200411 Racquet Sports Industry

DEPARTMENTS

R S I N O V / D E C 2 0 0 4Contents

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November/December 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

Contents

4 Our Serve

30 US Open Player Equipment Log

32 Ask the Experts

34 Tips & Techniques

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 TIA scraps plans for Tennis EXPO

7 USPTA honors teachers, coaches,volunteers

8 New programs and servicesfrom the TIA

9 DVD tennis magazine debuts

9 Wilson, ITF re-sign DavisCup contract

9 PTR sets 2005 symposium

10 PTR/ROHO award winners named

10 Bälle de Mätch signs deal withcoach group

10 Gamma adds two high-performance strings

11 New badminton stringfrom Ashaway

11 Facility of the year award

13 Wilson celebrates 90 years

14 Person of the YearArlen Kantarian

16 Pro/Specialty Retailer of the YearPlayers Choice Tennis

17 Municipal Facility of the YearLexington County Tennis Complex

18 Chain Retailer/Mass Merchant of the YearCity Sports

19 Private Facility of the YearIndian Creek Racquet Club

20 Builder/Contractor of the YearZaino Tennis Courts

21 Grassroots Champion of the YearGwen & Dan Ramras

36 String Playtest: Klip X-Plosive

38 Ball Machine Review: Sports Tutor Shotmaker Super Deluxe

43 RSI 2004 Industry Resource Guide

48 Your Serve, by Alan Schwartz

22 Sales Rep of the YearDustin Perry

23 Stringer of the YearRandy Stephenson

25 USTA Section of the YearPacific Northwest

27 Junior Development Championof the YearEmma Hubbs

28 Community Tennis Associationof the YearPikes Peak CTA

29 Wheelchair Championof the YearJulie Jilly

14 Person of the YearArlen Kantarian

16 Pro/Specialty Retailer of the YearPlayers Choice Tennis

17 Municipal Facility of the YearLexington County Tennis Complex

18 Chain Retailer/Mass Merchant of the YearCity Sports

19 Private Facility of the YearIndian Creek Racquet Club

20 Builder/Contractor of the YearZaino Tennis Courts

21 Grassroots Champion of the YearGwen & Dan Ramras

22 Sales Rep of the YearDustin Perry

23 Stringer of the YearRandy Stephenson

25 USTA Section of the YearPacific Northwest

27 Junior Development Championof the YearEmma Hubbs

28 Community Tennis Associationof the YearPikes Peak CTA

29 Wheelchair Championof the YearJulie Jilly

nce again, you responded—with emails, faxes,

and letters—to our call to honor the people and

organizations that are making a difference in the

business of tennis.This issue contains our fourth annual “Champions of Tennis”

awards, and as in past years, it is an excellent class of honorees.

That's because, as we've found year after year, this sport has a lot

of winners to choose from.

So many people and organizations, in so many different aspects

of the tennis business, are doing so many great things for this sport.

From retooling professional tournaments to foster more interest

and visibility in tennis itself, to providing first-rate customer service

to recreational players, to running facilities and shops that cater to

avid players and promote tennis in every conceivable way, to being

on-court helping kids, wheelchair players, adults and teams enjoy

the sport more—all are working to keep tennis vital in the U.S. And

all are worthy of our support and praise.

But one of the main reasons for honoring these folks in the pages

of RSI is so that you, the pro shop retailer, teaching pro, facility

manager, may be able to get some ideas that can help you in your

business . . . and in the process, help the sport as a whole. The sto-

ries themselves can and should serve as examples of what's been

working for these winners. And you can put these ideas to work for

you, too. They'll help you grow your business, grow your profits,

and grow tennis in the U.S.

Even though the balloting for the 2004 Champions is over, we

still want to hear from you, throughout the year, about the people

and organizations that you think are doing things that the tennis

community needs to know about. We want to share with the rest

of our readers the ideas, programs, techniques and business tips

that are helping to keep tennis an important part of the fabric of

this country.

There are a lot of winners out there, and we all can learn a lot

from them.

Peter Francesconi

Editorial Director

Our ServeWinning Lessons

(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

PublishersDavid Bone Jeff Williams

Editor-in-ChiefCrawford Lindsey

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Assistant to the PublisherCari Feliciano

Contributing EditorsCynthia Cantrell

Rod CrossJoe DinofferLiza Horan

Andrew LavalleeJames MartinMark Mason

Chris NicholsonMitch RustadDrew Sunderlin

Jonathan Whitbourne

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRYCorporate Offices

330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171

Email: [email protected]: www.racquetTECH.com

Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time

Advertising DirectorJohn Hanna

770-650-1102, [email protected]

Apparel AdvertisingCynthia Sherman203-263-5243

[email protected]

Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly Januarythrough August and combined issues in Septem-ber/October and November/December by TennisIndustry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.November/December 2004, Volume 32, Number 10 ©2004 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rights reserved.Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo are trademarksof 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., $40elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address changes toRacquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY November/December 2004

O

he USPTA honored its top teachers, coach-es, players, volunteers and managers dur-ing an awards

ceremony at the 77thUSPTA World Confer-ence on Tennis in Sep-tember. The 10-dayevent was held at the LaQuinta Resort & Club inLa Quinta, Calif.

Steve Diamond ofMontville, N.J., receivedthe association's topannual member award,the Alex Gordon Awardfor the USPTA Profes-sional of the Year. Dia-mond's career hasincluded coaching highschool teams to beingtechnical adviser on theset of “The Sopranos” TVshow. Diamond is thetennis director at GreenBrook Country Club inNorth Caldwell, N.J.

The USPTA Star, rec-ognizing teaching pro-fessionals who make anindelible mark on theircommunities throughtennis, was awarded totwo members. AnnaHazlett of Evansville,Ind., has been a tennisteaching pro for 30 yearsand also has made herlocal tennis communitythe beneficiary of hercharitable attitude.Ronald Elizondo, who asa teenager once servedjail time for robbing atennis center, nowbrings tennis to econom-

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 4

T ically disadvantaged children inCorpus Christi, Texas.

In theonly cat-egoryopen to non-USPTAmembers, the FacilityManager of the Yearaward was given toSteve Matlaga of Delray

Beach, Fla. Matlaga is decisivein his support for staff as gener-al manager/COO of GleneaglesCountry Club.

The USTA/USPTA Communi-ty Service Award went to PaulAllam of Redwood City, Calif.Allam is tennis director at thePacific Athletic Club and eventdirector for a fundraiser thathas raised more than $150,000for the Make-A-Wish Founda-tion.

Other honorees are:� Touring Coach of the Year:

Craig Tiley, Champaign, Ill.� College Coach of the Year:

Matt Knoll, Waco, Texas� High School Coach of the

Year: Dan T. Holden, Jr., Dallas� George Bacso Tester of the

Year: Tommy Wade,Huntsville, Ala.

USPTA Honors Teachers, Coaches, Volunteers


Six Earn USPTA MasterProfessional StatusOnly about one percent of the USPTA's nearly13,000 members worldwide have achieved theMaster Professional designation. At the recentWorld Conference on Tennis, six more wereadded to this elite list:

� Jay Bewley, Baltimore, Md., director of racquetsports at the Baltimore Country Club

� Michael Burge, Bonita Springs, Fla., head pro-fessional at Bonita Bay Club

� Howard Chodak, Coral Springs, Fla., director oftennis at Heron Bay

� Rick Macci, Pompano Beach, Fla., owner of theRick Macci Tennis Academy

� Jim Parker, Houston, director of tennis at Hous-ton Racquet Club

� David T. Porter, Ed.D., Laie, Hawaii, head men'sand women's tennis coach and full professorof exercise and sport science at Brigham YoungUniversity-Hawaii.

TIA ScrapsPlans ForTennis EXPOThe Tennis Industry Associa-tion has canceled the 2005Tennis EXPO, which was to beheld concurrent with theSuper Show in Orlando, Fla.,Jan. 17 to 19.

“We were ready to roll andhad many exciting initiativesplanned that could have madethis a great event,” says TIAPresident Jim Baugh. “Howev-er, I am a realist.When manu-facturers could not unite andcommit to the EXPO, I knewthis event would not achieveour goals.While I am sad anddisappointed, the TIA alonecannot make an event. Anevent needs support from ourindustry to win.”

In an announcement at theTIA board meeting in NewYork in September during theUS Open, the TIA spent only afew minutes discussing thecancellation, then quicklymoved on to a raft of otherinitiatives and programs forretailers, facility managers,manufacturers and others inthe industry. Baugh alsothanked the staff at the SuperShow and the SGMA, whohad worked with the TIA tobring the Tennis EXPO.

“We must focus on thefuture,” says Baugh. “We aremore focused than ever onaccomplishing our mission, 'topromote and develop the eco-nomic vitality of tennis.'”

Gary Receives USPTA Industry Excellence AwardDave Gary of Topeka, Kan., the director of tennis operations for Wood Valley Racquet Club &Fitness Center and Kossover Tennis Center, received the USPTA's Industry Excellence Award.

The award, presented by USPTA President David Porter (at left inphoto) recognizes tennis professionals who are resourceful andentrepreneurial in their approach to the business of tennis, andwho balance that with a lot of giving. The award is sponsored bythe TIA, which will provide a $1,000 grant, and supported bySports Tutor, which will present a Tennis Tutor ball machine to Gary.

I N F O R M A T I O N T O H E L P Y O U R U N Y O U R B U S I N E S S

Steve Diamond Ronald ElizondoAnna Hazlett

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TIA Introduces New Programs,Products, and Services

At a key meeting in New York during the US Open, theTennis Industry Association laid out an aggressiveagenda designed to help facility operators and retail-

ers throughout the country and to help boost TIA mem-bership itself.

TIA President Jim Baugh and USTA Chief Executive ofCommunity Tennis Kurt Kamperman recapped the “Ten-nis Campaign” for the assembled TIA board and audi-ence of about 60. Key to the Tennis Campaign, saidBaugh, is an industry that is working more closely togeth-er than ever before. The key initiative launched to con-sumers this year is the Tennis Welcome Center program,which now has more than 4,000 facilities and parkssigned on.

Kamperman said that many TWCs have not made fulluse of the free marketing materials available to get theword out in their local communities. Data shows that ofthe TWCs that did advertise locally, 62 percent saw anincrease in business, compared with 39 percent that sawan increase in business even though they didn't advertise.

Baugh also outlined a plan to help turn back the lossof frequent players over the last few years, which includesaddressing what players themselves identify as “key influ-encers”:� Teaching Pros—which help players improve, keep them

active and keep them playing frequently.� Teams and Leagues—which keep players engaged in

the sport and committed.� Tennis Parties—a key for many successful facilities, to

keep the fun and social contact in tennis.� Telephones and Telemarketing—players want someone

to contact them and set up matches.� Technology—using technology as a tool to communi-

cate with players and to help schedule matches, lessons,

tournament and event registration, and more.These “key influencers” to increase frequent

play were revealed in the recent Tennis Partici-pation Study, where 66,000 people were inter-viewed in independent research.

But the “trump card,” said Baugh, is focusingon fitness. “After 'fun,' exercise is the top reasonpeople play tennis,” he said, “and for womenand the 50-plus market, research shows thatexercise is more important than fun.” Data fromthe TIA indicates that many new and formerplayers would play more or would play again ifthey knew tennis is a good workout.

Baugh introduced “Cardio Tennis,” expectedto roll out to the trade in the spring, then to con-sumers in the summer. Cardio Tennis will be aseries of drills geared to giving players a greatcardio workout. “It's less about super strokes andmore about a super workout,” Baugh said. “Car-dio Tennis will be to tennis what spinning is toriding a bike.”

Also at the meeting, Baugh introduced newproducts and services designed to help facilityoperators and retailers. One is TennisCon-nect.org, a new software package aimed to helpfacilities and pros increase play frequency andcommunication. The software includes a websitebuilder, group email capability, live on-courtreservation system, player matching, calendarsand much more.

Other new TIA products include a MerchantCard Service that can reduce the rates to processcredit-card transactions, and an Advantage Cardto give members discounts on hotels, car rentals,airlines, restaurants and more.

To find out more, contact the TIA at 843-686-3036, or visit www.TennisIndustry.org.

New TIAMembershipLevels“We think everyone inour industry has a reasonto be a TIA member,” saysExecutive Director Jolynde Boer. “First and fore-most, supporting the TIAequals supporting ourplans to grow the gamethrough all our grassrootsinitiatives. And now, weare offering some greattools, services andresearch for everyone touse, exclusive from theTIA, to grow the gameand to grow your busi-ness, too.”

Individual membershipsstart at $100, retail-er/facility membershipsare $250, Facility Plusmemberships (whichinclude the new Tennis-Connect.org software) are$595, and SupportingMembers pay $1,000.Participating Partners paya percentage of sales,with a minimum of$5,000.

Contact 843-686-3036 orwww.TennisIndustry.org.

I N D U S T R Y N E W S

PTR Sets Symposium

The PTR will hold its InternationalTennis Symposium & $25,000 Championships Feb. 19to 25 at the PTR headquarters on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

The Symposium annually attracts about 1,000 tennisteachers, coaches and tennis enthusiasts from more than50 countries. In conjunction with the Symposium is the PTR$25,000 Championships, which will feature 28 divisionsof play in men's and women's singles, doubles andmixed doubles. Also, there will be a Tennis Trade Show, fea-turing more than 40 tennis-related manufacturers andorganizations.

For more information, contact the PTR at 800-421-6289or visit www.ptrtennis.org.


New DVD Magazine Debuts

Anew DVD tennis magazine, called IN•TENN, was intro-duced at the 2004 US Open. The DVD (which was alsoinserted with this issue of RSI magazine), is aimed at

improving how people play the game, says Bob Gore,IN•TENN's publisher.

“Each issue of IN•TENN is packed with instruction, strate-gy, drills, tips and conditioning information,” Gore says.

“IN•TENNwill increaseyour knowl-edge of ten-nis.”

IN•TENN,which will bedistributedquarterly, is

only available on DVD. Each issue will be at least 90 minuteslong and include 18 to 24 different video features. “The view-er points and clicks to watch the feature they want to watch,when they want to watch it,” the company said in a statement.

For more information , visit www.intenn.com or contactGore at 707-888-3714.

Wilson, ITF Re-Sign 3-YearDavis Cup Ball Agreement

Wilson Sporting Goods and the International TennisFederation have re-signed a three-year sponsorshipagreement that keeps Wilson as the official ball of

Davis Cup. In addition, Wilson Sports announced that it willalso produce an official Davis Cup tennis racquet.

Wilson has been involved with Davis Cup since 2002.The Davis Cup racquet, says the company, complementsWilson’s current activities as the sole equipment supplier ofthe ITF development program, which has been a founda-tion of Wilson's grassroots support of tennis throughout theworld.


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PTR/ROHO Award Winners Named

John Johnston of Gainesville, Fla., received PTR's Wheelchair Pro of the YearAward, presented during the PTR/ROHO $15,000 Wheelchair Tennis Champi-onships, held Sept. 22-26 on Hilton Head Island, S.C. Johnston, a PTR member

since 1989, is the tennis coach at Buchholz High School and plays on several able-bod-ied USTA Leagues. This year, he will be the first wheelchair player ever to compete inthe USTA Nationals.

PTR's Golden Eagle Award for service to the game was presented to Michael Paul ofMurfreesboro, Tenn. Paul is the president of Middle Tennessee State University'sWheelchair Club. Sports Tutor gave Paul a remote-control ball throwing machine.

This year's Sportsmanship Award went to David Hartsek of Lexington, Ky.

Bälle de Mätch Signs DealWith Texas Coach Group

outhern California-based tennis apparel manufacturer Bälle de Mätch, hasannounced that it has a four-year contract with the Texas Tennis Coaches Asso-ciation (TTCA) as the official team uniform supplier for all of the Texas highschool and middle school tennis programs.

"We are excited about partnering with a company that is interested in support-ing high school tennis in Texas,” says Randy Stewart, TTCA president. “Bälle deMätch is an up-and-coming brand our kids will love to wear."

“The TTCA is a fantastic association of dedicated coaches whose members giveso much of themselves in order to improve the tennis experience of kids all overTexas,” says Bälle de Mätch co-owner and partner John Embree.

In other news, Bälle de Mätch recently hired eight new sales reps. John Rush-worth will handle the Northern California area. Marshall Carpenter and SamDehoyos will be in Colorado and Utah, respectively. Carey Powell will handle Mis-souri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Evan Garfinkle will oversee southern Florida. Lei-tha Herring will take Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi. Dan O'Rawe willmanage the Caribbean and Mexico. And Angie Berman will cover Idaho, Wyoming,Montana, eastern Washington and eastern Oregon.

For more information on the company, call 847-729-2497.

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Gamma Adds to Its High-Performance String Line

Gamma Sports recently unveiled its newest high-performancestrings—the Live Wire Revelation and Zo Sweet. Revelation fea-tures Live Wire filaments that are fused rather than bonded

together for greater feedback and control. Live Wire filaments arefibers that stretch and recover at the same rate. As a result, saysGamma, maximum energy is stored in the string at impact andincreases the energy returned to the ball upon recovery.

In addition, the company says Revelation maintains tensionlonger than other "soft" multifilament synthetic strings, enabling thestring to maintain its desired performance longer. Revelation alsofeatures a new longer lasting pearl coating on the outer surface. Rev-elation sets and reels are available in both 16 and 17 gauge.

Gamma Zo Sweet is a new hybrid combination featuring 17-gauge Zo monofila-ment main strings and 17-gauge TNT2 cross strings. This string provides players witha softer feel for greater comfort and power without sacrificing control, says Gamma.

Zo Sweet is a hybrid recommended for hard hitters who find polyester mains andcrosses too stiff. To reduce impact and dampen vibrations for greater comfort and asolid feel, Sweet uses TNT2 17 as the cross strings.

For additional information, visit www.gammasports.com or email [email protected].


Montreal ClubInstallsClassic Turf

Classic Turf of Woodbury,Conn., recently resurfacedthe six indoor courts at the

exclusive Le Sporting Club duSanctuaire in Montreal, which isowned and operated by TennisCorporation of America. ClassicTurf President Tumer Eren saidhis company installed his stan-dard 8 millimeter Classic Turf,which is a cushioned acrylicsurface.

Eren said that earlier thissummer, his company alsoresurfaced the Washington,D.C., court of the Chineseambassador to the U.S. Thework was completed by BishopTennis Courts of Sterling, Va. Formore information about ClassicTurf, contact 800-246-7951,email [email protected], orvisit www.classicturf.org.


New BadmintonString fromAshaway

Ashaway Racket Strings hasintroduced MicroPower XL, anew badminton string

designed forplayers look-ing for a thin,playablestring withmore powerand durabili-

ty. The new 21 Light (.73 mm)tournament-gauge string meas-ures 10 percent thinner than stan-dard models, causing less windresistance and allowing the shut-tle to be hit harder and faster,says Ashaway. The manufacturingprocess combines 3,000 microfil-aments onto one highly-orientedcore. For more information, call800-556-7260 or visitwww.ashawayusa.com.

Interior Design

The beautiful indoor tennis facilities at The Ban-nockburn Club in Bannockburn, Ill., won honors inthe RSI/U.S. Tennis Court & Track Builders Associ-

ation 2003 Facility-of-the-Year Awards. The club addeda separate new structure with four indoor courts to itsexisting facility. Global Sports & Tennis Design Groupwas the architect/engineer on the project, workingwith MC Sport Systems. The indoor courts use Califor-nia Products' DecoTurf and Courtsider AerosystemLighting by LSI. (For details on the 2004 OutstandingTennis Facility Awards, contact the USTC&TBA at 410-418-4875 or email [email protected].)

RSI/USTC&TBA Facilities of the Year


> Head N.V. and Donald Young of Atlanta have signed a multi-year agreement where the 15-year-old tennis phenom will useHead racquets, bags and accessories and Penn tennis balls.

> The 15 Plexipave courts installed at the Beijing Tennis Centerplayed host to the ATP China Open Tennis Championships, whichtook place Sept. 10 to 26. The Pro-Purple color courts included acenter court with seating for 10,000.

> Purchasers of Head's Protector will receive a mini-CDattached to the frame that contains details on how the Protectoraddresses tennis elbow concerns, as well as tips on how to allevi-ate the symptoms. Highlights also include a history of Head's tech-nological innovations, medical studies and tests that led to thedevelopment of the Protector, and an overview of Head's Protect-System.

> Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia won the US Open women'ssingles title with a Head Liquidmetal Instinct. It was the secondGrand Slam title this year for the Liquidmetal Instinct frame. Earli-er, Head player Anastasia Myskina took home the French crown.Other Head players winning titles at this year's Open were MarkKnowles, in men's doubles, and Andrew Murray in boys' singles.

> Fischer racquets claimed two titles at this year's US Open. Vir-ginia Ruano Pascual of Spain won her third straight women's dou-bles title (with Paola Suarez), and Vera Zvonareva of Russia won themixed doubles title (with Bob Bryan). Fischer player Jessica Kirklandwas the runner-up in girls' singles.

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> The Dunlop 300G helped collect three medals at the Olympics.Mardy Fish won a silver in men's singles, Amelie Mauresmo won a sil-ver in women's singles, and Alicia Molik earned a bronze in singles.

> Dirk Cos is the new president of Universal Fabric Structures ofQuakertown, Pa. In other moves: Craig T. Scott joins the company asvice president of marketing and sales, Jeffrey Merlet is the new salesmanager, and Alec Gorsky is the new government contract manager.

> Subscribers to Bob Larson's Daily Tennis or Tennis Celebs emailnewsletters will receive a free one-year USTA membership, a $35 valuefor adults, $15 value for juniors. Regular price for Daily tennis is $97,and for Tennis Celebs $47. Junior subscriptions are $77 and $27,respectively. When current subscribers renew, Daily Tennis and TennisCelebs will cover the cost of USTA membership. Visitwww.dailytennis.com or www.tenniscelebs.com for more information.

> USTA First Vice President Franklin R. Johnson has been nominat-ed to become the next USTA chairman of the board and president,replacing Alan Schwartz in a two-year term beginning in January.Other nominations are: Jane Brown as First Vice President; Lucy Garvin,Vice President; Gordon Smith, Vice President; and James Chaffin, Sec-retary-Treasurer. Nominated as directors at large are: Katrina Adams,Jim Baugh, Martin Blackman, David Dinkins, Joseph Grover, John Korff,Joaquim Rasgado Jr., Donald Tisdel, and David Wheaton.

> Welch Tennis will sponsor a clay-court maintenance seminar onFriday, Nov. 5, at The Oaks at Boca Raton in Florida. Contact Deb Carl-son at 800-282-4415 or [email protected].



Corrections� The Forten/Luxilon ad placed onpage 11 of the October issue of RSIhad a misprint of the companyphone number. Correct numberfor Forten/Luxilon is: 858-693-9888.

Wilson Celebrates 90 YearsIn celebration of its 90th anniversary this year, WilsonSporting Goods released a commemorative poster atthis year's US Open. The poster features many ofWilson's top players from the past and present,including Jack Kramer, Venus & Serena Williams, RogerFederer, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Pete Sampras,Justine Henin-Hardenne, and Stefan Edberg. For moreinformation, visit www.wilson.com.

KANTARIAAswe present our fouwe've always had—choon the following pages

or a tennis fan, the US Open Series was almost too good tobe true.Ten summer tournaments on the WTA and ATP tours,

100 hours of live national television coverage, a player-bonussystem to ensure top draws at every event and a multi-million-dollar marketing campaign, all providing increased visibilityto tennis while building even more excitement for the

granddaddy of all U.S. tournaments, the US Open.A dynamic yet relatively simple concept, right? In truth, the cre-

ation of the inaugural US Open Series was anything but. In thealphabet soup that is professional tennis—where long-held tradi-tions and private agendas often bog down any comprehensiveattempts to truly modernize the sport—this kind of unity has beenhistorically rare.


FKANTARIAArlenArlen

Aswe present our fouwe've always had—chon the following pages


ANrth annual “Champions of Tennis” awards, we find that we have the same problemoosing only one “winner” in each category. While we can only recognize 13 of thems, rest assured there are many more winners in this business.

That history certainlydidn't faze US Open Seriesinnovator Arlen Kantarian,the USTA's chief executiveof Professional Tennissince 2000. Kantarian suc-cessfully merged enter-tainment and sportsthroughout a career thathas included successfulstints at Pepsi, the NFL, and Radio City Entertainment.Kantarian—the man who got Michael Jackson to perform

for the Super Bowl's first halftime show and pushed the USOpen women's final into prime time—wasn't about to bestopped by petty politics.Armed with a reputation as an inno-

vator and consensus-builder, Kantarianbucked the odds by uniting the Interna-tional Tennis Federation, ATP and WTATour, 10 tournaments, 10 founding part-ners and four television networks (ESPN,NBC, CBS, and The Tennis Channel) tocreate the US Open Series. The new protennis series of tournaments was a hitwith players, sponsors and fans, gener-ating increased TV ratings and positivebuzz that should only build in the yearsto come.Thanks to this Herculean effort, Arlen

Kantarian is Racquet Sports Industry'sPerson of the Year for 2004.Though the 51-year-old Kantarian

often is reluctant to take the credit for hissuccesses (in fact, Kantarian politelydeclined to be interviewed for this story), there's no shortageof influential heavy-hitters ready to sing his praises.Of the launch of the US Open Series, Chris Clouser, CEO

of ATP Properties, said: “[Arlen] did it with class; he did itwith determination; he did it with an unbelievable amountof energy; but I guess you have to say, he did it with integri-ty. I'll always respect him for not what he did, but how hedid it.”Adds Sean McManus, president of CBS Sports: “I know

for a fact that when [Arlen] had the idea three years ago,every meeting he went to, people spent an awful lot of timetelling him why he could not pull this off, why this groupcould not come together for a unified tennis package. Hereally put his money where his mouth is. In the comingyears, [the US Open Series] will pay enormous dividends for

ANthe sport of tennis, for existingfans, new fans and broadcastersacross America. I think it's onlygoing to get better for the sport.”Ultimately, industry leaders

hope that high-profile marketingconcepts including the US OpenSeries will translate into an indus-try-wide boom in participation,resulting in a trickle-down effectfor the entire industry.“Tennis had a triple threat

going this summer,” says KurtKamperman, the USTA's chiefexecutive of its Community Tennisdivision. Kamperman is referring

to the launch of the US Open Series, the debut of the “Tennis—Come Out Swinging” marketing campaign (featuring endorse-ments by such celebrities as Jeff Gordon and Donald Trump),and the start of the Tennis Welcome Center initiative.

In fact, the Tennis Welcome Center web-site (www.TennisWelcomeCenter.com) hadmore than 250,000 unique visitors thisspring and summer, a big spike that was duein large part to the US Open Series'increased TV coverage. “It was a call toaction to get in the game that was very visi-ble” through on-court signage at Seriesevents, including at the US Open itself, saysKamperman.“This summer, tennis was elevated once

again into the pop culture of America, and ifwe can build on that momentum the nexttwo or three spring and summer seasons,we're going to see the type of growth we'vealways wanted,” Kamperman adds.While piecing the US Open Series puzzle

together has kept Kantarian hopping, hisaccomplishments certainly don't end there.His vision has resulted in everything from

new fan enhancements at the Open—including in-stadiumvideo screens and star-studded entertainment—to higher pro-files for the U.S. Davis Cup, Fed Cup and Olympic team eventsand the USTA's 96 Pro Circuit events throughout the country.Not to say Kantarian's job is all glitz and glamour. After this

year's controversy over line calls in the heated Jennifer Capriati-Serena Williams US Open quarterfinal, Kantarian was on thehot seat to debate the merits of instant replay with a frenziedmedia and to make an apology call to Williams for the umpire'swell-publicized blunder.As for the future, Kantarian is, not surprisingly, thinking big:

He hopes to get the US Open men's final into prime time andboost the Open's television ratings to rival sports biggest events,like the NBA Finals.

—Mitch Rustad

Mixing high-level competition with entertainment has led to recordattendance at the US Open over the last few years. This year, Roger Federerclaimed the Open’s men’s singles title.

Lleyton Hewitt and Lindsay Davenport were thebig winners in the inaugural US Open Series.

rth annual “Champions of Tennis” awards, we find that we have the same problemoosing only one “winner” in each category. While we can only recognize 13 of thems, rest assured there are many more winners in this business.


PLAYERShen it comes to unlikely career paths, it's hard to match BobPatterson. Ask him how he cultivated his current status asone of Alabama's top specialty retailers—he and wife Pam

have owned Players Choice Tennis in his native Birmingham since1993—and you'll discover his “training” included 15 years as apolice officer. But one of Patterson's biggest retailing skills did comein handy while wearing a badge.“You had to be people-oriented as a police officer,” says Patter-

son, “and my retail philosophy is all about customer service. But thetennis business is a lot less volatile than my previous career.”Though some struggling retailers might disagree with that assess-

ment, Patterson's statement makes perfect sense. When you keepyour customers as happy as he does, business is bound to be booming.“They have established a level of cus-

tomer service that's beyond excellent,” saysJim Haneklau, Alabama territory managerfor Wilson Racquets Sports. “They've putexpectations on themselves that even thecustomer couldn't imagine. They do all thethings a good retailer does in terms of greatmerchandising and product selection, butthey're very demanding when it comes tocustomer service, on themselves and the manufacturers.”It's this kind of excellence—not to mention a sparkling reputa-

tion in the industry—that had made Players Choice Tennis RSI'sPro/Specialty Retailer of the Year.But for Patterson, focusing on his customers is all about keeping

a pulse on the current state of tennis retailing.“There are plenty of places people

can go to buy tennis product,” says Pat-terson, “but going that extra mile, likegetting a certain color or shoe size, orgetting that product shipped to youovernight, even if it costs more money, isour retailing philosophy. It's a whole loteasier to keep a customer than it is togain new ones.”That's not to say Patterson doesn't

know a thing or two about merchandis-ing. He has a proactive yet sensible buy-ing approach that's extremely effective,says Roy Podolin, Southeast sales repre-

sentative for Yonex and Balle de Match.“These guys don't just wait for the orders to come in,” says

Podolin. “They anticipate the hot-selling items and keep them instock. Bob also knows it's not necessary to buy everything out there.He's careful to pick and choose his inventory.”Players Choice Tennis also does a huge stringing business—Pat-

terson has been stringing frames since 1975 and was one of the U.S.Racquet Stringers Association's early pioneers. “I started out string-ing tennis racquets in my home,” says Patterson, a recreationalplayer since his days at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.“The job fit my hours around school.”Today, Patterson leads a top-notch team of Master Racquet Tech-

nicians whose work is showcased in the shop's Racquet ServiceCenter, which encompasses 700 squarefeet (the shop has a total of 5,000 squarefeet) right in the middle of the retail floor,with room for five stringing machines.“It's like a store within a store,” says Pat-terson, “Nobody puts as much emphasison racquet service as we do.”Players Choice Tennis also uses a bou-

tique-style throughout the store for appar-el, modeled on a large department store. There's also a specializedshoe court area for footwear, where shoppers can leisurely try onshoes in a tennis court-style atmosphere.The shop also utilizes its own Racquet Diagnostics Center, so

every racquet on the wall comes with its own set of specs. “Avid cus-tomers love it,” says Patterson, “and it sets us apart from the rest.

They know we're cutting edge as far asstringing, so it's just another thingthat's expected of us.”Looking back, Patterson says he

has only one small regret on hisunique path to retailing success: “Icould have started my tennis businessa lot sooner,” he says, “There wasobviously a niche that needed to befilled, but it was hard to leave thatguaranteed salary and pension.”It's safe to say that many of Alaba-

ma's tennis enthusiasts are very gladhe did. —Mitch Rustad

W

Players Choice Tips for Success� The customer is No. 1. “My staff knows that whenever acustomer walks in, they get top priority,” says Bob Patterson.

� Polybag it! At Players Choice, every restrung racquet goesback to the customer wrapped in a polybag decorated withthe store logo.

� Send out a newsletter four to six times a year to your cus-tomer database, which should include every customer who'smade a purchase over the last 18 months. Patterson includesarticles about local players, stringing features, “how to” tipsfrom his teaching pros, and ads from manufacturers.

PLAYERSCHOICECHOICE

TennisTennis


LEXINGTONLEXINGTONCounty Tennis ComplexCounty Tennis Complex

hen Jorge Andrew(left) signed on tobecome tennisdirector of South

Carolina's LexingtonCounty Tennis Com-plex in 2001, he hadone mission—“To havea tennis complexwhere we could get

more people playing tennis, make the peoplewho were already playing tennis happi-er, and offer all players any kind of activ-ity that they wanted to have.”It wasn't a modest goal. But only three

years later, it is a goal achieved. Lexing-ton County Tennis Complex (LCTC)stands as a showpiece and model facilityin the USTA's Southern Section, recog-nized as such locally and nationally. In2003, the complex was named the USTATeam Tennis 2003 Public Facility of theYear. And for 2004, LCTC is RSI's Munici-pal Facility of the Year.One of the reasons for the LCTC's success is

its effort to reach out to every area of the ten-nis world. “We try to have programs for all lev-els and all kinds of players,” Andrew says. “In2004 we had 37 activities, including adult tour-naments, junior tournaments, continued edu-cation for tennis professionals. We hold twoworkshops a year for the PTR, and two work-shops for the USPTA. We try to be the tennis center for all thepeople in this area.”In 2003 and '04, the LCTC's 21 lighted courts hosted the

2,000-player Southern Sectional Championships, which theSouthern Section bills as “the largest tennistournament in the world”. “The tennis com-plex was built perfectly for this type of event,”says Marilyn Sherman, the section's directorof Adult Competition & Leagues. “It's not justthe number of courts, but that the layout issuch that you can use all the courts at once ina fantastic way. For a public facility, it's beau-tifully done.”The LCTC was opened in June 2001, not to

replace an old complex, but because JohnCriscione, executive director of the Lexington

County Recreation and Aging Commis-sion, wanted to provide a top-notchvenue for the tennis players of theregion to congregate and grow thegame. Thus the paved and lightedparking, clubhouse, pro shop, lockerrooms, stadium court, nine staff(including four full-time teaching pros)and immaculate landscaped groundsthat have more country-club atmos-phere than public-park.Since then, the county has seen

tennis interest grow dramatically. Accord-ing to Andrew, when the LCTC opened,they had 20 teams play league tennis; justthree years later, there are now 42 teams,requiring two time slots four days a weekto get all the matches in. The After SchoolTennis Club attracts 50 to 80 youngstersper four-week session, many of whom endup playing in local tournaments, includingthe Chanda Rubin South Carolina ITF

Junior Tennis Classic, held at thecomplex. Adult beginner clinics alsostart every four weeks, after whichthe new players are placed intoleagues, helped by the LexingtonArea Tennis Association officials whoare on site.All this public-park tennis activity

keeps the LCTC open 90 hours everyweek.

“I attribute a lot of the complex's success to Jorge,” Criscionesays. “We've been pleased beyond our wildest dreams, and it justseems to be getting better.”As for Andrew, a former touring pro and Davis Cup player for

Venezuela, he attributes the LCTC's suc-cess to how it caters to players. “Eventhough this is a public facility, the cus-tomer is first,” he says. “We try to give ourtennis players what they want, what theyask for, and what they need.”All concerned agree it's been a job well

done. “They've spent quite a bit of effortin planning the facility and wrapping thecommunity around it,” Sherman says.“And it really has become a focal point fortennis there.” —Chris Nicholson

W

LCTC's Tips for Success� Pay attention to customer service. Even in apublic facility, you need to treat players theway they want to be treated.

� Run your programs professionally in allaspects.

� Make your facility attractive in all ways.Make sure it's clean, well-decorated andthat everything is working and in order.


CITYith a goal to “always satisfy the customer and havethe right product, at the right place, at the righttime,” it's no wonder that the City Sports chain can

boast a loyal customer base, that keeps coming back formore, at its 11 locationsacross the Northeast.According to Equipment

Buyer Erik Metzdorf, whoshared his employer's objec-tive with RSI, City Sportscustomers expect high-endproduct and quality servicewhen they step into thestore. “A lot of times theyare members of clubs,” hesays. “They know what theyare looking for.”Chances are they will find

it quite easily. The chaintakes feedback from con-sumers and managers on aweekly basis and strives to fulfill customer needs. Andbecause of this and many other factors, City Sports is RSI'sChain Retailer/Mass Merchant of the Year.“What I try to do is to create a pro shop in each store,”

says Justin Green, director of tennis for City Sports. Green,who has played tennis competitively and is now responsi-ble for the racquet departments at six store locations, aimsto stock each store with a selection that would interest themost advanced players, and keeps up-to-date on new prod-ucts and trends through his own research.“The pro shop feeling in our stores is very important

to us,” says Metzdorf. “Based on sales, we've had a goodrun.”To help keep all employees on top of their game, the

Wilmington, Mass.-based company emphasizes staff train-ing and takes advantage of numer-ous opportunities to help itsemployees get to know the prod-ucts they're selling.“They're huge believers in hav-

ing constant training,” says JohnTranfaglia, eastern regional salesmanager for Head/Penn. Storemanagers, department managersand sales associates alike spend

time with representatives from companies like Head/Penn,taking part in demonstrations designed to familiarize themwith the product. “We explain the racquets, explain thetechnology,” Tranfaglia says.

City Sports CEO andowner Michael Kennedy hasalso contributed to stafftraining by conducting atennis clinic for approxi-mately 60 employees inBoston. According to Green,such clinics give the salesassociates an advantage.“The better informed ouremployees are, the betterthey'll be able to help ourcustomers,” he says.Experience with the

sport they are selling hasproved important foremployees like Green, as it

has helped bring a consistent customer base—rangingfrom children new to the game to players on the verge ofATP competition—back to the store. “There are a lot of cus-tomers who won't go anywhere else,” Green says. “Tenniscustomers can be pretty particular about their equipment.”Green is one of many employees trained in racquet

stringing, too. With the amount of staff members possess-ing that skill, Metzdorf says, “we can turn around racquetstringing jobs the same day.” Green himself strings about200 racquets a month.

“Besides their service, I think their selection is alsoexcellent,” says Tranfaglia, adding that competitive pricingis an additional strong suit for the chain. For tennis, CitySports' wall and floor displays feature everything fromreplacement grips to headbands and sweatbands.

And while Metzdorf says that80 percent of tennis merchandiseis the same at each of the chain'slocations, “we do tailor merchan-dise to stores based on feedbackfrom customers and managers.”For City Sports, it's all about

getting the right product to theright place.

—Kristen Daley

City Sports Tips for Success� Know your customers. Ask what kind of player he orshe is, including what their NTRP rating is.

� Keep fresh, new products on the wall. Liquidate olderproducts.

� Ensure a clean presentation of merchandise, andmake sure you have a full stock of all the essentials.

WCITYSPORTSSPORTS


INDIAN CREEKINDIAN CREEKRacquet ClubRacquet Club

ike all highly successful tennisclubs, the amenities at IndianCreek Racquet Club in Over-

land Park, Kansas—nine, climate-controlled indoor tennis courts,four racquetball courts, fullyappointed locker rooms, lounge,café, pro shop, etc.—are top-notch.But it's the activity inside the

club, courtesy of a talented andextensively trained staff, that have

made Indian Creek RSI's Private Facility of the Year.The club is a hub of both local and national activity: Indian Creek

hosts the USTA National Women's 65, 75 and 85 Indoor Champi-onships, clinics featuring the Kansas City Explorers (the local WorldTeamTennis franchise) and major charity events for Ribbons of Pinkbreast cancer awareness and the Arthur Ashe Foundation.Indian Creek offers a lengthy and innovative list of tennis and fit-

ness programs for members of all ages—morning, noon and night,depending on your schedule—and welcomes the general public as aregistered Tennis Welcome Center. Its staffis led by General Manager Ajay Pant, who is

one of the area's biggest, and most popular,tennis ambassadors.“Ajay is charismatic, very friendly and

personable, so he's a perfect person to pro-mote the sport of tennis,” says Mike Ral-ston, communications coordinator of theUSTA's Missouri Valley Section. “He's tire-less when it comes to promoting the sport atthe grassroots, sectional, and national levels.He's the best person we could have downhere to act as a spokesperson for the sport.”

That's certainly no secret to the staff and members at IndianCreek. Pant's passion for people is most evident in his diligent man-agement approach. Nothing is too good or too clean—and no task toodifficult—when it comes to pleasing his members, they're his No. 1priority.“Customer service is our secret,” says Pant, who also manages the

Bally Racquet Club in the Kansas City area (both clubs are operated byChicago-based Tennis Corporation of America). “You 'wow' your

members and spoil them rotten. You cre-ate a huge buzz that this is the place to be.”In addition to offering a plethora of

member activities at Indian Creek, Pantmakes sure his entire staff—club manag-er, director of tennis, teaching pros,membership director, pro shop manag-er, maintenance manager, etc.—is intotal sync with this philosophy, which headmits can be viewed by some as a bitover the top.“I've been accused of being a little too

obsessed with these things,” says Pant,“but I think it's a must. Customer serviceis 24-7, so you can know your membersand anticipate where things can gowrong. It takes a somewhat obsessivepersonality to get it done.”But what is Pant's ultimate barometer

of success? His own family literally livesat the facility—his wife plays in severalleagues every week, and his two pre-teenchildren take lessons from staff pros reg-ularly. “I spend my own money here, soit must be pretty darn good,” says Pant.“At the core, if my wife and kids love theclub—they think this club is the cat'swhiskers—what more can you ask?

—Mitch Rustad

L

Indian Creek's Tips for Success� Create “sticky” programs. Pant makes sure everyactivity at Indian Creek comes with additional “sticky”activities—after-league team lunches, community andbenefit events, birthday parties, pro-ams and more—toencourage greater member participation and enjoyment.

� Reinvest in the club. Don't wait for a complaint tomake upgrades. Indian Creek is constantly (and proactive-ly) improving the facility—court resurfacing, new lightingand backdrops, and even a new TV for the lobby. “Themembers know we're spending money on them, and theylove it,” says Pant. “People are flabbergasted, but we justtell them 'we think you're worth it, don't you?'”

� Plan your calendar! Indian Creek members know wellin advance about any special events, exhibitions, pro-ams,charity events, etc. “These are on our calendar well inadvance, and we have a plan on how to market these spe-cial events,” via posters and email blasts, says Pant.

� Have a back-up plan. “A huge chunk of what I do istraining my staff to have systems to back-up systems,”says Pant. For example, if someone comes to the frontdesk needing directions, the first system would call for thatemployee to walk him or her down to the court personally.If the front desk is too busy to allow that, a sales manageror other available staffer takes over.

Ajay Pant, General Manager

Marc Blouin, Director of Tennis


ZAINOhat does a reputation for honesty, quality work, and cus-tomer service get you? If you're a court builder, it gets

you a lot of business, and in particular a lot of repeat business.And if you're Richard Zaino, along with his company Zaino Ten-nis Courts Inc. of Orange, Calif., it gets you RSI'sBuilder/Contractor of the Year award.“I've wanted to bring the highest quality,” says Zaino, “so,

with trained employees, we've gotten one of the best reputa-tions for quality. The bot-tom line is that when wego out there to do a job,I want it to be the bestjob that anyone can everdo.”Zaino's projects have

garnered rave reviews.“He does beautifulwork,” says Carol Shanerof the U.S. Tennis Court& Track Builders Associ-ation. “He's built somereally fabulous courts.”“Most people want

the best quality, with thebest expertise,” saysGary Lindstrom, the western states regional manager for Plexi-pave. “And that's what Richard offers everybody. And becauseof that word of mouth, he gets just the best places.”Zaino says his company's jobs range from exclusive private

courts to municipalities to school and college facilities. Tenniscourts make up the majority of his company's work, but theyalso surface playgrounds, basketball courts and running tracks.“We've been really fortunate in Southern California to build

and surface courts at some incredible pri-vate estates,” he says. “They're really cus-tom courts.” A number of them have wonindustry awards over the years.In the early 1990s, Zaino Tennis, which

is also licensed in Nevada, built both acushioned hard court and a clay court forMichael Chang. The company also sur-faced a court at the home of Andre Agas-si's father in 1995. A few years ago, Zainosurfaced a court for Pete Sampras in Bev-erly Hills. Another project they've hadevery year since 1999 is resurfacing the

courts at UCLA prior to the Mercedes-Benz Cup tournament.“We've done almost every type of construction in tenniscourts—natural grass, synthetics, clay, Har-Tru. But our prima-ry work is in hard courts,” says Zaino.A former architecture major in college, who played tennis

growing up and continues to play avidly, Zaino cut his court-building teeth with Pacific Tennis Courts in Santa Monica, Calif.,in the late 1970s. “I started right at the bottom, doing all the

gopher work,” Zaino says.“A man named Bill Leppertrained me and taught methe business.”Zaino started his own

company in 1985 and wasthe sole employee. Shortlyafter he started, Abel Sah-agun, whom Zaino knewat Pacific Tennis, joinedhim and is still with thecompany. Now, there are20 full-time employees.“I've been fortunate to

have some great workers,who are really skilled,working for us for a pretty

long time,” Zaino says. “Each foreman has at least seven oreight years of experience. And because we can work year-round here, I can keep a pretty steady, trained workforce.”Zaino has been a member of the USTC&TBA since 1989 and

has served on that organization's board of directors and as sec-retary. He also has done some technical sessions on court con-struction and resurfacing for the USTC&TBA's annual meeting.It's Zaino's knowledge of the business and sterling reputa-

tion that keep his customers happy, andhis suppliers raving.“He's a standup guy,” says Randy Futty

of Lee Tennis. “He's the kind of guy youwant to do business with.”Adds Plexipave's Lindstrom: “Richard

is by far the most knowledgeable, honest,efficient contractors that I would ever havethe opportunity to know. When you have acontractor who's employees have beenwith him 15-16 years, then they knowwhat they're doing.”

—Peter Francesconi

Zaino’s Tips for Success� Provide the best in customer service.

� Back up your products and service by follow-ing up on the work.

� If the customer has a problem, don't foolaround—go back and correct it.

� Properly trained employees ensure you main-tain the best reputation for quality.

WZAINOTennis CourtsTennis Courts


RAMRASRAMRASGwen & DanGwen & Dan

here isn't much guesswork involved regarding thewhereabouts of Dan and Gwen Ramras when theydon't answer the telephone at their home in Fairbanks,Alaska. The answering machine announces, “Hi.

You've reached the Ramras home. Hopefully, we are eitherplaying tennis or organizing it. Ciao!”When Gwen returns the call to reluctantly agree to an

interview, she is clear about her intentions. “It might inspiresome other individual not to take no for an answer. No mat-ter what the obstacles are, you can doit,” she says emphatically.For their tenacity in continually

generating new playing opportunitiesin Fairbanks—most recently institutingtennis as a high-school sport at fivelocal schools—Dan and Gwen Ramrasare RSI's 2004 Grassroots Championsof the Year.Kirk Anderson, the USTA's director

of community play, met the couplewhen he traveled to Fairbanks in Julyto train the new high school tenniscoaches, alongside his wife, Carol, whois the executive director of the USPTA'sMidwest Division, and former Anchorage tennis coach JodyInman. “Gwen and Dan have connections in Fairbanks andpassion for tennis,” Anderson says. “Put those together, andthey're making things happen.”“Where should I start? They're pretty much Mr. and Mrs.

Tennis in Fairbanks,” says Bill Leong, executive director ofthe USTA Pacific Northwest Sec-tion. “Tennis is their life. Dan is sopassionate about working withkids, and Gwen is one of the fewpeople involved in promoting ten-nis at the local, regional andnational level.” (She serves on theboard of the volunteer-run Fair-banks Tennis Association (FTA), isexecutive vice president of thePacific Northwest Section's boardof directors, and serves on thenational USTA Community Tennisand NJTL committees.)Together for 29 years (married

for 15), Gwen and Dan Ramras only started playing tenniswhile on vacation in Maui in 1986. After two weeks oflessons, they were shocked when the public parks teachingpro refused payment. Instead, he told them to make a dona-tion to junior tennis.Their efforts to return the favor began by gathering fellow

tennis enthusiasts in their living room in June 1995, a meet-ing that led to the creation of the FTA and a free youth sum-mer tennis program in Fairbanks that has continued for the

past nine years. With a $5,000 grantfrom the USTA in 1999, the FTA hired ateaching pro to conduct additional sum-mer clinics for juniors and, for the firsttime, adults. Today, there's a full sched-ule of low-cost summer programming.Disappointed with the dismal condi-

tion of the six public tennis courtsbehind the recreation center, Dan per-severed through bureaucratic red tapefor four months until Fairbanks NorthStar Borough Mayor Rhonda Boylescould accept his $100,000 donation tocover the cost of resurfacing in 2002.The courts were renamed the Dan

Ramras Community Tennis Courts.Gwen, who earned the Eve Kraft USTA Community Ser-

vice Award in 2001, battled for two years before tennis wasaccepted as a sanctioned high-school sport in Fairbanks thispast fall. The 74 players are sponsored by the AlyeskaPipeline Service Co. and supported by the USTA, FDA, The

Alaska Club and Dr. Ann Shortt,superintendent of the FairbanksNorth Star Borough School District.The Ramras' now are focusing

on raising funds to build a publictennis facility with six indoor andsix outdoor courts.“Providing an opportunity for

adults and children to learn andmaster tennis at whatever levelthey desire is absolutely one of themost rewarding things I have everdone,” Gwen says. “That's whatit's all about.”

—Cynthia Cantrell

The Ramras' Tips for Success� Don't take “no” for an answer. Bureaucracy some-times requires creativity. If one person says no, try to con-vince him otherwise while building other alliances.

� It takes a village. Use any and all resources to makeyour dreams a reality. Grants, volunteers and town offi-cials can all help.

� Pay it forward. The generosity of one special teachingpro inspired more than a decade of community service inGwen and Dan Ramras. Do what you can, big or small, tomake the tennis world in your neck of the woods a betterplace.

T


PERRYPERRYDustinDustin

assionate. Team player. Creative thinker. Tirelessworker. These are just a few of the phrases that cus-tomers and colleagues alike use to describe Prince

Sports' Dustin Perry. And those arebig reasons why Perry has beenchosen RSI's 2004 Sales Rep of theYear.As a sales territory manager for

Prince Sports, Perry manages prod-uct levels in Kansas, Missouri,Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, SouthDakota and Illinois (except Chica-go). He has a base of 350-plusclients for the Prince Sports brand,including apparel, footwear, softgoods and hard goods.“Dustin is immersed in the com-

munity,” says Ken Diller, westernregional vice president for PrinceSports. “He is always looking forways to service his clients betterand is willing to take time awayfrom his sales duties in trying tomake Prince Sports a betterbrand.”Adds Perry: “I just feel it's

important to go directly to the con-sumer with product, and to ensure that it's the best productfor their needs.”“Dustin is highly regarded for his creativity and work ethic

and has done a lot of work to re-establish Prince Sportsthroughout the USTA Missouri Valley Section. For the pastcouple of years, he has helped sponsorour local USA Team Tennis (Youth)team for district, sectional and regionalcompetition,” says Bunny Bruning,president of the USTA Missouri ValleyIowa District.A native of Mattoon, Ill., Perry and

Prince Sports are linked with severalcharitable organizations in the commu-nity, including the National MultipleSclerosis Society and Miracle MatchFoundation, a non-profit organizationworking to find a cure for leukemia andother stem-cell related diseases.

Perry was also instrumental in implementing PrincePlugged In, a national grassroots promotional campaign thatlinks all of the junior tennis academies across the country

and provides resources to helpmarket their respective programsand maximize player developmentfor the long-term benefit of thegame. “Our goal is to provide moreassets to the academies, which willallow them to share informationand techniques, and link them withnational and collegiate coachessuch as Jose Higueras, Craig Tiley,and Rodney Harmon,” says Perry.The Mike Wolf Tennis Acade-

my, a prominent junior academylocated in Overland Park, Kan.,served as the pilot program of thePrince Plugged In initiative. “It's agreat cohesive program that allowsus to stay in touch with other acad-emies and provides great exposurefor our kids,” says Wolf.Other top professionals who

have joined the Prince Plugged Inprogram include Trent Tucker Ten-nis Academy and Doug Boswell

Tennis Academy in Tulsa. “The Prince Plugged In programhas been receiving great feedback in Tulsa,” says Boswell.“Prince Sports has been really supportive of the kids.”The 2002 National Apparel Salesperson of the Year, Perry

is also a member of the Prince Sports Shoe Design Team andwill help launch the Viper III and T-10in February. “I enjoyed the wholeprocess,” says Perry. “I love the factthat, as a company, Prince Sports caresenough about the tennis player to letmore than one person design some-thing out of personal preferences. Itwas a complete group effort.”Sums up Diller, again using those

catch-phrases that Perry tends to elicit:“He's tireless in providing feedbackand willing to go above and beyond toensure the consumer is satisfied.”

—Mike Ralston

P

Perry's Tips for Success� To make sure consumers get what they want,you need to listen to them.

� Always look for new marketing ideas to helppromote the game.

� Get and stay heavily involved in tennis in thecommunity. It helps you stay in tune with yourcustomers and market.

� Be willing to change and make adjustments inplans, programs, etc.


STEPHENSONSTEPHENSONRandyRandy

ack in 1996, Randy Stephenson faced a tough choice. His carhad just been broken into, and the thief walked away with hiscar stereo. “I thought, should I buy a new stereo, or should I

buy my first stringing machine?” says the 29-year-old stringer fromDallas. “I went with the stringing machine, which probably hasbenefited me in the long run.”Stephenson's dedication to stringing racquets for his customers,

at the expense of listening to music in the car,doesn't go unnoticed by his players. And itdoesn't go unnoticed by RSI, either, asStephenson has won our Stringer of the Yearaward.Stephenson became interested in tennis in

eighth grade, when he started playing on hisjunior high school team. “I probably wouldhave played in college,” he says, “but I went tothe Art Institute in Dallas, and needless to say,we didn't have an athletics department.” Hestudied computer animation for a few years,then left when he “realized that wasn't for me.”It was during college, in his part-time job at

Sports Town, where Stephenson learned tostring racquets. After Sports Town went out ofbusiness in 1995, he started working at Osh-man's, where he stayed, “on and off,” for seven years.“At one point, I went to work for Alpha Sports as a rep, but I

realized that I really liked the hands-on aspect of racquets, helpingthe customers, building rapport with the actual people playing,instead of the people retailing the stuff,” Stephenson says.In the spring of 2000, he and a business partner opened their

own store. “After a year, my partner and I had a different vision onhow to move the business forward, and I left to open another ten-nis store,” he says. “Unfortunately, it opened in the midst of 9/11,and it lasted eight months.” He found himself back at Oshman's.But in the meantime, Stephenson had done contract stringing

for a number of clubs in the area, using his Babolat Sensormachine. For the last four years, his mainpiece of business has been with the LakesTennis Academy in Frisco, a large suburbnorth of Dallas.“After both tennis stores closed, I

ended up retaining a lot of customers onmy own who would drop off racquets,”Stephenson says. “Between the Lakes andmy own stringing, I'm probably pushingaround 100 to 110 racquets a month.”

His stringing career culminated last year with an invitation tostring at Wimbledon as part of the Bow Brand team. “I probablydid around 170 racquets in the 10 days I was there,” he says. Hestrung Bob and Mike Bryans' frames, and also did racquets forElena Dementieva, Martin Verkerk and Sjeng Schalken, amongother pros.“I have a knot I learned from one of the guys at Wimbledon that

cinches up real well,” Stephenson says.“That's always been one of my pet peeves—knots that you can see through. This is a knotthat's well-formed and doesn't put a lot ofstress on the anchor string. When tied prop-erly, it always looks the same, and it leans upagainst the frame so it's really clean and pro-fessional-looking.”Stephenson is especially proud of his abil-

ity to take care of his customers here athome, some of whom have been with himfor nearly a decade. “I pretty much treat mycustomers as my friends,” he says. “I alwaysput their needs and wants first.”And his customers rave about his service.

“He's like a string doctor,” says frequent play-er Cathy Brotemarkle of McKinney, Texas.

“He knows everything—gauges, composition of strings—every-thing. He's the best.” Brotemarkle has brought Stephenson her rac-quets for six years, stringing them with gut “a couple of times amonth.”Stephenson, who also is a part-time sales rep for Yonex in five

states and is a rep for Powers Court Tennis, says he is particularlyproud of his MRT status, which he's held since 1996. “That prettymuch means more to me than most things,” he says. “I was ecsta-tic when I passed the test.”“The thing about Randy,” says Mark Gonzalez, the national

sales manager for Alpha Racquet Sports, “is that he just has a truepassion and commitment to stringing. If he could string 24-7, he

would.”“Right before I got the invite to Wim-

bledon,” Stephenson says, “I was seri-ously thinking about giving it up,because I had two businesses fold. Then,out of nowhere, came the invitation.When I got back, I was dead tired, but Ienjoyed every single minute of it. I saidto my wife, I can't give this up, that wasway too cool.” —Peter Francesconi

B

Stephenson's Tips for Success� Treat your customers like you treat your friends.

� Pay attention to details. “As a stringer, most of yourmoves become force of habit,” says Stephenson. Somake sure they're the right moves.

� Play tennis whenever you get the chance. It helps yourelate to your customers as much as possible.

PacificPacificNWNWhe USTA PacificNorthwest section isthe largest sectionin the country—

geographically. Washing-ton, Oregon, Alaska andnorthern Idaho all fallwithin its borders. But inregards to population, thesection doesn't havemuch to work with; assection President PeterKram points out, morepeople live on Long Island, N.Y.,than in Pacific Northwest.Still, that doesn't stop the sec-

tion from spreading the word oftennis to the population they doserve. “They get out and reach alot of people,” says Kirk Ander-son, the USTA's director of com-

munityplay. “It's a smallsection, but they'vedone a really goodjob of outreach andgetting things start-ed. They squeeze awhole lot more outof their budget andpeople.”For the standout

work they do in a challenging region,Pacific Northwest has been named RSI'sSection of the Year for 2004.According to Pacific Northwest Exec-

utive Director Bill Leong, membership and participation in thesection has grown 35 percent in the past five years. “Weweren't focusing on growing membership, we were just focus-ing on serving our communityto the best of our means,”Leong says. “We try to under-stand and listen and try to caterto what our players want,instead of trying to push anagenda.”Leong and Kram both

attribute the section's success

to a dedicated team ofvolunteers and paid staffthat work together. “Wehave a very strong, effec-tive volunteer and staffpartnership, exceedingwhat either could produceseparately,” Leong says.“We have great team-

work between our staffand volunteers,” Kramsays. “A good section islike a dining room table—

take away one leg and it doesn'tstand anymore.”But Leong adds that great

effort comes from the top, too.“We have the best board of direc-tors of volunteers that I've everworked for. They're very diversein their skill set, and none of themhave any

agenda otherthan to workhard to fulfill themission. Couplethat with verypassionate footsoldiers outthere in our ten-nis communi-ty—our leaders,facility man-agers, teaching professionals—who areall on the front line working hard to pro-vide the best opportunities for players to

participate in the sport for a lifetime. I'm very blessed andproud to be associated with an organization like this.”Anderson agrees that the staff has much to do with the sec-

tion's success. “They're hard-working, and they have the rightfocus of just trying to generateas much tennis interest as possi-ble,” he says. “I like the energywhen I'm out there. They'reconstantly on the go and excitedabout what they're doing.”

—Chris Nicholson

USTA Pacific/NW Tips for Success� Hire skilled, competent staff.

� Find experienced, knowledgeable volunteers and put them inpolicy-making roles.

� Reach out and engage your field volunteers. They're the ones whowill bring you new players.


Bil Leong, Exec. Dir.

Peter Kram, President

T

n the small city of Dixon, Ill. (population16,000), it's likely anyone involved intennis is familiar with Emma Hubbs.Aside from teaching at the Dixon ParkDistrict for 57 years, her name is

stamped on the Emma Hubbs Tennis Clas-sic, Emma Hubbs Tennis Center and EmmaHubbs Tennis Courts in Page Park.

Now 75 years old, Hubbs' only conces-sion to age is deciding tostep down as head coachof the Dixon High Schoolboys' tennis team. She stillserves as assistant coachof the girls' team, a roleshe has held for 14 years.

“I don't mind being oncourt [with the boys]; I justdon't like the paperwork,”Hubbs says. “Give me abucket of balls, and I'll stilloutrun them.”

For her tireless effortsto grow the game inDixon, Hubbs is RSI's2004 Junior DevelopmentChampion of the Year.

Debra Carey, executivedirector of the Dixon ParkDistrict, says Hubbs man-ages the entire indoor and outdoor tennisoperation, ranging from the Tiny Tots pro-gram for 3- and 4-year-olds to excellenceclinics for competitive juniors and adults.“Emma brings sunshine every day with heroptimistic spirit,” says Carey, who hasworked with Hubbs for 17 years. “We havea small staff, and if we're short a secretary,she'll even help answer phones. She'salways cheerful, alwayshappy to do what needsto be done.”

“When you think oftennis in Dixon, youthink of Mrs. Hubbs,”says Mark Saunders,executive director of theUSTA Midwest Section,who saw her impact onjunior tennis first-hand

while growing up in nearby Rockford, Ill.“She'd bring busloads of kids from Dixon toplay our tournaments in Rockford, and shestill works just as hard getting everyone shecan to pick up a racquet.”

In fact, he added, her unwavering com-mitment to the game is part of the reasonwhy the Dixon Park District this yearreceived a $1,000 Tennis in the Park grant

from the Midwest Sectionand National Recreationand Park Association.

A lifelong resident ofDixon, Hubbs says shegrew up hitting against thebackboard and chasingballs for older players.After graduating fromDixon High in 1947, shejoined the Dixon Park Dis-trict, working in the officeand teaching tennis. Herpromotion in 1956 tosupervisor was, she says,“for the birds. I wanted toteach, not get in my carand check on people.”While her three children

are proud of their mother,says her son, Ed Hubbs,

tennis director for the City of Omaha, Neb.,they wish she wouldn't work so hard. LastFebruary, for instance, she missed seeingher granddaughter, Cameron Hubbs ofOmaha, claim a USTA Girls' 14s singles titlewhen she returned home to teach her regu-larly scheduled lesson.

Having attained her goal—and thensome—of teaching the sport she loves for

50 years, Hubbsclaims she will retireat age 80.

“I keep thinking Ishould slow down.Then I wonder, why?I just love beingaround the kids,” shesays. “I'm just givingback.”

—Cynthia Cantrell

HUBBSHUBBSI

Hubb’s Tips for Success� Pitch in and help when and where needed,even if it's not your job.

� A cheerful attitude helps inspire thosearound you.

� Dedication and commitment to the programwill pay off through recognition, grantmoney, etc.

EmmaEmma


Pikes PeakPikes PeakCTACTAhis country is a melting pot ofcultures, backgrounds, beliefsand interests. Finding a way toaddress that diversity, while

bringing people into tennis, cansometimes be a challenge for aCommunity Tennis Association.But in the Colorado Springs,

Colo., area, thousands of individualsand families are playing and enjoy-ing tennis. And it's that focus oncommunity outreach and nurturinginterest in the game, that has led usto name the Pikes Peak CommunityTennis Association as RSI's CTA ofthe Year.Among the PPCTA's efforts in

2004 was the second annual Community Health and FitnessOutreach Program, a six-week program focused on introduc-ing at-risk and low-income youth to USA Team Tennis.According to Donna O'Steen-Mixon, exec-utive director of the PPCTA, the programbrought the sport to a group that wouldnot normally have access to it.“We're trying to reach those outside

the mainstream to develop and grow ten-nis,” she says. The program was fundedthrough a $30,000 grant from the Nation-al Recreation Foundation, which hadhelped the PPCTA create an NJTLchapter in 2003. Four hundred young-sters participated this summer. “Iheard many kids say, ‘Wow, I can dothis!’” says O'Steen-Mixon. “It felt sopositive. The self-esteem and energythat I saw on court made me feel real-ly good about what we were doing.”

Karen Brandner, founder andboard member of the PPCTA andmanager of operations at the Broad-moor Hotel in Colorado Springs,hailed the PPCTA's work to supportthe new players both on and off thecourt by partnering with other com-munity organizations to ensure thatthe participants have transportation totennis facilities.In late September, the PPCTA initi-

ated its first-ever “Star Search,”minus the microphone, music andEd McMahon. The program—fundedby the Colorado Tennis Associationwith a $1,000 grant—focused ondeveloping the tennis skills of com-mitted players (ages 8 to 14) fromdiverse communities throughout thearea. “The program provides valu-able information that would take theplayer's game to the next level,”says O'Steen-Mixon. “Each partici-pant has a mentor. The mentorskeep contact throughout the yearwith the person they're tutoring.”Those mentors were among the

pool of 400 dedicated volunteersthe PPCTA boasted in 2004, which also included the mem-bers of the organization's board of directors. “The PPCTA hasgreat leadership,” says Karen Ford, the USTA's manager of

Community Tennis Development. Theboard is made up of volunteers withexperience in several areas, includinglaw, media, and of course, tennis instruc-tion and club management. It's that lead-ership and the direction it has for thefuture that sets the PPCTA apart fromother CTAs, Ford says.

And in the spirit of lookingtoward the future, a total of $1,800in scholarships was awarded thisyear to the tennis pros of tomorrow.While all of the scholarships this yearwere presented to youths, players ofall ages and backgrounds are eligi-ble. Scholarships have fundedlessons, USA Team Tennis participa-tion, and even the purchase of tennisshoes.The PPCTA has many other pro-

grams designed to encourage peopleof all ages, backgrounds and abilitiesto get into and continue playing ten-nis. “We want to grow the game,”says Brandner. “I think it's importantto introduce the sport of tennis toeveryone.”

—Kristen Daley

T

PPCTA's Tips for Success� Before reinventing the wheel, look for answers toquestions pertaining to your CTA by checking theresources available at the national, sectional or statelevels. As a start, visitwww.usta.com/communitytennis, then follow thelinks for your area.

� Research other community service organizations with-in your community. Form alliances to develop pro-grams that meet the goals of several organizations.

� Provide your volunteers with meaningful, fun experi-ences. Learn the interests, skills, and strengths of vol-unteers and make them comfortable by providinginformal training.

� Ensure that your organization provides a forum inwhich supporters and volunteers are publicly recog-


Donna O’Steen-Mixon (from left), City Tennis Director Jason Kirk-land, and PPCTA board member Dave Ankeney welcomed partici-pants at the USA Tennis Rock and Rally event in May.


JILLYJILLYJulieJuliehile Julie Jilly isproud that theProfessional Ten-

nis Registry's annualwheelchair tennis tour-nament has grown tomore than 150 playersfrom around the world,she looks forward to the

day when there's no longer a reason for it toexist.“The perfect scenario would be for wheel-

chair players to play in regular USTA tourna-ments like everybody else,” says Jilly, vicepresident of operations for the PTR and tour-nament director of the PTR/ROHO $15,000Wheelchair Championships, an ITF Champi-onship Series I and USTA Southern Champi-onship event held each September on HiltonHead Island, S.C.Wheelchair tennis players are already

sanctioned to compete against able-bodiedplayers in USTA tournaments and leagueswith a single concession: They are allowedtwo bounces. Still, Jilly says more educationand exposure—such as exhibitions betweenstadium matches at the US Open, for exam-ple—are needed in order for wheelchair ten-nis to become truly mainstream. The PTR isassisting this mission by distributing a freeguide to teaching wheel-chair tennis to its entiremembership.“Until you see wheel-

chair tennis in action,you can't comprehendhow talented these ath-letes are,” Jilly says. Thedanger, she notes, is forpeople to watch a wheel-chair player and thinkthey “can't hit with orteach somebody likethat.”Jilly is RSI's 2004

Wheelchair TennisChampion of the Year forher efforts to combatthose misconceptions.Dan James, national

administrator of the USA Tennis High Perfor-mance Wheelchair program, says Jilly “goesabove and beyond the call of duty to supportwheelchair tennis.” PTR CEO and ExecutiveDirector Dan Santorum, who has workedwith Jilly for 19 years, calls her “a star.”“Julie's passion in helping players who are

physically challenged, combined with herorganizational skills, ensure that the PTR'swheelchair tournament is successful everyyear,” says Santorum. “She gets results.”Jilly joined the PTR as an administrative

assistant in 1985. In its early years, the annu-al wheelchair tournament consisted of abouta dozen patients from a local rehabilitationcenter. Jilly took the event under her wing,signing up sponsors as well as players for theburgeoning junior, adult and senior divisions.“We used to give a racquet bag to the playerwho had traveled the farthest, and it wouldbe Missouri,” Jilly recalls. “Now it's Australia,Japan.”As her responsibilities with the PTR have

grown over the years, so have the number ofhats she wears. Jilly coordinates the PTRInternational Tennis Symposium, overseessponsorship and marketing opportunities forthe organization, serves as director of SpecialOlympics regional tournaments, managesmember services and supervises the PTR's

staff. She also serves assecretary of the PTRFoundation, the organiza-tion's non-profit division,which provides researchgrants, funds minoritycoach certifications anddonates racquets, shoes,tennis balls and instruc-tion to youth in the U.S.and abroad.

“It's very rewardingto provide so many greatservices,” Jilly says.“Even though [the PTR]has 10,000 members allover the world, we'rereally like one big extend-ed family.”

—Cynthia Cantrell

KenM

akJilly's Tips for Success�Wear many hats obligingly. Pitch inat every level, and your efforts should berecognized and rewarded.

�Make change easy. Julie Jilly isrecruiting wheelchair tennis coaches byadvocating for exhibitions and equippingteaching pros with a free instructionguide.

� Don't fear success. Jilly workstirelessly promoting the integration ofwheelchair players in regular USTA tour-naments, though it could ultimately endher tenure as tournament director of thePTR's wheelchair tournament. Jilly knowsthat should that happen, her skills will besought in another area.

W


It was a tough fortnigRussia and Roger Fedfinals. Here’s a look aOpen. Post this in you

MEN

Round Racquet Racquet StringRank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand1 W Roger Federer SUI Wilson nCode Six One Tour 90 Luxilon/Wilson2 Q Andy Roddick USA Babolat Pure Drive + 100 Babolat3 F Lleyton Hewitt AUS Yonex RDX-500 90 Babolat/Luxilon4 S Tim Henman GBR Slazenger Pro X-1 95 Babolat/Luxilon5 DNP Guillermo Coria ARG Did not play6 3 Carlos Moya ESP Babolat Pure Drive 100 Luxilon7 Q Andre Agassi USA Head Liquidmetal Radical OS 107 Luxilon8 2 Gaston Gaudio ARG Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.1 95 Toalson9 1 Marat Safin RUS Head Liquidmetal Prestige Mid 93 Luxilon/Babolat10 2 Nicolas Massu CHI Babolat Pure Control Plus 97 Luxilon11 2 Sebastien Grosjean FRA Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP 98 Babolat12 2 Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP Prince NXGraphite 100 Luxilon13 2 David Nalbandian ARG Yonex RDX-500 98 Luxilon14 1 Rainer Schuettler GER Head Liquidmetal Prestige Mid 93 Polystar15 4 Andrei Pavel ROM Fischer Pro No. One 98 Luxilon16 S Joachim Johansson SWE Yonex RDX 500 90 Luxilon/Babolat17 4 Tommy Robredo ESP Dunlop 300G 98 Luxilon18 Q Dominik Hrbaty SVK Fischer Pro Extreme FT 95 Kirschbaum19 4 Nicolas Kiefer GER Wilson nCode Six One 95 95 Babolat20 3 Paradorn Srichaphan THA Yonex Ultimum RD TI-80 98 Luxilon/Babolat

WOMEN

Round Racquet Racquet StringRank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand1 Q Amelie Mauresmo FRA Dunlop 300G 98 Babolat2 2 Anastasia Myskina RUS Head Liquidmetal Instinct 100 Luxilon3 S Lindsay Davenport USA Wilson HTour 95 Babolat4 4 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL Wilson HTour 95 BDE5 W Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS Head Liquidmetal Instinct 100 Luxilon6 F Elena Dementieva RUS Yonex RDX-500 MP 98 Luxilon7 DNP Kim Clijsters BEL Did not play8 S Jennifer Capriati USA Prince Tour Diablo 95 Babolat/Luxilon9 3 Maria Sharapova RUS Prince Turbo Shark MP 100 Babolat10 4 Serena Williams USA Wilson H6 110 Wilson11 4 Vera Zvonareva RUS Fischer Pro No One FT 98 Kirschbaum12 4 Venus Williams USA Wilson H4 110 Wilson13 Q Nadia Petrova RUS Prince Triple Threat Hornet 98 Luxilon14 4 Ai Sugiyama JPN Prince Tour Harrier DB MP 97 Prince15 4 Patty Schnyder SUI Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP 98 Kirschbaum16 3 Paola Suarez ARG Prince NXG Graphite 100 Prince17 3 Elena Bovina RUS Yonex V-CON 17 100 Luxilon18 1 Karolina Sprem CRO Fischer Pro Tour FT 98 Tecnifibre19 4 Francesca Schiavone ITA Fischer Pro No. One 98 Luxilon20 3 Silvia Farina Elia ITA Prince Triple Threat Graphite OS 110 Luxilon

P L A Y E R E Q U I P M E N T L O G


ght for American players on their home turf this year, as champions Svetlana Kuznetsova ofderer of Switzerland (who claimed his third Grand Slam title this year) came through in theat the equipment those two champions, and other top players, used this year at the USur store, so your customers can check out their favorite players, too.

String String Footwear ClothingString Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model BrandBig Banger Alu Power Rough/Natural Gut 16L 25/23.5 Nike VAPOR S2 NikePro Hurricane/VS Team 16 16 73 Reebok Figjam DMX ReebokVS Team/Big Banger Alu Power 16L 56 Nike MAX Breathe FREE NikeBig Banger Timo 18 (M) / VS Team Natural Gut (X) 18 51.6 Adidas Barricade III Adidas

Big Banger Original 16 60 Nike MAX Breathe FREE NikeBig Banger Alu Power 16L 66 Nike MAX Breathe FREE NikeCyber Blade Tour Thermaxe 127 1.27mm 59.5 Diadora Protech DA2 DiadoraBig Banger Alu Power Rough/VS Touch 16 Adidas Barricade III AdidasBig Banger Alu Power 16 53 Adidas Barricade III AdidasVS Touch 16 50.6 ASICS Gel Invasion LacosteBig Banger Original 16 53/51 Nike Air Court Implosion Sergio TacchiniBig Banger Original 16 64 Yonex Power Cushion 303 YonexEnergy 1.25mm Fila X-Point FilaBig Banger Ace Touch 18/16L Nike VAPOR S2 NikeBig Banger Alu Power/VS Team Natural Gut 17 Yonex SHT-303 YonexBig Banger Original 16L 23.5kg Sergio Tacchini Sergio TacchiniSuper Smash 17 Lotto ATP Machine speed LottoVS Team 17 Adidas Barricade III AdidasBig Banger Alu Power/VS Touch Natural Gut 16L/16 64 Adidas Barricade III Adidas

String String Footwear ClothingString Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model BrandVS Touch 16 57.2 Nike MAX Breathe FREE NikeBig Banger Timo 18 18 56/52 Nike NikeVS Touch 15L 63/64 Nike Air Zoom Thrive NikeBDE Performance 16 57.5 Adidas Barricade III W AdidasBig Banger Alu Touch 16L Fila X-Point FilaBig Banger Alu Power 16L 51/48.5 Yonex Power Cushion 303 Yonex

VS Touch 16/Big Banger Alu Power 16L 67 Fila X-Point FilaPro Hurricane 17/VS Touch 17 17 Nike VAPOR S2 NikeNatural 16 67 Nike NikeSuper Smash Spikey 16 Adidas Barricade II W AdidasNatural 16 65 Reebok VESW DMX ReebokMonotec Supersense 16L 28 Adidas Barricade III W AdidasNatural Gut 16 57 Nike Air Court Motion NikeSuper Smash Spikey 17 Adidas Barricade III W AdidasNylon 15L Lotto ATP Supreme Lite LottoBig Banger Timo 17 Adidas Barricade III W AdidasX-Tra Dynamic 1.33 16 57.3/55.1 Adidas ClimaCool Ultimate W AdidasBig Banger Alu Power 18 Diadora Kynetech W DA2 DiadoraBig Banger Original 16 52/50 Sergio Tacchini Sergio Tacchini

the EXPERTSask

SWINGWEIGHTDIFFERENCES

I HAVE A QUESTION about swing-weight. I understand that tworacquets can have different

weights and balances while having thesame swingweight. My question is if Ihave two racquets that are the samemodel, the same weight, and the samebalance, will the swingweight be thesame? It makes sense to me that the tworacquets would have the same swing-weight, but I have two of the exact sameracquets, which have different feels tothem. Is this just in my mind?

NO, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY only inyour mind. Although it is likely that

two racquets of the same make andmodel, with the same weight andbalance, will have similar swingweights,manufacturing tolerances being what they

are, there are no guarantees. Anydifferences could also be amplified bydifferences in string weight and the typeof string dampener used. Finally, keep inmind that—again, depending on toler-ances—you could also be feeling differ-ences in flex. USRSA members who

don't have easy access to a BabolatRacquet Diagnostic Center (RDC),which measures swingweight, canalways calculate swingweight with astopwatch and a few simple acces-sories.

LONG RACQUET SOURCEDO YOU KNOW ANY compa-nies that might sell longertennis racquets—up to 32

inches—even if they're only for recre-ational play?

OF THE RACQUETS WE KNOWto be currently available, the

longest are 28.5 inches, and are avail-able from Cayman and Wilson. Forlonger racquets that are no longerbeing manufactured, check with sellersof used sporting goods equipment,such as Play It Again Sports, and E-Bay.

Q

A


Your Equipment Hotline

Q

ARacquetTECH.com/members/tools/swing_weight.html


DIFFERENTIALSTRING TENSIONS

I HAVE A CUSTOMER who hasrequested that I string his racquetwith the crosses 2 pounds lower

than the mains. He says that he heardthat this “locks in” the mains. I've neverheard of this, have you?

STRINGING THE MAINS and crossesat different tensions is not new,

and in fact, a quick check of the proequipment logs we've published over theyears (available on-line atwww.RacquetTECH.com) shows that moreand more of the pros are asking for differ-ential tensioning. We've not heard, how-ever, that lowering the tension on thecrosses “locks in” the mains, and frankly,we're skeptical of this claim. According toBabolat, the main strings are responsiblefor durability and spin, while the crossesare responsible for power and comfort.

Reducing the reference tension on thecrosses would thus increase power andimprove comfort, and possibly increasespin potential.

Because of the differences in stringlengths between the mains and the cross-es, dropping the reference tension on thecrosses partially equalizes the installed ten-sion of the crosses compared to themains. Dropping the reference tension onthe crosses also reduces the tensionincrease on the mains due to the weavingand tensioning of the crosses.

One thing to watch when droppingthe tension of the crosses relative to themains (or vice versa) is that you are chang-ing the stress on the frame. Always mea-sure the dimensions of the hoop beforeand after stringing to ensure that differen-tial tensioning isn't distorting the hoop.

We should mention that manufactur-ers require differential tensioning on someracquets, which are clearly demarked inthe Stringer's Digest.

EKTELON CLAMP LENGTHI HAVE A 25-YEAR-OLD EKTELONH stringing machine. When string-ing widebody racquets, the clamps

are so short that the only way to get themto reach the stringbed is to push down on

the string before clamping. Does anyonesell a longer replacement clamp?

IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH youhave one of the first Model H

Ektelons. We are not aware of anyoneoffering longer replacement clamps, butthe original clamps should reach,although you might have to adjust theglide bar to the topmost of its threepositions.

—Greg Raven �

We welcome your questions. Please sendthem to Racquet Sports Industry, 330 MainSt., Vista, CA, 92084; fax: 760-536-1171;email: [email protected].

Q

AQ

A

Ektelon H glide bar adjustment, with the glide barin the center of its range.

the articulated pushers. The inside mountsticks out so it catches string, but I havesome ideas how to fix that, and it worksfine in the mean time. This modificationalso works on the Babolat Star II.5 sets of Wilson Stamina 16 to:Gary Machholz, Lafayette, CO

—Greg Raven �

sive, a good starting clamp will workas a “butt-saver” when needed, andyou can use it for other stringingtasks as well, such as pre-stretching,backing up a machine clamp on thefirst pull, temporarily holding a ten-sioned string when you are stringingusing a box pattern, cinching upknots, and even as a starting clamp.

MAJOR SP-11 SHOULDERSUPPORTSIf you have a Major SP-11, there is a wayto update the mounting system. I madean adapter plate from 1/4-inch aluminumplate that bolts into the holes in theuprights. On the SP-11 this plate madethe top surface of the Alpha arms justabout even with where the old mountingplate used to be because the Alphapieces are a little thinner material, so theclamps work fine from a height stand-point. Then, I drilled and tapped holesinto the adapter plate in the bolt patternfrom the Alpha mounting arms to replace

and TECHNIQUES

DIY BUTT-SAVERI designed my own simple gadget to pullthat last string when it's too short toreach the tension head. Purchase one 1/2-inch by 1 1/2-inch bolt, two 1/2-inchwashers, and two 1/2-inch nuts. Drill a1/8-inch hole in the middle of the bolt.Assemble it as shown in the illustration.Put the end of the short string throughthe hole from one direction, and a scrappiece of string through the hole from theother direction, and tighten the nut.5 packs of Unique Tourna Grip(3 overgrips per pack) to:Ron Condio, Ashville, NYEditor's note: This should work, but itwill be fairly difficult to cross-drill thebolt. Although initially more expen-

Readers’ Know-How in Action


Tips and Techniques submitted since 1993 by USRSAmembers, and appearing in this column, have all beengathered into a single volume of the Stringer’s Digest—Racquet Service Techniques which is a benefit of USRSAmembership. Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330Main St., Vista, CA 92804; or [email protected].

tips

string PLAYTEST

Klip X-Plosive is one of Klip's “Pro Dou-

bles”—or hybrid—strings that contain

natural gut. In X-Plosive, the other string

is Klip's new K-Boom, a co-polymer poly-

ester. Klip claims the fast response time

of K-Boom makes it an ideal match for

their Australian-made natural gut.

Unlike Klip's other natural gut hybrids

(Adrenalin, Lightning, and Screamer),

there is no recommendation on which

string is meant for the mains and which

for the crosses.

X-Plosive is available in 16 and 17 innatural and silver. It is priced from $18.For more information or to order, contactKlip at 866-554-7872, or visitwww.klipstrings.com. Be sure to read theconclusion for more information about aspecial offer from Klip.

IN THE LABOur control string, Prince Synthetic GutOriginal Gold 16, measured 78 RDC unitsimmediately after stringing and 71 RDCunits after 24 hours, representing a 9 per-cent tension loss. See the table below forour measurements of the 17-gauge KlipX-Plosive we playtested. X-Plosive added14.95 grams to the weight of ourunstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeks by66 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratingsfrom 3.0 to 6.0. The playtest was brokeninto two groups: One group installed thegut in the mains, and the other groupinstalled the poly in the mains. These areblind tests, with playtesters receivingunmarked strings in unmarked packages.

Average number of hours playtestedwas 22.5.

We expected it to be easier toinstall X-Plosive with the K-Boompoly in the mains, and it was,although our playtesters felt it waseasier to string with the gut in the mains.The Klip gut has no lubrication, so yourhands feel clean afterward, and the poly issmooth, which makes it slide more easilyagainst the gut, although it also makes itmore difficult to “grab” with your finger-tips when weaving the crosses.

Three playtesters broke the sample dur-ing stringing, 15 reported problems withcoil memory, 4 reported problems tyingknots, and 5 reported friction burn.

ON THE COURTKlip X-Plosive tested through the roof. Withthe gut in the mains, our playtesters gave itthe highest rating for Power we've everseen. X-Plosive with gut mains also gar-nered second-place rankings in Control andTouch/Feel, with ratings well above averagein Playability, Durability, Comfort, SpinPotential, Holding Tension, and Resistanceto Movement. These individual rankingswere enough to give Klip X-Plosive an over-all first-place ranking of all the stringswe've ever tested, when used with the gutin the mains.

Amazingly, with the K-Boom poly in themains, Klip X-Plosive did almost as well,with a second-place rating for Power(behind X-Plosive with gut in the mains),with ratings well above average for Playa-bility, Durability, Control, Touch/Feel, Com-fort, Spin Potential, and Resistance tomovement. These individual rankings giveKlip X-Plosive (with the K-Boom poly in themains) an overall fifth place ranking of all

the strings we've ever tested.Seven playtesters using gut in the mainsbroke the sample while playing, one eachat 3, 4, 6, 17, and 20 hours, and two at 12hours, for an average of 10.57 hours before

Klip X-Plosive

EASE OF STRINGING GUT POLYMAINS MAINS

(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 0 0somewhat easier 4 1about as easy 16 15not quite as easy 10 16not nearly as easy 2 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 2 4somewhat better 13 11about as playable 8 8not quite as playable 6 9not nearly as playable 1 1

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1 5somewhat better 13 13about as durable 11 11not quite as durable 4 2not nearly as durable 1 2

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.8 3.8Durability 3.7 3.9Power 4.0 3.9Control 3.8 3.7Comfort 3.7 3.5Touch/Feel 3.7 3.5Spin Potential 3.5 3.5Holding Tension 3.5 3.3Resistance to Movement 3.6 3.8


NATURAL GUT K-BOOM POLYCoil measurements 19'10” 23'3”Diameter unstrung 1.29-1.30 mm 1.26-1.30 mmDiameter strung 1.22 mm 1.22-1.27 mmRDC stringbed stiffness new 70 (gut mains, poly crosses) 76 (poly mains, gut crosses)RDC stringbed stiffness after 24 hours 69 (gut mains, poly crosses) 72 (poly mains, gut crosses)Tension loss 1 RDC 4 RDCTension loss % 1.43% 5.26%

“ Stringing this poly was easier than others (less coil memory). Thepower was more than adequate, as was the control (could swing out).I wondered if this was one of the Pacific Poly Hybrid strings. Woulddefinitely consider using if I changed from all gut.”4.0 male all-court player using Völkl Tour 9 strung at 63 pounds LO(Pacific Classic Gut 17)

“ If I had to name this string I would name it “The Pocket.” When Ifirst started hitting with it, it reminded me ofmy baseball days when I used to catch with acatcher's mitt. This has to be the best stringas far as playability that I've played with.Unfortunately after about eight hours it start-ed to lose some of its power. But, I will buythis string as soon as I find out what it is.”4.0 male baseliner with heavy spin usingWilson Hyper Hammer 4.3 strung at 64pounds LO (Gamma Synthetic 16 m/18 x)

“ Because I normally play with natural gut, Iwas looking forward to testing this hybrid.The string was very comfortable with good power and exceptionalcontrol. A 100 percent natural gut job still has more power, feel andspin potential, but this hybrid cuts the power a little, but improves thecontrol considerably while sacrificing just a little feel.”4.0 male all-court player using Völkl V1 Classic strung at 56/60pounds LO (Babolat Tonic 16)

“ “I would highly recommend this string to players who frequentlybreak strings—especially mid to advanced players who would appre-

ciate the outstanding playability of this string.”4.5 male all-court player using Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 5g strung at62 pounds LO (Gamma Livewire XP 16)

“ This is a great hybrid string. It combines playability, feel, touch,and power, without sacrificing durability. I would recommend thisstring to players who want a better feel, but break strings often.There was no noticeable loss of tension during play either. I would

use this string myself and highly recom-mend it to others.”5.0 male all-court player using WilsonTriad 6.0 Hammer strung at 60 poundsLO (Wilson NXT Tour 17)

“ I can't wait to find out who makesthis string as I have let some people usemy racquet, so therefore, I have alreadypre-sold this string. This string has greatfeel and touch with a good response towhat's going on at the racquet face.”5.0 male all-court player using Head Liq-

uidmetal 8 strung at 61 pounds CP (Wilson Enduro 17)

“ Really loved this string. I love the feel of the gut in the mains. Itplayed great and is still playing great. Wasn't as bad to string as Ithought!”4.5 male all-court player using Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 Stretch strung at61 pounds LO (Wilson NXT 17)

For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com.

“The string does notmove at all. It feels greatwith a lot of pop. I've been try-

ing some hybrid strings. Very

good combination.”4.5 male all-court player using Wilson

Surge 5.1 strung at 58/60 pounds LO

(Wilson Polylast 17)

TESTERS TALK

(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in parentheses.)


STRING OFFER FROM KLIPKLIP is making USRSA members

in the U.S. a special offer:Buy three sets of Klip X-Plosive and

receive a fourth set free, for a25% discount off of the dealer price.

To take advantage of this offer, contactKlip at 866-554-7872, or visit

www.klipstrings.com

breakage. Eight playtesters using K-Boompoly in the mains broke the sample whileplaying, one each at 4, 6, 18, 20, 25.5,and 36 hours, and two at 15 hours, for anaverage of 17.44 hours before breakage.

USRSA members may view the com-ments of all of the playtesters on our web-site at www.racquettech.com/members/playtests/klip_xplosive.html.

CONCLUSIONNo matter which way you string it, Klip X-Plosive has a lot to offer. In addition tobestowing first- and fifth-place overallrankings on X-Plosive, our playtesters gaveKlip X-Plosive high marks compared to thestring they use most often, as well as fordurability compared to other strings of the

same gauge—no matter which string theyused in the mains. Those playtesters whoused K-Boom poly in the mains averaged60 percent more time before breakage,while playtesters who used gut in themains had the advantage of using a stringwhose worst feature was good enough tomerit a ranking of well above average ofall the strings we've tested to date, lastsmuch longer than a 100 percent gut set,and costs a lot less. Tension retention ofX-Plosive with gut in the mains was amaz-ingly high, but even with K-Boom poly inthe mains, the stringbed stiffness after 24hours is higher than that of freshly strungX-Plosive with gut in the mains. With statssuch as these, we are left with just twoquestions: How in the world is anyone

else going to do better, and how are theygoing to do it?

If you think that Klip X-Plosive mightbe for you, check out the box for a specialoffer from Klip: Buy three sets ofX-Plosive, and get a fourth set free.

—Greg Raven �

As the name would suggest, the

Shotmaker Super Deluxe is Sports Tutor's

flagship machine. It offers more features

and settings than any of their other

machines and is designed to last a long

time. It is great for use at clubs or home

courts (anywhere that has a secure, dry

storage space and a power outlet nearby).

It does not have a battery, so it must be

plugged in when in use. The Shotmaker

Super Deluxe sells for $4,100. To contact

Sports Tutor, call 800-448-8867 or visit

www.sportstutor.com

ASSEMBLYThe Super Deluxe arrives completely assem-bled. The only thing to do is unpack themachine. There were no unpacking instruc-tions, nor are they needed, and we had themachine unpacked and ready for use in lessthan 2 minutes.

Once the machine was out of the box,we simply removed the protective cello-phane and untaped the remote controlfrom control panel. Big, sturdy 3.5-inchwheels facilitate on-site maneuverability andstorage. However, two strong people will berequired to lift the machine up and down aflight of stairs. The plastic outer body andsturdy cover should protect against rust anddust. However, Sports Tutor does not rec-ommend storing the machine outside.

USEMBLYWe filled the Super Deluxe to its 300-ballcapacity. The machine comes with a veryshort cord, so an extension cord is a must.The balls are fed from a large hole in front.This size opening is necessary because themachine's shell is stationary, so, the openingmust be wide enough to feed balls to bothcorners of the court and tall enough to feedboth line drives and lobs. Balls hit back intothe machine are of no concern, for they sim-ply fall through the bottom onto the court.

Sports TutorShotmaker Super Deluxe

38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY November/December2004

ball machine REVIEW

The Super Deluxe has many settings.You can control ball speed, feed frequency,topspin and underspin, power, elevation,oscillation, remote control, Quick Set-Up, 6-shot program, and program memory. Atfirst, all these different controls can appearintimidating, but the Quick Set-Up buttons,along with the manual, get you going in ahurry. With many high-tech products, a lotof bells and whistles go unused. But, withthis machine, it is easy to imagine using allthe adjustments with each workout. Push-ing the buttons on the remote or machineelicits a handy, but a bit too loud, beepindicating that the command is received.This could be a little annoying to players onnearby courts. It would be nice if you coulddisable these beeps. Other than the beeps,the machine is very quiet (even at topspeeds) and will not disturb players onother courts.

REMOTE CONTROLA two-function remote control comes stan-dard with the Super Deluxe. It controls ballfeed and oscillation and allows you to getto the other side of the court before com-mencing feeds. The remote oscillation but-ton allows you to stop the oscillation andjust keep feeding balls to the location ofthe previous feed. This is handy if you findone shot is giving you more trouble thanthe rest and want some extra repetitions togroove that stroke. The program thenresumes with a press of the oscillation but-ton. The remote allows you to control theshot locations, duration, and intensity ofyour workout, while also allowing you tostop feeding so you can gather balls accu-mulating around the hitter's feet.

FEED TRAY/INTERVALThe feed tray did a good job of stirring theballs and letting only one ball into eachhole. We experienced no ball jams and onlya few misfeeds, which the machine handlesimpressively. If a ball does not drop throughthe hole into the feed mechanism, then the

feed mechanism does not skip that feedand move on to the next feed direction, butinstead simply delays long enough to reloadand fire the correct feed. Thus no one miss-es a feed in a multi-player drill.

The Super Deluxe's feeding frequencyalso helps make multiple-player drills abreeze. The programmable interval isbetween one and six seconds, so playerswon't have to wait longer than naturalbetween shots, whether that be a rapid-firebaseline exchange or slower moon-ball rally.

The top feed speed is 95 miles per hour,but only with no spin. With maximum top-spin or underspin, the velocity tops out at75 miles per hour. At 95 miles per hour wecouldn't react in time to volley nor did theball land in the court. Turning up the top-spin brings the balls in, but also reduces thespeed. The slowest speed setting with nospin is 25 miles per hour, which drops to 19miles per hour with full topspin or under-spin. However at these speeds, the machinemust be closer to the net in order to clear it.

SPINThe Super Deluxe can feed a ball with top-spin or underspin to any part of the court.When the machine is set for full topspin, itfeeds a ball that drops quickly and reallytakes off when it bounces. A full underspinsetting feeds a ball that slows down andbounces higher when it lands.

OSCILLATIONThe Super Deluxe can feed a ball to anytwo different court locations on successivefeeds. Oscillation is controlled by customiz-able programs. The oscillation worked verysmoothly and quietly. It can also change


directions very quickly. This comes in veryhandy if you have multiple players hittingat the same time. The oscillation featurecan be programmed to feed randomly,successively, or in a pattern to any one ofseven directions on the court. When theoscillation is engaged, the outer body ofthe machine does not move. Only theinternal components rotate, so it is a littleharder to tell in which direction the ball isabout to be fed. This is a nice featurewhen using the random feed setting.

HEIGHTThe height of feeds is adjustable fromdeep, high lobs to flat balls that are solow they shoot into the net. The controlpanel has an indicator showing the feedheight. This is great because you don'thave to wait for a few feeds to determinethe trajectory heights. When combinedwith the spin settings, the Super Deluxecan feed any type of shot to any part ofthe court. However, we would have pre-ferred it if the height adjustments couldbe made in smaller increments.

PROGRAMMABILITYPerhaps the most impressive feature of

the Super Deluxe is the two different typesof programs it offers. First, it allows you toset a series of feeds (up to six shots) thatrepeat after all the shots have been fed. Themachine divides the court into seven differ-ent zones and you can set each ball in theprogram to go to any one of the sevenzones or randomly to any of the sevenzones. You can program any of these shotsin any order you want to practice. Then,when you find a program you like, you cantell the machine to remember the program.The machine can remember up to nine pro-grams, which is a great time saver. The onlything missing from the programmability isthe ability to change the type of shots dur-ing the routine. For example, it would benice to be able to have it feed a deepgroundstroke followed by a short ground-stroke (for an approach shot), followed by alob (for an overhead).

If trying to set up a drill to practice allyour strokes sounds too complicated, you'llprobably appreciate the second type of pro-gram, a convenient feature called “QuickSet-Up.” Quick Set-Up allows you to pushone button and the machine automaticallyadjusts all the settings to feed you balls forcomfortable groundstrokes right up the

� Balls don't get stuck inside machine� Many adjustable settings with indica-

tors for level of each� Manual makes all settings easy to

understand and even offers some drills� All the bells and whistles will be used

regularly� Operates very quietly, no complaints

from other courts� Quick Set-Up is quick and easy� 6-shot programs allow for countless

different drills� Feeds frequently enough for multiple

players� No ball jams during our testing� Top speed is faster than we could react

to at net� Oscillation is smooth and very quiet� Offers 7 different directions for each

shot in a program� Offers random feed on any shot in a

program� Outer body remains still during oscilla-

tion and elevation changes� Can store up to 9 programs

THE CONS� Can't tell how low the balls are getting

from other side of court.� Too heavy for one person to lift� Short cord requires an extension cord� Loud beeps could bother neighboring

courts� A few misfeeds and multiple feeds� At top speed it can't feed a ball in

court without heavy topspin� Ball feeds not quite as consistent as

some other machines� Could use a few more height settings

for smaller adjustments� Can't change types of feeds during a

program

CONCLUSIONThe Sports Tutor Shotmaker SuperDeluxe is in fact a super deluxe machine.It does just about anything you could askfor a ball machine to do and yet all theadjustable settings are intuitive and easyto learn to use. Its sturdy construction,frequent ball feed capability, and pro-grammability make it an ideal machinefor use at a club or private court. Thismachine can really make a teaching pro'slife a lot easier.

—Dave Bone �


ball machine REVIEW

CO

NT

INU

ED

middle of the court. Quick Set-Up offersfour settings—beginner, intermediate,advanced, and lob. The first three settingsfeed the ball at a height comfortable forgroundstrokes, while the lob setting feedslobs to practice overheads. The beginnersetting feeds balls slower, with less spinand more time between shots, while theadvanced setting feeds balls faster withmore spin and less time between shots.This is a nice convenient feature if youjust want to groove your forehand orbackhand groundstrokes, volleys, or lobs.

Quick Set-Up also serves as a goodway to reset all the settings on themachine to a certain level of play. Then,you can customize the direction of theshots or the speed of the shots or anyother setting without having to adjust allthe other settings.

THE PROS� Arrives fully assembled� Easy to unpack� 2-Function remote comes standard� Big, sturdy wheels for rolling around� Plastic outerbody and sturdy cover� Holds 300 balls without spilling


10-S Tennis Supply1820 7th Avenue NorthLake Worth, FL 33461P 800-247-3907561-547-1772

F 561-547-3371Email: [email protected]: www.10-s.com/

Advantage Tennis SupplyDiv. of Femco Corp235 Arcadia StreetRichmond, VA 23225P 800-476-5432F 804-276-0557Email: [email protected]: www.advantagetennissupply.com/

Agile Courts Construction Co. Inc.7335 SW 104th StreetMiami, FL 33156P 305-667-1228F 305-667-6959Email: [email protected]: www.agilecourts.com/

Alpha Sports7208 McNeil Drive, #207Austin, TX 78729P 800-922-9024512-250-1499

F 512-279-9454Email: [email protected]: www.alphatennis.com/

Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co.P.O. Box 549 / 24 Laurel StreetAshaway, RI 02804P 800-556-7260401-377-2221

F 401-377-9091Email: [email protected]: www.ashawayusa.com/

ATS Sports200 Waterfront DrivePittsburgh, PA 15317P 800-866-7071412-323-9612

F 412-323-1320Email: [email protected]: www.atssports.com/ats/default.asp

Bow Brand International Ltd.HighgateKing’s Lynn NorfolkPE30 1PT UNITED KINGDOMP +44 (0) 1553 772943F +44 (0) 1553 762887Email: [email protected]: www.bowbrand.co.uk/

Classic Turf Co., LLC.437 Sherman Hill RoadPO Box 55Woodbury, CT 06798P 800-246-7951203-266-4862

F 203-263-0275Email: [email protected]: www.classicturf.org/

Courtside Sports1136 Hillside AvenueVictoria, BC V8T 2A9 CanadaP 866-386-4265604-418-4842

F 250-386-4265Email: [email protected]: www.courtsidesports.com/

Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment3441 S. 11th Ave.Eldridge, IA 52748P 800-553-8907F 800-443-8907Email: [email protected]: www.douglas-sports.com/

Dunlop SportsPO Box 3070Greenville, SC 29602P 800-277-8000864-271-0201

F 864-527-7881Email: [email protected]: www.dunlopsports.com/

Edwards Div. of Collegiate Pacific13950 Senlac #100Dallas, TX 75234P 888-566-8966F 888-455-3551Email: [email protected]: www.cpacsports.com/

Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.PO Box 2717Hagerstown, MD 21741P 800-511-7272F 301-739-6519Email: [email protected]

FancyPants, div. of TheLBHGroup, Ltd.4910 B West Rosecrans AveHawthorne, CA 90250P 800-421-4474310-978-2260

F 310-978-2277Email: [email protected]: www.lbhgroup.com/

Fast Dry Companies1400 North West 13th Avenue

Pompano Beach, FL 33069P 800-432-2994F 954-979-8479Email: [email protected]: www.fast-dry.com

Forten Corporation7815 Silverton Ave., Ste. 2ASan Diego, CA 92126P 800-722-5588858-693-9888

F 858-693-0888Email: [email protected]: www.forten.com/

Fromuth Tennis1100 Rocky DriveWest Lawn, PA 19609P 800-523-8414610-288-5024

F 610-288-5040Email: [email protected]: www.fromuthtennis.com/

Gamma/Fischer200 Waterfront Dr.Pittsburgh, PA 15222P 800-333-0337412-323-0335

F 412-323-0317Email: [email protected]: www.gammasports.com/

HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports306 S. 45th Ave.Phoenix, AZ 85043P 800-289-7366602-269-1492

F 888-329-7366 or 602-447-2381Email: [email protected]: www.head.com/

Horizon Sports GroupPO Box 515Coopersburg, PA 18036P 610-282-4300F 610-282-4212Email: [email protected]: www.horizonsportsgroup.com/

I.C.A. (Indoor Courts of America)1280 North WinchesterOlathe, KS 66061P 913-780-0770F 913-780-0775Email: [email protected]: www.icasbs.com/

K-Swiss31248 Oak Crest DriveWestlake Village, CA 91361P 800-938-8000818-706-5100

Industry ResourceGuide 2004

F 818-706-5391Email: [email protected]: www.k-swiss.com/

Klip America13088 Caminito del RocioDel Mar, CA 92014P 866-554-7872858-755-6174

F 720-559-3253Email: [email protected]: www.klipstrings.com/

Laserfibre, Inc.P.O. Box 1767Kingston, RI 02881P 888-895-2350401-295-2350

F 401-294-6177Email: [email protected]: www.laserfibre.com/

LBH, div. of The LBH Group, Ltd.4910 B West Rosecrans AveHawthorne, CA 90250P 800-421-4474310-978-2260


Lee Tennis2975 Ivy RoadCharlottesville, VA 22903P 800-4HARTRU434-295-6167

F 434-971-6995Email: [email protected]: www.leetennis.com/

Lilly’s of Beverly Hills, div. of TheLBH Group, Ltd.4910 B West Rosecrans AveHawthorne, CA 90250P 800-421-4474310-978-2260


Lobster Sports, Inc.PO Box 2807Toluca Lake, CA 91610P 800-210-5992818-764-6000

F 818-764-6061Email: [email protected]: www.lobsterinc.com/

LSI Courtsider Sports Lighting10000 Alliance RoadCincinnati, OH 45242P 800-436-7800

L I S T I N G B Y C O M P A N Y

ADVERTISEMENT


F 800-373-9998Email: [email protected]: www.courtsider.com

Match Point13300 Oakhurst DriveElm Grove, WI 53122P 800-670-4964262-827-0206

F 262-827-0771Email: [email protected]: www.match-point.biz/

Nova Sports USA6 Industrial Road, Building #2Milford, MA 01757P 800-872-6682F 508-473-4077Email: [email protected]: www.novasports.com/

Novagrass International Inc.2807 Walker RoadChattanooga, TN 37421P 800-835-0033423-499-5546

F 423-499-8882Email: [email protected]: www.novagrass.com/

On The Line!4810 Jean-Talon West #307Montreal, QC H3G 1X9 CanadaP 888-635-4331514-341-3208

F 514-342-1902Email: [email protected]: www.ontheline.ca/select.asp

Oncourt Offcourt5427 Philip Ave.Dallas, TX 75223P 88-TENNIS-11214-823-3078

F 214-823-3082Email: [email protected]: www.oncourtoffcourt.com/

Pacific USAPO Box 367

Bondville, VT 05340P 802-297-2256Email: [email protected]: www.naturalgut.com/

Premier Concepts, Inc.4051 North Point RoadBaltimore, MD 21222P 800-458-4675410-388-1611

F 410-388-2728Email: [email protected]: www.premiercourt.com/

Prince Sports, Inc.One Advantage CourtBordentown, NJ 08505P 800-2 TENNIS609-291-5800

F 609-291-5900Web: www.princesports.com/

RLS Lighting, Inc.2160 SW 58th WayHollywood, FL 33023P 800-226-1757954-983-4340

F 954-983-3691Email: [email protected]: www.rlslighting.net

Silent Partner2221 Kenmore Avenue, Unit 106Buffalo, NY 14207P 800-662-1809416-284-0061

F 416-284-8271Email: [email protected]: www.sptennis.com/

Sporting Look3251 SW 13 Dr.Deerfield Beach, FL 33442P 800-750-8960F 954-421-1157Email: [email protected]: www.sportinglook.com/

Sportmode, Inc. (Gosen)15791 Rockfield Blvd., Suite B

Irvine, CA 92618P 800-538-0026949-380-0677

F 949-380-7898Email: [email protected]: www.gosenamerica.com/

SuperCoach International, Inc.422 Ives TerraceSunnyvale, CA 94087P 408-855-9644F 408-855-8528Email: [email protected]: www.tennismachine.com/

Tail, Inc.3300 NW 41st StMiami, FL 33142P 305-638-2650F 305-633-7439Email: [email protected]: www.tailinc.com/

Tecnifibre272 Columbine DriveClarendon Hills, IL 60514P 877-332-0825F 630-789-0714Email: [email protected]: www.tecnifibre.com/

Unique Sports Products840 McFarland RoadAlpharetta, GA 30004P 800-554-3707770-442-1977

F 770-475-2065Email: [email protected]: www.uniquesports.us/

USPTA (US Professional TennisAssociation)3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite 1Houston, TX 77042P 800-877-8248713-97-USPTA

F 713-978-7780Email: [email protected]: www.uspta.com/

Volkl Sport America19 Technology Dr.W. Lebanon, NH 03784P 800-264-4579603-298-0314

F 603-298-6134Email: [email protected]: www.volkl.com/

Welch Tennis Courts, Inc.PO Box 77704501 Old US Hwy 41Sun City, FL 33586P 800-282-4415813-641-7787

F 813-641-7795Email: [email protected]: www.welchtennis.com/

Wilson Racquet Sports8700 W Bryn Mawr Avenue, 10th floorChicago, IL 60631P 800-272-6060773-714-6400

F 800-272-6062Email: [email protected]: www.wilson.com/flash_intro/index.html

Wimbledon, div. of The LBHGroup, Ltd.4910 B West Rosecrans AveHawthorne, CA 90250P 800-421-4474310-978-2260


WLS Lighting Systems4150 International Plaza, Suite 150Ft. Worth, TX 76109P 800-633-8711F 817-735-4824Web: www.wlslighting.com

Yonex Corporation USA20140 S Western AveTorrance, CA 90501P 800-44-YONEX310-793-3800

F 10-793-3899Web: www.yonex.com/

E Q U I P M E N TTennis Racquets10-S Tennis SupplyAlpha SportsCourtside SportsDunlop SportsEdwards Div. of Collegiate PacificFromuth TennisGamma/FischerHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsPacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Volkl Sport AmericaWilson Racquet SportsYonex Corporation USA

Squash RacquetsCourtside SportsDunlop SportsFromuth Tennis

HEAD/Penn Racquet SportsPacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.TecnifibreWilson Racquet Sports

Racquetball RacquetsCourtside SportsEdwards Div. of Collegiate PacificFromuth TennisHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsPrince Sports, Inc.Wilson Racquet Sports

Badminton RacquetsAlpha SportsCourtside SportsDunlop SportsEdwards Div. of Collegiate PacificFromuth Tennis

Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Sportmode, Inc. (Gosen)Wilson Racquet SportsYonex Corporation USA

Strings-Gut10-S Tennis SupplyAlpha SportsATS SportsBow Brand International Ltd.Courtside SportsFromuth TennisGamma/FischerKlip AmericaLaserfibre, Inc.Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Unique Sports ProductsWilson Racquet Sports

Strings-Synthetic10-S Tennis SupplyAlpha SportsAshaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co.ATS SportsBow Brand International Ltd.Courtside SportsDunlop SportsForten CorporationFromuth TennisGamma/FischerHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsKlip AmericaLaserfibre, Inc.Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Silent PartnerSportmode, Inc. (Gosen)TecnifibreUnique Sports Products

L I S T I N G B Y P R O D U C T

Industry Resource Guide 2004 ADVERTISEMENT

Volkl Sport AmericaWilson Racquet SportsYonex Corporation USA

Strings-Hybrid10-S Tennis SupplyAlpha SportsAshaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co.ATS SportsBow Brand International Ltd.Courtside SportsDunlop SportsForten CorporationFromuth TennisGamma/FischerHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsKlip AmericaLaserfibre, Inc.Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Silent PartnerSportmode, Inc. (Gosen)TecnifibreVolkl Sport AmericaWilson Racquet Sports

Accessories10-S Tennis SupplyATS SportsBow Brand International Ltd.Courtside SportsDunlop SportsForten CorporationFromuth TennisGamma/FischerHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsKlip AmericaLaserfibre, Inc.Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Silent PartnerTecnifibreUnique Sports ProductsVolkl Sport AmericaWilson Racquet SportsYonex Corporation USA

Grips10-S Tennis SupplyAlpha SportsATS SportsBow Brand International Ltd.Courtside SportsDunlop SportsForten CorporationFromuth TennisGamma/FischerHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsKlip AmericaLaserfibre, Inc.Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Silent PartnerSportmode, Inc. (Gosen)TecnifibreUnique Sports ProductsVolkl Sport AmericaWilson Racquet SportsYonex Corporation USA

Vibration Dampeners10-S Tennis SupplyAlpha SportsATS SportsBow Brand International Ltd.Courtside Sports

Dunlop SportsForten CorporationFromuth TennisGamma/FischerHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsKlip AmericaLaserfibre, Inc.Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.TecnifibreUnique Sports ProductsVolkl Sport AmericaWilson Racquet SportsYonex Corporation USA

Stringing Machines10-S Tennis SupplyAlpha SportsATS SportsBow Brand International Ltd.Courtside SportsFromuth TennisGamma/FischerKlip AmericaLaserfibre, Inc.Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Silent PartnerTecnifibre

Stringing Tools10-S Tennis SupplyAlpha SportsATS SportsBow Brand International Ltd.Courtside SportsForten CorporationFromuth TennisGamma/FischerKlip AmericaLaserfibre, Inc.Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Silent PartnerSportmode, Inc. (Gosen)

Stringing Accessories10-S Tennis SupplyAlpha SportsATS SportsBow Brand International Ltd.Courtside SportsForten CorporationFromuth TennisGamma/FischerKlip AmericaLaserfibre, Inc.Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Silent Partner

Tension Testers10-S Tennis SupplyATS SportsCourtside SportsGamma/FischerLaserfibre, Inc.Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Silent Partner

Sports Bags10-S Tennis SupplyAlpha SportsATS SportsCourtside Sports

Dunlop SportsForten CorporationFromuth TennisGamma/FischerHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsPrince Sports, Inc.Sportmode, Inc. (Gosen)TecnifibreVolkl Sport AmericaWilson Racquet SportsYonex Corporation USA

Tennis Balls10-S Tennis SupplyATS SportsCourtside SportsEdwards Div. of Collegiate PacificFromuth TennisGamma/FischerHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsOncourt OffcourtTecnifibreUnique Sports ProductsWilson Racquet Sports

Arm BandsATS SportsCourtside SportsFromuth TennisGamma/FischerUnique Sports ProductsWilson Racquet Sports

Knee BandsATS SportsCourtside SportsFromuth TennisGamma/FischerUnique Sports Products

Ankle SupportsATS SportsCourtside SportsGamma/FischerUnique Sports Products

T E N N I S A P P A R E LMen’sATS SportsCourtside SportsFromuth TennisGamma/FischerK-SwissPacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Sporting LookVolkl Sport AmericaWilson Racquet SportsWimbledon, div. of The LBH Group, Ltd.Yonex Corporation USA

Women’sATS SportsCourtside SportsFromuth TennisK-SwissLBH, div. of The LBH Group, Ltd.Lilly’s of Beverly Hills, div. of The LBHGroup, Ltd.On The Line!Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Sporting LookTail, Inc.Volkl Sport AmericaWilson Racquet Sports

Wimbledon, div. of The LBH Group, Ltd.Yonex Corporation USA

Children’sATS SportsCourtside SportsFromuth TennisOn The Line!Pacific USAWilson Racquet Sports

T-shirtsAdvantage Tennis SupplyATS SportsCourtside SportsDunlop SportsFromuth TennisGamma/FischerHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsK-SwissLaserfibre, Inc.Pacific USAPrince Sports, Inc.Sporting LookTail, Inc.Volkl Sport AmericaWilson Racquet SportsYonex Corporation USA

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Ball Retrieval Equipment10-S Tennis SupplyAdvantage Tennis SupplyAgile Courts Construction Co. Inc.ATS SportsCourtside SportsDouglas Sports Nets & EquipmentEdwards Div. of Collegiate PacificEvergreen Tennis Services, Inc.Fast Dry CompaniesFromuth TennisGamma/FischerHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsLobster Sports, Inc.Oncourt OffcourtPrince Sports, Inc.Unique Sports Products

Ball Machines10-S Tennis SupplyAdvantage Tennis SupplyAgile Courts Construction Co. Inc.ATS SportsDouglas Sports Nets & EquipmentEdwards Div. of Collegiate PacificEvergreen Tennis Services, Inc.Fast Dry CompaniesFromuth TennisGamma/FischerHorizon Sports GroupLobster Sports, Inc.

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BUILDERS & DESIGNERSCourt ContractorsAgile Courts Construction Co. Inc.(South Florida,Caribean)Classic Turf Co., LLC. (All of U.S.)Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc. (Eastern US)Fast Dry Companies (USA, Carribean)Horizon Sports Group (Eastern USA)Lee TennisWelch Tennis Courts, Inc. (All of USA)

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Associations/CertificationsATS SportsPTR (Professional Tennis Registry)USPTA (US Professional Tennis Association)USRSA (US Racquet Stringers Association)USTA (US Tennis Association)USTC & TBA (US Tennis Court & TrackBuilders Association)

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Your ServeBecome a Tennis ChampionThe USTA president outlines initiatives that will keep this sport awinner in the years to come.

As USTA president, my top priority has

been to help tennis grow, to realize

the vision of “30 by 2010”—30 mil-

lion players by the year 2010. Both my volun-

teer life with the USTA and my working life as

founder and chairman of Tennis Corporation

of America have been dedicated to growing

this sport. And now, as my two-year term as

USTA president comes to a close in January, I

pledge to you my continued active involve-

ment in helping this sport and this industry

thrive in the years ahead.

The USTA is tied to its industry partners by

two common denominators: a love for the

game itself, and a resolve to grow both the

number of tennis players and the number of

frequent players. In fact, “growth” is a key

word both in the USTA mission statement and

in the mission statements of our PTR and

USPTA partners.

To achieve the growth to realize 30 million

players (of which 6 million are frequent play-

ers) by 2010, three things must happen: We

must build upon the present momentum; we

must identify challenges facing both the Ten-

nis Welcome Center initiative and the aging

and declining frequent-player base; and we

must commit at all levels, but especially at the

community, club, and individual levels, to be

active and responsible parts of the solutions to

these challenges.

The present momentum is the direct result

of solid partnerships between a focused USTA

and its industry allies. The success of the US

Open Series, the adoption of an inclusive and

welcoming diversity statement, and movement

toward a marketing culture all have added to

the momentum.

The growth of tennis requires marketing.

The single most powerful and promising mar-

keting vehicle to attract newcomers is the

TWC initiative. Possibly the single most power-

ful tool to create and retain frequent players

will be Cardio Tennis, a new pro-taught drill-

based program designed to deliver a great

cardiovascular workout on court in 60 minutes

or less. We can build momentum by generat-

ing TWC successes and by embracing Cardio

Tennis.

In 2004, thanks to a dynamic partnership

between the USTA and the TIA, more than

4,000 TWC sites registered—an incredible

first-year response. According to preliminary

studies, about 20 percent had excellent

results, 40 percent had fair to good results, 20

percent need improvement but want to learn,

while 20 percent perhaps should not partici-

pate. I am disappointed that too few commer-

cial TWC facilities took advantage of the free

marketing tools sent to them. Those that did

(and supplemented the tools with local pro-

motion) had record numbers.

The challenge ahead is to bring TWC to

the next level, which includes 1) upgrading the

teaching quality at TWC parks and schools; 2)

intensifying marketing efforts locally to piggy-

back on national marketing; 3) reinvigorating

May as Tennis Month in concert with Tennis

Across America; 4) advertising earlier in the

spring; 5) better leveraging television spots

and signage during the US Open Series and

the Open to promote TWC and the fitness

benefits of tennis; 6) implementing effective

transition programs to bridge the gap from

tryer to player; 7) leveraging pro tennis events

to maximize community tennis exposure; and

8) better utilizing Community Tennis Associa-

tions, clubs, and volunteers at the local level.

Given these TWC challenges,here are some solutions:

1) Increase the number of teaching pros.

The USTA is working closely with the PTR and

USPTA to train new pros who will generate a

positive initial tennis-lesson experience, partic-

ularly in the parks. Consider this research find-

ing: 18 percent of first-time tryers become

players if there is no teaching pro involved,

versus 54 percent if a teaching pro is involved.

2) The industry should continue annually to

mark 25 million ball cans, 2 million entry-level

racquets and a million pairs of tennis shoes

with instructions to visit

www.tenniswelcomecenter.com to locate the

nearest TWC.

3) TWC must be addressed as a continuing

multi-year initiative.

4) The marketing messages must stress the

fitness benefits of tennis and learning to play

fast.

5) TWC sites need to make more extensive

use of the free marketing tools supplied to

them.

6) Clubs should have their best pros avail-

able to make that first experience positive.

What about solutions to thechallenge of Cardio Tennis?

1) Everyone involved must be receptive to

change. Programming for Cardio Tennis is

being refined and tested now for rollout this

spring.

2) Getting fit and looking fit are powerful

motivators. Cardio Tennis will help maintain

existing frequent players while building others.

3) Clubs, the core of the frequent-player

base, need to be early adopters and endorsers

of Cardio Tennis. The point person for Cardio

Tennis is Jim Baugh, president of the TIA and a

USTA board member ([email protected]).

Beyond the TWC and Cardio Tennis initia-

tives, I'm looking for a special group of volun-

teers. Within two years, I'd like to have 250

individuals (including those affiliated with a

CTA) and 50 commercial clubs to each “adopt”

a park. What these “adopters” do for “their

parks” will be an individual decision. It could be

helping with physical improvements, on-court

programming, creating social events, getting

former players back into the game—anything

that will help grow tennis at “their parks.”

Recently, the board members of theUSTA Midwest Section and its 14 districtsmade plans to adopt 25 parks in 2005.What a great start. If you, either individuallyor on behalf of a club or organization, wantto volunteer to adopt a park, reach me [email protected].

You can make a difference. Be an activepart of growing the game. Adopt a park andjoin the ranks of community tennis heroes.�

USTA President Alan Schwartzis the founder and chairmanof Tennis Corporation ofAmerica and has adoptedparks in several cities.

B Y A L A N S C H W A R T Z


Documents

200411 Racquet Sports Industry