April 2006

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Contents R S I

INDUSTRY NEWS
A P R I L 2 0 0 6

7 Wilson World Stringing

Championships in Las Vegas
7 Instant replay comes to
professional tennis
7 Tennis year-end shipments are up
8 Tennis mag picks “Editor’s Choice”
FEATURES 8 June Cardio Tennis promotion
offers free classes
26 Heads-Up Displays 8 USTA unveils new brand identity
Top retailers offer advice for sprucing up your display space.

32 The Good Stuff 9 Babolat launches Roddick

These RSI/ASBA soft-court award winners are all solid to the core. Signature gear
34 Selecting the Right Frame, Part II 9 Clay court maintenance
Add these latest entries to our Racquet Selection Map to complete the picture for 2006. seminars by Welch
10 Evolution footwear line
new from Wilson
10 Newest PTR master pro honored
10 Sampras to play World TeamTennis
11 Gamma Sports celebrates
30th year
11 New partnership keeps
Pac Life in U.S.

Oaks at Boca Raton Tennis Center

12 Prince breaks new
“Übertwins” campaign
On the cover: Special thanks to Westwood Sports in Rancho Bernardo, CA

DEPARTMENTS 36 Science: Handle Weighting

4 Our Serve 38 Australian Open Equipment Log
17 Campus Tennis 40 Review: Prince Precision Tuning Center
18 Webwise 42 String Playtest: Klip Venom 17
20 Marketing Success 44 Tips and Techniques
22 Focus on Footwear 46 Ask the Experts
24 Online Retailing 48 Your Serve, by Bill Mountford

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

Our Serve
(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

Spotlight on Stringing Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

I just returned from an exciting event at The Tennis Channel

Open in Las Vegas—the Wilson World Stringing Champi-
onships (see page 7). I served as referee for the competition,
Editor-in-Chief
Crawford Lindsey

Editorial Director
Peter Francesconi

which was essentially a speed-stringing contest using head-to- Associate Editor

Greg Raven
head competition (not just a clock) to eliminate competitors. The
Design/Art Director
final was covered live on The Tennis Channel on March 4. Kristine Thom
Scott Schneider of Las Vegas was the winner, posting a tournament-best time
of 11 minutes, 14 seconds in the final against Matthew Fairbanks of Atlanta. While Assistant to the Publisher
Cari Feliciano
some stringers may think that’s not such a fast time, Schneider had plenty of
speedbumps to contend with. First, the frame used was not a 12 or 14 main quick- Contributing Editors
ie; it was a Wilson nSix-One 95 with a 16 x 18 pattern. Second, the string was not Cynthia Cantrell
a nice, easy solid-core 17-gauge synthetic; it was a soft multifilament 16-gauge Rod Cross
Wilson Reaction, which made blocked holes and tie-off holes an extra challenge. Kristen Daley
Third, the timed competition included mounting the frame, opening the string Joe Dinoffer
Liza Horan
pack, taking measurements, stringing the frame, trimming knot tails, and dis-
Andrew Lavallee
mounting the frame.
James Martin
When you factor in all of that—and the added pressure of other competitors,
Mark Mason
screaming fans, and TV cameras—the winning time truly is impressive. So much Chris Nicholson
so that Wilson hopes to have Guinness declare it a world record. As the winner, Mitch Rustad
Schneider received more than $10,000 in cash and prizes—the biggest fee I’ve
ever heard someone paid for stringing a racquet. RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY
But the string competition isn’t what I’m most excited about. It is the spotlight Corporate Offices
that shined on racquet stringing and will continue to shine on it going forward. 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084
Many fans who came for the tennis stopped to watch the stringing contest and Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171
really got excited about it. Also, parts of the competition and all of the final were Email: RSI@racquetTECH.com
Website: www.racquetTECH.com
broadcast on The Tennis Channel. And not only that, but The Tennis Channel is
Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time
developing a TV show about stringing, with this competition as the backdrop, and
hosted by Luke Jensen. I can’t think of anything that has ever put stringing in the
Advertising Director
minds of so many people. It’s possible that we all could see an increase in the John Hanna
stringing business as a result of this kind of publicity. 770-650-1102, x.125
Steve Bellamy, the founder and president of The Tennis Channel and principal john@racquettech.com
driver behind the Tennis Channel Open, came up with the idea of a stringing com-
petition. Wilson and the USRSA got involved just a few weeks before the compe- Apparel Advertising
tition. We both were a little hesitant about supporting a contest that promoted Cynthia Sherman
speed because we all understand that speed does not equate to quality in string- 203-263-5243
ing. But Bellamy convinced us that the publicity the competition would give to cstennisindustry@earthlink.net
stringing would be invaluable, and he couldn’t have been more on the money. Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-
At the USRSA, our mission is to promote and improve the quality of racquet 5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly January
through August and combined issues in Septem-
service throughout the industry. And Wilson has made a huge push over the last
ber/October and November/December by Tennis
year to get more involved in the business of strings and stringing. As the title spon- Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.
sor, Wilson is already talking about ways to make the competition bigger and bet- Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443 and addi-
ter. After a successful 2006 event, and now with a whole year to promote next tional mailing offices. April 2006, Volume 34, Number
year’s contest, look for this competition to grow and become even more exciting. 4 © 2006 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rights
reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo are
trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone
advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation and
editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions $25 in the
U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St.,
Dave Bone Vista, CA 92084.
Publisher

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

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006

INDUSTRY NEWS
INFORMATION TO HELP YOU
Instant Replay
Comes to Pro Tennis
The USTA, the ATP, and the Sony Erics-
son WTA Tour announced March 6 that
electronic line-calling technology, along
with a player challenge system, will
become part of professional tennis in
North America.
The Nasdaq-100 Open, played at the
end of March, was to be the first Sony
Ericsson WTA Tour and ATP event to uti-
lize the technology and on-court chal-
lenges. The 2006 US Open will be the
first Grand Slam to introduce instant
replay technology and player challenges.
Officials said the move was taken to
improve officiating for players, while
increasing the interest and excitement
for in-stadium fans and television viewers.
The on-court player challenge system for
review of line calls will be as follows:
Q Each player will receive two chal-
lenges per set to review line calls.
Q If the player is correct with a chal-
lenge, then the player retains the
same number of challenges. If incor-
rect, then one of the challenges is
lost.
Q During a tie-break game in any set,
each player will receive one addition-
al challenge.
Q Challenges may not be carried over
from one set to another.
Once a player challenges, the official
replay will be provided to the chair
umpire. In addition, the official replay
will be provided simultaneously to the
TV broadcast and in-stadium video
boards, allowing on-site fans and televi-
sion viewers the opportunity to see the
live results of a player challenge.
"With the speed and power of today’s
game, the time has come for tennis to
benefit from new technology—while
adding to the fan experience,” says
Arlen Kantarian of the USTA.
R S I A P R I L 2 0 0 6
RUN YOUR BUSINESS
Las Vegan Crowned Wilson World
Stringing Champ at TTC Open
S
cott Schneider, a tennis professional at the Canyon Gate Country Club in Las Vegas, is
the inaugural winner of the Wilson World Stringing Championships, which was held
March 3 to 5 in Las Vegas as part of The Tennis Channel Open.
Schneider recorded a winning time of 11
minutes, 14 seconds. The competition pits
stringers against each other and against the
clock and takes into account the full string-
ing process, which includes mounting the
racquet, opening the string package, uncoil-
ing and measuring the string, stringing the
frame, then passing a quality-control check.
The final round was shown live on The Ten-
nis Channel and will be featured in a 30-
minute special to air on TTC in July.
Schneider (inset) has been stringing rac-
quets for more than 10 years. His prize
package included $1,000 in cash, a large-
screen Panasonic plasma TV, Fender guitar, Wilson tennis equipment, one-
year supply of Wilson string, and the chance to qualify to string with Wilson
at the 2006 US Open. All contestants strung Wilson’s nSix-One 95 frame with
Wilson Reaction string.
“The stringing championship was a huge success and generated great interest among
tournament fans that enjoyed watching all the stringers, as this has never been showcased
before like this," says Jon Muir, director of U.S. sales and marketing for Wilson. “We hope to
make the Wilson World Stringing Championships an annual event at The Tennis Channel
Open.”
Notable participants included French Open doubles champ and tennis analyst Luke
Jensen and tennis star Thomas Blake, brother of Tennis Channel Open champion James
Blake. USRSA Executive Director David Bone served as the referee of the event.
Tennis Year-End Shipments Are Up
T
he Tennis Industry Association reports that fourth-quarter shipment for balls, racquets,
and strings all were up. Ball unit sales were up 4 percent, while racquet shipments
increased 11 percent, and strings nearly 6 percent. Dollar sales to the trade increased in
all categories as well: 5 percent for balls, 7.5 percent for racquets, and 10 percent for strings.
“This continues our strong momentum for the full year,” says TIA President Jim Baugh.
“We see growth in both the premium and new player products.”
Youth racquets and frames selling for under $50 are up 13 percent. Premium racquets
are up more than 40 percent. “It is obvious our new-player programs are working to increase
play,” Baugh adds. “This is also verified in the TIA/USTA Participation Study. And, it is great
to see the new-technology racquets selling well, too.”
April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7
INDUSTRYNEWS A P R I L 2 0 0 6

Tennis Magazine Picks June Cardio Tennis Promotion

“Editors’ Choice” Offers Free Classes
T
wo racquets and two shoes received the prestigious

A
month-long, nationwide promotion will have people trying
“Editors’ Choice” designation from Tennis magazine in
Cardio Tennis for free in an effort to get them into the pro-
its April 2006 issue. The Prince O3 Hybrid Hornet
gram. The Tennis Industry Association’s promotion will offer
(left) was praised for its blend of power and
one free class for new Cardio participants at select facilities.
control at the baseline and net. “For the
“We’re extremely happy with the early results of Cardio Tennis,”
price and all-around playability,” the
says TIA President Jim Baugh. “But we want to ‘break through the
magazine said, “this
clutter’ with a consumer promotion this spring to get more players
racquet is as good
and nonplayers to try Cardio Tennis.”
as it gets.”
Also receiving
honors from the mag-
azine was the Völkl
DNX 3 (right). “It’s big
and powerful, with plen-
ty of bells and whistles
to make playing tennis
as easy as possible,”
Tennis said.
In footwear, the Adi-
das Barricade IV was
praised for its excellent sta-
bility, improved ventilation and cushioning.
“The Barricade is still the standard in stability,”
the magazine said.
Wilson’s new Wildcard shoe also came in for
Editors’ Choice honors. “Appropriate for players
who aren’t too aggressive on the court, this Wil-
son is hands-down the most comfortable shoe
our female playtesters wore,” said the maga-
zine.

USTA Unveils New Brand Identity

T
The USTA has unveiled a new brand identity that cre-
ates a consistent and unified branded platform for all
USTA programs and
events. For the first time, the
iconic flaming ball of the US
Open will be integrated into the
USTA logo to better connect the
US Open to all USTA programs.
"This new brand-
ing system creates a
consistent identity
linking all USTA professional and grassroots programs,
while creating an aspirational brand to further grow the
game," says Michelle Wilson, the USTA’s managing direc-
tor of marketing for Professional Tennis.
The new logo and brand identity is being incorporated
into all USTA materials, including USTA professional and
recreational programs, USTA.com, USTA Magazine, and all
USTA events. In addition, the new branding system will be
incorporated throughout the 17 USTA Sections. The new
logo also will be prominently featured at the USTA Nation-
al Tennis Center, home of the US Open.
Publicity and promotion for “Try Cardio Tennis for Free” will
start in May and run through the middle of June. Advertising is
planned for national magazines and on FT TV and ESPN. There
will also be support and promotion in various tennis publica-
tions. Consumers will be pushed toward www.CardioTennis.com,
which will have information about the promotion and a list of all
the sites in the U.S. offering free Cardio classes in June.
Cardio Tennis sites can be a part of this promotion by going
to www.Partners.CardioTennis .com and signing up through a
link on the home page. “We are asking Cardio Tennis facilities to
offer at least one hour of free classes per week throughout June,”
says Baugh. “This promotion is for new participants and will be
a great way to increase a facility’s everyday Cardio Tennis class-
es and income. We are now taking our No. 1 tool, the program
itself, and making it available to everyone to try.”
In other Cardio Tennis news, the program was named one of
the 50th Anniversary Partners to Get America Moving, a 2006 ini-
tiative of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
For more information, visit www.Partners.CardioTennis.com,
email info@cardiotennis.com or call the TIA at 843-686-3036.

8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Babolat Launches New Welch Tennis Offers Clay

Roddick Signature Gear Court Maintenance Seminars
B
abolat has launched two new tennis prod-

D
ay-long clay court maintenance seminars,
ucts designed and developed in collabora-
offered by Welch Tennis Courts, are
tion with Andy Roddick—the Pure Drive
designed to give club managers, tennis
Roddick racquet and the Team All Court Rod-
professionals, and maintenance personnel a
dick shoe. The gear will bear Roddick’s signa-
working knowledge of Har-Tru clay courts,
ture, which is a first for Babolat.
including explanations and demonstrations of
The Pure Drive Roddick racquet is designed
the latest procedures in court maintenance.
for players with topspin who are looking for a bal-
Emphasis is on solving court maintenance
ance of power and control, says Babolat. The frame
problems and how recent innovations can be
has Babolat’s “Cortex System,” which the company
used to protect and enhance your tennis court
says filters out vibrations
investment. Each participant will be given a
and enhances the feel of
Certificate of Completion at the end of the day.
the ball. The racquet, avail-
The seminars are for all personnel, regardless
able in standard, extra-long,
of experience.
and junior sizes, retails for
Cost is $159 per person ($125 for each addi-
$189.
tional person from the same facility) and
The Team All Court Rod-
includes a continental breakfast, lunch, court-
dick shoe was created for
side beverages and a happy hour. USPTA Mem-
the tennis star and opti-
bers can earn 3 credits for continuing
mizes lateral move-
education for attending. Contact Deb Carlson
ment, says Babolat.
at 800-282-4415. Upcoming seminars are:
Q May 5: Hunter’s Green Country Club in Tampa, Fla.
The shoe retails for
$109. For more Q May 12: Ibis Golf and Country Club in West Palm Beach, Fla.
information, visit Q May 19: Aspen Golf and Tennis Club in Aspen, Colo.
www.babolat.com or call Q Oct. 6: Jacksonville, Fla. (location to be announced)
Q Oct. 13: Naples/Fort Myers, Fla. (location to be announced)
877-316-9435.

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9

 INDUSTRYNEWS A P R I L 2 0 0 6

Todd Miller Honored as

Newest PTR Master Pro
T
odd Miller of Buffalo, N.Y., is the newest
PTR Master Professional, joining a
group of only 24 others who have
earned that designation. Miller was hon-
ored in February during the PTR Interna-
tional Tennis Symposium and $25,000
Championships on Hilton Head Island, S.C.
A record 429 people attended the annual
awards banquet.
Miller (center below, with PTR CEO Dan
Santorum at left and PTR Founder and Pres-
Evolution Footwear Line New from Wilson ident Dennis Van der Meer) has been exec-

W
ilson Racquet Sports debuts its Evolution footwear line, which the company utive director and head pro at Amherst Hills
says is the first line of tennis shoes designed to meet the specific needs of Tennis Club since 1980. He also is a USTA
players as their game evolves. The Evolution line includes eight styles engi- National Coach, a USA Tennis High Per-
neered to fit the body mechanics and court style of beginning, inter- formance Coach, and a PTR Clinician and
mediate, and advanced players. Tester. In 2004, Miller was named PTR
“The Evolution footwear concept is unprecedented in Tester of the Year, PTR Member of the Year
tennis because it utilizes Wilson’s revolutionary shoe for New York, and Eastern Coach of the
technology to offer incredible performance on the Year. While at Amherst Hills Tennis Club, he
court in a system that complements your game and has introduced the sport to thousands.
WILSON OPEN, MEN’S
style of play,” says Wilson’s Todd Fisher, the global Others honored by the PTR at its annual
W I L S O N W I L D C A R D, W O M E N ’ S director of footwear. awards banquet are:
Entry-level shoes are the Backdraw and Challenger, Q Professional of the Year: Karl Hale, Toronto,
Canada
designed for recreational players. They feature added cushioning Q Clinician of the Year: Herbert Schnaubelt, Meran,
and stability in the rear of the shoe. The women’s Challenger Italy
Q Tester of the Year: Dr. Louie Cap, Hilton Head
includes interchangeable color inserts for added fash- Island, S.C.
ion flexibility. Q Coach Verdieck Award–College: Cari Groce, Texas
Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
Q Coach Verdieck Award–High School: Michael
For intermediate players, who require more cen-
tralized cushioning, support, and stability, there is the Friedman, Deerfield High School, Glenview, Ill.
Wildcard and Qualifier. They feature a centrally positioned Q Coach Verdieck Award–Touring Pro: Riccardo
Piatti, Como, Italy
ventilated stable wrap and extended toe drag. The Qualifier also has Wilson’s DST Q Humanitarian Award: Tony Huber, Houston
3x in the heel, a multi-layered cushioning system. Q Volunteer of the Year: Johnny Cheung Wai Hing,
Hong Kong
Q Newcomer of the Year: Luke Jensen, Atlanta
Advanced-player shoes are the Tour, CF2, and Open, designed with features such
as floating stable wrap systems, three layers of independent cushioning, Duralast Q Media Excellence: Peter Francesconi, Woodbury,
Conn.
Q Wheelchair Pro of the Year: Karin Korb, Atlanta
rubber outsoles and 180-degree toe-drag protection.
For light workouts and warm-ups, the Evolution line also includes the ETF (Eat Q Male Player of the Year: Scott Nichols, Hilton
the Fuzz) model, a shoe with an adjustable Velcro strap. Shoes in the line range Head Island, S.C.
Q Female Player of the Year: Jolene Watanabe-Giltz,
from $30 to $130 and come in a variety of styles and colors for men, women, and Bluffton, S.C.
juniors. Visit www.wilson.com for more information. Q USTA Community Service Award: Ed Bernier,
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Q TIA Commitment to the Industry Award: Dan
Sampras to Play World TeamTennis Bonfigli, Essex Junction, Vt.
Q Public Facility of the Year: John Drew Smith Ten-

P
ete Sampras is returning to pro tennis. The 14-time Grand nis Center, Macon, Ga.
Q Private Facility of the Year: West Branch Tennis
Slam champion will play in the World TeamTennis Pro Center, Williamsport, Pa.
League’s upcoming season this July, more than three years
after he retired from the tour in 2002. Sampras’ team and match
schedule will be determined at the WTT Player Draft held at the
end of March.
“The timing is right,” Sampras says of his decision to play
WTT. “I’ve been busy with my family and enjoying retirement, but this feels like
the right time to get back on the court and play World TeamTennis.”
WTT co-founder Billie Jean King says Sampras’ participation has been high on
her wish list. The WTT Pro League regular season runs from July 6 to 26.

10 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006


Lee Tennis Restructures
Sales Force
L
ee Tennis of Charlottesville, Va.,
has restructured its sales force to
better serve each of its market
segments—tennis court builders,
clubs and facilities, and consulting.
Tracy Lynch, formerly the South-
east sales representative, will focus
on supporting tennis court builders
and wholesale distributors. Pat
Hanssen, formerly the Northeast
sales representative, will be focusing
his efforts towards the tennis teach-
ing and playing community in key
markets to create playing opportuni-
ties for those interested in experienc-
ing the difference of playing on a
Har-Tru court.
Ed Montecalvo, formerly the West-
ern region rep, and Roy Hey, former-
ly the new products manager, will be
concentrating their efforts on Lee
Tennis’ rapidly growing consulting
and product service arm. In this role,
they will be conducting Facility Analy-
sis Surveys (FAS), developing a Har-
Tru maintenance certification
program and providing training and
product support to clay court owners,
maintainers, and club managers.
New Partnership Keeps
Pacific Life in U.S.
T
he Pacific Life Open men’s and
women’s pro tournament remains
in the U.S. following a deal in which
an investment group has bought out the
50 percent interest formerly held by
IMG. Had the deal not gone through the
tournament was in danger of being
moved to Asia.
Charlie Pasarell and Raymond
Moore, with the help of new partners
George Mackin and Bob Miller of Tennis
magazine and Patrick W.M. Imeson of
Calim Private Equity LLC, brought
together an investment group that
includes the USTA and tennis legends
Pete Sampras, Chris Evert, and Billie
Jean King to complete the buyout.
The event is played in March at the
Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian
Wells, Calif.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Gamma Sports Celebrates 30th Anniversary
G
amma Sports of Pittsburgh was founded in 1976 when Dr. Harry Ferrari, an avid
tennis player, broke the natural gut strings in his racquet. He borrowed an identi-
cal racquet that was strung with the best synthetic strings available at that time,
but Ferrari was unimpressed with the quality and feel.
A materials science Ph.D. with 50 technical papers and more than 25 patents to his
credit, Ferrari set out to develop the world’s finest synthetic tennis
strings. The first strings, Gamma Gut, were manufactured
by bombarding the finest available synthetics
with millions of gamma rays.
“Gamma’s philosophy has always
been to create better products with
real technology,” says Ferrari, the com-
pany’s founder and chairman. “Research
and development is still at the center of every-
thing we do.”
Ferrari built upon his original string process to create several string treatments, lead-
ing to lines like TNT, Livewire, and Zo. Gamma Sports now provides more than 5,000
products including complete string, racquet, grip, ball, court equipment, teaching aids,
and apparel lines.
For more information or to inquire about becoming a Gamma dealer, contact 800-
333-0337, 412-323-0335, or email tsr@gammasports.com.
Bellamy Honored by “Daily Tennis”
T
ennis Channel Founder and President Steve Bellamy is the
inaugural winner of the Tennis News and Daily Tennis 2005 Per-
son of the Year award.
The award, created by tennis publisher Bob Larson to celebrate
the 30th year of publishing tennis news, recognizes the person who
has made the most significant contribution to the betterment of
tennis. Bellamy received the award, to be known in future years as
“The Bellamy” in honor of the inaugural recipient, in March at The Tennis Channel
Open in Las Vegas.
“Steve Bellamy is a natural choice for this award for being able to dream of what
could and should be done in tennis at any level and take on the responsibility of mak-
ing it happen and getting it done,” says Larson. “He is creative, innovative, likeable
and sometimes a maverick while developing a meeting of the minds of people at all
levels, whether on the court or in the boardroom.”
“This award is really bringing it all home for me and will hopefully motivate other
entrepreneurs to shoot for big things in the sport,” says Bellamy.
April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11
 INDUSTRYNEWS A P R I L 2 0 0 6

USTA Presents Community Service Awards

T
hirteen Community Tennis awards were presented recently at the 2006 Commu-
nity Tennis Development Workshop, held in early February in Hollywood, Calif.
Receiving USTA Eve Kraft Community Service Awards were: Jake Agna of Burling-
ton, Vt.; David Dantzer of Santa Maria, Calif.; Lena Elliott of Grand Junction, Colo.;
Sam Hopkins of Jacksonville, Texas; Mary Moore of Wilmington, Del.; and Darrell
Thompson of Waco, Texas.
USTA National Junior Tennis League of the Year Awards went to: Arthur Ashe Youth
Tennis and Education/NJTL of Philadelphia; MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation of
Jacksonville, Fla.; Milwaukee Tennis and Education Foundation of Menomonee Falls,
Wis.; Dallas Tennis Association of Dallas, Texas; and the NJTL of Cedar Isle Estates of
Apple Valley, Minn.
In addition, the USTA Community Tennis Association of the Year Award was pre-
sented to the Summit Tennis Association of Summit, N.J., and the USTA Special Pop-
ulations Community Service Award went to NYJTL Special Populations Program of
Astoria, N.Y.

Partnership to Aid Wheelchair Tennis

T
o increase the awareness and accessibility
of wheelchair tennis across the country,
the USTA is partnering with BlazeSports
America, a program of the U.S. Disabled Ath-
letes Fund (USDAF) that offers a comprehen-
sive sports and fitness program for children
and adults with physical disabilities.
The partnership will benefit from both
organizations' resources, including program-
ming elements of the USTA and BlazeSports
America's vast connections to the disabled
community.
“By teaming with BlazeSports America, we
are gaining a partner with a strong identity
and credibility in the disabled community,” says the USTA’s Kurt Kamperman, chief
executive of Community Tennis. “The partnership will offer us the ability to reach
more individuals throughout the U.S., and elevate the programming of wheelchair
tennis on every level, from the grassroots to the highest levels of the sport, the Par-
alympics and World Team Cup.”
“Tennis has quickly become one of the more popular sports in BlazeSports
offerings and this will help to increase the quality and reach of the programming,”
says Andy Fleming, USDAF president.

Prince Breaks New “Übertwins”

Campaign for Young Players

P
rince Tennis is targeting young players with its new “Über-
twins” ad campaign, featuring the virtual adventures of
Rolf and Rebekka, two fictional competitive juniors who
use Prince equipment.
The company says the twins inhabit an online microsite
(www.ubertwins.com) and “represent the epitome of young,
aggressive tennis players who are fearless on the court and
driven to win.” On the website, young visitors learn about the twins’ lives through a
series of video interviews and more.
The ad campaign launched in late February with ads in Smash magazine and ban-
ner ads on www.juniortennis.com. Merchandise and postcards will be available
online and in-store.

12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006

 INDUSTRY NEWS

New Biomechanics Book from Racquet Tech

A
new book by Racquet Tech Publishing, Biome-
chanical Principles of Tennis Technique: Using
Science to Improve Your Strokes, by Duane
Knudson, Ph.D., explains the science of tennis
technique. The book applies the lessons learned
from studying the forces and motions of tennis
strokes. Through the implementation of six basic bio-
mechanical principles, players can make subtle adjust-
ments to their strokes, creating stroke variations that
not only improve their game but also reduce their risk
of injury. Detailed line drawings, stroke analysis and
sequence photos of top touring pros, action photographs
and high-speed video images, and an exploration of the
benefits of video replay provide players with a variety of useful techniques. The book is
$14.95. To order, visit www.racquettech.com or call 760-536-1177.

Correction
 An Industry News item in the March 2006 issue incorrectly listed specialty store
sales rankings for two Prince racquets. The No. 1 and No. 2 rankings RSI report-
ed for the Prince O3 Red and O3 Silver, respectively, should have been listed only
among "new" racquets introduced during 2005. In the total category, the Babolat
Pure Drive Team ranked No. 1 in 2005 dollar sales, followed by the Wilson nSix-
One. The Prince O3 Red and O3 Silver were No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, in the
total category. The rankings are taken from the Specialty Store Tennis Racquet
Retail Audit jointly conducted by the TIA and Sports Marketing Surveys.

Jonathon Power, World

Squash No. 1, Retires

W
orld No. 1 squash player Jonathon
Power is retiring from the profes-
sional squash tour and will
assume the role of president of Squash-
Power LLC, an integrated squash mar-
keting and development company.
Power, the most successful North Amer-
ican player ever, has won 32 Profession-
al Squash Association Tour titles since
turning pro at age 16.
“Retiring has been a very difficult
decision for me,” Power says, “but I rec-
ognize that with my health being strong,
I can use this next phase of my life as an
active ambassador and catalyst for the
growth of squash. There are plans for an
increase in exhibitions, club outreaches,
educational sessions, clinics, and a
farewell tour.”
Steve Hall, director of marketing for
Dunlop Sports, says, “Jonathon has been
the marketing force behind our brand
and the building of squash around the
world. We look forward to continued
involvement well into the future with his
new endeavor.”

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 13

 A P R I L 2 0 0 6
Wilson Extends 20-Year
INDUSTRYNEWS
Partnership with PBI
W
ilson Racquet Sports recently renewed
its partnership with the tennis man-
agement company Peter Burwash
International, which provides resorts, clubs,
and hotels with tennis professionals and
teaching programs. With the renewal, Wil-
son celebrates its 20th year as the exclusive
equipment provider for the organization.
Wilson supplies PBI teaching pros with
Wilson nCode racquets, footwear, bags and
string. PBI manages tennis programs at
prestigious resorts and clubs in more than
20 countries. Programs can include private
instruction, group lessons, tournaments,
and clinics. Wilson equipment is also car-
ried in PBI resorts and clubs that maintain
a tennis pro shop on their grounds.
“Peter Burwash International sets the
standard in professionalism and service in
the industry,” says James Burda, manager
of U.S. promotions for Wilson. “Wilson is
proud to have this long-standing relation-
ship with the industry leader to help grow
the game of tennis.”
14 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006
SHORT SETS
>AprilThe7 U.S. Davis Cup squad will meet Chile
to 9 at Mission Hills Country Club in
Rancho Mirage, Calif. Tickets, sold as a
three-day series, range from $90 to $375,
with VIP packages available. Call 888-484-
8782.
>ball,Wilson Racquet Sports was the official
racquet, and stringer for the inaugural >
The Tennis Channel has signed a two-
year programming extension with the
Tennis Channel Open, which was held Feb.
27 to March 5 in Las Vegas. Wilson also
hosted the World Fast-Stringing Champi-
onships on March 3, in which industry
stringers competed to record the fastest
time stringing a racquet. The championships
will be featured in a 30-minute TV special
for The Tennis Channel.
>TeamTennis
The 2006 regular season for the World
(WTT) Pro League presented by
Advanta will be played July 6 to 26, with the
season-ending WTT Finals slated for July 28
to 30.
>finalThematch
2006 Fed Cup World Group Quarter-
between Germany and the U.S.
will be on red clay at TC Ettenheim in Ger-
many, April 22 and 23.
> Wilson Racquet Sports is the official ball
of World TeamTennis. Wilson has been the
official racquet of WTT for many years,
providing support and equipment for the
Recreational and Professional Leagues.
Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. The deal contin-
ues the network’s exclusive U.S. telecast
rights to 14 international top-tier tourna-
ments each year.
>League
Six World TeamTennis Recreational
teams advanced to the WTT
Nationals, to be played Nov. 2 to 5 in Indi-
an Wells, Calif. The six teams are from
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Key Biscayne, Fla.;
Buena Vista, Ga.; Scotia, N.Y.; Longboat
Key, Fla.; and Virginia Beach, Va.
>Air TheLinesUSTA Southern Section and Delta
have renewed their partnership
through 2006. Delta remains the “official
airlines” of the section and also remains an
official sponsor of all Bullfrog USTA South-
ern Section Junior Designated Tourna-
ments.
> In the wake of its recently launched O3-
engineered tennis racquets in Europe,
Prince Sports Europe is restructuring its
business abroad to better serve sales, mar-
keting, and service support. Mike Ballardie,
Prince Sports Europe’s v.p. and managing
director, has developed several new part-
nerships in key European markets.
>documentary
The Tennis Channel is airing a three-part
series on Australian pro Lley-
ton Hewitt. The first half-hour episode of
“Lleyton Hewitt: The Other Side” pre-
miered in February, with other episodes
planned for broadcast in April and June
debuts. Visit www.thetennischannel.com
for more information.
>Racquet
Head N.V. reports that revenues for its
Sports Division for the three
months ended Dec. 31, 2005, increased
by $1.6 million, or 4.8 percent, to $34.1
million from $32.5 million in the compara-
ble 2004 period, the company said. For
the 12 months ended Dec. 31, Racquet
Sports revenues decreased by $1.4 million,
or 0.8 percent, to $166.6 million from
$168 million in 2004.
 INDUSTRY NEWS

Gilbert Endorses USRSA MEMBER CLASSIFIEDS

Slinghopper FOR SALE: Tecnifibre TF5500 elec- FOR SALE: Babolat RDC: $2,499/OBO: Alpha
tronic stringing machine, excellent Saturn with Babolat Star 3 mounting system:

C
oach and former
touring pro Brad condition, with extra center clamps $1500. Contact Mark Campanile @ 847-480-
Gilbert is the latest and cover; $3800 INCLUDES SHIP- 7841 or email: theracquetman@sbcglobal.net
big name to endorse PING within continental US. If you or mark@theracquetman.net
SlingHopper Drill Bags.
are looking for a durable and reli-
“The SlingHopper is the FOR SALE: Babolat Star 3: Completely Recon-
greatest innovation in able machine, this is it. Contact
ditioned by Tennis Machines Inc. $3500 Firm
feeding and playing ten- Vince Chiarelli at 727-595-7068 or
+ Shipping. Please Contact Russ Sheh @ 760-
nis. It allows the feeder email: stringalong@tampabay.rr.com
285-6320.
to move around the
court without interrupting the flow of
drills,” says Gilbert, who has coached
pros including Andre Agassi and Andy
Roddick. Earlier this year, Nick Bollet-
PL E W AT
EO CH
tieri announced his endorsement of
SlingHopper Drill Bags. For more infor-
mation or to become a dealer, call P • Chris Kushner is Wilson Racquet Sports’
Gamma Sports at 800-333-0337, out- new product manager of accessories and Alex Muresan
side the U.S. call (412) 323-0335 or visit is the new national tour manager for U.S. juniors.
www.gammasports.com
• WTT co-founder Billie Jean King appeared on an episode of the HBO
series “The L Word” in January, appearing as herself to interview fictional ten-
PTR Names Tennis nis pro Dana Fairbanks (played by Erin Daniels) following a match. King will have a
much bigger role in the HBO Documentary “Billie Jean King,” which takes an in-
Championships Winners depth look at the professional and personal life of the tennis legend and is scheduled

T
he winners from the PTR’s annual to air April 26.
$25,000 Tennis Championships held
during the 2006 PTR International • Wilson players captured six Grand Slam titles in 2005 with nCode technology: Serena
Tennis Symposium in Hilton Head, S.C., in Williams (n3), Australian Open; Justine Henin-Hardenne (nTour), French Open; Roger Fed-
February are: erer (nSix-One Tour), Wimbledon and US Open; Venus Williams (n4) Wimbledon; Bob and
Q Men’s Open Singles: Zbynek Mlnarik, Chatsworth, Mike Bryan (nPro Surge) US Open doubles.
Calif.
Q Men’s 30 Singles: Julien Heine , Laguna Hills, Calif. • Former touring pro Mark Merklein of Coral Springs, Fla., has been named a USTA
Q Men’s 35 Singles: Karl Hale, Toronto National Coach. Merklein joins the men's coaching staff based at the USTA Player Devel-
Q Men’s 40 Singles: Scott Nichols, Hilton Head, S.C. opment Headquarters in Key Biscayne, Fla., and will work primarily with 16-year-olds.
Q Men’s 45 Singles: Dag Jonsson, Sweden
Prior to joining the USTA, Merklein served as assistant coach at the University of Florida
Q Men’s 50 Singles: Patrick Child, Hilton Head, S.C.
Q Men’s 55 Singles: Mas Kimball, Oak Bluff, Mass.
and coached touring pro Jeff Morrison.
Q Men’s 60 Singles: Keith Whitlow, Hilton Head, S.C.
Q Men’s 65 Singles : Bob Helton, Bristol, Va.
• Top-ranked doubles players Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan have signed a multi-year
Q Men’s 70 Singles: Thomas Mancuso, Millsboro, Del. endorsement deal with Countrywide Financial Corp.
Q Men’s Open Doubles: Julien Heine/Zbynek Mlnarik
Q Men’s 35 Doubles: Eric Burke/Karl Hale
• Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova were slated to join a list of top players and legends
Q Men’s 45 Doubles: Scott Nichols/Larry Schnall at the Centex Destination Properties Desert Smash in early March at the La Quinta Resort
Q Men’s 55 Doubles: Ben Hale/Keith Whitlow and Club, which benefits the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation in providing support to
Q Men’s 65 Doubles: Bob Helton/Tony Schinto brain tumor patients and their families.
Q Men’s 70 Doubles: John Powless/Dennis Van der
Meer • Squash champion David Palmer has signed a two-year extension of his sponsorship
Q Women’s Open Singles: Janet Bergman, Hilton agreement with Ashaway Racket Strings.
Head, S.C.
Q Women’s 45 Singles: Donna McKenna, Bluffton, • The International Tennis Hall of Fame will induct seven Master Players during
S.C.
the Hall of Fame’s Induction Ceremony this July. To be inducted posthumously
Q Women’s 55 Singles: Linda McCollum, College
Park, Ga.
are Nancye Wynne Bolton of Australia, Marion Jones Farquhar of the
Q Women’s 45 Doubles: Carmen Lopez/Carol U.S., Arthur Gore of Great Britain, Karel Kozeluh of the former
MacLennan Czechoslovakia, Herbert Lawford of Great Britain, Simone
Q Women’s 55 Doubles: Susan Kimball/Kate Nelson Mathieu of France, and Hans Nusslein of
Q 45 Mixed Doubles: Gary Lyst/Jane Wadsworth
Germany.
Q 55 Mixed Doubles: Mas Kimball/Susan Kimball

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 15

 A P R I L 2 0 0 6
Head Launches Flexpoint Heat and Fire
INDUSTRYNEWS
H
ead has released two new frames
in its Flexpoint line geared to
intermediate and advanced play-
ers. The Flexpoint Heat is for aggres-
sive players and is ideal for
serve-and-volleyers, says Head, adding
that the frame is a bit more forgiving
than others in the series. It features a
slightly larger, 102-square-inch head.
Suggested retail price is $140.
16 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006
The Flexpoint Fire (which replaces the
Liquidmetal Fire) also has a 102-square-
inch head, but it features a 16 x 19
string pattern, allowing for extra spin
on the ball. The frame’s variable beam
makes it more maneuverable and gives
it a bit more stiffness, says Head. Sug-
gested retail for the Fire is $150. For more
information, call 800-289-7366 or visit
www.head.com.
L E T T E R S
Wild Cards Should Go to Tour Pros
To the Editor:
I recently read the “Your Serve” article in
RSI’s August 2005 issue regarding college
tennis players’ quests for wild card spots
on the US Open. I run a Men's Challenger
in Yuba City, Calif. I gave my most recent
wildcards to two U.S. collegiate players:
Sam Warburg of Stanford and Thomas
Morton of Sacramento State. Sam made it
to the second round of the tournament.
Being around both college players and
those that travel the world during our
event, I am torn about whom I should give
these "golden gifts" to. To a tour player, a
college player is taken care of in travel,
meals, hotels, coaching, and above all an
education. So, is it fair to "bestow" a wild
card into the US Open to a college player
who has all these benefits over a guy that
beats the odds and fights his way around
the world against the top players every
other week? What if the college player has
no desire to have a pro career in the first
place? This would take away $10,000 from
a player who really needs the money to
chase his dream.
The college community has really shift-
ed in the last few years. Look at almost
every college team in America and you
will find almost every one loaded with
players from overseas, who have
“snatched” scholarships from American
kids. We are the only system in the world
to combine athletics with higher education
at this level.
I feel this is a direct result why the
USTA evaluates wild cards for the US Open
every year. They know the odds are that a
foreign player will win the title because
they out-number the American kids.
The USTA is right to evaluate the wild
cards and to reward those spots to tour
players over collegiate players. The Open
is a pro event; wild cards should go to
players who have a desire to become tour-
ing pros.
Jim King, Director of Tennis
Yuba City Racquet Club
$50,000 Sunset Moulding/YCRC Challenger
We welcome your letters and comments. Please
email them to rsi@racquetTECH.com or fax them to
760-536-1171.
<
campus TENNIS

USTA and ITA Honor Champions

Of Campus and Community BY KRISTEN DALEY

T
he USTA and the Intercollegiate Ten- USTA and ITA have honored college coach- out to the community for programs and
nis Association are continuing a tra- es in this manner. For pros and managers lessons is a good source of additional
dition of honoring coaches who, in working at college tennis facilities, reaching revenue. In fact, some industry insiders
addition to their job of successfully predict that, while public parks
coaching and graduating student- USTA/ITA Campus were the genesis for much of
athletes, reach out to their campus
and outlying communities to grow
Recreation Award Section Winners recreational tennis’s growth in
earlier decades, tennis facilities
Intermountain: Brad Pearce, Brigham Young University
tennis. Mid-Atlantic: Constantine Ananiadis, Washington College (Maryland) on college campuses will fill that
“The ITA and USTA strongly Middle States: Dave Shook, Lehigh University community role in the future.
believe that community service and Missouri Valley: Lisa Johnson, Oklahoma Christian University At Biola, Henry has organized
campus recreation programs are New England: Christine Davis, Smith College (Massachusetts) numerous tennis events and pro-
extremely important for today’s col- Northern California: Peter Wright, University of California-Berkeley grams throughout the academic
lege coach to become involved in, Pacific Northwest: Carl Swanson, Linfield College (Oregon) year for students, faculty, alum-
Southern: Mary Ann Sunbury, Pfeiffer University
and these awards help highlight ni, and the surrounding commu-
Southern California: Dee Henry, Biola University
the efforts of those coaches who nity. Among those programs are
have,” says ITA Executive Director a USA Team Tennis campus
David Benjamin. league, a campus wheelchair
In 2005, two coaches from the program, and Tennis Across
USTA’s Southern California section America, a free USPTA program
received national awards. The that introduces tennis to families
Campus Recreation Award, pre- from Biola and the community.
sented to Dee Henry, women’s Gennette has helped grow
tennis coach at Biola University in tennis in Ventura County by
La Mirada, Calif., recognizes an ITA organizing many entry-level pro-
coach who has implemented suc- grams and special events. He
cessful tennis programs on campus started local park and recreation
in an effort to grow tennis partici- tennis programs in six cities,
pation. The Community Service including six high schools and 12
Award, presented to Michael Gen- parks. In addition, Gennette has
nette, men’s tennis coach at Cali- organized and hosted adult and
fornia Lutheran University in senior Play and Learn Classes,
Thousand Oaks, honors an ITA Gennette (left) and Henry (right) with Bill Ozaki, the USTA’s director Youth League Tennis, corporate
coach for developing community- of junior and collegiate competition. tennis picnics, county junior
based tennis programs through tournaments, and a number of
community centers, schools, parks, USTA/ITA Community summer camps.
“Tennis needs people out
CTAs, inner city, suburban, or rural
programs.
Service Award Section Winners there doing the legwork to get
Eastern: Gary Glassman, Stony Brook University
At the USTA section level, 20 people involved and promoting
Florida: Bruce Carrington, St. Thomas University
additional coaches received Intermountain: Nicole Kenneally, University of Colorado the sport,” says Casey Angle,
awards. The national winners were Mid-Atlantic: Darryl Cummings, Old Dominion University director of communications for
chosen from the group of section Middle States: Lori Sabatose, Clarion University of Pennsylvania the ITA. Meanwhile, the coach-
winners by a panel comprised of Midwest: Tim Corwin, Kalamazooo College es’ efforts can help their own
ITA and USTA staff. Also, 50 Missouri Valley: Andy Hamilton, Grinnell College varsity programs as well. “It
coaches from ITA-member schools New England: Julie Greenwood, Williams College makes the coach more visible in
were awarded grants from the Northern California: Marc Weinstein, Mills College the community, and more valu-
Pacific Northwest: Lisa Hart, Washington State
USTA to support their Community able in the community,” Angle
Southern: Bill Riddle, Cumberland University (Tennessee)
Outreach and USTA Team Tennis says. “It ultimately gets more
Southern California: Michael Gennette, California Lutheran University
programs. Texas: Lance Drake, Tarleton State University people interested in the tennis
This is the third year that the program.” Q

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 17

F
web wise
Website Facelift: Free Tools to
Improve Your Customer's Experience
W
hile it’s vital in 2006 to have a
fresh website for your club, shop,
or company, the fact is that you’re
in the tennis business, not the internet
business. But there’s hope—without
spending any hard dollars on develop-
ment, you can improve the customer
experience on your site to keep them
coming back. A website with a few inter-
active features and special touches can
work for you while you’re on court, stock-
ing product, running meetings, or on
vacation.
UPDATE THAT GREETING
Perhaps there’s a billboard on your drive
to work that never changes. Every day
you see it, and every day it looks the
same—staring back at you with the same
old message. Perhaps you’ve come to
hate it. Don’t let your website visitors get
this feeling.
To make sure your website doesn’t
become stale:
Q Change the home page message
regularly: It can be as simple as posting
the week’s events, last week’s results or
a holiday message.
Skill Level: F
Q Add the time and date: It’s a simple,
but effective, way to stay current.
http://www.javascriptkit.com/script/cut1
64.shtml.
Skill Level: FF
Q Provide a weather report: Easy
instructions from Weather.com allow
you to run a pre-formatted weather box
for your local area, or customize your
own.
http://www.weather.com/services/oap.ht
ml.
Skill Level: FF
OFFER TENNIS-
THEMED GOODIES
Increase the “stickiness” of your site with
games and cursors.
Q Hangman: Edit the vocabulary in the
18 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006
Need a web-savvy person?
If you don’t have someone on staff who can
make these changes to your website, consider
posting a notice at your location. There may
be a club member or customer who would be
willing to trade a couple of hours of work for
court time or a discount.
Or, contact a local high school or college for
student help. Young people are always look-
ing for opportunities to gain experience that
will look good on college applications and
eventually resumes.
code to tennis-specific terms.
http://www.javascriptkit.com/script/script
2/hangman.shtml.
Skill Level: FFF
Q Phong: This Ping Pong-styled game
takes practice and helps build reaction
time. Try the demo at this url:
http://www. dynamic-
drive.com/dynamicindex12/pong/index.h
tm.
Skill Level: FFF
Q Cursors: Link to this page so people can
change their pointer to a tennis ball or
racquet: http://www.cursorcafe.com/
sports_leisure_tennis_310.html.
Skill Level: F
ADD INTERACTIVE TOOLS
Highlight the fitness benefits of tennis
with calculators that provide cues on
health.
Q Determine Body Mass Index: To add
a simple BMI calculator to your site, go
to
http://javascript.internet.com/calculators/
body-mass-index.html.
Skill Level: FF
Q Quantify Calories Burned: Link to Pre-
vention magazine’s website for calcula-
tors that provide the number of calories
burned for singles or doubles:
http://www.prevention.com/toollisting.
Skill Level: F
BY LIZA HORAN
PUBLISH EVENT PHOTOS
Posting images of your customers online can serve
as a wrap-up to an event and allow people to
purchase photos. Once you’ve shot pictures with
a digital camera, set up a free account at Kodak-
Gallery.com and “Create a Photo Album.” After
the images are uploaded to that site, you can
invite attendees to view them, or simply post a
link on your website.
http://www.kodakgallery.com.
Skill Level: F
ASK FOR FEEDBACK
Existing and potential customers could teach you
a lot about what matters to them. Allowing them
to weigh in on matters will show that you value
their opinions and wish to service them. Retailers
could research what colors its shoppers prefer,
while club owners could ask members if they’d
prefer the theme of the next event to be a BBQ or
Mexican party. Go to this site and sign up for the
free registration: http://www.zoomerang.com.
Skill Level: F
Key to Skill Levels
F Must know how to add a link to a
web page.
FF Should know basic html.
FFF Should be comfortable
pasting Javascript in html.
Liza Horan is the editor
of Tenniswire.org, which
provides tennis industry
news and a free email
newsletter. She is also
the president of Medi-
aMoxie
(www.mediamoxie.com),
a marketing, communications, and web
consulting company. Share your stories
about your web experiences by emailing a
quick note to liza@tenniswire.org.
& SUCCESS
marketing
Hire Right and Keep It Fun To
Turn the Tide of Turnover
Y
ou see it all the time at small to
medium-sized tennis facilities across
the country. A customer walks into
a tennis pro shop and the person behind
the counter is either on the phone with a
friend or hanging out with some kids
who are there to keep him or her compa-
ny. Usually that counter person is a high
school student who likes tennis, is fairly
outgoing, and needs a part-time job.
Unfortunately, those five to seven sec-
onds waiting for the desk person to get
off the phone with their friend is enough
to spell b-a-d customer service. It will be
an uphill battle to change the customer’s
perception to win back their confidence,
unless something drastically changes.
If you are a shop manager who
argues that you cannot hire anyone else
because you can only afford to pay mini-
mum wage, I’d like to change your mind
by giving you some alternatives. Besides
improving customer service, you should
also be motivated by another carrot we’ll
dangle: turning the tide of high staff
turnover.
But first, let’s move beyond your pro
shop to zero in on the type of personality
you want to hire. Walk through a local
department store and take a look at the
customer service staff. One of the first
things you’ll probably notice is that the
sales people are generally outgoing and
enthusiastic. While this is good, it is also
a dilemma. The problem in retail is that
managers usually look to hire exuberant
people. But these types also need con-
stant stimulation. And, face it, retail is
often repetitive and can be downright
boring at times.
This might surprise you, but for retail-
ing, you want steady, loyal people who
are not overly enthusiastic. It may sound
strange and somewhat counter-intuitive,
but it’s true. So, what are your non-high
school student options?
Hire a boomer. It’s broadly known
that the baby-boomer generation is one
of the largest and most hard-working
20 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006
segments of the U.S.
population. The oldest of
the boomers are
approaching the 60-year-
old mark, and every
day, 10,000 people in
the U.S. turn 50. How
does this help your pro
shop staffing chal-
lenges? Simple. Signifi-
cant portions of these
boomers are now looking for
part-time work. Their children are
grown. Many are even retired. They are
competent, mature, and stable. Plus,
many don’t care exactly how much
money they earn. Some may even work
in exchange for privileges at your club or
facility.
One thing is for certain. No matter
who you hire, you’ll need to be a little
creative to keep them excited to be on
your team. Here are some tips and ideas
to help keep things fun and interesting!
IDEA #1:
Years ago, when I managed a small pro
shop in Puerto Rico, we created a simple
sales figure goal each week. It was
achievable enough that we hit it about
half the time. This club had a snack bar
that made the most wonderful milk-
shakes. So, being young and not yet wor-
ried about putting on extra pounds, we
had the pro shop reward every team
member with a thick and creamy milk-
shake when the goal was reached.
IDEA #2:
In my office, we have a monthly pizza
party. It’s simple and everyone has a
great time. Often, the intangibles are the
reasons people stay at a job. They need
to feel liked, needed, and in a thoughtful
and fun environment.
IDEA #3:
Another idea we started at my company
is to have what I call “five dollar pop
BY JOE DINOFFER
quizzes.” Basically, I go to the bank and
get about 30 five-dollar bills. Then, I cre-
ate a simple “quiz” consisting of about
five questions that are basic to the opera-
tions of our office, but challenging
enough that only rarely will someone get
all the answers right. We pass the com-
pleted quizzes around from one person
to another for grading and then review
the questions. For each correct answer
the individual receives a crisp five-dollar
bill.
IDEA #4:
Since everyone loves a party, another
great idea to help the team spirit at your
business is to celebrate each person’s
birthday. It can be as simple as having
everyone sign a large card, including as
many members at the club as possible,
plus a cake or cookies. Remember that it
does not have to be elaborate. It’s the
thought that counts.
The bottom line is that staff turnover
costs time and money. Minimize them by
trying to select the best people possible,
and keep them by being fun and cre-
ative. Q
Joe Dinoffer is a Master Professional for
both the PTR and USPTA. He speaks
frequently at national and international
tennis teacher workshops as a member
of both the Head/Penn and Reebok
National Speaker’s Bureaus. He is president of
Oncourt Offcourt Inc. and has written 16 books and
produced more than 30 instructional videos.
k

FOCUS ON footwear
Lacing Systems That Enhance Fit BY DAVID SHARNOFF
changes in their footwear, too, to get the best fit.

W
hen it comes to tennis shoes, your players need to have a per-
fect fit. Wearing shoes that fit correctly will not only help your
customers play their best tennis, but also, it can keep players
from getting injured.
Many players, once they find a shoe that they think fits them
and is comfortable, will typically stay with that shoe for a long
time. But our feet change over time, and players need to make
You can help your players get the perfect fit for their imperfect
feet by suggesting various lacing systems that will reduce pressure
in certain areas and allow the foot to move with fewer constraints.
Based on common foot problems we encounter, the four lacing
techniques below should help you customize the fit for your cus-
tomers so they can play their best, and feel comfortable doing it.

FOR PLAYERS WITH A

1 WIDE FOOT AND/OR

NARROW HEEL

FOR PLAYERS WHO HAVE A

2 HIGH INSTEP, HEEL SLIPPAGE,

OR PINS AND NEEDLES

FOR PLAYERS WHO

3 HAVE A NORMAL FOOT

WITH A NARROW HEEL

FOR PLAYERS

4 WITH A NARROW
FOOT

Tips for a Perfect Fit

Q Feet swell 5 to 10 percent during the day, so try on new
shoes later in the day or just after exercise.

Q Wear socks that are sport or shoe specific when trying on

new shoes.

Q Athletic shoes typically fit one-half to one-full size too small.

Q Have your feet measured yearly. David Sharnoff, a podiatrist in Shel-

Q Don’t forget shoe weight: 1 ounce in the foot equals 1

ton, Conn., is a longtime advisor to
the WTA Tour and a member of
pound in the hip. Tennis magazine’s Technical Advi-
Q Avoid deep cutouts in the outsole of a shoe—it often sory Panel. Dr. Sharnoff also is a
longtime contributor to professional
means poor arch support.
journals in the field of podiatric
(Source: SoftSole) medicine.

22 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006

F
Online RETAILING
Net Return
Sports InterActive gives specialty
dealers a fighting chance on the internet.
O
ver the past 22 years, Herb Sweren
has seen the retail industry evolve,
with trends ranging from mail
order to, most recently, internet sales.
“All the way, it has made it more chal-
lenging for specialty retailers,” he says.
Sweren speaks from experience.
He’s spent the majority of his career at
Prince, where he started as a sales asso-
ciate and advanced to vice president and
general manager of its North American
operations, helping those retailers com-
pete amid the changing face of the
industry.
Now, as founder and president of
Sports InterActive LLC, Sweren is looking
to help specialty retailers compete on
the internet. Sports InterActive, a web
development and eMarketing company,
is his response to the booming ecom-
merce trend. The company provides ten-
nis clubs, country clubs, and specialty
shops with online sales capabilities and a
catalog of more than 16,000 tennis,
running, and fitness products in an
“Online Tennis Mall.”
“I really thought there was a need
for retailers and tennis clubs to have
an effective website strategy
to encourage and increase
revenues on the court and
off,” says Sweren.
Each order made at
the website of a Sports
InterActive dealer shop or club
yields a 20 percent commission for
the dealer. Orders are processed by Fro-
muth, which also provides back-end cus-
tomer service support for the Sports
InterActive Online Tennis Mall.
“Herb has an understanding of what
the specialty dealer goes through,” says
Patrick Shields, owner and president of
Fromuth, which has had a 15-year rela-
tionship with Sweren, since his days as a
sales associate at Prince. “He under-
stands the market forces at work, and
24 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006
he sees an opportunity for specialty deal-
ers to take advantage of something that
they previously had not taken advantage
of.”
It took Sweren about 18 months to
create Sports InterActive, which rolled out
to the industry last August. Since then, he
has partnered with the Tennis Industry
Association, whose TennisConnect.org
software has powered Sports InterActive
since October. Facilities that subscribe to
both programs can now run their Online
What It Costs
 Sports InterActive Specialty Dealer Pack-
age: $79/month
 SI Premium Package (with TIA Facility-
Plus Membership): $89/month
 Sports InterActive Upgrade for current
Facility-Plus members: $39/month
BY KRISTEN DALEY
Tennis Mall alongside other TennisCon-
nect features on their website.
“We play straight into one another’s
strengths,” says Charlie Ruddy, develop-
er of the TennisConnect.org software.
“Sports InterActive puts a whole lot of
specialty dealers and pro shops back in
the game, back on competitive footing
with internet and ecommerce sites, and
they can still support their local club.”
“I, along with others at Prince, was
very supportive of the TIA and its efforts
in the beginning stages,” says Sweren.
“It’s a nice fit to be able to work with
them again in this way.”
In addition to the online mall and
optional TennisConnect.org features,
Sports InterActive has a database-driven
String Center 2.0 technology that helps
shops and tennis clubs track a cus-
tomer’s or member’s stringing history
and use it to send targeted emails
reminding players of the need to re-
string. “Stringing can be a very
profitable business,” says
Sweren. String Center is an
“add-on solution” for all
Sports InterActive packages.
Sweren says Sports
InterActive is “by far
the most comprehen-
sive program that
helps clubs grow both
their court business and
compete in the marketplace
from a retail perspective.”
“I can promote my programming
and my mall simultaneously,” says Billy
Power, director of tennis at Texarkana
Country Club in Texarkana, Ark., who
supplements the online mall with Tennis-
Connect.org’s features. “The product is
made so that anyone can have their
own website and run it and be success-
ful.”
For more information, call 410-358-
1304 or visit www.sports-interactive.net. 
 Heads-Up
RETAILING

Displays
Top retailers
offer advice for
sprucing up your
display space.
hether you’re a tennis superstore or a small pro shop, ing displays—and turning casual shoppers into buyers.

W you need to create effective retail displays to drive sales.

And, as tennis participation is increasing, there’s no bet-
ter time than the present to take advantage of the surge and
To help you fashion retail displays that move merchandise,
we contacted four tennis shops that equipment and apparel
makers praised for having successful and attractive displays.
promote your apparel and equipment brands using eye-catch- —Cynthia Sherman

Tennis and Golf Company

Royal Oak, Mich.
arjorie Holler of Tennis and

M Golf Company in the

Detroit area uses color to
make displays visually attractive.
She also rotates articles every cou-
ple of weeks to make things look
fresh and new.
Whether racquets, bags, or
apparel, attractive lighting makes
the merchandise pop off the wall
and allows customers to easily see
the details and features. Racquet
walls are arranged by manufactur-
er, with shelves of tennis balls
between them. Ball hoppers filled
with balls add visual interest to the
displays.
Holler tends toward a more for-
mal approach, optimizing the visu-
al effect of how the outfit will look
when worn, rather than layering
pieces. Racks, tables, and wall
units invite a customer’s involve-
ment. Clothing groups are arranged
by manufacturer, color, then outfit.
Waterfall wall displays for apparel
are more visually appealing, so that
customers aren’t looking at a lot of
garment sleeves. Tennis and Golf
Company also marks down and
moves out old merchandise quick-
ly, so the merchandise always is Optimize the visual effect
fresh and new.
of how the outfit will look
when worn, rather than
layering pieces.
26 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006
Holler’s Tips

Q Make apparel “sell-

able.” Ask, how
would you wear it?
Q Rotate displays to
keep the store look-
ing fresh.
Q Don’t overwhelm
a display with too
much; keep a
neat, balanced
presentation.

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 27

 Coach Matt’s
Suwanee, Ga.
ith apparel dis-

W plays, Tiffany
Grayson at Coach
Matt’s in the Atlanta area
creates a color story by
coordinating like and com-
plementary hues within
each brand, and she cross-
merchandises between
training/fitness pieces and
tenniswear. This way, the
consumer is likely to see

Grayson’s Tips
the connection between
cross-over activities and
tennis and will more likely
integrate their workout
apparel and tennis apparel.
In displaying racquets,
Grayson puts power frames
at the top of the slatwall,
Create a “lifestyle” Q Keep it simple. Have
“tweener” racquets in the
middle, and control rac-
quets at the bottom, presentation for your a clean look, and
remaining consistent within group like objects
the brands. This makes it customers using color and together.
easy for customers to iden- Q A neat and unclut-
tify their swing levels with- additional visual elements. tered store invites
in each brand across the
customers in.
Q Make sure your
racquet wall, she says.
Grayson sees the ten-
dency for customers to buy
space is well-lighted.
more when the retailer cre- Use spotlights for
ates more of a “lifestyle” displays.
presentation rather than
strictly emphasizing tennis
in retail displays. But
Grayson also makes her
shop more appealing to
tennis players by using tro-
phies and action and his-
toric photos on the walls
and shelves.

28 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006

Chicago Golf
and Tennis
Chicago, IL
hicago Golf and

C Tennis houses a
major Nike special-
ty/concept shop, coupling
the crossover idea of
Nike workout apparel
with tenniswear. Nike
started this tennis con-
cept store within a store
about two years ago with

Pinsof-Kaplan’s Tips
tremendous success. This
boutique approach of
portraying a lifestyle
theme using exciting
graphic images and man-
ufacturer fixtures is an
idea that can translate
well for other manufac-
turers’ displays.
Corinne Pinsof-Kaplan
of Chicago Golf and Ten-
Something as simple as
Q Use professional-
nis also makes full use of
mannequins to show
complete outfits, employ- upgrading your hangers has looking signage and
eye-catching manu-
ing humorous scenes to
make even more of an
a tremendous effect on facturer-supplied
impact. Walls and dress-
creating a richer look. images and fixtures.
ing-room doors also are Q Show mannequins
used to create even more
outfitted with
apparel display space.
accessories for
Pinsof-Kaplan notes
crossover appeal.
Q Upgrade hangers for
that something as simple
as upgrading your hang-
ers has a tremendous a nicer, richer look.
effect on creating a rich-
er look. And having
salespeople wear mer-
chandise sold in the store
also helps to increase
sales. Chicago Golf and
Tennis is a massive
15,000 square feet, but, as
Pinsof-Kaplan notes, you
don’t have to have a huge
space to create imagina-
tive displays and encour-
age sales.

Arpil 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 29

 USTA National
Tennis Center
Flushing Meadows,
N.Y.
oan Dziena at the pro

J shop at the USTA National

Tennis Center in New
York insists it’s all about color
and balance. In creating dis-
plays, she uses colors that
complement each other, and
creates a story with a color
palate, using symmetry to
encourage balance between
lights and darks. Buying with
Dziena’s Tips

the anticipation of how it will

look on the wall and floor
helps utilize your space to its
maximum efficiency.
Only opened since last
November, already this pro
shop, in the shadow of Arthur

Q Use color to make a

Ashe Stadium, is experiencing
great success among the reg-
ulars, who return week after statement.
week. Waterfall racks on the Q Emphasize pairings,
wall help to add visual inter- balance, and
est, and Dziena matches up symmetry.
coordinating racquet bags
Q Rotating displays
and other accessories with
creates diversity and
her apparel.
Because she gets so many
a feeling of
repeat customers, Dziena “newness.”
emphasizes rotating displays
twice a month. Even if it’s
changing a rack from front to Buying with
back, it still creates a fresh
look, as if the customer is
the anticipation
seeing the merchandise for
the first time.
of how it will
look on the
wall and floor
helps utilize
your space to
its maximum
efficiency.

30 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006

 The Good Stuff
RSI/ASBA 2005 FACILITY-OF-THE-YEAR AWARDS

These soft-court winners are all solid to the core.

t heart, the eight outdoor soft-court winners of the Rac- State, and six of the projects were completed by Florida-based

A quet Sports Industry/American Sports Builders Association

2005 Facility-of-the-Year Awards all have one major thing
in common. They all use soft-court material from Lee Tennis.
Three of the projects (Heathrow Country Estates, Oaks at
Boca Raton, and River Oaks) have one or more red clay
courts, while the rest utilize the traditional Har-Tru material.
All eight winners also made use of the accuracy provided by
laser grading to level the surface, and seven of the eight opted
for the advantages of subsurface irrigation.
Florida again was well-represented in this group of win-
ners; five of the winning facilities are located in the Sunshine
court-construction companies (four by Welch Tennis Courts
and two by Fast Dry Courts). The projects ranged from two
courts to a 12-court facility (which included 11 clay and one
cushioned hard court). Seven of the eight projects were new
construction and one was an upgrade.
Player and spectator amenities ranked high on the list of
priorities, with all of the projects providing for areas where
fans can view the action. All but one of these projects provid-
ed shaded areas between or next to the courts for player com-
fort. Two facilities also included a show or stadium court.
—Peter Francesconi

Oaks at Boca Raton Tennis Center

Boca Raton, Fla.
(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts, Sun City, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 12 (1 hard)
Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru (Hydroblend)
Subsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts (HydroGrid)
Fencing: U.S. Wholesale
Net Posts: BP International
Windscreens: J.A. Cissel

Green Valley Country Club

Lafayette Hills, Pa.
(Nominated by Pro-Sport Construction Inc., Devon, Pa.)
Number of Courts: 4
Contractor: Pro-Sport Construction
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru
Nets, Windscreens: BP International
Net Posts: Douglas Industries

Heathrow Country Estates Tennis Facility

Sorrento, Fla.
(Nominated by Fast Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 2
Architect & Contractor: Fast Dry Courts
Surface: Lee Tennis American Red Clay
Subsurface Irrigation: Lee Tennis
Windscreens: J.A. Cissel
Nets, Center Straps: BP International
Line Tapes, Net Posts: Lee Tennis
Trench Drain: Zurn Industries
For details on the 2006 Outstanding Tennis Facility Awards, contact the
ASBA at 866-501-ASBA or info@sportsbuilders.org.

32 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006

 Roxiticus Golf Club Tennis Facility
Mendham, N.J.
(Nominated by The Racquet Shop Inc., Colts Neck, N.J.)
Number of Courts: 5
Architect & Contractor: The Racquet Shop Inc.
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru
Subsurface Irrigation: Lee Tennis
Nets, Net Posts, Center Anchors: J.A. Cissel

City of Sebastian Municipal Facility

Sebastian, Fla.
(Nominated by Fast Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 4
Architect & Contractor: Fast Dry Courts
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru
Nets, Center Straps: BP International
Line Tapes, Net Posts: Lee Tennis

River Oaks Country Club

Houston, Texas
(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts, Sun City, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 6
Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru (Hydroblend); Northeast Fast-Dry (Hattica)
Subsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts (HydroGrid)
Nets, Net Posts: BP International
Bottom Rails: U.S. Wholesale

Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club

Dade City, Fla.
(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts, Sun City, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 4
Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru (Hydroblend)
Subsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts (HydroGrid)
Fencing: U.S. Wholesale
Windscreens: J.A. Cissel
Nets, Net Posts: BP International
Lights: LSI Courtsider

Palencia Tennis Center

St. Augustine, Fla.
(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts, Sun City, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 8
Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru (Hydroblend)
Subsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts (HydroGrid)
Windscreens: J.A. Cissel
Lights: LSI
Nets, Net Posts: BP International

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 33

 Selecting the
RACQUETS

Right Frame,
Part II
Add these latest entries to our Racquet
Selection Map to complete the picture for 2006.
W
hile we tried to be as complete as possible in our back into the racquet manufac-
exclusive Racquet Selection Map that appeared in ture business. (For the last sever-
the March 2006 issue, there are always a few frames al years, Gamma had been the
that just aren’t available at press time. So here is the rest distributor of Fischer racquets in the
of the story. U.S.)
The racquets listed on these pages supplement the Gamma’s new line features IPEX
chart that appeared last month. If you use the specs here NanoTechnology, which Gamma says
for “Swingweight” and “Power Level” and map these rac- alters the carbon fiber composite frame
quets on the chart in the March issue (page 30), you can material at the molecular level to improve
find out where these new frames fit in terms of resiliency and shock absorption. The IPEX
power and control. racquets, says the company, “concentrates
Noteworthy among this new different high-modulus carbon fibers through-
list are frames from Gamma out different strategic areas of the racquet,
Sports, which launched improving power, control, and feel.”
its new IPEX line of The company says IPEX allows the frame to
six racquets, snap back to its original position faster than
putting the ordinary carbon fiber composite, providing
compa- “maximum energy transfer and greater racquet-
ny head speed.” The stronger fibers also create bet-
ter stiffness for greater stability and energy
transfer to the ball, says Gamma.

GAMMA
IPEX 2.0 SOS

34 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006

 New Tennis Racquets for Late Spring 2006
Racquet Head size Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex Swing Wt. Pattern Power Price
(Sq. Inches) (Inches) (Grams) (Ounces) (CMs) (Inches) (RDC) (RDC) (M x C) Level MSRP
Babolat
BABOLAT 877-316-9435 • www.babolat.com
Pure Drive Roddick 100 27.00 332 11.71 32.75 12.89 73 328 16x19 2394 $189
Pure Drive Roddick 100 27.50 333 11.75 27.50 10.83 72 332 16x19 2510 $189
Bancroft
BANCROFT 800-779-0807 • www.bancroftsports.com
Omni 107 27.25 272 9.59 36.75 14.47 79 308 16x19 2669 $169
Rocket 116 27.50 274 9.67 38.00 14.96 78 330 16x19 3135 $199
GAMMA
Gamma 800-333-0337 • www.gammasports.com
IPEX 2.0 SOS 137 27.75 272 9.59 37.50 14.76 65 334 18x21 3197 $210
IPEX 3.0 OS 116 27.50 265 9.35 36.00 14.17 70 302 16x19 2575 $199
IPEX 5.0 MP 96 27.25 272 9.59 34.50 13.58 67 293 16x18 1932 $179
IPEX 5.0 OS 109 27.25 290 10.23 34.25 13.48 69 309 16x18 2382 $179
IPEX 7.0 MP 98 27.00 323 11.39 32.25 12.70 64 311 16x18 1951 $169
IPEX 7.0 OS 107 27.00 322 11.36 32.50 12.80 59 308 16x19 1944 $169
WEED
Weed 800-WEED RKT • www.weedusa.com
EXT 135 Blue 135 28.25 280 9.88 37.00 14.57 64 338 18x21 3285 $250
EXT 135 Green 135 28.25 275 9.70 37.00 14.57 64 334 18x21 3246 $250
EXT 135 Pink 135 28.25 277 9.77 37.00 14.57 64 340 18x21 3305 $250
EXT 135 Tour 135 28.25 263 9.28 37.00 14.57 60 322 18x21 2934 $250

GAMMA
IPEX 3.0 OS

WEED
EXT 135

BANCROFT
ROCKET

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 35

 science
Racquet Handle Weighting and
Maneuverability BY ROD CROSS,
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
I
nspection of 320 different racquets list- Adding 30 or 40 grams to the handle
ed in the March 2004 and 2005 issues of does not increase the swingweight or the
RSI shows that almost every light racquet twistweight of a racquet and it does not
is head heavy and every heavy racquet is increase racquet power. Racquet power
head light (see Fig. 1) This result is not so increases when weight is added to the
surprising because each racquet must have head, because that is where impacts occur.
a comfortable swingweight. The swing- For the same reason, golf clubs and base-
weights in the RSI list vary over a relatively ball bats concentrate weight in the head.
small range, from about 290 to about 340 However, most professional tennis players
kg•cm2. Racquet weights themselves vary like extra weight in the handle because it
over a wider range, from about 240 to makes the racquet feel more solid or more
about 360 grams. stable and easier to control.
If you take a medium weight racquet The physics of “feel” and “control” is
(around 300 grams) and add 30 or 40 hard to pin down, but a simple explanation
grams to the tip, it will feel really head of the effect is as follows: Imagine that you
heavy and will be very difficult to control. Ifare conducting an orchestra with a baton.
you add 30 or 40 grams to the handle, the If you hang onto the pointy end and wig-
racquet will feel heavier but it will not be gle it around, the heavy end will tend to
much more difficult to swing because the stay where it is and the orchestra won’t
swingweight stays almost the same. The have much of a clue what you are doing.
measured swingweight refers to rotation But if you wiggle the heavy end, the pointy
about an axis four inches from the butt end will more or less follow what your
end of the handle because that is how a hand is doing. Delicate wrist motion will
racquet is swung in a swingweight add to the effect, enabling you to point the
machine. If all the extra weight was added baton rapidly at one section of the orches-
at this axis, then the swingweight wouldn’t tra and then another. That’s the principle
increase at all because the extra weight behind handle weighting, but what is the
remains on the axis and no extra force is physics of it?
needed to rotate it around the axis. A player swinging a racquet does not
rotate it about a fixed axis,
especially not the one used to
measure swingweight. Just
before the racquet hits the
ball, in the last few inches of
the swing, the racquet will be
swinging about an axis that is
somewhere beyond the end of
the handle, not inside the han-
dle itself. But the swing action
starts well before that, when
the racquet is back. The whole
racquet is swung forward
through a distance of about
four or five feet and it covers
that distance in a split second
in a fast serve or groundstroke.
In order to get the whole
Figure 1: Balance vs. weight for all 2004/5 performance racquet moving forward
racquets. through four or five feet, a for-
36 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006
ward-directed force is needed on the han-
dle. In addition, the racquet needs to be
rotated through about 90 degrees in a
forehand or backhand so it is pointing in
the right direction on impact with the ball.
The racquet starts off pointing approxi-
mately at the back fence at the start of the
swing and is then swung through about
90 degrees to point approximately parallel
to the net at the time of impact. The effort
required to rotate the racquet is deter-
mined mainly by the swingweight about
an axis somewhere beyond the end of the
handle. That particular swingweight will
be typically about double the measured
swingweight. The extra 30 or 40 grams in
the handle will make it slightly harder to
rotate the racquet because the extra
weight is swung around in an arc centered
beyond the end of the handle.
There are two separate actions
required to swing a racquet forward,
although each is performed at the same
time and it might therefore appear to be
only one action. One is the action needed
to move the whole racquet forward. That
is done by pulling or pushing the handle
forward. The other is the action required
to rotate the racquet. That is done by
applying a torque or twisting action to the
handle, in the same way that a steering
wheel or door handle is rotated. The effect
of extra weight in the handle can best be
explained by looking at these two actions
separately.
Suppose that a force is applied at right
angles to the handle of a racquet, as
shown in Fig. 2. If the force is applied at
the balance point, then the whole racquet
will move forward without rotation. How-
ever, players push forward on the handle,
not at the balance point, in which case the
whole racquet moves forward and it also
rotates. If the handle is relatively light, the
handle will move forward rapidly and the
head will get left behind. In fact, the head
will move backward due to rotation of the
whole racquet unless the player also exerts
a torque on the handle to rotate the head

(a)
Figure 2: A force applied at right angles to a racquet acts to move the racquet sideways.
If the force acts at the balance point as in (a), the racquet moves forward without rotation.
If the force is applied at the handle, as in (b), the racquet moves forward but the racquet
head rotates backward with respect to the handle. Extra weight in the handle reduces this
backward rotation effect.
forward. If the handle is relatively heavy,
the handle will not move forward as rapid-
ly and the head won’t fall so far behind.
The player will still need to exert a torque
to rotate the head forward, but the
required torque will be less than that
required with a light handle. This is the big
advantage of having a heavy handle.
There is an additional reason why han-
dle weighting works to reduce backward
rotation of the head. Weight in the handle
shifts the balance point closer to the butt
and it also increases the racquet’s resis-
tance to rotation. The torque on the han-
dle due to the push force is therefore
reduced because the force acts at a point
closer to the balance point. If the force
acted at the balance point, the torque
would be zero and the racquet wouldn’t
rotate at all. The combined effect of the
reduced torque and the increased resis-
tance to rotation means that a player can
push forward as hard as he or she likes on
the handle without the head falling too far
behind.
A social player doesn’t need a heavy
handle because he doesn’t swing his rac-
quet as fast as a professional player. Con-
sequently, the social player doesn’t suffer
as much from having the head lagging
behind, and can easily rotate the head for-
ward using a small torque on the handle.
In order to rotate a racquet forward, a
player must exert opposite forces at differ-
ent parts of the handle (Fig. 3). This is a
perfectly natural, subconscious action that
results whenever a player swings a rac-
(b)
quet. Without this action, the racquet
head would fall behind as soon as the
player pushed forward on the handle.
Exactly the same action is required when
holding a racquet (or any other object)
steady in a horizontal position. The area of
the hand near the first finger pushes up on
the handle and the base of the hand near
the little finger pushes down on the butt
end. At the start of the swing of a racquet
the wrist needs to be locked to pull the
head around. With a limp or completely
relaxed wrist, there would be no torque
applied to the handle and the head would
fall behind. When a torque is being
applied at the start of a swing, the muscles
Figure 3: Backward rotation of the racquet
head must be prevented by applying a
torque to the handle using the wrist in
such a way that Force A (near the first fin-
ger) is bigger than force B (near the little
finger).
in the forearm and wrist tense up and
the force exerted on the handle near the
first finger increases rapidly.
The torque required to rotate a rac-
quet depends on the swingweight of the
racquet and also on the speed at which
the player wants or needs to rotate the
racquet. Keeping the wrist locked at the
start of the swing helps to swing the
head around, but once the racquet is
rotating, keeping the wrist locked can
actually slow down the subsequent rota-
tion speed. For that reason, top players
usually relax the wrist just before impact,
ending up with a “wristy” swing. Golf
players do the same thing. They start off
with the wrist cocked so that the club is
at right angles to the forearm at the start
of the swing. Just before impact the
wrist is relaxed, the club swings around
rapidly pulling the hand and wrist
around with it, so the club and forearm
are in line at the time of impact with the
ball. The club or racquet rotates most
rapidly just before impact, despite the
relaxed wrist, for an interesting reason.
That is, the forearm slows down just
before impact. That way, rotational ener-
gy in the forearm is transferred to the
club or racquet, just where the player
wants it. By slowing the forearm, a back-
ward force is exerted on the handle and
the head swings around rapidly. It is the
opposite effect of that shown in Fig. 2
where the head falls behind if the handle
is pushed forward.
Having extra weight in the handle
therefore allows a top player to control
what he is doing. It slows down the for-
ward motion of the handle and the
backward motion of the head just
enough so that he can swing the head
around with a reasonable effort rather
than an excessive amount of wrist
torque. An average player doesn’t need
extra weight in the handle because he
doesn’t swing the handle forward fast
enough for it to present a problem. Sim-
ilarly, he doesn’t need to apply a large
torque to rotate the racquet since he
doesn’t rotate the racquet as fast as a
pro. A recreational player needs to get
the same power as a pro does from his
racquet, so there must be the same
weight in the head, but there is no need
for a heavy handle. That’s why almost
every light racquet is head heavy and
every heavy racquet is head light.Qrd
April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 37
 PLAYER EQUIPMENT LOG Two veteran players
enth Grand Slam cham
And Amelie Mauresmo
had to quit in the sec
the Rebound Ace cour

MEN
Round Racquet Racquet String

1 W Roger Federer SUI Wilson nSix-One Tour 90 Wilson/Luxilon

Rank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand

2 Rafael Nadal ESP Did not play

3 4 Andy Roddick USA Babolat Pure Drive Roddick 100 Babolat
4 SF David Nalbandian ARG Yonex RDS-001 MP 98 Luxilon
5 Q Ivan Ljubicic CRO Babolat Pure Drive Team + 100 Luxilon/Babolat
6 Q Nikolay Davydenko RUS Prince O3 Tour 100 Luxilon AND Polystar
7 3 Guillermo Coria ARG Prince O3 Tour 100 Luxilon
8 3 Gaston Gaudio ARG Wilson nSix-One 95 95 Kirschbaum
9 Andre Agassi USA Did not play
10 4 David Ferrer ESP Prince Shark DB MP 100 Luxilon
11 2 Lleyton Hewitt AUS Yonex RDX-0010 90 Babolat/Luxilon
12 SF Nicolas Kiefer GER Wilson N Six One 95 95 Babolat
13 4 Thomas Johansson SWE Dunlop M-Fil 2 Hundred 95 Babolat
14 1 Fernando Gonzalez CHI Babolat Pure Storm Plus 98 Luxilon
15 4 Tommy Robredo ESP Dunlop M-Fil 3 Hundred 98 Luxilon
16 2 Robby Ginepri USA Babolat Pure Storm 98 Babolat
17 1 Richard Gasquet FRA Head Liquidmetal Instinct 100 Luxilon
18 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP Head Flexpoint Radical MP Tour 100 Luxilon
19 4 Dominik Hrbaty SVK Fischer Pro Extreme FT 95 Kirschbaum
20 3 James Blake USA Prince Experimental 95 Luxilon

WOMEN
Round Racquet Racquet String

1 SF Kim Clijsters BEL Babolat Pure Drive Team 100 Babolat

Rank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand

2 W Amelie Mauresmo FRA Dunlop M-Fil 3 Hundred 98 Babolat

3 Q Lindsay Davenport USA Wilson nTour 95 Wilson
4 SF Maria Sharapova RUS Prince O3 White 100 Babolat
5 F Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL Wilson nTour 95 Maillot Savarez
6 2 Mary Pierce FRA Yonex Ultimum RD Ti-80 98 Luxilon
7 Q Nadia Petrova RUS Babolat Pure Storm MP Team 103 TopServe
8 Q Patty Schnyder SUI Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP 98 Kirschbaum
9 1 Elena Dementieva RUS Yonex RDS-001 MP 98 Luxilon
10 1 Venus Williams USA Wilson n4 110 Wilson
11 4 Francesca Schiavone ITA Babolat AeroPro Drive 100 Luxilon
12 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS Head Flexpoint Instinct 100 Luxilon
13 4 Anastasia Myskina RUS Head Flexpoint Instinct 100 Kirschbaum
14 4 Nicole Vaidisova CZE Yonex RDS-003 MP 100 Luxilon
15 4 Daniel Hantuchova SVK Yonex Nanospeed RQ-7 100 Luxilon/Babolat
16 3 Flavia Pennetta ITA Wilson nBlade 98 Wilson
17 2 Dinara Safina RUS Babolat Pure Storm Team 98 TopServe/Babolat
18 2 Elena Likhovtseva RUS Wilson nSix-One 95 95 Kirschbaum
19 2 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER Fischer Magnetic Pro Number One 98 Babolat
20 2 Ana Ivanovic SCG Wilson nTour 95 Wilson

38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTR Y April 2006

 took different routes to the Australian Open singles titles in January. In claiming his sev-
mpionship, Roger Federer held off a challenge by unseeded Marcos Baghdatis in four sets.
o won her first Grand Slam title after her final-round opponent, Justine Henin-Hardenne,
cond set due to stomach pain. Here’s what the champions, and other top players, used on
rts Down Under.

String String Footwear Clothing

Wilson Natural/Big Banger Alu Power Rough 16L 21.5/20 Nike VAPOR S2 Nike
String Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model Brand

Pro Hurricane +/VS + Team 16 33 Babolat Team All Court Roddick Lacoste
Big Banger Original 16 29 Yonex SHT-305 Yonex
Big Banger TIMO/VS Team 18/16L 26 Diadora Speedzone Plus DA Diadora
Big Banger Original AND Engergy 16 20/19 Prince Freak
Big Banger Original 16 25 Adidas Barricade IV Adidas
Super Smash 16 27.5 Diadora Speedzone Plus DA Diadora

Big Banger Original 16 23 Diadora Speedzone Plus DA Diadora

VS Team/Big Banger Alu Power 16L 23 Yonex SHT-305 Yonex
VS Team 17 Diadora Attax DA 2 Diadora
VS Team 16 27 Adidas Barricade IV Adidas
Big Banger Alu Power Rough 16L 25 Adidas Barricade IV Adidas
Big Banger Original 16 24/23 Sergio Tacchini Sergio Tacchini
Ballistic Polymono/VS Touch 16/16 28 Nike Air Max Breathe Free II Under Armour
Big Banger Original 16L 24/23 LaCoste
Big Banger Original 16 26/25 Sergio Tacchini Sergio Tacchini
Touch Turbo 17 28/26 Lotto ATP Power Clay Lotto
Big Banger Alu Power 16L 31.5 Nike Air Zoom Vapor 3 Nike

String String Footwear Clothing

VS Touch 16 29 Fila X-Point Fila

String Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model Brand

VS Touch 16 27 Reebok Reebok

Wilson Natural 15L 28/29 Nike Air Zoom Thrive Nike
Pro Hurricane/VS Team 16L 27/28 Nike VAPOR S2 Nike
HT Tonic First Gold 15L 27 Adidas Barricade III W Adidas
Big Banger TIMO 18 28 LeJay
RacquetFuel 16L 30 Adidas Barricade IV W Adidas
Touch Turbo 17 25.5/24.5 Adidas Barricade IV W Adidas
Big Banger Alu Power 16L 23/22 Yonex SHT-304 Yonex
Wilson Natural 16 30 Reebok VESW DMX Reebok
Big Banger Alu Power 16L 24.5/23.5 Diadora Speedzone Plus DA Diadora
Big Banger Alu Touch 16L 26/25 Fila X-Point Fila
Super Smash Spiky 17 26/25 Nike Nike
Big Banger Ace 18 Reebok Upset DMX Reebok
Big Banger Alu Power/VS Touch Natural Gut 16 22.5/21 Nike Air Zoom Vapor Speed Nike
Wilson Natural 17 27.5 Nike Sergio Tacchini
RacquetFuel/VS Touch 16L / 16 29/28 Adidas Barricade IV W Adidas
Super Smash Spiky 16L 23/22 Wilson Crossfire SL Wilson
Xcel Premium/Pro Hurricane 16/17 Adidas Barricade IV W Adidas
Wilson Natural 17 Adidas Barricade IV W Adidas

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 39

machine REVIEW
Prince Precision Tuning Center
T
he Prince Precision Tuning Center (PTC) is
a machine that allows you to measure the
weight, balance, and swingweight of
tennis, racquetball, squash, and badminton
racquets. Even though many of these mea-
surements are available to USRSA members,
published measurements are representative
only, which means that any given customer’s
racquet may differ from the published specs. If a
customer wants specific specs for his racquet,
the Prince PTC allows you to generate your own
before-and-after measurements to see what
changes are needed (if any), and what effect
your changes have made once you’re done.
The dealer price of the PTC is $1,799.
For a limited time, Prince is offering a $300
discount off this price and is including a
free one-year USRSA membership worth
$109.
Setting up the PTC requires some easy
assembly, using included tools. Prince rec-
ommends leveling the PTC during set-up,
and the swingweight tester houses a bub-
ble indicator for this purpose.
PROS
The PTC combines three measuring devices
in one compact package. The PTC’s “foot-
print” is less than that of three separate
units, and the attractive design gives it an
impressively professional appearance. At 20
inches wide, 13.5 inches deep, and 9.5
inches high, the PTC is small enough and
light enough (just over 20 pounds) that it
can easily be transported, although, as with
any precision device, you should pack it
with care for shipping.
The scale measures mass in grams. The
clear glass platform is about the same size
as other scales, but on the PTC, there are
two flip-out “wings” to support oversize
racquets, a very nice touch. The large LCD
screen shows the scale reading with one-
half gram resolution. Readings are accurate
to within one gram.
The balance board measures racquet
balance in centimeters and inches, and the
scale is etched into the glass for good legi-
bility. The front of the balance bar is flush
with the front of the PTC, but it slides out
to handle extra-wide racquets. The surface
40 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006
of the steel balance beam is slightly
textured, which helps reduce slip-
page between the bar and the
racquet.
The swingweight
tester features the
industry-standard
spring-loaded
snap-over clamp
to hold the rac-
quet handle.
After mounting
the racquet, you
simply rotate the rac-
quet to the extreme left
and hold it until the PTC beeps,
then release the racquet. The read-out
appears on the LCD screen, both as a
numeral and as a scale that reads from 0
to 400. The swingweight tester makes use
of a state-of-the-art optical sensor for gen-
erating readings. Swingweight readings
are in kg•cm2, and correspond with indus-
try-standard readings from other
machines, so you’ll know immediately if
you’re in the ballpark or not.
The PTC can be configured to allow
swingweight testing of racquetball rac-
quets, which is difficult or impossible on
some other machines, and the range of
swingweight readings is wide enough that
you can test everything from badminton
racquets to super long, super head-heavy
tennis racquets. In the case of the latter,
the scale at the bottom tops out at 400,
no matter how much higher the actual
reading shown on the numerical display.
Readings are accurate to within 2 kg•cm2.
The PTC comes with a cal-
ibration bar that allows you to check both
the scale and the swingweight tester.
Adjustments are easily made with the
included screwdriver.
The PTC also comes with a translucent
cover, an owner’s manual, and a one-year
warranty. The voltage is selectable
between 110V and 220V.
The modular design of the PTC is said
to allow Prince to add more features later.
CONS
The only drawbacks to the PTC are that it
currently offers no method for testing rac-
quet flex or stringbed stiffness. However,
most tennis players—even those wanting
matched racquets—are not going to buy
additional frames to replace existing
frames that are otherwise good except for
the flex. Stringbed stiffness, which is good
to check as a quality control step after
stringing, is of limited use over time, if for
no other reason than that tennis players
are not accustomed to having the
stringbed stiffness checked as a gauge for
when to restring.
CONCLUSION
Prince foresees a big growth in racquet
customization, and machines such as the
PTC make that possible. Even if you cur-
rently have a scale and balance board, the
compactness and calibration ability of the
PTC are big selling points, as is the fact
that it looks great in your shop. It does
lack flex and stringbed stiffness testing,
but it’s also less expensive than units with
these features, and the scale and balance
board are superior in the PTC. If you sim-
ply must have flex and
stringbed stiffness
readings, there is
equipment out there
that do only these
tests, and the com-
bined cost of the PTC
and the outboard flex
tester is less than that
of an all-in-one unit.
With the PTC, it’s a
snap to gather the
weight, balance, and
swingweight of each racquet
you string. Communicating this
knowledge to your customers lets
them know that you know your
craft and that you care about their
equipment. Even if they don’t make use of
your customization facilities, these cus-
tomers are likely to tell others of your
attention to detail, which can spell more
stringing work, if nothing else.
For customers who already have multi-
ple racquets of the same type, you can sell
them on customization that will make
each racquet a “favorite.” For customers
who have a bag full of various frames
from over the years, you can work with
them to learn the attraction of each
frame, correlate that with the measure-
ments you’re able to take, and then sug-
gest new racquets that will play similarly
(or better).
The PTC will also allow USRSA mem-
bers to make fuller use of the on-line tools
at RacquetTECH.com. These tools elimi-
nate most of the calculations you will need
to make during customization, suggest
new frames that might match old frames
based on your PTC measurements, and
ease conversions (such as from points to
inches or centimeters).
To get a free DVD showing the PTC in
action, contact Prince at 800-2-TENNIS, or
on the web at www.princetennis.com. Q

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 41

 string PLAYTEST

Klip Venom 17
Klip Venom is a high-end multifilament with the stringing portion of
the test, each of which was
made of DuPont High Modulus PA66 nylon,
due to coil memory. No
which is impregnated with polyurethane
playtester broke his sample
resin and then twisted with high tenacity during stringing, reported
monofilament wraps and two polyester problems tying knots, or
metallic yarns. Klip calls these two visible reported friction burn. As
black twists Venom’s “power coil.” you might expect with a
According to Klip, Venom offers excellent 17-gauge string, there
ball pocketing and comfort qualities. This were no problems with
combination makes Venom a great choice blocked holes.
for players seeking feel, power, and playabili-
ty in an arm-friendly string with good con- ON THE COURT
trol. Klip also recommends Venom for those Our playtest team
looking for a way of adding comfort to a agreed with Klip about the playa-
stiff racquet. bility of Venom, rating it well above aver-
Venom is available in 16 and 17 in natur- age in this category. Part of this might
al with black “power coil.” It is priced from have been due to the thinner gauge, as EASE OF STRINGING
$14. For more information or to order, con- more than half of our playtesters use a (compared to other strings)
tact Klip at 866 KLIP USA (554 7872), or visit 17- or 18-gauge string. Yet, durability did- Number of testers who said it was:
www.klipstrings.com. Be sure to read the n’t suffer much, as our team awarded much easier 0
Venom an above-average score in that somewhat easier 12
conclusion for more information about a
category, too, along with above-average about as easy 19
special offer from Klip for USRSA members.
scores in Power, Control, Comfort, Spin not quite as easy 3
not nearly as easy 0
IN THE LAB Potential, Tension Holding, and Resistance
We tested the 17-gauge Venom. The coil to Movement. Not surprisingly, the result OVERALL PLAYABILITY
measured 41 feet 8 inches. The diameter is an above-average overall score for (compared to string played most often)
measured 1.27-1.28 mm prior to stringing, Venom. Number of testers who said it was:
Five players broke Venom during play, much better 0
and 1.22-1.23 mm after stringing. We
two at five hours, one at six, one at nine, somewhat better 7
recorded a stringbed stiffness of 75 RDC
and one at 18 hours. about as playable 9
units immediately after stringing at 60
not quite as playable 15
pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 not nearly as playable 3
pattern) on a constant-pull machine. CONCLUSION
After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed Our playtesters seemed to appreciate hav- OVERALL DURABILITY
stiffness measured 70 RDC units, represent- ing a chance to use a string that is easy to (compared to other strings
install and has good playability—and who of similar gauge)
ing a 7 percent tension loss. Our control Number of testers who said it was:
string, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16, wouldn’t? Some of our playtesters were
much better 0
measured 78 RDC units immediately after also impressed by Venom’s appearance,
somewhat better 10
stringing and 71 RDC units after 24 hours, likening it to some of the favorite strings about as durable 18
representing a 9 percent tension loss. Venom of old. The appearance alone might be a not quite as durable 5
added 13 grams to the weight of our reason to use it, if you’re stringing a rac- not nearly as durable 1
unstrung frame. quet that has to have that “old time”
look. RATING AVERAGES
The string was tested for five weeks by From 1 to 5 (best)
34 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings Based on the ratings given by our
Playability 3.5
from 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind tests, with playtest team, Venom’s qualities seem to
Durability 3.3
playtesters receiving unmarked strings in be very well balanced. This implies that a Power 3.1
unmarked packages. Average number of wide range of players could find some- Control 3.4
hours playtested was 33. thing to like about Venom. Comfort 3.1
According to our playtest team, Klip If you think that Klip Venom might be Touch/Feel 3.1
Venom is very easy to install. Not only did for you, Klip has a buy one, get one free Spin Potential 3.2
the team rate it easier than average to string, offer for USRSA members in the U.S. (limit Holding Tension 3.3
but there were only three reported problems one free set per member). —Greg Raven Q Resistance to Movement 3.2

42 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006

 TESTERS TALK

“ Great string. Loved the feel. No break-in needed. Felt great

“ Good string for the average player looking for durability and
immediately.
”
5.0 male baseliner with moderate spin using Prince Tour Diablo MP strung
consistency.
”
5.5 male all-court player using Babolat Pure Drive strung at 67 pounds
at 62 pounds CP (Prince Premier 17) LO (Prince Perfection Control 16)

“ A good-playing string with lots of power that held tension well. Over-
“ With a thinner string, I was surprised to see it last as long as it did. I

”
all, a really good string. liked the feel and control of the string; seems to hold tension quite well.
4.0 male all-court player using Pro Kennex Core 10 strung at 65 pounds
LO (Tecnifibre TRC 16)
String did have some peeling after a week of play.
”
5.0 male serve-and-volleyer using Wilson n1 strung at 65 pounds LO
(Wilson NXT Tour 16)

“ Very durable, decent spin, and great control. Very crisp for about 18
hours, after which the crosses started to
move. Even this did not drastically
“ Feels good playing. I prefer a soft string
as I’m not a breaker. Control is good. Over-
decrease the great aspects of this “A real surprise. Judg- all, a nice string. I don’t love it as much as

”
string.
4.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using
Dunlop 200G strung at 65 pounds CP
(Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 16)
“ String is a pleasant surprise. Above
average across the board. No one area
was phenomenal, but overall one of my
favorite strings in the past three years.
Very nice control at low tensions. The
look of the string reminded me of the old
Imperial Gut.
”
5.0 male serve-and-volleyer using Pro
Kennex Ki-20 strung at 42 pounds LO
(Gamma Durablast 16)
ing from the exterior it looked liked a
turbocharged average synthetic. But
once on the court it showed its real col-
ors. I played three doubles matches and
it had great touch, feel, and power. A
wolf in sheep’s clothing. This could
become another favorite.” 5.0 male all-
court player using Wilson nSix-One 95 strung ment. A reasonable price would make this a
at 54 pounds LO (Wilson NXT Tour 17)
Red strung at 61 pounds LO (Gamma TNT2 Pro Plus 17L)
some of those we’ve tried lately, but I
would play it.
”
3.5 male serve-and-volleyer using Wilson
Pro Staff 6.1 Stretch strung at 62 pounds CP
(Gamma TNT Fat Core 17)
“
Very nice string overall. Since I normally
use a thinner gauge, I would like to try this
in a 17. It had good control, although lack-
ing zip on the serve. Like a lot of the new
strings, it maintained its resistance to move-
stockable string. A high price would group it
in the pack for those who request it.
4.0 male all-court player using Prince O3
”

“ Easy to install, and it maintained tension exceptionally well. Played

with a crisp, snappy feel while offering good control during the entire
“ Good string for playing and teaching. Good durability and resistance

”
testing period. I like the string. to movement. If I was looking for a durable, good playing string, this
4.0 male baseliner with moderate spin using Wilson T3 OS strung at 54
pounds CP (Wilson Stamina 18)
would be considered.
”
5.0 male all-court player using Head Liquidmetal Radical MP strung at
pounds LO (Prince Synthetic Gut 17)

“ I normally play with poly strung at the top of the range for control,
and was concerned that this string may not provide the stringbed stiffness
to give me the control I want. I am surprised this string maintains tension
“ Nice string—shows very little use and holds tension well. Could not
spin the ball as well as normal and seem to have a little less power. Nice
and provides excellent control with sufficient feel. It also seemed more feel and touch on volleys.
”
durable than expected.
”
4.0 male all-court player using Head Protector 280 strung at 60 pounds
4.5 male all-court player using Head Liquidmetal 8 strung at 60 pounds
LO (Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 16)
CP (Unique Pro Poly 17)

“ On durability—there was no noticeable wear in 25 hours. This

“ Feels very similar to the string I normally use, although a little firmer
and less forgiving with the extra braid around the core.
”
5.5 male all-court player using Wilson H Tour MP strung at 55lbs pounds
CP (Wilson Extreme Synthetic Gut 16)
(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in parentheses.)
appears to be an average nylon string. Because of playability, it would
be of interest to know the price before judging whether to stock it.
3.5 male all-court player using Wilson HH 5.7 OS strung at 58/56 pounds
”
CP (Wilson Sensation 17)
For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com.

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 43

 tips and TECHNIQUES
Readers’ Know-How in Action
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT
The owner’s manual for my stringing
machine recommends using a surge pro-
tector to help prevent electrical line prob-
lems from causing expensive damage to
the machine electronics. However, rather
than using just a surge protector, I pur-
chased a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Sup-
ply). A UPS protects your machine from
power surges and spikes like a surge sup-
pressor, and it also keeps you up and run-
ning during brownouts and outages. The
price for providing my machine with a
clean, constant flow of power was only
$29.99 at Office Depot.
5 sets of Wilson NXT OS 16L to:
Fred S. McWilliams, CS, Arlington, TX
44 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006
Editor’s note: Prices for UPS protec-
tors go up depending on how much
battery life you need. If your power
goes out a lot, and you need to oper-
ate your stringing machine during
those times, a higher-capacity model
might be worth the additional
expense.
PRINCE O3 TIE-OFFS
Here's one for those who use multifila-
ment string in the Prince O3 frames that
tie off the crosses on a cross. The difficul-
ty comes from pushing the end of a soft
string through the tie-off hole at the
throat. First, cut the string so you have
about six inches more than normal.
When you get down to the last two
crosses, weave them, but don't tension
them yet. Push the end of the string
through the tie off hole, and then ten-
sion the last crosses. Make sure that end
of the string doesn’t fall or pull out in the
process. After tensioning the last cross,
the tie-off string will already be in place,
just waiting to be pulled through.
5 sets of Yonex Tough Brid 130 to:
David Pavlich, MRT, Mandeville, LA
MENTORING
I enjoy the opportunity to string rac-
quets at home. Now my 15-year-old
daughter has become a great stringer. It
all started years ago when she asked if
she could cut and pull out the strings.
Her interest will be a great asset
through high school, college, and the
rest of her tennis days. Take the time
and get someone started today; it just
may be someone who lives under your
roof.
5 sets of Volkl Power-Fiber 18 to:
Shawn Huck, Anderson, Indiana
Editor’s note: Those who work in a
pro shop may be able to expand this
concept to include inquisitive kids
who are hanging around.
STENCIL BOTTLE CLEAN-UP
Once your stencil ink has been opened and
used a few times, you have to be careful
when taking the cap off, so as not to find
the sponge stuck to the cap and you are in
danger of emptying the whole bottle of ink
into the racquet face and yourself. If you
put a little rubbing alcohol on a piece of
kitchen towel and wipe the inside of the
cap and the threads around the sponge
stopper, this gets rid of the residue of ink
and the cap is easy to unscrew and you
can avoid those messy accidents and near
misses.
5 Packs of Unique Tournagrip
(packs of 3) to:
Jackie Vaughan, CS, Hagley, England
or when restringing a racquet that
requires the whole length of string that
you have in a set. You may also want to
be careful about using this technique
with longer racquets. But, it is quick and
easy if you’re working with a set of
string in a racquet that doesn’t require
the whole length of string.
If you like this method of measuring,
you can extend it further. Four racquet-
lengths are exactly nine feet. As you can
see from the table, you can guestimate
length pretty closely using just the
length of a standard racquet. For quick
reference, make a copy of this table and
keep it near your stringing machine.
MARKETING
STRINGING EXTRAS
When a customer comes in for just a
string job, I usually install a free overgrip if
the overgrip is dirty. It takes almost no
time, the cost to me is minimal, and my
customers have been very appreciative.
5 sets of Gosen Polylon 16 & a Gosen
T-Shirt to: Dan Gleason, Richland, WA
—Greg Raven Q
Tips and Techniques submitted since 2000 by USRSA
members, and appearing in this column, have all been
gathered into a single volume of the Stringer’s Digest—
Racquet Service 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.

PREVENT GROMMET
STRIP PULL-OUT
When stringing the last mains and the
grommet tries to pull out, I have found an
easy way to keep it in place. Normally you
would pull the string parallel with the hole.
Instead, try turning the frame so that the
pulled string is almost parallel to the han-
dle. Use the brake and lock it into place.
Now, the tensioned string will be applying
side force against the grommet, which
helps hold it in place.
5 sets of Tecnifibre X-One
Biphase 1.30 to:
Steve Huff, Mechanicsville, VA

MEASURING THE SHORT SIDE

A quick and easy way to measure the short
side is to measure 4-1/2 lengths of a stan-
dard-length racquet. This should give
ample length for the
LENGTHS FEET
short side with 1 2.25
enough left on the 2 4.50
long side to do the 3 6.75
rest of the racquet. It 4 9.00
works for racquetball 5 11.25
racquets also of you 6 13.50
measure 4-1/2 lengths 7 15.75
of a tennis racquet. 8 18.00
9 20.25
5 sets of Prince
10 22.50
Premier w/ 11 24.75
Softflex 16 to: 12 27.00
Dan Gleason, 13 29.25
Richland, WA 14 31.50
15 33.75
Editor’s Note: You 16 36.00
probably want to be 17 38.25
more precise in your 18 40.50
19 42.75
measurements when
20 45.00
working with reels

April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 45

 ask the EXPERTS

Your Equipment Hotline

GETTING STARTED lot of capability in differently. Therefore, it is best to know
WITH CUSTOMIZING one convenient the flex of each racquet before you start
I RECENTLY BECAME A CERTIFIED package. attempting to match one to the other.

Q Stringer, and now I'm interested in

learning racquet customization,
should I get a good scale and balance
The Babolat
RDC machine also
has a couple fea-
Of course, the Babolat RDC machine
also measures stringbed stiffness, which
can be used as a quality-control measure
board, or go all out and get a Babolat tures you can’t after each stringing, as well as a monitor
RDC? duplicate with a of tension deterioration over time, and it
scale, balance has other diagnostic features you might

A IF YOU’RE IN A FINANCIAL position

to purchase a Babolat RDC
machine, that would
board, and stop-
watch. Among
these is the ability
find useful.
If you have enough room in your cus-
tomizing area to spread out a bit, you can
be a great next step. to check frame flex. Customizing racquets purchase separate devices. For example,
Granted, you can get often involves matching two or more rac- you could use an RA Test, which measures
started with an accu- quets so that every matched racquet feels balance, racquet flex, and stringbed stiff-
rate scale and a bal- and plays the same. You cannot easily modi- ness, and an Alpha AccuSwing or the
ance board, and you fy the flex of the frame. Sensitive players can stopwatch method for swingweight, with
can make a simple detect small differ- the AccuSwing also serving as your scale.
fixture that—along ences in flex, and Or you could buy the new Prince PTC to
with a stopwatch for them, even get weight, balance, and swingweight,
and the on-line calculator in the USRSA after you match and an RA Test to measure flex. (See the
members-only section of the website— every other charac- review of the Prince PTC elsewhere in this
allows you to measure swingweight fairly teristic, the rac- issue.)
accurately. Still, the Babolat RDC offers a quets will still play This brings up the issue of how much

46 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006


customization work you think you’d be
doing. If you don’t anticipate doing much,
then you will be able to get away with
slower processes, such as the stopwatch
method. However, if you are going to be
doing a lot of this type of work, or doing
it under pressure situations (such as at
tournaments, where time is always of the
essence), then you should go for the
quicker—but more expensive—equip-
ment.
TECNIFIBRE MOUNTING
I HAVE A TECNIFIBRE SP Pro Cord,
Q which is old enough that some of
the really large racquets—such as
the Wilson Hyper Sledge Hammer 2.0—
are difficult to mount. I know there are
adapters, but do you have any tricks that
make it easier to string the super-oversize
racquets on this machine?
A THE BEST TRICK IS TO REPLACE THE
stock turntable with the newer
turntable from the Tecnifibre TF 6000.
Tecnifibre designed the TF 6000 turntable
specifically to mount the super-oversize
frames, while it still mounts everything
down to a badminton frame. The turnta-
bles on the TF 7000 and TF 8000 also
have this flexibility, but neither retrofits to
the SP Pro Cord. As a side benefit, you get
brand new clamps as part of the turntable
assembly. Tecnifibre USA can be reached
at 877-332-0825.
FRAME SLIPPAGE
Q HAVE YOU EVER FINISHED string-
ing the mains on a frame and
noticed that the throat billiard is
resting up against one of the first grom-
mets? I use a Babolat Star 3, and I know
the frame was perfectly centered when I
first mounted it. This only happens when
the frame has a smooth finish. My main
concern is if the frame is off center, it
could cause frame distortion.
A AS LONG AS YOU MOUNTED THE
racquet properly to begin with,
there shouldn’t be a problem. The Babolat
mounting system is not designed to
immobilize the racquet—the racquet is
meant to "float" to some degree so it can
flex and move within acceptable parame-
ters, unlike mounting systems that
attempt to clamp the frame to the tow-
ers. You may be seeing this only when
the finish is smooth because on textured
finishes, the billiard itself tilts slightly to
one side or the other rather than sliding,
which masks the misalignment. At any
rate, the angle of misalignment is so small
that it’s not going to cause any distortion,
and once you get going on the crosses,
the side-to-side forces are going to be
even greater than those generated by the
installation of the mains, and presumably
you’re not seeing any problems there.
You can check your mounting any time
by measuring the dimensions of the
unstrung frame, and comparing them
against the dimensions of the strung rac-
quet. If you're within 3/32-inches, and
you've strung the racquet according to
the manufacturer's instructions, the rac-
quet should be fine.
—Greg Raven Q
We welcome your questions. Please send them to
Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA,
92084; fax: 760-536-1171; email:
greg@racquettech.com.
April 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 47
 Your Serve
The Trickle-Down Effect
The head pro at the National Tennis Center says that to continue
the growth in the recreational game, the pro tours need to
make some changes.
D
oes professional tennis drive recre-
ational play? The recent participation
numbers, thankfully, indicate that there
has been a growth spurt. Importantly, those
figures were tallied shortly after the 2005 US
Open, which was—by almost every mea-
sure—a remarkably successful event.
If pro tennis does drive recreational
play, then there are four areas that
should be addressed to help assure con-
tinued growth. Maintaining the status
quo is no longer acceptable. Seeking
ways to position tennis more favorably
must become a higher priority. Success
in this regard will create a trickle-down
effect that extends to recreational play.
REGIONALIZE THE
PROFESSIONAL TOURS
Top professional players in this era con-
stantly plead for more time off. Most
leading players already shorten their sea-
sons by skipping key tournaments to rest
or recuperate. As a fan, though, I want
more. The disturbingly large number of
scheduled exhibitions weakens any argu-
ment that the season is too long.
There should be more, not fewer,
tournaments all over the world. I advocate
the establishment of four distinct profes-
sional tours in North America, South
America, Europe, and “Australiasia.”
For years, fans and journalists have
complained that top players lack engaging
personalities. This is an abject falsehood,
but certainly language barriers have an
affect on the relationship between ath-
letes and the fans and media. Each conti-
nental tour would be open to players
from anywhere in the world, but there
will be a natural regionalization. Competi-
tors will opt to stay “near home” when
given the choice. This would reduce the
international travel that wears out ath-
letes. It also creates additional “player
jobs.”
The media will become accustomed to
48 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2006
BY BILL MOUNTFORD
the players who support the “local”
tour. There will be natural geographic
rivalries. Fans will wonder: Which circuit
is the best? These questions will be set-
“John McEnroe and Bjorn
Borg only played one
another 14 times during
their careers. This made
their meetings in the
biggest tournaments feel
like championship fights. “
tled during the four majors. All this will
create more excitement and, indeed,
more rivalries during the four Grand
Slams and the year-ending Tour Champi-
onships. John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg
only played one another 14 times during
their careers. This made their meetings
in the biggest tournaments feel like
championship fights.
CREATE A SHOT CLOCK
Begin enforcing the “play shall be con-
tinuous” rule. The hardest part of
watching tennis matches is all of the
“dead time” between points. Players
who maintain a quick pace of play are
more attractive to follow.
Let’s reduce the time permitted
between points to 15 seconds. Tourna-
ments should have a “countdown clock”
at the corner of each court, and this will
automatically reset after the completion
of a point. Fitness will play a larger role
and the matches will have a brisker
cadence. When there is a natural pause
in the action, for extended applause as
an example, then it will create some
legitimate drama and fans will feed off
that.
INCLUDE 3RD-PLACE
MATCHES
By the final Sunday each week, fans are
limited to watching a singles and a doubles
final. And that’s it. Tournament directors
ought to embrace the same concept that
rules at the Olympics (not to mention
National junior tournaments), which is to
play off for third place. Offer a different
split in the prize money for the winner of
this match and modify the allocation of
ranking points.
This would mitigate fan dissatisfaction
due to a non-competitive final and give
organizers a built-in assurance in the case
of one injury-shortened match.
MAKE THE BALLS VISIBLE
During Wimbledon, which remains our
sport’s grandest tournament, the ball too
often seems to disappear during telecasts. I
advocate using optic orange tennis balls,
which would be a better contrast to the
green grass courts. It is essential that the
most visible tournament is more, well,
visible.
The players would accept this change.
Consider the new court color at the US
Open, which went from “dull” green to
“television-friendly” blue. Not a single
player complained and, in fact, many indi-
cated that they liked the new color scheme.
In the end, orange balls at Wimbledon
would make the game easier to follow on
television. Q
Bill Mountford is the director of tennis at the USTA
National Tennis Center, the country’s largest public
tennis facility and home to the
US Open. He has been published
frequently, speaks at national
conventions, and writes a weekly
“Ask Bill” column for
www.usta.com.
We welcome your opinions. Please email
comments to rsi@racquetTECH.com or fax
them to 760-536-1171.