201102 racquet sports industry

February 2011Volume 39 Number 2 $5.00www.racquetsportsindustry.com

OUTLOOK 2011� Racquets� Shoes� Apparel� Strings

Facility-of-the-YearAward Winners

OUTLOOK 2011� Racquets� Shoes� Apparel� Strings

Facility-of-the-YearAward Winners

DEPARTMENTS

R S I F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Maria Sharapova switchesto Head

7 Pro-1 Sports, Puttermanform partnership

7 New USTA Board ofDirectors takes office

8 USTA invests millionsfor 10U tennis

8 PTR Symposium setfor Hilton Head

8 ASBA elects new officersand directors

11 Nine earn ASBA certifiedcourt builder status

12 Peoplewatch

12 NGI Sports useseco-friendly material

13 TIA offers PTR-brandedTennisConnect edition

15 Tennis Night in Americais Feb. 28

16 Short Sets

16 Head contest winnerhits with Agassi, Graf

16 Sampras trophies stolen

4 Our Serve

7 Industry News

18 Pioneers in Tennis: Brad Parks

21 TIA News

36 Tips and Techniques

38 String Playtest: Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 17

48 Your Serve, by Jeff Lewis

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2011 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

ContentsContentsOUTLOOK 201124 Racquets: Technology Pushes On

Manufacturers are still spending onR&D, and in 2011, many expect con-sumer interest to focus on mid-sizeframes.

26 Footwear: Performance is KingIn tennis shoes, consumers want it all—fit, durability, light weight, great looks.But in the end, it’s all about how theywork on court.

28 Apparel: A Colorful GameTenniswear makers are hoping theirhigh-tech features and fashionable lookswill catch the eye of consumers.

30 Strings: In the KnowFor players, string knowledge is power,and control, and comfort—and is lead-ing to more business for stringers andretailers.

FEATURE

34 Head of the ClassWith the Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards, RSI and the ASBA bringyou the best in tennis court constructionand design.

Our Serve(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

PublishersDavid Bone Jeff Williams

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Contributing EditorsRobin BatemanCynthia CantrellJoe DinofferLiza HoranGreg MoranBob 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 is published 10 times per

year: monthly January through August and com-

bined issues in September/October and Novem-

ber/December by Tennis Industry and USRSA, 330

Main St., Vista, CA 92084. Application to Mail at

Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Vista, CA and

additional mailing offices. February 2011, Volume

39, Number 2 © 2011 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.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2011

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

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Why You Need to Get in the Kids' Game!

By now, you’re probably aware of the bigpush by the USTA and the industry for 10-and-under tennis (see Industry News item on

page 8). In all the debate before the holidays—about mandating 10U guidelines for tournaments,whether it’s good for “the best” 9- and 10-year-olds, and on and on—we seemed to have lost sightof a key reason to support this: It will help yourbusiness.

If that’s not clear enough for you, how about this: You can make moneywith 10-and-under tennis.

Let’s focus on what’s important for you: your business, your profits,your bottom line. The simple fact is, with 10U tennis on shorter courts,with age-appropriate equipment, you put more kids on court at one timeand can charge a lot more for that hour. You keep kids in the game, so youensure future customers. You also sell them—and their parents—equip-ment, footwear, apparel, balls and accessories. And, in many cases, youcan get their parents playing tennis again.

Is this so hard to understand? Is this so hard to support? Whether youare a teaching pro, facility manager or pro shop owner, you should be allover this initiative.

A lot of times, when initiatives in tennis are started, the focus is on allthe (very valid) altruistic reasons: tennis is healthy, it helps fight obesity inkids and adults, it’s a lifetime sport, it develops body and mind, we allshould support the game, etc., etc.

Yeah, that’s all great, but right now, with 10U tennis, let’s just focus onhow it can immediately, and positively, affect your business. 10U tenniscan bring in more money, keep your staff employed, help you pay yourbills, help keep your facility or store open.

Oh, and yes, it’s great for the game.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

And the good news…. Back in the April, we first heard that Jaime Kaplan, a colleague andtrue tennis advocate from Macon, Ga., was diagnosed with leukemia. She kept everyoneinformed of her treatments through CaringBridge.org, and on Dec. 13, the word we all hopedwe would hear came through, in all capitals, of course: REMISSION!! “Thanks for your loveand prayers. We BEAT leukemia!” Jaime wrote in her brief, ecstatic blog post. Needless to say,we are all thrilled.

RSI is on Facebook. Become a fan and keep up with all thelatest news and information at facebook.com/rsimagazine.

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSI 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

New USTA BoardTakes Office

The 2011-2012USTA Board ofDirectors offi-cially began itsterm Jan. 1 and

includes seven first-timeboard members. The Chair-man of the Board and Presi-dent is Jon Vegosen ofChicago. He takes over fromLucy S. Garvin, who willremain on the USTA boardin her role as immediatepast president.

David A. Haggerty of Pen-nington, N.J., is the USTAboard’s first vice president.Traditionally, the first vicepresident has become thenext president of the organ-ization. Other vice presi-dents are Katrina M.Adamsof White Plains, N.Y., andCarol J.Welder of Austin,Texas. Donald L. Tisdel ofLake Oswego, Ore., willserve his third consecutiveterm as secretary-treasurer.

Directors-at-large are SethG. Abraham of New York,N.Y., Dale G. Caldwell ofNew Brunswick, N.J.,William J. Kellogg of LaJolla, Calif., John N. Korff ofKey Biscayne, Fla., DelaineB. Mast of Lancaster, Pa.,Andrew A. Valdez of SaltLake City, Patrick J. Gal-braith of Bainbridge Island,Wash., Chanda Rubin ofLafayette, La., and Jeffrey G.Tarango of ManhattanBeach, Calif.

R S I F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1

February 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Maria Sharapova Switches from Prince to Head

Former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova has joined the Head stable of players and, according to thecompany, is working with Head to develop a new racquet for her game. The 23-year-old Russian,currently ranked No. 18 in the world, split with Prince Sports in December, after 10 years.

“I’m excited to be on the Head team and look-ing forward to this partnership,” says Sharapova.“With my new Head weapon, I am confident [Ican] regain a spot among the Top 10 again soon.”She joins the Head team that includes NovakDjokovic, Andy Murray, Robin Soderling, VictoriaAzarenka and Svetlana Kuznetsova.“We’re proud to have Maria on board with so

many other great tennis athletes,” says Head N.V.CEO Johan Eliasch. “She definitely helps us build amuch stronger women’s team.”In addition to the high-performance tour rac-

quet line, Head’s sponsorship of Sharapova alsoincludes a range of junior and kids’ racquets, acces-sories and tennis bags, to be launched at retail inthe fall and supported by a marketing and communication campaign.Head says Sharapova will be “closely involved” in the developmentand design of these products.In 2004, at age 17, Sharapova won her first Grand Slam title, at

Wimbledon, then claimed titles at the 2006 US Open and 2008 Aus-tralian Open. She’s been ranked World No. 1 in singles four separatetimes before shoulder problems in October 2008 forced her out of thegame for nearly 10 months. Off-court, Sharapova has been featured ina number of modelling assignments, including in the Sports Illustrat-ed Swimsuit Issue. In 2010, she was elected Favorite WTA Singles Play-er, as well as Most Fashionable On Court and Most Fashionable OffCourt Player in the WTA Fan Favorite Voting Awards.Sharapova’s former company, Prince, says it will continue to have the rights to market and sell

Sharapova signature line products throughout 2011.

Pro-1 Sports and Putterman Join Forces

Putterman Athletics has joined with PRO-1 Sports. The partnership was announced in Decem-ber in a joint letter by Scott Walker of Pro-1 Sports and Benjamin Belier of Putterman. “Thisjoint venture brings together two leading companies with complementary strategic visions

and product technologies and a commitment to customer satisfaction,” the letter said. “By workingtogether, we will be able to reduce costs and improve our operations. This in turn will enable us toprovide more valuable service and support to you.”Currently, PRO-1 Sports, headquartered in Marietta, Ga., manufactures and sells various sporting

equipment products. Putterman Athletics, with warehouses in Chicago, has a line of windscreen,padding and sports netting.Putterman/Pro-1 Sports LLC can be reached at 770-590-0001 or [email protected]

Champions Series Circuit Reformats

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment announced an expanded and re-for-matted Champions Series tennis circuit starting in 2011, with one-nightevents in 12 North American markets played this fall.Each new Champions Series event will feature a field of four major cham-

pions competing in a one-night shootout tournament with two semifinalmatches followed immediately by a championship match. Players will com-pete for ranking points and a prize money bonus pool for the top three fin-ishers on the circuit. Information on venues, dates, player fields, sponsors,ticket information and television airings will be announced in the comingmonths.The Champions Series is a New York-based tennis circuit for champion

tennis players over the age of 30 run by InsideOut Sports + Entertainment,co-owned and operated by former SFX executive Jon Venison and formerworld No. 1 Jim Courier.

USTA to Invest Millions for Kid’s Tennis

Over the next three years, the USTA plans to invest $5 millionin 100 markets to foster the growth of 10-and-under tennis. The

money will go toward marketing, training, courts, competition, schools andequipment—and it also will be matched by USTA sections, district and/or stateassociations, as well as local associations. The average investment per markethas been estimated at $50,000.“There is nothing we can think of that is more central or more important at

this time to growing participation, developing players, creating fans, etc. thanthis 10-and-under initiative,” says Scott Schultz, the USTA’s managing directorof Recreational Tennis. “If we are successful, every stakeholder in tennis wins—clubs, pros, manufacturers, events, tennis publications...everyone.”The 10-and-under tennis initiative will allow for more kids on a practice

court, translating into higher revenue for facilities, coaches and teaching pros.In the 5 to 8 age group, for instance, some programs are currently using six 36-foot courts positioned sideways on one 78-foot court, with six kids per court.With up to 36 kids on one practice court, that can mean higher revenue forcourt time, per hour.Some organizations are already implementing this system in competition,

setting up two to four courts on 36-foot courts. “For clubs and coaches that runthese types of events, it is very beneficial,” says Schultz, who also leads the 45-person team at USTA for 10-and-under tennis. “You can get more kids per courtcompetition, and the events don’t take as long.”Because of the investment in the 100 markets, the USTA says it will phase

out its Recreational Tennis Grants by the end of 2011. However, USTA Serveswill continue to offer grants for tennis programs with an educational compo-nent servicing underserved youth and others.

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ASBA Elects NewOfficers and Directors

The American Sports Builders Associationhas elected officers and directors for the

coming year. The new slate took office at theconclusion of the ASBA's Technical Meeting,held Dec. 4-6 in Florida and attended by arecord 400-plus industry members.New officers on the executive committee

include David Nielsen of Leslie Coatings Inc.,Indianapolis, who will serve as the ASBA'snew secretary-treasurer, and Randy Niese ofRobbins Sports Surfaces, Cincinnati, electedto the position of Indoor Division President.ASBA also elected several new members

of its board of directors. John Schedler, CFB,CTB, of Atlas Track and Tennis in Tualatin,Ore., will serve as a representative of theBuilder Division. Another new builder direc-tor is Mike Edgerton, CTCB, of CopelandCoatings in Nassau, N.Y.Re-elected to their current board of direc-

tor positions were Track Division PresidentKristoff Eldridge, CTB (Cape & Island Tennis& Track in Pocasset, Mass.), and ProfessionalDivision President Ed Norton, RLA, ASLA(Holcombe Norton Partners Inc., Birming-ham, Ala.). Bruce Haroldson of ConnorSports Flooring in Arlington Heights, Ill., wasre-elected to serve as a board of directorsrepresentative of the Supplier Division.Several individuals will continue on the

board of directors in their current office. SamFisher, CTB, of Fisher Tracks Inc. of Boone,Iowa, will remain chairman; Mark Brogan,CTCB, of Pro-Sport Construction Inc. ofDevon, Pa., continues as Tennis Divisionpresident; Dan Wright of Sports Turf Co. inWhitesburg, Ga., remains in the office ofFields Division president; and Randy Futty ofLee Tennis Court Products in Charlottesville,Va., continues as Supplier Division president.Other ASBA board members are: Rob Del-

monico of RAD Sports in Rockland, Mass.;Ben Rennolds, CTCB, of Tennis Courts Inc. inAylett, Va.; Pete Smith of The CourtSMITHs,Toledo, Ohio; Rob Righter of Nova Sports,USA in Milford, Mass.; and Chris Sullivan ofBeals Alliance in Sacramento, Calif. GeorgeTodd, Jr., CTCB, of Welch Tennis Courts Inc.,Sun City, Fla., is the Immediate Past Chair-man.The next ASBA Technical Meeting will be

Dec. 1-6, 2011, at the J.W. Marriott Resortand Spa in Palm Desert, Calif.

PTR Symposium Set for HHI

The PTR International Tennis Symposium will beFeb. 19-24 on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The Sym-

posium offers education and networking opportuni-ties and features more than 50 on-court and classroom presentations on a rangeof topics, such as drills, technique, doubles, marketing, coaching, programmingand more.Registration also includes the Awards Banquet Dinner, the Tennis Trade

Show, USTA Recognition Breakfast, Head Dinner Dance and Gamma CasinoNight Dinner. For more information, a schedule and to register, including infor-mation about Day Passes, visit ptrtennis.org.


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

USRSA Loses DotHogen, a BelovedFamily Member

Dorothy Hogen, age 84, died ofheart failure Nov. 21, 2010, in

Reno, Nev. “Dot” was part of theUSRSA family longer than anyoneelse—initially hired for just twoweeks 1984, she stayed withUSRSA for 25 years, retiring in2009.

For many years, Dot was “first up” for technical assistance callsfrom USRSA members needing help with stringing instructions,equipment decisions and just about anything else. She was a Certi-fied Stringer (1986) and a Master Racquet Technician (1993). Dot’sgenuine and friendly manner always made members feel at ease.Upon retirement, Dot moved in with daughter Jerilyn and family

in Reno. If Dot had one complaint, it was missing her on-court timewith friends and competitors. In response, her family purchased Ten-nis Channel to help satisfy her addiction and love of tennis. She tookan unofficial role as commentator so her family didn’t miss anyimportant match details.Born July 15, 1926, in San Jose, Dot is survived by her daughters,

Terri and Jerilyn (and her husband, Michael) and sons, Rory (and hiswife, Louise) and Randy, and granddaughters, Jena (and her husband,Peter) and Mallory.A memorial will be held in February. Contact Jerilyn at

[email protected] for additional details. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the fam-ily suggests donations to First American Heart Association Tributeand Memorial, 1710 Gilbreth, Burlingame, CA 94010.The entire USRSA staff, along with her family and thousands of

member/friends, will miss Dot and her independent, strong-willed,exceptionally kind manner. And we’ll always remember her constantsmile. —David Bone

9 Earn ASBA Certified Court Builder Status

Nine builders have passed the test to earn the designation CertifiedTennis Court Builder by the American Sports Builders Association.

The new CTCBs are:� John Coll, Top-A-Court Co., Hatfield, Pa.� Albert Giamei Jr., Copeland Coating Co.,Nassau, N.Y.

� Shawn Hollingsworth, SportslineInc., Exton, Pa.

� Michael McGrath, Talbot Tennis,Marietta, Ga.

� Carlos Navas, Sport Court Midwest,Bensenville, Ill.

� Larry Pitts, Court Surfaces Inc., Green Cove Springs, Fla.� JR Rockenfield, McConnell & Associates, Kansas City, Mo.� Fred Volpacchio, Hudson Design Build Group, Peekskill, N.Y.� Pat Walker, Sport Court Midwest, Bensenville, Ill.For more information on certification and the ASBA, visit sports-

builders.org.


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SF E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1

• German pro Nicolas Kiefer retiredfrom the pro tour in late December. Hesays he plans to continue working intennis, and also playing soccer.

• Rafael Nadal and Kim Clijsters bothwon the 2010 International Tennis Writ-ers Association’s Ambassador of the Yearawards, recognizing a combination ofachievements on the court, conduct thatshows tennis in the best possible lightand cooperation with the media. Nadalalso was named BBC Overseas SportsPersonality of the Year in December.

• World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki ofDenmark recently signed an endorse-ment contract with Yonex. She will playwith the company’s VCore 100S racquet.

• Roger Federer was named to Forbes'best-dressed athletes list, as was SerenaWilliams and Maria Sharapova.

• John Austin has been named thedirector of tennis at the Fairmont Scotts-dale Princess in Arizona. The tennis cen-ter at the Fairmont will also now bearhis name.

• Tom Gruger has been promoted tovice president of global marketing atWilson Sporting Goods, a newly createdposition

• The WTA named Kim Clijsters its 2010Player of the Year, the second time shehas won that honor. The Belgian alsowas recognized for her off-courtachievements with the Player Serviceaward. Her compatriot, Justine Henin,received the Comeback Player of theYear award. Other 2010 WTA awardsincluded: Petra Kvitova of the CzechRepublic, Newcomer of the Year; MariaSharapova of Russia, Humanitarian ofthe Year; and Flavia Pennetta of Italy andArgentina's Gisela Dulko, Doubles Teamof the Year.

• Brad Gilbert will be the new travelingcoach and mentor for top-100 Japaneseplayer Kei Nishikori. Gilbert is currently aguest coach at the Bradenton, Fla.-basedIMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy, where

Nishikori trains year-round under coachNick Bollettieri and his staff.

• Martina Hingis has tied the knot withFrenchman Thibault Hutin, age 24, andsix years her junior, in a mid-Decemberprivate civil ceremony in Paris. The cou-ple met in April at a horse show in St.Tropez.

• Slobodan Zivojinovic received the2010 Davis Cup Award of Excellence,presented in December by the Interna-tional Tennis Hall of Fame and the Inter-national Tennis Federation.

• RSI 2010 Wheelchair Tennis Championof the Year HarlonMatthews was slatedto conduct an“Instructing Wheel-chair Tennis Work-shop” in January atthe Midtown AthleticClub–Windy Hill in Atlanta.The workshop was presented by the PTRand Southern Tennis Association.

• Chris Myrold is the new tennis directorfor the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, man-aged by Peter Burwash International.After a two-year closure due to hurricanedamage, the award-winning Caribbeanresort re-opened in December.

• Daniel Nestor, Canada’s most decorat-ed tennis player with six Grand Slamdoubles titles and an Olympic goldmedal, has been appointed to the Orderof Canada, joining many other topCanadian athletes.

• Rafael Nadal will succeed soccer iconsDavid Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo asthe male face of Emporio Armani Under-wear and Armani jeans.

• Peter Bretherton is the new presidentof Britain’s oft-questioned Lawn TennisAssociation, for a two-year term. Also,Philip Brook has been elected chairmanof the All England Lawn Tennis Club, siteof the Wimbledon Championships. Hereplaces Tim Phillips, who retired after11 years as chairman.

P E O P L E W AT C H NGI Sports UsesEco-Friendly Celceram

TNGI Sports of Chattanooga, Tenn.,announces the use of Celceram with BioBal-

ance polymers in its Nova’Pro Tennis andTitanTrax Shield products. This green technolo-gy complements the existing soybean-basedtechnology utilized in the production of NGI’ssports surfacing systems.Celceram is a highly-refined recovered

mineral compound endorsed by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency and is care-fully selected and processed for its compo-nent and performance characteristics. It isthen combined with BioBalance polymerscontaining soybean oil, a 100-percent renew-able resource, to replace a portion of the sys-tem used in the production of NGI Sports’tennis-court surfacing systems. For moreinformation visit ngisports.com.

New Tennis Training Device

The PowerBase Tennis Trainer is a tennisskills device that allows players to hit the

ball and have it return at game speed. Themanufacturer says it helps for all types ofstrokes, quickness, hand-eye coordinationand stamina. Retail price is $39.95. Visitwww.sklz.com.

February 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 13



TIA Offers PTR-BrandedTennisConnect Edition

The TIA and PTR have produced an edi-tion of TennisConnect with a PTR-

branded theme,available for all PTRmembers to use—and customize—fortheir businesses.

TennisConnect is the TIA’s premier busi-ness tool for tennis providers and is usedby hundreds of facilities, retailers, teach-ing pros and tennis organizations.PTR members will have access to

branded content that includes Tennis-Connect features such as the courtscheduler, String Center, Demo RacquetProgram, eCalendar, contact manage-ment system and unlimited group email.The newest additions to TennisConnectinclude customized website “themes,” amobile app and leagues/ladders—alldesigned to make it easier for tennisproviders to reach players, and for play-ers to find the information they need toplay more tennis.“This is an excellent benefit for our

members,” says PTR CEO Dan Santo-rum. “TennisConnect is a great productthat is constantly improving andexpanding, with new features that helptennis providers service more playersand attract more business. This also canenhance PTR sponsors, giving them theability to put branded messages, promo-tions and templates on the PTR edition.”“I’ve used TennisConnect for five

years at both the John Drew Smith andTattnall tennis centers, and it’s reallyhelped me grow my business,” says CarlHodge, a PTR member in Macon, GA.“A PTR edition of TennisConnect will

be an excellent tool for promoting, run-ning and growing your business,” addsJorge Capestany, a PTR Master Profes-sional who also is the manager of theDeWitt Tennis Center at Hope College inHolland, MI. “I use many TennisConnectfeatures on my website, plus I put up anumber of tennis videos. TennisConnectis easy to use and works seamlessly.”Visit TennisConnect.com or contact

Marty Mohar at the TIA, 843-686-3036ext. 227 or toll-free 866-686-3036, ext.227, or [email protected].



Tennis Night In AmericaIs February 28

Feb. 28 is a big night for tennis in theU.S. In conjunction with the BNP

Paribas Showdown at Madison SquareGarden in New York City, the Mondaynight also is Youth Registration andthe third annual Tennis Night in Amer-ica.The centerpiece of Tennis Night in

America is the BNP Paribas Show-down, which this year will featureAndre Agassi vs. Pete Sampras andIvan Lendl vs. John McEnroe. But thegoal is for hundreds of tennis facili-ties in the U.S. to register youngstersfor local tennis programs, and to hostviewing parties.Tickets for the BNP Paribas are

available at ticketmaster.com. To signup to host a Youth Registration event,visit tennisnight.com.

Martina Falls Shortin Kilimanjaro Climb

Martina Navratilova spent a shorttime in Nairobi Hospital after suf-

fering from high-altitude pulmonaryoedema, an accumulation of fluid onthe lungs, which she developed whileattempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaroin Tanzania in December. The climbwas to raise funds for the Laureus Sportfor Good Foundation.Navratilova was leading the team of

fundraisers but was forced to abandonthe climb on day four and was assisteddown the mountain. The climb beganDec. 6, in the face of blizzards and tor-rential rain. But 18 of the 27 Laureusfundraisers reached the summit of the19,341-foot mountain.

Dads Brawl Down Under

Tennis Australia has warned it won'ttolerate anti-social behavior fromplayers, parents or anyone involved intennis. The warning comes after abrawl erupted at a junior tournamentat Melbourne Park, site of the Aus-tralian Open, in which one man wasarrested for assault and emergencyservices were called in to end the fightbetween two men.


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> Melanie Oudin, who plays with a Wil-son Blade 98 BLX racquet, is now wear-ing Wilson apparel and footwear.Wilson’s global business director ofapparel and footwear, Claire Ortiz,designed the line for high performanceplayers. “Melanie’s energy on the courtand winning personality are exactly whatWilson represents. We know her styleand authenticity as a player is a perfectmatch for us.”

> The doubles duo of Rohan Bopannaof India and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi ofPakistan have launched their official"Stop War Start Tennis" apparel at theChennai Open in India in January. AtWimbledon last year, the pair—fromcountries that have a long history of ten-sion—wore the message on the back oftheir T-shirts. "What started out as asimple statement has now become aworld-wide campaign,” Bopanna says.Proceeds from the sales of the T-shirts goto the players’ respective charities.

> Andy Roddick has committed to playfor the U.S. Davis Cup team in 2011. TheU.S. team faces Chile in the first roundon a red clay court in Santiago, March 4-6. The Americans will be led by theirnew captain, Jim Courier, who took overfrom Patrick McEnroe.

> Babolat has extended its partnershipwith the largest senior-level tournamentin the world—the Babolat World TennisClassic in a new three-year title sponsor-ship agreement for the USTA Super Cat-egory II event.

> Dunlop and the French Open are notrenewing their tennis ball partnershipagreement. "We have decided to con-centrate on our sponsorship of the fullclay court season prior to the FrenchOpen,” says Sunny Singh, Head ofSports Marketing for Dunlop. The com-pany supplies the balls for the tourna-ments leading up to the French Open,including ATP Masters 1000 events inRome, Madrid and Monte Carlo.

> The ATP has relocated its US OpenSeries men’s event from New Haven,Conn., to Winston-Salem, N.C., and anew outdoor tennis facility will be con-structed at Wake Forest University for

S H O R T S E T Sthe tournament. The new Winston-Salem Open will be held Aug. 21-27with a 48-player draw. Earlier in 2010,the Indianapolis US Open Series men’sevent moved to Atlanta and in 2011 willbe held at the Racquet Club of theSouth.

> In a three-year deal, Jaguar will be theofficial vehicle supplier of Britain’s LawnTennis Association.

> The USPTA has joined with theHealthy Weight Commitment Founda-tion to promote ways to help peopleachieve a healthy weight. The USPTA’s“Tennis – for the health of it!” initiativepromotes the health benefits of playingtennis and fits with the goals of theHealthy Weight Commitment Founda-tion to provide resources to encourageenergy balance and reduce obesity, espe-cially childhood obesity.

> Among the 26 USTA Eastern awardrecipients honored at the section’s annu-al meeting in late January are: LifetimeAchievement Award: Arvelia Meyers,New York, NY; Tennis Woman of theYear: Katrina Adams, White Plains, NY;Leslie J. FitzGibbon Tennis Man of theYear: Jim Neal, Schenectady, NY; TennisFamily of the Year: Thyroff Family,Rochester, NY; Club Service Award:Sportime-Randall’s Island, New York, NY;Collegiate Award: Syracuse University;USTA Community Service Award: CharlesDeNicola, Cranford, NJ; Virginia andChuck Landis High School Coach of theYear: Rich Johns, Saratoga Springs, NY.

> The Essex Resort and Spa nearBurlington, Vt., is the new title sponsorof USTA New England's League SectionChampionships, which will take place inSeptember. The Essex, a AAA Four Dia-mond resort, offers a new full-servicespa, indoor and outdoor pools and a fit-ness center, plus tennis instruction withVermont Tennis Vacations.

> California Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneg-ger presided over a ceremony in whichSerena Williams was inducted into theCalifornia Hall of Fame in December. Fel-low 2010 inductees included BarbraStreisand, Betty White, Levi Strauss,James Cameron and Mark Zuckerberg.

Head Star Series WinnerHits with Agassi, Graf

Tony Ly, 17, from Rockhill, S.C., experiencedthe match of his life with Andre Agassi and

Stefanie Graf in Las Vegas in December, afterwinning Head’s YouTek Star Series Promotion.The online promotion was featured onhead.com in 2010 with four short videos ofAgassi and Graf explaining the different tech-nologies found in the new YouTek Stars SeriesRacquets.Ly brought his 18-year-old brother Brian

with him, and both met Graf and Agassi at theAmanda & Stacy Darling Memorial Tennis Cen-ter in Las Vegas. “Thankfully, they took it easyon us, and we even managed to play somegood points and hit a few winners,” said Ly.

Sampras Trophies Stolen

In November, many of the awards and tro-phies Pete Sampras won during his illustri-ous tennis career were stolen from a publicstorage facility in Los Angeles. Sampras stillhas 13 of his 14 Grand Slam trophies, butmost of his hardware from 64 tournamentvictories, two Davis cup trophies, his firstAustralian Open trophy, an Olympic ringand six year-end championship trophieswere taken. The theft also included an auto-graphed piano bench from Elton John and asigned guitar from Carlos Santana.“Losing this stuff is like having the histo-

ry of my tennis life taken away,” the formerworld No. 1 told the Los Angeles Times.“I’m not one to gloat about trophies or showthem off. I just want them for my kids tosee. They didn’t see me play, but I wouldlike them to see these things.” Sampras saidnone of the items were insured becausethere was no way to place a value on them.The president of the International Tennis

Federation, Francesco Ricci Bitti, hasoffered to provide Sampras with replicas ofthe two Davis Cup trophies if they aren’trecovered.


Pioneers In Tennis


hen his life took a com-pletely unexpected bounce,Brad Parks responded the

way any good tennis player would. Hechanged directions. The year was1976 and Parks, a college freshman inUtah (and a casual tennis player), wasparticipating in an amateur freestyleskiing competition whenhe broke his back. It wasthe last time he wouldever walk.

"I was sitting in thehospital, thinking, whatam I going to do now?"Parks says. “I knew I hadto make the best of thesituation. I started think-ing, I wonder if you canplay tennis in a wheel-chair?"

Just weeks after beingreleased from the rehabhospital, Parks attended apicnic with his family."They were all playingtennis and I wanted to play, so theyhanded me a racquet." That was themoment Parks became not onlyinvolved in, but also key to, the develop-ment of the sport of wheelchair tennis.

In 1976, the Americans With Dis-abilities Act wasn't even on the table.Wheelchair-accessible restrooms andparking spaces weren't commonplace.Obstacles were all around. At onepoint, Parks and his father tried to playgolf together, but were turned away.The course manager was afraid Parks'wheelchair would damage the turf.

Sanctioned wheelchair sports werelimited as well: basketball and trackand field were the only offerings.Undeterred, Parks began playing ten-nis regularly. He developed techniquesand rules for wheelchair play, includ-ing the two-bounce rule. In 1977,Parks held his first wheelchair tennis

W

"Pioneers in Tennis," an occasional column in RSI, draws attention to trailblazers in the sport. Have someone to suggest?E-mail [email protected].

Brad Parks: Creating theSport of Wheelchair Tennis

tournament. He started the NationalFoundation for Wheelchair Tennis, but itwasn't easy to get respect.

"In 1980, I was at an event wherewe'd just done a demo of wheelchair ten-nis. I was at a banquet, and in front ofme was a guy who was working withwheelchair basketball, and he said, 'Brad,

you're wasting your time. Wheelchair ten-nis isn't a viable sport. Tennis is all aboutside-to-side motion on the court, and youcan't do that in a wheelchair.”

But Parks continued to press againstthe barriers. He toured cities, setting updemonstrations in parking lots, parks andgymnasiums. He spoke at rehab facilitiesand veteran’s hospitals. He spoke to chil-dren who used wheelchairs and encour-aged them to go out and play. Before heleft each city, he'd teach an able-bodiedtennis pro the fundamentals of wheel-chair tennis. And he started makingthings happen.

"I don’t think you can even begin tomeasure what he did," says Dan James,Paralympics coach and national manag-er of Wheelchair Tennis for the USTA."His personal fortitude in getting it infront of organizers made the sport grow.He absolutely spearheaded wheelchair

tennis as a viable sport."In 1988, the International Wheelchair

Tennis Federation was formed, with Parksas its president. In 1998, IWTF wasabsorbed into the International TennisFederation, the same time the USTAassumed responsibility for wheelchair ten-nis in the U.S. from the National Founda-

tion for Wheelchair Tennis.Parks also started the first inter-

national wheelchair tennis event, theUS Open, held in California. He con-tinued as its tournament chairmanfor almost 20 years. Today, the NECWheelchair Tennis Tour includesmore than 150 tournaments in over40 countries, and offers more than$1.5 million in prize money. In1985, the World Team Cup wasplayed for the first time. Today, it isa team event in the Fed Cup/DavisCup style, is offered by 52 nations,and includes men, women, quadri-plegic and junior competitions.

Ellen DeLange, the ITF's currentWheelchair Tennis Manager, says

the explosive growth has been stunning."Brad and I would have both laughed ifsomeone would have told us that in 20years, the sport would be played at theGrand Slams, would have professionalplayers making a living out of it andwould include worldwide tournamentswith prize money."

This past July, Parks was inducted intothe International Tennis Hall of Fame.He’s happy to see the sport getting therecognition it deserves, and proudest ofthe people who, following injury, foundnew courage and self-confidence throughwheelchair tennis.

And not long ago, Parks saw his oldcolleague who had tried so hard to dis-suade him from his efforts to formalizewheelchair tennis. "The guy came up tome and said, 'Brad, I was wrong,'" Parkssays, laughing. "That was great."

—Mary Helen Sprecher �

Parks at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and as one of the newest mem-bers of the Hall of Fame in July 2010.

As a tennis retailer, you’ll find plenty of tools and resources from the Tennis Industry Associ-ation that can help you cut expenses and boost profits. Here are just a few ways the TIA canhelp your business. For more information, visit TennisIndustry.org.

10 Ways to Improve Your Retail Business in 2011

Promote Your Business – Free Listings at GrowTennis.comThis free service is the starting point for more than 2 million consumers every month who search for tennis equipment,

clothes, courts, programs, lessons and more. List your business in the industry’s largest searchable database. It’s free, fast andeasy—and can drive customers to your store.

Improve Customer Service – TennisConnectThe TIA’s premier business software tool for tennis providers, TennisConnect has features such as String Center, Demo

Racquet Center, Contact Manager, Group Email, eCalendar,Web Page Editor and more—all designed to help you run your retailbusiness more efficiently and profitably.With TennisConnect, you can plug any component into your existing website.

Save Money – TIA Discount Shipping ProgramThrough PartnerShip®, TIA members save up to 27% on select FedEx® services and at least 70% on less-than-truckload

(LTL) freight shipments.

Improve Operations – Cost of Doing Business–RetailGet the latest trends and data in the TIA’s biennial report. Measure your retail performance against industry trends and

averages and see where you may have challenges or can improve.

Increase Revenue – 10 & Under Tennis Equipment SalesThe USTA is investing heavily in the growth of 10-and-under tennis, so now’s the time to get your retail business into the

(kids’) game, as youngsters—and their parents—look for youth-sized racquets, transition balls, and clothes and tennis accessories.

Gain Awareness & New Skills – TIA WebinarsIn December, the TIA started an interactive webinar series for industry professionals with presentations on social media and

on selling racquets and strings. Future webinar topics (see page 23) will include more on social media and usingtechnology to help your business, customer service, management, marketing and communications.

Find Help & Advice – Careers In TennisLooking for help at your store or facility? Whether full-time, part-time or seasonal, posting job openings at

CareersInTennis.com will help you find qualified candidates. And it’s free, for both employers and job-seekers.

Protect Your Business – Counterfeit Racquet CampaignRetailers, manufacturers and consumers all lose out with counterfeit racquets. Help eliminate these illegal

products. Register your business for free to verify to consumers that you’re an authorized tennis retailer.

Increase Knowledge – Retail Managers' ManualWhether you’re just starting out in the tennis retail business or are a veteran, this free guide from the TIA,

available as a pdf, has valuable information and tips to help you.

February 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 21Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

Improve Your Bottom-Line – TIA Member BenefitsCheck out all the benefits TIA members receive, including TennisInsure, a custom insurance program for business,

health, liability, property, auto, umbrella and workmen’s comp. Members also have access to reduced credit-card processingfees, teaching resources discounts, PR services, free one-year subscription to RSI, and more.

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Webinar presented by: Bruce Levine, TIA Retailer Panel Member and General Manager of Court-side Racquet Club, Lebanon, N.J.How do you get racquets into your customers’ hands? Levine has some basic concepts thathe’s used successfully for years in his tennis retail business. He shared his knowledge withdozens of attendees at a free webinar on Dec. 8 as part of the TIA Webinar Series.“One of the main things you can do as a retailer to help your customers, and to sell more

racquets, is to become as knowledgeable as possible on tennis products and technologies,“says Levine. Here are some key tips for selling racquets and strings from Levine’s webinarthat can help your retail business. To download the presentation, visit TennisIndustry.org.

$ Reasons to Buy a New Racquet� Technology: “New stuff helps you do new things,” says Levine.� Game improvement: A new racquet will make it easier to playthe game. “As players get older and slow down, they look forthings to help them.”

� Replacement: “Racquets get old and eventually die,” saysLevine. It’s not just the strings that can lose their pop, but an oldframe can, too. If a customer plays with his trusty old racquetjust after it’s been restrung and complains that it doesn’t play likeit should, “that’s a good sign that the racquet has gotten old.”

� Health/injury concerns: You don’t want players to hurt them-selves swinging a particular racquet that might not be suited forthem. “At Courtside, we’re cautious because we want our mem-bers playing tennis,” notes Levine. “For instance, look out forhead-heavy racquets with someone who has a reasonably longswing. That could cause elbow and wrist issues.”

$ Best Advice to Give Your Customers: DEMO!Players need to test-drive the racquet to make sure it will help theirgame and feel right to them. Levine, who coordinates the racquetplaytesting for Tennis Magazine, has these suggestions on how todemo a racquet.� Demo only two racquets at a time. Hang onto the one you like,then playtest that racquet against another new racquet, and soon, until you find the “keeper.”

� Make sure you hit every shot and try the racquet for every partof your game.

� Take a lesson or clinic with your playtest frame.� With your playtest frame, practice with your friends—who willbe honest about how the racquet affects your game.

� Play a match with the playtest frame.

$ Who Are Your Customers?“Know your customers and their styles of play,” saysLevine. “It will give you an opportunity to betterservice them.”

Know their frequency of play—someone whoplays a lot of tennis will be more comfortable spend-ing money on a racquet. Also, know their “improve-ment potential”—are they working at getting better,or are they content with the level they are at?

And of course, know what their budget is for anew racquet.

$ Put a New Frame In Their Hands1. The “soft” sell: Don’t push, but ask them to try a new racquetand suggest one that may help their game. Also, a “demo day” isa good way for customers to try new frames with little pressure.

2. The “hard” sell: “Tell them, ‘I want you to try this racquet,’”says Levine. The idea is that you know your customer wellenough to be able to tell them they “need” a new racquet.

3. The “need this” sell: “Racquets get old, and you need a newone,” Levine says he’ll sometimes tell his customers. Showthem the new generation of the frame they’re playing with.

4. The “it’s new” sell: “Some players just have to try the newtechnology when it first comes out,” Levine notes. “Key here ismaking sure you as a retailer stay on top of the newest offer-ings and can understand the technologies”.

$ Know the 3 Types of Racquets1. Power (“Game-Improvement”) Frames: General-ly lighter, stiffer and powerful, with large headsizes. They appeal to players with shorter swings.

2. “Tweener” Frames: Blending power and control,these frames appeal to intermediate to advancedplayers seeking more maneuverability, and to jun-iors transitioning to adult frames.

3. Control (“Player’s”) Frames: Generally heavier inweight, more flexible, with a smaller head size.They appeal to better players.

$ Some String BasicsStrings are just as important as the racquet itself. Forretailers, strings and stringing mean high marginsand repeat business, so don’t ignore this importantarea of your business.

String types are natural gut, monofilament (a sin-gle strand), multifilament (a core with wraps aroundit) and polyester. Polyester strings, however, are notfor everyone—top pros use poly because it is essen-tially a rigid, dead string and they can take a bigswing at the ball. But for recreational players, polystrings often aren’t very forgiving and may causearm problems.

Lower-level players need a string with some for-giveness and with some flexibility, so it is easier onthe arm. Don’t sell a customer a fancy string if theydon’t need it; sell them the closest string to gut thatthey can afford and that fits their style and their levelof play.

And don’t forget the high-margin accessories suchas replacement grips, string savers, vibrationdampers, lead tape, new grommets, etc.

22 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2011 Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

The ABCs of Racquets and Strings


TIA Webinar SeriesTIA’s New Webinar Series Shares Industry KnowledgeThere is a wealth of knowledge in this industry just waiting to be shared. To that end, the TIA lastDecember launched an interactive webinar series designed to bring you information relevant toyour businesses, delivered by industry professionals with proventrack records—all for free.

The series started with a webinar by TIA TechnologyPanel member Lance Andersen on social media and how itcan help your tennis business. The second webinar was onselling racquets and strings, by TIA Retailer Panel memberBruce Levine (see facing page).

Future webinar topics will include more on social mediaand using technology to help your facility and retail busi-ness, customer service, management, marketing andcommunications. The TIA would like to hear from youon topics you’d be interested in for future webinars. [email protected] with your thoughts.

Upcoming TIA WebinarsMarch 8: Using Facebook to Grow Your BusinessMarch 8: Gearing Up for Spring/Summer ProgramsApril 12: Twitter—Promote Your Business in 140

Characters or LessApril 19: Top 3 Customer Service Tips Using TechnologyMay 18: Technology for Marketing/CommunicationsJune TBA: Using the GrowingTennis System—Free

Marketing Tools & Business Resources

10-and-Under Tennis WebinarsFeb. TBA: What Facility Operators Need to KnowFeb. TBA: What Contractors Need to KnowMarch TBA: What Retailers Need to Know

Dates and topics subject to change.Visit GrowingTennisTraining.com for the latest,including exact times and dates.

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

O U T L O O K 2 0 1 1 : R A C Q U E T S

Racquet manufacturers are still spending on R&D,and in 2011, many expect consumer interest to focuson mid-size frames.

TECHNOLOGYPUSHES ON


Wholesale racquet shipments were expected to end 2010 at lev-els below 2009, although when final figures are released, dol-lar sales should be slightly higher year-over-year thanks to the

pricing on individual models. The difficult economic times were cer-tainly responsible, as many players did not seem to be in the moodto trade up. However, 2009 was also a banner year for increasedand renewed player participation, according to USTA and TennisIndustry Association figures, so the news may not have been as badas it first appears. In any case, the TIA Dealer Survey is predicting ayear-over-year sales increase of near 3 percent.

As in other product categories, the growth is likely to be between

the lines. Players want power, but they want comfort. They wantsomething new, but not too far afield from where they are now. Oh,and for the money, they want to fall in love with the racquet so,unfortunately, finding the right balance for a manufacturer is notjust a matter of putting more weight on one end or the other.

Despite the tough economy, research and development dollarsare continuing to be spent on much more than just making thesticks more fashionable (although they do look good). Technologicalgrowth is taking place throughout the category, with many brandsexpecting the most consumer interest to be created with mid-sizeframes.

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

BABOLATbabolat.com • 877-316-9435It certainly doesn’t hurt Babolat tohave the faces of their racquets beRafael Nadal and Kim Clijsters. How-ever, market share is still based onhow well the racquets play and howsuccessfully the company has managedto gear its racquets to a wide range ofplaying styles. This year, Babolat adds the100-square-inch head Pure Storm Team to itsline. The racquet—slightly larger than its sib-lings—features GT Technology for additionalpower through the frame and the company’sWoofer system connecting strings and framefor additional feel and comfort through thearm. The company also is unveiling the Babo-lat Overdrive, a 110-square-inch lightweightframe featuring its Cortex technology anddesigned to provide pop for club playersthrough a very comfortable swing.

HEADhead.com • 800-289-7366While Andre Agassi and SteffiGraf might be the mostfamous names aligned withHead racquets—as theyspearhead the marketing ofthe Star Series recreationalplayer line of frames—the mainman for the company will beNovak Djokovic and his perfor-mance with the YouTek IG Speed MP18/20. The racquet line is designed toprovide power and control for long-swinging big-hitters and includes notjust the Serb’s racquet, but the newslightly lighter IG Speed 300, the tadlonger IG Speed MP 16/19 and the 1-ounce lighter IG Speed Elite, all with100-square-inch head sizes. In Janu-ary, Head added Maria Sharapova to its team.

YouTek IG Speed MP 18/20YouTek IG Speed 300YouTek IG Speed MP 16/19

OverdrivePure Storm Team

TECHNOLOGYPUSHES ON


YONEXyonexusa.com • 800-44-YONEXThe big news for Yonex is CarolineWozniacki debuting the VCORE 100S(with its stretched-out sweetspot) asher racquet of choice, along with AnaIvanovic switching to the company’snew E-Zone 100 at the 2010 US Open.In addition to recapturing a bit of glam-our (not to take anything away fromYonex team members David Nalbandian orMaria Kirilenko), the company is aiming toprovide racquets to a wider range of hittingstyles and demographics, including powerplayers and those focused on control.

DUNLOPdunlopsport.com • 800-768-4727Dunlop continues its Biomimetic (“imitatingnature“) racquet line roll-out. Theframes will be highlighted on tour withpros Nikolay Davydenko (Biomimetic200), Fernando Verdasco (Biomimetic300) and Dominika Cibulkova (Bio-mimetic 600 Light). The racquets, saysDunlop, feature a textured shark-likeskin to reduce wind turbulence, a shaftmodeled on the strength provided by beehoneycombs to reduce vibration, and gripsinspired by the tack, feel and pads of geckofeet for a greater sensitivity.

PACIFICpacific.com • 941-795-1789Pacific acquired Fischer RacquetSport Division in 2009 in order to“find the perfect ‘string-holder,’”in the words of Global Player Ser-vices Director Tom Parry. For 2011the company will add the X Feel Pro 95(with its 95-square-inch head) and X FeelTour (with a 100-square-inch head andabout an ounce lighter) to its taperedbeams Tournament Series. Both haveBasaltX fibers, providing feel, stability,comfort and power through the frame anda 16/19 string pattern, says the company.

PRINCEprincetennis.com • 800-2TENNISThe lead story for Prince is the consolidationof its EXO3 franchises with the Bryan broth-ers playing with the EXO3 Rebel, and JohnIsner and Vera Zvonareva playing the EXO3Black. The line—which adds an EXO3 TourLight transitional option to the performancegroup accompanying the game improvementEXO3 Silver, Blue and Red racquets—featuresPrince’s “energy bridge” technology, suspendingthe string bed from the thinner beamed, more flex-ible frame in order to reduce arm strain and create abigger sweetspot.

VOLKLvolkl-tennis.com • 866-554-7872Volkl has once again rolled out new tech-nology to meet the changing needs anddesires of players for its namesake andBoris Becker racquet lines. The all-newOrganix line features frames with additionalpower supplied via carbon nanotubes-sur-rounded-by-cellulose-fibers technology; greatervibration absorption in the handle; and Optispot, asystem that in testing aided players in seeing theball more often into their racquet’s sweetspot, saysthe company. Frames range from the Organix 4(105-square-inch head, 27.6 inches long, 9.7ounces unstrung) to the Organix 10 325g (98-square-inch head, 27 inches long, 11.5 ouncesunstrung).

WILSONwilson.com • 800-272-6060Wilson moves into 2011 with 14new BLX racquets, featuringframes using volcanic basaltfibers to provide lighter, morepowerful construction, the com-pany says. The premier seriesincludes the Blade Tour BLX,Blade 98 BLX, Blade Team BLXand Blade Lite BLX, a new transi-tional racquet the company says isfor serious juniors, in particular.There are also Player frames foryounger players or others seekinglighter racquets; a model developedin conjunction with Justine Henin,the new Tour Limited BLX measuring27.5 inches long, as well as game-improvement ver-sions. And, suffice it to say, Roger Federer will againbe heading team Wilson on tour, using the Six OneTour BLX.

X-Feel Pro 95X Feel Tour

EXO3 Tour Light 100EXO3 Red

Organix 4Organix 10 325g

Blade Tour BLXBlade 98 BLXBlade Team BLXBlade Lite BLX

VCORE 100SE-Zone 100

Biomimetic 200Biomimetic 300Biomimetic 600 Light

PERFORMANCE IS

KINGO U T L O O K 2 0 1 1 : F O O T W E A R

In tennis shoes, consumerswant it all—fit, durability, lightweight, great looks. But in theend, it’s all about how theywork on court.

PERFORMANCE IS

KINGTennis players may well be more demanding of their footwear

than of any other piece of equipment that contributes to theirgame. They want it all: fit, durability, lightness, performance

and a great look. And if they don’t see it all, they are more tight-fisted with their money.

Current TIA estimates for the year just ended are that therewill be an increase in footwear dollars of 1.9 percent over 2009,no doubt influenced by the suggested retail price of a new pairup a bit over 3 percent in that time. The good news, unfortu-nately, is found in the negative: the percentage of tennis retail-ers declaring a decrease in shoe sales for 2010 will likely be inthe neighborhood of 18 percent, compared to 39 percent in2009.

Unfortunately, tennis shoes aren’t established as fashionablekicks in the way of running or basketball shoes. Right now, whilethere is more color added to the shoes—in the same way a vari-ety of hues are accessorizing the rest of tennis’s product cate-gories—most sales are specific to those who play the game. Andfor them, as explained by Mark Eggert, Fila’s director of designfor footwear: “Tennis footwear must perform. As a designer, it isimperative to incorporate performance technology.”

Once players find a shoe that fits, they are reluctant toswitch, particularly at current prices in the current economy,until it loses its durability—and every manufacturer today is tak-ing advantage of technology that allows them to build footwearthat is often lighter than in the past but always more durable.


BABOLATbabolat.com • 877-316-9435The marketing promise Babolat makes with its new Propulse 3is that of providing the greatest number of technologies andinnovations for an all-court shoe. Although proud of being a“tennis specialist,” Babolat is not shy about collaborating onR&D with others. Perhaps as a result, the description of the lat-est in the Propulse series rivals that of a high-performance auto-mobile, although designed specifically to handle the lateral anddiagonal movements unique to a tennis court.

The highlights from the manufacturer: The Andy Roddick-endorsed shoe offers lateral relaunch and velocity via the ExactPro System; grip and durability are thanks to the Michelin OCS

sole; durability and comfort through the heeldue to its Kompressor System; support

and fit through use of Foot BeltTechnology; and additional

durability and comfort onthe uppers thanks to Cell

Shield material.And all with avibrant red color.

FILAfila.com • 410-773-3000In addition to taking advantage of new technologies to make itsshoes lighter, more durable and breathable, Fila works as hardas any manufacturer to sync the footwear and apparel into asingular fashion statement. The season’s new shoes for menand women are the R4 and (slightly more heavy-duty) R8 mod-els. They share many of the same technologies, including abra-sion-resistant medial toe wraps and Flowfoam for anti-microbial and odorfighting, forefoot comfort, mid-foot and increased lateralmovement supportand the compa-ny’s Ever-Grindextra-durablerubber soles.

Propulse 3


R4R8


HEADhead.com • 800-289-7366Head is re-entering the footwear market in a serious manner afterhaving been away for a few seasons. This year’s additions to the cur-rent lines for both men and women will be the Insane Pro (also avail-able for juniors), the Prestige Pro II and the Radical Pro II. Each shoeis backed by Head's six-month durability guarantee on the outsoleand toe guard, and features soft, breathable mesh linings, a HiRe-bound EVA footbed with non-slip cover material, non-slip heel liningand a breathable heel stabilizer.

The Insane Pro, in white/black, has asymmetrical lacing, memoryfoam in the heel and seems almost to swaddle

the feet. The Prestige Pro II is an upgradedversion of the basic Prestige Pro andcomes in white/black/red andwhite/black/blue. The Radical Pro II offers

even greater breathability as itimproves upon The Radical Pro

line and comes inwhite/black.

K-SWISSkswiss.com • 800-714-4477K-Swiss makes its move to lighter, more natural performancefootwear with the Big Shot in black/blue for men and whitefor women. The shoe’s features include a lower and widerplatform for balance and agility and provides mid-foot sup-port to ensure foot and shoe move as one. Of particular noteis the company’s application of “ballistic propulsion platetechnology” providing for a greater push when moving sideto side or forward and back. As for comfort, kEva and Super-

Foam are incorporated into the footbedand K-Swiss backs the shoe’s dura-

bility promise with asix-month wear

guarantee.

NEW BALANCEnewbalance.com • 800-253-7463The New Balance 900 offers a fit that’s more snug thanpast tennis shoes from the company. It uses the patentedN-ergy technology used for shock absorption and respon-siveness in the company’s high-end running shoes, aswell as lightweight, high-performance support and cush-ioning. The company will continue to offer multiple

widths in keeping with its corporatemantra that “a better fit produces a

better performance.” Additionalfeatures include Abzorb cush-

ioning, extra stability mid-foot, a form-fitting feel

and even the SureLace promise to

keep shoes tiedduring play.

PRINCEprincetennis.com • 800-2TENNISPrince continues to be a leader in the tennis footwear category, recom-mending players pursue either a durability or lightweight strategy. Play-ers focused on the durability of their shoes are directed to the Prince T-22Team series in various colors, but all with the forefoot straps that stabi-lize the foot within the shoe and keep the toe from jamming into theshoe’s front. Those looking for light weight are steered toward the low-profile Rebel for men and Poise for women, both part of the Light Speedseries that, like the T-22s, come with a six-month durability guarantee. Of

course, those who want the best of all possibleworlds are encouraged by the manufacturer

to pick up a pair of the T-22s for prac-tice and keep the LightSpeeders handy for match

days.

WILSON • wilson.com • 800-272-6060Wilson features RG (proprietary reactive gel) technology—highlighted by shock absorption, energy return andstability—in its premium tennis footwear for men and women, the Tour Vision, Tour Spin II and Tour Fantomlines. The gel is used in heel and forefoot insertsand is part of a package that includes light-weight breathable uppers, moisture-wickingliners in shoes designed to meet the uniquedemands tennis players require from theirfootwear. Taking up the challenge to createsomething eye-catching, color combinationsrange from white/navy/silver to black/deeplavender and back to white/orange peel.

Insane ProRadical Pro II Big Shot

900

RebelT-22 Team


Tour VisionTour Spin IITour Fantom

O U T L O O K 2 0 1 1 : A P P A R E L

Apparel makers are hopingtheir high-tech features andfashionable looks will catch theeye of consumers.

A COLORFULGAMEIf you think racquet and shoe technology has advanced, cloth-

ing has certainly caught up in many technical ways. Apparelmanufacturers are in a race to see who has the best form of

moisture-wicking, fabrication longevity and comfort, anti-micro-bial protection and UV shielding.

Color knows no bounds, either. Stand-out greens, vividoranges, bold purples, sea blues and vestiges of bright pink fillthe fashion horizon. All these technical features are compliment-ed by lots of fashionable looks for the court and beyond.

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

BOLLEbolletenniswear.com301-362-0360Bolle reflects a fresh tropi-cal theme with its SouthBeach collection. Fusingbreathable, moisture-wicking poly/spandexblend with chicabstract design, thisgroup show off aquaand white, accentedwith slivers of brightorange throughout.The printed topsports a free-floatingabstract design. TheA-line flounce skirtis a classic stylethat is flatteringon any body type.

ELIZA AUDLEYelizaaudley.com • 262-691-4770Eliza Audley’s designer-look clothes are comfort and perfor-mance-oriented. The red Kaleidoscope tank dress features an80/20 poly-spandex print overlay mesh, which can beworn over the tailoredtank dress (which alsocan be worn on itsown). The dress is 90%micropoly/10% span-dex (Dri Weave). Sliversof poppy standout on a Whiteracer-backdress withbuilt-inbra. Alsoavailablein black,the fabri-cation is thesame as theKaleidoscopetank dress.

A COLORFULGAME


FILAfila.com • 410-773-3000Fila continues to churn out smashingpieces that combine traditional reds,whites and blues and signature F-boxlogo with the season’s latest fashioncolors and Italian styling. The freshdesigns retain classic looks withoutsacrificing comfort and perfor-mance technology. The vintage-look Kelly green, navy, andwhite tops are fabricated ina flat poly spandex jer-

sey for great

draping and breathability. The clas-sic skort is woven with finely executeddetails at the waistband and contrastpiping at the pockets. The smart go-with French Terry jacket features a rib-knit collar, cuffs and bottom.

PEACHY TANpeachytan.com • 847-480-5922For the warmer months, Peachy Tanoffers up a tasty combination awashin a dazzling color-blocking of Pinkand Varsity Orange. The Sylvia out-fit sports a built-in shelf bra withcups in a longer cross-strap tank withempire line and slightly flaredbodice. The orange detailingcomplements the swingy a-line paneled flounced skort.Made of 90% micropoly/10%spandex, Peachy Tan assuresmoisture management, UVprotection and anti-micro-bial treatments.

TAILtailactivewear.com • 305-638-2650Not to be outdone in technology, Tailapparel is performance-orientedutilizing moisture-wicking and“comfort stretch,” which pro-vides for freedom of move-ment and a sound fit anddrape. The purple-pinks aredefinitely in play on the SweetSpot Knit Jersey Tank Dress,which shows off a powermesh ruffle detail inPlumberry with Purple Pas-sion contrast in a single Jer-sey and Power Meshfabrication.

WILSONwilson.com • 800-333-8326In keeping with trends infashion, Wilson opens thenew season with brightcolors for both men’s andwomen’s lines. For 2011,Wilson incorporates its“nano-fiber technology,”which boasts moisture-wicking, anti-microbialprotection, UV shielding,comfort features andmore. A typical men’spairing includes the Bris-ben Polo in white, limeand bark coupled withwhite Basic Woven Shorts,featuring “cooling zones,”laser zoned ventilationand seamless construc-tion.


Ashawayashawayusa.com • 800-556-7260While recent years have seen a big pushat the club level for monofilaments,nylons and the like used by pros, Ash-away VP of Sales and Marketing SteveCrandall believes, “More traditional play-ers don’t get the same benefit; if you don’thit hard it is not as nice to play with.” Inresponse, the company says it’s developedstring both more arm friendly and playerfriendly—pop with no pain. Ashaway’s most recentadditions to its line are the multifilamentoptic green Dynamite 17 and blue Dyna-mite 18 and will soon be bringing out itsblack Dynamite 16 gauge.

Babolatbabolat.com • 877-316-9435Susan DiBiase, marketing director forBabolat USA, is one of many who notehow dramatic a change consumer

demand for polyester strings has been. To fulfill that desire whilealso maintaining sensitivity to players’ concern for feel, this

spring the company will be highlighting the addi-tion to its extensive string line of the hybrid com-bination of RPM Blast + VS Natural Gut. The goalof the combo is to provide players the dynamicplay of a co-polyester with the feel of natural gut,the company says.

Babolat also is continuing to build on its 136-year history of producing tennis strings with theintroduction in black its Babolat VS Touch Nat-ural Gut, a medium-gauge string. According to

DiBiase, “Natural gut is the gold standard when itcomes to comfort, power and tension hold, but weimproved it even more with BT7 layering technolo-gy,” to improve the string’s durability by 15 percent.

Dunlopdunlopsport.com • 800-768-4727In a similar vein of improvement, “It’s a new Dunlop,”

says Dunlop Eastern Region Sales Manager Hunter Hines of thecompany’s revamped string lines. Having put the time, effort and

O U T L O O K 2 0 1 1 : S T R I N G

For consumers, string knowledge is power, andcontrol, and comfort—and is leading to more salesfor stringers.

IN THE KNOWIt’s either/or, or both, as string sales continue upward, a trend

that has seen sales in dollars rise 38 percent from 2003 through2009. Final 2010 figures weren’t yet available, but according to

the TIA, units shipped and dollars sold through the third quarterrose well above 4 percent, compared to the same period in 2009.Either players are becoming more savvy about what actuallytouches the ball when they swing away, or the tough economictimes have them tweaking their games with string rather thanspringing for new racquets.

It’s also possible both are true, and that they dovetail withefforts of manufacturers who have brought to the string biz newmarketing pizzazz with trendy colors, increased hybridization andan increasing number of multi-sided strings, along with cutting-edge products dusted with technological magic to improve by dif-ferent measures power, control and comfort for the arm.

The most prominent string trio—in terms of units sold in theU.S.—continues to be Prince, Wilson and Babolat, which, accord-ing to TIA data on tennis specialty stores through the third quarter

of 2010, combine for more than 60 percent of the American mar-ket. However, market expansion is providing space for new play-ers as well as opportunities for less well known brands. Brands thatlet their focus wander from their string biz have taken a renewedlook at their lines.

The task for stringers and retailers is to help players figure outwhat they need and remember that the string is not supposed tomatch the racquet—its purpose is to fit with the player’s game.There is more enjoyment to be gained from the game throughrestringing. The industry’s mission should be to continue to getthat message out and to encourage players to talk about theirgames with stringers in order to continue the encouraging trends.

It is likely that with more television analysts highlighting whatthe pros are playing with, as well as the public’s increasing sensi-tivity to how racquets and strings should complement each otherand the game as a whole, the string market will continue its growthspurt in terms of sales and complexity. There is, truly, at least onestring for every player’s situation.


IN THE KNOW


funds into R&D for the racquets, “It’s onlyfair that we [did] the same for strings andaccessories.” The company has taken itsBiomimetic (applying the lessons fromnature) approach to its strings. Resultsinclude the top-of-the-line, soft butdurable Silk, based on one ofnature’s softest and strongestfibers, and the Black Widow, aseven-sided polyester created with asoft feel for intermediate to advancedplayers that plays well on its own, butalso is sometimes suggested for use asthe mains and paired with a string likeDunlop’s Hexy Fiber for the crosses.

Gammawww.gammasports.com • 800-333-0337For Chuck Vietmeier, Gamma’s national salesmanager, a caveat to the growth in the poly-ester market is that, “They are not for every-one. A trend I see coming is to blend polys sothey are softer so more players canuse these types of string. There areadvantages with the extra spin and con-trol that more players would like to takeadvantage of without developing armtrouble.” In that vein, Gamma is rollingout the power plus control TNT2 Touch, itsfirst multifilament string energized with theGamma patented TNT2 Process. In the caseof the Touch—which makes its debut as partof Gamma’s Playability segment to differenti-ate from Tour, All-Around and Durability Gammastring categories—the processing of the multifil-ament results in an increased elasticity andresiliency, keeping the ball in the pocket longerthan other multifilaments, says the company.

Genesiswww.genesis-tennis.com • 866-787-4644All this growth and technological advancecan certainly be confusing to players. Still,there is some simple advice to follow. While the ten-nis world has long relied on the rule of thumb thatclub players should string their racquet eachyear as many times as they play in a week,Genesis’s Alex Lvovsky breaks down advicefor club players to an even simpler level:“Once you notice the performance of yourstring going downhill and you feel like you lostcontrol, put in some new strings.”

Freshness is a hallmark of the company,which was founded in 2006 and entered thestring market in 2009 with the release of twopolyester strings. Later this year the company will bebringing to market a natural gut, a new synthetic gut and

a multifilament string (names and all specs still to bedetermined) to complement the current Typhoon, Spin

X, Black Magic, Hexonic and Heptonic lines.

Headhead.com • 800-289-7366

Reacting to what they see as increased specializationand a greater demand for customization, Head recently

launched the Perfect Match Hybrid Program. “Players are demand-ing more from their strings,” says Senior Business Manager BenSimons in explaining the hybrid program. “We took four of ourbest string—Sonic Pro, FXP, FXP Power and Natural Gut—[and

provide] a chart that a player can easily follow to find thebest hybrid combination for them.” With thatguidance, players and their stringers select themain part of the game they wish to emphasize(power with FXP Power, control with FXP, durabil-ity with Sonic Pro and spin with Natural Gut) andthen have a string suggestion for the crosses thatwill provide a secondary, complementary benefit.

Pacificpacific.com • 941-795-1789While all the excitement may be about developments

in polyesters, Pacific Global Player Services DirectorTom Parry suggests that perhaps the most noteworthytrend is a renewed emphasis on the importance of gut.According to Parry, “Hybrids have become the normat all levels, and with the many options there are forthe other non-gut half of a hybrid, you can getalmost as close to 100 percent natural gut perfor-mance at a price that isn't that of a full set of gut.However, the benefits of a 100 percent gut string-job do remain unmatched in performance, dura-

bility and arm-saving properties.”For those looking for a full or hybrid gut, the compa-

ny is offering the new PrimeGut Orange Bull Fiber, a nat-ural gut created to give players a balance of power,

comfort and string tension maintenance, saysParry. For players interested in a polyester,

they offer the yellow Poly Power Pro, whichtook more than two years of development to

achieve its particularly attractive feel andstrength.

Princeprincetennis.com • 800-2TENNIS

Prince is beginning 2011 with a corporate campaignto establish itself as manufacturer of the go-to poly-ester string. They used the final months of last yearto anonymously provide a strikingly green string tovarious opinion shapers throughout the tennisworld. Shortly before the Australian Open, thecompany hyped the reveal (previously show-cased without any Prince identification only at361nation.com) as their new, extra precisionBeast XP, the product of years of development


by their Italy-based R&D team. Theresult is a thermal-poly, control-ori-ented string that maintains its tensionand dynamic properties more suc-cessfully over time and across a vari-ety of tensions and string patterns,says the company.

Solincowww.solincosports.com • 310-922-7775Solinco, which has only been distributing string in theU.S. for a couple of years, is featuring a new polyesterfor 2011 designed to generate maximum spin andbite. The black co-polyester Barb Wire joinsthe co-poly Tour Bite string introduced lastyear (and recipient of much praise afterplaytesting in the July 2010 issue of RSI).According to Solinco Director K.T. Kim,the current trend to watch is the switchfrom synthetics, which says this genera-tion of polyesters holds tension betterand can be easier on the arm than pre-vious ones.

Tecnifibrewww.tecnifibre.com • 858-397-5712New strings, new companies and morechoices. As Paul Kid, Tecnifibre’s generalmanager, advises, “It is going to be impor-tant in the future to properly educate theplayer about string technology and to elim-inate some of the marketing myths thathave been propagated.” The key will beincreasing the communication between play-ers and stringers. The more information passedback and forth, the better the fit betweenstrings and game. Constantly testing newmaterials to aid performance, the companyrecently launched the premium black X-Code multi-filament string integrating polyester andpolyurethane and Duramix HD in natural and red,manufactured as a multifilament reinforced withpolyester to gain an important equilibriumbetween comfort and durability.

Uniqueuniquesports.com • 800-554-3707At Unique Sports, “We are always looking for thenext best string and technology, one that canoffer more spin, more playability, more feeland more durability,” says Vice PresidentKevin Niksich. Taking advantage of increasing-ly sophisticated European poly-polyether stringsand improved shaping technologies, the compa-ny has introduced the pentagonal Big HitterRough—designed to maximize spin—as an addi-tion to its Tourna line already featuring co-polycousins Big Hitter Blue and Big Hitter Silver.

Wilson/Luxilonwilson.com • 800-272-6060“There are so many choices,” says John Lyons, Wil-son’s global business director for accessories andLuxilon strings, “we need to simplify it a littlebit.” In the case of the Chicago mega-brand, thatmeans breaking down its strings into the cate-gories of playability, durability or all-around,with the recommendation that most consumerswill be selecting from the playability segment,assuming they are not constantly breakingstrings.

Into that playability niche, Wilson hasintroduced the NXT Control, which is amixture of nylon and polyester fibers(glued with PU formula), good for big hit-ters, but with the polyester feel and forgive-ness of an XT string, says the company.Wilson is also very high on its new syntheticgut, Red Alert, which it says offers twice thedurability of previous syn-guts. And for thoseplayers looking for a good all-around string,

there is the Hollow Core Pro, a poly string with a nylonouter wrap.

Improving recreational players’ accessibilityto the company’s Luxilon brand that hasbecome so prominent on the pro tour, thecompany introduced Luxilon Adrenaline abouta year ago. It has now followed up with thenew, six-sided Savage, available in limegreen, white and black, designed for the bigswinger looking for Luxilon quality at aslightly lower cost.

Like most manufacturers, when Wilsonadds a string to the line it doesn’t necessari-

ly take one away. And so the market gets evermore complicated with ever better strings perfect for

increasingly smaller niches of players. The message,says Lyons, is, “String can really fine tune a racquet.”

Yonexyonexusa.com • 800-44-YONEX

One of the biggest concerns for manufacturersis making sure they get neither too far ahead nor

behind consumer demand. Tweaking technology toa timetable can be a very delicate science. For

instance, according to Derrick Applegate, nationalsales manager at Yonex USA, the company’sresearch and development team took nearly fouryears to find the best path from a multifilament to apolyester string. One of the results is the new PolyTour Pro 125 HS, a flash yellow, highly durablepoly designed to provide a comfortable feeling,reducing strain throughout the arm, says the com-pany. Yonex also is introducing a slightly harderand more durable version, the Poly Tour Pro 130HS, also designed to appeal to the consumer inter-est in a string with a softer feel.


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

Of the 20 winning projects in the 2010 RSI/American SportsBuilders Association Facility-of-the-Year Awards program,13 of them are tennis facilities at public parks or schools,

possibly indicating a continued willingness on the part of munic-ipalities and public institutions to spend on facilities that con-tribute to the health and well-being of the community.

Each year, based on entries submitted by an ASBA mem-ber—whether a contractor, designer or supplier—the associa-tion selects outstanding tennis facilities that meet the standardof excellence determined by the judging committee. For 2010,the panel of judges deemed 20 courts or facilities to be worthyof special recognition, but three of those winners were chosenfor “Outstanding” honors:

� The Woodside Racquet Club in Westwood, Kan., received theASBA’s Outstanding Outdoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year Award.The Woodside R.C. is an upgraded four-court facility that has astadium court with seating, and three courts in an upper area,complete with distinctive shade shelters to keep players com-fortable. The upper site was difficult to access—requiring acrane to move equipment and two large stone ramps, whichwere removed as the project stages were completed. The finalresult, however, proved to be outstanding.� The Justman Residence of Calabasas, Calif., is the 2010 Out-standing Residential Tennis Facility of the Year, and it trulyshows off quality workmanship and attention to detail. Thecushioned hard court, which also accommodates basketball, haselevated viewing from three sides, while the extended balconyoff the master bedroom affords a full view of the court. Com-plete with waterfalls, koi pond, full outdoor kitchen, entertain-ment areas, and scenic views, the result is a true “outdoor livingroom.”� Sportime Randalls Island on Randalls Island, N.Y., won theASBA’s Outstanding Indoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year Award

for 2010. A New York City Parkslicensee project, Sportime RandallsIsland is the largest indoor facility in theworld. There are five permanent indoorcourts in a pre-engineered clear-spanstructure, while the other 15 courts arein three air-supported structures, which

come down in the summer for outdoor tennis. Support facilitiesinclude offices, lounge areas, viewing areas, fitness center,tutoring center and banquet spaces. —Peter Francesconi

RSI and the ASBA bring you the best in tenniscourt construction and design.RSI and the ASBA bring you the best in tenniscourt construction and design.

For details on the 2011 Outstand-ing Facility-of-the-Year Awards,contact the ASBA at 866-501-ASBA or [email protected],or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.


HEAD OF THECLASSHEAD OF THECLASS

Distinguished Facility HonorsIn addition to the Justman Residence private court,Woodside Racquet Club and Sportime Randalls Island,these 17 locations were chosen by the 2010 panel ofjudges for the ASBA as excellent examples of courtconstruction, receiving Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards. You’ll read more about them in upcom-ing issues of RSI. (The nominating company is inparentheses.)� Back Residence, Brookville, Ind. (Leslie CoatingsInc.)

� Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas, Nev.(Renner Sports Surfaces)

� Brewster Municipal Tennis Court Complex, Brewster,Mass. (Gale Associates Inc.)

� Catholic Central High School, Novi, Mich. (GrissimMetz Andriese Associates Inc.)

� Cindy Hummel Tennis Center, Auburndale, Fla.(Welch Tennis Courts Inc.)

� Club Med Sandpiper Bay, Port St. Lucie, Fla. (WelchTennis Courts Inc.)

� Deane Residence, Cohasset, Mass. (Boston TennisCourt Construction Co. Inc.)

� Garnet Valley High School, Glen Mills, Pa. (ELASport)

� Holland Christian School, Holland, Mich. (URS Corp.)� Lynn University, Boca Raton, Fla.(Fast-Dry CourtsInc.)

� NewBridge on the Charles, Cottage CommunityTennis Facility, Dedham, Mass. (Stantec Sport)

� Parker Park Tennis Center, Moultrie, Ga.(Talbot Tennis)

� Pensacola-Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola, Fla.(Fast-Dry Courts Inc.)

� Ritz Carlton Tennis Facility, Amelia Island, Fla.(Welch Tennis Courts Inc.)

� Seaview Park Tennis Facility, Palm Beach, Fla.(Welch Tennis Courts Inc.)

� Silverton High School, Silverton, Ore. (Atlas Trackand Tennis)

� Valencia Lakes Tennis & Recreation Facility, SunCity, Fla. (Fast-Dry Courts Inc.)

Indoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year AwardSportime Randalls Island, Randalls Island, N.Y.Contractor: ICA SportsSuppliers: Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment; ICA SportsNumber of Courts: 20Completed: July 2009


Outdoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year AwardWoodside Racquet Club, Westwood, Kan.Contractor: McConnell & Associates Corp.Suppliers: California Products; Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment;Aer-Flo Inc.Number of Courts: 4Completed: June 1, 2010

Residential Tennis Facility-of-the-Year AwardJustman Residence, Calabasas, Calif.Specialty Contractor: Zaino Tennis Courts Inc.Suppliers: Plexipave System, Div. of California Products Corp.;Edwards/Rol-Dri Div. of Athletic ConnectionCompleted: August 2009



If that’s not enough, you could always usea flashlight on the opposite side of theframe to light up the hole.5 sets of Babolat Revenge 16 to:Eric Jubin, Missouri City, TX

DEMO DAMPENER RETENTION

A couple years ago I became frustratedwith demo racquets returning to my shopwithout the absorber I had installed. I don’trecall what triggered the idea, but I usuallyend up with a bunch of extra grip bands,so I decided to string one of these bands

PICKS OF THE WEEKI’ve come across a low-cost set of toolsthat is awesome for any stringer’s tooltray. Stanley calls it a Pick & Hook Set. I

found it at Wal-Martfor $4.99. It consistsof four cushion-gripped tools: Fullhook, angle hook, 90-degree hook and astraight pick. Each

tool is about 6 inches in length. I’ve foundthese to be very helpful for everythingfrom string pulling to removing grom-met/bumper strips.5 sets of Wilson Reflection 16 to:Ed Ramirez, North Haldon, NJ

BLACK STRING TIPIn the November/December issue youasked for a tip to help thread black stringthrough black grommets on dark frames.I apply some white stencil ink to the freeend of the string to make it easier to see.

Tips & Techniques

into the string job itself, right below thebottom cross string as is the rule. This wasbest done after first installing the centerfour main strings (two on the left and twoon the right). Then you install, tension, andclamp the third right (or left) main throughthe center of the grip band, weave theband through the already-installed centermains, and install, tension, and clamp thethird main on the other side of the racquetthrough the center of the grip band to holdit in place.Ideally, you want to weave the grip band

opposite the weave of the bottom crossstring that will run just above it, so youhave to pay attention to how you start your


Readers’ Know-How in Action

crosses, and how many crosses there are,especially if you are stringing crosses fromtop to bottom.The grip band works great as a dampen-

er, looks great, and it stays put until you cutit out or remove it at time of re-stringing.5 sets of Gamma Zo Pro Spin 16L to:Noe Cabello, Mishawaka, IN

ANTI-FATIGUE MAT

For years I had an expensive industrial anti-fatigue mat to stand on when stringing, butlast year it started deteriorating prettyaggressively so I started shopping for a newone. Little did I know what an odyssey thiswould become. All the mats I found wereeither cheap and flimsy, or expensive andheavy, or just plain expensive. I also foundthat anti-fatigue mats come in two sizes:Too big and too small.

Then I found the closed-cell PVC foamApache Mills Soft Stand Kitchen Mat atCostco. It’s the perfect size for me at 20inches by 38 inches, the thickness is justright, it’s comfortable, and perhaps becausethe word “gel” doesn’t appear anywhere onthe packaging, I paid only $24 for mine. Ifyou don’t have a Costco nearby, variousoutlets — including Amazon.com — sellthem between $39 and $47.5 sets of Tecnifibre TGV 15L to:L. Hodges, Apple Valley, CA

ULTRA CLEANINGThe old standby of a toothbrush and bottleof alcohol works well, but with the easyavailability of ultrasonic cleaners ($37-$90),

you can more thorough-ly clean your clamps,tools, starting clamps,and ball bearing jawswith less effort. I triedboth water with cleaneradditive ($6-$15) and

plain alcohol, with equally good results. Mycleaner does not come with a timer, so Isuggest you get one with a 3 minute count-down timer so you don’t sit around with astop watch waiting for it to finish. I prefer

the alcohol to minimize rusting of sensitiveparts. Note: Alcohol is a mild solvent soany lubricated surfaces will need to belubricated after cleaning.Ultrasonic cleaners create millions of

bubbles that expand and collapse at46,000 times a second (frequency of thecleaner). This bubbling creates a mechani-cal scrubbing action that exceeds what youcan manually achieve with just a tooth-brush. Ultrasonic cleaners are widely avail-able, including from online sources such asAmazon.com and Micromark.com.

5 half-sets of Head Natural Gut 16 to:Albert Lee, MRT, Potomac, MDEditor’s note: Remember that alcohol ishygroscopic, meaning it is highly attracted towater. It will even absorb water out of the airif left open. To minimize rusting, seal youralcohol when you’re not using it, and dryyour machine parts thoroughly afterward.

—Greg Raven �


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—Racquet Service Techniqueswhich is a benefit of USRSA membership. Submit tips to: GregRaven, USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084; or [email protected].


String Playtest

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 1somewhat easier 2about as easy 16not quite as easy 12not nearly as easy 4

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 0somewhat better 9about as playable 11not quite as playable 12not nearly as playable 2

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 4somewhat better 11about as durable 16not quite as durable 1not nearly as durable 2

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.6Durability 4.1Power (19th overall) 3.6Control (4th overall) 3.9Comfort 3.3Touch/Feel 3.1Spin Potential (1st overall) 4.1Holding Tension (13th overall) 3.7Resistance to Movement (3rd overall) 4.2

Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough from Uniqueis an advanced German-engineeredmonofilament string made with polyether.Unique tells us that polyether makes thestring softer and more forgiving, increasingshock absorption and comfort, whileretaining an incredible combination ofpower, durability and resistance to move-ment. The “rough” appellation means it isextruded with a pentagonal shape andthen twisted, providing a string with seri-ous bite and spin potential.

Unique tells us that Tourna Big HitterBlue Rough is designed for advanced playerslooking for a powerful poly that providesextra bite and superb ball pocketing.

Big Hitter Blue Rough is available in 16(1.25 mm) and 17 (1.20 mm) in blue only. Itis priced from $7.95 for sets of 40 feet, and$74 for 660-foot reels. For more informationor to order, contact Unique at 800-554-3707,or visit www.uniquesports.us. Be sure toread the conclusion for a special offer on thisstring for USRSA members.

IN THE LABWe tested the 17-gauge Big Hitter BlueRough. The coil measured 40 feet. The diam-eter measured 1.19-1.22 mm prior to string-ing, and 1.16-1.18 mm after stringing. Werecorded a stringbed stiffness of 74 RDCunits immediately after stringing at 60pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18pattern) on a constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 69 RDC units, represent-ing a 7 percent tension loss. Our controlstring, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16,measured 78 RDC units immediately afterstringing and 71 RDC units after 24 hours,representing a 9 percent tension loss. In labtesting, Prince Synthetic Gut Original has astiffness of 217 and a tension loss of 11.67pounds, while Unique Big Hitter Blue Rough17 has a stiffness of 233 and a tension lossof 21.35 pounds. Big Hitter Blue Rough 17added 15 grams to the weight of ourunstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeks by

35 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratingsfrom 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind tests, withplaytesters receiving unmarked strings inunmarked packages. Average number ofhours playtested was 32.3.

Unique recommends reducing the refer-ence tension by five to ten percent comparedto a typical nylon reference string, so that’swhat we recommended to our playtest team.

Big Hitter Blue Rough 17 measures andfeels much thinner than Big Hitter Blue 17,but otherwise they feel similar during instal-lation. Just about any shaped or texturedstring is going to be more difficult to install


than a compara-ble smooth string, but Tourna BigHitter Blue Rough is at the high end of theease-of-use scale for such strings. The spiralshape didn’t saw on the mains whileinstalling the crosses, and the seeminglyprominent ridges did not cause Big HitterBlue Rough to kink, spin, or otherwise turnitself into a rat’s nest when pulling it past ablocked hole. If you have sworn off spiralstrings because of headaches wheninstalling the crosses, Tourna Big Hitter BlueRough makes the process painless. Speak-ing of weaving the crosses, Big Hitter BlueRough has a similar feel to its cylindricalsiblings, meaning that the string is dry with-out dragging on the mains, and smoothwithout being slippery.

As with other Big Hitter Blue strings, thecolor is part of the string and doesn’t comeoff during play. (See the playtest report ofBig Hitter Blue in the January 2008 issue ofRSI.)

One playtester broke his sample duringstringing, eight reported problems with coilmemory, two reported problems tyingknots, and two reported friction burn.

ON THE COURTThere’s not much to say about the playtestscores other than the fact that “Blue” blewthe doors off the ratings, ending up in sec-ond place out of the 149 strings we’veplaytested to date for publication. In com-piling this incredible overall score, TournaBig Hitter Blue Rough 17 finished in firstplace in Spin Potential, in third place forResistance to Movement, in fourth place forControl, in thirteenth place for TensionRetention, and in nineteenth place forPower. That’s five top-twenty finishes out ofnine categories … for a “poly.” Our playtestteam also ranked it well above average forPlayability and Durability.Five playtesters broke the sample duringthe playtest period, one each at six, eight,nine, ten, and 35 hours.

Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 17


“ This is comfortable polyester with verypronounced spin.” 5.0 male baselinerwith heavy spin using Wilson K Bladestrung at 54 pounds CP (Wilson NXT 17)

“ This is a high-end polyester with excel-lent bite, power, and control.” 4.0 malebaseliner with heavy spin using PrinceTriple Threat Hornet strung at 60 poundsCP (Tecnifibre Black Code 17)

“ Great feel, spin, and control!” 5.0female baseliner with heavy spin usingWilson BLX Pro Open strung at 57 poundsCP (Gamma Live Wire 16)

“ This string has a potent combination ofpower and spin.” 5.0 male all-courtplayer using Dunlop Aerogel 4D 5 HundredTour strung at 60 pounds CP (Head SonicPro 16)

“ This is a very comfortable poly withhigh durability.” 4.0 male all-court play- For the rest of the tester comments, visit

www.racquetsportsindustry.com.

er using Head Youtek Radical Lite OSstrung at 58 pounds CP (Gamma Zo Power17)

“ Great spin!” 4.5 female all-courtplayer using Head Youtek Six Star strung at58 pounds CP (Head Sonic Pro 17)

“ This poly would make a great main in ahybrid.” 5.5 male baseliner with moder-ate spin using Prince EXO3 White strung at60 pounds CP (Prince Poly Spin 3D 16L)

“ This string has decent control and spin,but comfort and durability are sub par.”5.0 male serve-and-volley player usingPrince EXO3 Red strung at 58 pounds LO(Prince Premier LT )

“ This string lacks the ‘wow factor.’”4.0 male all-court player using Head Cross-Bow 4 strung at 57 pounds CP (WilsonEnduro Pro 16)17)

CONCLUSIONIn case you’re not impressed that Tour-na Big Hitter Blue Rough 17 has the sec-ond-best ranking of all the strings we’veever tested, it might interest you to learnthat the only string to better it in therankings is a premium natural gut. Andin the Control category, Tourna Big Hit-ter Blue Rough 17 is our highest-ranked“poly” string to date.

As for the top ranking Tourna BigHitter Blue Rough 17 received in theSpin Potential category, some might saythat the real test for a “spin” string iswhen your opponent notices somethingdifferent in how your ball comes offyour strings. Coincidentally, one of ourplaytesters mentioned this (as have oth-ers who have experienced Tourna BigHitter Blue Rough 17 from the “wrong”side of the court), backing up anotherplaytester’s comment that “kick servesbounce to the moon.”

If you want to try Tourna Big HitterBlue Rough for yourself, Unique has aspecial offer: “Buy 1, Get 1 Free” for anyUSRSA member who buys throughUnique. —Greg Raven �

TESTERS TALK

Can I speak with the doctor?"I asked over the phone."He's with a patient at the

moment and will probably be tied upfor the rest of the afternoon," theadministrative assistant replied. "Is thisan emergency?"

"Oh no," I answered. "I only wantedto see if he could play tennis latertoday."

"Hold on," she responded quickly."He'll be right with you."

Such is the power of tennis at therecreational level, which often makesfor strange bedfellows. It's not uncom-mon to see a surgeon competingagainst a pipe fitter or a professor ofeconomics exchanging fierce rallieswith a receptionist at the local school.

The courts are an equal opportunityemployer, per se, and do not discrimi-nate against anyone. In essence, it'spart of the beauty of the sport. No onecares where you work, just whether ornot you can lob effectively or hit abackhand down the line. While thereare those who may feel uncomfortablemingling with society's upper class at acountry-club cocktail party or dis-cussing opera at a theater fundraiser,competition on the courts brings peo-ple closer together.

In fact, tennis can be considered the“great equalizer.” Once that first ball isserved, all social inhibitions vanishquickly and no one, not even a formergovernor (in one club’s case), isexempt from a little good-natured teas-ing should they dink a volley.

Of course, elite tennis clubs withprohibitive membership dues andexcessive court fees tend to perpetuatethe notion that the sport is beyond thereach of middle-class America. Howev-er, outdoor facilities such as my club,the Scranton (Pa.) Tennis Club, doeverything within their power to

ensure that this great activity is accessibleto virtually anyone who has the desire topick up a racquet and hit a ball over a net.

Although somewhat unique in its opera-tional structure, the Scranton Tennis Clubembodies what tennis is—or should be—all about. As a nonprofit entity, the club isnot bent on making a large profit margin.On the contrary, the club exists on a shoe-string budget and seeks only to keep itshead above water each year.

With modest dues (an adult member-ship costs $280) and no court fees, theclub’s laid-back policy has kept it solventfor more than 75 years, and has attractedrock ‘n’ roll band members and even theaforementioned former governor. Clubmembers appreciate the reasonable feesand do their part to keep costs to a mini-

mum by helping the one-man groundscrew/tennis pro sweep the Har-Tru courtsand dust off the lines.

During the tennis boom of the 1970s,the club actually capped its membership at220 to ensure plenty of court time for itsactive members. However, as activitiessuch as golf grew in popularity, tennisclubs around the country began to see adrastic decline in membership. The Scran-ton Tennis Club was no exception andfaced some pretty lean years of emptycourts.

Thanks to innovative marketing strate-gies, such as the creation of nighttimeleagues for all levels of play along with afree instructional clinic each week, the

A veteran 4.5 club player, Jeff Lewis was alsoa successful high school tennis coach formany years. He continues to play regularlyand writes frequently about his favorite sportfor a variety of magazines and newspapers.


‘The courts are an equalopportunity employer,per se, and do not dis-criminate against anyone.In essence, it's part of thebeauty of the sport.’

club has rebounded nicely and now is eeri-ly reminiscent of the “good old days.” Asyou drive into the club you immediatelynotice a parking lot full of cars, with the lat-est model BMW parked next to a FordFocus with rust on its underbelly.

The porch, which serves as the gatheringpoint for members to match up for singles,doubles and mixed doubles, is usually filledon weekends with people from all back-grounds who discuss everything from poli-tics to poetry to plumbing. Here,everyone’s on a first-name basis.

Recently a retired ENT physician wasengaged in a heated debate with a high-school English teacher over the best way torid a backyard of pesky groundhogs. Apatent attorney chimed in with her opin-ion, as did the private airline pilot, but ulti-mately it was the pest-control specialistwho had the final say. �

We welcome your opinions. Please emailcomments to [email protected].

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Club Tennis at Its FinestB Y J E F F L E W I S

A recreational tennis junkie says the sport isthe “great equalizer.”

201102 racquet sports industry

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