201607 Tennis Industry magazine

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JULY 2016 / VOLUME 4 4 / NU MBER 7 / $5. 00

Industry News

HAR-TRU sold;PLAYSIGHT techat Lake Nona

Your Serve

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Grow Participation

How to movethe needle withMARKETING

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TIA State of theIndustry ReportLatest datashows gains &challenges

Plus:

ndustry Report

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shows gains

challenges

shows gains

challenges

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I n c o r p o

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U S P T

A p g


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DEPARTMENTS

4 Our Serve

7 Industry News

14 TIA News

16 Grassroots Tennis

18 Marketing

31 Tips & Techniques

32 String Playtest: Kirschbaum

34 Your Serve, by Lou Marino

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Har-Tru Sports acquired by

Tuckahoe Holdings

7 PlaySight to equip all courts

at USTA National Campus

7 Tennis leaders gather at

USTA symposium

7 USTA joins with NFHS for

“Coaching Tennis” course

8 USTA names new Chief

Marketing Officer

8 TIA Tennis Forum Aug. 29

in New York

10 Head debuts next generation

Speed Limited Edition

10 Peoplewatch

10 New book chronicles senior

player’s tennis quest

11 Tecnifibre continues “Young

Guns” contest

12 Short Sets

13 Tom Daglis to head PTM program

at Berry College

13 USTA, Discovery team up

for “Careers” initiative

PLUS

36 CEO’s Message

38 Vice President’s Message

50 Beyond the Court

52 Master Pro Corner

54 USPTA News

56 Growing Your Business

58 Career Development

60 Member News

JULY 2016

TennisIndustry

FEATURES

20 Money MachinesWith attention to how your ball machine is

used, you can hit a revenue winner.

22 Guide to Ball MachinesUse our exclusive guide of current ball

machines on the market to find the perfect

unit for your players.

27 2016 State of the Industry While the latest TIA research shows some

gains, the State of the Industry report pointsout a number of challenges we must address.

42

USPTA World

Conference

52

Adding Time

and Focus

to Tennis

Instruction

50

Whys and

Hows of

Personal

Branding

56

TGA’s New

Tennis Center

Opens Doors

for USPTA

2 TennisIndustry July 2016

p.41

www.tennisindustrymag.com

Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com


p.20


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Our Serve

4 TennisIndustry July 2016 www.tennisindustrymag.com

LET’S MAKE THIS CLEAR UP FRONT:

I’m not suggesting tennis providers

ignore or lessen the appeal of programs

available to kids. We must continue to

get more kids into tennis, and it’s prob-ably more imperative now than ever, in

light of the most recent research that

shows overall tennis participation for

ages 6 to 17 actually slipped from 2014

to 2015. In fact, we should re-double

our eff orts at the local level. We need to

play a long game here—young players

are our industry’s future.

But we also need to make sure we’re

not forgetting a key segment of our

playing population—a group that has

the time, energy, desire and, especially

for our businesses, the money. I’m talk-ing about the 50-plus market.

The U.S. Census Bureau says about

one of every three Americans is over

the age of 55. Staying healthy and fit is a

priority for this group, and the lifetime

sport of tennis should play a vital role

in serving those desires. Baby-boomers

helped this sport grow decades ago;

let’s not assume they no longer have an

interest in tennis and being active.

Yes, there is money to be made by

reaching out to this segment of the

population, but this is also about run-

ning sustainable programs and buildingcustomer loyalty that can reach down

generations—including into the youth

market. Baby-boomers have children

and grandchildren, too.

In your outreach to players and

potential players, are you using

materials and messages that appeal to

the 50-plus crowd? Are your clinics,

leagues and programs, along with your

marketing and advertising, reassuring

baby-boomers that the clinic you’d like

them to attend won’t be full of young

players that they’ll have trouble keep-

ing up with? Don’t assume one email

or one poster will appeal to every type

of player, age or gender. Tailor yourmessages and, when appropriate, your

tennis programs.

With all the emphasis on youth,

sometimes it’s easy for older players to

get lost in the mix, and then forgotten

completely. It’s one reason why we have

this “leaky bucket”—we get new players

into tennis, yet we also lose a nearly

equal number of existing players.

Appealing to the 50-plus market will

get and keep players on your courts,

buying lessons, court time, apparel and

equipment. It’s not like you need toreinvent anything; there are plenty of

programs out there already—like POP

Tennis with ROG on shorter courts,

Cardio Tennis, and Masters Ten-

nis—that can easily cater to this huge

audience and provide them with all the

right reasons to play this game. Doing

so will help retain one group of players,

and provide you the resources to help

attract another.

Peter Francesconi

Editorial Director

[email protected]

Fishing InProfitable Waters

PUBLISHER

JE FF WI LL IA MS

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

PETER FRANCESCONI

MANAGING EDITOR

SCOTT GRAMLING

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

IAN KNOWLES

SENIOR EDITOR

ED MGROGAN

AR T D IR EC TOR

CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

BOB PATTERSON

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

ROBIN BATEMAN, CYNTHIA CANTRELL,

PEG CONNOR, KENT OSWALD, CYNTHIA

SHERMAN, MARY HELEN SPRECHER

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSBOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS

WEBMASTER

GREG RAVEN

AS SO CI ATE ED ITO R

TIM M AR TH UR

EDITORIAL DIRECTION

10TEN MEDIA

TENNIS INDUSTRY

48 W 21st St., New York, NY 10010

646-783-1450

[email protected]

ADV ERT ISI NG DI REC TOR

JO HN HA NN A

770-650-1102, x.125

[email protected]

AP PAR EL ADV ERT IS ING

CYNTHIA SHERMAN

203-558-5911

[email protected]

Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year:

monthly, January through August with combined

issues in September/October and November/

December, by Tennis Media Company, 48 W 21st

St., New York, NY 10010. Periodical postage paid in

Duluth, GA and at additional mailing offices (USPS

#004-354). July 2016, Volume 44, Number 7 © 2016

by Tennis Media Company. All rights reserved. Tennis

Industry, TI and logo are trademarks of Tennis Media

Company. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone advertising:

770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation and editorial:

646-783-1450. Yearly subscriptions $25 in the U.S.,

$40+ elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address changes

to Tennis Industry, 48 W 21st St., New York, NY 10010.

Tennis Industry is the official magazine of the USRSA,

TIA and ASBA.

Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/Racquet

Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our website

at TennisIndustryMag.com for free digital versions.


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THE

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MAXIMUM

SLIDE POLYETHYLENE WAX

FULLY IMPREGNATING

THE POLYESTER MATRIX

MAXIMUM LUBRICATI

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DURABILITY

LESS FRICTION

MAXIMUM

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EXPANDED STRING SLIDEFASTER SNAPBACK


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Har-Tru Sports was sold in mid-May to

Richmond, Va.-based Tuckahoe Holdings.

Har-Tru had been owned and operated by

Luck Companies since 1998.

Tuckahoe Holdings is a private investment firm

focused on building a portfolio of operating compa-

nies that it owns on a permanent basis, according to

a statement on the sale. Har-Tru is the first tennis

company in the Tuckahoe portfolio.

“Our team is extremely excited about this transi-tion,” said Pat Hanssen, president of Har-Tru. “This

has been a really positive experience. From the

beginning, Charlie Luck has wanted to be certain he

sold Har-Tru to the right kind of buyer. Tuckahoe

has a buy-and-hold mentality and a strong con-

sumer focus, and they’re excited to be in the tennis

industry. They are going to bring great new energy

and focus to the business, to our products and, most importantly, to our customers.”

Har-Tru started as Lee Tennis in 1965, providing clay tennis-court material and clay-

court maintenance tools to the industry. Since then it has evolved into a global tennis

company with a product line that includes natural and synthetic clay court surfaces as

well as equipment, accessories and amenities for all court types. Along with Har-Tru,

the company has developed a stable of well-known brands including ClayTech, Hydro-Court, Courtmaster and Hoag. Company operations are based in Troy, Va. Luck Compa-

nies announced its intention to sell Har-Tru last November.

July 2016 TennisIndustry

Industry NewsInformation to help you run your business

Tennis Leaders Gather At USTA Symposium

The USTA held its first USA Tennis

Symposium in early May in Orlando,

Fla., with representatives from the

USTA and organizations including the

ATA, ITA, NIRSA, PTR, TIA, USPTA and

WTT. The symposium and discussions

analyzing the state of the sport were

led by USTA Chairman of the Board and

President Katrina Adams.

The overall purpose of the sympo-

sium was to introduce U.S. tennis lead-

ers to the USTA National Campus and

discuss how the new Home of Ameri-

can Tennis can benefit each attending

organization and the sport of tennis as

a whole. Special emphasis was placed

on programming and support for Youth

Tennis and U.S. Player Development.

USTA Joins With NFHSFor ‘Coaching Tennis’ Course

In partnership with the USTA, the

National Federation of State High

School Associations has launched

the “Coaching Tennis” online course

through the NFHS Learning Centerat NFHSLearn.com. The course pro-

vides information on tennis coach-

ing philosophy and techniques,

as well as managing a team and

its practices. “Coaching Tennis”

expands upon the USTA’s teaching

philosophy, and serves as a basis for

coaches to develop their own indi-

vidual styles and techniques.

“Providing educational oppor-

tunities is essential to enhance the

skills of high school coaches,” says

Glenn Arrington, director of USTA

High School Tennis. “Our partner-

ship with NFHS allows us to make

a positive impact in our sport by

ensuring high school coaches are

provided valuable resources to help

their players.”

“We are pleased to add tennis

to our list of sport-specific courses

since all of our states are involved in

hosting championships in this popu-

lar sport,” says Dan Schuster, NFHS

director of educational services.


Har-Tru Sports Acquired by Tuckahoe Holdings

F R E D M U L L A N E / C A M E R A W O R K U S A

PlaySight to Equip All Courts at Lake Nona

A ll 102 tennis courts at

the USTA National

Campus at Lake Nona

in Orlando, Fla., will have

either PlaySight’s Smart Courtor video technology. Thirty-

two courts will be full Smart

Courts, with analytics and

multi-angle video analysis.

“The USTA National

Campus will be this country’s

model tennis facility, and with

the addition of PlaySight, the

USTA can bring technology

generally reserved for top

professionals to players of all

ages and abilities,” says USTA

Executive Director and COO

Gordon Smith.

PlaySight provides an all-

in-one video and analyticssolution for sports, including

video and live streaming, real-

time statistics and analytics,

instant replay, line calling, and

a mobile and social on- and

off -court experience.

The USTA broke ground at

Lake Nona in April 2015, and

the project is expected to be

completed late this year. For

more, visit playsight.com.


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Industry News

Tennis becomes the 15th sport with an

online course through the NFHS Learn-

ing Center.

USTA Names New

Chief Marketing Officer The USTA has hired retail marketing ex-

pert Amy Choyne as chief marketing officer.

Choyne will oversee the USTA’s marketing

efforts across all divisions, including com-

munity tennis and professional tennis.

Choyne joins the USTA from a multi-fac-

eted retailer marketing career that included

senior positions at Aeropostale, Kenneth

Cole Productions, Anthropologie, Barneys

New York, Limited Brands and Giorgio

Armani. Her responsibilities have run

through the entire marketing spectrum,

Guinness Record-HoldersFor Longest Volley Rally

Twin brothers Ettore Rossetti (left) and Angelo Rossetti (right) recently

received the certificate recognizing their Official Guinness World Recordfor the longest tennis volley rally. The twin brothers hit 30,576 consecu-

tive volleys on Aug. 8, 2015, at Weston Racquet Club in Weston, Conn. The eff ort

raised over $112,000 for Save the Children.

from creative campaign development to

strategic branding and brand imaging, as

well as digital marketing development and

database management.

Choyne fills the role held previously by

Sue Hunt, who left the USTA last fall.

TIA Forum Aug. 29 in NYC

The ninth Annual TIA Tennis Forum

will be Monday morning, Aug. 29, at the

Grand Hyatt New York City. In addition,

this year the TIA will present a Tennis &

Technology fair that will highlight many

innovative products on the market

that are impacting sports and fitness

activities. The Forum is free to attend,

but space is limited, so registration is

required at tennisindustry.org/forum.

www.tennisindustrymag.com8 TennisIndustry July 2016


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Industry News


People Watch

Steffi Graf, former

world No. 1 and 22-time

Grand Slam champion,

will be the Tournament

Ambassador for the 2016

WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai,

held in China Nov. 1-6.

Established last year, theWTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai

features 12 top-ranked

singles players, along

with six top-ranked

doubles teams.

The International

Tennis Hall of Fame and

the International Tennis

Federation honored

Vittorio Selmi with the

2016 Golden Achieve-

ment Award in recogni-

tion of his outstanding

service to tennis. The

award was presented by

ITF President Stan Smith

and Francesco Ricci

Bitti, immediate past

president of the ITF, at

the Italian Open in May.

Johnny Johnston

of Gainesville, Fla., a

Vietnam veteran who

lost the use of his legs

after being wounded in

combat, passed away

in May. Johnston, a pas-

sionate ambassador for

tennis, used the sport as

a vehicle to recovery andbecame an accomplished

wheelchair player,

competing in interna-

tional events. In 2004, he

became the first wheel-

chair player to compete

against able-bodied

players at a USTA League

National Championship.

Twenty years after

their Olympic gold

medal match in Atlanta,

former world No. 1 Andre

Agassi will play two-time

French Open champion

Sergi Bruguera, again in

Atlanta, in an exhibition

match on Sunday,

July 31, as part of the

BB&T Atlanta Open.

Former longtime USTA

staffer Tim Curry has

joined the marketing

department for the Con-

necticut Open as ticket

sales and partnership

marketing manager.

Rafael Fuentes of

Victorville, Calif., was

honored with a Lifetime

Achievement Award

in April by the High

Desert Tennis Associa-

tion, in conjunction with

the Spring Valley Lake

Country Club. Fuentes

began his tennis career in

El Salvador as a ball boy,

and a few years later won

the first of five national

championships. He con-

tinued in the sport as a

teaching pro for 46 years.

Head Debuts Next GenSpeed Limited Edition

Head has introduced the 2016 Speed

Limited Edition racquet, with its “matte-

metallic look” to capture the “fast game of

the next ‘Speed’ generation,” according

to the company. The frame, created with

the help of up-and-coming pro Alexander

Zverev, is based on the Graphene XT Speed

and designed for a versatile game mixing

power and control. It has a 16/19 string

pattern. Visit Head.com for more details.

Book Chronicles SeniorPlayer’s Tennis Quest

Late to the Ball: Age. Learn. Fight.

Love. Play Tennis. Win. is a new book by

former New York Times Magazine edi-

tor Gerry Marzorati that recounts his

quest to learn tennis in his late 50s and

become a competitive

player on the national

senior circuit. Amid the

setbacks and successes,

Marzorati, an award-

winning author, attains a

deeper appreciation for

the wonders of tennis,


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Industry News


Top-Selling Racquets atSpecialty Stores

January-March, 2016 vs. 2015

Units 2016 113,696

2015 120,046

% change vs. ’15 -5%Dollars 2016 $17,163,000

2015 $17,845,000

% change vs. ’15 -4%

Price 2016 $150.95

2015 $148.66

% change vs. ’15 2%

Top-Selling Racquetsat Specialty Stores

By year-to-date dollars

Jan.-March. 2016

Best Sellers

1. Babolat Pure Aero (100) 2016 (MP)

2. Babolat Pure Drive 2015 (MP)

3. Wilson Pro Staff 97 (MP)

4. Babolat Pure Aero Team 2016 (MP)

5. Babolat Pure Aero Lite 2016 (MP)

“Hot New Racquets”

(introduced in the past 12 months)

1. Babolat Pure Aero (100) 2016 (MP)

2. Babolat Pure Aero Team 2016 (MP)

3. Babolat Pure Aero Lite 2016 (MP)

4. Head XT Radical MP (MP)

5. Wilson Ultra 100 2016 (MP)

Top-Selling Tennis Shoesat Specialty Stores

By year-to-date dollars,

Jan.-March. 2016

1. Asics Gel Resolution 6

2. Prince T22

3. Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour 2015

4. Nike Zoom Cage 2

5. Asics Gel Solution Speed 3

Top-Selling Stringsat Specialty Stores

By year-to-date units,

Jan.-March. 2015

1. Babolat RPM Blast

2. Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex

3. Wilson NXT

4. Wilson Sensation

5. Luxilon Alu Power

(Source: TIA)

and learns that it’s never too late in life

to rediscover the joys of being a student.

The hardcover book ($26, published by

Scribner) went on sale in mid-May.

Tecnifibre Continues ‘Young Guns’ Contest

As part of the “On The Road to the ATP

World Tour” program, Tecnifibre created

the first “Young Guns Contest” in 2015. For

2016, the four-month contest will follow four

rookies on the pro circuit competing for a

cash prize of $50,000. The inaugural contest

was won by American Denis Kudla.

This year’s four Young Guns are Gregoire

Barrere of France (22 years old, No. 242),

Mitchell Krueger of the U.S. (22 years old,

No. 267), Omar Jasika of Australia (19 yearsold, No. 220) and Daniil Medvedev of Russia

(20 years old, No. 240). They’ll be evaluated

on their results on the court and their ability

to share their life on the pro circuit.

The winner’s check will be presented by

the presidents of Tecnifibre and the ATP at


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Industry News

ShortSets

Nemours Children's

Health System and

Andrews Institute forOrthopaedics & Sports

Medicine will be the

official medical provid-

ers of the USTA National

Campus in Lake Nona.

The two companies

will provide the USTA

with a team physician,

sports nutritionists and

athletic trainers and will

be responsible for medi-

cal services and care of

visiting athletes, coaches,

staff and spectators.

Tualatin Hills Tennis

Center in Beaverton, Ore.,

is the site for the 2016

Davis Cup World Group

Quarterfinal between

the U.S. and Croatia,

July 15-17. The USTA

will construct a 6,000-

seat stadium around

the main court at the

center. For tickets, visitusta.com/daviscup.

Total prize money

offered at Wimbledon

has increased by 5 per-

cent for 2016. Singles

champions will each

receive $2.9 million, an

increase of 6.4 percent.

First-round losers will

now receive $43,000.

The Lake Nona Sports

& Performance District

will become the home

of the new USTA Florida

Section headquarters.

A ceremonial ground-

breaking took place on

June 3 at the end of USTA

Boulevard, adjacent

to the USTA National

Campus. The district also

will be the home to the

USPTA headquarters.

Peter Burwash Interna-

tional (PBI) has sched-

uled two World Tennis

Camps: Sept. 5-9 at the

Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt in

Austria and Oct. 27-30

at the Silverado Resort

in Napa Valley, Calif.

PBI hosted its inaugural

World Tennis Camp last

year. The camps draw

from PBI’s international

network of coaches, des-

tinations and students to

provide a unique tennis

and cultural experience.

The ATP and Infosys

have launched a new way

to measure the best

performing ATP players

in three categories:

Serving, Returning

and Under Pressure.

These new statistics

and ratings, which canbe broken down by

surface, year or career,

can be accessed at

ATPWorldTour.com.

After an eight-year

hiatus, Sun Devil

Athletics announced

the reinstatement of the

men's tennis program

at Arizona State.

The USTA has

partnered with

LimeGreen Moroch

to help strengthen its

multicultural marketing

initiatives. The Chicago-

based cross-cultural

agency will develop

strategies and pro-

grams to engage more

African-Americans,

Hispanics and Asian-

Americans in the sport.

PBI will be directing

the tennis program at

True Arena Hua Hin, a

premier sports club two

hours south of Bangkok

with 11 Plexipave

courts. Veteran pro

Arturo Navarro will be

the tennis director.

To combat the

increasing integrity

issues in pro tennis,

Tennis Australia has

created the new execu-

tive position of Head of

Integrity and Compli-

ance, and hired Ann

West to fill the role.

12 TennisIndustry July 2016 www.tennisindustrymag.com


15/64www.tennisindustrymag.com

Industry News

maximum repulsion and shuttle response.

Both ZyMax 66 Fire and ZyMax 66 Fire Power

are 0.66-mm strings designed for high

performance players. ZyMax 69 Fire is the

heavyweight of the group and is geared to

provide durability and string life. Visitashawayusa.com for more information.

Fila, Hall of Fame Launch Junior Tennis Program

The International Tennis Hall of Fame

and Fila have launched a new partnership

focused on junior tennis development.

It features multiple junior invitational

tournaments hosted at the historic Hall of

Fame in Newport, R.I., a new junior

ambassador program and an ongoing

involvement with the Hall of Fame Tennis

Club's junior tennis program.

“This new partnership provides an

important opportunity to bring junior

players to the place where tennis history

is celebrated and to educate them about

the successes of those who have come

before them in the sport,” says Hall of

Fame CEO Todd Martin. “We are very

excited by this new partnership and the

future opportunities it will offer."

The partnership kicked off at the first

Fila Junior Tennis Indoor Invitational

at the Hall of Fame Tennis Club in April.

The two-day tournament drew 18 junior

players from around New England. Thenext tournament will take place in July,

in conjunction with the ATP Hall of Fame

Tennis Championship.

ITA Partners With FloSports

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association

announced a five-year deal with FloSports

to provide live streaming coverage of all ITA

National Championships and a total of 15

ITA events per year, beginning in the fall. All

content and programming will be streamed

live on FloTennis.com.

In addition, FloSports, a direct-to-con-

sumer, subscription-based sports media

company in Austin, Texas, will produce a

series of original documentaries that will

focus on highlighting college tennis' pro-

grams and personalities, along with a weekly

college tennis show.

Daglis to Head PTMProgram at Berry College

Tom Daglis has been appointed execu-

tive director of the Rome Tennis Center at

Berry College and will also serve as the

the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London

in November.

USTA, Discovery TeamFor ‘Careers Beyond Court’

The USTA and Discovery Education, aleading provider of digital content and

professional development for K-12 class-

rooms, have launched a new educational

initiative, Careers Beyond the Court.

Available at no cost, the program pro-

vides high school students, educators

and families with resources that explore

the many career opportunities available

in the tennis industry. Careers Beyond the

Court, the USTA’s first partnership with

a global education company, includes

videos, career profiles, industry guides

and a list of colleges with specific degrees

to consider.

“To develop the next generation of

leaders in our sport, it is essential to

provide professional development pro-

grams and education,” says Scott Schultz,

managing director of USTA University

(USTAU). “We are extremely proud to

team up with Discovery Education to pro-

vide high school students the resources

and skills necessary to achieve success in

the tennis industry.”

Visit careersbeyondthecourt.com for

additional information.

Ashaway Badminton StringsGain Worldwide Appeal

Since its introduction last year, Ashaway's

ZyMax Fire family of badminton strings has

been racking up impressive sales figures

around the world. The four strings are

ZyMax 62 Fire, ZyMax 66 Fire, ZyMax 66 Fire

Power and ZyMax 69 Fire. ZyMax 62 Fire is

a 0.62-mm micro-gauge string designed for

director of the Professional Tennis

Management Program at Berry Col-

lege in Rome, Ga.

Kevin Brundle has been

selected to serve as

director of tennis at theRome Tennis Center

and assistant director

of the PTM program.

Daglis will oversee the

strategy, operations, staff, finances and

culture of Rome Tennis Center at Berry

College and Downtown Tennis Center.

With the PTM program, one of five cur-

rently sponsored by the USTA nationally,

Daglis will oversee the four-year academ-

ic and experiential/work program.

A career tennis professional, Daglis is a

certified USPTA Master Professional who

served as USPTA national president. He

is also a former director of the PTM pro-

grams at Methodist University in North

Carolina and Ferris State in Michigan. The

Rome Tennis Center at Berry College is

scheduled to officially open in July.

PBI Resorts Receive Honors

Peter Burwash International recently

received recognition from Real Estate Score-

card, Bloomberg and TennisResortsOnline.

Real Estate Scorecard’s Tennis Commu-

nity of the Year is Reynolds Lake Oconee in

Greensboro, Ga., a program managed by PBIsince 2004 and under the direction of PBI

tennis director Dave Neuhart. The award also

recognized the tennis center for its extensive

programming, activities and calendar of

tennis events.

Four of the eight resorts on Bloomberg.

com’s World’s Most Luxurious Tennis Resorts

are PBI-directed tennis programs: Four

Seasons Resort Nevis, JW Marriott Desert

Springs, Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt in Austria and

Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai. And Tennis

Resorts Online’s annual rankings honored six

PBI-operated programs in its Top 25, with 12

in the Top 50 in the world.

USRSA Announces New MRTs

Master Racquet Technicians

Morrison Carlson—Johns Creek, Ga.

Peyton Daniel—Sandy Springs, Ga.

Keith Hardie—Fayetteville, N.C.

Jonathan Nation—Roswell, Ga.

Barry Roach—Johns Creek, Ga.

Peter Haberberger—Victoria, Australia

Braeden Beller—British Columbia, Canada

Jimmy Costmagna—B.C., Canada

July 2016 TennisIndustry 1


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The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), in partnership

with USTA Florida, has increased highschool “No-Cut” tennis teams from22 at the end of 2015 to 164 registeredschools thus far in 2016.

“The No-Cut program gave kidswho wouldn’t normally make the teaman opportunity to participate,” says Will Adams, the contract adminis-

tration specialist for the FHSAA. “Ireceived several calls from coachesthanking us so they could take advan-

tage of the program.”USTA Florida invested $15,000 in the

program, off ering the first 100 schoolsto register two free cases of tennis

balls, or four cases if the school had

both boys’ and girls’ teams. The next 50schools to register each received one

free case.Thad Hawkes, entry-level tourna-

ment coordinator for USTA Florida anda high school coach, coordinated the

eff ort. As a No-Cut coach himself, hehas seen the diff erence the program hasmade in keeping kids in tennis.

“The hardest thing for a coach is totell someone that they didn’t make theteam,” Hawkes says. “The other con-sequence is that the student may very

well drop tennis and pick up anothersport. Growing the No-Cut program is just the first step in growing the oppor-

tunity for high school tennis in years tocome.”—Rick Vach

Play It Forward!CTAs, public parks, high schools and NJTLsare on the front lines when it comes to growingour sport in communities.

Grassroots Tennis


F LOR IDA

Partnership Results in Huge H.S. No-Cut Gains

Over the course of 30 summers, at least500 youngsters from western Missis-

sippi have been introduced to tennisby Birlette Jelks, in just one of theprograms he and the Greenville NJTL

& CTA have established.

Jelks, who founded the organizationwith Harold Hall and S.B. Buck, coordi-nates hands-on programs and com-

munity outreach. “Underprivilegedkids who don’t have a clue about tenniscome to our summer camps. We aretheir tennis program,” explains Jelks.

“Greenville provides the facilities; weprovide the instruction and the kids. And we also have a regional reach. In

the Delta, there is only us—Greenville,Greenwood, Ruleville, Cleveland andLeland all bring kids by the busload.”

On the agenda is a lesson about

Arthur Ashe, who co-founded theNJTL in 1969. “We teach children to bebetter players. We teach them to be

better sportsman and better citizens. We teach them respect,” Jelks says.

In 2004, Jelks’ family was named theMickey McNulty Family of the Year by

the USTA Southern Section. The for-mer Alcorn State player has seen about30 youngsters develop into collegetennis players, including his own two

children.—Ron Cio ffi

SOUTHERN

NJTL Volunteer Brings

Tennis to the Delta


19/64

“PLAYSIGHT IS THEULTIMATE PLAYER

DEVELOPMENT TOOL”Paul Annacone

ormer coach of Pete Sampras

and Roger ederer

PlaySight Edge Since 2015

playsight com


20/64


21/64


22/6420 TennisIndustry July 2016 www.tennisindustrymag.com

Consider creating a ball-machine “club,” where customers

purchase a pass to use the machine regularly, or even on an

unlimited basis, without having to pay each time. Once theypurchase a pass upfront, then it’s up to them to schedule time

with the machine.

There are many ways you can set up this ball-machine club.

The pass could be a simple card that players buy, which then

gets punched or stamped each time they use the machine.

You could also incorporate the purchase of the pass into your

club management software. Pricing can be on a sliding scale,

so the more time a customer buys, the cheaper it is per hour.

However you make it work for your club or facility, your play-

ers will benefit and groove their strokes by regular, more fre-

quent use of the machine.

Lessons and Clinics A ball machine also should be a key tool for teaching pros

and incorporated into lessons and clinics. With a ballmachine across the net, the pro can stand next to the stu-

dent to provide coaching and encouragement. At the same

time, the player gets consistent feeds, can work on a variety

of strokes and shot sequences, and gets plenty of repetition.

It’s all about hitting a lot of balls. Plus, the machine provides

an opportunity for videotaping the student hitting a specific

shot. When a teaching pro uses a ball machine in lessons, the

student often shows quick improvement—which means he or

she will be excited to continue playing and improving!

When you or your staff use a ball machine with lessons and

clinics, it helps to promote the machine to your players—and

2016 Guide to Ball Machines

Money Machines With some attention to how your ball machine is

used, and our exclusive guide, you can hit a revenue winner. By Peter Francesconi

Is your ball machine in constant use? It should be, because when it is, it’s a cash machine for your business.

Chances are, you probably have that ball machine sitting in a corner, unplugged and covered, with a bin

full of dead balls. It gets pressed into service only when someone rents it by the hour or half-hour. It’s great

that you off er rental time, but this pay-to-play program means your players need to open their wallets

each time, so they need to budget for it. That, in turn, might cause them to not use the machine as often as

they should to improve their game.

Welcome to

the Machine

With proper planningand ample use, a ball

machine should more

than pay for itself.


23/64


24/64www.tennisindustrymag.com22 TennisIndustry July 2016

Lobster Sports • 800-526-4041 • www.lobstersports.com

Elite Freedom $799 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 35 X 2-12 65 X X X

Elite Liberty $899 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 35 X 2-12 70 X X X X

Elite One $1,089 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 40 X 2-12 80 X X X X

Elite Two $1,349 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 42 X 2-12 80 X X X X

Elite Three $1,599 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 42 X 2-12 80 X X X X

Elite Grand Four $1,899 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 44 X 2-9 80 X X X X

Elite Grand Five $2,199 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 44 X 2-9 80 X X X X X 6 6

Elite Grand Five Ltd. Edition $2,499 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 44 X 2-9 80 X X X X X 6 6

Phenom $2,999 2 Years 32" x 25" x 50" 250 99 X 2-9 85 X X X X

Phenom Two $3,499 2 Years 32" x 25" x 50" 250 99 X 2-9 85 X X X X X 6 6

Match Mate • 800-837-1002 • www.matchmatetennis.com

Rookie $449 2 Yeara 11" x 11" x 22" 70 22 X 2-10 35 X Topspin X

Quickstart $558 2 Yeara 12.5" x 12.5" x 28" 80 29 X 2-10 30 X X

iSAM Value $759 2 Yeara 19" x 17.5" x 18" 250 34 X 2-10 65 X X X

iSam Extend $799 2 Yeara 19" x 17.5" x 18" 250 39 X 2-10 65 X X X

iSam Ultimate $999 2 Yeara 19" x 17.5" x 18" 250 39 X 2-10 65 X X X

SAM P1 Value $1,099 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X

Sam P1 Pro $1,199 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X

Sam P1 Ultimate $1,299 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X

Sam P 4 Trainer $1,599 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X X

Sam P 4 Pro Trainer $1,799 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X X

Sam P 4 Ultimate $1,899 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X X

Sam Coach $3,999 3 Year 35" x 25" x 50" 250 87 X 1.5-8 95 X X X X X X 7 7

Playmate • 800-766-6770 • www.playmatetennis.com

Half Volley $1,595 2 Year Ltd. 19" x 21" x 25" 200 42 X 1-10 70 X X X X

Volley $2,095 2 Year Ltd. 19" x 21" x 25" 200 46 X 1-10 70 X X X X X 2

Ace $3,995 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 200 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X 3

iSmash $5,175 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X 7

Deuce $5,995 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X 7

Genie $6,945 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X 7

iSmash w/ iPlaymate Tennis $5,995 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X 8 INFINITE

Grandslam $8,675 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 110 X 1-10 120 X X X X X X 7

Robot Optimizer • 888-8BOOMER • www.playmatetennis.com

Boomer (with camera) $14,450d 2 Year 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 124 X 0.8-10 100 X X X X X 30 1,000

Boomer (without camera) $12,450e 2 Year 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 124 X 0.8-10 100 X X X X X 30 1,000

Silent Partner • 800-662-1809 • www.sptennis.com

Lite (Edge Series) $799 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 35 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X

Lite-R (Edge Series) $949 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 35 X 1.5-11 95 X X X X

Sport (Edge Series) $949 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 46 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X

Star (Edge Series) $1,099 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 46 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X

Rival (Scoop Series) $1,399 2 Year 28" x 22" x 18" 300 48 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X 3

Quest (Scoop Series) $1,799 2 Year 28" x 22" x 18" 300 48 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X X 2 3

Smart (Scoop Series) $2,299 2 Year 28" x 22" x 18" 300 48 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X X 20 3

Spinfire • 888-976-6532 • www.mambatennis.com

Pro 1 1899 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 50 X 2-15 80 X X X X

Pro 2 2049 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 50 X 2-15 80 X X X X

Pro 2 with Portable Battery Pack 2099 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 38 X 2-15 80 X X X X

Sports Attack • 800-717-4251 • www.sportsattack.com

Ace Attack $6,995 5 Year Ltd. 34" x 53" 220 150 X 1-10 110 X X X X X X 4

Ball Machines on the Market

Model Price Warranty Dimensions

(MSRP) (years) (Storage Inches)


a1 year battery

b2-4 Hours of Court Time

c4-8 Hours of Court Time

dor $600/month

eor $300/month

B a l l C

a p a c i t y

W e i g h t ( L b

s . )

P r o p u l s i o

n

S p i n

n i n g W h e

e l

A i r P r

e s s u r e

F e e d i n

g I n t e r v a l s

( s e c o n d s )

T o p S p

e e d ( M

P H )

E l e v a t i o

n C o

n t r o l

( E l e

c t r i c )

E l e v a t i o

n C o n t r o l

( M a n u a l )

A b l e t o F e

e d L o b s

A b l e

t o F e

e d

T o p s p i n & U n d

e r s p i n

A b l

e t o F e

e d

S i d e

s p i n

O s c i l l a t i

o n

N o O s c i l l

a t i o

n

O s c i l l

a t i o

n - R a n d o m

O s c i l l

a t i o

n - P r o g r a m

a b l e

# o f s h o t s i n

p r o g r a m

# o f p r

o g r a m s t h a t

c a n

b e s t o r e d

1 - Fast charger $99

2 - 6 pre-programmed court drills (6-ball sequence per drill)

3 - 12 pre-programmed court drills + 6 custom programmable court

drills + 2-line narrow, medium, wide

4 - 12 pre-programmed court drills + 6 custom programmable court drills +

18 locations to choose from + 2-line narrow, medium, wide

5 - Horizontal oscillation

6 - Horizontal oscillation + spin control

7 - Triple-oscillation (horizontal + vertical oscillation)

8 - Triple-oscillation + 2-line narrow, wide

9 - 3 position settings of 2-line (narrow, medium, wide)

10 - iPhone/Android remote-control compatible

11 - Great for youth and beginners to work on dealing with topspin

12 - Especially designed for 10 and Under Tennis

13 - Extra heavy-duty battery $35, 110/220-volt AC converter $135, wireless remote $100

water-resistan t cloth storage cover $68

14 - Comes standard with two 8-amp 12-volt batteries

15 - Lob Enhancer $30,110/220-volt AC converter $135, water-resistant storage

cover $68, adjustable oscillation width

16 - Ships via LTL freight, feeds balls from 30" above ground

17 - Oscillation upgrade $245, remote-control upgrade $325, additional non-memory

battery upgrade $180


25/64www.tennisindustrymag.com July 2016 TennisIndustry 23

$119 X 8.5 b X X $49 X 1, 5

$119 X 8.5 b X X $169 X X $49 X 1, 6

$119 X 18 c X X $169 X X $49 X 1, 6

X X $119 X 18 c X X $169 X X $49 X 1, 7

X X $119 X 18 c X X $169 X X $49 X 1, 8

X X X X $119 X 18 c X X $300 X X X $49 X 2, 9, 10

X X X X X $119 X 18 c X X $300 X X X $49 X 3, 10

X X X X X $119 X 18 c X X $300 X X X $49 X 4

X X X X X X $300 X X X $99 X 2, 9, 10

X X X X X X $300 X X X $99 X 4

X 8 X X X 11

X 8 X X X X X 12

X 8 X X X X X X 13

X 16 X X X X X X 14

X 16 X X X X X X

X X 16 X X X X X X X 15

X X 16 X X X X X X X

X X 16 X X X X X X X

X X X 16 X X X X X X X 15

X X X 16 X X X X X X X X X

X X X 16 X X X X X X X X

X X X X X X X X 16

X 17 X X X X $99 X 17

X 17 X X X X X $99 X 18

X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X

X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X 19

X X X X X X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X 20

X X X X X X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X 21

X X X X X X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X

X X X X X X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X 21

X X X X X X X X X X $3,895 X X 22

X X X X X X X X X X $3,895 X X 23

X 9 X $40 X

X 9 X X X X $40 X 24

X 18 X $40 X

$249 X 18 X X X X $40 X 24

$100 X 18 X X X X X X $40 X 25

X X X $249 $100 X 18 X X X X X X $40 X 26

X X X X X $249 $100 X 18 X X X X X X $40 X 27

X X 20 X X X $39 X 28

X X 20 X X X X X X $39 X 28

X 20 X X X X X X $39 X 28

X X X X $119 X 29

A d j u

s t a b l e D e

p t h w i t h

i n

P r o g r a m

A d j u

s t a b l e S p i n

w i t h

i n

P r o g r a m

A d j u

s t a b l e H

e i g h t w

i t h i n

P r o g r a m

A d j u

s t a b l e I n t e r v a l w i t h

i n

P r o g r a m

P l a y

e r S i m u l a t i o

n M

o d e

P o w

e r

R u n s

o n B a

t t e r y o r P o

w e r

C o r d

R u n s

o n P o

w e r C o

r d O n l y

R u n s

o n B a

t t e r y O n l y

B a t t e r y A m

p / H

o u r

B a t t e r y L i f e I n

d i c a t o r

B a t t e r y S w

a p a b i l i t y

S m a r t C h a

r g e r c o m e s

S t a n d a r d

S m a r t C h a

r g e r a v a i l a b l

e

a s o p t i o

n

R e m o t e C o

n t r o l c

o m e s

S t a n d a r d

R e m o t e C o

n t r o l a

v a i l a b l

e

a s a n

o p t i o

n

R e m

o t e C o n t r o l

R e m o t e C o

n t r o l - C o

r d

R e m o t e C o

n t r o l - W i r e l e

s s

R e m o t e C o

n t r o l o

f

O s c i l l

a t i o

n

R e m o t e C o

n t r o l o

f

P r o g r a m S e t t i n

g s

S e r v i n

g T o

w e r

- B u i l t - i n

o r

I n c l u d

e d

S e r v i n

g T o

w e r

- O p t i o

n a l

A c c e s s o r y

M i s

c e l l a

n e o u s

C o v e r c

o m e s S t a n d a r d

C o v e r a v a i l a b l

e a s

a n

o p t i o

n

I n c l u d

e s W h e

e l s f o r

P o r t a b i l i t y

O t h

e r F e

a t u r e s

18 - Additional non-memory battery upgrade $180

19 - Deuce Conversion Box $1,355, Genie Conversion Box $2,305, iPlaymate Tennis $995

20 - iSmash Conversion Box $535, Genie Conversion Box $2,305, iPlaymate Tennis $995

21 - iSmash Conversion Box $535, Deuce Conversion Box $1,355, iPlaymate Tennis $995

22 - Plays games, rates shots, uses a camera, talks to players, cordless headphone

system ($500 or $50/month), wireless printer for analysis ($2,000 or $100/month),

radar gun, iPod input with speakers, allows user to modify level, height, frequency

and speed

23 - Talks to players, cordless headphone system ($500 or $50/month), iPod input

with speakers, allows user to modify level, height, frequency and speed

24 - 2-button remote




28 - Internal oscillation–machine does not swivel sideways while shooting balls; optional

$79 carry case/dust cover; optional $129 fast charger; optional $149 AC charger; horizontal

oscillation–medium & wide; self-calibrates to center on start using infrared sensors; 30-day

money-back guarantee (no fee); 2-line drill—narrow, medium, wide; vertical oscillation;

triple/all-court/3-D oscillation (horizontal & vertical); all-function antenna-less remote

with snooze for low-power mode; convert to portable battery with $69 upgrade; portable

battery only needed for recharge; add optional $49 internal battery to double running time

29 - All-in-one serving machine with variable-height release points for groundstrokes as well


26/64www.tennisindustrymag.com24 TennisIndustry July 2016


Sports Tutor • 800-448-8867 • www.sportstutor.com

Tennis Twist $289 3 Year 10" x 11" x 23" 28 11 5 15 X X

Tennis Tutor ProLite - Basic $699 3 Year 12" x 19.5" x 18" 125 22 X 1.5-10 60 X X X

Tennis Tutor ProLite $799 3 Year 12" x 19.5" x 18" 125 29 X 1.5-10 60 X X X

Tennis Tutor $1,099 3 Year 12" x 19.5" x 20" 150 42 X 1.5-10 85 X X X

Tennis Tutor Plus $1,299 3 Year 20" x 19.5" x 20" 150 46 X 1.5-10 85 X X X X

Tennis Tutor Plus Player Model $1,749 3 Year 20" x 19.5" x 20" 150 46 X 1.5-10 85 X X X X X 5

Tennis Tower - Competitor Classic $1,395 3 Year 36" x 23" x 22" 225 60 X 1.5-8 85 X X $270 X

Tennis Tower - Competitor $1,645 3 Year 44" x 23" x 22" 225 60 X 1.5-8 85 X X $270 X

Tennis Tower - Professional Player $2,245 3 Year 44" x 23" x 22" 225 60 X 1.5-8 85 X X X X 5

Shot Maker - Standard $3,200 3 Year 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 96 X 1-6 95 X X X X X 3

Shot Maker - Deluxe $4,200 3 Year 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 96 X 1-6 95 X X X X X 6 9

Wilson Portable $11,495 3 Year 22" x 14" x 20" 110 38 X 1.5-10 75 X X X X

Tennis Cube $579 3 Year 15" x 12" x 13" 70 24 X 2-10 50 X X X

Tennis Cube - Oscillation Model $659 3 Year 15" x 12" x 13" 70 24 X 2-10 50 X X X

ProLite Plus - Basic $889 3 Year 22" x 14" x 20" 110 36 X 1.5-10 60 X X X

ProLite Plus $989 3 Year 22" x 14" x 20" 110 36 X 1.5-10 60 X X X

Model Price Warranty Dimensions

(MSRP) (years) (Storage Inches)

B a

l l C a

p a c i t y

W e i g h t ( L b

s . )

P r o p u l s i o

n

S p i n

n i n g W h e

e l

A i r P

r e s s u r e

F e e d i n g I n t e r v a l s

( s e

c o n d

s )

T o p S p

e e d ( M

P H )

E l e

v a t i o n C o

n t r o l

( E l e

c t r i c )

E l e

v a t i o n C o

n t r o l

( M a n u a l )

A b

l e t o F e

e d L o b s

A b l

e t o F e

e d

T o p

s p i n

& U n d

e r s p i n

A

b l e t o F e

e d

S i d e

s p i n

O s

c i l l a t i

o n

N o

O s c i l l

a t i o

n

O s c i l l a

t i o n

- R a n d o m

O s c i l l a

t i o n

- P r o g r a m

a b l e

# o

f s h o

t s i n

p r o g r a m

#

o f p r

o g r a m s t h a t

c a n

b e

s t o r e d

Ball Machines on the Market

30 - External battery pack $150, external AC power supply $125

31 - Smart-fast battery upgrade $45

32 - 2-line oscillation $200

33 - AC/DC option $200

34 - Player simulation $200

35 - Multi-function remote $200

36 - Player simulation included

37 - Multi-function remote $300

38 - External battery pack $130, external AC power supply $125

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27/64www.tennisindustrymag.com July 2016 TennisIndustry 2

X 6 D Cells

X X 9 X X $70 X $35

X X 9 X X $70 X $35 30

$50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 30, 31, 32

$50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 30, 31, 33, 34

X X X $50 X 18 X X $200 X X X $35 X 30, 31, 33, 35

X X X

X $200 X X X X

X X X X X X X X X 35, 36

X $200 X X X X

X X X X X X X X X X 37

$50 X 12 X X $200 X X $35 X 30

X 6 X X 38

X 6 X X 38

X X 9 X X $70 X $35 X 38

X X 9 X X $70 X $35 X 38

A d j u s t a b l

e D e

p t h w i t h

i n

P r o g r a m

A d j u s t a b l

e S p i n

w i t h

i n

P r o g r a m

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i t h i n

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w e r

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s o n B a

t t e r y o r P o

w e r

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t t e r y O n l y

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d i c a t o r

B a t t e r y S w

a p a b i l i t y

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r g e r c o m e s

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r g e r a v a i l a b l

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a s o p t i o

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n t r o l c

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n d a r d

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n e o u s

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o m e s S t a n d a r d

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a n

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More DirectionBob Patterson’s article (“FollowingDirections,” June 2016) about paying

attention when servicing new direc-tional racquets was great, especiallyhis advice regarding bumper-guardand grommet replacement. His string-

ing advice dealt only with one-piecestringing, though, so anyone doingtwo-piece will need to observe acouple of additional pointers.

For example, on Prince O-Portframes (which as Patterson pointsout are directional), the mains end at

the head. Thus, Prince also puts the“short side” marking at the head.

Additionally, Prince labels a grommeton the opposite side of the racquet with “starting knot.”

If you mount one of these racquetsso the “short side” label is on theright, the marked grommet for the

starting knot for the crosses will be onthe left (or long) side. Simply observethe markings, and the directionalaspects will fall neatly into place.

For racquets such as the Babolat Aero Drive and Babolat Pure Drive, which have the mains end at the

throat, mounting the racquet sothe “short side” label is on the rightmeans you have to tie the startingknot for the crosses on the same side

as the label (not the opposite side) toget the directional elements correcton the crosses when stringing with

the two-piece technique.The difference is that these (and

many other) racquets have an oddnumber of crosses. Because you startthe crosses from the head and not the

throat using the two-piece technique, you have to take into account thatthe top cross will thread through theframe counter to the way the bottom

cross will thread through the frame.With the Babolat Pure Drive, start-

ing the crosses in the wrong directionnot only means you miss the benefits

of the Woofer system, but also thatthe grommet-strip splits on each sideof the head of the racquet will not be

covered by an outside loop of string.Unfortunately, each of these errors isso subtle that you can easily complete

the racquet without realizing youinstalled the crosses incorrectly.

You will be able to see that the

string is not lying in the protective

relief in the bumper guard, but gettingthe direction wrong also means thegrommet-strip splits will not be cov-

ered. It is a lot easier to see the stringslying outside of the bumper guardreliefs on these racquets, but no less

aggravating to redo the racquet.Because I am so accustomed to

starting my crosses from the rightside of the frame, I mount these

directional frames “upside-down” sothat stringing them involves the samemotions and techniques as stringing

non-directional racquets.

5 sets of Gamma Ocho string to: L. Hodges, Apple Valley, Calif.

Stencil Alignment

During tournaments, most teamstringers also do the stenciling, too. Ithink the most difficult logo to stencilis Luxilon—it’s hard to get the “back”

side of that logo to match the “front.”To make this easier, I cut some

arrows at the edges of the stencil,

using the front side alignment lines as

a guide. This way, even when the logois flipped over, you can still determinethe correct position by aligning the

tips of the arrows with the sixth mainand third bottom cross.

5 sets of Pacific PLX string to:

Sam Chan, MRT, Australia

Professional Prince Stencils Editor’s note: Back in November 2006, we ran a tip about how to do a Princestencil. I still see amateur string-ers get it wrong, and after seeing my

second professional tournament ontelevision with incomplete Princestencils, I thought it might be time torevisit this topic.

After stenciling the strings usingthe Prince stencil, remove the stenciland fill in the non-inked portions of

the “P,” where the support bars are for

the inside of the “P.” Not only does thefinished stencil look as if the strings were stenciled by the Prince factory,

but you don’t have to work as hardto get the stencil ink right up to theedges and into

the cornersof the stencil where thesupport bars

are, becausethere won’t beany lines thereafter you do

your touch-up.

—Greg Raven

Tips and Techniques submitted since 1992 by USRSA members and ap- pearing in this column have all been gathered into a searchable database

on www.racquettech.com, the officialmembers-only website of the USRSA. Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA,

PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096 oremail [email protected].

Reader Know-How in Action

Tips and Techniques

www.tennisindustrymag.com July 2016 TennisIndustry 3


34/6432 TennisIndustry July 2016

String Playtest

K irschbaum Pro Line II Rough isa third-generation co-polyester

string with a roughened surface

designed for extra spin, with balanced

precision and power. According to

Kirschbaum, the string comes from

a development of new materials and

mastery of the low-temperature fusion

at which they are processed, resulting

in a feel that’s similar to a synthetic gut

regarding playability, but with all the

virtues of polys. It also does not move

and will hold its tension, the company

says. Pro Line II Rough is suited for

competitive players of all ages.Pro Line II Rough is available in 1.20

mm, 1.25 mm and 1.30 mm in black

only. It is priced from $9 for 40-foot

sets, and $109 for reels of 660 feet.

For more information on any of these

strings, or to place an order, contact

Kirschbaum at 866-443-4428, or visit

kirschbaumusa.com. And be sure to

read the conclusion of this review for

details about getting a free set of Pro

Line II Rough to try for yourself.

In the Lab

We tested the 1.25-mm Pro Line II Rough.

The coil measured 40 feet, 11 inches. The

diameter measured 1.25 mm prior to

stringing and 1.23 mm after stringing. We

recorded a string-bed stiffness of 69 RDC

units immediately after stringing a Wilson

Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern) at 60

pounds on a constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), string-

bed stiffness measured 62 RDC units,

representing a 10 percent tension loss.

Our control string, Prince Synthetic Gut

Original Gold 16, measured 78 RDC units

immediately after stringing and 71 RDC

units after 24 hours, representing an 8.3

percent tension loss. In lab testing, Prince

Synthetic Gut Original has a stiffness of

217 and a tension loss of 11.67 pounds,

while Kirschbaum Pro Line II Rough 1.25

has a stiffness of 194 and a tension lossof 19.56 pounds. Pro Line II Rough 1.25

added 15.7 grams to the weight of our

unstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeks by

34 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings

from 3.5 to 5.5. These are blind tests, with

playtesters receiving unmarked strings in

unmarked packages. The average number

of hours playtested was 23.8.

Kirschbaum does not provide a tension

recommendation, so we allowed our play-

testers free rein. Pro Line II Rough does

have some coil memory. The surface tex-

ture creates extra drag through grommets

and when pulling crosses through mains—

along with some noise. It is not difficult,

just different. We almost ran out of string

on an oversize racquet, so perhaps the

extra density implied by the high weight of

the string helps it withstand stretch.

No playtester broke the sample during

stringing, eight reported problems with

coil memory, five reported problems tying

knots, two reported friction burn and eight

reported other problems.

On the Court

Pro Line II Rough promises spin—and our

playtest team agreed, rating it the seventh

best string in the Spin category of the 192

strings we have playtested for publication.

Hand-in-hand with this, the playtesters

also rated Pro Line II Rough the 15th best

string in the Control category.Pro Line II Rough also garnered an

excellent rating in Durability, and was

judged to be well above average in Resis-

tance to Movement and Tension Reten-

tion. Accordingly, the overall score is well

above average.

No playtester reported premature fray-

ing or peeling, one reported buzzing and

five reported notching.

Conclusion

If you have customers looking for a spin

string, Pro Line II Rough is much easier to

install than some of the geometric spin

options on the market. It has all the charac-

teristics needed by players who generate

their own power, and with three different

gauges, you can dial to your customers'

specific needs.

If you think that Kirschbaum Pro Line II

Rough might be for you, fill out the co

201607 Tennis Industry magazine

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