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Junior Players

New recognition
program stresses
SPORTSMANSHIP

Racquet Stringing

MASTER THE
WEAVE on
cross strings

Footwear

How to put your


players into
the RIGHT SHOES

MAY 2016 / VOLUME 44/ NUMBER 5 / $5.00

2016
Racquet
Selector

Choose the right frame


for your players with our
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Hard-Court
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TennisIndustry
DEPARTMENTS
4

Our Serve

Industry News

12 Letters
14 TIA News
16 Racquet Tech
18 Retailing Tip
20 Junior Sportsmanship
22 Grassroots Tennis

p.34

38 Tips & Techniques

FEATURES

Your Serve, by Joel Drucker


40 

24 S
 tep in the Right Direction
Putting your customers into the right shoes
involves a balancing act with weight, stability,
durability and comfort.

INDUSTRY NEWS
7

Former WTA CEO Allaster


joins USTA Pro Tennis

New England groups to


rebuild Havana courts

USTA Pro Circuit launches


Collegiate Series events

Tennis icon Bud Collins


passes away at 86

Hall of Fame elects Henin


and Safin for 2016

Industry loses Holabirds


Sol Schwartz

10 USTA names recipients



of annual awards

p.24

28 Skill Set
Dont just be an order taker. Use your
customer-service skills to help your players
select the right string.

31 Hard Acts to Follow

p.28

These outdoor Distinguished Facility of the


Year award-winners are excellent examples of
hard-court construction.

10 
Short Sets
11 BJK among thought leaders

at Impact Forum

34 Find the Right Frame!

11 Asics Easter Bowl



awards travel grants
 eoplewatch
12 P

C O V E R P H O T O : B E A U G U S TA F S O N/ B I G S W E D E P R O D U C T I O N S I N C.

www.tennisindustrymag.com

MAY 2016

Use our exclusive Racquet Selector to help


your customers find their perfect racquet.

p.31

PLUS
42 
CEOs Message
p.41

46 U
 SPTA Returns to California 50 Master the Power of Doubles
Instruction
for Annual World Conference
48 E
 nhance Your Performance
With Compression Apparel

54 Creating Passionate Problem


Solvers on the Court

44 Vice Presidents
Message
46 USPTA World Conference
48 Endorsee News
50 Master Pro Corner
54 Beyond the Court
58 Career Development
60 
Member News

Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com


2 TennisIndustry

May 2016

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Our Serve
USRSA: Past, Present and Future
Bob Patterson, the new executive director of the
U.S. Racquet Stringers Association, wants your input.

ith 40 years behind us, the


U.S. Racquet Stringers Association has certainly come
a long way. Back in 1975, we published
a small booklet of stringing patterns
and tips sent to a handful of members.
Im sure our founders could not have
imagined that in the 2016 edition of
Stringers Digest, we would publish
stringing patterns for more than 6,000
racquets, or that we now have a database of nearly 11,000 patterns, more
than 500 current racquets and over
1,000 current strings.
The USRSA has evolved and grown
a great deal these past four decades.
And as the new Executive Director, Im
excited at the opportunities ahead for
usand for our continued partnership
with Tennis Industry as our official
publication. (In 2005, the USRSAs
Racquet Tech magazine joined forces
with Tennis Industry, and we continue to move this industry forward
together.)
As the USRSA E.D., I have very big
shoes to fill. Our first E.D. was Carol
Anderson, followed by Jill Fonte, who
led the association for 20 years before
handing the reins to Dave Bone. Over
the years, there have been many key
people who have contributed to our
success. Of special note, I should mention the invaluable contributions of
former USRSA staffers Don Hightower
and Crawford Lindsey.
When Dave asked me last year about
assuming the E.D. role, I was elated.
As a longtime stringer and Master
Racquet Technician, when I started
working with Dave and the association
four years ago, I told him the USRSA
was my dream job. What racquet/
string geek wouldnt want to do this for
a living?
But I was also apprehensive, be-

4 TennisIndustry

April 2016

causehaving worked closely with


both Jill and Dave through the years as
a member, serving on an advisory committee, and as a Certification TesterI
knew the responsibility was great. I appreciate the confidence Dave has in me
by providing this opportunity and his
continued guidance along the way.
Ive worked in this industry since
1988, first, as a home-based stringer,
growing that business into a full-service
tennis specialty store that I operated
for 16 years. During that same time, I
also did tournament stringing for my
own team as well as for others at Grand
Slams and other major professional
tournaments. Thrown somewhere in
the middle, I also worked as a sales
rep for a major tennis brand, so I have
experienced our industry from all sides.
As an association and as an industry,
we have much to be proud of, but also,
we have much that we can build and
improve upon. Be assured, we dont
plan to rest in our work to grow this
association and elevate the status of
racquet stringers and technicians.
We very much want to hear from
you. After all, this is your organization.
Tell us what we are doing well, what we
should be doing more of, what were
missing, and most importantly, what
you expect from your organization.
As they say, if it aint broke, dont
fix it but I'm very open to new
ideas, from both USRSA members
and nonmembers. We want to review
everything we do, which is something I
think every organization should do on
regular basis.

they retire or leave the industry. While


some may consider that in this economy, a flat growth rate is good, I know
we can do better. We clearly want, and
need, more people to play tennis every
year, and I want more stringers and
racquet technicians out there to service
them. So were going to do everything
we can to help grow our membership,
and overall tennis participation, too.
While we try to keep our memberships at a reasonable cost, rising
expenses are inevitable. As one alternative, we have a web-only membership,
which reduces our costs of having to
ship out Stringer's Digests twice a year.
We only increase membership prices as
a last resort.
Is your membership a good value?
We think it is, but we would like to hear
from you. Our database of patterns is
an invaluable resource to those in the
racquet service business, but we also
have much more to offer. Our online
tools assist our members in selecting
and comparing racquets and strings
and if you customize racquets, our tools
make the job much easier and more
accurate. Manufacturers offer special
pricing and incentives to our members,
and some offer even more to our certified members.
What services or benefits would you
like to see included in your membership? Would you be willing to pay for
more benefits or would you like to
see more options for memberships
of different levels and offerings made
available?

Membership

Our Certified StringerTM and Master


Racquet TechnicianTM certifications are
held as the highest standards of our
industry. Earning certification allows
our members to set themselves apart

Our membership is strong, but like tennis participation overall, were gaining
new members at pretty much the same
rate were losing current members as

Certification

www.tennisindustrymag.com

Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams


Editorial Director
Peter Francesconi
peter@tennisindustrymag.com

and promote their expertise in the


marketplace.
We frequently get feedback from
those who take our testssome say
theyre to easy, some say theyre too
hard, which makes me think they are
just about right. We update the MRT
test annually to keep up with new
technologies introduced by string and
racquet manufacturers and we try
to make sure the tests are a relevant
measure of those things a competent
technician would know to earn the
title. If it were easy to become certified, it wouldnt mean as much, and
we wouldnt want that.
We realize that terms and information change over the years, so we are
in the process of updating both tests,
but overall they wont really change
that much. We are, however, exploring the possibility of adding additional
certifications, and wed like your input,
especially from our certified members.
Are there areas of service that should
be expanded upon, such as customization, tournament stringing, or something else? Do we need a certification
for these? Let us hear your ideas.

Training

This is an area I feel we can improve.


Back in the day, the USRSA held
workshops at the annual Super Show
followed by a day of Certification
Testing. But in todays economy, and
with no large, unified trade show, its
hard to make training in hands-on
workshops cost-effective for both the
association and for individual stringers
who would have to take the time and
expense to travel.
But we havent given up. We are exploring options of tying in with other
industry organizations at their annual
events, and perhaps there are other
alternatives, too.
Would coming to training workshops be of interest to you? Wed love
to hear your thoughts. What topics?
How long? What price would be

reasonable? We all can and should


continue to learn, so training is vital,
but we must find viable options for
getting it done. Would you be interested in webinars on certain topics?
Are there other methods we havent
considered?

www.RacquetTech.com

Our website is comprehensive, to say


the least. There is a lot of information at RacquetTech.com for tennis
enthusiasts, including a search function to find a competent technician
in their area. For USRSA members,
we have even more information,
including the online Stringer's Digest, tools for comparing string and
racquets, tools to aid in customizing
racquets, and much more.
Organizing all this info and making it easily accessible can sometimes
be challenging, but our goal is to
do just that. We have purposefully
avoided bombarding you with a lot
of ads on the website, especially in
the members-only section, and we
have tried to divide the information in an intuitive way that makes
finding what you need easy. We are
constantly making tweaks to the site
as members bring things to our attention, so let us know what suggestions you may have.
One of our goals is to add video
clips on how-to portions of the
soon-to-be-updated Racquet Service
Techniques guide on the site. We feel
this will be a valuable addition, but
it is a time-consuming process, so
when you see them added in the next
few months, give us your feedback.
As I said, the USRSA is your organization! Please chime in. Send me
an email on any or all of these topics,
or anything else you think I need
to hear or consider. I promise I will
answer each and every query.
Email me at Bob@RacquetTech.
com. I look forward to hearing from
you soon.

Bob Patterson
Executive Director, U.S. Racquet Stringers Association
Bob@RacquetTech.com

www.tennisindustrymag.com

Associate Editor
Greg Raven
Design/Art Director
Kristine Thom
Special Projects Manager
Bob Patterson
Contributing Editors
Robin Bateman
Cynthia Cantrell
Peg Connor
Kent Oswald
Cynthia Sherman
Mary Helen Sprecher
Contributing Photographers
Bob Kenas
David Kenas
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May 2016

TennisIndustry 5

IndustryNews
Information to help you run your business

Former WTA CEO Allaster


Joins USTA Pro Tennis

Vermont Org, Hinding Tennis


To Rebuild Courts in Havana

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

ormer WTA Chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster has


been named Chief Executive, Professional Tennis
for the USTA. Allaster will report to USTA COO and
Executive Director Gordon Smith.
In her new position, Allaster will be tasked with setting
the strategic vision for the USTAs Pro Tennis division and
will work closely with the USTA board of directors and current USTA Pro Tennis staff to ensure the continued viability
of professional tennis in the U.S. The USTAs professional
tennis holdings include the US Open, the Emirates Airline
US Open Series, and the Western & Southern Open Masters
event in Cincinnati, among others. USTA Chief of Professional Tennis Operations and US
Open Tournament Director David Brewer will report to Allaster.
During her tenure at the WTA, Allaster is credited with generating an estimated $1
billion in diversified contracted revenues; building and growing the brand globally with
an emphasis in China and Asia Pacific; transforming the WTA Finals into a 10-day sports
entertainment extravaganza; and securing a 10-year media agreement, the largest live
media rights and production venture in women's sports history.

n a historic meeting on March 1, the Cuban government approved a project to rebuild


the tennis courts at the National Tennis Center in Havana. The project is the vision
of Jake Agna, tennis pro of Burlington, Vt. The Memorandum of Understanding
is between the nonprofit Cuban American Friendship Society (CAFS) of Burlington as
the licensed exporter and the National Tennis
Federation in Cuba.
When we saw the National Tennis Center, we
were stunned, says Agna, who traveled to Cuba
several times in the last year to play tennis with
Cuban youngsters. Courts were crumbling, nets
held up by chairs, tennis balls were threadbare,
and racquets needed stringing. Agna and his
team will embark on the first brick-and-mortar
project to take place in Cuba since the Eisenhower Administration.
Agna is founder of the Kids on the Ball, an award-winning tennis and mentoring program. I am thrilled to see this project approved, he says. Im grateful to Jared Carter
and his team at CAFS, the Ministry of Sports in Havana, along with Sen. Patrick Leahys
office, who were instrumental in granting us permission to carry out this project.
Court renovations are projected to cost $600,000. With financial support from the
Robert Stiller Family Foundation, The Argosy Foundation, the Serena Fund and other
donors, construction can begin in early May, but Kids on the Ball-Cuba continues to seek
financial support for other phases. Hinding Tennis, based in West Haven, Conn., is on
board with CAFS and Kids on the Ball-Cuba to get the rebuilding project under way.

www.tennisindustrymag.com

The USTA Pro Circuit is launching the


USTA Pro Circuit Collegiate Series, a circuit of more than 10 tournaments held
on or near college campuses nationwide to provide a platform for college
players to gain pro experience and
transition to the pro ranks. The USTA
Pro Circuit Collegiate Series will consist
of events that complement a college
players schedule, with most events
being held in the fall semester, and will
give players the chance to collect ATP
or WTA ranking points.
The Collegiate Series is scheduled
to begin the week of June 6 with a
$25,000 mens Futures event held at
the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., followed by a $25,000
mens Futures event at Wake Forest in
Winston-Salem, N.C.
The series will then continue in the
fall with further mens and womens
tournaments to be named with prize
money ranging from $25,000 to
$50,000. Ohio State will host a $50,000
mens Challenger in mid-September,
while two $25,000 mens Futures
events will take place near the University of California, Berkeley, in October.
The USTA Pro Circuit, started in
1979, is now scheduled to feature
approximately 100 events this year
and will award more than $3.5 million
in total prize money, the most events
and prize money of any season in the
history of the USTA Pro Circuit.

Tennis Journalist
Bud Collins Passes Away
Longtime tennis journalist and TV
tennis analyst
Arthur Bud Collins died March
4 at his home in
Brookline, Mass.
He was 86 years
old. (See Joel
Druckers tribute
in the Your Serve
on page 40.)
Inducted into

May 2016

TennisIndustry 7

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

USTA Pro Circuit Launches


Collegiate Series of Events

IndustryNews
the International Tennis Hall of Fame in
1994, Collins starting writing tennis for
the Boston Globe in 1963, and shortly
after that added tennis TV commentary
to his resume. He is considered the first
sports print journalist to have carved out
a regular gig offering sports commentary
and analysis on TV, too.
From 1972 to 2007, Collins worked for
NBC, hosting the Breakfast at Wimbledon broadcasts and wearing his trademark bow tie and colorful clothes. Last
September, Collins, whose health had
been failing in recent years, traveled to
the US Open in New York, accompanied
by his wife Anita Ruthling Klaussen,

where the media center at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was
dedicated and named in his honor.

Henin, Safin Head


Into Hall of Fame
Former WTA Tour world No. 1 Justine
Henin, who won seven Grand Slam singles
titles, and Marat Safin, a two-time major
champion and former ATP World Tour world
No. 1, will be inducted into the International
Tennis Hall of Fame in July.
Henin and Safin have been elected in the
Recent Player Category. In addition, Yvon
Petra, a notable French tennis player of the
1940s, and Margaret "Peggy" Scriven, Brit-

TGA Announces Deals


With 2 USTA Sections

GA Premier Youth Tennis has announced agreements with two USTA sectionsMid-Atlantic and Southwestfor TGA franchises in those sections.
The USTA Mid-Atlantic Section acquired the TGA master franchise
rights for the section. Mid-Atlantic will use its network of Tennis Service Representatives to help implement the TGA model in the District of Columbia, Maryland,
Virginia and parts of West Virginia. In this new model, the Mid-Atlantic TSRs will
be called Community Program Managers (CPMs) and will be trained to be TGA
Chapter Directors.
In the USTA Southwest, the section will fund the launch of a TGA chapter in
Tucson, which will be managed by Gilbert Moncada, the director of TGA-Golf in
Tucson. Moncada has hired Arnold Lopez to oversee TGA-Tennis operations. As
part of the agreement, the Southwest Section can assume ownership of the chapter
at any time.
We are thrilled to work hand-in-hand with USTA Sections to create scalable
and replicable local tennis ecosystems that give thousands of kids and their parents
an entre to tennis and the player pathway, says Joshua Jacobs, CEO and founder
of TGA.

8 TennisIndustry

May 2016

ish tennis champion of the 1930s, will be


inducted posthumously in the Master Player
Category.
Henin is the first Belgian inductee to the
Hall of Fame and Safin is the first Russian
player to be inducted. Since 1955, the honor
of Hall of Fame induction has been awarded
to 243 tennis champions and leaders representing 21 nations. The 2016 induction
ceremony will be July 16 in Newport, R.I.

Industry Experts Present


At TIA Forum, T.O.M.
Hundreds of industry executives, facility owners/managers and other in the
tennis business attended the 2016 State
of the Industry Forum and Tennis Owners
& Managers (TOM) Conference, held in
Miami in late March. Prior to the Forum,
a POP Tennis demonstration took place
on a 60-foot court set up in the ballroom,
which drew coverage and interviews from
three Miami TV stations.
Speakers at the Forum included top
tennis execs presenting the latest news
and data about the industry, including
participation research, consumer and
technology trends, marketplace data,
grow-the-game initiatives and updates
from the USTA. The TOM Conference
featured leading experts in tennis club
and facility management, programming,
leadership, personnel and more.
Stay tuned for more on both of these
events, including important takeaways,
in the June issue of Tennis Industry.

Industry Loses
Holabirds Sol Schwartz
Tennis lost a true champion recently when
Sol Schwartz, 46, passed away on March 16.
Schwartz was a Retail Manager and Buyer for
Holabird Sports, having joined that company
in 1993.
He attended University of MarylandBaltimore County and recorded one of the best
seasons in UMBC tennis history in 1991-92
with a 19-2 singles record and 10-4 in doubles. He reached the final of the East Coast
Conference Championship in 1992 at No. 2
singles. An active alum, Schwartz served as a
volunteer assistant coach with the Retriever
tennis programs.
When Hurricane Sandy hit the New York
area in the fall of 2012, Schwartz sprung into
action to help out tennis facilities and teach-

www.tennisindustrymag.com

April 2016

TennisIndustry 9

IndustryNews
Short
Sets
The U.S. Davis Cup
Team advanced to the
World Group Quarterfinals for the first time
since 2013 after defeating
Australia, 3-1, in March in
the first round, played at
the Kooyong Lawn Tennis
Club in Australia. World
No. 11 John Isner clinched
the tie for the U.S. with
a win over world No. 20
Bernard Tomic. Isner also
set the all-time Davis Cup
and ATP Tour serving
speed record of 157 mph
late in the third set. The
U.S. will host Croatia July
15-17.
Lights, camera, action
will meet game, set,
match, when film buffs
and sports fans gather
for a weekend of sports
documentaries and

programming hosted
at the International
Tennis Hall of Fame
in Newport, R.I. The
inaugural newportFILM
SPORTS film festival,
held April 29-May 1, is
a joint venture between
newportFILM and the
ITHOF.
In a two-year agreement, Daylong, one of
Nestle Skin Healths
products, is now the official sun care brand of
the ATP world Tour.
Ashaway sponsored a
blind challenge at the
recent PTR Symposium on Hilton Head
Island that had 15 PTR
members play with two
identical racquets, one
strung with Ashaways
MonoGut ZX and the
other with a poly string
from another manufacturer. The pros played

back-to-back five-minute
singles drills with each
racquet, not knowing
what string they were
playing with. Ashaways
Steve Crandall says 12
of the pros said they
preferred the MonoGut
ZX strung frame.
On March 2, Sports
Authority Inc. filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection to restructure
the company. Sports
Authority plans to initially
close 140 stores and two
distribution centers,
and reports are that the
company is looking for a
buyer.
The MIT womens tennis team is the winner
of this years ITA Team
Sportsmanship Award.
MIT was the top choice
by a panel of the eight
participating head
coaches at the 2016 ITA

Division III National


Women's Team Indoor
Championship, hosted
by DePauw University
in Greencastle, Ind.
On March 2, Sinclair
Broadcast Group Inc.
closed on its acquisition
of the stock of Tennis Channel for $350
million. The acquisition
was funded through
cash on hand and a
draw on the Sinclairs
revolving line of credit.
Sinclair owns, operates
and/or provides services to 171 television
stations in 81 markets,
broadcasting 471 channels and affiliations with
all the major networks.
RS Tennis by Robin
Sderling, based in
Sweden, makes tennis
balls, strings and overgrips, and the company
is now selling its prod-

USTA Names Recipients


Of Annual Awards

he USTA honored seven recipients of its Annual


Awards during the USTA Annual Meeting and Conference in March in Carlsbad, Calif.

Anthony Lara of Chino, Calif., is the winner of the Brad Parks Award,
established in 2002 to honor an individual or organization that has
been instrumental in the development of wheelchair tennis around the world.
Cora Masters Barry of Washington, D.C., won the USTA NJTL Founders Service Award, created
by USTA Diversity in 2011 to recognize an individual NJTL chapter founder committed to positive
youth development through tennis and education and provides free or low-cost tennis, education
and life-skills programming.
Youth Tennis San Diego is the USTA Organization Member of the Year, recognized for outstanding
service through its commitment to the tennis community, the organizations members and the game
of tennis.
Griffin Family of San Diego won the Ralph W. Westcott USTA Family of the Year Award, which
is given annually to the family that has done the most to promote amateur tennis, primarily on a
volunteer basis.
David Sommer of Minneapolis is the winner of the Seniors Service Award, awarded on the basis of
the recipients willingness, cooperation and participation, either in play or organizational work, for
the betterment and furtherance of senior competition.
Charlotte Johnson of El Paso, Texas (more than 10 years of service) and Jeff Baill of Plymouth,
Minn. (up to 10 years of service) are winners of the USTAs Volunteer Exceptional Service Award,
which recognizes the most outstanding USTA volunteers.

10 TennisIndustry

May 2016

ucts online in the U.S.


at Shop.TennisIdentity.
com.
The Mardy Fish
Childrens Foundation will take over the
management of the
USTA Pro Circuit event
held in Vero Beach, Fla.
The tournament, which
runs from April 22 to
May 1 this year at The
Boulevard Tennis Club,
will be called the Mardy
Fish Childrens Foundation Tennis Championships.
Third-seeded Emory
University captured
its sixth ITA Division III
Men's National Team
Indoor Championship
in February, defeating
the No. 4 seed Chicago
7-2 in the final. The
Eagles hold the most
D3 ITA Indoors National
Team titles.

ing professionals, initiating a fundraising


campaign through Holabird. The donations
he solicited from throughout the industry
helped get local coaches back on their feet,
providing cases of balls, hoppers and other
equipment.

Wilson to Host IART Symposium


The annual training symposium for the
International Alliance of Racquet Technicians (IART) will be Sept. 23-27 in Chicago. This 10th anniversary will be hosted
by Wilson Racquet Sports.
The Friday kick-off meeting will be at
Wilson Global Headquarters. On Saturday, there is a trip to Midtown Athletic
Club to play tennis and platform tennis.
The event then moves to the Donald E.
Stephens Convention Center, near OHare
Airport, for three days of classes. On
Monday, attendees will join Wilsons Ron
Rocchi for group tours of the Wilson Innovation Center.
Day passes also are available. To register, visit iartsymposium.com or contact
IART Executive Director Tim Strawn at
540-632-1148.

www.tennisindustrymag.com

IndustryNews
BJK Among
'Thought Leaders'
at Lake Nona
Impact Forum

illie Jean King was among a select group


of 250 of the nations top CEOs, health
care entrepreneurs and innovators, government officials and other thought leaders at
the Lake Nona Impact Forum held in February
in Orlando, Fla. The executives engaged in three days of collaborative, action-oriented discussions to develop solutions to improve health, wellness and sustainable
living throughout the world. King was interviewed at the Impact Forum by Dr. Jim
Loehr, cofounder of the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute.

Magic-Net Creates
Portable Nets in Seconds
Magic Net sets up in less than 5 seconds for multiple racquet and ball sports,
including tennis, POP Tennis, pickleball,
ping pong, and
badminton. The
Magic Net package consists of two
rustproof stainlesssteel spring-loaded
canisters in heavy
colorful plastic
cases with a 22-foot
long by 2-inch wide
bright yellow canvas net band.
Each canister
incorporates a molded hanger and also
a Velcro option that makes it easy to hook
or connect onto a chair, fence, vertical
pole, and other readily available object.
Suggested retail price is $39 (includes carrying case). Its manufactured and distributed by Oncourt Offcourt. Call 1-888-3664711 or visit oncourtoffcourt.com.

Asics Easter Bowl


Awards Travel Grants

ons, Kuhle said, adding that the assistance is one way the tournament helps
top juniors in making a transition from
junior tennis to the collegiate or professional game.

Ashaway Offers Zyex


Racquetball Strings
While nylon strings have long dominated racquetball courts, recent years
have seen a decided increase in the use
of other specialty polymers, principally a
polyetheretherketone polymerbetter
know as PEEKmarketed under the brand
name Zyex.
Ashaway Racket Strings currently offers two families of Zyex-based strings
for racquetball, UltraKill and PowerKill,
both of which feature the high dynamic
stiffness and superior tension holding
characteristics of this space-age polymer.
The property that makes Zyex so good
for racquet strings is its low dynamic
stiffness, which allows strings to stretch
and recover more completely than other
synthetic materials," said Ashaway's
Steve Crandall. "This generates power
with low impact shock (soft power). Visit
ashawayusa.com.

The Asics Easter Bowl awarded


$10,000 in travel grants in the form of
vouchers for airline travel and hotel
expenses at this years ITF event, which
took place April 2-10 at the Indian Wells
Tennis Garden in California, said tournament director Lornie Kuhle.
The grants help offset the costs parents must pay to raise junior champi-

www.tennisindustrymag.com

May 2016

TennisIndustry 11

IndustryNews
People
Watch
Chris Kermode was appointed to a second term
as ATP executive chairman,
through 2019.
Former World No. 1 Boris
Becker is teaming with the
Mission Hills Group to
develop tennis in China and
create the Boris Becker Tennis Academy in China.

Steve Hall will join the McWIL Squash team as a senior


partner. McWIL Squash is a
leading squash court builder
in North America. Hall brings
with him more than 25 years
of experience in the sports
industry as a player, squash
teaching pro and racquet
industry executive, including
12 years as Dunlop Sports

Letters
Get Dennis Into the Hall!

I just read Our Serve in the April issue


(Righting an Industry Wrong) and
completed my nomination of Dennis
Van der Meer for the International

12 TennisIndustry

May 2016

director of marketing.
The Anti-Defamation League
honored Tennis Channel president Ken Solomon at the 2016
Entertainment Industry Dinner
held in April at the Beverly
Hilton Hotel. The ADL Entertainment Industry Dinner honors
individuals in the entertainment
industry annually for their vi-

Tennis Hall of Fame. Thanks for


bringing this to our attention. I
hope it will get others to act. I cant
think of a more deserving candidateDennis is a great person,
teacher, giver and friend.
After I first met Dennis as a
South Carolina volunteer in 1984,
he always greeted me by my first

sion, leadership, accomplishments and contributions to


the community.
Rachel Dagen has been
appointed the Intercollegiate
Tennis Association's Assistant to the Chief Executive
Officer & Special Projects
Coordinator, announced ITA
CEO Timothy Russell.

name and that famous Dennis Van


der Meer smile. Whether I was a
state volunteer or the president of
the USTA Southern Section, he was
always the samewarm, friendly and
entertaining! Well hope for the best.
Thanks again.
Rex Maynard
Former President, USTA Southern

www.tennisindustrymag.com

IndustryNews
Club Concerns On the Mark

I wish to compliment Alex Kor for


his fine Your Serve article (Club
Concerns) in the March issue on
indoor club closures, college program
closures, and raising some questions
about the future of U.S. tennis.
I have worked to get low-cost first
class tennis facilities and programs
built and expanded in the Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas for
over 55 years. I agree with Mr. Kors
assessment of concerns about the
future of indoor and outdoor facilities and programs in the U.S.
Robert E. Davis
USPTA Master Professional
Silver Spring, Md.

Missed Connection

I am considered a poor reader per my


technique of skimming from back
to front and only settling on items
that pique my interest. But the one
column I always read thoroughly in
Tennis Industry is Pete Francesconi's
Our Serve, as it is always insightful,
caring and honest. Pete challenges us
instead of just trying to paint a rosy
picture, which seems to be popular,
even though we are in the midst of a
downturn in participation along with
most other youth sports.
I actually looked at every page of
the March edition, searching in vain
for Petes Our Serve article. I hope
I don't have to go another month
without the insightful tidbits I always
gain from his column.
Bill Ozaki
Director of Programs &
Player Development
USTA Southern
Editors note: Thanks, Bill, for your kind
words and great support. Nice to know
my Our Serve was missed! In this current
issue, the Our Serve was written by new
USRSA Executive Director Bob Patterson (TI is the official publication of the
USRSA), and I hope youll find it equally
insightful. Pete F.

USRSA Announces
New MRTs
Master Racquet Technicians
Christian VarrialeOntario, Canada
Saad SayeedOntario, Canada

www.tennisindustrymag.com

May 2016

TennisIndustry 13

Health Benefits of Tennis: Why Play Tennis?


By Jack L. Groppel, Ph.D.
Dr. Jack Groppel was a featured speaker at the TIA State of the Industry Forum and Tennis Owners & Managers
Conference, held in Miami in March. His message was about tennis and health, and the need to change behaviors so
Americans will make healthier choices, including playing tennis to stay fit.
With that in mind, here are Dr. Groppels 34 Reasons to Play Tennis. Please post these at your facility and, better
yet, post them where non-tennis-players will see them and understand that its time they hit the courts!

Here are the facts:


People who participate in tennis 3 hours per week (at
moderately vigorous intensity) cut their risk of death
in half from any cause, according to physician Ralph
Paffenbarger who studied over 10,000 people over a
period of 20 years.
Competitive tennis burns more calories than aerobics,
inline skating, or cycling, according to studies on
caloric expenditures.
Tennis players scored higher in vigor, optimism and
self-esteem while scoring lower in depression, anger,

confusion, anxiety and tension than other athletes and


non-athletes, according to Dr. Joan Finn and colleagues
at Southern Connecticut State University.
Since tennis requires alertness and tactical thinking,
it may generate new connections between nerves in
the brain and thus promote a lifetime of continuing
development of the brain, reported scientists at the
University of Illinois.
Tennis outperforms golf, inline skating and most
other sports in developing positive personality
characteristics, according to Dr. Jim Gavin, author of
The Exercise Habit.

With these results in mind, lets take a look at 34 specific reasons


why you should consider playing tennis regularly!

Physical Reasons
to Play Tennis

7. 
general body coordination since you have to move into
position and then adjust your upper body to hit the
ball successfully.

Tennis helps your:

8. 
gross motor control through court movement and
ball-striking skills which require control of your large
muscle groups.

1. 
aerobic fitness by burning fat and improving your
cardiovascular fitness and maintaining higher energy
levels.
2. 
anaerobic fitness by offering short, intense bursts of
activity during a point followed by rest which helps
muscles use oxygen efficiently.
3. 
ability to accelerate by practice in sprinting, jumping
and lunging to move quickly.
4. 
powerful first step by requiring anticipation, quick
reaction time and explosion into action.
5. 
speed through a series of side-to-side and up and back
sprints to chase the ball.
6. 
leg strength through hundreds of starts and stops
which build stronger leg muscles.
14 TennisIndustry

May 2016

9. 
fine motor control by the use of touch shots like
angled volleys, drop shots and lobs.
10. agility by forcing you to change direction as many as 5
times in 10 seconds during a typical tennis point.
11. dynamic balance through hundreds of starts, stops,
changes of direction and hitting on the run.
12. cross-training by offering a physically demanding sport
thats fun to play for athletes who are expert in other
sports.
13. bone strength and density by strengthening bones of
young players and helping prevent osteoporosis in
older ones.
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

14. i mmune system through its conditioning effects which


promote overall health, fitness and resistance to disease.

27. 
learn to solve problems since tennis is a sport based
on angles, geometry and physics.

15. nutritional habits by eating appropriately before


competition to enhance energy production and after
competition to practice proper recovery methods.

28. develop performance rituals before serving or


returning to control your rhythm of play and deal with
pressure. These skills can transfer to taking exams,
conducting a meeting or making an important sales
presentation.

16. eye-hand coordination because you constantly judge


the timing between the on-coming ball and the proper
contact point.
17. flexibility due to the constant stretching and
maneuvering to return the ball toward your opponent.

29. learn sportsmanship since tennis teaches you to


compete fairly with opponents.
30. learn to win graciously and lose with honor. Gloating
after a win or making excuses after a loss doesnt work
in tennis or in life.

Psychological Reasons
to Play Tennis

31. learn teamwork since successful doubles play depends


on you and your partners ability to communicate and
play as a cohesive unit.

Tennis helps you:

32. develop social skills through interaction and


communication before a match, while changing sides
of the court and after play.

18. develop a work ethic because improvement through


lessons or practice reinforces the value of hard work.
19. develop discipline since you learn to work on your
skills in practice and control the pace of play in
competition.
20. manage mistakes by learning to play within your
abilities and realizing that managing and minimizing
mistakes in tennis or life is critical.
21. learn to compete one-on-one because the ability to
compete and fight trains you in the ups and downs of a
competitive world.
22. accept responsibility because only you can prepare to
compete by practicing skills, checking your equipment
and during match play by making line calls.
23. manage adversity by learning to adjust to the elements
(e.g. wind, sun) and still be able to compete tenaciously.
24. accommodate stress effectively because the physical,
mental and emotional stress of tennis will force you to
increase you capacity for dealing with stress.
25. learn how to recover by adapting to the stress of a
point and the recovery period between points which is
similar to the stress and recovery cycles in life.
26. plan and implement strategies since you naturally
learn how to anticipate an opponents moves and plan
your countermoves.

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

33. have FUN because the healthy feelings of enjoyment,


competitiveness and physical
challenge are inherent in the sport.

Summary and Reason #34


Is it any wonder that scientists and
physicians around the world view tennis
as the most healthful activity in which you can participate?
There may be other sports that can provide excellent
health benefits and some which can provide mental and
emotional growth. But no sport other than tennis has ever
been acclaimed from all disciplines as one that develops
great benefits physically, mentally and emotionally.
Tennis is a sport for kids to learn early in life. What parent
wouldnt want their children to get these benefits through
their growing years?
Its not too late for adults and seniors too! The human
system can be trained and improved at any stage of life.
Heres the key you must begin playing tennis now to get
these benefits throughout your lifetime. And that brings us
to reason #34:
Tennis is truly the sport for a lifetime! Its been proven.

May 2016

TennisIndustry 15

Racquet Tech
Mastering the Weave

Whether you weave your crosses with a push, a pull


or a combination of both, these tips should make the
job easier and more efficient.
By Bob Patterson

hen I teach workshops for beginner racquet technicians it


seems the No. 1 thing they are interested in improving is
stringing faster, especially weaving crosses. My first response
is to caution that faster is not necessarily betterwhile you should
strive for an efficient pace, just because you do it faster is of no value if
your job is faulty or sloppy in any way.
Smooth and efficient weaving will definitely make the job go faster
but much like anything one learns to do, speed will come with practice
and simple repetition. It all starts with a good foundation, and as you do
it over and over and become more comfortable, you will find that you
are going much faster. A good start is to employ One-Ahead weaving
(see the Racquet Tech article in the April 2015 issue).

The Push

With this technique the string tip is held between two fingers (one hand
above and one below) to push the string away from you and across the
mains, bobbing up and down to achieve the correct weave. Some use the
index fingers, others use the middle fingersso experiment to find what
is comfortable for you.
The first key is to pull enough string through the beginning grommet
to reach across the string face before you start the weave. This means
you are simply pushing the weave across and not trying to pull the string
through the grommet while weaving. It sounds simple, but it makes a
huge difference in how easy it is to manipulate the string as you weave.
The second key is to weave across the mains at an angle rather than
straight across. This allows for more room as you work away from
crosses that have already been tensioned. Of course, as you work your
way down the mains, you have less room to operate, so things will slow
down a bit to get the last few crosses in compared to the first few.

The Pull

With this technique the string tip is pulled across the mains toward
your body. Most employing this method pull about 10 to 12 inches of
string through the initial grommet and then form a loose loop with
the string and force the loop up and down as you work your way across
the mains with one hand above forcing the string down and one hand
underneath forcing it back up.
Again, the key is pull through an adequate amount of string to reach
across the racquet so your arent pulling the string so much as just manipulating it up and down across the mains. I find it easier if the tip of
the string is toward the open end of the racquet away from the already
tensioned crosses. It seems to glide more smoothly.
Regardless of the technique you settle on, have patience and continue
to work on the technique to find what is comfortable to you. With repetition, the speed and efficiency will come.

16 TennisIndustry

May 2016

www.tennisindustrymag.com

Retailing 144
Human Contacta Rare and
Valuable Commodity
By Jay Townley

s online shopping grows,


consumers, of course, will have
fewer contacts with a live human
being. But for those who play tennisor
the 15 million who may not play currently but are interested in playing,
according to research by the Tennis
Industry Associationits also a time to
seek out contact and a relationship with
a knowledgeable retail associate who
can become a consultant and advisor
about the tennis lifestyle.
Shoppers and customers are willing
to pay more for what is fast becoming
a rare and value-added attribute from
physical storeshuman contact!
We are witnessing a renaissance of
sorts of personal customer service and
human contact on retail sales floors,
just as online is growing as a component
of retail brands and we hear more about
the end of so-called pure-play online
retailers. Amazon is about to open its
second brick-and-mortar bookstore
and is rumored to be on the hunt to
acquire a large retail brand in order to
shift from being the nations largest
pure-play to an omni-channel model
that incorporates both physical and
online retail components.
Walmart is once again at the bottom
of the American Customer Satisfaction
Index, as the nations largest retailer
struggles to hang onto its sales associates by increasing wages and opening
a reported 200 training and education
centers around the countrywhile its
online sales increase and it searches for
its omni-channel balance point.

Retail Heart & Soul

But what these retailers and online tennis retailers dont get is that real human
sales associates are the heart and soul of
retailing, and converting consumers in
the form of shoppers to customers for

18 TennisIndustry

May 2016

life is all about the experience generated by human contact. As retailing


author T. Scott Gross says, Great sales
are the result of great service.
In his book, When Customers Talk
Turning What They Tell You Into
Sales, based on a national survey of
100,000 customers, Gross lists what
customers like most about the brickand-mortar shopping experience. At
the top of the list, with 41.4 percent, is
knowledgeable/helpful salespeople,
followed by courteous/friendly/caring staff at 27 percent. Then came low
prices and product information at 18.3
percent, merchandise organized and
easy to find at 8.8 percent, and fast
checkout at 4.3 percent.
Some shoppers may place a high
value on low prices, and tennis shops
have to decide how their merchandise mix will best serve this group of
consumers. However, product information and high-quality sales associates
are obviously valued higher by more
shoppersand importantly, they offer
a significant point of differentiation
from low price, self-service and online
competitors.
What this boils down to for specialty
tennis retailers and tennis pro shops is
holding onto and nurturing what may
become harder and harder to find: real
live, knowledgeable, helpful, courteous,

friendly and caring sales associates.


If you already employ top-drawer
customer-service professionals, then
develop a plan to retain them while
working with them to constantly recruit, educate and train others. Emphasize having fun while working at your
tennis store and the real enjoyment and
accomplishment of creating lifestyle solutions for customers and their families,
which will make them clients for life.
If youre looking for a higher level of
sales associate, but feel you cant afford
them, then you need to rethink your
business model to include a hiring
smart program that utilizes online
assessments to make sure the sales
associates you employ are naturals
who want to serve your customers and
who you can educate about the tennis
lifestyle and teach them the product
knowledge they need to turn great customer service into great sales.
With great customer service, youll
grow your tennis stores reputation for
delivering outstanding human contact and retail experiencespoints of
differentiation that have real value to
consumers.
Jay Townley is a partner in the retail
consulting firm Gluskin Townley
Group (www.gluskintownleygroup.
com).
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Junior Players

20 TennisIndustry

May 2016

C O U RT E S Y U S TA

romoting sportsmanship in tennis has been a priority for USTA


President and CEO Katrina
Adams (far right).
Our sportsmanship initiative remains a high priority, she recently told
800 people gathered near San Diego for
the USTA Annual Meeting. We must
make our players aware of what our
sport teaches us. Weve made it clear we
will not tolerate inappropriate behavior, and we are doing our utmost to
inspire fair play and sportsmanship at
every level of play.
Sportsmanship is so critical, says
former pro and current TV analyst
Mary Joe Fernandez. Its so important to set a good example for the next
generation and play fairly. It makes the
game so much more enjoyable.
From the juniors all the way to the
pros, you have to be able to handle
the ups and the downs with the same
amount of grace, adds Lindsay Davenport.
While the push for sportsmanship
in tennis involves players at every age,
clearly making sure juniors pay proper
respect to the game and their opponents is a huge deal in sports today. To
that end, the USTA recently initiated
a Junior Sportsmanship Recognition
Program, in an effort to recognize and
reward junior players who have best
exemplified the positive qualities and
behaviors not just on the court, but offcourt, too.
The recognition program includes
junior players in each section, designed
not only to honor young players and
generate local media coverage for them
and their sections, but also to increase
publicity for junior competition and the
importance of sportsmanship in tennis
in general.
Juniors were picked by each sections
Player Development staff, with help
from others involved in that sections

junior player landscape. The young


players selected make up the USTA
Junior Leadership Team. Among the
criteria, candidates within the last year
had to have:
Successful USTA junior tournament
results;
Exhibited positive on-court behavior
and exemplary sportsmanship;
Shown off-the-court benevolence
(i.e., volunteering, community service, etc.).
These are players whose achievements speak volumes about their
character, both as tennis players and
as members of the community, says
Bill Mountford, the USTAs Director of
Junior Tournaments. With the USTA
Leadership Team, were glad to have a
way to recognize the tremendous examples theyve set on and off the court.
The inaugural USTA Junior Leadership Team, named in late March,
includes:

Boys

Alejandro Rodriguez-Vidal, Guaynabo, P.R.


Bradley Frye , Overland Park, Kan.
Brandon Holt, Rolling Hills, Calif.

Jon Dollahite, Orem, Utah


Josh Xu, Chandler, Ariz.
Luke Phillips, Pittsburgh
Mark Johnson, Hudson, Wis.
Matthew Gonzalgo, Plantation, Fla.
Nick Stachowiak, Cary, N.C.
Peter Conklin, Fairfield, Conn.
Phuc Hyunh, Honolulu, Hawaii
Ryan Fishback, Geneva, N.Y.
Spencer Whitaker, Richmond, Va.
Stefan Leustian, Mather, Calif.
Trey Hilderbrand, San Antonio, Texas

Girls

Allison McCann, Amherst, Mass.


Anna Alons, Salix, Iowa
Cyd Melendez, Cayey, P.R.
Emily Soares, Hilo, Hawaii
Ena Shibahara, Rancho Palos Verdes,
Calif.
Gibson Thomas, Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Izabella Edin, Staples, Minn.
Laurel Wanger, Belleair, Fla.
Marlee Zein, Sugarland, Texas
Meredith Lee, Pottstown, Pa.
Michaela Gordon, Los Altos Hills,
Calif.
Reilly Tran, Dunn Loring, Va.
Samantha Martinelli, Denver
Somer Henry, Franklin, Tenn.
www.tennisindustrymag.com

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

New Junior Recognition Program


Stresses Sportsmanship

Grassroots Tennis
Play It Forward!

CTAs, public parks, schools and NJTLs are


on the front lines when it comes to growing
this sport in communities.
In Southern California, the LA84 Foundation and the National Junior
Tennis and Learning Program have established a new standard when it
comes to a successful joint venture. The LA84 Foundation is responsible
for allocating funds realized by the creative staging of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. At the end of January, the organization decided for
the 31st consecutive year to team up with the the program again.
Thanks to the funding, the NJTL has 46 year-round and 160 summer
locations where economically disadvantaged youngsters have opportunities to learn tennis. In this setting the LA84 Foundation is, truly, one of a
kind in its tennis outreach effort and its longstanding partnership.
This is terrific news, and a direct reflection of the care and attention
that Melanie Bischoff and Evan Smith have given this project, says Bill
Kellogg, president of the Southern California Tennis Association. Its a real feather in our cap.
We are extremely fortunate to receive another year of funding that will provide thousands of kids with a chance to learn
and play tennis, adds Smith, NJTL and Diversity & Inclusion coordinator. Mark Winters

C O U RT E S Y S CTA / C Y N T H I A LU M

Southern California
LA84 Foundation & NJTL Set Standard

Arthur Ashe said, From what we get, we can make living; what we give, however, makes a life. Those words hold special meaning for Clinton C. Vessels, III, the interim president of the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation (CYTF). The stage-4 cancer
survivor, who at one point had been given six months to live, is now more
determined than ever to bring the opportunity of tennis to everyoneespecially underprivileged youth.
Stepping onto the court at age 10 with his father, the number of doors
that tennis opened for him is hard to count. He was a ball boy for Arthur
Ashe, then selected to play national tournaments. The sport has allowed
him to meet extraordinary people from all over the world, he says,
including Althea Gibson and other tennis greats. I was very lucky to be a
part of that.
Being one of the first African-American athletes to have these opportunities ignited his passion to open doors for others. Today, Vessels is on a
mission to raise money for CYTF so he can break down the economic and
social barriers that still exist for young athletes.
Vessels is in his 19th year on the board of the CYTF, which helps
provide scholarships and program grants for players from ages 8 to 18
to ensure all kids have access to tennis. Tennis isnt just a sport, he says,
its much bigger. Tennis teaches etiquette, sportsmanship, honesty, he
explains, adding that its such a mental game, it forces players to think.
USTA Colorado Executive Director Fritz Garger says Vessels strength and commitment are invaluable. Clinton has
been an integral part from day one of the revitalized CYTF Board. He represents so much of what is truly good about this
sport. Hes thoughtful, considerate, caring and professional. The CYTF has been fortunate to have someone of his character
involved with our work and our mission. Hes passionate about helping kids in need and knows first-hand what this sport
can do for youngsters.Katie Newell

22 TennisIndustry

May 2016

P H O T O BY B A R RY G U T I E R R E Z

Intermountain
Life Lessons for Young Lives

www.tennisindustrymag.com

Footwear
Stepping in the Right Direction
While size still matters, putting your customers into the
right shoes involves a balancing act that includes weight,
stability, durability and comfort.
By Kent Oswald

ot surprisingly, shopping for


shoes was simpler in ancient
times. The Roman poet Horace
explained that, A shoe that is too large
is apt to trip one, and when too small, to
pinch the feet. So it is with those whose
fortune does not suit them.
As it relates to matters on a tennis
court, Horaces wisdom that fortune
begins ground up holds true today.
However, to help todays consumers
as they confront the tennis shoe wall,
we need to download some updates to
Horaces thinking.
Ignoring matters of style that seduce
the eye, the most important choices
are no longer between what is too big
or too small, but involve considerations of where on the spectrum of
available high-performance technologies lies the best place for each
individuals kicks.
Every players needs are different, so its important to align the key
features of a shoe to ones game,
advises Babolat USA Senior Marketing Manager Daniel Becker.
For obvious reasons, creating a
shoe demo program is impractical.
Getting a player into the best shoes
requires a combination of work from
sales personnel, manufacturers and
the player him- or herself. While
everything a player wants may be available, there is little chance it will all be
present in one shoe. So, compromise
will be necessary, with the most important taking place in balancing weight
(and, related to that, comfort) with
durability (and, relatedly, stability).

24 TennisIndustry

May 2016

Know Their Feet!

The first task is to know the feet. Becker


points out that while his company made
sure to pay attention to players needs
for in-shoe support, they are very high
on the new, ultra-light performance
Babolat JET because, Todays athletes
need to be faster than ever, making lightweight gear key to their success.
For some players, particularly juniors,
the need to think about their feet is an
idea that needs to be reinforced. Weston
(Conn.) Racquet Club Director of Tennis
Angelo Rossetti says players need to
know the width and not just length of

their feet and, purchase tennis shoes


rather than fitness or running shoes.
Since tennis shoes are made of a stronger, more durable upper, they provide
lateral support. The width of the midsole
and sole is larger for greater balance and
support, particularly for ankles.

Having once worked at a big-box retailer, Rossetti knows that some people
will choose price over performance. But
he does all he can to discourage that
thinking. He also advises doing research
online as well as in-store, and he is a
proponent of orthotic inserts, adding
one more layer, albeit an important one,
to the balancing act between weight and
support.
The second key regarding shoe choice
is awareness of playing style and upon
which surface the majority of play will
take place. Erika Offerdahl, Head Penn
Racquet Sports assistant product manager, encourages in-store personnel to ask customers what kind of
court they usually play on. Specific
to her companys products, she
recommends the Revolt Pro with a
durable outsole and reinforced toe
and medial side for an aggressive
slider who also drags his or her toe
when serving on a hard court, while
an attacker playing on clay might
find a better fit for their game and
needs with the lightweight Head
Nitro Pro.
Comfort should be a given, Offerdahl says. Every shoe, whether
its a durability or a lightweight
product, should provide cushioning, flex, ventilation, etc. And each
player will have only moments in the
store to make their best determination on whether the particular shoes
construction accommodates their foot,
whether it is narrow or wide, and has a
low or high instep. Unfortunately, the
comfort a shoe provides while sitting
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Footwear

in a store cannot equate with actual


play.

Push Two Pairs

Westen McNely, a sales associate at


Tennis Ace in Albuquerque, N.M., often
sees juniors in particular who pick a
shoe for its softer sole because, in the
store, it feels ready to strap on and play
with immediately. However, in McNelys part of the country, where most
courts are hard, They quickly find that
their shoes are wearing out, and their
feet and calves and lower legs hurt, because there is no support for their arch
or the balls of their feet. More durable
shoes would have made a better choice.
Actually, the better choice is for
players to buy more than one pair of
shoes, whether they do so to break
them in properly, or to be prepared with
shoes that are on different places of the
weight/durability spectrum for different playing circumstances.
If you rotate your shoes every week
or every other day they will last much
longer than if you just buy and use one
pair of tennis shoes, says Rossetti.
The mistake most players make, since
they cant wait to play with and show
off their new shoes, is using them all
the time cold turkey. Ive seen ankle
sprains, lower-back problems and
blisters.
Break them in slowly, using them
for a few games to one set at a time
and a half day at a time, until they feel
comfortable like your old ones. Put tennis balls in your shoes when you arent
wearing them to stretch out the leather
uppers.

In-Store Maneuvering

With all of that background, when a


player is in your store, he or she must
still try on the shoes and try to determine how theyll do under match
situations.

26 TennisIndustry

May 2016

If you can accommodate it, Wilson


Footwear Developer Antoine Oui recommends short sprints to test speed
and comfort, and then possibly more
specific tests to see about support, such
as, breaks/cuts and jumps to test how
the shoes hold your feet. In the meantime you can test dynamic cushioning,
check the heel impact by hitting the
floor and the forefoot response while
jumping around. Check the lateral
rolling of the shoe, look for a shoe that
provides support to your ankle.
Each person comes in with a different priority, says Pam Ponwith, owner
of All About Tennis in Scottsdale, Ariz.
But because people dont always know
their own feet, the most important
act she can perform is to watch how
players try on a few pairs to see what
they need but dont know to ask for.
Ponwith says she wishes tennis shoe
manufacturers could get together on
some sort of categorizing of shoes in
the way running shoe manufacturers
have.
Currently, adds Ponwith, The most
important thing is that people lace up
their shoes. All other issues of weight
versus stability aside, perhaps the
biggest problem today is that shoes
particularly those worn by younger
players affecting a certain styleare
not laced up properly. In actual play
with incorrectly laced shoes, toes get
jammed, heels dont stay in place, and
the foot slides around. The failure
in-store to do a proper lacing not only
gives a false sense of the shoe, but leads
to on-court defeat of even the best
technology and all the thought that has
gone into the shoes prior to sale.
Today, the issue of which shoe is best
is a complicated one. But for tennis
players and retailers, being thoughtful
and paying attention to basics (such as
proper lacing), means it is not unsolvable.
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Racquet Stringing

Skill Set
Dont just be an order taker;
employ your customer-service
skills to help your players select
the right string.

By Bob Patterson
hen helping a customer with racquet
service, do you utilize your expertise
as a racquet technician? Or do you
find it easier to comply with just do
it the same instructions?
Dont get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with
the same if at some point in the past you have taken the
time to analyze and discuss the customers game, needs and
desires in order to help them choose the proper string and
tension to optimize their performance on the court.
But if you havent done this and find yourself just taking
orders and giving advice only when requested, then you are
doing your customers, as well as your business, a disservice.
Sure, if you have a decent flow of business it is easy to just
fall into an order-taking mode and string them up and collect
the fee. But, if you are willing to invest a little time to really
find out something about your customer and his or her game
and work with them to get the right set-up that will elevate
their game, alleviate their sore arm, or whatever else they are
looking for, you will have a lifetime customer who will be doing more word-of-mouth advertising for your business than
you can ever buy.
Ive been in this business for decades, yet Im still constantly amazed at what customers ask for. When asked, Why
do you want that particular string? their answers vary,
everything from, My favorite pro player uses that to Thats
what my friend said was the newest and best to everything in
between.
It may be easy to simply install the stiff poly string at 64
pounds for the 65-year-old 3.0 player just because he asked
for it. But when he hates it, or if it takes his game down a
notch or puts him out of the game to heal his arm for three
months, he isnt going to blame himselfhes going to blame
you. So, instead of having a customer singing your praises to
everyone and increasing your customer base, you have now
alienated one more.

28 TennisIndustry

May 2016

The Poly Trend

For a variety of reasons, the current trend is for polyesterbased strings, and the demand for poly seems to have no end.
I have nothing against poly stringsin fact, I think they are
a great innovation. But they are not for everyone, and in this
case, they should not be for the majority of recreational
players.
In our May 2015 issue, we discussed this topic in The
Evolution of Poly Strings with a panel of experts from various string manufacturers who nearly unanimously agreed
that they shouldnt be for every rec player. So why does such a
large contingent of recreational players still use them?
I believe much of the blame falls on us for not educating
our customers. Weve all dealt with some hard-headed players
whodespite you having solid credentials and experience
fitting customers to the right racquets and stringswill still
ignore your best attempts to advise them.
But there are many other customers who will listen, provided they are given the proper information in the proper format. I think, though, that we often fail to do just that, because
it is easier to give them what they wantwithout taking the
time to educate them.
Before we simply give them a string and take their money,
we owe it to their games, their health, your business and our
profession to, at the very least, let them know why we may not
recommend a particular type of string for them.
For a customer who insists on using a poly string, two key
areas that must be discussed are stiffness and longevity.

Stiffness

Poly strings are much stiffer than other strings and must be
installed at much lower tensions than other types of strings.
This takes some detailed explanation to make them understand why this is necessary. Stringing at higher tensions is
basically going to negate most of the good attributes of the

www.tennisindustrymag.com

string. It will feel much harsher, impact more shock to your


arm and be much less forgiving on off-center hits.
While most manufacturers recommend a 5 to 10 percent
drop in tension when stringing poly strings, I believe for
recreational players it should be a larger drop than that. To
reap the best benefits of the stringspin potentialthe strings
have to be able to move in order to achieve that superfast
snap-back effect that puts extra spin on the ball. Most recreational players dont (or cant) swing the racquet fast enough
to achieve this, especially with strings at high tension. Lower
tensions will not only help with this, but also will slightly lower
the shock factor and provide a bit more forgiveness on those
off-center hits.

Longevity

For most players, poly strings are much harder to break and
thus are often considered a good choice for durability. This is
true if you are a string breaker, meaning that you break strings
long before they lose their resiliency and effectiveness.
The truth is that poly strings generally lose resiliency and
tension retention faster than other types of string. This is why
you see the pros going to a freshly strung racquet so frequently.
Poly strings may not break easily, but they lose there stuff
fast!

www.tennisindustrymag.com

This is a big problem on the junior circuits where long days


of training put a lot of stress on strings and on young players bodies. Many juniors can go through a set of nylon-based
strings every session, and some even faster, especially if using
an open pattern racquet. So, for the sake of the budget alone,
parents switch to a poly string.
The trouble is that since the poly string doesnt break after
four hours like the nylon may, the junior plays on it longer
than he or she should. It becomes much deader and the player
is working harder to get depth, so he or she is putting more
stress on the wrist, elbow, arm and shoulder and taking a lot
more shock that will eventually lead to injury.
Adults can see the same problems, too, since poly strings
most likely will show no signs of wear after three months of
league play, and so they keep on playing with the strings until
the pain comes and it is too late.
Trends are good, but dont let them dictate your recommendations. Give customers your best advice. If they still insist on
trying something you dont recommend, offer advice on things
they should watch for as signs the string or tension they have
insisted on may not be working, or may be doing them harm.
In the end, all you can do is give it your best shot, but we owe
it to our customers to give them the value of our knowledge
and expertise.

May 2016

TennisIndustry 29

Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards

Xavier University
Brockhoff Family Tennis Facility

Hard Acts to Follow


These outdoor facility winners are excellent
examples of hard-court construction.

even outdoor tennis facilities were honored in


2015 with Tennis Industry/American Sports
Builders Association Facility-of-the-Year
Awards. One facility, the Bell Recreation Center
of Sun City, Ariz., won Outstanding honors
and was featured in our February 2016 issue, and three others
were clay-court facilities that we highlighted in the April issue
as Distinguished facilities of the year. The remaining three
Distinguished facilities are primarily hard-court centers and
include a high school in Nevada, a university in Ohio, and a
health & fitness center with hard and clay courts in Colorado.
In addition to the Outstanding and Distinguished awards,
for 2015 the ASBA created Silver and Bronze honors, and the
new tennis complex at Bishop Manogue Catholic High
School in Reno, Nev., is the inaugural Bronze Award winner.
The project was a design-build of nine post-tensioned concrete courts, complete with vinyl-coated fencing and spectator seating. The courts are tucked into a hillside, so landscaping rock and plantings were used to hold back the soil and
drain water away from the courts. The contractor was given
two and a half months to complete the entire project because
a major donor was only going to contribute if the deadline was
met, which it wason budget and on time.
The new tennis center at Life Time Fitness Center in
Centennial, Colo., includes four clay courts and six hard
courts, which have blended lines on them for short-court

www.tennisindustrymag.com

tennis, too. The general contractor lacked experience with


designing and building courts, so the specialty contractor was
enlisted to fine-tune the drawings and specifications. Then
an engineering subcontractor was called in to redesign the
post-tensioning system to better fit the project, which uses
an encapsulated post-tensioning system so the steel anchor
plates and any exposed cable ends will be protected from rust.
Exterior drainage was achieved by sloping the ground away
from the courts, then planting with sod and native Colorado
plants to prevent soil erosion.
The project at Xavier University Brockhoff Family
Tennis Facility in Cincinnati was a renovation of the six
existing varsity tennis courts, which was necessary in part
because the site is in a valley and water was being trapped
under the courts, and pushing up to the surface. The solution
was to install a perforated under-drain into the subsurface
drainage system, tied into the existing storm sewer system on
the exterior of the facility. To help promote lateral subsurface
drainage from the high side of the courts and into the new
under-drain system, a 3-inch drainage mat was installed between the existing asphalt surface and the new 3.5 inches of
asphalt. Existing asphalt walkways also were raised with 3.5
inches of new asphalt to match the grade of the new courts.
The vinyl-coated chain-link fencing was modified to taper
from 10 feet high down to 4 feet high along the sidelines.
Peter Francesconi

May 2016

TennisIndustry 31

Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards

Bishop Manogue Catholic High School


Reno, Nev.
(Nominated by Tennis & Track Co.)
Architect/Engineer: Pezonella & Associates
General Contractor: Tennis & Track Co.
No. of Courts: 9
Surface: California Sports Surfaces
Concrete: 3D Concrete
Nets, Posts, Straps: Douglas Industries
Bleachers: Southern Bleachers
ASBA Certified Builder: Brian Renner

Life Time Fitness Center


Centennial, Colo.
(Nominated by L.E.R. Inc., dba Renner Sports Surfaces)
Architect/Engineer: KWS Engineering & Development
Consultants
Specialty Contractor: Renner Sports Surfaces
No. of Courts: 10 (6 hard, 4 clay)
Surface (hard courts): Renner Sports Surfaces
Surface (soft courts): Har-Tru Sports
Nets, Posts, Straps, Windscreens: Douglas Industries
Lights: LSI Industries
ASBA Certified Builder: Colin Donovan
For details on the 2016 Outstanding Facility-of-the-Year Awards, contact the ASBA at 866-501-ASBA
or info@sportsbuilders.org, or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.

32 TennisIndustry

May 2016

www.tennisindustrymag.com

Xavier University Brockhoff Family Tennis Facility


Cincinnati, Ohio
(Nominated by Sportworks Field Design)
Architect/Engineer: Sportworks Field Design
No. of Courts: 6
Surface: Neytra Industries Inc.
Drainage: ADS

www.tennisindustrymag.com

May 2016

TennisIndustry 33

2016 Racquet Selector

Find the
Right
Frame!
Use our exclusive
selector tool to help your
customers find their
perfect racquet.

ith hundreds of current racquet models available, it can be a daunting task


for even a seasoned dealer to choose
which ones to carry in inventory.
Think about what your customer feels
like when they go shopping for a new framethe choices can
be overwhelming. If you are not considering their perspective,
you may be losing out on sales.
As a dealer, you obviously cannot stock every racquet on
the market. So how do you choose? And, are you missing sales
because of your choices?
Long gone are the days when your customer would never
look beyond the models hanging on your wall for his or her
selection. Information is readily available todaymost consumers are going to hit the internet before they hit your store
to shop. But that doesnt mean all is lost. They are, after all, in
your store, so dont waste the opportunity.
They have some information, they have prices, and they
probably have an idea of what they think is the perfect racquet
for them. But they dont have your knowledge and expertise.
It is up to you to make the sale and not let them peruse your
wall and go home and order a racquet elsewhere, or worse
order from their phone or tablet right in your shop.

Know Your Inventory, Know The Marketplace

If youve done your homework, you have a great selection of


racquets to cover all the various player needs. Even with a
small inventory budget, you can cover a lot of ground. Utilizing our Racquet Selector Tools can ensure that your inventory
covers all the bases. If the customer asks to see a particular

34 TennisIndustry

May 2016

racquet that you dont have in stock, you can simply explain
and even show them another model or two that have the
same or similar specs to try. To do this you have to know your
inventory, but also have a good working knowledge of what is
available, even in the brands you dont stock.
Dont be afraid to ask questions. In order to help the customer select a racquet, you have to know about their game
and what they feel is important. The customer will usually
appreciate that you are truly interested in helping them and
not just trying to get a quick sale.

Try Before You Buy

Offering demos before customers buy is the best way to close


a sale. This is another area where you have the upper hand
over online dealers. The ability for your customer to walk out
of your store with a couple of demos that you have helped
them select will increase their loyalty to you. This is especially true if you explain that they should come back after the
test-drive with information that you can use to help them
choose something else or even customize that one by helping
them choose the right string and tension to enhance their
play.
If your budget or shop space severely limits your on-hand
inventory, be sure to carry a lot of demos and special order
exactly what your customer needs. This can sometimes even
the playing field with larger stores and online outlets.
Use our Racquet Selector on the following pages to boost
your knowledge, and then pass that along to your customers
to help them choose a racquet that will elevate their game.

Bob Patterson

www.tennisindustrymag.com

Racquet Selection Map Key


1. Power/Control (columns). (formula =
length index 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 (Babolat Racquet Diagnostic Center) swingweight units.
3. Racquet ID. The number in the grid
correlates 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. Standard
length (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. See accompanying racquet list on
the following pages.

www.tennisindustrymag.com

8. Racquet Quadrants and the Center of the


Racquet Universe. The center of the racquet
universe is located at the intersection of the
two red lines. Approximately half the racquets
lie to the right and left, and half above and
below these lines. The lines divide the racquet
universe into four color-coded quadrants
clockwise from top left: (1) quick power, (2)
quick control, (3) stable control, (4) stable
power. These characterizations provide a general vocabulary for comparing racquets.
9. Racquet Finder List. The racquet list
accompanying the map identifies all the new
racquets and gives additional information.
For a complete list of all current frames on the
map, go to TennisIndustryMag.com. The map
provides specific (very narrow ranges, anyway) swingweight, flex and power statistics,
and general size and length characteristics.
The racquet list specifies the length and size
and further specifies weight, balance, and
price.

How To Use It
1. Ask questions. What are you looking
for that your current racquet does not
provide? What do you like most and least
about your current racquet? What are the
strengths and weaknesses of your game?
2. Locate current racquet on map. If
the racquet is not in the list, take measurements.
3. Locating potential racquets. Depending on the answers to the above
questions, draw an imaginary arrow (a
wide or skinny one) from your present racquet in the desired direction for
power and maneuverability.
4. Narrowing the field. Shrink the
choices using the length, headsize, and
flex codes to match customer preferences.
5. Selecting racquet demos. Once the
choices are narrowed, locate the racquets by number in the racquet list.

May 2016

TennisIndustry 35

36 TennisIndustry

May 2016

www.tennisindustrymag.com

For a complete list of all current frames on


the map, go to TennisIndustryMag.com.

Newest Racquets on the Market


Swing
Head
size Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex weight Power Retail
(gm)
(oz)
(in) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price
(cm)
(in2) (in)
cm2)

Racquet

Racquet

Swing
Head
size Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex weight Power
(gm)
(oz)
(in) (RDC) (kg x Formula
(cm)
(in2) (in)
cm2)

Retail
Price

Asics

145 Thunder Scream 105 105 27.00 318 11.22 34.00 13.39 64

312

2097

4 BZ100

146 Thunder Strike 100

100 27.00 282 9.95

285

2024 $119

Babolat

147 Tour 100 L3

100 27.00 281 9.91 34.30 13.50 61 303 1848 $200

16 Flow 105

105 27.00 273

9.63

35.10 13.82 65

304

2075 $119

148 Tour 100 P3

100 27.00 327 11.53 32.30 12.72 59 328 1935 $200

17 Flow Lite

102 27.00 272

9.59

35.30 13.90 66

305

2053 $109

149 Tour 100 T3

100 27.00 303 10.69 33.00 12.99 59 308 1817 $200

18 Flow Tour

102 27.00 298 10.51 33.70

13.27 68

308

2136 $109

150 Tour 953

95 27.00 333 11.75 31.50 12.40 61 313 1814 $220

19 Pure Aero

100 27.00 319 11.25 33.00 12.99 70

320

2240 $219

151 Warrior 1003

100 27.00 313 11.04 33.00 12.99 67 312 2090 $219

20 Pure Aero +

100 27.50 319 11.25 32.90 12.95 68

329

2349 $219

152 Warrior 100 L3

100 27.00 269 9.49 36.10 14.21 66 307 2026 $199

21 Pure Aero Lite

100 27.00 286 10.09 34.00 13.39 68

304

2067 $195

153 Warrior 100 T3

100 27.00 293 10.34 34.00 13.39 64 306 1958 $219

22 Pure Aero Play

100 27.00 318 11.22 33.00 12.99 65

319

2074 $349

154 Warrior 1073

107 27.00 318 11.22 31.70 12.48 65 310 2156 $210

23 Pure Aero Team

100 27.00 309 10.90 32.70

12.87 68

314

2135 $199

155 Warrior 107 L3

107 27.00 285 10.05 34.80 13.70 65 308 2142 $200

24 Pure Aero Tour

100 27.00 335 11.82 32.50 12.80 68

324

2203 $209

156 Warrior 107 T3

107 27.00 297 10.48 33.50 13.19 69 306 2259 $200

100 27.00 322 11.36 32.80 12.91 76 303 2303 $209

34.00 13.39 71

$99

Dunlop

Tecnifibre

57 F 3.1 Tour

98

317

1895 $210

170 T Fight 280 Dynacore 100 27.00 293 10.34 32.90 12.95 66

288

1901 $169

58 Force 100

100 27.00 308 10.86 33.30

27.00 327 11.53 32.20 12.68 61


13.11

70

311

2177 $180

171 T Fight 295 Dynacore 100 27.00 317 11.18 33.30

13.11 68

324

2203 $169

59 Force 100 Tour

100 27.00 322 11.36 32.70

12.87

70

320

2240 $180

172 T Fight 300 Dynacore 98

27.00 319 11.25 33.30

13.11 69

324

2191 $179

60 Force 105

105 27.25 298 10.51 32.80 12.91 64

296

2039 $180

173 T Fight 305 Dynacore 95

27.00 315 11.11 32.80 12.91 70

307

2042 $179

61 Force 98

98

27.00 314 11.08 32.70

67

305

2003 $180

174 T Fight 315 Dynacore 98

27.00 330 11.64 32.00 12.60 68

315

2099 $189

62 Force 98 Tour

98

27.00 320 11.29 32.10 12.64 70

310

2127 $180

177 T Fight 325 Dynacore 95

27.00 337 11.89 31.90 12.56 68

315

2035 $189

71 M 2.1

95

27.00 330 11.64 32.20 12.68 69

314

2058 $210

178 T Flash 285 Dynacore 100 27.00 297 10.48 33.00 12.99 70

301

2107 $199

72 M 3.1

98

27.00 314 11.08 33.30

13.11 62

312

1896 $200

179 T Flash 300 Dynacore 100 27.00 318 11.22 32.80 12.91 70

313

2191 $199

73 S 8.1 Lite

115 27.50 269 9.49

14.72 65

330

2590 $210

180 T Flash 315 Dynacore 100 27.00 331 11.68 32.00 12.60 70

310

2170 $199

Gamma

182 T Rebound 275 ProLite 100 27.00 293 10.34 34.30 13.50 66

308

2033 $159

85 RZR Bubba 117

Volkl

117 27.25 262 9.24

37.40

12.87

36.40 14.33 60

310

2231 $215

Head

190 C10 Pro (Black with Yellow tip) 98 27.00 346 12.20 32.30 12.72 62 331 2011 $199

89 Graphene XT Extreme Lite 100 27.00 285 10.05 35.00 13.78 60 310 1860 $190

205 Super G 10 Mid 320

96

27.00 337 11.89 31.80 12.52 70

316

2124 $230

90 Graphene XT Extreme MP1 100 27.00 321 11.32 33.40 13.15 64 328 2099 $190

206 Super G 10 Mid 330

96

27.00 337 11.89 32.30

12.72 66

322

2040 $230

91 Graphene XT Extreme MP1 100 27.00 321 11.32 33.40 13.15 64 328 2099 $190

207 Super G 3

110 27.80 288 10.16 34.50 13.58 67

310

2467 $250

92 Graphene XT Extreme Pro 100 27.00 334 11.78 32.80 12.91 68 327 2224 $190

208 Super G V1 Pro

99.5 27.00 315 11.11 33.50 13.19 66

317

2082 $250

94 Graphene XT Instinct PWR


115 27.50 246 8.68 38.80 15.28 69 311 2591 $190

Wilson

98 Graphene XT Prestige PWR 107 27.30 288 10.16 35.00 13.78 67 323 2385 $225

232
Burn 95

95 27.25 326 11.50 33.30 13.11 66 327 2102 $229

102 Graphene XT Speed PWR 115 27.30 271 9.56 35.00 13.78 67 300 2381 $210

233 Burn FST 95

95

27.00 340 11.99 32.70

12.87 69

320

2098 $229

106 Prestige MP2

98 27.00 332 11.71 31.80 12.52 65 307 1956 $225

234 Burn FST 99

99

27.00 328 11.57 32.50 12.80 69

320

2186 $249

107 Prestige Pro2

98 27.00 334 11.78 32.20 12.68 62 333 2023 $225

235 Burn FST 99S

99

27.00 318 11.22 31.60 12.44 68

288

1939 $249

108 Prestige PWR2

107 27.30 287 10.12 34.60 13.62 69 307 2335 $225

241 Pro Staff 97 S

98

27.00 317 11.18 34.20 13.46 64

329

2063 $199

27.00 284 10.02 33.60 13.23 64

110 Prestige Rev Pro2

93 27.00 318 11.22 32.40 12.76 61 328 1861 $225

242 Pro Staff 97 ULS

98

317

1988 $199

111 Prestige S2

98 27.00 320 11.29 32.70 12.87 62 307 1865 $225

245 Ultra 100

100 27.00 311 10.97 32.40

12.76 64

300

1920 $229

112 Radical Lite2

102 27.00 269 9.49 35.00 13.78 59 300 1805 $210

246 Ultra 103S

103 27.25 290 10.23 34.20 13.46 72

310

2356 $229

113 Radical MP2

98 27.00 312 11.01 32.00 12.60 65 308 1962 $210

247 Ultra 108

108 27.25 297 10.48 34.50 13.58 71

322

2531 $229

114 Radical MPA1,2

98 27.00 314 11.08 32.80 12.91 65 321 2045 $210

248 Ultra 97

97

299

1798 $229

115 Radical MPA1,2

98 27.00 314 11.08 32.80 12.91 65 321 2045 $210

249 Ultra XP 100 LS

100 27.25 296 10.44 36.50

14.37

337

2522 $299

116 Radical Pro2

98 27.00 324 11.43 32.50 12.80 66 326 2109 $210

250 Ultra XP 100 S

100 27.25 285 10.05 35.70

14.06 70

317

2274 $299

251 Ultra XP 110 S

110 27.50 278

36.20 14.25 73

318

2681 $299

252 Ultra XP 125

125 27.50 284 10.02 35.00

310

2930 $299

117 Radical PWR (14x19) 110 27.30 297 10.48 35.00

13.78 64

306

2219 $225

118 Radical PWR (16x19) 110 27.30 279

13.78 64

306

2219 $225

119 Radical S2

9.84

35.00

102 27.00 299 10.55 33.30 13.11 61 306 1904 $210

27.00 317 11.18 32.00 12.60 62

9.81

13.78

73

72

Yonex

Pacific

269 Vcore Tour F 93

93

27.00 327 11.53 31.80 12.52 64

312

1857 $250

135 X Tour Pro 97

270 Vcore Tour F 97

97

27.00 328 11.57 32.00 12.60 65

319

2011 $250

271 Vcore Tour F 97 (Lite)

97

27.00 306 10.79 33.70

315

1956 $250

97

27.00 327 11.53 32.80 12.91 66

301

1927 $229

Prince

140 Lightning 100

100 27.00 304 10.72 34.90

72

316

2275 $159

141 Lightning 105

105 27.25 297 10.48 35.40 13.94 71

320

2445 $139

142 Lightning 110

110 27.50 287 10.12 34.80

304

2563 $119

143 Premier 105

105 27.25 292 10.30 34.50 13.58 68 319 2335 $199

144 Thunder Bolt 110

110 27.00 273

www.tennisindustrymag.com

9.63

13.74
13.70

73

34.10 13.43 66

286

2076 $129

13.27 64

(16x16)
(GrapheneXT in Throat)
3
(Textreme in throat)
1
2

May 2016

TennisIndustry 37

Tips and Techniques


Readers' Know-How in Action
Grip drip

My tip is for those who use leather


grips: Before installing, use a toothbrush or similar tool to apply milk
(yes, milk) to the gripenough to wet
itand let dry overnight. When your
hand sweats, the grip becomes somewhat tacky due to the sugars in the
milk.
5 Sets of Pacific Poly Power Comp Red
Series String to:
Gary L. Brewer
Springfield, Ohio

Out of sight, out of mind

I get the impression that a lot of my


customers dont realize how easy it
can be to replace the bumper guard,
so they continue to use their racquets
long after theyve ground through the
old bumper guard and are damaging
the carbon fiber underneath.
After that happens, a kind of fatalism sets in, so they keep usingand
damaginga racquet whose life could

38 TennisIndustry

May 2016

be extended with a new bumper guard.


Once they get around to bringing their
racquet to the shop, it may be too late
for preventative maintenance.
Thats why I try to keep an eye on
bumper-guard wear when Im playing. When I spot a racquet in need of
intervention, I offer to replace the
bumper guard for free when I restring
the racquet. It is a good way to get
new customers, and the customer is
usually pleasantly surprised at how
well the new bumper guard dresses up
his old racquet and covers the existing
damage.
5 Sets of Babolat Origin String to:
James Sly
Carpinteria, Calif.

One-ahead on the mains, too

Over the years Ive been trying to


eliminate waste motion in my stringing technique in an effort to reduce
the amount of time it takes me to
string a racquet without reducing

quality and/or consistency. I thought


I was doing pretty well until I saw a
YouTube video of a guy stringing a
badminton racquet faster than I can
string a tennis racquet.
One of his techniques that really stood out for me was that he
installed the mains one ahead,
similar to the way you are supposed
to weave the crosses one ahead. In
other words, after tensioning a main
and rotating the racquet to install
a main on the other side, he would
thread the main that was about to
be tensioned, and then thread the
next main on that same side, leaving a loop long enough to reach the
tension head. After tensioning the
next main, he was able to rotate the
racquet around and immediately
tension the next main on that same
side, because he had already threaded it one ahead.
I tried it and it cut more than a
minute off my time. Now Im sold on

www.tennisindustrymag.com

this technique. In case its not obvious,


this works best when stringing twopiece.
To reiterate, after getting your three
center mains started, you thread two
mains on the same side of the racquet,
tension the first, rotate the racquet,
and tension the second. Then you
repeat on the other side. This allows
you to retain control of the end of that
main, cutting in half the number of
times you have to find the end of the
string.
Unless you cut a lot of extra string for
the mains, by the time you get to that
last main you wont have enough string
end to thread it one ahead. What I do
is hold the end where it comes out of
the tension head until after I clamp off,
which still allows me to retain control
of the end of the string for threading
the next main.
5 Sets of Gamma Ocho TNT string to:
L. Hodges
Apple Valley, Calif.

Never forget the


dampener again

Heres how I keep track of dampeners. After cutting out the string, I
put the damper in a small bag, and
secure it to the handle with a rubber
band. This makes it impossible to

lose the dampener, or to forget to put


it back in after restringing.
5 Sets of Head Sonic Pro String to:
Sam Chan, MRT
Australia
Greg Raven
Tips and Techniques submitted since
1992 by USRSA members and appearing in this column have all been
gathered into a searchable database
on www.racquettech.com, the official
member only website of the USRSA.
Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA,
PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096 or
email greg@racquettech.com.

i.S12 extra top cross

I have a customer who uses the Head


i.S12, and he smacks the ball pretty
hard. Even using poly, he was going
through strings faster than he thought
was appropriate, so he asked me to turn
his 14x17 racquet into a 14x18 racquet
by installing an extra top cross. Believe
it or not, it worked.

The extra cross goes through 7H,


turning that grommet into a shared
hole. Everything else remains the same,
including the tie-offs.
Having a main pulling one way and a
cross pulling 90 degrees away is hard
on the shared grommet, so advise
the customer before employing this
technique. You can also mitigate grommet damage by slicing the two shared
grommet barrels using the technique in
Bill and Kathy Sommers Wilson n190
stringing tip, in the November 2015
issue of Tennis Industry.
5 Sets of Pacific PLX String to:
Alan Yoshida
Silverlake, Calif.
Editors note: You should also notify the
customer that this will void his warranty,
if he has one.
www.tennisindustrymag.com

May 2016

TennisIndustry 39

Your Serve
Remembering Bud

A true tennis zealot and visionary, Bud Collins


made this game accessible to all.
By Joel Drucker

n a sport that demands individual excellence, Bud Collins


was worthy of the task. Wardrobe.
Wit. Warmth. Over the course of more
than 50 years, Bud, who died March 4
at the age of 86, built a legacy no one
will equaland even more, he let his
passion trigger an even greater spirit of
inclusion. Consider him a champion of
tennis, the democracy.
Recall that when Bud began covering tennis in the 1950s, the sport was
a lily-white, amateur game, played at
enchanting but starchy places such as
the West Side Tennis Club in New York
City and the Longwood Cricket Club,
outside of Boston. Buds first sports
editor apologized for assigning his
young charge to such a minor, exclusionary sport.
But Bud, a tennis zealot since childhood, was also a visionary, convinced
tennis was worthy not just of the
classes, but the masses. Years later in
his book, My Life with the Pros, Bud
wrote, To me, tennis was a wonderful
game that could win a larger following
if the press and TVand the games
leaderswould give it a more thorough
chance.
While building a superb career at
the Boston Globe covering the Red
Sox, Celtics, Bruins and Patriots, Bud
rapidly emerged as a frontline observer
and participant, often single-handedly
sounding the trumpet as tennis went
from acoustic lawn to electric jungle.
In 1963, he pioneered the role of tennis
commentator, work that started with
WGBH, the PBS affiliate in Boston, but
in time grew to national coverage, most

40 TennisIndustry

May 2016

notably for 35 years with NBC and later


for ESPN and Tennis Channel. Dare
any of us say Breakfast at Wimbledon
without thinking of Bud and his off-thecharts, encyclopedic grasp of our sports
history? Bud loved tennis in a way few
have ever loved anything.

To watch Bud wander the


grounds [of a tournament]
was to witness a tennis Pied
Piper of the first order.
But Buds vast resume was transcended by something even bigger: universal
kindness and generosity. Tennis is a
global, highly competitive world. While
the team sports have a DNA flavored to
some degree by the spirit of collaboration, tennis is propelled by solo actions.
Distrust, isolation and paranoia are
pervasive. To some degree, this flavor
extends to the press room. Journalists,
after all, are more like singles playersmostly focused on their singular
activity. There is a long list of tennis
writers who can barely be bothered to
even say hello to their colleagues, much
less fans and all the others that bring
the sport to life.
Inducted into the International
Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994, Bud made
the tennis media world a community.
Whether a journalist was covering his
or her first tournament or had attended
Slams for decades, Bud was always
inclusive, welcoming, and persistently
curious. The most delightful moment
a journalist could hope for would be to
sit near Bud and take in a matchnot

necessarily a major final, but even a


random first-round rout. Because as
Bud demonstrated with Djokovic-like
consistency, theres no such thing as a
boring story if the writer has enough
interest. And Bud never lacked for interest. What do you think of this young
Russians game? hed ask his neighbor.
Do you think that second serve will
hold up? She likes reading Dostoevsky.
Well, certainly this match is a form of
crime and punishment.
The same held true beyond his craft.
To watch Bud wander the grounds was
to witness a tennis Pied Piper of the
first order. Any fan who came his way
for the first time was worth more than a
mild hello, but instead became a subject
for engagement. Learning of the fans
hometown, Bud would cite a notable
person, match or place from that area.
Bumping into the fan six hours later,
Bud would ask, Marc, did you have a
good time today?
Certainly the answer for Bud to that
question was always an emphatic yes.
He was a big-time person who never
big-timed anyone. His contribution has
expanded tennis, made it richer. His
loss has made tennis sad.
Joel Druckers work appears
in a variety of print and
broadcast media, including Tennis Channel and the
Huffington Post. He worked
with Bud Collins as a Tennis
Channel field producer at
Roland Garros, Wimbledon
and the US Open.
We welcome your opinions. Please email
comments to TI@racquetTECH.com.
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Inside this issue


Enhance Your Performance with
Compression Apparel 48
Creating Passionate Problem
Solvers on the Court 54
Departments:
42 CEOs Message
44 Vice Presidents Message
46 USPTA World Conference
48 Endorsee News

50
54
58
60

Master Pro Corner


Beyond the Court
Career Development
Member News

Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com


On the cover: The USPTA World Conference is heading back to the
West Coast and a brand new location the beautiful and serene Indian
Wells, Calif., at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, Sept. 25-29.

CEOs Message

The More Things Change,


the More Things Stay the Same
by John Embree

s most of you are aware, we


commenced a project at the
end of last year to chronicle
the history of the USPTA in a
book being produced by Acclaim Press.
Members were asked to submit their biographies and pictures for inclusion that
will be coupled with a myriad of national
articles that paint a picture of our glorious 90 years as an association. I cannot
wait to see the finished product scheduled for release at the end of the year.
In doing the necessary research for
this publication, I have come across an
abundance of content written by my
predecessor, past presidents, and others
that touched on a variety of themes that
mirror those that we face today. As long
as 30 years ago, there was much talk
about membership growth, enhancing
the benefits being offered, elevating the
standards of our professionals, continuing education, working more closely
with allied organizations, etc. In January 1990, then-President Rod Dulaney
wrote in ADDvantage about a new
sweeping education program that would
be done by developing teacher-training
centers throughout the country with
tennis specialty courses throughout our
divisions. And, he emphasized the start
of mandatory education as of January
1991. Sound familiar?
Front and center was also the ongoing discussion about a new World Headquarters at Saddlebrook Resort that
would be much larger to accommodate
the associations growth while also intending to increase the visibility of the
brand with the tennis-playing public.
However, that quickly morphed into a
much broader discussion about relocating to Houston with the purchase of our
own building in a valued commercial
real estate district, which would be the
center for education, training, and certification. In a CEO message that Tim
Heckler wrote in October of 1990, the
value of the World Headquarters cannot
be completely measured in terms of dol-

42 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

lars. It will serve as a showcase, a focal


point for the industry and the media,
bringing great prestige to the Association. This would apply today as well.
Back in February 1984, there was a
story about how USPTA Professionals
play a huge part in growing the game
through a variety of grassroots programs, such as Tennis Across America

enhancing our knowledge of the game


to make us better in our jobs. There was
a genuine excitement about the prospect of having our own World Headquarters that would demonstrate our
commitment to securing the financial
well-being of our association.
While some things change, some
things actually stay the same. So, here we

There is a lot going on with your association at present. I hope you share the
deep pride that I have for who we are and for what we stand. What an exciting
time to be a part of the USPTA!
and National Participation Day. On
April 1 and 2 of that year, pros were encouraged to organize a day of activities
of their choosing, to highlight competition as well as participation at their respective facilities. Was this a precursor
to what is now our successful National
Education Day that we hold in November of each year?
Also in 1986, the national office assumed control of ADDvantage magazine when we took responsibility of
content, advertising our endorsees,
editorials, etc. ADDvantage continues
to be the mouthpiece for the USPTA but
in a much better platform because of
our partnership with Tennis Industry
magazine. The product is infinitely better than it has ever been and provides
extensive educational information intended to keep our members more up to
date about what is going on in the tennis marketplace. In fact, ADDvantage
magazine will be celebrating its 40th
birthday next year at the same time we
will be trumpeting our 90th birthday in
2017. So much to highlight:
Three decades ago, there was an
enthusiasm for what the USPTA was
doing and the course that it was charting. All of the initiatives gave credence
to how vital the USPTA is to developing the next generation of players, how
essential the USPTA is to delivering
programs in the marketplace, and how
critical professional development is to

are in 2016 with a similar message: one of


optimism for what our future holds with
the corporate relocation to Lake Nona;
one of relevance because of the proactive
approach we are taking to revitalizing
professional development, which will
only elevate our standards; and one of
confidence because of the direction our
association is headed under the leadership of the national board and 17 sovereign divisions. I say it often and I say it
again here because I believe it: What an
exciting time to be a part of the USPTA!
Speaking of Lake Nona, here is a quick
update as to the progress of our relocation: we closed on the sale of our building
in Houston on Feb. 29, but continue to
lease our space back at NO CHARGE
until we actually move in March of 2017.
We closed on the land purchased in Lake
Nona, which will be the site of our new
World Headquarters, on March 31 and
are now acquiring the necessary permitting and preparing the pad for construction of a 10,000-square-foot building
to start late August with move in set for
March, 2017. We have tentatively scheduled a ground-breaking ceremony on
June 1 in conjunction with the USPTA
Florida division conference in Orlando so
our professionals can attend this monumental event in our history.
There is a lot going on with your association at present. I hope you share
the deep pride that I have for who we
are and for what we stand. h

Vice Presidents Message

Through the Years, USPTA Remains


Focused on Certification and Education

by Ken McAllister

n late 1974, I took my USPTA


Certification Exam from then tester Tim Heckler. I received a P-1
(now Elite Professional), which I
did not deserve. Those who took the
ivertson (later
test with me Dave S
to be USPTA Pro of the Year) and Joe
Csandli, a prominent Houston director of tennis will attest to that. Even
though I had coached high school tennis for 10 years, the test proved to me
how much I still had to learn about tennis. I did however have a educational
SPTA sent me to
background so the U
New York in early 1977 to meet with
Jack Barnaby and George Basco to assist in rewriting the USPTA test, proving in my case that those who cant do,
teach, and those who cant teach, write
certification exams. Luckily the quality
of those around me guaranteed a positive result. Believe it or not, the bones
of that first 1977 exam still exist in the
current USPTA C
ertification Exam.
At that point I watched the politics of the time reach an upheaval
that resulted in the USPTA becoming
less of an East Coast organization to
spreading itself through the whole
country. This charge was led by Tim
Heckler, and with the timing of the
tennis boom, led to a huge growth
of activity and membership for the
next few years. USPTA kept its focus
on certification and education. This
gave us regular members wonderful
opportunities to learn from the best
through national and divisional seminars. Better for you and me, it brought
sharing and networking to an all-time
high. This is still the culture and advantage of our organization now in

44 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Like you, I am a result of my mentors ... My teaching pro mentors were


Tim Heckler, Dennis Van der Meer, Ron Woods, John I ngram, Paul
Christian, George Basco, Jack Groppel, Jim Loehr, Steve Wilkinson,
Barbara Braunstein, Billie Jean King, and countless others through my
40 years with USPTA. However, the most important mentor for me was
Clarence Mabry. He proved to me and many others that preparation and
attitude made the biggest difference in becoming the best you can be.

2016. For me, this started with Tim


Galway and Vic Braden at my first
World Conference.
Membership dues were not going to
be enough to pay for such advantages
and meetings so the USPTA expanded
its sponsorships to help pay for the
education and to access the best in our
industry. This soon led into the liability insurance policy that has drawn or
kept members for many years now. The
bottom line is that we grew into a true
professional association, which had
been the dream of Jack Barnaby and a
young group of teaching professionals
as they met in New York in 1927. That
is 50 years before I met Mr. Barnaby in
1977 also in New York.
Like you, I am a result of my mentors. Because of the USPTA, my first
teaching pro mentors were Tim
Heckler and Dennis Van der Meer.
Tim introduced Dennis to me in 1975,
before Dennis even thought of a Professional Tennis Registry. In fact, he
was a very loyal member of USPTA.
Most of my mentors were Texas Division pros like Ron Woods, Tim Heckler,
John Ingram, and Paul Christian.
They also included George Basco, Jack
Groppel, Jim Loehr, Steve Wilkinson,
Barbara Braunstein, Billie Jean King,
and countless others through my

40 years with USPTA. However, the


most important mentor for me was
Clarence Mabry of San Antonio. Like
me, he grew up in a small Texas town.
He proved to me and many others that
preparation and attitude made the biggest difference in becoming the best
you can be. He was the original president of the Texas pros.
So why am I rambling on about
this? First, this is to emphasize the
value of the certification test that leads
to education opportunities available
through the USPTA at the national
and divisional levels. The test showed
me my shortcomings, and I attended
every educational event that I could
for years. Twelve years later I became
a Master Professional. The classroom
and on-court presentations were not
enough. It was the jelling effect of sharing this with my peers and mentors that
gave me the confidence that this small
town Texas boy could do well as a tennis
teacher. Clearly at this stage of my life,
I return for the friendships among all
of you more than the seminars. I also
want to be there on the off chance that
I can help or inspire a fellow pro as others have done for me over the years. In
other words, I do not teach any more,
but there are many reasons to keep up
with the educational credits. h

USPTA World Conference

USPTA Returns to California


for Annual World Conference

fter three long years, the


USPTA World Conference is
heading back to the West Coast
and a brand new location
the beautiful and serene Indian Wells,
Calif. Join us in sunny California at the
Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort &
Spa, Sept. 25-29, to relax, network and
learn and pick up your required professional development credits. What a
GetYour6!
perfect way to #
This event brings together tennisteaching professionals and coaches,
manufacturers and industry representatives in an experience unlike
any other in the tennis industry. Rub
elbows with leaders of the tennis world
while at the same time learn the newest teaching techniques, tried-and-true
business methods, and career-enhancing best practices. USPTA members
will earn 10 education credits for a full
registration, plus additional credits for
courses attended. All sessions will fall
under one of four categories: teaching, business, facility management and
sport science.
The Education Committee is shaking things up this year moving the
conference days to Sunday through
Thursday, with the bulk of the education beginning on Monday. Other
changes include:
The Buying Show, reception and Silent Auction are moving to the beginning of the week, to be held Monday
evening. The USPTA Buying Show is
the nations largest tennis-only trade
show with exhibitors representing
tennis equipment, shoes and apparel,
Web-based programs and software,
teaching aids, court equipment, nutritional bars and vitamins, and more.
A reception will be held in conjunction with the buying show, along with
the silent auction, which raises funds
for the USPTA Foundation. The
Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) charitable
organization that is devoted to fund

46 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

programs that help economically disadvantaged people learn tennis.


The Awards Luncheon will be Tuesday at noon, and will honor USPTA
Professionals who are committed
to excellence as tennis teachers and
ambassadors, using tennis to impact
people and communities. Traditionally, the awards celebration has been
at the end of the week.
The Pool Side Reception (formerly
the Welcoming Party) will be held
Wednesday night to close out the
conference. Join your fellow conference attendees for music, food and
drink, and of course, socializing and
networking with other teaching pros
from around the world.
Thursday is the last day and will wrap
up at noon, with the exception of the
final specialty course from 1-5 p.m.
Indian Wells is in the Coachella
Valley, located between La Quinta
(site of several previous World Con-

ferences) and Palm Desert and is bordered by the Santa Rosa Mountains.
The city hosts the BNP Paribas Open,
the fifth-largest tennis tournament in
the world, which is held at the Indian
Wells Tennis Garden.
Also to be held at the Indian Wells
Tennis Garden is the USPTA Masters
Invitational. The top point earners
from the three Surface Championships
leading up to the Masters will be invited
to participate in the tournament. Details will be announced soon.
In addition to all the activities that
go along with attending a World Conference, visitors can enjoy numerous
outings in the local area, including The
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm
Springs Aerial Tramway, museums and
shopping. Also, the Indian Wells Golf
Resort is offering conference attendees a nice discount off the regular golf
rates.
As it becomes available, an agenda,
more details and registration information will be provided in future
issues and on the website, uspta.com/
conference. h

Endorsee News

Enhance Your Performance With


Compression Apparel

or todays tennis player,


and faster, as has been seen in all
much of the equipment
of the other sports.
has changed dramatiWe recently spoke to David
cally from what was
MacPherson, famed tennis
considered performance in
coach of the legendary U.S.
the 1980s and 1990s. Racquets
doubles duo, the Bryan Brothhave evolved from wooden to
ers, and the advantages of 2XU
carbon fiber to high-end perfor Bob and Mike Bryan.
formance materials such as
Bob and Mike, even with
TeXtreme, Balsalt, Aero, Speed
all of their successes, are always
and Burn. Strings have imlooking for an edge and the next
proved from synthetic nylons
thing that will help them, espeand natural gut to hybrid comcially as they are getting older
binations of polyester spin
and feeling the effects of their
strings to no notch string
age, MacPhearson said. We
combinations.
met with 2XU in February this
But what about apparel?
year and the immediate reaction
Not much has evolved in tennis
to the product was impactful to
clothing. Sure we have moisture
their performance and recovery.
wicking and other high-end,
Faster recovery and less muscle
lightweight fabrics for cooling
soreness make the next day of
and ventilation, but perfortraining even better than the
mance apparel in tennis is not
previous day.
really considered to be true
What about the real world
performance apparel. Consider
of day-to-day weekend warriors
the clothing in the NBA, NFL
and passionate tennis players
or MLB or many other profesand coaches? We spoke to Jose
sional sports. Everything these
Pastrello, a USPTA Pro from
athletes wear is form fitting, not
Naples, Fla., and he said, Per2XU is bringing ground-breaking technology to the
baggy, and involves total conformance compression apparel
performance apparel world of tennis, and is working is new to me and my daily lesson.
tainment of the athletes body.
Tennis still has athletes wearing to making everyone a better athlete.
I spend six to eight hours every
loose and heavy shirts and long,
day on the court teaching, hitting
non-aerodynamic shorts/skirts, and
movement that will let the tennis popuor supervising on my feet and active
the longer the match goes on, the more
lation see that tennis players are at the
all day. I started using 2XU when the
the perspiration impacts the athletes
same level with the greatest athletes in
USPTA started endorsing the brand;
performance. Its time for a change an the world, says Ken Merritt, who has
I had to try it. I started with the comupdate to the year 2016 for performore than 30 years experience as a glob- pression arm sleeve and then added
mance apparel in tennis, the same as we al manager for tennis brands and aththe compression calf sleeve. I could
see in other professional and amateur
letes. Tennis players are subject to mas- not believe how much better I felt after
sports.
sive amounts of movements stopping,
a long day on the court teaching and
Compression is an overused and
starting, turning, twisting, heck, even
working.
underregulated word. True compressliding on asphalt and concrete tennis
2XU is bringing ground-breaking
sion is not just body forming or body
courts. These players do all of this for
technology to the performance apshaping. True compression is a legal
hours not minutes in extreme heat
parel world of tennis, and is working
performance enhancer, and tennis
and weather conditions. Yet there are
to making everyone a better athlete. h
athletes are just now catching up with
new advancements in performance approfessional athletes in other sports.
parel/compression that will allow these
To apply to join the 2XU team, fill out
I am so happy to be part of the
athletes to perform and recover better
an application at www.team2xu.com.

48 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Master Pro Corner

Master the Power of Doubles


Instruction
By Kim Dillard, USPTA Master Professional

eaching doubles can and should


provide some of the most powerful and useful tools to our students that they can use throughout their lives. A teaching pro should
develop a player to be connected to his
or her partner, both mentally and physically. Mentally, a good doubles player
needs to have good communication and
listening skills in order to make smart,
positive decisions on the court during
a match. These two skills are essential
throughout life. Teaching players to be
flexible helps them to be able to change
tactics and be open for changes at a moments notice in a match.
An important skill to teach in doubles
is how to think of others. I will have the
player who is about to hit the next shot
catch the ball when I say freeze. I ask
all the other players who are not hitting
the ball about their position in relation to
their partner and how they can help with
the possible shot choices. I have the player who has the ball continue and hit the
shot they were going to hit. Being more
aware of others is key to good doubles
instruction and helps our students learn
how to cooperate with a variety of different people in life. To think of others is key
to being a better and less selfish person.
Each point starts with an agreed plan
of action and first shot choice. The plan
is simple and positive and is always
about the next point, not the last point.
Teaching how to plan helps our students
make a plan for whatever goal they desire. Each goal has one step at a time to
reach a bigger picture outcome goal.
One drill I use frequently is to have a
team serve three points in a row to one
side (deuce or ad) and for each serve
have the return team choose a different
return crosscourt, lob, or down the
line. After each point played, the teams
high five and make a new plan. The serving team on a different drill can work on

50 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Teach partners to high


five after every point;
this makes the team win
and lose together with
unconditional support.

signals for poaching for each serve. The


net player signals with his non-dominant hand behind his back open hand
= poach, closed fist = stay. Make sure the
return team hits crosscourt.
First and most important is to teach
partners to high five after every point;
this makes the team win and lose together with unconditional support. The power of the high five relates learning how to
share mistakes and successes together.
Doubles cooperation can help students
hold the door open for others, use their
car signal with other drivers, and create
endless partner connections in life.
A quick communication drill is having
the net player stand on the service line
and the partner on the baseline. I feed
a deep ball to the baseline player and if
the net player thinks the ball is going
long they call, bounce it, letting his
partner know he thinks the ball is going
out. If the baseline player hears nothing he plays the shot. This drill is great

to work on trusting your partner with


quick reactions and accepting the outcome together.
Teaching new players the basic cooperation skills includes how to share the three
tennis balls in the warm-up; how to give
a stray ball to the next court; and to move
the first serve fault ball that rolled back
from the net. Players need to be taught
court etiquette, which relates to how to act
is so many other situations in life.
When teaching doubles, knowing your
students is imperative. Through doubles, students get to know themselves
better, which helps them develop on a
very personal level.
Doubles instruction teaches life skills
that relate to any and all relationships,
both short term and long term. A partnership requires selfless thinking and being
positive to get a goal accomplished. Teaching doubles to players as young as possible
will help them develop a wide variety of
essential lifelong social skills. h

Kim Dillard is director of tennis at Colonial Country Club in Thomasville,


N.C., and High Point University Club Tennis Coach in High Point, N.C. He
wrote his first book The Doubles Connection, How to be a Better Doubles
Partner in 1998. Dillard is in the Mid-Atlantic Hall of Fame and is a retired
elementary P.E. teacher. He can be reached at kimdillarddoubles.com.

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 47

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Beyond the Court

Creating Passionate Problem


Solvers on the Court
By Jeremy Carl, USPTA

s a coach, what is your greatest


joy? Is it seeing your p
layer
win a match? Or is it s eeing
your player utilizing a philosophy you helped foster to confidently change the course of a match
that shows his or her love and respect
for the game? While each coach approaches this answer personally, I want
to suggest that the best way to create
tennis players for life is to ensure they
understand completely the problemsolving aspect of the game.
One the greatest joys I find as a
coach comes with seeing a player get
the point of strategies and drills in such
a way that he or she incorporates those
strategies and drills into a whole approach to the game, as opposed to using
them just to win a particular match.

Great players live for every


moment of the sport
and love the big moments
whether they win or not.

54 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Great players live for every moment


of the sport and love the big moments
whether they win or not. Players in
basketball, football and hockey love the
pressure of taking the final shot, catching the final ball, or shooting the gamewinning shot.

Novak Djokovic, as a very young


player, grew up learning tennis initially
in the bottom of an empty swimming
pool in war-torn Serbia. Djokovic once
said about Roger Federer and Rafael
Nadal, Roger and Rafa have been so
dominant that to compete with them

It is no mistake that the games greatest players understand, embrace


and respect the problem-solving aspect of the game, which takes discipline,
focus and hard work.
It is no mistake that the games
greatest players understand, embrace
and respect the problem-solving aspect
of the game, which takes discipline, focus and hard work. Roger Federer has
said, There is no way around the hard
work. Embrace it.

has been difficult. But it is also a challenge. Every time you play them they
make you improve, which shows
Novaks love for problem solving. His
whole career he has thrived on how to
improve against these players instead of
focusing on when he has lost to them.

As coaches, we are called to do


more than teach players how to hit
an inside-out forehand or a slice
backhand, but also to love understanding why and when they should
use them. Tennis players have to
understand they are playing a sport
that involves problem solving every
time they are in the moment of the
point. The best ones love everything
which spin to hit, where to place
the serve, what racquet to use, where
to hit the return, etc. They are never
tired of being students of the game
because they know failure comes
with thinking they have no more
to learn. Here are three basic principles you can use to inspire in your
players a desire to be problem solvers on the court purpose, perseverance and philosophy.
Purpose
One of the best ways to ensure purpose in a player is to create purpose
in the warmup of a lesson, whether
it be private or group practice. From
the first ball, players need to hit with
purpose, focusing on the following
progression: height (net clearance),
spin, depth, direction and speed. For
example, as players are warming up
service line to service line, have one
hit topspin and one hit slice, and give
them a goal of a set of number of shots
and then alternate. As they are hitting,
encourage them to figure out how to
deal with these different spins. In addition, make sure players demonstrate
purpose in their shots based on their
understanding and execution of various situations defensive, neutral or
offensive.
Perseverance
Perseverance is defined as continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure or
opposition (www.merriam-webster.
com/dictionary). Great athletes of all
kinds, especially tennis players, possess this quality in order to problem
solve in their matches. Its important
for us as coaches to create a desire in
our players to focus on all parts of a
match, especially those that require
the hardest work mentally, tactically
and physically. One way to do this is
to have servers only get one serve,
start a match down 0-2, or one player
can only hit slice backhands. In other

Its important for us as coaches to create a desire in our players to focus on all
parts of match, especially those that require the hardest work mentally, tactically and physically.
words, make sure your players face
many different scenarios that will
help them understand how every
single point counts. Tennis is one of
the few sports where match problem
solving has to be done by players
themselves with coaches providing
only a road map for various situations.
Unlike other sports, players cant turn
to the bench to get advice when they
are in trouble.
Philosophy
Now that your players have purpose and perseverance, ensure finally
that they have a sound philosophy
when they play matches. Many players go out and just play without
adhering to a certain philosophy.
However, I think as coaches we have
the responsibility to provide a basic
philosophy for our players that allows
them to handle anything they may
face, both on and off the court. Below
are some of the main points I believe
are important for such a winning philosophy:

Remember the reason for playing


tennis goes beyond winning or losing a match.
Revel in the moment to determine
ones own destiny on the court.
Never forget your strengths and
know you will always have them no
matter what the opponent does or
what happens in the match.
Again, ask yourself what is your
greatest joy in coaching? What are
your players greatest joys in playing?
My hope is that these simple principles will help you create problem solvers on the tennis court and lifelong
players! h
Jeremy Carl is the head tennis
pro at Burke Racquet and Swim
Club in Burke, Va., and a USTA
High Performance Coach.
Tennis programming at Burke
Racquet and Swim Club is
nder Blue Chip Sports Management.
u

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 55

Beyond the Court

Making a Difference on the Tennis


Court Stories Behind the Faces

ince its inception in 2006,


ThanksUSA has awarded nearly
3,700 scholarships totaling
more than $11 million. By partnering with ThanksUSA, USPTA has
donated $11,000 to the organization, and
its divisions and members have donated
more than $65,000 to the general scholarship fund in the last three years.
ThanksUSA scholarship recipients
are genuine, caring and talented individuals whose lives
are positively affected through
fundraising events hosted by
tennis professionals across the
country.
While volunteering at a
summer school for the deaf,
Air Force dependent Jasmine Ruffin witnessed many
students struggling to learn
because of communication
barriers. With the assistance of
a $3,000 USPTA/ThanksUSA
scholarship, Ruffin is majoring
in Deaf Studies at California
State University of Northridge.
Ruffin plans to work with
deaf children and their hearing family
members to bridge the gap between the
deaf education and mainstream education systems. She has also represented
ThanksUSA scholars at Tennis Thanks
the Troops events in California.
I am very honored and grateful
for being selected as a recipient of the
USPTA/ThanksUSA scholarship, Ruffin said. Your generosity will continue
to inspire my success in life and my academic endeavors!
Ruffin shares her gratitude by volunteering at events; she even taught a
USPTA Pro how to sign at the USPTA
California Division Convention this
year.
Other ThanksUSA scholarship recipients directly benefitted from the efforts of the Berkeley Hills Country Club
in Duluth, Ga., and its tennis director,
Todd Assini. Through themed mixers

56 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

and a silent auction, six named scholarships have been awarded to Berkeley
Hills Country Club/ThanksUSA scholars. In fact, the events have been so
successful that for the past three years,
Berkeley Hills received the grand prize
of a trip for two to the US Open for the
largest amount donated in the name
of the Tennis Thanks The Troops
campaign.

In 2015, Marine Corps dependent


Bethany Flournoy was awarded one of
the $3,000 Berkeley Hills Country Club/
ThanksUSA scholarships to continue
nursing studies at Georgia College &
State University. Flournoys ultimate
goal is to become a pediatric nurse practitioner at a childrens hospital.
By working for such an amazing
healthcare facility, I will be able to give
back to the community while healing
sick and injured children, Flournoy
said. I aspire to help children regardless
of their socio-economic circumstances.
A life is a life, and a childs life is the life
of our future.
Flournoy said she is thankful for the
donors that made it possible for her to
attend college without the guilt of putting her family in debt.
I am able to focus more on the most
important aspects of school and life

learning and giving back. I hope to be


able to help struggling college students
from a military background achieve
their goals just as your gracious scholarship has done for me, she said. Thank
you again, for not only investing in my
future, but also the futures of those lives
I will save once I am a pediatric nurse.
The USPTA San Diego Division has
also made a significant impact on its
community by spreading tennis while supporting military
families at their annual Tennis
Fest. The event added a donation option on the registration
form and organized a silent
auction to benefit ThanksUSAs mission.
Tennis Thanks the Troops
was a perfect fit when our
Tennis Fest committee was
looking for a worthy charity,
USPTA Elite Pro Geoff Griffin
said. Helping the children
and spouses of active military
personnel really motivates us
in a big military town like San
Diego.
One of this years awardees was
Kirsten Farinas, the spouse of an activeduty Marine. With the assistance of a
$3,000 San Diego Tennis Association/
ThanksUSA scholarship, Farinas will
graduate from National University in
San Diego and plans to sit for the CPA
exam next summer.
The San Diego District Tennis Association is proud to have supported
ThanksUSA and Tennis Thanks the
Troops through our annual Tennis Fests,
which have resulted in six $3,000 educational scholarships being awarded to very
deserving members of San Diego military
families, said USPTA Pro Steve Kappes,
who is also a former career Navy officer.
We encourage other tennis groups to join
us in this very worthwhile program! h
Please consider hosting an event in 2016.
To learn more, visit www.ThanksUSA.org.

Career Development
Division Activities
Exams, Upgrades Coach Youth
Tennis Workshop
& PTCA I
(6 credits)

(4 credits for PTCA I segment)


May 7-8
Huntington Beach, Calif.
May 13-14 Houston*
May 14-15
Big Rapids, Mich.
May 14-15 Atlanta
May 15
St. Louis, Mo.
May 16
Vienna, Va.
May 20-21
Kansas City, Mo.
Des Moines, Iowa
May 21
Eau Claire, Wis.
May 21
Louisville, Ky.
May 22
Orlando, Fla.
May 25-26
May 28-29 Boston
June 2-3
Orlando, Fla.

May 1-2

(2 credits)
May 15

Albuquerque, N.M.

May 20

Cincinnati

May 21

New Castle, Pa.

May 21

Port Orange, Fla.

May 23

Sioux Falls, S.D.

May 24

Rapid City, S.D.

May 28

Palmetto Bay, Fla.

May 31

Fargo, N.D.

For more workshops, visit coachyouthtennis.com.

Cardio Tennis
May 23

Cardio Tennis Training Course


Wailea Tennis Club,
Maui, Hawaii

* This course is held at the USPTA World Headquarters.


Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days
prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an exam,
upgrade and PTCA I unless noted. Exam cancellations
must be received no later than 14 days before the
exam, or a cancellation fee will be charged accordingly.

Please visit www.cardiotennistraining.com to register.

USPTA New England Convention


Norwich, Conn.
May 12-14
USPTA Southern Convention
Atlanta
May 22
USPTA Hawaii Convention
Honolulu
June 1-5
USPTA Florida Convention
Orlando, Fla.
June 3-4
USPTA Pacific Northwest Conv.
TBD

Webinars
(.5 credits)
May 11

Three most important ideas to


advance your career
Greg Lappin

Watch all recorded webinars at tennisresources.com.


For more information visit uspta.com/
Education>Education Calendar.

Applicant: late cancellation fee $95; failure to cancel


application fee is forfeited. Certified members: late
cancellation fee $25; failure to cancel $25 plus the
upgrade fee is forfeited. Registration for another exam
will not be accepted until cancellation fees are paid.

Accredited
Professional
Coach
Register your Accredited Professional Coach (APC)
and specialty course credits earned with the USPTA
SmartCode Education System. This uses your
smartphone to instantly register your attendance
to all seminars and specialty
courses earning APC.
To use the system at a
seminar, general session or
specialty course, you must
scan two QR codes. One QR
code is on your conference badge. The second
QR code will be in your conference notebook and
cannot be scanned until the end of the session or
the beginning of the next session.
If you do not have a smartphone, you may use
someone elses. Forms are available upon request.

58 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Education requirements
All USPTA-certified Professionals must earn 6 education credits in a three-year period
to remain current. Go to USPTA.com/Education for a partial list of eligible activities. Please send verification (email, letter, certificate, receipt, etc.) that shows you
attended the event/activity and submit it along with the date and agenda to education@uspta.org to receive your credit. (International members, Recreational Coaches
and those over the age of 65 are exempt.) Questions? Write to education@uspta.org
or call 800-877-8248, ext. 147.

Member News
USPTA member Geoff Griffin and his family were honored with the 2014 Ralph W. Westcott USTA
Family of the Year Award. The national honor recognizes a family, all of whom are involved in providing services that benefit the sport by growing and promoting the game. Family members include
Geoff and his wife, Manuela; his parents
Stan and Jo, and his brothers and their
wives Chaz and Sunya, and Jack and Amy.
Geoff is the director of tennis at the Balboa
Tennis Club He has been a San Diego District Tennis Association Board member for
22 years, and the organizations president
for four years. He has spent eight years on
the Southern California Tennis Association
Board of Directors, and 25 years on USPTA
San Diego Divisions Board of Directors; four
years as President.
Fran Osei (right) of Haverstraw, N.Y., was named USTA Easterns Tennis Woman of the Year for
her outstanding service to tennis. Osei has been an integral part of the Eastern Section for more
than 25 years. She is the director of tennis for Ramapo (N.Y.) Parks and Recreation, as well as
the manager and tennis director for the Ramapo Tennis and
Swim Facility. Currently, Osei is the Vice President of USTA
Eastern. She also is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, serves on the Incentive Grant Committee and chairs
the Community Development Committee. She developed
a volunteer board and committees for Easterns Southern
Region, which she has been a part of for more than 10 years.

Rob Scott, Executive Director; Tiffany Milner, Junior Programs Manager; Dan Lewis,
Director for Colorado JTT; and Rob Merriman, Manager of Junior Tennis in Nevada all
USPTA Pros recently conducted a JTT Roadshow in Las Vegas with a strong group of tennis
pros there, many of whom are USPTA. The event awarded education credits and there was
terrific, spirited discussion and camaraderie. Pros who attended include: L-R Front Row:
Johnny Lane, Morris Engram, Adolph Huddleston, Rick Storozuk; Second Row:
Rob Merriman, Crombie Hatfield, JC Pauli; Third Row: Mark Swanson, Rob Scott,
Mike Copenhaver, Zdenek Cernoch, Scott Schneider, Marty Hennessey, Dan Lewis;
Back Row: Ryan Wolfington, Karl Jones, Ron Steege, Billy DeRango, Ken Shioi

Carrie Zarraonandia, USPTA Elite Professional, was one of just


50 coaches across
several sports nationwide to earn a 2016
Double-Goal Coach
Award from the Positive
Coaching Alliance. The
award honors coaches
who teach their players the fundamentals
of a sport while teaching life lessons on and
off the playing field. PCA received a record
2,400 nominations from across the country.
Zarraonandia is the tennis director at Tennis
Kidz in Tiburon, Calif., a program designed
to train a childs body to perform at its best
on and off the court. The program helps children develop socially and physically while
achieving self-confidence and becoming
arraonandia has 30 years of
physically fit. Z
experience teaching tennis and is currently
teaching tennis at the Tiburon Peninsula
Club and through the Belvedere-Tiburon
Park and Recreation Department.
City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dwyer presented Orlando Tennis Centre Manager and
USPTA Master Professional Tom Sweitzer
with the 2015 City of Orlando Employee
of the Year
Award. Two
weeks prior,
Orlando Tennis
News named
Sweitzer Orlando Tennis
Person of the
Year.
NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
First Vice
President

Chuck Gill
Gary Trost

Vice Presidents





Past President
CEO
Legal Counsel

Alan Cutler
Feisal Hassan
Ken McAllister
Jack Michalko
Diane Selke

TM

ADDvantage magazine editorial offices


USPTA World Headquarters
3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite 202
Houston, TX 77042
Phone 713-978-7782 / 800-USPTA-4U
Fax 713-358-7794
email magazine@uspta.org

60 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Managing editor
Circulation

Kimberly Forrester
Kathy Buchanan

Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central time


ADDvantage is published monthly by the
United States Professional Tennis Association.

Tom McGraw
John Embree
George Parnell

The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are those of the


authors and not necessarily those of ADDvantage or the
USPTA.
Copyright United States Professional Tennis
Association, Inc. 2016. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not
permitted without written permission from USPTA.

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