September/October Tennis Industry Magazine

RACQUET TECH COMMUNITY RELATIONS TENNIS INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME
Service your players’ Stay engaged locally, The tennis industry

grommet strips and your business honors Vic Braden
and bumper guards will reap rewards and Jim Fromuth
September/October 2018 / Volume 46 / Number 9 / $5.00
Parks and
Also Inside:
Racquets Apparel Ask the Experts
New sticks and Socks that will comfort Too stiff or too flexible?
Recreation
technology for the your customers and What a frame’s flex
US Open and fall season boost their performance numbers really mean
18 36 38
Tennis is thriving in our

public spaces thanks to leaders,
innovators and players
1
.4
TA pg
USP
ating
or
corp
In
TEAM BABOLAT PRO PLAYERS MAY PLAY WITH A CUSTOMIZED OR DIFFERENT MODEL THAN THE EQUIPMENT DEPICTED.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
TennisIndustry
Contents Sept./Oct. 2018

DEPARTMENTS FEATURES
4 Our Serve 26 Public Access
7 Industry News
Half of all tennis played in the U.S. takes place in public parks. These
14 Letters to the Editor
16 Racquet Tech
venues and individuals are helping to lead the charge.
18 New Racquets
20 Community Relations
22 Tennis Industry Hall of Fame
24 TIA News
32 Court Construction
38 Ask the Experts
40 Your Serve, by Joshua Jacobs
INDUSTRY NEWS
7 Troon acquires Cliff
Drysdale Management
7 Summer pro tour events
to include time clocks
7 USTA Foundation, Chase
award 10 NJTL chapters
8 ITF critical of new ATP
team event
8 PGA Tour Superstore
plans major expansion
10 Pickleball Central distributes
new SwiftNet
10 Four earn USTA Player
Development fellowships
10 People Watch 36 Secure Footing 18 Frames
10 ITA, Oracle announce The right socks can keep your players’ feet for Fall
partnership extension comfortable, and also help their performance. Racquet
12 Chris Renner named new
CEO for World TeamTennis companies
12 USPTA For All Campaign are intro-
honored by Telly Awards ducing new
12 Amazon seeks global
broadcast rights to Laver Cup product
13 Short Sets for the US
14 Asian Tennis Federation Open and
partners with PTR
fall season.
PLUS
43 From the CEO
p.41
46 President's Message
48 Master Pro Corner
43 46 48 51 51 Inside Coaching
USPTA Hall Meet Your Team A New Direction Ways to Keep 54 Leadership Academy
of Fame: of Leaders and for Racquet Tennis Short,
57 Har-Tru
Recognizing Their Committee Head Speed Cheap and Easy
Our Very Best Initiatives 57 Tennis Thanks the Troops
58 Member News
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 60 USPTA Career Development
2 TennisIndustry September/October 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

O F F IC IA L
S U R FAC E
O F T H E U S P TA
id e in st al le rs .
ts , w it h ex pe ri en ce d na ti on w
& re pa ir pr od uc
m en t- qu al it y sp or t su rf ac in g
To ur na
sportmaster.net
TennisIndustry
OurServe PUBLISHER
JEFF WILLIAMS
EDITOR
PETER FRANCESCONI
EDITOR'S NOTE
Critical Thinking MANAGING EDITOR

SCOTT GRAMLING
Let’s foster an open culture where CREATIVE DIRECTOR

IAN KNOWLES
ideas are taken in the constructive SENIOR EDITOR

ED McGROGAN
spirit in which they’re intended. ART DIRECTOR

CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ
PRODUCTION EDITOR
SAM CHASE
I
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
BOB PATTERSON
n the July issue, I asked readers years, and particularly some of the CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
to share their ideas and thoughts confidential notes and calls I’ve received CYNTHIA CANTRELL, PEG CONNOR,
DAVID LASOTA, KENT OSWALD, NATE PAGEL,
about what we need to do to recently, point out a need in this industry CYNTHIA SHERMAN, MARY HELEN SPRECHER
grow tennis participation and to better foster a culture where sugges-
to grow this industry. I received tions, ideas and—yes—criticism, can get CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
BOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS
responses from a broad spectrum of out on the table and are taken in the con-
industry people. structive spirit in which they’re intended. ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Many comments came from tennis One of the good things about the USTA TIM McARTHUR
providers, and they often involved spe- is that it is made up of volunteers at all EDITORIAL DIRECTION
cific things they are doing locally to grow levels. They bring all types of experience 10TEN MEDIA
tennis in their own communities, which to this massive organization—not just in
TENNIS INDUSTRY
is terrific. Others sent in their thoughts, tennis, but experience in virtually every 250 Park Avenue, Ste 825, NY NY 10017
comments and suggestions about what field or business you can think of. 646-381-8735
industry groups, especially the USTA, are We’re in a critical time in this industry. info@tennisindustrymag.com
doing, are not doing and should be doing While not taking anything away from the
to help grow this sport. USTA staff at the national, sectional and ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
A number of these phone calls and district levels, we must use all the tools
JOHN HANNA
770-650-1102, x125
emails came to me in confidence, and I we have available to grow this sport. With hanna@knowatlanta.com
get that. Often, many of us in this indus- their wealth of ideas and experience, the
try are reluctant to buck the direction volunteers in this organization and the APPAREL ADVERTISING
things are taking or to suggest alterna- boots-on-the-ground tennis providers CYNTHIA SHERMAN
tives. I’ve been in this industry a long are incredibly important. 203-558-5911
cstennisindustry@gmail.com
time, and there clearly is a sense that As I’ve said before, we can have the
criticism and suggestions often are not best national programs possible to grow
welcomed or well-received, or that not tennis—and we do have great programs—
much will happen or change—so why but it all amounts to nothing if we can’t
bother putting yourself out there? deliver at the local level. To do that, we Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year:
monthly, January through August with combined
need to continue to hear your ideas, issues in September/October and November/
suggestions and comments—even if they December, by Tennis Media Company, 250 Park
Avenue, Suite 825, New York NY 10017. Periodical
may differ from conventional programs
We need to continue to hear and thinking. And we need those making
postage paid in Duluth, GA and at additional mailing
offices (USPS #004-354). Sept./Oct. 2018, Volume 46,
your ideas, suggestions and decisions to be open to these ideas and to

Number 9 © 2018 by Tennis Media Company. All rights
reserved. Tennis Industry, TI and logo are trademarks
comments—even if they the inevitable criticism. of Tennis Media Company. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone
advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation
Let’s continue to open up the dialogue
may differ from conventional and collaborate on how to grow tennis.
and editorial: 646-381-8735. Yearly subscriptions
$25 in the U.S., $40+ elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send
programs and thinking. address changes to Tennis Industry, 250 Park Avenue,
Suite 825, New York NY 10017. Tennis Industry is the
official magazine of the USRSA, TIA and ASBA.
But if we’re going to grow this industry Peter Francesconi Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/Racquet
the way it deserves to grow, and if we’re Editor Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our website
at TennisIndustryMag.com for free digital versions.
truly serious about spreading the gospel Peter@TennisIndustryMag.com
of tennis to all corners, it’s time we push
past these attitudes.
The conversations I’ve had over the

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IndustryNews Information to help you run your business
FACILITY MANAGEMENT
Summer Pro Events
To Include Time Clocks
Troon Acquires Cliff The USTA, ATP and WTA announced
a series of in-game innovations which
Drysdale Management were implemented at a number of

tournaments in the U.S. and Canada this
summer and will include the 2018 US
Open. Officials say the collaborative rule
changes are aimed at increasing the pace
of play and ensuring a consistent set of
enforcement standards.
In addition to the US Open, tourna-
ments incorporating the innovations
are in Washington, D.C.; San Jose, Calif.;
Montreal; Toronto; Cincinnati; New
Haven, Conn.; and Winston-Salem, N.C.
The innovations include:
• Warm-Up Clock: A one-minute clock
will begin when the second player/team
arrives at their chair(s). A five-minute
time clock will begin following the coin
toss and begin the warm-up period.
Delays will result in post-match fines.
• Serve Clock: The server will be given
up to 25 seconds to serve after the chair
umpire announces the score or after balls
are in place after even-numbered games,
or a time violation results. The umpire will
have the ability and discretion to pause
the clock. (A clock will be placed in a vis-
ible position for players and fans.)
T
USTA Foundation, Chase
Award 10 NJTL Chapters
roon, a leader in club golf for decades. It is a perfect fit. I am The USTA Foundation announced that for
management, develop- inspired to work hard to make this new the fifth consecutive year, it has partnered
ment and marketing, has beginning a major success for our com-
C O U RT E S Y C L I F F D RY S DA L E M A N A G E M E N T/ T R O O N
with longtime US Open sponsor Chase to

acquired Cliff Drysdale pany and the tennis industry.” award 10 National Junior Tennis and Learn-
Management (CDM). CDM’s Don Henderson has made a ing (NJTL) chapters with a funding grant.
CDM joins Troon’s portfolio of long-term commitment to continue his This year, Chase has increased the grant
companies that includes Troon Golf, role with the company and will remain amounts to $15,000 for each chapter.
Honours Golf, Troon Privé, CaddieMas- CDM’s president and CEO. Drysdale The funding supports year-round ten-
ter and Troon International. CDM will will also maintain interest in the busi- nis and education programming through
continue to operate under the Cliff ness, continuing to develop its strategic the A.C.E. curriculum (Academic Creative
Drysdale brand and be governed by the vision, partnership relations and con- Engagement). In total, Chase has awarded
same culture and leadership that has ducting event appearances. more than $550,000 to select NJTL chapters
existed since its founding in 2001. Based in New Braunfels, Texas, with within the five-year partnership.
“The Troon organization totally 30 locations in nine states and two NJTL chapters receiving $15,000 grants are:
understands our business,” says Cliff countries, CDM has more than 200 ten- •A’s & Aces, New Orleans
Drysdale (inset, above). “We are to tennis and club management professionals, •Dallas Tennis Association
nis and health what Troon has been to and 40 directors and executive staff. •First Break Academy, Los Angeles
www.tennisindustrymag.com September/October 2018 TennisIndustry 7

IndustryNews
RETAILERS
PGA Tour
Superstore
Plans Major
Expansion
P
GA Tour Superstore says it
has plans to add five to seven
new stores a year over the
next three years, increasing
PGA Tour Superstore
its current 33 locations to about 50 officials say business
stores. In addition to golf equipment, has been healthy across
PGA Tour Superstore locations carry a all tennis categories.
large assortment of tennis racquets,
accessories and footwear, and offer they need under one roof,” says Chief much more. The last time I checked, on-
stringing and customization services. Marketing Officer Matt Corey. “We line marketplaces can’t do those things.”
“Our store associate expertise, wide don’t just sell products, we provide a The company recently acquired two
assortments and commitment to the different level of service through our leases of former Toys R Us properties in
customer experience inspires all levels people helping customers restring or Indianapolis and Chicago. Officials say
of tennis players—from beginners to re-grip racquets, find the right string for PGA Tour Superstore will continue to
seasoned players—to find everything their game, the right racquet size and explore other Toys R Us locations.
•MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation,

Jacksonville, Fla.
•Metropolitan Tennis and Education
Group, Upper Marlboro, Md.
•Houston Tennis Association
•New York Junior Tennis & Learning
•Portland Tennis & Education, Portland, Ore.
•San Francisco Recreation & Parks
•The ACE Project, Riverdale, Ill.
ITF Critical of New

ATP Team Event
In July, the ATP announced that a
revamped World Team Cup, a men’s event
offering $15 million in prize money along
with ranking points, would start in early
2020 in Australia. The World Team Cup
will be a 24-team event.
The news was met with disappoint-
ment by the International Tennis Federa-
C O U RT E S Y P G A T O U R S U P E R S T O R E
tion, which organizes the Davis Cup. The

ITF is going ahead with its own plans to
transform the Davis Cup into an 18-team
“world-class finale” at the end of the
season, starting in 2019.
“We do feel that this was an opportu-
nity missed by the ATP to work together
with the ITF in a beneficial and positive
way for the whole of tennis,” the ITF said
in a statement.

IndustryNews
PADDLE SPORTS
ATP President Chris Kermode, in
Pickleball announcing the World Team Cup, said,
“This event will enable us to kick off
Central our season with a major team event,
with minimal impact on existing play-
Distributes ers' schedules at the start of the year.”
New SwiftNet ITA, Oracle Announce

Partnership Extension
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association
and Oracle have announced a multi-year
The SwiftNet is a new, portable pick- Angeles, Wash., for its development. extension to their partnership. The alli-
leball net made of ultra-light carbon Pickleball Central says the net is ance includes Oracle's ongoing sponsor-
fiber that is lighter, stronger and faster about half the weight of similar prod- ship of the Oracle ITA Collegiate Tennis
to set up than other nets, says Pickleball ucts and can be set up by one person in Rankings, the Oracle ITA Masters and
Central, which is distributing the prod- under three minutes. Oracle ITA National Fall Championships,
uct and partnered with the Composite Suggested retail price is $349. Visit while adding title sponsorships to the
Recycling Technology Center of Port pickleballcentral.com for more info. ITA Summer Circuit (now branded as the
Oracle ITA Summer Circuit Powered by
UTR) and the Division I and Division III
National Team Indoor Championships.
“Our partnership with ITA has been a
People great success to date, and we're eager to
Watch keep expanding the game,” says Oracle
CEO Mark Hurd. “We want to ensure that
young players understand that collegiate
Roger Federer is no longer wearing Earlier this year, Fila reignited the com- tennis offers terrific opportunities to
Nike apparel. At Wimbledon this year, pany’s partnership with Bjorn Borg, a improve their games and play in great
he was sporting apparel by Uniqlo, in a relationship that dates back to 1975. Leo, venues in a team environment, all while
deal with the company that’s reportedly who recently turned 15 years old, was getting an education that will serve them
worth $300 million over 10 years. ranked No. 1 in the under-14 age group well for the rest of their lives.”
in Sweden and captured the U14 Swed- “Both parties are committed to posi-
Former USTA Northern Marketing and ish Masters title last November. tively shaping the future of college ten-
nis,” adds ITA CEO Timothy Russell.
Communications Director Lisa Mushett
will be the new capital campaign manag- Longtime tennis industry leader
Four Earn Player
er for the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Stuart Smith, who has served in an
Development Fellowships
Center of St. Paul, Minn. administrative role both in Britain and
Four recent or soon-to-be college
within the global tennis community, graduates are taking part in the USTA
Fila has signed a sponsorship agree- received the Golden Achievement Award Player Development summer fellow-
ment with Leo Borg, son of tennis legend by the International Tennis Hall of Fame ship program, which runs through the
and Fila brand ambassador Bjorn Borg. and the ITF in July. 2018 US Open.
Professional Coaching Fellows are
Zackery Kennedy, a 23-year-old out
of Atlanta who was an All-Sun Belt Con-
ference player at Georgia State; Darne-
Add length to racquets and paddles with the new sha Moore, a 21-year-old Chicago
XTP–Xtended Tennis Product!

native and former All-SWAC player at
C O U RT E S Y P I C K L E B A L L C E N T R A L
Southern University; and Jordan Belga,

a 22-year-old Floridian and former
SEC Academic Honor Roll player at the
Patented XTP butt cap installs University of Florida. The Performance
quickly, easily and securely. Analytics Fellow is Allison Kothari, a
www.xtptennisbuttcap.com 21-year-old senior lacrosse player at
the University of Michigan.
USRSA Tested • Dealers Wanted The fellowship program provides
experiential training and opportunity
for independent research in the field

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SINCE 1970
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IndustryNews
of professional tennis coaching. The 39th Annual Telly Awards for its USPTA For Led by the USPTA Multimedia Team
program is based out of the USTA National All Campaign. The Telly Awards honors consisting of Video Production Manager
Campus in Orlando, Fla., and includes excellence in video and television across all John Gerard and Videographer/Video
traveling with a coaching mentor. mediums, and it is judged by leaders from Editor Rico Edwards, the USPTA For All
video platforms, television and streaming Campaign touches on the benefits of
USPTA For All Campaign networks, agencies and production compa- becoming USPTA-certified, highlights
Honored by Telly Awards nies including Vice, Vimeo, Hearst Digital the USPTA U30 Initiative and documents
The USPTA received three trophies at the Media and BuzzFeed. USPTA professionals of various ethnic
backgrounds.
Amazon Seeks Global

Broadcast Rights to Laver Cup
In early summer, Amazon was

reportedly set to agree to a two-year
deal for exclusive global broadcast
rights to the Laver Cup, the news outlet
Australian Financial Review reported.
The Laver Cup, which launched
last year in Prague and will be held
in Chicago in Sept. 21-23, pits “Team
World” against “Team Europe” over
three days. Plans are for Amazon to
broadcast the Laver Cup to its Prime
subscribers.
The latest deal comes as Amazon
continues to expand its tennis broad-
cast rights. Last year, it acquired the
U.K. rights to broadcast both the ATP
Finals and the US Open.
Chris Renner Named

World TeamTennis CEO
World TeamTennis has named Chris
Renner its new CEO. He succeeds long-
time WTT CEO Ilana Kloss, who will retain
the role of WTT commissioner at least
through the end of the 2018 season.
Renner joins WTT after more than a
decade of directing Helios Partners, a
leading international sports marketing
consulting company. As director of the
C O U RT E S Y L AV E R C U P
marketing programs for sports as diverse

as the Olympics, Asian Games and the
ATP Tennis Masters Series, Renner has
worked on projects in Europe, Asia and
the U.S. He will be based in Southern
California.

IndustryNews
Short
Sets
This year’s World TeamTennis pro site, was designed to help increase par- suite of tools and technology, including
season in July made use of the Hawk-Eye ticipation of the Hispanic population in its tournament and event management
Live line-calling system for its matches. coaching tennis. system, to organize and run competitive,
Hawk-Eye Live made the on-court calls, level-based tennis events.
supported by only two officials: the chair Fila North America has more than
umpire and a review official in the Hawk- doubled the company’s distribution cen- Prince launched a limited-edition White-
Eye booth to monitor foot faults. ter space. The company signed a 10-year out Collection for Wimbledon, including
lease, acquiring a space that sits adjacent an all-white Tour 100P frame (with black
Peter Burwash International will direct to its current facility in Baltimore. strings) and coordinating bag.
the tennis program for Callaway Resort &
Gardens, a 2,500-acre resort complex in The Intercollegiate Tennis Association Beginning with this year’s US Open,
Pine Mountain, Ga., with eight clay and is a supporting partner of the second ballpersons will no longer throw the ball
two hard courts. annual Women’s Tennis Coaching Asso- between positions, but will instead roll
ciation Conference, Aug. 30-31 in NYC. the ball. Rolling between positions has
On July 24, PTR hosted its inaugural traditionally been utilized at the other
Hispanic Coaches Conference, presented The International Tennis Hall of Fame Grand Slam events. “We are putting less
with USTA Southern during the BB&T in Newport, R.I., is adopting Universal emphasis on a single skill-set, in this case
Atlanta Open. The conference, presented Tennis (UTR) as its official player rating throwing,” said Tina Taps, director of US
in English with Spanish translators on system. The Hall of Fame will use UTR’s Open ballpersons.
iGENIE
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IndustryNews
We have to be more proactive to our news apply for the tennis coach position at our
media. When we have local tournaments, local high school. The idea scared me. Did
nothing is sent to the newspapers or televi- I really want tennis back in my life? Was I
sion stations. Our children are in tourna- ready to confront those memories?
ments all over the South and nobody I am so glad I did! These high school
knows about it. kids are bursting with positive energy,
We have to start letting people know excitement and enthusiasm. Many had
what is going on in a sport that has a future never picked up a racquet before, but their
for them. We need to spread the word: eagerness to learn and grow their game
Tennis is great! has been inspiring. They gave me reasons
Arnold Bradshaw to smile again on a tennis court, seeing the
Montgomery, Ala. fun tennis can bring.
These student-athletes will carry tennis
Letters TENNIS NEEDS TO BE ABOUT FUN!
with them long after they graduate. I can’t
thank them enough for giving me back my
LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT TENNIS I had lost tennis for a long time in my life. I love for the game!
I agree with your “Our Serve” column in was a competitive junior player who was Sandra McLaughlin, USPTA
the July issue about the state of tennis. As abused by a coach. I survived, but tennis Meadowdale High School
the “sport for a lifetime,” we have so much had a sour connection to him, so I packed Lynnwood, Wash.
more to offer than any other sport. away my racquets, along with some bitter
We have to make people aware of the memories, and this great sport slipped We welcome your letters, comments and
benefits of tennis and the reasons to play away from me. opinions. Please email them to info@ten-
(as you list on page 36 of the July issue). Decades later, a friend told me I should nisindustrymag.com.
Asian Tennis Federation
LOVE LOVE
Club members and students will LOVE facing
Partners with PTR
off against the phenom. You will LOVE

offering the added advantage.
follow lobste
t rsports on
te play more. win more. ®
For more information, please call 888.380.9460 or visit www.lobstersports.com Anil Khanna with PTR CEO Dan Santorum
The Asian Tennis Federation and PTR

announced a three-year partnership
in which the PTR becomes an “Official
Continuous Learning Provider” of the
ATF, which has 44 member nations.
The agreement also provides PTR with
opportunities to promote coach edu-
cation activities throughout Asia.
“The ATF and PTR share the view
that competent, motivated and enthu-
siastic coaches are the best ambassa-
dors for our sport, helping us increase
C O U RT E S Y P T R
participation and develop high per-

formance players,” says ATF President
Anil Khanna. “We are delighted to have
the opportunity to work with PTR.”

monogut-zx-third-advert-image-update.pdf 1 06/07/2016 22:23
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
TennisIndustry
Racquet Tech
When installing the side

grommet strips, start
at the bottom with the
longest barrels, and work
your way up the frame.
CUSTOMER SERVICE original purpose remains the same: to

protect both the string and the frame as
Protect and Serve those two components work together.
Players often don’t even think about
Your players will appreciate the their racquet’s grommet strips. Espe-
cially today, when players are holding
extra service of replacing grommet onto their racquets for three, four,
five years or longer, it’s important that
strips and bumper guards. they understand grommet strips and
bumper guards wear out and need to be
By Bob Patterson replaced, so they can continue to do the
jobs they were designed to do.
Executive Director, USRSA For a novice stringer, replacing the
grommet set may seem a bit intimidat-
W
ing, but it just takes a little planning and
practice to get the job done right.
hile the two main endless scrapes on the court.
components of a Through the years, there have been Double-Check Your Parts
tennis racquet— many advancements and innovations Before you yank out the old, worn
the frame and the with the grommet strip, making its job grommet strips, make sure you have
strings—tend to an even more vital component of the the correct replacement parts. Most
get all of the attention, there are other racquet. We’ve seen advanced materials manufacturers offer replacements for
parts of a frame that play vital roles added to the grommet strip to cushion a year or two after a frame has been
when it comes to performance. and dampen shock. We’ve also seen discontinued. If you have trouble find-
As racquet technicians, we can’t manufacturers vary the angles of the ing a replacement for older frames,
C O U RT E S Y U S R S A
forget the importance of the grommets drill holes for more stress-free move- you may be able to locate them from
and bumper guard. The grommets pro- ment of the strings during both string- another stringer. USRSA members can
tect the strings as they run through the ing and ball impact. utilize the “Grommet Network” to find
holes drilled into the frame, while the But even with these and other exactly what they need.
bumper guard protects the frame from improvements, the grommet strip’s Once the old grommet strip is

TennisIndustry
1 2
removed, it cannot be reinstalled, so parallel, so the new strip should slip 1. Use a zip tie to temporarily
hold one end of stubborn
always double-check the fit of the new in easily. bumper guards in place.
grommet strip before you remove the Next, start the side strips at the 2. Barrels need to go through
old strip. Hold the new strip along the bottom with the longest barrels. two walls, which often don't
edge of the old one in the frame to make Most frames are hollow, so the barrels line up perfectly. Use an awl
and carefully guide the barrel.
sure that all the holes and grommet need to pass through two walls—and
barrels line up. since most holes are not drilled at a
Another reason to perform a physical 90-degree angle, they won’t line up start in the top center and work your
check is that most companies use the perfectly. Once the barrel is through way out on each side; for others, it’s
same model names for their frames the outer wall, you should be able to see easier to start at one end and work your
over many years, so there may be many it through the inner hole. Use an awl to way across.
slightly different frames bearing the gently guide the barrel to line up with Don’t force things! If you try to force
same or similar names. the inner hole as you apply pressure the barrels into place, the plastic will
Once you ensure that the part will fit with your fingers. (As you go along, you deform and mushroom out, and it will
properly, carefully remove the old strip. may find you have to install three or never fit. When this happens, you’ll
To make the job easier and less stress- four barrels at a time.) most likely have to throw the piece
ful on the frame, use cutters to snip off Once the sides are in place, it is time away and start over with a new one.
the ends of any flared or bent grommet for the bumper guard, which is often Some bumper guards will not stay
barrels. Once this is done, the grommet the hardest part to install because it seated during installation—when you
strip will slip out easily. is much bulkier and thicker, making it fit one end in, the other end pops out of
With the old strip removed, wipe difficult to bend the flat plastic into the place. An easy fix for this is to use a zip
down the frame and clean off any curved shape of the frame. tie to hold the guard in place until you
residue. It is also a good idea to take a There are many different designs of have it completely installed.
closer look at the frame to make sure bumper guards. Some sets have bum- When your clients bring in their
there are no hidden cracks or damage. pers that are molded with the grommet racquets to be restrung, always check
barrels as part of it, while others have the grommets and bumper guards, and
Installing New Grommets holes where the grommet barrels pass make sure they are aware of the impor-
Replace the small grommet strip in the through. You’ll need to experiment to tant roles these components play. Your
throat piece first. The grommet barrels see which installation method works players will appreciate the service, and
for this strip are usually straight and best. With some designs, it’s easier to you’ll appreciate the added revenue. •

TennisIndustry
New Racquets
EQUIPMENT
Frames for Fall

Racquet companies are introducing new product
for the US Open and fall season.
By Nate Pagel
T
he US Open often
has been a time for
racquet manufactur-
ers to introduce new
product, as their
sponsored pros take to the court
on the tennis world’s grandest
stage. At press time in mid-July,
a handful of companies had new
frames they were able to divulge
to us. Expect other companies
to introduce new models as the
Open plays out and we head into
the fall and holiday seasons.
DUNLOP
CS 8.0 and CS 10.0

> dunloptennis.us
New this fall from Dunlop are the

CS 8.0 and CS 10.0. Both, says the
company, offer “power and comfort
to spare,” thanks to Dunlop’s Srixon
engineering, which features Sonic
Core technology.
Dunlop’s CS 10.0 also features
C O U RT E S Y D U N L O P, S N A U WA E RT, T E C N I F I B R E , YO N E X
the Dual Bridge System and
Dynamic Hole technologies,
designed to increase dampening
while also enhancing the sweetspot.
The CS 8.0 features Synchro Charge
and Straight String System tech-
nologies to mitigate the stiff feel of
off-center hits and increase string
movement for greater power and
spin, says Dunlop.

TennisIndustry
SNAUWAERT TECNIFIBRE YONEX
Vitas 110 and Vitas 115 T-Fight XTC Line Vcore Frames
> snauwaert.com > tecnifibre.com > yonexusa.com
Snauwaert has added two frames to its Tecnifibre celebrates the 10th Yonex’s new line of VCore racquets
Vitas line: the 110 and 115. Named after anniversary of its flagship T-Fight line features its signature Isometric head
the late tennis great Vitas Gerulaitis, with the new T-Fight XTC range, con- shape for greater control without los-
these racquets are designed with an sisting of three new frames: the T-Fight ing power. There are six new racquets:
oversize head featuring a “power penta- XTC 295, 305 and 315. Doubling-down VCore 95, VCore 98, VCore 100 and
gon” shape, resulting in an enlarged on the T-Fight’s historical feel and VCore Game, along with two junior
stringbed area in the upper half and at control, frames with XTC—which racquets, VCore 25 and VCore 26. The
3 and 9 o’clock. The company says the stands for Xtreme Touch Construc- frames take advantage of Yonex’s new
“Bionic x-section” adds stability on tion—involve a sharper yoke shape with technologies, which the manufacturer
volleys and “Snauwaertech Squared a new “elipti-square” shaft geometry, says produces a faster swing, greater
Grommets” at 6 and 12 o’clock add shot which Tecnifibre says provides better maneuverability, increased ball pocket-
speed, serve efficiency and comfort. feel, stability and touch. ing and “ball-crushing” spin.

TennisIndustry
Building Relationships
LOCAL SUPPORT Like any othe public tennis
Community Chest
facility, the USTA Billie Jean King
National Tennis Center benefits
from positive relationships
within its community.
Stay engaged with your community
and local organizations, and your some of the lessons we learned in engag-
business will reap rewards. ing with our community, which might
also be applicable to yours.
By Daniel Zausner
Communicate Before You Need Help
COO, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center The most important lesson we learned
in our process with the NTC has
been about communication. We were
W
already active in the community, but
we had not done a very good job of
hen we embarked The NTC is among the most presti- promoting our activities and creating
upon the $650 gious sports venues in the world and advocates. As a result, when we needed
million reimagina- hosts the largest annually attended the community support for our project,
tion of the USTA sporting event: the US Open. But, for we were starting at zero. Had we been a
Billie Jean King the other 50 weeks each year, the NTC more active member of the community
National Tennis Center in New York is a lot like your facility: a community before we needed their help, the pro-
City, there was a lot to consider. tennis venue in a city park built on cess would have been much smoother.
Determining priorities, securing fund- public land for the benefit of all its
ing, gaining our board approval and residents. And, just like local tennis Educate
selecting the architects were just a few facilities, the local Chamber of Com- Although tennis is at the center of your
C O U RT E S Y U S TA
of the decisions that would make our merce, the Economic Development life, don’t assume everyone will have
dreams a reality. But none of this would Council and other community groups the same knowledge and appreciation
have been possible had we not engaged have a voice in our destiny. That’s why for the game. Take the time to educate
local community groups in the process. we thought it might be helpful to share others on all that’s good with tennis and

TennisIndustry
Get off the court, get out of your office and dedicate time
every week to being an active member of your community.
You have a valuable asset at your fingertips.
how it benefits their community. program called “ACEs/PACEs.” We active. By serving on boards of num-
Many of the same people who do invite every public school in Queens erous groups, including the Queens
not follow tennis may also have strong to visit the NTC for a half-day tour. We Chamber of Commerce and Economic
opinions about the game. As you know, make it educational, with videos about Development Council, we have a pow-
tennis is among the most diverse sports Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King, then erful and influential new network of
in the world and a high percentage of students get on the courts for instruc- local business and civic leaders.
the tennis played in America is played tion. All schools receive one free visit.
on public courts. Information like this If they come back, we charge a nominal No matter what your situation, I hope
can turn adversaries into advocates. field trip fee. Schools are always looking that through sharing our experience of
for unique field trips. By creating an engaging with our community, it helps
Share the Game active and educational event, you’ll be you appreciate the importance of your
Offering tennis programs in our com- serving your community and introduc- community. There is power in numbers
munity has strengthened our bond and ing kids to tennis. and influence within your community.
created a love and appreciation for the Get off the court, get out of your office
sport. Many surrounding communities Stay Active in the Community and dedicate time every week to being
now host 10 & under tennis events. We The renovation of the NTC pushed us an active member of your community.
provide the pros and the shorter courts to get more involved in the community. You have a valuable asset at your finger-
at local community events. But now that the work is done, we’ve tips. If you share it, it will be returned
Several years ago, we introduced a found tremendous benefit in staying to you tenfold. •

TennisIndustry
Tennis IndustryHall of Fame

Jim Fromuth (left) and
the late Vic Braden
have helped millions
enjoy the game.
2018 INDUCTEES president of Head USA Racquet Sports.
Honor Roll “He really has the pro shop in mind.

That’s always his priority.”
Braden, who passed away in 2014 at
Jim Fromuth and the late Vic Braden age 85, was captain of the tennis team at
Kalamazoo College and became a tennis
join the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame. professional after graduating in 1951.
He obtained a master’s in psychology
By Peter Francesconi from Cal State, joined Jack Kramer’s
pro tour, then co-founded The Jack
C O U RT E S Y A N N ET T E VA I L / F R O M U T H T E N N I S ; I N T E R N AT I O N A L T E N N I S H A L L O F FA M E
Kramer Club and served as head pro.
In 1974, Braden opened a tennis acad-
emy at Coto de Caza, Calif., pioneering
a scientific approach to the game that
T
involved studying film of top players to
analyze physiology and biomechanics.
ennis players and this ing, Pa., started as an art-supply shop. He also studied the psychology of tennis.
industry can thank both Fromuth, who played high school and Braden’s best-known pupil was
Jim Fromuth and the late college tennis and taught the sport, Tracy Austin, but his bread and butter
Vic Braden for helping to brought tennis into the company, then was teaching the techniques of elite
improve their games and took it to the next level by commit- athletes to recreational tennis play-
grow this sport. ting to large inventories of product. ers. He wrote eight books, starred in
Fromuth, the founder of the epony- The company has been dedicated to instructional videos and had his own
mous equipment distribution company, national distribution to pro shops and PBS television series, called Tennis for
and Braden, whose tennis academies, independent retailers ever since. the Future. During the tennis boom in
books and videos brought tennis to “I like people, and that’s what we’re the 1970s, Braden helped lead charge,
the masses, have both had a hand in all about,” says Fromuth, who is cur- with his motto: “Laugh and win.”
millions of players enjoying this game. rently treasurer and operations man- “Vic was the greatest student our
Both will be inducted into the Ten- ager. “I think the secret to dealing with sport has ever known,” longtime sports
nis Industry Hall of Fame on Aug. 27, people is to put yourself in their shoes. industry executive Ray Benton said at
during the TIA Tennis Forum in New If I can understand what you need and Braden’s 2017 induction into the Inter-
York City. (Visit TennisIndustry.org to what your challenges are, then it’s my national Tennis Hall of Fame. “He truly
register for the Forum, which is free.) job to come up with solutions.” loved the game. More than anything,
The Fromuth company, co-founded “Jim is one of the truly good guys Vic wanted everyone to learn, to
by Jim and his father in 1972 in Read- in the business,” says Greg Mason, improve, to be happy and to laugh.” •

TIA Tennis Forum Monday, Aug. 27 in NYC
Don’t miss the 11th annual Tennis Kurt Kamperman, chief executive of the USTA National
TENNIS FORUM Industry Association Tennis Forum, Campus, will give an update on innovation technology taking
which will be at the Grand Hyatt New York place at the campus at Lake Nona. Craig Morris, the USTA’s
on Monday, Aug. 27, the first day of play at the chief executive of Community Tennis, will update Net Generation
US Open. The Forum will be from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and the USTA’s commitment to growing tennis participation.
Catch the latest news and research about the TIA President Jeff Williams will introduce the Tennis Industry
state of the tennis industry, business insights, updates on Hall of Fame. The two inductees for 2018 (see page 22) are Jim
grow-the-game initiatives including the USTA’s Net Generation, Fromuth, founder of Fromuth Tennis, and the late Vic Braden, pro
and recognition of the 2018 Tennis Industry Hall of player, world-renown coach, author and sports scientist.
Fame inductees. Fromuth will be introduced by Pat Shields, CEO of
Tom Cove, the president and CEO of the Sports & Fromuth Tennis, and Braden will be honored by
Fitness Industry Association, will present “Sports USPTA CEO John Embree.
Industry Research Insights,” about the state of The TIA Tennis Forum, which will be in the
sports participation in the U.S. and how tennis Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt, takes place
fits into the overall picture. Then TIA Executive during the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference/
Director Jolyn de Boer will share USPTA World Conference. Forum attendees
“Tennis Research Insights,” will receive a summary report on key industry
including data on participation, research. Visit TennisIndustry.org/forum to
equipment, retail sales and more. register for the Forum , which is free.
Orlando Racquet, Paddle Sports,

Apply for The fourth edition of
Facility Conference to be Jan. 23-25 Innovation
the popular Tennis
Industry Innovation
Reserve now for the new industry conference that will be Jan. 23-25 in Orlando,
which will expand upon and include the TIA’s popular Tennis Owners & Managers
Challenge Challenge will take
place during the
(TOM) Conference. The new “racquet & paddle sports” conference will include racquet & paddle sports conference in
an added focus on facilities, innovation and technology. It will also include a demo Orlando Jan. 23-25. Presented by the TIA, the
day, with manufacturers and innovators displaying new product for attendees to Innovation Challenge is a “Shark Tank”-like
playtest on the courts at the USTA National Campus. competition to identify the most innovative
The conference format will include five educational tracks: Innovation & and creative product or service in the
Technology; Facility Operations (including design, planning, lighting, etc.); Human tennis industry.
& Professional Services (such as hiring and staffing); Event Management & Between now and Nov. 1, companies and
Hospitality; and Membership, Marketing & Promotions (including digital marketing individuals can complete a short application
and social media). Continuing education credits are available. at TennisIndustry.org/Innovation describing
The conference is their new, innovative product, software or
targeted to all facets service. There is no charge to apply. Finalists
of tennis, racquet chosen from the application process will
and paddle sports present in person at the January conference
businesses. The Orlando in front of a panel of judges and an industry
event will also be taking audience, including potential investors. The
place at the same time winner will receive a cash prize from the TIA,
as the PGA Show, which along with national exposure.
is held at the Orange
County Convention Center. For more information about the “racquet & paddle Te n n i s I n d u s t r y
sports” conference, email the TIA at info@tennisindustry.org or call 843-473-4504. ORLANDO
2019 innovation
24 TennisIndustry September/October 2018
CHALLENGE
Racquet & Paddle Sports Conference
Expanded TOM Conference
Demo Day at USTA National Campus
JAN. 23-25 | ORLANDO
To register and for more information,
visit TennisIndustry.org
Tennis Forum NYC

August 27, 2018 | Grand Hyatt New York | Manhattan
TENNIS FORUM
TIA TENNIS FORUM & TENNIS INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME FORUM SPEAKERS
MONDAY, AUGUST 27
8 :00 - 9:30am TIA TENNIS FORUM
State of the Industry Presentations
Business Insights
Grow-the-Game Initiatives
Net Generation Update Katrina Tom Jolyn
Special Presentation by Tom Cove, President & Adams Cove de Boer
CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association

TENNIS INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME
e r Invento
und r
Fo Co
r nt
to
a
rib
ov
ut
Inn
or
Tennis Industry
2018 Inductees: Jim Fromuth & Vic Braden HALL OF FAME
Fromuth CEO Pat Shields will present Jim Fromuth

USPTA CEO John Embree will honor Vic Braden
Kurt Craig Jeff
Kamperman Morris Williams
TIA Tennis Forum | Tennis Industry Hall of Fame
Business and Consumer Insights HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
REGISTER FOR FREE - Space is Limited
TIA FORUM – Open to Industry
August 24-27
Jim Vic
New York City Fromuth Braden
(posthumously)
For more information or to register, go to TennisIndustry.org or call the TIA at 866-686-3036

September 2018 TennisIndustry 21
TennisIndustry
P U B L I C PA R K S TA R S
COURT CONSTRUCTION
GRASSROOTS TENNIS
Public Access
Half of all tennis played in the U.S. takes
place in public parks. These venues and individuals
are helping to lead the charge.
C O U RT E S Y U S TA M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y, U S TA N O RT H E R N CA L I F O R N I A , U S TA S O U T H W E S T, U S TA F L O R I D A
>MISSOURI VALLEY programs, LaFortune has Millennial Tennis Nights,

seen an increase in both which feature beginner
Changing the Tennis league and general play of lessons, match play and a
Landscape in Tulsa over 20 percent in the last gateway into USTA pro-
several years. grams. Throughout July it
The facility’s schedule is also hosted Red Ball Team
The LaFortune Park Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla., opened loaded with opportunities Challenges, which introduce
in 1970 with six courts. Ever since, it’s changed the tennis for players of all abilities competition to players ages
landscape across the Tulsa community. and experience, including 5 to 18. LaFortune often
After a major renovation in 2015, the public park facility Cardio Tennis, adult hosts championships for
now has 24 courts, three of which are indoors. It’s become beginner drills and junior juniors and adults.
a destination for those in the Tulsa area who are looking lessons. This year, LaFor- Thanks to LaFortune,
to get into the game. With USTA Leagues and other tennis tune started hosting tennis is booming in Tulsa.

TennisIndustry
Art Richards, shown

here with some of
his junior program
students, has led the
way teaching tennis to
the blind in Florida.
>NORTHERN CALIFORNIA >SOUTHWEST
Serving It Up Phoenix T.C.

in Rohnert Park Gets Even Better
The public courts in the Every year, the 25-court
City of Rohnert Park, Calif., Phoenix Tennis Center
have been getting a workout (PTC) seems to host more > F LO R I DA
this summer. Among the and more public play. In
activity at the dozen tennis 2017, the city’s flagship Teaching Tennis
courts, including eight
lighted courts at Magnolia
public facility hosted more
than 3,000 USTA League
to the Blind
Park, was the first-ever matches, was home to 151
inter-club tournament and a USTA League teams and Art Richards says he learned about blind tennis
10-week-long league. hosted numerous adult from a magazine article. Then, he says, “I did some
In July, the USTA NorCal tournaments—making it one research and thought, now there’s something that will
H.I.T.S. program for kids 10 of the largest supporters of fit right in with my deaf and hard-of-hearing and
and under joined the fun. adult tennis in the country. wheelchair programs.”
After a Junior Team Tennis That said, PTC is a home Richards, who also teaches able-bodied juniors and
Regional Tournament, for all ages. It offers an array adults, ran his first clinic for blind players in the
H.I.T.S. was added to the of public play options, beach community of Rotonda West, north of Fort
city’s youth programming, including drop-in tennis, Myers, in October 2015. While blind tennis programs
thanks to the combined clinics and lessons. It have since spread to other locations, the Rotonda
efforts of volunteers. This annually hosts state high West clinic is the only blind tennis program in Florida
fall, Rohnert Park is intro- school championships and held on public courts.
ducing a follow-up program plays host to junior events All of Richards’ classes are free.
to H.I.T.S., Red Ball JTT. including 10 & under “To better serve all of the community, having
On top of the new pro- tournaments, early develop- dedicated courts, specific to players’ needs, is a must,”
grams, seven sponsored ment camps, and a recently says Richards. For his blind players, he tapes down
USTA teams competed this added a junior tennis tactile lines so they can feel the court space.
year at the parks, as well as academy for 10U training. Richards has watched the sport slowly grow. Last
the 30th annual Sunday All of this comes on the year, as a coach, he attended the first International
drop-in event, which is open heels of a $4.5 million Blind Tennis Tournament, held in Spain.
to all players. renovation in 2014-2015 “Dreams, like these people dream, don't material-
“We’re proud of our that revived and modern- ize on their own,” Richards says of his blind and
history and promoting ized the facility. PTC is now wheelchair students, and why he volunteers in tennis.
tennis in Sonoma County adding a new pro shop and “Tennis is the sport for a lifetime—let’s make it that
since 1975,” says Rich locker rooms to help it even way for all.” —Rick Vach
Hutchinson, president of better serve the tennis
Rohnert Park Tennis Club. community. —Jeff Sikes

TennisIndustry
Thanks to the dedication

and hard work of many,
the Municipal Sports
Complex of Caguas
continues to bounce back
from Hurricane Maria's
devastation.
> M I D -AT L A N T I C > I N T E R M O U N TA I N
Creating Players Growing Programs

in Baltimore in Rural Utah
Baltimore City Recreation & Five years ago, when John
Parks has turned into one of Bradley accepted the
>CARIBBEAN the USTA Mid-Atlantic’s top director of recreation
spots for tennis involve- position for Nephi, Utah,
A Successful ment, thanks to the help of there wasn’t much tennis
Team Effort youth program coordinator
Tim Almaguer and teaching
going on in this rural
community of 5,000.
C O U RT E S Y U S TA C A R I B B E A N, U S TA M I D - AT L A N T I C, U S TA I N T E R M O U N TA I N, U S TA N E W E N G L A N D
pro Derrick McMillian. “We had some beautiful
With six hard courts, two 36-foot courts and a “The kids here see a ton of courts, but they were never
practice wall, the Municipal Sports Complex of basketball and football, but used,” Bradley says.
Caguas, nestled in the Caguas Valley, has been a tennis works well because Bradley worked with
major tennis center for Puerto Rico since it opened kids and adults are so USTA National for grants to
in 2013. Then, a year ago, Hurricane Maria devastated curious about the sport,” get outdoor programs
the island. McMillian says. “Their running. It was so successful
But thanks to Caguas Mayor William Miranda enthusiasm is high.” that Nephi Recreation
Torres, Plinio Alfaro—the sports complex’s main Several adult leagues began offering indoor tennis
coach—and a dedicated group of volunteers, the occupy the Rec & Park in its gym in the winter.
facility opened for business just two months later, courts on weekends, and “Nephi Recreation has
although on an adjusted schedule due to the contin- during the week, Net really embraced the youth
ued lack of electricity. Generation camps introduce tennis teaching methodol-
Alfaro and his team continue to get things back to kids to the game. ogy and has a thriving junior
normal and will soon resume the free tennis clinics “Providing opportunities program,” says Utah Tennis
the complex was known for, and that have made a for kids to play each other in Association Executive
huge difference in the lives of adults and children in semi-competitive ways is a Director Laurie Lambert.
the area. Early this summer, the Municipal Sports teachable moment,” says “The number of juniors and
Complex was serving 130 children and adults, and the Almaguer. “Not only do we adults now playing tennis,
numbers keep growing. The facility offers USTA teach sportsmanship and including adaptive players,
Adult Leagues, Junior Team Tennis and much more. the rules, but it’s about has expanded every year.”
“The revitalization of the Municipal Sports having kids from different Now when snow closes
Complex of Caguas is a great example of a successful communities connect. All of the Mount Nebo Scenic
team effort,” says USTA Caribbean Executive our programs are free or low Loop in late October,
Director Rosa Martinez, “which is crucial to develop cost because we want to residents head to Nephi’s
affordable quality tennis programs and increase bring tennis to the commu- Recreation Center and pick
tennis participation at the local level.” nity for kids and families.” up a racquet!
—Blamilsa Corujo Rodríguez —Harry Holtzclaw —Wendy Anderson

TennisIndustry
“I am so excited that these public tennis courts

are getting new life, and that a whole new generation
of players will get to enjoy them.”
>NEW ENGLAND
process helped bring and USTA,” says Eric
New Courts Open in organized tennis back to Driscoll, USTA New
New Hampshire Hopkinton. The courts are
now open for recreational
England Tennis Service
Representative for Maine
use by the public. Organized and New Hampshire.
Nearly 60 Hopkinton, N.H., residents came out this summer programming began in July. “I am so excited that these
to celebrate the opening of newly refurbished tennis courts “It was great to be able to courts are getting new life,
and a summer program kick-off at the middle/high school. look around and see the and that a whole new
There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony, music, refreshments, community celebrating generation of players will
giveaways and play on the courts for children and families. tennis together, and this get to enjoy them,” adds
The Hopkinton Youth Sports Association (HYSA) worked project finally coming to an Chuck Gregory, tennis
with USTA National, USTA New England and USTA New end after a lot of effort and commissioner of the HYSA.
Hampshire to make the restoration possible. The whole perseverance from HYSA —Samantha Parlato

TennisIndustry
In Abilene, the Rose

Park Tennis Center's
15 courts and grounds
were a hub of activity
for nearly 1,000 players
during the Texas Slam.
>SOUTHERN >EASTERN
Millbrook Is a Perth Amboy's

Winner in Raleigh Proud Legacy
If you show up at Millbrook “Arthur Ashe used to play
Exchange Tennis Center, here,” says Kenneth Ortiz,
prepare to be challenged. superintendent of recre- >TEXAS
Literally. ation for the City of Perth
The main public tennis Amboy, N.J. “We appreciate Abilene's Rose Park
facility in Raleigh, N.C., with
23 lighted hard courts, sets
the core values and social
nature of tennis and believe
is All About Tennis
aside its show court and two our families can benefit.”
other courts for anyone who In an effort to offer more In early June, nearly 1,000 players from across USTA
wants to drop by and play. diverse programming, Perth Texas descended upon Abilene for the 2018 Texas
The winner on the Chal- Amboy renovated two Slam, considered to be the largest junior tournament
lenge Court stays until a full-size and four short in the United States. The Texas Slam uses nearly 100
challenger is victorious. tennis courts at Brighton courts across Abilene, and 15 of those courts are at
“Our biggest event here at Avenue. The city partners Rose Park Tennis Center, the city’s public parks and
Millbrook is the End-of- with USTA Eastern, the recreation facility.
Season Junior Team Tennis Boys & Girls Club, the Rose Park served as the bustling heartbeat for the
Championships,” says David Raritan Bay YMCA and the Texas Slam, handling registration and the player
Bell the tennis facilities and Puerto Rican Association party at the beginning of the tournament, and Rose
program director. “We’ll for Human Development, Park’s director of tennis, Chris Redman, was the
C O U RT E S Y U S TA S O U T H E R N, U S TA E A S T E R N, U S TA T E X A S
have 600 to 700 kids on providing tennis leagues and tournament director. The City of Abilene, Abilene
court for three days.” other programs for kids and Parks and Recreation, Abilene Tennis Association,
Adults are supported with adults. The programs have and the Abilene Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
four seasons of play, been so well-received that combined their volunteers and staff to welcome
including about 85 USTA five new courts are being players and treat them to true West Texas hospitality.
League teams. TryTennis, a constructed. The Rose Park Tennis Center is a former USTA
USTA North Carolina “We want to encourage Outstanding Facility Award winner; the park is also a
program, has taught tennis free or low-cost tennis Lone Star Legacy Award winner, from the Texas
to dozens of beginners. programming, such as Recreation and Parks Society, thanks to its distinctive
It’s these and many other after-school programs and design, natural features and long history in Abilene.
programs that keep Raleigh training activities at —Amanda Friday
and the Research Triangle Brighton Avenue,” says
(including Durham and Cha- Ortiz, “because the sport
pel Hill) as one of the most fosters positive character
active tennis communities and achievement traits.”
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TennisIndustry
^
Miami’s Norman and Jean Reach Park

KiiK Creative
COURT CONSTRUCTION
ART COURTS
Coloring Looks
A USTA initiative is transforming public tennis
courts into works of art, which will benefit
local NJTLs and bring more kids to the game.
I
n April, the USTA announced in the process restore five public tennis munity tennis leaders say the newly
Art Courts, an initiative facilities across the country. refurbished and colorfully painted
designed to support commu- Half of all tennis played in the U.S. courts are popular with young players,
nity tennis programming and takes place on public park courts, says and are seeing increased activity.
celebrate the 50th anniversary the Tennis Industry Association. Over The USTA and Chase’s Return the
of the US Open. The USTA the years, public parks have nurtured Serve supports the USTA Foundation
worked with longtime partner Chase champions such as Arthur Ashe, Bil- and its tennis and education programs
and the Return the Serve community lie Jean King, and Venus and Serena through the National Junior Tennis and
outreach program to commission five Williams. With three of the five court Learning (NJTL) network. Through Re-
artists to turn courts into canvases, and projects completed by mid-July, com- turn the Serve, Chase has donated more

TennisIndustry
Chicago’s Cooper Park

Justus Roe

TennisIndustry
COURT CONSTRUCTION
ART COURTS
L.A.’s Harvard Tennis Park

Charlie Edmiston
than $500,000 to local NJTL chapters. personal development and culture.” the Norman and Jean Reach Park.
“The goal of the Art Courts cam- The five Art Courts markets are Other artists taking up the challenge
paign is to ignite a national conver- Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cincin- include Charlie Edmiston at Los
sation around the importance of nati and New York. In each market, a Angeles’ Harvard Tennis Park; Justus
delivering tennis and street art to tennis facility has been identified for Roe, who transformed public tennis
underserved communities,” says USTA court renovations to benefit the local courts at Chicago’s Cooper Park; the
Chairman of the Board and President NJTL chapter. The artists have free artist collective Xylene, which took to
Katrina Adams. “Our NJTLs are ampli- rein to re-imagine what a tennis court the courts at Cincinnati’s Losantville
fying the importance of public courts can look like. In Miami, the USTA Triangle; and Sen2 Figueroa, who will
and their ability to provide youth worked with noted artist collaborative design courts in New York City, right
with rich opportunities for growth, KiiK Creative to paint two courts at before the US Open. •
34 TennisIndustry September/October 2018

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TennisIndustry
AskTheExperts
like to share the instructions for the

two racquets mentioned, we would also
be grateful.
Racquet Flex
Q: I have a question about the
flexibility of racquets. An example:
If one racquet is listed with a flexibility
of 69 and another is listed with a flex-
ibility of 73, is the second one more
flexible than the first?
More ‘Missing’
Racquets
brand for at least the last five years.
Twice each year we send out requests
Q: I read with interest “The Case of via email for updates to all the racquet
the Missing Racquets item in the May manufacturers. If we don’t get a
issue’s Ask the Experts, about racquets response, we call. If that doesn’t work,
not in the USRSA database. I, too, have we try to see if the distribution chan- A: With racquet flex specifications,
encountered some of these less-expen- nels have changed or there is another higher numbers mean a stiffer frame,
sive racquets, and have had to figure way to get information. which in your case means the first rac-
out their stringing patterns. In the case of Pro Kennex, we have quet is the more flexible of the two.
I have also noticed that Pro Kennex completely struck out. This is not that The USRSA measures racquet flex on
racquets have not been included in the uncommon for brands that aren’t a Babolat Racquet Diagnostic Center,
latest version of the Stringer's Digest. widely distributed, but it is unfortu- which is often referred to as the Babo-
These racquets have been on the nate for our members who need this lat RDC machine. To measure the flex
market for about a year and do not fall information. of a frame, the Babolat RDC actually
under the category of retailing for less For many of these brands, or for applies force to bend the frame, and
than $100. Yet, their patterns are not in SMU (special make-up) and pre-strung gives you a number representing the
the 2017 Digest. racquets, we rely on information from amount of force needed to deflect the
Is there a reason for this, and will our members. While we cannot get all frame a certain amount. With RDC
they be included in future versions? the specs and other information for our measurements, the greater the force
I have a number of customers play- tools database, at least we can get the needed to deflect the frame, the higher
ing with these models and have had to stringing instructions and pattern. the flex number—so the higher the
guess at their stringing patterns. If you have any information number, the stiffer the frame.
regarding how to contact the distribu-
A: We have been unable to get any tor of Pro Kennex, we would greatly We welcome your questions. Email them
information regarding the Pro Kennex appreciate it. If you have and would to greg@racquettech.com.

TennisIndustry
YourServe
3. USTA National has struggled with a

top-down relationship between itself
and the sections, often not aligning to
section needs, tolerating a lack of
accountability at local levels, and con-
stantly changing branding and priorities.
4. Successful grassroots programs need
boots on the ground and time to grow.
As other industries have seen, it’s a long-
term play, but the USTA’s governance
structure is not conducive to thinking
long-term due to national, section or
local volunteer board terms that gravi-
tate toward short-term plans coinciding
with board priorities.
The USTA could be a hero to the
industry if it considers these options:
GRASSROOTS GROWTH • Continue to build out the Net Genera-
tion platform and invest in business
Business as Usual? people to complement the USTA’s team
of institutional experts. Create and roll
To truly grow the game, we need out scalable and replicable delivery-
system models that empower entrepre-
to better align participation growth neurs to grow grassroots tennis. This
would take some of the burden off the
with our business objectives. sections and funnel thousands of new

players into programs they are best at.
• While building out the Net Generation
By Joshua Jacobs platform, provide monetary incentives
for sections to grow grassroots tennis
I
by doing it themselves, or supporting/
partnering with scalable and replicable
n the July issue, editor Peter events and marketing, not from growing models that aren’t “USTA born.”
Francesconi posed the question, grassroots tennis. • Create a master vision for the indus-
“With all the resources we can I agree with the Net Generation try and take grassroots programming
bring to bear in this industry, concept and the vision for the indus- in sections and national, along with
why can’t we grow tennis par- try to get behind one program, with Net Generation, off the table. Use the
ticipation?” I’d like to offer my opinions multiple marketing platforms to back it money to invest in programs that grow
and suggestions to this question. up. But again, this is part of a marketing tennis, whether they be technology- or
This industry seems to be relying on strategy. Its execution seems consistent program-based.
the USTA to grow grassroots tennis— with past messages, which means there Grassroots tennis growth is critical.
and yes, the USTA is the one organiza- will be challenges to gaining significant By better aligning participation growth
tion with the power to move the needle traction, for instance: with overall business objectives, this
on an industrywide scale. It’s the leader 1. The delivery system for Net Gen- sport and industry will benefit greatly. •
in this $6 billion to $7 billion industry. eration messaging and branding relies
That said, the USTA appears to be heavily on volunteer providers who are
Joshua Jacobs is founder and CEO of
shifting its focus from growing tennis at not as vested in the outcome of growing
TGA Premier Sports and TGA Premier
a grassroots level to being an event mar- participation as entrepreneurs would be. Tennis, a National Partner of the USTA
keting/management company. Make 2. There is a difference between institu- and the official schools program
no mistake, that’s perfectly acceptable. tional knowledge and business knowl- provider and National Partner of
The USTA is a business, like everyone edge. The majority of those making the the USPTA. He also is on the USTA
else in this industry, and its success and decisions and working the day-to-day National Schools Committee.
U S TA
revenue come primarily from managing are institutional experts.

SEPT-OCT 2018
ADDvantageSept-Oct2018GUS.indd 41 7/23/2018 4:54:04 PM

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FROM THE CEO
Recognizing our very best..

by John R. Embree, USPTA Chief Executive Officer
O ne of our least publicized assets, yet one of the most

important, is our own USPTA Hall of Fame. We spend
so much talking about the matters that are at the forefront
positions as a director at clubs in
Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
and in St. Petersburg, Florida before
of our association today that not enough time is dedicated to being named the director of tennis at the
celebrating those figures who have contributed so mightily to USTA National Campus in Lake Nona
our organization over the years and to the game in general. I am prior to its opening in January 2017.
reminded of this fact as we recognize the 2018 Grand Inductees There, she has grown the teaching staff
into the USPTA Hall of Fame during this year’s Tennis Teachers from nothing to over 24 professionals
Conference in New York City on the eve of the US Open. where local programming is busting at the seams. Most notably,
2018 is an anniversary of sorts for our Hall of Fame because it she is the only female president of the USPTA (from 1994-1996)
began in 1993. Our first inductee was the beloved Arthur Ashe. Is and will only be the second female inducted into our Hall of
it not ironic that 25 years before that, Arthur was the first African Fame (the first was Doris Hart in 2012). Congratulations Kathy
American male to win a Grand Slam and the first to win the title on this well deserved award.
in the era of open tennis at the US Open? Thus, we are not only If there ever was an example of how to be an ideal tennis
celebrating the 25-year anniversary of the USPTA Hall of Fame parent, Jimmy Evert was it. I only wish all tennis parents in
but also 50 years of open tennis. Where does the time go? today’s junior competitive world could conduct themselves like
Our second inductee in Evert. A gentlemen’s gentleman,
1994 was the late, great he embodied class, dignity, respect
George Bacso. No one and modesty. He raised his five
embodied the principals kids to be champions, both on and
and ideals of the USPTA off the court. But, it wasn’t just his
more than George, who not own children that he impacted.
only served as our national The Holiday Park Tennis Center
head tester for so many in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was the
years but also as president epicenter of junior development
of the USPTA from 1978- in South Florida in the 70’s and
1980. Since those early 80’s, where players could go, hang
days, the USPTA has out and play all day. World class
recognized a total of 19 touring pros like Brian and Larry
other giants in the tennis Gottfried, Frank Froehling, Harold
teaching profession, Solomon, and later, Jennifer
USPTA Hall of Famers Arthur Ashe and George Bacso.
including the late Tim Capriati, along with Chrissie and
Heckler, whose name will forever be linked with the USPTA Hall her siblings were taught sportsmanship, effort, how to deal with
of Fame. All inductees will receive the USPTA Tim Heckler Hall adversity and so much more. I doubt Evert ever raised his voice
of Fame Award as they are inducted. to anyone.
This is the association’s highest honor afforded any person, In recognition of his long-standing service to the Ft.
national or international, living or deceased. Inductees have Lauderdale community, Holiday Park was renamed the Jimmy
given exemplary service to the tennis-teaching profession. Evert Tennis Center when he retired. A 63-year member of the
Inductees must have momentous international and/or national USPTA, Jimmy passed in 2015 leaving a legacy that will long be
tennis industry or teaching service, be well known by name to remembered.
teaching professionals in the country in which they reside and We are proud to have both Kathy Woods and Jimmy Evert
fulfill various other requirements. joining the esteemed group of previous inductees who all
Against this set of criteria, we honor our two newest inductees represent the best that our industry has produced. Each, in
in 2018, Kathy Woods and the late Jimmy Evert. Kathy has had their own right, were or are regarded as pioneers in our sport.
a distinguished 30 year career as a tennis teacher and mentor They will forever be etched in the annals of our association. I am
for so many people, it is hard to count. She has held countless grateful to have known many the inductees in my career. *
43 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

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President’s Message
This is Your Team of Leaders.

by Gary Trost, USPTA President
A s we pass by the first six months of the new USPTA national

board of directors and our latest board of directors meeting
in Oklahoma City, it is important that I take this opportunity to
committees and the awards were the
priority with a deadline in April to have
everything ready for the 2018 Tennis
explain to you the national board’s jobs and committees. This Teachers Conference in August.
will give you an update on where we are headed and how we will
address issues facing the association. It would be this president’s Vice President Bill Mountford
wish to leave this position with the association in a better place Education Committee
with excellent leaders ready and trained to step up. Here are some Bill is the chair of the Education
of the responsibilities they will oversee during the 2018-2019 Committee that has the dual role of preparing our association for
term: the USTA accreditation along with the education requirements
for all of us to maintain our membership. Yes, that’s right, it is half
First Vice President Feisal Hassan way to everyone needing to have their education credits and this
Budget and Finance Committee committee is ready to provide all USPTA members with all of the
Feisal has a mandatory assignment of being the Treasurer along details. Bill has chosen a smaller committee to see these tasks
with being the budget and finance chair. The national board through.
along with the Budget and Finance Committee are reviewing the
current financials and future budgets that Feisal and our staff Vice President Rich Slivocka
submit. Feisal also assists me in day to day decisions and gives Testing and Certification/Competition and Rankings
me a great perspective on how to handle issues that may arise. Rich is assigned as the Testing and Certification Committee chair
and this medium size group also has the difficult task of preparing
Vice President Cari Buck for the USTA accreditation status as well as ensuring continuity
Marketing Task Force in the testing and certification processes nationwide. As a
Cari is leading the Marketing Task Force that I thought we tournament player, he also leads the Tournament, Competition
needed as an association. Although the Marketing Task Force is and Rankings Committee as we try to inspire members to
not an official committee of the association, she has the extremely compete in the USPTA Surface Championships Series.
important position of working with the national committees and
the national office to blend the necessary marketing materials Immediate Past President Chuck Gill
together. To assist with her duties as the chair of the Marketing Ethics Screening Committee
Task Force, Cari has chosen a small group to help her promote the Chuck is my advisor and counselor with his knowledge from being
association both internally and externally. a former president and his level-headed approach to situations.
He also serves as the chair of the Ethics Screening Committee,
Vice President Mark Faber which is a very small group handling some touchy situations.
Membership Committee
Mark served on the Membership Committee for a couple In addition to their assignments, Cari, Mark, and Trish have
years and was a natural choice to take the reins. This is a larger stepped up to work alongside the USPTA Foundation to assist
committee that has a few different specialized groups working the team of Nancy Cox, Angie Koumaris, Warren Lem, Christin
within the entire scope of membership. I could probably spend Thurston and Pat Whitworth. I know they continue to need help
IN
this entire article trying to expand on the different ways that this for volunteering and fundraising.
group is looking to enhance your membership here at the USPTA There is our team. Your team of leaders. We don’t view
and make it better for you now and in the future. ourselves as a “national board of directors” because we are
just like every other member of this great association – we are
Vice President Trish Faulkner volunteering to make it better. I cannot forget to mention that
Award and Diversity & Inclusion Committee all of these committees work with the Executive Committee,
Trish had a late start to her position as the awards chair and executive administrators and of course the great staff at the
diversity and inclusion chair but has quickly shown why the national office. Please contact us if you have concerns or need
current board appointed her in January. Both are medium sized help in any of these areas mentioned.*

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Master Pro Corner
A new direction for racquet head speed

Adding precision to your coaching by subtracting doubt.
by James Shaughnessy, USPTA Master Professional
N ick Bollettieri, the legendary coach, wrote in a 2008

TennisLife magazine article that “Generating this
(racquet head) speed consistently is the solution to a more
powerful game.” This sounds compelling.
But, will swinging with a high racquet head speed cause
the ball to travel faster to the opponent’s court? The
answer is sometimes. Will contacting a ball that is below
the net with a high racquet speed project the ball into your
opponent’s court successfully? The answer is sometimes.
Coach Bollettieri used the terminology “powerful
game.” The mechanical definition of power is “the rate
of doing work.” Although we cannot know for sure
what Bollettieri meant by powerful, we do know that, in
contemporary tennis vernacular “power,” incorrectly,
refers to how hard or fast a player can hit the ball from
point A to point B. Therefore, without adding precision
modifiers to the term “racquet head speed” a student may
not have a clear idea of how to be successful with a stroke.
How does racquet head speed influence ball speed.
The following study demonstrates how, the term “racquet
head speed” is not nearly clear enough. is the solution to hitting a ball that moves rapidly from
Using the SCiO 3D Sports Library, a 3D motion analysis point A to B, looking at the data more closely reveals
of live match play was conducted on 48 forehands from noteworthy conflicting examples in which racquet head
players with a Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) ranging speed does not result in higher ball speeds toward the
from over 16 to 10.88. An independent-samples t-test target. In one example, Roger Federer connects with a ball
was conducted to compare a group of forehands by top moving 8 mph with a racquet speed of 69.6 mph and the
pros (UTR 15.5 or higher) with a group of forehands by ball leaves the racquet at 78.54 mph. In another example,
top college players, blue chip and 5-star recruits (UTR Novak Djokovic meets a ball traveling at 9.9 mph with a
10.88 -15.1) The forehands in this study were selected racquet speed of 81 mph. In this example, Djokovic’s ball
only if the shot was a winner, forced an error or created projects at 75 mph, which is slower than Federer even
an opportunity to attack the opponents next shot. The though his racquet speed is higher. Both players hit the
variables studied for differences and correlations at ball solidly close to the center of the string bed, with little
impact were racquet head speed, outgoing ball velocity, wind, on the same day. In an alternate example, a college
incoming ball velocity, tip trajectory, forward racquet player, Nedvedyesov, connects with a forehand traveling
tip velocity, upward racquet tip velocity and racquet tip 6 mph with a racquet head speed of 69mph and the ball
trajectory at impact. Normal distributions of the data were leaves the racquet at 89 mph. So how can Nedovyesov
found for all variables using the Shapiro-Wilk test. swing with less racquet head speed than Federer or
As most coaches would expect, there was a significant Djokovic and make his shot travel toward the target faster?
difference in the scores for top ATP pro racquet speeds According to a Pearson Correlation test run on all 20 of
(M=73.5 mph, SD=6.3) compared to college and blue chip the top ATP forehands, there was no correlation between
recruits (M=68.1 mph, SD=7.55); t(46)=2.56, p = .014.” The racquet head speed toward the target and ball speed
study also found a significant difference in favor of the toward the target in the ATP group. However, when the
ATP pros in speed of the outbound ball toward the target same Pearson test was performed on data from the top
(M=86.6 mph, SD=5.8 mph). College group the results showed a strong correlation
Although these results suggest that racquet head speed between racquet speed toward the target and ball speed

Master Pro Corner
SD=6.56 deg); t(38)=3.03, p=.004.
Analysis of 48 forehands in the study
found a correlation between racquet
trajectory and UTR. In other words,
the ATP players racquet paths traveled
upward on a steeper angle.
(See Figure 2)
The evidence shows that upward
racquet head velocity and higher racquet
head trajectories correlate with higher
UTR. The study also shows that top
ATP pros hit through the ball less than
players with lower UTRs. Therefore,
A. Nedvedyesov (College) B. Djokovic C. Federer using the term “racquet head speed”
with students is meaningless without
Racquet speed did not correlate to ball speed in ATP pro tennis.
qualifying a direction. Simply increasing
your racquet head speed may not get the
toward the target. intended effect. Should your player be required to hit the
This data suggests general racquet head speed ball with a higher speed toward the target give the precise
improvement does not evolve the college players to the cue to “increase your forward racquet head speed toward
pro player stroking level. the net” and train the skills and muscles that cause that
Why do the pro’s racquet head speeds not correlate to
their ball speed? Here’s why.
Racquet head speed calculations use 3 values:

1. Forward racquet velocity toward the net
2. Upward racquet velocity toward the sky
3. Sideward racquet velocity toward the sideline
Notice each one of these values has a specific direction,

forward toward the net, upward toward the sky, sideward
toward the sideline. Kwon et. al. (2017) report that upward
velocity of the racquet has been shown to significantly
correlate with topspin. ATP players’ racquet head speed
has a much higher component of upward racquet velocity
contributing to total racquet head speed. This higher
upward racquet velocity component slows the ball speed
with topspin. Figure 2 White ATP #1, Yellow Top College Player.
ATP pros show a significant difference in the scores for
upward racquet velocity to the sky (M=37.67 mph, SD=5.63) motion. If your player needs more topspin, then precisely
compared to the College group (M=31.88 mph, SD=5.83); cue them to “increase your upward racquet speed toward
t(38)=2.316, p = .026. the sky.” Avoid using the term “power” and alternately use
ATP pros show a significant difference in the scores for the cue “high forward ball speed.” Finally, when training
angle of upward racquet trajectory at impact (M=35.75 to increase your players’ UTR, add the simple precision
deg, SD=4.9 deg) compared to the college group (M=30.20, modifiers that indicate direction. *
James R. Shaughnessy MSS, CSCS, is a USPTA Master Pro specializing in the application of sports
biomechanics to elite tennis players at the USTA Regional Training Center, at Tucker Tennis Academy in
Tulsa. He is an award-winning professional with 28 years of experience as a speaker, researcher, analyst and
consultant in sports biomechanics, 3D motion analysis and computerized exercise prescriptions. He is the
founder of SCiO 3D Sports.

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inside coaching
SHORT, CHEAP AND EASY

by John White, USPTA Professional
T he three reasons given for why people

don’t play more golf or tennis, or take
it up, are always the same: takes too long,
costs too much, too hard. But it does not
always have to be this way. With that being
said, I have a couple thoughts on making
the game of tennis short, cheap and easy
for all players and tennis enthusiasts alike.
The national average for a one-hour
private with a certified pro in America
(according to the Tennis Industry Report))
is about $60. That’s a dollar a minute.
You can keep your dollar a minute, but
you don’t have to do an hour. For me, 60
minutes is too long and 30 is not enough.
My Goldilocks is 40 minutes for $40. If
they want to save $20, they can do a “3-
pac” (3 in 3 weeks for $100).
I wanted to watch Nadal and Thiem play
Making tennis more affordable is easier than you think.
the finals of the 2018 French Open but the
prospect of sitting on the couch for hours persuaded me If I want them to point to the ball with their spare hand,
to do something else. I did watch Justify take the Triple fingertips up, on a forehand, or dip the tip on a two-hand
Crown; took him two minutes. Anything that speeds-up backhand, it helps if I can show them that a pro is doing it.
tennis will be good for the growth of the game. No-ad Videos are great, and this is a golden age for videos, but
scoring, best of three, play the lets. Get it down to two sometimes a still-shot is what the doctor ordered. If I can’t
hours for viewers (when was the last time you sat through get the exact picture I want by doing a Google Image Search
a three-hour movie?) and an hour for weekend warriors, or for the pro plus the stroke (e.g., “Federer serve”), I’ll go to
75 minutes. YouTube and plug in the words “Federer serve slow” and
Let’s admit, golf and tennis have many challenges in advance it frame by frame. When I get to the frame I want, I
common and game length is one of them. Golf shoots itself take a screenshot.
in the foot with its antediluvian etched in bronze five-hour I stash everything (audios, videos, pics and pdf’s) in folders
death marches. And that’s not counting the drive to get on Google Drive and give the links to whomever I want.
to there and back. It’s an all-day ordeal to all but retired If I don’t have a card handy, or a pencil to write with, and I
codgers trying to fill up a day. For the growth of golf: want to tell somebody how to get in touch with me, I throw a
Offer shorter options for busy people (6, 9 or 12 holes). ball on the ground and say “where the ball hits the ground is
My favorite is to walk 9 or 12 holes of twilight when the the bouncepoint. If you want to get in touch with me, or see
shadows are long and the critters come out. To interest new what I’m up to, Google the word “bouncepoint”. I’m the only
golfers, charge a $5 fee for ride alongs (wives, kids, friends). one.” (I keep a free website on Weebly for that purpose.)
It will pay dividends later. Make it easier to meet people. Adult students have
To attract a bigger customer base, give your students all trouble finding people to hit with. The day after a clinic
the advantages of technology today. For 10 bucks a month, I send out an “Icy Fab” (in case you found a bud) with
I get a terabyte of space on Google Drive (1,000 gigabytes). the names and numbers of the people they hit with. If
It’s like Dropbox, a place to store your stuff in the cloud. somebody is looking for a rally partner, singles match or a
One of the folders I keep in there for my students I call fourth for dubs, I run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.
“Frozen Pros.” Pics of pros frozen in motion doing what I “Game-arranging” is easy for us. We know how everybody
want my students to do. hits and we’ve got their numbers.

Inside coaching
The best way for people to meet is to run a mingles or couple doubles game .
Run a “Mingles” (mixed doubles for singles) or a “Couple teaching is by using your Dick Tracy Two-Way Wrist Radio.
Doubles” for couples (but don’t let husbands play with Dick got his in ‘46 (thanks to Chester Gould). I got mine in
wives). People want to meet people. We are very tribal. We ‘07 which is now called the Apple Watch (thanks to Steven
need to be around people we like. It’s one of the reasons folks Jobs).
in the five Blue Zones live to be 100. When a lesson is over, I reach in my pocket, pull out my
Post a bulletin board by e-mail. Mine is called “Jupiter” Tracy with a cracked screen, click on the Voice Memo app,
(John’s ultra-private inside tennis exclusive referrals). “The hit the red button to record and summarize what we just
people you hit with and I teach.” It’s my little Angie’s List: did. If the student’s phone has Air-Drop, I drop it to them.
Help Wanted, Job Wanted, For Sale, List My Business, Fund If it doesn’t, I text it to them and they can listen on the way
Raiser, Sniper Needed. No charge. home. In the ‘70s and ‘80s I used audio cassettes with a
Bring your people together in other ways. “Sunday lapel mic. If Im going to record on the way home, my right
Morning Holy Rollers Bicycle Society” is a leisurely bike ride earbud has a microphone. If I want to show a student what
I do for chit-chatters up the NCR Trail. No speed-demons or they are doing on their serve, I hit the camera app, click
trail snails. 30 minutes one way, 30 minutes back, apples at video, and show it to them. If I want to break that video
the turnaround. Same trail Lincoln took to Gettysburg four down into a couple of stills, I bring it up on my Mac when I
score and seven years ago. get home, advance it frame by frame and take screenshots.
Start your own little club of 20 preferred students. If the student agrees to share their video, I stick it in a folder
“Johnnyclub” is mine. My JC’s (Johnnyclubbers) pay $50 in on Google Drive or YouTube and share the link with other
January and get “JC Bennies” all year (discounts on lessons, students.
tips each week, priority on signups, gift certificates, ‘round To make it easier to sign up for privates, I blind-copy my
the world cruises). students and give them one-letter choices (e.g., A = sign me
The very best strategy in tennis is very good strokes. up for Mon 7pm. B = put me in the Sat serve clinic, etc.). They
The best way to get new students and keep the ones you’ve respond with one letter. For same-day communications,
got is very good teaching. One of the ways to improve your texting is the way to go. Make it short, cheap and easy.*
John White is a semi-retired tennis pro who also teaches golf and lacrosse. Prior to his tennis-teaching
career, he was a correctional counselor at the Maryland Training School for Boys along with being a high
school English teacher and lacrosse coach in Baltimore, Maryland. He currently is a teaching pro at John
White Sports.

Our Story
A passionate company with unique history
Led by founder Jim Fromuth and CEO Pat Shields, we are

a tennis wholesale distributor based in West Lawn, PA.
We first opened our doors nearly 50 years ago. The Fromuth Family
liked and played the game of tennis, so they bought a stringing
machine and had a few tennis frames to sell in the shop. In the late
1970s, tennis began to be televised and business took a different
direction. Fromuth Tennis was born. As the tennis industry grew, so did
our selection of racquets, strings and apparel. We began helping small
pro shops get the product they needed to boost their own business.
Then & Now Today, we have a 25,000 sq. ft. warehouse. On a busy day in
CEO Pat Shields and August, UPS trucks are lined up outside waiting to load more
Founder Jim Fromuth than 800 packages. Although bigger, we are still a family-owned
operation with more than 70 employees who share a passionate
drive for tennis and helping our customers.
Since 2006
USTA Fromuth is the Official Distributor of Nike Footwear
National
and Apparel to the USPTA
Campus
Pro Shop
We lead all operations including staffing, merchandising

and stringing services at the USTA National Campus Pro
Shop. This 2,800 sq. ft. store in the Welcome Center of USTA
National Campus features the newest product releases from
top tennis brands such as Nike, adidas, Babolat, HEAD and
Wilson, as well as unique National Campus memorabilia.
For more then 10 years we have provided Nike

product to USPTA members. We are proud of our
relationship with an exclusive community of
tennis-teaching professionals and coaches
promoting excellence in the tennis industry. USPTA
members receive a 30 percent discount off retail
prices when purchasing Nike goods through Fromuth.
The Official Distributor of Nike Footwear & Apparel to the USPTA.
uspta.fromuthtennis.com

Leadership Academy
USPTA leadership academy

Photos by John Cornell and Gustavo Reyes
T he USPTA National Headquarters here in Lake Nona,

Florida hosted 32 USPTA-certified professionals for the
inaugural USPTA Leadership Academy. This two-and a half-
day event was catered towards key tennis industry leadership
principles led by USPTA First Vice President and Master
Professional Feisal Hassan, USPTA Elite Professional Sara
Morse, USPTA Master Professional Ajay Pant, and USPTA Elite
Professional Jose Pastrello. Attendees had the opportunity
to collaborate with fellow professionals on group project
topics ranging from time management, communication skills,
customer service, team building, budgets and human resources
issues. Professionals that completed the USPTA Leadership
Academy earned education credits toward their career
development program. Attendees of this event are as follows:
Michael G. Arrigo Stefan Kruger
Mike Baugh Justin Landis
Kendra Becker Dominique Levin
Viktoria Beggs Brianna Love
Chris Biesterfeld Brian Lowery
Christie Bradley Christine Macur
Jeremy A. Carl Joao Pinho
Chris Champion John Sanders
Andrei Daescu Richard L. Snodgrass
Kris David Ron Steege
Brandon Fallon Melissa Tafoya
William J. Foreman Kevin Walker
John Garnett Todd Wise
Raleigh S. Grossbaum Benjamin Zaiser
Deanna M. Kernan Carrie Zarraonandia
Jason K. Kinder

Leadership Academy

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HAR-TRU
Embrace Technology to Enhance the Game and the Places We Play

By Pat Hanssen, President of HAR-TRU
I remember when I first started teaching

the game of tennis. The club where
I began my career was still espousing
The wonderful thing about great
ideas, many of which are technological
these days, is that they slowly win over
continental grips and one-handed consumers. Technology is beginning to
backhands, this despite considerable sift into our sport and in the process, it is
evidence that the game was moving to doing many things to enhance the game
topspin grips and two-handed backhands. and the places we play. At Har-Tru we
The shift was not precipitated by new increasingly understand that we can make
technology the way we think of it today, a difference in the rate of adoption by
but even then, string and racquet supporting new technologies and giving
materials were evolving and that played them a platform to reach the customer.
a large roll driving the changes in playing What we hope is that consumers take
styles that have continued through today. notice and, through trial and feedback,
When it comes to adopting “new” assist in the evolution of ideas that will
tennis has always been a laggard and help tennis thrive. Here are a few to
much like I experienced at my first club, consider that we are involved with:
I think that is holding us back. In today’s Vue Tennis: LED lights for tennis with serious cool factor. As an investment
world the paradigm is to try things and fail are now able to generate light levels partner, Har-Tru is assisting Tennibot
fast, but, with no small amount of irony, it consistent with, or in most cases with the launch of the product, as well
appears that tennis fears failure. Some of better than, your existing Metal Halide as its sales and distribution. Look for
this is likely systemic. Many who manage fixture. The light can be directed quite product to hit the market in spring of
facilities have learned that it is safer and accurately to produce more consistent 2019.
easier to minimize change and disruption. (better quality) lighting. Upfront costs
“What if our members don’t like it?” continue to drop, and operating costs About Har-Tru
Some might be attributed to stubbornness are significantly lower. We love Vue In 1931, a contractor named Henry
Tennis because it uses Alexander Robinson (HAR) developed a
an innovative reflector clay court surface using American stone
to place the light where first mined in Pennsylvania. The stone’s
you want it, improving true green color, and the true bounce that
uniformity but reducing came from playing on it, quickly caught
annoying glare. on — and the Har-Tru company was born.
TopScore: This is Har-Tru is based in Charlottesville,
the world’s first digital, Virginia and is the leading provider of
net-mounted, tennis clay courts, lighting and court accessories
scoreboard and if in the tennis industry. As the Official
professionalism and Provider of Teaching Carts, Ball Mowers
The world’s first autonomous tennis ball collector.
appearance are important and Baskets of the USPTA, all USPTA-
and apathy. “This is how it has always for your facility or event, you should certified members receive a 3 percent
been, and I don’t want to be bothered have this product. It features up/down contribution on all ball equipment
with trying that.” This in turn affects the arrows for sets and games, a reset button, purchased towards their USPTA
innovators, manufacturers and suppliers. a changeover button, and a home /visitor Supplemental Savings Program. Har-
It takes significant capital and effort to function. It runs on two AA batteries and Tru also offers special rates for USPTA
develop, market and sell new technology. is easily visible from several courts away. members when shopping on their
If the chance of adoption is deemed low, Tennibot: This is world’s first website for qualified products. For more
why invest? In the end, consumers and the autonomous robotic ball boy! It clears information or to purchase equipment
sport are bereft of the value and energy the court while you play or relax, making for your club or facility today, visit
that innovation can bring. it an awesome ball-picking-up solution Hartru.com.

Member News
USPTA Member News

Todd Rubinstein was recently named the Harold Henderson retired from his
2017-2018 USPTA District 16 Professional position as head coach for the men
of the Year at the USPTA Florida Division and women’s tennis teams at Hendrix
Conference. The award includes all tennis College. Henderson came to Hendrix
professionals in District 16 which includes in the fall of 1997 as the women’s coach
the southern part of Broward County and and a year later he added the men’s
the northern part of Miami-Dade County. team to his responsibilities. During his
Rubinstein is the former number-one tenure, Henderson has coached seven
ranked United States Tennis Association (USTA) singles, all-conference selections and 11 honorable mentions
doubles and mixed doubles player in Florida. He has been on the women’s side, including the 2009 SCAC Player
ranked as high as number three in the United States. of the Year and All-American. Henderson has also
Rubinstein also mentors students as the head coach at coached 12 men’s all-conference honorees and five
Alonzo & Tracy Mourning Senior High School. honorable mentions.
Scott Williams was named the Florida Neal Feinberg opened the doors to
Tennis Volunteer of the Month by USTA his new tennis facility in Amagansett,
Florida. He is the director for three USTA New York called 27 tennis. Feinberg is a
Florida Diversity Camps throughout the USPTA certified pro located on the Upper
state in 2018, the long-running camps East Side of Manhattan. Neal Feinberg
that list players such as Sloane Stephens attended Northfield Mount Hermon
and Sachia Vicery, currently on the WTA School (played #1 Singles), Columbia
tour, as alumni. Williams has worked University, and Pace Law School. He
with former ATP world No. 2 Tommy Haas, doubles world has coached high school teams for Horace Greeley and
No. 1 Max Mirnyi, world No. 3 Mary Pierce and Anna Columbia Prep. From 2009-2017 he was the head pro &
Kournikova. Currently, he is the varsity tennis coach at club manager of Yorkville Tennis Club. Neal currently
The King’s Academy, a Christian college-preparatory coaches recreational players of all levels and ranked USTA
school in nearby West Palm Beach. tournament-level players.
John Monnier’s facility, Royal Lahaina Scott Smith has been hired as tennis director
Tennis Ranch, was named 2018 Facility at Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant,
of the Year by USPTA Hawaii Division. Louisiana effective September 1st. Originally
The award recognizes facilities for from Knoxville, Tennessee Scott has over 35
encouraging professional development, years of tennis-teaching experience. Scott
making special contributions to the game played at Walters State Community College
and being affiliated with various industry and then transferred to the University of
organizations. Royal Lahaina Tennis Tennessee. He worked for the prestigious
Ranch claimed the top spot for Best Game Arranging Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy the early 80’s training such
in Tennis Resorts Online’s list of the Top 100 Tennis stars as Andre Agassi and Jim Courier. Scott then proceeded
Resorts and Camps for 2018. The list ranks international to direct some of the top clubs in Florida such as the River
tennis resorts in more than a dozen categories, with Hills Country Club in Tampa, Meadows Country Club in
game arranging referring to a service that arranges games Sarasota and Treasure Island Tennis and Yacht Club in St.
between guests depending on skill level and availability. Petersburg.

Member News
USPTA Member News

Mike Baugh was named the state Bill Carey was named the new head coach
chairman for tennis of the Florida of the Bellarmine University women’s
Athletic Coaches Association. Along with tennis program. Prior to his promotion,
duties with the FACA, he is the owner of Carey worked with the Bellarmine
Baugh Elite Tennis Training and is the University men’s tennis team in the
national U30 Chairman. He was awarded assistant coach capacity for two seasons
the 2015 USPTA Florida District 14 Pro and served as a head coach at Louisville
of the Year award and was one of three Collegiate School and as a teaching
recipients of the Welsh Winner Circle Scholarship. Mike professional at the Louisville Tennis Center. Carey is
holds certifications of USPTA Elite Professional with a USPTA-certified teaching professional, a certified
APC, USTA High Performance Coach, Cardio Tennis provider of Net Generation, a board member of the
Licensed, Positive Coaching Alliance Certified, and USPTA as well as of the Tennis Association of Louisville
FHSTCA Level II Coach. Kentucky.
Paula Scheb, director of sports at Bonita Lynn Miller was inducted into the USPTA
Bay Club in Bonita Springs, Florida, New England Hall of Fame during the first
celebrated the end of the season and round of the International Tennis Hall of
the start of summer with the opening Fame Championships. Miller was the men’s
of a 15,000-square-foot sports center and women’s tennis coach at Wheaton
that includes a new racquet complex, a College for 35 years before she announced
redesigned pool area, and an all-new dining her retirement. Along with being the tennis
venue. Paula assumed her role as Head coach, she guided the women’s basketball
Tennis Professional at the club, 24 years ago. In her role program from 1980–84. Miller also served as the director of
as the director of sports, she is responsible for the tennis, athletics at Wheaton from 1986–88, the intramurals director
pickleball, croquet, and pool with a team of 12 full time and (1990-97), sports information director (1991–93), and
15 part time team members. facilities manager (1993–2000) during her time as a coach.
Mark Hathorn was named the new head Nick Bollettieri was featured in the
coach for Abilene Wylie. Hathorn comes documentary Love Means Zero, which
from McMurry University in Abilene, appeared on ShowTime and focused on
Texas where he was the head men’s and his renowned tennis-coaching program.
women’s tennis coach since 2001. During Since founding the Nick Bollettieri
his time with the War Hawks, Hathorn was Tennis Academy near Bradenton,
named American Southwest Conference Florida, in 1978, the legendary coach
Women’s Coach of the Year once and won has helped launch the careers of Andre
the ASC Men’s Coach of the Year three straight times from Agassi, Boris Becker, Jim Courier, Martina Hingis,
2008-10. His three daughters played tennis at Wylie, the Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova, Venus and Serena
youngest of which just graduated in the spring. Williams, and many others.
NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS ADDVANTAGE MAGAZINE ADDvantage is published monthly by the USPTA
Managing Editor ................................................... DeVonte’ Martin The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are
President.....................................................................Gary Trost those of the authors and not necessarily those
Editor.............................................................................John Cornell
First Vice President................................................Feisal Hassan of ADDvantage or the United States Professional
Layout/Design........................................................... Gustavo Reyes
Vice Presidents................Cari Buck, Mark Faber, Trish Faulkner Tennis Association.
Bill Mountford, Richard Slivocka Editorial Assistance......................Nataliya Bredikhina,Risa Epstein,
Ashley Walker, Ellen Weatherford
Immediate Past President...........................................Chuck Gill Copyright© United States Professional Tennis
Circulation................................................................ Trevor Trudelle Association, Inc. 2018. All rights reserved.
CEO.........................................................................John Embree
USPTA World Headquarters Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not
Legal Counsel......................................................George Parnell 11961 Performance Dr.
Orlando, FL 32827 permitted without written permission from USPTA.

USPTA CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Exams, Upgrades & PTCA Wheelchair Certification 2018 USPTA Division
4 Credits for PTCA I Segment Exams,
Upgrades & PTCA October 18 - 19......................... Orlando, FL
USPTA Certification in conjunction with
Conference Schedule
Sept 8 – 9...................................Aurora, IL Division Conferences - 6 Credits
USTA “Train the Trainer”
Sept 8 – 9.............................. La Habra, CA
November ..............................Middle States
Sept 8 – 9 ............................ Clearwater, FL November 7 - 8........................Lafayette, IN Wilmington Country Club; Wilmington, DE
Sept 9 ................................Midlothian, VA USPTA Certification in conjunction with
Sept 13 ......................... Minneapolis, MN USTA “Train the Trainer”
Sept 15 – 16 .............................. Rome, GA
Sept 20 – 21 ............................. Tucson, AZ Cardio Tennis
Sept 21 – 22 ........................... Houston, TX
Sept 22 – 23 .............. Gleneden Beach, OR
Spanish Tennis Sep 8 ....................... Level 1 Training Course
Preakness Hills Country Club; Wayne, NJ
Sept 22 ..............................Des Moines, IA
Sept 22 – 23 ..................... Coral Gables, FL
Teaching System Nov 10 ..................... Level 1 Training Course
Methodist University; Fayetteville, NC
Sept 30 ..................... West Bloomfield, MI
Oct 1 – 2 ..................................... Boise, ID Nov 10 ..................... Level 1 Training Course
Oct 5 .................................... Mt. Kisco, NY Sea Pines Racquet Club; Hilton Head Island, SC
Oct 6 – 7.................. Huntington Beach, CA
Oct 6 – 7............... North Richland Hills, TX
Oct 7.................................Hilton Head, SC
Oct 8 – 9 ................................. Orlando, FL
Oct 11 – 12........................... Missoula, MT
At Academia Sanchez-Casal
Oct 13 – 14.............................. Atlanta, GA
Oct 14 .................................Sherwood, AR USPTA professionals can earn 10
Oct 19 ..............................Nichols Hills, OK Education Credits by participating in the
Oct 20 – 21......................... Boca Raton, FL Level 1 or Level 2 course of the Spanish
Oct 21 ................................. Richmond, VA Tennis Teaching System hosted by the
Oct 26 – 27........................ Fayetteville, NC
International Coaches Institute.
Oct 27 – 28..........................Columbus, GA
Oct 29......................... Rancho Mirage, CA
Oct. 24 – 26............................... Naples, FL
Competitive Coaching Course Level 1
Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days
prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an
exam, upgrade. PTCA I is included in the two day Oct. 26 – 28............................... Naples, FL
exam. Exam cancellations must be received no lat-
Pro Coaching Course Level 2
er than 14 days before the exam, or a cancellation
fee will be charged accordingly.
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. Sept. 29 – 29 ..................... Long Beach, CA
Registration for another exam will not be accepted
m
until cancellation fees are paid. Nov. 16 – 17 ........................... Atlanta, GA Online education
Admire Invite Mentor
ADMIRE Admire the reputation of the prospective member
INVITE Invite them to join our respected organization
MENTOR Mentoring for those interested in professional guidance
USPTA members are asked to recommend admirable teaching professionals in their local area or region who
are currently instructing but not USPTA certified. If the prospect decides to join, it is the referring member’s
responsibility to be sure that the applicant includes his or her name on the application in the field labeled
“Please provide the name of the person who recommended USPTA membership to you.”
New Member Referral Incentives & Eligibility:

•$50 discount on USPTA annual dues up to $300. After that – a $50 credit for the USPTA Pro Tennis Shop
Watch webinars, seminars, On Court with USPTA
•Only certified members in good standing will be eligible and they may only refer first-time potential members.
episodes, specialty courses and much more on
TennisResources.com to earn your education
For more information, contact the membership department at membership@uspta.org credits.

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RACQUET TECH COMMUNITY RELATIONS TENNIS INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME

Service your players’ Stay engaged locally, The tennis industry

September/October 2018 / Volume 46 / Number 9 / $5.00

Tennis is thriving in our

Contents Sept./Oct. 2018

2 TennisIndustry September/October 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

Critical Thinking MANAGING EDITOR

Let’s foster an open culture where CREATIVE DIRECTOR

ideas are taken in the constructive SENIOR EDITOR

spirit in which they’re intended. ART DIRECTOR

your ideas, suggestions and decisions to be open to these ideas and to

4 TennisIndustry September/October 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

Vue Tennis: The Evolution

We’ve come a long way

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Saves time, money, and maintenance

Comprehensive curricula developed to help deliver the highest-quality instruction

Free customizable marketing materials and templates

A Net Generation welcome pack including coaching manuals

*Access to different features may vary based on your provider type.

JOIN TODAY AT NETGENERATION.COM © 2018 USTA. All rights reserved.

15268 Net_Generation_Tennis_Industry_Ad.indd 1 7/26/18 2:46 PM

Drysdale Management were implemented at a number of

with longtime US Open sponsor Chase to

www.tennisindustrymag.com September/October 2018 TennisIndustry 7

•MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation,

ITF Critical of New

tion, which organizes the Davis Cup. The

8 TennisIndustry September/October 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

Distributes ers' schedules at the start of the year.”

New SwiftNet ITA, Oracle Announce

XTP–Xtended Tennis Product!

Southern University; and Jordan Belga,

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Amazon Seeks Global

In early summer, Amazon was

Chris Renner Named

marketing programs for sports as diverse

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GET A FREE DEMO!

The Official Ball Machine of the USPTA

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Asian Tennis Federation

off against the phenom. You will LOVE

The Asian Tennis Federation and PTR

participation and develop high per-

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When installing the side

CUSTOMER SERVICE original purpose remains the same: to

16 TennisIndustry September/October 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

www.tennisindustrymag.com September/October 2018 TennisIndustry 17

Frames for Fall

CS 8.0 and CS 10.0

New this fall from Dunlop are the

18 TennisIndustry September/October 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

SNAUWAERT TECNIFIBRE YONEX

www.tennisindustrymag.com September/October 2018 TennisIndustry 19

LOCAL SUPPORT Like any othe public tennis

20 TennisIndustry September/October 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

www.tennisindustrymag.com September/October 2018 TennisIndustry 21

Tennis IndustryHall of Fame

2018 INDUCTEES president of Head USA Racquet Sports.