200506 Racquet Sports Industry

RAISING THE LEVEL?The latest U.S. TennisParticipation Study showsopportunities for your business

Drive sales by developingthe right demo program

How do you choose theracquet mix for your shop?

Top psychologist Allen Foxhelps you reach your goals

� Sport Socks for Your Players� Remodel and Gain Tax Breaks� Create a Customer Service Culture� Protection from the Sun� Smash Junior Tennis Mag� Finding the Right Shoes� String Playtest� Ask the Experts� Tips and Techniques

June 2005Volume 33 Number 6 $5.00

DEPARTMENTS

R S I J U N E 2 0 0 5Contents

June 2005 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

Contents

4 Our Serve

14 Focus on Apparel

16 Your Finances

18 Retailing Success

20 Employee Relations

22 Retail Accessories

23 Tennis Media

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 National retailer Golfsmithenters tennis market

7 Doug Fonte named presidentof Prince USA

8 Wilson expands partnership withUSTA Schools Program

8 Wilson sponsors “JensenBrothers Tour”

8 Prince introduces 2 new frames

8 Head’s new Radical Junior racquet

9 PTR Foundation names newboard of directors

9 Zvonareva, Kirkland join GammaString Team

9 WTT kicks off 30th pro season

10 USRSA creates “Racquets Network”

11 USPTA offers distancelearning options

11 TWC ad campaign hits the streets

12 Cardio Tennis workshopsscheduled in 20 communities

24 Focus on Footwear

26 Marketing Success

38 String Playtest: Klip Screamer

40 Ask the Experts

42 Tips and Techniques

44 RSI 2005 Industry Resource Guide

48 Your Serve, by Scott Tharp

FEATURES28 Moving the Dial

The third annual Tennis ParticipationStudy shows signs of improvement, andopportunities to boost your business.

32 Testing the WatersDrive racquet sales by developing theright demo program for your customers.

34 Creating the MenuWhat’s your recipe for choosingracquets for your shop? Some topretailers reveal what goes into the mix.

36 Reaching Your GoalsAuthor, psychologist, tennis coachand former pro Allen Fox reveals howchampions in any activity clearlyidentify goals and set up game plansto achieve them.

Cover photo: Ron Waite/Photosportacular

or tennis fans in the U.S., it’s like being a kid again,

with Christmas fast approaching.We’re coming into the Tennis Holiday Season. So many things are

happening in June, July, and August—all culminating with the greatest of ten-

nis holidays, the US Open—that tennis aficionados can’t help but feel the

excitement and anticipation.

The pre-holiday-season activities actually get under way in May, as a major

Tennis Welcome Center promotion puts the sport once again in front of mil-

lions of newspaper and magazine readers across the country. May, which is

USA Tennis Month, also will see at least 16 USTA “Tennis Block Parties”

across the country, bringing instruction, interactive games and attractions to

people of all ages and abilities.

But then the run-up to the Open begins, and it’s like the season between

Thanksgiving and Christmas, only longer. With the French Open beginning in

May and Wimbledon in June, the excitement starts to build. And then, in July

through August, we hit the US Open Series of summer tournaments, which

was a big success in its inaugural year in 2004.

The Open Series’ 11 tournaments (although at press time it was unclear

whether the TD Waterhouse men’s event would be eliminated, moved, or

combined with a women’s tournament) attract all the best players in the

world and feature expanded TV coverage. Helping to drive interest in the

sport is a bonus prize money race in which the men’s and women’s winners

of the Open Series receive double their prize money at the US Open.

At about the time of the US Open, while interest in the sport is high, the

consumer rollout of Cardio Tennis will take place, emphasizing fun and fitness

on the tennis court.

During the Grand Slam events, the US Open Series, and the US Open itself,

facility and shop owners should start to capitalize on this Tennis Holiday Sea-

son. Become the source in your area for information on the pros. If you’re

lucky enough to be near one of the Open Series tournaments, organize group

outings to the event. Run special sales and other events in conjunction with

the Open Series and the Open itself. Post draw sheets, TV schedules, and

scores in your shop. And of course, have the TV in your lounge tuned to the

events. We’re sure you can think of many more tie-ins that can help drive

business to your facility and give your regular customers the feeling that

you’re really plugged in to what’s going on.

’Tis the season to feel the spirit of the sport.

Peter Francesconi

Editorial Director

Our Serve’Tis the Season

(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)Publishers

David 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 CrossKristen DaleyJoe 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.Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443 and addi-tional mailing offices. June 2005, Volume 33, Number6 © 2005 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rightsreserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo aretrademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Phoneadvertising: 770-650-1102 x.125. Phone circulation andeditorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions $25 in theU.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St.,Vista, CA 92084.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2005

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ational golf retailer Golfsmith is entering the tennis market. The companyannounced in late April that it plans to add tennis centers in up to 60 percent ofits stores in major markets by summer.

Recently, Golfsmith began operating tennis centers in Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Den-ver, Houston, Orlando, and the San Francisco Bay area under the Golfsmith Golf & Ten-nis brand. Its 2005 plans call for a continued roll out to its stores in Chicago and futurelocations in Florida. Most of these states fall into the USTA’s top 10 regions for numberof tennis players, the company says. Golfsmith operates a total of 47 stores.

“Tennis is a natural complement to our national golf business,” says Jim Thompson(below), president and CEO of Golfsmith, a portfolio company of Atlantic Equity Part-ners III, L.P., a fund operated by First Atlantic Capital, Ltd. “Tennis consumers will ben-efit from all the best brands at guaranteed low prices, certified racquet stringing andGolfsmith’s 38 years of quality customer service.”

Golfsmith, in a statement, points to USTA/TIA Participation Studies, which show ten-nis participation in the U.S. remaining relatively steady at about 24 million playerssince 2000. The findings indicate that more than 50 percent of those surveyed are reg-ular—or “continuing”—tennis players and are also likely to play golf.

“Golfsmith’s entry into the U.S. tennis market is a positive development for theindustry and the health of our game,” says Jolyn de Boer, executive director of the TIA.“Golfsmith’s decision reinforces our belief that tennis is gaining in popularity. We hopeto leverage the strength of their national brand to highlight the sport of tennis and ulti-mately grow the game.”

For tennis consumers, Golfsmith Golf & Tennnis will offer cer-tified racquet stringing, in a partnership with the U.S. RacquetStringers Association, and 24-hour turnaround on all stringingservices. In addition, the retailer has a “90/90 Playability Guaran-tee,” in which customers have 90 days to return their tennis rac-quet purchases and receive an in-store credit for a differentracquet worth up to 90 percent of the original purchase price.

“We believe the tennis retail market is very similar to the golfretail market in that there is a strong base of dedicated players, afragmented national retail market, and the absence of a truenational specialty brand,” saysThompson.

Golfsmith, based in Austin,Texas, has “superstores,”which range in size from10,000 to 30,000 square feet,in the following 16 markets:Atlanta (3); Austin (2); Chicago(4); Columbus, Ohio; Dallas (4);Denver (3); Detroit (3); Hous-ton (3); Los Angeles (6); Min-neapolis; Moorestown, N.J.;New York (5); Orlando; Phoenix (3); San Diego; and San Francisco (6).

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I J U N E 2 0 0 5

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Fonte Is New President ofPrince USAIndustry and businessveteran Doug Fontehas come out of semi-retirement to becomethe new president ofPrince USA.

“Over the past 25 years, Doug has broughtvision and energy to several leading compa-nies in various industries, including tennis,which has resulted in significant businessgrowth and improved customer satisfac-tion,” says George Napier, chairman andCEO of Prince Sports Inc. “He has a strongtrack record in business but his heart, andpassion, is in the tennis industry.”

Previously, Fonte was at the helm of Com-panion Systems Inc. and a partner in a strat-egy consulting group called Business VisionsLLC. Before that, he was president of BostonWhaler and was instrumental in the turn-around that led the company to a leader-ship position in the luxury boating world.

Fonte’s expertise in the tennis arena wasgroomed as president of Penn RacquetSports. There he helped the companybecome the worldwide market leader in itscategory. Early in his career, he held posi-tions in the home furnishings industry.

“Prince is the kind of company that tennisenthusiasts want to work for,” says Fonte.“Their constant focus on innovation andperformance enhancement creates adynamic, stimulating work environment inwhich ideas come to life. I have workedwith George before and am looking forwardto strengthening his team and leveragingthe progress they’ve made since the man-agement buy-out, and creating new oppor-tunities moving forward.”

“Doug is going to raise the bar for manage-ment excellence,” says Napier.

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

National Retailer Golfsmith Enters Tennis Market

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Wilson Expands PartnershipWith USTA Schools Program

Wilson Racquet Sports has renewed and expanded itssupport of the USTA’s Schools Program in a multi-yearagreement naming Wilson the official racquet supplier.

Wilson, which has worked with the Schools Program since itsinception, expands its reach by providing custom-designedentry-level racquets to all USTA sections, which are utilized bymore than 1.9 million students each year, in more than 6,500schools.

The USTA Schools Program teaches K-12 students the skillsof tennis during physical education class and fosters addi-tional opportunities for children to explore the game in after-school and summer programs. Schools that commit to theprogram receive complimentary and discounted tennis equip-ment along with teacher-friendly lesson plans. The program,which was founded in 1985 with Arthur Ashe leading the way,was developed to ensure that every young person be exposedto tennis and have the opportunity to play throughout his orher lifetime.

In addition to racquets, Wilson also supplies transitionalballs for teaching, mini-nets, targets, and other teaching aids.The tennis equipment is available to the USTA schoolsthrough a special purchase program.

"Wilson's support of the USA School Tennis Program givesteachers the necessary tools to teach tennis to children usinga fun, active curriculum that we are implementing in theschools," says Jason Jamison, USTA product manager forrecreational coaching, who oversees the Schools Program."The student-friendly equipment being provided helps ensurethat children's first introduction to tennis is a good experi-ence, which helps grow the sport and plays a part in encour-aging schoolchildren across the country to be more physicallyactive."

Wilson Sponsors ‘Jensen Brothers Tour’

Wilson Racquet Sports has teamed up with tennis prosLuke and Murphy Jensen to sponsor the “JensenBrothers Tour,” a series of instructional tennis clinics

that are already under way at clubs across the country.The Jensen Brothers Tour focuses on providing profes-

sional instruction for men, women, and juniors at clubsand tennis programs nationwide. Wilson is providingtennis equipment for the tour, which includes introducingplayers to its exclusive nCode line of performanceracquets.

“The Jensen Brothers Tour is a unique way for Wilsonto demonstrate its commitment to providing world-classinstruction for players of all levels throughout the coun-try,” says James Burda, national promotions manager forWilson. “Luke and Murphy Jensen bring such enthusiasmand passion for the sport and are ideal to represent tennisboth through their accomplishments and endearingpersonalities.”

Luke and Murphy Jensen, former Grand Slam Doubleschampions, were once ranked No. 4 in the world. TheJensen Brothers are known for their colorful personalitiesand on-court excitability and continue to play on the ATPTour. Both are also members of the Wilson Advisory StaffSpeaker's Bureau and Luke is an ESPN analyst.

For more information, visit www.jensenbrothers.com.

Head’s Radical JuniorNew from Head is the Radical Junior, a graphite racquet in a jun-ior length that the manufacturer says is the “perfect match toAndre Agassi’s new Flexpoint Radical.” Theracquet features a constant 21 mmbeam for better control and feel, saysHead, along with a 102-square-inch head size. It weighs 9.5ounces unstrung and has a 1-inch head-light balance. Formore information, visitwww.head.com or call800-289-7366.

Prince Introduces 2 New Frames

Prince Sports recently debuted two new racquets, the Dia-blo XP and Air DB, that the company says are designedfor players of all skill levels.

“We expanded the tech-nology of our traditionalDB and Diablo rac-quets, implement-ing some of theirmost effectivefeatures, creatingtwo dynamic addi-tions to the Princeline,” says Steve Davis,vice president of Next Genera-tion at Prince. “The Diablo XP is ideal forplayers with longer, faster strokes who are look-ing for maximum touch and feel, from a racquetthat provides them with the extra punch they desire. TheAir DB is for players with moderate to full strokes requiringan extremely comfortable feel, without compromisingpower and control.”

The Diablo XP features an oversize (107 square inches)and mid-plus (96), both with a 22 mm LongBody box beamcross section. The Air DB features an oversize (110) and mid-plus (100). For more information, contact 800-283-6647 orvisit www.princetennis.com.


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


PTR Foundation Names NewBoard of Directors

The PTR Foundation, the charitable arm of the ProfessionalTennis Registry, recently announced its new Board ofDirectors. PTR Master Professional Scott Tharp of Philadel-

phia is the new board president. Other board membersinclude Dennis Van der Meer, Hilton Head Island, S.C.; LucianoBotti, Marling, Italy; Michael Tomic, Arlington, Va.; and Dr. JimLoehr, Orlando, Fla.

PTR Foundation, a501(C)(3), was establishedin 1979 to raise and dis-tribute funds and tennisequipment to programs ininner-city and rural areas,for wheelchair tennis programs, junior scholarships andother projects. Through the PTR Foundation, ACE Workshopsprovide teaching certification opportunities to minority par-ticipants who agree to reciprocate with 10 hours of tennisinstruction to their inner-city youth program. RacquetRoundup, another PTR Foundation program, collects usedracquets, has them restrung with strings provided by Gammaand distributes them to programs in need.

And in related news, the PTR Foundation also supportedthe recent Special Olympics by giving thousands of dollars inequipment to many Special Olympics tennis programsthroughout the East. Free equipment included 10 dozenSpeedBalls, six cases of tennis balls, five ball hoppers, adozen ball pick-up tubes, 49 junior tennis racquets, 58 adulttennis racquets, a Sports Tutor portable ball throwingmachine, and a number of pairs of tennis shoes.

The PTR hosted the sixth annual Special Olympics TennisChampionships in March at the Van der Meer Tennis Ship-yard Racquet Club on Hilton Head, S.C. More than 220 Spe-cial Olympics athletes from 12 states and Switzerlandcompeted in singles, doubles, and individual skills events.PTR is the Official Tennis Training Partner of SpecialOlympics.

WTT Kicks Off 30th Pro Season

The 30th season of World TeamTennis action kicks offwith the battle of the Martinas, the first singles matchbetween tennis legend Martina Navratilova and her

namesake, former world No. 1 Martina Hingis. The duo,which never played each other in WTA Tour singles compe-tition, is expected to face off July 7 in Boston.

The schedule for the 2005 WTT Pro League presentedby Advanta, includes 84 matches in 12 markets July 4 to24. The top two teams from the Eastern and Western Con-ferences advance to the WTT Finals, this year to be heldSept. 16-17 in Sacramento, Calif.

For complete WTT schedules and rosters of pro players,visit www.WTT.com.

Virginia Club Installs Nova’ProClay

Nova’Pro Tennis Surfaces installed its Nova’ProClay surfaceat the four courts at the Indian Creek Yacht & RacquetClub in Kilmarnock, Va. It is the same surface that is

installed at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.Rick Burke of Novagrass says the patented clay surface can

be played on year-round. “In fact, [Indian Creek staff] playedon it in rainy conditions last autumn and liked it so much theydecided to convert their four courts,” he says. The surface,says Burke, requires very little water, “just to dampen the Har-Tru on top.”

Indian Creek’s indoor facility has Nova’ProBounce cush-ioned hard courts. For more information, contact 800-835-0033 or visit www.NovaGrass.com.

Zvonareva, Kirkland Join Gamma String TeamWTA players VeraZvonareva and JessicaKirkland are the newestpros on the GammaString Team. Zvonareva,ranked No. 10 in sin-gles, is playing withGamma’s Zo Sweetstring, while Kirkland, a

rising young American, isusing Gamma’s new Prodi-gy. Both players, who alsouse Fischer racquets, useGamma Supreme Over-grip. All members of theGamma String Team willhave a red dot on theirstrings, the new symbol

for Gamma High Performance Strings. For more information,visit www.GammaSports.com, email [email protected],or call 800-333-0337 or 412-323-0335.

Make Email Work For You

As more and more clubs and shops make use of the internetto stay in touch with customers, players, and suppliers,email etiquette has become an important part of doing busi-

ness. Keep these five simple tips in mind when crafting emails:• Make Your Subject Line Helpful. Using a job or referencenumber in the subject tells your readers nothing, and mayoften lead to your email being deleted.

• Send a Prompt Response. Customers expect it.• Make the Response Personal. Both address your customerby name and sign the email with your name.

• Make It Clear and Simple. Avoid jargon and confusingidioms or regional expressions.

• Check the Email for Errors. Sloppiness gives the impres-sion that you have little concern for customers.

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>Wilson Sporting Goods, which has been the official ball of the USOpen for the past 26 years, has signed a five-year deal to providethe official tennis balls for the Australian Open and its major lead-intournaments. The deal also covers Australia’s Satellite, Challengerand Futures tournaments on the Kia Tour, along with 14 nationaljunior events on the Optus Junior Tour, and the wider Tennis Aus-tralia Development Program.

> Unique Sports has signed a multi-year deal with twins Bob andMike Bryan to use Tourna Grip. The Bryans, who are the U.S.’s No.1 doubles team, have always played with Tourna Grip. Formerchampion Pete Sampras continues to endorse Tourna Grip. Formore info, call 800-554-3707 or visit www.uniquesports.us.

> Classic Turf, manufacturer of cushioned indoor and outdoorsports surfaces, including tennis courts, has revamped andrelaunched its website, www.classicturf.org.

> The US Open will hold the first US Open Wheelchair Tennis Com-petition at the 2005 US Open, Sept. 8 to 11, at the USTA NationalTennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. The event is on the inter-national professional wheelchair tour sanctioned by the ITF.

> For a look at animated Cardio Tennis drills and videos, check outwww.partners.CardioTennis.com. You can also apply online at thewebsite to become an official Cardio Tennis location.

> Tennis retailers have a chance to win a $100 gift card at Ama-zon.com, and help the tennis industry in the process, by taking afew minutes to fill out an online Tennis Retailer Questionnaire. Thesurvey, conducted by the TIA and Sports Marketing Surveys USA, isdesigned to collect general information on tennis retailing and oper-ational costs. Five retailers will be chosen for the prize. Visitwww.tennisindustry.org to fill out the survey.

> ESPN and Tennis Australia have reached a new multi-year, multi-media agreement for the extension of ESPN's exclusive televisioncoverage of the Australian Open, plus other new rights across manyESPN platforms. The new agreement will begin in 2007. The Aus-tralian Open will continue to receive daily coverage on ESPN2 fromfirst round to both the men's and women's finals. ESPN has heldexclusive U.S. TV rights to the Australian since 1984.

> BNP Paribas has signed a three-year deal to provide financial serv-ices for the ATP organization, ATP tournaments, and players.

SHORT SETS

New Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education CenterConstruction has begun on the new, state-of-the-art Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Center in Philadelphia, an $11.5 millionproject expected to open in January. The center is being built on 9.2 acres at Fairmount Park’s Gustine Lake site and will feature eightindoor courts, eight all-weather outdoor courts including a stadium court, and a two-story area encompassing more than 10,000square feet that will allow AAYTE to centralize its program and administrative offices as well as house locker rooms, a weight room, alibrary, the Arthur Ashe Reading is Fundamental Room and areas for meetings, study, service and storage. AAYTE currently serves morethan 8,200 children.

USRSA Creates “Racquets Network”

On the heels of the successful Grommets Network, in which U.S. Racquet StringersAssociation members can list grommets that they’re looking for, then receive aresponse from another member who has the grommets, the USRSA now intro-

duces its Racquets Network, to help members locate out-of-production frames.“Similar to the Grommets Network, involvement in the Racquets Network

requires very little effort, and no cost, to members,” says Dave Bone, executive direc-tor of the USRSA. “Any member looking for a frame will simply send an email to [email protected] with the name of the frame they’re looking for. Then we’llsend that email to all the members on the Racquets list. If you have that particularracquet, you can contact the member directly to arrange shipping and payment.”

The USRSA won’t be involved in the transactions and will not receive anythingfrom the sales.

U.S. Sweeps Belgium in Fed Cup

Lindsay Davenport led the U.S. to a 5-0victory over Belgium in the Fed Cupquarterfinals, played in April at Delray

Beach, Fla. The U.S. team, which also con-sisted of Serena Williams, Venus Williams,Corina Morariu, and Captain Zina Garrison,will now face defending champion Russia inthe semifinals, July 9-10, in Russia. TheRussian squad could feature AnastasiaMyskina, Elena Dementieva, SvetlanaKuznetsova and Maria Sharapova.



Distance Learning Offered by USPTA

The USPTA is offering DVDs and CDs of some of the best one-hour seminarsand four-hour specialty courses presented at the USPTA World Conference onTennis. Many presentations also apply to professionals in a wider club and

public park industry, not just tennis.Presentation topics include tennis business management, wheelchair tennis,

training systems and more, along with topics that may appeal to a non-tennis audi-ence, such as programming success by being smart and acting fast, addressing the

top member com-plaints, creatingyour own profes-sional compass,and making a proshop (retail outlet)profitable. Speak-ers include JackGroppel, Ph.D.,Jim Loehr, Ed.D.,

and Jill Fonte—all USPTA members who regularly speak to general businessgroups.

All video DVDs and audio CDs are available from USPTA atwww.usprotennisshop.com. A selection of books also is available. And, availablefree, in the Education section of uspta.com, are audio presentations of seminarsfrom the 2003 and earlier World Conferences.

The 2005 USPTA World Conference on Tennis will be Sept. 17 to 24 at MarcoIsland Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Marco Island, Fla. For more information,call 800-877-8248 or visit www.uspta.com.

TWC Ad Campaign Hits the Streets

The Tennis Welcome Center campaign blasted out to consumers once again thisspring, with key visibility in many markets, and timed to coincide with the Nation-al Tennis Month (May) Block Parties in markets across the country.The national newspaper and magazine advertising campaign included 1.5 million

inserts into USA Today in early May. Also, there were 4.5 million eight-page insertsinto other newspapers.

Ads in magazines reached more than 9 million households. The ads appeared inMen’s Fitness, Men’s Health, Shape, Family Circle, Runner’s World, Women’s Health& Fitness, Vibe, and The Sporting News.

To become a TWC or to learn more about the program, visitwww.partners.tenniswelcomecenter.com.

‘One-on-One Doubles’ In College Tennis

Ed Krass, director of the College Tennis Academy, is integrating his new game,“One-on-One Doubles,” into two fall 2005 collegiate tournaments. One-on-OneDoubles is a half-court, serve-and-volley competition played crosscourt. Players

must serve and volley on both first and second serves.The first collegiate tournament to use the format took place on April 5 at Drew

University, hosted by coach Ira Miller. “One-on-One Doubles provided a greatopportunity to play a lot of matches that worked on doubles skills, but had the feelof singles play,” says Miller. “The response from players and coaches was over-whelmingly positive.”

For more information, call 800-446-2238 or visit www.oneononedoubles.com.

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Have you signed up to be a Cardio Tennis site? Do you wantto learn more about this new program—to be launched atthe US Open this year—that’s

designed to give players of allabilities a high-energy workoutand should help to boost yourbusiness?

To get ready for the fall consumerpush, the TIA is conducting 20 CardioTennis workshops this summer at sitesacross the country. The four-hour workshops are free to par-ticipants from approved Cardio Tennis sites. The first 20 par-ticipants to sign up for each workshop also willreceive free Polar heart rate monitors (a $79.99value) and other gifts.

“These exciting workshops will provide an in-depth look at the new Cardio Tennis program,”says TIA President Jim Baugh. “The workshops,conducted by TIA staff and key members of theCardio Tennis ‘Speakers Team,’ will include sem-inars and on-court demonstrations andapproaches. The workshops are for professionalsat approved sites only. We want everyone to beready to deliver a great Cardio Tennis experiencewhen our marketing starts this fall.”

Key topics to be covered in the workshopsinclude:� Update on Cardio Tennis and future plans� Customer-service approaches� Success stories in Cardio Tennis� What is a healthy workout?� How to measure heart rates� Using heart rate monitors and music� The importance of Warm-Up and Cool Downdrills

� New Cardio Tennis drills—drill-based and play-based

� Curriculum for Beginners in Cardio Tennis� Marketing Cardio Tennis with free tools� Key Target Markets—the need for different pro-grams

Cardio Tennis Workshop ScheduleCity/Location Date Contact # Coordinator Time

Hilton Head IslandUSPTA Southern Meeting May 20 800-43-USPTA Fred Burdick 1 - 5

St. LouisCreve Coeur Racquet Club June 2 314-434-0344 Carey Powell 11-3

DenverGreenwood Athletic Club June 3 303-695-4116 ext 300 Kristy Harris 12-4

BostonCedardale Health & Ath.Club June 9 978-373-1596 Adam Molda 8-12

New YorkNational Tennis Center June 10 718-760-6200 Bill Mountford 8-12

[email protected]

ChicagoMidtown Tennis Club June 28 773-235-2300 Jeff Long TBD

PhiladelphiaGreenville Country Club July 8 302-654-8691 Mark Centrella 5-8

Baltimore/Washington DCTBD July 9 410-296-2100 Lynn Morrell TBD

[email protected]

IndianapolisBarbara S.Wayne Ten. Center July 9 317-259-5377 Spencer Fields TBD

CincinnatiWestern Ten. & Fitness Club July 10 513-451-4233 Angela Wilson 10-2

[email protected]

San DiegoBalboa Tennis Club July 17 619-291-5248 Geoff Griffin TB

StanfordTaube Tennis Centeer July 23 510-748-7373 USTA Nor Cal 10-2

Los Angeles Tennis Center(UCLA Campus) July 24 310-208-3838 Martha Katsufrakis 2-6

[email protected]

OrlandoMission Inn July 30 352-324-2024 ext 7145 Cesar Villarroel 9-1

Fort LauderdaleJimmy Evert Tennis Center July 31 954-828-5379 Whitney Kraft 8-12

AtlantaCrooked Creek Tennis Aug. 5 770-569-1401 Heather Silvia TBD

SeattleRobinswood Tennis Center Aug. 13 425-452-7690 John Soriano TBD

HoustonRoyal Oaks Country Club Aug. TBD [email protected] Craig Pendry TBD

Hilton Head IslandPTR Int. Headquarters Sept. 24 1-800-421-6289 Julie Jillie TBD

Minneapolis TBD TBD

Go to Workshop.CardioTennis.com for a complete listing and up-to-date information.Note: schedule, locations, and times may change.

Cardio Tennis Workshops Scheduled in 20 CommunitiesIf you are interested in being a Cardio Tennis site, visit

www.Partners.CardioTennis.com, where you can request aCardio Tennis DVD. Every site then must view the entire DVD

to get their personal code, which isneeded when filling out the on-lineapplication. If you are already a Car-

dio Tennis site and want to sign up fora workshop, see the schedule below.For more information, please contact the

TIA at [email protected], go towww.Partners.CardioTennis.com, or call the TIA toll-free at866-686 3036.



• The International TennisHall of Fame honored Tony Trabert, a

1970 Hall of Famer and president of theHall of Fame, during a special tribute in May in

New York City. Fifty years ago Trabert had one ofthe best years in tennis by an American, winning the1955 men’s singles championships in France, Wimble-don, and the U.S., capturing 35 titles, with a singlesmatch record of 104-5, that included a streak of 10 con-secutive tournament titles.

• Babolat player Rafael Nadal (right)won the Open Seat Godo in Barcelonain April, shortly after his win at the Ten-nis Master Monte Carlo. The 18-year-old plays with the Babolat Aeropro Drive.

• Vince Chiarelli, owner of String Along With Vince ten-nis shop in Largo, Fla., and Julian Li of Racquets Racketsof Arcadia, Calif., are the only two Americans on the Tec-nifibre string team at the 2005 French Open.

• SFX Sports Group signed Justine Henin-Hardenne to anexclusive representation agreement.

• Andy Roddick will be endorsing Hit-A-Way Tennis, anew trainer that also has endorsements from the NickBollettieri Tennis Academy and Maria Sharapova. Thedevice, from Pro Performance Sports, allows players tocontinuously practice backhands and forehands withouta partner. Other Hit-A-Way product endorsers are JoeMontana, Leah O’Brien-Amico, and Reggie Jackson. Formore information, visit www.properformancesports.com.In other news, Reebok has ended its agreement withRoddick.

• Steve Henderson and Annabel Rimmer join theUSTA Southwest Section as director of devel-

opment and executive administrativeassistant, respectively.

P

EO P L E W ATCH

TIA Enhances TWC Website

Consumers visitingwww.TennisWelcomeCenter.com now willhave an easier time navigating the site and

finding out more detailed programming information. Enhancements bythe TIA allow teaching pros and facilities to list beginner programs in a for-mat that will provide in-depth information, which will help new players getstarted and also encourage repeat visits to see new seasonal postings. Inaddition, a toll-free customer-service line will be added to help consumerslocate programs.

Consumers will still type in their ZIP code or city/state to see a list ofofficial TWCs, but the more complete information they receive will be eas-ier to navigate by clicking on “tabs.” Facilities can list their entry-level pro-grams along with all their events, and the facilities themselves can easilyupdate this information.

Specific changes include a more detailed Facility Listing display, whichnow can include details such as staff certification, number and type ofcourts, links to finding a game, and driving directions. Under the “Play”tab, facilities can list details of their beginner programs, including timesand cost, along with other programs offered.

The “Feedback” tab allows for quality control, says TIA Executive Direc-tor Jolyn de Boer. “If someone has a problem, they can email us, and we’llcontact the site,” she says. “There is also a star rating system once they’ve

LSI’s Aerosystem Garners Top Rating

LSI Courtsider Sports Lighting’s Aerosystemcourt lighting fixture has received an IP65rating by the International Electrotechnical

Commission. The IP65 rating indicates that theAerosystem has met stringent standards that apply to the preven-tion of dust and moisture entering into the fixture. “The Aerosystemis the only lighting product in the tennis industry to offer this certi-fied rating,” the company said in a statement.In other news from LSI, the company has introduced a new, inter-

active feature on its website, www.courtsider.com, called “Create-A-Court,” which allows users to customize a lighting plan appropriatefor a specific tennis facility. Users select the parameters that bestdescribe the facility, then the suggested lighting design comes up ina PDF format that can be viewed, emailed, or printed easily. The fea-ture also works for basketball, volleyball, and hockey applications.

FOCUS ON apparel

Proper Protection for Your Feet

/

he more time your customers and members spendpounding the ball on the court, the more their feet takea pounding, too. Adequate protection for your players’

feet is a must, which means socks become a vital componentin the apparel and accessory mix.

Nowadays, sport-specific socks, utilizing acrylic materials

T


and newer synthetics, can help players in a number of ways.Moisture-management and anti-microbial benefits help keepfeet clean and dry, while socks designed for specific activities,such as tennis, have padding in all the right places. Here areofferings from several manufacturers.

—Cynthia Sherman

EUROSOCKEurosocks, made in Italy, offer padding inthe ball and heel of the foot and are fur-ther aided by the moisture-managementof Coolmax. The beveled sides of thesock feature enhanced support for afirmer feel around the arch and elimi-nate rubbing and chafing on thefoot. 866-EUROSOCKS;www.eurosock.com

WRIGHTSOCKThough Wrightsock doesn’t make a ten-nis-specific sock per se, its “RunningXtra” fills the bill for ultra cushioning overthe entire bottom of the sock and offers ablend of Coolmax, polyester, and nylonfor moisture-wicking, strength, anddurability. They’re available inthree styles. 800-654-7191;www.wrightsock.com

FEETURES!The “Original Feetures!” line from Feetures!Socks contain a Lycra/Coolmax blend and cush-ioned sole. The Lycra provides compressionand enables a snug non-slip fit. A uniquelinked seam is completely smooth toensure no irritation or rubbing onthe foot. 888-801-7227;www.feeturesbrand.com

NEW BALANCEIn addition to its popular athletic shoe line, New Balancehas extended the category to sport socks. Its tennissock is comprised of an acrylic/nylon/Lycrablend to offer cushioning where it counts,Coolmax moisture-wicking and breatha-bility, and compression arch support.Brand-conscious players can’t missthe NB logo woven into the sock.800-343-4648;www.newbalance.com

JOX SOXThe Jox Sox mantra is “drier, more comfortable and coolerthan ordinary socks.” Its socks come in low cut,1/4 crew, and crew styles for all ages. On thebottom of each of the different genderstyles the Jox Sox logo appears in a dif-ferent color to designate the gen-der (so there’s no laundrymix-up). The com-pany offers a life-time guarantee onthe socks, and will eitherreplace the pair, or refund the money directly to the con-sumer. 954-949-0126; www.joxsox.com

THORLOThorlo’s new tennis line comes in a variety of styles andthree levels of protection: minimum for players who preferless padding and wear nar-rower lasted shoes; moder-ate, with medium densitypadding along the heeland ball and lighterpadding on the top ofthe toes; and maxi-mum for those whoseek heavier padding to aidthe shock and impact of hard-court tennis. All Thorlo socks containacrylic, nylon, and Spandex, and levels 1and 2 feature Coolmax moisture-wicking properties.800-438-0209; www.thorlo.com

YOUR finances$

Thinking about fixing up, remodelingor redecorating your facility or store?Naturally, you’ll want to keep out-of-

pocket expenditures to a minimum andrecover as much of the funds spent asquickly as possible. Fortunately, retail shopand tennis facility operators who owntheir buildings and those who lease theirproperty can take advantage of a varietyof tax deductions, credits, and other taxbreaks to achieve those goals.

Additions and improvements are usu-ally depreciated in the same manner asthe existing property would be depreciat-ed. For instance, a roof replaced on acommercial building is usually treated as39-year nonresidential real property,regardless of how that building actually iswritten-off or depreciated. But in manycases, improvements, additions, or remod-eling could qualify for faster—and larg-er—write-offs, even a direct reduction ofyour business’s tax bill.

First, consider the unique, new, fasterwrite-off for so-called “leasehold improv-ments” created by the American JobsCreation Act of 2004. The law created a15-year recovery period for “qualifiedleasehold improvement property” placedin service between Oct. 22, 2004, andJan. 1, 2006. This write-off is not option-al. The new law temporarily reduces to 15years the depreciation period for improve-ments made to leased business property(and qualified restaurant property).

Qualified leasehold improvementproperty is an improvement to the interiorportion of a building that is nonresidentialreal property—provided certain require-ments are met. The improvement must bemade pursuant to a lease either by thelessee (or sublessee) or by the lessor. Thelessee and lessor cannot be related, theoriginal building must be more than 3years old, and the improvement must bemade to that portion of the buildingoccupied exclusively by the lessee orsublessee.

Expenditures for the enlargement of a


building, any elevator or escalator, anystructural component that benefits a com-mon area, or the internal structural frame-work of the building do not qualify.However, since a lessee does not usuallyretain the improvement upon termination ofthe lease, a loss normally results. A lessorthat disposes of or abandons a leaseholdimprovement when the lease ends may usethe adjusted basis of the improvement todetermine its gain or loss.

Thanks to a special exception in therules, the 30- or 50-percent “bonus” depre-ciation allowance is available for “qualifiedleasehold improvement property” placed inservice before Jan. 1, 2005.

DIVIDE FOR ALARGER WRITE-OFFThe IRS permits some elements of a buildingto be separately depreciated as personalproperty, versus items that are consideredstructural components (i.e., real property).This “cost segregation” provides for a short-er recovery period for the personal propertyelements. (Structural components couldinclude items such as boilers, ceilings, centalair conditioning and heating systems, chim-neys, doors, electrical and wiring, fireescapes, floors, hot water heaters, HVACunits, lighting fixtures, paneling, plumbing,roofs, sinks, sprinkler systems, stairs, tiling,walls and windows).

Expenditures for other “improvements,”not structural components and not relatedto the operation of the building, can oftennow be separately written-off using muchshorter recovery periods. In fact, many ofthose “personal property” items may qualifyfor the first-year (Section 179) expensingdeduction and be immediately expensed. Toqualify, the property must be tangible Sec-tion 1245 property, depreciable andacquired by purchase for use in the activeconduct of a trade or business.

The first-year expensing allowance caninclude many Section 1245 personal proper-ty costs, but only to certain limits. Forinstance, a retailer or facility operator can

currently expense up to $100,000 in Sec-tion 179 expenditures every year. Shouldtotal expenditures for Section 179 propertyexceed $400,000 in any year, the deduc-tion must be reduced dollar-by-dollar byany excess.

REHABBING VS. FIXING UPThere’s also a unique tax credit that canreduce your tax bill for incurring “rehabila-tion expenditures.” The rehabilitationinvestment tax credit equals 20 percent ofthe qualified rehabilitation expenses (QRE)for certified historic structures and 10 per-cent of QRE for qualified rehabilitatedbuildings first placed in service before1936.

A building and its structural compo-nents constitute a qualified rehabilitatedbuilding if they are (1) substantially rehabili-tated and (2) placed in service before therehabilitation begins. Property other than acertified historic structure must also satisfy(3) a “wall retention” test, (4) an agerequirement, and (5) a location of rehabili-tation requirement. Property is consideredsubstantially rehabilitated only if the expen-ditures during a self-selected 24-monthmeasurement period (60-month period forphased rehabilitation) are more than thegreater of the adjusted basis of the proper-ty or $5,000.

QRE does not include new construc-tion; an enlargement; the cost of acquisi-tion; noncertified rehabilitation of acertified historic structure; rehabilitation oftax-exempt use property; expenditures,generally, that are non-depreciable; andlessee-incurred expenditures if, on the datethe rehabilitation of the building is com-pleted, the remaining term of the lease(without regard to renewal periods) is lessthan the property’s recovery period.

ENERGY INVESTMENT CREDITAnother unique tax credit—a direct reduc-tion of the racquet sports operation’s taxbill rather than a deduction from theincome upon which that tax bill is comput-

Looking to Remodel? You Can BenefitFrom a Number of Tax Breaks B Y M A R K E . B A T T E R S B Y

ed—is available for so-called “energy”property. The business energy investmentcredit is equal to 10 percent of the basis ofenergy property placed in service during theyear. (No energy credit is allowed for thatportion of the basis of property for whichrehabilitation investment credit is claimed.)

Energy property includes equipmentthat uses solar energy to generate electrici-ty, to heat or cool a structure or to providesolar process heat. It also includes equip-ment that produces, distributes, or usesenergy derived from geothermal deposits,with some restrictions. To qualify for thecredit, the equipment must be depreciable(or amortizable) and must meet perfor-mance and quality standards. No partialdeductions are available, so a retailer orfacility operator must complete the con-struction, reconstruction, or erection of theproperty. If the property is acquired, yourbusiness must be the first to use it.

FIXING UP LANDThe cost of the land upon which your busi-ness sits is not deductible, but fortunately,improvements made to that land can often


qualify for a tax deduction. Land improve-ments not specifically included in anyother asset class and otherwise deprecia-ble are 15-year property. Examples ofland improvements include sidewalks, dri-veways, curbs, roads, parking lots, canals,waterways, drainage facilities, sewers (butnot municipal sewers), bridges, and nona-gricultural fences.

Regardless of whether your businesspremises are owned or leased, there arean abundance of tax deductions, creditsand unique write-offs available to helpoffset the cost of remodeling, fixing up,or adding to it.

The new, but temporary, 15-yearwrite-off for leasehold improvementsapplies only to improvements placed inservice before Jan. 1, 2006. But fortu-nately, many other tax credits, deduc-tions, and write-offs constitute a morepermanent part of our tax laws. Thequestion is, will you take full advantageof this unique helping hand? �

Mark E. Battersby is a tax and financialadvisor, lecturer, writer and author inArdmore, Pa.

SUCCESSretailingThe Brick-and-Mortar “E-Tennis”Has Built Up a Solid Base

G

Kennex, Slazenger, Wilson, Yonex, andVölkl and stocks 200 demos that can berented for a one-time $25 fee that isdeducted upon any purchase of a newracquet. Next-day stringing service isguaranteed upon request, and do-it-your-

selfers can rent a stringing machine. Theshop also carries competitively priced,high-end brands of shoes and apparel,plus bags, string, ball machines, acces-sories, and balls with the e-tennis logo.

Although all employees “walk thetalk” by playing tennis, Gugel didn’t getinvolved in the sport until he designedcarbon-reinforced and non-graphite rac-quets while serving as director of researchand product design in the 1970s for aMidwest manufacturing company. Gugelcontinued designing and customizing rac-quets, ultimately adding Svantesson to hisclient roster around 1989. Ten years later,

B Y C Y N T H I A C A N T R E L L


rom the beginning, master racquettechnician John Gugel and formerATP touring pro Tobias Svantesson

were determined to create a full-servicetennis specialty shop uniquely in tunewith customer needs. So while the firstvisitors to e-tennis inc. in Orlando,Fla., may have been surprised by thesparse inventory, chances are theirloyalty has long since been cementedby the products and services designedwith their individual needs in mind.

“Our philosophy was to let our cus-tomers decide what they want, ratherthan opening with a lot of stuff andsaying this is what we have; come getit,” says Gugel, who jokes that hebecame president of e-tennis inc. bylosing a coin toss with vicepresident Svantesson, a Top-100 tennis pro who played onthe ATP tour for eight yearsbefore retiring in 1993. “Ourcustomers have taken a realemotional ownership in ourbusiness. Now we have somuch inventory that it’s hard towalk around.”

Located in the trendy Win-ter Park section of Orlando, e-tennis has specialized inracquet customization sinceopening its doors in February1999. In fact, former ATP tour-ing pro Mikael Pernfors and current ATPpro Robert Kendrick are among the 3,500customers whose personal preferences ingrip size, racquet weight, balance, andstiffness are painstakingly duplicated witheach stringing job. In all, Gugel says hecollects about 50 pieces of data abouteach customer’s racquet using industrystandard and custom diagnostic equip-ment, plus a proprietary software systemwhich he plans to market to the publiclater this year.

For customers looking to experiment,e-tennis sells racquets from Babolat, Dun-lop, Fischer, Gosen, Head, Prince, Pro

F with both men “in limbo,” according toSvantesson, they decided to pool theircollective expertise and go into businesstogether.

“I sniffed out John when I was playingbecause of his reputation for racquetwork, and people still do it today.There aren’t many people in the coun-try with his knowledge of frame con-struction, racquet materials, andstrings,” says Svantesson, who has alsoearned a Master Racquet Techniciandesignation from the USRSA.

Gugel agrees their successful part-nership stems from communication,respect for one another, and the foun-dation of their enduring friendship.“Customers turn to Tobias for his per-

spective as a world-class play-er, and he refers technicalissues to me,” Gugel says.“We complement each othervery well.”

Located right off a majorinterstate with 75 tenniscourts minutes away, e-tennishas built its customer basethrough word-of-mouth, inter-net sales, tournament advertis-ing, and drive-bys attracted tothe tennis-ball yellow buildingadorned with nets and rac-quets. With just 900 squarefeet of sales space within the

1,400-square-foot building, Gugel saysthe store generates a whopping $600 insales per square foot.

In fact, Gugel and Svantesson arehoping to duplicate their success byopening a second location about 150miles away within the year.

“I can’t clone myself or Tobias, butour data collection system gives our staffthe ability to come up with a racquet tosuit Mr. or Mrs. Smith very well,” Gugelsays. “We do everything we can to keepour customers happy. It’s incumbentupon us to keep people playing, both forour business and for the game.”�

RELATIONSemployee

he club’s mission statement said allthe right things. It was about “valu-ing our members” and “exceeding

expectations” and “treating eachother with respect.”

The young manworking behind the

front desk, however,didn’t quite walkthe talk. “Onlyanother half hour

and I get to gohome.” He didn’t

exactly exceed members’expectations or make them feel valued.Maybe he’d never actually read the mis-sion statement.

A spirit of customer service often isinfused into mission statements. Manyorganizations even conduct customer ser-vice training to make sure employeesknow how to behave toward customers—how to answer the phones, how to greetcustomers, how to handle complaints, andso on.

The behaviors are important, but it isonly when customer service becomes anemployee attitude, in addition to a set ofbehaviors, that an organization can claimto have achieved a “culture” of customerservice. Achieving that culture need notbe left to fate. Whether you’re a managerat a private club, public facility, or retailshop, you can take tangible, visible stepsto ensure that customers indeed feel val-ued and have their expectations exceeded.

TREAT EMPLOYEES LIKEYOUR MOST IMPORTANTCUSTOMERSPerhaps that young man didn’t under-stand how important he was to the club’simage. Perhaps he was treated as anexpendable, inexpensive, part-timeemployee who had little or no impact onthe big issues like profit, products, andprogramming. Perhaps he didn’t feelimportant at all, and therefore saw no

reason to take his job—and his responsi-bility to the customer service scenario—seriously.

Customer service often begins withemployee service. When people feel val-ued by their employers, they tend to treatcustomers accordingly. Let your employ-ees know how their work contributes tothe good of the organization, why theirwork is important, and how they bringunique value to their responsibilities. Setthe example of customer service in howyou treat them, and explain that youwant them to treat your customers asrespectfully and responsively as you treatthem.

MAKE YOUREXPECTATIONS CLEARIt’s dangerous to assume that everyonehas your vision of customer service.Exactly how do you want the phonesanswered? How should calls be trans-ferred? How should members beaddressed? What are the rules governingbehavior at the front desk? What aboutdress and grooming—are there rules

there? If so, make them known.Do not assume that your staff mem-

bers will “get it” from your example. Donot assume they have your values orunderstand your expectations.

SCRUTINIZE THEMOMENTS OF TRUTHWhen your customers drive into the park-ing lot, walk through the front door,enter the locker room, walk out to thecourts, get water on the changeovers, callthe club or shop for any reason…they areforming opinions about your organizationand the service you provide.

Is the parking lot clean? Does some-one at the front desk or cash registerlook up and smile when people enter?Are the locker rooms and restrooms tidy?Are the water coolers kept full? Are therecups at the coolers? Are the trash basketsOK? Are the phones answered promptlyand in a welcoming tone? Are your cus-tomers thanked for their business?

If you want your customers to experi-ence the best service possible, you mustcontinuously try to see what they seeduring those moments of truth.

HIRE RIGHTYou can teach a set of skills. It’s muchtougher to teach caring or friendliness. Ifyou’re hiring someone who’ll have directcontact with your customers, look for theattitude you want conveyed. Does theperson smile, maintain good eye contact,offer a firm handshake? If you want afriendly, outgoing person at the frontdesk, look for those attributes during theinterview.

Ask about good and bad customerservice they’ve experienced, and howthey felt at the time. Ask how they’dhave handled the situations differently,particularly regarding bad service.

In Stress for Success, Jim Loehr writes,“The most important component of cus-tomer service is emotion. Regardless of


Create and Maintain a CustomerService Culture At Your Facility

B Y J I L L F O N T E

T

3

what you do to help a customer, howyou make the customer feel emotional-ly is what counts.” Hire the peoplewho’ll make your customers feelimportant, valued, appreciated.

REWARD THE RIGHTTHINGSBehavior that’s rewarded gets repeat-ed. When you see or hear youremployees servicing your customersappropriately, point it out. Thankthem. Tell them specifically what theydid right. “I really appreciate yourpatience in handling Mrs. Smith’s com-plaint”; “I admire how you rememberour customers’ names and addressthem by name when they come in”;“Thank you for making sure the trashis emptied several times a day.”

Make sure your employees feelappreciated. Make sure they knowwhat’s important to you. Be specific inyour feedback and generous with yourrecognition. Remember the suggestion:“Praise in public, criticize in private.”

THE BOTTOM LINECreating a culture of customer serviceneed not be difficult. It begins as aninside job with how employees aretreated.

Managers who walk the customerservice talk demonstrate what it looksand feels like to be treated withrespect. If we can believe what we seein most mission statements, customerservice takes center stage.

Keeping customer service front andcenter depends on managers who liveit, communicate it, hire for it, andreward it. �


Jill Fonte is a speakerand trainer specializ-ing in managementand customer service.She presents at tennisconventions through-out the country as the

TIA's sponsored speaker. An avid,frequent tennis player, she is the for-mer executive director of the USRSAand currently serves the tennis indus-try as Prince's ambassador and as thechair of the USTA's National TennisInnovation Committee.

ACCESSORIESretailProtect Your Players From the Sun

[

30 and protect against both types of ultraviolet rays. And forbest results and the best protection, sunscreen should bereapplied often during prolonged sun exposure. Check thelabels for specific protective ingredients.

—Cynthia Sherman


rm your players with the right sun protection to ensurethat damaging rays don’t cut short their time on courtor compromise their health. Both UVA and UVB rays can

lead to skin cancer, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation,and most doctors agree that sunscreen should be at least SPF

A

MURADDermatologist Dr. Howard Murad,founder of Murad Inc., developed a line ofspecialty skin care and sunscreen products.Along with the UVA/UVB sunscreensfound in the four Murad Age-Proof Sun-care Products, there is the addition ofpomegranate, which the company saysreplenishes and prevents moisture loss.Murad’s Waterproof Sunblock SPF 30(retail $25) fits the bill for more active pur-suits. 800-33-MURAD; www.murad.com

BULLFROGThe Bullfrog WaterproofSunblock line (retail $7.99to $9.99) offers severalapplications in SPF 36.The Quik Stick, Quik Gel,and Quik Gel Sport Spraycontain vitamin E andAloe moisturizers in addi-tion to UVA/UVB protec-tion. They are alsonon-greasy and non-come-dogenic. 800-233-3764;www.bullfrogsunblock.com

NEUTROGENANeutrogena Active Breathable Sunblock(retail $9.99) comes in SPF 30 and 45 andin addition to offering broad protectionfrom UVA and UVB rays, contains silicapowder that absorbs oil and allows skinto breathe. This lightweight, non-greasycovering is sweatproof, non-irritating,and hypoallergenic, says the company.800-932-3025; www.neutrogena.com

COPPERTONEThe new Coppertone ContinuousSpray Suncreen product line isavailable in an Ultra SweatproofSport formula SPF 30 (retail$11.99) for active players. It’s oil-free, hypoallergenic, waterproof,and PABA free and provides asteady, non-stop application ofproduct for complete coverage andprotection, even upside down.www.coppertone.com

NO-ADNo-Ad Suncare products includes No-Ad Sport Sunblock Lotion inSPF 30 and 50. They’re non-greasy, waterproof, and sweatproof,with aloe vera and vitamin E for extra moisturizing benefits. Thebottles feature a no-slip grip along with the Skin Cancer Founda-tion seal. 800-327-3991; www.no-ad.com

marketing


MEDIAtennisV

B Y M I T C H R U S T A D

s tennis finally ready for anotherboom?The executives at Miller Publishing

Group (the folks who publish Tennismagazine) seem to think so. The com-pany recently announced the launch ofSmash, a slightly oversized, highly innov-ative tennis magazine aimed at one themost coveted markets around—teens.

“Tennis is getting a kick-start thanksto a lot of younger pros like Andy Rod-dick, Rafael Nadal, and Maria Sharapo-va,” says Norb Garrett, the editorialdirector for Miller Publishing. “The sportis being re-energized by fresh-faced,young players who are doing very well,and tennis is being talked about again.It’s top of mind for a lot of people, sonow we feel there’s another up cycle,another wave, for tennis.”

Recent big-dollar sponsorships likethe WTA Tour’s new six-year, $88 mil-lion deal with Sony Ericsson, not tomention corporate America’s over-whelming interest in young players likeWimbledon champ Sharapova—whoseendorsement deals now includeMotorola, Canon and Tag Heur, andreportedly total some $23 million annu-ally—are clear indicators that tennis iswhite hot again.

“That tells you that corporate mar-

I

Who’s StringingYOUR Racquet?Who’s StringingYOUR Racquet?

1 The StringersDigest Series —A complete 5 bookindustry resourcelibrary includesstringing instructionsfor all raqcuets.

2 Subscription to Racquet SportsIndustry Magazine

3 RacquetTECH.com — Technical“tools” in the members only sectionare not available anywhere else.

4 Free Technical Assistance — Byphone, fax, or email.

5 USRSA Membership Certificate& Decal

6 Manufacturer Product Discounts7 Free Marketing Samples &

Product Playtest Giveaways8 Website Listing for ALL

Members — All members are list-ed on RacquetTECH.com. Visit the“Find a Stringer” tool to find aUSRSA member near you.

9 Certification Testing — Membersmay distinguish themselves as thebest of the best by becoming certi-fied as Master Racquet Techniciansor Certified Stringers.

Having your racquet strung by anyone otherthan a USRSA member, Master RacquetTechnician or Certified Stringer is risky business. USRSA members get all the tools ofthe trade to string your racquet professionallywithout any guess work.

USRSA membershave fingertipaccess to every

tool neccessary to provide superiorprofessional service.

VisitRacquetTECH.comto find a USRSAMember, MasterRacquet Technician orCertified Stringernear you!

For more information contact the USRSA330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084760-536-1177 • 760-536-1171 FAX •www.racquettech.com

keting departments are taking thesport seriously,” says Garrett, “andthat consumers are telling them thattennis is something they care about.”

The launch isn’t merely a knee-jerkreaction to a healthier industry, how-ever. Smash will have a built-in audi-ence right out of the gate—it will bemailed directly to the USTA’s 100,000strong junior membership list, withanother 25,000 distributed to tenniscamps, clubs, and tournamentsthroughout the summer. Plans call forthe magazine to be on newsstands,and to go quarterly, in 2006.

But why teens?“There’s an enormous desire by

everyone in the industry to tap moreinto the youth market,” says JamesMartin, editor of Smash and a senioreditor for Tennis. “There are a signifi-cant number of kids who are rabidtennis players who play hundreds oftimes a year on teams and on juniorcircuits. They’re passionate about thegame in ways only a kid can be.”

Though Martin says the maga-zine’s “sweetspot” is the 14- to 18-year-old readers, he believes that“anyone who likes a cool magazine isgoing to like it.”

An early look at editorial plans isintriguing: Gustavo Kuerten interview-ing surfing idol Kelly Slater, a shop-ping spree with Serena Williams anda talk with rap icon (and tennis fanat-ic) Snoop Dogg, not to mention plen-ty of eye candy, says Martin.

“Today’s tennis players are hot,good-looking athletes, and we’regoing to celebrate that,” he says.“We’re going to peel the back of thetennis ball off and give this young seta look at the world of tennis the waythey want to see it.”

The first issue of Smash debutsJuly 12. �

Smash Tennis Mag forTeens to Debut in July


FOCUS ON footwear

Fit Your Players to the Right ShoesB Y D A V I D S H A R N O F F

k

ennis shoes are just as much apart of a player’s “equipment” asis his or her tennis racquet. If a

player’s shoes don’t fit properly, itdoesn’t matter how wonderful his rac-quet is or how clean his strokes are,he’ll have trouble getting to the balland staying balanced while he hits.Worse yet, if he doesn’t have the rightshoes, he could actually be hurting hisbody and limiting the enjoyment he’llbe able to get out of tennis. And thatcould limit how much tennis he plays,which will directly affect your bottomline.

So knowing how to fit your cus-tomers to the right pair of tennis shoesshould be an important part of yourbusiness. If you take the time to putyour customers into the right shoes,they’ll keep coming back to you. Andthey’ll keep playing tennis.

Educating your customers as to howto get the proper fit is important. Youneed to teach them what to look for ina tennis shoe, and emphasize that theyshould avoid the temptation to buysimply on style or price.

DETERMINE FOOT TYPEShoe selection should be based on foottype. The three basic foot types are:� Supinated feet have a high arch.

Players with this type of foot willnotice wear on the shoes’ soles onthe outside of the heel and forefoot.Players with supinated feet also tendto have a wider forefoot and general-ly need a shoe with extra room in thetoe box. Extra cushioning also isimportant because of the high arch.

� Pronated feet generally are flat. Thewear on the soles is on the inside ofthe forefoot area. Players whopronate need a shoe with extra sup-port on their big-toe side to help pre-vent inward roll.

� Neutral feet are the ideal type andhave an even wear pattern on thesoles. Players with this foot type canwear any shoe that feels comfortable.

T TALK TO YOUR CUSTOMEROld shoes tell a story. Look at the tennisshoes your customer is currently usingand observe the wear patterns. That canhelp determine what type of foot he has,and whether he does things like drag histoe on the serve, which means youshould suggest a shoe with extra protec-tion around the toe cap.

Also, ask your customer what he likesor dislikes about his current pair of shoes.This can give you an idea of what direc-tion to go with a new pair. And ask yourcustomer if he has any history of foot orlower extremity injuries. This can play animportant part in selecting the right shoe.

For instance, if the customer has a his-tory of chronic ankle pain, he should belooking for a mid-cut shoe or one thathas low-to-the-ground technology. Or ifhe or she has very wide feet, suggest ashoe that comes in different widths.Squeezing wide feet into narrow shoeswill result in blisters, irritation of differentbony spots on the foot, or the formationof bunions and hammertoes.

Check to see if your customer wearscustom or over-the-counter orthotics, orif he uses cushions or foot beds inside theshoe. Does he wear ankle braces? If so,

why? You may need to suggest a shoethat will allow room for these devices.

Ask your customer about his usualplaying environment. Indoors or out-doors? Hard courts or clay? It can deter-mine whether to suggest a nub orherringbone tread design. A nub treaddesign tends to work better on hardcourts, a herringbone tends to workbetter on clay, and a combination ofnub and herringbone will generally workfor players how play on both types ofsurfaces.

How slick are the courts the playergenerally plays on? Some outsoles have aslicker feel; others have a more tackyfeel. If the player often plays on a tackysurface, he shouldn’t be wearing a shoewith a more tacky outsole.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONSAlso remember that feet are not statusquo. They actually do change. Youshould suggest to your customers that atleast once a year, they measure their feetfor size and width using the Brannockdevice, which is the typical foot-measur-ing device found in most shoe stores.And feet also change every day; theyswell as the day goes on. So if a cus-tomer tries on a pair in the morning,before exercising, that same shoe mightfeel tight later in the afternoon.

When a customer comes in to try onshoes, he should be wearing the socksthat he intends to use with the tennisshoe. Stress the importance of wearingsport-specific socks, which have mois-ture-management and moisture-wickingabilities, anti-microbial benefits, andanatomic padding. And tennis socks canbe a nice extra sale for your shop (seepage 14).

One extremely important area to con-sider when fitting customers with tennis

Tips For The Right Fit� Customers should try on shoes at the endof the day. Throughout the day, and afterexercise, feet will swell by about 5 per-cent.

� When shopping for shoes, make sureyour customers wear the sport socks thatthey’ll wear during play.

� As they try on shoes, have your cus-tomers mimic the movements inherent intennis.

� Always check for proper flex point. If ashoe does not bend where your toesbend, look elsewhere.

� Match your customer’s foot shape to theshape of the shoe outsole.

shoes is the flex point. If a shoe flexesright in the middle, underneath the arch,look for a different pair. A shoe shouldbend where your toes bend.

As you and your customer narrowdown the choices, point out the featuresof specific shoes, such as its support andcomfort benefits. Also look at the durabil-ity of the shoe; a 6- or 12-month outsoleguarantee means the manufacturer willstand behind the shoe. Point out otherfeatures of the shoe, such as low-to-the-ground technology, or motion controlfeatures, or the outsole design.

When customers come to you lookingfor the right tennis shoe, treat it seriously.Properly fitted shoes can enhance perfor-mance. Improperly fitted shoes can costthe sport a tennis player—and can costyou a customer down the road. �


David Sharnoff, a podiatrist in Shelton,Conn., is a longtime advisor to the WTATour and a member of Tennis magazine’sTechnical Advisory Panel. Dr. Sharnoffalso is a longtime contributor to profes-sional journals in the field of podiatricmedicine.

instructional tips and usephotos of pros and clubmembers to demonstrateyour points. Then use thetips in five different waysto get people to readthem: Through emails,your website, a photoinstructional book, onyour bulletin boards,

and on fliers that you caneven hang throughout your facility or shop,even in the locker rooms.

FLIERS WITH PHOTOSUsing each of your photo instructional tips ina number of different ways takes advantageof your work and maximizes your valuabletime in preparing each tip. The main thing isto keep rotating your tips, creating at leastone a month. Besides hanging them in lockerrooms, you can also enclose them in clubmailings.

SUMMARYUsing photos and posters are great ways todeliver information to your players, and tokeep them engaged. But you must keep themfresh and you need to rotate them. Then,your members and players will start lookingforward to the next photo that you use.

And writing instruction tips to accompanyyour photos should be relatively easy, too,with the huge amount of information that isreadily available on the internet on so manyaspect of tennis.

So give your players and customers agreat “picture” of tennis. It can help themdevelop more enthusiasm for the sport, helpthem improve on court, and help out yourbusiness, too. �

SUCCESSmarketing&


e all know the expression “a pic-ture is worth a thousand words.”Well, it is...sort of.

While it is true that pictures are higherimpact than the written or spoken word, itis also true that if you leave the same pic-ture up in the same place for an extendedperiod of time, it will soon have no impactat all. Therefore, along with the followingtips on using images to enhance your busi-ness, there is one caveat: Your picturesmust be fresh, interesting, and changedregularly.

Follow some of these tips, keeping thatcaveat in mind, and you’ll soon have a pic-ture of a healthier bottom line for yourfacility.

POSTERSTennis manufacturing companies are onlytoo happy to give you free posters. Oursuggestion is to get “slip-in” poster framesthat you can easily change on a regularbasis. And, for example, when you put ina new poster like Andre Agassi and Heador Rafael Nadal and Babolat (above), con-sider offering a promotion for that monthon those products. Also, see if your manu-facturer reps can get you autographedposters. Hey, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

PHOTOS OF PLAYERSThe internet is full of player photos. Butkeep in mind, it is illegal to simply copy aphoto off the internet and redistribute itwithout permission, unless it is a “royalty-free” photo (and the chances of findingspecific tennis photos royalty-free arerather slim).

To get free photos of pros that you canuse for your own promotions, check withtennis equipment manufacturers and see ifthey can email photos to you. And makesure you tell them what you intend to dowith the photos.

Or check the website of a pro tourna-ment in your area to see if they have whatyou might need. Then, contact the tourna-ment to get permission to use the photo,

probably with a credit line thatsays something like: “Photocourtesy of …” The tournamentswill most likely be amenable toyour using their official photos,since they’ll get some publicity outof it, too. But please, be wary ofsimply copying and disseminatingphotos from the internet withoutpermission.

Once you do get permission to usea photo, or if you can find royalty-freeimages, you can start going to town. Oneidea is to email your members with a tennisinstructional tip that is timely and is tied to aphoto you selected. Attach the photo to youremail and just click “send.”

You can also make these emails andphoto attachments product-driven at thesame time by announcing a sale in your shop.

PHOTOS ON YOUR WEBSITEAs with using the photos in emails, you canuse your website to keep an archive ofinstructional tips along with photos (again,though, make sure you have the proper per-missions to use the photos on your website).Plus, with their permission of course, you cantake digital photos of your club memberswho exemplify some of the positive tech-niques that you can point out in the well-known pros.

PHOTOINSTRUCTIONAL BOOKMost pro shops and clubs have lounge areas.Take advantage of the instructional tips youhave created by printing them out and insert-ing them into plastic sheets in a binder. Thisadds a nice extra touch to your club, especial-ly since the tips can feature club membersthemselves, alongside some of the best play-ers in the world.

BULLETIN BOARDSCycle these same photo tips on your bulletinboards as well. Although all of these differentideas appear to be a lot of work, the conceptis actually quite simple. Come up with basic

Joe Dinoffer is a Master Professionalfor both the PTR and USPTA. Hespeaks frequently at national and inter-national tennis teacher workshops as amember of both the Head/Penn and

Reebok National Speaker’s Bureaus. He is presidentof Oncourt Offcourt Inc. and has written 16 booksand produced more than 30 instructional videos.

W

Photos and Posters Can Help YouPromote Your Business B Y J O E D I N O F F E R

Movingthe Dial?

� 5.3 million people came back to playing the game as “rejoin-ers” in the past year after having not played at all for at leasta year. The largest concentration of “rejoiners” is in the 35-to-49 age group, an age when they’re likely to have youngchildren who they might want to get into tennis.

� For the first time since 2000, frequent players (those whoplay 21 or more times a year) showed a slight increase—3percent over 2003—rather than a considerable decrease.This is key because frequent players are the “lifeblood” of thesport, says Jim Baugh, president of the Tennis Industry Asso-ciation. Frequent players buy more racquets, shoes, balls,court time, and lessons than other types of players.

� Importantly, “fun” and “exercise” were listed as the top rea-sons why people play tennis for new players, frequent play-

ers, rejoiners, continuingplayers (who have played formore than one year), andlapsed players (who haven’tplayed in the past 12months, but at one timeplayed regularly).In addition, new players

are adding diversity—withrespect to race, ethnicity,gender, and income—to thetennis-playing population,which is a key initiative forthe USTA.So, while the industry

isn’t yet ready to say every-thing’s fabulous, it does


espite what you may have been hearing lately, thereare signs that things may, indeed, be looking up for thetennis industry.

Data gathered recently in the massive 2004 U.S. TennisParticipation Study does show, once again, that there are con-tinuing challenges in this sport. But there also are some signsof success:� 5.7 million people took up the game last year, up from 5.1million in 2002. (Overall participation, though, remains flatat 23.6 million because about the same number of playersleft the game—that pesky “leaky bucket.”)

� Those 5.7 million are heavily concentrated among youth(the median age of new players is 15). Almost two-thirds ofall new players are under age 18.

D

T E N N I S P A R T I C I P A T I O N

Movingthe Dial?The third annual Tennis ParticipationStudy shows signs of improvement, andopportunities to boost your business. B Y P E T E R F R A N C E S C O N I

The Breakdown


appear that some of the initiatives started inrecent years may be having a positive effect ontennis participation in this country. And the feel-ing among many industry insiders is that tennishas “turned a corner.”This is the third consecutive year that the

USTA and TIA have teamed to track tennis par-ticipation in the U.S. The survey, conducted bySports Marketing Surveys USA and TaylorResearch & Consulting Group Inc., is arguably thelargest sport-specific study of its kind.The 2004 U.S. Tennis Participation Study con-

sisted of five-minute telephone surveys of 25,500households sampled at random on a state-by-state basis. In the 25,500 households, participa-tion was measured amongthe age 6 and up population,yielding a total base of morethan 66,000 people. Then,extended interviews of 12 to15 minutes took place with nearly 1,500 current players,former players, and non-players.

The OpportunitiesSo, what are some of the key opportunities that youshould consider when looking to boost your business?

“Fish Wherethe Fish Are”The 2004 ParticipationStudy shows that tennisplayer are more likely to livein affluent households andmore likely to live in sub-urbs compared with the U.S.population as a whole. Tar-geting individuals or com-munities that fit thisdescription can help growthe game and your busi-ness.Of the total population,

20 percent live in suburbs,while 28 percent of all tennisplayers do. And possiblymore important, 12 percentof the U.S. population live ina household with an annualincome over $100,000,while for tennis players, 26percent live in such affluenthouseholds. As you wouldimagine, the more tennis aperson plays, the more likelythey are to have a householdincome over $100,000, ris-ing steadily from 20 percentof those who play one to

three times a year to 38 percent amongthose who play over 100 times a year.

Players Wantto Play MoreMost current players want to be playingmore tennis than they do now. The studypoints out that there is no inherent “lack-of-desire barrier” to increase frequency ofplay. Of those who play four to 10 times ayear, 68 percent would like to play more.Of those who play 21 to 50 times a year,64 percent would like to play more.

Reach More People WithLessonsTennis instruction isimportant for manydifferent levels of play-er. Among new play-

ers in particular, instruction contributes heavily to interest inplaying; 35 percent of new players say lessons would makethem want to play a lot more. Among continuing players,that figure is 29 percent.Instruction also contributes heavily to actual frequency of

play. Of those who play four to 10 times a year, 37 percenthave taken a lesson. But as frequency rises, the percentage of

those who have takena lesson increases sig-nificantly as well. Forinstance, among thosewho play more than100 times a year, 71percent have taken alesson.Also, instruction

helps keep frequentplayers playing fre-quently. Of current fre-quent players, 34percent have taken alesson in the last 12months, but only 13percent of players whoare playing fewer than21 times a year took alesson in the last year.

Crank UpLeagues andOrganized PlayThe No. 1 reason thatcurrent players list asto what might getthem to play tennismore frequently isregularly scheduledmatches with friends,

at 44 percent. Also, league tennis helps to keep frequent play-ers playing frequently.For current players, nearly half their playing time (47 per-

cent) is spent in league tennis. By contrast, former frequentplayers spend 28 percent of their time playing league tennis.

Be a TennisMatchmakerAfter “not enoughtime,” not having any-one to play tennis withwas the most com-monly mentioned rea-son current playersaren’t playing more.Among the 37 per-

cent of players whoplayed more tennis in2004 than in the yearbefore, finding some-one to play with wasthe main reason why(34 percent). Also,more than half of alllapsed players (55 per-cent) say they wouldhave been likely to con-tinue playing had a ten-nis facility called themto arrange matcheswith others at theirsame skill level.

The ChallengesOf course, the annual study continues to point up a numberof challenges in this sport. Chief among them is the agingplayer base. In 1995, 8 percent of all tennis players were age50 or older. In 2004, that number is at 13 percent. Com-pounding that concern is the fact that 50-plus players are con-

centrated in the frequent player ranks: 13 percent of all ten-nis players are age 50-plus, but 24 percent of frequent playersfall into that age group.In terms of retention, overall participation has been rela-

tively flat over the last five years, so despite 24 percent of allplayers being new to thegame and 22 percentrejoining the game, ten-nis is still losing just asmany players as it isgaining. The number of“regular” players (play-ing four to 20 times in ayear) dropped from 76percent in 2001 to 65percent in 2004. Simi-larly, 26 percent of allplayers were frequent(21 times or more) par-ticipants in 2001; butthat’s down to 20 per-cent in the 2004 study.Another concern is

that about two-thirds ofall pros work at privateor commercial clubs,where they are less like-ly to reach many newplayers. Among adultnew players, nearly halfplay at public parks, and

among new players age 6 to 17, up to half are introduced totennis at school, where the “tennis infrastructure” is limited.Only 35 percent of new players say tennis programs are offeredat their local public courts, while only 9 percent say there arepros working at public courts in their area.The full participation study has a lot more data—both posi-

tive and negative—than we can present here. But one thingthat’s clear is that, for the last three years, the industry has beenlaying down a baseline from which to gauge future develop-ment of this sport at the recreational level.New initiatives, such as the Tennis in the Public Parks cam-

paign (spearheaded byUSTA President FranklinJohnson and the Nation-al Recreation and ParkAssociation) and theCardio Tennis program(to roll out to consumersthis fall) are combiningwith recently estab-lished initiatives such asthe developing TennisWelcome Center campaign and the college campus programsto get more people on the courts and enjoying the benefits ofthe sport. Add to that renewed emphasis and interest in otherprograms, such as corporate tennis leagues, USA Team Tennisfor adults and youth, and USA League Tennis, and the initiativesare there for all of us to help move the participation dial. �


Full reports and executive summaries ofthe 2004 U.S. Tennis Participation Studyare available to members of the TIA.Membership levels start at $100 andinclude many benefits and services inaddition to the participation research.Contact the TIA at 843-686-3036 or visitwww.tennisindustry.org

Testingthe Waters

player trying to make sense of a wall holding 300 demos,some of which are strung at different gauges and tensions. Toprevent customers from becoming overwhelmed and leavingthe store altogether, she advises asking them to describe theirswing, style of play, and power level before selecting up tothree demos for them.

She warns, however, that great care must be taken toappease a customer intent on buying a racquet featured in abuyer’s guide, but which may not be suited for their game. “Itmay look perfect on paper, but I tell them until you play withit, you don’t know,” Mitchell says. “I ask them to let me picksome demos and see if some cross over onto their list.”

While Mitchell hosts regular racquet training sessions withlocal sales reps and teaching pros affiliated with Serious Ten-nis, Ajay Pant entices customers to demo nights at his facilitywith Italian food cooked by his head pro, wine, a fashionshow, and discounts. “By the end of the night, it’s no longer a


n the 13 years that Deana Mitchell has owned Serious Ten-nis in Roswell, Ga., customers have accidentally run over

her store demos with their cars, left them on the roof beforespeeding off, and forgotten about them in the trunk beforejetting away on vacation. Despite the time and cost associ-ated with ordering, stringing, gripping, and occasionallyreplacing demos, however, Mitchell says they help her sellthousands of racquets every year.

“Integrating your expertise into a demo program willincrease racquet sales,” says Mitchell, who co-owns SeriousTennis with Scott Jones, with two locations in Roswell andone each in Alpharetta, Marietta, and Suwanee, Ga. “Askmanufacturers for demos and string, and then buy beyondwhat you get for free. Look past the cost to what you’llgain in loyalty because, believe me, it’s all about customerservice.”

Mitchell acknowledges it can be intimidating for a new

I

R A C Q U E T R E T A I L I N G

Testingthe Waters

Drive racquet sales by developing the rightdemo program for your customers. BY CYNTH I A CANTRE L L

s


s

sales event,” says Pant, regional manager of Indian CreekRacquet Club in Overland Park, Kan. “It’s a social hour.”

Pant recommends that teaching pros also incorporateinformal sales opportunities into their lessons by carryingseveral demos on court and encouraging players to prac-tice with them. Additionally, he says, teaching prosshould ask for feedback during the lesson, offer substitutedemos, and follow up afterward.

“Even if that player isn’t in the market for a new rac-quet, maybe her husband or son might like it. It’s all partof taking care of your mem-bers,” Pant says. “A demoprogram shouldn’t function ina vacuum. It must be part ofthe big picture.”

In fact, Pant says, that bigpicture must be embraced bya facility’s entire staff. Theclub’s 55 demos are regularlyre-gripped and restrung, anddemo customization is pro-vided at no extra charge.Demo fees are freely waivedfor big pro shop spenders, aswell as players who complainabout an unsatisfactory expe-rience. “The front desk hascarte blanche so no memberor potential member feels likethey’re being nickeled anddimed,” Pant says. “A coupleof dollars isn’t worth it.”

With more than 80 per-cent of business conductedonline, Tennis Warehouse inSan Luis Obispo, Calif.,demonstrates that you don’tnecessarily need a retail storeto run a successful demo pro-gram. Customers can requestup to four demos at a time fora seven-day period beginningupon receipt of the racquetsvia UPS. While customers payround-trip shipping costs, Tennis Warehouse doesn’tcharge additional demo fees, and ships two racquets forthe price of one and four for the price of three. Local res-idents can save the cost of shipping by picking up theirorders. If a demo isn’t returned, the borrower’s creditcard is charged.

“A lot of people know exactly what they want, but I’llspend as much time with them on the phone as neces-sary,” says master racquet technician Derek Kurtti.“We’ll send them the demo they’re interested in, pluswe’ll look at ones with similar weight, balance, andhead size.”

While the demo program doesn’t generate revenue onits own, Don Hightower, president of Tennis Warehouse,says it does drive racquet sales. “[Online demo service] isespecially valuable to customers in urban and rural areasthat aren’t serviced by pro shops and specialty shops,” saysHightower, noting that online features allow customers tosee which demos are in stock as well as back-order dates.

Corinne Pinsof-Kaplan, owner of Chicago Tennis & Golf,has a 21- by 55-foot hitting lane, wide enough for two play-ers to take turns returning shots from a ball machine,

inside her 14,500-square-footstore. Because some customerswill want to try a racquet ontheir home turf, she stocks twodemos of each frame shesells—between 250 and 300total. “The hitting lane canclose the sale on the spot,”says Pinsof-Kaplan. “We get agreat response from it.”

While retailers want cus-tomers to use their demos,they need them returned asquickly as possible to keepsales flowing. John Gugel, whoruns e-tennis inc. in WinterPark, Fla., with former ATPtouring pro Tobias Svantesson,says customers are given abusiness card with the demoprogram rules and they mustsign a copy of the regulationsand leave a credit card imprint.Players in the Demo Club canborrow up to three of thestore’s 250 demos for threedays; after that time, Gugelsays he makes a friendlyphone call reminding themthat others are waiting for thatdemo. If he doesn’t receive aresponse within seven days,the player is charged theracquet’s retail price. Chroni-

cally late customers risk having their Demo Club member-ship revoked.

While it’s inevitable that some customers will demo aracquet and then buy it at a slightly lower cost online, Gugelsays most players remain loyal out of satisfaction with thestore’s customer service.

“There’s no question that the Demo Club works. Veryfew people are willing to sacrifice a $25 investment [by notputting that credit toward the cost of a new racquet], andin the meantime you’ve gotten a chance to demonstrateyour service and expertise,” Gugel says. “You’ve shownthem why they should only buy from you.” �

Racquet DemoProgram Examples� Serious Tennis, Roswell, Ga.: $2 per day (applied toward thepurchase of a racquet) with a three-day limit, after which theprice increases to $5 per day, which is not credited toward a rac-quet purchase. Customization is free. If customers lose a demo,they are charged the cost of that demo or sold a racquet at adiscounted price.

� Indian Creek Racquet Club, Overland Park, Kan.: $3 perdemo, which can only be played with at the club, with a $30maximum credited toward the purchase of a racquet. Additional-ly, Savers' Club members are entitled to discounts on every proshop purchase. For Indian Creek Racquet Club members, monthlySavers’ Club fees are $9 plus tax per individual; $10.50 plus taxper couple; and $11.50 plus tax per family. Nonmember monthlyfees are $13, $14.50, and $15.50, respectively.

� Tennis Warehouse: While there are no rental fees, customerspay round-trip UPS shipping for a maximum of four demos for aseven-day period. If a demo isn’t returned, the borrower’s creditcard is charged.

� Chicago Tennis & Golf: $1.50 per racquet for three days formembers; $3 for nonmembers. Demo fees, with the exception of$5 daily late fees, are credited toward the purchase of a racquet.The store provides a 24-hour demo return box.

� e-tennis inc., Winter Park, Fla.: $25 to join the Demo Club,which allows customers to borrow three demos for three days ata time over a 180-day period.

Creatingthe Menu

head size, a deal breaker for most consumers whose skill andfitness levels often favor a specific size.

“The 100-square-inch head size is where the meat of themarket is right now,” says Chris Gaudreau, owner of RacquetKoop in New Haven, Conn. “But I can’t duplicate my inven-tory too much. I need to stock the 95-inch and the 105 and110, and even the 115.”

Gaudreau says he will narrow his selection to two or threeof each head size, with slightly more duplication in the 100-to 105-square-inch categories. “I try to find a good mix ofeverything,” he says.

Larger specialty retailers like All About Tennis, with threelocations in metro Phoenix, simply stock as many racquets(and head sizes) as possible, says owner Jesse Ponwith.“When we try to play it a little safer and have to special-ordera racquet, the customer usually doesn’t want to wait and we’lllose the sale,” he says. “So if possible, it’s good to inventoryquite of bit of stuff.”

PriceIt’s no surprise that the almighty dollar has a big impact oninventory selection, but a high price tag—and profit margin,for that matter—should not be the sole factor in your inven-tory selection, says Vorhaus.

“I have to ask myself, how many $275 racquets am I real-istically going to sell?” he says. “Probably not as many as the$175 ones, so I’ll choose my inventory accordingly.”

The logical temptation for many retailers is to carry moreracquets with higher profit margins, instead of what might


or consumers of virtually every age group and skill level,there’s a mouthwatering mix of tennis racquets dotting

the retail landscape. They come in a multitude of shapes,head sizes and colors—not to mention innovative new tech-nologies—and streams of updated models are constantlybeing added to the mix. But for many specialty retailers, thisstringed smorgasbord can lead to a bad case of heartburn.

All too often, retailers must deal with limited retail space,more limited budgets, and finicky consumers, which makesracquet inventory an especially important—and definitelydaunting—task. But according to some of the country’s lead-ing racquet retailers, there is a method to the madness whenit comes to choosing inventory wisely.

“When you’re a professional buyer, whether it’s for a jew-elry store or a tennis shop, you need to offer a wide range ofoptions that address your customers needs and wants,” saysSteve Vorhaus, owner of Rocky Mountain Racquet Special-ists, Boulder, Colo. “We make our inventory decisions basedon the needs of each player.”

Sounds pretty simple, right?Although “know thy customer” remains the golden rule

for many retailers, especially when it comes to inventoryselection, the following list of comprehensive criteria cameup repeatedly when we asked racquet retailers how theychoose their inventory.

Head SizeWhen it comes to racquets, size really does matter. Perhapsno single characteristic affects inventory selection more than

F

R A C Q U E T R E T A I L I N G

Creatingthe MenuWhat’s your recipe for choosing racquetsfor your shop? Some top retailers revealwhat goes into the mix. B Y M I T C H R U S T A D


actually better suit their customers. “Its just a basic busi-ness decision at that point,” says Gaudreau. “If you can’tsell a product, even if it has a great margin, then what’sthe point of carrying it?”

Manufacturer’s IncentivesThe quality of your relationship with each manufacturercasts a large shadow over inventory selection. “If I don’tfeel a comany is giving me the service that I should be get-ting, or if I’m having a hard time consistently with the rep,I may back off a little bit on that company,” says Vorhaus.

But incentives such as volume discounts can super-sede almost anything, says Gaudreau. “Incentives docome into play, because most manufacturers offer gooddiscount programs, and that does affect what your inven-tory mix is going to be,” he says.

But Gaudreau admits that on-the-fence inventory deci-sions are often tipped by the quality of his dealer rela-

tionships. “I look at what kind of dealer supportI’m getting, and if they’re hard to work with, I

might not try a framethat I’m not sure about,”

he says.

Star QualityThe jury’s out on whether

today’s superstars significantlyimpact racquet sales, but

Gaudreau says marquee names doinfluence his more starry-eyed

customers.“I will look to see what players are

using,” says Gaudreau, who points toRoger Federer, Andre Agassi, andAndy Roddick as today’s most influ-

ential players. “What they usesells, so I’ll keep up on what

the top players are using.My customers won’t playlike Federer, but they maywant to try his racquet.”

Vorhaus is slightly lessenthusiastic. “We like to be

aware of what the pros play with,but over 90 percent of our sales are

driven by our demo program,” he says.“Roddick’s racquet may get them in the

door, but they’re going to want to take it fora test drive.”

Media BuzzPositive buzz in the media—such as Tennis

magazine’s annual Editor’s Choice selections—can also play a role in selecting your inventory.

Says Gaudreau: “This does get a lot of press and it def-initely generates some interest among my customers, soI have to respond to that.”

Any extra promotion or publicity a racquet receiveswill directly affect consumer buzz, adds Ponwith. “If it’sout there and people are reading about it, they’ll come inand see if we carry it,” he says.

GeographyInventory selection must also reflect your store’s geo-graphic location and climate. “We’re in a high-altitudearea, and because of that, power is not as important tomy customers,” says Vorhaus. “We just don’t sell asmany top-line, high-power frames as a dealer at sea levelmight.”

Other geographic considerations, such as your city’smost prevalent surface (clay vs. hard) or the local climate(high or low humidity), can also affect consumer racquetpreferences and should be taken into account. �

ReachingYour Goals

game plan for reaching that goal, and the advancingprospect of reaching it energizes them. Having clear goalsand plans allows them to break up tasks into bite-sizedpieces and work on them systematically. In this way, it iseasier to see to the end of them; they appear less daunting,engender less fear, and are less likely to be put off. Most peo-ple, because they are afraid that they will not be able toachieve worthy goals in any case, run blindly and ineffi-ciently with neither clear goals nor developed plans forachievement.

Having Goals and Moving TowardThem Makes Us HappyNot only does setting goals help us become more effectiveachievers, but it also makes us happier! People are happiestwhen they are progressing toward a goal—when they wakeup today a little better off than they were yesterday.

People who are trapped in situations where improve-ment is difficult or impossible are less happy. Here the feel-ing of stagnation is unpleasant and emotionally debilitating.


ost of the champion’s attitudes and techniques, oncethey are understood, can be applied by anybody. Any-

body can improve and become more successful in business,sports, or elsewhere by becoming aware of their own achieve-ment shortcomings—their counter-productive attitudes andinsidiously harmful fears and emotions—and overcomingthem by consciously behaving more like the champions.

Sure, the champions have it easier because they have bet-ter control over their fears and habitually do the right thingcompetitively. But with enlightenment, discipline, and per-sistence, the average person can do just as well. One of thetechniques of champions is goal setting.

Goals Yield Direction, Motivation,and Game PlansChampions are more clearly aware of their achievement goalsthan most people. They fix their goals firmly and distinctly intheir view-screens and can thus direct and focus their effortsmore effectively.

Having a clear goal allows them to develop an intelligent

M

T H E W I N N E R ʼ S M I N D

ReachingYour Goals

The author of The Winner's Mind: A Competitor's Guide toSports and Business Success reveals how champions inany activity clearly identify goals and set up game plansto achieve them. B Y A L L E N F O X , P H . D .


Progressing toward a goal requires, first and foremost,that we have one.

Goals and Your Game PlanGoals can be broken down into two categories: short-term and long-term. Your long-term goal is your majorgoal, the “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” and iswhat you are ultimately trying to accomplish.

Your short-term goals are stepping-stone achieve-ments on the way to your long-term goal. They aresimple, bite-sized objectives that lead you toward yourultimate objective. Effective achievement requiresboth types of goals,although, as we willdiscuss later, the short-term ones are the mostimportant.

Equally essential isa game plan. This givesyou the road map ofyour pathway to yourlong-term or ultimategoal and allows you toidentify your short-term goals. All goalsshould be clearly iden-tified (as specifically aspossible) so you cankeep your eye on themand not become scat-tered and disoriented.

It is also preferable,though not always pos-sible, for their attain-ments to, in some way,be measurable. Vaguegoals or goals that are,for all practical purpos-es, unattainable are only modestly helpful. Examplesare goals like “getting rich” or “running a huge com-pany.” These are more in the “hope” than “goal” cat-egory. On the other hand, even vague goals or “pie inthe sky” goals are better than none at all.

Effectiveness Requires Focus onShort-Term GoalsChampions win tennis matches by using this strategy.Their long-term goal is so obvious—to win the match—that they don’t have to think much about it beforehand.They construct a game plan that, ideally, uses their ownstrengths to attack their opponents’ weaknesses. Thisgives them the best chance of winning the match.

Their short-term goal becomes to win each pointby using their game plan, and they focus all their men-tal, emotional, and physical resources on winning

these points—one at a time. They don’t have to concernthemselves about winning the match. (In fact, they oftenmake conscious efforts to avoid focusing on winning thematch during play since it tends to make them nervous andis, therefore, counterproductive.)

As long as they are sufficiently adept at attaining theirshort-term goals (winning points), their long-term goal willfollow as a matter of course.

Happiness is Moving ForwardYou will be happiest when you are improving in some wayand moving toward a goal. This is best accomplished by set-ting up a clear long-term goal, a game plan for reaching it, a

series of short-term goals,and then devoting all yourpowers to meeting yourshort-term goals. You cantrot out your long-term goalfrom time to time for motiva-tion and to see if you are pro-gressing toward it asplanned, but never forget tokeep focused on meetingshort-term goals.

Before and during theprocess, you should clearlyidentify and, figuratively, seton the table in front of you,your fears of failure. Do youthink you are not smartenough, not educatedenough, an inept athlete,lacking in willpower, havenever done it before, not a“winner” type, and so forth?Consciously recognize thatyou can overcome any ofthese supposed weaknesses

with sufficient effort and purpose.If you find yourself procrastinating or are losing your

resolve during the achievement process, trot out these fearsagain. They are, behind the scenes, disorienting you. Bringthem out into the open, vow to overpower them, and imme-diately start moving forward. Success reduces fears of fail-ure and breeds success. �

Allen Fox is author of The Winner's Mind: ACompetitor's Guide to Sports and BusinessSuccess (Racquet Tech Publishing, an imprintof the USRSA, $17.95, available atwww.racquettech.com and book stores every-where). Fox earned a B.A. degree in physicsand a Ph.D. in psychology from UCLA and isauthor of two previous tennis classics. Former-ly ranked as high as No. 4 in the U.S,. Fox wasa Wimbledon quarterfinalist, an investmentbanker, a small business owner, and the coachof many highly ranked Pepperdine tennis

The Success FormulaThe general formula for success is fivefold:1. Clearly identify your ultimate goal.2. Construct a game plan for reaching that goal.3. Use this plan to set up short-term goals that leadtoward your ultimate goal. They should be bite-sized,feasible, and, if possible, measurable.

4. Attack each of your short-term goals in order, one ata time, by focusing all your energies on it. Once it isaccomplished, move on to attack your next short-term goal.

5. Monitor your overall progress toward your ultimategoal as more information becomes available. Consid-er whether or not you need to modify your game plan.If you modify the plan, change your short-term goalsaccordingly.


We found that Klip Screamer is niceto string, even though the gut is a bitrough, and the Scorcher nylon is a bitstretchy. The gut also feels dry to thetouch, but strings up just fine. However,several of our playtesters reported flakingor peeling of the gut when pulling thecrosses (with the Scorcher nylon in themains).

Klip Screamer

EASE OF STRINGING GUT Ms NYLON Ms(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 0 1somewhat easier 6 6about as easy 18 22not quite as easy 12 9not nearly as easy 2 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 5 6somewhat better 11 13about as playable 10 7not quite as playable 8 12not nearly as playable 2 1

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1 1somewhat better 11 6about as durable 16 14not quite as durable 4 10not nearly as durable 4 8

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 4.0 3.9Durability 3.4 2.8Power 4.0 3.7Control 3.9 3.8Comfort 3.9 3.8Touch/Feel 3.9 3.7Spin Potential 3.5 3.7Holding Tension 3.6 3.6Resistance to Movement 3.5 3.4

string PLAYTEST

Klip Screamer is one of Klip’s “Pro Dou-

bles” (hybrid) strings, this one combin-

ing natural gut with Klip Scorcher (see

the playtest report for Klip Scorcher in

the September 2003 issue of Racquet

Tech).Klip Scorcher is a solid-core multiwrap

string designed to bridge the gapbetween monofilament and multifilamentstrings. According to Klip, Scorcher'scopolymer monofilament nylon core givesit a crisper feel than the typical multifila-ment, while the two high-tensile fiberwraps give it livelier playability than nylonmonofilaments. The outer layer is a pearl-ized coating of titanium oxide. Accordingto Klip, combining natural gut with itstitanium double-wrap nylon results in adurable yet very playable hybrid.

With Screamer, Klip is targeting play-ers looking for the feel and playability ofnatural gut at a fraction of the price,along with crisper power. The Scorchernylon helps increase ball control by reduc-ing ball speed.

Screamer is available in 16 and 17gauges in natural/white only. It is pricedfrom $18 for sets with 21 feet of naturalgut and 22 feet of Scorcher (nylon). Formore information or to order, contact Klipat 866-554-7872, or visitwww.klipstrings.com. Be sure to read the

conclusion for Klip’s special offer toUSRSA members.

IN THE LABWe tested the 17-gauge Screamer “bothways”—that is, with the gut in the mainsand Scorcher nylon in the crosses, andwith the Scorcher nylon in the mains andthe gut in the crosses. We recorded astringbed stiffness of each string combi-nation immediately after installation at60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95(16 x 18 pattern) on a constant-pullmachine, and then retested after 24hours (no playing).

Our control string, Prince SyntheticGut Original Gold 16, measured 78 RDCunits immediately after stringing and 71RDC units after 24 hours, representing a9 percent tension loss. See the table forour measurements of the 17-gauge KlipScreamer we playtested. Screamer added13.95 grams to the weight of ourunstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeksby 78 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP rat-ings from 3.5 to 6.0 (39 testers in eachof two groups). These are blind tests,with playtesters receiving unmarkedstrings in unmarked packages. Weinstructed one team to install the gut inthe mains, and the other to install theScorcher nylon in the mains.

NATURAL GUT SCORCHER NYLONCoil measurements 20’2.5” 25’Diameter unstrung 1.26 mm 1.26 mmDiameter strung 1.18 mm 1.19 mm

GUT MAINS/ NYLON MAINS/NYLON CROSSES GUT CROSSES

Average playtest duration 19.57 hours 17 hoursBroke during play 11 19Break hours 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 1, 1.5, 2, 4.5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 8, 10,

10, 11, 16, 18, 25, 26 11, 11, 11, 16, 18, 22, 34, 48RDC stringbed stiffness new 75 72RDC stringbed stiffness after 24 hours 71 68Tension loss 4 RDC 4 RDCTension loss % 5.33% 5.56%Broke during stringing 3 0Excess coil memory 4 5Difficulty tying knots 2 1Friction burn 4 7


“ The gut coil was just barely long enough to make it to the tension headon the outside mains. I could have used another 12 inches. Having gutmains really gives this string plenty of feel, and comfort. There is plenty ofpower without giving up any control. It may sound too good to be true, butthis hybrid has it all. Mains resisted movement and there was very littleloss in tension during the time I tested it. I recommend this string to alllevel of players.”4.5 male all-court player using Head Liquidmetal Instinct strung at 60pounds LO (Wilson Stamina 16)

“ Beautiful strings. They broke in very quickly. Response was crispthroughout test period. Easy on the arm, great touch, and minimal loss oftension, even though I did not prestretch. There is no problem with con-trol and yet adequate power. It is holding up terrifically for a soft string.No notching: only indentations. I would very much recommend it.”5.0 male all-court player using Head i.X6 OS strung at 61 pounds LO(Tecnifibre NRG 16)

“ This is the best string I have tested in a long time. The combinedpower, control, and delicate touch make this string a must-have for all-court and doubles players. An absolute pleasure to play with, and veryeasy on the arm when teaching. What is there not to like with thisstring? I have enjoyed this string so much that I intend to play on with ituntil it’s worn out. Please make sure you let me know what this string isbecause I would like to add it to my inventory.”5.0 male all-court player using Wilson Hyper Pro Staff Surge 5.1 strung at58 pounds CP (Tecnifibre 515 Gold 17)

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

TESTERS TALK

ON THE COURTThe ratings our playtesters gave KlipScreamer are a study in superlatives. KlipScreamer 17, with gut in the mains andScorcher in the crosses, comes in firstoverall of the 90 strings we haveplaytested to date, dethroning noneother than Klip’s “Pro Double” (gutmains/poly crosses hybrid) X-Plosive(November 2004 RSI magazine). Inachieving this score, it placed first inTouch/Feel and first in Spin Potential (acategory in which our playtesters areusually stingy in their praise). It alsoplaced second in Power, second in Con-trol, and second in Comfort. To roundthings out, it also placed third in Playabili-ty, well above average in Holding Ten-sion, and above average in Durability andResistance to Movement.

Klip Screamer 17 also placed well withScorcher in the mains and gut in the cross-es, coming in third of the 90 strings we’veplaytested to date in Comfort, fifth in Playa-bility, sixth in Power, and sixth inTouch/Feel. It also placed well above aver-age in Control, Spin Potential, and HoldingTension, and above average in Resistance toMovement. These scores are good enoughfor an overall score well above average.

CONCLUSIONConventional wisdom dictates that with agut hybrid, you put the nylon, poly, oraramid in the mains for durability, and thegut in the crosses for feel. This playtestshows why it can be good to experiment.Klip Screamer 17 with gut in the mains real-ly impressed our playtesters, even morethan our previous test of Klip X-Plosive.

The common factor among thesefour tests is, aside from the manufac-turer, the use of natural gut, whichhints at why so many players recognizenatural gut as the best string. With KlipScreamer, our playtesters found theygot the on-court performance they areseeking, with better durability. And, asKlip points out, this performancecomes at a lower cost than using gutalone, not only in the initial purchaseprice, but also in the additionallongevity. Amazingly, fewer playtestersbroke the gut mains compared to thenylon mains.

If you think that Klip Screamermight be for you, Klip is offeringUSRSA members a special deal: Buythree sets, and get the fourth set free.

—Greg Raven �

“ Absolutely love this gut hybrid. It makes me want to change to it.Anyone with arm problems should give this string a try. It scores highon durability, playability, comfort, power, and control for me. ”5.0 male baseliner with moderate spin using Babolat Pure ControlZylon + strung at 62 pounds LO (Babolat Super Fine Play 17)

“ I am pleasantly surprised by this hybrid. I wasn’t sure the gutwould hold up, but it did, and I really liked the playability of thestring combination. My regular string is great, but I have to say Iwould switch to this hybrid if given a choice between the two,depending on the price.”3.5 female all-court player using Prince AirLaunch 925 OS strung at62 pounds CP (Wilson NXT 17)

“ I liked this string from the moment I opened the package. Duringstringing there was a minor friction problem when pulling the gutthrough the nylon mains, but slowing down a little helped tremen-dously. On court, I immediately felt how comfortable the string is,and I lean toward softer strings. This string definitely fit into that cat-egory. I was able to maintain very good spin on the ball, so my kickserve worked very well with this string. My normal topspin groundstrokes were jumping out of my opponents’ strike zones. Even withall my heavy spin, there was very little string movement. Even thoughI knew I was using a hybrid, I was constantly reminded of the dayswhen I used all natural gut.”5.0 male all-court player using Dunlop Revelation Tour Pro strung at52/50 pounds CP (various 16/17)

GUT MAINS, NYLON CROSSES NYLON MAINS, GUT CROSSES

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

the EXPERTSask

TWO-PIECE STRINGINGWHY DON’T YOU HAVE ONE-piecestringing instructions in the Digestfor every racquet? Some only show

two-piece instructions?

ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MANY rac-quets that can be strung with one

piece of string, many manufacturers feelthat, where the mains end at the throat,stringing the crosses from the throat to thehead places too much stress on the frame,which can result in failure. On these rac-quets, only two-piece stringing is advised, sowe show only the stringing instructions forthe manufacturer’s recommended method.

TENSION ADJUSTMENTSWHY ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO adjusttensions when using aramid or poly-ester strings?

TYPICAL ARAMID AND “polyester”strings exhibit much higher dynamic

stiffness than typical nylon or natural gutstrings. As a result, the stringbed stiffnesscan be so much higher with aramid orpoly than with nylon or gut that the man-ufacturer recommends reducing the ten-sion on these to enhance the feel andplayability of the string. However, withsome polys, the tension loss after stringingis so high that the manufacturer recom-mends stringing at a higher tension tocompensate for the inevitable tension loss.Of course, if you like the way a particulararamid or poly string feels and plays with-out adjusting the tension, then you arecertainly free to ignore the manufacturer’ssuggestion, as long as you remain withinthe tension range of the frame.

INTERRUPTED STRINGINGSOMETIMES I GET INTERRUPTED INthe middle of string jobs, and Ineed to be able to stop and do

something else. If you’ve mounted theframe properly in the stringing machine,

why is it so important to finish the stringjob once you’ve started it? The only way Ican do this is if I ignore everything else, ordo my stringing in my off hours!

THERE ARE TWO BASIC factors toconsider. First, even when properly

mounted, the frame flexes a lot duringthe stringing process. Stopping mid-instal-lation means that the frame is flexed outof its normal shape for however long youleave it that way. This can lead to defor-mation and failure of the frame. Second,string begins to lose tension from themoment it’s clamped off. If the first halfof your string job is hours older than thesecond half, the racquet may not feel orplay the way it should, and the customeris not getting what he paid for.

—Greg Raven �

We welcome your questions. Please send themto Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista,CA, 92084; fax: 760-536-1171; email:[email protected].

QA


Your Equipment Hotline

QA

Q

A


USRSA MEMBERCLASSIFIEDS

WANTED: Jack Kramer ProStaff’s (wood frames), decentcondition, 4-3/8 or 4-1/2,medium or standard weights.Contact: Steve, email:[email protected]

WANTED: Sportmaster Inter-national Overgrips (anycolor). Please contact Adamat [email protected]

WANTED: Babolat RDC. Pre-fer older version (white) ingood condition. Will considernew version (blue). Eithermust have accurate scalefunction. Please e-mail [email protected] or call407/673-9200

saving approach is to cut the strings butleave them where they are (apart fromthe strings forming part of the tie offs,which should be removed), and then pulloff the old bumperguard and grommetstrips together with the old strings goingthrough them.10 Packs of Unique Tourna Grip(Packs of 3) to:T. A. Frost, Bromley, Kent, England

INSTALLING LOADSPREADERS

I use the Prince load spreaders betweenthe frame and the head and throat bil-liards on my stringing machine. I foundthat if I thread the two center mains first,then put the adapters in and tighten thebilliards, I never have a problem findingthe grommet holes, which can be maskedby the adapters, making threading thosestrings much easier.Wilson US Open Backpack to:Gaines Hillix, MRT, Marietta, GA

—Greg Raven �

frame or grommet, indicating a“framed” shot.

3. Nicked or damaged string (which canoccur before, during, or after stringing).

4. Defective string.5. Worn or damaged bumperguard that

allows string to contact the court whiledigging for a shot.

Gosen T-Shirt and 5 sets ofMicro Super JC 16 to:Dan McManus, Auburn, WA

MARKETINGADDING ANOTHERSTRINGING LOCATIONThis tip works well for professionalstringers working from a shop or fromtheir home. You can increase your busi-ness by offering convenient drop-off andpick-up at multiple locations. To add alocation, develop a partnership with anestablished business to receive and returnracquets to customers. I set up an agree-ment like this with a dry cleaner acrossthe street from the local tennis courts. Iput a sign in their window and gave thema supply of service requests listing pricesand strings available. They have even seenseveral of the stringing customers turninto laundry customers.

Customers drop their racquets at thecleaners. I pick them up, restring themand return them to the cleaners. Cus-tomers pick them up, pay for them, and Icollect from the cleaners, less a transac-tion fee established in mutual agreement.

Customer feedback does take someadditional effort. I follow up with e-mailand personal contact whenever I can tomake sure I get and provide feedback onmy string jobs.Forten Tour Bag to:Dan McManus, Auburn, WA

BEGINNERSCOMBINING TASKSWhen a customer asks for a new bumperand grommet strip to be fitted to the rac-quet, it is easy to fall into the normal habitof cutting and removing the strings, andthen taking out the old bumper andgrommet strips. An easier and more time-

and TECHNIQUES

INSTALLING TUBINGIt is often difficult to insert tubing throughregular (that is, non-tie-off) grommet holes.Even after stretching it a little, as recom-mended in Racquet Service Techniques, it isstill hard to push it through. I found that if Itake a piece of 18-gauge string slightlylonger than the piece of tubing, and slide itinto the tubing, I can push the tubing andstring into and through the grommet. Then Ihold the tubing in place while sliding outthe string. Works every time!5 sets of Gamma Synthetic Gut 16with Wearguard to:Bill Webster, Bozeman, MT

STRING BREAKAGEFAILURE ANALYSIS

In the past I told customers to cut thestrings in a racquet after a string breaks, torelieve stress on the frame. I even told themthe proper method for cutting out thestrings. However, not having the stringbedprevented me from examining the break tosee if I could determine the cause. Now I tellcustomers to leave the things as they are ifthere is a suspicious break, so I can inspectthe frame and strings. I then look for:1. A worn or damaged grommet with a

sharp edge.2. One or more strings broken near the

Readers’ Know-How in Action


tips

Tips and Techniques submitted since 2000 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].

This cross string broke because it came into contact withthe court.

This main string broke because of a “frame” shot.


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E Q U I P M E N TTennis Racquets10-S Tennis SupplyAlpha SportsDunlop Sports (Focus Golf)Edwards Div. of Collegiate PacificFromuth TennisGamma Sports/Fischer USAHEAD/Penn Racquet SportsPrince Sports, Inc.TecnifibreVolkl Sport AmericaWilson Racquet Sports

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Your ServeJunior Achievements

JimBaugh didn’t quantify the ages of theplayers surveyed, but judging from oursport’s demographics, I suspect that the

number of kids who’ve tried tennis and didn’tcontinue is fairly significant. The upward spiralof aging tennis players has disturbedme forquite some time.What’s evenmore disturbingis the fact that the managers, directors, andprofessionals at many private and public facili-ties are doing little to reverse this alarmingtrend. And these are the people that ourindustry relies upon to be the caretakers of thegame.

Consider the impact of a widely accept-ed club policy that allows juniors the privi-lege of court time with the caveat that twoor more adults may “bump” them. Imag-ine how discouraging it must be for a cou-ple of kids to be told to vacate a courtafter only getting to hit the ball around for10 or 15 minutes. These kids may wellhave had to take painstaking measureseven to get to the club. Moreover, it wasprobably a parent, most likely an adultclub member of equal status to those whojust “bumped” their child, who took timeout of a busy schedule to drive the chil-dren to the facility.

Why do the rules presume that thisparent’s time is worth less than the time ofthose who were given court priority? Tome, this situation would certainly qualify asa negative experience. An experience thatcould negatively impact the way a childwould perceive both the game and tennisplayers.

Many clubs don’t even allow juniors toreserve courts in advance. They are afford-ed court time only on an “availability”basis. We’re not exactly rolling out thewelcome mats for our future players.

Another common practice takes placenearly every afternoon and weekend atnearly every tennis facility. The head ten-nis pro can usually be found on a primecourt giving clinics and private instructionto adult members. Every now and thenone or two of the club’s top junior play-ers, or perhaps the child of a VIP member,might merit a spot on his busy lessonschedule. Meanwhile, the club’s less expe-rienced players are relegated to one ortwo less pristine courts receiving groupinstruction by a less experienced assistantor staff pro. The head pro rarely evenbothers to learn the names of thesenovice upstarts. Isn’t it ironic that thesechildren are the ones who would stand togain the most from an experiencedteacher? It’s not surprising to discoverthat many of these children leave thegame in less than a year.

These problems have an easy solution.Our juniors must be accorded the samelevel of service that is given to adults.Meet and greet each junior player withthe same enthusiasm that would be givento an adult member. Learn your juniors’names and more. Take the time to discov-er their interests, their grade level, theirschool, etc. Knowing their favorite playerswill give you a tremendous advantage insteering them toward the purchase of rac-quets, shoes, and clothing. But mostimportantly, the time you take to knowthem will enhance their feelings aboutour sport.

A good head pro doesn’t have to bepresent at every junior clinic, but it isimportant for him to make frequentappearances just to let the kids know that

their efforts are valued and that theirprogress is being noted.

Many of the most successful pros thatI know encourage their adult members tohit with their juniors. These same prosmake their young members feel welcomeby creating special rooms or areas for kidsto hang out. Junior social events andround robins should be scheduled withthe same frequency as adult events.Common services such as racquet string-ing and re-gripping should be given thesame detailed attention regardless of whois receiving the service.

We had approximately 450 adult ten-nis members at my former club, and wehad about 150 juniors who played on aregular weekly basis. Over 75 percent oflesson revenue and 65 percent of proshop sales were generated through thisminority group. It makes little sense notto give these young consumers the samequality service that would be given totheir elders.

We only get one chance to make afirst impression. Let’s do our best to makean effective “first serve,” regardless of towhom it’s directed. By serving our juniorsas we would our adults, we all becomewinners. �

We welcome your opinions. Please emailcomments to [email protected] or faxthem to 760-536-1171.

Scott Tharp is the executivedirector of Arthur Ashe YouthTennis and Education, whichas the owner/operator of theArthur Ashe Youth TennisCenter and National JuniorTennis League of Philadel-phia provides tennis instruc-tion to more than 8,500

children at 62 sites throughout greater Philadel-phia. He is certified by the USPTA and is a PTRMaster Pro, is president of the PTR Foundation,and serves on the USTA’s NJTL Committee. Healso has developed three accredited continuingeducation courses for tennis coaches.


“Our juniors must be

accorded the same level

of service that is given

to adults. ”

B Y S C O T T T H A R P

A veteran tennis coach and youth center executive director says tennispros need to serve juniors as they do adults.

“71 million Americans have tried or ‘sam-pled’ tennis and no longer play. Of thesepeople who tried tennis and didn’t contin-ue, only 3 percent have any interest in try-ing again. Why? The initial experiencewasn’t positive.”

—TIA President Jim Baugh

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