200809 Racquet Sports Industry

September/October 2008Volume 36 Number 9 $5.00www.racquetsportsindustry.com

ADVERTORIAL

ContentsContents

DEPARTMENTS

R S I S E P / O C T 2 0 0 8

INDUSTRY NEWS

8 Wilson launches new lineof footwear for ’09

8 Babolat creates NadalJunior racquet line

8 USTA offers new “ticketexchange” for US Open

10 Prince introducesperformance bag lines

10 Match Point celebrates35 years

10 Fischer’s ProgressorNT racquet debuts

11 Head updates CrossBowstringing instructions

11 PTR partners withBionic Gloves

11 New “DemoWorks” helpsshops manage demo program

12 Oncourt Offcourt offersQuickStart Tennis balls

13 Badminton is top racquetsport in England

13 “USTA Serves” is newname for USTA Foundation

15 College Scholarshipseminars offered in SoCal

4 Our Serve

8 Industry News

18 Letters

21 Tennis Apparel

22 TIA News & Updates

42 String Playtest: Gamma Zo Tour 16

44 Ask the Experts

46 Tips and Techniques

48 Your Serve, by Tim Heckler

FEATURES

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2008

GUIDE TO STRINGS

6 2008 Tennis Industry Hall of FameHoward Head and Dennis Van der Meer

24 Off and RunningWith technical fabrication and looks thatrange from hip to retro, tenniswear movesinto spring.

34 New Frames for FallFrom new racquets for women, to “team”frames, to head-heavy sticks and low-priced product, players will find a lot tochoose from.

37 String of AdviceMake sure you know how to help yourcustomers find the string that works bestfor them.

38 The Right PlotlineOur exclusive listing and charts will helpyour players plot a course to the perfectstring.

40 Racquet MastersThe Wilson/Luxilon Stringing Team bringstogether some of the world’s beststringers.

ith the US Open now upon us, the focus in this sport ison the professional game. And whether you run a retailshop or facility, build courts, or teach tennis, that atten-

tion on pro tennis can clearly help your business, by gener-ating interest in the sport and creating recreational players.

But it’s a two-way street—the recreational game also helps to buildinterest and fans for the pro game, too. And that’s why it’s so importantto all segments in this industry that tennis is easily available in all com-munities, for people of all abilities and ages.

This is where Community Tennis Associations come into play, alongwith the tennis-passionate volunteers who help them become a reality.And for your business, a CTA is a good thing for you to get involved in.

Recently, I had the opportunity to witness this local passion for tennisfirst-hand when our small town in Connecticut started up a CTA. The firstcouple of meetings we had over the summer drew a lot of interested peo-ple, along with key staff from USTA New England offering assistance andadvice. It seems that there are a lot of people in my area who not onlyplay tennis, but who also feel strongly that this town, with a populationof about 9,500, needs to offer the sport to both kids and adults.

We have five public courts in town (three at the high school and twoat the middle school), and all five are in a state of disrepair. The newCTA’s first priority is to raise money to refurbish those five courts, then—hopefully—to build three additional new courts on town property nearthe high school.

The good news is there seems to be a lot of support for redoing thecourts, not just among adult tennis players, but also among town andschool officials. Importantly, the high school teams here are successful(unfortunately, the sorry state of the courts has forced them to play in anearby town), and the high school runs a No-Cut tennis team program,which has about 50 students involved. With refurbished courts, the planis to run tennis programs during and after school.

Key to starting the CTA was the town’s park and recreation director,who sent out mailings to tennis players and others and got the ballrolling. And other town officials also are in on it, too, which helps workthrough the bureaucracy. Importantly, we’ve been receiving help fromUSTA New England, especially from Community Tennis Director DierdreMcCormack, Marketing Director Celia Lucas and Community Coordina-tor Paul Gagliardi.

If you have a CTA in your area, take this opportunity to get involved.If you don’t have one, look into starting one. It will make this game grow,at every level.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

Our ServeThe True Grassroots

(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

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 ShermanMary Helen Sprecher

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRYCorporate Offices

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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-

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and additional mailing offices. Sep/Oct 2008, Vol-

ume 36, Number 9 © 2008 by USRSA and Tennis

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

at every level.

Peter Francesconi


2008 Tennis Industry

Hall of Fame

It’s hard to imagine what the sport of tennis would be liketoday if the late Howard Head—a passionate yetmediocre player at best—hadn’t decided, for the second

time in his career, that it was the equipment that was hold-ing him back from improving.

By any measure, Head was a true visionary. And remark-ably, he revolutionized two industries—skiing, then tennis.In the process, the so-called “patron saint of average ath-letes” allowed millions of people around the world to pick upand enjoy sports like they were never able to do before.

In 1947, afterHead’s first skiingmisadventure, theaircraft engineerblamed his woodskis, so he put hisefforts—and hiswinnings from play-ing poker—intodesigning a newtype of ski that com-bined metal, plasticand plywood andwas more durable,lighter, and easier toturn. His Head Stan-dard ski made itpossible for almostanyone to enjoy thesport.

The Head Ski Co.later became Head Sports and diversified into tennis in1968. Head developed a metal tennis racquet that he intro-duced at the US Open in 1969. Soon after, he sold his inter-est in the company to AMF. But tennis remained a passionof his, and after this first “retirement,” Head bought a ballmachine to practice with.

“At the time, Prince Manufacturing made only ballmachines,” says Dave Haggerty, who started his career atPrince in 1980 and is now president of the Tennis IndustryAssociation and president and CEO of Head USA Inc. “Abouta week later Howard called the president of Prince and saidhe’s got problems with the ball machine, that it’s not reallywell-engineered. Howard told him everything he needs to doto fix the machine. Prince didn’t have that kind of money,so Howard decided to invest in the company.” Head boughta controlling share in Prince and became chairman in 1971.

But still frustrated by his poor play on court, Head turnedhis attention to the racquet itself. He developed a metal rac-quet for Prince using an aluminum alloy that allowed for abigger, lighter and easier-to-use frame. The hitting area was20 percent larger than conventional racquets at the time,enlarging the sweetspot of the frame. Amateurs and prostook up the racquet, and in less than four years, more than700,000 players were using it.

Head patented his innovative “Prince Advantage” line ofracquets in 1976, covering racquets with a head size of 95to 135 square inches. Later, he was instrumental in thedevelopment of the Prince Graphite frame. “Like manyeccentric people, Howard had a vision,” says Haggerty. “Hewas always brainstorming.” Prince was sold to Chese-brough-Pond’s in 1982, and Head retired for the secondtime.

“Howard was one of those guys for whom failure wasnever an option,” says Ray Benton, a close friend. “If he hada loss, it was a great learning experience.”

Born in Philadelphia in 1914, Head graduated from Har-vard in 1936 with a degree in engineering. From 1939 to1947, he worked for the Glenn L. Martin aviation company,until leaving in 1948 to found the Head Ski Co.

“Many people said Howard changed through the yearsand became much softer and easier to get along with andnot quite as frantic,” says Martha “Marty” Head, who mar-ried Howard in 1984. “I don’t know if that’s quite true. Eventhough he was older than me, I could hardly keep up withhim. He was a lot of fun.”

Outside of tennis and skiing, Head was particularlydrawn to philanthropic endeavors, says Martha. He wasinstrumental in starting CenterStage, the premier repertorytheater in Baltimore. And he created the Howard HeadSports Medicine Centers, now with nine locations operatingin conjunction with the Vail Valley (Colo.) Medical Centerhealth care system.

Although Head died in 1991, his influence in the sportshe touched remains huge. Both Head/Penn and PrinceSports have been among the most influential companies intennis for decades. And while the products he developedhave been important in shaping the tennis landscape,through Head’s companies and his vision, he launched andinfluenced the careers of many of today’s leaders in thisindustry.

He may have been a mediocre player on the court, butHoward Head’s impact in this industry has been anythingbut average.

There are many people whose dedication and passionhave helped the sport of tennis thrive throughout theyears. And now, as we introduce the new Tennis Indus-try Hall of Fame, we honor those who have made—andcontinue to make—tennis better for all of us.

Howard HeadThe “patron saint of average athletes” has helped millions enjoy tennis.

September/October 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7

When you look at all the people in this business whohave had an impact on the recreational game of ten-nis, one name keeps coming up: Dennis Van der

Meer. No one in this sport has had such a direct influence onmore recreational players throughout the world.

Let’s start with the obvious: For more than 55 years, Vander Meer has personally taught tens of thousands of people toplay this game. But beyond that, he is the consummate“teacher of teachers,” and his influence in tennis extends tomillions of recreational players around the world.

“There’s no ques-tion that Dennis isthe greatest tennisteacher ever,” saysDan Santorum, theCEO of the PTR. “Idon’t think anybodyeven comes close towhat Dennis hasdone. I think the thingthat always impressedme is how he did itday after day.”

“After 27 years ofmarriage, I’m still inawe of how muchenergy and enthusi-asm he generates forthe game of tennis,”says Pat Van derMeer. “And he gives

this energy across the board—he cares equally about theimprovement of a beginning player as he does for a worldchampion.”

Born in 1933, Van der Meer spent his early years living insmall villages in what is now Namibia in southern Africa. Hisfather was a missionary, and to keep young Dennis occupiedin those remote locations, his mother developed a game thatinvolved a rope strung between two sticks, with lines drawnin the dirt. “I fell in love with this sport,” Van der Meer says.“And when my family moved to South Africa, I became atournament player.”

At age 19, in a Davis Cup trial, Van der Meer choked on acritical point, and his playing career suddenly stalled. Hiscoach at the time suggested Van der Meer teach tennis, tohelp him regain his confidence. Six months later, Van derMeer had a renewed confidence, but now his focus was

squarely—and permanently—aimed at teaching tennis.In Johannesburg, he quickly made a name for himself as

an engaging and talented teacher. It was there that one of hislegendary traits became well-known: Even in clinics withmore than 100 people, Van der Meer knew everybody’sname. The San Francisco Examiner picked up on this andwrote a story, then invited the young teaching pro to partici-pate in a large clinic in Northern California. Van der Meerquickly developed a large following in the U.S., and eventual-ly started coaching pro players, including Margaret Court andBillie Jean King. In fact, Van der Meer was King’s coach dur-ing the “Battle of the Sexes” match with Bobby Riggs in 1973.

Soon, Van der Meer and King launched a series of tenniscamps in Lake Tahoe, Nev., and advertised for teaching pros.When it became apparent that the different teaching methodseach pro brought were confusing to students, they set out tostandardize a teaching method.

“Our pupils became overwhelmed and discouraged by toomany choices,” Van der Meer says. “A systematic approachwas needed to make learning tennis simple, especially for thenovice, and teachers needed guidelines to ensure profession-alism.” This led to the birth of TennisUniversity, aimed atdeveloping top teaching pros.

In 1976, Van der Meer founded the U.S. Professional Ten-nis Registry to certify teaching pros and teach the StandardMethod. Now, the PTR, based in Hilton Head, S.C., has near-ly 13,000 members in 126 countries and is a driving forcebehind growing the game.

"Dennis Van der Meer … has influenced the entire tennisteaching world with his innovative techniques,” says King.

All along his path, Van der Meer has won praise and hon-ors. In 1972, the U.S. State Department cited him for excep-tional coaching performance in the Middle East. He waspresented with the Healthy American Fitness Award in 1989,was named Developmental Coach of the Year by the U.S.Olympic Committee in 1997, and in 2004, received an hon-orary doctorate from the University of Greenwich, England,for his contributions to Sport Sciences in tennis education.

He’s received the Tennis Educational Merit Award fromthe International Tennis Hall of Fame and is in the TennisHalls of Fame for USTA South Carolina, the USTA SouthernSection, and USTA Northern California. And while he has yetto be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, hewas a nominee for induction in 2007.

“Dennis has so enhanced our profession,” says Santorum.“He’s raised the level of tennis teachers, and in doing so, he’sbrought the game to millions around the world.”

The inaugural class of the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame pays tribute to two pioneers wholiterally changed this sport for millions of players. While both Howard Head and DennisVan der Meer will be honored for their contributions to tennis at the TIA Forum on Aug. 25in New York City, you can see what they have meant to tennis at any time, on any court inthe world, wherever recreational and pro players gather to play this wonderful game.

Dennis Van der MeerThe “greatest teacher ever” has transformed how tennis is taught.


INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 8

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

Wilson Racquet Sports has launched an entirely new line of tennis footwear for spring 2009. Allmodels in the new line are lighter and faster, says Wilson, without sacrificing stability and dura-bility. Wilson’s three collections for men, women and juniors—Tour, Trance and Pro Staff—tar-

get three different consumer groups. The Tour collection is lightweight andbreathable with a “glove-like” fit, says the company, while the Trance collectionemphasizes durability and stability. The Pro Staff collection is designed for all-aroundcomfort and all-court performance.

“We’re building collections of shoes around specific consumers and playertypes,” says Sean O’Brien (right), global footwear director for Wilson Racquet Sports.“It’s more about collections, not ‘items.’”

Important in shoe merchandising today is what O’Brien calls “first fit and feel”—which is what a consumer experiences the first time they try on a pair of new shoes.Consumers, he says, want their new shoes to feel good right out of the box.

O’Brien also says Wilson is doing more width-sizing in its tennis shoes, since,“More Americans’ feet are getting wider.”

The Tour collection, designed for those who play at a high level, includes the TourSpin (men’s suggested retail $120), billed as the “ultimate speed shoe,” the Tour II

($110) and Tour Contender ($100). Trance collection shoes are the Trance AllCourt and Trance II (both $90). And the Pro Staff collection includes the

Fusion ($85), Valor ($70), Defender ($60), Classic ($55), Court Pro($50) and Advantage Court IV ($40).

The new footwear also includes a full offering of junior shoes,starting as small as a youth size 10.5. “We’re making a pretty sub-

stantial commitment to junior shoes and junior players,” saysO’Brien, adding that the junior shoes are the “adult modelsbrought down to junior sizes.” Wilson also offers two “Hope”models in its women’s Pro Staff collection, in which the compa-

ny will donate to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation foreach purchase of those models.

The new shoe lines begin shipping in the spring. Visitwww.wilsontennis.com or call 800-272-6060 for more information.

USTA OffersNew ‘TicketExchange’ Servicefor US OpenUnder a new partnershipwith the USTA, TicketsNow, aTicketmaster company, willoperate the only official USOpen ticket exchange, whereUS Open fans can purchasetickets posted for sale by USOpen subscribers and otherticket holders in a secure,convenient marketplace. Thenew deal begins with the2008 US Open and contin-ues through 2012.

US Open ticket holders whoare unable to attend specificsessions can post their tick-ets for sale—including pre-mium courtside subscriberseating otherwise unavail-able to the general public ona single-session basis. Fanscan find tickets being offeredfor resale by logging on toUSOpen.org and selectingUS Open Ticket Exchange. Inaddition, fans can accessthese tickets via Ticketmas-ter.com and Ticketsnow.com.

“The secondary ticket mar-ketplace has grown signifi-cantly in recent years andthe time is right to broadenour existing relationshipwith Ticketmaster and pro-vide a sanctioned and safemeans for a fan-to-fan ticketexchange,” says MichelleWilson, chief marketing offi-cer for the USTA’s Profes-sional Tennis division.

Babolat Creates Nadal Junior Racquet Line

Babolat has introduced a line of Nadal Junior racquets for young players ages 4 to 9.The five racquets—the Nadal 100, 110, 125, 140 and 145—will debut at retail in Sep-tember. “With this new line of Nadal Junior racquets, we hope to inspire a whole

new generation of players to discover and enjoy the game of tennis,” says Eric Babolat,President and CEO of Babolat.

The five racquets are a lightweight aluminum construction and feature the same cos-metics as the top-selling adult Aeropro Drive model used by five-time Grand Slam winnerRafael Nadal. Head sizes, weights and lengths start at 82 square inches, 5.9 ounces and 19inches for the Nadal 100 and increase for each racquet, up to the 105-square-inch, 9.1-ounce,26-inch-long Nadal 145. Suggested retail prices start at $24.95. For more information, call 877-316-9435 or visit www.babolat.com.

Wilson Launches New Line of Footwear for ’09

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 8IN

DUSTRYNEW

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Celebrating40 Years ofthe US Open

The Open Bookcaptures thehistory, excite-

ment and emo-tion of the first 40years of the USOpen. Excep-tional images bythe game’s topphotogra-phers—manynever beforepublished—combine with expert writ-ing by tennis journalists who were on the scene for anengaging tribute to America’s premier tennis event and itschampions. This hardcover, coffee-table book, with a fore-word by Billie Jean King, includes a DVD featuring videotributes to all 15 players inducted into the US Open Courtof Champions, with footage never made available before.The Open Book is available at the US Open Shop atUSOpen.org, the USTA Shop at USTA.com and at book-stores everywhere. Triumph Books, $34.95, 208 pages.

Prince Introduces Performance Bag Lines

Prince has introduced two new performance bag collections,which are debuting at this year’s US Open. The Pro Team 100line and the Sharapova Collection will be carried by players

during the Grand Slam tournament.The Pro Team 100 is the official bag line of Team Prince play-

ers. With patent leather accents, the bags are available in twocolor options, black and green, and black and white. One versionwill feature for the first time the Prince logo in the updated greencolorway accented by silver paneling. The other version will fea-ture a classic white logo. The Pro Team 100 line includes a triple,six- and 12-pack racquet bag, locker bag, wheeled duffle, andbackpack.

The Sharapova Collection, inspired by Maria Sharapova, is all-white with black Prince logo and accents. It’s available in a tripleand six-pack. For more on both lines, which are available for

retail in September, visitwww.princetennis.com.

Fischer’s Progressor NTRacquet Debuts

The Progressor NT is the latestframe in the Fischer TournamentLine. The racquet features “No

Tolerance” construction, which Fisch-er says guarantees that each racquet is100 percent identical in weight, at 10.6ounces unstrung.

The new frame has a 98-square-inch headsize, extended length (27.4 inches) and a slight-ly stiffer RA value (64) than traditional Fischerplayer frames. It’s designed to appeal to a widerange of tournament-level players, says the com-pany. The racquet, which has a 16/20 string pat-tern, will be available for sale in September. Forinformation, call 800-844-7810 or visitwww.fischertennisusa.com.

Match Point Celebrates 35 Years

Wisconsin-based MatchPoint—which pro-duces tennis score-

cards, tournament boards,court numbers and “singlessticks” used across thecountry by clubs, schools,colleges and parks—is cele-brating its 35 anniversary.

Many of the company’sproducts have been inservice for 10 years ormore, says Match PointPresident Jack Hill, a tennisenthusiast who onceplayed on the University of Wisconsin-Madison team.

In 1973, Hill, a plastics company executive, designed prod-ucts for use at his tennis club. The response proved so favorable,he decided to make it a sideline business. “In the 35 years since,the popularity of our tennis products has kept the companythriving,” he says.

For more on the company’s products, visit www.match-point.biz or call 800-670-4964.

Congratulations To the Following For Achieving MRT & CS StatusNew Master Racquet Technicians - MRTsDavid Chung Brookline, MAJason Nguyen Houston, TXLuke McDermott Lincoln, NETodd West Calabasas, CANew Certified Stringers - CSsBrett Snyder Houston, TXJohn Logan Raleigh, NC


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

New ‘DemoWorks’ HelpsShops Manage Demo Program

DemoWorks, a new web-based program that helps tennisdealers manage their racquet lending service, is the latestaddition to Sports InterActive's TennisWorks line of soft-

ware to help streamline business processes and enhance cus-tomer service.

Sports InterActive owner and president Herb Sweren saysDemoworks “simplifies and organizes the lending process somanagers can better service players and sell more racquetswith less effort.”

Sweren says that while shops and facilities encourage play-ers to “try before you buy,” most keep track of racquet demos“the old-fashioned way—by the honor system or by writingdown who is borrowing what. That system is tough to manageand it doesn’t help maximize sales.”

With DemoWorks, says Sweren, players can easily browsethe inventory of racquet models available to demo and thenreserve a demo online. The staff manages the whereabouts ofthe racquets at all times, recording what frames have beenchecked out and returned.

DemoWorks is available in TennisWorks' RetailWorks Suiteand ClubWorks Suite. Visit www.Sports-InterActive.net.

PTR Partners With Bionic GlovesBionic Gloves, a division of Louisville Slugger, announceda sponsorship agreement to provide PTR teachers andcoaches with special pricing on custom PTR Bionic TennisGloves. Bionic Tennis Gloves, designed by an orthopedichand specialist, provide greater racquet control, strongerhands for long matches, and fewer blisters and calluses,says the PTR. The Anatomical Pad System is designed tomaximize grip strength. “Coolon” moisture control evap-orates perspiration quickly to reduce slippage. The glovesare designed for all levels of play. PTR members can pur-chase a single glove ($19.95) or a pair ($29.95) throughPTR’s online Pro Shop at www.ptrtennis.org or by calling800-421-6289. They can also be purchased directly fromthe manufacturer at www.bionicgloves.com.

Head Updates CrossBowRacquet Stringing Instructions

Head has updated its CrossBow and Airflow CB stringinginstructions based on the type of stringing machinebeing used. You can find additional coverage of this in

the Ask the Experts column on page 44.These detailed instructions can be found on the USRSA

website at www.racquettech.com/members/tocs/specials_toc.html. These instructions also will be included in the Fall2008 Stringer’s Digest.

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 8

12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY Sepbember/October 2008

INDUSTRYNEW

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Oncourt Offcourt Offers‘QuickStart’ Balls

Oncourt Offcourt has launched anew line of QuickStart Tennisballs. Three types of balls are

available for use with 36- and 60-footcourts, and all meet USTA specs insize, weight, color, and rebound, saysOncourt Offcourt President Joe Dinof-fer, who is also a master pro withboth the USPTA and PTR.

The “QuickStart 36” and “Quick-Start 60” low-compression balls areavailable in buckets of different sizes.The purpose is to help teaching pros,coaches, and parents keep the ballsorganized and separate from otherpractice balls.

Oncourt Offcourt has alsorenamed its popular adjustable-height 18-foot Maxi-Net the “Quick-Start Maxi-Net” and will alsointroduce a red-color foam ball named “QuickStart 36 Foam”that is designed for 36-foot court play.

For information on these products and to receive a free colorcatalog, contact Oncourt Offcourt toll-free at 1-88-TENNIS-11 orvisit www.oncourtoffcourt.com.

2008 GSS SymposiumDon’t miss this October event

Kaye Kimpling of Effingham, Ill., was the luckywinner of the GSS Symposium drawing for free admission.But there is still time for you to sign up for the Grand Slam

Stringers Symposium, presented by the USRSA.The GSS Symposium, held Oct. 11-13 in Orlando, Fla., is a

great opportunity to advance your business by learning fromsome of the best in the business. If you are a stringer, proshop operator, or teaching pro, there will be plenty to see andlearn, and you can enjoy Disney World and all the area attrac-tions.

In addition to the seminars,there will be plenty of chances tonetwork with colleagues andindustry leaders. The TradeShow on Oct. 13 will featuremanufacturers including Alpha,Babolat, Gamma, Guts & Glory,Head, Luxilon, Prince, ProSuprex, Wise 2086 ElectronicTension Heads, Unique, and Wilson. You will also see the lat-est products and talk to manufacturer reps. Also, if you areconsidering certification, there are a limited number of slotsleft in the MRT and CS test segments.

Don’t miss this important industry event.

2008 GSS Symposium

2008 GSS SymposiumOct. 11-14, Regal Sun Resort, WaltDisney World, Orlando, Fla. (TradeShow: Oct. 13, noon to 6 p.m.)$495 per person; group lodging ratesstart at $115 per night.For information or to register:www.grandslamstringers.com



Munsil is New USRSA Tester in Phoenix Area

Jim Munsil has been teaching tennis and stringing rac-quets in the Phoenix area as a full-time profession since1973. He has performed as the only tournament

stringer on-site for several WTA tournaments held in Ari-zona and has worked with several top players in the world.Even so, some of his best recommendations come fromlocal players willing to drive long distances to his shop forstringing and customization services. Now, Munsil’s expert-ise will help the USRSA in certification testing.

Badminton Top Racquet Sport in England

Badminton is the No. 1 racquet sport in England, according to research by theSport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University as reported onSportBusiness.com. More than 4 million people played badminton last year,

about 8.6 percent of the population, with 1.5 million of those playing on a regularbasis.

The report also found over 500,000 children played at least 10 times per year outof school with 12 percent of secondary school pupils taking part regularly, which isfive times the comparable adult participation rate. The findings support previousanalysis by Sport England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, whichsuggested that badminton bucked a trend of static sport participation rates between2002 and 2006.

“These figures reveal that badminton is a mass participation sport across Eng-land," says Adrian Christy, chief executive of Badminton England. “We are buckingthe trend, exhibiting strong growth across a variety of sectors and groups. Badmintonis alive and kicking in England."

New York Buzz Wins WTT Title

It took 14 years and four attempts, but the New York Buzz finally captured its firstWorld TeamTennis Championship, posting a 21-18 win over the Kansas CityExplorers on July 27 at Allstate Stadium at Westfield Galleria in Roseville, Calif.Playing for the Buzz were Nathan Healey, Yaroslava Shvedova, Gabriela Navratilo-

va, and Patrick Briaud. The team was coached by Jay Udwadia.The MVP for the WTT Championship Weekend was Rennae Stubbs of the Kansas

City Explorers, who had the best winning percentage of any player in the semifinalsand final match of the 2008 WTT Championship Weekend.

In related news, WTT named its player and coach season award recipients. Stubbsand Ramon Delgado of the Newport Beach Breakers were named MVPs for the 2008WTT season. Also, Shvedova and Travis Parrott of the Philadelphia Freedomsreceived Rookie of the Year honors, and Kansas City Explorers coach Brent Haygarthwas named the 2008 Coach of the Year.

‘USTA Serves’ Is New Name for USTA Foundation

The USTA Tennis & Education Foundation has a new title—USTAServes–Foundation for Academics. Character. Excellence.—but the 14-year-oldFoundation will continue its mission of changing lives through tennis and edu-

cation. The “re-brand” is designed to heighten awareness of the Foundation’s phil-anthropic initiatives.

Since its creation, USTA Serves has raised more than $8 million and disbursedabout $6 million in its “Aces for Kids” grants and $2 million in college scholarships.A non-profit entity of the USTA, the Foundation is committed to teaching the basicvalues in both tennis and education: leadership, discipline, teamwork and fun.USTA Serves also helps fund USA Tennis National Junior Tennis League programs.

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 8I N D U S T R Y N E W S

• Alan Schwartz will be inducted intothe USTA Midwest Section Hall of Fame on Dec. 6 in

recognition of his lifelong dedication to growing the game.Schwartz is a former USTA president and serves as chairman for Ten-

nis Corporation of America (TCA).

• After 33 years in the sporting goods industry, and repping more than 50 differ-ent companies, veteran Dave Ellis is retiring. Most recently, he handled Babolat in Ten-

nessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. “The Babolat family thanks him for all the hard workto help grow the brand,” says David Dwelle, Babolat’s South regional sales manager. “Ifeel lucky to have had the opportunity to have worked with a legend in our industry.”

• The International Wheelchair Tennis Association has named USTA Wheelchair NationalManager Dan James as the International Wheelchair Coach of the Year for 2007.

• Ron Cioffi has been named USTA Southern director of communications. A veteran jour-nalist and graphic designer with numerous ties to the tennis industry, Cioffi owns KRCCommunications and has worked with USTA Southern on numerous projects, including itsyearbook since 2000. He has also designed publications for USTA Georgia, USTA Ten-nessee and USTA Northern California. Cioffi also is co-owner of www.TennisReporters.net.

• Head player Gilles Simon (right), playing with a MicroGel Prestige MP, cap-tured his first U.S. title at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, beatingdefending champion Dmitry Tursunov. At the Austrian Open in Kitzbuehel,Head player Victor Hanescu earned his first doubles title (with partner JamesCerretani).

• Dunlop player Tommy Robredo, with the Aerogel 300 racquet, won his first title ofthe season in July, defeating fellow Dunlop player Tomas Berdych (and his Aerogel 200) atthe Swedish Open in Bastad.

• Dr. Mark Kovacs, PhD, CSCS was honored at the 2008 National Strength & Condition-ing Association Annual Conference in Las Vegas with the Strength and Conditioning Jour-nal Editorial Excellence Award. The annual award recognizes Kovacs’ work editingpeer-reviewed manuscripts in the fields of strength and conditioning. Kovacs is the man-ager of Sport Science for the USTA, based at the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton, Fla.

• Mark Philippoussis, the Australian standout who lost to Roger Federer in the 2003Wimbledon final, will start another comeback to professional tennis at The Champi-onships at The Palisades, Sept. 24-28 in Charlotte, N.C.—the fifth of eight events on theOutback Champions Series, the international professional tennis circuit for men 30-and-over.

• Tom Jacobs has been named Managing Director, Administration and Business Affairsfor the USTA Elite Player Development unit. Jacobs will be based full-time at the USTATraining Center and Player Development Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., and willoversee all administration and operations of the USTA Training Centers in Boca

Raton, Fla., and Carson, Calif., and will direct and supervise all business-relatedmatters for Elite Player Development.

• Andy Murray, playing with a Head MicroGel Radical MP, beatworld No. 3 Novak Djokovic to win his first Masters Series

title at the Western and Southern Financial GroupMasters in Cincinnati in August.

P E O P L E W AT C H


A ‘Master’-ful PresentationUSPTA Master Professional Don Hen-son, USPTA Master Professional BillTym and USPTA/PTR Master Profes-sional Ken DeHart were the speakersfor PTR Professional DevelopmentDay at Pacific Athletic Club in North-ern California in May. The three holdmore titles, awards and years of serv-ice to the industry than most anyprofessional divisional conference.The one-day event, sponsored byHead and the PTR, was open to allPTR, USPTA, area high school andcollege coaches as well as summerassistants.



College Scholarship Seminars Offered

The popular College & University Scholarship seminars will again be offered inSouthern California this fall. The free seminars are open to players, parents andcoaches, and no reservation are needed to attend. Led by industry veteran Mark

Winters, the seminars offer useful tips on dealing with all that is involved in pursuinga tennis scholarship. For more information about the program, call Winters at 310-208-3838, ext. 231. For directions to a facility (not questions about the presentation),contact the individuals listed at each location.� Sept. 24: San Dieguito T.C., Encinitas, 6:30 p.m. Brad Humphreys, 760-942-9725.� Sept. 25: MountainGate C.C., Los Angeles, 7 p.m. Doug Doss, 310-476-2291.� Oct. 1: Seal Beach T.C., 6 p.m. Becky Edles-Rye, [email protected].� Oct. 2: Oxnard T.C., 6:30 p.m. Mark McCampbell, 805-483-2600.� Oct. 9: Upland T.C., 7 p.m. Steve Futchko, 909-985-2725.� Oct. 16: Bakersfield R.C., 6 p.m. Teri Lynott, 661-325-8652.

Olympic Tennis Uses Wilson Balls

For the second consecutive Olympic competition, the Wilson USOpen Tennis Ball will served as the Official Ball for the 2008 SummerOlympic Games in Beijing, China, in August.

“Since Wilson has served as the Official Ball to the US Open for thepast 30 years, we take great pride to know players have elected to useour US Open Ball to fulfill their Olympic dream,” says Jon Muir, Gener-al Manager of Wilson Racquet Sports. Wilson is also the official ball ofthe Australian Open, the Davis Cup, Fed Cup and Sony Ericsson WTATour as well as more than 50 ATP and WTA events.


S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 8IN

DUSTRYNEW

S

> Head and Penn have launched two Face-

book pages, giving tennis enthusiasts the

opportunity to discuss and learn about Head

and Penn products, post videos and images,

and discuss all aspects of the game. The

Head page features the new CrossBow com-

mercial and images of the CrossBow rac-

quets that were introduced in May, along

with upcoming events and updates on Head

Tour players. The Penn page includes the

new Andre Agassi ATP Penn commercial and

images of Penn products. Search for “Head

Tennis” and “Penn Tennis” to find the pages

on Facebook.

> Eleven Wilson players, all using [K] Factor

racquets, were in Wimbledon finals, captur-

ing six of the nine titles: men’s doubles,

women’s singles, women’s doubles, girls’ sin-

gles, girls’ doubles, and boys’ doubles. Lead-

ing the pack was Venus Williams, with the

[K] Blade Team, beating her sister Venus play-

ing with the same racquet in the women’s

final. Roger Federer, with the [K] Six.One

Tour, took Rafael Nadal to five sets in the

men’s final. Daniel Nestor completed a career

Grand Slam in men’s doubles with the [K]

Six.One 95.

> Total prize money at the US Open will top

$20 million for the first time, with the men's

and women's singles champions each earn-

ing a tournament-record $1.5 million.

Adding in the bonuses available to the lead-

ing finishers in the summer’s US Open Series,

the overall prize money could eventually be

more than $23 million. The No. 1 performers

in the US Open Series will earn a total of $2.5

million if they also win the US Open. Last

year, Roger Federer won both the summer

series and the Open, giving him a total pay-

out of $2.4 million—the largest in tennis

history.

> Head recently partnered with Tennis

Europe to become the official ball and

paddle for the European Beach Tennis

Championships, which were held in

August in Riccione, Italy. About 100 play-

ers from 11 countries participated. The

new contract is through 2009. Head is also

the official partner of Beach Tennis USA.

> Sony Ericsson will receive the Interna-

tional Tennis Hall of Fame’s Joseph F. Cull-

man 3rd Award for its ongoing

contribution to tennis. Sony will be hon-

ored at the annual Legends Ball on Sept. 5

at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

The Legends Ball, held annually since

1980, celebrates the history of the game

and honors some of the sport’s great con-

tributors, while raising money for the Hall

of Fame. For tickets and information, call

212-843-1740 or e-mail legends-

[email protected].

> NBC Sports says the Wimbledon men’s

final between Roger Federer and Rafael

Nadal earned the best national rating and

viewership—with 5.2 million viewers—

since the 2000 match-up between Pete

Sampras and Patrick Rafter. The network

also says this year’s final showed a 30 per-

cent increase over last year’s Federer-Nadal

five-setter, which drew 3.8 million viewers,

according to Nielsen Media Research. The

women’s final between Venus Williams

and Serena Williams earned the best

national rating for a women’s final in three

years, drawing 3.7 million viewers, an

increase of 14 percent over last year’s

match between Venus Williams and Mari-

on Bartoli.

> ESPN2’s live coverage from Wimbledon

averaged a household audience of

522,000 homes, up 19 percent from 2007

(437,000). It was the sixth year of ESPN at

Wimbledon, and the first of a new six-year

agreement with greatly expanded digital

rights.

> The PTR recently received two Apex

Awards for Publishing Excellence for its

magazine, TennisPro. One was for the Jan-

uary/February 2007 issue in the Writing

category, the other was for the

SHORT SETSMarch/April 2007 issue

overall. Peggy Edwards

(right), the PTR’s director

of communications, is

the editor of TennisPro.

> ADDvantage magazine, the official

publication of the USPTA, received a

2008 Apex Award for Publication Excel-

lence. The October/November 2007

issue won in the category of magazine

and journal design and layout. Shawna

Riley is the editor and Kimberly Forrester

is the managing editor of the magazine.

> Peter Burwash International has

signed an agreement to direct the tennis

program at the new Four Seasons Resort

Mauritius at Anahita in the Indian

Ocean. Karl Vukobrat will be the tennis

director. PBI now provides tennis instruc-

tion at 12 Four Seasons properties. This

is the third PBI resort in Mauritius.

> SRO Sports, the exclusive distributor

of Wimbledon DVDs, has released the

2008 Wimbledon Men's final on DVD.

The match-up between Roger Federer

and Rafael Nadal has been called one of

the best matches in history. The DVD

sells for $24.99. Visit www.kultur.com.

> Tennis.com says it had a record 1.5

million unique visits to its site during

Wimbledon, a 57 percent increase in

daily unique visits over last year. The

biggest gain was for the men’s final,

with a 105 percent audience increase

from last year.

> Nine players will represent the U.S. in

the 2008 Paralympic Games, Sept. 6-17

in Beijing, China. The men’s team will be

Lee Hinson of Jacksonville, Fla., Paul

Moran of Northfield, Ill., Jon Rydberg of

Oakdale, Minn., and Steve Welch of

Arlington, Texas. The women will be

Beth Arnoult of Paia, Hawaii, and Kait-

lyn Verfuerth of Port Washington, Wis.

The quad team will be Brent Poppen of

Paso Robles, Calif., Nick Taylor of Wichi-

ta, Kan., and David Wagner of Hillsboro,

Ore. U.S. head coach will be Dan James,

of Oakdale, Minn., assisted by Jason

Hartnett of Irvine, Calif.



USTA Drops GimelstobFollowing Radio Comments

The USTA has dis-tanced itself fromJustin Gimelstob fol-

lowing sexist commentsthe former tennis promade on a Washington,

D.C., radio show in June. Televisioncommercials for the US Open Seriesthat featured Gimelstob were changedat the last minute to cut him out, and insome cases John McEnroe was substi-tuted in. Also, Gimelstob was pulled asthe keynote speaker at the 2008 USTATennis Teachers Conference in NewYork, which began Aug. 23.

"Justin Gimelstob's recent com-ments…were derogatory and demean-ing to female tennis players and towomen in general,” the USTA said in astatement. “The USTA has long champi-oned integrity, inclusiveness, diversityand equality and cannot ignore suchharmful remarks. More than any othersport, tennis has benefited from the pio-neering role and achievements of somany women.

"The USTA has met with Justin, whohas expressed deep remorse and hasissued his sincere apology. We antici-pate that he will learn from this experi-ence and that he will be able tocontribute to the game of tennis in thefuture," the statement said.

"I respect the USTA's decision,"Gimelstob told the Associated Press."They've been great to me over theyears, and I appreciated the opportuni-ty. Unfortunately, I take full responsibili-ty for what happened on the show andI deeply regret it.”

USRSA MEMBER CLASSIFIEDSFOR SALE: Babolat Star 5. Recently purchased.New and still boxed. Paid $3,000. Selling for$2,600. Prefer Southern California buyer (OrangeCounty). Contact Andy at (213) 321-9812.

FOR SALE: Prince 03 Speedport Red racquet inlike new condition. 4 5/8 grip (feels like 4 ½),NRG2 17 string, extra grommet set. $100includes domestic shipping & case. [email protected]

FOR SALE: 2000 Playmate Ace Genie 5 ballmachine with remote. Excellent condition usedon a private court by one owner. $1000. ContactGreg Cicatelli 530-272-1488 or [email protected]

Letters


We welcome your letters and comments. Please email them to [email protected] or fax them to 760-536-1171.

Reader Praises‘Helpful Articles,Overall Quality’

I have been readingRacquet Sports Industryfor several years now andwant to compliment youon the constant improve-ments in the magazine.

The helpful articles onfacilities, industry news,racquets, footwear,apparel, injuries and morekeep getting better andbetter! The pictures andoverall quality is out-standing. Keep up thegood work.

Jack HillMatch Point,

Elm Grove, Wis.

Teaching Pro Organization Debate ContinuesIn “A United Front” (Your Serve, August issue), author Bruce Levine

takes a simplistic approach to the concept of one teaching pro organiza-tion. Using his logic, we should ask the racquet, shoe and apparel compa-nies to merge and make one brand. Competition is healthy to any businessor association, and both teaching organizations are constantly striving tomeet the needs of our respective memberships.

In regards to Levine’s comments about PTR, the writer is not and hasnever been a member of PTR, and thus his statements lack credibility. PTRcontinues to work diligently to grow the game, which according to TIA par-ticipation statistics show tennis as one of the healthiest sports.

Dan Santorum, CEO, PTR

Thank you for the article by Bruce Levine encouraging the merger ofUSPTA and PTR.

Since 1977, I have written several articles supporting such a merger. Iteven reached the point that the Executive Committee of the USPTA votedfor the merger in the late 1970s (I made the motion as a delegate fromTexas). The details of the merger could not be worked out, so it nevermaterialized. The timing may be right to do this now, and many of usappreciate the article. Ken McAllister

USPTA/PTR, Executive Director, USTA Texas Section(For more on this subject, see “Your Serve” on page 48.)

B Y C Y N T H I A S H E R M A N

In a move that could be taken as yet another positive sign thattennis is continuing to gain in popularity, particularly in light ofindustry data that continues to show participation increases, Wil-son Racquet Sports has made a major commitment to the tennisapparel business.Wilson, which for years had licensed out its apparel, has taken it

in-house (the licensing deal ends in December), hiring a global appar-el director and investing in staff and product.“Five years ago, it became obvious that softgoods is a huge

opportunity,” says Jon Muir, Wilson’s general manager. “We wentout and found some heavyweight talent and are hiring to supportthem. We’ve been doing some serious investments and have beenvery active in searching out experts in the field.”This past spring, Wilson hired apparel industry veteran Claire

Ortiz (at right) as its global apparel director for racquetsports. In addition to her experience as a designer andowner of a women’s specialty store, Ortiz spent sixyears with Nike, serving in various leadership positionsincluding creative director for Brand Jordan appareland accessories. She also headed Nike’s Asia head-quarters in designing Nike’s Beijing Olympics 2008product for international distribution. Her 18 years inthe business also includes stints with Eddie Bauer in theyouth sport and fashion areas and Under Armour ascreative director for apparel in multiple sportscategories.“Wilson is repositioning the brand as a premium apparel line

emphasizing quality, innovation, performance, style and design,”says Ortiz. “We’ve spared no expense on fabrication, and the tech-nology will be a driving force. All of our products have to be simpleto wear, simple to wash, and they have to last.”The 2009 apparel collection, which was in production before

Ortiz came on board, will ship in the spring. The collection containsseasonal fashion groups and a core performance group with pieces

that are available year round. Key in Wilson’s apparel line is the useof “nano” technologies, offering sun protection, moisture manage-ment and anti-microbial odor protection, says Ortiz.“NanoUV” provides UV-A and UV-B protection, blocking up to 97

percent of the sun’s rays, according to Wilson.“NanoWIK” is a moisture-management and quick-dry technolo-

gy that Wilson says also helps stains wash away more easily andreduces static cling.“NanoBAN” provides anti-microbial protection that helps stop

odor-causing bacteria from forming and being absorbed by thefabric.In some apparel pieces, Wilson uses bamboo, an eco-friendly

and sustainable material that provides natural moisture-manage-ment properties and helps to give a luxurious feel to the fabric, says

Ortiz. For 2009, the men’s core line features bamboopieces, and in 2010, the material will be used in piecesin all apparel groups.“Body-mapping” technology allows for a mixed tech-

nical fabric construction without the traditional “cut andsew” approach. Body mapping produces a seamless con-struction for a clean look that aids in comfort, says Wil-son.Ortiz says she’s excited about the future of Wilson’s

clothing line, noting the company’s strong commitmentto juniors and the solid relationships it has with both pro-fessional and recreational players. “We plan on being

the head-to-toe provider of all tennis equipment,” she says.In both tennis apparel and footwear, Muir’s goal is for Wilson to

become “an authentic tennis brand with the ability to compete withNike and Adidas.”“No other brand brings it all together,” he says of Wilson. “We

have to overbuild and do a much better product at a better pricepoint. We’re not trying to be a racquet brand that has apparel. Weare about a softgoods brand that has a global approach.” �


T E N N I S A P P A R E L


T I A N E W S S E P / O C T 2 0 0 8

As we contin-ue to monitorthe economy,industry salesand tennisparticipation,we are in the

process of developing aTennis Retailer Index—simi-lar to the new Tennis HealthIndex—to keep a steadypulse on the marketplace.

Unlike virtually any othersport, tennis continues tobenefit from healthy syner-gies—between the pro andcommunity groups andorganizations in creatingplayers and fans, togetherwith manufacturers, retail-ers, and scores of otherswho help keep this positivecircle of growth turning andour sport No. 1.

NEWS & UPDATESNEWS & UPDATES

Jolyn de Boer

Consisting of six industry measures,index shows steady increase in tennis since 2003

The Tennis Health Index, a new measure of the health of tennisthat consists of six key elements, shows that the sport hasincreased 10.8 percent in the U.S. over the last five years.

Published by the TIA and USTA, the Tennis Health Index includesfour tennis participation surveys that use different methodologies,along with measures of tennis ball shipments and court activity. Thesix elements collectively provide a more accurate view of the state oftennis participation in the U.S., says Kurt Kamperman, the USTA’schief executive of Community Tennis.

“This is the first year we’ve used this composite index to measurethe health of tennis in the U.S., and we’re happy to see continuedgrowth in the sport,” says Kamperman. “This shows that our tennisprograms and initiatives are working.”

Each of the six measures in the Tennis Health Index is weightedand trended. The baseline year is 2003, which has an index of 100.From 2003 through 2007, the Tennis Health Index shows steadygrowth up to 110.8.

“This is excellent news for the tennis industry,” says TIA President Dave Haggerty. “It shows thatour sport is healthy, vibrant and growing.”

Since 1999, the USTA and TIA have carried out a major national Tennis Participation Survey todetermine the number of tennis players in the U.S. “While that study remains an important measureof the health of the sport, the Tennis Health Index was developed in 2007 so as not to be overly relianton a single measure,” says Jolyn de Boer, the TIA’s executive director.

The six measures that make up the Tennis Health Index are:� USTA/TIA Tennis Participation Phone Survey, which shows that total tennis participation in 2007exceeded 25 million, the highest since 1999.

� National Sporting Goods Association Mail Panel, which indicates that tennis has grown 28 percentsince 2003.

� American Sports Data Mail Survey, which shows a 2 percent increase in tennis since 2003.� Sports Participation Partnership Survey, which shows tennis has increased 16 percent from 2006 to2007, with the total number of players reaching 16.9 million.

� TIA Ball Shipment Tracker, which shows a 15 percent increase in tennis ball shipments since 2003.� TIA and USTA Court Activity Monitor, which reports a total of 137 million court-hours were bookedand/or used in 2007.

Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

News You Can Use!

D O N ’ T M I S S T H E S E I M P O R TA N T I N D U S T R Y E V E N T S !

New ‘Tennis Health Index’ Shows 10.8% Growth

Tennis IndustryHall of FameHelp us to honor keyindividuals who havemade a significantimpact on tennis.The inaugural class will be announcedduring the TIA Tennis Forum at theUSTA Tennis Teachers Conference.

Tennis Welcome Center Business& Technology Workshop“How to Fast Track Your Business With Technolo-gy” Tuesday, Aug. 26, 1:30-4:30 p.m., Grand Hyatt,New York City. This interactive workshop will help youimprove customer service through the use of the latestadvancements in online tennis technology, includingthe GrowingTennisSystem, online enrollment and more.For information or to enroll: growingtennistraining.com

TIA Tennis ForumMonday, Aug. 25,9-10 a.m., Man-hattan Ballroom,Grand Hyatt, NewYork City (during theUSTA Tennis Teachers Confer-ence). For more information or toregister: tennisindustry.org/forum

Upcoming Schedule� Oct. 3-4: Cardio Tennis

Workshop, Boston� Oct. 18: TWC Business

& Technology Work-shop, PTR, Hilton HeadIsland, S.C.

� Oct. 25: USPTA CardioTennis SpecialtyCourse, Phoenix

Special Request Work-shops: email us [email protected]

T I A N E W S

QuickStart Tennis: Organize a Workshop Now

Training in the QuickStart Tennis format for teaching pros, recre-ational coaches, parents, school coaches and volunteers is nowavailable from 25 USTA High Performance coaches and 30

National Recreational Coaches. The trainers deliverworkshops to groups that want to learn more about theQST format and practice plans.

More than 2,000 participants have attended thefour-hour High Performance QuickStart Tennis Work-shops, and another 2,000 have attended the three-hour Recreational QST Workshops. For moreinformation on what’s available, and on how to signup, visit partners.quickstarttennis.com.

Are You An ‘Official’ Site . . .For Tennis Welcome Centers, Cardio Tennis or QuickStart Tennis?

Cardio Tennis: Olympic Stadium Is Site of Greek Debut

Cardio Tennis debutedin Greece on July 8 infront of 2,000 tennis

enthusiasts at the OlympicTennis Center Stadium courtin Athens. The 15-minute CTdemonstration was per-formed before the start of anexhibition match betweenMarcos Baghdatis of Cypressand Julien Benneteau ofFrance. TIA Cardio Tennis Director Michele Krause (above,with Christos Christopolous of Greece) then conducted atwo-day workshop for Greek tennis coaches.

Growing Tennis News

CT Player of the Month: Christine SchuellerChristine Schueller first read about CardioTennis two years ago in a tennis publica-tion, then she visited the CT website to finda facility that offered it in her area. Despitehaving to drive half an hour, after her firstCT clinic Schueller knew this was a pro-gram she wanted to continue.

Two years later, Schueller has lost morethan 40 pounds and not only feels betterabout herself, but her tennis game hasimproved as well.

She begged the pros at her local club in Dana Point, Calif., tobegin a CT program, but had no success. So she received herUSPTA certification so she could teach it herself. Her first class inMay was a huge success. “Itʼs such an amazing feeling to have peo-ple get excited about the way they are hitting the ball and movingfaster on the court as a result of taking Cardio Tennis,” she says.

There are nowmore than 890official sitesusing theQuickStart Ten-nis format tobring kids intothe game!

TWC of the Month: International Tennis Hall of Fame

In 1881 the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., was the site of the firstU.S. National Championships (which later became the US Open). Today, after the com-pletion of a five-year, $7.5 million renovation and endowment project, the Hall of Fame

is one of the finest tennis facilities in the country. It features a historic museum, 13 grasscourts open for public play, one clay court, and three award-winning indoor hard courts.

"We’re proud to partner with the TIA and USTA to be a part of [the TWC] program,which is so important in bringing more people into the game and growing tennis overall,"says Mark L. Stenning, the Hall of Fame’s CEO.

The Hall of Fame (www.tennisfame.com), which became a TWC in 2005, has about 300 outdoormembers and 550 indoor members. It hosts a variety of clinics and tournaments year-round for jun-iors and adults and also is home to the ATP’s Campbell’s Hall of Fame Championships and the Hallof Fame Champions Cup, a legends tournament.

The Hall of Fame always has a planned tennis activity for its members to look forward to.“Whether it’s a mixed-doubles round robin, a Davis Cup tie, or a tennis social, we plan somethingmember-oriented almost every weekend,” says Bill Rompf, vice president and director of tennis.

September/October 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 23Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

If you would like to behighlighted as a TennisWelcome Center of theMonth, email [email protected] tell us how yourclub is leading thecharge in the growth ofthe sport

Become Official atGrowingTennis.com

Be sure to register online at GrowingTennis.com to become an official site for these initiatives. Registering is free, andyou’ll receive free promotion for your facility and programs, so consumers can easily reach you.

T E N N I S A P P A R E L

With technical fabrication and looksthat range from hip to retro,tenniswear moves into spring.


B Y C Y N T H I A S H E R M A N

OFF ANDRUNNING

FilaFila’s Heritage Collection will be featuredat the US Open in classic colors of truenavy, cobalt blue and white for thewomen, and a lighter crystal blue intanks, cap-sleeve tops, skorts, dressesand warm-ups. Breathable luxurious Tac-tel Pique is featured in updated silhou-ettes taken from vintage “old school”designs of the 1970s. Shown is risingtennis star Agnes Szavay wearing a ruf-fle-hemmed dress in blue and white. Themen’s line features crewnecks in seam-less construction and polos and shorts in100 percent silky poly performance fab-rics in pea coat blue.www.fila.com800-PRO-FILA

OFF ANDRUNNING


LejayLejay’s Blue Moon collectionfeatures high-tech fabrica-tions of navy and sky blueand metallic trims pairedwith geometric prints in avariety of tops and skorts, forSeptember delivery. The Sec-ond Skin line, due in October,features the recurring animalprint trend in colors of coraland black in solid andabstract prints. Tanks andflouncy skorts come in highperformance poly/lycra blendall made in the U.S.

www.lejay.com800-932-7535

WilsonWilson will launch its new apparel line nextyear. Using nanoFiber technology, Wilsonsays its pieces offer maximum sun protec-tion, moisture-wicking and anti-microbialprotection. This technology maintains theseproperties wash after wash, since they’rewoven into the yarn itself, rather than as asurface application. Wilson also incorporatesbamboo, a renewable resource, into its Men’sCore line. (For more on the new Wilson line,see page 21.)

The Wilson collection includes men’s,women’s and junior apparel, including corecollections available year-round in addition toseasonal collections. Wilson’s signature color,red, will be featured prominently in theMen’s Summer I and Women’s Summer col-lection—bold blues, yellows, pinks, turquoiseagainst black, and white will be among thecolor palettes for spring and summer.

www.wilson.com800-272-6060


LBHThe LBH line sports dynamic patterns and colors. The fabric con-tent on almost all LBH pieces is 88 percent poly, 12 percent span-dex and are all made of performance fabrics. The Wimbledon BigBen collection features Fiesta red and white with blue accents,along with a coordinating geometric dot print. The LBH Katmanducollection goes wild with zebra printed tanks, dresses, skirts andjacket and pants in porcelain blue and black.

www.lbhgroup.com800-421-4474

USTA/US OpenThe USTA debuts its own branded fashion and performanceline at the US Open this year, featuring private-label appar-el by some of the top brands in tennis. Complete men’s andwomen’s on-court collections designed specifically for theUSTA will be available for the first time. Silver US Opendetails will highlight the pieces. High-tech performance andeasy-wear polyester fabrications enhance the collections,which feature anti-microbial and moisture-wicking proper-ties. An array of T-shirts, long-sleeve tops, hoodies, andfleeces will go retro, featuring vintage US Open logos. A cat-alog of the collections is available through Fromuth Tennis.

www.fromuth.com800-523-8414


BolleBolle will have several fashion groups for Spring. Lime Light, shown here, combines greenand black in bold color-blocking and prints. Dresses will continue to be a strong elementin tennis and Bolle has three to choose from. The racer back dress has a built-in bra; thekiwi and black print tank has a double spaghetti strap and built-in bra. The go-with skirt isone of the Bolle basics and sports a classic fit and length of 14.5 inches. Fabrications are86 percent poly, 14 percent spandex. Delivery begins May 1.www.bolletenniswear.com • 888-977-7272

PrincePrince’s Aerotech line comprises a three-foldsystem designed for high performance, com-fort, UV protection and moisture wicking. Themen’s and women’s Gold and Black collec-tions feature a full array of shorts, tops, tourpants, jackets and skirts. A variety of bold col-ors in the Black collection make it a greatchoice for team wear. The men’s Gold collec-tion comes in Anthracite/Red, White/Red,White/Navy, Anthracite/Light blue. TheWomen’s Gold collection is available inPink/Charcoal, Citron/Charcoal, Scarlet/White,and Navy/White. Both men’s and women’scollections are 84 percent ply, 16 percentspandex.www.princetennis.com800-2-TENNIS

B Y J A M E S M A R T I N


RACQUETS

From new racquets for women, to“team” frames, to head-heavy sticksand low-priced product, players willfind a lot to choose from.

DUNLOPThe thinking behind the Aerogel Titan, Dunlop’s main entrythis fall, appears to be, “Keep it simple.” This isn’t a badthing. Aside from Aerogel, an ultralight but strong material,placed in the frame to give it stability and pop, this is a no-frills frame. No fancy wings, bridges, boards, slingshots, orholes. With a 101-square-inch head, head-heavy balance,and light weight (9.5 ounces), the Titan is made to givebeginners and intermediates an easy-to-use racquet that’llhelp them get the ball past the service line with a little zip.Another reason newbies will gravitate toward this stick: it’slow price tag. The Titan’s suggested retail is $119.

www.dunlopsports.com • 800-768-4727

Airflow 3 CBAirflow 7 CBAirflow 10 CB

Aerogel Titan

HEADWhen Head introduced its Airflow racquets in July 2006, the cynic could be forgiven forthinking it was a marketing ploy. But Head proved its new frames were about performance,and Airflow has remained a force at retail for over two years—an extraordinarily long timethat typically sees models come and go like the day’s fashions.

The longevity of Airflow can be traced to Head’s savvy marketing built around the line’sspokeswoman, Steffi Graf, and three key performance benefits: lightweight power; a small,ergonomic handle to better fit a woman’s hand; and easy handling. All those elements con-tinue in this season’s Airflow updates.

What’s new is Head’s introduction of CrossBow, a suspended bridge at the bottom ofthe head that moves independently from the rest of the frame. Imagine a diving board andyou’ll get the idea. When the ball hits the strings, energy is stored in the bridge and thentransferred back into the shot. Net result, according to Head, is more power.

This fall, Head has three new additions to the Airflow family. The Airflow 3 with Cross-Bow is designed for intermediate and advanced women players. It’s still light (9.9 ounces),so handling isn’t an issue. The Airflow 7 with CrossBow ratchets up the power with a big-ger, 115-square-inch head, while the Airflow 10 with CrossBow, a behemoth with a 124-square-inch head, promises to juice up even the shortest of swings.

These new Airflow racquets also feature InteGrip, a rubbery material in the shaftdesigned to reduce bad vibes. So in addition to delivering lightweight power, easy handling,and an ergonomic grip, Head also aims to provide Airflow users with plenty of comfort.

www.head.com • 800-289-7366


BABOLATThere are two new racquets of note from Babolat this season. The first is the AeroStorm. If the name sounds familiar, it is. Babolat had an Aero Storm on the market lastyear, but it was renamed the Aero Storm Tour (and, FYI, is being used by Roland Gar-ros finalist Dinara Safina). At 11.2 ounces, the new Aero Storm is lighter and moremaneuverable than the original Aero Storm. Its familiar flattened-out beam—it resem-bles the wings of a plane—make the racquet easier to swing. The head-light balancealso adds to the racquet’s easy handling. It’s a good option for players not ready forthe bulk of a true player’s frame.

The other interesting Babolat racquet is the Pure Storm Limited. If you have cus-tomers with a love for all things ’80s—denim shorts, day-glow shirts, and classic, flex-ible graphite racquets—the Pure Storm Limited will have tremendous appeal. In an eraof stiff and ultra-stiff racquets, this one offers that old-school feel, with a small 95-square-inch head, hefty 12-ounce weight, firm (not stiff) construction, head-light bal-ance, and leather grip. In other words, this racquet is all about feel and control, butrequires you to bring virtually all of the power.

www.babolat.com • 877-316-9435

PRINCEOne of the most coveted niches in racquets these days is the “team” category. First pop-ularized by Babolat with its Pure Drive Team, the name has come to signify a slightlylighter version of an advanced player’s frame, with more power but still enough controlto rip the ball where you want it to go. Because they are user-friendly, “team” racquetsare particularly popular with strong juniors with lots of upside or older players on thedownside of their games who need a little more juice to keep up with the competition.

Prince’s latest attempt to court this market is the O3 Speedport Black Team. Com-pared to the O3 Black, the 10.3-ounce Team is about an ounce lighter. It has a 100-square-inch head and is standard length. To make sure it still has some oomph behind it, Princemade the balance head heavy. The large, rectangular string holes, called Speedports,deliver a damp (or dead, depending on your perspective) feel, and they also make the rac-quet more aerodynamic, so you can generate more racquet-head speed, and thereforepower and spin. The coolest part? If you want a crisper, more traditional response, youcan insert Speedport Tuning System grommets. It’s like having two racquets in one.

www.princetennis.com • 800-2TENNIS

WILSONFans of Wilson’s classic Hammer racquets will havereason to be excited over the Big W’s main intro-duction this fall. The [K] Five 108 is extra-long, at27.25 inches, with a 108-square-inch head and avery head-heavy balance. All that adds up to pro-ducing the Hammer feel, with lots of weight towardthe racquet’s tip. The benefit, as any Hammer afi-cionado will tell you, is extra pop on ground strokes,though you may feel as if you lose some maneuver-ability at net. This isn’t a Hammer retread, though.The [K] Five 108 features Wilson’s [K]onnectortechnology—wings on the racquet face at the 10and 2 o’clock positions—to create a pocketingeffect. What better way to harness the power of thehead-heavy balance

www.wilson.com • 800-272-6060

Aero StormPure Storm Limited

O3 Speedport Black Team

[K] Five 108

Check Out These New Frames, Too:• Völkl Powerbridge 8 and 10

(www.voelkl-tennis.com • 866-554-7872)• Head CrossBow 6• Prince O3 Speedport Black Longbody

SUCCESSmarketing&

Ask Headline B Y L I N E ?

B Y D A V E B O N E

Make sure you know how to help your customers find the stringthat works best for them.

Typical tennis players don’t give their strings the respectthey deserve. Far too often, a player spends hours talkingwith professionals to pick a racquet, only to settle for

putting in just any string. But a racquet can only play as well asthe strings in it.

Since the strings are the only thing that touches the ball, youneed to emphasize their importance to your customers and stu-dents. You also need to be aware of some basic string charac-teristics that players “feel.”� Stringbed stiffness refers to how hard or soft it feels when theracquet contacts the ball. Players may describe a stiff stringbedas “like hitting with a board,” or a soft stringbed as “mushy.”

� Spin potential refers to how much spin the string can imparton the ball.

� Durability generally means how long before a string breaks.Players won’t really “feel” the durability of a string, but forsome, it’s an important characteristic when choosing a string.

The SpecsAll strings have different levels of stringbed stiffness, spin poten-tial and durability. These three characteristics are affected byspecifications such as materials used in making the string,gauge, type of construction and string tension.� Materials: The four main materials used today are natural gut,nylon, aramid and polyester. These materials have a big effecton stringbed stiffness and durability, but generally little effecton spin potential. Natural gut is considered the softest, thennylon, polyester and aramid as the stiffest. For durability, theorder is reversed: aramid is the most durable, then polyester,nylon and natural gut. Nylon strings are still the most prevalentamong recreational players.

� Gauge: Strings get thinner as the gauge number increases. An“L” after a number means the string is on the thinner end ofthat range; for instance, 16L is slightly thinner than a 16-gaugestring. Tennis strings range from 15L to 19, but 16 and 17 arethe most popular. Gauge doesn’t so much influence stringbedstiffness, but it is important in spin potential and durability.Thinner strings can bite into the ball more, increasing spin. Butthinner gauges are less durable.

� Construction: There many different constructions, and how astring is made affects all three characteristics. The twoextremes are monofilaments, made of one thick fiber of string,

and multifilaments, made of many fibers twisted and bondedtogether. Strings with more fibers tend to feel softer, and theyalso tend to be less durable. Strings with textured or geometricshapes can also increase spin potential.

� Tension: Generally, a player should start with a tension in themiddle of the manufacturer’s recommended range, thendecide if they want to change when they have the framerestrung. As tension is increased, stringbed stiffness willincrease, too. But how tension affects spin potential and dura-bility is still a source of debate among experts.

The Power QuestionThe power that strings provide is a complicated and misunder-stood concept. Very precise lab tests show that while a racquetand the speed at which it is swung have a big effect on the speedof a ball, the strings have almost no effect. A ball leaves thestrings at virtually the same speed regardless of tension, gauge,material of the string or type of construction.

Research suggests that while power may not change with thespecs, depth of shots will change with stringbed stiffness mainlybecause of the trajectory of the shots. Simply put, the ball willtravel farther at the same speed because it leaves the stringbedat a higher trajectory. Looser strings—a looser stringbed—willcause shots to land deeper in the court, which some players mayinterpret as giving them more “power.” So, instead of the oldadage “looser for more power, tighter for more control,” youreally should say, “looser for more depth, tighter for less depth.”

Stringing It UpMost players probably have a string they’re pretty happy withand are looking for a new string that is close to it yet can provideadded benefits. Ask your customer what they want to achievewith a new string, then don’t try to change all the specs at once,just change one at a timeand see how they like it.

All of this may seemcomplicated and involved,but once you start workingwith your players, using the tools we provide both on the fol-lowing pages and at www.racquettech.com, and keeping accu-rate records, you’ll find it’s not that difficult to keep your playerssatisfied. �

Make sure you know how to help your customers find the stringthat works best for them.


G U I D E T O S T R I N G S

38 RRACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2008


There are about 600 strings on the market today. And whileselecting the right string for your customers from that poolmay seem like a near impossible task, our exclusive Guide

to Strings should be able to help you find exactly the right prod-uct that will help their game.

Our annual guide is designed to cut down on the amountof time you spend searching for that perfect string. In pastyears, we’ve listed in these pages the vital stats and test resultsof all 600 or so strings. But for this issue, since the vast major-ity of those strings don’t change from year to year, we’ve decid-ed to streamline things a bit and list just those strings that arenew to the market this year or otherwise haven’t been on ourlist in the past.

The complete listing of nearly 600 strings, however, isavailable at our website, www.racquetsportsindustry.com.You can also find a lot of other stringing and customizinginformation and tools that will help you help run your busi-

ness effectively at www.RacquetTECH.com.The chart on the facing page, which is also on our web-

site, plots key information for all 600 strings. Use this chart,combined with the full listing of strings, to find your cus-tomer’s current string, and to then find either similar strings orstrings with other characteristics that your customer desires.To find the string that goes with a dot on the chart, you sim-ply need to note the dot’s coordinates, then look them up inthe full listings on the website, which are sorted by stiffness.

How to Find The Perfect StringTo help your customer, first find the current string they’replaying with on the full listing of strings on www.racquet-sportsindustry.com and note the specs for “stiffness” and“tension loss.” Go to the chart and find the dot that corre-sponds to those stiffness and tension loss coordinates.� If your customer generally is happy with their current string,dots in the same neighborhood (i.e., close vertical axes to theright or left) will likely play similarly (perhaps with betterdurability or cost).

� If your customer is looking to change, then move out of theneighborhood (i.e. vertical axes farther to the right or left).

� If your customer likes the feel of the current string but does-n’t think it holds tension well enough, choose a string fartherdown the same axis.A few other points to keep in mind:

� Stiffness, which is the horizontal axis, is the most importantfactor in string feel. On our chart, softer strings are to the left,stiffer strings are to the right.

� Strings that lose more tension are at the top; those that loseless tension are at the bottom.

� All strings on the same vertical line should feel about thesame, regardless of the tension.

� The amount of tension loss affects the consistency of thefeel. (“Consistency” is relative and depends on player sensi-tivity, string durability, and amount and style of play.)

� Strings at different locations on the same horizontal line will

B Y D A V I D B O N E

Our exclusive listing and chart will help your customers plot acourse to the perfect string for their game.Our exclusive listing and chart will help your customers plot acourse to the perfect string for their game.

Pacific Tough Gut 16L Natural Gut 1.20 83 7.52Pacific Tough Gut 15L Natural Gut 1.40 103 8.66Isospeed Professional 17 (Arm Protection) Polyolefin 1.25 151 15.35Isospeed Control 16 (Arm Protection) Polyolefin 1.27 158 15.61Babolat Xcel Power 17 Nylon 1.27 164 10.76Babolat Xcel 17 Nylon 1.26 169 10.72Tecnifibre TGV 17 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.27 169 14.69Head ETS 17 Nylon 1.25 170 14.00AM Sports High Speed Viper V4 Nylon 1.24 171 14.37Tecnifibre TGV 16 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.31 175 14.60Isospeed Energetic Speed 1.30 Polypropylene/Polyester 1.29 175 18.76Babolat Xcel 16 Nylon 1.29 176 9.66Tecnifibre Xr3 17 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.26 177 10.60Gamma Asterisk Tour 16 Nylon 1.31 178 19.95Gamma Asterisk Tour 17 Nylon 1.27 180 12.53Klip Excellerator 18 Nylon 1.22 181 15.26Head ETS 16 Nylon 1.32 182 13.16Tecnifibre Xr3 16 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.31 183 9.92Alpha Gut 2000 17 Nylon 1.29 183 11.46Kirschbaum Hybrix Power 1.25 (Cross) Nylon 1.23 184 13.06Kirschbaum Hybrix Spin 1.25 (Cross) Nylon 1.25 184 13.91Pacific Space Power TX 17 Nylon 1.25 188 16.54Isospeed Hybrid Long Life Nylon / Polyester 1.29 190 11.07Head FiberGEL Spin 16 Nylon 1.32 191 12.08Pacific Space Power TX 16 Nylon 1.32 194 16.65Kirschbaum Hybrix Power 1.30 (Cross) Nylon 1.31 195 12.39Prince Recoil 16 Nylon 1.30 195 15.95Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 16 Nylon 1.28 196 13.98Kirschbaum Touch MultiFibre 1.35 Nylon 1.34 197 13.87Babolat Addiction 16 Nylon 1.31 198 11.79Pro Supex Synthetic Gut Titan 17 Nylon 1.25 202 13.05Kirschbaum Profi Tour 1.25 Nylon 1.26 205 11.43Kirschbaum Profi Tour 1.30 Nylon 1.28 208 10.89Isospeed Pulse 1.20 Polyester 1.23 209 21.78AM Sports Pure Control Orange Polyester 1.25 210 22.25Pro Supex Synthetic Gut Titan 16 Nylon 1.28 211 12.94Carnelian Synthetic Gut 16L Nylon 1.32 212 12.92Pacific Dura Tech 16L Nylon / Aramid 1.27 214 13.12Gamma Zo Tour 16 Polyester 1.32 214 20.73Isospeed Pulse 1.30 Polyester 1.30 214 23.74Gamma TNT2 15L Nylon 1.33 218 10.69Pacific Poly Power Pro 17 Polyester 1.21 218 21.78Pro Supex Big Ace Micro 1.15 Polyester 1.20 219 19.34Pacific Poly Power Pro 16L Polyester 1.24 222 21.65

Unique Big Hitter Blue 18 Polyester 1.21 223 18.32Isospeed Hybrid Control Polyester 1.25 223 20.73Topspin Cyber Blue 1.20 Polyester 1.22 225 18.17Gamma Zo Tour 17 Polyester 1.29 225 18.94AM Sports Terminato V1 Polyester 1.27 225 24.50Pacific Poly Soft 16L Polyester 1.26 227 19.41Gamma Dura Spin 15L Nylon 1.41 230 10.23Pro Supex Premier Ace 1.20 Polyester 1.22 232 18.05Pacific Poly Power 17 Polyester 1.18 232 19.95Pro Supex Blue Gear 1.19 Polyester 1.19 232 20.53Gamma Dura Spin 15L w/Wearguard Nylon 1.31 233 11.00Topspin Cyber Blue 1.25 Polyester 1.24 233 15.66Unique Tourna Poly Premium 17 Polyester 1.27 233 21.80Isospeed Hybrid Spin Polyester 1.30 233 24.08Isospeed Pyramid Spin Polyester 1.30 233 24.50Kirschbaum Touch Turbo 1.275 Polyester 1.26 234 21.21Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Spin 127 Polyester 1.29 235 19.25Gamma Zo Tour Rough 16 Polyester 1.29 235 20.52Topspin Cyber Flash 1.20 Polyester 1.20 236 17.47Prince Tournament Poly 16 Polyester 1.29 236 24.17Unique Big Hitter Blue 16 Polyester 1.29 238 17.88Unique Tourna Poly Premium 16 Polyester 1.29 239 20.25Luxilon Big Banger TIMO 122 Polyester 1.20 240 14.07Pro Supex Blue Gear 1.19 (Platinum Edition) Polyester 1.19 240 17.60Kirschbaum Hybrix Power 1.25 (Main) Polyester 1.24 240 19.14Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.225 Polyester 1.23 243 19.74Topspin Cyber Blue 1.30 Polyester 1.31 246 20.38AM Sports Viper V2 Polyester 1.25 248 24.56Kirschbaum P2 1.225 Polyester 1.23 251 15.76Kirschbaum Hybrix Power 1.30 (Main) Polyester 1.31 251 19.16Topspin Cyber Blue 1.30 Polyester 1.29 254 17.13AM Sports Bionic V9 Polyester 1.23 255 17.09Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky 1.20 Polyester 1.22 256 19.97Kirschbaum Hybrix Spin 1.25 (Main) Polyester 1.26 256 22.02Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky 1.225 Polyester 1.23 257 14.58Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.275 Polyester 1.26 257 19.53Kirschbaum Hybrix Spin 1.30 (Main) Polyester 1.31 261 18.17Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky 1.30 Polyester 1.31 261 18.17AM Sports Super Pro V3 Polyester 1.24 263 19.49Pacific X Force 16L Polyester 1.32 264 14.33Pacific PolyForce 16L Polyester 1.26 267 19.03Rab Mono Flex 1.27 Polyester 1.26 274 16.09Pacific PolyForce 15L Polyester 1.35 274 19.05

Stiff- Tension Stiff- TensionCompany String Material Gauge ness Loss Company String Material Gauge ness Loss

(lb/in.) (lbs) (lb/in.) (lbs)


feel different from eachother.

� Stringbed power increas-es to the left. Stringbedcontrol increases to right.

� “Arm-friendly” strings areto the left.

� “Feedback” intensity(shock) increases to theright.

� To look up a hybrid com-bination, you must lookup each string separately.If it is a pre-packagedhybrid, most packagingindicates the name ofeach string.�

Test ProcedureAll strings in our test were tensionedto 62 pounds and allowed to sit for200 seconds. Then the string was hitfive times with a force equivalent tohitting a 120 mph serve. The tensionloss represents the amount of therelaxation over both time andimpact.The stiffness value is a calculation

derived from the amount of force cre-ated at impact to stretch the string.Lower values represent softer stingsand lower impact forces. Higher val-ues represent stiffer strings and high-er impact forces.

New Strings (Sorted by Stiffness)This listing of 87 strings shows the latest product available and doesn’t include the vastmajority of strings on the market today. For the complete listing of nearly 600 strings thatyour customers can choose from, visit our website. Then use that complete listing, combinedwith our charts both here and on the website, to find the perfect string for your players.

The Wilson/Luxilon Stringing Team brings together some of theworld’s best stringers.

Huge pro tournaments like the US Open in New York andthe Sony Ericsson Open in Miami feature plenty of on-court tension, intensity and drama, thanks to the racquet

wizardry of stars like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and SerenaWilliams.

But the tour’s top pros aren’t the only ones performing magicwith a racquet during these events. Well within earshot of thebuzz of stadium court, the Wilson/Luxilon Stringing Team—anelite group of highly skilled and internationally diverse stringingprofessionals—work each frame like a violin, albeit with far lessfanfare, anonymously shut away from the eyes of the public.

Mixing myriad combinations of string and tension, along withany special customization requests—sometimes for up to 20hours at a stretch—is the order of the day. It all adds up to anoften exhausting yet intensely fulfilling and even exhilaratingday.

“Everything we do is thought out to the last detail,” saysRoman Prokes of RPNY Tennis,which partnered with Wilson on theStringing Team. Prokes oversees andadministers the training of teammembers.

“We’ve standardized absolutelyeverything,” he says. “There are a lotof good stringers out there and a lotof good ways to do things. We set outto hire the best people available and,with Wilson, to create manuals and

procedures covering everything from special patterns, to a codeof conduct, to a dress code. When stringers join the team, theyhave to basically agree with our philosophy. That means every-one is going to work the same.”

The 15 or so team members undergo training through RPNY.

“Everything is kept to a high standard,” says Prokes.Wilson created special software for the Stringing Team that

makes it easy for players to drop off a racquet. “We have ittimed,” says Prokes. “The first time you drop off a racquet, youwon’t spend more than two minuteswith us. Then, every other time, notmore than 30 seconds.”

When a racquet comes in, the soft-ware creates an information label, real-ly an individual work order, based onwhat the player wants done. After thestringer reads the work order thatcomes with each racquet, they beginby cutting out the old string. Then theythoroughly inspect each frame beforeit’s mounted on the machine. Theystring the frame, remove it, straighten the strings, stencil thestrings, and place the racquet in a plastic bag, then grab the nextframe and repeat. Each frame should be completed in about 25minutes—15 minutes for a mid-match emergency job.

“Once you get moving and get a few racquets under yourbelt, you get in the zone and just go,” says Tim Strawn of Base-line Racquet Sports in Roanoke, Va., a Wilson/Luxilon StringingTeam member since 2006.

The Wilson team’s statistical output is impressive. A whop-ping 2,726 racquets were strung by the team during the 2007 USOpen (including the qualifying tournament). During opening dayat this year’s Sony Ericsson in Miami, the team cranked out morethan 150 frames in one day, with a team of eight stringers. Andthe day before the 2007 US Open main draw got under way, theWilson team (with all 12 team members) doubled that output to300 frames in a single day.

“That’s a lot of racquets,” agrees Brian Laumeyer, assistant


The Wilson/Luxilon Stringing Team brings together some of theworld’s best stringers. B Y M I T C H R U S T A D


“Everything we do

is thought out to

the last detail.

Everything is kept to

a high standard,”

says Roman Prokes.

“It is this standard-

ization process that

ensures quality and

consistency in every

string job,” says

Ron Rocchi.


product manager for Strings andGrips at Wilson. “In the begin-ning of the tournament thestringing room is a very popularplace to be, because pretty mucheveryone comes by every day todrop off racquets. The first cou-ple of days of any tournamentare crazy.”

As the tournament heats up,the Wilson/Luxilon team mustoperate as a well-oiled machine.To handle the overwhelmingdemand, harmony and cohe-siveness are non-negotiable.Having an even temperament ispart of the screening process.

Ron Rocchi, global tourequipment manager of RacquetSports for Wilson, founded theWilson/Luxilon Stringing Teamin 2004. He says the team doesabout 15 tournaments a year(the US Open and Sony Ericssonare the largest events), and thenumber of stringers varies withthe size of the event. Rocchiselects and supervises the team,comprised of top stringers fromaround the world, includingJapan, Croatia, China, Russia,the U.S. and Australia. Theteam’s training sessions areintense and absolutely essential,says Rocchi.

“All the stringers follow anextremely standardized formaton every racquet,” he says. “It isthis standardization process thatensures quality and consistency in every string job. This is criti-cal to the overall success of the event.”

Regular “customers” run the rankings gamut, from theWilliams sisters, Rafael Nadal, James Blake and David Ferrerright down to doubles specialists and qualifiers. In fact, mostplayers at these events use the Wilson/Luxilon Stringing Team (a

handful of players such as RogerFederer use their own privatestringers), often personally drop-ping off their racquets.

“The majority of the players areusing our service at these events,”says Laumeyer. “The myth might beout there that all the top players areusing their own personal stringers,but that’s not necessarily true.”

Though virtually every ATP andWTA tournament offers on-sitestringing services, the Wilsonteam’s operation is mammoth.Every player who’s ever used theWilson team’s services—they’re notrequired to be a Wilson player oreven use Wilson products—hastheir stringing history entered into adatabase, which includes everythingfrom type of string, tension, hybridinformation, any customizationrequests, etc. When players walk upto the reception desk, they simplyscan their badge and all their string-ing data pops up on the screen.

Prioritization is essential, saysJoel Disbro, Wilson’s tour stringingmanager. “Every player is assignedto one stringer, so for the durationof the tournament, that player’s rac-quets are being strung on the samemachine, by the same stringer,”he says.

“The stringers need to prioritizetheir frames based on the scheduleof play for the day. You don’t wantto be working on the racquet of aplayer whose match is at 5 p.m.

when another player is scheduled at noon.”The hours are long and the workload always challenging, but

the team’s efforts pay comprehensive dividends, says Rocchi.“Stringing at a tournament showcases our total brand

strength and tour position,” he says, “as well as offering the high-est quality products and service to touring professionals.” �

US Open Stringing LogHere are what some of the top players are using in their racquets. (Information provided by Wilson, from the 2007 US Open.)Player Racquet Main String Cross String TensionRoger Federer Wilson [K] 6.1 Tour Wilson Natural Gut Luxilon Alu Power Rough 46/43 lbs.James Blake Dunlop AeroGel 200 Luxilon Alu Power Luxilon Alu Power 68 lbs.Rafael Nadal Babolat Aero Pro Drive Cortex Babolat Duralast Babolat Duralast 55 lbs.Jo-Wilfred Tsonga Wilson [K] Blade Tour Luxilon Alu Power Luxilon Alu Power 57 lbs.Paul-Henri Mathieu Wilson [K] Blade 98 Luxilon Alu Power Luxilon Alu Power 63 lbs.Serena Williams Wilson [K] Blade Team Wilson Natural Gut Wilson Natural Gut 64 lbs.Venus Williams Wilson [K] Blade Team Wilson Natural Gut Wilson Natural Gut 68 lbs.Dinara Safina Babolat Aero Storm Luxilon Alu Power Rough Luxilon Alu Power Rough 62 lbs.Svetlana Kuznetsova Head Extreme Pro Luxilon Supersense Luxilon Alu Power 57/55 lbs.Jelena Jankovic Prince Speedport White Luxilon Alu Power Natural Gut 70/68 lbs.

Wilson/Luxilon StringingRoom at the 2007 US Open


string PLAYTEST

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 0somewhat easier 5about as easy 18not quite as easy 14not nearly as easy 2

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 0somewhat better 5about as playable 17not quite as playable 16not nearly as playable 0

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 4somewhat better 22about as durable 12not quite as durable 0not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.1Durability (11th overall) 4.3Power 3.3Control (19th overall) 3.7Comfort 3.0Touch/Feel 2.8Spin Potential (19th overall) 3.5Holding Tension 3.4Resistance to Movement (16th overall) 3.9

Gamma Zo Tour is a “multifilament”

polyester string that is made of six PET

(polyethylene terephthalate) monofila-

ments surrounded by Gamma’s Zo ener-

gy core material. Gamma tells us that

this unique construction gives Zo Tour a

softer, more forgiving feel than other

polys, without sacrificing other charac-

teristics that have made polys so

popular.According to Gamma, Zo Tour is

designed for players who prefer maximumcontrol, a firm, ultra crisp feel, ultimatecomfort, and greater durability.

Zo Tour is available in 16 gauge (1.30mm) and 17 gauge (1.25 mm) in orangeonly. It is priced from $16 per set of 40feet, and $264 for reels of 660 feet. Formore information or to order, contactGamma at 800-333-0337, or visitwww.gammasports.com. Be sure to readthe conclusion for more informationabout getting a free set to try for yourself.

IN THE LABWe tested the 16 gauge Zo Tour. The coilmeasured 40 feet. The diameter measured1.31-1.33 mm prior to stringing, and1.26-1.27 mm after stringing. We record-ed a stringbed stiffness of 75 RDC unitsimmediately after stringing at 60 poundsin a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pat-tern) on a constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 65 RDC units, repre-senting a 13 percent tension loss. Ourcontrol string, Prince Synthetic Gut Origi-nal Gold 16, measured 78 RDC unitsimmediately after stringing and 71 RDCunits after 24 hours, representing a 9 per-cent tension loss. Zo Tour added 18 gramsto the weight of our unstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeksby 39 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP rat-ings from 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind tests,with playtesters receiving unmarkedstrings in unmarked packages. Averagenumber of hours playtested was 25.9.

Zo Tour feels thick and substantial, butinstallation is similar to that of other polys.

One playtester broke his sample dur-ing stringing, nine reported problems withcoil memory, five reported problems tyingknots, and none reported friction burn.

ON THE COURTGamma Zo Tour did well with our playtestteam, garnering four top-twenty placingsof the 124 playtests we’ve published todate. The Durability rating was 11th over-all, Resistance to Movement was 16thoverall, and Control and Spin Potentialwere each 19th overall. In addition, ourteam scored Zo Tour well above averagein Tension Retention. On the strength ofthese five great scores, overall Zo Tourcame out well above average.

Two playtestersbroke the sample during testing, one atthree hours and one at 14 hours.

CONCLUSIONEven though the scores given Gamma ZoTour by our playtest team are impressive,their comments are overwhelmingly posi-tive. Thirty-two of 38 playtesters hadgreat things to say about Zo Tour, withmany of the observations touching onthe same themes of durability, power,control, spin, and tension maintenance.

If you think that Gamma Zo Tourmight be for you, fill out the coupon toget a free set to try. If you want to stockZo Tour, Gamma is offering a consumerpromotion of a free Zo Tour Hat withstring purchase. Seewww.gammsports.com for details.

—Greg Raven �

Gamma Zo Tour 16

FREE PLAYTESTSTRING PROGRAMGamma will send a free set ofZo Tour to the first 500 USRSAmembers who cut out (or copy)this coupon and mail it to:

USRSA, A330 Main Street, Vista,CA 92084

or fax to 760-536-1171, or emailthe info below to stringsam-

[email protected]

Offer expires 15 September 2008Offer only available to USRSA members

in the US.

Name:USRSA Member number:Phone:Email:If you print your email clearly, we will notify

you when your sample will be sent.

USRSA, Attn: Gamma String Offer,330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

or fax to 760-536-1171,or email the info below to

[email protected]


“ Incredible control and spin. Impressivecomfort for a polyester. Topspin players willlove this as the spin seems to be extra heavy.The ball comes down very hard. Big baselineswings unlock more than enough power. Theharder I swing, the better it feels. Tensionmaintenance is great. I did not notice thetypical polyester tension loss. I intend tostock this string.” 4.5 male all-court playerusing Babolat Pure Drive Roddick strung at62 pounds LO (Babolat Pro Hurricane 16)

“ The combination of power and spin givethis string the “wow” factor. Usually poly-ester goes dead fairly quickly, but this stringretains its playability, feel, and pop for a longtime. This is perfect for people who are tiredof their stringbed going dead after a week ofplay.” 6.0 male all-court player using Wil-son KPro Tour strung at 60 pounds CP (Babo-lat Ballistic Polymono 16)

“ This string has an incredible combinationof comfort and control. I have to keep check-ing to make sure I’m playing with polyester.Unlike with most durability strings, compactstrokes are not punished with a deadresponse. This is a very user-friendly string.

TESTERS TALKControlling the ball’s height and depth is acinch.” 3.5 male serve-and-volley player usingPrince O3 Red MP strung at 60 pounds LO(Gamma Live Wire XP 17)

“ This string inspired me to hit with more top-spin. The bite is phenomenal and the comfort isexceptional for the breed. It has more controlthan any string I’ve tested. After 26 hours, itshows no signs of wear. If I had to play withpolyester, I would play with this.” 3.5 malebaseliner with moderate spin using Head Metal-lix 2 strung at 56 pounds CP (Gamma Asterisk16)

“ This string has some nice pop. It seems tosnap back hard and return extra energy to theball. The added bite makes this a topspinweapon.” 5.5 male all-court player using Wil-son nSix One Tour strung at 57 pounds LO (Ash-away Crossfire 17)

“ Polyester strings have come a long way. Thisstring is great for the advanced player lookingfor more durability, control and spin. It is alsogreat for intermediates concerned with powerand comfort. It has an impressive range offavorable qualities.” 6.0 male all-court player

using Tecnifibre T Feel 290 XL strung at 58pounds LO (Tecnifibre NRG2 16)

“ Polyester keeps getting better. The controland spin are excellent, but this string’s comfortis downright surprising. It is getting harder andharder for me to stick with nylon. I feel like Ican swing out with so much moreconfidence.” 5.5 male all-court player usingPrince O3 White MP strung at 63 pounds LO(Wilson NXT)

“ The response is crisp and comfortable. Thepower is a little low for my taste, so I findmyself swinging a little too fast. This createscontrol problems, especially on shots where Ido not have enough time to prepare.” 3.5male baseliner with moderate spin using HeadProtector MP strung at 56 pounds LO (WilsonSensation 17)

“ This string plays very stiff. This is not agreat string for those in search of comfort andtouch.” 5.5 male all-court player usingPrince O3 Tour MS strung at 56 pounds CP(Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 16)

For the rest of the tester comments, visitwww.racquetsportsindustry.com.

the EXPERTSask

HEAD CROSSBOW ANDAIRFLOW CB RACQUETS

IS THERE A SPECIAL WAY OFstringing the new Head CrossBowand Airflow CB racquets? I tried to

string one and the CrossBow came outwhen I was tensioning the fifth main.

LAST MONTH, WE PUBLISHED THEblanket statement that the crosses

on all Head racquets had to be strungfrom the head to the throat. With theHead CrossBow and Airflow CB racquets,though, Head has updated the stringinginstructions based on the type of stringingmachine being used. Due to the uniquedesign of these racquets, machines thatdo not have outside supports for theframe at 4 and 8 o’clock require a specialpattern to reduce the stress on the Cross-Bow itself. This is mainly needed on string-ing machines with two-point or four-point mounting systems. If these racquetsare strung conventionally on a machinewith two-point or four-point mounting,

the CrossBow throat piece may actuallycome out of the throat of the frame. If thishappens, the CrossBow can generally be re-installed without any significant damagehappening to the frame. However, youshould be able to avoid any possibility ofthis happening by following Head’s newupdated stringing instructions.

These detailed instructions can be foundon the USRSA website at www.racquettech.com/members/tocs/specials_toc.html. Theseinstructions will also be included in the Fall2008 version of the Stringer’s Digest.

Note that USRSA members received ane-mail about this issue as soon as we discov-ered it. If you are a USRSA member, makecertain that we have a good e-mail addressfor you so that you can receive importantnotifications such as this one.

BECOMINGA RACQUET DESIGNER

I JUST GRADUATED WITH A master’sdegree in mechanical engineering. Ihave been playing for more than 10

years and I also represented the universi-ty. I am now very keen on finding a jobin manufacturing or research and devel-opment of new tennis racquets. I havechecked major tennis manufacturerssuch as Babolat, Prince, and Wilson,however I cannot find employmentinformation on their websites.

FOR STARTERS, IF YOU’RE check-ing for tennis jobs on the web, you

should start at WorkInTennis.com, ratherthan the individual manufacturer web-sites.

If there’s nothing there, you’ll needto contact each company. Judging byyour list of manufacturers, it seems thatyou are willing to relocate. That beingthe case, call each manufacturer and geta hold of someone at the switchboardwho can tell you either 1) whom to con-tact about racquet design, or 2) whomto contact in personnel/humanresources. Be prepared to start at anentry-level position such as customer

Q

A


Q

Your Equipment Hotline

A


relations before being added to thedesign team.

While you’re going through thatprocess, try to meet as many people asyou can who are already in the industry.You need to start making contacts sothat people in the industry know whoyou are and what you can do. If youknow absolutely no one, you may also beable to gain some access through localsales reps. Contact the larger pro shops inyour area to see when the reps will be in,and then see if you can’t get your foot inthe door there. If you can, it might beworth your while to attend the 2008 GSSRacquet Stringers Symposium, October11-14, in Orlando, FL, which is presentedby the USRSA. One of the seminar lead-ers will be Ron Rocchi, Wilson SportingGoods Principle Designer for RacquetSports.

SWINGWEIGHTVS. AERODYNAMICS

I HAVE BEEN USING HEAD TAPE atthe throat of the racquet insteadof a dampener. The tape is 1-1/2”

wide. I use a piece on each side, pressedtogether. Most of my customers like it,although one said it slowed down hisswing. By creating wind resistance in theface of the frame, am I increasing swing-weight and throwing off his swing?

YOU ARE INCREASING THE swing-weight because you have added

mass between the tip of the racquet andthe “pivot point” of the racquet, which is10 cm up from the end of the butt cap.But it’s almost certain that neither theadded mass nor whatever small increasethere is in air resistance is enough tothrow off your customer’s swing.

We took a racquet and added twopieces of duct tape, 2x5.5 inches each(significantly bigger than what you’reusing), to the stringbed of a racquet nearthe throat, centered at 41.9 centimetersup from the end of the racquet. Thishuge (and illegal for play) tape dampeneradded only 2.5 grams to the total massof the racquet, and increased the swing-weight by 3 kg•cm2, which is exactlywhat you would expect when adding 2.5grams at that location. In other words,there was no unexplained difference inswingweight, as there would be if theincrease in air resistance was so large thatit changed the swingweight measure-

ment. Also, when compared in a blindtest against an identical racquet withoutthe tape dampener, our tester couldn’tfeel or hear any difference when swing-ing the two racquets.

A racquet with a low swingweight buthigh air resistance will be easy to acceler-ate from a dead stop, while a racquetwith a high swingweight and low airresistance will be difficult to acceleratefrom a dead stop. Obviously, if you makethe air resistance high enough, the rac-quet will be more difficult to swing. How-ever, swingweight is a linear resistance,while air resistance increases with racquethead speed. Any aerodynamic differencedue to your added tape is only going to

be an issue at higher swing speeds, espe-cially so given the fact that you are plac-ing the tape so low on the racquet face.

So, it’s likely that your customer isn’tactually feeling the air resistance or theincrease in swingweight. But if your cus-tomer believes there is a difference, it isunlikely that you will be able to convincehim otherwise. The good news is that youcan always switch him back to a tradition-al dampener.

—Greg Raven �

We welcome your questions. Please send them to

Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA,

92084; fax: 760-536-1171; email:

[email protected].

Q

A

STRING AWLWhen faced with a particularly stubbornblocking string, I take a small piece of verystiff string (such as Wilson Enduro Gold orZo Pro) and thread it through from theopposite direction I want to go with my"real" string. Once it comes through, Imatch up the end of the scrap string withthe real string, and push gently toward thedirection I need to go (effectively "pushing"the scrap string back through). Because thescrap has opened up a "window" for thereal string, I find that the real string goesthrough easily.5 sets of Prince Synthetic Gut withDuraflex 16 to:Diane Hamm-Vida, Shallotte, NC

EARLY PREPARATIONIn my shop, we prepare all the racquets thatare to be strung before we start the actualstringing. We cut out the old string, get thestringing instructions, and then measure thenew string to each racquet. The string andstringing instructions are then attached to

and TECHNIQUES

TIP YOUR CUSTOMERSI put tips on the back of my stringingbusiness cards as well as in the signatureblock of emails. My customers havealways given me positive feedback on this— it keeps them "in the know" concern-ing their racquets and strings, and canalso serve to make stringing a little easierfor me. My favorite tips include:• DO NOT leave your racquets in thetrunk of your car when there areextremes in temperature! This will sig-nificantly degrade the life of yourstrings.

• DO cut the strings from your racquet inthe event you have used them longenough that a string breaks. Leavingthe strings in the racquet can causeuneven stress on your frame!

• DO try to avoid letting natural gut getwet. If you play outdoors, considerkeeping a spare racquet in your bagstrung with a synthetic string.

5 sets of Head FXP Control 16 to:Paul Rogers, Freehold, NJ


tips

the frame. For each machine we have, weselect the first racquet to be strung on thatmachine, mount the racquet, pre-lace thestring (that is, install the string without ten-sioning it), and set the reference tension.This approach does wonders for our produc-tivity. We often do this prep before we gohome for the night, but we’ve also come inearly to do it before the start of business.5 sets of Wilson NXT Duo to:Thomas L. d’Aquin, Biloxi, MS

MARKETINGGRIP REPLACEMENTYour article on gripping was great. It got methinking about when, or how often, gripsneed to be replaced.

Sometimes it is obvious when a cus-tomer’s grip needs to be replaced, but often,it is not. Most women, and many men, use alot of hand lotion, especially during the win-ter when the weather is dry. When a personuses a lot of lotion, the grip can become sat-urated. Often, the grip looks brand new, yetit has lost all its tackiness, and may even feel

Readers’ Know-How in Action


Tips and Techniques submitted since 2000 by USRSA mem-bers, and appearing in this column, have all been gatheredinto a single volume of the Stringer’s Digest—Racquet Ser-vice Techniques which is a benefit of USRSA membership.Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA92804; or email [email protected].

a little oily or greasy. On my initial inspec-tion of the racquet, while the customer isstill there, I ask the customer if he useshand lotion. When he’s amazed that Inotice his hands, I have to say, “It’s yourgrip. That’s why it’s not tacky anymore.”Nearly all are appreciative that I have dis-covered why the racquet has been slip-ping lately, even when it wasn’t hot andhumid. Most are more than happy to havetheir grips replaced.5 sets of Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 to:Steve Huff, Mechanicsville, VA

HOMEMADEBOOMERANG TOOL

Here is a tip for people who string PrinceO3 frames and do not have a boomerangtool. Get an eraser from Staples or anyoffice/art supply house (I prefer the San-ford Magic Rub) and trim one-third offlengthwise. (The more adventurous cantry to carve a boomerang out of the eras-er, and then rub any rough spots out).This will give you a soft brace to put intothe O-port to hold the string in place untilyou clamp off.5 sets of Dunlop Synthetic Gut 16 to:Larry Hackney, MRT, Union City, NJ

PULLING TWICEFOR TWICE THE FUNWhen stringing I try to make sure myactual tension is as close as possible to thereference tension. So I calibrate myGamma stringer at least every couplemonths or after a lot of use. Somethingelse I do (which I think helps get moreaccurate tensions) is when I pull tensionon the string (mains and crosses), I pull itonce until the brake lever clicks on, then Ipull back the brake lever, push the levercatch forward, and turn the handle untilthe brake lever clicks again.5 sets of Ashaway MonoGut 17 to:A.J. Apple, West Baden, IN

THE TROUBLE WITH TIE-OFFS!I recently took in a racquet for stringingwith a hybrid. After installing the mains Inoticed that this particular racquet didn'thave anywhere to tie off the crosses at

the throat, despite the Digest listing thatshowed two-piece instructions, including tie-off holes. After pondering my predicamentfor a moment, I used my grommet-grindingtool to remove the existing grommet wherethe tie-off hole should have been, popped ina larger individual tie-off grommet, andsaved my string job.5 sets of Babolat XCel Premium 16 to:Fred S. McWilliams, CS, Arlington, TX

Editor’s note: This will work, but if you’rethinking about grinding out a perfectlygood grommet, first try enlarging theexisting grommet with a waxed awl. This

way, you are no longer restricted tothose grommet barrels that don’talready have an anchor string in them(as would be the case if your anchorstring is one of the mains), becauseenlarging the barrel doesn’t damagethe anchor string. By enlarging thegrommet to admit the tie-off string,you leave the grommet strip intact.

—Greg Raven �

All For One?

There are a handful of topics that consis-tently and periodically appear in tenniseditorials. The most recent topic resur-

faces in “A United Front” by Bruce Levine(Your Serve, August). Essentially, Bruce suggestsit’s time the PTR and USPTA come together andform one organization.

I could end this entire conversation withone simple statement: USPTA couldn’tagree more. However, that would not endthe curiosity as to why it is not happening.

Merging the two pro organizations isnot a novel idea—especially to the officialsof both groups. In 1980 and 1990 wewere involved in two serious negotiationsto merge. Since I was president of USPTAin 1980, I blame myself for the failure ofour first attempt at unification. While therewere still a few loose ends, Dennis van derMeer and I had negotiated what we boththought was a fair agreement. As presi-dent, it was my job to chair USPTA’s 45-person Executive Committee, which meetsannually to ratify decisions of this magni-tude that are recommended to them byour Board of Directors. I was overconfidentof receiving the committee’s approval andfailed to do the necessary lobbying for sup-port of the concept ahead of time. Ourassociation still had enough “old-school”members on the committee and it was the“loose ends” that tripped up the merger.

I assume Dennis lost a certain amountof trust in USPTA and it was not until 1990that we again tried to negotiate a merger.Rod Dulany, USPTA president at the time,and I made several trips to Hilton HeadIsland to talk with Dennis, and we also dis-cussed possible merger scenarios at otherindustry events. This time we paid muchgreater attention to “the loose ends” andgetting through them was not a matter ofwill but in some cases a matter of law. Oneof the major stumbling blocks was that inorder to dissolve a 501 (c) (6) trade associa-tion, you must get the vote of 66 percentof the membership. We knew it wouldtake a Herculean effort to achieve this.After more than two years of negotiating,we mutually agreed to walk away from thetable for a while.

In the last 12 months, Ron Woods,Harry Gilbert (immediate past and currentpresidents) and our entire board havesteadily increased our efforts to merge theassociations. We have confidentiallyrevealed this interest to upper managementof USTA and TIA. In fact, nearly a year ago,we held a meeting with the executiveboard of TIA and asked them to assist inany way possible to broker a meetingbetween our officials and PTR’s. We alsoasked a common friend, Jim Loehr, who isa special friend of Dennis and Pat van derMeer, to express our sincerity on this mat-ter and explain our deep desire to honorDennis’ body of work. We are waiting forthe answer.

You must realize how difficult it is tonegotiate mergers of this magnitude. Youmight also wonder why Bruce and mostother people did not know about the earli-er attempts at merging the USPTA and PTR.The simple answer is that, for obvious rea-sons, no successful agreement can ever benegotiated in public. The meddling andmicromanagement from those unfamiliarwith the inner workings of the companiesor legal complexities would create chaos.

USPTA continues to hope for a success-ful merger that will create one independentorganization run by teaching professionals,for teaching professionals.

The benefits of a merged association areobvious—better insurance, public relations,public knowledge of teaching professionals,unified delivery force to assist industry pro-grams and much more by virtue of size andstrength of a unified voice.

Without the benefit of research, Brucehad some assessments in his article thatperhaps should be clarified a little further.He said USPTA is “more serious about itsbusiness.” I believe he meant this as a com-pliment; however, there are those whothink USPTA should be more of a club andthey occasionally become critical of ourbusiness approach to the tennis industry.

USPTA, while not a union, is a tradeassociation that will fight vigorously forthings that benefit its members andenhance their livelihoods, as well as the

B Y T I M H E C K L E R , C E O , U S P T A

Your Serve

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


The head of the USPTA says his organization supportsforming one teaching pro group with the PTR.

livelihoods of all tennis professionals. This isvery simply what trade associations are sup-posed to do. In this process, our democraticboard of directors must occasionally say“no” and in these rare circumstances weearn a reputation for being protective or“businesslike.” Regardless, we’re proud todefend all tennis professionals and theirroles in our industry.

An unfortunate misstatement in the arti-cle is that USTA probably had great resis-tance from USPTA when it developed itsRecreational Coach program. The fact isthat USPTA is USTA’s strongest partner inthe Recreational Coach and High Perfor-mance Coach programs. We have formalagreements with USTA to fully support bothof these systems, providing USTA recom-mends that all participants join one of therespective trade associations and that all cer-tification be done by the pro associations.USTA has agreed to do this. USPTA has acategory of membership specifically forgraduates of these programs. Likewise, weare proud to have been a very importantand cooperative delivery force for everyUSTA program including Junior Team Ten-nis, Tennis Welcome Centers, Cardio Tennisand now QuickStart Tennis Play Format.

It’s more than fair to say that our part-nership with USTA and the industry hasplayed an important role in tennis gainingmore than 2 million new players in the pasttwo years.

After clearing up the myths in BruceLevine’s article, I would like to clarify onemore myth. It has often been implied thatDennis van der Meer and Tim Heckler donot like each other. Nothing could be fur-ther from the truth. While I have never beenenthralled with having two teaching associ-ations in the U.S., I have known andrespected Dennis since boyhood, when Ifirst took a tennis lesson from him at age 9.I wish him only the best as an individual andwould welcome any opportunity to meetwith him, Pat and our respective board rep-resentatives to discuss ways of merging thetwo associations. �

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200809 Racquet Sports Industry