200711 Racquet Sports Industry

November/December 2007Volume 35 Number 10 $5.00

DEPARTMENTS

R S I N O V / D E C 2 0 0 7Contents

November/December 2007 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

ContentsINDUSTRY NEWS

7 Gordon Smith named new USTAexecutive director

7 Max Brownlee leaves Babolat

7 Prince creates custom racquetsfor Nintendo Wii

8 Sharapova debuts limited editionracquet bags

8 Head steps into tennis footwearwith five models

8 New apparel from Tennis Tease

9 USPTA honors standouts atWorld Conference

10 Head picks winner of“Radical” contest

13 Nautic Partners, managementacquire Prince Sports

13 Two named to WilsonRacquet Sports posts

13 PTR, MotionExpert join forces

14 Head Sportswear to feature“InFiber Technology”

14 USPTA names new boardof directors

4 Our Serve

15 TIA News & Updates

20 Retailing Success: US Open

37 Industry Resource Guide

42 String Playtest: Isospeed Professional Classic 17

44 Tips and Techniques

46 Ask the Experts

48 Your Serve, by Greg Raven

Our annual awards honor the people and organizations that are making adifference in the business of tennis.

22 Person of the YearGeorge Napier

25 Private Facility of the YearMeadow Creek Tennis & Fitness

26 Stringer of the YearTim Strawn

27 Builder/Contractor of the YearSportsline Inc.

28 Sales Rep of the YearHunter Hines

29 Chain Retailer/Mass Merchantof the YearThe Sports Authority

30 Pro/Specialty Retailer of the YearMichael Lynne’s Tennis Shop

31 Junior DevelopmentChampion of the YearCraig Jones

31 Grassroots Champion of the YearDan Vonk

32 Municipal Facility of the YearArthur Ashe Youth Tennis & Education

32 Wheelchair TennisChampion of the YearJason Harnett

33 Public Park of the YearFort Lauderdale Park & Rec

33 Community Tennis Associationof the YearGrants Pass CTA

34 PTR Member of the YearLuke Jensen

34 USPTA Member of the YearMike Van Zutphen

35 High School Coach of the YearMarian DeWane

35 USTA Section of the YearFlorida

s your facility a leader in delivering tennisprograms and providing service to promote

the sport?The TIA and the USTA, together with RSI, are once again

looking for the “Top 50 Tennis Welcome Centers” in theU.S. These facilities—public and private—are leading thecharge in the growth of the sport by providing well-round-ed programs to new and current players of all ages andabilities.

Facilities named to the Top 50 list will be honored witha plaque that they can display. They will also receive spe-cial marketing materials and logos to use on their website,in newsletters, emails, press releases, and other commu-nications. Among the Top 50 winners, special recognitionwill be given for the top-ranked park and recreation tennisfacility, public facility, commercial facility, and privatefacility.

To be a Top 50 choice—out of the more than 2,000 offi-cial TWCs in the U.S.—a facility needs to show an increasein participation involving new and returning players, sup-port of industry programs and community tennis devel-opment, and be active with other TWC facilityrequirements. The staff at these winning facilities createsa positive tennis experience for people in their communi-ties. These Top 50 TWCs are, in short, the best of the best.

The TWC initiative, which is free to all facilities, isbacked by all sectors of the tennis industry and has playeda leading role in the sport's growth. If your facility is not aTennis Welcome Center, become one now by visitingwww.partners.tenniswelcomecenter.com or [email protected]. To nominate your facility forTop 50 Tennis Welcome Center honors, visitwww.growingtennis.com and click on “News You CanUse.” The deadline is Nov. 16.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

Our ServeFinding the ‘Best of the Best’

(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

Contributing EditorsRobin BatemanCynthia Cantrell

Rod CrossKristen DaleyJoe DinofferLiza Horan

James MartinGreg Moran

Chris NicholsonBob Patterson

Cynthia Sherman

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 Janu-ary through August and combined issues inSeptember/October and November/December byTennis Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA92084. Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443and additional mailing offices. November/December2007, Volume 35, Number 10 © 2007 by USRSA andTennis Industry. All rights reserved. Racquet SportsIndustry, 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., $40elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address changes toRacquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA92084.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY November/December 2007

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

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7

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

Gordon Smith of Atlanta is the new executive director and chiefoperating officer of the USTA. In his new position, Smith willoversee the operations of the USTA and the functioning of the

USTA’s national office.Smith will start in the position Nov. 1, upon the retirement of cur-

rent USTA Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer D. LeeHamilton.

"I’ve been an avid fan and active participant in the sport of tennisfor most of my life,” says Smith, who is a lawyer. “These are veryexciting times for tennis and I look forward to leading the organiza-tion and our incredibly committed volunteers in creating more effec-tive and new ways to attract people to the sport."

Smith played competitively as a junior and captained a Universityof Georgia team that swept four straight Southeastern Conferencetitles from 1971 through 1975. He was the SEC doubles champion in 1975.

He’s been an active member of the USTA Southern Section since 1992, most recently servingas its president. He also has served on the boards of the USTA Tennis and Education Foundation,Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation and the Georgia Tennis Foundation. Smith began serving asecond consecutive term as vice president of the USTA in January 2007. He previously served asa director at large.

"Gordon’s long-standing commitment to the sport, combined with business acumen and akeen understanding of the USTA’s organization and structure, make him the perfect person to leadthe USTA,” says USTA Chairman of the Board and President Jane Brown Grimes.

Smith earned a bachelor of arts in Journalism and a law degree at the University of Georgia.Following law school, he clerked with the federal judiciary before joining the Atlanta-based inter-national law firm of King and Spalding, where he was a senior partner in the 800-lawyer firm.He is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been listed in the publicationThe Best Lawyers in America for many years.

MaxBrownleeLeavesBabolatMax Brown-lee, the gener-al manager ofBabolat since 2000, and the per-son widely credited with boostingthe company’s market share intennis specialty retail from 0 tomore than 16 percent, has leftBabolat to pursue a new venture,the company said in a Sept. 26statement.

Brownlee, who was named Rac-quet Sports Industry’s “Person ofthe Year” in 2005, oversaw theintroduction of the Babolat PureDrive racquet that became thetop-selling racquet at pro shopsand tennis specialty stores fornearly three consecutive years.

“It's been a pleasure to be a partof something so special,” saysBrownlee, who has more than 30years of experience in the indus-try. “No tennis company has everentered the U.S. market andachieved the success that Babolathas in such a short period of time.At this point in my career, I'mready to take on a new challengeand look forward to the nextchapter of my life.”

“We can’t say enough aboutwhat Max has done for the com-pany over the last seven years,”says Olivier Bailliard, presidentand CEO of Babolat North Ameri-ca. “His passion for the game andexpertise in the industry will servehim well in his continued career.”


Gordon Smith Named New USTA Executive Director

Prince Creates Custom Racquets for Nintendo Wii

Prince has partnered with Qualtech Global Ltd. to create scaled-down tennis racquets to housethe Nintendo Wii remote, providing a more realistic video gaming experience for fans of thevirtual tennis game.

“Prince is a performance tennis brand excited to aid in the enjoyment of anyone who is play-ing any form of the sport,” says LindaGlassel, Prince’s vice president of market-ing and brand image. “We think this gameand these racquets will encourage people,of all ages, to get out on a real tennis courtand play some points there as well.”

Available in November at Circuit Citystores and online at www.circuitcity.com,the custom racquets come in a variety ofcolors and retail for $14.99.

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New Ideas From Tennis Tease

Tennis Tease, launched by player and enthusiast Patti Berg, featuresgear for the player “who enjoys attention on and off the court.” Ten-nis Tease gear includes women’s T-shirts, tank tops with self-adjusting

straps and shelflining, jackets, andbikini and thongstyle panties.

Clothing fea-tures sassy sayingssuch as “Whichpart of ‘out’ doyou not under-stand?” and “Lovemeans nothing toa tennis player.”Fabrications are 95 percent cotton/5 percent spandex and packaged in a“court-ready” clear tennis ball can, making a clever merchandising dis-play. Caps and visors are also available.

Visit www.tennistease.com, email [email protected] or call 651-983-6969.

Head Steps Into Tennis Footwear

Head says its new performance tennis footwear line for men and women will launch worldwide in January. The launch willconsist of five models: Prestige, Extreme, Tour, Fire and All Court. “We have the engineering skills, the marketing, productexpertise and worldwide distribution systems in place to enter this market in a quick and efficient manner,” says Johan

Eliasch, chairman and CEO of Head N.V. Head will introduce four new technologies in its new footwear lines:� Head CXG Comfort Grid technology, for traction, stability and shockabsorption.

� Head Cooling System, which the company says creates “climate con-trol” within the shoe by absorbing and releasing excess heat build-up.

� Head Radial Contact for traction with flexibility.� Head Hybrasion, a high-abrasion rubber outsole technology for “long-wearing performance.”Head says the Extreme, Tour and Fire models are also available with a clay-court

outsole.

NorthCarolinaFacilityUpgradeClassic Turf Co.of Woodbury,Conn., recentlycompletedrecoatingeight indoorcourts at the Simpkins Tennis Pavilion in Greensboro, N.C. Thecompany had installed the cushioned sheet-goods surfacing sys-tem five years ago, and the courts are in use about 40 hours perweek. For more information, visit www.Classicturf.org or call800-246-7951.

Sharapova Debuts LimitedEdition Racquet Bags

The Sharapova Collection, which pro MariaSharapova debuted during the Open inAugust, is a limited edition line of bags that

Sharapova helped to design. Prince says her goalwas to create fashion-inspired products thatincorporate specifically constructed compart-ments designed to hold and organize everydayitems many women carry to the court.

“Racquet bags don’t have to look like gymbags,” says Sharapova. “I wanted to bring asense of style to the racquet bag, while at thesame time make it completely functional anddurable.” All pieces in the collection have anexterior comprised primarily of black patentleather with splashes of deep fuchsia velour inthe Prince logo. The interior is made up ofheavy-duty nylon to protect racquets and per-sonal belongings.

The Sharapova Collection tour bag has fourseparate compartments designed to hold a cellphone; MP3 player and earphones; personalitems such as jewelry or makeup; and string orgrip tape, sweat bands or other items.

The collection includes a six-pack tour bag(retail price $70) and a triple bag ($50). Otherpieces will be available starting in January. Visitwww.princetennis.com.


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

USPTA Honors StandoutsThe USPTA recognized outstanding tennis coaches, players,managers and volunteers during its annual awards breakfastat the 80th USPTA World Conference on Tennis in Septemberat Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Fla.

The award ceremony included the induction of Bill Tymand Alex Gordon into the USPTA Hall of Fame. Tym, a USPTAMaster Professional and past USPTA national president, hasbeen a coach, player and administrator for half a century. Gor-don, who was inducted posthumously, made lasting contribu-tions to the game as a coach, player and USPTA member. Infact, his legacy is so great that the USPTA Alex Gordon Profes-sional of the Year award was named in his honor. Both join theranks of only seven other grand inductees into the USPTA Hallof Fame.� John Joyce of Boca Raton, Fla., received the Alex Gordon Profes-sional of the Year Award, as the top member in the association.Joyce, who has been a USPTA Professional 1 since 1985, is the direc-tor of tennis at Boca West Country Club, the largest equity club inthe nation.

� Jane Hines of Omaha, Neb., received the USPTA Star Award, whichrecognizes a person who leaves a lasting impression in the commu-nity by using tennis as a vehicle to reach out.

� Craig S. Jones of Martinez, Ga., is the winner of the USTA/USPTACommunity Service Award. He is the owner and director of tennis atthe Petersburg Racquet Club, where he also created the Futures Pro-gram for players ages 4 to 18.

� Sue Burke of Boulder, Colo., received the USPTA Industry ExcellenceAward, which honors those who have outstanding business insightand a charitable attitude. Burke has used various avenues to serve asan ambassador and promote the game of tennis, including workingwith the Boys and Girls Clubs and the I Have a Dream Foundation.The award is sponsored by the TIA and supported by Tennis Tutorball machines.

� Mike Doty of McGregor, Texas, received the Facility Manager of theYear Award. Doty is the general manager of Waco Regional Tennis& Fitness.

Other honorees are:� Kari Yerg, Boynton Beach, Fla.—Touring Coach of the Year� Michael Center, Austin, Texas—College Coach of the Year� Dave Steinbach, Brookfield, Wis.—High School Coach of the Year� Gordon Hammond, Las Vegas—High School Coach of the Year� Tommy Wade, Tuscaloosa, Ala.—George Bacso Tester of the Year

USPTA divisions receiving awards are:� Texas Division—Division of the Year� Southern Division—Newsletter of the Year� New England Division—Most Improved Divisionof the Year

Also during the World Conference, Rosemary DeHoog, thehead tennis pro at Drumlins Tennis Club in Syracuse, N.Y.,earned recognition as a USPTA Master Professional, the high-est professional rating in the organization. DeHoog has beena member of the USPTA for 34 years.



Head PicksRadical Fan

The winner of Head’s “Are YouRadical Enough?” promotion isJohn Du of Canada, who pro-

duced a rap video devoted to thegame of tennis called “Our Game isRadical.” Du will face Andre Agassion the tennis court in Las Vegas inNovember.

For nearly six weeks this summer,fans submitted one- to two-minutevideos showing off their radical ten-nis game or their loyalty as a fan tothe sport and to radical player Agas-si. “I’ve been a fan of Andre Agassiand Head for years,” says Du. “I lookforward to spending time with Agas-si and learning from a real radicalpro.” In addition to a day on thecourt with Agassi, Du will receiveround-trip airfare for two and a two-night stay in Las Vegas.

Second-place winner JohnMatthieu Cloitre of France willreceive a new Head MicroGel Radicalracquet signed by Agassi. Four run-ners-up, Nicholas Pison and BodieQuirk of the U.S., Paul Tiberiu ofRomania, and David Jobert ofFrance, will receive a Radical Super-combi bag. Videos of the top 5 win-ners can be viewed atwww.head.com/radical.

U S R S A M E M B E R C L A S S I F I E D SFOR SALE: Alpha Edge Electronic String-ing Machine. Turntable upgrade to NewGamma 5800 6 point Quick Mount Sys-tem and Action clamps. Also included:Original turntable, string clamps, tools,machine stand, manual, and shipping car-tons. Well maintained & calibrated.$1250 plus shipping. Please contact JohnZednick USRSA Certifier @ 919-859-6788.

HELP WANTED: Full time position avail-able for MRT Stringer at Samuels Tennis-port in Cincinnati, Ohio. Send resume to:Samuels Tennisport, 7796 MontgomeryRd., Cincinnati, OH or email to [email protected] Phone: 513-791-4636.

FOR SALE: Gamma 5003 Stringer withWise 2086 tension head. Good condi-tion. $650. Call Russ Sheh @ (209) 465-9283.



• Ken DeHart,director of tennis at the San

Jose Swim & Racquet Club in SanJose, Calif., was awarded the USPTANational Career Development Awardfor the most continuing educationpoints of the 14,000 USPTA pros in theU.S. It is the third consecutive yearDeHart has received the award.

• John Isner, the 6-foot, 9-inch up-and-coming pro, hassigned with Prince Sports.Isner, 22, graduated fromthe University of Georgia in

May and plays with the PrinceO3 White.

• Nancy P. Jeffett, president and trusteeof the Maureen Connolly Brinker TennisFoundation, is the 2007 recipient of theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame’s Gold-en Achievement Award.

• Peter Hurley is the 2007 recipient ofthe International Tennis Hall of Fame’sChairman’s Award, which recognizesoutstanding service by a Hall of Fameboard member.

• Tennis Channel has named Brian Wildto executive director, on-air creative, andSusie Romano to executive director, adsales and affiliate marketing.

• Dunlop Director of Sales Steve Zalinskiis retiring after 15 years with the com-pany. He will continue to work withDunlop at tennis events and showsthroughout the country as well as beinvolved with testing new products.

• Mike Nishihara, USTA strength andconditioning coach for the Player Devel-opment division, died suddenly when hebecame ill while playing tennis in KeyBiscayne, Fla. Nishihara, 45, joined thePlayer Development staff in 2004.

• Americans Bob and Mike Bryanclinched the Stanford ATP DoublesRace for the third consecutive year

and the fourth time in thepast five years.

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> Of the eight Grand Slam singles titles upfor grabs in 2007, seven of them went toplayers using Wilson racquets. The latestwinners, at the US Open, were Roger Feder-er playing with a [K]Six.One Tour racquet hehelped to design and Justine Henin.

> The USTA has created a leadership awardin honor of the 50th anniversary of AltheaGibson’s U.S. National Championship title.Each year, the Althea Gibson Leadership

Award, a $2,500 grant, will be given to twojunior players between ages 14 and 18. Nom-inations will be accepted from Nov. 1 to Dec.31. Visit www.usta.com for information andan application.

> The new, 72-page color catalog forOncourt Offcourt is now available andincludes new items, including packages part-nering with Pat Etcheberry, legendary fitnesscoach of Justine Henin and other top pros.

SHORT SETSVisit www.oncourtoffcourt.com or calltoll-free 888-366-4711.

> Tennis Life Magazine announced it willincrease its frequency to nine issue in2008 and offer a special travel annual,Tennis Life's Great Tennis Destinations. Inaddition, it will launch an internationaledition of the magazine in the UnitedKingdom.

> The USTA says that the 2007 US Openwas the most successful tournament inhistory, setting records in attendance,website traffic and concession sales.Attendance topped 700,000 for the firsttime, coming in at 715,587, surpassingthe previous all-time high of 659,538 setin 2005. The all-time day/night combinedattendance record of 61,083 was set onSaturday, Sept. 1.

> The U.S. Davis Cup team will host the2007 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas finalagainst Russia, Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at Memori-al Coliseum in Portland, Ore. It will be thefirst time the U.S. has hosted the DavisCup final since 1992 and marks the U.S.’sfirst appearance in the final since 2004.

> Viking Athletics of Lindenhurst, N.Y.,recently introduced its new line of plat-form tennis equipment, consisting of ninepaddles. The new paddles are the Pro V1Plus, OZ, National, Ignite Plus, Zone, Aval-on, GSM, Stealth, and RADical. For thefull catalog, and for details on Viking’snew VAST technology, visitwww.vikingathletics.com, or call 631-957-8000, or email [email protected].

> Instructional DVDs produced by theUSPTA are now available at all AtlantaPGA Tour Superstores, which carry golfand tennis equipment and supplies. TheUSPTA DVDs, which retail for just under$20, feature instruction and drills by topUSPTA-certified tennis-teaching profes-sionals, as well as interviews with them.

> Tennis Channel launched on DirecTVviewer channel 217 in August, coincidingwith the start of the 2007 US Open.



Nautic Partners, Management Acquire Prince

Nautic Partners LLC of Providence, R.I., has joined with the Prince managementteam as the racquet brand’s new investment partner. Nautic is a private equityfirm focused on providing growth capital to middle-market companies.

“Along with the success we’ve had in the last few years comes the obligation ofstepping things up and becoming an even better company,” says Prince CEO GeorgeNapier. “[Nautic has] the expertise and financial strength to help us tap the majorgrowth opportunities facing us and I am confident they will be great partners foryears to come.”

Four years ago the Prince management team and Lincolnshire Managementacquired Prince Sports Inc. (the parent of the Prince and Ektelon racquet sportsbrands) from the Benetton Group.

PTR, MotionExpert Join Forces

PTR and MotionExpert have joined forces to provide PTR tennis teachers andcoaches with video analysis software to help their players improve more quick-ly. MotionExpert technical analysis software offers a number of tools that pro-

vide coaches with a way to analyze their player’s technique, allowing coaches todemonstrate important technical points.

PTR members will receive a 25 percent discount on the video analysis software.The software also comes with a free 300-shot DVD, with video clips of the world’stop tennis players.

Lindsey Moves to Tennis Warehouse

Crawford Lindsey is the new director of research and devel-opment for Tennis Warehouse. Lindsey was the editor inchief and webmaster of the USRSA and Racquet Tech Pub-

lishing, including Racquet Sports Industry magazine, for the last10 years. He is the coauthor of "The Physics and Technology ofTennis" and "Technical Tennis: Racquets, Strings, Ball, Court,Spin, and Bounce." In his new position, he will be responsible

for product testing and the development of interactive web tools and content tohelp consumers make informed buying decisions.

Industry Loses FrankMcDavid

Femco Corp.founder FrankMcDavid died

Aug. 5 as a resultof colon cancer.He was 61.McDavid was anavid tennis playerin the Richmond,

Va., area and founded Femco 30 yearsago to manufacture and distribute tenniscourt equipment. McDavid also served ascommissioner and chairman of theChesterfield County Parks and RecreationAdvisory Board.

Donations may be made to ?$ WhichDollar Inc., 235 Arcadia St. Richmond, Va.23225 or www.whichdollar.org

Benedict, O’BrienNamed to WilsonRacquet Sports Posts

Andy Benedict is the new nationalpromotions manager for WilsonRacquet Sports, and Sean

O’Brien is the new global footweardirector for Racquet Sports.

Benedict will focus on the admin-istration and day-to-day execution ofWilson’s tennis industry and grass-roots initiatives, including the man-agement of Wilson’s WTeamAdvisory Staff as well as association,event and strategic partnerships.O’Brien will be responsible for allaspects of Wilson’s footwear develop-ment and marketing on a global level.


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Head Sportswear, Set To LaunchIn April, To Feature ‘InFiber Technology’

Head Tennis and Golf Sportswear will feature a proprietary fabrication calledGCool InFiber Technology, says Nex-Lvl Golf Inc., the exclusive licensee ofthe apparel, which is scheduled to launch in pro and specialty shops in

April. The company says the fabrication can provide wearers with superior mois-ture-management, UV and antibacterial protection, and more.

Nex-Lvl Golf Inc. says it’s bringing the GCool InFiber Technology to apparelwith the slogan “Head has ‘IT,’” which will be featured on hangtags and promo-tions displays. InFiber Technology gives GCool moisture-management and wick-ing capabilities, says Nex-Lvl Golf Inc. President Robert “Bob” Fenton.

“These inherent properties are part of the fiber itself and therefore never washout,” Fenton says. The construction of the high-twist proprietary filament yarnsenable perspiration to be wicked away from the body, keeping wearers dry andcomfortable, he adds. The wash and quick-dry ability also help maintain shapeand color for the life of the garment.

Additionally, GCool fabrics—created without the use of chemical treatmentsor finishes—can offer UV absorbent properties, Fenton says. “This same InFiberTechnology can also provide antibacterial properties that effectively stop bacte-ria from forming on the fabric fibers, preventing stains and odors.” Nex-Lvl GolfInc. Founder Gidon Fisher, a 35-year textile veteran, invented GCool.

Also, GCool can be blended with organic/natural fibers, such as bamboo. Fen-ton says Head Sportswear will introduce these and other eco-friendly fibersblended with GCool in 2008. For information, visit www.gcooltech.com. Toinquire about distribution, contact Fenton at 231-223-8880 or email [email protected].

USPTA Installs New Board

The USPTA installed a new national boardof directors that will serve the associationuntil September 2009. The new board

took office during the USPTA World Confer-ence on Tennis in September and includes:� President Harry Gilbert, director of tennis at GinnHammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Fla.

� First Vice President Tom Daglis, director of theProfessional Tennis Management Program at Fer-ris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., and pres-ident of Peachtree Tennis Promotions Inc.

� Vice President Mark Fairchilds, director of tennisat Modesto Fitness and Racket Club in Modesto,Calif.

� New board member and Vice President JackGroppel, Ph.D., vice chairman and co-founder ofthe Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Fla.

� Vice President Randy Mattingley, head tennis proat Preston Manor Tennis Club in Lubbock, Texas

� Vice President Tom McGraw, director of tennis atthe Louisville Country Club in Louisville, Ky.

� Secretary-treasurer Paula Scheb, director of tennisand fitness at the Bonita Bay Club in BonitaSprings, Fla.

� Immediate Past President Ron Woods, formerdirector of tennis at Corpus Christi (Texas) Coun-try Club for 31 years.

SUCCESSretailing

Anything with a Federer connectionwas selling, and the Air Vapor shoewas no exception. The Nadal yellowsleeveless “power tops” and crewswere also popular choices, as was thewomen’s line of aqua-dominant skirtsand tops and the flamingo “Flirt”group of clothes. Serena Williams’chic black dress with pink trim was noloser at the cash register. New YorkTennis Tee’s were a hot commodity,too, as were all visors, caps and JamesBlake’s signature blue headband.

POLO RALPH LAURENRalph Lauren believes in doing thingsin a big way. Its classic Polo Ponymagnified on the ball kids' uniformswere showing up in similar amplifiedfashion on apparel tops and bottomsin their flashy store at Flushing Mead-ows. Easier-on-the-wallet tote bags,


ith tennis on an upswing—andwith two weeks of beautifulweather—the vendors at the 2007

US Open had a field day. More than715,000 fans poured onto the groundsat the USTA Billie Jean King National Ten-nis Center, and merchandise salessoared. Here’s what was hot at thisyear’s Open.

HEADWhile Head’s revamped branding, fea-turing a bright orange logo, drew incrowds, it was the racquets—includingthe Microgel line which debuted in Janu-ary and the Metallix line—that had cus-tomers reaching for their wallets. Alsoselling well were the performance-ori-ented women’s Airflow frames. Headsaid that many customers at the boothbought multiple frames. Accessories,such as ball clips, wristbands, headbandsand replacement grips,flew off the shelves, asdid caps and visors.

LACOSTEThe Andy Roddick sig-nature cap and blackpolo T-shirt were thehot sellers for Lacoste.Also popular were USOpen-specific T-shirts inpink, white, aqua, grayand black with sten-ciled tennis racquetsand alligator logo.Additionally, Lacostefeatured its fall line ofclassic polos, sweaters,and hooded tops.

NIKENike came on strongwith a full array of chil-dren’s, men’s andwomen’s wear, plus itsextensive line of shoes.

W caps, visors, and hats were popular,but the US Open polo tennis shirtswere also selling, as were componentsof the official Open navy/white/yellow-striped/blocked shirts.There were the glitzy components aswell, like white with gold metallicstriped V-neck sweaters, zip-up hood-ies, and dresses.

WILSONCustomers lined up at the Wilson storeto buy K Factor racquets, especially theFederer frame. Personnel said overallsales were up from last year, andbeginner racquets made strong show-ings. Wilson also had a stringingmachine on-site, so customers couldhave their new frames strung on thespot. Other hot sellers were grips,shoes, racquet bags, US Open back-packs and the trademark jumbo Wil-

son tennis balls(which are great forautographs fromthe pros).

YONEXBooth staff atYonex said saleswere up this year.Big sellers includedthe new RQ1 Tourand RQ2 frames. Asan added incentive,Yonex packaged aset of string and atour bag with eachracquet purchase.Also hot were thewomen’s yellowdress, the men’sgame shirts wornby pros LleytonHewitt and DavidNalbandian, andthe 305 and 304shoes.�

Winning MerchandiseJustine Henin and Roger Federer brought their best to the Open thisyear, and so did tennis manufacturers. B Y C Y N T H I A S H E R M A N

Photos by Bob Kenas

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For George Napier, it’s all about the team. When he talksabout the recent success of Prince Sports, you rarely hearhim use the word “I.” In fact, Napier, the CEO of the Bor-

dentown, N.J., company, often seems uncomfortable whenthe spotlight shines on him alone.“Prince, at the end of the day, and without sounding

schmaltzy, is a big family,” says Napier. “We’re disciplined inbusiness, but we’re more than just a corporation. We have agroup of people who have a common interest in the game oftennis and who share that interest in many ways, from prod-uct to promotion ideas, to branding, to whatever it might be.It is intended to be a big family.”As CEOs go, Napier is one of the most unassuming, low-

key guys around, preferring to let his team take the credit forthe company’s success. “It all comes down to the people,” hesays. “I get out of their way and I’m just there as a soundingboard and someone they can open up to, ask questions of,bring me opportunities, bring me problems, bring me solu-tions—whatever it might be.”But while Napier’s style is to remain in the background,

colleagues and other industry partners cite him as the one

who is leading Prince’s charge in the tennis industry and revi-talizing the brand. And for all the success he’s had in doingthat, George Napier is Racquet Sports Industry’s 2007 Personof the Year.“When you look at what Prince has accomplished under

George’s leadership in the last four years, since the manage-ment buyout from Benetton, it’s pretty significant,” saysPrince Sports President Doug Fonte. “Adding almost 10points of market share and rebuilding a brand that was downand out after 10 years of neglect and bad decisions is noteasy. He has a team of passionate people who believed in thebrand and helped immensely in this difficult task.”“George takes very little credit for all that he has done in

growing Prince,” says retailer Dale Queen, the president ofYour Serve Tennis, which has seven locations in metroAtlanta. “He’s great at gathering all the information and mak-ing committed decisions based on the facts. He doesn’t havea problem taking a chance on new, innovative concepts andtechnology. I have great respect for George in business andpersonally.”Napier has been involved in the management of sports



Bob

Ken

as

and recreation companies for about 30 years, including a stintat Wilson Sporting Goods as COO. In 2001, he was tapped byBenetton Group, based in Italy, to be the president and CEOof Benetton Sportsystem USA Inc., which included the Princetennis brand.In May 2003, Napier formed Prince Sports Inc., a new

company that acquired the rights to the brand from BenettonGroup, which had owned Prince since 1990. Prince Sportsthen relocated from Italy back to Bordentown, where the orig-inal company had been founded in 1970.This past August, as Prince stood poised to break $100 mil-

lion in sales for its fiscal year, the company swapped invest-ment backers, trading Lincolnshire Management for NauticPartners.“Four years ago, when we carved Prince out of Benetton

Sportsystem, we linked up with Lincolnshire,” says Napier,who has been on the board of directors for the Sporting GoodsManufacturers Association for five years. “We went throughan initial growth phase, underpinned by the launch of O3.Today, off of that success, we felt it was an opportunity for‘second-stage growth,’ tackling other opportunities likefootwear and apparel more aggressively, going after certaingeographic markets, like in Europe, where we’re quite under-developed, I would say, and in China, where the opportunitiesare quite significant.“So we decided collectively that it would be the right time

to change our investment partners,” he continues. “Lin-colnshire and the management team sold their interest toNautic, and management has reinvested a good portion of theproceeds into the new deal, so we continue to be stakehold-ers in the new business, and are committed to leading thisnew round of growth.”Prince has grown quite a bit from its origins as a tennis ball

machine manufacturer. In 1976, the company came out withthe first oversize racquet at 110 square inches. Prince intro-duced the “Longbody” racquet in 1995.Under Napier’s leadership, the company has had a string

of successes, in part because of Prince’s commitment toincreasing its research anddevelopment budget. In rac-quets, 2005 saw the launch ofO3 technology, which trans-formed traditional string holesinto giant “O-ports,” creatinga larger sweetspot, saysPrince. The next year, the O3Hybrid Series combined ordi-nary racquet technology withO-ports. And earlier this year,the O3 Speedport was intro-duced, which Prince says isup to 24 percent fasterthrough the air and has a sweetspot up to 59 percent largerthan a traditional racquet.As other manufacturers have found out in the past, it’s dif-

ficult to get consumers to accept a racquet technology thatlooks different from traditional frames. But with O3 technolo-gy, Prince, under Napier’s guidance, took a chance on chang-ing what a normal racquet looks like—and the frames

have consistently topped the list as best-sellers.For instance, the O3 White, played by pro Maria Sharapo-

va, was the best-selling frame in 2006. And in 33 of the 36months from September 2004 to August 2007, Prince’s dollarshare has increased over the same month in the previousyear, according to the TIA/SMS Retail Audit of Specialty Ten-nis Shops. (The company also owns the racquetball brandEktelon, which Prince says has dominated the U.S. racquet-ball market for years.)And Prince uses its stable of pro players to help in the

development of its frames. “Some of these players are veryknowledgeable about product,” says Napier, “and we tend totap into that when they’re open and willing.” For instance,Napier says Sharapova has been involved in developing prod-uct “in a pretty serious way.”(In addition to world No. 4 Sharapova, other top Prince

players include No. 3 Jelena Jankovic, No. 10 Daniela Hantu-chova, No. 12 Marion Bartoli and No. 16 Shahar Peer. On themen’s side, Prince claims No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko and No.8 David Ferrer, along with up-and-comers Sam Querrey andJohn Isner. Prince recently lost pro James Blake to the com-pany he formerly endorsed, but Prince picked up sponsorshipof the world’s top men’s doubles team, Bob and Mike Bryan.)In its footwear line in 2006, Prince came out with its M

Series, which introduced “Precision Tube Technology” forcushioning, stability and ventilation. In string, Prince’s Syn-thetic Gut with Duraflex has been a consistent top seller. Thecompany recently introduced Synthetic Gut Multifilamentstring.In the coming months, though, the big storyline from

Prince may be the launch of its new apparel. “We basically re-looked at apparel,” says Napier. “We took back our apparellicense and decided to apply our own thinking to it. We’rebringing what we know about tennis to the apparel world,which is the need for comfort, ventilation, protection againstthe elements, antibacterial and UV protection, moisture man-agement, and more.“So we created a concept we call Aerotech,” Napier con-

tinues. “It’s stuff that otherpeople are doing, but we’rebringing our own twist to it.It’s how we put it all togeth-er, to provide performancefor players who are discern-ing and can compete.”“Our roots are primarily

in hard goods,” says LindaGlassel, the vice presidentof marketing for PrinceSports. “But over the lastseveral years, George haschallenged the team to

expand their thinking and build a strong soft-goods businessanchored by innovative technology and cutting-edge design.”With the new apparel line, as with racquets, string,

footwear and tennis balls, Napier is keenly aware of the roleretailers play in Prince’s success. “I’m not a big believer thatwhat we do is sell stuff to retailers,” he says. “I think what wetry to do is partner with them, selling things that will sell

� Become comfortable with the situation and understand thedynamics before trying to plot a direction.

� Don’t look at it as a job. “It’s kind of what you do,” says Napier.“You’re not going to work every day, it’s just what you do. You’repart of it, you’re leading change, you feel good about that. That’show we approach it.”

� Hard work is probably the single determining factor as to whetheryou’re going to make it or not make it. It may not be much fun, butit is the way you’re going to beat your competitor.


through their stores, not just selling into their stores so we canget it out of our warehouse.“So understanding who they are and what they do, then

bringing them products that make sense for them and theirconsumers, which may change from region to region . . . Ithink we do that well and understand their needs, and make ita pleasure for them to do business with Prince.”Retailers agree. “Prince seems to have a great understand-

ing of the tennis consumer, as well as the dealers,” says Queenof Your Serve Tennis, who has been in the business for morethan 31 years. “For instance, George hasmade a commitment to raisethe bar for the average sellingprice of a racquet and tried tomaintain profitability of rac-quets. He’s very straightfor-ward in his approach to thebusiness, as well as thePrince brand.”“I think Prince has done a

good job coming out withproduct that is unique,” saysJohn Swetka, owner of Swet-ka’s Tennis Shop in Moun-tain View, Calif. “They passon good programs to retail-ers throughout their lines togrow the brand to help usmake it profitable to sellPrince. I think George hasbeen instrumental in all ofthat.”“George understands the industry,” says Glas-

sel. “He has great relationships with our dealersand really understands the challenges of their day-to-day business."Beyond retailing, though, Prince also is

involved in both high-performancetraining along with recreational andentry-level programs. A few yearsago, the company established the“Prince Plugged In” program,which ties together an exclusivegroup of about 40 high-leveltraining centers across the U.S.,including the Nick BollettieriTennis Academy and SaddlebrookTennis Academy.Prince says the PPI training centers offer cutting-edge

teaching, coaching and training initiatives—attracting topcoaches and players within their communities—but also serveas product development laboratories for Prince. The PPI pro-gram offers a series of Challenge Cups multiple times per yearwhere students come together to train and play competitivelyand are also offered workshops on topics such as playing col-lege tennis, earning a scholarship, what the pro tours are like,nutrition, and mental and physical conditioning.The company also has committed to the USTA Schools Pro-

gram, as one of three approved vendors. “They are making a

huge commitment to entry-level tennis for school-aged chil-dren,” says Kirk Anderson, the USTA’s director of RecreationalCoaches and Programs. “This is an especially important yearbecause of the success and popularity of scaled-down equip-ment and slower balls we are using for both the Schools Pro-gram and QuickStart Tennis. Prince is one of the industryleaders with this equipment. I’m grateful to their commitmentto recreational tennis and our entry-level programs.”

In the end, though, success comesdown from the top, andthat’s where Napier maywell have the biggestand most lastingimpact—first in his

leadership and vision in turn-ing around a company and atennis brand that had beenneglected by its previous han-dlers, and now in leading thecharge into the marketplacewith new products that are excit-ing retailers and consumers.“My view is to get comfort-

able with what you’ve got,understand the situation you’rein, plot a direction based on the

environment internal and external, theopportunities, company strengths andthe resources you have available, thenget people to connect with that,” saysNapier. “So my rule is really to under-stand that, frame it out, communicate it,and connect people to it and get theminspired. I don’t do it on my own, but Ilead that process.”“There is a strong sense of teamwork,

fostered by George’s sense of leadershipand vision for the long-term growth ofthe organization,” says Prince’s Glassel.“We all share in the wins and the losses.“It’s not often that you have the

opportunity, or the privilege, to work with some-one who has the type of vision and dedication asGeorge,” continues Glassel. “His management styleand leadership is inspiring and has created an envi-

ronment here at Prince where the people are truly ded-icated to the growth of this brand."Adds Fonte: “It takes vision and courage to make the

decisions, sometimes nontraditional, that cause a break outand a breakthrough.”Through it all, though, Napier remains the friendly, under-

stated chief executive who is passionate about the sport andabout the team he works with. “You hope the enthusiasm isnatural and the energy is real, because if you have that, youcan really build a lot,” he says.“I’m a common-sense guy who believes that if you’re open

and honest and hard-working, you’re going to achieve some-thing. That’s kind of what I like to bring to a business.”

—Peter Francesconi


When Adam and Debra Kahn took over MeadowCreek Tennis & Fitness Club three years ago, theywere already well known in the Lakewood, Colo.,

tennis community as players, team captains and, in Adam’scase, a USPTA-certified pro. As the new owners, the Kahnsfelt the club could stand to be remodeled and updated tohelp ensure members have a great experience. But one thingthat they didn’t want to do was fool around with a success-ful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff.Keeping that staff in place, says Adam Kahn, not only was

instrumental in a successful transition to new ownership, butit is also why Meadow Creek is thriving today, with nearly1,000 members on its seven indoor and three outdoor hardcourts. Add in a fully stocked pro shop, fitness center, andplethora of programs for all ages and levels, and you have anaward-winning facility. And that’s why the Meadow CreekTennis and Fitness Club is RSI’s 2007 Private Facility of theYear.A big key to membership retention, insists Kahn, is due to

a superlative staff. “In semi-annual meetings, we discuss cur-rent programs, new programs, and ways to improve,” hesays. “There is always total staff involvement.”For instance, Program Director Robin Dann, who’s been

with Meadow Creek for 11 years, makes sure new and currentmembers get to participate in programs that are exciting tothem. By inviting new members to different functions, saysKahn, “They are integrated into the club and become part ofthe family.” Club socials revolve around holidays and GrandSlam tournaments.Opportunities to play abound, including leagues, clinics,

Cardio Tennis, and other instructional programming, includ-ing a strong junior program. In 2006, the TIA named MeadowCreek one of the Top 50 Tennis Welcome Centers in the coun-try. The club’s QuickStart Tennis program reaches nearly 300students a year.“Once new tennis players get involved in QuickStart, club

drills and teams, it encourages camaraderie and new mem-

berships,” says Kahn. There are 25USTA teams and a number of inter-club league teams.“Adam is exemplary in how he

approaches tennis and takesadvantage of the tools out there tohelp him grow his business,” saysTIA Executive Director Jolyn deBoer. “He completely gets it.”But Kahn credits his staff for

“making it fun for people to learn tennis.” With over 30 yearsof experience, Director of Tennis Alden Bock runs the racquetand stringing section of the pro shop and makes sure pro-grams are available for every level of play. USPTA pro GaryAlpert is a tennis stroke specialist and the “technical analyst,”with a degree in Applied Science in Professional Tennis Man-agement. USPTA pro Ashley Tindle, a former all-American incollege, specializes in junior development. Tindle has won theDenver Post’s Adversity Conquered through Excellence awardand has been nominated for ESPN’s ARETE Award forcourage in sports.Other key staff include Susie Nelson, Meadow Creek’s mar-

keting manager, and Margaret Nuccio, the front-desk manag-er. Debra Kahn runs the pro shop, which boasts one of thelargest shoe selections in the Denver area.Whether it’s through new and innovative programs, better

ways to interact and communicate with members, or updat-ing club facilities, “We’re constantly trying to find ways toenhance the experience for members and guests,” says Kahn.

—Cynthia Sherman

� Invest in your staff. It’s critical to have the best staff possible.Take good care of them and they’ll take good care of the customers.

� Keeping members happy should be a top priority. Update yourfacility and have a clear idea of what customer service is all about.

� Innovate! Do something new every year—keep things fresh!


When it comes to getting a racquet strung, “Peoplecan go many places,” says Dave Malinowski, Wil-son Racquet Sports’ territory manager for the mid-

Atlantic region. “But once Tim gets his hands on someone’sracquet for the first time, they won’t go anywhere else. Youcan just feel the quality he puts into it.”Malinowski is talking about Tim Strawn, a Master Racquet

Technician and a longtime racquet customizing expert, andthe founder and owner of GrandSlamStringers.com. Strawnnot only has a shop in Roanoke, Va., that specializes in cus-tomization, but his website—designed for serious stringers—provides expert advice and forums where stringers interact.And for years, Strawn has been stringing for some of theworld’s best players at Grand Slam and other pro events.But it’s his dedication to all aspects of his craft—and his

unfailing willingness to share his expertise with others in thebusiness so that pro players and recreational players alikebenefit from expert stringing and customization—that is trulyvisionary. It’s for all these reasons that Tim Strawn is RSI’s2007 Stringer of the Year.Strawn started out in the tennis business as a teaching pro,

certified by both the USPTA and PTR. “Originally, my interestwas in teaching people to play,” he says. “But I realized thatwhen it came to racquet servicing, my students’ [needs]weren’t being taken care of. So I started my business so Icould string racquets for my tennis students. I joined the U.S.Racquet Stringers Association in the late 1980s and was oneof the first to test for the MRT.”While Strawn still does get out on court with students, his

focus now is on making sure their equipment is perfect forthem. His store in Roanoke is mainly geared toward stringingand customization services, rather than selling frames. Andhis business is thriving—and it’s pretty much all word ofmouth. “That basically tells me I’m doing something right,” hesays. “There’s no amount of money I can place on that.”Customers rave about the service they receive. “His pro-

fessionalism is great,” says longtime customer Don Wolthuis.“He maintains a database and he can tell you what he used

and at what tension,going back years.And he gives us greatadvice.”Strawn is passion-

ate when he talksabout GrandSlam-Stringers.com—asite dedicated to pro-fessional racquetstringers. He saysthe site receives upto 900,000 hits permonth and has espe-cially active messageboards and forums.And Strawn assem-bled a worldwidepanel of expert racquettechnicians—including Sam Chan, Toru Yusuki, Albert Lee,Richard Parnell, Bob Patterson and John Gugel—who all inter-act on the website.It was the website and the chatter on the message boards

that led to another groundbreaking venture for Strawn andthe industry: the GSS Racquet Stringers Symposium. The firstsymposium was held last April in Texas. “In many ways, itwent better than anticipated,” says Strawn.“We didn’t expect a large turnout because it had never

been done before in the industry. I contacted a lot of fellowprofessionals in the field and I was really looking for thechemistry of the group, for people willing to share their expe-rience and their knowledge. I felt I had learned a lot over theyears from the USRSA, and if there was a way to give some-thing back, this was a way to do it.”Dave Bone, executive director of the USRSA (and co-pub-

lisher of RSI magazine), praises Strawn and his dedication.“Tim really went out on a limb to make the Stringers’ Sym-posium happen,” says Bone. “We were really excited to seehim and GSS start an event that offers great potential for thefuture. And speaking for the USRSA, we’re looking forward togetting more involved to help make it an even bigger andstronger event next year.”Strawn says he’s looking at moving the GSS Symposium to

October and holding it in Orlando, Fla. “We’ll put it in a loca-tion that’s more like a destination,” he says. “Hopefully, thatwill give a bit more of an impetus for people to come andbring their families. Also, it will make it easier for people fromEurope to attend. I think it’s a worthwhile effort to help peo-ple learn this craft.” —Peter Francesconi

� Focus on quality work. A lot of people base their business onhaving low prices, but most people are willing to pay a bit morefor quality.

� Be honest with customers and put their interests first. Theydeserve your attention when they lay down their hard-earnedmoney.

� Be willing to share your experiences and knowledge withothers in the business.


Talk to customers and suppliers about Rob Werner, thefounder and president of Sportsline Inc., and certainphrases keep coming up—things like “professionalism,”

“attention to detail” and “takes pride in his work.”“Rob is amazing,” says Tina Tharp, the acting executive

director of Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis & Education in Philadel-phia, which has eight indoor and eight outdoor courts thatSportsline put down. “His attention to detail and overall pro-fessionalism is beyond words. He’s very specific in his workand takes great pride in his work.”Tharp also is impressed with the level of service that Wern-

er and his staff give to the AAYTE, even well after the job hasbeen completed. “He comes by just to check up on things,”she says. “He popped in a few months ago to see how thingswere running. He and his staff are very reliable.”“Rob takes great pride in everything that bears the Sports-

line name,” echoes Tom Magner, the Eastern regional man-ager for DecoTurf. “When I’m working with Sportsline on atennis court project, I have complete confidence that it’sgoing to be done exactly by the book.“Sportsline is a first-class contractor,” Magner continues,

“and the dozens of certifications and awards they haveachieved are a testament to that fact.”In the tennis-court-building business, the Villanova, Pa.,

company has proven itself to be a leader in all the things thatcustomers are looking for. And beyond that, Werner has beenvery involved in the industry itself. All of this is why SportslineInc. is RSI’s 2007 Court Builder of the Year.Werner, who is a Certified Tennis Court Builder and a Cer-

tified Track Builder by the American Sports Builders Associa-tion (ASBA), started Sportsline in 1987, when he was still anindependent rep for another court construction company. In1990, Sportsline became his full-time business.“We do all types of courts, and a little bit of everything in

the sports-building business,” Werner says. Tennis, he adds,

is 60 to 70percent ofhis business.“We proba-bly build orresurfaceclose to 200courts ayear,” using15 to 20employees,dependingon the sea-son.While the

“Tennisline”is the biggestpart of Sport-sline’s business, Werner also has other divisions, includingTrackline, Turfline and Golfline, in addition to selling sportsequipment and accessories.“Rob does everything well,” says Gordy Pierce, the ASBA’s

Tennis Division president and the owner of Cape & IslandTennis and Track in Pocasset, Mass. “He is versatile—heencompasses everything that the ASBA does.”Pierce praises Werner’s involvement in the industry and

with the ASBA. Werner was on the ASBA board of directorsfor four years, then the Track Division president for fouryears, and has also been involved with other committees inthe organization.“He’s never happy with the status quo and is always look-

ing for something better, something to progress the industry,”says Pierce.Currently, Werner says, he sees growth in installing syn-

thetic fields that can handle, tennis, soccer and other sports.“I’m searching for a [synthetic] turf that’s easy and can beused for multiple sports. The turf manufacturers have beeninterested in the 80,000- or 90,000-square-foot fields, buthaven’t really been looking at tennis and understand thatthere’s a need for a good product.”“Rob is always looking to stay on the cutting edge of tech-

nology from a construction standpoint,” says Tracy Lynch, thewholesale accounts manager for Lee Tennis. “He’s great towork with and very open-minded. And he’s committed todoing a good job in whatever he’s involved with.”“When I’m doing a court, I like to build it as if it were

mine,” says Werner. “There’s nothing more refreshing thanputting the net up and having the owner thrilled to death.”

—Peter Francesconi

� Prepare your customers. “I try to be a bit more aggressive inexplaining upcoming steps and what to watch out for,” says Wern-er. “I try to problem-solve ahead of the game.”

� Share as much information as you can with others. “In ourindustry, a lot of times people don’t want to share,” says Werner.“If I can help out, I’m glad to do it.”

� Be flexible. “If employees have a way they like to do a certainstep, I’m fine with that,” says Werner. “As long as the goal isthere, I’m flexible about how to get there.”

� Enjoy what you do, and try to pass that on to others.


Return phone calls. Fill out orders. Answer your emails.Smile. Repeat often. This simple list adequatelydescribes the job requirements of a successful sales rep,

right? Well, not exactly.“It’s not hard to be a good rep,” says Greg Mason, senior

director of sales for Head/Penn Racquet Sports, “but it’s verydifficult to be an exceptional rep. The little things like creativ-ity and work ethic make the difference. It’s about exceedingexpectations rather than meeting expectations.”Colleagues and customers alike agree that Hunter Hines, a

sales representative for Head/Penn in the Southern section, isa rep who truly epitomizes that statement.Whether he’s running an email contest for customers, per-

sonally delivering product in time for a store’s grand openingor personally interacting with more than 220 accounts inmetro Atlanta, the rest of Georgia and most of Alabama,Hines exceeds expectations—and then some. And that’s whyHines is RSI’s 2007 Sales Rep of the Year.

“He's the best rep in the world,” says Bob Patterson,owner of Player’s Choice Tennis in Birmingham, Ala. “He’s soattentive to anything we need, whether it’s providing infor-mation on new products or handling a special order, he stepsup and either handles it himself or finds someone who can getit done.”But the infectious enthusiasm that makes going that extra

mile for a customer—personally delivering a racquet for aclient because they need it in hours (not days or weeks) oroffering interesting prizes for charity events or raffles—thenorm for Hines is also born from a selfish motive, he says.“You’ve got to be persistent in sales,” says Hines, “but morethan anything, you’ve got to enjoy it. I have fun. People pick

up on that enjoyment and it makes your job a lot easier.“It makes it a lot easier to be on the road and away from

my family,” adds Hines. “If all we ever talked about was busi-ness and work, it would be a lot more difficult. It makes itmore fun for me—and for them.”Of course, taking care of business always comes first for

Hines. When one retailer made a last-minute request for“Penny”—the ubiquitous, extra large, inflatable Penn tennisball—Hines made sure the popular, eye-grabbing ball wasovernighted to the client in time for their grand opening."When I first started in sales and worked out of my home

office, I thought it might be difficult to get motivated, with nooffice to go to and no one there to catch me coming in late,"says Hines. "But it's the opposite, actually. There's neverenough time in the day to do everything I feel I need to do.But I haven't gotten to the point where I turn my phone off at7 p.m., because I enjoy this job so much."And for Hines, it’s this enjoyment of the job that carries

over to his customers, too.“One retailer sent me a letter saying we should clone

Hunter and put him in all of our territories,” says Mason, witha laugh. “For a retailer to take the time to write to me abouta sales rep, it means he’s really doing what it takes to makepeople happy.” —Mitch Rustad

� Use creative promotions. Send out an e-mail blast asking everyoneto fill out a US Open draw. The retailer who picks the highest numberof semifinalists wins a new racquet. “It’s great for me to do with mydealers, but it’s also something great dealers can do with their cus-tomers,” says Hines. “I have an account who actually ran with itafter participating in my promo, and they had great success with it.”

� Don’t just get to know the managers. The decision-makers aren’tthe only ones who drive business. Stringers, floor staff, pros andreceptionists can be very influential with customers. “Get to knoweveryone you work with,” says Hines.

� Know the product. “Online research is a great place to start, but Itry my best to get out and actually use as many of my competition’sproducts—popular racquets, strings, grips, balls—as possible,” saysHines. “That way I can speak honestly about the products in questionfrom personal experience.”


Skiing to scooters. Paintball to basketball. In today's high-ly competitive (and overly saturated) sporting-goodsmarket, a tennis player could be forgiven for feeling a lit-

tle lost in the shuffle. But don't tell that to the execs at TheSports Authority, who are dedicated to keeping racquet-wield-ing enthusiasts of all levels happy.“We're kind of a Wal-Mart blended right into a specialty

store,” says Steve Dunlap, vice president and divisional mer-chandising manager of Fitness and Racquet Sports for TheSports Authority. “We make sure to hit all angles of the sport.”But how can a chain store with more than 420 stores

nationwide accomplish this task? In a nutshell, by stockingeverything from pre-strung junior racquets to the latest rac-quet technology—not to mention the mass-merchant rarity ofoffering on-site stringing—with a special focus on showcasingequipment and balls geared to juniors.This comprehensive approach puts smiles on the faces of

customers and industry manufacturers alike, and helped TheSports Authority earn RSI’s 2007 Chain Retailer/Mass Mer-chant of the Year Award.“What we really like is that they cover the bases for all of

our consumers,” says Kevin Kempin, vice president of salesand marketing for Head/Penn Racquet Sports. “Unlike someother chains that may focus only on the $50 frames, [TSA]will carry the latest technology used by pro players right downto the frames for a recreational player. It's great to have apartner that will display our entire line.”But Kempin is particularly impressed with the attention

TSA is giving the junior game. More floor and wall space hasbeen dedicated to junior frames and most stores carry foamand/or transition balls tailored to youngsters, which ultimate-ly benefits the health of the sport, he says.“The fact they're giving more space to junior tennis is great

for our industry and really sets them apart,” says Kempin.“They could have given it to soccer or other sports.”Having former tournament players and teaching pros,

such as Dunlap, heading the tennis category gives The SportsAuthority another crucial edge, says Kempin.

“That's very helpful for all of us in theindustry, because we can talk to corporateleaders who also have a passion for thesport,” says Kempin. “They have a vestedinterest and passion for tennis beyond justthe numbers.”“I know what the whole industry is—

and has been—going through over the years,” says Dunlap,“and that includes where the USTA is going and what theteaching pro initiatives are. We have a head start on that kindof stuff, and that helps.“We still follow and play the sport, so we can put ourselves

in the shoes of the customer,” adds Dunlap. “We can playtestnew frames ourselves and understand what might sell, andbasically hit all angles of the sport so we know what we needto carry in our stores.” And to keep ahead of the latest racquetand string technology, TSA gets plenty of face time with theleading manufacturers.But that doesn't mean TSA is merely satisfied to stock new

technology, says another top manufacturer. “We'll sit downwith a buyer and figure out how we can build a product thatno one else has,” says Joe Keenan, vice president ofsales/national accounts for Prince Sports.For example, when Prince came out with a national pro-

motion for one of its high-end racquets—a purchase includeda 4-pack of balls and a new tennis bag—the company askedTSA to sweeten the deal for customers by pre-stringing eachframe. Though the move was atypical for a large chain, thepre-string strategy was a hit, says Keenan.“The sales of our performance category has grown thanks

to this kind of instant gratification strategy,” he says. “They'renot locked into one buying strategy, they will go outside thebox and try new things.” —Mitch Rustad

� Don’t forget the basics. Without exception, always have itemssuch as tennis balls, strings, grips, and junior and opening pricepoint racquets in stock.

� Stock the latest and greatest. If there's a hot new racquet onthe market, make sure you're stocking it before anyone else.Always stay on the cutting edge of new technology.

� Be sure to feature “was, is” racquets—older but still popularframes from previous years—at competitive prices.


Michael Lynne and his wife, Mimzy, moved back toMinnesota in 1990 after spending several years inArizona, where he had a small tennis shop for five

years. When the Lynnes returned to Minneapolis, Michaelscoped out places for another tennis shop, settling on a 1,700-square-foot store in a strip mall.“It was a terrific location, offering great parking, conve-

nient to all the tennis clubs,” he says. “That first year I put in100 hours a week.”Now, 17 years and 5,500 square feet later, all that hard

work has paid off. Michael Lynne’s Tennis Shop is one of thelargest in the country, and each year the shop outdoes itselfin sales.“I’ve seen them grow their business for eight years

straight, which is unheard of,” says Prince sales rep MickeyMaule. “At year end, they treat sales reps and staff to a steakdinner to celebrate another year of record growth. MichaelLynne’s Tennis Shop is truly a destination for tennis fans inthe Twin Cities and upper Midwest. It’s a first-class operationthat gives nothing but exceptional customer service and like-ly the best selection of tennis equipment you can find in oneshop anywhere in the country.”And it’s this winning combination of service, selection,

sales and more that makes Michael Lynne’s Tennis Shop RSI’s2007 Pro/Specialty Retailer of the Year.Lynne attributes the store’s success to “lots of hard work.”

The shop carries most apparel lines as well as the major rac-quet brands. There are more than 1,000 racquets in stock,says Lynne, and “they are carried in depth.”But it’s not only about sales. Fully supportive of Min-

neapolis’ large tennis community, Lynne puts kids’ and localteam photos on his back wall along with local tennis storiesand news. And he’s happy to offer tennis tips to his customersand encourages them to “test drive” racquets for free.Mimzy, meanwhile, keeps close tabs on apparel, carrying

lines appropriate for all age groups. “It’s important to listen tocustomers and what they want,” she says. “We make it easyfor customers to get clothes that aren’t in stock by making allthe catalogs readily available. Sometimes it’s the subtle thingsyou do in merchandising—like changing displays to make

things look fresh. Womenlike change, they like to wan-der around the shop; whilemen want to know they canfind what they want in thesame place.”Clothing is grouped by

size and the price is alwaysvisible. Racks are neverovercrowded and pieces aredisplayed on the wall so customers can see them as “outfits.”When customers try on clothes, they find large dressingrooms with excellent lighting. Also, all the employees don var-ious tennis outfits to work so customers can see what theclothes actually look like “on.”The store also has six stringing machines, so, as Michael

notes, “You can have your racquets strung while you wait.”But even “waiting” at Michael Lynne’s Tennis Shop is a

pleasure. Customers can watch the Tennis Channel on TVwhile having a snack or sipping gourmet coffee the shop sup-plies. “We’re a destination point,” Lynne says. “People haveto drive here, so we want to make sure our staff is well-informed on the merchandise and offers great customerservice.”“Michael and Mimzy personify customer service, and they

teach their staff to take this approach,” says Greg Mason,senior director of sales for Head. “It's the little things likegreeting each customer, then thanking them as they leave,writing thank-you notes to repeat customers—that reallymakes the difference.”The staff, adds Mason, is always upbeat and motivated.

“It's apparent they ‘get it,’” says Mason. “The Minneapolistennis market is the real winner.” —Cynthia Sherman

� Customer service comes first. Always listen to what the cus-tomer wants and always thank them for their business.

� Have a well-informed staff and offer the greatest variety of mer-chandise possible. Boost apparel sales by having staff wear theclothing lines you carry.

� Lots of hard work and dedication.


Craig Jones’ commitment to growing the game is evidentby his long list of awards, distinctions and volun-teerism. A popular speaker and accomplished USTA

High Performance coach, he has also become one of thecountry’s foremost advocates of the USTA’s QuickStart Tennisformat for kids 10 and under.And for his many accomplishments bringing tennis to kids,

Jones is RSI’s 2007 Junior Develop-ment Champion of the Year.Director of tennis and majority

owner of the Petersburg RacquetClub in Martinez, Ga., Jonesembraced QuickStart (formerlycalled Project 36/60) as a pilot pro-gram in May 2006. “Ever since westarted it,” says Jones, who is certi-fied by both the USPTA and PTR,“it’s like our junior program has been on steroids.”Its popularity has even surprised Jones, who has hired

another teaching pro amid plans to build additional courts—some with permanent QuickStart lines—to keep up withdemand.“Craig is a respected high-performance coach, but he also

sees the big picture of needing to find new ways to attract andretain players,” says Kirk Anderson, director of the USTA’sRecreational Coaches and Programs. “He believes in Quick-Start and has done an excellent job of implementing it. He’sclearly a cut above most teaching pros.” —Cynthia Cantrell

Dan Vonk has no problem being the local “tennis guy”—so long as it means he’s helping bring more players tothe courts in Camden County, Ga.

When Vonk began as coach of the Camden County HighSchool boys’ and girls’ teams in 1995, the state of the pro-gram was far from ideal. “My first year, I had to tell kids to goget some friends so we could fill the roster,” he says. “I hadto show most of the kids how to hold a racquet.”Tennis in Camden County has come a long way since then,

grown and developed through the hard work of Vonk and ateam of tennis leaders for whom he readily offers praise.

Summer tennis camps begin-ning in 1999 led the way forafter-school, parking-lotlessons for students at twolocal middle schools. In2002, tennis teams wereformed at the schools, andsoon both will boast four courtson their campuses.Last season, Vonk’s teams swept the regional champi-

onships. This year, he was honored with the USTA NationalStarfish Award for his no-cut tennis program. And for hisefforts to make tennis available to all, Vonk is RSI’s 2007Grassroots Champion of the Year.Early this year, Vonk started organizing the Camden Area

Tennis Association. “I would like nothing more than to oneday see that out in the community kids and adults have aplace to enjoy the lifelong game of tennis,” he says.“Dan has been the solid foundation for tennis in Camden

Country for over a decade,” says Robin Dawson, junior pro-grams coordinator for USTA Georgia. —Kristen Daley

� Develop the demand, when creating a grassroots tennis program.Show community leaders a high level of anticipated participationand need.

� Enlist the help and support of tennis lovers in the community,especially the ones with children who would benefit.

� Start small and be patient. Try to grow a little bit every year.

�More courts, more kids. With the QuickStart format, 12 young-sters can comfortably rally per court under the supervision of justone teaching pro.

� Sell modified equipment in the pro shop. Allowing parents topurchase transition balls and racquets may generate another bene-fit: their interest in adult lessons and equipment of their own.

� Learn from the Europeans. While the best U.S. teaching pros areusually reserved for the most advanced teens, Europeans have theopposite mindset. An experienced pro can make game improve-ment decisions more quickly and efficiently with beginners.


For nearly a decade, Jason Harnett has been a mentor forwheelchair tennis players both on and off the court. Eachyear, Harnett, a USTA national coach, spends six to eight

weeks training and traveling with the country’s elite wheel-chair athletes. As the head coach of the Quadriplegic team atthe Invacare World Team Cup, Harnett has led his team tofive titles.Harnett’s work with wheelchair players began in earnest in

1996, when he led a clinic for about 10 players in MissionViejo, Calif., where he is the city’s head tennis pro. Today,thanks to his hard work, Mission Viejo is now the home of the

ITF/Cruyff Foun-dation TennisCamp-Americas.For his dedi-

cation to thedevelopment ofwheelchair ten-nis and its play-ers, Harnett isthis year’s RSIWheelchair Tennis Champion.“What makes him a great coach is his understanding of

each player as an individual,” says Dan James, USTA Wheel-chair national head coach. “He knows what to do and say tobring out their best performance.”Harnett’s relationship with his players reaches beyond the

court. “You’re a coach, but you’re also a counselor,” he says.“You’re a friend.”Says World No. 1 wheelchair player David Wagner, “I

know that without Jason by my side and helping me along theway, I would not be where I am today.” —Kristen Daley

Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education, as currenthead Tina Tharp says, is “not just about hitting tennisballs. We are here to develop young men and young

women."With public and private funding, AAYTE annually serves

more than 11,000 children from age 4 into their teens—usu-ally at no or minimal cost to families—through after-schooland community programs stretched to nearly every Philadel-phia neighborhood. (Adults can play at the facility for limitedhours in summer; during the school year, it’s all for kids.)AAYTE is not only an impressive physical structure, but the

programs are beyond compare. And for 2007, AAYTE is RSI’s

Municipal Facility of theYear.In December 2004, as

fundraising continuedtoward the $12 million cost,ground was broken for anew home in FairmontPark. The official unveilingtook place in April 2006.The 9.2-acre site has eightindoor courts, eight outdoor courts, and a main building withoffices, locker rooms, weight room, library, and the ArthurAshe Reading is Fundamental Room.Children in the school district are bused in for their phys

ed requirement. The academic flagship is a life-skills curricu-lum. Tennis is obviously a main focus, but it is also the rewardfor doing homework. Many of the staff developed their back-hands as well as their study skills in the program."I often hear from people saying, ‘You can tell that's an

AAYTE kid,’” says Tharp, “‘[They're] pleasant, outgoing andalways willing to help.’” —Kent Oswald

� Learn from the player. Talk to athletes about their disability andfind out what they can and can’t do physically.

� Do your research. Learn about wheelchair tennis from the ITF andUSTA websites, itftennis.com and usta.com.

� Show the player how to learn to love the game and the challengeof it.

� Form partnerships with like-minded organizations.

� Provide a consistency in staff and vision to foster strong rela-tionships with the populations you serve.

� Create a legacy and build a sense of internal commitment bymentoring today's attendees so they can be tomorrow's staff.


Named in honor of Chris Evert’s father, who was tennisdirector for 49 years, the Jimmy Evert Tennis Center isthe centerpiece of the City of Fort Lauderdale Parks

and Recreation Department. However, the center is just oneof nine facilities offering 47 courts in every corner of the city.Whitney Kraft, who was director of tennis for Fort Laud-

erdale for 10 years before becoming director at the USTA Bil-lie Jean King National Tennis Center in August, saysimprovements to city recreation facilities mirrored the gener-al downtown revitalization through a $35 million bondapproved in 1997. The idea, he says, was “to deliver pro-

grams throughout the cityso transportation wouldn’tbe an issue” for far-spreadresidents.The Parks and Rec

Department also supportsthe city’s youth through itspartnership with FirstServe, a life-skills program.And this past July, the Parksand Rec Department hosted the 81st Annual USTA NationalPublic Parks Tennis Championships.For all it has done in growing the sport, and keeping

youngsters engaged, Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation isRSI’s Public Park of the Year.“Fort Lauderdale has done an amazing job, including its

model relationship with the schools,” says Marcia Bach, theUSTA’s Park and Recreation tennis coordinator.“The courts are full every day,” says Vince Gizzi, a recre-

ation supervisor for the city. “We must be doing somethingright.” —Cynthia Cantrell

For the Grants Pass Community Tennis Association inGrants Pass, Ore., tennis is more than a sport. The CTA,now in its 17th year, has made junior player develop-

ment a priority, with programs now serving 70 children,some of whom hold a state ranking. This past August, the CTAhosted its first USTA sanctioned junior tournament.In 2008, another major focus will be outreach to at-risk

groups of youth and adults in the community, says CTA Pres-ident Howard Wand, partly in response to methamphetamineabuse throughout the county. “We believe our goal is to makea dent in that, to show people that there are other things theycan be doing that are a lot more fun,” Wand says. “We’re pro-

viding them with rac-quets and free clinics,to get these people offthe streets and on thecourts.”For its use of the

game to build confi-dence and communi-ty, RSI has chosen the Grants Pass CTA as our 2007Community Tennis Association of the Year.In the Pacific Northwest, shoveling snow off courts for win-

ter play isn’t unusual, but the Grants Pass CTA is advocatingfor a public, indoor tennis facility on a portion of open spacerecently purchased by the city. Government officials haveexpressed interest, making fundraising the next step.“The Grants Pass CTA works tirelessly to deliver tennis at

all levels,” says David Slade, USTA national manager of Com-munity Tennis Associations. “In addition to its successfulcommunity-wide tennis programming, they are committingthemselves to promoting tennis as a means of making theircommunity a better place to live.” —Kristen Daley

� Expand your team to include committed individuals. It’s saidthat 80 percent of the work is done by 20 percent of the people.

� Create a five-year plan and update it annually.

� Run your CTA like a small business, delegating tasks and fullauthority to officers, board members and volunteers.

� Share the wealth. With 47 courts at nine facilities city-wide, ten-nis players in Fort Lauderdale don’t have to travel far for a match.

� Be a good host. If your facility can’t land a national event, orga-nize charity tournaments to raise funds as well as interest.

� Don’t do it alone. Whitney Kraft says his job as tournament direc-tor was significantly eased by many senior citizen volunteers.


W ith 30 years of experience in instructional tennisprogram management, USPTA Master Pro MikeVan Zutphen of Mesa, Ariz., has a résumé that fills

four pages. Among his qualification highlights, however, onestands out: “I know which ladies take cream in their coffee.”“Anytime I get a beginner or new customer, I go to the nth

degree to take care of that person,” says Van Zutphen,founder of the Arizona Tennis Association and director of ten-nis at the Mesa Country Club for 14 years. With practice andencouragement, he notes, a beginner evolves into an inter-

mediate and then advanced play-er who may take lessons, play inleagues and club tournaments,purchase equipment and recruitfriends to join the fun.While some coaches focus on

one level of player, Van Zutphen has utilized the USPTA’sresources to offer programming for the complete spectrum:from the players in the Arizona Special Olympics tennis divi-sion he founded and directed for 25 years, to protégé WesleyWhitehouse, the 1997 junior Wimbledon champion who fin-ished within the top 400 in 2006 with wins over Marat Safinand Justin Gimelstob.Because of his dedication to the organization and profes-

sion, Van Zutphen is RSI’s 2007 USPTA Member of the Year.“Mike, a former Southwest Division president, is a great

supporter of the USPTA,” says CEO Tim Heckler. “He is adynamic teaching pro who contributes to the sport throughteaching, administration and volunteering. We are trulypleased to have such an outstanding member who is com-mitted to growing the game in all aspects.” —Cynthia Cantrell

Passion, expertise, and enthusiasm in promoting the PTRare just a few of the qualities that PTR executives saymake Luke Jensen a very special member. Jensen joined

the PTR two years ago, and since that time, he has activelypromoted the PTR to touring pros and the tennis community,including taking the PTR On Campus program to SyracuseUniversity, where he coaches the women’s tennis team.“Whether he’s speaking at a symposium or teaching clin-

ics, Luke is accessible and great for the game,” says PTR Inter-national Director Inaki Balzola. “He’s smart, open-mindedand a constant ambassador for tennis.” And for all of thesequalities and more, Luke Jensen is RSI’s choice for PTR

Member of the Year.Jensen, who won 10

pro doubles titles, includ-ing the 1993 FrenchOpen doubles crown withhis brother Murphy, iscurrently a tennis analystfor ESPN. He says histeaching philosophy comes down to “having and following along-range plan and committing to it.” He insists that ateacher should always “evolve” and “adapt.”“It was important for me to get certified and learn how to

fix my own problems,” he says, adding that he wants moreyoung people to seek a career in tennis. “There’s a real oppor-tunity in American tennis, and I want to make sure kids aregiven the right conditions, attitude and game, along with thewillingness to commit.”“Luke,” says PTR Executive Director and CEO Dan Santo-

rum, “represents the next generation of high-profile teachingpros and makes a difference wherever he goes.”

—Cynthia Sherman

� Introduce yourself. Share details of your tennis experience alongwith your enthusiasm for teaching this particular player in this partic-ular class.

� Learn each player’s unique challenges. Offer encouragementand support in addition to technical adjustments.

� Say thank you. Tell players you hope to see them in future classes.If they have a scheduling conflict, offer private lessons.

� Education and college is important for aspiring tennis pros.Jensen points to James Blake and John Isner as great examples ofwhat hard work and persistence in tennis and school can do.

� Understand the fundamentals of the game before moving to thenext level.

� Practice smarter, you’ll beat the other guy.


The USTA Florida Section has taken to heart USTA Presi-dent Jane Brown Grimes’ call to “bring tennis to wherethe kids are.” The section’s goal is to introduce tennis to

both the physical education curriculum and after-school pro-gramming in at least one school in each of Florida’s 67 coun-ties, and it continued making strides toward that goal in 2007.The section’s success is due, in part, to a “School Summit”

workshop held the last two years. “The idea was to have aone- or two-day workshop, to invite school administrators tolearn about the USTA School Tennis initiative, and to gothrough an in-service training,” says Andy McFarland, the sec-tion’s associate executive director for community tennis.

Florida’scontinueddedication topromoting School Tennis is among the reasons it has beennamed RSI’s USTA Section of the Year—our first two-timewinner of a Champions of Tennis award (Florida also wasnamed our USTA Section of the Year in 2005).“The idea of the School Summit was very successful and is

much more time effective than approaching individualschools with only a few teachers,” says Kirk Anderson, USTAdirector of Recreational Coaches and Programs. One partici-pant was so impressed, he made sure each of the 350 PEteachers he oversees, representing more than 200 schools,was trained in the curriculum. During 2006 and 2007, nearly100 schools signed on. “That was just one splinter of successcoming out of our School Summit,” says McFarland.The section’s success goes beyond the School Tennis ini-

tiative. For instance, Florida has been active in hosting Recre-ational Coaches Workshops—at least eight each year acrossthe state—training potential and existing tennis coaches andleaders to work with large groups of players. —Kristen Daley

For Marian DeWane, more is certainly merrier. In Boise,Idaho, DeWane has led the Centennial High School teamfor two decades, and the program adopted the no-cut

concept at its inception. Each year, DeWane and her assis-tants, both paid and volunteer, work with 85 to 120 students.“I don’t think you can ever discount any athlete, and any-

one who wants to learn, we want to help them enjoy thegame,” says DeWane, who received the USTA No-Cut CoachStarfish Award in 2006 for her efforts. “We want the number

of kids who love ten-nis and play to keepincreasing.”DeWane’s dedication to making tennis available to

all interested students at Centennial High Schoolmakes her RSI’s High School Coach of the Year.DeWane manages to practice and play three

squads—Freshman, Junior Varsity, and Varsity—onsix courts during the tennis season. Still, her team hasconsistently remained at the top of the game in its district andstate, winning seven state championships and ranking amongthe top four teams at state nearly every season.“We had kids from all walks of life come out for the tennis

team, and for some it was a great, lifelong sport that theylearned and were really good at,” says Sara Swanson, a for-mer Centennial player and former volunteer coach. “For oth-ers, it was a great way to be involved, to learn about tennisand to stay out of trouble.”“The students have a good time,” says DeWane. “They get

a positive self-image from that. They can go out and, whatev-er their level, they can enjoy the game.” —Kristen Daley

� Get commitment from coaches and players to the no-cut philoso-phy. Every child is important and can play a vital role on the team.

� Be flexible, be creative in scheduling and be willing to trynew things. Practices should be well-planned, including drills thatcan involve a lot of players on one court.

� Encourage team members to continue playing even when obsta-cles present themselves. When recruiting, let students know thattheir tennis ability level doesn’t matter, as long as they commit togetting better.

� Have a full-time coordinator focused on a specific program orinitiative.

� Provide other field staff to support the coordinator, with spe-cific program goals and customer relations.

� Seek the support and resources from your section’s board ofdirectors and the USTA national office.

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string PLAYTEST

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 1somewhat easier 1about as easy 19not quite as easy 21not nearly as easy 3

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 14about as playable 8not quite as playable 17not nearly as playable 2

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 16about as durable 19not quite as durable 6not nearly as durable 1

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.6Durability 3.7Power 3.4Control 3.6Comfort 3.6Touch/Feel 3.4Spin Potential (15th best to date) 3.5Holding Tension 3.3Resistance to Movement 3.7

Isospeed Professional Classic is a core-

less multifilament, where the filaments

are Isospeed’s trademarked polyolefin

ribbons. Isospeed tells us that Profes-

sional Classic is designed for players

looking for gut-like performance in

terms of speed and arm protection.Professional Classic is available in 17

gauge (1.20) in natural. It is priced from$12 per set. Reels are not available. Formore information or to order, contactIsospeed at 866-554-7872, or visithttp://www.isospeed.com/en/. Stringerswho are in North America can also con-tact Isospeed distributor Tennis Ware-house at 800-883-6647, or check out theIsospeed collection at www.tennis-ware-house.com/Iso-SpeedString.html.

IN THE LABThe coil measured 40 feet. The diametermeasured 1.22-1.25 mm prior to string-ing, and 1.18-1.23 mm after stringing.We recorded a stringbed stiffness of 75RDC units immediately after stringing at60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95(16 x 18 pattern) on a constant-pullmachine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 64 RDC units, repre-senting a 15 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. Professional Classicadded 16 grams to the weight of ourunstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeksby 45 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP rat-ings from 3.0 to 6.0. These are blind tests,with playtesters receiving unmarkedstrings in unmarked packages. Averagenumber of hours playtested was 23.7.

Out of the package, Isospeed Profes-sional Classic feels thick and substantial,which is unusual for a 17-gauge string.

Our clamps left some marks at theclamping points. Isospeed recommendswaxing the strings with a piece of waxpaper before stringing, but we did notsend that instruction to the members ofour playtest team. Without waxing, thestring can look a little “beat up” afterstringing, especially if you are in a hurry.

One playtester broke his sample dur-ing stringing, 15 reported problems withcoil memory, one reported problems tying

knots, and 16 reportedfriction burn.

ON THE COURTIsospeed Professional Classic impressedour playtest team. Its best result was SpinPotential — a category for which ourplaytesters are typically stingy with praise— where Professional Classic earned a15th-place finish out of the 115 stringswe’ve playtested for publication to date.In just about every other category, ourplaytest team members were only slightlyless generous, scoring Professional Classicwell above average in Playability, Durabil-ity, Power, Control, Touch, Comfort, andResistance to Movement, and aboveaverage in Tension Retention. As a result,the overall average score for ProfessionalClassic was also well above average, andgood enough to earn it a top-20 finish.

Five playtesters broke ProfessionalClassic during playtesting, one at ninehours, one at 12 hours, two at 15 hours,and one at 25 hours.

CONCLUSIONIsospeed is not a famous brand name inthe United States, but its strings seem tobe developing a cult following. Given ourplaytest teams’ positive responses to Pro-fessional Classic 17 and Professional 17(RSI, June 2007), it’s not difficult to seewhy. Our playtesters even thought Pro-fessional Classic compared favorably totheir favorite string, which is quite acompliment.

One reason for this may be Profes-sional Classic’s category-to-category bal-ance. No matter what aspect of stringresponse you are seeking, ProfessionalClassic 17 seems to have it, without sac-rificing in other areas. This could be a

IsospeedProfessional Classic 17


“ If you want playability, look no further.This string can do it all. The sticky exteriormakes for very little string movement. Thisadds control and durability to what is a verycomfortable string bed. Power level is low,making this an appealing choice for big hit-ters.” 4.5 male all-court player using WilsonnSix Two strung at 61 pounds LO (Poly-ester/Nylon 17)

“ Pulling crosses is made slightly difficult bythe sticky coating. Once you get on the court,however, the comfort, control, and playabilitytake over.” 5.5 male all-court player usingWilson nSix One Tour strung at 57 pounds LO(Ashaway Crossfire 17)

“ After some tension loss, this string playsvery well. Some pre-stretching would proba-bly make this play well right out of the box.There is pronounced ball pocketing, making itvery easy to “grip” and spin the ball. Topspinand slice are a cinch.” 5.0 male all-courtplayer using Head FXP Prestige Team strungat 63 pounds LO (Babolat VS Touch 15L)

“ This string is a hard-hitter’s dream. Thelow power level makes this a good option forthose who prefer high head speeds. For such acomfortable string, the response is surprisinglycrisp and predictable.” 3.5 male all-courtplayer using Völkl Tour 10 strung at 60 poundsLO (Gamma Professional 17)

“ This is a durable string with a crispresponse. Recommended to hard hitters whoprefer some playability.” 5.0 male all-courtplayer using Prince O3 White strung at 60pounds CP (Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 16)

good string to have on hand for thosecustomers who don’t know what theywant, but they want something good.

If you are a USRSA member who isinterested in Isospeed strings, for a limitedtime, you can try three sets of Isospeedstrings (Professional Classic 17, Profession-al 17, and Control 16) for $19.99 (a $12savings). Go to http://www.tennis-ware-house.com/Iso-SpeedString.html or callTennis Warehouse at 800-883-6647 andask for the Isospeed Sampler Pack.

. —Greg Raven �

TESTERS TALK

“ After 16 hours, there is noticeable ten-sion loss. However, after the break-in peri-od, it plays better and pockets the ballnicely. This is a very comfortable controlstring. Great for touch players and thosewith tender tendons.” 4.5 male all-courtplayer using Yonex RDX 500 Mid strung at60 pounds CP (Babolat Xcel/Luxilon AluPower 17/16L)

“ This string has three very prominentfeatures: high dwell time, comfort, and lowpower. I have the sensation that I’m catch-ing and throwing the ball back to its target.I think I’ve finally discovered the oppositeof “spraying.” The ball feels like its gettingsucked into a pillow. It will appeal to play-ers who favor a deep thud over a ping.”3.5 male all-court player using Völkl DNX 8strung at 58 pounds CP (Head Intellistring16)

For the rest of the tester comments, visit

www.racquetsportsindustry.com.

try next string job." This technique getspeople thinking about their strings, andgives me a chance to demonstrate myknowledge and expertise. It’s also a greatway to get new customers. Just make cer-tain you know the reasons why you woulduse a hybrid, and the different options thereare.5 sets of Dunlop M-Fil Tour 16 to:Steve Huff, Mechanicsville, VA

MEASURINGTHE SHORT SIDEI know you’ve published numerous ways tomeasure string, but here’s how I measurethe short side. I bought a 5-foot fabric tapemeasure for $1. They now come in vinyl,too, but I got mine 30 years ago. Most rac-quets require 10 feet of string on the shortside, so I simply align the ends of the stringand tape, pull the first 5 feet through, dropthe starting part of the tape while keepinghold of the end, and then pull the other 5feet through. It usually takes about 10 sec-

and TECHNIQUES

MARKETING HYBRIDSWhenever you string a hybrid for your ownracquet, use different string colors for themains and crosses. I've used red and orange,orange and white, and blue and white in myracquets, and other players will almostalways ask about why my strings are differ-ent colors. This gives me the opening toexplain the advantages of hybrid stringing. Iwould estimate that nearly half of all mystringing is hybrid stringing now. I thinkevery single person who has asked me aboutmy strings has said, "I think I may give that a


tips

onds to get the correct short-side length.Forten Tour Bag to:Greg Pavan, Hillsborough, NJ

RUBBER GRIP STANDI have found the perfect rubber grip dis-play. I found an ice stick tray (top photo) at

Readers’ Know-How in Action


Tips and Techniques submitted since 2000 byUSRSA members, and appearing in this column,have all been gathered into a single volume ofthe Stringer’s Digest—Racquet Service Tech-niques which is a benefit of USRSA membership.Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330 Main St.,Vista, CA 92804; or email [email protected].

Wal-Mart, flipped it over, and put it to betteruse (bottom photo).5 sets of Yonex Tough Brid 130 to:Carter Green, Virginia Beach, VA

ANOTHER ATW METHODAfter reading Liam Nolan’s around-the-world(ATW) stringing method, I’d like to pass alongmine, which also eliminates misweaves,counting crosses, and skipping multiple cross-es. I also find my method a bit faster.

For frames that are candidates for ATW(that is, where the mains normally end at thethroat), start off by stringing all but the outermains. Tie off the short side at the head.With the long side, skip the first cross at thehead. Weave the remaining crosses, then thelast main on whichever side you wind up,then the top cross, and the remaining main.Tie off at the throat.

My simple approach has proven to be verysatisfactory when stringing multiple frames inthe team/tournament environment undercompressed time constraints.5 sets of Babolat Xcel Premium 16 to:Bill Thompson, MRT, Farmville, VA

Editor’s note: Longtime stringers will rec-ognize this as the “universal method”from the Stringer’s Digest back in theearly 1990s. In addition to the benefitsnoted by Bill, it also does not require astarting clamp, which means it also doesnot require retensioning and reclampingto remove the starting clamp. You willneed to measure the short side different-ly, however, to avoid wasting string onthe short side and running out of stringon the long side.

PREVENT STENCIL SLIPTo make my stenciling easier I use two identi-

cal stencils and a pair of ratchet clamps fromSears. I simply align the stencils, and clampthem in place in one easy operation.5 sets of Wilson Enduro Mono 16L to:Randy Lam, West Hills, CA

BUILD YOUROWN BONE YARDFrom time to time it is necessary to discarda cracked racquet. Before you throw it out,though, remove everything from the rac-quet that could be useful to you in thefuture. This includes the dampener, buttcap, trim tape ring, and any grommets thatare reusable. You never know when youmay need a particular frame accessory!5 sets of Silent Partner Headspin 15L to:Fred S. McWilliams, CS, Arlington, TX

Editor’s note: Also make certain thatyou remove any lead from the racquet

so it doesn’t go into a landfill. Thisincludes lead tape, fishing weights,curtain weights, lead shot, etc. Youdon’t want the lead to leach out intothe ground water, and enter thedrinking water system. You can thendispose of the lead properly at yourcommunity’s hazardous waste collec-tion day. —Greg Raven �

the EXPERTSask

PRE-STRETCH —MANUAL VS. MACHINE

AFTER I UPGRADED FROM MY oldlockout machine to my new elec-tronic stringing machine, I started

using the built-in machine pre-stretchfunction (set at 5 percent) because Ithought it would help recover some of theclamp drawback, and produce a moreeven end-to-end tension on the crosses.Then, I talked with a stringer I admire, andhe said that you get less consistent resultsusing the built-in machine pre-stretch, andthat I should always do pre-stretching byhand, as described in The Stringer’sDigest. If the built-in machine pre-stretchisn’t that good, why do stringing machinemanufacturers even bother to offer it?

PRE-STRETCH IS DEFINED AS apply-ing tension lengthwise to the string

prior to installation. This tension helps toalign the molecules within the string. This

molecular alignment serves to lengthenthe molecules on the micro level, and tostraighten the string on the macro level.The more times you apply tension andthen release it, the more alignment you’llachieve.

Comparing hand pre-stretching tomachine pre-stretching is comparingapples to oranges, although it’s under-standable given the fact that both tech-niques share the same name. It would benice if the “pre-stretch” function onstringing machines was called somethingdifferent, but at this point we’re probablystuck with it.

Manual pre-stretching is most effectiveat reducing coil memory, and it allows youto tame some of the wilder strings inorder to make installation easier. Eventhough the tensions used in manual pre-stretching are relatively low, you do alsoget better tension maintenance and aslightly higher stringbed stiffness, albeit at

the expense of slightly lower longevity.Machine pre-stretching is most effective

at recovering clamp drawback, as the addi-tional tension helps to overcome the frictionof the string going around the outside ofthe frame. When tensioning crosses, pre-stretching can help overcome the friction ofthe crosses against the mains, so that the farend of the cross string (the one away fromthe tension head) is closer to the referencetension than it otherwise would be. In otherwords, the built-in machine pre-stretch ismore an over-tension than a pre-stretch.

However, it is impossible to tensionstrings without some machine pre-stretch-ing, no matter what kind of machine youhave. Each time you pull tension on the por-tion of the string inside the frame, you arealso pulling on the portion of the stringbetween the outside of the frame and thetension head. Therefore, some portion ofeach successive string has already been pre-stretched during installation, whether or not

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Your Equipment Hotline


you performed manual pre-stretching,and because reference tensions arealmost always higher than the tensionsyou use during manual pre-stretching,there is more molecular alignment result-ing from this type of pre-stretch.

Therefore, manual pre-stretching andmachine pre-stretching are not inter-changeable: Each has its function, andyou are free to use one, or both, or nei-ther. The important thing is to find atechnique that allows you to deliver con-sistent results to your customers timeafter time.

TOO MANY POLYSI WAS READING ONE OF YOURplaytest reports the other day, andit said that the string was a

“polyamide.” The playtest made thestring sound interesting — especially thecomfort rating — but I don’t want to rec-ommend a poly to my customers and riskcausing arm problems. Are polys reallythat good these days?

USUALLY WHEN PEOPLE TALKabout “poly” strings, they are refer-

ring either to polyester or poly ether etherstrings. These “polys” have gained a rep-utation of exacerbating arm problems,but the polyamide you’re asking about isa different animal.

The confusion about “poly” strings isunderstandable because most strings aresome form of poly. Poly is short for poly-mer, which is any substance that has alarge number of similar units (also calledmonomers) bonded together in longchains. The only string that is not a poly isnatural gut.

The polyamide string you read about isa nylon string. Nylon is one of the mostimportant members of the polyamidefamily. Another member of the polyamidefamily is aramid (AKA Kevlar), which hastwo different monomers that alternateover and over. If you compare a piece ofnylon string with a piece of aramid string,though, you probably won’t detect muchsimilarity, despite the family relationshipbetween the two.

There are other polys that feel closer tonylon than aramid does, despite differ-ences in chemical ingredients. Chiefamong these is polyolefin — which is a

bunch of olefin molecules chainedtogether. There are also copolymers —polymers made by the reaction of twodifferent monomers — that seem iden-tical to nylon, even though they con-tain two different sets of “similarunits” instead of just one, as in simplenylons.

Another example of two strings thatyou might erroneously think of ascomparable in playing qualities basedon their chemical make-up are Zyexstrings, which are poly ether etherketone, and the Luxilon line of strings,which are based on poly ether ether.Zyex strings are much more similar to anylon, while Luxilon strings are superfi-cially similar to strings made of poly-ester.

With few exceptions, polyesters andpoly ether ethers are used to makemonofilament strings that feel very stiffand wiry when you take them out ofthe package.

As you can see, seemingly tinychanges at the molecular level can insome cases result in huge changes inthe final product, while in other casesstrings with seemingly much differentchemical make-ups can perform simi-larly. This underscores the importanceof experimenting with as many differ-ent string types and constructions asyou can — the chemical details don’tmean anything compared to how astring works in the racquet.

MAINS AND CROSSESHAS ANYONE EVER determinedwhat the different roles are ofthe mains and crosses? I want

to start playtesting some differentcombinations of strings and tensions,and it would be nice to know what tolook for so I know what to changeonce I get some results.

ACCORDING TO BABOLAT, THEmain strings contribute durability

and spin, while the cross strings con-tribute power and comfort.

—Greg Raven �

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

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Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation

1. Publication Title: Racquet Sports Industry

2. Publication Number: 347-830

3. Filing Date: 10/10/2007

4. Issue Frequency: Jan-Aug Monthly, Sep-Dec Bi-Monthly

5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 10

6. Annual Subscription Price: $25

7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication:

Tennis Industry Inc., P.O. Box 428, Hurley, NY 12443

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General

Business Office of Publisher: Same as #7

9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher

and Editor: Publisher: Jeff Williams, 79 Madison Ave, 8th

Floor, New York, NY 10016. Publisher: David Bone, 330

Main Street, Vista, CA 92084. Editor: Peter Francesconi,

937 Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824.

10. Owner: Tennis Industry Inc., P.O. Box 428, Hurley, NY

12443. USRSA, 330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgages and Other Security

Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total

Amount of bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None.

12. Tax Status: Has not changed during preceding 12 months.

13. Publication TItle: Racquet Sports Industry

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Sep/Oct 2007

15. Extent and Nature of Average No. No. Copies of

Circulation Copies Each Single Issue

Issue During Published

Preceding 12 Nearest to

Months Filing Date

A. Total No. Copies 16,500 16,300

(net press run)

B. Paid and/or Requested circulation

1. Paid/Requested 14,643 14,686

Outside-County Mail

Subscriptions Stated

on Form 3541

2. Paid In-County 0 0

Subscriptions Stated

on form 3541

3. Sales Through 0 0

Dealers and Carriers,

Street Vendors,

Counter Sales, and other

Non-USPS Paid Distribution

4. Other Classes 0 0

Mailed Through USPS

C. Total Paid and/or 14,643 14,686

Requested Circulation

D. Free Distribution by Mail (Samples, complimentary and

other free)

1. Outside-County as 779 772

Stated on form 3541

2. In-County as 0 0

Stated on Form 3541

3. Other Classes 0 0

Mailed Through the USPS

E. Free Distribution 628 624

Outside the Mail

(carriers or other means)

F. Total Free Distribution 1407 1396

G. Total Distribution 16,050 16,082

H. Copies Not Distributed 450 218

I. Total 16,500 16,300

J. Percent Paid and/or 91.23% 91.32%

Requested Circulation

16. Publication of Statement of Ownership Printed in the

November/December 2007 issue of this publication.

17. Signed, Jeff Williams, Publisher, 10/10/2007

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true.

and complete.

Boosting CustomizationA longtime racquet technician says manufacturersshould push recreational players to have their framescustomized.

Whenyou buy clubs from a typical golfpro shop, your salesmanwillencourage you to have those clubs

customized for your game.When you buy atennis racquet from a typical tennis pro shop,about the only customization you are certain toreceive is your choice of string tension. A“pushy” salesmanmay try to sell you amoreexpensive set of strings, but that seems to be thelimit.

This is an area where the tennis industrycan learn from the golf industry, and wealready have all the necessary tools availableto us. Not only that, but a focus on racquetcustomization could benefit everyone.

WHAT WE HAVEFor those doing racquet customization, justabout every imaginable resource is alreadyavailable. At the high end, you have the all-in-one Babolat Racquet Diagnostic Center(RDC). If you want to put together yourown diagnostic station, you can take yourpick of individual measuring devices, suchas the Prince Precision Tuning Center (PTC),precision scales, flex testers and balanceboards.

For those on a limited budget, with ascale, balance board and stopwatch, youcan accurately measure many racquet char-acteristics. Lead tape and sticky-back leadweights are available in different widths andthicknesses from a variety of sources.

To do the necessary math, you can cre-ate your own spreadsheets using the formu-las contained in books such as The Physicsand Technology of Tennis. USRSA memberscan use the extensive on-line tools availableat RacquetTECH.com.

In other words, there is no shortage oftools or information to help racquet techni-cians do the type of matching and cus-tomization needed by tennis players.

The problem is that most tennis playersseem to be ambivalent toward the conceptof customization.

WHAT WE NEEDThe push for customization needs to comefrom the top, that is, from the racquetmanufacturers. The two most obvious can-didates for this are Babolat and Prince, aseach sells a major piece of diagnosticequipment.

By pushing customization, these com-panies could leverage existing investments,and increase sales of high-tech, big-ticketequipment. Racquet manufacturersalready print string and grip recommenda-tions on the inside of the throat, why notrecommend customization there, too?

I’d like to see major ad campaignsalong the lines of “We built this racquetfor Rafael Nadal (or Bob and Mike Bryan).Let us build one for you.” Such a cam-paign would create the impression thatthe racquet must be fitted to the player,and the way to do that is through cus-tomization.

WHO BENEFITSThe best part is that everybody benefits.The average player has a racquet that isbetter suited to his game, and an appreci-ation of what can be done. The racquettechnician benefits from increased busi-ness, and the manufacturer benefits fromincreased sales of diagnostic equipment. Ithink racquet sales would increase, too, asfans of high-profile players will more readi-ly buy their idol’s racquet, knowing thatdifferences in physique and playing stylecan be mitigated through customization.

B Y G R E G R A V E N

I see another beneficiary, too: the smallpro shop. Small shops have some toughchoices when it comes to buying stock,because there may be room in the budgetonly for one line. Signing with one majormanufacturer means that players wantingequipment or clothing from another brandmust go elsewhere. And small shops have ahard time competing with big chains anddiscount online retailers. The way the indus-try trend is going, this probably isn’t goingto change anytime soon.

But even the tiniest pro shop is well-suit-ed for one-on-one relationships, and that’sa perfect environment for racquet cus-tomization. Instead of stocking one brandof racquet, clothing, and shoes, small shopscould stock balls, strings, and accessories,and focus on customization. This level ofpersonalization would be difficult to matchonline, and shops would have no moreworries about what to do with unsold mer-chandise. No player is going to send his rac-quet off in the mail to be restrung when alocal shop can do it. Why not extend thislocal-service concept to customization?

THE FUTUREOnce the bandwagon starts rolling, expectmore competition to develop and marketdiagnostic equipment. Better and morereadily available diagnostic equipment willcertainly help the move toward customiza-tion. New approaches will make customiza-tion even easier than it is today.

Sound unrealistic? We already have thefoundation in place. All we have to do isbuild on it. �

Your Serve

RSI Associate Editor Greg Ravenworks with the U.S. RacquetStringers Association, is a certi-fied MRT, and is a USPTA-certi-fied teaching pro.

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


“We need the push for

customization to come

from the top, that is,

from the racquet manu-

facturers.”

Documents

200711 Racquet Sports Industry