200603 Racquet Sports Industry

March 2006Volume 34 Number 3 $5.00

EXCLUSIVE RACQUETSELECTION GUIDE

EXCLUSIVE RACQUETSELECTION GUIDE

DEPARTMENTS

R S I M A R C H 2 0 0 6Contents

March 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

Contents

4 Our Serve

16 The Master Pros

41 Stringing Machine Review: Babolat Star 5

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 New travel & instructionbenefits for USTA members

7 Tennis sales continue up,says SGMA

8 Las Vegas Fast-StringContest

8 National Public ParksChampionships in June

8 River City Athleticsacquires Novagrass

8 Cardio Tennis in Australia

10 Deco picked for Virginiaindoor facility

10 Wilson gear featured onShowtime series

10 PTR launches“Scholarship Scout”

12 Prince introducesScream 2 shoe

12 Ashaway adds two newbadminton strings

12 Sharapova switches toPrince 03 White frame

13 New Tour Team bag linefrom Head

14 Gamma offers PrivateLogo Program

44 String Playtest: Gamma Zo Pro 16L

46 Ask the Experts

56 Your Serve, by Robin Bateman

18 Expanding HorizonsConsidering adding another court or two? Here’s what you need to know.

21 Fix the CracksTaking care of cracked courts depends on why they cracked in the first place.

24 Keep It CleanNo matter what type of courts you have, regular maintenance is a must.

26 Class ActsSchools and colleges dominated these RSI/ASBA hard-court facility-of-the-year winners.

COURT CONSTRUCTION& MAINTENANCE GUIDE

29 Racquet Selection GuideOur exclusive guide to racquets will help youchoose the right frames for your customers.

39 Don’t Bust a Gut!Worried about your first natural gut string job? Twostringing experts take the mystery out of it for you.

FEATURES

River Forest Tennis Club, River Forest, IL

he USTA’s Community Tennis Development Work-

shop once again drew a large, enthusiastic crowd

in early February, this time in Hollywood, Calif. I was

among about 650 who registered for the conference,

and again, I was amazed and impressed by the dedi-

cation of this group of community tennis leaders—

many who are volunteers—who came from all over

the U.S. seeking ways to promote and develop tennis

in their communities..Over the years, my respect for the people who deliver tennis at the

local level has grown immeasurably, thanks in large part to workshopssuch as the CTDW, but also because of the Tennis Teachers Confer-ence in New York each August, the PTR Symposium in February, theUSPTAWorld Conference in September, and many smaller gatherings.

Sometimes, I think we forget that those of us who make our livingfrom tennis—whether as a tennis teaching pro, club or facility owneror manager, tennis retailer, manufacturer, court builder, or, in ourcase, tennis publisher—owe a tremendous amount to those who don’tmake their living from the game. The hard-working volunteers whogive their time and effort to increase participation in the sport, to putthe sport front and center in their communities, unquestionably helpus as we seek to make a living from this sport.

The theme of this year’s CTDW was “Heroes Among Us.” Thosewho gathered in California to seek out ways to grow tennis are all“heroes” in their communities. Now, as tennis participation is on theupswing and momentum continues to gather, we all need join in theirquest.

These community tennis leaders need our support in every way. Ifyou haven’t already done so, it’s time to make contact with your localCommunity Tennis Association, or school system, or parks program,or USTA district or section, to see how you can help in growing thissport—how you, too, can be a true tennis “hero.”

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

Our ServeBe a “Hero” in Your Community

(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 Rustad

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. March 2006, Volume 34, Num-ber 3 © 2006 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 March 2006

T

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

or the first time, the USTA is partneringwith resorts and adult and junior campsto offer exclusive vacation and tennis

instruction benefits to USTA members. Theperks vary from property to property and mayinclude benefits such as lodging and packagediscounts, complimentary restringing, free pri-vate lesson, and more.“We’re excited about

working with our newresort and camp partners tohelp us build tennis partici-pation,” says Barrie D.Markowitz, the USTA’s sen-ior director of membership.To receive special benefitsat these sites, USTA mem-bers need to provide theirmembership number to theresort or camp at the timeof booking.As of early February,

more than 20 resorts, adultcamps, and junior camps inNorth America have agreedto provide special benefitsfor USTA members. For helpin compiling venues for theprogram, the USTA approached noted tennis-travel expert Roger Cox, the editor of TennisResorts Online(www.tennisresortsonline.com).� At resorts, members will receive at leastthree of the following: free 30-minute privatelesson, discount on pro shop apparel, com-plimentary racquet grip and restringing, freebreakfast for everyone on your reservation,late checkout (if available), or at least 10 per-cent off room and tennis package rates.

� At adult camps, members will receive atleast two of the following: free 30-minuteprivate lesson, complimentary racquet gripand restringing, or at least 10 percent offroom and tennis package rates.

� At junior camps, members will receive at

least two of the following: free 30-minuteprivate lesson, complimentary merchandiseworth at least $20, at least 10 percent off thepackage price, or a personalized DVD of aninstruction session.For details visit www.usta.com/ member-

ship. The latest list of participating resortsand camps is below.

� RESORTS: The Buccaneer, St. Croix, USVI; TheColony Beach & Tennis Resort, Longboat Key, Fla.;La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, La Jolla, Calif.;Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Kohala Coast, Hawaii;The Phoenician, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Rancho ValenciaResort, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Sea Pines Resort,Hilton Head, S.C.; Tops’l Beach & Racquet Resort,Destin, Fla.

� ADULT CAMPS: John Newcombe Tennis Ranch,New Braunfels, Texas; new England Tennis Holi-days, North Conway, N.H.; New England TennisHolidays at Inn at Essex, Essex, Vt.; Northstar-at-Tahoe Tennis Camps, Truckee, Calif.; PeterKaplan’s Westhampton Beach Tennis Academy,Westhampton, N.Y.; Vic Braden Tennis Col-lege/Green Valley Spa, St. George, Utah.

� JUNIOR CAMPS: Four Star Summer Camps, Char-lottesville, Va.; Julian Krinsky Summer Camps &Progams, Haverford and Cabrini Colleges, Pa.;Nike Junior Tennis Camps, multiple locationsnationwide; Windridge Tennis Camps, CraftsburyCommon and Teela-Wooket, Vt.

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I M A R C H 2 0 0 6

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


Tennis Sales ContinueTo Rise, Says SGMAThe latest sales data from the Sport-ing Goods Manufacturers Associationshows that tennis equipment hascontinued its upward trend in sales,growing 10 percent in 2005.

According to the SGMA, tennisequipment sales reached $244 mil-lion last year, and is expected toreach $256 million in ’06. Also SGMAsurveys confirm what the most recentTIA/USTA Tennis Participation Studynoted, that tennis participation hasbeen strengthening in recent years.

These latest SGMA figures are part ofa larger survey on sales of sportinggoods equipment, sports apparel, andathletic footwear. The SGMA sayswholesale numbers for all sportinggoods were slightly stronger in 2005than they were in 2004.

In ’04, total sales were $52.2 billion.In ’05, they rose to $55.7 billion—a6.8 percent jump. Sales for 2006 areprojected to reach $59.5 billion,about a 7 percent gain.

SGMA President Tom Cove says therenewed popularity in sports brandsfor both fashion and performancewere largely responsible for the surgein sales last year. The sporting goodsindustry includes sports apparel, ath-letic footwear, and a wide range ofequipment for sports, fitness, andoutdoor activities.

Wholesale shipments of sports appar-el rose by 9 percent to $26.1 billionin 2005.What’s significant is thatconsumers purchased more units ofsports apparel and paid more forthem.

Athletic footwear shipments werealso up by nearly 9 percent to $10.9billion. Fitness equipment experi-enced an increase of 6 percent tomore than $4 billion. More informa-tion is at www.sgma.com.

FUSTA Offers Travel, Instruction Benefits

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Fast-Stringing ChampionshipsSet for Las Vegas

When it comes tostringing rac-quets, are you

unbeatable? Put yourskills on the line atthe Wilson WorldFast-Stringing Cham-pionships, where cashand prizes for thefastest stringers total$10,000.The competition

will be March 3 to 5in Las Vegas, duringthe 2006 TennisChannel Open (held Feb. 25 to March 5). Online registration is$20; registration on-site is $30. For more information or to reg-ister, visit www.tennischannelopen.com or call 888-826-8497.


80th National Public ParksChampionships in June

The 80th Annual National Public Parks Tennis Champi-onships will be June 19 to 25 at the USTA National TennisCenter in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.Entry deadline for all events is June 5 at 5 p.m. To regis-

ter, visit www.usta.com/tennislink. For adults, the tourna-ment ID is 100217106; for juniors, 100216906.This year’s event is being held a month earlier than usual so

that the USTA will have time to resurface the courts prior to theUS Open at the end of August.

OLN, TTC to Show 2006 Davis Cup

OLN and The Tennis Channel will be the domestic televisionbroadcasters for allU.S. Davis Cup action

in 2006, the USTAannounced just before first-round action. The newagreement began Feb. 10 to12, with live coverage of the2006 first-round U.S. vs.Romania tie.For future rounds this

year, OLN will provide livecoverage of U.S. Davis Cuphome ties, to be followed bysame-day replays on TheTennis Channel. Schedulingof away tie broadcasts willbe contingent on the coun-try of origin.

River City Athletics LLC AcquiresNovagrass International

River City Athletics LLC of Chattanooga, Tenn., hasacquired the assets of Novagrass International Inc. Thepurchase was completed December 31, 2005.

River City Athletics will operate this sports surfacing divi-sion as NGI Sports, a division of River City Athletics LLC.NGI Sports will market Nova’Pro Tennis, Novagrasse Golfand NovaTurf Field Sports surfacing systems to the industry.NGI Sports, a division of River City Athletics, is located at

2807 Walker Rd., Chattanooga, Tenn.; phone 423-499-5546; fax 423-499-8882; toll free 800-835-0033. Emailaddress is [email protected].

Cardio Tennis Applauded Down Under

As the new Cardio Tennis program continues to expand inthe U.S., a presentation at the Australian Tennis Confer-ence in Melbourne during the Australian Open drew rave

reviews, says PTR Executive Director Dan Santorum, who con-ducted the on-court Cardio demonstration to more than 250coaches.“I have presented at the Australian Tennis Conference many

times, but this was by far the best reaction I have ever receivedon any topic,” Santo-rum says. “At least 40coaches approachedme afterward andwanted to know how theycould implement the pro-gram. Representatives from New Zealand and South Africaalso expressed great interest.”Cardio Tennis was launched in the U.S. at the beginning of

2005, and now, more than 1,000 facilities have signed on tobecome official Cardio sites. In September, the Tennis IndustryAssociation officially launched Cardio Tennis to consumers atthe 2005 US Open.For more information and the latest from a survey of 250

sites, visit www.Partners.CardioTennis.com.

Lee TennisRestructures Sales Force

Lee Tennis Products launched an Indoor Clay CourtForum through its website, www.hartru.com, to providea place for current and prospective indoor clay court

owners, managers, and maintenance personnel to shareideas and information.“After two conferences on indoor clay, and multiple site

visits, it became clear that people caring for indoor claycourts have unique challenges and want to be able to com-municate with one another about those challenges,” saysPat Hanssen of Lee Tennis. The forum features discussionthreads on surface compaction, irrigation, humidity, andtools and equipment.

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UVA Picks DecoTurffor Indoor Stadium

DecoTurf has been chosen as the surface for the Univer-sity of Virginia’s new Indoor Tennis Stadium at theBoar’s Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Va. DecoSys-

tems, a division of California Products Corp., says the 12new DecoTurf courts at the facility are the same type andcolor—US Open Blue—as are the courts at the USTA Nation-al Tennis Center.The indoor stadium at the Boar’s Head Sports Club is the

centerpiece of a $7.5 million expansion that was complet-ed earlier this year by court builder Howard B. Jones & Sonsof Lexington, S.C. DecoTurf also was recently selected forcourts at the University of Alabama, the University of Con-necticut, and St. John’s University.For more information, visit www.decoturf. com or call

800-DECO 1ST.

Wilson Gear Featured on Showtime Series

Wilson Racquet Sports is the tennis equipment providerfor a featured character on the current season of theShowtime Networks series “The L Word.” The show

chronicles the lives and careers of a group of friends living inLos Angeles.Actress Erin Daniels plays professional tennis player Dana

Fairbanks on the show, which kicked off its third season thismonth. Wilson outfitted the character with one of its nCoderacquets, the nSix-One 95, and a Wilson Tour bag.The equipment is used by Fairbanks in her tennis scenes,

including during a special tournament episode. Wilson alsosupplied tennis balls and courtside signage and provided gearsuch as caps, visors, and shirts for the extras seated in thecrowd.“We were excited to participate with ‘The L Word’ and pro-

vide them with Wilson equipment,” says Jon Muir, Wilson’sdirector of U.S. sales and marketing. For more on Wilson, visitwww.wilsonsports.com or call 773-714-6400.

USPTA Pros Raise $8.2 Million for Charity

In 2005, USPTA teaching professionals raised $8,197,249 forcharity through the association’s Lessons for Life pro-gram—-the most ever raised in one year by

Lessons for Life since its inception in 1999.“Our goal was $3 million, so our members real-

ly worked the charity circuit hard this year,” saidPaula Scheb, Lessons for Life chair, director of tennisand fitness at Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs,Fla., and a vice president of the USPTA’s national board. “I am justoverwhelmed with pride.” A variety of charities benefit each yearfrom the Lessons for Life program.Lessons for Life became USPTA’s national charitable program

in 1999. Through this program, the USPTA encourages its mem-bers to use tennis as a vehicle to help others through fund-raisersand other activities in their communities. Lessons for Life is offi-cially celebrated in October, but events may be hosted any timeduring the year. For more information, visit www.uspta.com.

New Prince FramesRank Highly in Sales Data

According to data by the Tennis Industry Association/SportsMarketing Surveys, Prince’s O3 Red and O3 Silver rac-quets ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in year-to-date

dollar share and unit share for 2005. In addition, the O3 Tourand O3 Blue were in the No. 6 and 9 spots, according to thesurvey.Of the 270-plus racquets included in the survey, the indus-

try report ranks Prince’s O3 Red and O3 Silver as the No. 3and No. 4 best-selling racquets overall in the pro/specialty mar-ket in terms of year-end dollars. Prince’s total racquet line

accounted for 21.6 percent of all racquetdollar sales for the year, according to

the TIA/SMS report. Prince's O3racquets accounted for morethan a 10 percent share in the

fourth quarter. Prince ranked No. 1 inprice point dollar sales in the premium rac-

quet segment (racquets retailing for over $200), with a 42 per-cent share.

PTR Launches “Scholarship Scout”

The PTR has launched a service on itswebsite that provides informationabout college scholarships.Called “Scholarship Scout,” the free

service will assist PTR members who aretrying to help their students find spots on acollege tennis team that offers partial or full tuition scholarships.In addition, college coaches, who regularly contact the PTR look-ing for players, can now recruit players for their teams by post-ing openings on Scholarship Scout.“We are excited to introduce this new PTR member benefit to

help this nation’s dedicated and hard-working high school andcollege coaches,” says PTR Executive Director Dan Santorum.Scholarship Scout is posted on the PTR’s website with the Net-

Works Jobs Bulletin. Visit www.ptrtennis.org for more information.

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


PBI Presents Awards at Annual Meeting

Peter Burwash International (www.pbitennis.com) recently celebrated its 30thanniversary at the company’s annual meeting at the Marriott Rancho Las Pal-mas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

In addition to a week of intensive educational activities, both on and off thecourt, awards were presented, including a “Professional of the Decade, awardedevery 10 years. The recipient this time was Rob Smith, the tennis director at TheAberdeen Marina Club in Hong Kong. Other awards were:� Professional of the Year: Rene Zondag, tennis director at the Jumeirah BeachHotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

� Most Improved Professional: Chris Palmer, tennis director at the Stone MountainTennis Center in Stone Mountain, Ga.

� Rookie of the Year: Nathan Jeffery, head pro at The American Club in Hong Kong� Friend of the Year: Bob Small, formerly v.p. of Marriott Resorts for the WestCoast, executive v.p. of Disney Resorts, and retired president and CEO of Fair-mont Hotels

� Site of the Year: Caneel Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Head District Sales Managers Honored

Tom Kelley (right), who manages Southern California,was named Head/Penn’s District Sales Manager of theYear for 2005. The company lauded Kelley for going

“above and beyond every goal” he had.Also, the company honored Steve Rothstein (far right) as

Head/Penn Rookie of the Year. Rothstein is the Midwest Districtsales manager.

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Ashaway Introduces2 Badminton Strings

Ashaway Racket Strings has announced two newstrings for badminton players, PowerGut 65and PowerGut 66. Both utilize Ashaway's

patented Power Filament Technology, or PFT, to cre-ate a unique filament surface layer that reducesstring movement andincreases durability, saysthe company. Combinedwith Ashaway's microfila-ment core, PowerGut 65and 66 are each opti-mized to enhance playa-bility and control at allstring tensions. They are available in 10 m sets and200 m reels, and in power green and power orangeas well as exciting new neon orange and neongreen colors. For more information, visitwww.ashawayusa.com or call 800-556-7260.

Sharapova Switches toPrince 03 WhiteMaria Sharapova switched to the new Prince O3White racquet at the Australian Open in January. “Itis much faster through the air and allows me togenerate more spin and power without losing con-trol,” Sharapova says. “It is a really stable racquetand I feel like I can go for every shot and hit morewinners.” Visit www.princetennis.com or call 800-283-6647.

Conybear Wins Wilson Award

Joel Conybear the Wilson Racquet Sports territorymanager for eastern New York and Long Island,won the company’s 2005 Jack Kramer Award,

which recognizes the territory manager who has exhib-ited sales excellence and the core values of Wilson inthe areas of grassroots and brand impact.“Joel has been a driving force behind Wilson’s east-

ern New York sales and brand efforts for the pastdecade,” says Jon Muir, Wilson’s director of sales andmarketing. Conybear is a resident of Cold Spring, N.Y.

• Patrick Rafter, Gabriela Sabatini,and Gianni Clerici will be inducted into the Interna-

tional Tennis Hall of Fame on July 15 in Newport, R.I.

• Southern California-based tennis apparel manufacturer Bälle deMätch has hired Andrew Webb to manage sales in Northern Califor-nia. For more info on Bälle de Mätch, visit www.balledematch.com.

• Amelie Mauresmo donated the autographed Dunlop M-Fil 300racquet that she used in her winning run to the Australian OpenChampionship to be auctioned for charity. All proceeds raisedthrough the winning bid will be split among four Sony EricssonWTA Tour affiliated charities: Habitat for Humanity, First Serve,

Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Tennis Against Breast Cancer.

• Phillip Cello is the new director of player development for theUSTA’s Southern Section.

• Susan M Schepici is the new Annual Fund directorfor the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

P E O P L E W AT C H

Prince Updates Shoe LineWith New Scream 2

Prince Sports has updated the Scream tennis shoe and now intro-duces the Scream 2, the latest addition to the QT Series. The newshoe has an advanced performance cushioning system and a new

low breathable upper, says the company. The Goodyear Max outsolecomes with a six-month wear guarantee.

“The Scream 2 was created with a breathableupper and limited molded pieces to keep theweight down to provide maximum fit and com-fort,” says Gary Wakley, senior director offootwear and apparel at Prince. “The Scream 2offers the best in a lighter weight, high-per-

formance shoe, allowingthe player to be quickand agile on any sur-face. Players wholiked the originalScream will love the fit,functionality, and tech-nology of the Scream 2.”

“Tennis Industry Associationresearch confirms that Prince is cre-

ating shoes that make the sport moreenjoyable and help propel us in the marketplace,” says Doug Fonte,president of Prince Sports USA. “Our engineers and designers are con-stantly working to improve the game of tennis for players of all levels.”Three Prince shoes ranked in the top 10 in 2005 year-end dollar shareresearch: the T10, Scream Low, and Fast Court.The Scream 2 offers a low-cut for both men and women and is avail-

able in white with light gray accents for women and white with navy orwhite with red and black accents for men. Suggested retail price is $85.Visit www.princesports.com.


> USTA members can buy US Open tick-ets before anyone else through a specialoffer available from April 22 to 28. A lim-ited number of promenade seats forevery session will be available during thisoffer on a first-come, first-served basis. Toorder, have your credit card and USTAmembership number ready and call Tick-etmaster at 866-OPENTIX, or visitwww.usta.com.

> The cable TV show “On Court withUSPTA” received an award of distinctionin The Communicator Awards 2005Video Competition. The award-winningepisode, “Rip Your Return …,” aired onThe Tennis Channel and won in the cate-gory of Instructional Videos for Sale. “OnCourt” is a 30-minute instructional showfeaturing USPTA-certified pros. The win-ning episode featured pro Stan Oley.Episodes are available for purchase atwww.uspta.com.

> Wilson Racquet Sports signed on asthe title sponsor of “The Battle of thePaddles,” a premier platform event heldin January in Cincinnati that broughttogether the top players of both paddleand platform tennis.

> Stanford beat Texas 4-0 in the final atthe USTA -Intercollegiate Tennis Associa-tion National Women's Team IndoorChampionships at the University of Wis-consin's A.C. Nielsen Tennis Stadium,held in early February.

> Prince was the official ball of the 2006SAP Open, which was played Feb. 13 to19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

> The International Tennis Hall of Famehas announced an open call for nomina-tions for the induction Class of 2007. TheInternational Tennis Hall of Fame recog-nizes and honors both athletes and con-tributors connected to the sport of tennis.Printable nomination forms, which mustbe received on or before April 1, are avail-able at www.tennisfame.com.

> Penn is the official ball of several tour-naments this winter and spring: the Del-ray Beach ITC, Pacific Life Open,Nasdaq-100 Open, Bausch & LombChampionships and the Family CircleCup.

SHORT SETSI N D U S T R Y N E W S

New Tour TeamBag Line from HeadHead’s new Tour Team Bag Line, whichoffers MP3 holders, climate controltechnology, and new colors, is “the ulti-mate in function,” says the company.

Pieces are

availablein backpack,combi, supercombi,tennis, and travelstyles. Visitwww.head.com.

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Gamma Offers PrivateLogo Program

Gamma launched its Private LogoProgram in February, offering avariety of products that clubs,

schools, resorts, facilities, and shopscan customize with their own logos.Products include men’s and women’sapparel, hats, court towels, wristbandsand headbands, balls, windscreens, andmore.The company says the Private Logo

Program is ideal for clubs and resortsthat want to provide their membersand guests with a unique experienceand personalized products. It is alsoavailable to service team apparel andaccessory needs of colleges and uni-versities.“In the past, we sourced private

logo gear ourselves from various ven-dors, but found recently that by con-solidating this effort through Gamma,we were able to get better quality mer-chandise while saving time andmoney,” says Stephen Petersen, thedirector of Professional Tennis Manage-ment at Methodist College. “Our stu-dents and graduates have beenimpressed by the quality Gammadelivers.”“We know the value of our cus-

tomers’ time,” says Gamma PresidentMatt Ferrari. “The new Private LogoProgram provides our customers withan easy, cost-efficient way to personal-ize products for their club, school,event, or resort.”For more information, call 800-333-

0337 or email [email protected],or visit www.GammaSports.com.

Tennis Industry Associa t ion UPDATECARDIO TENNIS PASSES 1,000 OFFICIAL SITESMore than 70 drills and new videos are on www.Partners.CardioTennis.com, along with consumer research glowingwith positive reports about Cardio. The 2006 Workshop schedule is being finalized, and marketing and media samplesare available to Cardio sites and pros.Web-linked logos, email blasts, and more are available to sites at no charge. TIAStaff and Cardio Tennis Speakers Teams have presented 25 workshops to nearly 700 tennis teachers. The four-hourtraining sessions include seminars and on-court demonstrations and approaches. More workshops are scheduled for theremainder of 2005, including Michigan in November and Fort Lauderdale in December.TENNIS WELCOME CENTERS RECEIVE RENEWED COMMITMENTSFor 2006, the industry has committed to more racquet and apparel hang tags, ball can logos, ads, and tournament pro-mos. Also, up to $200,000 in Co-op funds is earmarked for TWCs, and targeted newspaper ads will highlight certainmarkets. The new Tennis Service Representatives will help support registered TWCs.TENNISCONNECT.ORG TRAFFIC INCREASES TENFOLDTennisConnect.org increased monthly traffic from 8,000 hits in January 2005 to 80,000 this last January. Pros and mem-bers say they’re attracted to the player-match engine, court scheduler, online registration, program calendar and more.

THE master prosContinuing EducationJoe Dinoffer thinks outside the box in creating teaching toolsfor the tennis court.

f I had an impact in the last dozen yearsin the tennis industry, it would be in chal-lenging conventional methods of teach-

ing to help pros, coaches. and students aliketo teach and learn more effectively, whilehaving more fun.”

In PTR/USPTA Master Professional JoeDinoffer’s own words, that is what he has

dedicated histime, energy,

and passion to. And theproduct is something tobe proud of. His compa-ny, Oncourt Offcourt,serves the tennis industrywith teaching aids andcourt equipment, in addi-tion to providing books,videos, and teaching aidsfor physical education.

Involved with thesport since his youth andthrough college, Dinoffer,52, was senior vice presi-dent of Peter BurwashInternational for 10 yearsstarting in 1975. He trav-eled to 50 countries, con-ducting clinics and playingexhibitions.

In 1987, Dinoffer settled in his home-town of Dallas, where he taught tennis for10 years. His experiences planted the seedfor the launch of Oncourt Offcourt(www.oncourtoffcourt.com). “It was a verycreative 10 years,” he says, “full of on-courtclinical studies and research into how peoplelearn and how to facilitate and speed up thelearning process, while emotionally and psy-chologically creating an environment optimalfor learning.”

Dinoffer has created 150 teaching aids,the very first known as “The Rope Zone,” avisualization tool used to create on-court tar-

get areas. “People should create highly visualtarget areas that players can successfully hitmore often than not,” he says.

Relying on his experience and expertise,Dinoffer has added court equipment to theOncourt Offcourt catalog. “When you teachtennis for 30 years, you learn what equip-ment would be helpful and what equipmentcan be improved upon that already exists,”he says.

The list of Dinoffer’s contri-butions to the sport seems end-less, and includes numerousbooks and videotapes, in addi-tion to at least 20 speakingappearances a year at industryconferences internationally inEnglish, Spanish, and German.“He is well respected not onlyin this country, but all over theworld,” says Iñaki Balzola, PTRInternational Director. (Dinofferalso is a contributing editor forRSI magazine.)

One very special endeavorkeeps him on the court at least15 hours a week—teaching his12-year-old daughter Kalindithe sport he has dedicated hislife to. “Kalindi is as crazyabout tennis as anyone I’ve evermet in my life,” says Dinoffer.

The start of Kalindi’s tenniscareer at 10 years old is chronicled on the10-episode television series “Fast Lane Ten-nis,” which has aired on The Tennis Channeland is available on DVD. “She learns exclu-sively through the use of visual and kines-thetic training aids,” Dinoffer explains. “Weuse very little verbal learning instruction.”

Dinoffer says that he is most passionateabout learning and sharing knowledge. “Allof us in the industry can continue to improvehow we share our love for tennis,” he says.

According to Fred Viancos, USPTA direc-tor of professional development, there arecertain training aids that, if not carried byOncourt Offcourt, would not be available on

BY KR I S T EN DAL EY


the market today. “Joe has made a hugecontribution to the day-to-day teachingof other professionals,” Viancos says.

“Retention is the big challenge thatthe industry faces,” says Dinoffer. “If theteaching pros and coaches can create anatmosphere that will build self-esteemwhile it improves skills and allows peopleto have so much fun that they never stopsmiling while they’re playing, we will allcome out winners.

“I think my motivation is to con-tribute toward that goal.” �

This is the fourth of six installmentson the teaching pros who hold Mas-ter Pro certifications from both thePTR and the USPTA.

Making It Fun—AndEducationalHere are Joe Dinoffer’s picks as some of the toptraining and target aids from his company,Oncourt Offcourt:

� Spin Doctor ($29.95): Helps teach topspin andbackspin for ground strokes, and spin serves.

� Volley Arrow ($59.95): Foam arrow visuallyteaches how the racquet angle at contact cre-ates the arc and direction of the ball. Worksfor forehands and backhands.

� Flex Trainer ($59.95): Helps players of all agesand abilities improve their balance and move-ment skills, by pulling players into a lower“playing height.”

� Sport Ladder ($79.95): The rounded-top rungsguide athletes to pick up their feet for idealmovement biometrics.

� Airzone ($99.95): A portable air target systemthat creates primary target areas for improvedfocus.

� Stoplight Cones ($29.95): Offer hundreds ofrunning and targeting drill and game oppor-tunities.

� Long Lines ($24.95): Guides players to correctcourt position. They can also be used to cre-ate target areas and guide players close in tothe net in doubles.

“I


You’ve heard the grousing from your members aboutwaiting too long for court time, and the pleas fromyour pros for more flexibility in scheduling. It’s getting

more difficult to accommodate all the different program-ming needs for your facility. And after much considerationand examining your available space—not to mention youravailable cash flow—you’ve decided to add another courtor two. So what’s next?

Well, there are still a lot of questions to be answered anddecisions to be made. A tennis court is a complex facilitythat should be built by an expert who has taken into con-sideration the needs of the owner, his or her budget, allaspects of the site, legal and zoning issues, and a host ofother things. There is indeed a lot to think about, andchances are you’ll need some help to guide you along. Soconsider this your help manual.

Find the Right PartnerThe best way to start is by going straight to the source. TheAmerican Sports Builders Association (ASBA), the tradeorganization for athletic facility design and construction,recommends that you locate an experienced industry pro-fessional. But don’t just open the phone book and starthunting around under “contractors”; there are all kinds ofcontractors, with all kinds of specialties.

Instead, look under “tennis court builders.” Seek outindividuals and companies with sports facility construc-tion experience. Remember, you’re looking for someonewho has actual experience with the construction of tenniscourts—not just someone who says he can put one in.

Do a quick check of athletic facilities in your local area.Talk to other club managers and owners, to school athlet-ic directors and to directors of recreation at nearby munic-ipalities that have recently put in courts.

No matter whom you talk to, have a list of questionsready. Who was the contractor? Was it someone they’drecommend? What were the design and constructionprocesses like? Were there any unpleasant surprises? Hid-den charges? Unexpected delays? Are they satisfied withthe result? Has the contractor been responsive to ques-tions since the project’s completion, or has he been will-ing to help address any problems that might have croppedup?

“My suggestion is to find a court contractor that hasgood references and a proven track record, is agreeable tobuild a facility that fits your needs rather than his, and is atrustworthy contractor that keeps open lines of communi-

Expanding HorizExpanding HorizFor our annual guide, we went right to the source foBuilders Association, for advice on adding courts, fix

cation with the court owner,” says David Marsden of BostonTennis Court Construction Co. of Hanover, Mass.

Give It Space“As a court builder, the first qualifying question I ask is, ‘Doyou have enough space?’” says Marsden. Space has to be thefirst consideration. A surprising number of club owners ormanagers have little or no idea of the actual measurementsof a tennis court, or of how much space it takes up.

A regulation tennis court is 60 feet wide by 120 feet long.The actual playing area of a doubles court is 36 feet by 78feet, but additional space is needed once fencing, lighting,seating, and any other structures are taken into considera-tion. But Marsden says there’s more to take into considera-tion than just basic measurements.

“The fence line for one tennis court is 60 feet by 120 feet,two courts 108 by 120 feet, and three courts 156 by 120feet, adding 48 feet for each additional court in a batterywithin the same fence,” Marsden says.

“A critical point, however, is that the 120-foot dimensionshould be on a north-south axis, or as close as possible,” headds. “This minimizes the sun's impact on play.”

Another consideration is space beyond the fence line forslopes and drainage. “This is less critical in an area that is flatand has naturally draining soils,” notes Marsden. “But in ahilly area or on a site that needs underground drainage,more space will be required to perform the perimeter workoutside the fence.”

Space can vary, however, say some builders. “If you don’thave quite enough space, the court can be built at 55 feet by110 feet and still be usable,” says John Welborn of Lee Ten-nis in Charlottesville, Va.

Still, say contractors, there are other factors to take intoconsideration. “Even a single tennis court takes up a biggerfootprint than many imagine, 7200 square feet within thefence line as well as a perimeter for drainage, sloping, land-scaping, etc., which means a quarter-acre or more in mostcases,” says Marsden.

Another thing to keep in mind is that installing a tenniscourt is, in fact, a construction project and is subject to zon-ing restrictions. Your contractor and your attorney should beable to check with local permitting authorities and make allnecessary applications. Make sure you’ve done all research.

Who Wants What, Where?Even if you’ve determined that you have the space, you stillneed to decide if it’s the right kind of space, and in the right


place. For example, consider the desired player population. Isthis a court for beginners? If so, you might want it set off fromthe courts where your more hardcore members practice andplay. Why? For one thing, beginners are self-conscious. They feelawkward practicing their serve and chasing balls across the courtin the presence of others. For another, they often can’t controltheir shots well enough to keep them out of the next court.

Having a designated “teaching court” with higher fencing andheavy windscreen will spare your beginners from some embar-rassment, your longtime players from some aggravation, andwill mean that you won’t have to hear complaints—from bothsides.

Or maybe you’ve decided that you want the opposite—acourt that would be perfect for tournaments, with benches forseating, plenty of places for spectators and room for things likescoreboards, umpires’ chairs, and so forth. Or perhaps you werethinking of a facility to entice your older doubles players, wholike to socialize after play. They might want a court with plentyof shaded spaces outside the fence line for tables and chairs.

Maybe you just want to add a few more courts to your exist-ing bank, so that you can expand your programming and allowfor more court time. Talk to your contractor about your needs,your player population, and your available space. Listen careful-ly to the recommendations and work together to come to theright conclusion for your facility and your players.

Can You Afford It?Once you’ve established the type of facility you want and itslocation, and once all necessary paperwork is in order, it’s timeto create a budget. You may already know how much you haveto spend, but you may not be aware of the whole picture.

According to the ASBA’s Buyer’s Guide for Tennis Court Construc-tion, the owner needs to answer some important questions:

� How much can you afford to spend? Developing a budgetmay be the most difficult step in the construction process.You may have to make some concessions, but in order tomake informed choices, you should know what is importantto you.

� Do you need a completed facility now, or can you wait awhile for landscaping, court amenities and other finishingtouches?

� Do you want a first-class facility regardless of cost, or is costa limiting factor?

� Are you absolutely certain about a given surface, or type offencing, or specific site? Or are you willing to consider sub-stitutions? Once you see the number of options available intoday’s tennis court market, it may be easy to spend farmore than you had in mind. Working within a budgetinvolves considering various alternatives and making choic-es, but choices don't have to mean compromising the endresult. Knowledge of which factors are most important to thecourt you are planning and a desire to seek creative solutionscan bring the project in at a reasonable cost.

Surface ConsiderationsMany factors will affect the cost of your court, including thechoice of surface. Different surfaces have different maintenanceconsiderations, and all of these have the potential to impact boththe short-term cost (and the cost of installation and materialsalone) and the long-term cost (which includes regular mainte-nance and repairs needed over the duration of the tennis facility’slifespan).

zonszonsor court construction, the American Sportsxing cracks, and keeping courts clean. BY MARY HE L EN SPRECHER

Tennis Facility at Roxiticus Golf Club

(Previous articles by the ASBA that have appeared in RSIhave dealt with surface selection and maintenance, and moredetailed information is available on the ASBA website,www.sportsbuilders.org, as well as in its publications. Thoseinterested in specific detailed information on court surfacesshould consider purchasing the ASBA’s book, Tennis Courts: AConstruction and Maintenance Manual.)

Briefly, tennis players generally group courts into two cate-gories: hard and soft. A hard court is one made of asphalt orconcrete, usually covered with an acrylic coating. The coatingprotects the court from the elements, enhances its appearance,and affects the playing characteristics of the court. Properlyinstalled, hard courts are generally considered to be durable andto require relatively little maintenance. Cushioned hard courtsare those courts onto which a resilient layer (or layers) of cush-ioning material have been applied over the asphalt or concrete.These courts, while reducing impact to joints from running, aremore expensive to install (and also to repair) than their uncush-ioned counterparts.

Soft courts, including clay, fast-dry, grass, and sand-filledsynthetic turf, find favor among players who like the fact thatthey cause less of an impact on feet, backs, and legs. They gen-erally provide a cool, glare-free surface. In some areas, fast-dry,clay, and grass courts are less expensive to construct than hardcourts, but they require regular care and, for clay and fast-drycourts, annual repair and/or resurfacing. Soft courts are easier todamage, but also easier to repair.

Site PreparationThe site of the proposed court also has a great deal to do withthe final cost. “The biggest variable is the site work [excavation]that is required to prepare and stabilize the ground to receive atennis court,” says Marsden.

“The second biggest variable is the optional items that acourt buyer chooses, such as lighting, extent and type of fenceenclosure, actual playing surface [cushioned acrylic vs. uncush-ioned, fast-dry vs. natural clay, sand-filled turf], above-surfacevs. sub-surface irrigation, amenities such as shade shelters, ballmachines, water coolers, or windscreen,” he adds. “These itemscan add up quickly, so owners need to define both their wish-list and budget.”

Lighting and FencingAs club owners know, the two most popular times for nine-to-fiversto work out are in the evening and early in the morning, so goodlighting during these darkened periods is essential.

A good tennis court contractor who has a working relationshipwith a particular lighting company should be able to work with youto address any lighting issues, and to suggest the option that bestmeets your needs. If, for example, the addition to your tennis facili-ties means that the court is closer to a residential area, your lightingcompany and contractor can help to head off potential problems,such as those relating to “light trespass” or “light spill”—terms thatdescribe an excess of light that distracts others.

“Over the last five years, concerns about the impact of lightingsystems on residential areas have increased dramatically,” saysBruce Frasure of LSI Industries, a Cincinnati-based company thatmanufactures lighting for tennis courts. “To avoid any problems, weencourage potential court owners and their contractors to thorough-ly investigate their local lighting ordinances before construction.”

The height of fencing surrounding courts is a decision best left upto the owner and pro. But there are several factors you need to con-sider, including the court surface (the harder the surface, the higherthe ball has the potential to bounce), the chance that loose balls willbother or endanger those nearby, the players’ skill levels, and ulti-mately, the owner’s preference.

Another important consideration is whether, and which, ameni-ties and accessories will be needed on the new court. If it’s a softcourt, you’ll want equipment like drag brooms, which can be usedbetween games. Hard court? Squeegees will help remove water aftera rainstorm.

Is it a competition court? Don’t forget a scoreboard and officials’chairs. Creature comforts might include benches, shade shelters,shoe cleaners, water fountains, and of course, power outlets for softdrink or food vending machines or ball machines.

How Long Will It Take?There isn’t really a hard-and-fast rule on how long it takes to buildcourts, particularly since construction is weather-dependent. Accord-ing to Marsden, the total construction time of the facility will varydepending upon the time of year, the surface being built, and, thebiggest variable, the site work required. Also affecting constructiontime is the number of courts and their layout, the weather, and theperformance of subcontractors.

Typically, a single court or a battery of courts within a commonfence will take six to 10 weeks under reasonable circumstances. If afacility breaks up into a series of one or multiple-court batteries, itcan take longer. A more complex facility, such as one that requiresinstallation of water and electrical lines, benches or bleachers, sittingareas and other amenities—not to mention one that has its own sep-arate lighting system—might require additional time.

To be on the safe side, hold off on those “grand opening” cele-brations or that special tournament until your contractor gives youthe all-clear sign. �

Ottawa Township HIgh School, Ottawa, IL


The American Sports Builders Association (ASBA) is a non-profit association helpingdesigners, builders, owners, operators, and users understand quality sports facilityconstruction. The ASBA sponsors informative meetings and publishes newsletters,books and technical construction guidelines for athletic facilities including tenniscourts. Available at no charge is a listing of all publications offered by the association,as well as the ASBA’s Membership Directory. For information, call 866-501-ASBA(2722) or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.


Fix the CracksFix the CracksTaking care of cracked courts depends on why theycracked in the first place. BY MARY HE L EN SPRECHER

Admit it. Those cracks in your tennis court are getting com-pletely out of hand. So what’s the best course of action?Quite simply, it depends on the reasons for the cracking,

and the type of cracking.According to Tennis Courts: A Construction and Maintenance

Manual, published by the USTA and the American SportsBuilders Association,

Cracking of asphalt is caused, at least in part, by the natur-

al tendency of asphalt to shrink as it weathers and ages. In addi-

tion, asphalt loses its flexibility over time, making it more brittle.

Premature or extensive cracking may be caused by poor

asphalt mix design, by poor site conditions including expansive

soils or excessive organic matter in soils resulting in sub-base

movement, or by poor construction including inadequate

drainage.

Because asphalt is a material that shrinks and becomesmore brittle as it ages, almost all courts made of asphalt willsuffer from some type of cracking—either major or minor—atone time or another. Additionally, a court may show morethan one type of cracking. A tennis courtcontractor is the best judge of the type ofcrack, the seriousness, and the cause. Oncethose factors have been identified, a treat-ment can be recommended.

“There are a lot of alternatives that canbe considered, if appropriate,” says DavidMarsden of Boston Tennis Court Construc-tion Co. of Hanover, Mass.

Treatments can be simple—requiringonly an afternoon’s work—or they may beextremely complex—involving total recon-struction—or they may fall anywhere inbetween. A qualified court contractor canhelp you find the solution to your problem.

Crack RepairCrack repair is—as the term suggests—sim-ply addressing the problem at hand by fill-ing the crack. Contractors find that somecracks, such as those that are simply theresult of freeze-thaw cycles and not of anyserious underlying condition, can be treat-ed with a crack-filling compound. (A verydeep crack may require a full-depth repair,and the contractor should evaluate such acrack to see if it indicates an underlyingproblem with the court as a whole).

Most tennis court contractors do a fair amount of simplecrack-filling, and as a result, are experienced in proper tech-nique. If you elect to do the filling yourself, be sure to use aproduct recommended specifically for tennis courts; anunsuitable compound may not bond correctly or harden com-pletely, or may soften in the summer heat, allowing players totrack it all over the court. The book Tennis Courts: A Con-struction and Maintenance Manual describes the proper appli-cation of tennis court crack filler.

A newer method that may be used by tennis court con-tractors includes a special fabric that bridges the crack, pre-venting it from coming back in the same location, though thecrack may recur at the boundary of the fabric or extendbeyond the original repair.

“Crack filling is typically performed by cleaning the affect-ed areas, grinding or sanding all heaving seams, and applica-tion with crack squeegees, caulking guns, or steel trowels,depending on which material is used,” says Franz Fasold ofAce Surfaces-North America of Altamonte Springs, Fla. “After

curing, the areas are sanded again toblend them with the surrounding court lev-els. These methods are appropriate whenno further movement, or only limitedmovement, is expected. These methodsare limited by the extent of the base move-ments, especially if vertical shifts can beexpected.”

ResurfacingIf the court has proper slope and drainage,and if cracking is not the result of seriousstructural problems, the contractor alsomay recommend resurfacing, defined asputting a new surface on the court. Thereare various ways of doing this. The sim-plest is by filling the cracks and thenputting a new acrylic coating on top of thecourt in order to create a smooth, unblem-ished surface. This option maintains theoriginal type of surface as well as the orig-inal feel and playability of the court.

When contemplating resurfacing, how-ever, an owner might want a differenttype of surface, perhaps something softerand with different playing characteristics.In this case, a contractor might recom-mend that once all cracks have been filled

The ASBA identifies varioustypes of cracking, including:� Alligatoring: A readily identified pattern

of interconnected cracks that vary froma faint surface pattern to full depthcracks and loose particles of the surfac-ing material.

� Raveling or Spalling: The progressiveloss of material in the surface of theasphalt or concrete slab, usually causedby weathering or traffic abrasion oncourts with no surface treatment.

� Reflection Cracks: Which occur inasphalt, asphalt emulsion, or surfaceoverlays, and which reflect a crack pat-tern in the pavement structure under-neath.

� Shrinkage Cracks: A random pattern ofinterconnected cracks, usually formingirregular angles and sharp corners.

� Structural Cracks: Usually due to failureof the subbase or improper mix designof the asphalt.

� Upheavals and Depressions: Caused bymovements of the sub-base.

� Hair-Line Cracks: Usually prevalent overlarge areas, even entire courts, andcaused by a variety of things.


and the court recoated, a new surface be installed over theexisting court.

One popular option is a system of sand-filled turf. This is asystem composed of a densely-woven carpet filled with com-pacted silica sand. A court owner may see this as a reasonablesolution, particularly if the site is not easily reachable byheavy construction equipment, or if the owner would like tosee the project completed with a minimum of disruption toadjacent courts or facilities.

A similar option is to cover the court with interlockingmodular tiles. Fred Jones of Utica, N.Y.-based Mateflex saysthat modular surfaces, produced with a raised-grid design,“allow for installation over imperfect bases, while also allow-ing rainwater to pass directly through the system and drainoff underneath.” The resulting surface is softer than a tradi-tional hard court, but is easy to take care of, requiring onlyoccasional cleaning and allowing for easy repair and replace-ment, should tiles be damaged.

Of course, new surfaces are only as good as the underlyingbase. Jones notes that resurfacing with one of these systemsmay not eliminate the need to repair base problems, depend-ing on their severity. Problems such as birdbaths, or depres-sions in the court, for example, must be addressed prior toputting down tiles, since the tiles will bridge the court’s lowspots, affecting ball bounce in those areas.

There are other options for resurfacing. These mightinclude urethane rubber roll goods which can be covered withan acrylic surface, as well as various other products. A tenniscourt contractor can explain the playing characteristics (slide,bounce, speed, etc.) of each surface and help the owner reachan informed decision, should the resurfacing route be taken.

OverlaysOften, a court can have severe reflection cracking (indicativeof underlying problems), but still have appropriate slope anddrainage. In these cases, contractors often suggest that repairbe made using an overlay, or slip-sheet overlay. According toMarsden, a slip-sheet overlay is “a thin layer of stone or stonedust placed directly over an old court surface prior to a newasphalt surface being laid. The stone acts as a slip sheet and

absorbs any movement from the old, cracked court belowbefore it reflects up to the new surface.”

The slip sheet is used to separate existing asphalt pave-ment from newly installed pavement to prevent cracks fromrecurring. Once the slip-sheet overlay is securely in place, itcan be covered either with new asphalt (which is then cov-ered with acrylic coating), or with concrete. It is important tonote, however, that this method will raise the elevation of thecourt.

In a post-tensioned concrete overlay, an entirely new con-crete slab is installed over the problem court. Because theconcrete is reinforced and strengthened with high-tensionsteel cables, the concrete has higher tensile strength thanconventional concrete slabs or asphalt, and may be moreresistant to most conditions that may have caused the under-lying court to crack in the first place. According to SteveWright of Trans Texas Tennis Inc. of Olathe, Kan., “It is anideal system for overlaying asphalt and concrete courts thathave structural cracks, poor drainage, or improper slope.”

The post-tensioned overlay system eliminates the need toremove the existing pavement, which saves in demolition,hauling, and disposal costs. The method is appropriate in cer-tain circumstances, but will not work for every situation, suchas in situations where access for large construction equip-ment (bulldozers, dump trucks, etc.) is an obstacle, or whereunderlying soil conditions are questionable because of thepresence of fault lines or excessive heaving or settlement. Inaddition, it is relatively expensive.

ReconstructionIf a court shows signs of severe heaving or depressions, withmajor amounts of cracking and/or improper slope anddrainage, a contractor may recommend a total court recon-struction. According to Marsden, methods include excavationfollowed by reconstruction of the court, and pulverization fol-lowed by reconstruction. In the first option, excavation, theold court material is removed and disposed of before puttingdown new material. In the second option, the asphalt is pul-verized with special equipment and then used to form a newbase.

“There are cost differences in excavation versus pulver-izing,” Marsden notes, “and the comparative cost of eithermethod will be determined by the size and location of theproject. With a smaller project—one or two courts—it is usu-ally cheaper to excavate unless the haul to the asphalt dis-posal site is long and costly. In the case of three or morecourts, it is usually cheaper to pulverize. The reason is thehigh overhead cost of the pulverizing equipment. It isn'tmuch more money to pulverize six courts than one court.The daily cost of the equipment is not proportional to thearea pulverized. But many factors need to be consideredbefore choosing one method over another.”

In replacing an asphalt surface, a contractor may recom-mend the installation of control joints to help delay or detercracking. By saw-cutting the asphalt under the net andbetween courts in a multi-court project, the contractor canactually take advantage of the asphalt’s natural tendency tomove and shrink according to temperature. The cuts arethen filled with a special type of sealant prior to the courtbeing coated with acrylic color. Relief of stress in thoseareas makes the court less likely to crack elsewhere over itssurface.

Court ConversionSome court owners may decide to explore the option of con-verting their hard court to one with a fast-dry surface. Sincethis is technically something that can be done followingexcavation, it is a form of reconstruction; however, it ismore complex, involving the installation of an entirely newtype of court, and the possibility of installing ancillary equip-ment, such as an irrigation system. A court contractor canmake recommendations concerning the best method ofconversion, but those interested can always learn about theprocess by checking the ASBA’s Construction Guideline onConversion of Hard Surface Courts to Fast Dry Tennis Courts.

The Guideline provides four different methods of surfacereplacement including two overlay methods as well as pul-verization and excavation; a qualified court contractor canassess the situation and make a recommendation regardingthe best choice for a given facility. The contractor should

also ascertain that court owners know that although the softcourt will not suffer the same type of cracking problems, itwill have specific maintenance needs that should be takeninto consideration.

In conclusion…Doing battle with cracking courts means arming yourselfwith information about your options. A lot of factors comeinto play, some on the part of the contractor, some on thepart of the court and its owner.

“Indicators for successful reconstruction methods are acombination of factors,” says Fasold, “including a history ofsimilar projects, the history of the court builder, use ofdesign and engineering experts who are familiar with sportsfacility specifics and use of local experts.” Most important,he notes, is the ability of the contractor to “put the searchfor a successful solution over the opportunity for a quicksale.”

Factors relating to the court include the site, the location,the budget, the wishes of the owner, the needs of the play-ers, and more. Knowing your parameters when you meetwith your court contractor will make it easier to arrive at theright decision for you and your facility.

In terms of crack repair, there are a lot of options andvery few absolutes. What works in one installation may notwork in another that is a mile—or even a block—away.Cracking may be minor but irritating, or it may be severeenough to cause injury to an unsuspecting player. It may bemerely an aesthetic concern or it can signify underlyinginstability in the court. The only common denominator isthe qualified tennis court contractor who can help diagnosethe problem and assist the owner or manager in finding thebest long-term solution. It is important to note that moreoften than not, cracks can be expected to recur unless theunderlying cause of the cracking is repaired or the mostextensive (and expensive) repair methods are employed.

“In the end,” says Fasold, “it is our belief that the courtwill only be as good as the base it is applied on. It is impor-tant to put great emphasis in the decision-making process ofhow to correct the issues at hand up front.” �



Keep It CleanKeep It CleanNo matter what type of courts you have, regularmaintenance is a must. BY MARY HE L EN SPRECHER

Housekeeping, cleaning, maintenance—no matter whatyou call it, the regular process of keeping up a court inorder to maintain its appearance and playability is a lot

less appealing than playing on it. Still, like changing the oil inyour car or replacing the filter in your furnace, it has to bedone, and it’s part of the responsibility of being a court owneror manager.

According to the American Sports Builders Association,developing and implementing a regular schedule of mainte-nance is the most important thing you can do to maximize theuseful life of any court. Keeping a court clean, preventing mis-use and abuse, and repairing minor damage before it worsensis cost-effective, too.

Still grimacing? Maybe what you need is a primer to helpyou through the task.

Acrylic CourtsUncushioned courts (asphalt or concrete with an acrylic colorcoating), require “little daily maintenance,” says David Mars-den of Boston Tennis Court Construction in Hanover, Mass.“Most important, keep the court clear of leaves, sticks anddebris.”

Walk your courts daily and remove any debris or litter. Ifcourts are near or shaded by trees, make sure any fallenleaves are swept away immediately. Rotting leaves—particu-larly those that sit in one place too long—cause slippery spotsthat can be dangerous to players. And if left in place, leavescan stain or degrade the surface. Hose away any debris on thecourt surface, and if necessary, dry the area with a blower.

If there are stains on your court, try removing them byscrubbing with warm water and a soft brush. If the stainsremain, call your tennis court contractor and ask for recom-mendations. Different problems require different treatments.

Check the fenceline around the courts as well, advisesMarsden. “A regular maintenance regimen should includekeeping the low side of the court—both inside the fence andoutside—free of any build-up that could impede waterdrainage,” he says.

Examine the surface of the court and the area around yournet and fence posts. Do you see cracks? If so, give your con-tractor a call.

Like carpets in a home, tennis courts have “high traffic”areas. These are areas that show wear sooner than others. Thebaseline of the court, for example, will wear more quickly thanthe service box. Ditto the entrances to the court. Excessivewear can indicate that it is time to have the court resurfaced,so contact your contractor and ask for an opinion.

Essentially, equipment for cleaning hard courts includesfoam sponge rollers or water-absorbent drums, air blowers,soft-bristle push brooms, wet/dry vacuums, and (if approvedby your tennis court contractor) a jet sprayer, also known asa water broom.

Cushioned CourtsThose who have cushioned hard courts—concrete or asphaltcourts with a layer of cushioned material to help provide amore forgiving playing surface—also will require regularcleaning, such as sweeping or hosing the surface to removedust, dirt, and debris. However, such courts are more vulner-able to damage from inappropriate use or footwear.

Make your walk-through a time to examine the surfacevery closely. High heels, street shoes, golf shoes, metal rac-quets, skate boards, inline skates, bicycles, or heavy loads areall the enemies of this type of surface. If damage is evident,contact your contractor immediately to discuss repair options.

Modular SurfacesSome of the most easily maintained courts are those withmodular surfaces (generally, those made of interlocking tilescomposed of polypropylene and rubber) that are put intoplace over a base of asphalt or concrete. Sweep or rinse thetiles to keep them clean.

Damaged tiles can be pried up and replaced quickly. Theintegrity of the court, however, will depend on the planarityof the surface beneath it. If there is a dip in the asphalt or con-crete, the tiles will bridge the spot, creating a “dead” area thatwill affect ball bounce

.Fast-Dry CourtsFor those who have soft courts—those made of granular, fast-dry material—a regular maintenance schedule can mean aplayable, enjoyable court. Randy Futty of Lee Tennis Productsin Charlottesville, Va., recommends documenting mainte-nance work, indicating who did what on what date. Keepingto that schedule helps identify and correct potential prob-lems—preventive maintenance, in other words.

Seasonal reconditioning of courts begins with patching andtop-dressing (the process of adding new surfacing material tocourts). This is necessary because the smaller particles of sur-facing material (termed “fines”) will be lost from the courtover time through rain, wind, and regular play. Make sure toremove any line tapes that might remain on the court.

Any depressions in the court should be repaired prior totop-dressing. Remove and discard any old surfacing material


that has become loose and dry, or “dead.” In top-dressing, 1-1/2to 4 tons of material should be used for a single court.

“On a daily basis during the playing season, you have to brush,water, and roll the courts regularly,” Marsden says. “Probably bi-weekly or monthly, you’ll need to inspect line tapes to make surethey’re not lifting in any areas. Check the court for low areas.”

A fast-dry court requires line sweepers and drag brooms thatcan be used following each match. Rollers (for compacting thematerial) also are required. Subsurface watering systems, whichkeep the court moist from underground, will save water, and canbe set on automated timers.

Synthetic TurfIf your courts are of the sand-filled synthetic turf variety, you’ll berelieved to know there’s very little maintenance. Cleaning the sur-face of debris, such as leaves, sticks, etc. goes a long way towardkeeping a turf court free of stains.

In your regular walk-throughs, always keep an eye out forstanding water. Wet turf can be as slippery as ice, particularly ifalgae is present. If the court isn’t level, or if it isn’t draining prop-erly, consult your contractor. Algae is easily dispatched using salt;simply water the area in question and spread salt over it. Withina few days, the algae will turn a telltale dark brown color, indi-cating it is dead. A mild bleach solution (one gallon of water toone cup of bleach) will work as well. Be certain to remove thekilled algae with a soft brush and a good scrub or it will provide amedium for new growth.

Over time, the coarser particles of sand will migrate to the topof the turf, making it slippery. When that happens, the lost sandneeds to be replaced, and the court groomed to bring it back toplaying condition. ASBA recommends that the fibers of the turfthat are exposed above the sand be between 1/16 and 1/8 of aninch (2 mm to 3 mm).

Other EquipmentThe net is an often-overlooked piece of equipment in terms ofmaintenance. Check it regularly for holes, tears and frayed areas,and make repairs as necessary. (New cables and headbands areavailable.)

Tennis Facility at Roxiticus Golf Club

Nets also suffer from abuse, often from players over-tightening them. If courts are in an area where players can-not be supervised, consider using a net with an internalwind mechanism, which allows your pro to set the net tothe correct tension, and then remove the handle.

Windscreens are meant to help moderate wind and pro-vide a background to see the ball. Keep windscreens ingood shape by hosing them down and repairing any tearsimmediately. If your court is in an area known for heavywinds, secure the windscreens to the fence with polypropy-lene tie wraps, rather than lacing. The wraps will breakaway cleanly in a heavy wind, protecting the fence. Ifextreme winds are predicted, windscreens should be takendown since they will catch the wind like a sail and maybend the fence.

Lighting is an item that shouldn’t be overlooked either.Measure the light levels in your facility every six months orso, using a light meter. Take readings of the horizontal andvertical illumination 36 inches above the court surface,holding the light meter with the photo-sensitive cell facingupward and toward the baseline.

Cleaning fixtures regularly will help extend the lamp life,and will make the lights look brighter. The jury’s still out onwhether lights should be kept on constantly, or set on aswitch that players can activate. On one hand, frequentlyswitching the lights on and off decreases lamp life in high-intensity discharge (HID) fixtures; on the other, constantburning will drive up energy costs. According to TennisCourts: A Construction and Maintenance Manual, “As a com-promise, if the lights are turned off any time the court willnot be in use for two hours or more, the savings in electric-ity will generally offset any reduced lamp life.”

Listen to your players’ comments. If you hear someonesay that a court feels slippery, that a net is damaged or thata light is out, don’t wait for another member to second thatmotion. Get out there and investigate immediately.

In all cases, the upkeep of your players’ happiness andwell-being is the most important job on your maintenanceschedule—no matter what kind of surface you have. �


ClassActsClassActsSchools and collegesdominate thesehard-court awardwinners.

Of the eight outdoor hard-court winners of theRacquet Sports Industry/American SportsBuilders Association 2005 Facility-of-the-

Year Awards, seven of them are at colleges orother schools. That may speak to the belief, par-ticularly current nowadays, that tennis courts ateducational institutions are for more than just stu-dents; the courts attract players from the sur-rounding communities.

Indeed, one of the winners here, the Ottawa(Ill.) Township High School, with its eight newcourts, reports that since the new facility wasbuilt, the courts are constantly busy—both withstudents and community members.

As possible further support for schools and col-leges as centers for community tennis is the factthat seven of these winners listed their projects as“new” construction. However, the eighth, theVanderbilt University outdoor complex inNashville, Tenn., while technically an “upgrade,”essentially is new, with six courts replacing thefive existing courts.

Many of these winners are concerned withplayer comfort—nearly all made sure that there isseating for players either between or beside thecourts. And many also accommodate spectators,with viewing areas and even “stadium” courts.Two facilities (Vanderbilt and the University ofAlabama) installed TV quality lighting at theirfacilities, and Alabama even put in an electronicscoreboard.

Whether for their schools’ varsity teams, intra-mural programs, or the community at large, thesewinners are helping to enroll more players in thesport. —Peter Francesconi

Chippewa ResortManitowish Waters, Wis.(Nominated by Munson Inc., Glendale, Wis.)Number of Courts: 1 (acrylic)General Contractor: Munson Armstrong Paving Div., Munson Inc.Surface: Plexipave/California Products Corp.Nets, Net Posts: Douglas SportsFencing: Munson Fence Div.

For details on the 2006 Outstanding Tennis Facility Awards, contact theASBA at 866-501-ASBA or [email protected].

University of Hawaii at Manoa Tennis ComplexHonolulu, Hawaii(Nominated by Applied Surfacing Technology, Honolulu)Number of Courts: 12 (acrylic)Specialty Contractor: Applied Surfacing TechnologySurface: Laykold/Advanced Polymer TechnologyNets, Net Posts, Center Straps: BP InternationalWindscreens: M. Putterman

St. George’s Senior Boy’s School Tennis FacilityVancouver, B.C.(Nominated by Ocean Marker Sport Surfaces USA, Bellingham, Wash.)Number of Courts: 4 (cushioned)Specialty Contractor: Ocean Marker Sport SurfacesSupplier: Degussa Construction ChemicalsSurface: Rebound AceTrench Drain: ACO Polymer Products

University of Alabama Outdoor Tennis FacilityTuscaloosa, Ala.(Nominated by Lower Bros. Co., Birmingham, Ala.)Number of Courts: 12 (cushioned acrylic)Specialty Contractor: Lower Bros. Co.Surface: DecoTurf II/California Products Corp.Nets: J.A. Cissel


Ottawa Township High School Tennis CourtsOttawa, Ill.(Nominated by Global Sports & Tennis Design Group, Fair Haven, N.J.)Number of Courts: 8Architect/Engineer: Global Sports & Tennis Design GroupGeneral Contractor: Bovis Lend LeaseSpecialty Contractor: U.S. Tennis Court Construction Co.Surface: Court MasterLighting: Courtsider Sports LightingNets, Net Posts: Douglas IndustriesWindscreens: M. Putterman

Sacred Heart Schools Tennis FacilityAtherton, Calif.(Nominated by Beals Alliance Inc., Santa Clara, Calif.)Number of Courts: 8 (acrylic)Architect/Engineer: Beals AllianceGeneral Contractor: Jensen Corp.Specialty Contractor: Saviano Co.Surface: Deco Systems/California Products Corp.Nets: Edwards SportsNet Posts: UTI

Sandhills Community College Athletic ComplexPinehurst, N.C.(Nominated by Court One, Youngsville, N.C.)Number of Courts: 4 (acrylic)General Contractor: Court OneSurface: Advanced Polymer TechnologyNets, Net Posts: J.A. CisselWindscreens: M. PuttermanCenter Straps, Trash Cans: BP International

Vanderbilt University Outdoor Tennis FacilityNashville, Tenn.(Nominated by Lower Bros. Co., Birmingham, Ala.)Number of Courts: 6 (cushioned acrylic)Specialty Contractor: Lower Bros. Co.Surface: Plexicushion/California Products Corp.Nets, Net Posts: J.A. Cissel



1. Power/Control (columns). (formula = lengthindex x headsize x flex x swingweight) ÷ 1000.Length index calculation: 27" = 1.0, 27.5" =1.05; 28" = 1.1, etc.2. Maneuverability (rows). RDC (BabolatRacquet Diagnostic Center) swingweight units.3. Racquet ID. The number in the grid corre-lates to the accompanying racquet list.4. Headsize. Midsize and midplus (≤104 sq.in.) have no indicator.Oversize (105 -117 sq. in.) = •. Superoversize(≥ 118 sq. in.) = :.5. Length. x = extended length. Standardlength (27") racquets have no indicator.6. Flex (RDC). a = < 60; b = 60-64; c = 65-69;d = 70-74; e = > 74. The higher the number,the stiffer the racquet.7. Company. Coded by number and color. Seeaccompanying racquet list on the followingpages.

8. Racquet Quadrants and the Center of theRacquet Universe. The center of the racquetuniverse is located at the intersection of thetwo red lines. Approximately half the racquetslie to the right and left, and half above andbelow these lines. The lines divide the racquetuniverse into four color-coded quadrants –clockwise from top left: (1) quick power, (2)quick control, (3) stable control, (4) stablepower. These characterizations provide a gen-eral vocabulary for comparing racquets.9. Racquet Finder List. The racquet listaccompanying the map identifies each rac-quet and gives additional information. Themap provides specific (very narrow ranges,anyway) swingweight, flex and power statis-tics, and general size and length characteris-tics. The racquet list specifies the length andsize and further specifies weight, balance,and price.

How To Use It1. Ask questions. What are you looking forthat your current racquet does not provide?What do you like most and least about yourcurrent racquet? What are the strengths andweaknesses of your game?2. Locate current racquet on map. If the rac-quet is not in the list, take measurements.3. Locating potential racquets. Dependingon the answers to the above questions,draw an imaginary arrow (a wide or skinnyone) from your present racquet in thedesired direction for power and maneuver-ability.4. Narrowing the field. Shrink the choicesusing the length, headsize, and flex codes tomatch customer preferences.5. Selecting racquet demos. Once the choic-es are narrowed, locate the racquets bynumber in the racquet list.

2006RacquetSelectionMapOur exclusive guide to help your customersfind the perfect frame for their game.

by Crawford Lindsey

2006RacquetSelectionMap

The Racquet Selector Map is a great tool for mak-

ing “broad stroke” determinations about racquet

characteristics. But there are a few subtle nuances

hidden or unexplained by its basic layout. Awareness

of these nuances will better enable you to assist your

customer in choosing a new racquet. But first, we must

make two clarifications about the Power Formula and its

use in the map. story continues on page 37

RACQUET SELECTION MAP KEY



AVERY

1 Avery M3 (72 Holes) 95 27.00 346 31.00 12.20 62 307 1808 $179

2 Avery M5 110 27.00 349 31.25 12.30 59 323 2096 $179

BABOLAT

3 Babolat Aeropro Control 98 27.00 343 32.25 12.70 71 341 2373 $179

4 Babolat Aeropro Control + 98 27.50 332 32.25 12.70 72 325 2408 $179

5 Babolat Aeropro Drive 100 27.00 324 33.75 13.29 69 337 2325 $179

6 Babolat Aeropro Drive + 100 27.50 322 33.75 13.29 71 338 2520 $179

7 Babolat Drive Z Lite 100 27.00 274 36.00 14.17 68 306 2081 $169

8 Babolat Drive Z Max 107 27.20 272 37.00 14.57 68 321 2382 $169

9 Babolat Drive Z Tour 100 27.00 298 34.75 13.68 74 316 2338 $169

10 Babolat Pure Control 98 27.00 346 31.75 12.50 69 334 2259 $179

11 Babolat Pure Control + 98 27.50 345 32.25 12.70 69 335 2379 $179

12 Babolat Pure Drive OS Team 110 27.50 289 35.00 13.78 72 320 2661 $179

13 Babolat Pure Drive + Team 100 27.50 313 33.50 13.19 73 322 2468 $179

14 Babolat Pure Drive Team 100 27.00 317 33.00 12.99 71 313 2222 $179

15 Babolat Pure Storm MP Team 102 27.00 298 34.50 13.58 68 313 2171 $179

16 Babolat Pure Storm Team 98 27.00 311 33.75 13.29 64 320 2007 $179

17 Babolat Soft Drive 104 27.00 284 34.50 13.58 69 299 2146 $119

18 Babolat VS NCT Drive 110 27.50 271 36.25 14.27 72 303 2520 $189

19 Babolat VS NCT Power 118 27.88 264 37.50 14.76 70 319 2865 $189

20 Babolat VS NCT Tour 100 27.00 294 34.00 13.39 71 292 2073 $189

BANCROFT

21 Bancroft ACE Advantage 107 27.00 270 34.50 13.58 57 279 1702 $195

22 Bancroft ACE Tour 98 27.00 307 33.50 13.19 67 304 1996 $195

23 Bancroft ACE Tour + 98 27.00 323 33.75 13.29 70 319 2188 $195

24 Bancroft Vapor 260 107 27.50 270 38.25 15.06 66 290 2150 $145

25 Bancroft Vapor 270 115 28.00 277 38.50 15.16 82 329 3413 $145

26 Bancroft Vapor 280 107 27.00 278 38.00 14.96 80 345 2953 $145

BLACKBURNE

27 Blackburne Double Strung 107 107 27.00 292 36.75 14.47 68 341 2481 $199

CUNLOP

28 Dunlop M Fil 200 95 27.00 346 32.75 12.89 58 337 1857 $99

29 Dunlop M Fil 200 Plus Racquet sample not available for measure at press time $99

30 Dunlop M Fil 300 98 27.00 309 35.00 13.78 63 308 1902 $99

31 Dunlop M Fil 4 Hundred 100 27.25 298 34.25 13.48 70 299 2145 $149

32 Dunlop M Fil 500 105 27.25 279 34.75 13.68 68 293 2144 $119

33 Dunlop M Fil 6 Hundred 108 27.50 278 35.25 13.88 69 296 2316 $159

34 Dunlop M Fil 700 110 27.50 268 35.50 13.98 67 294 2275 $129

35 Dunlop M Fil Lady G 108 27.50 277 35.00 13.78 69 291 2277 $149

FISCHER

36 Fischer M GDS Rally 102 27.38 295 34.00 13.39 65 291 2002 $160

37 Fischer M GDS Vision FT 102 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time $160

38 Fischer M Pro No. One 105 105 27.00 335 32.00 12.60 58 318 1937 $180

RACQUETS AS OF JANUARY 2006

BLACKBURNE 781-729-3891 • www.blackburneds.com

Racquet Headsize Length Weight Balance Balance Flex Swingweight Power Retail(in2) (in.) (gm) (cm) (in.) (RDC) kg x cm2 Formula Price

BABOLAT 877-316-9435 • www.babolat.com

AVERY 800-758-9467 • www.tomavery.com

BANCROFT 800-779-0807 • www.bancroftsports.com

DUNLOP 800-277-8000 • www.dunlopsports.com

FISCHER 800-333-0337 • www.fischertennisusa.com



FISCHER CONT

39 Fischer M Pro No. One 98 98 27.00 337 32.25 12.70 56 312 1712 $180

40 Fischer M Pro No. One 98 SL 98 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time $180

41 Fischer M Twin Tec Motion 112 27.63 278 36.00 14.17 70 307 2557 $210

42 Fischer Pro No. One 98 27.00 334 32.00 12.60 64 308 1932 $149

43 Fischer Pro No. One FT 98 27.40 309 33.25 13.09 63 297 1907 $180

44 Fischer Pro Tour 100 27.00 312 33.75 13.29 59 307 1811 $140

45 Fischer Pro Tour Extreme FT 95 27.25 340 32.00 12.60 62 301 1817 $170

46 Fischer Strike Ti. 102 27.38 277 34.75 13.68 63 284 1893 $99

47 Fischer Twin Tec 1250 FTi 118 27.75 272 36.00 14.17 63 297 2373 $240

GAMMA

48 Gamma IPEX 2.0 SOS 137 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time

49 Gamma IPEX 3.0 OS 116 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time

50 Gamma IPEX 5.0 MP 96 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time


52 Gamma IPEX 7.0 MP 98 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time


HEAD

54 Head Flexpoint 10 121 27.50 259 38.00 14.96 69 316 2770 $275

55 Head Flexpoint 4 107 27.33 281 35.50 13.98 67 309 2288 $225

56 Head Flexpoint 6 MP 102 27.38 294 35.75 14.07 68 324 2332 $250

57 Head Flexpoint 6 OS 112 27.38 279 37.25 14.67 64 321 2387 $250

58 Head Flexpoint Fire 102 27.33 294 34.75 13.68 63 317 2104 $150

59 Head Flexpoint Heat 102 27.00 297 34.50 13.58 66 304 2047 $140

60 Head Flexpoint Instinct 100 27.00 308 33.00 12.99 65 308 2002 $180

61 Head Flexpoint prestige Mid 93 27.00 345 32.00 12.60 67 312 1944 $225

62 Head Flexpoint prestige MP 98 27.00 338 32.38 12.75 66 315 2037 $225

63 Head Flexpoint prestige XL MP 98 27.38 342 33.13 13.04 67 333 2268 $225

64 Head Flexpoint Radical MP 98 27.00 312 33.75 13.29 65 324 2064 $200

65 Head Flexpoint Radical OS 107 27.00 318 33.50 13.19 59 330 2083 $200

66 Head Flexpoint Radical Tour MP 100 27.00 342 32.50 12.80 60 318 1908 $200

67 Head Liquidmetal 1 110 110 27.38 258 37.50 14.76 65 306 2270 $120

68 Head Protector MP 102 27.38 282 36.75 14.47 66 320 2235 $300

69 Head Protector OS 115 27.63 283 38.00 14.96 64 340 2659 $300

POWERANGLE

70 PowerAngle Power 102 (Light Blue) 102 27.38 274 36.50 14.37 72 314 2392 $199

71 PowerAngle Power 102 (Navy Blue) 102 27.38 272 37.00 14.57 73 315 2433 $199

72 PowerAngle Power 102 (Yellow) 102 27.38 274 36.50 14.37 72 314 2392 $199

73 PowerAngle Power 115 (Light Blue) 115 27.38 268 37.25 14.67 74 318 2808 $199

74 PowerAngle Power 115 (Red) 115 27.25 262 37.25 14.67 73 309 2659 $199

75 PowerAngle Power 115 (Yellow) 115 27.38 268 37.25 14.67 74 318 2808 $199

76 PowerAngle Power 98 98 27.00 322 30.50 12.01 63 289 1784 $199

77 PowerAngle Power 98/K 98 27.00 326 30.75 12.11 64 289 1813 $199

PRINCE

78 Prince Air Freak Midplus 100 27.00 305 34.00 13.39 71 317 2251 $120

79 Prince Air Freak Oversize 110 27.00 287 34.25 13.48 70 298 2295 $120

HEAD 800-289-7366 • www.head.com

GAMMA 800-333-0337 • www.gammasports.com

POWER ANGLE 877-769-3721 • www.powerangle.net

FISCHER continued 800-333-0337 • www.fischertennisusa.com

PRINCE 800-283-6647 • www.princetennis.com


80 Prince Air Vanquish Midplus 100 27.00 308 33.75 13.29 70 315 2205 $150

81 Prince Air Vanquish Oversize 110 27.00 285 35.00 13.78 73 295 2369 $150

82 Prince Diablo XP MP 96 27.50 326 33.00 12.99 69 325 2260 $190

83 Prince Diablo XP OS 110 28.00 299 35.25 13.88 69 326 2722 $190

84 Prince O3 Blue 110 27.50 281 34.25 13.48 65 295 2215 $280

85 Prince O3 Hornet Hybrid Midplus 100 27.00 302 34.25 13.48 72 314 2261 $190

86 Prince O3 Hornet Hybrid Oversize 110 27.00 283 35.00 13.78 71 305 2382 $190

87 Prince O3 Pink OS 118 27.50 266 37.25 14.67 75 311 2890 $300

88 Prince O3 Red MP 105 27.25 294 34.50 13.58 73 312 2451 $250

89 Prince O3 Shark Hybrid Midplus 100 27.00 314 33.75 13.29 66 322 2125 $200

90 Prince O3 Shark Hybrid Oversize 110 27.50 295 35.00 13.78 67 323 2500 $200

91 Prince O3 Silver OS 118 27.75 270 37.50 14.76 78 320 3166 $300

92 Prince O3 Tour 100 100 27.00 324 32.25 12.70 61 312 1903 $220

93 Prince O3 Tour MS 95 27.00 338 31.75 12.50 65 315 1945 $220

94 Prince O3 Tour OS 107 27.50 316 34.00 13.39 66 321 2380 $220

95 Prince O3 White MP 100 27.00 315 33.25 13.09 67 317 2124 $220

96 Prince Shark DB Midplus 100 27.00 301 34.50 13.58 68 308 2094 $200

97 Prince Shark DB Oversize 110 27.50 290 34.50 13.58 71 299 2452 $200

98 Prince Shark MP 100 27.00 330 33.00 12.99 70 320 2240 $190

99 Prince Shark MP LB 100 27.63 315 33.75 13.29 63 320 2142 $190

100 Prince Shark OS 110 27.50 293 35.00 13.78 71 319 2616 $190

101 Prince Tour Diablo Mid 93 27.00 340 32.00 12.60 67 310 1932 $170

102 Prince Tour Diablo MP 100 27.25 314 32.00 12.60 63 298 1924 $170

PROKENNEX

103 Pro Kennex Core 1 No. 06 95 27.13 339 31.75 12.50 61 317 1860 $160

104 Pro Kennex Core 1 No. 10 102 27.25 310 33.75 13.29 68 311 2211 $170

105 Pro Kennex Ki 10 (Kinetic Ionic 10) 100 27.00 311 33.50 13.19 68 305 2074 $180

106 Pro Kennex Ki 10 PSE (Kinetic Ionic 10 PSE) 100 27.00 323 33.00 12.99 62 311 1928 $180




110 Pro Kennex Ki 20 PSE 110 27.38 297 34.50 13.58 67 321 2454 $210




114 Pro Kennex Ki 5x (Kinetic Ionic 5x) 100 27.63 335 34.00 13.39 68 349 2522 $180

115 Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 15g Light 105 27.50 272 35.00 13.78 65 300 2150 $150

116 Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 5g 100 27.00 334 31.50 12.40 62 314 1947 $150

117 Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 7g 100 27.50 342 32.00 12.60 65 332 2266 $150

118 Pro Kennex Type C 93 Redondo Edition 93 27.00 331 32.00 12.60 57 310 1643 $170

119 Pro Kennex Type C 98 Redondo Edition 98 27.00 342 31.00 12.20 56 314 1723 $170

120 Pro Kennex Type R 100 27.00 328 33.25 13.09 56 315 1764 $160

121 Pro Kennex Type S 100 27.00 324 33.00 12.99 66 312 2059 $160

SLAZENGER

122 Slazenger Pro X1 95 27.00 336 32.00 12.60 67 305 1941 $180


PRO KENNEX 760-804-8322 • www.prokennex.com

SLAZENGER 800-277-8000 • www.slazenger.com


TECNIFIBRE

123 Tecnifibre T Feel 275 XL 107 27.50 294 36.00 14.17 65 323 2359 $190


125 Tecnifibre T Feel 305 98 27.00 321 33.25 13.09 68 315 2099 $170


127 Tecnifibre T Fight 315 98 27.00 334 33.00 12.99 65 318 2026 $170

128 Tecnifibre T Fight 325 98 27.40 345 32.50 12.80 60 327 2000 $170

129 Tecnifibre T Flash 290 100 27.00 308 33.75 13.29 69 312 2153 $170

VANTAGE

130 Vantage VT001 90 27.00 338 32.50 12.80 63 321 1820 $221

131 Vantage VT002 95 27.00 334 32.00 12.60 61 323 1872 $221

132 Vantage VT003 100 27.25 306 34.75 13.68 61 324 2026 $221

VOLKL

133 Volkl Boris Becker 1 110 27.25 269 36.50 14.37 65 304 2228 $160



136 Volkl C10 Pro 98 27.00 348 31.50 12.40 56 321 1762 $190

137 Volkl Catapult 1 (with FIRE) (Generation II) 120 27.75 261 36.50 14.37 72 311 2889 $270

138 Volkl Catapult 2 (Generation II) 115 28.00 269 37.25 14.67 70 324 2869 $240

139 Volkl Catapult 4 Gen II 105 27.50 289 34.25 13.48 69 304 2313 $190

140 Volkl Catapult 8 V-Engine 100 27.25 307 33.50 13.19 64 301 1975 $190

141 Volkl DNX 10 98 27.00 338 32.00 12.60 64 314 1969 $190


VANTAGE +44 (0)1753 621177 • www.vantagetennis.com

VOLKL 800-264-4579 • www.volkl.com

TECNIFIBRE 877-332-0825 • www.tecnifibre.com


142 Volkl DNX 3 110 27.75 280 35.25 13.88 66 315 2458 $240

143 Volkl DNX 8 100 27.00 312 33.50 13.19 70 317 2219 $170

144 Volkl DNX V1 MP 102 27.00 302 33.50 13.19 69 301 2118 $220

145 Volkl DNX V1 OS 110 27.50 297 34.00 13.39 68 302 2372 $220

146 Volkl Tour 10 MP Gen II 98 27.00 339 32.25 12.70 64 322 2020 $180

147 Volkl Tour 10 V Engine Mid 93 27.13 336 32.00 12.60 60 308 1740 $180

148 Volkl V1 Classic 102 27.00 313 33.50 13.19 68 320 2220 $200

WEED

149 Weed EXT 135 Blue 135 28.25 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time $250

150 Weed EXT 135 Green 135 28.25 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time $250

151 Weed EXT 135 Pink 135 28.25 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time $250

152 Weed EXT 135 Tour 135 28.25 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time $250

153 Weed X-ONE25 (27 1/2) 125 27.50 269 36.25 14.27 69 311 2816 $209

154 Weed X-ONE25 (28 1/2) 125 28.50 269 38.25 15.06 69 360 3571 $209

155 Weed Z-One 35 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time $250

WILSON

156 Wilson H Cyclone 115 27.90 251 38.75 15.26 75 315 2961 $160

157 Wilson H Rival 112 112 27.50 256 38.50 15.16 70 317 2610 $150

158 Wilson H Rival 96 96 27.50 285 36.25 14.27 72 323 2344 $150

159 Wilson H1 Outer Edge 135 135 28.50 253 39.25 15.45 75 328.5 3825 $180

160 Wilson n1 115 27.90 256 38.75 15.26 75 323 3037 $300

161 Wilson n1 Force 125 27.75 267 40.00 15.75 74 347 3450 $300


WILSON 773-714-6400 • www.wilsonsports.com

WEED 800-933-3758 • www.weedusa.com


WILSON CONT.

162 Wilson n3 115 27.50 273 38.00 14.96 50 323 1950 $270

163 Wilson n4 Midplus (101) 101 27.50 273 36.75 14.47 67 317 2252 $240

164 Wilson n4 Oversize (111) 111 27.50 270 37.50 14.76 69 324 2606 $240

165 Wilson n5 (110) 110 27.25 272 37.25 14.67 60 299 2023 $219

166 Wilson n5 (98) 98 27.25 278 37.50 14.76 63 312 1974 $219

167 Wilson n5 Force 110 110 27.25 286 37.50 14.76 56 329 2077 $240

168 Wilson n5 Force 98 98 27.25 276 37.50 14.76 56 312 1755 $240

169 Wilson n6 (110) 110 Racquet sample not available for measure at press time $180

170 Wilson n6 (95) 95 27.00 269 37.50 14.76 65 322 1988 $180

171 Wilson nBlade 106 106 27.25 308 33.25 13.09 61 314 2081 $200

172 Wilson nBlade 98 98 27.00 315 33.25 13.09 59 329 1902 $200

173 Wilson nFury 100 100 27.00 285 33.75 13.29 48 297 1426 $120

174 Wilson nFury 110 110 27.50 271 35.50 13.98 70 304 2458 $120

175 Wilson nPro 98 98 27.00 311 33.25 13.09 70 304 2085 $200

176 Wilson nPro Open 100 27.00 311 32.50 12.80 69 294 2029 $200

177 Wilson nPro Open X 100 27.50 316 33.50 13.19 68 319 2278 $200

178 Wilson nPro Surge 100 27.00 313 33.25 13.09 59 305 1800 $180

179 Wilson nPro Surge X 100 27.50 304 33.25 13.09 63 315 2084 $180

180 Wilson nPS 95 95 27.00 298 34.25 13.48 59 315 1766 $140

181 Wilson nSix One 95 (68 holes) 95 27.00 347 32.00 12.60 68 329 2125 $200

182 Wilson nSix One Tour 90 27.00 354 32.00 12.60 66 325 1931 $200

183 Wilson nSix Two 100 100 27.00 295 33.00 12.99 67 298 1997 $190

184 Wilson nSix Two 113 110 27.50 290 34.50 13.58 70 321 2595 $190

185 Wilson nTour 105 105 27.25 297 35.50 13.98 67 334 2408 $180

186 Wilson nTour 95 95 27.25 305 35.50 13.98 63 340 2086 $180

187 Wilson nVision 103 27.25 277 36.50 14.37 63 316 2102 $150

188 Wilson Pro Staff Blitz 100 27.00 280 35.50 13.98 58 304 1763 $120

189 Wilson Triad 5 OS 110 (T5) 110 27.38 271 36.00 14.17 70 287 2294 $100

190 Wilson W2 Black Whisper 117 27.50 273 37.75 14.86 66 326 2643 $270

191 Wilson W2 Blue Shadow 117 27.50 270 37.75 14.86 65 318 2539 $270

192 Wilson W2 Spicy Ruby 117 27.50 273 37.25 14.67 65 319 2547 $270

193 Wilson W4 Cobalt Storm 107 27.25 267 36.50 14.37 66 304 2201 $230

194 Wilson W4 Red Fury 107 27.25 272 36.25 14.27 67 307 2256 $230

195 Wilson W4 Savage Lime 107 27.25 271 36.75 14.47 67 311 2285 $230

196 Wilson W4 Savage Sapphire 107 27.25 272 36.25 14.27 67 305 2241 $230

197 Wilson W6 Blue Steel 97 27.00 299 35.25 13.88 59 327 1871 $200

198 Wilson W6 Wild Crimson 97 27.00 297 35.25 13.88 60 322 1874 $200

YONEX

199 Yonex NSRQ 5 105 27.50 289 35.00 13.78 68 316 2369 $219

200 Yonex NSRQ 7 (100) 100 27.50 300 33.00 12.99 66 303 2100 $259

201 Yonex NSRQ 7 (110) 110 27.50 288 35.75 14.07 65 326 2447 $259

202 Yonex NSRQ 8 110 27.50 272 37.00 14.57 74 313 2675 $279

203 Yonex RDS 001 90 90 27.00 344 31.75 12.50 65 320 1872 -

204 Yonex RDS 001 98 98 27.00 309 31.75 12.50 66 309 1999 -

205 Yonex RDS 300 100 100 27.25 312 32.75 12.89 69 306 2164 -


YONEX 310-793-3800 • www.yonex.com

WILSON continued 773-714-6400 • www.wilsonsports.com


The Power FormulaFirst, it must be understood that the “power formula” is nota scientific or mathematical value, but only a convenientnumeric representation of tendencies relating the role ofheadsize, length, flex, and swingweight to the feeling ofpower of the racquet. Second, the power formula bestdescribes the relative size of the power area compared toanother racquet, not the relative maximum velocity the rac-quet can generate. For example, racquet 111 at 2600/295and racquet 69 at 2600/340 might have about the same sizesweetspot, but the latter racquet will probably be more pow-erful in terms of maximum ball velocity, even though theyhave the same “power rating.” Why is this?

Sweetspot PowerIn the sweetspot (the spot in the middle of the racquet about16 cm from the tip), all racquets with the same swingweightwill generate the same ball velocity at the same swingspeed, stringbed stiffness being equal (see February 2006article by Rod Cross for detailed explanation). Racquets witha higher swingweight will generate higher ball velocities forthe same swing speed. The racquet does not bend andvibrate on a sweetspot impact, so flex has no influence andheadsize only comes into play on off-center hits—largerheadsizes generally offering more resistance to twisting.Thus, all racquets in a given row with the same swingweight

are equally as powerful in the sweetspot, even though theyhave different power ratings. And within a given power rat-ing column, the racquet with the highest swingweight willhave the greatest sweetspot power, even though they allhave the same power rating.

Sweet Area PowerAs soon as you stray from the sweetspot, the bigger, stifferracquets will lose a smaller percentage of the innatesweetspot power available to them. These racquets tend tobend and twist less, therefore losing less energy to nonpro-ductive racquet reactions. Larger racquet heads move theweight of the frame farther from the racquet’s long axis, andit is the distance from the axis that is more influential in pre-venting twisting than is the amount of weight, thoughadding more weight at any given distance from the axis alsoincreases resistance to bending and twisting. So, bigger-headed, lower swingweight racquets can become more pow-erful than smaller-headed, higher swingweight racquets onoff-center hits. The farther you hit off-center, the more pro-nounced the effect. Therefore, what you experience as theracquet’s power is a combination of the ultimate power andthe average power over an impact area.

Combined PowerFirst, let’s number the quadrants of the map clockwise 1, 2,3, and 4 from the upper right quadrant. Then we will define

Characterization of Power—Magnitude, Area, and ControlQuadrant Quadrant Sweetspot Peripheral Sweet Rebound Rebound

Characteristics Power Power Area Angle DistanceSize Control Control

1: Quick Control Small d, small w Low Low Small Low High2: Stable Control Small d, big w High Medium Medium Medium Medium3: Quick Power Big d, small w Low Medium Medium Medium Medium4: Stable Power Big d, big w High High Large High Low

continued from page 29

206 Yonex RDX 300 MP 98 27.25 311 33.25 13.09 70 307 2159 $189

207 Yonex RDX 300 Super Mid 103 27.50 296 34.00 13.39 68 305 2243 $189

208 Yonex RDX 500 HD 98 27.00 333 32.25 12.70 61 313 1871 $199

209 Yonex RDX 500 Mid 90 27.00 331 32.50 12.80 62 312 1741 $199

210 Yonex RDX 500 MP 98 27.00 322 32.50 12.80 64 306 1919 $199

211 Yonex Ultimum RD Ti 80 98 27.00 318 31.75 12.50 60 290 1705 $179

212 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti 210m 102 27.00 258 36.00 14.17 73 281 2092 $119

213 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti 260m 98 27.00 264 37.00 14.57 76 298 2220 $139



two “generalized” variables: d represents the average dis-tance from the long axis to the hoop of the head and w theaverage amount of weight located at that distance. We canthen make the following generalizations about the racquets ineach quadrant relative to the others.

The table assumes that as you go down a column, there ismore weight in the head of the frame, and as you go to the leftin a row, the head gets larger and the racquet gets longer andstiffer. There are exceptions, but in general, this is true. Theassumptions in the last two columns describing control are these:the less the racquet twists, the more true the rebound, and the morethe twist, the less the rebound velocity, providing a built-in safety valveagainst hitting too long. This latter point is a rather perverse view of con-trol in that it defines hitting long as “out of control,” but feeding your oppo-nent short meatballs is considered “in-control” because it at least is not an out-right loss of a point. But this reasoning is congruent with the prevailing view heldby many that a racquet’s intrinsic power and control are inversely related.

Power, Maneuverability,and Swing SpeedSwingweight is not just about power. It is also a measure ofmaneuverability. But it is an inverse relationship. Lowerswingweight means more maneuverability and less intrin-sic power, and higher swingweight means less maneuver-ability and more intrinsic power. But, in theory, becauseyou can swing a more maneuverable racquet faster, youcan make up for less intrinsic power by increasing theextrinsic power—i.e., by swinging faster. For this reason,the Racquet Selection Map shows all racquets in the samecolumn as being equally as powerful—low swingweight butfast swing speed being considered as equivalent to high swing-weight (built-in power) and lower swing speed.

This would seem a logical argument when explaining racquets tocustomers, but experiments have shown that lower swingweights don’tnecessarily mean that the swing speed will increase, and further that, in mostcases, using racquets within the range of swingweights in the marketplace, the playercan choose to swing at whatever speed he/she chooses, independent of a particular swing-weight (see the book Technical Tennis for more explanation). Using swing speed to affect poweris more a matter of choice than it is about a necessary mathematical relationship between swing-weight and swing speed.

ConclusionThe Racquet Selection Map is a great tool for quickly comparing racquets on maneuverability, power, and con-trol. However, further differentiating the racquets by the probable size of the sweet area, the magnitude of thepower of the sweetspot, and the unlikely affect of swingweight on swing speed, you can better pinpoint the dif-ference between any two racquets and help your customer or student make an intelligent decision on which rac-quets to demo in their quest for a new frame.

Don’t Bust a Gut!Don’t Bust a Gut!Worried about your firstnatural gut string job?Two stringing expertstake the mystery out ofit for you.

B Y R I C H A R D P A R N E L L A N D T I M S T R A W N , W W W . G R A N D S L A M S T R I N G E R S . C O M

Working with natural gut string can be a bit daunting,especially for stringers who have never done so. There’san “aura” around natural gut, and of course the higher

price can make some stringers hesitant. However, armed withsome basic information, anyone can gain the confidenceneeded to get the job done.

In our years as professional stringers forwww.grandslamstringers.com, we’ve come up with the fol-lowing tips and techniques for stringing with natural gut.

PreparationCheck the grommets and replace or repair those that needattention. Damaged grommets can wreak havoc on a new setof natural gut.

You can repair damaged grommets by using a slightlyheated awl to reshape and remold the tube of the grommet.If you use this method, follow up by using a piece of heaviergauge nylon string, lubricated with paraffin wax, to burnishany rough edges. You can also replace individual grommets orthe entire bumper/grommet set if necessary.

Clean your clamps with denatured alcohol and an oldtoothbrush. After the alcohol bath, use a can of compressedair to blow out excess alcohol and debris from inside the jawsof your clamps and to thoroughly dry the clamps. Clampcleanliness cannot be emphasized enough, especially withnatural gut.

Adjust your clamps prior to starting to avoid slippage thatcan damage the string. Take the end of the actual stringyou’re using and insert it into the clamp and begin to close thejaw. If you feel too much resistance, adjust your clamp slight-ly and retest. You want the clamp snug but not tight to thepoint of crushing the string.

Something basic but often overlooked: Measure twice,string once. Verify that the package contains the length ofstring you’re expecting, and that this much string is sufficientfor the job at hand.

Clamping the FrameBecause gut is more susceptible to damage from clamp slip-page, you want to make certain it doesn’t happen, especiallyon the difficult first pull. One safe way is to mount a startingclamp immediately behind the machine clamp to increase theclamping force. Don’t use a starting clamp on the outside ofthe racquet, as this can stress the string.

You can still use a starting clamp outside the frame whenusing an around-the-world (ATW) pattern, many of whichrequire such clamping while finishing up the short side. Butthere is more strain on the first pull, so you have to be extracareful there.

Preparing the StringAfter removing the gut from the package, carefully cut theband that holds the coil together and slip the coil over yourforearm up near your elbow. Release the string and let the coilequalize. After this initial equalization, it is much easier touncoil the string.

Natural gut kinks easily, so be careful when handling it.Kinking is most likely to occur during the unwinding of thecoil, and it creates weak spots in the string. Take your timewhen uncoiling gut, and give yourself enough room, not onlyso the string can uncoil, but also so you don’t pinch, crease,or cut the string by stepping on it.

Because of changes in manufacturing techniques, pre-stretching natural gut is no longer mandatory. If your cus-


tomer wants you to pre-stretch the gut, use two people tostretch the entire length of the string in a straight line, asopposed to wrapping the string around a pole or door handleso one person can pull on both ends.

You can use starting clamps to hold the ends, or cut sec-tions of broom handle or closet rod and drill a small hole inthe middle for the string, and then use a starting clamp. Ifyou use starting clamps alone, hold them firmly, but do notsqueeze the handles as this opens the jaws and releases thestring. Turn your back to the taut portion of the string so thatif it does snap, it can't hit you in the face. Apply about 40pounds of pull across the entire length of the string, and holdit for 15 to 30 seconds.

WeavingWeaving the crosses demands extra care. Your primary focusis to keep friction to a minimum. Waxing the main stringsused to be standard procedure, but this process is seldomused these days. Modern coatings and weaving one crossstring ahead will adequately reduce friction and allow for amuch smoother weave.

If you are using a basic ATW pattern, you will have anexaggerated hard weave on the very last string because atleast one bottom cross is already installed. If you attempt tomake the last weave in one motion and pull the entire tail ofthe string through, there’s a good chance of severely damag-ing that piece of string.

To avoid this, measure off just enough string to weave thelast cross and reach the tension head after weaving the next-to-the-last cross. Insert the tip of the string into the grommethole and pull the entire length of string through that hole.Form a small loop and weave under one main, pulling all thestring completely through, as if you were sewing. Repeat thisprocess until the entire cross string is woven. This techniquewill keep the natural twist of the string in place and willreduce friction, keeping the string intact. The sewing tech-nique also works well when you have a cross string thatimmediately encounters a main string as the cross exits theframe.

Abandon the traditional practice of holding the loose endof the string while pulling the rest of the cross string over themains. All strings will twist and curl as they’re being pulledover the mains and holding the end only compounds thisproblem pull after pull. Once you’ve completed weaving thecross string, insert the end into the exit grommet and let ithang free as you pull the remainder of the string through thehole. Forget about speed; protect the string.

Avoid unraveling your natural gut during installation bypaying close attention to the natural twist in the string. Nat-ural gut is made up of several individual strands of beef intes-tine (or sheep—not cat!) and those strands are then twistedtogether to form the string. You’ll notice that the stringremains firm and intact while installing the mains but canunravel once you begin to weave the crosses. As you movedown the face of the racquet the end of the string becomesmore and more worn, making it even more susceptible tounraveling or kinking. Be careful not to over-twist the gut ineither direction when you handle it.

Other TipsUse leather power pads at severe turns where the mains firstexit to the side of the frame, especially with thinner gaugestrings. Manufacturers are now designing grommet strips withraised ridges in these areas, but not every racquet has them.

Some natural gut strings have more slippery coatings thanothers. If it’s really bad, wipe off the excess residue with a softcloth prior to installing the string.

In tournament situations where there’s a lot of traffic in thestringing room, it’s a good idea to pre-weave the main stringsto get some of the string up off of the floor and out of harm’sway.

Many people are not aware that today quality natural gutstrings are coated. Unlike the days of old, there’s no need to beas worried about moisture. Today’s natural gut strings are moredurable and modern coatings have played a big role here.

Dirt and grit are natural enemies of gut. It’s a good idea toclean the string after each use with a soft cloth lightly coatedwith baby oil. Small particles of dirt can cause pits and cracksthat degrade the string and eventually result in prematurebreaking. You can also apply a light coat of pure carnauba waxto protect the string after cleaning.

Use additional reinforcement at high-stress areas. Outermain strings have much sharper angles where the string exitsthe grommet, so use some Teflon or nylon tubing here. If thefit is tight, just open up the hole with a lubricated blunt-tippedawl prior to installation. Don’t stretch the tubing; you’re weak-ening the tubing and defeating the purpose of using it in thefirst place.

String savers can go a long way in extending the life of anystring, especially an expensive piece of natural gut. Many peo-ple are of the impression that string savers have an adverseaffect on the racquet’s performance, but this is open to debate.The slight increase in tension that may result from the use ofstring savers can certainly be compensated for during theinstallation process if need be. Many touring professionals usestring savers, which might provide some comfort to your cus-tomers concerned about their affect on play.

Natural gut responds better at higher tensions because of itssuperior elasticity, and hard-hitting players will benefit morewhen using gut. It comes highly recommended for players withelbow or shoulder problems, but be warned when recom-mending gut to lower NTRP rated players.

Natural gut has lower “knot break” strength (threshold) thanstandard synthetics. This is the string’s ability to resist angularforces, which is exactly what you have when a player frames aball. Because this is more likely to occur with a less advancedplayer, you may find yourself struggling to explain to your 2.5player with arm problems just why his expensive string onlylasted two hours!

ConclusionEven armed with these pointers, it’s normal to approach yourfirst natural gut string job with some trepidation. However, ifyou are cautious and pay attention to the basics, you should dojust fine. Of course, after you play with natural gut for the firsttime, you should find it is worth the extra effort. �



If you visit the stringing room of mostmajor tournaments, you’ll find that withfew exceptions, Babolat machines arethe mainstay of the tour stringer.Rugged and reliable, with excellentmounting, clamping, and tensioning, astringer could hardly ask for more.

In the summer of 2000, Babolat dis-continued the manufacture of the de factostandard of the professional stringer, theStar 4, and replaced it with the even morecapable Sensor line. Unfortunately, theStar 4 was portable, while the Sensor isjust too much machine. As a result, tour-ing stringers have been hanging onto theiraging Star 4s despite the advances instringing machine technology exemplifiedby the Sensor.

With the introduction of the Star 5,Babolat has retained the best features ofthe Sensor and made some improvements,while trimming the weight and the priceof its entry-level machine. The 120-poundStar 5 sells for $3,000 with a three-yearwarranty, and an optional five-year war-ranty is $200 more. The price includes acover, spare parts, and assembly wrench-es. Clearly, the Star 5 is a serious effort byBabolat to make an exceptionally compe-tent true constant-pull stringing machineavailable to serious stringers at a price thatis almost too low to resist.

ASSEMBLYOur Star 5 arrived in one 141-pound box.The unpacking and assembly instructionswere right on top, as were the assemblytools. The directions are straightforward,and it took less than 15 minutes to gofrom the box to a functioning stringingmachine. The instructions do recommendthat you have two persons available to liftthe unit onto the stand, and it’s a goodidea to have someone else available, if forno other reason than that the unit’s shell isa thin plastic that is not fully supportedaround the edges. It is also useful to havesomeone to balance the machine atop thestand while the other person installs thebolts that hold the machine to the stand.The stand isn’t necessary, however, as the

Babolat Star 5stringing machine REVIEW

Star 5 is also equipped with rubber feet, soit can be set on a bench or other flat sur-face. In this configuration, the stringbed is16 inches above the work surface.

If you are going to use the stand, youassemble it first. Babolat recommends thatyou level it, using the screw adjusterslocated at the ends of two of the legs.However, the placement of the adjust-ment screws means that not every floorcan be accommodated. As with the Sen-sor, the power cord runs through the cen-ter of the stand. The legs are welded to thelower section of the stand.

The stand is infinitely adjustable so thatthe height of the stringbed is between 41inches and 52 inches above the floor. Hereagain, you will find it very helpful to haveone person hold the machine while theother works the Allen wrench on theheight-adjustment screw. The telescopingsection of the stand is “crimped” in such away that the depth of the adjustmentscrew is matched to the depth of thecrimp. This ensures that once the adjust-ment screw is tightened, the two sectionsof the stand form a solid unit. The Allenscrew is encased in a housing that, unlikethe lever found on previous machines,seems incapable of catching string.

PROSOnce assembled, we turned the unit onand took some time to familiarize our-selves with the Star 5 “Navigator,” whichconsists of an LCD read-out and threeflush-mounted buttons, labeled “S” (forShift), “+”, and “-”. Through the Naviga-tor, the operator can set the reference ten-sion (from 11 to 88 pounds in half-poundincrements), lock the machine, set poundsor kilograms, add over-tension for knots(from .5 to 11 pounds, in half-pound

COMPONENT WEIGHT (LBS.)Base 31Machine 89

Tension head—24 poundsClamp plate w/ clamps—34 poundsShell—31 pounds

Total 120

increments), activate the “knot” function(one pull per activation), set the amount ofpre-stretch (5, 10, 15, or 20 percent of thereference tension), turn the tension buzzeron and off, and select from among Eng-lish, French, German, Spanish, and Italianfor the display. You can also check the ver-sion number, the number of pulls, a calcu-lated number of racquets strung (based onthe number of pulls), the length of time inhours the machine has been on, the serialnumber of the machine, and the Star 5’sstatus. If you choose kilograms, the ten-sion range is 5 to 40 kilograms, adjustablein one-tenth kilo increments. You also usethe Navigator to turn off the welcomemessage, which we did before proceedingto check the calibration, which was righton. Subsequent checks showed excellentcalibration maintenance.

The Star 5 has the familiar Babolat 6-point mounting system, which Babolatrefers to as a 10-point mounting systembecause the “V” of each of the four drop-arm side supports touches the frame intwo places. The shafts of the “billiards,”which is what Babolat calls the frame sup-ports at 6 and 12 o’clock, glide in and outof the towers on bronze bushings. Ifyou’ve ever used a Star 3, Star 4, or Sen-sor, the mounting system will hold no sur-prises. The adjustment knobs for the sidesupport arms are easy to operate, makingit a snap to mount the frame properly.Once mounted, if the frame is properlystrung, there is no difficulty removing theracquet from the machine. Best of all, theside support arms seem never to get in theway of the stringing process. Even


CO

NTIN

UED

stringing machine REVIEW

base solidly to the turntable. It took about adozen racquets for the clamps on our unitto feel broken in. Stringing times were justas low as with other, more familiar stringingmachines, from the first frame.

The linear-pull tension head has the“start” button mounted immediatelybehind and below the jaws of the tensionhead. The start button itself is a “capaci-tive” type switch, which means there areno moving parts: As soon as you touch thebutton, it senses the contact. We foundthat even with a piece of string blockingdirect access to the button, the start switchresponded perfectly.

Of all the advanced features of the Star5, without a doubt the most advanced isthe tensioning program. While there is nomanual setting for pull speed, the Star 5 (as

with the Sensor) automatically adjusts thepull speed based on the string you areusing, with no user intervention.

The LCD display always keeps youinformed on your settings, even to thepoint of giving you instantaneous read-outson the tension during a pull. The Star 5 con-tinuously adjusts the pulling force to com-pensate for string elongation.

One much-appreciated feature of theStar 5 is the return of the nosecone (or dia-bolo). Besides reducing the clamping forceneeded by the tension jaws, the noseconealso helps the operator position the stringinto the tension jaws the same way eachtime. As a result, the Star 5 is very gentleon delicate strings. We experienced nostring scarring or marking due to the ten-sion jaws.

The entire traction unit assemblydetaches from the machine base quicklyand easily. It is no doubt designed this wayto make maintenance and repairs morestraightforward, but it might also make iteasier for traveling stringers to break up the

total weight of the machine for easiercartage. In either event, removing the trac-tion unit requires nothing more thanunplugging the power cord and looseningtwo screws. The traction unit then slides outthe side of the machine.

For those who will be traveling with theStar 5, it is worth noting that the machineruns on 100-120 volts, or 220-240 volts.There is a voltage selector on the undersideof the traction unit, which is also where youswitch the fuse to match the line voltage.

CONSThe turntable lock lever is mounted on thefront as it is on the Sensor, but recessed sothat there is much less chance to snag thestring. The location is fine, but the roundknob doesn’t afford as much leverage as theold lever. Also, access to the knob is partial-ly obscured by the shroud of the machine,making it more difficult to immobilize theturntable when stringing “problem” rac-quets such as the larger Prince O3s,Wilsons with PowerHoles, and theWilson T2000 series, especially if theStar 5 is mounted on a table or

bench. Fortunately, Prince provides a“boomerang” tool for the O3 series of

racquets, which eliminates the need oflocking the turntable on by far the mostcommon of these frames.

The rigid turntable and fixed-towers ofthe Star 5 (and its predecessors) do offer astable base for the mounting system. Wefound only one frame—the throatless HeadTi.S7—that needed an adapter, and the Star5 is hardly alone in this category. The Star 5mounted even the Gamma Big Bubba, Wil-son Hyper Hammer 3.3 “The Limits,” andthe Head i.160 squash frames with no prob-lems. However the stock Star 5 will notmount small-headed racquets such aswoodies and the Wilson T2000 series. If thisis an important part of your business, youwill need the optional badminton adapterkit at $450.

Even some frames that mount fine stillpresent problems, such as the BlackburneDS 107, which requires the removal of themachine clamps so that you can use floatingclamps top and bottom, and racquetballframes that have the top cross so high thatthey are out of the reach of the Star 5clamps.

Speaking of the clamps, we found thatthe three-tooth clamps are easier to fit

stringers accustomed to using a machinewith 2- or 4-point mounting should haveno trouble converting to the Star 5’s 6-point system. One of the first racquets westrung was one that is infamous for beingshorter with strings than without. As withother Babolat machines before it, the Star 5provided such good support that the fin-ished length of the racquet was within3/32-inches of the unstrung length.

The Star 5 double-action clamps arestandard in every way except their imple-mentation. The string clamp is identical tothe three-tooth clamps found on the Sen-sor. The clamp heads appear bulky but areprofiled to fit into tight spaces. The clamp-ing faces are coated with tungsten carbide,and the clamping force is easily adjustablewithout tools, thanks to an oversize adjust-ment knob on the side of the clamp. As atest, we reduced the clamping force adjust-ment and pulled tension on a string. Theslippage scarred the coating lightly butdid not shred the surface. This maynot be the case for every string, butwe had no problems with slippagewhen the clamps were adjustedproperly, and saw no damage asidefrom some slight bruising on delicatestrings.

The string clamp slides over the post ofthe base clamp (as on the Sensor), and atthe bottom of the base clamp post there isa rubber O-ring for cushioning. The clampbases slide almost effortlessly across thesurface of the anodized aluminumturntable, making the Star 5 even smootherin this regard than the Sensor. The circulartrack on which they run is similar to the sys-tem found on the Sensor and other high-end Babolat machines. If you areaccustomed to “straight-track” clampmotion, the only place where you have tothink about what you are doing is when“reversing” the clamps halfway throughthe crosses; because the clamps don’t clearthe frame, there is only one way to turneach clamp to re-orient it to complete thecrosses. The turntable offers 360-degreerotation, which turns easily with justenough drag to prevent undesired move-ment.

The method for locking the clamp basesis quite different from any other Babolatmachine. The Star 5 has what Babolat callsan ergonomic locking knob. Turning theknob approximately 60 degrees locks the


between the strings of most racquets. How-ever, on exceptionally tight stringbeds, themore gradual angle of the sides of the teethon the Star 5 clamp makes it more difficultto force the clamp up into position againstthe resistance of previously installed strings.

The small tool tray of the Star 5 disap-pointed us. Granted, extra tool trays meanthe machine must be larger, and createmore chances to catch string. Still, evenwith small pliers, small cutters, a startingclamp, and two awls, the tool tray was toofull by half. If you use a stringing apron, orhave a bench near your stringing machinethat you can use for tool storage, this won’taffect you.

The user’s manual, which is otherwisecomplete, does not contain the procedurefor calibrating the machine. In normal use,re-calibration might not be called for, but ifyou intend to travel with the Star 5, youmight very well need to adjust the calibra-tion at a tournament site, when Babolat isclosed for the day.

CONCLUSIONAlthough we’ve been using a Babolat Star 3for years as our “reference” machine forstringing playtest racquets and other in-house stringing chores where we need theyear-in and year-out reliability for whichBabolat machines are famous, it took aboutseven minutes to feel comfortable on theStar 5, and after a couple of frames, theStar 5 feels better in every way than our oldStar 3. Although our Star 3 has strung rac-quets for everything from photo shoots totournaments such as the Pacific Life Openand the Acura Classic, the arrival of theStar 5 means our little Star 3 can nowrelax, until the odd wood racquet or T2000wanders by.

And yet, even though it’s bigger, heav-ier, and much more sophisticated than ourStar 3, the Star 5 still feels like a lean, mean,stringing machine, at least, compared tothe Babolat Sensor. If these machines werecars, the Star 5 would be the Porsche 356Speedster, and the Sensor the Porsche 356Carrera: The first, relatively inexpensive butcapable in every way, with qualities thatgrow on you over time; the latter, moreexpensive, but worth every penny. It seemsthat the only question is whether Babolatcan make enough of the Star 5 to meet thedemand that’s certain to come. �For the complete review, see www.racquettech.com


Professional isn’tnormally considered a durability string,yet combined with Zo Power, our playtestersgave it high marks in this category. Likewise,playability and tension holding are not nor-mally attributes of a poly, but here Profes-sional complements Zo Power. Zo Pro didreceive only average ratings for Power, butthis might be a good thing for such a string.

Gamma Zo Pro 16Lstring PLAYTEST

Gamma Zo Pro is a hybrid set made up ofZo Power for the mains and Live Wire Pro-fessional for the crosses. According toGamma, Zo Power is an ultra playable 16L-gauge polymer alloy featuring Gamma’sTNT2® Technology, for players who prefergreater power with pinpoint control with-out sacrificing durability or comfort.Gamma Zo Power is a co-extrusion fiber,which means it is a monofilament com-prised of two materials, one in the centerand a second that encases or coats the cen-ter filament. In Zo Power, the center is ahigh elasticity core, which is encased in awear-resistant surface.In the crosses, Professional features what

Gamma calls Live Wire Multifilament Tech-nology. Professional features an advancedstring construction that incorporates 50 per-cent more iso-elastic fibers, NCP tensionfibers for longer tension maintenance, andnew PEEK abrasion resistant fibers woveninto the outer wraps for enhanced durability.This unique construction, combined withGamma’s exclusive Advanced IrradiationProcess, is said to provide a crisp, solid feel.Gamma tells us it designed Zo Pro for

players looking for a softer feel than is gen-erally found in an all-polyester string bed, butwith more durability and stiffness than thatgenerally found in an all-nylon string bed.Zo Pro is available in 16L/16 in sil-

ver/natural. It is priced from $18.50. Formore information or to order, contactGamma at 800-333-0337, or visit Gammaon-line at www.gammasports.com. Be sureto read the conclusion for more informationabout getting a free set to try for yourself.

IN THE LABWe tested the 16L/16-gauge Zo Pro. Thecoils measured 23 feet 5 inches for the mainsand 21 feet 11 inches for the crosses. Thediameters measured 1.24-1.25 mm for themains and 1.32-1.34 mm for the crossesprior to stringing, and 1.20-1.22 mm for themains and 1.27-1.28 mm for the crossesafter stringing. We recorded a stringbed stiff-ness of 66 RDC units immediately after

stringing at 60 pounds in a Wilson ProStaff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern) on a con-stant-pull machine.After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed

stiffness measured 61 RDC units, repre-senting an 8 percent tension loss. Ourcontrol string, Prince Synthetic Gut Origi-nal Gold 16, measured 78 RDC unitsimmediately after stringing and 71 RDCunits after 24 hours, representing a 9 per-cent tension loss. Zo Pro added 15 gramsto the weight of our unstrung frame.The string was tested for five weeks by

31 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratingsfrom 3.5 to 5.5. These are blind tests, withplaytesters receiving unmarked strings inunmarked packages. Average number ofhours playtested was 24.9. We instructedthe members of our playtest team toinstall the “silver” (poly) string in themains and the “natural-color” (nylon)string in the crosses.The Zo Power is about as easy to string

as other modern polys, and of course, hav-ing it only for the mains is very nice. TheGamma Professional is always a pleasureto use, as its flexibility makes it feel nimblewhen weaving the crosses. Even thoughthe Zo Power is a stiff 16L and the Profes-sional is a supple 16, the Zo Power feelsmuch thinner than the Professional, andthis is borne out by the measurements.This difference in gauge impressed someplaytesters, who were happy to have thinmains for spin.No playtester broke a sample during

stringing, 11 reported problems with coilmemory, 5 reported problems tying knots,and 3 reported friction burn.

ON THE COURTGamma Zo Pro scored well above averagefor Durability, Control, and Spin Potential.In fact, Durability rated exceptionally wellwith our playtesters both comparedagainst other strings of similar gauge, andas an absolute rating. It also scored aboveaverage for Playability, Tension Holding,and Resistance to Movement. These rat-ings seem to indicate that Zo Power andProfessional work well together in thisconfiguration. Whatever its other merits,

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 1somewhat easier 3about as easy 22not quite as easy 5not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 7about as playable 5not quite as playable 14not nearly as playable 4

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 0somewhat better 19about as durable 6not quite as durable 6not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.3Durability 3.9Power 3.0Control 3.6Comfort 3.1Touch/Feel 2.7Spin Potential 3.3Holding Tension 3.3Resistance to Movement 3.2


“ I like this string very much. The only drawback is the movement of thestrings; I had to readjust after each point. However, I liked both the feel andthe pop of these strings.”5.5 male all-court player using Head Radical Tour MP strung at 65/62pounds CP (Luxilon Timo / synthetic gut 18/17)

“ I liked this version of thepoly/multifilament mix better than apoly/gut mix I tried. The poly really hadnice bite—nice and thin; and the multimaintains tension and was nice and soft.Felt like this combo was every bit asgood as the gut mixes (for less cost Iassume). Perhaps a coating could preventimmediate fraying/peeling.”5.0 male all-court player using Wilson ProStaff 7.5 strung at 72 pounds LO (Lux-ilon/VS Tonic 17/16)

“ After 33 hours of playing there isabsolutely no notching of the mains. Thecrosses are starting to fray and the end isnear. A great string combo; very similar to my set-up. A good string for bighitters.”3.5 male all-court player using Head Liquidmetal Radical OS strung at56/62 pounds CP (Luxilon Big Banger/Gamma TNT 16)

“ Very nice string from the baseline. Great feel on hard groundstrokes.Was able to hit with confidence. A little firm from the rest of the court for

my personal preference. Would definitely recommend the string foranyone seeking durability with a strong baseline game.”3.5 male all-court player using Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP strungat 55 pounds LO (Head PPS 17)

“ The sample strung up tighter than expected and stayed that waythroughout test, never seeming to loseany tension. Spin is excellent, as is sliceunderspin. I feel I can drive backhandslice approaches better with this stringthan with any other I’ve tested. Touchand feel shots are still below averageas with most poly hybrids. I wouldstring 2-3 lbs. lower next time to see ifplayability would improve without sac-rificing the excellent bite.”4.0 male all-court player using Völkl V1Classic MP strung at 58 pounds CP(BDE Performance 16)

“ This hybrid surprised me since I usenatural gut normally; but, once I gotused it, I really liked it. Great control—

able to swing out. The thin poly in the mains was able to generate afair amount of spin. This string is fairly comfortable since I strung itdown 5-6 lbs. from usual tension. I think this is a very good combina-tion.”4.0 male all-court player using Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.0 strung at55 pounds LO (Babolat VS Natural Gut 17)For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com.

“Great String. Mains

complement crosses. This string is great. I

love the stiff mains and soft crosses.

Great combination. I would buy this

string. I love that companies are doing

hybrids.” 4.5 male all-court player using

Wilson nPro Surge strung at 59 pounds LO

(Wilson Polylast/Wilson Extreme Synthetic

Gut 17)

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

Five members of the team broke Zo Pro during theplaytest period, one each after 5, 10, 16, 18, and 25hours of testing.

CONCLUSIONHybrid strings such as Gamma Zo Pro attempt to squarethe circle by giving players a combination of strings thatwill stand up to a lot of abuse, while still providing a sem-blance of playability, comfort, or both. Considering theprima facie difficulties inherent in such an undertaking,it’s a minor miracle that hybrids work as well as they do.As noted above, Zo Pro did not rate highly in the

Power category with our playtest team. This, however,might make Zo Pro the right choice for two disparate tar-get consumers: big hitters, and players using super over-size frames. Each needs durability, control, and (typically)spin from a string. There might be some in these cate-gories who can control a powerful string, but most seemto prefer to provide power via racquet head speed or rac-quet head size. Gamma Zo Pro allows either of them todo just that.If you think that Zo Pro might be for you, Gamma is

FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAMGamma has generously offered to send a free set of Zo Pro 16L

to the first 500 USRSA members who request it.To get your free set, just cut out (or copy) this coupon and mail it to:

USRSA, Attn: Gamma Zo Pro 16L String Offer,330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

or fax to 760-536-1171Offer expires March 15th, 2006

One set of free string per USRSA membership in the USOffer only available to the first 500 USRSA members

FREE! Gamma Zo Pro 16L!Offer expires March 15th 2006

Name:USRSA Member number:Phone:Email:

If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your sample will be sent.

TESTERS TALK

offering a free set to the first 500 USRSA members who fill out and returnthe coupon. —Greg Raven �

the EXPERTSask

MOMENTUM VS.ACCELERATION

A LOT OF TENNIS EXPERTS TALKabout acceleration on your swing,but I thought the whole point was to

have more momentum. Since when didacceleration become more important?

YOU ARE CORRECT IN THINKING thatmomentum is important. It is baffling

why so many professional tennis instructorsfocus on acceleration, some even going sofar as to imply that you should wait untilyou feel the ball on the strings before accel-erating your racquet. Considering the factthat the ball is on the strings for only 4 to10 milliseconds—far less time than the 30milliseconds or more your body needs torecruit the muscles in such a way as to reactto the impact—this is clearly impossible. Fur-thermore, the rate of racquet accelerationbefore impact has virtually nothing to dowith what happens during impact.Before proceeding, let’s define our terms.

Momentum is “mass times velocity.” Masscan be thought of as the weight of theobject, although for a tennis racquet, not allthe mass is available at the point of impact.Velocity is the speed of the object. Accelera-tion is the change in velocity over a period oftime (in tennis, this period of time is usuallythe 4 to 10 milliseconds the ball is on thestrings, also known as the time of impact).

Using these definitions, you can see thata heavier racquet traveling the same speedas a lighter racquet will have more momen-tum, as will any racquet the faster it isswung. Tennis balls are supposed to beabout the same weight, but even here, afaster-moving tennis ball will have greatermomentum than a slower-moving one.

It’s possible the confusion arises becausewhen two objects having momentum (suchas a tennis ball and a racquet) collide, theimpact creates impact-momentum change.This change is best described by a differentequation, which is also known as Newton’sSecond Law of Motion: Force equals mass

times acceleration. Because most so-calledtennis experts misunderstand the termsinvolved in this seemingly simple equation,you will find some wacky recommendationsthat misuse these terms. For example, atleast one noted tennis expert advises play-ers to put more force on the ball by acceler-ating the tennis racquet through the swing.

As stated above, however, “accelera-tion” in the equation does not refer to anyacceleration that you impart to the racquetprior to impact. It refers only to the changesin the velocities of the ball and racquet dur-ing the 4 to 10 millisecond impact: The rac-quet (which is heavy relative to the ball)decelerates a little, while the ball changesdirections completely (on a groundstroke, itdecelerates to zero, and then accelerates inanother direction entirely). In a straight-onimpact, only the speed and mass at impactbear on the result, which clearly shows thatmomentum should be the center of anysuch discussion, not acceleration.

The “force” in the equation is a calculat-

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Your Equipment Hotline


ed amount, which you determine by lookingat the mass of each object in the collision (inour case, the mass of the racquet at the pointof impact, and the ball), and the change ofvelocity during the impact (also known asacceleration). Thus, it is also incorrect to adviseplayers to use more “force,” as one industry-leading expert repeatedly advises.

Another way of looking at this is thatbefore and after the impact, the ball exerts noforce on the racquet, and neither does the rac-quet exert any force on the ball, regardless ofwind-up, follow-through, or how quickly youare accelerating the racquet. Therefore, unlessyou are dealing in-depth with the physics ofthe collision between the ball and racquet,“momentum” is the better term to use withyour students.

For in-depth examinations of this and othertennis-related physics, see The Physics andTechnology of Tennis, by Howard Brody, RodCross, and Crawford Lindsey (published byRacquet Tech Publishing).

UNDERSTANDING THESTRING SELECTOR MAP

IN THE STIFFNESS COLUMN OF THEString Selector Map, if string A has astiffness of 237 lbs/in. as compared to

string B, which has a stiffness of 226 lbs/in.,am I correct in assuming that string A is morestiff than string B?

YES. WE DERIVE THE STIFFNESS valueafter measuring the amount of force

created at impact to stretch the string. Lowervalues represent softer strings and lowerimpact forces. Higher values represent stifferstrings and higher impact forces.

STRING-BED DENSITYI’VE NOTICED THAT THE WILSON nSix-One 95 comes with a choice of stringpatterns—16x18 and 18x20. Could you

tell me the purpose of this and what the dif-ference means with regards to playability, spin,control, and power? Which do the pros use?

THE “6.1” RACQUET HAS BEEN avail-able in two string-bed configurations for

many years, going back at least as far as thePro Staff Classic 6.1 95. However, the versionwith the 16x18 string bed has until fairlyrecently been the only one available in theU.S., and the version with the 18x20 stringbed has been available only in Europe. Wilsoninforms us that the reason for this is that Euro-pean players prefer the more dense string pat-

tern, while players in the U.S. prefer themore open string pattern. As far as we cantell, Wilson-sponsored pros show somefavoritism to the version sold in their areawhile growing up, but there have been somenotable exceptions, which is to say that nei-ther is clearly superior to the other, so it stillcomes down to personal preference.

This is especially true for playability. Spinpotential will be about the same for eitherconfiguration, as spin is mostly due to theangle of the racquet face to the path of theball on impact. Control should be better withthe more dense string pattern, as the stringsdeflect less, all other factors being the same.

Power, however, will be reduced, for thesame reason. For fuller discussions of these(and other) issues, see the latest book fromRacquet Tech Publishing, Technical Tennis,which has a great explanation of factorsthat influence spin.

The one characteristic about which youdidn’t ask—durability—will be quite differ-ent, as the more dense string pattern willenable strings to last much longer beforebreaking.

—Greg Raven �

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

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Your ServeStep Outside the Lines

If you want fresh ideas on how to reachout and grab new participants into thegame, picture this: Inside the school gym,

a crowd of energetic third-graders formstwo lines. They’re waiting eagerly for thecoach to feed them tennis balls. Once thefirst ball is hit, the line erupts with cheers.Kids are hopping around excitedly, cheeringon their classmates, itching to swing theirracquets at the ball. Some even practicetheir strokes while waiting in line.

Thirty minutes ago, these samethird-graders entered the gym withboundless energy, skipping and run-ning, arms flailing in every direction.“Yeeesssss!” some of them exclaimedas they realized what was on the P.E.agenda for the day. “Tennis!” Excite-ment filled their voices. Then theyreceived quick instruction on the propergrip and forehand ground-strokemotion, and it was off to hit balls.

This is “Tennis Day” in physical edu-cation class, a variation of the USTASchool Tennis program. Often, this pro-gram is executed through schoolassembly, with only a few studentsactually picking up a racquet. But inBibb County, Ga., the approach is dif-ferent. Tennis Day is implemented ateach individual school. Tennis instruc-tors visit elementary schools during reg-ularly scheduled P.E. classes tointroduce the game of tennis. With thisslant on USTA School Tennis, everyonegets to pick up a racquet and hit ballsover the net.

The altered program first arrived onthe scene five years ago and is spon-sored by the Macon-Bibb County Parksand Recreation Department. City ofMacon Tennis Manager/Pro Carl Hodgeand the Bibb County Public School Sys-tem Athletic Director Raynett Evansworked together to kick off the firstTennis Day during the winter months

of 2000. Back then, only public schoolswere targeted. Today, tennis instructorsalso visit private schools.

The program is designed with conve-nience in mind. By bringing the equip-ment, instructors, and enthusiasm directlyinto the schools, children are exposed tothe game without having to schedulecourt time, find an instructor, or purchasetennis equipment. P.E. teachers need notknow how to give a tennis lesson.

Some of the program’s goals includeintroducing tennis to as many children aspossible, showing students that tennis isfor everyone, and demonstrating that ten-nis is fun! Instructors bring portable tennisnets, racquets, and tennis balls along witha curriculum. They stay the entire day atone school, giving all students an opportu-nity to wrap their fingers around a racquetand hit a ball over the net.

Before the end of each class, interestedstudents can sign up to receive additionalinformation about existing programs. Andthis is your big chance. You’ve created anatmosphere of fun and excitement; nowprovide them with catchy fliers for yourfollow-up programs.

If you are looking for ways to spruceup the way you introduce tennis to newjuniors, increase your junior participation,or just expose more kids to the game, thismethod works. You can’t overlook thestatistics on participation from the incep-tion of this varied approach to the pro-gram. In fact, since the launching of thefirst Tennis Day five years ago, 34 schoolshave been visited. And more than 10,000students have been taught tennis eachyear.

At least 1,300 students have playedRalleyball. More than 400 players havecontinued on to participate in other pro-grams such as Player Development orSummer Camp tennis instruction. Also, acore group of junior players has developed

out of the Tennis Day program. Currently,these players compete for their high schooltennis teams as well as in USTA sanctionedtournaments at the local level (Middle Geor-gia area), state level, and even Regions.

While some programs are ongoing, Ten-nis Day only happens once or twice a year.This helps to guarantee excitement. Now,P.E. teachers contact us asking, “When areyou going to come out and teach tennis?The kids love you guys!”

Instruction doesn’t have to happen onlyinside the lines! Get out and step up yourapproach to introductory programs. You,and the community, will be amazed at theshort- and long-term success. �

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

Robin Bateman is the site coordinator for theTattnall Tennis Center inMacon, Ga., where shecoordinates tennis programsand leagues, is a tourna-ment director, serves as ateam captain, and assistsjunior teams competing atdistrict, regional, and sec-tion events.


A city tennis coordinator says reaching outto schools with an introductory “Tennis Day”can bring exciting returns. B Y R O B I N B A T E M A N

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