200904 Racquet Sports Industry

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April 2009

Volume 37 Number 4 $5.00

www.racquetsportsindustry.comm

2009RACQUETSELECTION

GUIDE

2009RACQUETSELECTION

GUIDEOur exclusive mapwill help you targetthe perfect frame

When, and How,Should You Firea Customer?

When, and How,Should You Firea Customer?


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DEPARTMENTS

R S I A P R I L 2 0 0 9

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Babolat unveils new Y lineof racquets

7 PTR to host Tennis Club &Facilities Conference

7 700 facilities take part inTennis Night

8 PTR presents annual awardsat Symposium

8 Capestany named PTRMaster Professional

9 2009 Stringers Symposiumset for Disney World

10 Dunlop expands Aerogel 4Dline of racquets

10 Tennis Life to be officialmag of USTA Florida

12 USPTA announces 2009tourney schedule

13 College Tennis Roundup14 USTA names Community

Tennis award winners

14 USPTA pros raise$4 million for charity

14 Nova Sports chosen forIndia sports complex

4 Our Serve7 Industry News17 TIA News & Updates

26 String Playtest: Wilson Hollow Core 16

28 Tips and Techniques30 Ask the Experts32 Your Serve, by Paula Hale

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2009www.racquetsportsindustry.com

FEATURES

ContentsContents19 When to Fire a Client

Sometimes, a difficultcustomer just isntworth keeping. How doyou know when to showhim the door?

22 2009 RacquetSelection MapOur exclusive annualguide to racquets will helpyou quickly and easilychoose the right framesfor your customers.


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ebruary was a busy time on Hilton Head Island.

This tennis hotbed became even hotter when the

USTAs Community Tennis Development Work-shop was held there, and immediately after that, the

PTR International Tennis Symposium.If youve read this column in the past, you probably know that I have

a soft spot for the USTAs CTDW. That workshop is probably the best

thing the USTA does every year in terms of promoting grassroots ten-

nis and giving CTAs, teaching pros, facility managers and others the

tools and ideas they need to increase participationwhich, by the way,

increases their business, too.

The hundreds of community tennis leaders who were at the CTDW

heard from experts in many fields, from financial management, to mar-

keting, to developing champions, to liability, to website issues, to cur-

rent grassroots programs and programming, and much more.

In many instances, participants heard from the people who run suc-

cessful grassroots programs. For instance, in one seminar, one of the

presenters was Becky Blue, the president of the Brandon (S.D.) Tennis

Association, which won the USTAs CTA of the Year Award. She had

some wonderful and practical advice on getting a CTAs the board of

directors involved in fund-raising for the long-term.

I can almost guarantee that if youre a facility manager, teaching pro,coach, or involved in your local CTA or other tennis group, youll prob-

ably come away from the CTDW with a dozen ideas on how to increase

tennis participation, run your business more efficiently, get the most

out of programming, and much more. And with all the networking that

naturally occurs there, youll take back dozens of excellent connections.

Thats the beauty of the CTDWit brings together the people who

have a passion for community tennis, and it focuses on sharing ideas

and practices that work. And it all fits in with USTA President Lucy

Garvins emphasis on teamwork (One Team, One Goal), because ulti-

mately, in this economy, we all have to pull together to keep tennismoving forward.

Peter Francesconi

Editorial Director

Our Serve

Sharing Your Successes(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

Editorial Director

Peter Francesconi

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art Director

Kristine Thom

Contributing Editors

Robin Bateman

Cynthia Cantrell

Kristen Daley

Joe Dinoffer

Liza Horan

James Martin

Greg Moran

Chris NicholsonBob Patterson

Cynthia Sherman

Mary Helen Sprecher

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

Corporate Offices

330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084

Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.racquetTECH.com

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

Advertising DirectorJohn Hanna

770-650-1102, x.125

[email protected]

Apparel Advertising

Cynthia Sherman

203-263-5243

[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 atPeriodicals PostagePrices is Pendingat Vista, CA and

additional mailing offices. April 2009, Volume 37,

Number 4 2009 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 April 2009

F

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

www.racquetsportsindustry.com


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

Babolats latest racquet innovation is Y technology, most visible in its five new oversize rac-

quets by the longer arms that extend up the side of each racquet. The new Y line debuted in

March at the BNP Paribas Open tournament in Indian Wells, Calif.

Designed for club players, Babolat says Y racquets combine power

with precision, mainly due to four featured technologies:

Q Side Drivers: This dual-structure construction connects the yoke

and the head with arms that extend the yoke up to the 3 and 9

oclock positions, creating a stiffer construction and distributingmore power from the base of the yoke to the middle of the head,

says the company. The Side Drivers cause less twisting at ball

impact, according to Babolat.

Q Dual-Graphite Construction: Two types of graphitehigh-mod-

ulus in the yoke for power, and Babolats proprietary Crystal

Graphite material in the head for torque resistance.

Q Cellular Grommet System: These are individual grommet sections

that run 360 degrees around the head of the racquet. Babolat says

this system creates more consistent energy absorption at ball impact

for more comfort and forgiveness.

Q Smart Grip: Ergonomically designed grip allows players to hold the rac-

quet with less effort, says Babolat, by increasing the contact surface with

the hand. Smart Grip is standard on two Y frames and, if players prefer,

can be replaced with a regular grip, or it is available as a stand-alone kit.

The frames in the Y line are the Y112 Limited (suggested retail $249),

Y112 ($229), and Y112 with Smart Grip ($229), each at 112 square inches;

and the Y118 ($239) and Y118 with Smart Grip ($239), at 118 square inch-

es. Babolat Y tennis bags and slings, designed to fit Y racquets in shape and color,

are also available, as is the Smart Grip Kit.

View the line of Y products at Babolat.com/obsession, or www.babolat.com, or call 877-316-9435.

700 Facilities TakePart In Tennis NightThe USTA says more than 700tennis facilities, recreationdepartments and communitycenters across the U.S. took partin the first-ever national youthregistration initiative for springand summer tennis programsheld as part of Tennis Night inAmerica on March 2attract-ing tens of thousands of kidsand parents.

Tennis Night in America alsoincluded the BNP ParibasShowdown for the Billie JeanKing Cup at New Yorks Madi-son Square Garden.The Show-down featured Serena Williams,Venus Williams,Ana Ivanovicand Jelena Jankovic competing

in a single-elimination tourna-ment for the inaugural BJK Cupbefore a live national TV audi-ence on HBO. The tournamentwas captured by SerenaWilliams in a straight-set victoryover her sister Venus.

National Youth RegistrationNight events were created togive young players and theirfamilies around the country aday all their own to sign up forspring and summer program-

ming including team tennis play.Facilities and clubs across thecountry, in cooperation withHBO, also offered live viewingparties for the Showdown.

We were excited about thepossibilities of what TennisNight in America could be, butlast night truly exceeded ourexpectations, said Kurt Kam-perman, the USTAs chief execu-tive of Community Tennis, afterthe event.

PTR to Host Inaugural Tennis Club

& Facilities Conference on Hilton Head

The PTR will host its inaugural Tennis Club & Facilities Conference May

13-15 at PTR Headquarters on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The event has

been designed specifically for tennis club owners, club managers, and

directors of tennis.

Presentations and breakout sessions will include topics such as Customer Service, Programming

to Fill Courts, Innovative Ideas for New Clinics, Marketing Your Club & Programs, Forming a Club

Owners Association, Controlling Energy Costs & Expenses, Managing Your Staff, Renovating Your

Club, Creating/Improving Your Website and more.

The program starts at 1p.m. Wednesday, May 13, and runs through 5 p.m. Friday. Cost is $295

before April 1, $325 after April 1, and the price includes all workshops, meals and social activities

through Friday afternoon. For more information or to register, contact PTR at 800-421-6289 or visit

www.ptrtennis.org.

Babolat Unveils New Y Line of Racquets

R S I A P R I L 2 0 0 9

April 2009 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7www.racquetsportsindustry.com


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A P R I L 2 0 0 9

IND

USTRYNEW

S


Sports MarketingVeteran Harlan StoneJoins USTA

The USTA has hired sports marketingveteran Harlan Stone as its new chiefmarketing officer for Professional Tennis.

Stone will be responsible for all advertis-ing, marketing, promotional programs

and campaigns for the US Open, the

Olympus US Open Series, the USTA Pro

Circuit and all USA Team events including

Davis and Fed Cups.

Stone also will be responsible for

entertainment programming at the US

Open and other select USTA pro tennis

events. He will report to USTA Executive

Director Gordon Smith.

In the early 1980s Stone launched his

own agency that promoted a number ofLegends tennis events in the Northeast.

He headed the N.Y. Times Magazine

Groups Golf Digest/Tennis Sports, then

was a partner at Advantage International

(later renamed Octagon where he served

as president). He worked as a marketing

consultant for many leading sponsors

and properties and most recently has

been president of Major League Gaming

Properties.


PTR Presents Annual Awards

The PTR presented its annual awards in February during the 2009 PTR Interna-tional Tennis Symposium. The event, which included 60-plus on-court andclassroom presentations, a tennis trade show and $25,000 Championships was

held at Van der Meer Shipyard Racquet Club on Hilton Head Island, S.C.Q PTR Professional of the Year: Ken DeHart, San Jose, Calif.

Q Clinician of the Year: Scott Mitchell, Charlotte, N.C.

Q Tester of the Year: John MacDonald, Waynesboro, Ga.

Q Humanitarian Award: Vicky Matarazzo, Lakewood, Colo.

Q Volunteer of the Year: Don Henson, Bonita, Calif.

Q Coach Verdieck Touring Pro Coach of the Year: Leo Alonso, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Q Coach Verdieck College Coach of the Year: Bryan Shelton, Alpharetta, Ga.

Q Coach Verdieck High School Coach of the Year: Michael Kypriss, Hollywood, Fla.

Q Male Player of the Year: Fernando Velasco, Austin

Q Female Player of the Year: Diane Fishburne, Charleston, S.C.

Q Public Facility of the Year: Bass-Rudd Tennis Center, Louisville, Ky.

Q Private Facility of the Year: Pacific Athletic Club, Redwood City, Calif.

Q PTR Pride Award: Miller Tennis Center, Williamsville, N.Y.

Q PTR/USTA Community Service Award: Milan Kubala, Stowe, Vt.

Q PTR/TIA Commitment to the Industry: Jorge Andrew, Lexington, Vt.

In addition, PTR recognized several State Members of the Year for their contri-

butions to the organization in their respective states.

Tennis Channel is Homefor U.S. Davis, Fed Cup

Tennis Channel hassigned a multi-yeardeal to be the exclusive

U.S. television home of

all U.S. Davis Cup ties.

The agreement struck

with the ITF and USTA

puts all three ITF annual international

team competitionsDavis Cup by BNP

Paribas, Fed Cup by BNP Paribas andHyundai Hopman Cupon Tennis

Channel in the U.S.

In addition to exclusive U.S. telecast

rights, a broadband component to the

agreement will see U.S. Davis Cup

matches available on demand and in

their entirety on Tennis Channels web

site, www.tennischannel.com, posted

the day after each competition. Tennis

Channel aired the U.S. Davis Cup first-

round match in March as the U.S. beat

Switzerland in Birmingham, Ala.

Award winners at the2009 PTR InternationalTennis Symposium: (backrow, from left) PTR CEODan Santorum, KenDeHart, Leo Alonso, JohnMacDonald, PTR Founder

Dennis Van der Meer, JorgeCapestany, Don Henson,Michael Kypriss; (front row,from left) Debbie Miller,Todd Miller, Vicky Mataraz-zo, Scott Mitchell.

Capestany Named PTR Master Professional

Jorge Capestany of Hudsonville, Mich., earned Master Profes-sional status in the PTR, the only person to do so this year. Heis also now one of only a handful of Master Professionals with

both PTR and USPTA. Capestany was honored during the 2009

PTR International Tennis Symposium, held in February on Hilton

Head Island, S.C.

In his 27 years in the industry, Capestany has created and directed lesson pro-

grams that have generated over $1 million in revenue annually. He has had articles

published in several industry journals and has been a frequent speaker at the PTR

International Symposium, the USPTA World Conference, USTA Tennis Teachers Con-

ference and many others.

The founder of www.tennisdrills.tva video-based website that shows more than

700 tennis drills and tipsCapestany has developed many nationally ranked juniors,

including three national champions. In 1998, he wrote the booklet Tennis Strategy,

followed by his second book in 2008, Mental ToughnessWorkbook for Tennis. He

also is a Master Trainer on the Cardio Tennis Speakers Team and is a member of Wil-

sons National Speakers Bureau.

photobyKenMak


11/36April 2009 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9www.racquetsportsindustry.com

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

2009 StringersSymposium Set forOctober at Disney

The 2009 Grand SlamStringers Symposiumwill once again be held at

the Regal Sun Resort atDisney World in Orlando,

Fla. The event will be Oct. 10 to 14.

Registration is open now, at

www.grandslamstringers.com, or you

can call event organizer Tim Strawn at

540-772-4418. Cost is $495 per per-

son, but if you sign up before May 15,

you can receive a 10 percent discount

off the registration fee. Group rate at

the Regal Sun Resort, an official Disney

hotel, is $95 per night.

For 2009, new registration typeshave been added to provide even more

discounts. Also, a fourth day has been

added specifically for USRSA certifica-

tion testing. Also new for 2009, ses-

sions have been made longer to allow

more time for presentations and ques-

tions, roundtable discussion groups and

a speed-stringing contest have been

added, and new topics include under-

standing and stringing polyester, mar-

keting, customer service, using USRSA

online tools, and more. Visit the web-site for more information.

Congratulations To the FollowingFor Achieving MRT & CS Status

New MRTsChris Maragozis Victoria, BC CANADA

Matt Bennett Victoria, BC CANADA

Allen Lee Victoria, BC CANADA

Wesley Fry Fitzroy, VC AUSTRALIA

Andrew Kotnik Fitzroy, VC AUSTRALIA

Gregg McIntosh Gastonia, NC

Aaron Petersen Winston Salem, NC

Dipesh Rao Greensboro, NC

New CSs

Min-Wei Lee Kaohsiung County, TAIWAN

Chi Hang Chris Chu Kowloon, Hong Kong

Upgrades Available for Wise 2086 Tension Head

For users of the Wise 2086 Tension Head machine, the company now offers a newlydesigned Diablo for free for anyone who has purchased a 2086 in the last sixmonths. (The Diablo is included with each new machine purchase.) Bought separate-

ly, the Diablo is $25 plus shipping; the current price of the Wise 2086 is $495.

Users of drop-weight machines can convert their

machine to a full electronic with a new bracket.

Remove the old drop-weight mechanism, add thenew bracket and the Wise 2086 converts almost any

model drop-weight to a digital electronic stringing

machine. The bracket costs $20 plus shipping. For

more information, contact [email protected].


12/3610 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2009 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

A P R I L 2 0 0 9

IND

USTRYNEW

S Dunlop ExpandsAerogel 4D Line

Dunlop has added four new frames to itspremium racquet line. Designed forplayers ranging from beginners to

advanced, the four are the Aerogel 4D

2Hundred, Aerogel 4D 5Hundred, Aerogel 4D

5Hundred Tour and Aerogel 4D 7Hundred. In

addition to Aerogel, all feature Dunlops 4D Braid-

ing for control and feel.

The 4D 2Hundred, which ATP player Tomas

Berdych uses, has a 95-square-inch head, 18 x

20 string pattern, and strung weight of 11.9

ounces. Like the other 4D frames, it features

4D Touchpoints positioned around the

frame that Dunlop says makes the rac-

quet 33 percent more stable and 33 per-

cent softer, for added touch and feel.

The 4D 5Hundred Tour, played by Dun-

lop Tour Team member Nicolas Almagro, is

11.1 ounces strung, with a head size of 100

square inches and a more open 16 x 18 string

pattern.

Dunlop launched its initial four Aerogel 4 D

racquets in January (4D 3Hundred, 4D 3Hundred

Tour, the 4D 5Fifty Lite and the 4D Super-Lite).

For more information visit www.dunlopsport.com

or call 800-768-4727.

Tennis Life To Be OfficialFlorida Section Magazine

Tennis Life Magazine will become the new official sec-tion publication for USTA Florida starting in May. USTAFlorida members will receive six regionally customized

hard-copy editions of Tennis Life in 2009 and nine edi-

tions in 2010, along with an additional online version at

no extra cost.

The associations current official section publication,

Play Tennis Florida, distributed its final edition to mem-

bers via an all-digital interactive tennis magazine in Feb-

ruary.

The USTA Florida section, with nearly 50,000 mem-

bers, joins USTA Texas, USTA Southwest and USTA North-

ern in partnering with Tennis Life to distribute its section

publication to USTA members.

Tennis Week Suspends Print EditionTennis Week will place the print edition of the maga-zine on hiatus through 2009, according to a state-ment from IMG, which owns the magazine. TW will,

instead, shift its focus to its website,

www.tennisweek.com, and its video distribution plat-

forms. TW has been the official publication of the USTA

Eastern Section. IMG Publishing acquired TW in Decem-

ber 2006.

Aerogel 4D 2HundredAerogel 4D 5HundredAerogel 4D 5Hundred TourAerogel 4D 7Hundred


13/36April 2009 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11

I N D U S T RY N E W S


SHORTS E T S

> The U.S. Davis Cup team beat Switzer-land, 4-1, in the first round in March to

advance to an away quarterfinal match

against Croatia in July. Croatia has won both

previous Davis Cup series with the U.S. and is

the only nation with a winning record

against the Americans.

> The U.S. Fed Cup team beat Argentina, 3-2, in February at the Surprise Tennis Complex

in Arizona to gain a spot in the semifinals.

The U.S. will next play the Czech Republic

April 25-26, at a site in the Czech Republic.

> Head has launched the first of 6 SPEEDLessons by Novak Djokovic on

www.head.com, or visit www.speedles-

sons.com. Djokovic is the voiceover, and

there is a test giving consumers the opportu-

nity to win one of 10 new autographed

SPEED Racquets, which will be available in

May.

> Trinity College of Hartford, Conn., beatPrinceton 5-4 to win the College Squash

Association men's national team champi-

onship in February and extend the nation's

longest college winning streak to 202

matches. Trinity, ranked No. 1 in the nation

and seeded No. 1 in the tournament, won

its 11th consecutive CSA national title. Its

winning streak is the longest active winning

streak in any intercollegiate varsity sport.

> Olga Govortsova, a top 50 WTA Tourplayer, is the first professional player to use

the new Wilson [K]obra Tour. The [K]obra is

geared for the hard hitting aggressive play-

er who utilizes heavy spin on their shots.

> The International Health, Racquet andSportsclub Association (IHRSA) and the

USPTA have joined forces to promote the

preventive health benefits of exercise on

Capitol Hill. The partnership aligns two

major initiatives: The USPTAs Tennisfor the

health of it! and IHRSAs Vision for a

Healthier America.

> Tennis Channel canceled its coverage ofthe Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships in

Dubai, United Arab Emirates after it was

announced that WTA pro Shahar Peer of

Israel would not be allowed into the coun-

try. Preventing an otherwise qualified ath-

lete from competing on the basis of

anything other than merit has no place in

tennis or any other sport, the network said

in a statement.

> Prince was once again the official rac-quet, ball, footwear and apparel supplier to

the SAP Open, held in San Jose, Calif., inFebruary. It was Princes fourth year as the

sponsor of the ATP World Tour stop.

> ATP Tour Pro Jarkko Nieminen is nowplaying head to toe with Wilson. In addi-

tion to his longstanding racquet contract,

the top 40 player debuted Wilsons new

apparel and footwear on this years pro tour.

> USTA ServesFoundation for Academics.Character. Excellence., the philanthropic and

charitable entity of the USTA, will host its

3rd annual USTA Serves Theater Benefit inNew York City on April 23, which will

include seats to the Broadway musical

West Side Story. The night begins with a

cocktail reception and dinner at Sardis

Restaurant. Guests will then watch the show

from orchestra seating at the Palace Theater.

Tickets for the dinner and show are $500

($300 is tax deductible) and are available by

calling 914-696-7223.


14/3612 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2009

Babolat has named RichFrancey as its Western

Regional Sales Manager.

Francey has spent the

last 26 years with Prince

Racquet Sports. Mostrecently, he was Territory

Manager for Southern Califor-

nia and Tennis Warehouse, and was twice

named rep of the year. Michael Lata, who

previously managed sales efforts in the

West, will be the National Strategic Account

Manager.

Wilson Racquet Sportshas signed a long-term

contract with 15-year-

old Laura Robson fromthe United Kingdom.

The 2008 Wimbledon

Junior champion, she will

play with the Wilson [K] Blade 98 racquet,

strung with a combination of Wilson Natural

Gut 17 and Luxilon Timo 1.10.

The U.S. Olympic Committee honoredUSPTA membersAnne Smith, Ph.D., and

Rita Gladstoneas part of its Coaching

Recognition Program. Smith, of Dallas, was

honored with the Doc Counsilman Sci-ence Award for tennis for her contributions

in the area of sports psychology and mental

training, and Gladstone, of Port Orange,

Fla., was named USOC Volunteer Coach of

the Year for tennis.

Wilson [K]Six-One 95 player Mardy Fishbecame the first top-seed to win the title in

the 17-year history of the

Delray Beach International

Tennis Championships. It

was his third career singles

title.

Hall-of-Famer and two-time US OpenChampion Tracy Austin will serve as a special

consultant for USTA Player Development.

Karen Ronney, girls tennis coach at SanDiegos Patrick Henry High School, has won

Positive Coaching Alliances Double-Goal

Coach Award for her positive impact on

young athletes.

USTA Southern has hired Russell Dendy of

Jackson, Miss., as the sections MississippiTennis Service Representative. Dendy has

worked as the Junior Programs Director for

USTA Mississippi in Jackson from 2005 to

2009.

William (Bill) J. Kellogg, president of theLa Jolla Beach & Tennis Club and the former

co-chair of the USTA Davis Cup & Fed Cup

Committee, was elected president of the

45,000-member Southern California Tennis

Association.

Dean Hadaegh has beennamed chief technology offi-

cer and senior vice president,

technical operations, of Ten-

nis Channel. He previously

served as chief technology

officer and vice president,

administration.

PEOPL EWATCH


A P R I L 2 0 0 9I N D U S T R Y N E W S

USPTA Announces 2009 Tourney Schedule

The USPTA kicks off its 2009 National Surface Championship Series with the USPTA

Indoor Championships April 24-26, presented by the USPTA Northern Division. The

series offers USPTA members the chance to earn prize money and ranking points.

Prize money for the Indoor Championships, held at Lakeville Lifetime Fitness in

Minneapolis, is $5,000. The tournament will feature events in mens and womens

open and 45s singles and doubles competition.

The tournaments are open to Professional-level USPTA members in good standing.

For information, contact 800-USPTA-4U. USPTA Professionals may log in to the mem-

bers only section of www.uspta.com. Other events in the series are:

Q May 8-11: USPTA Clay Court Championships, Ibis Golf and Country Club, West Palm Beach, Fla.

Q Aug. 21-23: USPTA Grass Court Championships, Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia

Q Sept. 21-24: USPTA International Championships, Marco Marriott, Marco Island, Fla.

Q Oct. 23-25: USPTA Hard Court Championships, Hollytree Country Club and Tyler Tennis &

Swim Club, Tyler, Texas



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


COLLEGETENNIS ROUNDUP

The Intercollegiate Tennis Associa-

tion, the governing body of college

tennis, has reached a multi-year

agreement that makes the Campbell

Soup Co. the title sponsor for the ITA

College Tennis Rankings and the ITA

College Players of the Year awards.

Virginia captured it second con-

secutive ITA National Mens Team

Indoor title at Midtown Tennis Club,

hosted by the University of Illinois,

after defeating No. 3 Georgia, the last

team to accomplish such a feat.

Top-ranked Northwestern, the

2008 runner-up, became the first BigTen team to capture the Intercolle-

giate Tennis Association National

Women's Team Indoor title with a 4-1

victory recently over No. 6 Georgia at

the A.C. Nielsen Tennis Stadium,

hosted by the University of Wisconsin.

Alex Clayton of Stanford Universi-

ty received the Intercollegiate Tennis

Association Sportsmanship Award at

the ITA National Men's Team Indoor

Championships.

Lauren Lui of Northwestern Uni-

versity received the ITA Sportsman-

ship Award at the ITA National

Women's Team Indoor Champi-

onships.

Georgia freshman Chelsey Gullick-

son was voted the Most Outstanding

Player of the ITA National Women's

Team Indoor Championships.

No. 2 Emory University upset top-

ranked Washington University, 6-3, to

capture the team's third Intercolle-

giate Tennis Association Division III

National Men's Team Indoor Champi-

onship title.

Carnegie Mellon, the No. 5 seed,

beat No. 2 Emory to win the inaugu-

ral ITA Division III National Womens

Team Indoor title in February. The

event was held at the Swanson Tennis

Center on Gustavus Adolphus Col-

lege in Saint Peter, Minn.



A P R I L 2 0 0 9I N D U S T R Y N E W S


USTA Names Community Tennis Award Winners

At the 2009 USTA Community Tennis Development Workshop, held in Feb-ruary in Hilton Head, S.C., the USTA honored individuals and organizationsfor their commitment to growing the game and being true tennis ambassadors at

the grassroots level. Receiving honors at the event were:Q Community Tennis Association of the Year: Brandon Tennis Association, Brandon, S.D.

Q Eve Kraft Community Service Award: Bill Humes of Princeton, N.J., and Hank Merges of York, Pa.Q Janet Louer USTA Jr. Team Tennis National Organizer of the Year: Laura Mitchell of Centreville, Va.

Q Adaptive Tennis National Community Service Award: Handi-Racket Tennis of Wayland, Mass.

Q National Junior Tennis League (NJTL) of the Year: New Lyons Park NJTL of Mobile, Ala.; NJTL of

Indianapolis, Ind.; and the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation of Jacksonville, Fla.

Nova Sports Chosen for

India Sports Complex

Nova Sports USA and its installer inDelhi, India, has been chosen bythe Indian Olympic Association and

the Jharkhand Olympic Association

to surface the seven new courts of a

mega-sports complex near the city of

Ranchi, India. The courts will use the

Novacrylic sport surface.

The tennis center, part of the 325-

acre sports complex, will include a

2,100-seat championship court and

will host India Olympic Association

tournaments along with all future

India National Games. Designers

toured the Olympic village in Sydney,

Australia, along with national stadi-

ums in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore

in an effort to incorporate the finest

features of the sports facilities. For

more information visit www.

novasports.com.

USPTA Pros Raise $4 Million for Charity

USPTA teaching pros once again demonstrated that giving tocharity is a priority by raising $4 million in 2008 through the asso-ciations Lessons for Life program.

Our members continue to show their commitment to giving to

charitable causes, especially during the difficult economic climate, saysPaula Scheb, Lessons for Life chairwoman, secretary/treasurer of the USPTA nation-

al board of directors and director of tennis and fitness at Bonita Bay Club in Bonita

Springs, Fla. Thanks to all of our members who step up year after year for charity.

The USPTA and its members have now raised more than $36 million since the

programs inception in 1999. Under the Lessons for Life umbrella, the USPTA encour-

ages its members to use tennis as a vehicle to help others through fundraising activ-

ities in their communities. Many of the fundraisers take place at country clubs and

commercial clubs. Fundraisers take the

form of tournaments, pro-ams, auc-

tions, black-tie dinners and clinics.


17/36


18/36


19/36

T I A N E W S A P R I L 2 0 0 9

While we are all

paying close atten-

tion to the current

economic turmoil,

there is, however, a

bright spot in

regards to tennis participation

growthone we must capitalize

on. As an industry, we must contin-

ue to work together to create even

more new players who are looking

for ways to stay healthy and havefun.With the tools and resources

available to your business, we can

help you take advantage of tennis

increasing popularity, attracting

even more players to the game

and increasing frequent play.

At the recent USTA Community

Tennis Development Workshop and

then at the PTR Symposium, teach-

ing pros, coaches and community

tennis leaders all were talking

about how their programs are

growing. The unified industry sup-

port we see for programs and ini-

tiatives is paying off and now,

more than ever, is the time to step-

up those efforts.

NEWS & UPDATESNEWS & UPDATES

Jolyn de Boer

Why is Tennis Participation Growing?esearch shows that tennis participation seems to be less affected by a bad economy. In fact, the

latest studies show that 26.9 million people are playing tennis, the highest number in 15 years,

and participation continues to increase. There are a number of reasons why this sport is growing:

Q Tennis promotes a healthy, active lifestyle with great social benefits. An hour of tennis will burn more

calories than virtually any other traditional sport.

Q Tennis is relatively inexpensive to playall you need is a racquet and a can of balls.

Q Through unified support, the tennis industry has developed a strong infrastructure providing more

places to play, programs to learn and partners to play with. A GrowingTennis System at growingten-

nis.com, designed to help tennis providers, is receiving 2 million consumer queries every month.Q The TennisWelcomeCenter logo has appeared on 200 million tennis ball cans and 10 million starter rac-

quets, directing consumers to go to TennisWelcomeCenter.com.

Q There are 700,000 participants in USTA League Tennis, 30,000 participants in Tennis on Campus,

and tournament attendance continues to grow.

Share your reasons for growth at TennisIndustryForum.com.

News You Can Use!

The latest research by the Sporting Goods Man-

ufacturers Association continues to show

impressive news for tennis participation. From

2000 through 2008, tennis was the fastest growing

sport in the U.S., increasing participation by 43 per-

cent over every other traditional sport. A distant sec-

ond place is another racquet sport, racquetball,

increasing 11.6 percent in those eight years. The only

other sports to show participation increases since

2000 are soccer (up 2.2 percent) and basketball (.1

percent). Every other traditional sport declined in

participation, including golf (down 4.3 percent).

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the popular TennisConnect.

With TennisConnect Retailer, you can set up an

online catalog designed to showcase the brands

you promote and help drive sales to your pro shop

or specialty store. You can also create a Demo Rac-

quet Center to promote and track your available

demos, know who theyve been issued to, and

when they are due back. And you can opt to make

demos available for customers to reserve online.

The online String Center automates the

restringing process and has a thorough trackingand documentation system that includes racquet

receipts, overdue alerts, and automatic restringing

reminders. With TennisConnect Retailer, all pro

shops and retailers can now leverage the

economies of scale that come with a centrally

maintained storefront, access to manufacturer-supplied branded plug-ins, and pick & click edit-

ing, all while publishing through their own website

domain.

TennisConnect Retailer also comes with all of

the original functions of TennisConnect, aimed to

help facility operators and managers increase play

frequency, which include the court scheduler,

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To learn more about TennisConnect Retailer,

visit www.tennisconnect.org. To get a free demo,

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TennisConnect

Tennis is the Fastest Growing Traditional SportUp 43%

April 2009 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 17Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

R


20/36


21/36

C U S T O M E R R E L A T I O N S

Sometimes, a difficultcustomer just isnt

worth keeping.

How do you knowwhen its time to

show him the door?

There are some people who you cannot make happy, says retail-

er Mark Mason. If you are going to divorce a client or a cus-

tomer, it must be really bad, [because] if you lose somebody, you

not only lose them, but their friends.

Mason, owner of Masons Tennis Mart in New York City, says that in

his 30 years of retailing, that kind of loss may have happened five

times. He often finds himself reasoning with and sympathizing with a

customer while also expressing the principles upon which he bases his

business.

Almost always, the difficult customers ease up a bit and agreeable

territory can be reached. But what if you cant find common ground with

the customer?

Mason tells of a wealthy woman who would buy a lot in his store, but

she would constantly push for a bigger and better deal. Every time I

would say yes to something, she would ask for a larger discount, as if

she [would not] be satisfied until I was not making anything, says

Mason. Additionally, she was abusive to staff and was causing so much

in-store commotion that her trade threatened to drive away other cus-

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

WHEN TO

FIRE ACLIENT

WHEN TO

FIRE ACLIENT



22/36

tomers. I had to eventually say to her, I think you would be happi-

er elsewhere. I just cant satisfy you.

Douglas Cash, former COO of Tennis Corporation of America,

says the organization probably fired one customer a year from the

entire membership at the 40 clubs he oversaw. Cash refers to these

customers as the lunatic fringethe percentage of people who

cause more problems than they are worth.

Cash, now a consultant after more than 20 years at TCA, esti-

mated that each year a member continued in a TCA club was worth

between $2,500 and $3,000, so to ask a customer not to come backmeant he or she was causing big problems.

For customers who have trouble conforming to the rules of the

club, Cash might use the scissors trick. After various letters and a

review of the situation by at least two management levels, Cash

would call the member into his office and ask for their membership

card. He offered to slice it in two, refund fees, and end the contract.

It was a bluff he was prepared to follow through on, but almost

always the customer backed off. If the customer went through every-

thing else and entered the office, they likely valued club membership

highly and it was only a matter of having everybody work together

to find an acceptable solution.

Most of the time you can settle legitimate gripes, says Cash.Sometimes this could be as simple as changing who delivered the

servicesalthough that may become a management issue with an

employee whose ego may be bruised.

For Jason Havelka, the former head pro at a country club in Cali-

fornia, whoever is paying the bills has to be satisfied. In some cases,

the bad seeds may not be his students, but their parents. The cus-

tomer is always right and we have to deal with it, he says.

But dealing with it doesnt always mean caving in. We put poli-

cies in place to protect ourselves and our businesses. A lot of people

are just fine with that; some people arent, admits Havelka.

His primary strategy to avoid having to fire a customer is to

match the customer with the person who can deliver the servicesthey wantwhich may not be the same as what the customer may

say they want. He cites a pro who never loses students. He picks

his clientele well, and, He only teaches them what they really want

to know and makes everything as simple as possible.

THE STRESS FACTOREven though you try to stand back and not take [problem cus-

tomers] personally, you still do, says coach, author, and psycholo-

gist Allen Fox. They get to you emotionally. You come away

stressed out, but if you keep at it you can help them.

Knowing that, however, doesnt mean there arent times it is best

to cut someone off. Fox offers an example from his days as Pepper-

dine University tennis coach.

I was willing to handle it personally, but [my No. 1 players atti-

tude problems] got to the rest of the team, says Fox. It was hurting

team motivation. Fox suspended his top player for a month and half

and the player returned with a better, although still not perfect, atti-

tude. But it was enough, and the team was strengthened both

through the disciplining and the return.

The easiest way to avoid having to fire problem customers is by

knowing what you can deliver, and then making sure you and the

client are clear on expectations. Dean of tennis instruction Vic

Braden says the way to avoid creating an unpleasant situation is to

be honest from the get-go. I have no problem saying, It doesnt

sound like our Tennis College is the right program for you, he says.

According to Braden, problem customers are usually recognized

during a phone call prior to enrolling.

ISOLATE THE PROBLEMWhen customers have issues that cant be dealt with, the goal should

be to isolate them as soon as possible. It has always amazed me

how many people one negative person can influence, Braden says.

We simply cant afford to allow one negative person to wreck oth-

ers vacation time.

Bradens solution for dealing with the biggest problems is to pro-vide them one-on-one sessions with a private coach and on a sepa-

rate court. And to politely discourage their return.

Martha Rogers, whose Peppers & Rogers Group specializes in cus-

tomer relationships, tells the story of a computer company who felt

it necessary to go a step beyond to discourage a customer who was-

nt a good fit. The computer company had a customer in his 90s who

was new to the world of technology. He called the customer support

group at every step (when the box was opened, when things had to

be plugged in, when the computer was turned on, etc.). The cus-

tomer wasnt bad, he just wasnt right for their business.

The companys solution was an expensive one, but cheaper than

continuing to be true to their business and still service him. They pur-chased and sent him a brand new competitors computer, along with

a nice note of thanks for his patronage.

WHAT S THE LIFETIME VALUE?Rogers insists that businesses recognize and try to measure the life-

time value of their customers. She believes that most businesses will

find that 20 percent of their customers will account for about 80 per-

cent of the profit, and 20 percent will cost the businesses about 80

percent of its wasted time, cost overruns, and other problems.

Consider the lifetime benefit of the customer and then deduct the

costs. For example, consider the gross income plus referrals, and

then subtract what you lose in extra administrative time, discounts tokeep them happy, tracking down payments, effect on staff and other

customers, what their complaining can do to your current customers,

or what happens when they bring you more customers like them.

If you need a rationale for firing those in the bottom 20 percent,

you will often find it there. It isnt O.K. for customers who are keep-

ing you in business to have to pay extra [for you] to keep bad cus-

tomers, says Rogers.

She suggests that you dont have to charge everybody for the

same thing, but apply this carefully by building rules for your busi-

ness that encourage what you want and discourage what you dont

want. For example, if you want people to pay promptly and in

advance, give a discount for those who prepay for multiple lessons.

If you dont want people taking advantage of your returns policy, put

i n a re-stocking fee, and consider waiving it when the situation war-

rants.

Rogers admits there is a great deal of judgment that goes into

deciding who and what to encourage. She is also clear on the bene-

fits of firing bad customers. First, there is the obvious mental health

benefit: Your state of mind and mood are going to improve.

Beyond that, If you are able to get rid of 20 customers [out of

100] on whom you lose money, you can actually charge the remain-

ing 80 less and give them more [of your] time. Q

Former Tennis Week Editor Kent Oswald is a writer and marketing

consultant.

20 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2009 www.racquetsportsindustry.com


23/36



1. Power/Control (columns). (formula = lengthindex x headsize x flex x swingweight) 1000.Length index calculation: 27" = 1.0, 27.5" =1.05; 28" = 1.1, etc.2. Maneuverability (rows). RDC (BabolatRacquet Diagnostic Center) swingweight units.

3. Racquet ID. The number in the grid corre-lates to the accompanying racquet list.4. Headsize. Midsize and midplus (104 sq.in.) have no indicator.Oversize (105 -117 sq. in.) = . Superoversize( 118 sq. in.) = :.5. Length. x = extended length. Standardlength (27") racquets have no indicator.6. Flex (RDC). a = < 60; b = 60-64; c = 65-69;d = 70-74; e = > 74. The higher the number,the stiffer the racquet.7. Company. Coded by number and color. Seeaccompanying racquet list on the followingpages.

8. Racquet Quadrants and the Center of theRacquet Universe. The center of the racquet uni-verse is located at the intersection of the two redlines. Approximately half the racquets lie to theright and left, and half above and below theselines. The lines divide the racquet universe into four

color-coded quadrants clockwise from top left:(1) quick power, (2) quick control, (3) stable con-trol, (4) stable power. These characterizations pro-vide a general vocabulary for comparing racquets.9. Racquet Finder List. The racquet list accompa-nying the map identifies all the new racquets andgives additional information. For a complete list ofal l curren t frames on th e map, go toRacquetSportsIndustry.com. The map provides spe-cific (very narrow ranges, anyway) swingweight,flex and power statistics, and general size andlength characteristics. The racquet list specifies thelength and size and further specifies weight, bal-ance, and price.

How To Use It1. Ask questions. What are you looking forthat your current racquet does not provide?What do you like most and least about yourcurrent racquet? What are the strengths andweaknesses of your game?

2. Locate current racquet on map. If the rac-quet is not in the list, take measurements.3. Locating potential racquets. Dependingon the answers to the above questions,draw an imaginary arrow (a wide or skinnyone) from your present racquet in thedesired direction for power and maneuver-ability.4. Narrowing the field. Shrink the choicesusing the length, headsize, and flex codes tomatch customer preferences.5. Selecting racquet demos. Once the choic-es are narrowed, locate the racquets bynumber in the racquet list.

RACQUET SELECTION MAP KEY

RACQUETS


Adidas

1 Barricade 95 27.00 316 11.15 34.00 13.39 64 313 1903 $185

2 Barricade Tour 95 27.00 357 12.59 32.00 12.60 66 328 2057 $185

3 Barricade Tour Light 95 27.00 319 11.25 34.00 13.39 66 328 2057 $185

4 Feather 105 27.00 273 9.63 35.35 13.92 61 293 1877 $165

5 Response 100 27.00 292 10.30 34.00 13.39 64 302 1933 $145

Babolat

12 Aero Strike 100 27.00 290 10.23 34.80 13.70 65 308 2002 $179

28 XS 102 (Xtra Sweetpsot) 102 27.00 286 10.09 36.00 14.17 70 322 2299 $119

29 XS 105 (Xtra Sweetspot) 105 27.00 287 10.12 36.05 14.19 67 325 2286 $119

New Racquets from April 2008 to March 2009Racquet Headsize Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex Swingweight Power Retail

(in2) (in.) (gm) (oz) (cm) (in.) (RDC) kg x cm2 Formula Price

ADIDAS 800-982-9337 www.adidas.com

BABOLAT 877-316-9435 www.babolat.com

Our exclusive Racquet Selection Map enables you to

help your customers choose the perfect racquet for

them quickly and easily, with the features and per-

formance they want.

The map on the facing page presents the entire perform-

ance racquet universe on one grid that instantly locates each

racquet compared to every other in terms of power, control,

and maneuverability. Simply locate the specs of your cus-

tomers current racquet on the map, then move outward in

large or small increments in the direction of the customers pri-

mary preferencerelatively more or less power, control or

maneuverability. Once youve zoomed into an approximate

location on the grid, you can narrow down the racquets feel

attributes by choosing from length, size, and flex specs coded

into the racquet number.

Next, look up the racquet(s) by number in the accompany-

ing table. Note, though, that the table on these pages lists every

new performance racquet that came out in the last 12 months.

If the racquet you find on the grid is not in one of these charts,

youll find it online at www.racquetsportsindustry.com, where

we have the complete list of every racquet that is currently on

the market, both the newest and the older models.

Your customer will now have a handful of choice-cus-

tomized demos. And youll have a satisfied customer.

RACQUET

SELECTIONMAP



RSIs annual Racquet Selection Map was compiled by Jonathan Wolfe and designed by Kristine Thom.



26/36

Racquet Headsize Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex Swingweight Power Retail(in2) (in.) (gm) (oz) (cm) (in.) (RDC) kg x cm2 Formula Price

BABOLAT

30 Y 112 112 27.50 274 9.67 36.95 14.55 70 312 2568 $229

31 Y 112 (Smart Grip) 112 27.50 275 9.70 36.95 14.55 70 316 2601 $229

32 Y 112 LTD 112 27.50 294 10.37 36.50 14.37 72 328 2777 $249

33 Y 118 118 27.50 271 9.56 36.95 14.55 70 310 2689 $239

34 Y 118 (Smart Grip) 118 27.50 276 9.74 37.10 14.61 71 322 2833 $239

Boris Becker

42 Delta Core 1 115 27.80 276 9.74 39.30 15.47 73 360 3264 $280

43 Delta Core 3 110 27.60 293 10.34 37.00 14.57 70 347 2832 $250

Carnelian

44 Carnelian (Pro Tour Graphite) 95 27.00 316 11.15 32.10 12.64 65 301 1859 $225

Dunlop

47 Aerogel 4D 2 Hundred (200) 95 27.00 335 11.82 32.50 12.80 65 325 2007 $199


49 Aerogel 4D 3 Hundred Tour (300) 98 27.00 317 11.18 32.50 12.80 66 300 1940 $199

50 Aerogel 4D 5 Fifty Lite 100 27.25 273 9.63 35.00 13.78 72 295 2177 $179


52 Aerogel 4D 5 Hundred Tour (500) 100 27.00 317 11.18 33.50 13.19 73 325 2373 $179

53 Aerogel 4D 7 Hundred (700) 108 27.25 273 9.63 35.40 13.94 74 290 2376 $21954 Aerogel 4D Super Lite 108 27.50 272 9.59 37.00 14.57 67 280 2127 $179

58 Rush 108 27.00 273 9.63 34.90 13.74 67 298 2156 $159

59 Smoke 100 27.00 294 10.37 34.00 13.39 71 315 2237 $149

60 Titan (Aerogel) 101 27.00 294 10.37 33.85 13.33 69 280 1951 $119

Fischer

62 Black Granite Calibur 102 27.00 272 9.59 36.00 14.17 69 304 2140 $180

63 Black Granite Comp 95 95 27.00 346 12.20 32.15 12.66 64 310 1885 $220

64 Black Granite No. One 98 (SL) 98 27.00 332 11.71 31.80 12.52 59 301 1740 $210

65 Black Granite No. One 98 (UL) 98 27.00 312 11.01 33.50 13.19 60 309 1817 $210

66 Black Granite Rally 102 27.50 297 10.48 34.30 13.50 68 303 2207 $200

67 Black Granite Speed 107 27.00 295 10.41 35.20 13.86 67 320 2294 $210

68 Black Granite Spice 102 27.00 249 8.78 37.90 14.92 71 296 2144 $200

69 Black Granite Tour 100 27.00 306 10.79 33.00 12.99 57 295 1682 $200

Gamma

75 Big Bubba 29 137 29.00 282 9.95 39.50 15.55 67 385 4241 $190

75.1 Tour 320X 98 98 27.00 317 11.18 32.80 12.91 69 309 2089 $160

75.2 Tour 330X 95 95 27.00 332 11.71 31.20 12.28 70 307 2042 $160

Head

88 Airflow 5 (CrossBow) 109 27.00 274 9.67 36.00 14.17 74 296 2388 $200

89 Airflow 7 (CrossBow) 115 27.00 263 9.28 35.60 14.02 73 295 2477 $225

90 CrossBow 10 124 27.33 278 9.81 36.00 14.17 74 301 2853 $320

91 CrossBow 2 102 27.30 282 9.95 35.10 13.82 74 302 2348 $220

92 CrossBow 4 107 27.30 280 9.88 35.90 14.13 72 309 2452 $24093 CrossBow 6 112 27.33 277 9.77 36.00 14.17 74 301 2577 $250

94 CrossBow 8 118 27.33 277 9.77 35.95 14.15 73 301 2678 $290

96 MicroGEL Extreme Mid Plus (with red at throat) 100 27.25 315 11.11 32.95 12.97 69 320 2263 $200

98 MicroGEL Extreme Pro Mid Plus (with red at throat) 100 27.00 332 11.71 32.00 12.60 72 326 2347 $200

100 MicroGEL Extreme Team Oversize (with red at throat) 107 27.00 291 10.26 33.50 13.19 58 295 1831 $190

Natural

113 Natural Power Grip 100 29.00 343 12.10 33.90 13.35 391 $200

Prince

122 EXO3 Graphite 100 (with hole inserts) 100 27.00 322 11.36 33.90 13.35 66 321 2119 $220

123 EXO3 Graphite 93 (with port inserts) 93 27.00 319 11.25 35.10 13.82 65 336 2031 $199

124 EXO3 Rebel 95 (with hole inserts) 95 27.00 345 12.17 31.10 12.24 62 326 1920 $210

125 EXO3 Rebel Team 95 (with hole inserts) 95 27.00 302 10.65 35.00 13.78 64 324 1970 $200

126 EXO3 Red 105 105 27.25 297 10.48 34.90 13.74 69 317 2354 $260


DUNLOP 800-768-4727 www.carltonsports.com

FISCHER 800-844-7810 www.fischertennisusa.com

BORIS BECKER 866-554-7872 www.borisbecker.com

GAMMA 800-333-0337 www.gammasports.com


HEAD 800-289-7366 www.head.com

PRINCE 800-2TENNIS www.princetennis.com

CARNELIAN 704-257-4846 www.carneliantennis.com

NATURAL 702-373-5917 www.naturaltennis.com

New Racquets from April 2008 to March 2009 (Cont.)

BABOLAT (CONT.) 877-316-9435 www.babolat.com


27/36

Racquet Headsize Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex Swingweight Power Retail(in2) (in.) (gm) (oz) (cm) (in.) (RDC) kg x cm2 Formula Price

127 EXO3 Silver 118 118 27.50 267 9.42 37.00 14.57 73 318 2876 $300

136 O3 Speedport Black LB (with hole inserts) 100 27.50 321 11.32 33.90 13.35 67 351 2469 $220

137 O3 Speedport Black LB (with port inserts) 100 27.50 317 11.18 33.50 13.19 67 335 2357 $220

138 O3 Speedport Black Team (with hole inserts) 100 27.00 297 10.48 35.90 14.13 68 339 2305 $220

139 O3 Speedport Black Team (with port inserts) 100 27.00 285 10.05 35.00 13.78 67 316 2117 $220

Tecnifibre

155 T Fight 295 VO2 Max 95 27.00 309 10.90 33.25 13.09 68 308 1990 $200

156 T Fight 320 VO2 Max 95 27.00 331 11.68 32.65 12.85 68 318 2054 $200

157 T Fight 325 VO2 Max 95 27.00 343 12.10 32.00 12.60 69 322 2111 $200

158 T Fight 325 XL VO2 Max 95 27.50 344 12.13 32.15 12.66 71 338 2394 $200

159 T Flash 290 VO2 Max 100 27.00 308 10.86 33.20 13.07 69 310 2139 $190

160 T Flash 315 VO2 Max 100 27.00 330 11.64 32.10 12.64 63 314 1978 $200

Volkl

171 Power Bridge 1 115 27.80 266 9.38 36.95 14.55 71 306 2698 $250

172 Power Bridge 10 (295g) 98 27.00 310 10.93 32.90 12.95 63 303 1871 $220

173 Power Bridge 10 (325g) 98 27.00 342 12.06 31.85 12.54 66 310 2005 $190

174 Power Bridge 4 105 27.60 290 10.23 33.95 13.37 65 301 2178 $225

175 Power Bridge 6 Attiva 100 27.00 290 10.23 34.50 13.58 66 303 2000 $200

176 Power Bridge 8 100 27.00 308 10.86 33.00 12.99 71 311 2208 $180

Wilson

187 K Brave 105 27.00 270 9.52 34.00 13.39 62 291 1894 $160188 K Court 100 27.00 284 10.02 33.90 13.35 54 284 1534 $130

191 K Four FX 107 27.50 283 9.98 35.30 13.90 71 314 2505 $260

192 K Fury (100) 100 27.00 278 9.81 34.00 13.39 52 283 1472 $150

193 K obra Team FX 100 27.00 310 10.93 32.00 12.60 59 283 1670 $230

194 K obra Tour 100 27.00 321 11.32 32.00 12.60 61 308 1879 $220

195 K One FX 122 27.50 264 9.31 38.40 15.12 75 323 3103 $300

197 K Pro Staff (88) 88 27.00 364 12.84 32.90 12.95 68 349 2088 $230

198 K Pro Team FX 100 27.00 297 10.48 33.65 13.25 69 302 2084 $210

206 K Three FX 115 27.50 270 9.52 37.00 14.57 41 315 1559 $280

208 K Tour Team FX 102 27.25 293 10.34 34.05 13.41 64 306 2048 $220

210 K Zen Team FX 103 27.25 286 10.09 34.00 13.39 71 300 2249 $210

Yonex

214 RDIS 100 (93) 93 27.00 335 11.82 31.90 12.56 68 308 1948 $199

215 RDIS 100 (98) 98 27.00 329 11.61 32.00 12.60 65 307 1956 $199

216 RDIS 300 100 27.00 309 10.90 33.05 13.01 63 303 1909 $189

223 RQIS 10 102 27.50 279 9.84 34.00 13.39 66 291 2057 $189

225 RQIS 50 105 27.00 285 10.05 35.00 13.78 60 287 1808 $199


TECNIFIBRE 877-332-0825 www.tecnifibre.com

VOLKL 866-554-7872 www.volkl-tennis.com

WILSON 800-272-6060 www.wilson.com

YONEX 800-44-YONEX www.yonexusa.com



String Playtest

EASE OF STRINGING

(compared to other strings)

Number of testers who said it was:

much easier 4

somewhat easier 14

about as easy 16

not quite as easy 1

not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY

(compared to string played most often)


much better 2

somewhat better 8

about as playable 13

not quite as playable 10

not nearly as playable 2

OVERALL DURABILITY

(compared to other strings

of similar gauge)


much better 0

somewhat better 5

about as durable 22

not quite as durable 7

not nearly as durable 1

RATING AVERAGES

From 1 to 5 (best)

Playability 3.4

Durability 3.2

Power 3.2

Control 3.6

Comfort 3.6

Touch/Feel 3.4

Spin Potential 3.3

Holding Tension 3.5

Resistance to Movement 3.3

Hollow Core is an innovative nylon

multifilament from Wilson. Hollow

Core is the first string that, instead of a

round solid core, has an air-filled, hol-

low triangle-shaped core. According to

Wilson, this hollow core is what gives

the string its unique playing properties,

namely, superb power, comfort, and

control. Around the triangular core are

wrapped high-elasticity microfibers,

which are coated for ease of installa-

tion.

Hollow Core is available in 16 gauge

(1.33 mm) in natural only. It is pricedfrom $9 for a 40-foot coil, and 660-foot

reels go for $150. For more information

or to order, contact Wilson at 773-714-

6400, or visit wilson.com/newstring. Be

sure to read the conclusion for more

information about getting a free set to try

for yourself.

IN THE LABThe coil of Hollow Core 16 measured 40.

The diameter measured 1.32-1.34 mm

prior to stringing, and 1.26-1.27 mmafter stringing. We recorded a stringbed

stiffness of 73 RDC units immediately

after stringing at 60 pounds in a Wilson

Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern) on a

constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed

stiffness measured 63 RDC units, repre-

senting a 14 percent tension loss. Our

control string, Prince Synthetic Gut Origi-

nal Gold 16, measured 78 RDC units

immediately after stringing and 71 RDC

units after 24 hours, representing a 9 per-

cent tension loss. Hollow Core added 15

grams to the weight of our unstrung

frame.

The string was tested for five weeks

by 35 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP rat-

ings from 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind

tests, with playtesters receiving

unmarked strings in unmarked packages.

Average number of hours playtested was

26.9.

Hollow Core feels soft out of the

package, with a benign amount of coil

memory. It is straightforward to install,

with a smooth texture that glides through

grommets and across the mains. It does,

however, bruise easily in clamps and inthe jaws of the tension head, even when

using the nosecone.

No playtester broke his sample dur-

ing stringing, one reported problems

with coil memory, none reported prob-

lems tying knots, and none

reported friction burn.

ON THE COURT

Our playtesters found Wilson HollowCore 16 to be a great string across the

board, rating it well above average in

Playability, Control, Touch/Feel, Com-

fort, Spin Potential, and Tension Reten-

tion, with remarkable consistency in

scores across all nine categories. On the

strength of these ratings, Wilson Hollow

Core 16 garnered a well-above-average

overall ranking of the 130 strings that

weve playtested for publication.

Three playtesters broke the sample

during playtesting, one at six hours, oneat eight hours, and one at 17 hours.

CONCLUSIONGiven the ratings our playtesters gave

Wilson Hollow Core, theres little doubt

that it can be the go to string for

stringers with customers wanting a

strong-performing string with no major

drawbacks: Theres something in Hol-

low Core just about every player will

appreciate.

Nearly a third of our playtesters

commented that Hollow Core offered

good power one of the benefits Wil-

son claims for the technology behind

this string and most rated it accord-

ingly. Most of the other playtesters who

did not find Hollow Core particularly

powerful still felt that it had the right

power level in proportion with its playa-

bility, control, and touch.

If you think that Wilson Hollow Core

might be for you, fill out the coupon to

get a free set to try.

Greg Raven Q

Wilson Hollow Core 16




This is a nylon based string with the feel of nat-ural gut. The response is crisp and clean. It has just

the right mix of power and touch.

4.5 male all-

court player using Head i.Prestige MP strung at 59

pounds LO (Gamma TNT2 16)

Ease of installation is second to none. Greatfeel, especially around the net. I definitely notice

added power on serves and groundies.

6.0 male

all-court player using Wilson K Blade strung at 53

pounds LO (Wilson Sensation 16)

This string is great for heavy topspin. It is verycomfortable and makes a nice deep thud at impact.

Power and spin come very easy.

3.5 male all-

court player using Volkl DNX 4 strung at 60 pounds

CP (Wilson K Gut Pro 17)

This string feels and plays like natural gut. It

has great power without sacrificing control.

4.0

male all-court player using Head MicroGEL Radical

MP strung at 57 pounds LO (Gamma Live Wire XP

16)

Very comfortable string. It has a very cushionedfeel. Very responsive and lively on serves and vol-

leys. Durability might be an issue for big hitters.

TESTERS TALK4.5 male all-court player using Wilson K Pro Open

strung at 58/61 pounds LO (Prince Pro Blend 16)

This string has outstanding playability andcomfort. After some tension loss, the playability

goes down.

5.0 male all-court player using

Head Liquidmetal Prestige Mid strung at 58

pounds LO (Prince Synthetic Gut Original 16)

This is a very easy string to install. The crossesglide very quickly. There is no string movement.

Tension maintenance is above average. Even after

20 hours, this string looks fresh and plays

lively.

4.0 male all-court player using Prince

O3 Blue strung at 56 pounds LO (Gamma Live

Wire Pro 17)

This string has a very soft composition. Instal-lation is painless. It is very comfortable, but over

time it loses pop.

5.0 male all-court player

using Head MicroGEL Prestige Mid Plus strung at

60 pounds CP (Nylon Multifilament 17)

Control is adequate, but the feel is a bitharsh.

4.5 male all-court player using Prince

OZone Pro Tour MP strung at 57 pounds LO

(Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 16)

FREE PLAYTEST

STRING PROGRAMWilson will send a free set of

Hollow Core 16 to USRSA mem-

bers who cut out (or copy) this

coupon and mail it to:

Offer expires 15 April 2009

Offer only available to USRSA

members in the US.

Name:

USRSA Member number:

Phone:

Email:

If you print your email clearly, we

will notify you when your sample

will be sent.

USRSA

Attn: Wilson String Offer,330 Main Street,Vista, CA 92084

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

[email protected]


For the rest of the tester comments, visit

www.racquetsportsindustry.com.


30/36

already tensioned on one side of a ridge.

This method will assure that the string

next to it will be on the same side of theridge, so when a cross has to come

through one hole and go through the

other, there is no chance for a cross-over.

5 sets of Gamma Asterisk 16 to:

Vince Chiarelli, MRT, Largo, FL

EASIER EASY ATWSTRINGINGAfter reading Liam Nolans Easy ATW

Stringing tip in the May 2007 issue of

RSI, I adopted it is my go-to technique for

stringing any one-piece racquet where the

mains end at the throat. The only problem

I had with it was on racquets with a skip

before the outside main: Id sometimes

struggle a bit with the resulting blocked

hole.

As it turns out, the solution is easy, too.

After using my starting clamp on the

short-side main at the head, I put the end

RUFFLED BY RIDGESHave you ever been frustrated by the

ridges racquet manufacturers put on theoutside of grommet strips to "help" guide

the strings? I wish they would stop help-

ing, but knowing they don't listen, I found

a way to get around this problem one

that doesnt involve cutting the ridges off

with a razor blade. I insert a small awl in

the hole to be blocked before tensioning

the blocking string. That way, I can control

which side of the ridge the string is on.

Many times you have an adjacent string


Tips & Techniques

of the string through the grommet hole

for the outside main at the top. After

installing the long-side crosses and

clamping off the long side at the top, Im

ready to pull through the short side

no more fishing around for the hole.When doing this, the short side still has

to do the outside main and at least one

cross at the bottom, so Ive never had a

case where the loop was too short to

make it to the tension head without

pulling out my placeholder.

5 sets of Head Sonic Pro 17 to:

L. Hodges, Fresno, CA

Readers Know-How in Action




Tips and Techniques submitted since 2000 by USRSA

members, and appearing in this column, have all

been gathered into a single volume of the Stringers

DigestRacquet Service Techniques which is a benefit

of USRSA membership. Submit tips to: Greg Raven,

USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92804; or email

[email protected].

THEY STILL MAKE EMLIKE THEY USED TOI have a regular customer that is a chronic

string breaker. I put him in an

aramid/synthetic hybrid for durability.

This proved too harsh on his wrist, so we

tried a poly/synthetic hybrid. This was too

harsh on his wrist and elbow. We then

tried a very popular synthetic 15L, but hewould break that very quickly. The solu-

tion, to my surprise, turned out to be

good old tournament nylon 15L. This guy

loves the stuff. It's easy on the arm, plays

fine for him, and has plenty of durability.

5 sets of Wilson Stamina 16 to:

Fred S. McWilliams, Arlington, TX

RACQUET PREPARATIONThe tip you ran about preparing racquets

the night before got me thinking, as we

sometimes do this when the workloadgets high, and when we do stringing for

local tournaments, we have one person

who strings, while another person does

racquet check-in, racquet check-out, the

paperwork, and cutting out the strings

after check-in.

One technique that we adopted to

make things go more smoothly (and thus

faster) is to leave one loop of string on

every racquet to show where the mains

start. This serves the additional purpose of

verifying for the stringer that the string

going in is the same as the string that

came out.

For customers who request hybrid

string jobs, the person cutting out the

strings leaves two loops, one for the

mains and one for the crosses, so the

stringer has visual confirmation of which

string is supposed to go where.

5 sets of Babolat Xcel Premium 16 to:

Alan Yoshida, Ocean Park, CA

Greg Raven Q



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Ask the Experts

INCREASING TENSIONFOR THE TIEOFF

WHAT IS THE USRSA POSITION

on increasing the tension of the tie

offs? I couldnt find anything about

this in the Stringers Digest. Tim Strawn at

Grand Slam Stringers told me there are no

rules concerning this, as long as you do it

consistently (he increases tie-off tension

by 5 kilograms).

THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING

the reference tension on the tie-off

string is to compensate for the slack

between the clamp and the knot, so the

final tension on tie-off strings is closer to

the reference tension. Also, in situations

where the outside main or cross is so slack

that the weave of the adjacent string

pushes it outward, toward the frame,

the finished string job looks unprofes-

sional, no matter how it performs. There

are also some stringers who feel that leav-

ing the tie-off string loose will create a

situation where the lower tension will

propagate back through the string bed.

This, however, simply is not an issue, due

to friction on the string as it passes aroundthe outside of the frame, and the relatively

low tension differential between any two

adjacent strings.

The USRSA position is that there is no

need to increase the tension on the

string you are tying off, but there is no

harm in it.

There is no need because for the

stringing instructions we publish the

strings to be tied off are outside mains or

outside crosses. A couple pounds differ-

ence in tension on these strings are notgoing to affect the playability of the rac-

quet (unless you can hit that string square-

ly without hitting the frame!). Clearly, if

you are using one of the more exotic box

patterns where the final cross is the third

or fourth one up from the racquet throat,

you need to get that cross as close to ref-

erence tension as possible.

It bears pointing out that in a propor-

tionally tensioned string job, the outside

mains and crosses will be at a much lower

tension, and this method supposedly cre-ates the most playable stringbed. There-

fore, one could argue that leaving a little

slack in the tie-off string actually makes the

racquet more playable.

Whichever route you decide to take, Tim

is correct that you should do it consistently.

CALIBRATINGTHE EKTELON H

IVE INHERITED AN OLD Ektelon

H stringing machine, but not the

manual. How do you calibrate it?

FIRST, YOU NEED TO BUY A cali-

brator, which doesnt actually do

the calibration for you, but

rather measures the pull of the

tension head. You then compare

the reading from the calibrator

against the reference tension setting

to see if the machine is pulling high, low,

or right on. Adjustment is accomplished by

altering the point at which the catch releas-

es the locking lever.

We covered calibration

basics in Calibration Proce-

dure, in the July 2006 issue of

RSI magazine. Since that time,

weve added complete, step-by-step instructions, with illustrations,

to our website. These instructions

are available to USRSA members

online at usrsa.com/members/machines.

CZECH TENSIONMACHINES

DO YOU KNOW THE FATE OF the

stringing machines manufactured in

the Czech Republic? (They had big

yellow knobs in the side mounts.) A few

years ago they were distributed and sold inthe U.S. at low prices, but I havent seen

them anywhere in awhile, and they are not

listed in your annual Stringing Machine Buy-

ing Guide. Id love to get a hold of the man-

ufacturer and/or distributor because I need

some spare parts.

NO. THERE USED TO BE ONE main

distributor in the United States, but

it apparently went out of business, with

another company taking over, seemingly

with some kind of connection to the originalcompany. However, this second company

soon disappeared, too. Your best bet may

be to try to buy additional used machines

of the type you have, in the hopes that

you will be able to cannibalize them for

the parts you need for your main

machine.

BOOSTINGCUSTOMIZATION

AFTER READING RACQUET Cus-

tomization (RSI, November

2007) I purchased several pieces

of diagnostic equipment including a

Prince PTC in the hopes of doing more

customization. While I acknowledge that

players are as you say ambivalenttoward the concept of customization I

think a larger problem for me anyway

and perhaps others is the lack of a modus

operandi. I dont mean for the actual

modification work. Thats pretty straight-

forward. I mean for diagnosing the needs

of the player. I have heard that some

places analyze players out on a court and

and make equipment recommendations

based on that analysis. That sounds like a

terrific idea to me. Can you suggest any

reading material for someone interestedin offering a service like this? I would

really love to be able to look at some-

ones game and think to myself eight

grams of lead at 10 and 2 oclock and

this guy will be moving from a 3.5 to a

4.0 in no time.

CONGRATULATIONS ON making

the commitment to customiza-

tion. Now that you have the equipment to

take accurate measurements, you can

learn a lot by play-testing different rac-quets, and the same racquet with differ-

ent set-ups. If you havent already done

so, you should check out Make Any Rac-

quet Play Better Guaranteed (RSI,

May 2004) by the king of selling cus-

tomization, Drew Sunderlin.

You might also consider attending the

2009 GSS Racquet Stringers Symposium.

You can find out more information about

the Symposium at grandslam-

stringers.com. Greg Raven QWe welcome your questions. Please send them to Rac-

quet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA, 92084;fax: 760-536-1171; email: [email protected].

A


Your Equipment Hotline

Q


A

Q Q

A

A

Q


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Hitting a WinnerEvery TimeA longtime community tennis advocate

says CTAs are not only good for tennis,but good for your business.

When it comes to tennis in this

country, nothing beats what a

Community Tennis Association

has to offer. CTAs represent all that is won-

derful about grassroots tennis. Primarily

organized and run by tennis-passionatevolunteers, these associations support and

provide programs that move forward the

mission of the USTAto promote and

develop the growth of tennis.

Look at it this way: CTAs are the nucle-

us for community tennis. Teaching pros,

retailers, facilities and clubs, court

builders, school coaches, park and rec

departments and many more all have a

stake in how successful tennis is in the

community, and its the local CTA that

connects all of these people and organiza-tions to the programs, tournaments,

leagues, workshops, grants and other

events and resources that are helping to

grow the sport.

In a world in which more and more we

need to join together to get things done,

CTAs have long been an agent for fostering

partnerships that spread the sport of a life-

time throughout their cities and towns.

One of the best examples of this is the

USTAs CTA of the year, the Brandon Ten-

nis Association in Brandon, S.D.

Just 3-1/2 years old, the BTA has built

up relationships that have made the sport

flourish in a town of 8,000. With four

courts in town badly in need of renova-

tion, a group of tennis enthusiasts led by

Becky

Blue

decided

much

more was

needed.

They formed a CTA, partnered with the

city, private businesses, the USTA and oth-

ers, and raised more than $200,000 for the

project. Now, Brandon has a new eight-court

facility complete with a welcome center and

has adult and junior leagues, a no-cut policy

for its school teams, and a thriving summer

program.We not only had to advocate for the

idea of these tennis courts, we had to advo-

cate for the idea of tennis to the communi-

ty, says Becky, who is the president of the

BTA. Tennis builds relationships, and I

know that tennis has helped Brandon be a

better community.

And it all came about because Becky and

others passionate about the sport organized

a CTA, one of nearly 1,200 in the U.S. They

were strong advocates for all the wonderful

things tennis can do for a community andfor its adults and children. And their passion

to provide tennis to their town brought huge

rewards to Brandon.

The future of tennis is in attracting and

retaining young players, and again, CTAs

are a key element in that endeavor. The

QuickStart Tennis format, designed specifi-

cally to teach tennis to youngsters ages 5 to

10, uses age-appropriate court size, nets,

racquets, balls and scoring to make tennis a

fun and successful sport to learn. And CTAs

are at the forefront of promoting this for-

mat, making sure it filters into schools and

public parks, and training parents, teachers,

coaches and others on how to use the QST

format with their kids.

Whether advocating for new or renovat-

ed courts or facilities, running the QST for-

mat for kids, working to attract new players,

organizing leagues and clinics, helping a

school with a no-cut program or a myriad of

other tennis-related things, Community Ten-

nis Associations are key players. They are

focused on the local level and are the con-

duit to an array of opportunities that pro-

B Y P A U L A H A L E

Paula Hale is currently the chair

of the USTAs Community Ten-

nis Association Committee and a

vice president of the USTA

Southern Section. A tournament

and league player, she is a past

CTA president and past president of USTA

North Carolina.


mote and develop the growth of tennis.

And think of this: An active CTA in your

community helps your business. When you

have a passionate and organized group of

tennis players constantly advocating for

tennis, getting courts built and resurfaced,running programs and leaguesyour busi-

ness benefits. As a retailer, youre the one

who will sell equipment and apparel and

team uniforms. As a club or facility manag-

er, youre the one booking the court time.

As a teaching pro, youre the one giving the

lessons and clinics. As a court builder,

youre the one getting the contract to resur-

face or build.

Doesnt it make sense that no matter

how youre connected to the tennis busi-

ness, you also get connected to your local

CTA? If you dont have a local CTA, would-

nt it make sense to start one now?

Find out where all those tennis-passion-

ate people are in your community. And you

know theyre there. Tennis, according to

the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Associa-

tion, is by far the fastest growing participa-

tion sport in the U.S., so you can be sure

there are passionate players in your area.

Volunteer with your local CTA. Start a

CTA yourself. Advocate for tennis. Each of

us has the power to influence the growth of

tennisand your businessin your com-

munity. A CTA is a great way to do this. Q

We welcome your opinions. Please email

comments to [email protected] or faxthem to 760-536-1171.

Your Serve


Find out more about CTAs, including

how to start one, by visiting usta.com

and clicking on Get Involved.


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