200607 Racquet Sports Industry

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July 2006

Volume 34 Number 7 $5.00

Head Unveils Its AirflowRacquets for Women

Outsole Design: What Your

Customers Should Know

FIRE AWAY!Use Our Exclusive Guide

To Find the Right Ball Machine

FIRE AWAY!Use Our Exclusive Guide

To Find the Right Ball Machine

Head Unveils Its AirflowRacquets for Women

Outsole Design: What Your

Customers Should Know


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R S I J U L Y 2 0 0 6Contents

July 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

ContentsINDUSTRY NEWS7 Lever 2000 is lead sponsor

of US Open Series

7 Jimmy Connors to speak atUSTA Teachers Conference

8 Prince introduces newM Series footwear

8 USPTA sets World Conferencein Vegas

9 ROHO/PTR tourney increases purse9 Penn offers free music

downloads in ball packs

10 Gamma adds premiumNatural Gut string

10 Babolat debuts new PureDrive racquet

11 PTR schedules ProfessionalDevelopment Weekend

12 WTT Pro League season in July

13 Hall of Fame to host annualfashion show

14 Ashaway launches newsquash shoe

15 Dillman resigns as Wilsongeneral manager

2006 GUIDE TO BALL MACHINES

22 Program DirectorWith realistic random-play options, ball machines enter theI, Robot generation.

25 Ball Machine SelectorUse our exclusive guide to help you find the right ballmachine for your business.

DEPARTMENTS4 Our Serve16 RSI Champions of Tennis 200618 Industry People: Roy Barth20 Your Finances: Sale-Leaseback38 String Playtest: Head FXP Power

40 Science: Wrist Snap44 Tips & Techniques46 Ask the Experts48 Your Serve, by Paul Fein & Christopher Noble

Cover photo: Stephen Whalen Photography

FEATURES

34 Feminine AllureHead enters the women-only racquetmarket, with legend Steffi Grafwaving the flag for the new Airflowframes.

36 On the RoadWhen it comes to shoe outsoledesign, heres what your customers

need to know.


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ouve heard it from us before, but it bears repeating: Take

advantage of all the opportunities you can when it comes

to furthering your knowledge in this business.

And one of the best opportunitiesfor tennis teachers, coaches, and oth-

ers involved in the tennis businessis coming up in New York City, coincid-

ing with the start of the US Open. Its the 36th Annual USTA Tennis Teachers

Conference, set for the Grand Hyatt New York from Aug. 26 to 29.

More than 700 are expected to attend the TTC, and theyll be treated to

seminars and presentations from some of the best in this business. This year,

five-time US Open champ Jimmy Connors will be a featured speaker at the

conference. Also presenting will be tennis luminaries such as Jim Loehr, Peter

Burwash, Rick Macci, Stan Smith, Vic Braden, and more. Sessions will take

place both at the Hyatt (where a full-size court is set up in a ballroom), and

also on the courts at the USTA National Tennis Center.

The TTC is put together by a talented and passionate group from the USTA

that includes Kirk Anderson, Pat Freebody, Karen Pacent, and many others.

The goal in all of this is to grow the sport in the U.S.to get more people play-

ing, which will create more customers for your business.

The USTA also puts on the highly successful Community Tennis Develop-

ment Workshop each February, also well worth attending. And, of course,

two other mainstays in the tennis education business are the USPTAs World

Conference on Tennis (coming up Sept. 18 to 23 in Las Vegas) and the PTRs

International Tennis Symposium (held each February). For court builders, the

American Sports Builders Association offers excellent opportunities to expand

your knowledge, especially at its annual Technical Meeting, set for Dec. 1 to

4 in Daytona Beach.

In addition, the USTA (together with the Tennis Industry Association), PTR,

USPTA, and ASBA all offer smaller development workshops, held at various

locations throughout the year. Check out the websites for these organizations

to find out moreand to sign up.

We all should feel fortunate in the tennis industry that there are a number

of organizations doing all they can to help you expand your knowledge and

your business. The key now, though, is to make sure you and your staff take

every advantage that you can. It will be worth it for you, and it will be worth

it for your business.

Peter Francesconi

Editorial Director

Our Serve

Grab Every Opportunity You Can(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

Editor-in-Chief

Crawford Lindsey

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

Associate Editor

Greg Raven

Design/Art Director

Kristine Thom

Assistant to the Publisher

Cari Feliciano

Contributing Editors

Cynthia Cantrell

Rod Cross

Kristen DaleyJoe Dinoffer

Liza Horan

Andrew Lavallee

James Martin

Mark Mason

Chris Nicholson

Mitch Rustad

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

Corporate Offices

330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084

Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.racquetTECH.com

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

Advertising Director

John Hanna

770-650-1102, x.125

[email protected]

Apparel Advertising

Cynthia Sherman

203-263-5243

[email protected]

Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-

5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly January

through August and combined issues in Septem-

ber/October and November/December by Tennis

Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443 and addi-

tional mailing offices. July 2006, Volume 34, Number

7 2006 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rights

reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo are

trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone

advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation and

editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions $25 in the

U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address

changes to Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St.,

Vista, CA 92084.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2006

Y

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


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

R S I J U L Y 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


USTA Teachers ConferenceSets the Stage for Success

More than 700 tenniscoaches, instructorsand professionals willgather in ManhattanAug. 26-29 for theUSTAs annual TennisTeachers Conference.

The TTC will again beat the Grand Hyatt New York in Midtownwith its full menu of sessions in theareas of coaching skills, strategy and tac-tics, tennis technique, health sciencesand tennis business.

The conference kicks off on Saturdaynight with a USTA Welcome Receptionhonoring high school coaches for no-cutpolicies. It continues with two and a halfdays of networking opportunities andeducational offerings, in addition to ten-

nis events such as Arthur Ashe Kids Dayand the US Open.

Five-time US Open champion Jimmy Con-nors (above) will head up a group of fea-tured speakers that includes Jim Loehr,Peter Burwash, Rick Macci, Stan Smith,Vic Braden, Anne Pankhurst, Anita Bailey,Rodney Harmon, and Michele Krause.

This years theme, Setting the Stage forSuccess, encourages coaches to estab-lish a platform for players to develop andgrow in both skill and experience. The

program covers all levels of play anddevelopmentyouth, adult, senior,beginner, intermediate and advanced.

Events are held both at the Grand HyattNew York and the USTA National TennisCenter. Sessions will be presented in fullcourt, singles court, theater, and class-room formats. Anyone who has an inter-est in coaching or teaching tennis iswelcome to attend.

For more information or to register, visit

www.usta.com/coaches, call 914-696-7004, or e-mail [email protected].

BThe personal-care brand Lever 2000, in its first sports spon-

sorship, has signed on as the lead sponsor of the US Open

Series, a group of 10 summer pro tournaments played

throughout North America over six weeks in July and August.

Lever 2000 will become the presenting sponsor of all US Open Series

telecasts on CBS and ESPN and an official sponsor of all 10 tournaments.Since its inception in 2004, the six-week US Open Series has doubled tel-

evision viewership and increased attendance (see chart below), while

generating new corporate partnerships for the sport, says the USTA.

As part of the partnership, the US Open Series Bonus Challenge, which tracks the week-

ly standings of players in the race to qualify for double prize money at the US Open, will be

renamed the "US Open Series Lever 2000 Challenge." Last year, Kim Clijsters, who won the

US Open Series and the US Open, earned $2.2 million dollars at the US Open, the largest

purse in women's sports history.

Lever 2000 will be prominent-

ly featured on-site at each tourna-

ment and will be integrated into

all US Open Series broadcasts. It

will also sponsor a national US

Open consumer sweepstakes sup-

ported through a national print advertising campaign in consumer magazines. Lever 2000

also becomes an official sponsor of USTA League Tennis, the world's largest recreational ten-

nis league, which last year had 585,000 participants nationwide.

"This new partnership with Unilever represents another milestone for the US Open

Series and a new category of sponsorship for the sport, says Arlen Kantarian, the USTAs

chief executive of Professional Tennis. Lever 2000 also will become a promotional partner

of the US Open itself.

IMPACT OF THE US OPEN SERIES2003 (pre-USOS) 2005 vs. Pre-USOS

Television V iewership 20 Million 41 Million +105%Live TV Hours (National) 83 116 +40%

Attendance 923,000 973,000 +5%National Marketing $0 $3.5 Million +3.5 MM

Lever 2000 Signs as LeadSponsor for US Open Series

Adidas Wins First Set in Battle Over Logo

Adidas won the first set in a legal battle against several of the sports governing bodies

over the size of its three stripes logo at this years Wimbledon. The Times of Lon-

don reported that a High Court judge granted a temporary injunction against the

UKs Lawn Tennis Association, the All England Tennis and Croquet Club, the ITF, and the

USTA requiring them to lift new dress restrictions limiting the size of manufacturers logos

that players can wear during Grand Slam tournaments.

Adidas, which sponsors stars such as Martina Hingis, Tim Henman, and Justine Henin-

Hardenne, took the authorities to court, claiming it had not been given sufficient time to

adapt its manufacturing process for the start of Wimbledon on June 26. The High Court

accepted the company's bid for a temporary injunction, ruling that the stripes are a "man-

ufacturers identification" and not simply a "design effect.

The Adidas-sponsored players will be able to wear the three stripes logo at major tennis

tournaments until October, when the full case will be heard.


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J U L Y 2 0 0 6

INDUSTRYNEW

S

Top Speakers Headline USPTAWorld Conference

The USPTAs World Con-

ference to be Sept. 18-

23 at the Flamingo Las

Vegas, and will feature some

of the industrys best andbrightest speakers on topics

ranging from tennis teach-

ing, to nutrition, to business,

and more.

More than 35 seminars

and four-hour specialty cours-

es will be offered during the

conference, which is attended

by nearly 1,500 tennis profes-

sionals and coaches, manu-

facturer representatives and

media. USPTA members andnonmembers are welcome.

This years speakers will

include Jim Baugh (top), Nick

Bollettieri, Peter Burwash

(second from top), Allen Fox

(third from top), Jack Groppel

(bottom right), Brett Hobden,

Jim Loehr, Rick Macci, Robin

White, and many more.

The World Conference also

will include a Tennis Buying

Show on Sept. 21. Exhibitorsinclude marketers of hard and

soft goods, video-analysis and

pro shop software, teaching

aids, court surfacing and light-

ing, awards, backboards, edu-

cational materials, nutrition

bars and vitamins and more.

In addition, the USPTA

Silent Auction will be held

during the buying show,

which benefits the USPTA

Foundation and is a USPTA Lessons for Lifeevent. (Any member interested in donating an

item for the auction can visit www.uspta.com

and click on the World Conference link to

obtain a donation form, or call John Dettor at

713-978-7782.)

The agenda, complete list of speakers, and

registration information is available at

www.uspta.com, or call 800-877-8248. Audio-

tapes of previous World Conference seminar

presentations are also available in the distance-

learning center at www.uspta.com at no charge.

Prince Introduces NewM Series Foowear

Prince has introduced its new M Series footwear line. M Series shoes are

built on a four-piece multi-layered midsole that position Princes Pre-

cision Tubes in the heel and forefoot. Prince says it designed the M

Series around the idea that feet, treated carefully, can be a competitive

advantage.The three different M Series models offer variances in the density and

placement of the tubes, which Prince says results in unique attributes for

each model: maximum cushioning (MC4), maximum stability (MS4), or

maximum ventilation (MV4).

M Series is simply better tennis footwear, says Doug Fonte, president

of Prince Sports U.S. Tennis requires a lot of forward and lateral movement

and stop-and-start action. M Series provides an answer for proper treatment

of all foot types and preferences.

Developed by Gary Wakley and James Lin of Prince's Footwear Team, M

Series offers the consumer the flexibility to select a shoe to fit their unique

needs. Typically, other performance tennis shoes are designed to

appeal to as many players as possible, and as aresult, some do-everything shoes do not do

anything particularly well, says Wakley. "With

M Series, customers no longer have to com-

promise when it comes to this important

piece of tennis equipment.

The outsole of the M Series is made of

Goodyear Max, a compound developed exclu-

sively for Prince by Goodyear. The suggested

retail price for all models is $110 with womens

sizes available in 6-10 (including half sizes) and 11;

mens sizes available in

6.5-12, 13 and 14.


M M C 4

M M S 4

W M C 4

W M V 4


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


L E T T E R S

Pro Membership IssueDraws PTR Response

To the Editor:

Instead of devoting time to adetailed reply to the USPTAs unfortu-nate position regarding dual member-ship in the PTR and USPTA, and to TimHecklers rather off-the-mark commentsdirected at the PTR and at Master Pro-fessional Ken DeHart (RSI, June 2006,page 23), I simply would like to pointout to RSI readers that PTR will contin-ue to focus on what we do best: toeducate, certify and service tennisteaching professionals and coaches in

order to grow the game of tennis.Dan SantorumExecutive Director and CEO, PTR

We welcome your letters and comments. Please

email them to [email protected] or fax

them to 760-536-1171.

Penn Offer Free MusicDownloads in Ball Packs

For a limited time this summer, speciallymarked 4-packs of Penn Championship and

Pro Penn tennis balls will include 50 free MP3

downloads from eMusic,

the second-largest digital

music service in the world,

with more than 1.3 million

tracks in every musical

genre. Special pack graph-

ics and insert cards alert

consumers to the promo-

tion.

Free music downloadsallow us to provide our

retail partners and con-

sumers with a unique and

sought-after value in these

special packs of tennis

balls, says Jennifer Parker,

business manager for Penn

Tennis Balls. Music down-

loads are an incredibly pop-

ular incentive and eMusic is

a great partner as they offer a wide selection of

independent music that will appeal to a variety of

consumers.

ROHO/PTR WheelchairTourney Increases Purse

The PTR and The ROHO Group will co-

sponsor the ROHO/PTR $17,500 Wheelchair Tennis Championships

at the Van der Meer Shipyard Racquet Club on Hilton Head Island,

S.C., in September. The total purse has increased by $2,500 over last

year.

Tournament play begins Sept. 20, and continues through Sept. 24,

with mens, womens, quad, and junior divisions. The event draws some

of the top wheelchair players in the world. It is part of the NEC Wheel-

chair Tennis Tour and is an ITF Series I event and a USTA Southern

Championship.

A welcome reception and Opening Ceremony, sponsored by Quickie,

will be held Sept. 21, with a one-up-one-down exhibition match to follow.

Festivities include the annual awards banquet and a beach party with spe-

cial matting to allow player access to the hard pack beach and ocean.

PTR will conduct an Instructing Wheelchair Tennis Workshop with

Advanced Wheelchair Skills & Drills on Sept. 24. The course is open to

tennis teachers and coaches who want to learn to teach wheelchair ten-nis. Quickie will provide chairs for able-bodied coaches to use during the

workshop. The workshop fee is $50.

The deadline for tournament entry is Aug. 16. USTA membership is

required for entry. Spectators are invited free of charge. The Jana Hun-

saker Grant is available to assist in-need participants.

For more information or an entry form, contact PTR at 800-421-6289

or 843-785-7244, or email [email protected]. To register online visit

www.ptrtennis.org/roho.htm.

Ken

Mak

USOS to Use Instant Replay

Instant replay technology, along with a player challenge system, will be

used during all 10 US Open Series tournaments, which run for six weeks

in July and August. The tourneys will use the Hawk-Eye line calling tech-

nology and a player challenge protocol that debuted at the Nasdaq-100

Open in March.

Once a player challenges a line call, an official replay will be provided

simultaneously to the TV broadcast and in-stadium video boards. The line-

calling technology will also be used at the 2006 US Open.


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J U L Y 2 0 0 6

INDUSTRYNEW

S

INDUSTRYNEW

S


ATPs Deuce Mag Now Includes WTA

Deuce Magazine, which has been the official publication of

the ATP, is joining with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, high-

lighting both men and women pros. The summer issue,

which will be available following Wimbledon, will feature the

US Open Series of tournaments. The new, jointly produced

publication is part of the ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tours

One Game initiative that brings the two circuits together for

joint activities. Deuce will be distributed at all North American

ATP and WTA events this summer, and a complimentary online

version will be available.

Gamma Adds PremiumNatural Gut String

The new Gamma Tour Plus Natural Gut features an all-weather pro-

tective coating to better preserve the string, while still providing

an enhanced premium performance players expect from a nat-

ural gut, says the company. Gamma Tour Plus Natural Gut is vacu-

um-packaged in a Dri-Shield Moisture Barrier bag, preventing

moisture from escaping or entering the package.

In addition, Gamma has also improved its Natural Gut Tour

String, says the company. Both natural gut strings, which are man-

ufactured in France, are available immediately. To inquire about

becoming a Gamma dealer and distributing Gamma product,

contact 800-333-0337 or 412-323-0335, or email

[email protected].

CourtesyATP/SonyEriccsonWTATour

Babolat Introducesthe New Pure Drive

Fans of the Babolat Pure Drive racquet now have a new ver-

sion to fawn over. The latest Pure Drive incarnation has

Babolats Cortex System technology to

give players a purer feel of the ball by

filtering unnecessary vibrations, says the

company.

The Pure Drive, which has been thetop-selling racquet in pro and specialty

stores for three years, according to

data from Sports Marketing Surveys,

also has an updated design. Babolat

says the new version has the same

power and maneuverability as the origi-

nal, which was launched in 1994.

When the Pure Drive debuted, it got a

lot of attention for having features unlike any

other racquet in competitionit was light-

weight, powerful, had the elliptic beam, and of

course the blue color with the white double line

on the racquet frame, says Max Brownlee, gen-

eral manager of Babolat USA. It has since been

enhanced with the latest Babolat technologies

including the Woofer in 1999 and the Cortex

System today.

The Cortex System filters and dampens dif-

ferent vibrations, says Babolat, because the han-

dle and the frame are linked by one interface in

the Cortex Dampening System, which allows the filter to

absorb unnecessary vibrations.

The new, 100-square-inch Pure Drive comes in two lengths:

27 and 27.5 inches. Suggested retail is $185. For more infor-

mation, visit www.babolat.com or call 877-316-9435.


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AAYTE Center Opens in PhillyThe opening benefit for Philadelphias Arthur AsheYouth Tennis & Education, called Grandslam Open inthe Park, raised $2.2 million. The April 28 event wasthe official unveiling of the new AAYTE Center anddrew 1,200 guests, including (from left) USTA FirstVice President Jane Brown, AAYTE Executive Director

Scott Tharp, USTA Chairman of the Board and Presi-dent Franklin Johnson, AAYTE Operations DirectorTina Tharp, and AAYTE Board Chairman Robert Swift.The new center features eight indoor and eight out-door tennis courts, a computer lab, classrooms, fit-ness room, expanded library, and offices.

PTR SchedulesProfessional

Development Weekend

The PTR will hold its annual Profes-

sional Development Weekend Sept.

21-24 at the PTR Headquarters on

Hilton Head Island, S.C. The event is

open to all tennis teachers and coaches.

Courses offering specialized tennis

training will be held during the week-

end and will include Munchkin Games

and Drills with PTR

Executive Director

and CEO Dan Santo-

rum (top left). Other

PTR staff directing

sessions include Inter-

national Director Iaki

Balzola (Play Action

Drills Workshop) and

Director of Develop-

ment Geoff Norton

(Team Coach-

ingSingles & Doubles

Strategy).

Also on hand will

be Charlie Ruddy (bot-tom left), who will

conduct Using Tech-

nology to Grow and

Manage Your Business and Customer

Base, and Dr. Bryce Young on Mastering

the Mental Side. There will also be ses-

sions on becoming a Cardio Tennis and

wheelchair tennis instructor.

For more information or to register,

contact 800-421-6289 or 843-785-

7244, or email [email protected]. You

can register online at www.ptrtennis.org.


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J U L Y 2 0 0 6I N D U S T R Y N E W S

Stanford, Pepperdine Claim NCAA Crowns

The Stanford women captured their 15th NCAA womens tennis championship in

May, beating Miami 4-1 in the final. The Pepperdine men won their first ever NCAA

title, upsetting Georgia 4-2.

Six days after the team champs were determined, Pac-10 Conference players

Benjamin Kohlloeffel of UCLA and Suzi Babos of California swept the NCAA singles

titles. Big-10 duos Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe of Illinois and Cristelle Grier and

Alexis Prousis of Northwestern won the doubles crowns.


Wilson Partners With Wynne Tourneys

Wilson Racquet Sports has partnered with Wynne Tournaments to provide rac-

quets from its womens W line at ladies competitive tennis tournaments

throughout the U.S. Wilson will also provide balls and prizes for the tourna-

ments, which are part of a ladies weekend of 15 special events held at premier

tennis resorts.

The W line of racquets features Wilsons exclusive nCode technology. The

frames are engineered to enhance a womans game with a unique construction for

increased power, strength, and control, along with added comfort features, saysthe company. Wilson is also providing tennis balls and gifts from its HOPE line,

which supports The Breast Cancer Research Foundations efforts in breast cancer

prevention education and research.

Wilsons support of these events is instrumental in offering our participants an

insider look at the latest in tennis equipment for women, says Mary Wynne Cox,

president of Wynne Tournaments.

Wynne Tournaments weekend packages include three nights/four days accom-

modations, tournament entry fee,

snacks, and refresh-

ments throughout play,

celebration cocktail

party, Wilson W demo

clinic, gift bag, prizes

and trophies. Upcoming

events will be held in, Mon-

terey, Calif., Horseshoe Bay, Texas, and

Amelia Island, Fla.

WTT Pro League Season Starts July 6

T

he 31st World TeamTennis Professional League season kicks off on July 6. Over

the next three weeks, 84 WTT matches will be held, with the regular season end-

ing on July 26. The two top teams in both the Eastern and Western conferences

advance to the WTT finals weekend, July 28 through 30, at the Palisades Tennis Club

in Newport Beach, Calif., where they will compete for the King Tro-

phy, named for WTT co-founder Billie Jean King.

Eastern Conference teams are the Boston Lobsters,

Delaware Smash, Hartford FoxForce, New York Buzz,

New York Sportimes and Philadelphia Freedoms.

The Western Conference is made up of the Hous-

ton Wranglers, Kansas City Explorers, Newport

Beach Breakers, Sacramento Capitals, St.

Louis Aces and Springfield Lasers. For

more information, including the season

schedule and team rosters, visit

WTT.com.


15/52July 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 13


After 13 years at M.Putterman, Teri Wysocki has left

the company to join All Court Fabrics

Inc., a custom fabricator based in the

Chicago area that provides sports fabrics

and screenings. She can be reached at 800-

401-6533 or [email protected],or visit www.allcourtfabrics.com.

Anne Pankhurst is the new administratorof Coaching Education for USTA Player

Development. Pankhurst, who will be based

in Key Biscayne, Fla., has been a full-time

coach for 22 years and was coach education

director for the Lawn Tennis Association in

Great Britain for eight years.

Ted Schroeder, a 1966 inductee into theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame, died in

May after a long battle with cancer. He was84. Schroeder won a total of six majors dur-

ing his tennis career, capturing the U.S. sin-

gles title in 1942 and the Wimbledon

Singles title in 1949. He captured three U.S.

doubles championships and a U.S. mixed

doubles title.

WTT CEO/Commissioner Ilana Kloss wasinducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame

recently during a ceremony on Long Island,

N.Y. Kloss, who reached No. 19 in singles in

1979, was the world's best doubles player in

1976.

Jerry Noyce, a USTA Northern Hall of Famemember and the former mens tennis coach

at the University of Minnesota, was one of

20 people appointed by President George W.

Bush to the Presidents Council on Sports and

Fitness. He joins former Olympic gymnast

Mary Lou Retton, tennis star Andy Roddick,

and New York Giants quarterback Eli Man-

ning, among others. The council, made up of

volunteer citizens, advises the president

through the secretary of Health and HumanServices about physical activity, fitness, and

sports in America.

Former USTA Southern Section PresidentRandy Stephens of Macon, Ga., was

inducted into the USPTA Hall of

Fame in May. In September,

during the USPTAs World Con-

ference on Tennis in Las

Vegas, San Antonio resident

Clarence Mabry will be

inducted into the USPTA

Hall of Fame.

PEOP L

EWAT

CH

Hall of Fame HostsAnnual Fashion Show

The International Tennis Hall of

Fame will host the Bowens

Wharf Fashion Show and Cham-

pagne Breakfast on July 13 as part of

the Campbells Hall of Fame TennisChampionships week of activities.

The event will be held on the Hall

of Fames Horseshoe Piazza and

showcase various Newport retailers.

Featured collections include Ralph

Lauren, Brighton, Patagonia, Michael

Kors, Max Mara, Paul & Shark, and

Samuel Dong.

The fashion show will take place

from 9 to 11a.m. followed by the

quarterfinal matches of the Camp-

bells pro tennis tournament. Tick-ets, which include the matches, for

the fashion show and champagne

breakfast are $65 each, or a table

seating eight for $500. For tickets,

cal l 401-849 -60 53, or v isi t

www.tennisfame.com.


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J U L Y 2 0 0 6

INDUSTRYNEW

S


> Dunlop Sports Group Americas purchasedFocus Golf Systems Inc., a distributor of Dunlop-

branded golf clubs and accessories in the U.S.,

for an undisclosed sum. DSGA will now concen-

trate on selling the complete line of Dunlop

branded products in the golf and racquet sportsmarkets in North America, while Focus will con-

centrate on the development of the John Daly

brand worldwide.

> The USPTA and Penn recently added sevenmore years to their 33-year relationship for Penn

tennis balls. The agreement is one of the longest

running in the industry.

> Legendary quarterback Terry Bradshaw willdeliver the keynote address at the 25th Athletic

Business Conference & Expo in Mandalay Bay in

Las Vegas on Nov. 16. More than 3,000 sports,

recreation and fitness professionals attend the

event. For more information, visit

www.athleticbusiness.com/ conference or call

800-722-8764.

> The 2006 USPTA Southwest Tennis BuyingShow will be Aug. 25 and 26 at the Hilton DFW

Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine,

Texas. For more information, contact Jenny Gray

at 903-561-3014 or email gray.jenny@hot

mail.com.

> Former top-10 tour players Harold Solomon

and Kathy Rinaldi have endorsed SlingHopperDrill Bags. Solomon is director of tennis at the

Harold Solomon International Tennis Academy in

south Florida, and Rinaldi is assistant captain of

the 2006 Fed Cup team and coaches at The

Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. To inquire about

becoming a dealer, call Gamma Sports at 800-

333-0337 or visit www.gammasports.com.

> According to Nielsen Sports' SponsorshipScorecard, the top sponsor of last years US Open

Men's Final on CBS, JP Morgan Chase, achieved

more impressions per hour among adults 25-54

than did the top sponsor of the Super Bowl (onABC), Motorola, the industry magazine

BrandWeek reported recently. JPMorgan Chase

achieved 162 million impressions per hour, com-

pared with Motorola's 157 million.

> Texas A&M University captured its third con-secutive USA Team Tennis National Campus

Championship in April. The Aggies defeated the

University of Virginia 29-15 in the final to earn its

fourth tournament title in five years. A total of 64

teams from 56 schools made up this years com-

petition at the University of Texas, the largest

Ashaway Launches New Squash Shoe

Ashaway Racket Strings has introduced a new model to its growing line of

squash shoes. Available for the fall season, the new Ashaway AST 5500i shoeis higher cut at the ankle with high-top lace eyelets, and incorporates a

greater composition of leather

throughout the upper portion for

increased support.

Like the other models in the

Ashaway squash shoe line, the

5500i is built on Ashaway's

Anatomic System Technology

(AST), which increases comfort

and stability and reduces foot

fatigue, says the company.

Designed to mold to the shape of

the foot, AST-engineered squash

sneakers are built around a multi-

layered comfort and shock sup-

port system, says Ashaway.

These layers include a removable

insole made from a natural latex

vulcanized rubber, and a highly

shock-absorbent insert and addi-

tional comfort-layer insert, both

located at the heel.

For information, contact 800-

556-7260 or visit

www.ashawayusa.com.

SHORT SETS Kiawah Island, N.E. Tennis Holidays LeadRankings on Tennis Travel Website

Kiawah Island Golf Resort near Charleston, S.C., is the No. 1 tennis resort

worldwide, according to rankings on Tennis Resorts Online

(www.tennisresortsonline.com), which are based on evaluations submitted

over the last year by vacationing tennis players. The No. 1 tennis camp, for the

fifth year in a row, is New England Tennis Holidays in North Conway, N.H.

The rankings are on the annual list of Top 100 Tennis Resorts and Camps

worldwide on the website. Vacationers critique each resort or camp by assess-

ing its strengths and weaknesses in 16 different categories.

The eclectic mix of Top 100 Resorts and Camps includes properties in the

U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Europe. It ranges from grand hotels to small

inns, and from posh hideaways to low-key, affordable resorts, says tennis trav-

el writer and TRO founder Roger Cox. Some are better for families, others forromantic couples, still others for singles or even teams and group of friends.

What they all have in common, however, is a passion for tennis and a proven

ability to cater to the specific needs of avid tennis players.

Since its debut in 2000, Tennis Resorts Online has become a leading source

of tennis travel information, each month attracting more than 50,000 avid ten-

nis players (who play on average 100 days a year). Visit the site for more infor-

mation.



Tennis Industry Associat ion UPDATERACQUET SHIPMENTSFirst-quarter census data shows that the tennis racquet market is off to a flying start. Shipments increased10 percent in dollars and 6.6 percent in units.The strongest increase20 percent in dollarscame inyouth racquets. In addition, the TIAs Pro Specialty Retail Audit shows that racquet sales at pro/specialtystores increased by 13 percent in units and 12 percent in dollars compared to 2005.

CARDIO TENNISMore than 500 sites offered free Cardio Tennis classes in June, as consumer marketing was in full swingwith ads and articles in major tennis and fitness publications. TV spots appeared on The Tennis Channel,FitTV, ESPN, and PBS. Press coverage includes an article in Parade Magazine, which has a circulation of 40million. Tracy Austin also is promoting Cardio Tennis in a Section Promotion Tour. Visitwww.Partners.CardioTennis.com for more information and new drills, video, and animations, plus a sectionon marketing materials, and more.TENNIS WELCOME CENTERSA targeted marketing effort in all 17 USTA sections is under way, as pro Maria Sharapova joins the TWC ini-tiative. TheTIA and the USTA recently organized and is presenting a series of Tennis Business DevelopmentWorkshops in each section.Website enhancements give TWCs an opportunity to provide program informa-tion and receive feedback. Facilities now have the ability to manage their own site and program informa-tion. Visit www.Partners.TennisWelcomeCenter.com.GROWING TENNIS 50/50

In 2006, the co-op funding program will promote only facilities that are TWCs. The website,www.GrowingTennis.com, features tools and programs available.Approved facilities can receive $250 to$2,500 in matching advertising/promotional dollars to reach new players.TENNISWIRE.ORGThe website, which features industry news from TIA members and affiliates, expanded its frequency and iselectronically distributed to more than 12,000 industry contacts, in addition to tennis writers and publica-tions. A job listing category will be added in 2006 for newsmakers to post their job opportunities.


Tennis On CampusGrant Info

Are you affiliated with a college or

university that is interested in cre-ating recreationally based team

tennis programs for students? If so, the

USTA, in cooperation with the Nation-

al Intramural-Recreation Sports Associ-

ation and the Intercollegiate Tennis

Association, may have the support and

resources you need.

Three grants are available through

NIRSA and two are available through

the ITA for qualifying schools. For

more information, visit www.nirsa

.net or www.itatennis.com.

Dillman Resigns asWilson General Manager

Brian Dillman resigned in June as

general manager of Wilson Racquet

Sports to accept an equity partner-

ship position as executive vice president

of sales and market-ing and chief market-

ing officer for Power

Plate International.

Dillman began his

career with Wilson 14

years ago as a territo-

ry manager and

steadily rose through

ranks, eventually holding the positions

of director of marketing and global busi-

ness director before being promoted to

his current title of general manager inDecember 2005.

"Brian's commitment to Wilson has

been outstanding," says Chris Consi-

dine, president of Wilson. "We appreci-

ate all of his efforts and contributions

he has made to our great brand and we

wish him the best of luck in his new

endeavors."

Power Plates North American divi-

sion is based in Northbrook, Ill., and

sells a revolutionary fitness and rehabil-

itative device that utilizes advanced

vibration technology to help users

achieve a better state of health and well-

being. The device is used by medical

centers, sports teams, training facilities,

and health clubs.


18/5216 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 200

ANNUAL awards

Help us recognize the people who are making a difference in thebusiness of tennis.

nce again, wed like to honor the

champions of our sportthe

many, often unheralded heroes

who work tirelessly to develop tennis in

the U.S. But once again, we need your

help in identifying these men and

women and how their accomplishments

have helped the game, whether in their

local areas or nationally.

Please take a look at the categories

at the right and email your nominations

to [email protected] (please put

Champions in the subject line).

Include:

Q Nominees name;

Q Where they work or what they do

related to tennis;

Q Phone (if possible);

Q Brief description of why you believe

O

Champions of Tennis 2006

they are the champions in their areas.

Wed also appreciate your name

and contact information, for confirma-

tion purposes only. All nominations

will be confidential, and you may

nominate for as many categories as

youd like. And, if theres a category

that we dont list that you think we

should include, please let us know.

We need your nominations by

Aug. 5, 2006. Email is preferred, but

you may fax them to 760-536-1171or mail them to: Racquet Sports Indus-

try, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

In our November/December issue,

well include a special section

acknowledging the dedication of

those who work to keep tennis vital in

the U.S.

2006 CHAMPIONS OFTENNIS CATEGORIES

Q Person of the YearQ Pro/Specialty Retailer of the YearQ Mass Merchant/Chain Retailer of the YearQ Online Retailer of the YearQ Stringer of the YearQ Builder/Contractor of the YearQ Grassroots Champion of the YearQ Junior Development Champion of the YearQ Sales Rep of the YearQ Wheelchair Tennis Champion of the YearQ

Municipal Facility of the YearQ Private Facility of the YearQ Public Park of the YearQ Community Tennis Association of the YearQ High School Coach of the YearQ USTA Section of the YearQ PTR Division of the YearQ USPTA Division of the Year


19/52



INDUSTRY

On May 1, 2006, Roy Barth

celebrated his 30th year as

the tennis director at

Kiawah Island Golf Resort near

Charleston, S.C. Over those three

decades, he has survived multiple

owners, hurricanes, open-heart

surgery, and a brain tumor, and

yet still shepherded Kiawah to a

ranking as the No. 1 tennis resort

in the U.S. inTennis

magazineand No. 1 in the world on Tennis-

ResortsOnline.com.

And now, in recognition of his

decades of stellar service, Kiawah

recently renamed the 12-court

East Beach Tennis Center in his

honor.

Low-key and personable,

Barth joined Kiawah fresh off the

professional tour, where he held

a Top 10 ranking in the U.S. in

both singles and doubles. I

knew nothing about the resort

business, he recalls. I knew

tennis as a player, and I liked

people. Those are my two

assets.

He admits to early mistakes, like

offering a stroke-of-the-day clinic sever-

al times a week without changing the

topic, but he quickly realized his error.

To make sure the programs he offered

were those guests wanted, he began

to keep track of their requests, a sys-

tem that continues to this day.

Every year we look at what the

guests have asked about that we didnt

have, he says, and each year weve

added things based on their com-

ments. Often he test-markets first, as

he did with a singles round-robin for

adults. It was successful and like other

round-robins, takes the pressure off

our game-matching, he notes.

The very nature of his camps and

clinics also evolved to reflect what

guests desire. They really want the

Roy Barth Makes Service Count At

Award-Winning Kiawah Island

people

B Y R O G E R C O X

workout, says Barth, so

youve got to favor the work-

out first and then really help

them as you go along instead.

When I try to teach too much,

their eyes start rolling.

What he teaches in a

resort setting also has to avoid

conflicting with the instruction

at their local club. We have

to be careful not to contradictthe pro at home or put them

down, says Barth. So we try

to emphasize things that are

common denominators that

all good players do well, like

how to watch the ball proper-

ly, how to get down low, how

to use leveragea term they

probably havent heard. These

are things that can improve

their games without radically

changing their strokes.Not only are his camps

booming, but participants

liked this instruction so much

that they asked Barth to write

down the tips. Responding

again to guests requests, he created a

Tips For Better Tennis booklet that

he gives to campers and sells in the

shop.

TENNIS DIRECTOR

ROUNDTABLES

When he was new to the job, he

often called other tennis directors for

advice. Eventually, he started an annu-

al roundtable that brought together

six or seven pros from resorts in the

mid-Atlantic and South during the

slow season for a weekend of discus-

sions about common issues, from

guest services to the best-selling lines

of clothing and equipment.

They also shared information about

their budgets, submitting their gross

numbers and percentages anonymous-

Roy BarthsSecrets to SuccessQ Keep track of your guests, or members,

requests. Then review them periodically to

adjust your offerings to fit their needs.

Q When instructing transient players,

emphasize things that are common to all

good players and things that can improve

their games without changing their

strokes.

Q Seek out advice from and share informa-

tion with other tennis directors or teaching

pros in situations similar to your own.

QStart the budget-planning process early.



ly and then compiling a chart. You

knew what your numbers were so

you knew where you stood with

everybody else: percentage of payroll

to total revenue, percentage of con-trollable expenses to total revenue,

then the bottom line: profit to total

revenue, he says.

We also brought in guest speak-

ers, Barth recalls. One year we had

a guy who worked for a display com-

pany and he went through the basics

of merchandising, how people walk

in and they look from left to right

and they look for color first. We also

had Wade Herren come in to talk

about court maintenance.That led to a perpetual mainte-

nance program at Kiawah, in which

Barth blocks off one or two courts

and deals with lines, algae, nets

anything that can be a safety or aes-

thetic problem. We get more out of

these two, three days than we would

at a national convention because its

very specific to our business, plus we

can talk to each other directly, he

says.

BUDGET PLANNING

Barths employers have tended to be

bottom-line oriented, so budgeting

has been a crucial skill for him to

acquire. Youve got to be organized

and plan in advance, he insists. Ive

got my folder for my 07 budget right

now. So when things come up, I

write them down.

That way he avoids items easily

forgotten in the crunch of preparing

a budgetthings like teaching carts,

for example, new awnings, or

replacement water fountains, all of

which subtly impact the guest experi-

ence. For the first 10 years, I didnt

do that, he says.

Meanwhile, although Kiawah

holds the No. 1 ranking, Barth isnt

resting on his laurels. Hes revising his

tips booklet, preparing a poster with

tips for the pro shop, and looking to

add Cardio Tennis. You have to

keep coming up with new stuff, he

says.Q


22/52

$

It is not uncommon for the owners or

shareholders in a racquet sports busi-

ness to own the real estate or other

assets personally, then rent them to their

operation. In fact, it is often a smart move

from both a tax and a business stand-

point.

Does your business need an infusion

of cash? Are you, the owner or principal

shareholder, reluctant to invest additional

money? Or, are the tax benefits from the

business wasted because of the opera-

tion's low or nonexistent profitsand its

low tax bracket?

The often-neglected and little under-

stood sale-leaseback can help in all of

these situations. Selling the tennis opera-

tions real estate or its equipment to an

outside purchaser, who will then lease it

back to the business, is a viable financing

tool. Many business owners have reaped

tax benefits from property that they own

and lease to their businesses.


Owning Assets That You Lease to YourBusiness Can Make Sense B Y M A R K E . B A T T E R S B Y

YOUR finances

Be aware, however, that increasingly,

the tax benefit can turn into a tax trap

for the unwary, as the IRS is more fre-

quently challenging both the validity and

the tax treatment of the losses often

generated with self-rental.

Business owners today have become

more creative in terms of seeking alterna-

tives for capital funding. Converting real

estate or equipment assets to cash

is a time-honored technique.

A sale-leaseback freesup capital for

expansion or

other purpos-

es, including

retiring out-

standing debt.

Improving the

operation to aid

efficiency, increase

sales, or expand are

valid rewards that can

result from a sale-lease-back.

Converting non-earning

assets into investment capital can

help enhance your businesss financial

position as well as its profitability. A

sale-leaseback, if properly structured, can

improve the debt-to-equity ratio and

reduce interest and depreciation

expenses.

Suppose, however, that the purchas-

er of the tennis operations real estate is

not an outsider but its owner or principal

shareholder? Suddenly, those non-per-

forming assets of the business begin pro-

viding income and tax benefits to the

buyer.

RENTING TO YOURSELF

When the tennis operations owner pur-

chases the property of his or her business

in a properly structured, arms-length

transaction, the tax benefits usually are

also transferred. What may have been a

largely wasted depreciation deduction for

the business becomes an income-reduc-

ing benefit for the new owner. Also help-

ing reduce the owners personal taxable

income are the interest payments for the

funds borrowed to make the purchase.

Offsetting the deductions, which may

be far more valuable to the owner than

to the business itself, is the income from

the payments made under the terms of

that lease. Rarely do the required fair

market lease payments made by the

business offset the expenses of owning,

repairing, and maintaining that property.In other words, a loss is available to off-

set the owners income from other

sources.

Unfortunately, under our tax laws,

specifically Section 469, income from

rental real estate generally is considered

passive activity income, regardless of the

owners level of involvement in managing

the property. Tax rules state that a tax-

payer can use losses from a passive activi-

ty only to offset passive activity income.

In other words, passive losses cannotshelter other income such as profits,

salaries, wages, or portfolio income such

as interest, dividend, or annuity income.

A loophole built into the rules states

that rental realty income is not passive

activity income if the property is rented

for use in a trade or business in which

the taxpayer materially participates. This

prevents taxpayers with passive activity

losses from artificially creating passive

activity income to absorb the losses. In

order to be eligible for this exception, the

propertys owner or his or her spouse

must own at least a 10 percent interest

in the activity throughout the year.

An individual may, for example, meet

the active participation requirement if he

participates in management decisions

(such as approving tenants, deciding on

rental terms, approving expenditures,

etc.) or arranges for others to provide

these services in a significant sense. The

active participation requirement applies

for the year in which the loss arose, as

well as the year in which it was allowed



Mark E. Battersby is a tax and financial advi-

sor, lecturer, writer, and author in Ardmore,

Pa.

under the $25,000 allowance rule. Under

this exception, up to $25,000 of passive

losses and the deduction equivalent of

tax credits that are attributable to rental

real estate can be used to offset non-pas-

sive sources such as interest, dividends,

and salaries.

THE BENEFITS

When the operator or principal share-

holders of a facility or business own

either the building or the operations

other assets, the business paysand

deductslease payments. A tennis busi-

ness that has a low tax bill or is unprof-

itable exchanges depreciable equipment

or its building for badly-needed capital

and immediate deductions for the lease

payments that it is required to make.

The new owner of the property,whether it is the business's owner, chief

shareholder, or other party, will receive

periodic lease payments. Thus, with one

transaction, the owner has found a way

to get money from the business without

the double-tax bite imposed on dividends

or fear of the excessive compensation

penalties the IRS levies in situations

where an operation's profits may be paid

out as compensation.

Lease payments are, of course, tax-

able income to the recipient. Fortunately,

tax deductions offset much of that

income before it reaches the recipient's

bottom-line taxable income.

Depreciation write-offs or deductions

cost the owner of those assets nothing

out-of-pocket. Somewhere down the

road, those depreciation deductions will

have to be paid back or recovered, usual-

ly as ordinary income, but that is at some

distant date.

The owner or owners of the busi-

ness's equipment and assets also are enti-

tled to deductions for the expense of

borrowing the money used to purchase

them. Additional tax deductions such as

management fees, maintenance, insur-ance and the like, further reduce the tax

bill on lease payments received from the

tennis operation.

THE BOTTOM LINE

With a sale-leaseback you, the owner,

are receiving a steady stream of lease

payments that, unlike dividends, are tax

deductible by the business. As the owner

of those assets or equipment, you are

entitled to take advantage of all of the

tax deductions associated with it.

Except where the assets of the tennis

business are already subject to restrictions

imposed by lenders or other investors,

you, the owner of those assets, are enjoy-

ing tax write-offs that might not fully

benefit the business entity with its small

or nonexistent profits and corresponding-

ly lower tax bracket.

The sale-leaseback of your business's

assets, equipment, or building can cure a

number of problems facing you and the

business. But keep in mind that the com-

plexity of the tax rules, the requirement

that all transactions be conducted at

arm's length, have a bona-fide eco-

nomic purpose rather than mere taxavoidance, and be properly structured as

both a sale and subsequent lease,

require professional assistance. Q



2 0 0 6 G U I D E T O B A L L M A C H I N E S

PROGRAM

DIRECTORWith realistic random-play options, ballmachines enter theI, Robot generation.B Y J O E D I N O F F E R

housands of players are proponents of ball

machines and just love practicing with them.

Others, however, simply dont bother with

them. Its easy to see why ball machines have a

large fan club. First, ball machines offer players more

balls per hour than match play, or hitting with a part-

ner. In regular match play, the average player hits

about 150 balls per hour. But on a ball machine, that

same player will hit more than three times that

amount, a whopping 650 balls per hour. This is part of

the reason that thousands of ball machines are pur-

chased each and every year, and why players at clubs

and facilities will rent ball machine time.

Proponents of ball machine use are convinced they

make great practice partners. They are always ready to

practice when you are, dont take bathroom breaks or

answer cell phones during play, and play at exactly the

level you dictate.

On the other hand, if theyre so good, why are there

still so many players who dont seem to like playing

with ball machines? Its because of their belief that ball

machines have a single but glaring limitation: They are

not realistic practice partners, the skeptics argue, since

balls are fed in predictable patterns.

While this has been true for decades, times are

changing. We are entering a new and exciting era of

ball machine technology.

In the science fiction movie I, Robot starring Will

PROGRAM

DIRECTOR

T


25/52


Smith, a futuristic world full of service-oriented robots reaches a crisis

when the robots start thinking for themselves and conclude that

humans are not fit to rule the planet. In the movie, the robots plot and

battle with the humans for control. Of course,

there is no planned movie on ball machines that

have minds of their own, but there is now a new

generation of machines that offer realistic ran-dom-play options at the touch of a button.

While this virtual reality concept has been

offered for years in larger (and more expensive)

club-model ball machines, todays technological

advances have made them even better. Many of

the full-sized club-model machines now have

new features, such as preprogrammed drill

sequences. In fact, some even allow users to

design their own drills on a PC, download it to a

portable control panel, and then practice pat-

terns of play that each user creates to suit their

own personal needs.

For individual users, as well as smaller facili-

ties, the march of time now offers more good

news. Ball machine technology has even gotten

better. Just in the past year, various manufactur-

ers of portable machines have introduced afford-

able portables that also feature close-to-real-play

drilling and one-touch technology. Of course,

they dont have all the bells and whistles of their

bigger and more expensive cousins, but they

perform quite well for machines in the $1,500 to

$2,000 price range. Add this virtual reality fea-

ture to the other benefits of portables and they

seem more and more attractive.

One machine that I playtested features a ver-

tical oscillation option, a feature that randomly

feeds balls of various depths, allowing players to

practice groundstroke, approach, and volley

sequences with ease. Another company now

makes a series of machines that offer one-touch

drill set-up, since the units are actually prepro-

grammed at beginner, intermediate, and

advanced playing levels. With one touch of a

button, the machine varies the feed of each ball

with a different speed, spin, arc, and direction

for each level of play.So, whether its the most sophisticated pro-

grammable machine costing well over $5,000 or a handy and less

expensive portable that also boasts some cool features all its own, the

future is here and available today. And, no, they are not sophisticated

enough to develop a mind of their own. They just do what you ask them

to do.

Personally, I hope it stays just like that.

Joe Dinoffer is a Master Professional for both the PTR and USPTA. He speaks frequently

at national and international tennis teacher workshops as a member of both the

Head/Penn and Reebok National Speakers Bureaus. He is president of Oncourt Offcourt

Inc. and has written 16 books and produced more than 30 instructional videos.

Tips for Generating Revenue

With Your Ball MachineQ Ball Machines and Lessons: To help students

improve, have him or her practice on a ballmachine between lessons. Include the ballmachine regularly during the lesson itself, theninclude scheduled ball machine rental time inthe lesson package. Once they see the benefitsof drilling with a ball machine, offer additionalrental time at a discount for ongoing use.

Q Make It Visible: Dont hide your ball machine on

an out-of-the-way court; put it up front, on themost visible court. That will generate increasedinterest and use.

Q Ball Machine Rental Club: Promote a certainnumber of ball machine rentals, then the playerreceives one rental free. Or, promote a certainnumber of lessons, and then the player receivesa ball machine rental for free. The variations onthis promotional idea are endless.

Q Group Rental Program: Practically every club or

facility has tennis teams. How about creating aspecial ball machine rental price for team mem-bers? They can rent the machine individually orwith other team members.

Q Weekly Ball Machine Clinics: Schedule a weeklydrop-in ball machine drill session. Its a greatway to introduce players to training with themachines.

Q New Member Perk: For new members to yourclub or facility, offer a free one-month pass forball machine use.


26/52



o matter what kind of facility you have, a ball

machine should be a key component of your

business. While you may be put off by the ini-

tial investment, youll make that money backand

much morewhen you have a ball machine avail-

able for your members and students. For example,

you can let players rent time on the machine by

themselves, freeing up teaching pros to work on

other courts, or you can use the machine to spice

up clinics by working alongside the pro. As students

come into the game, theyll be looking for ways to

hone their strokes, and thats what a ball machine

will provide, while keeping them on your courts.

(For more on making money with ball machines,

see page 23.)

Our 2006 Guide to Ball Machines has all the

information you need to help you find the right

machine for your business. The Ball Machine Selec-tor on page 26 charts all the machines available

today and what features they offer. Keep in mind

that with ball machines, there are a lot of things that

you can change about the unit at the time of pur-

chase or later. In our chart, weve listed the specs

and prices for the most basic model of each

machine. Then, if options are offered, weve listed

the additional cost of adding that feature.


N

BALL

MACHINESELECTOR

BALL

MACHINESELECTOR


28/52


PROPULSION

Economy Ball Bucket 202 $469 2 12" x 12" x 27" 50 20 X 3, 6, 12 55 X X $50

Ball Bucket 201 $549 2 12" x 12" x 31" 50 28 X 3, 6, 12 55 X X $50

Hybrid Model 301 $689 2 36" x 13" x 21" 150 31 X 3, 6, 12 70 X X $50

Tournament 401 $789 2 36" x 13" x 21" 150 32 X 3, 6, 12 70 X X $50

Elite Model 1 $1,049 1 24" x 16" x 19" 150 42 X 2 - 12 80 X X X



Portable $1,495 1 19" x 21" x 25" 200 55 X 1 - 10 80 X X X

BP-X $3,169 3 35" x 21" x 38" 200 85 X 1 - 10 90 X XACE $3,169 3 35" x 21" x 38" 200 85 X 1 - 10 90 X X X

SMASH $3,995 3 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1 - 10 90 X X X

DEUCE $4,995 3 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1 - 10 90 X X X

GENIE $5,995 3 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1 - 10 90 X X X

GENIE PC $7,995 3 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1 - 10 90 X X X

GRAND SLAM $7,495 3 35" x 21" x 38" 300 110 X 1 - 10 120 X X X X

GRAND SLAM PC $8,995 3 35" x 21" x 38" 300 110 X 1 - 10 120 X X X X

I-SAM Model 1 $699 1 19" x 17.5" x 18" 250 29 X 2 - 7 60 X X

I-SAM Model 2 (aka I-SAM Plus) $949 1 19" x 17.5" x 18" 250 34 X 2 - 7 60 X X

SAM Professional Portable Model 1 $1,099 1 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2 - 13 80 X X X

SAM Professional Portable Model 2 $1,299 1 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2 - 13 80 X X X

SAM Professional Portable Model 3 $1,599 1 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2 - 13 80 X X XSAM Professional Portable Model 4 $1,899 1 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2 - 13 80 X X X

SAM Sport $2,995 3 35" x 25" x 50" 250 87 X 1.5 - 8 90 X X X

SAM Coach $3,595 3 35" x 25" x 50" 250 87 X 1.5 - 8 90 X X X

SAM Millennium $4,995 3 31" x 26" x 56" 250 143 X 1.5 - 8 90 X X X

Big SAM Robot $29,999 1 60" x 48" x 108" 200 398 X 2 - 20 100 X X X X

Boomer $14,450 1 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 124 X 1 - 10 100 X X X

Ultra Lite $599 1 22" x 18" x 14" 200 35 X 1.0 - 15 95 X X X

Sport $949 1 22" x 18" x 14" 200 46 X 1.0 - 15 95 X X X

Pro $1,199 1 22" x 18" x 14" 200 48 X 1.0 - 15 95 X X X

Ace Attack $5,499 1 34" x 53" 200 150 X 1.5 - 12 110 X X X X

Tennis Twist $199 1 10" x 11" x23" 28 11 5 15 X

Tennis Tutor ProLite - Basic $549 1 12" x 19.5" x 18" 125 20 X 1.5 - 10 60 X X

Tennis Tutor ProLite $649 1 12" x 19.5" x 18" 125 22 X 1.5 - 10 60 X X

Lobsterwww.lobsterinc.com800-526-4041

Playmatewww.playmatetennismachines.com800-776-6770

Silent Partnerwww.sptennis.com800-662-1809

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Sports Attackwww.sportsattack.com

800-717-4251


SAMwww.MasterSports.com800-837-1002

Robot Optimizerswww.tennisrobot.com888-8BOOMER

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Sports Tutorwww.sportstutor.com800-448-8867

*Other Optional Accessories

1 - Spin adaptor $50

2 - Fast charger $99

3 - 3-Hour rapid recharger $1454 - Player simulation $150

5 - Built-in transformer for international power standards $111

6 - External extended life battery $189, 110/220 volt AC converter $199

7 - 110/220 Volt AC converter $149

8 - Additional removable battery $409 - Extra heavy duty battery $25


29/52

MISC.


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X $70 X $49 1

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X X 18 X $199 X X $49 X 2

X X X X 18 X $199 X X $49 X 2

X X X X 18 X $199 X X $49 X 2

3 X 15 X X X X $85 3

X 3 X X X $3,995 $85 5X 3 X X X $3,995 $85 5

X X 7 X X X $3,995 $85 5

X X 7 X X X X X X X $3,995 $85 5

X X 7 X X X X X X X $3,995 $85 5

X X 8 X X X X X X X X X X $3,995 $85 5

X X 7 X X X X X X X $3,995 $85 5

X X 8 X X X X X X X X X X $3,995 $85 5

X $149 X X 7.5 X X X 7,9,12

X $149 X X 15 X X X X X X 9,12

X $149 X X 15 X X X X X 9,11,12

X $149 X X 15 X X X X X 9,11,12

X $149 X X 15 X X X X X X 9,11,12X X 2 $149 X X 15 X X X X X X X X 9,11,12

X X 3 X $99 X $115 X 13,14,15

X X 6 X X X X $115 X 13,14,15

X X 9 X X X X X X $115 X 13,16

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X X 30 X X X X X X X X X X $3,895 X X 19

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X $299 2 $249 $80 X 15 X X X X X X $40 X 8

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$40

11 - Lob enhancer $30

12 - Water-resistant storage cover $6513 - Water-resistant storage cover $115

14 - Ships via FedEx Ground

15 - Feeds balls from 30 above ground


17 - Elevates to 9 feet for service practice (can do kick serves)

18 - Can deliver any type of ball, (topspin, underspin, flat, lob) to any place on court, in any sequence19 - Plays games, rates shots, uses a camera, talks to players, cordless headphone system ($500 or

$50/mo),

wireless printer for analysis ($2000 or $100/mo)



PROPULSION

Tennis Tutor $989 1 12" x 19.5" x 20" 150 42 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X

Tennis Tutor - Plus $1,119 1 20" x 19.5" x 20" 150 46 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X

Tennis Tutor - Plus Player Model $1,549, 1 20" x 19.5" x 20" 150 46 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X

Tennis Tower $1,145 1 44" x 23" x 22" 225 60 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X $200

Shot Maker - Standard $2,900 2 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X

Shot Maker - Deluxe $3,600 2 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X

Shot Maker - Super Deluxe $4,100 2 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X

Wilson Portable $995 1 22" x 14" x 20" 110 38 X 1.5 - 10 75 X X X

Super Coach $7,495 1 36" x 27" x 22" 200 121 X 1.4 - 5.6 85 X X X

Sports Tutorwww.sportstutor.com800-448-8867

Super Coachwww.tennismachine.com

408-855-9644

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DISCLAIMERSSpecific Features

Keep in mind that whenever you try to develop a chart

like this, it is necessary to create some pretty broad, non-

detailed features. For example, when we mark that a

machine offers random oscillation, it means that the

machine can be set to shoot balls to different locations on

the court in a random pattern. However, this does not indi-

cate how many different places the machine can shoot the

ball. Some machines will just shoot the balls randomly

between as few as 2 locations at the same depth, while

other machines might be able to shoot the ball virtually

anywhere on the court at different heights and speeds.

DurabilityThere really is no easy way to measure the durability of

a ball machine. The only true test of durability is to use the

machine for years and see how it holds up. We assume you

dont want to wait that long to see the rest of this informa-

tion. So, we dont have a category for durability. However,

you can learn more about how long the machines last by

talking to the manufacturers and asking for references from

people they have sold machines to. Just like we recom-

mend when buying stringing machines, dont just buy a

ball machine based on price. If you buy an inexpensivemachine that isnt designed for the type and amount of use

you will be asking of it, it can end up costing you a lot

more money down the road than a machine that cost

more at first, but was designed for what you have in mind.Make sure you have confidence in the durability of the

machine and the customer service of the company to help

you when you have problems. You should feel comfortable

that the company has a system in place to fix anything

that might go wrong with your machine. In some cases,

they may have local service reps to come fix it at your

facility, while in other cases they should offer a way to ship

all or part of the machine back to the manufacturer for

repairs.

So, you probably wont want to buy a machine strictly

based on what you read in this chart. Rather, this chart

should help you to narrow the universe of machines byeliminating the machines that dont offer features you real-

ly want. Then, when you have narrowed your choices, you

can do more research by visiting the websites or calling

the phone numbers listed for each company.

Demo Before You BuyAs always, when investing in a piece of equipment as

expensive as a ball machine, we recommend that you look

for an opportunity to try the machine before you buy it.

Ask the manufacturers for ideas about how you can try

their machines. In some cases they may be able to send

you a sample to try, in other cases they may have sold oneto someone near you.

*Other Optional Accessories

1 - Spin adaptor $502 - Fast charger $99

3 - 3-Hour rapid recharger $145

4 - Player simulation $150

5 - Built-in transformer for international power standards $1116 - External extended life battery $189, 110/220 volt AC converter $199

7 - 110/220 Volt AC converter $149

8 - Additional removable battery $40

9 - Extra heavy duty battery $25


31/52

MISC.REMOTE CONTROLPOWEROSCILLATION

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X $200 4 $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 10

X $200 4 $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 4, 10

X $200 4 $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 4, 10

X $300 4 X $200 X X X X 4

X X 3 X $200 X X X X

X X 6 X X X X X X

X X 6 X X X X X X

X $200 2 $50 X 12 X X $200 X X $35 X 10

X X 30 X X X X X X $25 X 18

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manufacturers do offer extended warranties. See the specif-

ic manufacturer for more information and costs of extended

warranties.

DimensionsThese are the measurements of the machines for storage

or transport. In other words, some machines will be consid-

erably bigger than these measurements when you are using

them because you add a ball holder. We list the smaller mea-

surements because the size of a machine really only matters

when you are trying to fit it on a shelf or in the trunk of a car.

Ball CapacityThis indicates how many balls you can put in the machine

at a time. However, several of the manufacturers indicatedthat their machines can actually hold more balls than they

have listed if you stack the balls higher than the sides of the

machine. There are machines that hold as few as 28 balls

and as many as 300 balls. But keep in mind that some

machine manufacturers tell us that most people dont come

close to filling their machines. Who wants to carry and pick

up 200 or more balls?

WeightThis is an indication of how much the basic machine weighs

without balls in it. So, if you add options or balls, the weight will

increase. We list the weight without balls because this is prob-ably how you will transport the machine to the court.

So, now that you know what were trying to do, lets talk

about what all the features listed across the top of the chart

mean.

Brand & Contact InfoThe name of the manufacturer and how to get in touch

with them. You can contact them to get more information

or to order the machine that looks best to you. There are

eight manufacturers making machines under nine brand

names.

ModelThe specific model of machine. However, remember

that many of the machines offer several different options.

In some cases, when you buy different options, the name

of the machine may change slightly. But, in each case, the

available options for each machine list the price of adding

that option.

PriceManufacturers suggested retail price. Prices range from

$199 to $29,999.

WarrantyHow long the manufacturer guarantees the machine

against defects. However, keep in mind that many of the

FEATURES

ery pack $130, ext. AC power supply $125, smart charger upgrade

ancer $30

sistant storage cover $65

sistant storage cover $115FedEx Ground



17 - Elevates to 9 feet for service practice (can do kick serves)

18 - Can deliver any type of ball, (topspin, underspin, flat, lob) to any place on court, in any sequence

19 - Plays games, rates shots, uses a camera, talks to players, cordless headphone system ($500 or$50/mo),

wireless printer for analysis ($2000 or $100/mo)



PROPULSION


Elevation ControlElectronic An X in this column indicates that the

machine can change the height of the shot by pushing a button

or turning a knob.

Elevation ControlManual An X in this column indicates that the machine

can shoot balls at different heights, but you

have to physically aim a shooting arm or tilt

the machine in some way to do so.

Able to Feed LobsAn X in this column indicates that the man-

ufacturer tells us the machine is capable of feed-

ing lobs to allow you to practice your overheads.

Able to Feed Topspin & UnderspinAn X in this column means that themachine uses spinning wheels to propel the

balls and you can make one wheel spin faster

than the other to put spin on the top or bottom

of the ball. If you see a price in this column, it

means that the machine is capable of putting

spin on the ball, but you must purchase an

extra option to do so.

Able to Feed SidespinAn X in this column indicates that the machine has spin-

ning wheels that dont just touch the ball on top and bottom.The wheels that are on the sides of the balls can be spun faster

than the others to put spin on the sides of the ball. This

is mainly helpful for simulating serves.

Spinning Wheel PropulsionAn X in this column indicates that the machine uses

two spinning wheels to feed the ball to you. In almost every

case the spinning wheels are stacked vertically

with just enough space between them for aball to squeeze through. So, the faster the

wheels are spinning, the faster the balls will

be propelled.

Air Pressure PropulsionAn X in this column indicates that the

machine shoots the ball through a tube like

a cannon. The amount of air pressure deter-

mines the speed and depth of the shot.

Feeding Intervals

This column indicates how often themachine can feed balls. Most machines

offer a range of intervals. Smaller intervals

make for a harder workout, while higher

intervals allow more time for preparation

and watching your results.

Top SpeedAlmost every machine offers the ability to adjust the

speed at which the ball is shot from the machine. They all

are capable of feeding a very slow ball for shots shorter in

the court and for weaker players. So, we just list the fastest

speed that each manufacturer says the machine will shootthe ball. However, most of the time, most players dont

need the ball speed maxed out because the players they

play with dont hit that hard.

No OscillationMachines with an X in this column are

not cabable of feeding the ball in more than

one direction. So, if you want to practice fore-

hands you have to point the machine toward

your forehand and vice-versa for backhands.

However, you cannot practice forehands and

backhands at the same time unless youre

willing to use a little extra footwork.

Oscillation RandomThese machines are capable of feeding balls random-

ly to different locations on the court to simulate real play.

However, as we explained before, you need to do a little

more inquiring to find out just how randomly the

machine can shoot balls. Some machines can

choose randomly between two positions, while

others can shoot balls virtually anywhere on the

court.

Oscillation ProgrammableThis is another feature that requires a

closer look. Machines in

Documents

200607 Racquet Sports Industry