August 2008

Volume 36 Number 8 $5.00

Contents R S I A U G U S T

INDUSTRY NEWS
2 0 0 8

7 Boris Becker/Volkl add

new frames

FEATURES 7 USPTA sets World

Conference schedule
26 Learn From a Reborn Club 7 Florida governor approves
A Texas club changed ownership and
was forced to revamp its operations. tennis license plate
Here’s how it achieved success.
8 Wilson releases Federer
“Super Six” Bag
28 Healing the Hurt
If you know the injuries that can
affect your players, you can keep
8 Prince extends O3
them playing longer. Speedport Black line
9 TIA names coordinator for
30 Valuable Lessons P.R. and communications
From the pro to the shop staff to the
maintenance crew, all are involved in 9 Wilson names new
a wonderful experience for students. apparel director
9 USTA Middle States to honor
32 Grow Your Market Jane Brown Grimes
With retention as the goal, you need
to communicate and program effec-
tively to reach today’s players.
10 Ektelon launches O Series
racquetball footwear

34 Triple Crown 11 Prince names Dave Malinowski

Cover Photo: Stephen Whalen
These three residential court winners
are great examples of excellent con-
11 PTR schedules October
struction and workmanship. Development Weekend
14 USTA names nine to
36 2008 Guide to Stringing Machines Olympic tennis team
Use our exclusive guide to help you find the
best stringing machine for your business. 15 USTA Tennis Teachers
Conference in August

DEPARTMENTS
4 Our Serve 24 Community Service
7 Industry News 42 String Playtest: Prince Recoil
18 TIA News & Updates 44 Ask the Experts
21 Facility Manager’s Manual 46 Tips and Techniques
23 Industry People 48 Your Serve, by Bruce Levine

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008

Our Serve
(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

Finding That Tennis Passion Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

I
’ve been involved in the tennis business for more than 20 Editorial Director
years. And I have to admit that when I first joined Tennis Peter Francesconi

Magazine in 1987, I would not have said I was particularly Associate Editor
Greg Raven
passionate about the sport. I was attracted to the job itself,
Design/Art Director
and to the potential for growth in that job.
Kristine Thom
But the passion for the sport of tennis quickly grew for me. I
Contributing Editors
started taking lessons, became a frequent, and avid, player, and
Robin Bateman
continued to become more and more involved in the sport and in Cynthia Cantrell
the industry itself. I quickly realized all the positives about tennis Rod Cross
that for me, continue to this day: the activity, health benefits, fun, Kristen Daley
Joe Dinoffer
competition and, importantly, the social network that tennis pro- Liza Horan
vides. James Martin
And I quickly realized something else: that I want to make sure Greg Moran
Chris Nicholson
this game reaches as many people as it possibly can. Here at RSI
Bob Patterson
magazine, that’s our reason for being. And as a member of this Cynthia Sherman
industry, that most likely is your motivation, too. Mary Helen Sprecher
Often, you can tell when someone you meet in this industry
RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY
isn’t particularly passionate about the sport. They’re in it for other
Corporate Offices
reasons—maybe a quick profit (good luck in that endeavor), 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084
maybe to make a quick name for themselves. In short order, these Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171
folks frequently will move out of the industry, looking for some- Email: RSI@racquetTECH.com
Website: www.racquetTECH.com
thing that just won’t materialize for them in the tennis business. Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time
But those of us who remain—and we are many, and growing—
are ardent supporters of tennis. We look for, and find, the good in Advertising Director
John Hanna
the sport and its people, and we take it upon ourselves to spread
770-650-1102, x.125
the word about tennis. hanna@knowatlanta.com
I’ve been fortunate to find that many people who work in this
business believe in tennis and the good it brings to others. Apparel Advertising
Cynthia Sherman
Whether they are teaching pros, coaches, facility managers, park
203-263-5243
and rec personnel, retailers, manufacturers, media members, cstennisindustry@earthlink.net
USTA staff, and, particularly, volunteers in this business, there is a Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-
passion that burns in each of them. They want this game to grow, 5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly Janu-
and they are passionate about spreading the word. ary through August and combined issues in
September/October and November/December by
If that isn’t your motivation, I only hope that one day, it will
Tennis Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA
become so. 92084. Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443
and additional mailing offices. August 2008, Vol-
ume 36, Number 8 © 2008 by USRSA and Tennis
Industry. All rights reserved. Racquet Sports Indus-
try, RSI and logo are trademarks of USRSA. Printed
in the U.S.A. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125.
Peter Francesconi Phone circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Year-
ly subscriptions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POST-
Editorial Director
MASTER: Send address changes to Racquet Sports
Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

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

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008

ADVERTISEMENT

INDUSTRY NEWS
INFORMATION TO HELP YOU
Florida Approves
Tennis License Plate
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist signed a
license plate bill in May that allows
for a “Florida Tennis” specialty plate,
the first tennis license plate in the
state. Revenue generated by the new
plate will assist the USTA Florida Sec-
tion Foundation, which is the section’s
charitable arm, in its efforts “to
improve the health and quality of life
of Floridians through tennis.”
“Research indicates that 2 million
people play tennis in Florida,” says
Doug Booth, USTA Florida executive
director. “It is great promotion for the
sport of tennis and is exciting that
players will now have the ability to
show their love of the game by pur-
chasing a Florida tennis license plate.”
The USTA Florida Section Foundation
will use purchases from the new plate
to provide financial assistance in the
renovation and building of quality
public tennis facilities. Ninety percent
of proceeds from annual user fees will
be used for grants back to the com-
munity, including funding to operate
youth tennis programs and adaptive
tennis programs for special popula-
tions of all ages and for building, ren-
ovating and maintaining public tennis
courts.
The specialty plate will be available
for statewide purchase by tennis fans
and community supporters no later
than May 28, 2009, as mandated by
law; however, the foundation antici-
pates it will be available at the end of
2008 or early 2009.
R S I A U G U S T 2 0 0 8
RUN YOUR BUSINESS
Boris Becker/Volkl Add New Frames
he Boris Becker and Volkl racquet brands are launching four new racquets, two for each
T brand, both featuring new technology. For the Becker line, the new DeltaCore 1 and 3
frames move DNX to the next level, says Sean Frost, Volkl/BB managing director. “Delta-
Core is now 40 times stronger than traditional carbon fiber used in other racquets,” he
says. The graphite in the DeltaCore material is in a “delta” configuration that
is more compact and solid. Frost says the new material, put in key areas to
give more strength to the frame, provides more resiliency, a livelier feel, and
won’t break down as easily as other racquets.
The company says the DeltaCore 1 is ideal for players looking
for maximum support from their racquet. It has a 115-
square-inch head, weighs 9 ounces, and carries a suggest-
ed retail price of $340. The DC 3 is designed for players of
all levels, with a 110-square-inch head and 9.7-ounce
weight, with a suggested retail of $300. Both will be avail-
able Aug. 25. The Grand Slam line of BB bags also are
new, and available at the same time.
New for the Volkl line are the Powerbridge 8 and 10. Powerbridge is a progres-
sion of Volkl’s DNX technology, says Frost. The new racquets mix DNX with a resin
compound that allows the throat to be thinner and livelier, which helps to increase
the size of the sweetspot.
The Powerbridge 8 has a 100-square-inch head size and weighs 10.4 ounces; the
PB 10, a tournament-level frame, is 98 square inches and weighs 11.5 ounces. Both
carry a $200 suggested retail and will be available Aug. 25. Also new for Volkl is the Chal-
lenger bag series, with 3-, 6- and 9-packs and a backpack.
“As the Volkl and Becker brands continue to grow, you will see more and more sepa-
ration between the two, as we work toward making Becker a standalone brand,” says
Frost. For more information, contact 866-554-7872.
USPTA Sets World Conference Schedule
op speakers, educational seminars and courses, a tennis buying show, and
T more are on the schedule for the USPTA’s World Conference on Tennis, to
be held Sept. 15-20 at the La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, Calif. The
conference is expected to draw more than 1,500 tennis-teaching pros, industry
leaders and representatives, media and manufacturer representatives.
Presenters this year will include Tracy Austin, Dr. Martin Baroch, Nick Bollettieri, Wayne
Bryan, Jack Groppel, Tom Gullikson, Brett Hobden, Jim Loehr, Rick Macci, Anne Smith and
John Yandell, discussing a variety of topics related to the tennis industry. Close to 40 semi-
nars and four-hour specialty courses will be offered during the conference.
Exhibitors at the Buying Show, which will be Sept. 18, will include tennis equipment,
apparel and footwear companies, marketers and wholesalers of hard and soft goods, video-
analysis and software, teaching aids, court surfacing and lighting, awards, backboards, edu-
cational materials, nutrition bars and vitamins and more. Booth space is still available (visit
www.uspta.com or call John Dettor at 713-978-7782).
USPTA members and nonmembers are welcome at the World Conference. Visit the web-
site for more information.
August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7
 A U G U S T 2 0 0 8
INDUSTRYNEWS

Prince Extends O3 Speedport Black Line Federer ‘Super Six’ Bag Released

P
rince has introduced two new versions of its popular O3 Speedport

W
ilson has released a limited-edition Roger
Black frame, the O3 Speedport Black Team and Black Longbody. The
Federer Super Six racquet bag, which the
Black Team version is a slightly lighter, more maneuverable frame
World No. 1 will carry through this year’s US
than its original counterpart, designed to be a perfect transitional racquet
Open. The bag provides
for a player—perhaps a younger competitive junior player, says Prince—
Thermoguard and
who likes the feel of the O3 Speedport Black, but
Moistureguard
would benefit from a slightly lighter frame. In
compart-
addition, for players who want a smaller grip
ments
size, the O3 Speedport Black Team is avail-
to
able in a grip size zero (0).
pro-
The O3 Speedport Black Longbody is
tect rac-
designed for more advanced players who
quets. This
want a longer frame to generate faster racquet-
year’s bag includes
head speed, as well as extended reach and court
several embroidered compo-
coverage.
nents including Federer’s signature as well as the
With the O3 Speedport Black family, players can further
Wilson script logo. For more information, visit
customize their racquet in both feel and cosmetic. All three
www.wilson.com.
versions will continue to give players the chance to select
either the String Hole or String Port Inserts, providing two
options in terms of hitting feel off the string bed. And players can
choose which color they want their inserts to come in, giving US Open Theme Art
them the ability to design their O3 Speedport Black cosmetic in The 2008 US Open theme art showcases the
more than 2,400 color combinations. “It’s Showtime” tagline, with a Broadway-style
Visit www.princetennis.com for more info, and to use the online marquee and the US Open’s flaming ball logo.
customization tool to test out cosmetic combinations. The design also integrates the 40th anniversary
of the Open Era in tennis, which will be cele-
Pat Mac, Tracy Austin Earn USPTA Certification brated at the 2008 Open. The Open will be
Aug. 25 through Sept. 7 at the USTA Billie Jean

P
atrick McEnroe and Tracy Austin, former players on the ATP and
WTA professional tours King National Tennis Center. Arthur Ashe Kids’
respectively, have become Day presented by Hess—a full-day tennis and
certified Professional 1 members music festival for children and families—will be
of the USPTA. They were certified Saturday, Aug. 23. Tickets for the 2008 US
in May by the head tester of the Open can be purchased via USOpen.org or by
California Division, Lee DeYoung.
calling 1-866-OPEN-TIX.
McEnroe, who played on the
ATP tour from 1988 to 1998, is From left, Robin White, Tracy Austin,
Patrick McEnroe, Kim Po Messerli and
currently based in New York,
Lee DeYoung.
where he recently was named
general manager of USTA Elite Player Development. He also recently
coached the U.S. Davis Cup team to its first title in 12 years.
Austin, who played on the WTA tour from 1978 to 1994, is current-
ly based in California. She was the youngest player to win the US Open
at the age of 16 and was the youngest inductee into the International
Tennis Hall of Fame at the age of 29. Now she works frequently as a
tennis commentator for NBC and USA Network.
“We’re extremely proud to have Patrick and Tracy join the ranks of
many of the famous players as members of USPTA,” says USPTA CEO
Tim Heckler. “We’re honored to now call them professional tennis
coaches.”
The USPTA certification process provides assurance that the tennis-
teaching professional’s knowledge and abilities have been tested thor-
oughly. There are three rating classifications for each newly certified
USPTA member, which are Professional 3, Professional 2 and Profes-
sional 1. Professional 1 represents the highest tested level in USPTA cer-
tification.

8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Middle States to Induct Jane Brown Grimes TIA Names P.R. Coordinator

U
STA Chairman of the Board and President Jane

A
manda Becker has
Brown Grimes of Chadds Ford, Pa., headlines the joined the TIA staff as
2008 class of inductees into the USTA Middle Public Relations and
States Hall of Fame on Oct. 24. In 1981, Brown Grimes Communications Coordina-
became the executive director of the International Ten- tor. In this newly created
nis Hall of Fame and served as tournament director for position, Becker will oversee
both ATP and WTA Tour events. In 1986, she was named the organization’s public
the managing director of the Women’s Tennis Council relations and communica-
and presided over an unprecedented period of growth in tions campaign, distributing
women’s professional tennis. information to TIA member organizations
Joining her in the Middle States Hall of Fame are Edward D. McQuillin, Rose and media outlets worldwide. She also will
Weinstein, George K. Wills, Ann Paley Hoffmann (posthumously) and Wallace help in planning and managing TIA events,
F. Johnson (posthumously). forums, and trade shows.
“Amanda will be a valuable asset to the
Wilson Names Apparel Director TIA team,” says TIA Executive Director Jolyn
de Boer. “She is an avid tennis player and has

W
ilson has named Claire Ortiz as its new global business director for appar-
a great love of the game, and she is commit-
el in racquet sports. Ortiz previously spent six years with Nike, serving in
ted to helping us grow our organization and
various leadership positions including creative director for Brand Jordan
the sport of tennis. In her new role, she’ll be
apparel and accessories.
a key player in spreading the news about the
Prior to Nike, she worked at Eddie Bauer in the youth sport and fashion
great programs and initiatives in this
areas and helped lead their overall line development process and sourcing
industry.”
aspects. Most recently she was at Under Armour as creative director for their
Becker is a recent Media Studies graduate
apparel efforts in multiple sports categories.
from the College of Charleston, where she
Ortiz is an avid tennis player. Her daughter is currently an ITF-ranked junior
captained the women’s tennis team.
player and a Wilson nationally sponsored junior in the US.

August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9

INDUSTRYNEWS A U G U S T 2 0 0 8

Ektelon Launches O Series R-Ball Footwear Wise Announces Electronic

Adapter For Drop-Weight
E
ktelon has launched its new O Series performance racquetball footwear,
after months of design and on-court playtesting. The new shoes feature
O-Port ventilation in the upper for breathability. Stringing Machines

O Series also builds on the original M Series line by delivering improved
Precision Tube technology, which rounds the tubes for max-
imum energy return and greater shock absorption, says
Ektelon. Coming in a mid profile, the OC-1 per-
formance shoe is built to provide players with
support and features a gum rubber outsole
in an aggressive herringbone tread pat-
tern for traction, quicker accelera-
tion and improved lateral
stability.
The OC-1 is avail-
able in black/red/sil-
ver and white/black
/silver. Suggested
retail is $110. For
information, visit
www.ektelon.com.
F
rustrated by your drop-weight string-
ing machine and the balancing proce-
dure required to get an accurate string
tension? With a simple angle bracket from
Wise USA, you can take advantage of elec-
tronic stringing.
Wise says it’s easy to install the 2086
Professional Tension Head on most drop-
weight machines by bolting the bracket to
the base of the machine, then installing
the 2086 onto the bracket.
The 2086 Professional features con-
stant-pull on/off, digital readout in pounds
or kilos, pre-stretch, speed control and two
memory banks and other features only
found on the newest high-priced electron-
ic stringers. And the 2086 still fits easily
on any crank (manual) machine.
For more information and a drawing of
how it might work on your machine, email
service@tennishead.com with the words
“Drop Weight” in the subject.

Congratulations To the
Following For Achieving
MRT Status
New Master Racquet
Technicians - MRTs
John Gillespie Oakville, Ontario
Rob Horwood Toronto, Ontario
Fisk Nery Toronto, Ontario
Robert Thomas Toronto, Ontario
Jason Lore Toronto, Ontario
Kirby Mendes Toronto, Ontario
Jan Pastoriza Toronto, Ontario
Jay Vandermoer Toronto, Ontario

10 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Malinowski Joins Prince UCLA Champions

Visit D.C.
D
avid Malinowski has joined Prince
Sports as its new global product
Members of the UCLA
manager for strings, grips and
women’s tennis team, the
machines. A racquet technician with
more than 20 years of experience in
NCAA Division 1 team cham-
stringing and racquet customization, pions, visited the White
Malinowski comes to Prince from Wilson House in June, where they
Sporting Goods, where he held various presented President George
racquet sports roles for the past 11 years, Bush with a racquet and case
most recently managing sales for the that they each had signed. In
company’s mid-Atlantic region. May, the UCLA women won
In his new position, he will be their first national title.
responsible for developing and manag-
ing the implementation of Prince’s
global strategic plan for strings, grips,
machines and accessories. With exten-
sive experience on the sales side, his
understanding of product development,
and his time spent in retail and a
USPTA-certified teaching pro, Malinows-
ki brings a wealth of intimate knowl-
edge and insights to these categories,
says Prince.
“Having someone with Dave’s expe-
rience and expertise focused solely on
managing these products, we have the
opportunity to take these categories to
the next level immediately,” says
Howard Lay, Prince’s vice president of
product management for tennis hard-
goods. “Players should be very excited
about what they are going to see from
Prince.”

PTR Schedules
Development Weekend

T
he PTR will hold its annual Profes-
sional Development Weekend Oct.
16-19 at PTR Headquarters, located
at the Van der Meer Shipyard Racquet
Club on Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Presentations include
Advanced Stroke Produc-
tion; Growing Kids, Grow-
ing the Game—PTR Kids
Tennis; Mental Coaching—The Confi-
dence Factor; Team Coaching; Teaching
and Marketing Cardio Tennis; Fast Track
Your Tennis Business with Technology;
and more. The event is open to PTR mem-
bers and non-members.
For more information or to register,
visit Upcoming Events at www.ptrtennis
.org.

August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11

 A U G U S T 2 0 0 8
INDUSTRYNEWS
A Doubles Pairing Beyond the Court
Court 11 of the John Drew Smith Tennis Center in Macon,
Ga., served as the venue for a doubles pairing when avid
recreational players Tara Wasson and Rich Taylor of the near-
by town of Warner Robins tied the knot on June 21. The cere-
mony was performed by Warner Robins Tennis Director Kerry
Bacon, who taught Wasson to play tennis. The couple had
been legally married on June 5, but they wanted a “tennis
wedding” for all their tennis friends, so they rented the JDS
facility for the evening wedding, providing a buffet dinner
with Gatorade drinks. The bride wore an Adidas outfit she
purchased from the pro shop at the JDS Tennis Center; the
groom wore Nike. The bridesmaids all wore skirts designed
for the event by Marion Wharton, owner of Sassy Gal Tennis
Skirts (email sassygal@cox.net) of Macon. The 50 guests,
who viewed the ceremony from the stadium seats, also
received Wilson tennis balls and participated in tennis match-
es afterward. (Photo by Robin Bateman)
Coaching Youth Tennis Book Reissued
The fourth edition of “Coaching Youth Tennis” is now avail-
able. The book, written by the American Sport Education Pro-
gram in conjunction with Kirk Anderson, director of
recreational coaches and programs at the USTA, offers infor-
mation every coach needs on coaching philosophy, communi-
cation, and safety. It also provides step-by-step instructions
for executing and teaching the basic technical skills and the
tactical aspects of singles and doubles tennis. To assist with
team-management skills, the
book includes practical content
on coaching matches and devel-
oping season and practice plans
that promotes tennis as a team
sport. It is also the official hand-
book of USTA Jr. Team Tennis. For
more information, contact 800-
747-5698, email
ASEP@hkusa.com, or visit
www.ASEP.com.
12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
L E W AT
O P
CH
E assistant• Ben Porter is the new
director of the Professional
P
Tennis Management program at Methodist
University in Fayetteville, N.C. Porter, originally
from England, graduated from the PTM program in
2004. He will complete his Masters in Sports Business
Management at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y.,
this summer and will start at Methodist in the fall. He is the
director of junior tennis and head pro at the Beach Club at
Wee Burn Country Club in Darien, Conn., in the summers
and has also been the head women’s coach and assistant
men’s coach at Manhattanville College.
• Sports and digital veteran Dominic Schmitt is the new gen-
eral manager of Tennis.com. His responsibilities include the
operational management, content syndication, product
development and growth of Tennis.com, the official site of
Tennis Magazine. The site provides users with breaking news,
live scores, instruction resources, gear reviews, travel, and an
interactive online community.
• Sunset Hills Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif., has
three new tennis pros. Quinn Borchard will be the new head
teaching pro, and Scott Christie and Mila Horak will take on
junior and adult classes, as well as the QuickStart Tennis
program.
• Georgia Tech's Amanda McDowell and Virginia's Somdev
Devvarman have been named the 2008 Intercollegiate Tennis
Association's National Players of the Year. Southern Califor-
nia's Kaes Van't Hof and Robert Farah and
UCLA's Riza Zalameda and Tracy Lin are the
ITA National Doubles Teams of the Year.
• Head player Ivo Karlovic (right) of Croatia
successfully defended his title at the
Slazenger Open in Nottingham recently.
Karlovic plays with the Flexpoint Instinct.
• World No. 3 and 2008 Australian Open champion Novak
Djokovic is now represented by CAA Sports, a division of
entertainment and sports agency CAA.
• Todd Martin of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., (formerly of East
Lansing, Mich.), Barbara Mueller of Oconomowoc, Wis., and
Alan Schwartz of Chicago will be inducted into the 2008
USTA Midwest Section Hall of Fame on Dec. 6 in Chicago.
• Nick Bollettieri’s “Bollettieri Video Collection” is now
available on DVD, offering techniques and coaching
methods, and covering topics from skill develop-
ment to stroke technique. The 10-disk collec-
tion is available from
www.HumanKinetics.com.
 A U G U S T 2 0 0 8
INDUSTRYNEWS
2008 GSS Symposium
Experience Stringing at a Grand Slam
ttendees at the Grand Slam Stringers Symposium in Orlando, Fla., will have
A
a unique opportunity to see and experience the pressure, satisfaction and
pace of working for the top professional players in the world in a Grand
Slam tournament environment. Wilson, the official stringing service at the US
Open, will set up a simulated tournament stringing room at the Symposium.
Ron Rocchi, Global Tour Equipment Manager for Wilson, heads up the string
operation at the Open and will operate the simulation room. “We want to make
the experience as real as possible,” he says. “We are shipping our computer-
ized tracking system, machines, and everything straight from the US Open. We
want to give shop stringers a chance to see what it is like stringing in a major
tournament environment.
“For those who sign up to participate, it will be a pressure-packed three or
four hours of stringing,” he adds. “We’ll be using the
Trade Show at GSS Symposium same procedures and patterns that we use at the
Open. Pace, of course, is important, but quality can-
The trade show at the GSS Sympo-
sium will be Oct. 13, from noon to 6 not be sacrificed.” Rocchi says he’s always on the
p.m., and will feature these vendors: lookout for qualified technicians. “We’ll be looking at
participants as potential team members.” There are
Alpha, Babolat, Gamma, Head, Lux-
a limited number of spaces available for the Wilson
ilon, Prince, Pro Supex, Unique
Sports, Wilson, Wise 2086 Profession- Tour Simulation Stringing Room.
The GSS Symposium, presented by the USRSA,
al Tennis Head, Yonex.
will be Oct. 11-14 at the Regal Sun Resort in Walt Dis-
ney World. Cost is $495 per person; group lodging rates start at $115 per night.
For more information on other seminars and presentations, seminar leaders,
and the trade show, or to register, visit www.grandslamstringers.com.
14 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
USTA Names Olympic
Tennis Team Members
T
he USTA has named nine players to the U.S.
Olympic team for tennis at the 2008 Olympic
Games, Aug. 10-17 in Beijing, China.
U.S. women’s tennis coach Zina Garrison
announced a four-woman team with three singles
entries and two doubles teams. All three singles
players—Serena Williams, Venus Williams and
Lindsay Davenport—are former Olympic gold
medal winners. The two doubles teams consist of
world No. 1 Liezel Huber with Davenport and the
Williams sisters.
U.S. men’s tennis coach Rodney Harmon
announced a five-player men’s team, also with
three singles entries and two doubles teams.
James Blake, Sam Querrey and Robby Ginepri
were named to the team in singles. Bob and Mike
Bryan, the No. 1 doubles team in the world, and
Blake and Querrey have been nominated as the
two U.S. men’s doubles teams.
The 2008 Olympic tennis competition will be
on the hard courts of the Olympic Green Tennis
Center in Beijing. The U.S. has won 15 Olympic
medals in men’s and women’s tennis since it
returned as a full medal sport in 1988—more
than any other nation.
 INDUSTRY NEWS

Peter Fleming to Open Florida Tennis Resort

H
eritage Key, a new resort near Orlando, Fla., will have 20 hard and clay courts,
a state-of-the-art Racquet Club & Spa, and tennis and lifestyle programming
designed by tennis champion Peter Fleming.
Heritage Key will be the home of Peter Fleming's Power Tennis, which will pro-
vide both competitive and recreational play along with peak performance, health
and fitness resources. Fleming (who partnered John McEnroe to four Wimbledon
and three US Open titles) says he will combine his tennis expertise with his years of
study in the fields of movement, health/nutrition and peak performance to help
players of all ages and abilities. "Heritage Key will have all the resources to make
your stay first-class and your tennis experience unforgettable," says Fleming.
The tennis complex and spa is slated to open by summer 2009. The completed
resort, which is minutes from Orlando International Airport and Disney World, will
offer more than 600 villas. Heritage Key is offering a three-night complimentary
stay, based on availability. Contact PeterFlemingInfo@heritagekey.com, call 888-
850-2494 or visit www.heritagekey .com.

Ektelon Team Holds Top Spots

E
ktelon now has the world’s top-ranked male
and female racquetball players, Rocky Car-
son and Rhonda Rajsich. And r-ball legend
Ruben Gonzalez, also an Ektelon player, recent-
ly wrapped up one of his most successful years
on the tour with two Grand Slam titles.
“This has been a remarkable year and marks
a very exciting time for Ektelon,” says Scott Winters, vice president of indoor sports at
Ektelon. “We are proud of all of our players, but it’s only appropriate to recognize and
celebrate having both the No. 1 players in the world on the men’s and women’s pro tour
and one of the greatest players of all time in Ruben continuing to succeed at the high-
est levels.”
Carson and Rajsich both play with the O3 White. Gonzalez plays with the O3 RG.
For more information, contact 800-283-2635 or visit www.ektelon.com.

TennisPuzzles.com is New Online Game Site

A
new online game site provides tennis-themed crossword, wordoku and word
search puzzles for tennis fans. TennisPuzzles.com debuted during the French
Open. "Tennis is a lifestyle, and fans and players just can't seem to get enough of
this growing sport,” says TennisPuzzles.com Editor-in-Chief Liza Horan. “Our free puz-
zles will allow them to enjoy tennis off the court, and pick up a bit of history, too.”
Puzzles on the site during the French and Wimbledon were authored by Matt
Gaffney exclusively for TennisPuzzles.com and the TennisWire Network. Gaffney's
work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Jour-
nal, and The Onion, among others.

USTA Tennis Teachers Conference Aug. 23-26

I
t’s not too late to make plans to attend the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference, which
will take place Aug. 23-26 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City and at the USTA Bil-
lie Jean King National Tennis Center. More than 600 teaching pros and coaches are
expected to attend the event.
This year’s closing speaker will be Randy Snow, a Paralympic gold medalist, author
and entrepreneur. In addition to seminars and presentations at the TTC there will be
a special session on Monday, Aug. 25—the TIA Tennis forum, presented by Tennis
Magazine. Registration includes an audio recording of all TTC sessions. For more infor-
mation or to register, visit www.usta.com/ttc or call 914-696-7004. (Early bird regis-
tration ends Aug. 4.)

August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 15

 A U G U S T 2 0 0 8
SHORT SETS
INDUSTRYNEWS
> Billie Jean King’s “GreenSlam” initiative
was featured recently in a profile on Eco-Biz,
which aired on The Sundance Channel.
GreenSlam is an initiative to harness the
power of sports to create positive environ-
mental impact. The segment highlighted
King and Linda Glassel, vice president of
marketing and brand image at Prince Sports,
which is a founding sponsor of GreenSlam.
Visit www.greenslam.net for more informa-
tion and www.sundance.com/thegreen to
view the program.
>book.Wilson Racquet Sports is now on Face-
The venture started in June, asking
fans to post their tribute video of Justine
Henin on the Wilson Tennis page. “The goal
of our page is to keep Facebook users more
informed on our latest products, tour players,
and have some fun in the process,” says
Tracy Almeda-Singian, Wilson’s grassroots
manager. Type Wilson Tennis to search for
Wilson Racquet Sports on Facebook.
> The Prince Grand Slam Dream Trip Sweep-
stakes gives tennis fans who demo a new O3
racquet the chance to win a trip for two to
the 2009 Australian Open, French Open,
Wimbledon or US Open, or other prizes. Fans
can log on to www.princetennis.com and
locate a Demo Event in their area, or check
with their local retailer or teaching pro. At
the demo, they’ll get the chance to hit with
the latest Prince frames and receive a free
decoder card that they can redeem at
princetennis.com to see if they are a winner.
>player
JamesBlakeTennis.com, the website of pro
James Blake, recently was relaunched
and includes added content and improved
ways for fans to interact with the tennis star.
In addition to the latest news and pictures,
the website focuses on Blake’s charitable
endeavors: a new cancer research fund in his
father’s memory and the J-Block, the name
given to his fanbase, which has raised over
$100,000 since its inception in 2005.
> First day sales for individual session tickets
for the 2008 US Open set an all-time record
in early June, with more than 41,000 tickets
sold, surpassing the entire 2007 first week
sales. Last year’s first day sales, a record at
the time, was 29,155.
16 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
> The USPTA received an award of dis-
tinction in the 2008 Communicator
Awards competition. The winning entry
was a feature article published in the
August 2007 issue of ADDvantage maga-
zine titled “Shelton enjoys ‘the process’
that led to picture-perfect win,” written
by USPTA staff writer Jill Phipps. It
recounts how Bryan Shelton, USPTA Pro-
fessional and coach of the Georgia Tech
women’s tennis team, helped transform
his struggling squad into NCAA
champions.
>thatThea specially-designed
USTA and Olympus announced
bus will criss-
cross the country to kick-off the 2008
Olympus US Open Series, dubbed the
“Greatest Road Trip in Sports.” The
nation-wide tour began in New York in
June to coincide with the start of US Open
ticket on-sale to the general public, then
crosses the country to California and cul-
minates with a return to New York for the
US Open, the last stop on the Olympus US
Open Series.
>poster,A listing
“Tennis—for the health of it!”
34 reasons to play tennis, is
available for anyone to download from
the USPTA website, www.uspta .com. The
poster can be printed out on 8.5- by 14-
inch paper from your home or office
printer. For larger posters, copy the PDF to
a disk and take it to a local printer, such as
Kinko’s. Also available for download are a
booklet and brochure.
>be Tenacity in Boston has been chosen to
the featured 2008 tennis-based youth
development program on Arthur Ashe
Kids Day on Aug. 23, at the USTA Billie
Jean King Tennis Center. CBS filmed a 2-
to 3-minute video of Tenacity that will be
shown in Arthur Ashe Stadium, then will
air nationally on CBS on Aug. 24. And
Tenacity recently relaunched its website at
www.tenacity.org.
>KingJulian Krinsky Camps & Programs of
of Prussia, Pa., has launched an
interactive initiative: JKCP Goes Green. In
an effort to inspire students to become
more ecologically mindful, JKCP will incor-
porate fun and simple green techniques
both at their summer programs and in
their offices. A new website, jkcpgoes-
green.com, showcases the steps the com-
pany is taking to reduce its carbon
footprint.
>andUSTA Florida’s 59th Annual Meeting
Volunteer Appreciation Weekend in
Clearwater, Fla., Dec. 5-7 will feature an
Inaugural Pro-Am Tennis Event presented
by the Climb for Cancer Foundation and
USTA Florida Section Foundation.
Fundraising will benefit cancer research,
patient support and quality tennis oppor-
tunities for all Floridians. MaliVai Washing-
ton and Tom Gullikson are scheduled to
play in the event. For more information,
contact Linda Curtis at 386-671-8934 or
curtisL@florida.usta.com.
> Cricket has lost its status as Australia's
most popular sport to tennis, according to
a recent survey by research consultants
Sweeney Sports. It found 57 percent of
Australians either attended tennis events,
watched the sport on television or read
about it in newspapers over the past year,
placing it at the top of the popularity
ranking for the first time in 17 years.
Swimming was the next most popular
sport at 55 percent, while cricket lan-
guished in third place at 53 percent, after
interest dropped 6 percentage points over
the past year.
>thatPrince has launched a Facebook page
gives tennis fans a chance to engage
in conversation about current Prince prod-
ucts, make suggestions for future prod-
ucts, post images and video and share
thoughts regarding all aspects of the
game with other fans. Players and fans
should search for "Prince Products" on
Facebook.
> The 784-page “Bud Collins History of
Tennis” book has just been released by
New Chapter Press. The book contains an
authoritative compilation of the records
and histories of tennis written by famed
tennis journalist Bud Collins. More infor-
mation on the book, which sells for
$35.95. can be found at www.newchap-
terpressmedia.com.
 INDUSTRY NEWS

Jeffett Honored by Hall of Fame 12 Named to

N USTA Summer
ancy Jeffett, the president of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation,
received the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Golden Achievement Award in
July at a ceremony at Wimbledon. USTA President Jane Brown Grimes, along College Team
with board

T
welve of the nation's top
members
men's and women's collegiate
David Dinkins
tennis players have been
and Joe Grover,
named to the 2008 USTA Summer
and past cham-
Collegiate Team, administered by
pion Virginia
the USTA and the Intercollegiate
Wade, were on
Tennis Association. The USTA Sum-
hand to honor
mer Collegiate Team is an elite
Jeffett, shown
training program for the top Amer-
with her daugh-
ican college players that began in
ter, Sissy Jeffett
1996 and is funded by the USTA. It
Smith. (Photo
is designed to provide college play-
by Mark Win-
ers with exposure to the USTA Pro
ters)
Circuit in a team-oriented environ-
ment during the summer months.
Hall of Fame Pros Teach Juniors in Jamaica Selected to this year’s team
are:

I
nternational Tennis Hall of Fame Vice President and Director of Tennis Bill Rompf
Q Men: Jean-Yves Aubone, Florida State; Alex
and his wife Mary, the Hall’s head tennis pro, spent a week in Ocho Rios, Jamaica,
Clayton, Stanford; Travis Helgeson, Georgia;
working with junior tennis players from the region. Arriving with duffel bags filled Justin Kronauge, Ohio State; Greg Ouellette,
with new and used racquets, T-shirts, shoes, tennis balls and other gifts, the Rompfs Florida; Nate Schnugg, Georgia.
gave professional instruction and conducted practice drills and techniques to more Q Women: Hilary Barte, Stanford; Amanda
than 20 Jamaican juniors. Fink, Southern California; Sanaz Marand,
North Carolina; Amanda McDowell, Georgia
The Ocho Rios Tennis Program is a special project developed 15 years ago by
Tech; Kristi Miller, Georgia Tech; Riza
Pierre Battaglia, a tennis enthusiast and general manager of the Couples San Souci Zalameda, UCLA.
Resort in Ocho Rios. Battaglia has provided coaching, equipment, and monetary sup- Kyle Spencer, assistant director
port for the juniors in the program, and his efforts have resulted in college tennis of men’s tennis at Baylor Univer-
scholarships for several talented players. sity, and Rance Brown, assistant
Joining the Rompfs for the junior tennis camp was former World No. 1 doubles head coach of women’s tennis at
player and Olympic gold medalist Ken Flach. In past years, tennis aficionados includ- UCLA, will be coaching the men's
ing Zina Garrison, Stan Smith, Tony Trabert, Jim Loehr, Dick Gould, Raz and Kerry and women's teams, respectively.
Reid, Roscoe Tanner and Dick Stockton have worked with the juniors in Jamaica.

August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 17


News You Can Use!
Our favorite
time of the
year! The US
Open in our
backyard …
plus all the
Jolyn de Boer
surrounding
action including the TTC,
TIA Tennis Forum and cel-
ebration of the industry’s
new Hall of Fame.
With several key initia-
tives under way, we are
pleased to report that the
number of facilities partic-
ipating continues to
grow—TWCs are at
2,345; Cardio Tennis sites,
1,669; and QuickStart Ten-
nis sites, 820—as does
the traffic for both Con-
sumers and Providers
through the website
GrowingTennis.com.
And while the economy is
challenging, there are
many new tools and serv-
ices to help save you
money. Online enrollment,
TennisInsure, TennisCon-
nect, just to name a few,
have already helped hun-
dreds of businesses with
their bottom line.
As always, thanks for your
support and involvement!
To find out
about getting
a copy of The
Tennis Mar-
ketplace,
visit Ten-
nisIndus-
try.org or
call toll-
free 866-
686-3036.
18 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
T I A N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8
NEWS & UPDATES
TIA Tennis Forum
Second Annual Forum To Be in NYC on Aug. 25
T
he TIA and USTA will share the news in tennis at the second annual TIA Tennis
Forum, presented by Tennis Magazine, on Monday, Aug. 25, at the Grand Hyatt in New
York City, in conjunction with the 38th Annual USTA
Tennis Teachers Conference.
The hour-long Forum, which is free to attendees, will cel-
ebrate the sport and serve as a rallying point for the indus-
try. Topics will include the latest research in tennis, an
overview of key USTA and industry initiatives, and other
news in the sport. In addition, we’ll announce the inaugu- Some of the speakers at the event include:
ral class of inductees for the new Tennis Industry Hall of Q USTA President Jane Brown Grimes
Q TIA President Dave Haggerty
“Last year’s Forum was an important opportunity to Q USTA Community Tennis Chief Executive
Fame.
Kurt Kamperman
Q Tennis Magazine Group Publisher Jeff Williams
come together and present the facts and our unified mis-
sion of tennis growth,” says TIA President Dave Haggerty.
“This year, we look forward to sharing the news about tennis participation, equipment sales, league
play and much more, including key research that can help your business. Also, we’re pleased to
announce our first Tennis Industry Hall of Fame class, honoring those who have made a significant
“Last yearʼs TIA Tennis Forum was very
impact on the sport.” (See below.)
informative for me. I learned a lot of inside weathering the overall economic climate. “We
Some of the research will include how tennis is
information about the state of tennis,
especially how we can bring more people
know there are many challenges for retailers and
into the game and keep them playing on a manufacturers,” says TIA Executive Director Jolyn
regular basis."
—Jorge Andrew, Tennis Director, still going out to play tennis, which is certainly a
de Boer. “But our research shows that people are
Lexington County (S.C.) Tennis Complex
bright spot in this industry.”
“I thought the 2007 Forum was extremely
productive. Attendees had an opportunity
The Forum will start at 9 a.m. in Manhattan Ball-
to see how everyone in TENNIS is work-
room at the Grand Hyatt (immediately following
ing together to grow the game!”
the 8:30 a.m. USTA awards presentation). Admis-
—Delaine Mast, National Director,
sion is free and includes breakfast for all registered
WTT Recreational Leagues
attendees, along with an information packet. There
“It was great to hear about all the industry also will be able to
will be a question-and-answer session. Attendees
statistics and the game plan for going for-
ward. I am better able to try to develop
submit questions for TIA Tennis Forum at the TTC
my clubʼs programs and plans in line with any speaker that will Aug. 25, 9-10 a.m., Grand Hyatt,
those initiatives and goals.” then be answered Manhattan Ballroom
—Bruce Levine, General Manager, online in an open For more information or to register,
Courtside R.C., Lebanon, N.J. go to tennisindustry.org/forum.
forum.
New Tennis Industry Hall of Fame to Debut
The Tennis Industry Hall of Fame, honoring individuals who have made a significant impact on tennis, will
induct its inaugural class at the TIA Tennis Forum held during the USTA TTC in New York City on Aug. 25.
HoF candidates, considered from the 1960s to the present, do not have to be TIA members or representa-
tives from member companies. Categories include Inventors, Founders, Innovators and Contributors who are
well-recognized within their field for their accomplishments.
The Tennis Industry Hall of Fame will annually honor those who have played a key role in this industry. For
more information, visit www.TennisIndustry.org/HoF or call the TIA at 866-686-3036.
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org
 TIA NEWS

Growing Tennis News

Attention Facilities, Retailers, Court Contractors…

P
lease help the tennis industry by answering a few questions from Sports Marketing Surveys about your business. All
answers will be confidential and used only as part of larger data collection. Also, you’ll automatically be entered to
win a $200 gift certificate from Amazon.com. Visit www.TennisIndustry.org/surveys.

Chicago Cardio Tennis Group Sheds 45 Pounds In 90 Minutes

C
hicago’s Midtown Tennis Club was the scene of a Cardio Ten-
nis extravaganza in May for 176 beginning players. On aver-
age, each participant burned about 900 calories in
90 minutes—for the
group, that was the
Healthier, Happier and Hooked
June Woodward has been a Cardio Tennis about 45 pounds.
equivalent of shedding

regular at Chicagoʼs Midtown Racquet

Club since the program started four years
The fun but intense
ago. In that time, the 63-year-old Aus-
Cardio Tennis workout
tralian native has lost 103 pounds! took place on 18 of
“I started off doing Car-
Midtown’s courts. “All
dio Tennis when I was
overweight and it
of the courts were in

inspired me to want to
unison, doing the exact

get quicker on the court,”

same drills at the same

she says. “I like the pro-

time,” says Butch Staples, head tennis professional at Midtown. “It looked very syn-
gram because you can
chronized and orchestrated and that added to the impact. It made people feel like
do the tennis that you
like but itʼs also a really
they were part of a big happening.”

fun workout. I am now much faster and I

Midtown was one of the first facilities in the U.S. to offer Cardio Tennis when

feel much better doing it.”

the program was created by the TIA in 2004. “When we started the program, we

Woodward is just one of many Cardio par-

ticipants who has seen a remarkable
change in their fitness. “I was just hooked,”
she says. “And I donʼt plan on stopping
anytime soon.”
offered a month of free Cardio Tennis to
get people hooked. We held classes nine Do you or someone you know have what it
times a week,” Staples says. “Now we takes to be the Cardio Tennis Player or
charge $16 a class and offer 20 classes Facility of the Month? E-mail your story to
a week. About 200 people participate in Amanda@tennisindustry.org. If featured,
youʼll win a special CT package.
Cardio Tennis every week.”

TWC of the Month: Family Circle Tennis Center

Upcoming Schedule
• June 27: USPTA Cardio Tennis Specialty

W
here can you find a $15 million award-winning public tennis facility with
Course, Lafayette, La. (email Michele@
17 lighted courts, a 10,200-seat stadium, year-round tennis programs
and tournaments for all ages, and the oldest Tier I women’s pro event cardiotennis.com for more information)
• Aug. 25: TIA Tennis Forum, Grand Hyatt,
NYC (register at tennisindustry.org/forum)
in the U.S.? At The Family Circle Ten-

• Aug. 26: Tennis Welcome Center Business

nis Center.

& Technology Workshop, New York, N.Y.

The FCTC, 10 miles from down-
• September TBA: Tennis Welcome Center
town Charleston, S.C., was named
one of the Top 50 Tennis Welcome Business & Technology Workshop, Los
Angeles
• Oct. 3-4: Cardio Tennis Workshop, Boston
Centers for 2007. When the TWC

(register at growingtennis.com)
program began in 2004, the center

• Oct. 18: Tennis Welcome Center Business

was one of the first to sign on. “We
& Technology Workshop, Hilton Head
are constantly changing, adding or
deleting programs,” says Rob Island, S.C.
• Oct. 25: USPTA Cardio Tennis Specialty
If you would like to be highlighted as a Ten- Course, Phoenix (email Michele@car-
Eppelsheimer, FCTC director. “When

nis Welcome Center of the Month, contact
Amanda@tennisindustry.org and tell us
how your club is leading the charge in the
growth of the sport.
diotennis.com for more information)
we became a TWC, our junior pro-
Canʼt get to a workshop listed here? Let us
gramming changed toward more
grassroots offerings, and we saw a
come to you. Visit partners.cardiotennis.com,
dramatic increase in all junior pro- click on “training” and “special requests.”
gramming.”

Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 19
 Preparing for Problems
Creating a “Maintenance Information Center” will
help you and your staff resolve crises easier.
BY ROD HECKELMAN

Y
ou’re at dinner with friends and
enjoying a wonderful evening out
when suddenly the waiter
approaches you and informs you that you
have an urgent call. It’s from your front-
desk manager, who has been trying to
reach you because of a broken pipe that
is flooding the facility. Your evening is
shot, and so are the next few days trying
to recover from the damage.
Could all of this have been prevent-
ed? Maybe the maintenance staff needs
to be on-hand 24/7? Maybe they were on
hand, but a plumber was needed. Maybe
the managers need to know how to fix
anything that goes wrong.
Or maybe you need to reevaluate your
method of managing. That’s a bitter pill
to swallow, but even the best of man-
agers can come up short on the subject of
maintenance. We can have the best per-
sonnel and the best contacts in the indus- Every piece of machinery, equipment or Tag the breakers so that any employee knows
try, but without a proper emergency appliance has a manual. Usually, these manu- what breaker affects what area of the club.
response procedure in place, we will fall als are locked away and unavailable to your You must be specific; there is no room for
victim to the unexpected. The fact is, even maintenance crew. Set up the files in the order error. They sell systems that can help you
with a great emergency plan, you will still of a combination of alphabetical and usage. trace the outlets and switches to the proper
have issues. As an example, if your freezer goes on the breakers.
fritz, the manual and any other information Now chart your plumbing. There are prob-
MAINTENANCE CENTRAL would be filed under “F” for freezer, but also ably many valves that operate within your
There is a solution. Start by creating a under “R” for restaurant. It is important to water system. If a shower breaks, do you have
complete “maintenance information cen- make sure that the manuals are available in a valve that would allow you to turn off that
ter.” If you don’t think you need this, ask all the languages that are used by your shower, or the shower area? If a main pipe
yourself, “If a maintenance person on employees. were to break, would your staff know how to
staff were to leave suddenly, how much turn off the water to the entire facility? How
information would go with him?” If the CHARTING YOUR CLUB about the fire sprinkler system? Do they know
answer is, “any at all,” then you need a The next most helpful thing in case of an where the alarms are, and the valves that
maintenance information center. emergency is the implementation of charts. need to be turned off once the fire is put out?
Essentially the maintenance informa- Charting your club can be broken down into Plumbing also includes what is going out
tion center is all-encompassing. All of the three sections. One chart would cover the of your club. If a toilet overflows, does every-
manuals, charts and specialty tools are in electrical. Large buildings can have many dif- body know how to turn it off? If you get a
this location. Start putting this depart- ferent panel boxes housing breakers for differ- sewage backup, will the staff know who to
ment together with copies of all the man- ent sections of the building. Knowing which call and then be able to direct the emergency
uals. Note that you want to make copies, breaker covers which switch and which plug is plumbers to the right locations, such as the
but keep the originals in the main office. not only helpful, but also can be a life-saver. clean-outs?

August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 21

 HEATING AND A/C
The other chart of importance would be
one that clearly demonstrates how your
ventilation systems function. Where is the
A/C hooked up and where does the duct-
work run? A large building can have sev-
eral units on top of the building that are
dedicated to various rooms. Map out
which unit covers which space, along
with the seasonal servicing these units
need.
If you have a number of employees
working in your maintenance depart-
ment, you will need to create a system to
control inventory of the tools and equip-
ment. Nothing is more frustrating than
not having the right tool for the right job.
If you have a growing club, or a very
large club, over the years you will find it
both cost- and time-efficient to buy the
equipment rather than rent or hire some-
one to perform a task. Carpet cleaners,
tile cleaners, special steam cleaners, court
cleaners, paint sprayers and many gar-
dening tools often can become part of
22 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
your inventory so that you can take care of
many projects on your own. If you are going
to spend the money to invest in these items,
you need to spend the time to make sure they
are always kept in good working condition
and properly stored.
REPAIR RECORDS
Speaking of storing, you need to do the same
with the information that is collected when
items are repaired. Every time something
breaks and is repaired, a record should be
kept of how that action was performed. If you
take the time to analyze this data, you would
notice that usually the same things break
around the facility. It could be the handles on
the showers, certain parts on the exercise
equipment, or the sprinklers in the gardens.
The more usage you have, the more likely cer-
tain things will break.
Besides making sure you have plenty of
replacement parts, write down the steps taken
to repair these items so that anyone in the
maintenance department can fix them. This
will also provide a record that may lead to
some changes in your operation, or at least
changes in how a certain item functions.
This approach means more paperwork
for a manager, but in the end, it’s either
more paperwork or more interrupted late
evenings or nights. Mitigate the paper load
by using a computer spreadsheet to track
this data.
It may seem a daunting task at first to
put together all the manual, charts and
repair procedures for your facility, but
spending the time now will save you time—
and money—later. Q
Rod Heckelman is the general
manager and tennis pro at the
Mount Tam Racquet Club in
Marin County, Calif., where he
has been for the last 31 years.
His career in the industry start-
ed in 1967 at the famed John
Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch. In 1970, when Gar-
diner opened his resort on Camelback Moun-
tain in Scottsdale, Ariz., Heckelman, at age 20,
became one of the youngest head pros in the
country. He created the “Facility Manager’s
Manual” based on his years of experience in
the tennis business.
☺ INDUSTRY People
Embree Sees
Solid Team,
Edgy Brand
Driving
Prince
BY CYNTHIA SHERMAN

T
ennis industry veteran John Embree
has been president of Prince Americas
since this spring, and he’s been
putting the wheels into motion as he
works toward his goals for the Prince
brand. Embree says he’s been assessing
what’s working and what’s not working,
but that it all comes down to the “Prince
team” of employees as the driving force
determining the brand’s success.
To make Prince the market leader, “All
categories have to be firing at full efficien-
cy,” says Embree. “Everything going on
now translates to having a special 2009.
Energizing the sales force and adding some
critical people to the team will make a dif-
ference. Our sales reps have to become
experts at all levels.”
Among his goals are capitalizing on O3
technology. Embree says more and more
touring pros are using Prince racquets, and
he wants to build on that theme. “Our
performance racquets are the fuel that dri-
ves the engine and the opportunities to
further enhance the player side of the busi-
ness are tremendous. We’ll be even more
attentive to what the players’ needs are.”
For the past four years, Embree has
been a part owner of the specialty apparel
brand Bälle de Mätch. Before that, he
spent more than 17 years with Wilson
Sporting Goods, where he rose to the posi-
tion of vice president and general manager
of Wilson’s global racquet sports division
before leaving in 2003.
Embree is a proponent of building a
brand from the grassroots. With Prince,
he’s keen on finding talented kids to use
the brand to form a solid core of players,
and he cites the Prince Plugged In pro-
gram as one that attracts and develops
junior players who will become part of
the Prince family. The PPI program con-
nects more than 50 high-performance
tennis academies into one network,
where players and coaches share tips and
strategies while competing in round-
robin team competitions.
In coming months, Embree says a
new Prince branding campaign will
attract younger, more aggressive players.
“We’re reinventing Prince as it relates to
energy, grassroots and kids, and we’re
coming across more edgy,” he says.
To reach the younger consumer,
Embree sees using a wide range of tac-
tics. For instance, Prince’s presence on
Facebook encourages users to have an
open dialogue about products, programs
and ads, and YouTube has all the Prince
TV spots.
Another branding foray for Prince is
teaming up with Nintendo to introduce
Prince racquets for the Wii. “Here, Prince
has developed a racquet that encourages
kids to get off the couch,” says Embree.
“They like playing on screen, maybe it
gets them from the video game to sport-
ing goods stores. It’s great for the brand
and the sport of tennis.
“All these benefits are growing the
game,” he says. “Making tennis more
mainstream. It’s all part of Prince’s effort
to develop a cooler brand—more cutting
edge—and represents a departure from
traditional tennis marketing avenues.” Q

August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 23


Community
Holabird’s ‘Shoes
for Grades’ Makes a
Difference for Students
BY MARY HELEN SPRECHER
O
ne racquet sports equipment store has
the secret of motivating teenagers to
get better grades: athletic shoes.
“There’s probably no piece of clothing
that means more to high school kids than
those shoes,” says Doug Crusse, marketing
director of Holabird Sports in Baltimore, Md.
“It’s their status symbol.”
Crusse’s pilot program, Shoes For Grades,
was implemented in 12 Baltimore high
schools this past academic year. The plan
was simple: If students could bring up their
GPA by one full point during a designated
grading period, they could win a free pair of
name-brand athletic shoes valued up to
$100. (Straight-A students could qualify by
maintaining their GPA.) Crusse worked with
school-system officials to identify areas
where the promise of free shoes would
make a difference.
In some locations, he says, “If a kid
wants new shoes, it’s just a trip to the mall.
But there are places where it’s not that easy.
This is a way of teaching those kids, here’s
what hard work can get you.”
As a result of the program, 833 students
received free shoes. Holabird Sports part-
nered with Sports Boosters of Maryland,
which raised funds, and New Balance provid-
ed discounted shoes. Among participating
institutions, Dr. Samuel L. Banks High School
24 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
SERVICE
From left:
Gomes, Principal
Anthony Harold,
and students
Cheikhouna
Nounez and
Katelyn Zissimos.
had the most students win shoes—151 stu-
dents out of 648, or 23.3 percent of the
student population.
Other Baltimore organizations showed
support. Under Armour supplied each stu-
dent at Banks with clothing as a reward.
The Baltimore Orioles threw in a night at the
ball game for the school’s entire population,
“everyone from the students to the faculty
to the cafeteria people,” says Crusse.
Dr. Catherine Gomes, dean of student
support services at Banks, says the program
raised the bar for students. “The best part
was that it motivated not only the straight-A
types, but the average students. They could
all work for this.”
City school officials have embraced the
idea as well, according to Deb Silcox, direc-
tor of partnerships for Baltimore City Public
Schools. “It is important that we move
beyond the norm and think creatively in
determining ways to motivate students,” Sil-
cox says. “Shoes for Grades accomplishes
that goal—innovative thinking with positive
results.”
Crusse hopes to offer the program next
year. “I think the fact that 833 students
raised their grades is incredible,” he says.
“For these kids to do the right thing, with
the pressures they’re under these days,
that’s wonderful.” Q
 FACILITY MANAGEMENT
After a change in ownership, the Circle C Tennis Club in Texas was
forced to revamp how it operated. Here’s how the facility achieved
success. BY FERNANDO M. VELASCO
ack in 2000, my wife and I decided to move to Austin,
B Texas, where our four children and three grandchildren
were living. At that time, I was employed in a well-paid posi-
tion at a country club in Boca Raton, Fla., but we wanted to be clos-
er to our family.
Thanks to the referral of a friend, I was offered a teaching pro
position at the Circle C Tennis Club in Austin. In addition to teach-
ing tennis, I also helped at the front desk and assisted with some
administrative duties. A year later, when the club manager decid-
ed to leave to build his own tennis club, I was asked to take over
the duties of general manager and director of tennis.
The developer of Circle C Ranch and its surrounding areas was
happy to have the tennis club as an added amenity to his devel-
opment. Since the area was growing rapidly and the homes were
selling with success, he assured me that he would cover all deficits
the club might incur. In the first six months of operation, the club
had a net loss of $66,000; in 2002, the loss was $81,000; in 2003,
$93,000; in 2004, $73,000, and in 2005, $32,000. True to his
word, the developer covered all shortfalls. But in September 2005,
the developer filed for bankruptcy and we were left on our own.
A new developer bought the property and gave me the reins to
run the club with the understanding that he would offer no finan-
cial help. I had a great staff, programs were strong, and member-
ship was growing. I was determined to keep the club from going
under. In 2006 we had a minimal loss of $132, and in 2007, we
turned the corner with a positive net income of $16,000.
How did we do it? Here are a few tips that may help you to pro-
mote your club and make it financially stable:
26 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
1. Have Faith and Trust
I believe that everything in life happens for a purpose. When we
arrived in Austin, we had the benefit of being close to our family
during times of crisis, including a family separation, death of two
step-grandchildren and one of our daughters being diagnosed with
cancer. We could not have dealt with those issues as effectively
from a distance.
2. Surround Yourself With Good Staff
We were blessed with an incredible, professional and trustworthy
staff—from our business manager to tennis pros, front desk staff
and child care staff, all of which treat the club as their family. We
listened to their experiences and allowed them to operate the club
and their programs with much TLC. They developed their pro-
grams to fit the needs of all ages and abilities of children and
adults.
3. Communicate With Staff
A key to our growth has been the constant communication
between the staff and me. I made an effort to keep all employees
informed of our club’s status. Many times some of us had to wait
to get paid until funds were available to cover our checks. They all
had the same faith and trust that one day the club would be a suc-
cessful one.
4. Expand Programming
All efforts were made to continue offering programs that were
well-attended, and we encouraged the creation of new programs
to build membership. As a result, our clinics and lessons were well- nesses for a donation in exchange for an advertisement in the
supported by members, even on the coldest or hottest days. Orig- form of a banner that would be displayed at our club for a year.
inally we had only two member categories: Family and Singles. We They were also promised an advertisement spot on our website.
added four more—Senior Family, Senior Single, Junior Executive We raised an additional $15,000 to cover the project.
and Junior Players—and in the process created a new market of
players and club members.
8. Write Your Business Plan
5. Go After Beginners All of these would not have been possible without writing and fol-
We took advantage of the TIA’s co-op funding to promote begin- lowing a business plan. This plan had “back-up” options in the
ner lessons. At first, I was skeptical about starting a beginner pro- event the original plan was not successful. I wrote four phases to
gram. But I decided to take a chance and I complete these projects and once each
personally gave every one of the lessons in Stay True to Your Mission plan was finished, I revised the next plan.
which for $60 (now we charge $75) begin- At Circle C Tennis Club, we truly believe in So far, we’ve completed the first three
ners received six one-hour group sessions. and follow our mission statement, which is phases and are into our fourth phase.
Also, during that time, they could use the posted in the club and published in our One of the areas that needed improve-
demos, ball machine, the club, and child newsletter each year. Our goal is to follow ment was our visibility with prospective
care. it every day when we come to work. If you members and players. We redesigned our
The first year, I taught more than 130 don’t have an actual mission statement for website, improved our newsletter coverage
players, of which 33 families joined the your facility, gather your staff and trusted and communicated almost weekly via
club. The second year, I taught 180 players members and put one together. emails, reminding members of tourna-
and 55 families joined. They not only took ments, complimentary Cardio Tennis clin-
the lessons and bought racquets, shoes and Circle C Tennis Club ics and special events. Our website grew
clothes, but they also brought their spouses Mission Statement
and children to the programs. And our Q To retain the present membership and
from 13,300 hits in 2005, to 19,008 in
2007.
leagues grew from six to 15. attract new members to join Circle C
Tennis Club. 9. Believe in Your Club
6. Believe in Yourself Q To provide members with a complete Once all projects were completed, phase
Within a few years our membership grew tennis program. To meet their needs three included raising initiation fees in con-
from 40 to 178. But it was time to take ranging from beginner level to advanced junction with raising monthly dues. We
chances. Previously, we never charged initi- tournament level. haven’t had any problem bringing in new

only needed to join on a monthly basis and Q To develop a junior tournament program
ation fees when players joined. A player members with the new fees nor have
members left because of the dues increase.
they could leave the club at any time. that attracts the best junior players. They trusted us with their investment and
In March 2006, I sent a letter to mem- Q To maintain the tennis facilities in the we have fulfilled their trust and faith in us.
bers indicating that if they wished to con- best conditions possible.
10. Keep Looking Ahead
re-join by paying a one-time non-refundable Q To prevent possible injuries to both
tinue playing at the club, they needed to
Good managers and directors of tennis
“initiation fee” in addition to their monthly members and staff caused by careless- need to look at the past, present and future
dues. Our goal was to generate $31,000 to ness. of their club. One must stay focused on the
resurface eight courts, replace windscreens Q To meet budget goals. daily needs of each member while continu-

We gave members 15 days to respond, Q To offer friendly and sincere service.

and paint light poles.
and by the 16th day, we had received com-
mitments for $32,000 worth of initiation
fees. We lost only eight members in the process. All projects were
completed by June and the club looked fantastic and had become ing by being an active promoter of the game and your facility. Q
something staff and members alike were proud of.
7. Listen to Your Members
Once the courts were completed, several members questioned
why we did not charge a higher initiation fee originally, which
would have generated enough money to include blacktopping the
parking lot. I sent another letter to members, asking for a “volun-
tary donation” to cover the cost of this project. Our goal was to
raise $32,000 and after 20 days, we received commitments for
$20,000.
To make up the difference, I approached vendors, sponsors,
real-estate agents, restaurants, car dealers and other local busi-
ing to look for ways to improve in all areas,
whether it is improving staff, programs,
facility, merchandising, or simply keeping
the club safe, healthy and clean.
In short, follow your instinct, have faith and keep tennis grow-
Fernando Velasco is the general manager and direc-
tor of tennis at the Circle C Tennis Club in Austin,
Texas. A USPTA Master Professional since 1984, he
was the first recipient of the USPTA National "Pro of
the Year" Award in 1976. He is also a Master PTR
Professional. There are only seven tennis pros in the
world who have been recognized by both the USPTA and PTR as
Master Pros. A member of the Wilson Premiere Advisory Staff,
Velasco has been ranked in the National USPTA, PTR, and the USTA
in the different age divisions since 1970.

August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 27

 SPORTS INJURIES

Knowing the types of injuries your

customers may encounter, and when
to send them to a specialist, can
keep them playing longer.
BY MARY HELEN SPRECHER
obody wants to be laid up because of an injury. And as a A few of the more common tennis-related injuries and condi-

N tennis pro, you certainly want to keep your customers and

students as healthy as possible. But tennis is not without its
aches and pains.
tions Wilckens sees includes:

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis):

Let’s face it: Any time a player is on the court longer than usual,
or plays against someone who moves faster and hits harder, dis-
comfort is going to follow.
But there has to be a way to draw the line between the out-too-
long and hit-too-many-smashes kind of pain, and the kind that
says, Uh-oh. See a doctor. Right?
Of course, says John Wilckens, M.D., chief of orthopedics at
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. Wilckens
sees his share of sports-related injuries every year, including those
resulting from on-court incidents and accidents.
If a player comes to a pro to seek advice concerning an injury
(or if that player is simply worried about a symptom and wonder-
ing whether or not to see a doctor), says Wilckens, “the important
thing to do is to decide whether this is pain or whether this is sim-
ply discomfort.” Discomfort, he notes, can come from trying
something new, or from playing more vigorously than normal.
Also, in general, discomfort is something that will go away once a
player has stopped doing (or overdoing) that new activity.
Pain, on the other hand, is different. “When you have sharp
pain, or pain associated with swelling, you should see a sports
medicine doctor,” says Wilckens.
Everyone has heard of it, but the problem is that the term has been
misused to mean any forearm pain that crops up in tennis players.
True tennis elbow involves pain in the outside (lateral area) of the
elbow, just below the bend of the elbow itself. It is a gradual prob-
lem that grows more painful if left untreated. The patient eventu-
ally will feel pain not only during athletic activity, but when lifting
or bending the arm even to grasp small or light objects.
Wilckens advises players who have been diagnosed with ten-
nis elbow to meet with their pro. “Generally, [tennis elbow results
from something] secondary to their game—usually the person’s
backhand technique or the grip size on their racquet.” Pros should
see firsthand both the racquet and the stroke before making a deci-
sion, he notes, since a combination of the two may be at fault. Sta-
tistically, players who have a two-handed backhand are less likely
to suffer from tennis elbow, although that may not be the best
technique for every player.
The good news is that the majority of tennis elbow cases can
be treated with rest (perhaps the most important cure of all), ice
and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibupro-
fen or Aleve. Sometimes, players find relief by using special sports
support bands that fasten around the arm, just below the elbow. A

28 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008

sports medicine specialist can prescribe some gentle stretching
exercises to help limber and strengthen the joint area when play
resumes. In the most severe cases, such as when an individual can-
not do his or her day-to-day work without pain, cortisone injections
or surgery might be recommended. For the most part, however,
says Wilckens, the ice, rest and over-the-counter meds are
effective.
Rotator cuff injuries:
“A lot of club players develop shoulder pain,” says Wilckens. Many
times, that pain can be traced to rotator cuff injuries. The rotator
cuff is comprised of the tendons and muscles that cover the shoul-
der joint.
Sports that involve repetitive motion—such as tennis, swim-
ming, baseball, and golf—can lend themselves to overuse injuries
in varying degrees. These injuries range from impingement, which
occurs when the shoulder blade rubs or “impinges” on the rotator
cuff when the arm is lifted, to the most severe: a complete tear. A
mild injury may only require rest and oral medication, sometimes
combined with physical therapy. A tear can require surgery and a
more protracted recovery period. A doctor can decide the severity
of the injury and the treatment required.
Back injuries:
According to Wilckens, there are two kinds of tennis players who
suffer from back pain: quite young, and middle-aged and up.
“We see it in very young players—12 or 13 years old—who
commonly hyperextend their backs,” he says. “It can result in
stress fractures in the lower back.” Pros and instructors should
keep an eye out for exaggerated, arched posture, particularly when
beginners and other young players are serving—it’s a dead give-
away. Back pain in middle-aged and older players (ages 45 to 60),
meanwhile, tends to be caused by degenerative disc problems that
are worsened by the twisting or shifting of the body that tennis can
naturally bring.
The good news? According to Wilckens, kids can be taught cor-
rect on-court posture to prevent injuries (and can sit out a season
to heal anything that might be hurt). Even better, older players,
including those who have had lower back injuries, “can continue
their tennis careers for years,” provided they stretch properly,
remain limber, rest when necessary and have a doctor’s approval.
Knee problems:
Knee pain can by a symptom of a meniscus tear (also known as
torn cartilage) as well as ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) or MCL
(medial collateral ligament) injuries—along with a host of others. A
sports medicine specialist can evaluate where and how badly the
knee hurts and during which specific activities, and can decide
how to proceed. Because treatment for various injuries can range
from rest and over-the-counter medications all the way up to
surgery, it’s important to get that advice from an expert.
Tennis Leg:
Here’s a case where an injury looks and feels truly alarming, but
doesn’t have terrible long-term ramifications, according to Wilck-
ens. A player in mid-game will feel a “pop” followed by pain in the
upper calf area that causes him or her to limp off the court. By the
next day, the area is swollen and/or discolored, usually prompting
the player to go to the nearest emergency room. The diagnosis?
Tennis leg, a tear of the gastrocnemius muscle.
The name, notes Wilckens, is actually misleading, since the
condition “really has nothing to do with the sport of tennis.” Unfor-
tunately, it just happens to be one of those things that has cropped
up in tennis players in the midst of a game. Theories abound on
the reason for this, with one of the most popular being that the
changes of direction a player makes during a game can stress the
muscle. As distressing a condition as it is, claims Dr. Wilckens, ten-
nis leg “usually resolves on its own. It can take about a week before
a person is able to walk comfortably.”
Be aware, though: A non-medically trained person may con-
fuse the symptoms of tennis leg with any number of other injuries,
including sprains, strains, Achilles tendonitis, or even a ruptured
Achilles tendon. And no, not all problems will fix themselves. Hav-
ing any injury looked at promptly is always in the player’s best
interest.
What the doctor orders
Wilckens particularly recommends that injured athletes seek out
sports medicine specialists. These doctors, he believes, have an
advantage over regular physicians, since they are familiar not only
with athlete-related injuries and conditions but more importantly,
with the mentality of the athlete who doesn’t want to stop working
out for fear of losing his or her hard-won physical fitness.
“Sports medicine doctors will engage the athlete and will let
them know when they can expect the injury to be better,” he says.
“They’ll give the patient exercises and cross-training activities so
that they don’t lose their conditioning. They’ll help the person out-
line their experience and goals and
they can work with them.” Sports
medicine specialists can also sup-
ply athletes with special stretches
and techniques aimed at helping
them avoid a recurrence of their
problems.
Sure, there are always going
to be those whom Wilckens refers
to as “knuckleheads”—the hardcore
athletes who want to play through
pain. And pros can help keep an eye out
for them. Just look for those players
whose altered gait, posture or stroke can
indicate that they are suffering from dis-
comfort, or even from outright pain. A few
tactful words of advice can help point an
injured player in the right direction.
Preventive maintenance, particularly
as athletes age, is imperative, says Wilck-
ens. Core conditioning, stretching prior
to play, paying attention to various aches
and pains—and above all, resting and
recuperating when necessary—can help
keep players on the court right through
their later years. Although he does not rec-
ommend a particular type of surface, he
advises patients to know their limits and
their comfort zone. With that in mind, he
says, they can go back out on the court
for years to come. Q
August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 29
 CUSTOMER SERVICE

From the tennis pro to the shop staff to the maintenance crew,
everyone can help ensure that students have not only a great tennis
lesson, but also a wonderful experience. BY DAVE KENSLER
n our business, customer service is crucial to success. Especially service—is what happens during the tennis lesson itself. Customer

I now, when tennis participation has been growing, it’s important

that we service these players both on and off the court in a way
that will ensure that they keep coming back—and keep playing
tennis.
I often read articles in a wide range of tennis publications
emphasizing the importance of customer service—from the check-
in process at the desk, to communicating with members, to the
types of services and products offered in a tennis shop. But rarely
mentioned—and one of the most important aspects of customer
service during a tennis lesson involves more than just good instruc-
tion and hitting lots of balls.
For instance, how often do you think about what your students
are paying on a per minute basis for instruction? If you’re charging
$60 per hour for a private lesson, ask yourself, would you pay $1
per minute to learn a skill? If you were the student, what would you
expect on a per minute basis over the hour?
The teaching professional is the most obvious person who can
contribute to excellent customer service during a tennis lesson. But

30 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008

depending on your situation, others can have a hand in this as
well, such as the staff person at the desk, and even the mainte-
nance/landscaping person, if they are working at the time. Here’s
a look at each of these people and their customer-service
opportunities.
The Teaching Pro
The goal of a tennis professional during a lesson should be to cre-
ate a positive experience for the student, not just provide tennis
knowledge, stroke analysis and make them sweat. Just because
the tennis pro is sharing all their wisdom and lots of balls are
being hit does not mean the student is having a good experience.
Here is what the tennis professional can do to ensure great cus-
tomer service.
Safety: There is nothing more important than the safety of the
student. Providing a safe environment for taking a tennis lesson is
supreme customer service. This means being aware of tennis balls
scattered around the court that the student (or pro) can step on
and become injured.
Awareness of the weather and temperature and how they
impact the student are paramount to excellent customer service.
Make sure your student takes enough water breaks; let them have
any benefit of shade on the court and not have to look directly
into the sun. Naturally, the drills used should be safely within the
student’s abilities.
Ball Collection: Whether the pro teaches from a ball machine,
shopping cart or small hopper, at some point during the instruc-
tion a ball collection will be needed. Whatever devices are avail-
able for ball collection (mower-type, hoppers, tubes, etc.), the first
offer to use them should be to the student, particularly so if there
is only one such device. If anyone has to bend over and pick up
the balls it should be the pro, not the student.
Personally, I like “tubes”—they are light, easy to handle for
juniors and adults, the most practical to move in and out of stor-
age and affordable, so essentially everyone can be using one.
Use Names and Proper Gender Identification: During a
recent vacation, I watched a pro teach a group clinic for nearly 20
minutes without mentioning the name of any of his students.
Instead, I heard phrases like, “Okay guys, the next drill is …” Yet
the students were all teenage girls!
Female students are not “guys,” just like male students aren’t
referred to as “gals.” If you need to refer to a group of people in a
clinic or lesson and are not going to use their individual names,
then the standard used by Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts is the best
one to follow: “ladies” and “gentlemen.” “Let’s have all the ladies
on Court One and all the gentlemen on Court Two.”
One summer I ran the tennis program at a camp for nearly
400 girls ages 8 to 17 and always referred to them as “ladies.” Not
a single girl complained to me about such a reference.
Start and Finish the Lesson On Time: Not starting and fin-
ishing lessons on time is one of the worst customer service sins in
the tennis teaching profession. The lesson belongs to the student,
not the teaching pro. The student is “purchasing” the time and
expertise of the pro and therefore has a right to expect the session
to begin and end punctually. If the student signs up for a lesson
from 4 to 5, then that is the time frame it should be given—not
4:05 to 5:05. In our cost-per-minute analysis, starting a lesson five
minutes late just cost the student $5.
Now, if the student arrives late, then the pro—depending on
their remaining schedule, and on the student’s available time after
the lesson—may have some options in extending the time so the
student gets their full time period. However, this extension should
not be done if it interferes with the next lesson.
It is up to the teaching pro to police themselves for lessons that
start late due to the pro's negligence. Personally, I feel a lesson
that starts late due to the fault of the pro should be given compli-
mentary to the student for the inconvenience it has caused them.
This is the worldwide policy for Peter Burwash International.
Have a Tennis Supply Kit Readily Available: What are some
of the common “mishaps” that can happen to a student during a
lesson? They start to get a blister. Their grip becomes slippery with
perspiration or they have a worn-out grip or overgrip. They start
to get a sunburn…the list goes on.
I keep a small bag of items handy to help resolve these issues.
My bag contains bandages, first-aid tape, sweatbands, spray-on
sunblock, vibration dampeners and a couple of overgrips. (If
someone is paying you good money for a private lesson, why not
give them a complimentary overgrip if they are having problems
holding on to their racquet?) In addition, extra racquets are also
helpful in case either my student or I break a string.
Shop Staff
How involved a shop staff person can become in a tennis lesson
will, of course, depend on the demands of working at the desk.
Let’s say the staff person has a few moments where the phones
are not ringing and no guests are in the shop.
A quick glance at the teaching courts will tell if extra towels,
water or cups are needed. Maybe a student needs a hat or visor
to protect them from the sun, or at least an offer of one. Ball col-
lections or water breaks can be a good opportunity to relay a mes-
sage to a student from a family member rather than interrupting
their hitting during a drill.
Maintenance/Landscaping Staff
Sometimes customer service is more about what is not done. One
of the primary complaints from tennis players is when mainte-
nance or staff uses loud machines (mowers, edgers, blowers) only
a few feet from the courts. Because this type of work often has to
be done on a set schedule, it can be difficult to change and adjust,
especially if the staff is required to work on other projects and at
different areas of the property.
But sometimes minor changes can help. For example, does
the mowing have to begin exactly at the moment the pro is doing
an introduction to the clinic? Maybe the staff can delay starting the
mowers by five minutes. Most tennis players find it more annoy-
ing trying to listen to someone talk over a loud noise than having
to hit tennis balls over the same noise. Perhaps the workers can
start at another part of the tennis area first, where guests are not
playing or the pro is not talking or demonstrating.
Those issues aside, even something as simple as the mainte-
nance staff picking up balls that have gone outside the courts can
be helpful. The more balls the student has to hit, the
better their experience. Q
Dave Kensler is a 26-year tennis professional with
Peter Burwash International.
August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 31
 PROGRAMMING FOR PROFIT
he name of my company is Programming For Profit. Isn’t
T that what we all want to achieve? Of course. But as you
become a tennis professional, you must take a good, hard
look at yourself, your market, and your business.
Just like any good business—a Fortune 500 or 1000 compa-
ny—after a generation of time, we must take a look at where we
have been, where we are now, and where we are going. We find
that in the tennis industry, our biggest challenge in the last 20
years has been to grow our sport and work at retaining our
players.
We now know that our market is very different from yester-
day, therefore our marketing strategies and programs must have
new dimensions. Today, we must do more than create great ten-
nis players. We need to concentrate on the enjoyment of the game
and offer tennis as a sport that will guarantee a happier, healthier
lifestyle. The whole concept of mind, body, spirit has come into the
sport of tennis.
Today the majority of our new market is well into their 40s—
and those 55 and over are coming in droves. They will be the
majority of the people who want us and need us most in the next
20 to 30 years. They are said to be in the “third third” of their lives,
and we will be responsible for giving them the quality of life that
they will need for the next three decades.
For this market, the physical aspect of the game may take a
32 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
With retention as the goal,
you need to communicate
and program effectively to
reach the players of today.
BY SANDY COFFMAN
back seat to the mind and spirit. In fact, our priorities must begin
with creating positive attitudes, self-esteem, and new beginnings
for people who are inexperienced, apprehensive, and feeling the
physical effects of aging. The good news is that they know they
need to exercise and they are looking for a way to have fun doing
it. We’re here. Let’s show them that we have the answer.
Here are some simple points to consider and effective tools to
make it all happen. We must first understand that our market of
today is far more educated than that of yesterday and far more
demanding of professional communication skills, respect, and
trustworthiness. The profile of today’s member is:
Q They NEED... health, exercise, fitness and an enjoyable way of
attaining it.
Q They WANT... a sense of belonging and acceptance.
Q They EXPECT... state-of-the-art equipment and instructor
expertise.
Q They DEMAND... service, which they equate to value for their
money.
Q They REACT... to attention.
Q They RESPOND... to leadership.
The Business of Response
People respond to people, and the first people they respond to are
you—their leaders. Psychologists tell us that people will make 11
decisions about you in seven seconds, so we must be able to give determine whether your clients will “enjoy” the lesson or
the ultimate first impression with how we greet our clients. It may not. If not, you’ll never see them again. Remember, too,
be the deciding factor of their participation. that leaders can’t motivate this market to practice or
There are five steps to a “professional greeting” that will estab- work by dictating to them. Leaders must create an envi-
lish a good relationship between you and your client right from the ronment that will make their clients want to motivate
beginning. Remember, it only takes seven seconds! Make it good. themselves. That will often occur as you are able to laugh
1. Smile: Friendliness, confi- with them and create a friendly,
dence, and a positive professional social experience.
personality is a must. For the last
Here are 10 “Magical Words” to
several years, we’ve been touting incorporate in your vocabulary. Programming,
the fact that we have to make tennis 1. Invite—Always personally “invite” your client to your class Retention,
“fun.” In order to make tennis fun, or clinic. and Communications
we have to hire “fun” people. Our 2. Join—Invite them to “join” people with similar interests, Let’s look at the word “social.” More
clubs and tennis programs must skill levels, personalities, ages, or genders. and more, you will find that private
provide energetic, enthusiastic, fun lessons will evolve into “group clin-
experiences. Without it, people will 3. Enjoy—People are looking for an experience to tell others ics and drill sessions.” In our world
quit. Statistics tell us that tennis par- about. The simple words, “You will ‘enjoy’ yourself” is of today, tennis has the opportunity
ticipation is on the upswing. We had encouraging. to create an atmosphere of fun and
better make some quality changes 4. Fun—People need fun in their lives and will do anything to friends in a fitness environment. If
in our welcome that will keep it find it. Tell them that they will have fun. Let them know it’s you can put people together in terms
moving upward. part of your tennis program. of interests, skill levels, schedules,
2. Aim your smile at some- personalities, ages, and genders, you
body: Eye contact is the toughest 5. Other People—The group concept creates the social ele- will surely be developing players for
part of the greeting, but the most ment and enjoyment. In our industry, it’s called “niche mar- life. People quit working at a sport,
important. Looking straight into keting,” and retention is the result of people finding a sense but they don’t quit friendships!
someone’s eyes tells them that you of belonging and a social commitment. The goal of programming is reten-
are focusing on them and caring 6. Want—Everyone needs to be “wanted.” Tell them so. It’s the tion. It will cost you four to six times
about what they are saying. It also power of verbiage. more to get a new client or member
helps you to not be preoccupied than it will to keep one. You can’t
with anything else, and to learn to 7. Need—Everyone wants to be “needed.” Tell them so. afford not to start building your busi-
give undivided attention to your 8. Help—People want to be part of success. Tell your clients ness to create the participation,
client. that they will be successful in their experience and that they growth, and retention from the mar-
3. Introduce yourself—first: I will help make you successful in your training efforts. ket of today and tomorrow—the
want you to be proud of yourself, market that wants you and needs
proud of your club, and proud of the 9. Terrific! Wonderful! Brilliant!—Show some enthusiasm! you most.
sport and industry you represent. 10. Guarantee—You must be able to “guarantee” that they As you look to grow your busi-
Take the initiative to show your will have FUN, they will ENJOY themselves, and that they ness and to grow the sport of tennis,
client that you are there to serve will meet OTHER PEOPLE like themselves. If you cannot guar- always be aware of your communi-
him or her and that you are confi- antee this, you may not be ready to run your program. cation skills and how you encourage
dent in yourself. Pride and confi- your members, overcome objec-
dence shows professionalism. In the tions, and how you use one program
corporate world it would called being “proactive.” Many instructors to promote another to achieve retention.
of today tell me that they want to be more “approachable.” I would The Professional Greeting and the 10 Magical Words are excel-
rather have them be more “approaching.” Take the initiative and lent tools to use as you hone your communication skills and devel-
make a good impression. op a professional personality that will help manage your business
4. Shake hands—as though you mean it: Shaking hands is more productively. Soon, you’ll be programming for profit, and
almost a lost art, but not with the market of today. They will be making a difference in peoples’ lives and in the entire tennis indus-
impressed with a professional handshake, and you will come try. You are the leaders of the next generation. Q
across as a professional communicator and an educated business
person. Sandy Coffman is president of Programming For Prof-
5. The Conversation: You are now ready to start managing it, a speaking and consulting firm in Bradenton, Fla.
your professional personality, building on your relationship, and She specializes in customer service, retention, and
selling your client into your lessons and programs. dynamite programming. With 30 years of experience,
Coffman is nationally and internationally acclaimed
a. Learn to give a compliment. It’s easy. A compliment is
as a featured presenter at USTA events, IHRSA, Club
given on either appearance or performance. Be aware of
Industry, Athletic Business, ICAA, and CanFitPro. She’s also authored
what to say to give your client a positive feeling of self-
articles and spoken at several universities. Coffman, who guarantees
esteem and self-worth. that her sessions are educational, motivational, and inspirational, can
b. Make a suggestion and take the role of a leader, not a be reached at SLCoffman@aol.com or 941-756-6921.
dictator. Remember that your personality will probably

August RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 33

 TRIPLE CROWN
DISTINGUISHED FACILITY-OF-THE-YEAR AWARDS
These three residential court winners are great
W
examples of excellent construction.
hen it comes to beautiful tennis settings, noth-
ing can compare with a private court project.
With only one owner to please, and often a
budget that can include many fine extras, court builders
really have a chance to show off their talents. And for the
builders of the three 2007 residential court winners of the
Racquet Sports Industry/American Sports Builders Associa-
tion Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards, that is
exactly the case.
Two of the three winning residential projects were new
construction. The upgrade, of the court at the Finley Resi-
dence of Paradise Valley, Ariz., was done mainly for aes-
thetic reasons, since the homeowner doesn’t play tennis.
The original asphalt court had fallen into disrepair and
clearly looked out of place in the spectacular, immaculate-
ly landscaped location. Access to the site was limited, so
the old surface couldn’t be removed, and equipment to
resurface the asphalt couldn’t be brought in. The contrac-
34 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
tor suggested a sand-filled synthetic turf, and the result was a
court as magnificent as its surroundings.
The cushioned hard court of the Balin Residence in Penn-
sylvania has lights, outdoor deck, “tennis house” with refriger-
ator and bathroom, backboard and basketball goal. The
contractor ran into a large bedrock vein through parts of the
court base and had to configure the layout, fence and some
posts to avoid it. Boulders that were dug from the court area
were reused in the landscaping, including for a large waterfall
next to the court.
The new private court in Boca Raton uses subsurface irriga-
tion for the fast-dry surface. Because of a nearby lake, the con-
tractor had to bring in extra fill to slope the ground away from
the court, and they laser-graded a swale into the base to allow
for proper drainage. They also graded a rock perimeter around
the court.
For the contractors, these award-winning projects are great
examples of excellent workmanship. —Peter Francesconi
Private Residence
Boca Raton, Fla.
(Nominated by Fast-Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)
Contractor: Fast-Dry Courts
Surface: Lee Tennis Hydroblend
Net Posts: J.A. Cissel
Windscreens: M. Putterman
Line Tapes: Lee Tennis
Finley Residence
Paradise Valley, Ariz.
(Nominated by General Acrylics Inc., Phoenix, Ariz.)
Specialty Contractor: General Acrylics Inc.
Surface: NGI Sports Pro Court XP
Net, Posts, Strap: Douglas Industries
For details on the
2008 Distinguished
Facility-of-the-Year
Awards, contact the
ASBA at 866-501-
ASBA or info@
sportsbuilders.org.

Balin Residence
Thorton, Pa.
(Nominated by Sportsline Inc., Exton, Pa.)
General Contractor: Sportsline Inc.
Surface: California Products Plexicushion
Net, Posts: Collegiate Pacific
Lighting: LSI Industries
Backboard: Bakko

August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 35

 GUIDE TO STRINGING MACHINES
B
uying a stringing machine is one of the most
important purchases you can make for your busi-
ness. It is also one of the most difficult. With the
plethora of machines, technologies, and features
available, selecting a machine is a daunting task.
Our Stringing Machine Selection Guide will guide you
through the minefields and help you choose the best
machine for your business. Below we explain the essential
machine features, and the chart on pages 38 to 41 displays
the features of almost every professional machine on the
market.
MOUNTING SYSTEMS
The chart lists machines with 2-, 4-, 5-, or 6-point mounting
systems. This refers to how many places they support the
frame. There are many subtle differences in mounting sys-
tems. The three most common types of mounting systems
are the 2-point, 4-point and 6-point, though each of them is
safe.
6-Point Mounting. Fans of 6-point systems will tell you that
more points of contact must be better. Six-point systems do
support the frame in more places, which means it is a little
easier to lock the racquet in place so it does not slide back
and forth during stringing. It also allows a better view of the
grommets at the head and throat of a racquet. Six-point sys-
tems can require fewer adapters for frames of different
shapes. Finally, some of these systems have side arms that
can be adjusted simultaneously, making it easier to center a
racquet.
2-Point & 4-Point Mounting. Fans of two-point and four-
point systems suggest that it is quicker to mount a racquet
on a these machines because there are fewer mounting
points to be adjusted. They will also say that these systems
offer more support at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock, (the two
most important points to support), because the amount of
surface contact with the frame is greater at these locations.
Turntable Lock. This allows you to stop the turntable in one
position. Helpful for calibrating, tying knots, and stringing
O3 and Rollers frames.
36 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2007
360o Rotation Turntable. Allows you to turn
the racquet all the way around during string-
ing.
3-D Rotation Turntable. Allows the turntable to
Stringway
tilt so that each string gets pulled straight through
MS200 T92
the grommet. This is designed to reduce the fric-
tion of the string against the grommet when
tension is being pulled.
Alpha
Revo
TENSIONING SYSTEMS
There are two main types of tensioning
systems available today—lockout and
constant pull. Lockout means that the
machine pulls the string to the desired ten-
sion and then locks the length of the string
until you clamp it and release the tension head.
So, as soon as you lock the length of the string, it
starts equalizing and losing tension. Constant-
pull machines pull the string to the desired ten-
sion, but when the string starts to equalize and
lose tension, it pulls a little more to stay at ref-
erence tension. Constant-pull machines gener-
ally achieve slightly higher stringbed stiffness
(we find the difference to be about 5 percent
to 10 percent).
Drop Weight. These machines use a lever
(with a weight attached to it) to pull tension on ATS
each string. Moving the weight on the bar deter- Traveler
mines how much tension it pulls. These
machines qualify as constant pull because the
weight continues to pull the string as the
string stretches.
Hand Crank. Tension is pulled by hand
crank. These machines lockout when the
desired tension has been reached.
Babolat
Electric. These machines require electricity to Star 5
pull tension. Most of these machines are con-
stant pull, but a few allow you to choose

between constant-pull and lockout
modes. Some offer multiple pull speeds
and a prestretch mode.
Gamma
8800 Els Linear Pull & Rotational
Tensioners. Machines that pull tension in a
straight line away from the machine are
said to be linear pull. The alternative is a
rotational tensioner, which wraps the
string around a spool, then rotates the
spool to pull tension on the string.
Diablo/Nosecone. The string is wrapped
around the diablo or nosecone before it is
Xtreme put in the tension head, allowing the ten-
RX-V2 sion head to grip the string more gently
and ensuring the string enters the tension
jaws at the same angle each time.
Foot Tension. Foot-activated tension head.
Manual Calibration. Allows you to adjust
Pacific (correct) the pulling force manually, as
Digital X8 opposed to a few machines that are
designed to calibrate themselves automati-
cally.
Diamond Coated
Tension Head. Grips the
string with less pressure.
Tension Sets. Three types: dial tension set,
+/- key tension set, and numeric keypad.
Knot Tensioning. The machine can be
instructed to pull the last string
before a knot tighter than the
reference tension to allow for
the tension that is lost
between the clamp and the
knot.
Silent Partner
Jive
CLAMPING SYSTEMS
The clamping system is meant to hold
strings in the racquet under tension. If
clamps slip, or allow strings to slip through
them, a string job can be ruined. There are
many different clamps, but all will fall into
one of three categories.
Flying Clamps. These clamps are not
attached to the machine. They use one
Yonex string to hold tension on another string.
ES5 Pro They generally do not hold tension as con-
sistently as the other two types of clamps.
The low price tag makes them attractive to
new stringers testing the waters.
Klipper
440-CS
Fixed Clamps that Swivel. These
clamps are attached to the machine
and can be turned in any direction,
especially helpful when stringing
fan patterns. They also allow you
to switch from main strings to
cross strings without having to
remove and replace glide bars. There
are two kinds: dual swivel, dual
action fixed clamps that require you
to lock two levers to clamp a string;
and dual swivel, single-action fixed
clamps that require you to lock
one lever. 360º glide bar clamps
are clamps that rotate 360
degrees, but they are mounted on
glide bars. Single swivel fixed refers
to machines with only one clamp
attached to the machine. Machines Mutual Power
Atlas 9600
with this type of clamp will generally
require a starting clamp or flying
clamp for part of each string job.
Fixed Clamps that Don't Swivel.
These are clamps that are attached
to the machine by glide bars, but
can only be turned in two direc-
tions (90 degrees and 0 degrees).
These require removing and repo-
sitioning glide bars to switch from
main strings to cross strings. Prince
5000
Diamond Dust. Holds a string with
less pressure, avoiding string crush-
ing but can scar surface of string if
they are adjusted too loosely and
allow the string to slip through them.
WEIGHT
Categories indicate whether
the machine weighs less than
50 pounds, between 50 and 75
pounds, or over 75 pounds. Heavier Tecnifibre
machines can be more stable and TF-8000
solid, but they can be less conve-
nient when moving or traveling.
TOOLS INCLUDED
This final category indicates
which supplies and tools are
included with the machine.
For descriptions of each
tool, see pages 9-10 of the
USRSA Racquet Service
Techniques book. Q
Wise
2086 Professional Tension Head
August 2007 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 37
 Sports Height Mounting Tensioning

3-D Turntablen Turntable

Rotation

Hand Cranktem-Drop
Table Top O ndard

Constant Pu ed Pull
Height Adjustptional
able

6-Point Mou nting

4-Point Mou ting
5-Point Mou ting
Turntable Lonting

Rachet Sys rop

Table Top Stable

360º Rotatiock
ed

k
n
n

2-Sided Cran

ll
Full Clutch-D
2-Point Mou

Drop Weight

Multiple Spe
Stand Availa
Stand Includ
Racquetball
Badminton

Linear Pull
Prestretch
Lockout
Squash

Electric
Tennis
Price Warranty
Brand Model (MSRP) (years)
AG 601F $219 5 x x x x x x x x x x
www.gutermanintl.com 602F $269 5 x x x x x x x x
800-343-6096 602S $379 5 x x x x x x x x x x
603GB $549 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
604S $569 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
603S $699 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
607 $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x

Alpha String Pal $129 5 x x x x x x x x

info@alphatennis.com Pioneer DC Plus $429 5 x x x x x x x x x
800-922-9024 Revo 4000 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
Axis Pro $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Apex II-Cobra $1,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Equinox $2,495 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

ATS Super Stringer II $159 Life x x x x x x x x x x

www.atssports.com Traveler $189 Life x x x x x x x x x x
800-866-7071

Babolat Sensor $5,200 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

www.babolat.com Sensor Expert $8,500 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
877-316-9435 Star 5 $3000 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Gamma X-2 $159 Life x x x x x x x x x x x

www.gammasports.com Progression 602 $339 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
800-333-0337 X-6 $359 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
Progression 602 FC $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
X-6 FC $499 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
Progression ST II $679 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
X-ST $659 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
5003 w/6pt $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
5003 w/2pt SC System $1,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
Progression Es II+ $979 5 x x x x x x x x x x
X-Es $999 5 x x x x x x x x x x
6004 w/6pt SC System $1,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
6004 w/2pt SC System $1,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
6500 Els w/6pt SC Sys $1,799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
6500 Els w/2pt SC Sys $1,799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
5800 Els w/6pt $2,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
5800 Els w/2pt SC Sys $2,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
8800 Els w/6pt SC Sys $3,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
8800 Els w/2pt SC Sys $3,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Klipper USA Klippermate $149 Life x x x x x x x x x x x

www.klipperusa.com Klippermate Bad’ton $155 Life x x x x x x x x
800-522-5547 280-CS $245 10 x x x x x x x x x x x
440-CS $445 10 x x x x x x x x x x x

Mutual Power Hercules 680 $319 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

www.mutualpower.com Hercules 690 $349 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
832-868-0168 Alpine 6600 $569 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Hercules 880 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x

38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008

 x
Self-Elevatin

x x
Automated g Linear Pull

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Diablo/NoseTension Release

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Rotational Tcone
e

x
x
x
x
x x
x x
x x
x x
Foot Pedal T nsioner

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Pounds & K ension Activator

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Manual Calibilos Tension

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Self-Calibra ration Adjustable

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Diamond Coting

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Tensioning

Knob/Dial T at Tension Head Grip

en

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Plus/Minus sion Setting
T

x
x
x x x
x x x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Full Keypad ouch Pad Tension Set
LED/LCD Te Tension Setting

x
x
x
x
Knot Tensio nsion Display

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x x x
x x x
x x x
x x x x x
Removable ning
Electric Ten
sioner Unit

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

Flying Clam
x ps
Fixed Clamp

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

Dual Swivel s on Glide Bars

Dual Swivel Double Action Fixed
360 Degree Single Action Fixed

x
Single Swiv Clamps on Glide Bars

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Diamond Duel Fixed Clamp

x x
Clamping

Automated st Clamps
B
Magnetic Au ase Release Clamps

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

No Tool Nee to Clamp Base Relea

ded to Adju se
st Clamps

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

Tool Tray

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x x
x x
Cover Includ

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
String Measued

x
x
x
x
Built-in Rule rer

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x x x x x
x

Reel Rack r
Racquet S

x
Cabinet wittahnd

x
x
x
x
xx x
xx x
xx x
xx x
x
x
x
x
xx x
x
x
x
xx x
x
xx x
x
xx x
x
xx x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Extra Features

Leveling Pa Drawers
ds on Base

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

Under 50 lb
s

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

50-75 lbs

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

Over 75 lbs
Weight

Calibrator

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

x
Starting Cla

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

Diagonal Cump
tt

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

Needlenose ers

x x
x x
x x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
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August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

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39
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 Sports Height Mounting Tensioning

n Turntable
Rotation

Hand Cranktem-Drop
Table Top O ndard

Constant Pueed Pull

Height Adjustptional
able

6-Point Mou ing

4-Point Mou ting
5-Point Mountting
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Stand Availaed

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Stand Includ
Racquetball

Multiple Sp
Badminton

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Lockout
Squash

Electric
Tennis
Price Warranty
Brand Model (MSRP) (years)
Mutual Power cont. Titan 7700 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
www.mutualpower.com Titan 7600 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
832-868-0168 Atlas 8600 $829 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
Atlas 9600 $959 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
Pacific N. America Digital X8 Call 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
www.pacific.com Digital 700 Call 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
941-795-1789 Tronic X6 Call 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Prince Neos 1000 $1,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
www.princetennis.com 5000 $3,499 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
800-283-6647
Swing $199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
Silent Partner
Hip Hop Call
www.sptennis.com Crump Call
800-662-1809 Jazz $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
Maestro $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
Jive Call
e.Stringer DG $999 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Silent Partner Aria $1,599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Silent Partner Opus $2,799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Stringway ML90 TH $599 10 x x x x x x x x

info@alphatennis.com ML90 T98 $799 10 x x x x x x x x
800-922-9024 ML 100 T98 $899 10 x x x x x x x x x
ML 100 T92 $999 10 x x x x x x x x x
MS 200 T98 $1,449 10 x x x x x x x x x
MS 200 T92 $1,549 10 x x x x x x x x x
EM450-N T98 $2,450 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x
EM450-N T92 $2,570 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x
EM450-L T98 $3,200 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
EM450-L T92 $3,320 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Tecnifibre TF-6000 $5,500 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

www.tecnifibre.com TF-7000 $7,000 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
877-332-0825 TF-7000 with Cabinet $8,000 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
TF-8000 $8,900 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Wise USA 2086 Professional $495 2 x x x x x x x x x

www.tennishead.com Electronic Tension Head
888-836-7466

Yonex
www.yonex.com ES5 Pro $6,499 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
800-449-6639

Xtreme Sports Xtreme™ XLR8-Pro $1,295 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x

Machines™ Xtreme™ NRG $2,395 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Xtreme™ NRG-Pro $2,895 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
www.xtremesports
Xtreme™ Pro Master $3,495 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
machines.com
Xtreme™ RX-V2 $5,995 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
61-3-9357-5354

40 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008

 x
Self-Elevatin
Automated g Linear Pull

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August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

Guiding Awnual/Video
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41
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Flying Clamools
p Starting P
ins
 string PLAYTEST
Prince Recoil
Prince Recoil is a solid core multifilament
with some interesting features. The core is
advanced thermoplastic for extra feel and
comfort. The inner wrap is a new high-
tenacity filament, for improved tension
memory and better durability due to its
high tensile strength.
The outer wrap is MicroWeb Technolo-
gy from W. L. Gore & Associates. According
to Prince, Gore’s MicroWeb Technology is a
revolutionary material made by applying a
special process to a proprietary formulation
of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene
(ePTFE). ePTFE is a woven mesh-like struc-
ture that is flexible and strong. The outer
ePTFE wrap provides a surface with ultra-
low friction, allowing playability characteris-
tics never before achieved in a string.
According to Prince, the main benefit of
using this exotic outer wrap is that Recoil is
self-aligning, improving string bed consis-
tency. Also, because Recoil is able to snap
back into position quickly, Prince claims
superior spin, feel, and comfort. The ePTFE-
to-ePTFE contact of mains and crosses is
said to reduce string notching.
Prince feels that tournament-level play-
ers with long, fast strokes will best appreci-
ate Recoil, especially in “player’s frames,”
although feedback from dealers has shown
that players of all abilities enjoy Recoil’s
benefits.
Recoil is available in 16 gauge in white
only. It is priced from $21.50 for sets of 40
feet. For more information or to order, con-
tact Prince at 800-2-TENNIS, or visit
www.princetennis.com. Be sure to read the
conclusion for more information about a
drawing for a free set.
IN THE LAB
The coil measured 40 feet. The diameter
measured 1.30-1.33 mm prior to stringing,
and 1.27-1.28 mm after stringing. We
recorded a stringbed stiffness of 75 RDC
units immediately after stringing at 60
pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x
18 pattern) on a constant-pull machine.
After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed
stiffness measured 66 RDC units, represent-
ing a 12 percent tension loss. Our control
42 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
string, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16,
measured 78 RDC units immediately after
stringing and 71 RDC units after 24 hours,
representing a 9 percent tension loss. Recoil
added 16 grams to the weight of our
unstrung frame.
The string was tested for five weeks by
37 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings feel to it. This
from 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind tests, with texture might be why we had no
playtesters receiving unmarked strings in clamping problems, nor problems grabbing
unmarked packages. For this playtest team, the end of the string to weave the crosses,
the normal longevity was 22.1 hours, and or getting knots to stay put. Recoil does
the average number of hours spent playtest- seem to attract dirt, though, which really
ing Recoil was 25.4. shows due to its color. You may need to
The ends of the coil are cut at an angle, wipe down the stringbed after stringing.
which is always nice. Despite it’s inherently Prince suggests setting the reference
slippery nature, Recoil has a slight textured tension for Recoil 10 percent lower than
for a typical nylon string, due to its low-
EASE OF STRINGING friction outer wrap. Consequently, we rec-
(compared to other strings) ommended that our playtesters string 5 to
Number of testers who said it was:
10 percent lower than normal.
much easier 2
No playtester broke his sample during
somewhat easier 4
about as easy 25
stringing, one reported problems with coil
not quite as easy 6 memory, one reported problems tying
not nearly as easy 0 knots, and one reported friction burn.
OVERALL PLAYABILITY ON THE COURT
(compared to string played most often)
Prince Recoil got great marks from our
Number of testers who said it was:
playtest team for Tension Retention and
much better 3
somewhat better 6
Resistance to Movement. Its score for Ten-
about as playable 11 sion Retention was 9th best of the 123
not quite as playable 15 strings we’ve playtested to date, and 17th
not nearly as playable 2 best for Resistance to Movement. Our
playtest team also liked Recoil’s Durability,
OVERALL DURABILITY Control, Comfort, and Spin Potential, giv-
(compared to other strings
of similar gauge) ing it scores that are well above average in
Number of testers who said it was: each of these categories. As a result,
much better 4 Recoil’s overall average score is well above
somewhat better 17 average.
about as durable 15 Three players broke Recoil during the
not quite as durable 1 playtest period, one at 10 hours, one at
not nearly as durable 0 12, and one at 14.
RATING AVERAGES
From 1 to 5 (best) CONCLUSION
Playability 3.3 It’s always exciting to see manufacturers
Durability 3.9 using new materials and manufacturing
Power 3.3 processes to create new products, and
Control 3.6 Recoil is on the cutting edge in this respect.
Comfort 3.4 With its unique composition and higher
Touch/Feel 3.0
price point, Recoil is clearly a premium
Spin Potential 3.5
string.
Holding Tension (9th overall) 3.7
We should note that our rating system
Resistance to Movement (17th overall) 3.8
penalizes low-power strings, even if lower
TESTERS TALK
“ Incredible — a durability string with great
feel. This string has more pure control than
almost any I’ve tried. It encourages and
rewards big swings. I am able to generate
tremendous head speed and create very heavy
spin. I never find myself being tentative. This is
”
a confidence string. 4.5 male baseliner with
heavy spin using Völkl Tour 10 MP Gen II
strung at 58 pounds LO (Prince Synthetic Gut
w/Duraflex 17)
“ This string provides the advantages of a
good polyester, but with fewer downsides. It
has great control from the baseline, especially
power is advantageous to the players who would
typically use that string. In other words, our team
gave Recoil “only” an above-average rating for
Power, lowering the overall score, even though
this is actually a benefit given that the target
player for this string typically generates his own
power. Keep in mind that with its lower power
and self-aligning properties, Recoil might also be
a good choice for players needing to tame over-
size racquets with a string that doesn’t require a
lot of attention.
If you think that Prince Recoil might be for
you, fill out the coupon to enter a drawing for a
free set to try. —Greg Raven Q
on big swings. Tons of pop on volleys and limit-
less kick on serves. Even touch drop shots are
to control.
”
5.0 male all-court player using
Prince O3 Red MP strung at 61 pounds LO
easy to execute. For a durability string, I am (Wilson NXT 16)
amazed at how arm friendly and comfortable this
is. This is the perfect compromise for players who
don’t like polyester, but want the controlled and “ This string is incredible from installation to
ground strokes. The control, comfort, power,
”
crisp response that comes with it. 4.0 male all-
court player using Prince O3 Red MP strung at 54
and durability are obvious from the first hit.
There is some very slight notching after 10
pounds CP (Gamma TNT2 Pro Plus 17L) hours. This is a very consistent and solid feel-
“ Best playtest string I’ve tried! Nearly every
”
ing string. 4.5 male serve-and-volley player
using Head MicroGEL Radical MP strung at 60
stroke was accompanied by a “wow.”The ball
comes off the string bed with a comfortable and
pounds LO (Babolat Xcel 16)
For the rest of the tester comments, visit
crisp precision. Depth and trajectory are very easy www.racquetsportsindustry.com.
FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM
Prince will hold a drawing and send a free set of Recoil to 100 lucky
USRSA members who cut out (or copy) this coupon and mail it to:
USRSA,
USRSA, Attn:AttnPring Offer,
Prince String Offer,
330 Main
330 Main Street,
Street, Vista,
Vista, CA
CA 92084
92084
or fax to 760-536-1171,
or fax or
to email the info below to stringsam-
760-536-1171,
ple@racquettech.com
or email the info below to stringsample@racquettech.com
Offer expires 15 August 2008 Offer only available to USRSA members in the US.
Name:
USRSA Member number:
Phone:
Email:
If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your sample will be sent.
August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 43
 ask the EXPERTS
Your Equipment Hotline
CHANGING GRIP SHAPE
I HAVE A CLIENT WHO LIKES HEAD
Q racquets but prefers the rounder
grip shape of the Wilson racquets.
Is there an easy way to change the shape
of the Head racquet’s grip?
A IT’S TEMPTING TO THINK THAT YOU
could simply remove the replace-
44 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
ment grip and apply tape or balsa wood
selectively to the bevels to get the grip
shape you want, but this method doesn’t
work because while you can build up the
underlying bevels, you cannot change the
relationship among the bevels in such a
way to make one shape the same as the
other shape.
Regarding your situation, Head grips
are composed of two halves that fit around the
“hairpin” (that is, around an inner carbon fiber
post). It’s not too difficult to remove the origi-
nal halves; the trick is having new pallet halves
that are shaped differently. For this, contact
RPNY Tennis in New York. You can find them
on the web at: http://www.rpnytennis.com.
For racquets with molded handles, the mold-
ing must be removed and a new molding
made. RPNY Tennis does this as well, but the
cost is a bit higher. If you have two or more
racquets that need a different grip shape or
size, RPNY can also match the weight, balance,
and swingweight in addition to the grip
change, assuming your racquets are matchable
in the first place, of course.
ONE-PIECE VS. TWO-PIECE
THE USRSA STRINGER’S DIGEST AND the
Q USRSA online tool both say that the
Head MicroGel Prestige Pro MP should
be strung with two pieces of string. But the
mains end at the head, so why can't this rac-
quet be strung with one piece of string?
A THIS RACQUET DOES SEEM TO BE A nat-
ural for the one-piece stringing tech-
nique, and you would probably never have a
problem restringing this racquet that way. The
Digest specifies two-piece stringing for this
frame because Head requires that every perfor-
mance racquet they sell must be strung two-
piece, period. With a properly-done two-piece
string job, you avoid not only having the cross-
es installed from the throat to the head, but
also any potential problem that might occur
with an around-the-world or box pattern,
where you might have a 90- or 270-degree
turn between a main and a cross, which could
break through a section of the frame where
the grommets are close together. Because of
this, in the unlikely event there was a problem
with this frame, Head would have the option of
denying the warranty claim due to the one-
piece string job.
TENSION AND CONTROL
DOES A TIGHTER STRING TENSION
Q mean less control because it bounces off
faster? And does a looser string tension
mean more control because it stays on the
string longer?
A NO. IN FACT, JUST THE OPPOSITE
seems to be true.
Although everyone thinks he knows
An additional, related question: If I put
this same string setup in an 18x20 string
bed, how much would I have to tweak the
As for the change in racquet, there are
few (if any?) racquets that come in both
16x19 and 18x20, so if you make this
what he means when he says “control,” it settings to accommodate the increased switch you will likely be changing more
is actually a difficult word to describe accu- string-bed stiffness? than the stringbed density. This means that
rately. For the purposes of this question, you’re going to have to experiment with
let’s assume that for there to be “control,”
the bounce of the ball off the strings must
be as similar as possible to what it would
A NORMALLY, WHEN SWITCHING
from a multifilament nylon to natural
gut, you can go up a couple of pounds,
the new racquet to get it set up the way
you like. Everything else being equal, how-
ever, you’ll need to lower the reference
be if it were obeying the Law of Reflection, and some players do get better durability tension by 6 pounds or so when stringing
that is, where the angle of reflection equals from natural gut than from a multifila- the 18x20, to get roughly the same
the angle of incidence. The more deviation ment. However, if this doesn’t work for stringbed stiffness as with the 16x19.
between the actual bounce and the you, you can also try a monofilament nylon —Greg Raven Q
bounce as described by the Law of Reflec- in the mains, or a thicker version of the We welcome your questions. Please send them to Rac-
tion, the less control you have. string you’re already using. Either of these quet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA, 92084;
It used to be thought that to control the should improve durability. fax: 760-536-1171; email: greg@racquettech.com.
ball better, you wanted the ball to
stay on the strings longer, so you
used looser tension. As Brody,
Cross, and Lindsey point out in
the best-selling The Physics and
Technology of Tennis, which
is available for purchase at
www.usrsa.com /store/ptot
.html, we now think we know better.
In the case of on-center hits, the longer
the ball is on the strings, the longer the
racquet has to rotate out of position due
to the natural movement caused by the
impact of the ball. In the case of off-center
hits, the stringbed deforms asymmetrically
(with a higher angle where the ball is clos-
er to the frame, and a lower angle where
the ball is farther away). The looser the
stringbed is, the greater the angular differ-
ence during off-center impacts. In each of
these two cases, there is a loss of control.
As Rod Cross has pointed out, contact
time decreases if the stiffness of the string
plane increases (Dwell Time, by Rod Cross,
at www.usrsa.com/members/backissues
/2003/05/dwell-time/). Therefore, tighter
string tension gives you a stiffer stringbed,
less contact time, and more control. Looser
string tension gives you a softer stringbed,
more contact time, and less control.

BETTER DURABILITY
I STRING MY 16X19 RACQUET with

Q 17-gauge multifilament nylon mains

at 52 lbs. and poly crosses at 49 lbs.
I get the power I want this way, but I’m
having problems with durability on the
mains. I am thinking of using 17-gauge
natural gut instead as my mains. If I go to
a gut, do I need to increase the tension to
achieve the same playability as I achieved
with the multi mains at 52 lbs?

August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 45

 tips and TECHNIQUES
Readers’ Know-How in Action
O3 50/50 STRINGING
I strung my O3 tour with a two-piece
50/50 pattern and — much to my delight
— I didn't need my table break or the
boomerang tool. If you string an O3 this
way you are pulling from the middle of
the frame to the top and bottom so the
string is pulled in to the proper position
and you can straighten the string before
you clamp it.
5 sets of Head FXP 16 to:
Darren Litz, MRT, Portsmouth, OH
Editor’s note: For those not familiar with
the two-piece 50/50 technique, you
install the mains as normal, but you start
the crosses from the middle of the hoop
(that is, at the 3 o’clock or 9 o’clock posi-
tion), working one end of the string
toward the tip and the other toward the
throat, in a fashion similar to that of
installing the mains. It means two hard
weaves instead of one, but if you don’t
have a table brake and/or boomerang
46 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
tool, or don’t like to use them, one extra
hard weave is a small price to pay.
There are a couple of tricks to using
this stringing method, though. First,
don’t be too stingy when cutting your
cross string to length, as on racquets with
an odd number of crosses, you could run
short on the side with the “extra” cross.
Next, you’ll have to locate the center
of the stringbed when starting the cross-
es. On the O3 frames, this is usually on
the side of the racquet where the O-ports
start immediately below the bumper-
guard. Prince sometimes marks this as the
short side of the racquet, but not always,
and some O3 racquets have a bumper-
guard extender that might throw you
off.
Because each Prince O3 racquet model
has slightly different geometry, you may
find that your first cross (either going up
toward the head or down toward the
throat) will still wander away from the
frame. You should be able to counteract
this tendency by holding the racquet, or in
a worst-case scenario, turning the racquet
slightly before clamping. From that point
on, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Finally, depending on the type of string-
ing machine you have, you may need a
starting clamp. This is because the clamp
bases on many of the newer machines
allow the clamps to run fully from the
throat to the head, but not from side to
side. This means you’ll have to start the
crosses with a starting clamp, and use both
machine clamps to install half of the crosses
(toward the head, for instance), and then
go back and install the other half. Make
certain that you pad your starting clamp so
it doesn’t scratch the racquet finish.
IT’S IN THE SCAN
I scan most racquet heads before doing any
work to them. I use this first as a record of
work completed and more importantly, a ref-
erence for future possibilities of customer
questions. I do a lot of badminton racquets
and the most common question is, “Did
you change the shape of the head? It
doesn't look the same.” Also, a lot of
times racquets come to me with incorrect
patterns and the customer again ques-
tions the workmanship after seeing the
racquet with the strings correctly installed.
I use the scanned image to show them
why the pattern was wrong and that the
shape has not changed.
5 sets of Dunlop M-Fil Tour 16 to:
Clarence Golding, Qualicum Beach, BC,
Canada
PRINCE DOUBLE
BACK TECHNIQUE
Prince Ozone Pro Tour and O3 Speedport
Pro White do not need the Double Back
technique because the last two crosses
are in traditional grommets. You may dis-
regard the DB marked on the frame.
USRSA Staff
you already have installed the bottom cross
using the end of the short side), continue
to install the last (outside) main on the
long side from throat to head, then tie off.
USRSA Staff
CONVERT LEAD
WEIGHTS TO LEAD TAPE
I’ve often found that in racquets that have
a rattle, a player will hear the noise coming
from the handle of the racquet and give it
to me to correct the problem. Generally
one or more aftermarket-installed weights
in the handle have come loose. I simply
remove the weights inside the handle and
then wrap an equal weight of lead tape
around the pallet, centered at the location
of the original lead weights. The lead tape
is thin enough that the customer doesn’t
notice the increase in grip size.
5 sets of Prince Synthetic Gut
Multifilament 16 to:
George McKelvey, Pittsburgh, PA
—Greg Raven Q
Tips and Techniques submitted since 2000 by USRSA mem-
bers, and appearing in this column, have all been gathered
into a single volume of the Stringer’s Digest—Racquet Ser-
vice Techniques which is a benefit of USRSA membership.
Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA
92804; or email greg@racquettech.com.

PRINCE DOUBLE
BACK DOUBLE PULL
On any racquet that recommends the
Double Back technique, you are supposed
to tension the last two crosses in one pull.
The Stringer’s Digest has been updated to
reflect this.
USRSA Staff

PRINCE O3 AND
OZONE 2-PIECE ONLY
The Prince Ozone Pro Tour, O3 Speedport
Pro White, and O3 Hybrid Comp should
only be strung as 2-piece. Therefore, the
“short side” marked on some of these
frames is unnecessary. However, we have
developed an around the world (ATW)
method available for anyone who insists
that his racquet be strung as 1-piece.
To perform this ATW method on these
frames, start by giving yourself a few
more inches that normal on your short-
side measurement. Install and tension all
short side mains as normal (alternating
with the long side mains), but instead of
tying off, continue on and install the bot-
tom cross. Tension and tie off as normal.
On the long side, leave the last (outside)
main uninstalled, going instead from the
next-to-the-last long side main to the top
cross. The weave on this top cross must
be the same as the weave of the bottom
cross. Install the remainder of the crosses.
From the final cross (which will be the
second cross from the throat, because

August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 47

 Your Serve
A United Front
A longtime teaching pro says that to make this
game truly grow, it’s time the PTR and USPTA
come together and form one organization. B Y B R U C E
I
’ve been a full-time tennis teaching profes-
sional for 30 years. In that time, I’ve seen a
lot of programs come and go, a lot of teach-
ing methods become really popular then fall by
the wayside, and a lot of people rotate into,
then out of, this business. But the one thing
that continues to baffle me is, why do we still
have two professional teaching pro organiza-
tions?
It’s time that both groups join hands
and start to work together, with the ulti-
mate goal that we have only one organiza-
tion that certifies tennis-teaching
professionals.
In my three decades in this business I
have constantly dealt with both USPTA and
PTR pros. I’ve worked alongside pros from
both organizations, I’ve hired pros from
both, I’ve recommended pros from each
group to various players over the years. But
let’s face it, when we’re trying to grow this
game and increase participation, two com-
peting teaching organizations are simply
confusing to consumers and provide
unnecessary conflict within the industry
itself.
As a teaching pro, think of it from a
business point of view. Should you belong
to one group, or the other? How do you
know which group to join? Is there an
advantage to spending even more of your
hard-earned money to be a member of
both?
I realize there are differences between
the two groups, both real and perceived.
The USPTA, some say, is more “serious”
about its business; the PTR is the much
more “friendly” and “open” organization.
The PTR, founded by Dennis Van der Meer,
uses a “Standard Method” that pros need
to learn for the certification exam; whereas
the USPTA, led by Tim Heckler, is more
open-minded in terms of technique. And
within the industry itself, the perception is
that the USPTA can be irascible, stubborn
and suspicious of other groups, while the
48 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008
PTR takes in more “hobbyist pros” who
aren’t making their living in this sport and
the group lags behind in technology.
And what should our students, and
potential students, think? If you are a
USPTA or PTR pro, just ask your students if
they know what that teaching pro “shin-
gle” means, or if they even know about
either organization. I’m willing to bet that
99 percent of your students couldn’t really
care about which organization you belong
to. In fact, they probably perceive no differ-
ence between the two, and if they did
know about both, they’d probably wonder
exactly what this industry is doing.
Also consider manufacturers and other
businesses and organizations in this indus-
try. Do they throw their lot in with one or
the other group in terms of sponsorship? If
so, do they risk the ire of the group they
don’t select? Or is it easier for them just not
to get involved at all? (And how, then, will
that benefit anybody?) Kudos to Head/Penn
for figuring out a way to sponsor both
groups, but I suspect there are a lot of mar-
ginal members of either group that join to
get the free or discounted equipment, and I
suspect Head may be paying a heavy price
for this appeasement of both groups.
The USTA, TIA and manufacturers need
to get involved here. They need to take a
stand and make it clear that both PTR and
USPTA need to take steps toward getting
together. Otherwise, I would be willing to
bet that the USTA itself will, at some point
down the road, take things into its own
hands and start certifying teaching pros—
and you know, with the current situation,
maybe that’s not such a bad idea. In virtual-
ly every other country, the national tennis
federation certifies teaching pros. (For a
number of years, the USTA has been run-
ning the very successful Recreational Coach
Workshops, designed essentially to get par-
ents and other adults involved in teaching
basics to beginning children. I think this is a
LEVINE
wonderful program to grow the game,
but I can only imagine the resistance the
USTA has had to overcome from, espe-
cially, the USPTA.)
Think how much easier it will be to
build this game without these two com-
peting groups. Think how much easier it
will be for the businesses in tennis to con-
fidently deal with one teaching pro orga-
nization and know that members of that
one group will influence the development
of this game in the U.S. And think how
nice it would be to combine the USPTA’s
impressive digital and internet services
with the PTR’s friendly and open cus-
tomer service, along with its international
representation. Something tells me that
the more each of these two groups may
compete for members, the lower the
standards for teaching pros may actually
become. And no one in this business
wants that. Just look at golf: There’s only
one teaching organization, the PGA, and
I’ve been to dozens of clubs that all have
PGA-certified pros.
If the leaders of both the PTR and
USPTA made a point to sit down and be
civil toward each other, with other key
industry players in the room, something
could be worked out toward unifying this
country’s teaching pros under one
umbrella. Then, instead of spending their
resources (which are, after all, their mem-
bers’ money) duplicating their efforts,
competing with each other, and sniping
at each other, their unified efforts will
make this sport grow for all. Q
Bruce Levine is the General
Manager of the Courtside
Racquet Club in Lebanon,
N.J.
We welcome your opinions. Please email
comments to rsi@racquetTECH.com or fax
them to 760-536-1171.