education,and have devoted longand outstanding service tothe sport.

• Former ATP touring pro and Bostonbusinessman Peter Palandjian will co-chair the International Tennis Hall ofFame’s 2008 Legends Ball. Palandjian, aHarvard alum, is chairman and CEO ofIntercontinental Real Estate Corp. He joinsfellow co-chairs Phil de Picciotto, presidentof Octagon Athletes & Personalities, andAlexander Seaver, co-founder and managingpartner of Stadium Capital Management,LLC. The Legends Ball—honoring Billie JeanKing and 2008 Hall of Fame inducteesMichael Chang, Mark McCormack andEugene Scott—will be Sept. 5 in New YorkCity.

• Sven Davidson, who was inducted intothe International Tennis Hall of Fame lastsummer died in May of pneumonia. Hewas 79. Davidson was Sweden’s juniorchampion in 1947 and became the firstSwede to win a Grand Slam title, theFrench, in 1957, the year he reacheda career high ranking of No. 3 inthe world. He also was a mem-ber of Sweden’s Davis Cupteam from 1950 to1961.

P E O P L E W AT C H


USTA Foundation Awards Grants, Scholarships

The USTA Tennis & Education Foundation awarded$312,260 to 19 programs across the U.S. through itsSpring 2008 “Aces for Kids” grant cycle. The grant

recipients included 12 NJTL programs.“Aces for Kids” is a national initiative that strives to pro-

mote healthy lifestyles by combating childhood/adult obesityby providing disadvantaged, at-risk children the opportunity tolearn to play tennis and improve their academic skills in a struc-tured format. The USTA T&EF also has committed an additional$300,000 to the Ford Foundation/USTA NJTL “Community BuildingThrough Tennis” initiative.

Also, the USTA T&EF awarded $287,000 in scholarships to high school seniorsthis year. In addition to the scholarships listed below, 37 College Educational Schol-arships of $6,000 each and 10 Textbook Awards of $1,000 were awarded.

Student recipients include: Marian Baird Scholarship, $15,000—Alison Krantz,Sugar Grove, Ill.; Dwight Mosley Scholarships, $10,000—Tonique Merrell, NewportNews, Va. and Grace Johnson, Naples, Fla.; Dwight Davis Scholarships, $7,500—MaxNelson, Cheney, Wash., and Marissa Kelley, West Harwich, Mass.; Eve Kraft Schol-arships, $2,500—Nelson Iginla, Minneapolis, and Chelsea Whitehurst, Aiken, S.C.


> Prince’s website, Princetennis.com,

recently received another industry award, this

time taking home a Gold Award, the highest

level, for Consumer Information in the 2008

Horizon Interactive Awards. Development

partner in the site is eMediaEFX. In 2007 the

website received a Silver Davey Award, was a

W3 Gold Award winner, and won the Web

Marketing Association’s WebAward.

> DecoTurf was the surface of choice for

this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis

Championships, which was played in May at

the Michael D. Case Tennis Center at the Uni-

versity of Tulsa. The center has 12 outdoor

and six indoor courts.

> Lejay’s Volley Girl package offers junior

girls a deep discount on Lejay apparel. The

package includes two tops, two skirts, a jack-

et, a cotton screen printed T-shirt, and logo

hat and has a retail value of $325. Juniors

can purchase the package for $180 plus the

cost of shipping. Contact Lejay at 800-932-

7535 or [email protected].

> “Pressure is a Privi-

lege: Lessons I’ve

Learned from Life and

the Battle of the Sexes,”

the first book by tennis

legend Billie Jean King in

more than 20 years, is

scheduled to be released

Aug. 12. Pre-orders are

available at www.WTT.com.

> The U.S. Junior Davis and Fed Cup teams,

as well as the boys’ and girls’ World Junior

Tennis Teams went undefeated at the 2008

North/Central America & Caribbean Regional

Championships in May, and qualified for the

World Finals. The World Junior Tennis Finals

will be held Aug. 4-9 in Prostejov, Czech

Republic, and the Junior Fed and Davis Cup

Finals will be held in San Luis Potosi, Mexico,

Sept. 23-28.

> The USTA and the River Oaks Country

Club in Houston have extended their agree-

ment to host the U.S. Men’s Clay Court

Championships for the next four years. The

event remains the second longest-running

USTA National Championship—only the US

Open has a longer history. The Clay Courts

was first contested in 1910 and has been

held every year since, with the exception

of 1928.

> “American Doubles—The Trials … the

Triumphs … the Domination” is a new

book by longtime tennis journalist Marcia

Frost that explores the phenomenon of

U.S. doubles and offers a revealing look at

the personalities, partnerships, struggles

and successes. The book is published by

Mansion Grove House. Available in local

bookstores or visit www.americandoubles-

book.net.

> Nine new members were inducted into

the Intercollegiate Tennis Association

Men's Hall of Fame recently. Players

inducted were: Steve Denton of Texas,

David DiLucia of Notre Dame, Donald

Johnson of North Carolina, Patrick McEn-

roe of Stanford, Jim Pugh of UCLA, Rob-

bie Weiss of Pepperdine and Chris

Woodruff of Tennessee. Coach Jerry

Noyce of Minnesota also was inducted

and Tom Jacobs was inducted for his long-

time contributions while at the NCAA.

> Adrians Zguns of Port Saint Lucie, Fla.,

won the men’s open title at the $8,000

USPTA Clay Court Championships, held in

May at the Ibis Golf and Country Club in

West Palm Beach, Fla. He beat Fernando

Sanchez of Raleigh, N.C., 6-1, 6-2. Mari-

na McCollom of West Des Moines, Iowa,

defeated Jackie Bohannon of Sarasota,

Fla., 6-0, 6-1, for the women’s open

championship. The USPTA Grass Court

Championships will be Aug. 22-24 at the

Philadelphia Cricket Club. Contact 800-

USPTA-4U.

> Tennis star Anna Kournikova and

SportsMates Inc., the global sports social

network, today announced the relaunch

of Kournikova.com, Anna's official web-

site, with K-Swiss as lead sponsor. Origi-

nally launched in 2001, Kournikova.com

has consistently ranked as one of the

most popular official athlete websites.

According to Lycos, Kournikova was the

most searched-for athlete on the internet

in 2007, a title she's held for the past

eight years.

SHORT SETSI N D U S T R Y N E W S


J U L Y 2 0 0 8IN

DUSTRYNEW

S

ITA National Award WinnersDivision 1—Women* Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year—Claire Pollard,Northwestern

* Assistant Coach of the Year—Dave Mullins, North-western

* Senior Player of the Year – Riza Zalameda, UCLA* Rookie of the Year – Hilary Barte, Stanford* Player to Watch – Maria Mosolova, Northwestern* ITA/Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship—OlyaBatsula, East Tennessee State, and DunjaAntunovic, DePaul

* ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership andSportsmanship—Kristi Miller, Georgia Tech

Division 1—Men* Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year—Brian Boland, Vir-ginia

* Assistant Coach of the Year—Ricardo Rubio, Texas* ITA/Farnsworth Senior Player of the Year—Somdev Devvarman, Virginia

* Rookie of the Year—Alex Clayton, Stanford* Player to Watch—Oleksandr Nedovyesov, Oklaho-ma State

* ITA/Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award—KaesVan't Hof, Southern California

* ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership andSportsmanship—Lars Poerschke, Baylor

* ITA/John Van Nostrand Memorial Award—GregOuelette, Florida

Division II—Women* Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year—John Black, GrandValley State University

* Senior Player of the Year—Iuliia Stupack, Arm-strong Atlantic State University

* Rookie Player of the Year—Hewenfei (Elwen) Li,Brigham Young Univ.–Hawaii

* Player to Watch—Senka Softic, Florida SouthernCollege

* ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership andSportsmanship—Kelly Nugent, Bentley College

COLLEGE TENNIS NEWSGeorgia, UCLA Capture NCAA Titles

The Georgia men and UCLA women captured the NCAA Division 1 team titles in May, and both teams fin-ished the season at No. 1 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Collegiate Tennis Rankings. The NCAAtitle was Georgia’s second straight and sixth overall. UCLA won its first national title while making its sixth

final appearanceIn the individual tournament, Virginia’s Somdev Devvarman (right) repeated as men’s singles champ

and Georgia Tech’s Amanda McDowell (right, below) captured the women’s title. UCLA’s Riza Zalameda andTracy Lin and Southern California’s Robert Farah and Kaes Van’t Hof claimed the doubles titles. (Van’t Hof’sfather, Robert, won the 1980 NCAA singles title while at USC.)

Following the Georgia men’s team in the Top 10 is: Virginia, Ohio State, Texas, UCLA, Mississippi, South-ern California, Baylor, Tennessee and Florida. Following UCLA in the women's Top 10 is: Northwestern, Cal-ifornia, Baylor, Florida, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Georgia, Duke and Vanderbilt. Visit www.itatennis.com.

ITA Announces Division I All-Americans

NCAA singles champions Somdev Devvarman of Virginia and Amanda McDowell of Georgia Tech highlightthe 2008 ITA All-America Teams for Division I men's and women's tennis. This is the third-straight yearsenior Devvarman has earned ITA All-America honors and the first year for sophomore McDowell. Dev-

varman also finished the season at No. 1 in the ITA singles rankings, while McDowell finished at No. 3.Georgia senior Travis Helgeson is the lone male player to have earned ITA All-America honors each of the

past four seasons. On the women's side, five seniors from five different schools are being honored as All-America for the fourth time in their careers: Susie Babos of California, Kristi Miller of Georgia Tech, MeganMoulton-Levy of William & Mary, Zuzana Zemenova of Baylor and Riza Zalameda of UCLA. Also highlightingthis year's teams are NCAA doubles champs Tracy Lin and Zalameda from UCLA, and Robert Farah and KaesVan't Hof from Southern California.

Division II—Men* Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year—James Helvey,Cameron University

* Senior Player of the Year—Ondrej Vana, OuachitaBaptist University

* Rookie Player of the Year—Philip Pakebusch,Anderson University

* Player to Watch—Michael Knoedler, Florida South-ern College

* ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership andSportsmanship—Dan Gal, Bloomsburg University

Division III—Women* Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year—Ann Lebedeff,Pomona Pitzer College

* Senior Player of the Year—Gabriela Carvalho, Uni-versity of the South

* Rookie Player of the Year—Janelle Arita, DePauwUniversity

* Player to Watch—Jordan Cook, Wheaton College(Ill.)

* ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership andSportsmanship—Trish Devine, Wellesley College

Division III—Men* Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year—Rush Cole, Christo-pher Newport

* Senior Player of the Year—Andy Bryan, GustavusAdolphus

* Rookie Player of the Year—Michael Greenberg,Kenyon College

* Player to Watch—David Maldow, Johns HopkinsUniversity

* ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership andSportsmanship—Josh Williams, Wheaton College(Ill.)

NAIA—Women* Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year—Scott Kidd ofAuburn University-Montgomery

* Senior Player of the Year—Kamila Dadakhodjareva,Auburn University-Montgomery

* Rookie Player—Kristin Strimple, Point LomaNazarene University

* Player to Watch—Paige McKinney, Bethel College(Kan.)

* ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sports-manship—Shefat Baishakhi, Lewis Clark University

NAIA—Men* Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year—Dave Paschal, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

* Senior Player of the Year—Mislav Hizak, Embry-Rid-dle Aeronautical University

* Rookie Player—Fabio Silva, Fresno Pacific University* Player to Watch—Carlos Bes, Embry-Riddle Aeronau-tical University

* ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sports-manship—Jonathan Bowman, Point Loma NazareneUniversity

Junior/Community College—Women* Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year—Mike Napoli, CuestaCollege

* Player of the Year—Ashley Irvin, Tyler Junior College* Rookie Player—Monica Lalewicz, Abraham BaldwinCollege

* Player to Watch—Eva Sambrano, Hillsborough Com-munity College

* ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sports-manship—Natalie Kelley, Santa Monica College

Junior/Community College—Men* Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year—Ron Albers, VincennesUniversity

* Player of the Year—Paul Fitzgerald, Abraham BaldwinCollege

* Rookie Player—Dominic McLuskey, Tyler Junior Col-lege

* Player to Watch—Christopher King, Vincennes Uni-versity

* ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sports-manship—William Blake Sherman, Meridian Com-munity College

Imag

e: M

arcia

Frost

Imag

e: M

arcia

Frost

B Y L I N E ?

TENNIS Innovations�

Green Machine:Engineers Teamto ProducePedal-PoweredBall Launcher

reat doubles teams have complemen-tary individuals who are able torespond to pressure. Thus was born

the Pedal Powered Tennis Ball Launcher.With only weeks remaining before the

Innovate or Die Pedal Powered MachineContest deadline, Daniel Bauen spent his2007 Thanksgiving matching his mechani-cal engineering skills and an interest incycling with high school friend Dinesh“Dino” Mantri's electrical engineeringknowledge and love of tennis. The resultwas a light, portable ball machine that iseasy to aim and no more difficult to usethan a stationary bike set at medium resis-tance.

Bauen was looking for something thatcould help him with his swing and tech-nique, and the contest's green theme wasa perfect fit. "Why do I need these electri-cal [ball machines] when Dino will run offwater and energy bars?” says Bauen.

Both Bauen and Mantri are Atlantanatives (although Mantri recently moved toHouston) with Georgia Tech engineeringdegrees. Their Pedal Powered Tennis BallLauncher was constructed from harvestedparts, including scrap children's bikes anda trailer. An old water jug serves as a ballhopper and a bent lacrosse stick topped by

a tennis ball is the release mechanism,dropping a ball from the hopper to thepropulsion wheels. A cable connected tothe front wheel of the bike allows therider to direct the ball on the court byturning the handlebars.

Although they did not win the Inno-vate or Die Pedal Powered contest, nei-ther is discouraged. "It was a fun andcrazy idea that we conceived during amoment of spontaneity,” says Mantri,who has been playing tennis since hewas 10. “Now I can give Daniel hittingpractice while working on my cycling

G

B Y K E N T O S W A L D

power and endurance, and vice versa."Production on their machine has not pro-

ceeded beyond the demo (view the video athttp://www.danielbauen.com/ pedalpow-eredtennis/), but Bauen and Mantri are opento the right opportunity. They've refined theirconcept with "designs that would reduce thesize and complexity, increase the efficiency,and create a more visually appealingmachine."

Keeping the pressure up, they are cur-rently working on a project to green up thesport a bit more by increasing the life of ten-nis balls. —Kent Oswald �



ANNUAL awards

Help us recognize the people who are making a difference in thebusiness of tennis.

�

nce again, we’d like to honor thechampions of our sport—themany, often unheralded heroes

who work tirelessly to develop tennis inthe U.S. But once again, we need yourhelp in identifying these men andwomen and how their accomplish-ments have helped the game, whetherin their local areas or nationally.

Please take a look at the categoriesbelow and email your nominations [email protected] (please put“Champions” in the subject line).Include:� Nominee’s name;� Where they work or what they do

related to tennis;� Phone or email (if possible);� Brief description of why you believethey are the champions in their areas.

We’d also appreciate your nameand contact information, for confirma-tion purposes only. All nominations willbe confidential, and you may nominatefor as many categories as you’d like.

O

Champions of Tennis 2008And, if there’s a category that we don’tlist that you think we should include,please let us know.

We need your nominations byAug. 5, 2008. Email is preferred, but youmay fax them to 760-536-1171 or mail

2008 CHAMPIONS OFTENNIS CATEGORIES� Person of the Year� Pro/Specialty Retailer of the Year� Chain Retailer/Mass Merchant of

the Year� Online Retailer of the Year� Stringer of the Year� Builder/Contractor of the Year� Grassroots Champion of the Year� Junior Development Champion of

the Year� Sales Rep of the Year� Wheelchair Tennis Champion of

the Year� Municipal Facility of the Year� Private Facility of the Year� Public Park of the Year� Community Tennis Association of

the Year� High School Coach of the Year� USTA Section of the Year� PTR Member of the Year� USPTA Member of the Year

them to: Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St.,Vista, CA 92084.

In our November/December issue, we’llinclude a special section acknowledging thededication of those who work to keep tennisvital in the U.S. �


T I A N E W S J U L Y 2 0 0 8

Tennis Marketplace UpdateJuly already!Soon the Olym-pus US OpenSeries will behere, then theUS Open, withall its accompa-

nying events, including the2nd annual TIA Tennis Forum,held during the USTA TTC,along with the inaugural Ten-nis Industry Hall of Fame. It’sa celebration of the goodnews in tennis.

Look at the recent chart fromthe SGMA—7 years of a dra-matic lead over all othersports. And a survey in Aus-tralia shows tennis, not crick-et, is now that country’s mostpopular sport. Tennis' main-stream days are growingglobally. Celebrate the goodnews with us next month.

NEWS & UPDATESNEWS & UPDATES

Jolyn de Boer

Tennis is the Fastest Growing Traditional Sport!

The SGMA just released the 2007 Sports & Fitness Participation Report, which shows that tennis par-ticipation from 2000 to 2007 has increased significantly and is again leading traditional sports!Over the seven-year period, tennis has seen a participation increase of 30.6%.

Other recent research in tennis shows more good news:� Ball Shipments: up 15% annually from

2003 through 2007.� NSGA Report: Tennis participation in

2007 rose almost 20% to 12.3 millionparticipants.

� USTA/TIA Tennis Participation Survey:25.1 million players is the highest since1999, with a 15% increase in frequentplay.

� American Sports Data Survey: Tennisincreased 6% since 2000.

� New Sports Participation Partnership withTIA, USTA, SGMA, NGF, Outdoor Industry,and Snowsports Industry: Shows tennisincreased 4% in 2007, with 16.9 millionplayers.

� TIA/USTA Court Activity Monitor: 34% oftennis players surveyed said they playedmore tennis in the last 12 months and 60% of facilities said new players had increased. Using the CAM meas-ure, a total of 137 million courts were booked/used in 2007.

Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

News You Can Use!

Don’t Miss This Year’s TIA Tennis Forum - Monday, August 25, Grand Hyatt NY

The second annual TIA Tennis Forum, presented by Tennis Magazine, will be held on Monday, Aug. 25, at the Grand Hyatt in NewYork City, in conjunction with the US Open and the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference. The Forum is free and open to all in theindustry. It will feature key information about the present and future of the tennis industry. Also, new this year will be the

announcement of the inaugural class of inductees into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame. For more information, visit www.tennisindustry.org.

Come to a Celebration of Tennis at the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference!

Some of the speakers at the event include:� USTA President Jane Brown Grimes� TIA President Dave Haggerty� USTA Community Tennis Chief Executive

Kurt Kamperman� Tennis Magazine Group Publisher Jeff Williams

TIA TENNIS FORUM and Tennis Industry HALL OF FAMEGo to TennisIndustry.org for more information and to register for the Tennis Forum at the38th annual USTA Tennis Teachers Conference!

Topics will include the latest research in tennis, an overview of key USTA and industry ini-tiatives and other good news in tennis. Plus, we’ll announce the inaugural class for the newTennis Industry Hall of Fame.

REGISTER ONLINE FOR THE TIA TENNIS FORUM! • TENNISINDUSTRY.ORG or [email protected]

The TIA TENNIS FORUM pre-sented by Tennis Magazineis held in conjunction withthe USTA Tennis TeachersConference, Aug. 23-26 atthe Grand Hyatt, NYC

T I A N E W S

Discover the Power of TennisConnect

Your website is one of the most important toolsyou have to gain business and to better serveyour players, and TennisConnect makes it easy

to connect with your customers. (For more info go toTennisConnect.org) Here’s what tennis directorsacross the country are saying about TennisConnect:“My lesson revenue is up 40% using TennisConnect’s

online tools that help me promotemy programs and events for playersto easily find and sign-up!”

—Juan Bracho,Feld Park, Bellaire, Texas

“We signed up 56 juniors thisspring when the best I could havehoped for was 12 last year.”

— Jon Jacobson, Forest HillTennis, Ellicott City, Md.

“My programs are full two monthsin advance because I use youronline enrollment system.”

—Bob Rosenblum, Albany, N.Y.

July 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 19Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

TWC Business & Technology Workshop…with Mike Woody, USPTA, PTR, Cardio Tennis Speakers Team Member,

and Matt Allen and Charlie Ruddy, of the TIA’s IT Team

“How to Fast Track Your Business with Technology”This interactive/hands-on workshop will give service providers, marketing staff,directors, managers or owners the ability to improve their customer servicethrough the use of the latest advancements in online tennis technology. Learnabout the GrowingTennis System™, most recent developments in online enroll-ment options and how it will benefit your business. The workshop is led byexperienced facilitators who have expert training and background in technolo-gy and online business, marketing and customer-service solutions.Where: USTA Tennis Teachers Conference

Grand Hyatt, New York CityWhen: Tuesday, Aug. 26, 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Also at the 2008 USTA Tennis Teachers Conference …QuickStart Training Workshops: These on-court sessions will help you learn how to use the QuickStartformat for 10-and-under players. Three varying sessions are offered:� Saturday, Aug. 23, 6:30-9:30 p.m. � Sunday, Aug. 24, 6:30-9:30 p.m. � Tuesday, Aug. 26, 1-4 p.m.For more information or to register, visit www.usta.com/ttc or call 914-696-7004

Are you an official site?Join the thousands of facilities that have regis-tered for free at GrowingTennis.com. You’llreceive free promotional material to help yourbusiness, and your programs will be listed forfree on consumer sites nationwide.

As of early June, there were:� 2,388 Tennis Welcome Centers� 1,667 Cardio Tennis sites� 789 QuickStart Tennis sites

TIA TennisInsure Expands Offerings

The TIA has expanded its insurance offerings with TIA TennisIn-sure. In addition to product liability insurance for manufacturers,the association now is offering comprehensive health insurance,

life insurance, long-term care, disability income, critical illness, dental,vision and more. Financial, retirement, and estate planning are alsonew additions. Now, our members can have the highest quality namebrand “A”-rated national insurance companies with recognized savingsof up to 40%.

This comprehensive program provides industry-specific businessinsurance at great rates, from Axiom Insurance and TennisInsure Asso-ciation Health Programs, both highly rated national program managersoffering quality claims management and loss control services. Anyonein the industry can sign up for TennisInsure; however TIA memberswill receive an added discount. And for TIA member companies, theycan make this available as a benefit to their own members.

“Insurance can be tricky, but working with the TennisInsure staffwas great,” says Christy Funk of Funky Tennis in Reno, Nev. “Theyknow the industry and they knew my coverage needs.”

For a free TennisInsure quote and consultation, and to compareyour current policy, visit TennisInsure.com or call the TIA directly at866-686-3036.

Growing Tennis News


tennis facilities offer that venue. A friendlyfront-desk staff that can address the incomingmember by first name and with a smile will goa long way in helping fill those members’needs.

YOUR FACILITY ENTRANCEBesides the front-desk staff, your physical entryitself will also have a large impact on membersentering the facility. Turnstiles and gates maybe a necessary evil for some clubs, but themessage here is not a welcoming one. If youcan, design the front desk to be placed directlyin the path of the entering members. Thisdesign will also make it easier for the staff tohave direct eye contact with those entering.One common mistake in the design of the

front desk is putting the monitor for your entrycomputer in a location that requires the front-desk person to look too far down instead offorward. The monitor should be an aide andnot an obstruction.Another function that is helpful in the

design of the front-desk area is to have a sec-ond computer terminal, if possible, so largegroups of guests can be checked in easily andthere is no bottleneck at the entry. Often, aguest will need to fill out a guest card, and thiscan take some time. Keeping traffic flowing isimportant because of the nature of functionsand activities that take place; members are try-ing to get to a class on time, or to their courttime or just simply because they have limitedtime to work out.This brings up one of the stickier issues

that take place at many facilities. Because thenature of a club is to be comfortable and cre-

t’s been a long day at work and you arelooking forward to a night out withfriends. You enter a restaurant and the

host greets you like he has known you for-ever. He asks how you’re doing, andassures you that you can now sit down,relax and enjoy the rest of the evening.That small gesture has established the qual-ity of the rest of the evening.This should also be true of your tennis

facility. The first impression your facilitymakes on your members and their guests isat the front desk. If you have hired andtrained the right people to work the frontdesk, members will always feel comfortableand welcome.Notice that it is important to first hire

the right people. Don’t let yourself thinktraining will ever overcome personality. Inthis day and age where computers haveimpacted the development of a person’ssocial skills, it can be more difficult to findpeople who have an outgoing personalityand enjoy interacting with others.Too often, the front-desk staff is put at

the low end of the pay spectrum. Thisshould not be the case. That same thinkingoften leads many managers to hire a teamwith the belief that if they have a leaderwith the right stuff, that leader will createthe level of service and hospitality neededat the front desk. This is just not the case.Anyone you place in that position has tomeet the basic criteria of being comfortableand capable of friendly interaction withothers.There are three major personality traits

you should look for in front-desk staff. First,they need to be the type of person whonaturally will greet others first. They needto be the first to say hello, welcome, orhow are you when they come upon anotherperson. Second, they need to make eyecontact. Third, they need to be happypeople.

To augment this last point, it is the man-ager’s job to create an environment that ispleasurable to work in. Keep the coverage andthe schedule set up so that it does not pro-duce stress or a sense of urgency. This isimportant in order to create an atmospherethat members enjoy walking into. Too often,front-desk staff is directed toward securityawareness or their efficiency when it comes tochecking in members and guests. Thisapproach can create a sterile, automaticwelcome.

CREATE A“WELCOME CENTER”When members join a club, they want to feelthat the facility is part of their life and thatbelonging to your club does not make them acustomer, but rather a welcomed memberwho you truly enjoy seeing and having as apart of the daily routine. Consider renamingyour front desk the “welcome center” or“reception area,” or whatever name youmight feel sends the right message.Many clubs equip their front desk with

software to provide personal information,maybe including photo IDs. That’s helpful, butthe most important information a front-deskperson needs to know is a member’s firstname. Although you can’t expect the staff toremember every member’s first name, you canmake that a challenge for them, and of courseprovide that information to the staff as themember checks in.One easy way to help the front-desk per-

son familiarize themselves with members is toask them to learn why the member is enteringthe club and how they intend to use the facili-ty. Some members may find this intrusive, butcasual conversation and keen awareness willhelp the staff to learn these facts. Why is thisimportant? Remember that one of the mainreasons people join is to meet others. Forwhatever reason, often they feel that theirsocial environment needs to be expanded, and

First ImpressionsTo truly welcome membersand guests, don’t neglect yourfront-desk staff.B Y R O D H E C K E L M A N

��

I

Rod Heckelman is the generalmanager and tennis pro at theMount Tam Racquet Club inMarin County, Calif., where hehas been for the last 31 years.His career in the industry startedin 1967 at the famed John Gar-

diner’s Tennis Ranch. In 1970, when Gardineropened his resort on Camelback Mountain inScottsdale, Ariz., Heckelman, at age 20, becameone of the youngest head pros in the country. Hecreated the “Facility Manager’s Manual” basedon his years of experience in the tennis business.

ate a real sense of belonging, getting membersto check in can be a task. A longtime memberwill not likely understand that they need tocheck in appropriately every time they enter thefacility. They often develop a sense of privilegeand entitlement. They enter the club and breezeright by the front desk and can get offended ifanyone should ask them to check in.To aid in this situation, you may want to

consider adding a card-swiping system. You canmake it even easier for them by assigning cardsthat can be attached to a key chain or equip-ment bag. The cards have a bar code that auto-matically registers the member. For the few thatare still difficult to deal with, do your best tolearn their first names and try to address themas soon as they enter.On the flip side, your staff doesn’t need to

tolerate a person who is abusive or threatening.A member who refuses to respond to the front-desk person’s greeting, or will not check in, isnot a member that appreciates the atmosphereof the club and is not worthy of a membership.As a manager, you may need to get tough andnot hesitate to revoke this person’s membership.

GUEST CHECK-INTo help you check in a guest, create a system


�

�

that is very efficient. Because guests, like mem-bers, are trying to make their way to a courttime or class, they are often in a hurry. No mat-ter how many people you have at your frontdesk, or as efficient as your software is, it willoccasionally be difficult for you to process aguest as fast as needed. Sometimes it’s bestjust to provide a sign-in card that the guest canfill out as they enter the club.The front desk will also be the point of

sales for many items, including memberships.Do you really want a new member standing atthe front desk when they are inquiring about orpurchasing a membership? It would be okay tosell tennis balls or gift certificates, but issuesconcerning memberships are best handledaway from the front desk, preferably in a pri-vate area where the customer feels comfort-able asking detailed questions and the staffperson can give them their undivided attention.To help process charges at the front desk,

install a credit-card system. These systemsrequire a direct phone line.The ultimate design and location for a front

desk would also include two attributes. Thefirst would be easy access to the lost andfound area, and the second would be easyaccess to the laundry or towel area. Having this

easy access allows the front-desk person tostay within the vicinity of the desk and insome operations provides an opportunity tocut back on staff when the facility is not asbusy.Finally, the front desk is a point of informa-

tion. It is the location where anyone can goand get answers. Make sure that all thoseanswers are readily available and easy toacquire. If you can, engineer as many of theswitches that run the lights, fans, and othermechanical functions of the club to be able tooperate from the front desk.The more you can make the front desk the

nerve center of operations, the more efficientlythe entire facility will run. �

PLAYER health� Make Sure Your YoungWomen Players Are Eating—and Training— Properly


ncreasing after-school and summer recopportunities for kids. Having profes-sional athletes endorse youth pro-

grams. The goal? Show a kid thesatisfaction of mastering a sport ratherthan a PlayStation, and you’ve helped tocreate an athlete for life.

But what happens when a kid getsthe wrong idea about what makes anathlete successful?

Tennis pros and coaches need to beaware of a disorder that could affectyoung female athletes, ages 10 to 18,who are particularly involved in competi-tive sports. Called “Female AthleteTriad,” it’s a three-part disorder thatincludes eating problems, but is not aneating disorder in the same way thatanorexia nervosa or bulimia is.

Female Athlete Triad is not about adistorted body image; it’s a belief thatweighing less will improve athletic perfor-mance. And that could lead to all sorts ofproblems for girls.

According to licensed dietitian JordanB. Davidson, a clinical dietitian specialistat Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Centerin Baltimore, the components of FemaleAthlete Triad are reduced eating (gener-ally with increased training), amenorrhea(the loss of menstruation) and osteoporo-sis (weakening of the bones).

HOW IT STARTSA young tennis player affected by FemaleAthlete Triad might think that beinglighter on her feet will make her fasterand better on the court. She’ll cut herfood intake and train harder in an effortto excel. She might be so focused onhow much she weighs that she doesn’tremember missing her period. She might

be training so hard that she ignores thenagging ache in her foot, later diagnosedas a stress fracture.

And then there’s the fact that she’snot eating much. According to Davidson,one component of Triad is the problemof Athletic Energy Deficit, which meansthe person is not consuming enoughfood to fuel the body for the exercise sheis doing. The results are fatigue andinability to perform well in the sport,which are misinterpreted by the athleteto mean that she is not working hardenough.

It’s a vicious cycle, says Davidson.“The person does not realize that opti-mum nutrition and optimum weight will

For more information:• www.femaleathletetriad.org/faq.html—A user-friendly website with informationpublished by the American College ofSports Medicine.• www.fore.org—The website of theFoundation for Osteoporosis Researchand Education includes a pdf handoutabout Athletic Energy Deficit.

I

B Y M A R Y H E L E N S P R E C H E R

Watch Out forThese SymptomsMake sure your young female tennis playersare training smart and eating right. Notethat athletes with Female Athlete Triad typi-cally will continue and even increase theirtraining regimen. The three main compo-nents of Triad are:

� Disordered eating habits: Look fordecreased eating or avoidance of what theperson considers “bad” foods, such ascarbs, sugars, fats, etc.

� Osteoporosis: Weak bones can result instress fractures.

� Amenorrhea: Irregular menstruation orperiods that stop altogether.

Other symptoms to look for include musclepain, fatigue, difficulty concentrating andlonger healing periods after injuries. Butplayers with Female Athlete Triad can haveother symptoms, too (and some symptomsabove can be indicative of other healthproblems). Diagnosis and treatment shouldbe made by health professionals.

actually improve their performance, andthat they won’t perform better becausethey’re not eating. It can turn into achain of events with long-term issues.”

Because girls are supposed to bebuilding bone mass in their teen years,early osteoporosis can have devastatingconsequences as a woman ages. Amen-orrhea, caused by decreased estrogenlevels that are a result of weighing toolittle, may require treatments includinghormone therapy to get the patient’smenstrual cycle back to normal.

Davidson says a patient suffering fromTriad should be treated by a multidiscipli-nary team including a physician, psychol-ogist and clinical dietitian. The focus is onboth remedying the physical symptomsand educating the patient. The athletemust be made aware of the importanceof “stoking the engine,” or feeding thebody for maximum performance.

KNOW THE SYMPTOMSCoaches, pros, tennis instructors, campdirectors and others should be vigilant inidentifying the symptoms of Female Ath-lete Triad (see box) and referring athletesfor treatment. Some symptoms arenoticeable, but others are subtle andmight be overlooked, particularly in theearly stages of the disorder.

Reminding young athletes of theimportance of eating well in order to per-form well, says Davidson, is the key, since“the most important thing is to focus onpreventive strategies.” �

TENNISJunior☺

A High-Performance NetworkWith dozens of tennis academies participating from around theworld, the Prince Plugged In program is raising the level of juniorcompetition.


t 14 years old, Mitchell Krueger ofAledo, Texas, is already a four-yearveteran of the T Bar M Tennis Acad-

emy in Dallas. While his tournamentexperience took him last October to thered clay courts of Spain, he recently bene-fited from a different type of cultural ten-nis exchange: a trip to Rome, where heand his academy-mates matched strokeswith some of the best juniors in the worldthrough the Prince Plugged In (PPI)program.

Established by Prince four years ago asa player-development initiative, PPI isworking to revolutionize junior competi-tion, training, education and developmentby connecting more than 50 of theworld’s elite high-performance tennisacademies into one network. Coachesand players share training tips, equipmentinsights and match strategies whileengaging in a year-long series of round-robin team competitions called PrinceChallenge Cups.

Even though the T Bar M Tennis Acad-emy emerged as the PPI champion repre-senting the U.S. for the 2007-08 season(more than 40 tennis academies in theU.S. participate in the PPI program), theIMG/Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy ofBradenton, Fla., paid its own way to alsoparticipate in the inaugural PPI WorldChampionships from May 2-6 in Rome. Itturned out to be a worthy investment, asthe IMG/Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy

swept the competition overseas to earnthe title of world champion.

The other competing academies wereTenis Val of Valencia, the PPI championof Spain; Club Sant’ Agnese of Rome,the PPI champion of Italy; Club Sochi ofSochi, the PPI champion of Russia; andTotally Tennis of Basingstoke, England,the PPI champion of the United King-dom.

“Playing on the red clay was fun, butthe best part was traveling with myfriends,” says Krueger, one of 60 juniorswho lived with Italian host families whilecompeting in more than 250 singles,inter-age group doubles and mixed dou-bles super tie-break matches. On court atClub Sant’ Agnese, the juniors enjoyedthe spectacular surroundings of a 2,100-year-old mausoleum whose ancient ruinsframe the tennis courts. Off court, theybenefited from guest speakers, trainingsessions and trips to the Vatican, Colise-um and other historic sites, and tickets tothe Italian Open qualifying tournament.

“The team atmosphere is fun,”Krueger says. “Even if I lose my match, Istill have the chance to cheer for myteammates and pull them through to awin. I like the format because it’s differ-ent from what we normally do.”

Sixteen-year-old Chris Camillone, whohas trained for five years at St. Stephen’sEpiscopal School Tennis Academy inAustin, Texas, says the high level of com-

AB Y C I N D Y C A N T R E L L

petition in all of the PPI Challenge Cupevents is good preparation for regularjunior tournaments—with the addedexcitement and intensity that comes fromstriving for a shared goal. He has alsoenjoyed the opportunity to meet juniorsfrom other academies through PPI.

“From a development standpoint, it’sawesome to hit with other kids and see adifferent type of ball. You can watchtheir mannerisms and pick their brainsabout what they’re learning,” says Camil-lone. “[PPI events] have a good, neutralatmosphere where you can talk to any-body about anything.”

Ken Merritt, director of teaching pro-grams at Prince, says the PPI programwas born out of the company’s desire tohelp the many individual academies witha common goal: providing the level ofcompetition and support required toenable juniors to become the best playersthey can be. While academies must applyto become affiliated with the PPI pro-gram, he says, participants may be spon-sored by any equipment manufacturer.

“It’s amazing to think about how fastand far this program has grown in fouryears,” Merritt says. “While [juniors]come from different places and speakdifferent languages, their experience withPPI has been the same. This is a chancefor the players and the academies tomeasure themselves against players fromother parts of the world.”

A High-Performance NetworkWith dozens of tennis academies participating from around theworld, the Prince Plugged In program is raising the level of juniorcompetition.

Dave Licker, director ofjunior tennis at the T Bar MTennis Academy, agrees thecompetition will only getstronger as more academiessign on.

“I travel around the worldto junior events with the kidsI coach, and I can honestlysay that the year-long PPIprogram and this culminatingevent are unlike anything elseavailable to top juniors andtheir coaches,” he says.“Prince has built an incredi-ble, inclusive format basedon a team concept and on-court coaching—somethingmost kids do not experiencein top-level junior tennis, butwhich are crucial to theiroverall understanding of howto play matches and com-pete.”

Nick Bollettieri, founder ofthe IMG/Nick Bollettieri Ten-nis Academy, agrees that thePPI program is a powerful tool in teach-ing juniors the importance of sportsman-ship and how to compete and win.

“By connecting academy students andcoaches around the world,” Bollettierisays, “we are promoting the sport, facili-tating the abilities of potentially greatplayers and cultivating the next greatchampion in the process.”

Nick Fustar, co-founder of theEagle/Fustar Tennis Development Acade-my in Santa Clara, Calif., calls his decisionto apply to join PPI in early 2007 a “no-brainer.” With so many juniors ultimatelypursuing college tennis, he notes, itmakes sense for them to practice com-peting as a team.

“It’s great for the kids to get a senseof what college tennis would be like,”Fustar says. “The team bonding they gothrough makes them hungrier to trainand practice than any other junior eventout there.”

While PPI is designed around a teamconcept, individual results are also recog-nized. In fact, 35 of the best-performingboys and girls from all age groups (18s,16s, 14s and 12s) during the 2007-08 PPIseason were invited to showcase their tal-ents to college coaches and recruiters atthe first-ever PPI All-American Individual

Championships, which took place duringthe NCAA Division I Championships inTulsa, Okla., in May.

Courtesy of the USTA, the winners ineach age division at the PPI All-AmericanIndividual Championships were awardedwildcards: for the 18s, a main-draw entryinto a Futures event; for the 16s, a wild-card into the qualifiers of a Futures event;and for the 14s and 12s, main-drawentry into the prestigious Eddie HerrInternational Junior Tennis Champi-onships.

Krueger, who hopes to play collegetennis someday, says he and his fellowacademy juniors appreciate the exposureand opportunities that come with theirparticipation in PPI. His main goal in theprogram, however, is more immediate.

“We should have won [the PPI WorldChampionships], but we lost to a goodteam in Rome,” Krueger says. “We’ll beback to beat Bollettieri’s next year.” �

Prince Plugged In academies are located inseven countries, with expansion planned foracademies in Latin America, Asia and thePacific Rim. For more information and adownloadable PPI application, visitwww.princetennis.com.


2 0 0 8 G U I D E T O B A L L M A C H I N E S

or a tennis facility, there are certain thingsthat you just have to have. Ball carts or hop-pers, string and grip inventory for sale, court

maintenance equipment. But one of the most impor-tant items for your business should be a ball machine.

While the initial investment may seem daunting,especially in light of today’s economy, a ball machineis a versatile piece of equipment that will help youcome out ahead in the end. It can be used duringlessons and clinics, to rent out to individuals orgroups who want to work on their own, as a newmember perk, and much more. In fact, many playerslike to go off on a court by themselves to hone theirstrokes with a ball machine, which frees up your prosto work on other courts.

Our 2008 Guide to Ball Machines has all the infor-mation you need to help you find the right machinefor your business. The Ball Machine Selector on page30 charts all the machines available today and thefeatures they offer. Keep in mind that with ballmachines, there are a lot of things you can changeabout the unit at the time of purchase, or later. In ourchart, we’ve listed the specs and prices of the mostbasic model of each machine. Then, if options areoffered, we’ve listed the additional cost of adding thatfeature.

F


Sports Tutorwww.sportstutor.com800-448-8867

Super Coachwww.tennismachine.com408-855-9644


PROPULSION

Economy Ball Bucket 202 $469 2 12” x 12” x 27” 50 20 X 3, 6, 12 55 X X $50 X X $70 X $49 1Ball Bucket 201 $549 2 12” x 12” x 31” 50 28 X 3, 6, 12 55 X X $50 X X $70 X $49 1Hybrid 301 $689 2 36” x 13” x 21” 150 31 X 3, 6, 12 70 X X $50 X X $70 X $49 X 1Tournament 401 $789 2 36” x 13” x 21” 150 32 X 3, 6, 12 70 X X $50 X X X X $70 X $49 X 1Elite Freedom $799 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 30 X 2 - 10 70 X X X X 8.5 X X X X $49 X 2Elite Grandslam IV $1,899 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X X X 18 X X $300 X X X $49 X 3Elite Model 1 $1,049 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 42 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X 18 X X $199 X X $49 X 2Elite Model 2 $1,299 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X 18 X X $199 X X $49 X 2Elite Model 3 $1,549 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X 18 X X $199 X X $49 X 2

Half-Volley $1,195 2 19” x 21” x 25” 200 42 X 1 - 10 80 X X X X X 15 X X X X $85.15 X 4, 5Volley $1,695 2 19” x 21” x 25” 200 46 X 1 - 10 80 X X X X X 2 X 15 X X X X X $85.15 X 5ACE $3,495 3 35” x 21” x 38” 200 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X 3 X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 XSMASH $4,395 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X 7, 8, 9DEUCE $5,195 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X 6, 8, 9GENIE $5,995 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X 6, 7, 9GENIE PC $7,820 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 8 ∞ X X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X 6, 7, 8GRAND SLAM $7,495 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 110 X 1 - 10 120 X X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X 6, 7, 8, 10GRAND SLAM PC $8,995 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 110 X 1 - 10 120 X X X X X X 8 ∞ X X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X

I-SAM $684 1 19” x 17.5” x 18” 250 34 X 2 - 8 65 X X X $112 X X 12 X X X X X 11, 12SAM Professional Portable Model 1 $1,073 1 19.5” x 16” x 21.5” 300 48 X 2 - 8 75 X X X X $112 X X 15 X X X X X X 12, 13SAM Professional Portable Model 4 $1,749 1 19.5” x 16” x 21.5” 300 48 X 2 - 8 75 X X X X X 2 $112 X X 15 X X X X X X X X 12, 13SAM Sport $2,999 3 35” x 25” x 50” 250 87 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X X X X 3 X X X X 14SAM Coach $3,459 3 35” x 25” x 50” 250 87 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X X X X 6 X X X X X 14

Boomer $14,450 1 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 124 X 1.0 - 10 100 X X X X X 30 1000 X X X X X X X X X X $3,895 X X 15

Lite $699 1 22” x 18” x 14” 150 35 X 1.0 - 15 95 X X X X X 7.5 X X $40 X 16Star $999 1 22” x 18” x 14” 150 46 X 1.0 - 15 95 X X X X X 15 X X X X X $40 X 16Pro $1,199 1 22” x 18” x 14” 200 48 X 1.0 - 15 95 X X X X $299 2 $249 $80 X 15 X X X X X X $40 X 16

Ace Attack $5,499 1 34” x 53” 200 150 X 1.5 - 12 110 X X X X X 4 X $300 X X $200 X

Tennis Twist $199 1 10” x 11” x23” 28 11 5 15 X X X 6 D Cells

Tennis Tutor ProLite - Basic $599 1 12” x 19.5” x 18” 125 22 X 1.5 - 10 60 X X X X $50 9 X $70 X $35 Tennis Tutor ProLite $699 1 12” x 19.5” x 18” 125 29 X 1.5 - 10 60 X X X X $50 9 X $70 X $35 17Tennis Tutor $989 1 12” x 19.5” x 20” 150 42 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X $200 4 $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 17Tennis Tutor - Plus $1,199 1 20” x 19.5” x 20” 150 46 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X X $200 4 X $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 17, 18bTennis Tutor - Plus Player Model $1,549 1 20” x 19.5” x 20” 150 46 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X X $200 4 X X $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 17, 18cTennis Tower $1,195 1 44” x 23” x 22” 225 60 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X $200 X $370 4 X X $200 X X X X 18aShot Maker - Standard $2,900 2 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X X X 3 X $200 X X X XShot Maker - Deluxe $4,000 2 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X X X 6 X X X X X X XWilson Portable $1,095 1 22” x 14” x 20” 110 38 X 1.5 - 10 75 X X X X $200 2 $50 X 12 X X $200 X X $35 X 17

SuperCoach $11,465 1 36” x 27” x 22” 200 or 300 121 X 1.4 - 5.6 65 X X X X X 30 32 X X X X X X X X X 19

Lobsterwww.lobstersports.com800-526-4041

Playmatewww.playmatetennis.com800-776-6770

Silent Partnerwww.sptennis.com800-662-1809

SpinningWheelPropulsion

Air PressurePropulsion

FeedingInterval(seconds)

TopSpeed(MPH)

ElevationControl -Electronic

ElevationControl -Manual

AbletoFeedLobs

AbletoFeedTopspin&Underspin

BallCapacity

Weight (lbs)

Dimensions (Storage inches)

Warranty(years)

Price(MSRP)ModelManufacturer

Sports Attackwww.sportsattack.com800-717-4251


SAMwww.MasterSports.com800-837-1002

Robot Optimizerswww.tennisrobot.com888-8BOOMER

AbletoFeedSidespin

*Other Optional Accessories1 - Spin adaptor $502 - Fast charger $993 - 3 Pre-Programmed Court Drills (6 ball sequence per drill) 3 Positional Settings of2-Line (Narrow, Medium, Wide)

4 - Oscillation Upgrade $199, Remote Control Upgrade $275 5 - 6-Hour Non-Memory Battery Upgrade $149, 3-Hour Rapid Recharger $219.70

6 - Smash Conversion Box $3257 - Deuce Conversion Box $11258 - Genie Conversion Box $19259 - Genie PC Conversion Box $375010 - Grand Slam PC Conversion Box $375011 - Extra Heavy Duty Battery $35, Wireless Remote $100

MISC.


REMOTE CONTROLPOWEROSCILLATIONNoOscillation

Oscillation-Random

Oscillation-Programmable

Number of ShotsinProgram

AdjustableDepthWithinProgram

AdjustableSpinWithinProgram

AdjustableHeightWithinProgram

RunsonBatteryorPowerCord

RunsonPowerCordOnly

RunsonBatteryOnly

BatteryAmp/Hour

BatteryLifeIndicator

BatterySwapability

RemoteControl -Standard

RemoteControl -Optional Accessory

RemoteControl -Cord

RemoteControl -Wireless

RemoteControl of Oscillation

RemoteControl of ProgramSettings

ServingTower-Standard

ServingTower-Optional Accessory

Cover -Standard

Cover -Optional Accessory

IncludesWheelsfor Portability

Other Optional Accessories*(seebelow)

Economy Ball Bucket 202 $469 2 12” x 12” x 27” 50 20 X 3, 6, 12 55 X X $50 X X $70 X $49 1Ball Bucket 201 $549 2 12” x 12” x 31” 50 28 X 3, 6, 12 55 X X $50 X X $70 X $49 1Hybrid 301 $689 2 36” x 13” x 21” 150 31 X 3, 6, 12 70 X X $50 X X $70 X $49 X 1Tournament 401 $789 2 36” x 13” x 21” 150 32 X 3, 6, 12 70 X X $50 X X X X $70 X $49 X 1Elite Freedom $799 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 30 X 2 - 10 70 X X X X 8.5 X X X X $49 X 2Elite Grandslam IV $1,899 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X X X 18 X X $300 X X X $49 X 3Elite Model 1 $1,049 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 42 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X 18 X X $199 X X $49 X 2Elite Model 2 $1,299 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X 18 X X $199 X X $49 X 2Elite Model 3 $1,549 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X 18 X X $199 X X $49 X 2

Half-Volley $1,195 2 19” x 21” x 25” 200 42 X 1 - 10 80 X X X X X 15 X X X X $85.15 X 4, 5Volley $1,695 2 19” x 21” x 25” 200 46 X 1 - 10 80 X X X X X 2 X 15 X X X X X $85.15 X 5ACE $3,495 3 35” x 21” x 38” 200 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X 3 X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 XSMASH $4,395 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X 7, 8, 9DEUCE $5,195 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X 6, 8, 9GENIE $5,995 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X 6, 7, 9GENIE PC $7,820 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 8 ∞ X X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X 6, 7, 8GRAND SLAM $7,495 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 110 X 1 - 10 120 X X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X 6, 7, 8, 10GRAND SLAM PC $8,995 3 35” x 21” x 38” 300 110 X 1 - 10 120 X X X X X X 8 ∞ X X X X X X X X X X X $4,395 $85.15 X

I-SAM $684 1 19” x 17.5” x 18” 250 34 X 2 - 8 65 X X X $112 X X 12 X X X X X 11, 12SAM Professional Portable Model 1 $1,073 1 19.5” x 16” x 21.5” 300 48 X 2 - 8 75 X X X X $112 X X 15 X X X X X X 12, 13SAM Professional Portable Model 4 $1,749 1 19.5” x 16” x 21.5” 300 48 X 2 - 8 75 X X X X X 2 $112 X X 15 X X X X X X X X 12, 13SAM Sport $2,999 3 35” x 25” x 50” 250 87 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X X X X 3 X X X X 14SAM Coach $3,459 3 35” x 25” x 50” 250 87 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X X X X 6 X X X X X 14

Boomer $14,450 1 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 124 X 1.0 - 10 100 X X X X X 30 1000 X X X X X X X X X X $3,895 X X 15

Lite $699 1 22” x 18” x 14” 150 35 X 1.0 - 15 95 X X X X X 7.5 X X $40 X 16Star $999 1 22” x 18” x 14” 150 46 X 1.0 - 15 95 X X X X X 15 X X X X X $40 X 16Pro $1,199 1 22” x 18” x 14” 200 48 X 1.0 - 15 95 X X X X $299 2 $249 $80 X 15 X X X X X X $40 X 16

Ace Attack $5,499 1 34” x 53” 200 150 X 1.5 - 12 110 X X X X X 4 X $300 X X $200 X

Tennis Twist $199 1 10” x 11” x23” 28 11 5 15 X X X 6 D Cells

Tennis Tutor ProLite - Basic $599 1 12” x 19.5” x 18” 125 22 X 1.5 - 10 60 X X X X $50 9 X $70 X $35 Tennis Tutor ProLite $699 1 12” x 19.5” x 18” 125 29 X 1.5 - 10 60 X X X X $50 9 X $70 X $35 17Tennis Tutor $989 1 12” x 19.5” x 20” 150 42 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X $200 4 $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 17Tennis Tutor - Plus $1,199 1 20” x 19.5” x 20” 150 46 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X X $200 4 X $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 17, 18bTennis Tutor - Plus Player Model $1,549 1 20” x 19.5” x 20” 150 46 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X X $200 4 X X $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 17, 18cTennis Tower $1,195 1 44” x 23” x 22” 225 60 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X $200 X $370 4 X X $200 X X X X 18aShot Maker - Standard $2,900 2 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X X X 3 X $200 X X X XShot Maker - Deluxe $4,000 2 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X X X 6 X X X X X X XWilson Portable $1,095 1 22” x 14” x 20” 110 38 X 1.5 - 10 75 X X X X $200 2 $50 X 12 X X $200 X X $35 X 17

SuperCoach $11,465 1 36” x 27” x 22” 200 or 300 121 X 1.4 - 5.6 65 X X X X X 30 32 X X X X X X X X X 19

PlayerSimulationMode

AdjustableIntervalWithinProgram

Smart ChargercomesStandard

Smart Chargeravailableasoption

12 - 110/220 Volt AC converter $112, Water Resistant Cloth Storage Cover $6813 - Lob Enhancer $30, adjustable oscillation width14 - Ships via FedEx Gnd, Feeds Balls from 30" above ground15 - Plays Games, Rates Shots, Uses a Camera, Talks to Players, Cordless Head-

phone System ($500 or $50/month), Wireless Printer for Analysis ($2000 or$100/month)

16 - Additional Removable Battery $40 17 - External Battery Pack$130, External AC Power Supply $125, Smart Charger Upgrade $4018 - Player Simulation (18a - $150, 18b - $200, 18c - $370)19 - Can deliver any type of ball (topspin, underspin, flat, lob) to any place on court in any

sequence, all ball parameters and timing customizable.

No. of ProgramsthatCanBeStored



Specific Features. Keep in mind that whenever you tryto develop a chart like this, it is necessary to create some pret-ty broad, non-detailed features. For example, when we markthat a machine offers random oscillation, it means that themachine can be set to shoot balls to different locations on thecourt in a random pattern. However, this does not indicatehow many different places the machine can shoot the ball.Some machines will just shoot the balls randomly between asfew as 2 locations at the same depth, while other machinesmight be able to shoot the ball virtually anywhere on the courtat different heights and speeds.

Durability. There really is no easy way to measure the dura-bility of a ball machine. The only true test of durability is touse the machine for years and see how it holds up. Weassume you don’t want to wait that long to see the rest of thisinformation. So, we don’t have a category for durability. How-ever, you can learn more about how long the machines last bytalking to the manufacturers and asking for references frompeople they have sold machines to. Just like we recommendwhen buying stringing machines, don’t just buy a ball machinebased on price. If you buy an inexpensive machine that isn’tdesigned for the type and amount of use you will be asking ofit, it can end up costing you a lot more money down the roadthan a machine that cost more at first, but was designed for

what you have in mind. Make sure you have confidence in thedurability of the machine and the customer service of thecompany to help you when you have problems. You shouldfeel comfortable that the company has a system in place to fixanything that might go wrong with your machine. In somecases, they may have local service reps to come fix it at yourfacility, while in other cases they should offer a way to ship allor part of the machine back to the manufacturer for repairs.

So, you probably won’t want to buy a machine strictly basedon what you read in this chart. Rather, this chart should helpyou to narrow the universe of machines by eliminating themachines that don’t offer features you really want. Then, whenyou have narrowed your choices, you can do more research byvisiting the websites or calling the phone numbers listed foreach company.

Demo Before You Buy. As always, when investing in apiece of equipment as expensive as a ball machine, we recom-mend that you look for an opportunity to try the machinebefore you buy it. Ask the manufacturers for ideas about howyou can try their machines. In some cases they may be able tosend you a sample to try, in other cases they may have soldone 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.

Manufacturer & Contact Info. The name of the manu-facturer and how to get in touch with them. You can contactthem to get more information or to order the machine thatlooks best to you. There are eight manufacturers makingmachines under nine brand names.

Model. The specific model of machine. However, rememberthat many of the machines offer several different options. Insome cases, when you buy different options, the name of themachine may change slightly. But, in each case, the availableoptions for each machine list the price of adding that option.

Price. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Prices rangefrom $199 to $14,450.

Warranty. How long the manufacturer guarantees themachine against defects. However, keep in mind that many ofthe manufacturers do offer extended warranties. See the spe-cific manufacturer for more information and costs of extend-ed warranties.

Dimensions. These are the measurements of the machinesfor storage or transport. In other words, some machines willbe considerably bigger than these measurements when youare using them because you add a ball holder. We list thesmaller measurements because the size of a machine reallyonly matters when you are trying to fit it on a shelf or in thetrunk of a car.

Ball Capacity. This indicates how many balls you can putin the machine at a time. However, several of the manufactur-ers indicated 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 few as28 balls and as many as 300 balls. But keep in mind thatsome machine manufacturers tell us that most people don’tcome close to filling their machines. Who wants to carry andpick up 200 or more balls?

Weight. This is an indication of how much the basic machineweighs without balls in it. So, if you add options or balls, theweight will increase. We list the weight without balls becausethis is probably how you will transport the machine to thecourt.

DISCLAIMERS

THE SPECIFICSFEATURES

Spinning Wheel Propulsion. An “X” in this columnindicates that the machine uses two spinning wheels tofeed the ball to you. In almost every case the spinningwheels are stacked vertically with just enough spacebetween them for a ball to squeeze through. So, the fasterthe wheels are spinning, the faster the balls will be pro-pelled.

Air Pressure Propulsion. An “X” in this column indi-cates that the machine shoots the ball through a tube like acannon. The amount of air pressure determines the speedand depth of the shot.

Feeding Intervals. This column indicates how oftenthe machine can feed balls. Most machines offer a range ofintervals. Smaller intervals make for a harder workout,while higher intervals allow more time for preparation andwatching your results.

Top Speed. Almost every machine offers the ability toadjust the speed at which the ball is shot from themachine. They all are capable of feeding a very slow ballfor shots shorter in the court and for weaker players. So,we just list the fastest speed that each manufacturer saysthe machine will shoot the ball. However, most of thetime, most players don’t need the ball speed maxed outbecause the players they play with don’t hit that hard.

Elevation Control. Electronic — An “X” in this col-umn indicates that the machine can change the height ofthe shot by pushing a button or turning a knob.

Elevation Control. Manual — An “X” in this columnindicates that the machine can shoot balls at differentheights, but you have to physically aim a shooting arm ortilt the machine in some way to do so.

Able to Feed Lobs. An “X” in this column indicatesthat the manufacturer tells us the machine is capable offeeding lobs to allow you to practice your overheads.

Able to Feed Topspin & Underspin. An “X” inthis column means that the machine uses spinning wheelsto propel the balls and you can make one wheel spinfaster than the other to put spin on the top or bottom ofthe 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 Sidespin. An “X” in this column indi-cates that the machine has spinning wheels that don’t justtouch the ball on top and bottom. The wheels that are onthe sides of the balls can be spun faster than the others toput spin on the sides of the ball. This is mainly helpful forsimulating serves.

Lobster Elite

PROPULSION

Playmate Genie Deuce

SAM Coach

Robot Optimizers Boomer




No Oscillation. Machines with an “X” in this column are notcapable 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. However,you cannot practice forehands and backhands at the same timeunless you’re willing to use a little extra footwork.

Oscillation – Random. These machines are capable offeeding balls randomly to different locations on the court to sim-ulate real play. However, as we explained before, you need todo a little more inquiring to find out just how randomly themachine can shoot balls. Some machines can choose randomlybetween two positions, while others can shoot balls virtuallyanywhere on the court.

Oscillation – Programmable. This is another feature thatrequires a closer look. Machines in this column have a controlpanel that allows you to shoot balls in a pattern that you deter-mine. But look to the next few columns to see how complicateda program you can give it.

# of Shots in Program. This column indicates how manydifferent shots you can program before the machine repeats itsprogram. So, machines that have a higher number in this col-umn offer you the opportunity to create a more complicateddrill for yourself or your students.

Number of Programs That Can Be Stored. If yousee a number in this column, it indicates that the machine can

store programs you design for use at another time, and howmany programs it can store in its memory.

Adjustable Depth within Program. These machinesoffer the opportunity to create even more complicated drillsbecause they allow you to feed one ball deep in the court fol-lowed by another ball that is shorter in the court.

Adjustable Spin within Program. Again, these machinesoffer more complicated drills because they allow you to vary theamount of topspin or underspin from one shot to the next.

Adjustable Height within Program. These machinesallow you to vary the height of the balls during the program. So,you can practice against a ball that comes high over the net fol-lowed by another ball that is fed low over the net.

Adjustable Interval within Program. These machinesallow you to vary the time between ball feeds during the program.This way you can tell the machine to feed you a lob and wait longenough for you to hit the overhead before feeding the next ball.Or you can program a longer time between balls you will be hit-ting from the baseline than balls you will be hitting from the net.

Player Simulation Mode. Machines with an "X" in thiscolumn offer a mode that is designed to simulate playing againstanother player. Some machines even offer the ability to pro-gram a delay between certain shots to better simulate therhythm of a real point. For example, a delay would usually beneeded after a lob is fed.

Runs on Battery or Power Cord. An “X” in this columnmeans that you can power the machine with a battery or apower cord plugged into an electrical outlet.

Runs on Power Cord Only. Machines in this columnrequire an electrical outlet for power.

Runs on Battery Only. These machines can only be pow-ered by a rechargeable battery.

Battery Amp/Hour. This is an indication of how much“juice there is in the batteries.” It is a measure of the number ofamps of electricity the battery can deliver in 1 hour. One manu-facturer described amp/hours as being like a car’s gas tank.More amp/hours is like a bigger gas tank, meaning that themachine can run longer on a charge. We are publishing thisnumber instead of the machine’s battery life. We felt publishingthis number for each machine helps reduce any discrepancies inthe battery life that is indicated by each of the manufacturers.

Battery Life Indicator. These machines have some sort ofindicator to let you know how much battery life is left. Onceagain, some of these indicators are more informative than oth-ers. Talk with the manufacturer for a more detailed descriptionof how it works.

Battery Swapability. An "X" in this column means that thebattery can be removed from the machine. This can make themachine lighter for lifting it in and out of your car. And, if youpurchase a spare battery, you can replace a battery that isalmost out of juice with a fresh one without having to go homeand recharge. Some machines even offer cases to carry the battery.

Smart Charger Comes Standard. All battery-operatedmachines come with a charger to recharge the batteries as theywear down. But, machines with an “X” in this column comewith a smart charger included in the listed price. A smart charg-er is designed to recharge your battery until it is fully charged.Then, when your battery is fully charged, it reduces the voltage

OSCILLATION

POWER

Remote Control Available as Option. These machines donot come with a remote, but you can buy one. Look at the next sev-eral columns to find out what the remote controls and whether it iswireless.

Remote Control – Cord. The remote controls that are avail-able for these machines are actually wired to the machine, makingthem a little less portable. However, some of them do allow you tocontrol more of the settings on the machine.

Remote Control – Wireless. The remote controls that areavailable for these machines are not actually attached to themachine. So, you can take them wherever you want as long as thesignal is strong enough to reach the machine.

Remote Control of Oscillation. These remotes are actuallyable to turn the oscillation feature of the machine off and on in addi-tion to being able to start or stop the balls from feeding.

Remote Control of Program Settings. These remotesallow you to control the program settings. So, you don’t have to goback to the machine to change the order of shots.

that it feeds to the battery to just enough to keep it fully charged. Aregular charger would keep feeding excess electricity to your batteryafter it is fully charged until the charger is unplugged. This excesselectricity can degrade your battery and ultimately shorten your bat-tery’s lifespan. But, a smart charger allows you to keep your chargerplugged in without damaging your battery.

Smart Charger Available as Option. Machines with a dol-lar amount in this column come with a standard charger included inthe listed price. But, for the extra fee listed in this column, you canget a smart charger (as described in the previous feature) instead.

REMOTE CONTROL

POWER CONTINUED

Cover Comes Standard. These machines come with a coverincluded in the price listed.

Cover Available as an Option. This column indicateswhether the manufacturer makes an optional cover available andhow much it costs.

Includes Wheels for Portability. Machines with an “X” inthis column have wheels attached to them to make the machineeasier to move around.

Other Optional Accessories. This column lists any otheroptional accessories that are available for each machine and howmuch each accessory costs. It also lists any special features that wedid not create columns for.

MISCELLANEOUS

Silent Partner Star

Tennis Tutor Pro Lite

Super Coach


Sports Attack Ace Attack

T E N N I S A P P A R E L

BolleFrom Bolle’s Orange Crush group, the spaghetti-strapped topis black with a white mesh insert across the front and orangetrim at the neck. The skirt with attached shorts is part of thenew basics for the High Performance line and is solid whitewith white mesh inserts. With a 92/8 poly/spandex fabrica-tion, the material features moisture wicking and UV protec-tion, along with anti-bacterial and anti-static properties.

www.bolletenniswear.com • 888-977-7272

As summer wears on, court apparelfor women becomes more feminine,with dazzling prints, color blocking,a mix of textures and the return ofthe dress. For men, clothes arebold and graphic, with splashes ofbright color combos.


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

FLASHPOINTS


LBHThe current summer collection forWimbledon has been re-designed andexpanded by 40 percent to feature ath-letic performance fabrics in expressivecolors and vivid prints that emphasizecomfort and fit. There are four lines inthis collection. Rio, featured here,sports a hot pink, purple and whitepalette with plaid prints, shirring detailsand mesh inserts. A plaid pleated skirtwith a coordinating cross-back tank isaction-ready.

www.lbhgroup.com800-421-4474


LejayLejay says its Harmony group crosses over into “inner Zen” with anabstract, yin-yang inspired print. The ruffled camisole dress has abuilt-in bra (style H3446, suggested retail $64) and is shown with asolid tie-front shrug in chocolate brown (H4972, $44), making it asmart outfit for on and off the court. The Harmony group has anAugust delivery.

www.lejay.com • 800-932-7535

ReebokThe Geranium collection features strappy dresses inblue-green and sassy pink with Reebok’s “Kinetic FitSystem,” so they’re semi-fitted with ease-of-move-ment stretch side panels. The blue dress sports a beltin the same fabric; the pink shows off both shiny andmatte textures (a design feature that also shows up inother brands’ apparel lines, too). Each dress has abuilt-in bra and comes in a breathable UV “Playdry”blend of 81/17 polyester/elastane.

www.reebok.com • 781-401-5000


TailTail plays up ever-fashionable navy in its Match Point line, part of theTail Tech group, which is shipping now. Showcasing hues of Mid-night and Orangina, the skirts, tops and dresses—which Tails sayshave shown strong sales this year—stand out with color-blocking,strappy details and a two-toned mesh, creating a movable flow of fitand flare. A Meryl/nylon blend affords a breathable performance fitcombined with an ultra-soft feel..

www.tailinc.com • 800-678-8245

FilaMen are not left out when it come tograbbing center court attention: Filahas come out with cutting-edge boldgraphics that pros such as Janko Tip-sarevic are wearing. A yellow andblack men's printed shirt, which pairswith black shorts, is from the CenterCourt collection. The entire collectionis 100 percent poly with the exceptionof the Center Court short, which is 85stretched twill/15 spandex. The closedhole mesh in the short is 100 percentpoly. Some of the pieces containmesh inserts that provide ventilationand allow the skin to breathe.

www.fila.com800-787-FILA


SOFT TOUCHESFlorida is home to all fivesoft-court facility winners,and they’re fine examples forthe rest of the country, too.

All of the outdoor soft-court winners of the Racquet SportsIndustry/American Sports Builders Association 2007 Distin-guished Facility-of-the-Year Awards are in Florida, but that’s

pretty much where the similarities among these five end.Four of the five use soft-court material from Lee Tennis, and

those same four also opted for the efficiency and conservation ofsubsurface irrigation. The four projects ranged from two courts atL’Hermitage in Fort Lauderdale to the impressive 15-court facility atPonte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach. The fifth facility, thethree courts at Trump Palace in Sunny Isles, uses synthetic turf ona roof deck.

Three of the five projects (L’Hermitage, Windstar on Naples andPonte Vedra Inn & Club) were considered upgrades, and all threeinvolved either converting or demolishing existing conventionalclay courts in favor of sub-surface irrigated courts. The big projectat Ponte Vedra involved demolition of 16 clay courts and the con-struction of 15 new hydrocourts, eight with lighting, in conjunctionwith a clubhouse expansion project. Fast-Dry Courts of PompanoBeach, Fla., did this job, and they had to schedule the demolitionand reconstruction in phases to accommodate very active tennisprograms that required courts to be open and available at all times.

Fast-Dry Courts had four of the five winners in this category,including the Trump Palace project. The customer wanted a forgiv-ing surface that would hold up to very windy conditions on the roofdeck and was concerned about clay maintenance and the possibili-ty that clay might be blown around the facility. So Fast-Dry sug-gested the three courts use a synthetic turf.

Fast-Dry also handled the upgrades on L’Hermitage and Wind-star on Naples Bay. L’Hermitage is right on the beach, in extreme-ly windy conditions. The new subsurface irrigation system on thetwo courts solved a drainage problem so that now the courts remainmoist and clay material doesn’t blow around the facility. At Wind-star, Fast-Dry converted two existing courts to hydrocourts, demol-ished two other courts and brought in extensive fill to add back fouradditional courts.

The six courts at the Vivante facility in Punta Gorda are new con-struction and also have subsurface irrigation. The building schedulerequired the contractor to construct two courts, then six monthslater build the final four courts, so care was needed to tie in the cor-rect elevation to the first two courts.

While Florida may be home to all five of the 2007 soft-courtaward winners, these facilities are fine examples to follow wherev-er you’re located. —Peter Francesconi

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

SOFT TOUCHES

Windstar on Naples BayNaples, Fla.(Nominated by Fast-Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)Number of Courts: 6Architect/Contractor: Fast-Dry CourtsSurface: Lee Tennis HyrdoBlendSubsurface Irrigation: Lee TennisLine Tapes: Lee TennisNet Posts, Windscreens: J.A. Cissel

L’HermitageFort Lauderdale, Fla.(Nominated by Fast-Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)Number of Courts: 2Architect/Contractor: Fast-Dry CourtsSurface: Lee Tennis HydroBlendSubsurface Irrigation: Lee TennisLine Tapes: Lee TennisNet Posts: J.A. CisselWindscreens: M. Putterman


Ponte Vedra Inn & ClubPonte Vedra Beach, Fla.(Nominated by Fast-Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)Number of Courts: 15Specialty/General Contractor: Fast-Dry CourtsSurface: Lee Tennis HydroBlendSubsurface Irrigation: Lee TennisLine Tapes: Lee TennisNet Posts: J.A. CisselWindscreens, Center Straps, Anchors: Ball ProductsLighting: RLS TE 2000Trench Drain: Zurn Industries

Trump PalaceSunny Isles, Fla.(Nominated by Fast-Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)Number of Courts: 3General/Specialty Contractor: Fast-Dry CourtsNet Posts: Lee TennisWindscreens: J.A. Cissel

Vivante Tennis FacilityPunta Gorda, Fla.(Nominated by Ritzman Tennis Courts, Fort Myers, Fla.)Number of Courts: 6General Contractor: Bove CompanySurface: Lee Tennis Har-TruSubsurface Irrigation: Lee TennisWindscreens: C&N ScreenLighting: Tech Light 2000 SeriesNet Posts: J.A. CisselNets: Superior Court SuppliesFencing: U.S. Wholesale Pipe & Tube

For details on the2008 DistinguishedFacility-of-the-YearAwards, contact theASBA at 866-501-ASBA or [email protected].


string PLAYTEST

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 5somewhat easier 13about as easy 18not quite as easy 1not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 3somewhat better 11about as playable 10not quite as playable 12not nearly as playable 1

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 3somewhat better 10about as durable 21not quite as durable 3not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability (17th overall) 3.7Durability 3.6Power 3.4Control (6th overall) 3.8Comfort (3rd overall) 3.9Touch/Feel (19th overall) 3.5Spin Potential 3.4Holding Tension 3.6Resistance to Movement 3.3

TGV is a multifilament string from Tecnifi-

bre that is made of bundles of micro

fibers, imbued with Polyurethane 400.

According to Tecnifibre, the composite

micro fiber bundles give TGV its dynamic

properties and power. The Polyurethane

400, which makes up 45 percent of the

string, can stretch up to 400 percent of its

length, providing comfort by reducing

shock and vibration. TGV is also coated

with Silicone Pyrogene Lubritec (SPL) to

improve durability by reducing abrasion

that can lead to notching and wear.

According to Tecnifibre, TGV is the softest

string on the market, and in fact Tecnifi-

bre recommends it for players who want a

soft string with maximum comfort.TGV is available in 16 (1.30 mm) and 17

(1.25) in natural only. It is priced from$13.50 per 40-foot set. For more informa-tion or to order, contact Tecnifibre at 877-332-0825, or visit www.tecnifibre.com. Besure to read the conclusion for more infor-mation about getting a free set to try foryourself.

IN THE LABWe tested the 16-gauge TGV (1.30 mm).The coil measured 40 feet. The diametermeasured 130-1.33 mm prior to stringing,and 1.25-1.27 mm after stringing. Werecorded a stringbed stiffness of 74 RDCunits immediately after stringing at 60pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x18 pattern) on a constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 65 RDC units, represent-ing a 12 percent tension loss. Our controlstring, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold16, measured 78 RDC units immediatelyafter stringing and 71 RDC units after 24hours, representing a 9 percent tension loss.TGV added 15 grams to the weight of ourunstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeks by37 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratingsfrom 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind tests, withplaytesters receiving unmarked strings in

unmarked packages. Average number ofhours playtested was 29.2.

Out of the package, Tecnifibre TGVfeels very smooth, with low coil memory.During stringing, it has a slight tendencytoward kinking, and there can be someclamp bruising and minor burning of themains while installing the crosses. The tipdid get a little mushy, but it still managedto negotiate each of our blocked holes.

No playtester broke his sample duringstringing, two reported problems withcoil memory, one reported problemstying knots, and one reported frictionburn.

ON THE COURTTecnifibre promises maximum comfortfrom TGV, and our playtest team agreedthat it delivers, giving it a 3rd-place rating(out of the 122 strings we’ve playtestedto date). The only two strings rated morehighly than TGV for comfort are a naturalgut string, and Tecnifibre’s X-OneBiphase. (See our playtest report of X-OneBiphase in the August 2004 issue of RSI.)In case you’re wondering, 4th place in theComfort category is Tecnifibre Xr3, whichyou can read all about in the May 2008RSI playtest report.

Our playtest team also rated TGV 6thoverall for Control, 17th overall for Playa-bility, and 19th overall for Touch/Feel, giv-ing Tecnifibre TGV a remarkable fourtop-20 placements.

At the same time, though, ourplaytesters rated TGV as well above aver-age in Durability, Power, Spin Potential,and Tension Retention. As a result, Tec-nifibre TGV’s overall average rating isgood enough to place it 12th overall ofthe 122 strings we’ve playtested to datefor publication.

Four playtesters broke the sample dur-ing the on-court evaluation period, one atfive hours, one at nine hours, one at 10hours, and one at 12 hours.

CONCLUSIONWith top-20 ratings in Comfort, Control,Playability, and Touch/Feel, and an overallaverage to match, it should not be diffi-cult to identify those among your cus-tomers who are going to love TGV. This isespecially true if your customers want areally soft string with pretty good Resis-tance to Movement.

If you think that Tecnifibre TGV mightbe for you, fill out the coupon to get afree set to try. —Greg Raven �

Tecnifibre TGV


4.5 male serve-and-volleyer using Völkl DNX10 Mid strung at 54 pounds CP (Natural Gut 17)

“ This is a very comfortable string with someserious power. I had to work a little extra toget spin, but, with proper timing, the result isan extremely heavy ball. Touch shots are easyto execute. Compact volleys produce penetrat-ing results.” 5.5 male serve-and-volleyerusing Wilson nSix One (68 Holes) strung at 62pounds CP (Luxilon Original Rough 16L)

“ This is not an average nylon string. It hasa great combination of control, comfort, andfeel. My first stroke was dead accurate. This isone of those strings that invites you to ‘swingaway.’ Trajectory and depth are very pre-dictable. No adjustment needed.” 4.0 maleall-court player using Völkl DNX 8 strung at58 pounds CP (Wilson Reaction 17)

“ This string has the unmistakable feel of ahigh quality multifilament. The comfort andplayability are apparent from the first hit. Itseems to hold tension and resist movementbetter than most strings in its class. This stringwill find a home in my inventory.” 5.0 malebaseliner with heavy spin using Head Flex-point Instinct strung at 62 pounds LO (WilsonSensation 16)

“ Installation is fast and easy. The usualmultifilament clouding occurs with clamping,but nothing out of the ordinary. Seems tostretch less than its peers. Though this doesnot play as well as natural gut, it comes close.Comfort, spin, and durability are excellent.There is almost no wear after 23 hours.”

TESTERS TALK

“ Great feel! I have some wrist issues, so I pre-fer soft strings. This string absorbs shock as wellas any I’ve tried.” 3.5 male serve-and-volleyerusing Head i.Radical MP strung at 63 pounds LO(Wilson K-Gut 16)

“ The strings move too much and the feel isdead. For such a comfortable string, I am sur-prised by the lifeless response.” 4.0 male all-court player using Head Flexpoint 6 MP strung at56 pounds CP (Gamma ESP 17)

FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAMTecnifibre will send a free set of TGV to USRSA members who cut out

(or copy) this coupon and mail it to:USRSA, Attn: Tecnifibre String Offer,330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

or fax to 760-536-1171, or email the info below to [email protected]

Offer expires 15 July 2008 Offer only available to USRSA members 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.

USRSA, Attn: Tecnifibre String Offer,330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

or fax to 760-536-1171,or email the info below to [email protected]

For the rest of the tester comments, visit www.racquetsportsindustry.com.

allow the clamp to hold the string withoutcrushing it. Some machines clamps, forwhatever reason, are also textured on theoutside of the clamp, away from theclamping surface. If your machine hasthese, make certain that you don’t rubthe string across the outside surface whilepulling the string through the grommets.This is most likely on the first couple ofmains outside of the throat area, whenyou are clamped at the throat and weav-ing the mains toward the head. Even aclamp with a relatively light and“smooth” texture can really skin yourstring.5 sets of Head FXP 16 to:James Sly, Carpinteria, CA

KEEPING YOURKNOTS OFF THE MAINSThere are a few racquets out there wherethe last knot for the crosses touches oneof the main strings. There is so little space

and TECHNIQUES

FANNING THE CROSSESI use what I thought was a simple tech-nique for fanning the crosses, but many ofthe other stringers I’ve seen don’t do it theway I do, so I thought I’d share. As I startto pull the cross through with one hand, Iuse the other hand to push this stringaway from the previously installed string(that is, into the open area of the mains).Also, instead of fanning in the center ofthe stringbed, I fan on the side closer tothe loop of the string, away from the sidefrom which I’m pulling.

This technique allows me to work fairlyquickly without burning the mains.5 sets of Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 withWearGuard to:Alan Yoshida, Santa Monica, CA

AVOID YOURTEXTURED CLAMPSOne of the great innovations in stringclamps is the textured clamp faces, which


tips

between the main and the grommet forthe tie-off hole that you can’t fit even thesmallest knot in without touching themain.

Rather than making a new tie-off holeby enlarging a non-tie-off hole, I try touse either an Around-The-World or boxstringing technique, depending in whichallows me to use a different tie-off hole.The reason one of these techniquesworks is because they eliminate the nor-mal tie-offs for the mains at the throat,which means you can tie off the crossesat the throat using one of the tie-offholes for the main.5 sets of Prince Synthetic Gut 16 withDuraFlex to:L. Hodges, Fresno, CA

TLC FOR THAT LAST WEAVEIt always bothered me to have to pull thelast cross through the weave, becausethere is usually no room to fan the cross,

Readers’ Know-How in Action


Tips and Techniques submitted since 2000

by USRSA members, and appearing in this

column, have all been gathered into a sin-

gle volume of the Stringer’s Digest—Rac-

quet Service Techniques which is a benefit

of USRSA membership. Submit tips to: Greg

Raven, USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA

92804; or email [email protected].

and you’re pulling through whatamounts to a hard weave, which can bevery tough on both that last cross andthe mains you’re pulling across. If you’reworking with natural gut, this pull caneven unravel and delaminate the strands.

What I now do instead of the bruteforce pull is I measure how much stringI’ll need for that last weave, and addenough to reach the tension head, andcut off the excess. Then, I feed the looseend completely through the outsidegrommet, and make a loop at the firstmain where the cross has to go under-neath. I push the loop down with onehand, and then up with the other handon the other side of the main, and pullthe loose end of the loop through. Irepeat this at each main.

Because you are working with a short-er length of string to begin with, andbecause there is very little friction on theloose end of the loop, it pulls rightthrough without burning either the mainor the cross.

This technique takes a bit longer thanthe brute force method, but it is really

gentle on the string. I also use this tech-nique when stringing a racquet with anAround-The-World or box method, whereyou can have three or four areas whereyou don’t want simply to pull one stringacross the other already-installed strings.5 sets of NXT Duo 16 to:Jeff Officer, Del Mar, CA

POLYESTER LINT COLLECTORI am amazed at how much lint polyester-based strings pick up. This lint gets caughtin the grommet holes when you pull thestring through and, once you’ve ten-sioned the string, it’s very difficult (if notimpossible) to dig out the lint. Now I keepa can of compressed air by my stringer.Before each pull, I simply blow the lintfrom the hole from the opposite side ofthe pull.5 sets of Dunlop Tour Performance 16to:Doug Hofer, CS, Visalia, CA

NATURAL GUT COATINGNatural gut is coated for protection.Unfortunately, this coating clogs even the

best string clamps very quickly. Before theend of a string job, you could see thestring beginning to slip in the clamps. Mysolution is to do a light clearing of theclamp faces after installing the mains butbefore installing the crosses.

I use a little alcohol and an old tooth-brush. I dry the clamps quickly with a canof compressed air. In no time at all theclamps are clean and ready for the cross-es. There will be no string slippage on thisstring job!5 sets of Babolat Xcel Premium 16 to:Fred S. McWilliams, Arlington, TX

—Greg Raven �

Keeping The Ball In PlayAn avid league player enjoys tennis notonly as a great form of exercise, but asa form of community, too.

When I graduated from college, Iwas armedwith a creative writingdegree and a vague interest in

journalism. More importantly, I was equippedwith six summers of teaching tennis.

My first year out, in addition to apply-ing to over a dozen graduate programs, Itaught the game I love and realized thatonce you’ve graduated, keeping up yourskills can be tough. If I hadn’t been teach-ing 30 hours a week, my game wouldhave worsened considerably. I couldn’tafford to pay for indoor court time inPittsburgh half the year, and I simplydidn’t have the contacts.

Prior to graduating, there had alwaysbeen some commitment to tennis. Formalobligations began in elementary schoolwith clinics, and ended with my collegecareer (I was a modestly decent player atCarnegie Mellon University, Division III.)

The informal commitment wasomnipresent, like the tacit agreement mysiblings and I had with our father thattennis was just a part of our life. My dad,a strong 5.0 player himself, started uswith his old racquetball racquets againstthe brick wall of what would become myelementary school. He shinnied up to theroof of the one-story building to retrievecountless balls. He was patient, encourag-ing and made it fun—likely why I still loveplaying.

My first real challenge in keeping mygame up came in graduate school. Aftereight years of team tennis with daily prac-tices and regular match play, journalismschool was a tough year for my game. Iknew no one other than a college team-mate who was only home for the sum-mer, and my attempts with Craig’s Listresulted in a few uncomfortable sessionswith men who had seriously overratedthemselves. Still, I managed to hit fairlyregularly with a strong undergrad who I

nearly accosted when I saw he had racquetssticking out of his book bag.

After graduate school, I moved toDurham, N.C., where my fiancé was goingto law school, and there came a time whenI knew I had to focus on a career as awriter—though the thought of getting backinto teaching tennis was tempting. I had tofigure out how to play on my own with thedistractions of a day job, marriage and all ofthose other grown-up responsibilities.

The answer came in the form of USTALeague Tennis. The first few months I livedin Durham, I casually asked around if therewere people who liked to hit, but didn’treally find consistent tennis buddies until Imet a woman who captained numerousteams. She came along as a referral from areferral from a friend, and she turned out tobe a tennis godsend, completely embeddedin the local scene. She wasted no time inscooping me up into numerous leagues.

B Y E L I Z A B E T H S H E S T A K

Since then I’ve played everything from4.5 women’s singles to 9.0 mixed dou-bles. I’ve also supported a grassroots ten-nis club, and play indoors during thewinter months. I’ve made close friends,played in a few tournaments and canproudly say that my game hasn’t sufferedtoo, too much since my days as a collegeathlete.

At times it can be frustrating, howev-er, since it’s not all solid topspin anddepth. Though I have found some strongpartners who hit a quality ball and like topractice directionals, many of the peopleI compete with did not play in college oreven as children. Most are incrediblecompetitors, however, who just hap-pened to catch the tennis bug later inlife.

So my tennis world is now filled withan eclectic mix of hitting styles. Theunorthodox strokes can be maddening;I’m not going to lie. But the wonky servesand mis-hit winners come with womenwho have better mid-court games thenmany of my college teammates.

And it’s wonderful. I’m now a bitmore well-rounded. I have also come toenjoy the game as not only a physicaloutlet, but as a form of community aswell.

I think of all of the players I’ve hit withsince childhood and wonder how manyare still making time each week to get onthe court. As my father has always said,tennis is a lifetime sport, and at 27, I’mjust getting warmed up. �

Your Serve

Elizabeth Shestak is a freelancewriter living in Durham, N.C.,and can be reached [email protected]

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


“I’ve made close

friends, played in a

few tournaments

and can proudly

say that my game

hasn’t suffered

too, too much

since my days as a

college athlete.”

200807 racquet sports industry

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