200901 Racquet Sports Industry

January 2009Volume 37 Number 1 $5.00www.racquetsportsindustry.com

CHAMPIONSOF TENNIS2008Our annual awardshonor those whocontinue to make thissport a winnerDave Haggerty • Boar’s Head Sports Club •Nate Ferguson • Boston Tennis CourtConstruction Co. • Jim Haneklau • Sport Chalet •Tennis & Golf Co. • Chuck Kuhle • Sue Jollensten •Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex • Michael Mercier •Roswell Park & Rec • Lee County Tennis Association •Jorge Andrew • Tom Sweitzer • Sue Bordainick •Pacif ic Northwest

CHAMPIONSOF TENNIS2008Our annual awardshonor those whocontinue to make thissport a winnerDave Haggerty • Boar’s Head Sports Club •Nate Ferguson • Boston Tennis CourtConstruction Co. • Jim Haneklau • Sport Chalet •Tennis & Golf Co. • Chuck Kuhle • Sue Jollensten •Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex • Michael Mercier •Roswell Park & Rec • Lee County Tennis Association •Jorge Andrew • Tom Sweitzer • Sue Bordainick •Pacif ic Northwest

ADVERTORIAL

ContentsContents

DEPARTMENTS

R S I J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 “Tennis Night” to featureyouth registration,WTA showdown

7 Arlen Kantarian toleave USTA

7 PTR Symposium setfor February

8 Lucy Garvin namedUSTA president

8 USPTA offers online“Practice Planner” tool

8 QuickStart tipsoffered online

9 USTA, ITA announcecampus coach winners

9 PBI presents awardsat annual meeting

10 Prince names Rob Grownew director of apparel

13 Babolat announcespromotion, new hires

15 Athco to produceDunlop apparel

16 Klip America is worldwidelicensee for Volkl

16 Pacific is stringer forMasters Cup in Shanghai

4 Our Serve

7 Industry News

17 Letters

18 TIA News & Updates

20 The Mental Game

42 String Playtest: Wilson [K] Gut Pro 16

44 Tips and Techniques

46 Ask the Experts

48 Your Serve, by Mark McMahon

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2009

23 USRSA Members’ Choice AwardsOur exclusive rankings, based onresponses by USRSA members, will helpyou pick the right strings for your shop.

38 How to Become the Perfect ManagerNew economic challenges are puttingmanagers to the test.

40 Mature OutlookPackage tennis to meet all the needs ofthe over-50 player, and you’ll meet yourbottom-line needs, too.

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

28 Person of the YearDave Haggerty

30 Private Facility of the YearBoar’s Head Sports Club

30 Stringer of the YearNate Ferguson

31 Builder/Contractor of the YearBoston Tennis Court Construction Co.

31 Sales Rep of the YearJim Haneklau

32 Chain Retailer/Mass Merchantof the YearSport Chalet

32 Pro/Specialty Retailer of the YearTennis & Golf Co.

33 Junior Development Championof the YearChuck Kuhle

33 Grassroots Champion of the YearSue Jollensten

34 Municipal Facility of the YearSurprise Tennis & Racquet Complex

34 Wheelchair Tennis Championof the YearMichael Mercier

35 Public Park of the YearRoswell Park & Rec

35 Community Tennis Associationof the YearLee County Tennis Assn.

36 PTR Member of the YearJorge Andrew

36 USPTA Member of the YearTom Sweitzer

37 High School Coach of the YearSue Bordainick

37 USTA Section of the YearPacific Northwest

2008 CHAMPIONS OF TENNISOur annual awards honor the people, businessesand organizations that are making a differencein the tennis industry.

FEATURES

arly in November, I ran into the person who brought meinto the tennis business. Alexander McNab was the edi-tor of Tennis Magazine in 1987, when he hired me as

an associate editor.My tennis experience at that time was minimal but, thankfully, Alex

took a chance on me. A lifelong tennis player and fan, he guided methrough the intricacies of the sport and of the industry, and—whetherhe realized it or not—fostered a love of the game that continues today.When I saw Alex, I mentioned what I was doing in the industry, andthat I was very thankful that he had brought me into this business.

As fate would have it, a week after seeing Alex, my more than 20-year career with Tennis Magazine abruptly ended. (My full-time job inthe last few years was to head up a division that worked with the USTAto produce USTA Magazine. But declining budgets led to a reduction infrequency of USTA Magazine, which led Tennis to shut down our divi-sion. Thankfully, though, this doesn’t affect my role with RSI.)

When he heard the news, Alex was one of the first to call andexpress his concern, something I truly appreciated. And I realizedsomething else. Certainly for me, Alex has been a true champion oftennis.

In this issue, we honor our Champions of Tennis award winners. Andas I’ve said in the past, while we only mention a handful of people inthese pages, there are probably thousands of others out there, like Alex,who can be considered real “champions” to others in this industry. Itcould be a coach, teaching pro, tennis director, business executive, orother mentor—chances are we all can point to someone who broughtus in, made us feel welcome, showed us the ropes, and helped us devel-op a passion for this sport.

Whenever I talk about our Champions of Tennis awards, I always saythat they “honor the unsung heroes” of this sport. Especially now, asthe economy continues to slide and confidence in business continues togo south, it’s important that we all do what we can to honor those whobrought us into this sport that we love, and helped us to make a livingat something that, for many of us, we may not actually consider“work.”

But even more than that, it’s important that all of us become men-tors to others who want to get into this sport, or maybe who need a lit-tle convincing that this sport is for them. We need to spread the tennisword, and—like Alex McNab—each of us needs to be a “champion” tosomeone else.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

Our ServeBe a Tennis Champion

(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

330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171

Email: [email protected]: www.racquetTECH.com

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

Advertising DirectorJohn Hanna

770-650-1102, [email protected]

Apparel AdvertisingCynthia Sherman203-263-5243

[email protected]

Racquet Sports Industry is published 10 times per

year: monthly January through August and com-

bined issues in September/October and Novem-

ber/December by Tennis Industry and USRSA, 330

Main St., Vista, CA 92084. Application to Mail at

Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Vista, CA and

additional mailing offices. January 2009, Volume 37,

Number 1 © 2009 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All

rights reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and

logo are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A.

Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circu-

lation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscrip-

tions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER:

Send address changes to Racquet Sports Industry,

330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.


E

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


INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSI 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

The USTA is planning its first-ever National Youth Registration Night for Monday,March 2, which will be billed as “Tennis Night in America” and will culminate in the“BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup,” a one-night single-elimination

event that will bring together four of the world’s best women players. The pro event willbe at Madison Square Garden in New York and televised live on HBO starting at 7:30 p.m.

The USTA says Tennis Night in America will be among the largest grassroots initia-tives the sport has ever seen. On that night, kids and teenagers across the country canbegin signing up for spring and summer USTA league play.

Also, in conjunction with the BNP Paribas Showdown, the USTA will kick off itssearch for “America’s Best Tennis Town,” which will include a nationwide search for themost passionate tennis town in the U.S. The announcement of the winner will be madeat the 2009 US Open in August.

The four pros vying for the BJK Cup will be 2008 Grand Slam Champions SerenaWilliams, Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic, and World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic. Each par-ticipant will compete in a one-set, no-ad scoring semifinal, with the winners advancingto a best-of-three-set final (regular scoring) for the Billie Jean King Cup.

“Our core mission is to grow the sport of tennis throughout the United States,” saysUSTA Executive Director and COO Gordon Smith. “An exciting event such as this, fea-turing four of the most dynamic players in the game in one of the most revered venuesin the world, is a wonderful opportunity to not only galvanize our fans, but to attract somany more to this great sport.”

Tickets for the pro “showdown” range from $50 to $1,000 and can be purchasedonline at www.thegarden.com or at Ticketmaster. The $1.2 million event is producedby StarGames in association with Madison Square Garden and will benefit the DreamVaccines Foundation and Women's Sports Foundation.

Kantarian to Leave USTA

Arlen Kantarian, CEO of Professional Tennisfor the USTA, is stepping down at the end of2008, after spearheading nine years ofrecord growth for the USTA and the USOpen. The former NFL and Radio City execu-tive joined the USTA in March 2000 in thenewly created position of Chief Executive,Professional Tennis.

Under his leadership, the US Open becamethe highest attended annual sporting eventin the work, with revenue increasing morethan 80 percent and attendance settingrecords every year. In addition, he developedand launched the Olympus US Open Series,which links 10 summer North American tour-naments in a lead-up to the US Open.

While there’s no denying his impact on theprofessional game in the U.S., it was widelyknown that Kantarian’s contract, unlessrenewed by the USTA, was set to expire atthe end of 2008. Kantarian announced hewas leaving the USTA in a statement at theend of October.

Kantarian has brought several other innova-tions to the sport, including the introductionof instant replay with player challenges, theprime-time US Open Finals, live entertain-ment, and the transformation from green toblue courts – now being embraced byschools and parks across the country. UnderKantarian’s leadership, the USTA securednew television deals with CBS, ESPN, andTennis Channel which will provide anunprecedented 400 hours of live televisioncoverage in the U.S. next summer.

PTR International Symposium Set for February

The PTR will hold its annual International Tennis Symposium& $25,000 Championships from Feb. 14 to 20 at PTR Head-quarters on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The Symposium

attracts nearly 1,000 tennis teachers and coaches from morethan 50 countries.

More than 50 presenters will conduct classroom and on-court presentations, including Leo Alonso, Mike Barrell, Bob Bigelow, Doug Cash, LisaDuncan, Pat Etcheberry, Dick Gould, Laury Hammel, Don Henson, Whitney Kraft, Dr.Jim Loehr, Anne Pankhurst and Lenny Scheuermann. Topics will range from tennis busi-ness to tactics to injury prevention and treatments. There also will be a special highschool coaches’ series held over President’s Weekend.

The Symposium also offers a Tennis Trade Show where 45-plus organizations andcompanies, such as, Gamma, Head/Penn and Playmate, exhibit their new product lines,latest technologies and services. For information and registration, visitwww.ptrtennis.org.

‘Tennis Night’ to FeatureYouth Registration, WTA Showdown

R S I J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9

January 2009 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7www.racquetsportsindustry.com


GSS Symposium DrawsStringers from 7 Countries

The 2008 Grand Slam Stringers Symposiumpresented by the USRSA was held in Orlando

in October, tripling attendance from the inau-gural event last year and drawing stringers from the U.S.,Canada, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Great Britain, France and Spain.

“Feedback has been extremely positive,” says symposiumorganizer Tim Strawn. “Vendor participation in the trade showwas phenomenal. Many symposium attendees have alreadycommented that they plan to return next year.” The 2008event was held at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., and Strawnhopes to return in 2009.

Seminar leaders included Dave Bone, Mark Gonzales, JohnGugel, Ron Rocchi, Richard Parnell, Bob Patterson, BrianLaumeyer, Jeff Davies, John Elliot and Strawn.

Visit www.grandslamstringers .com for information.

Lucy Garvin to be Next USTA President

Lucy Garvin of Greenville, S.C.,will be the next USTA chair-

man of the board and presi-dent, serving a two-year termbeginning Jan. 1. Garvin, whocompletes a two-year term asfirst vice president, is a long-time volunteer who has dedicat-ed more than 30 years togrowing the sport of tennis inlocal communities around thecountry.

In addition, the USTA Nomi-nating Committee announcedthe following slate for USTA

Officers for 2009-10: Jonathan Vegosen (Midwest Section) asfirst vice president; Joseph A. Grover (Mid-Atlantic Section) asvice president; David A. Haggerty (Middle States Section) asvice president; and Donald L. Tisdel (Pacific Northwest Sec-tion) as secretary-treasurer.

Nominated for director-at-large positions on the USTABoard are: Karin J. Buchholz (Eastern Section), Steven K.Champlin (Northern Section), Hon. David N. Dinkins (EasternSection), Walter E. Massey (Midwest Section), Pamela J. Sloan(Northern California Section), Carol J. Welder (Texas Section),Katrina M. Adams (Eastern Section), Patrick J. Galbraith (Pacif-ic Northwest) and Tommy Ho (Texas Section).

USPTA Offers Online‘Practice Planner’ Tool

The USPTA is now offering an online Prac-tice Planner tool to assist members in build-

ing individualized practice and lesson plans.Users can take advantage of several pre-designed plans or start their own plans from scratch.

The planner has two user modes: Wizard and Expert. Wizard,which is recommended for new users, includes a step-by-step,one-question-per-page process in which you are asked to answerquestions and select drills to build your practice plan. The Expertmode lets you build your practice plan quickly with a series ofselection boxes for length of practice, type of activity, drill cate-gory, drill type, length of time per activity and more.

USPTA members can go to http://planner.uspta.com or go toTeaching tools in the USPTA members-only Career Center at ben-efits.uspta.com. Members can register for free with their lastname and member number.

Racquet Network Expands into U.S.

Racquet Network (www.racquetnetwork.com), a social net-work for adult racquet sports players and instructors, is

now accepting members from the U.S. and Australia. "Fiveyears ago we started out as a network of two Canadian squashplayers,” says founder Brent Johner. “Now we include allmajor racquet sports and we have members on fourcontinents."

The recent downturn in the American economy has cre-ated ideal conditions for Racquet Network's expansion intothe U.S., says Johner. "When consumers face economic dif-ficulties, extras like club and gym memberships are the firstthings to go. Racquet Network allows people in these cir-cumstances to continue playing racquet sports until they canget back on their feet and go home to their clubs."

Racquet Network also helps instructors, clubs andleagues weather tough economic times, says Johner. "Wehave a proven track record in the racquet sports industry.We can help fill holes in leagues and top up lessons and pro-grams. Working within our network can help clubs andinstructors stay in business long enough to see the goodtimes return." For more information, email [email protected] or visit the website.


INDUSTRYNEW

SJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9

QuickStart Tennis Tips Offered Online

PlaySportsTV, an online youth sports resource for kids, par-ents and coaches, has developed a series of web-based

instructional videos for the QuickStart Tennis format for bring-ing tennis to children aged 10 and under.

PlaySportsTV specializes in developing original instruction-al and coaching videos. The aim is to bring tennis down to sizefor kids, parents and youth coaches, through the productionand distribution of over 35 short-form videos that offer anintroduction to QST, the equipment, coaching advice, drills andgame tips.

PlaySportsTV teamed up with top tennis coaches AnneDavis and Kirk Anderson of the USTA to create the “How toPlay QuickStart Tennis” video library. The complete series ofvideos can be viewed free of charge at www.playsportstv.com/quickstarttennis.

January 2009 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9

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


USTA, ITA AnnounceCampus Coach Winners

Washington State University women's tennis coach LisaHart has been named the national winner of the

USTA/ITA Community Outreach Award and Bill Macom, thedirector of tennis, men's and women's tennis coach atFlorida Institute of Technology is the national winner of theUSTA/ITA Campus Recreation Award. Both coaches werehonored by the ITA and the USTA in December at the ITACoaches Convention in Naples, Fla.

This year's national winners were selected from agroup of USTA Sectional winners determined this fall (andlisted below). The Community Outreach Award honors ITAcoaches for contributions in developing community-basedtennis programs. The Campus Recreation Award honorscoaches who have done an outstanding job implementingrecreational tennis programs on campus. The awards pro-gram, which began in 2003, was open to more than 2,000ITA head and assistant coaches at the NCAA Divisions I, IIand III, NAIA and Junior/Community College levels.USTA/ITA Community Outreach Award—Sectional Winners� Florida: Chi Ly, Palm Beach Atlantic University� Hawaii Pacific: Stefan Pampulov, Hawaii Pacific University� Intermountain: Mark Tichenor, Boise State University� Northern California: Marc Weinstein, Mills College� Pacific Northwest: Lisa Hart, Washington State University� Southern: Bill Riddle, Cumberland University� Texas: Bobby Kleineckie, Texas A&M UniversityUSTA/ITA Campus Recreation Award—Sectional Winners� Florida: Bill Macom, Florida Institute of Technology� Intermountain: Michael Phillips, Montana State University� Mid-Atlantic: Marc Walters, West Virginia University� Missouri Valley: Chase Hodges, Drake University� New England: Chris Davis, Smith College� Texas: John Peterson, Tyler Jr. College

USTA National League Champions Named

The USTA recently held national championships for USTALeague Tennis in Indian Wells, Calif.; Tucson, Ariz.; and Las

Vegas. Winning national titles for 2008 are teams from thefollowing cities (USTA section in parentheses):5.0 Adult Women: Sacramento, Calif. (Northern California)5.0 Adult Men: Sacramento, Calif. (Northern California)4.5 Adult Women: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Midwest)4.5 Adult Men: Baton Rouge, La. (Southern)4.0 Adult Women: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Florida)4.0 Adult Men: Seattle, Wash. (Pacific Northwest)3.5 Adult Women: Sunnyvale, Calif. (Northern California)3.5 Adult Men: Guaynabo, Puerto Rico (Caribbean)3.0 Adult Women: Seattle, Wash. (Pacific Northwest)3.0 Adult Men: Columbia, Md. (Mid-Atlantic)2.5 Adult Women: Haverhill, Mass. (New England)2.5 Adult Men: Salt Lake City, Utah (Intermountain)4.5 Senior Women: Long Beach, Calif. (Southern California)4.5 Senior Men: Shreveport, La. (Southern)4.0 Senior Women: Clearwater, Fla. (Florida)4.0 Senior Men: Lancaster/Manheim, Pa. (Middle States)3.5 Senior Women: Nashville, Tenn. (Southern)3.5 Senior Men: Roswell, Ga. (Southern)3.0 Senior Women: Baltimore, Md. (Mid-Atlantic)3.0 Senior Men: Roswell, Ga. (Southern)

PBI Presents Awards at Annual Meeting

Peter Burwash International (PBI) recentlyheld its annual meeting at the Bio-Hotel

Stanglwirt in Tirol, Austria. The yearly meet-ing brings 90 PBI pros together from aroundthe globe for craft sharing and continuingeducation, with more than 10 hours of semi-nars and conferences daily. Topics focus onboth personal and professional development,ranging from coaching tour players and inno-vative teaching techniques to communica-tion and program marketing.

Senior PBI professionals conducted “PBI University” seminarscovering a variety of key areas, including: Putting Your Tennis Pro-gram on the Map, Creating Repeat Business, Hosting Events with ProPlayers, Improving Member/Guest Service, Technology and the Ten-nis Coach, Coaching Teams, Organizing a Tennis Carnival, and more.

Guest speakers from the tennis and hospitality industries includ-ed John Embree, president of Prince Americas. In addition, the fol-lowing awards were presented:� Professional of the Year: Eric Thorel (above, left, with Peter Burwash), tennis director atTokyo Lawn Tennis Club in Tokyo, Japan.

� Most Improved Professional: Adri Atkinson, tennis director at Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt inTirol, Austria.

� Rookie of the Year: Todd Kramer, head pro at Rancho Las Palmas in Rancho Mirage,Calif.

� Site of the Year: Kapalua at Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii.� Friend of the Year: Jim Sheridan of London, former senior partner with Goldman Sachs.

RSI Award Winner To Host Fed Cup

The USTA has chosen the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex inSurprise, Ariz.—RSI’s 2008 Municipal Facility of the Year award

winner (see page 34)—as the site for the 2009 Fed Cup by BNPParibas quarterfinal between the U.S. and Argentina, Feb. 7-8.

The complex, which will be hosting a Fed Cup event for thefirst time, currently hosts an annual USTA Pro Circuit women’sevent. It also received the 2008 USTA Outstanding Facility Award.The USTA will construct a temporary stadium at the complex forthe two-day, best-of-five-match quarterfinal.

“We are thrilled to choose a community that loves tennis,”says Mary Joe Fernandez, who will make her debut as the U.S.Fed Cup captain. “We are eager to start the 2009 Fed Cup cam-paign in front of an enthusiastic and patriotic crowd.” The U.S.has met Argentina three times in Fed Cup play, leading the series2-1. The U.S. is 33-3 in home Fed Cup ties.


Squash Star Uses New Ashaway Shoe

Ashaway has come out with the new AMPS 301 squashshoe, which quickly became the favorite for squash star

Natalie Grainger, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the U.S.and No. 4 on the women’s international tour. Graingerhelped evaluate the new line of Ashaway squash shoesintroduced in 2008.

The AMPS 301 is designed for both serious and recre-ational players. AMPS stands for Anatomic Multi-Perform-ance System, and the shoes are anatomically molded to the shape of the

human foot, says the company. The shoe supports thewhole foot, not just the ball and heel, increasing

comfort and stability and reducing footfatigue. Visit www.ashawayusa.com orcall 800-556-7260 for more information.


J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9IN

DUSTRYNEW

S Rob Grow Joins Princeas Director for USA ApparelPrince Sports has hired Robert Grow as its director forUSA apparel. Grow most recently was at Athco Inc.,

which was the North American apparel licensee for WilsonSporting goods.

At Prince, Grow will manage all U.S. apparel sales andmarketing initiatives, collaborating with Jane Gao, global business managerof apparel, bag and accessories, on product development and sourcing. Hewill report to John Embree, president of Prince Americas, and will be respon-sible for building upon the relaunch of Prince’s apparel business last yearwith the introduction of Aerotech.

“The introduction of Aerotech last year was the first step in establishingPrince as a major player in the category,” says Grow. “I look forward to build-ing upon that success and using it as a stepping-stone to introduce some trulyinnovative product.”

Grow was a ranked junior player, played on the satellite circuit for twoyears before attending Florida State University, and served as director of ten-nis operations at the Boca Grande Club in Florida throughout the 1990s. Hewill be based at Prince headquarters in Bordentown, N.J.

Collegians RepresentU.S. in France

The USTA and Intercollegiate Tennis Associa-tion selected six top American collegians to

represent the U.S. in the International Universi-ty Challenge of Tennis sponsored by BNPParibas. The event, in its third year, featureseight teams composed of college and universityplayers from around the world and was playedin early December in Poitiers, France.

The seven nations competing with the U.S.,which is competing for the first time, includeBelgium, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Mon-tenegro, Russia and Switzerland. Teams willcompete in a best-of-seven format consistingof two men’s and two women’s singles match-es, one men’s and one women’s doublesmatch, and one mixed-doubles match.

Representing the U.S. were: John Kauss,Gustavus Adolphus College; Nate Schnugg, Uni-versity of Georgia; Michael Venus, LouisianaState University; Amanda Fink, University ofSouthern California; Jennifer Kung, Universityof Chicago; and Kelcy McKenna, Arizona State.The team was coached by Michelle Dasso,head women’s tennis coach at the Universityof Illinois, and Paul Settles, head coach of theClaremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges men’s team.

The U.S. team was selected using the fol-lowing criteria: Top male and female Americanfinishers at the 2008 ITA All-American Cham-pionships, top male and female American fin-ishers at the 2008 ITA Small CollegeChampionships, and top male and femaleAmericans ranked in the 2008 ITA PreseasonDivision I Rankings.

Top-SellingTennis Stringsat SpecialtyStoresBy year-to-date dollars,January-September 20081. Prince

Synthetic Gut Duraflex2. Wilson

NXT3. Wilson

Sensation4. Prince

Lightning XX5. Luxilon

Alu Power

Top-Selling Racquetsat Specialty StoresBy year-to-date dollars, January-September 2008(average selling price)

Best-Sellers1. Babolat Aeropro Drive Cortex MP $1732. Babolat Pure Drive Cortex MP $1703. Wilson K Blade MP $1744. Prince O3 Speedport Black MP $1875. Wilson K SixOne 95 MS (16 x 18) $175“Hot New Racquets”(Introduced in the past 12 months)

1. Wilson K Blade MP $1742. Wilson K Blade Tour MS $1833. Prince O3 Speedport White MP $1864. Wilson K Pro Open MP $1685. Wilson K Tour MS $170

Tennis RacquetPerformanceSpecialty Stores,January-September, 2008 vs. 2007Units 2008 630,628

2007 634,317% Change vs. ’07 1%

Dollars 2008 $87,814,0002007 $87,842,000% Change vs. ’07 0%

Price 2008 $1392007 $138% Change vs. ’07 1%

Top-SellingTennis Shoes atSpecialty StoresBy year-to-date dollars,January-September 2008(average selling price)

1. AdidasBarricade V $102

2. NikeAir Breathe Free 2 $97

3. AdidasBarricade II $84

5. Nike Air BreatheCage II $98

5. Nike Air BreatheCage $90

(Source: TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys)


U S R S A N E W S


MEMBER CLASSIFIEDSFOR SALE: Tennis/Swim Club forSale in North Carolina. Profitable,excellent location, established mem-bership, [email protected].

FOR SALE: 1986 Babolat Star 3Stringing Machine Perfect workingorder! New tension dial, poten-tiometer and circuit board. Impec-cably maintained! $1500 plusshipping (FL) contact: [email protected]

Congratulations To the Following ForAchieving MRT & CS Status

New MRTsClint Laukhuf Lewisville, TXFrancisco E.P. Bruni Sao Paulo, BRAZILDimas Mendez Ponce, PUERTO RICOAndrea Oliveira do Amaral RdJ, BRAZILRichard Schumann Rockledge, FLChuck Hakansson Doraville, GABill Black Arcadia, CACathy Lehman Raleigh, NCCarmine Grimaldi Wayne, PADavid Yamane Winston-Salem, NCBrian Trinkle Alpharettta, GAAndrew Hurt Melbourne, FLEd Matheson Dunwoody, GAKazumichi Shinohara Cupertino, CAMark Brunner O'Fallon, ILThomas Carter Green Virginia Beach, VAReed Stout Rocklin, CA

CERTIFIEDSTRINGER

U • S • R • S • A

New CSsAlex Campbell San Diego, CALinsay Ling San Diego, CAJon Deputy Bell, CADon Roesler Carmel, INDiane Hamm-Vida Shallotte, NCKaye Kimpling Effingham, ILMarcee Finn Wilmington, NC


New Grip AidOncourt Offcourt and USPTA and PTR Master ProfessionalJoe Dinoffer are the distributors of a new training aid fortennis. Grip Loose finger sleeve is a quick and easy wayto get players to relax their grip on the racquet, using asimple “beeping” sound every time the player grips tootightly. The Grip Loose was designed and patented by vet-eran international tennis coach Allen Webb and alsoworks for other sports, including golf, baseball and hock-ey. The Grip Loose neoprene sleeve comes in two sizesand is packaged for retail sale. For information, call toll-free 88-TENNIS-11 or visit www.oncourtoffcourt.com.

• Brian Hainline, M.D., has been named to the newly createdposition of chief medical officer for the USTA. Hainline will developand oversee medical policies affecting all aspects of the sport, fromrecreational programs to professional tournaments, with an eyetoward promoting and developing the healthy growth of tennis.He also will develop and coordinate comprehensive medical prac-tices for the US Open, Davis and Fed Cup competitions, and USTAPro Circuit events, and will supervise medical, sport science andconditioning issues for USTA Elite Player Development athletes.

• Frenchman Gael Monfils, 22, has signedwith Prince and will play with a new Princeframe that will be released in 2009.

• Tom Gorman, a world-renowned tennisplayer and successful Davis Cup captain, hasbeen named director of tennis at La Quinta Resort & PGA West inthe Palm Springs, Calif., area. Gorman was one of the foundingtennis professionals who originally developed La Quinta Resort'saward-winning tennis program in the late 1970s.

• William “Bill” Rombeau announced that he will step down aspresident of the Southern California Tennis Association (USTASouthern California Section) effective in February. Rombeau, who’sbeen president since 1997, will turn over his gavel to William Kel-logg.

• Jim Courier closed out the 2008 Outback Champions Series sea-son in November by defeating Series newcomer Stefan Edberg inthe final of the Emirates NBD The Legends “Rock” Dubai Champi-onships, held in the United Arab Emirates. The win earned Couriera first-prize paycheck of $54,000 for his fourth tournament title ofthe year on the global tennis circuit for champion tennis playersage 30 and over. Courier was also presented with a $100,000check for finishing the 2008 Series as its No. 1 ranked player. In all,he collected $404,000 in prize money in 2008.

• Belgian tennis player Yanina Wickmayer, 19, has signed withIMG.

• Former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport joined Tennis Channel’s on-airstaff during its telecast of the 2008 Sony Ericsson Championships

from Doha, Qatar, in November. Davenport, who has won sixGrand Slam singles and doubles titles, worked with a broadcastteam that included veteran play-by-play announcer Barry MacKay,analyst and former doubles No. 1 Corina Morariu; and on-the-spotinterviews, features and commentary from Doha by Tracy Austin.

• Moacir Santos, a sophomore at Laredo Community College, andSuzana Cavalcante, a senior at the University of West Florida,received the 2008 James O' Hara Sargent Sportsmanship Awardspresented by Rolex Watch USA. The awards go to players who dis-play outstanding sportsmanship and exemplify the spirit of collegetennis during the course of the ITA National Small College Cham-pionships.

• Julie Ditty made tennis history in late September when sheswept singles and doubles at the 2008 ColemanVision TennisChampionships in Albuquerque, N.M., her 31st and 32nd careerUSTA Pro Circuit titles. With the wins, she becomes the all-timeleader in USTA Pro Circuit titles.

• Argentine Guillermo Vilas is the 2008 recipient of the Davis CupAward of Excellence, presented by the International Tennis Hall ofFame and the International Tennis Federation.

• Cory Ross, the No. 3 seed, of Denver, claimed the men’s opentitle at the $10,000 USPTA Hard Court Championships held inTyler, Texas, in October. Marina McCollom of Ames, Iowa, earnedthe women’s open title.

• Shane Vanderson, a member of Head’s Elite Racquet-ball Team of National Pro Staff, won the 2008 IRT JapanInternational Tournament in November. The event, heldin Tokyo, is the only International Racquetball Tour (IRT)event held outside North America. Vanderson, ofTampa, Fla., currently ranked No. 5, defeated fellow Teamhead member Tony Carson of Scottsdale, Ariz., in the final.

• The Nevada Tennis Hall of Fame inducted new members inNovember: tennis legend Mike Agassi, the father of Andre Agassi;community leader Ann Rockwell; and junior legends the Thomp-son twins, Catrina and Christian, for their outstanding talents, abil-ities and commitment to the game of tennis.

P E O P L E W AT C H


INDUSTRYNEW

SJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9



Babolat has promoted Seth McKin-ley to sports marketing manager

for the Americas and Australia andadded Jackie Carleton and SteveStrecker to the Babolat USA sportsmarketing team.

McKinley, formerly in charge ofBabolat promotions for professionaland junior players in the U.S., hasbeen with the company since 2005.In addition to his new internationalplayer responsibilities, he will contin-ue to work closely with the promo-tions team in the US.

Carleton joins Babolat as promo-tions manager for the US and willhead up junior and college playerprograms, handling recruitment,sponsorships, contracts and playerrelations. She came from Adidas,where she was a junior team repre-sentative for its tennis division. She isa former U.S. No. 1 junior player andplayed at UCLA and Duke and is atwo-time All-American in singles.

Strecker is the new marketing/promotions coordinator and will betransitioning from his current posi-tion as a Babolat inside sales rep. Hehas a strong background in market-ing and promotions and as a studentat the University of Colorado helpedshape and run the club tennis team.


Babolat AnnouncesPromotion, New Hires

USTA Community Development Workshop Set for Feb.

The 2009 USTA Community Tennis Development Workshop will be Feb. 13-15 at theHilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa in South Carolina. The workshop, featuring key

speakers in the industry, is one of the best resources for community tennis develop-ment and tennis programming for local organizations. More than 500 tennis pros,organizers, coaches, etc., are expected to attend. For more information or to register,visit www.usta.com/ctdw.


J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9

> Penn has been named the official ball

of the BNP Paribas Showdown for the Bil-

lie Jean King Cup, which will be Monday,

March 2, at Madison Square Garden. The

event will be telecast live on HBO begin-

ning at 7:30 PM EST honoring Billie Jean

King and will feature four of the women’s

top tennis players in a single elimination

format.

>Babolat sponsored a special event in

December in support of Babolat player

Andy Roddick and The Andy Roddick

Foundation. The “Rock-n-Racquets” exhi-

bition hit Louisville, Ky.; Columbia, S.C.;

and Knoxville, Tenn., with top players that

included Roddick, Serena Williams, John

Isner and Caroline Wozniacki.

>Head/Penn participated in Touchstone

Behavioral Health’s 6th Annual Family Fun

Day event, which supports children and

families who have behavior issues at

home and at school, and introduced the

game of tennis to children of all ages.

Members of the Head/Penn team set up

four mini tennis courts, which supports

the QuickStart Tennis format, to allow

children to play tennis for the first time.

The company also gave away 40 junior rac-

quets, T.I.P. 1 and 2 balls, and other prizes.

>Prince was named the official apparel

and footwear partner for the season-end-

ing Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Champi-

onships, which was held in early

November in Doha, Qatar, and featured

the top eight women’s singles players and

top four doubles teams, competing for

the largest purse in women’s tennis, $4.5

million in total prize money.

>In addition to being the official string of

the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, Luxilon also

was named the official stringer at the

Tour’s year-end Sony Ericsson Champi-

onships in Doha, Qatar. The Luxilon string-

ing team, consisting of world-class

stringers from several countries, was on-

site for the tournament.

>The USPTA and Elations, a drink to

maintain healthy joints, have entered into

a licensing agreement incorporating the

USPTA's service mark, “Tennis – for the


S H O R T S E T S

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health of it!” Elations will promote the slo-

gan on its packaging and in some advertising

into June.

>The International Sports Heritage Associa-

tion (ISHA) has chosen the International Ten-

nis Hall of Fame & Museum as a first-place

Communications Awards winner in the

Video Presentation category. The Hall of

Fame’s winning entry is the video presenta-

tion that accompanied the 2007 exhibit

“Breaking the Barriers: The ATA & Black Ten-

nis Pioneers,” researched by the Hall of

Fame’s museum staff and produced by

Harold Hecht.

>FindTennisStore.com is a new search web-

site for tennis consumers to connect and

work with local tennis pro shops and special-

ty stores. Pro shop and store owners register

their store (annual membership fee $175)

and become part of a search network and

have an instant internet presence. Website

visitors enter their zip code and results show

the nearest tennis stores, actual distance,

maps, directions, contact information, prod-

ucts and brands that they carry. Contact 206-

715-7973 or email at support@find

tennisstore. com.

>Industry veteran Martin Baroch has created

a networking website—www.MyTennis

World.net—“to help facilitate worldwide

tennis contacts among serious tennis lovers,”

both players and fans. The site also contains

educational content to help grow the game.

Similar to Facebook, creating a profile on the

site is free, and members can upload photos,

videos and leave comments on other mem-

bers’ pages. Current members include play-

ers and fans from all over the world.

>In late November, Tennis Channel launched

“Tennis Channel Academy,” a celebrity-

packed six-part tennis coaching series hosted

by Hall of Famer Tracy Austin. Tennis coaches

in the series include Nick Bollettieri, John and

Chris Evert, Pat Etcheberry, Robert Lansdorp,

and Carlos Rodriguez with Justine Henin.

Visit www.tennischannel.com for info.

>Roger Federer says he will play for Switzer-

land in the first round of the 2009 Davis Cup

against the U.S. The U.S. will host the Swiss

team for the March 6-8 tie at a location still

to be determined. “It’s certainly not going

to feel like a first-round tie,” says U.S.

Davis Cup Captain Patrick McEnroe.

“Obviously, it’s great for us and great for

tennis. I don’t think Roger would come if

he didn’t think the same way.”

>Cliff Drysdale Tennis (CDT) has extended

its partnership with Fila as its “Official

Worldwide Apparel and Footwear Spon-

sor” through 2011. As part of the agree-

ment, Cliff Drysdale and every coach,

director and staff member from CDT, as

well as tennis legends from CDT-owned

Grand Slam Sports, including John New-

combe, Roy Emerson, Jimmy Arias, John

Lloyd, Mikael Pernfors, Dick Stockton, Ross

Case, and Tom Gorman, will act as brand

ambassadors for Fila. In addition, each

CDT-managed resort in the U.S. will fea-

ture Fila apparel, footwear and accessories

in pro shops.

>The International Tennis

Hall of Fame & Museum

honored USTA President

Jane Brown Grimes on

Dec. 11 at a special tribute

in New York City. Net-

work-TV tennis announcer

Mary Carillo served as master of cere-

monies and Hall of Fame President Tony

Trabert was honorary chairman. Featured

speaker was U.S. Davis Cup Captain

Patrick McEnroe. Proceeds from the event

will benefit the International Tennis Hall of

Fame’s Annual Fund.

>Lacoste will continue as the official

apparel and footwear partner of the Bar-

clays ATP World Tour Finals until 2013. As

part of the restructuring of men’s tennis in

2009, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

will replace the Tennis Masters Cup, cur-

rently held in Shanghai, as the year-ending

finale of the ATP World Tour.

>Prince was the official racquet, string

and ball of the Nike Junior Tour and its sea-

son-ending International Masters event.

The NJT brings together top 12- and 14-

year-old juniors from 24 countries. In addi-

tion, Team Prince junior Carlos Bautista of

Spain captured the Boys’ Under-14 title at

the NJT International Masters.




Athco to Produce Dunlop ApparelAthco is teaming with Dunlop Sports to produce anddistribute tennis and other sports apparel in the U.S.“We’ll continue our focus on technical fabrics andsolid design,” says Athco’s Bill Hall. The longtermagreement with Dunlop includes men’s and women’sapparel, including Athco’s SunBlock line shown atright, which provides a UPF 50+ rating, to blockmore than 98 percent of UV rays. For information,contact Athco at 800-990-0000 or 941-351-1600.

Ashaway, HuczekSign New DealAshaway Racket Strings has signed anew two-year sponsorship agreementwith racquetball pro Jack Huczek inwhich Huczek will continue to sup-port his favored Ashaway Superkill IIstring as well as his signature JackHuczek/AMPS 311M racquetballshoes. In addition, under the newagreement, Huczek will become moreinvolved with Ashaway product devel-opment and marketing efforts. Visitwww.ashawayusa.com for moreinformation.

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9IN

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Pacific is Stringer for 2008 Masters Cup in ShanghaiPacific was the official stringer for the 2008 Masters Cup held in Shanghai Nov. 9-16. Tom Parry, Pacific’s global brand man-ager, and Christian Reuter, the company’s European player services manager, both put in time in the stringer’s room, often

working from 8 a.m. to well past 11 p.m., when the last ball was struck.Parry says that brothers Bob and Mike Bryan “led the pack” when it came to stringing requests. To start each day, Parry and

Reuter strung up three frames for each of the Bryans—both used the same hybrid, but slightly different tensions.During Andy Murray’s first match, Parry says he sent in two of his frames at the same time for “emergency” stringing. “Chris

cranked them out in less than nine minutes per stick,” says Parry. “I barely had the second frame cut out before he’d finishedthe first! They came in on a changeover, and the first one was back on court before the next changeover.”

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, for his last match, decided to switch from 100 percent poly to natural gut mains and poly crosses, withno change in tension, says Parry. Early in the second set, however, he grabbed an old frame from his bag that was all poly. “Play-ers, no matter their ranking, are really finding the world of hybrid stringing one to explore,” says Parry. Pacific’s stringing log ofthe Masters event is below.Name Country Racquet Racquet Model String String Model TensionBjörkman, Jonas Sweden Wilson K Six One 95 18x20 Luxilon/Wilson Big Banger Alu Rough / Natural (Gut) 23/23 KBryan, Bob USA Prince O3 Speedport Black Luxilon/Tecnifibre Big Banger Timo / NRG_ 17 41/45Bryan, Mike USA Prince O3 Speedport Black Luxilon/Tecnifibre Big Banger Timo / NRG_ 17 43/46Bhupathi, Mahesh India Wilson K Six One 95 16x18 Wilson Natual (Gut) 57/57Coetzee, Jeff South Africa Dunlop AeroGel 200 Pacific Poly Gut Hybrid 54/54Cuevas, Pablo Urugay Head MicroGel Prestige Mid Luxilon Big Banger Original 54/54Davydenko, Nikolay Russia Prince 03 Tour Midplus Polystar Polystar 130 23/21 KDel Potro, Juan Martin Argentina Wilson K Six One 95 18x20 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 63/63Dlouhy, Lucas Czech Republic Fischer M Pro No. 1 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 25.5 KFyrstenberg, Mariusz Poland Babolat Pure Storm Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 24/23 KHorna, Luis Peru Babolat Prue Strom+ Luxilon BB Alu Power Rough 49/49Knowles, Mark Bahamas Head MicroGel Prestige Mid Babolat/Luxilon VS Gut / Big Banger Alu Power 57/55Matkowski, Marcin Poland Babolat Pure Drive Roddick Babolat Pro Hurricane / VS Gut 23.4/22.5 KMoodie, Wesley South Africa Head MicroGel Prestige Mid Pacifc Poly Gut Hybrid 62/60Murray, Andy Scotland Head MicroGel Radical MidPlus Luxilon/Babolat Big Banger Alu Power / VS Gut 60/60Nestor, Daniel Canada Wilson K Six One 95 16x18 Wilson/Luxilon Natural (Gut) / Big Banger Alu Power 54.5/52.4Paes, Leander India Babolat Pure Drive Luxilon/Babolat Big Banger Alu Power / VS Gut 51/51Roddick, Andy USA Babolat Pure Drive Roddick + Babolat Pro Hurricane / VS Gut 61Simon, Gilles France Head MicroGel Prestige Mid Head Intellitour 24/23 KStepanek, Radek Czech Republic Wilson K Blade 98 Babolat VS Gut 24.5/22.5 KTsonga, Jo-Wilfried France Wilson K Blade 98 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 26/25 KUllyett, Kevin Zimbabwe Wilson K Six One 95 18x20 Wilson Natual (Gut) 50/50Zimonijc, Nenad Serbia Head Radical VS/Luxilon VS Gut / Big Banger Ace 23/21.5 K


Klip is Exclusive Licensee for Volkl WorldwideKlip America is the worldwide licensee for Volkl Tennis equipment, bags andaccessories, effective Jan. 1. The 10-year agreement with Marker Volkl Inter-

national of Switzerland means Klip will now design, manufacture and distributeVolkl products worldwide. Klip has been the U.S. and Canadian distributor for VolklTennis for the past 21 months.

“Our goal is to keep research and development true to its German roots,” saysSean Frost, managing director of Klip America. Frost says Volkl will continue to usethe same experienced R & D team located in Straubing, Germany. Volkl has beendesigning and manufacturing tennis equipment since 1973.

Frost says the arrangement between Klip and Volkl will make Volkl a stronger playerin the worldwide market. “Klip America will make significant investments to increasevisibility, consumer demand and dealer profitability,” he says.

Klip also has a separate licensee agreement with Boris Becker Tennis. “There’s a lotof brotherhood between Volkl Tennis and Boris Becker Tennis, but we’ve found that thereis some confusion, too,” says Frost.

“We’ve found some nice niches for the Becker brand, and we need to correctly posi-tion the brand. Going forward, there will be more separation between the brands.”


Letters

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

Clay Can DevelopSkills for Any SurfaceTo the Editor:Jose Higueras has been in the newsrecently explaining how he, while grow-ing up on the clay courts in Barcelona,learned all the necessary tools to becomea world-class tennis player. And he hitsthe nail on the head! The ability to slide,maintain balance, control long rallies,develop agility and construct points weresome of the components that helped himgrow into an all-around athlete.After settling in the U.S., he adapted

and developed a hard-court game aswell. The transition was pretty smoothsince he already had “invested” so muchin growing up on clay. He concludes thatfor young American players, the story isreversed. They grow up on hard courtsand have a harder time developing skillsfor other surfaces at a later stage in theircareers.Growing up in the Netherlands, my

development was similar to Higueras’.While I never competed on the pro tour, Ido feel that my tennis game has solid“roots.” As youngsters, we were on thered clay courts all day. We were able todevelop our athletic skills naturally, with-out really being aware of it.The USTA (which recently hired

Higueras as director of coaching for USTAElite Player Development) has come torealize that utilizing clay courts in thedevelopment of young players will bene-fit and accelerate their learning process. Ibelieve that this a great step forward.

What can we do as teaching pros?Tough question if you are teaching at ahard-court facility. However, if you are ata clay-court facility I urge you to host anofficial USTA Junior Clay Court Tourna-ment. In our second year at the PortlandCountry Club in Maine, we hosted nearly100 juniors, from seven states, during ourSouthern Maine Clay Court Champi-onships. The kids had a blast, and theyplayed on a surface that can help theirgames grow.

Hans RomerUSPTA/PTR/KNLTB/USRSA

Director of TennisPortland (Maine) Country Club

Younger Talent, Yes, and Education is KeyTo the Editor:I enjoyed very much the article “Generation Next” (Novem-ber/December 2008). Although I agree that the industry needsyoung talent, it’s vitally important that this talent be educatedin their field of endeavor.Low salaries and retainers offered to tennis teaching pros is

a problem, but another major problem is the fact that clubowners, parks and recreation managers and directors of tennisoften just hire someone who can feed balls or rally with a stu-dent, but that does not constitute “teaching” tennis. There is ahuge disconnect between what a consumer perceives as “get-ting a tennis lesson” and what he/she is really getting.

Many of today’s young pros have not received the rightmessage about how to become a top-flight tennis teachingpro. The tools are out there, yet they’re not being takenadvantage of by those who need them the most. In mostcases, young pros have no idea how to teach and improve thehitting and playing skills of their clients.The idea that one can take a four- or six-hour course and

become a certified tennis teacher is ludicrous. It takes years ofplaying experience, teaching experience and attending educa-tional conferences to hone one’s skills. Most of our top teach-ing pros were good players themselves and attended manyUSPTA divisional and national conferences, PTR Symposiumsand USTA workshops. These individuals realize the educationaland networking value of belonging to a certified teachingassociation.The USPTA has for years been a part of the Club Managers

Association of America conferences and continues to promotethe certified teaching pro as the most knowledgeable individ-ual to run programs. As in any industry, continuing educationand change with the times is the core to success. We need todo a better job of impressing on club managers, owners,municipalities and directors of tennis that it is in their bestinterest to hire a person who is certified and has knowledge ofteaching the game—not just feeding a tennis ball.I applaud the TIA for addressing the issue of better compen-

sation for teaching pros. This will help with drawing in goodyoung people. Tennis facilities, whether public or private, needto realize that it takes good salaries to maintain good help, notonly to teach, but also to run successful programs.So the big questions are how do we in the tennis industry

convince people who pay salaries and retainers to offer goodcompensation, and how do we convince those youngsterscoming into the tennis industry to become more educated innot only teaching the game, but in the business of tennis aswell?Hopefully, getting the TIA and USTA behind this issue will

help get the attention of those who control the purse stringsto better compensate teaching pros and therefore bring inyounger talent who will see that a career in tennis is a viablepath.

Ron WoodsUSPTA Past President



T I A N E W S J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9

Coming off positiveequipment ship-ments for 3rd quar-ter, racquets are up17.4%, youth rac-quets up 37.5%,balls up 8.7% and

string shipments up 5.2% from2007. And it’s tied to the positiveparticipation news, especially withplay occasions breaking records.But we know the last quarter of2008 will tell quite a different story.

Is tennis recession-proof? Theresearch shows that a bad econo-my doesn’t necessarily affect partic-ipation—it might actually help it.We need more than ever to dowhat we do best: work together tosupport the initiatives and efforts togrow the game.We’ve been thefastest-growing traditional sport,achieving a 30.6% growth in totalparticipation from 2000-2007. Andin times like these, we need to stayfocused on our core mission togrow the game and the economicvitality of tennis.

NEWS & UPDATESNEWS & UPDATES

Jolyn de Boer

Decline to Continue in Q4; Outperforming Consumer Confidence Index

The TIA has added a bi-annual monitor to track the pro/specialty retail market using several indicators. The measures includepro/specialty retail audit reports for racquets; dealer trend reports for balls, shoes, racquets and future racquet projections; andeconomic indicators such as the Consumer Confidence Index.

For the 2008 late season, the Pro/Specialty Retailer Index dropped two points from its high earlier in the year, as racquets (inunits and dollars) and future racquet sales showed declines. Shoes showed a slight decline, while ball sales showed a slim rise.

Third-quarter 2008 sales were marginally down, butindustry research is forecasting an 8 percent drop in racquetsales in the fourth quarter. Both balls and shoes appear to beless volatile than the racquet market and have been holdingrelatively steady at retail.

While the Pro/Specialty Retailer Index shows a cleardecline as we close out 2008, the tennis market is still out-performing the Consumer Confidence Index, which has suf-fered a huge decline in the past year.

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

News You Can Use!Tennis in the U.S.� Total participation

increased 7% from lastyear to 26.9M players.Thatʼs nearly 12%increase over 2003.

� Frequent playersincreased over 7% to5.62M in 2008, a 23%increase from 2003.

� “Continuing” players grewto 15.13M, up nearly 9%over last year and up18% from 2003.

� There were 5.91M newplayers in 2008, a 3%increase from last year.

� Total “play occasions”increased 13% to 603M in 2008—a 33% increasefrom 2003.

� Nearly 6 million formerplayers, the most ever,came back to the game in2008 – up 7% over 2007.

This good news, however,is tempered by an increasein the number of “lapsed”players, those who nolonger play tennis. Theleaky bucket remains with24 million, a 4.8% increaseover 2007.

New Tennis Retailer Health Index Developed

Despite a down economy overall, the tennis industry is enjoy-ing growth in participation, with more players (nearly 26.9million) taking to the court this year, according to the annu-

al research survey conducted for the TIA and USTA by The TaylorResearch Group. It is the largest number of players in the U.S. in 15years.

“These increases are great news for tennis,” says TIA PresidentDave Haggerty. “While people may be reining in spending on vaca-tions and major purchases, they appear to be staying closer tohome, getting more involved in an activity like tennis, which isaffordable, fun and relatively quick to play. Plus, it’s a great familyactivity.”

That appears to be borne out by the industry’s “Court ActivityMonitor.” Tennis facilities are reporting increases in all categories ofplay, with the largest (56%) in the number of new players joining thegame. And importantly, total “play occasions” in tennis broke 600 mil-lion for the first time in 2008, up 13% to 603 million.

“We’ve tried to make tennis as accessible as possible at the grass-roots levels,” says Kurt Kamperman, the USTA’s chief executive ofCommunity Tennis, “and will continue promoting initiatives to growyouth and adult participation.” USTA COO Gordon Smith adds, “Ten-nis is stronger and healthier than it’s been in decades, it’s great to seethat all of our collective efforts are producing such good results.”

The TIA/USTA results compare favorably to other research fromthe 2008 Sports & Fitness Participation Report (SGMA) showing ten-nis grew 30.6% since 2000, making it the fastest growing traditionalsport in the country. These two participation reports along with ship-ment and other indicators will be weighted together to determine the2008 Tennis Health Index due in March.

U.S. Tennis Participation Highest Level Since 1992

T I A N E W S

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

QuickStart Tennis is a New Favorite Sport in Denver

Deuces, Droppers, Lobbers, Aces, and Smashers—these aren’t just tennis terms at Drop Shots,a unique tennis facility created specifically for children 10 and under. They’re used to definethe age groups on a colorful schedule found hanging on refrigerators in many

homes in Centennial, Colo. Children 2 years old are called Deuces, 3- and 4-year-olds areDroppers, 5- and 6-year-olds are Lobbers, and so on.

Matt Nelsen, a 25-year-old who was just named Entrepreneur of the Year in Centen-nial, opened Drop Shots last February in a popular shopping center. The two-courtindoor center is a place for children to learn tennis, race through obstacles, play gamesthat improve hand-eye coordination, have birthday parties, participate in QuickStartTennis tournaments, and make friends.

Growing Tennis News

January 2009 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 19Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

Sign-Up For Tennis Clinics at 2 AM!

In Macon, Ga., parents are enrolling their kids in QuickStartTennis at John Drew Smith Tennis Center at all hours.That’s because the city uses a special online enrollment

program run through TennisCon-nect, a website builder designedspecifically for the tennis industry.

“With this program, the shop isalways open,” says Carl Hodge, ten-nis manager and head pro for thecity. “Parents can register their kidswhen it’s convenient for them.”

Hodge brought QuickStart Ten-nis to local elementary schools andintroduced tennis to kids at assem-blies and demonstrations. The kidsthen brought fliers home to parents,prompting them to go online to findout more about QST and pre-regis-ter. In 10 days, 144 kids had been registered online—andnearly half the registrations took place after normal businesshours.

As any tennis pro knows, 144 kids in a program can turninto a big administrative headache. But Hodge has it undercontrol. “Without this online system, I don’t know how itcould be done,” he says. “It would be too costly and time-con-suming. But now the parents are doing all the work for us.”

Tennis Welcome Center of the Month: Timberhill Tennis Club

At Timberhill Tennis Club in Corvallis, Ore., they’re all about creating new players. In fact, sincebecoming a Tennis Welcome Center in 2003, the club has redesigned many of its programsand now has a complete package for any new player who walks into the facility. “New play-

ers are the life-blood of any club,” says Hunter Lipscomb, Timberhill’s director of tennis and head pro.“And being a Tennis Welcome Center is a great tool to get more of them.”

Timberhill offers QuickStart Tennis and many programs for beginning and advanced juniors,but its best inventive program is the adult refresher course—a month of “practice and play” class-es consisting of 45-minute “refresher” instruction followed by an hour of court time in which theparticipants may practice the topic of the day or play sets.

Getting new players in the Pacific Northwest can be a challenge, says Lipscomb, because indoorcourt availability is hard to get and expensive. But with the refresher class, players don’t have tobe members, and both instruction and court time is built into the price.

CT Player of the Month: Mike Fowler

If Mike Fowler, a real-estate execu-tive in the Los Angeles area, didn’tlose 60 pounds, he would be at

high-risk for developing diabetes andother serious medical conditions.“After hearing this list of ‘horribles’that go with being overweight, I decid-ed I better get serious about getting inshape,” he says. When he read an arti-cle about Cardio Tennis with OjakianTennis in The Los Angeles Times, he decided to give it a try.

Fowler lost 60 pounds playing Cardio three to four timesa week and maintaining a healthy diet. “I’ve run into peo-ple I haven’t seen in a few years,” he says. “A few of themdidn’t even recognize me. I can’t get over the weight I’velost!”

Do you or some-one you knowhave what it takesto be Cardio Ten-nis Player of theMonth? E-mailyour story [email protected] your story is fea-tured, you will wina Cardio Tennis

*Special Deal onTWC Banner* Is your TWC Bannerlooking a little worn?You can get a replace-ment for only $10(includes shipping). Toorder, [email protected].

As of early December, there were:� 2,454 Tennis Welcome Centers� 1,694 Cardio Tennis sites� 1,010 QuickStart Tennis sites

Positive Reinforcement

Given the tough economic timeswe are all experiencing, keepinga cool head is no easy task. For-

tunately, many of the same mental skillsthat help top athletes perform at theirbest can help you better weather thefinancial crisis and its consequences.

It’s unlikely any of us have escapedthe fallout from the worst financial crisisto hit this country since the GreatDepression. Whether it’s struggling toavoid foreclosure, the evaporation ofyour retirement account, the shakinessof the job market, or the reduction instore sales or lesson income, dealingwith major losses and the uncertainty ofthe future presents unique challenges toour mental and emotional well being.

Here are some strategies andreminders to help you move forward ina positive way.

� FORGET THE PAST: What’s done isdone. Since you can’t change it, learnfrom it and move on. You may need tocut your expenses, lower your mar-gins, offer creative programs to getnew students and so on. Focus onwhat you can do to position yourselffor what may be tougher economictimes ahead.

� SELF-CARE: Don’t compound yourproblems by adding to them. Takecare of your health. Be sure to eat well,rest, exercise and get regular check-ups. Putting off these basics may resultin bigger and more expensive prob-lems down the road.

� RELAX AND RECOVER: Incorporate a“relaxation” technique into your dailylife. For example, take several long,slow, deep relaxed breaths every houror so during the day. Stretch, practiceTai Chi or take a yoga class.

� LAUGH: Remember, “Don’t take life soseriously; you’ll never get out of it alive.”Have fun. Walk on the “light side.”

� OPTIMISM: Associate as much as possiblewith “positive” people while keeping yourdistance from the “naysayers.”

� LIMITS: Limit your watching, listening andreading of the news. Most of the news isdesigned to “shock” us by focusing in onthe “best of the worst” in our world.Unless you are a day trader, it reallyshouldn’t matter much whether the mar-ket goes up or down on a particular day.

� STRAIGHT THINKING: Be careful not todistort or exaggerate negative events.Don’t be overly concerned about predict-ing the future. Even professional meteorol-ogists can’t precisely predict tomorrow’sweather!

� GET UNPLUGGED: Unless you are a sur-geon on call, do you really need to be con-nected 24/7? Unwind your body and mindand you will find yourself taking morethings in stride, reacting more appropri-ately and making better decisions.

� PERSPECTIVE: “Tough times never last,tough people do.” Don’t sweat the smallstuff. Be grateful for what you have inyour life beyond material possessions.Think about your friends and family.“Relationships” are the true currency oflife. �

B Y D R . R O B E R T H E L L E R

The Mental Game

Dr.Robert Heller is a psychologistand sport psychology consultantbased in Boca Raton, Fla. He isthe author of “Managing YourStress” and “Anger Manage-

ment.” For information on mental and emo-tional coaching in person and by phone andfor self-help materials, visit www.robertheller.net.


Whether you’re a retailer, teaching pro ormanager, using the same key mental strategiesas top athletes can help you weather theeconomic storm.


2 0 0 9 S T R I N G S U R V E Y

What string is best for your customer? It’s a tricky questionto answer, since there are so many different strings outthere that all have unique combinations of benefits. But

once again, we’ve gone right to the experts, the thousands of U.S.Racquet Stringers Association members, and asked them to ratestrings in three categories: playability, durability, and comfort.

Our 32nd annual stringsurvey, which is on pages24 through 27, is a compi-lation of survey question-naires sent in Septemberto 2,000 randomly select-ed U.S. members of theUSRSA (no chain stores).Recipients were given alist of every string on themarket and asked to ratethe ones they are familiarwith from 1 to 10 in eachof the three categories.Then an average scorewas calculated for eachstring in each category.

For a string to qualifyfor a rating, the respon-dent must have strung atleast 20 sets of that stringin the past year. This 20-set minimum ensures thatrespondents are rating astring they know some-thing about and that hassome vitality in the mar-ketplace. For some busi-nesses, 20 sets mayrepresent 20 percent oftheir total business, andfor others, 1 percent.Some businesses mayonly sell 20 sets of thestring; others may sell500. Each ranking, how-ever, carries the sameweight, and all are includ-ed in the total sum and

average for that string. We added the scores from each respon-dent to obtain a sum for that string, then divided the sum by thenumber of respondents who rated it.

To ensure that strings with a reasonable breadth of distribu-tion are included, each string must be rated on at least 13 ques-tionnaires. We feel that having at least 13 respondents allows us

to include enoughstrings by enoughmanufacturers, includ-ing smaller marketshare companies. Toohigh a number willmean the surveyresults will onlyinclude the top two orthree manufacturers.

Remember, the cat-egory scores for eachstring are averages ofall the respondents’rankings for a givenstring. Often, theseaverages are veryclose; the differencesbetween rankings canbe mere hundredths ofa point. Though onlyone string can claimthe top spot in a cate-gory, many of thestrings close to eachother in ranking are ofequal stature. In prac-tice, each of thesestrings is one of thebest of its niche.

Use our String Sur-vey in your shop andhelp your customersdetermine whichstrings may best helptheir games.�

Brand 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2002/3 2001 2000Gamma 21.5 20.0 21.3 20.4 22.9 24.7 25.6 25.9 27.2Wilson 20.5 22.0 21.6 23.2 22.0 21.9 23.8 21.6 30.5Prince 18.5 17.3 16.4 19.8 19.6 19.8 19.2 20.7 23.7Babolat 12.4 12.3 11.9 9.3 7.2 7.1 6.1 6.9 6.3Luxilon 6.7 6.1 5.7 3.6 3.4 3.0 - - -Head 6.4 7.5 8.6 9.4 7.7 7.4 7.3 4.0 7.0Tecnifibre 5.7 4.7 4.8 4.5 4.8 4.1 4.1 4.7 3.4Gosen 1.6 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 1.9 1.9 3.2 1.4Ashaway 1.3 1.5 1.4 2.0 1.6 1.8 1.7 2.2 <1.0Forten 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.2 2.3 2.6 2.6 3.5 0.5Pacific 0.6 0.9 - - - - - - -Klip 0.6 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.9 - - - -Alpha 0.6 0.4 0.8 0.9 1.0 - - - -TOA 0.5 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.4 - - - -Dunlop 0.5 0.7 0.5 0.6 1.2 1.1 - - -Kirschbaum 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.8 - - - -Others 1.4 1.5 2.7 2.3 2.3 4.6 5.2 4.4 -

Most Responses by Brand(percent)


Gauge 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2002/3 2001 200016 55.3 56.7 58.4 64.6 62.0 62.4 61.9 58.9 54.817 28.7 26.1 25.5 24.5 28.2 23.1 26.2 27.0 31.816L 5.7 6.2 6.0 4.6 3.8 4.3 2.8 1.5 -15L 5.0 5.3 5.5 3.8 4.3 5.7 5.9 7.8 11.118 2.9 3.4 3.7 1.9 1.3 1.4 1.8 2.9 0.916/17 1.0 0.3 - - - - - - -17/16 0.5 0.7 - - - - - - -15 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.6 - 0.5 - 0.8 0.819 0.2 0.2 0.3 - - 1.7 0.4 0.4 -17L 0.2 0.1 0.2 - 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.616L/16 0.1 0.4 - - - - - - -18/17 0.1 0.1 - - - 0.5 0.4 - -19/16 - 0.2 - - - - - - -

Most Responses by Gauge(percent)


Our exclusive rankings, based on responses by USRSA members,will help you pick the right strings for your shop.Our exclusive rankings, based on responses by USRSA members,will help you pick the right strings for your shop.

If you would like a .pdf of theposter to have printed for yourshop, visit www.racquetsportsindustry.com

24 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2009 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Babolat Attraction 16 7.15 6.00 7.41 6.85 27 Babolat VS Team Thermogut 17 9.87

Babolat Conquest 16 6.36 6.07 6.14 6.19 14 Babolat VS Touch Thermogut 16 9.65

Babolat Pro Hurricane 16 6.52 8.56 5.51 6.86 61 Babolat Tonic+ Thermogut Ball Feel 15L 9.26

Babolat Pro Hurricane 17 7.31 8.21 6.00 7.17 29 Babolat Tonic+ Thermogut Longevity 15L 9.23

Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 16 6.29 8.29 5.55 6.71 42 Gamma Professional 18 9.09

Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 17 7.47 8.44 8.41 8.10 32 Wilson NXT 17 8.91

Babolat Superfine Play 16 6.96 6.09 7.04 6.70 23 Gamma Live Wire 17 8.80

Babolat Tonic+ Thermogut Ball Feel 15L 9.26 7.28 9.57 8.70 23 Gamma Professional 17 8.78

Babolat Tonic+ Thermogut Longevity 15L 9.23 6.15 8.92 8.10 13 Gamma Professional 16 8.67

Babolat VS Team Thermogut 17 9.87 6.05 9.87 8.59 30 Gamma Live Wire XP 17 8.66

Babolat VS Touch Thermogut 16 9.65 6.29 9.73 8.56 52 Wilson NXT Tour 18 8.62

Babolat Xcel 16 7.71 5.86 8.18 7.25 28 Wilson NXT Tour 17 8.58

Babolat Xcel Premium 16 8.32 6.24 8.21 7.59 19 Gamma Live Wire XP 16 8.55

Gamma Asterisk 16 7.82 7.30 8.00 7.71 33 Gamma Asterisk 17 8.53

Gamma Asterisk 17 8.53 7.11 8.42 8.02 19 Tecnifibre NRG2 17 8.52

Gamma Gut 2 16 7.33 6.73 7.07 7.04 15 Wilson NXT 16 8.43

Gamma Infinity 15L 4.13 9.07 4.00 5.73 15 Tecnifibre X One Biphase (1.24) 17 8.39

Gamma Live Wire 16 8.23 6.58 8.00 7.60 43 Wilson NXT Tour 16 8.33

Gamma Live Wire 17 8.80 6.33 8.47 7.87 30 Babolat Xcel Premium 16 8.32

Gamma Live Wire XP 16 8.55 7.55 8.17 8.09 47 Wilson K Gut 16 8.30

Gamma Live Wire XP 17 8.66 7.03 8.32 8.00 38 Gamma Live Wire 16 8.23

Gamma Marathon DPC 15L 6.38 8.19 6.19 6.92 16 Wilson Sensation 17 8.21

Gamma Professional 16 8.67 7.63 8.57 8.29 46 Prince Premier w/Softflex 16 8.20

Gamma Professional 17 8.78 7.07 8.59 8.15 41 Gamma TNT2 17 8.17

Gamma Professional 18 9.09 7.05 8.73 8.29 22 Wilson Reaction 17 8.16

Gamma Ruff 16 6.77 6.69 6.23 6.56 13 Prince Premier w/Softflex 17 8.10

Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 6.54 6.53 6.61 6.56 54 Gamma Zo Tour 17 7.95

Gamma Synthetic Gut 17 7.17 5.67 7.00 6.61 18 Wilson NXT Max 16 7.95

Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Wearguard 16 6.81 6.77 6.94 6.84 31 Tecnifibre NRG2 16 7.94

Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Wearguard 17 7.69 6.69 7.75 7.38 16 Head FXP Power 17 7.92

Gamma TNT2 16 7.64 6.93 7.55 7.37 84 Tecnifibre X One Biphase (1.30) 16 7.88

Gamma TNT2 17 8.17 6.07 8.00 7.41 58 Gamma Asterisk 16 7.82

Gamma Zo Power 16L 7.29 8.88 7.18 7.78 17 Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 17 7.79

Gamma Zo Tour 16 7.20 8.78 7.08 7.69 25 Head FiberGel Power 16 7.78

Gamma Zo Tour 17 7.95 8.77 7.50 8.08 22 Prince Lightning XX 17 7.73

Gosen OG Sheep Micro 16 6.86 6.77 6.82 6.82 22 Babolat Xcel 16 7.71

Gosen OG Sheep Micro 17 7.46 5.92 7.23 6.87 13 Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Wearguard 17 7.69

Head FiberGel Power 16 7.78 6.61 7.78 7.39 18 Gamma TNT2 16 7.64

Head FXP 16 7.32 6.63 7.11 7.02 38 Wilson Sensation 16 7.62

Head FXP 17 7.48 6.24 7.13 6.95 23 Wilson NXT Duo 16/17 7.54

Head FXP Power 16 7.08 6.54 7.08 6.90 13 Wilson Reaction 16 7.54

Head FXP Power 17 7.92 5.77 8.31 7.33 13 Wilson NXT OS 16L 7.50

Head Intellistring 16/17 7.07 7.21 6.86 7.05 14 Prince Lightning XX 16 7.49

Head RIP Control 16 6.75 7.46 6.63 6.94 24 Head FXP 17 7.48

Head Sonic Pro 17 7.00 8.00 6.08 7.03 13 Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 17 7.47

Company

String

Gauge

Respondents

Alphabetical

Playability

Durability

Comfort

Average

Company

String

Gauge

Score

Playability


Wilson Hyperlast 15 9.15 Babolat VS Team Thermogut 17 9.87 Babolat Tonic+ Thermogut Ball Feel 15L 8.70

Gamma Infinity 15L 9.07 Babolat VS Touch Thermogut 16 9.73 Babolat VS Team Thermogut 17 8.59

Prince Problend w/Duraflex 16 8.91 Babolat Tonic+ Thermogut Ball Feel 15L 9.57 Babolat VS Touch Thermogut 16 8.56

Gamma Zo Power 16L 8.88 Babolat Tonic+ Thermogut Longevity 15L 8.92 Gamma Professional 16 8.29

Gamma Zo Tour 16 8.78 Wilson NXT 17 8.73 Gamma Professional 18 8.29

Gamma Zo Tour 17 8.77 Gamma Professional 18 8.73 Gamma Professional 17 8.15

Luxilon Big Banger Original 130 16 8.74 Gamma Professional 17 8.59 Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 17 8.10

Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 125 16L 8.69 Gamma Professional 16 8.57 Babolat Tonic+ Thermogut Longevity 15L 8.10

Wilson Enduro Pro 16 8.57 Wilson NXT Tour 17 8.54 Gamma Live Wire XP 16 8.09

Babolat Pro Hurricane 16 8.56 Gamma Live Wire 17 8.47 Gamma Zo Tour 17 8.08

Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough 125 16L 8.47 Gamma Asterisk 17 8.42 Gamma Asterisk 17 8.02

Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 17 8.44 Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 17 8.41 Gamma Live Wire XP 17 8.00

Tecnifibre Pro Red Code 16 8.38 Tecnifibre NRG2 17 8.39 Gamma Live Wire 17 7.87

Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Fluoro 123 17 8.38 Wilson NXT Tour 18 8.38 Gamma Zo Power 16L 7.78

Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 16 8.29 Wilson NXT 16 8.33 Wilson K Gut 16 7.78

Wilson Enduro Pro 17 8.27 Gamma Live Wire XP 17 8.32 Wilson NXT 17 7.77

Babolat Pro Hurricane 17 8.21 Head FXP Power 17 8.31 Wilson NXT 16 7.77

Gamma Marathon DPC 15L 8.19 Wilson K Gut 16 8.30 Tecnifibre X One Biphase (1.24) 17 7.73

Head Sonic Pro 17 8.00 Wilson Sensation 17 8.22 Gamma Asterisk 16 7.71

Wilson NXT Duo 16/17 7.69 Tecnifibre X One Biphase (1.24) 17 8.21 Tecnifibre NRG2 17 7.70

Wilson Sensation Duo 17/16 7.69 Babolat Xcel Premium 16 8.21 Wilson NXT Tour 16 7.69

Gamma Professional 16 7.63 Babolat Xcel 16 8.18 Gamma Zo Tour 16 7.69

Prince Recoil 16 7.58 Gamma Live Wire XP 16 8.17 Wilson NXT Max 16 7.68

Gamma Live Wire XP 16 7.55 Wilson Reaction 17 8.16 Wilson NXT Tour 17 7.61

Prince Topspin w/Duraflex 15L 7.46 Wilson NXT Max 16 8.15 Gamma Live Wire 16 7.60

Head RIP Control 16 7.46 Wilson NXT Tour 16 8.14 Babolat Xcel Premium 16 7.59

Luxilon Big Banger Ace 112 18 7.40 Prince Premier w/Softflex 16 8.13 Prince Premier w/Softflex 16 7.57

Prince Tournament Nylon 15L 7.32 Prince Premier w/Softflex 17 8.10 Wilson Reaction 17 7.53

Gamma Asterisk 16 7.30 Gamma Asterisk 16 8.00 Wilson Sensation 17 7.46

Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 15L 7.29 Gamma Live Wire 16 8.00 Tecnifibre NRG2 16 7.45

Babolat Tonic+ Thermogut Ball Feel 15L 7.28 Gamma TNT2 17 8.00 Gamma TNT2 17 7.41

Head Intellistring 16/17 7.21 Tecnifibre NRG2 16 7.86 Prince Recoil 16 7.40

Gamma Asterisk 17 7.11 Tecnifibre X One Biphase (1.30) 16 7.84 Head FiberGel Power 16 7.39

Gamma Professional 17 7.07 Head FiberGel Power 16 7.78 Prince Premier w/Softflex 17 7.38

Gamma Professional 18 7.05 Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Wearguard 17 7.75 Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Wearguard 17 7.38

Gamma Live Wire XP 17 7.03 Wilson Sensation 16 7.72 Gamma TNT2 16 7.37

Wilson NXT Max 16 6.95 Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 17 7.71 Tecnifibre X One Biphase (1.30) 16 7.36

Gamma TNT2 16 6.93 Gamma TNT2 16 7.55 Wilson NXT Tour 18 7.36

Wilson Reaction 16 6.88 Gamma Zo Tour 17 7.50 Head FXP Power 17 7.33

Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 16 6.79 Wilson Reaction 16 7.50 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Fluoro 123 17 7.33

Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Wearguard 16 6.77 Wilson NXT OS 16L 7.43 Wilson Sensation Duo 17/16 7.33

Gosen OG Sheep Micro 16 6.77 Babolat Attraction 16 7.41 Wilson Reaction 16 7.31

Wilson K Gut 16 6.74 Prince Lightning XX 17 7.38 Wilson Sensation 16 7.31

Gamma Gut 2 16 6.73 Prince Lightning XX 16 7.34 Wilson NXT Duo 16/17 7.28

Gamma Ruff 16 6.69 Gosen OG Sheep Micro 17 7.23 Babolat Xcel 16 7.25

Company

String

Gauge

Score

Durability

Company

String

Gauge

Score

Comfort

String

Gauge

Score

Average Score

Company


Company

String

Gauge

Respondents

Alphabetical

Playability

Durability

Comfort

Average

Company

String

Gauge

Score

Playability

Head Synthetic Gut 16 6.46 6.54 6.62 6.54 13 Gosen OG Sheep Micro 17 7.46

Head Synthetic Gut PPS 16 6.06 6.12 5.88 6.02 17 Prince Recoil 16 7.42

Luxilon Big Banger Ace 112 18 6.93 7.40 6.27 6.87 15 Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 17 7.40

Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 125 16L 6.77 8.69 5.62 7.02 103 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Fluoro 123 17 7.38

Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Fluoro 123 17 7.38 8.38 6.24 7.33 21 Gamma Gut 2 16 7.33

Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough 125 16L 7.04 8.47 5.74 7.08 57 Head FXP 16 7.32

Luxilon Big Banger Original 130 16 6.26 8.74 5.77 6.92 39 Babolat Pro Hurricane 17 7.31

Prince Lightning XX 16 7.49 6.37 7.34 7.07 95 Wilson Sensation Duo 17/16 7.31

Prince Lightning XX 17 7.73 5.81 7.38 6.97 37 Gamma Zo Power 16L 7.29

Prince Premier w/Softflex 16 8.20 6.39 8.13 7.57 51 Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 16 7.28

Prince Premier w/Softflex 17 8.10 5.95 8.10 7.38 21 Gamma Zo Tour 16 7.20

Prince Problend w/Duraflex 16 5.38 8.91 5.22 6.50 58 Gamma Synthetic Gut 17 7.17

Prince Recoil 16 7.42 7.58 7.19 7.40 26 Wilson Super Spin 16 7.16

Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 16 7.28 6.69 7.15 7.04 39 Babolat Attraction 16 7.15

Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 17 7.79 6.14 7.71 7.21 14 Prince Topspin Plus 16 7.14

Prince Synthetic Gut Original 16 7.14 6.59 7.00 6.91 29 Prince Synthetic Gut Original 16 7.14

Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 15L 5.76 7.29 6.06 6.37 17 Head FXP Power 16 7.08

Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 16 6.72 6.79 6.59 6.70 165 Head Intellistring 16/17 7.07

Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 17 7.40 6.22 7.05 6.89 65 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough 12516L 7.04

Prince Topspin Plus 16 7.14 6.57 6.76 6.83 21 Head Sonic Pro 17 7.00

Prince Topspin w/Duraflex 15L 6.49 7.46 6.27 6.74 37 Babolat Superfine Play 16 6.96

Prince Tournament Nylon 15L 5.63 7.32 6.00 6.32 19 Luxilon Big Banger Ace 112 18 6.93

Tecnifibre NRG2 16 7.94 6.54 7.86 7.45 35 Gosen OG Sheep Micro 16 6.86

Tecnifibre NRG2 17 8.52 6.18 8.39 7.70 44 Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Wearguard 16 6.81

Tecnifibre Pro Red Code 16 5.62 8.38 4.77 6.26 13 Gamma Ruff 16 6.77

Tecnifibre X One Biphase (1.30) 16 7.88 6.36 7.84 7.36 25 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 125 16L 6.77

Tecnifibre X One Biphase (1.24) 17 8.39 6.57 8.21 7.73 28 Head RIP Control 16 6.75

Wilson Enduro Pro 16 6.14 8.57 5.67 6.79 21 Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 16 6.72

Wilson Enduro Pro 17 6.67 8.27 5.47 6.80 15 Wilson Extreme Synthetic Gut 16 6.70

Wilson Extreme Synthetic Gut 16 6.70 6.55 6.68 6.64 50 Wilson Enduro Pro 17 6.67

Wilson Hyperlast 15 5.15 9.15 5.00 6.44 13 Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 6.54

Wilson K Gut 16 8.30 6.74 8.30 7.78 23 Babolat Pro Hurricane 16 6.52

Wilson NXT 16 8.43 6.54 8.33 7.77 119 Prince Topspin w/Duraflex 15L 6.49

Wilson NXT 17 8.91 5.97 8.73 7.77 97 Head Synthetic Gut 16 6.46

Wilson NXT Duo 16/17 7.54 7.69 6.62 7.28 13 Gamma Marathon DPC 15L 6.38

Wilson NXT Max 16 7.95 6.95 8.15 7.68 20 Babolat Conquest 16 6.36

Wilson NXT OS 16L 7.50 6.14 7.43 7.02 14 Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 16 6.29

Wilson NXT Tour 16 8.33 6.61 8.14 7.69 36 Luxilon Big Banger Original 130 16 6.26

Wilson NXT Tour 17 8.58 5.71 8.54 7.61 36 Wilson Enduro Pro 16 6.14

Wilson NXT Tour 18 8.62 5.08 8.38 7.36 13 Head Synthetic Gut PPS 16 6.06

Wilson Reaction 16 7.54 6.88 7.50 7.31 42 Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 15L 5.76

Wilson Reaction 17 8.16 6.26 8.16 7.53 19 Prince Tournament Nylon 15L 5.63

Wilson Sensation 16 7.62 6.58 7.72 7.31 138 Tecnifibre Pro Red Code 16 5.62

Wilson Sensation 17 8.21 5.96 8.22 7.46 67 Prince Problend w/Duraflex 16 5.38

Wilson Sensation Duo 17/16 7.31 7.69 7.00 7.33 13 Wilson Hyperlast 15 5.15

Wilson Super Spin 16 7.16 6.58 6.84 6.86 19 Gamma Infinity 15L 4.13


Company

String

Gauge

Score

Durability

Company

String

Gauge

Score

Comfort

String

Gauge

Score

Average Score

Company

Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 16 6.69 Prince Recoil 16 7.19 Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 17 7.21

Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Wearguard 17 6.69 Gamma Zo Power 16L 7.18 Babolat Pro Hurricane 17 7.17

Head FXP 16 6.63 Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 16 7.15 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough 12516L 7.08

Head FiberGel Power 16 6.61 Head FXP 17 7.13 Prince Lightning XX 16 7.07

Wilson NXT Tour 16 6.61 Head FXP 16 7.11 Head Intellistring 16/17 7.05

Prince Synthetic Gut Original 16 6.59 Gamma Zo Tour 16 7.08 Gamma Gut 2 16 7.04

Gamma Live Wire 16 6.58 Head FXP Power 16 7.08 Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 16 7.04

Wilson Super Spin 16 6.58 Gamma Gut 2 16 7.07 Head Sonic Pro 17 7.03

Wilson Sensation 16 6.58 Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 17 7.05 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 125 16L 7.02

Prince Topspin Plus 16 6.57 Babolat Superfine Play 16 7.04 Wilson NXT OS 16L 7.02

Tecnifibre X One Biphase (1.24) 17 6.57 Gamma Synthetic Gut 17 7.00 Head FXP 16 7.02

Wilson Extreme Synthetic Gut 16 6.55 Prince Synthetic Gut Original 16 7.00 Prince Lightning XX 17 6.97

Tecnifibre NRG2 16 6.54 Wilson Sensation Duo 17/16 7.00 Head FXP 17 6.95

Head FXP Power 16 6.54 Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Wearguard 16 6.94 Head RIP Control 16 6.94

Head Synthetic Gut 16 6.54 Head Intellistring 16/17 6.86 Luxilon Big Banger Original 130 16 6.92

Wilson NXT 16 6.54 Wilson Super Spin 16 6.84 Gamma Marathon DPC 15L 6.92

Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 6.53 Gosen OG Sheep Micro 16 6.82 Prince Synthetic Gut Original 16 6.91

Prince Premier w/Softflex 16 6.39 Prince Topspin Plus 16 6.76 Head FXP Power 16 6.90

Prince Lightning XX 16 6.37 Wilson Extreme Synthetic Gut 16 6.68 Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 17 6.89

Tecnifibre X One Biphase (1.30) 16 6.36 Head RIP Control 16 6.63 Gosen OG Sheep Micro 17 6.87

Gamma Live Wire 17 6.33 Head Synthetic Gut 16 6.62 Luxilon Big Banger Ace 112 18 6.87

Babolat VS Touch Thermogut 16 6.29 Wilson NXT Duo 16/17 6.62 Babolat Pro Hurricane 16 6.86

Wilson Reaction 17 6.26 Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 6.61 Wilson Super Spin 16 6.86

Head FXP 17 6.24 Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 16 6.59 Babolat Attraction 16 6.85

Babolat Xcel Premium 16 6.24 Prince Topspin w/Duraflex 15L 6.27 Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Wearguard 16 6.84

Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 17 6.22 Luxilon Big Banger Ace 112 18 6.27 Prince Topspin Plus 16 6.83

Tecnifibre NRG2 17 6.18 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Fluoro 123 17 6.24 Gosen OG Sheep Micro 16 6.82

Babolat Tonic+ Thermogut Longevity 15L 6.15 Gamma Ruff 16 6.23 Wilson Enduro Pro 17 6.80

Prince Synthetic Gut Multifilament 17 6.14 Gamma Marathon DPC 15L 6.19 Wilson Enduro Pro 16 6.79

Wilson NXT OS 16L 6.14 Babolat Conquest 16 6.14 Prince Topspin w/Duraflex 15L 6.74

Head Synthetic Gut PPS 16 6.12 Head Sonic Pro 17 6.08 Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 16 6.71

Babolat Superfine Play 16 6.09 Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 15L 6.06 Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 16 6.70

Babolat Conquest 16 6.07 Babolat Pro Hurricane 17 6.00 Babolat Superfine Play 16 6.70

Gamma TNT2 17 6.07 Prince Tournament Nylon 15L 6.00 Wilson Extreme Synthetic Gut 16 6.64

Babolat VS Team Thermogut 17 6.05 Head Synthetic Gut PPS 16 5.88 Gamma Synthetic Gut 17 6.61

Babolat Attraction 16 6.00 Luxilon Big Banger Original 130 16 5.77 Gamma Ruff 16 6.56

Wilson NXT 17 5.97 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough 125 16L 5.74 Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 6.56

Wilson Sensation 17 5.96 Wilson Enduro Pro 16 5.67 Head Synthetic Gut 16 6.54

Prince Premier w/Softflex 17 5.95 Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 125 16L 5.62 Prince Problend w/Duraflex 16 6.50

Gosen OG Sheep Micro 17 5.92 Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 16 5.55 Wilson Hyperlast 15 6.44

Babolat Xcel 16 5.86 Babolat Pro Hurricane 16 5.51 Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 15L 6.37

Prince Lightning XX 17 5.81 Wilson Enduro Pro 17 5.47 Prince Tournament Nylon 15L 6.32

Head FXP Power 17 5.77 Prince Problend w/Duraflex 16 5.22 Tecnifibre Pro Red Code 16 6.26

Wilson NXT Tour 17 5.71 Wilson Hyperlast 15 5.00 Babolat Conquest 16 6.19

Gamma Synthetic Gut 17 5.67 Tecnifibre Pro Red Code 16 4.77 Head Synthetic Gut PPS 16 6.02

Wilson NXT Tour 18 5.08 Gamma Infinity 15L 4.00 Gamma Infinity 15L 5.73

Talk to Dave Haggerty about his career and all that he’sdone in the tennis business, and he’ll tell you how“lucky” he’s been. Lucky that tennis was a part of his

childhood. Lucky to have received a college tennis scholar-ship. Lucky to have become a director of tennis in 1980.Lucky to have had opportunities with major tennis compa-nies. Lucky to be involved in a sport he loves.

But when you get to know Haggerty, you realize that, whilehe may have been in the right place at the right time in cer-

tain instances, “luck” really played a minor role. It’s moreabout Haggerty himself—his dedication and passion for ten-nis, his knowledge, his style, his easygoing nature—that bothsets him apart, yet also makes him a kind of tennis “every-man,” someone who can relate to all segments of this indus-try, and to whom everyone else can relate, too.

And importantly, for nearly 30 years, Haggerty has beenusing all of this accumulated industry knowledge and passionfor the good of the sport. That’s why, for 2008, Dave



Haggerty is Racquet Sports Industry’s Person of the Year.Never is the saying, “If you want something done, ask a

busy person,” more applicable than when talking about Hag-gerty. He is currently the CEO of Head USA (responsible notjust for Racquet Sports, but also for the Winter Sports and Div-ing divisions) and the president of Penn Racquet Sports; he ison the USTA board of directors (and will be a USTA vice pres-ident beginning in January); and he is on the TIA ExecutiveCommittee (after serving as TIA president for the past twoyears). He’s also held positions on the board of trustees for theSporting Goods Manufacturers Association and on the USTAMiddle States board of directors, among many other activities,both professional and volunteer.

Haggerty started playing tennis when he was 5, taught atfirst by his father, who was a science and biology teacher anda tennis coach in Trenton, N.J., and who was the director oftennis for the city of Trenton. At age 6, Haggerty was rankedin the USTA Middle States section. He played through highschool, then attended George WashingtonUniversity on a tennis scholarship, graduat-ing in 1979 with a degree in business admin-istration. (He recently was inducted into theGW Athletic Hall of Fame, and he’s also inthe Mercer County, N.J., Tennis Hall ofFame.)

During summers, he taught tennis withhis father at the Trenton Country Club. Aftercollege, he went to Europe and played insome pro events, but “I realized I was play-ing my best tennis, and I was as good as Iwas going to get,” he says.

“I was lucky enough to become the direc-tor of tennis at an indoor/outdoor club inHamilton, N.J., which is near Lawrenceville,where Prince was located,” Haggerty says.He started teaching Jack Murray, then thepresident of Prince, and one day, after ten-nis, Murray “told me if I ever get tired ofteaching tennis, to give him a call. So I wait-ed until noon then called Jim Baugh, whowas with Prince at the time, to ask him whatit means. I had an interview with Jim andJack a few days later.” Haggerty became theproduct manager for accessories for Prince,which at the time consisted of two strings and two men’s andtwo women’s T-shirts.

He left Prince in 1993, after 13 years, rising to product test-ing manager, regional then national sales manager, vice pres-ident of sales and marketing, then general manager of theAmericas. He consulted for a while then became the presidentof U.S. operations for Dunlop in 1994. In 1998, he moved toHead, as vice president and general manager of racquetsports.

“In the roles I’ve had in companies, I’ve been able to expe-rience everything from sales and marketing to operations,and to know what it’s like to run a warehouse, understandcustomer complaints and issues, and all sorts of things,” hesays. “I feel that I’ve been very fortunate to have such a broadview of tennis, and the tennis business.”

“Dave has a great grasp on the levers that can move thingsthrough the industry,” says longtime friend, doubles partner,and Head colleague Kevin Kempin.

A large part of Haggerty’s effectiveness in this industry,and what really sets him apart as our Person of the Year, is allthat he has done, and is doing, on the volunteer side oftennis.

“Dave’s wealth of experience in this industry is a hugeasset to us,” says Lucy Garvin, the incoming USTA presidentand chairman of the board. “He brings a wonderful businessacumen to the board. I’m going to count on his experience tohelp broaden our relationships.”

“With the focus of the TIA to bring everyone together, it’sclear that’s Dave’s motivating factor,” says TIA ExecutiveDirector Jolyn de Boer. “He is able to easily reach across theaisle. He’s all about the sport of tennis, and promoting it.”

Haggerty’s relationships extend to all areas of the business.A teaching pro himself, he is tight with both the PTR and

USPTA (in fact, Head is a sponsor of both),and understands the value teaching prosbring to the industry. He is involved withother companies via his role with the TIA, heis heavily involved with the USTA sections,he is an avid player and understands the ten-nis consumer, and he doesn’t shy away fromdealing with the media to get the tennis mes-sage out.

And more than that, “Dave is a genuineperson. He really brings a sense of calmnessand level-headedness to all the differentthings we do,” says de Boer. “He’s very reas-suring, and very calming.”

That’s a quality that many people echo.“Dave is always the calm in the storm,” saysKempin. “In the times we’re going throughnow, it’s great to have someone who doesn’twhipsaw back and forth and doesn’t panic.He’s always calm, focused, positive, firmwhen needed—you don’t see him go toextremes. He has a very balanced approach.”

“He has a warm personality, and he’ssomeone you want to work with,” adds PTRCEO Dan Santorum. “He’s helped keep thisindustry together, which is a testimony to his

diplomatic skills.”And it’s also a testimony to the respect he garners from all

areas of the business. “Dave has helped both build a strongerbridge with the USTA and further bring together our industryoverall,” says Jon Muir, the general manager of Wilson, whowill take over as president of the TIA in January.

Adds Olivia Bellato, his longtime executive assistant atHead: “I have a great deal of respect and admiration for Dave.He runs three businesses, is on all these volunteer boards, hashis family (five children), coaches tennis and soccer, and hisdoor is always open for you. He’s an amazing human being.

“Someone told me when I first started working with Daveeight years ago that I’d never find a more highly respectedperson in the tennis business. I certainly lucked out.” �

—Peter Francesconi

� Be a volunteer. Like Haggerty,get as involved as possible.You’ll not only have a goodtime, but you’ll contribute tosomething really worthy.

� Lead by example. “I’m notafraid of early hours and latedays,” says Haggerty.

� Keep your head. Haggerty’scalm, unassuming demeanorputs people at ease and exudesconfidence.

� Give people autonomy and letthem do their jobs. “Dave hasno problem being in the back-ground and letting others makedecisions and get the credit,”says Kevin Kempin.

� Communicate often. It putseveryone on the same page andminimizes surprises. On the flipside, like Haggerty, be a goodlistener, too.


Amain goal for the Boar’s Head SportsClub, says Club Manager James Neider-er, “is to create the best tennis experi-

ence for anyone who walks through thedoor—whether a spectator, beginner, interme-diate, collegiate or professional player.”

And with all the programs and activities, it’ssafe to say that the Charlottesville, Va., club iswell on its way. That’s why we’ve named theBoar’s Head Sports Club RSI’s 2008 PrivateFacility of the Year.

BHSC has 12 indoor Decoturf courts, 10 out-door Har-Tru courts, and four outdoor Deco,and the facility is the home indoor tennis sitefor the University of Virginia teams. The sportsclub, which is a part of the four-diamond Boar’sHead Inn resort, has about 1,200 memberships,servicing more than 2,500 tennis players, saysNeiderer. About half the memberships are forfamilies.

At least 17 USTA league teams play out of

BHSC, and there are other in-house club leaguesfor players at all levels. “The social side of ten-nis is alive and well here,” says Neiderer. BHSCalso has six certified teaching pros. The activejunior program, for ages 4 and up, also includesthe high-performance Boar’s Head Elite Acade-my for top juniors.

BHSC also is extremely active in running out-side events. In fact, longtime BHSC racquetsports director Ron Manilla recently shifted jobsto be the club’s tournament director, runningevents that include Intercollegiate Tennis Asso-ciation national tournaments, USTA events, pro-fessional events (including the Boyd Tinsley$50,000 USTA Women’s Pro Tennis Champi-onships) and much more. Overseeing the tennisoperation for members is Tim Bauer.

“Even in this economy, our club is doingquite well,” says Neiderer. “We hang our hat ontennis here; it’s what we do best.”

—Peter Francesconi

After working in racquet customization for12 years under Warren Bosworth, NateFerguson took what he learned and

became Pete Sampras’ personal stringer. “Iwanted to start my own company, Pete wantedsomeone who could both string his racquets onthe road and customize them perfectly,” saysFerguson. And so the Tampa-based racquet cus-tomization company Priority One was born.

While he will occasionally do work forfriends and local players, his business focuseson touring pros. Built on the idea of consisten-cy, trust and reliability, his “Gold Service”clients—Roger Federer, Andy Murray, MardyFish, Marcos Baghdatis, Novak Djokovic, MaratSafin, Lleyton Hewitt and Fernando Gonzalez—receive customization, a personal stringer onthe road and someone looking out for theirmost important piece of equipment at all times.In other words, Ferguson and his P1 colleagues,Ron Yu and Glynn Roberts, provide them with

total racquet peace of mind. Each member ofthe P1 team travels with their own stringingmachine to ensure consistency.

Because of the precision, says Ferguson,there is no margin for error. And because thebusiness is so personal, the players have toknow that they can rely on Ferguson and Prior-ity One. “We go the extra mile, whatever ittakes, to make sure our clients get exactly whatthey want,” he says.

Ferguson (shown with one of his “prized pos-sessions,” a racquet given to him in 1998 byPete Sampras after he broke it in anger during amatch) built his business on consistency, trustand reliability. And he knows he has to work ashard as the players do: “They barely get anytime off; we barely get any time off,” he says.And with a roster that includes 2008 US Openchampion Roger Federer and runner-up AndyMurray, working hard for his clients is his No. 1priority. —Sam Kissinger

� Make it a family affair. BHSCoffers programs that keep fami-lies, including the youngest kids,active on the court.

� Don’t neglect the social side oftennis. Men’s night, ladies’night, member-guest, and mem-ber-member events give peoplemore reasons to play, and givepotential members a good lookat what you do best.

� Make your members yourbiggest fans. Neiderer says mem-bers really embrace the UVAteams, often traveling to seeaway matches, too.

� You have to sell yourself. Rac-quet stringing and customizationis a service, not a product.

� Make each client, whether a topprofessional or a recreationalplayer, feel like they are themost important client you have.

� Establish your credibility throughtrust and reliability.


In the eight years we’ve named aBuilder/Contractor of the Year, we’ve noticedcertain phrases that keep coming up: “dedi-

cation,” “conscientious” and “quality workman-ship.” Those words, and more, describe our2008 Builder/Contractor of the Year—BostonTennis Court Construction Co. of Hanover,Mass.

“You couldn’t meet a nicer, more dedicatedgroup,” says Nova Sports USA’s Bill Righter. “Ithelps us tremendously when we deal with peo-ple like Dave Marsden and Bruce Mahler.”

BTCC was started in 1968—Marsden startedworking seasonally for the company in 1969.When he graduated from Babson College in1971, he was offered a full-time job. Mahler, aUSPTA-certified pro for 38 years, joined in1969. He was a two-time New England No. 1junior player and played No. 1 for Duke Univer-sity. By 1981, Marsden (at left in photo) andMahler had bought the company, and both have

been Certified Tennis Court Builders for morethan 20 years.

The company doesn’t bid any public work.“If you build courts for a private club andthey’re pleased with the job, then you strike upa relationship that’s ongoing,” says Mahler,adding that 90 to 95 percent of their business ison a referral basis. Mahler’s tennis-playing cre-dentials bring a unique dimension to the busi-ness, allowing him to address customers’questions from a player’s perspective.

“Service is probably our strongest point,”adds Marsden, who has been heavily involvedin the American Sports Builders Association,including three years as chairman. BTCC alsosells and services (often on-site) Playmate ballmachines. “This really gets us in a lot of doors.”

“Dave and Bruce are committed to the indus-try and the sports construction business,” saysRandy Futty of Lee Tennis. “They’re really greatguys.” —Peter Francesconi

To be a successful sales rep, you have tooffer customers a kaleidoscope of attrib-utes: expertise, reliability, professional-

ism, flexibility, persistence and drive tosucceed. As a savvy sales veteran with 21 yearsof experience in the tennis industry, JimHaneklau certainly epitomizes all of thosethings, but one of his biggest retail accountspoints out a perhaps more subtle and rare qual-ity—visibility.

“Everyone in my stores knows Jim,” saysDale Queen, owner of Your Serve Tennis, whichhas seven locations in the metro Atlanta area.“He stops by all of my locations, trains myemployees and gets to know all of them. He'sgot a big territory to handle, so that's prettyamazing.”

It's this kind of reputation that has earnedHaneklau, who covers the tennis-rich territoryof Georgia and Alabama for Wilson SportingGoods, RSI’s Sales Rep of the Year award.

Jeffery Adams, national sales manager forWilson Racquet Sports, says Haneklau's laundrylist of attributes make him a worthy recipient:“Jim exemplifies the successful traits of a greatsales professional in our industry: character,trust, problem-solver, accountable, results dri-ven, highly motivated and empathetic.”

“I was an enthusiastic club player,” saysHaneklau, “and I got hooked on the sport. Ithought it would be great to have a tennis job.At the end of the day you're making a living inthe tennis business.”

He offers a down-to-earth attitude to explainhis success: “The bottom line is my customersand the products and brand I represent haveenabled me to be successful.”

“Jim is always so well prepared for everymeeting, and he's so well organized,” saysQueen. “He knows my business, what I've soldin the past. More than a rep, he's a businesspartner.” —Mitch Rustad

� Get involved beyond your cor-ner of the business. “Workingwith the ASBA really openedmy eyes and helped to educateme,” says Marsden.

� Be honest and up-front withcustomers on all aspects ofconstruction. “Educate them sothey know what they’re gettingand appreciate the quality ofthe work,” says Mahler.

� Don’t badmouth competitors.“It will turn people off,” saysMarsden. “Tell them what youoffer.”

� Make the call. Don't wait for thephone to ring to ask to be seen,make the call yourself.

� Be proactive. Don't wait forissues to come up with cus-tomers, head them off. Stay intouch with your customers vianewsletters, emails and phonecalls. “They need to be updatedon any type of news,” saysHaneklau.

� Do whatever it takes. It takes agreat attitude to grow your busi-ness. “If that means workingweekends, late hours, or gettingup early, do what it takes.”


With some 4,300 employees in morethan 50 full-service locationsthroughout California, Nevada, Ari-

zona and Utah, and with more than 50 servicesfor the serious sports enthusiast (kayakinglessons, anyone?), can a mass-merchant likeSport Chalet actually satisfy a savvy tennis cus-tomer? Hey, just because you offer backpack-ing, canyoneering and kayaking instruction, notto mention custom golf-club fitting and snow-board and ski rental and repair, doesn't meanyou can't be a tennis expert.

“Having been in store as a consumer andnow as a brand rep, inasmuch as they are amass merchant, on the front end they feel like aspecialist,” says Jeffery Adams, national salesmanager of racquets for Wilson. “That is thedefinition of success for Sport Chalet, and that iswhat makes them so good.”

A dynamic staff on the sales floor, immacu-late presentation and a comprehensive product

selection, combined with a glowing reputationaround the industry, have made Sport Chaletour 2008 Chain Retailer/Mass Merchant of theYear. (Sport Chalet also claimed this honor in2003.)

“They really understand their customer andthey're very disciplined, so they buy efficientlyand put inventory on their walls that will be suc-cessful,” which enhances profits and leads tofewer sales and markdowns, adds Adams.

Another factor that makes Sport Chalet suchan important large retailer for manufacturers isits commitment to showcasing an entire line ofproducts—including the latest technology.

“Sport Chalet really gets the high-end busi-ness and has a great scope of everything,” saysHead’s Greg Mason. “Everybody else focuses onthe $60 to $100 range, but Sport Chalet is anexception that sells high-end performance rac-quets and looks at itself as a specialty shop.”

—Mitch Rustad

When you’ve been in business formore than 30 years, you must bedoing something right. Starting in a

750-square-foot space, Tennis & Golf Co. inRoyal Oak, Mich., now occupies nearly 20,000square feet, and that contributes to the “wowfactor,” says Prince rep Matthew Haley. “Theirassortment and variety is enormous, and theterrific staff is welcoming and helpful.”

Owner Dave Schwartz (at right in photo)knows tennis inside and out. His pragmaticapproach to business, as well as his devotion totennis, his customers, and the community, haswon him a large client base. “Dave really caresabout tennis and the community,” says Wil-son’s John Rapson, “often donating his time andmoney to get kids into the sport.”

A big attraction is “club pricing”—for a $55yearly membership, customers can buy appareland equipment at a substantial, unadvertiseddiscount. The membership pricing is “the most

aggressive I’ve ever seen,” says Haley.The store has an 80- by 16-foot demo area

for customers to test racquets. Schwartz says hewants to “educate consumers to where they canmake judgments on their own and make anobjective decision on what to buy.”

Stringing is huge, with five stringers churningout more than 16,000 string jobs a year. One-hour stringing is available—“It’s one of the fea-tures that keeps us one step ahead of thecompetition,” says Schwartz. And apparel is big,too, with a deep selection for men and womenand displays that are refreshed regularly. Thestore also has extensive relationships withleague and school teams and sponsors a yearlyhigh school coaches conference.

“They have great merchandising, staff, andaggressive and creative programs,” says GregMason of Head. “Whenever I’m looking for anew idea or a different spin on things, Dave isthe guy I turn to.” —Cynthia Sherman

� No matter how big your storeis, tennis players respond whenthey think of you as a specialist.

� Showing complete lines willkeep customers coming back atall stages and ages.

� Product displays drive interestand sales. Clean, dynamic pre-sentation will help your bottomline.

� Offering a club member-ship/discount pricing planencourages consumer loyalty.

� Educate customers so they canmake informed buying deci-sions.

� Have a passion for the sportand carry it over to school andcommunity programs.


Aformer professional player who compet-ed on the U.S. and Swiss satellite cir-cuits, Chuck Kuhle of Decatur, Ill., has

extensive experience practicing what he teach-es as director of tennis at the Decatur AthleticClub. In this role since 1980, Kuhle has trainedsectional and national level juniors, includingfour Illinois high school champions. He is alsohead coach of the Middle and Southern IllinoisUSTA Competition Training Center; president ofthe Decatur Community Tennis Foundation;and tournament director of a men’s $10,000Futures tournament since its inception inDecatur 10 years ago.

Kuhle, a USTPA master professional, hasnow earned another accolade: RSI’s JuniorDevelopment Champion of the Year.

USTA Pro Circuit Director Brian Earley prais-es Kuhle for his insight in using the Futures tour-nament, which is held every July at the DecaturPark District, as the “centerpiece” for growing

the game in the city. “Chuck sees beyond hisrole of running the tournament to promotingtennis in the community at large,” Earley says.“He’s low-key and doesn’t look for a lot of patson the back, and that’s why he gets them.”

Kuhle says he encourages all ages to playtennis because he truly believes in the sport’slifelong physical and social benefits. And whilethe Futures competitors provide an example towhich juniors can aspire, its proceeds havefunded local grassroots initiatives including sub-sidized tennis programs; tennis equipment forthe city’s public schools; and court renovation, anew clubhouse, and other upgrades to the pub-lic park facility.

The benefits, however, aren’t all tangible.Kuhle was just as excited to hear that two tour-nament volunteers have become friends andnow play tennis together. “The tournament hasa tremendously positive influence on tennis inDecatur,” he says. —Cynthia Cantrell

Asure sign of success for a communityoutreach program is when people callorganizers for information on how to get

involved, rather than organizers searching forvolunteers. This is the situation Sue Jollensten ofAlbuquerque, N.M., now finds herself in as sheruns after-school tennis programs for studentsacross New Mexico.

Jollensten started her flagship program, theGovernor’s Cup Mid School Tennis Champi-onships, in 1996 to give more children theopportunity to play tennis. This year, nearly 800students represented their schools during sixweeks for matches and an end-of-season tour-nament. “We had a record year in 2008, whichtells me that there’s a need for this sort of pro-gram in middle schools,” she says.

In recognition of her efforts, Jollensten hasbeen named RSI’s 2008 Grassroots TennisChampion of the Year.

The chair of the USTA Schools Committee in

2007 and 2008 (and a 2008 winner of theUSTA’s Eve Kraft Award), Jollensten has alsolaunched a high school junior varsity tennisleague to promote a continued interest in thesport. And to keep kids playing from childhoodon up, she is currently working to establish ele-mentary school programs.

In programs like the middle school league,Jollensten says, “Students have so much funlearning tennis and playing on a team repre-senting their schools. It creates camaraderieand confidence.”

“Sue has been a driving force behind thegrowth and development of junior tennis in ourcommunity,” says Becky Lee, a USTA SouthwestSection tennis service representative in North-ern New Mexico. “Her grassroots approach hasempowered and motivated many communityvolunteers, parents, teachers, and schooladministrators to make tennis available to ourchildren. —Kristen Daley

� Keep it interesting. Pay extraattention to beginners, but offera variety of social and competi-tive programming to meet theneeds and interests of all levels.

� Recognize achievements. Publi-cize tournament results andother accomplishments innewsletters and local papers.

� Leverage professional events. Bywatching the pros, youngstersgain a better understanding ofthe work ethic required to earna college scholarship or evenbecome pros themselves.

� Charging a reasonable partici-pation fee, and paying volun-teers a small stipend, gives aprogram more substance andvalue, and increases commit-ment.

� Develop a season for the pro-gram, so that volunteers knowthe time commitment.

� Partner with as many peo-ple/organizations as possible topromote your program's growthand longevity.


Michael Mercier’s mission is strikinglysimilar to the USTA’s mission to “pro-mote and develop the growth of ten-

nis.” Mercier simply adds the word“wheelchair” to that statement.

Mercier’s introduction to wheelchair tenniscame 15 years ago, when he volunteered at aclinic in Augusta, Maine. “It was kind of a chal-lenge, a fun new thing to do,” he says. “To pushthe chair, with racquet in hand, that’s a learningcurve of mobility. Once you get that part down,it’s actually really easy.”

Since then, the Harvard University tennisprofessional, USPTA Wheelchair Tester and win-ner of the USPTA New England Wheelchair Proof the Year, has unselfishly dedicated time andenergy to teaching wheelchair tennis and rais-ing awareness of the sport. For this, he has beennamed the RSI Wheelchair Tennis Champion ofthe Year.

“Michael is an innovator when it comes to

engaging people with wheelchair tennis at thelocal level,” says Dan James, USTA nationalmanager of Wheelchair Tennis. “He has certi-fied teaching professionals and ensured playershave the opportunity to play.”

Between USPTA wheelchair certification andeducational clinics, Mercier runs 20 events ayear to instruct others how to play and teachwheelchair tennis, often using a sports wheel-chair himself. He is also vigilant in scouting outentrances and exits for wheelchair players atlocal facilities.

For more than a decade, Mercier, who chairsthe wheelchair tennis committee for USTA NewEngland and was recently named the USTABrad Parks Wheelchair Tennis Professional ofthe Year, has opened his camps and clinics toplayers of all ages and abilities. “It is a gift towork with athletes who have such passion,camaraderie, desire and positive work ethic,”says Mercier. —Kristen Daley

It’s a tennis oasis, and it’s been garneringpraise from players and organizations alike.The Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in

Surprise, Ariz., opened in 2007 to rave reviews.With its 25 courts, including a stadium court,along with a tastefully designed clubhouse thatincludes lockers, lounge and pro shop, the com-plex won the USTA’s 2008 Outstanding Facilityaward. And now, with its wealth of program-ming, growing player base and unique relation-ship with the city, the Surprise Tennis &Racquet Complex is RSI’s 2008 Municipal Facil-ity of the Year.

“Tennis has been kind of new on the westernside of Phoenix,” says John Austin, the tennisoperations manager at the Surprise complex.“There are a lot of 55-and-over communitieswith courts, but they’re not accessible to thegeneral public.” The Surprise Tennis Complexhas no memberships and is open to anyone—daytime court fees for residents are just $2 for

90 minutes, non-residents pay $3; night ratesare $3 and $4.

“The demographics in this area has shiftedfrom heavily 55 and over to about 35 years old,with two kids,” says Austin. “So we have the fullspectrum of people playing here.”

And the complex is bringing in big events,too, including sectional and national champi-onships and a professional Outback ChampionsSeries event. In February, the facility will hostthe Fed Cup quarterfinal between the U.S. andArgentina, then in April it will host the popularUSTA Tennis on Campus National Champi-onships.

The city of Surprise really was “thinkinglong-term,” says Austin. One key is the “impactfee” that developers pay when building in therapidly growing area. “The city used no bondsor loans because 25 percent of the impact feegoes to the park and rec. It was all done ondeveloper’s money.” —Peter Francesconi

� Adjust programming to suitchanging demographics in yourarea.

� Bring in big events. The money itwill add to the local economywill help keep the future brightfor large municipal facilities.

� Give players all they need. TheSurprise complex is open sevendays a week, has drop-in pro-grams, classes and activities forall ages and skill levels, areas tosocialize, and more.

� Recruit players from otherwheelchair sports, organizationsfor disabled citizens, schools,etc.

� Assess facility accessibility.Things to look for include steps,height, width and grade ofentrances, and openingbetween net posts.

� Promote wheelchair tennisthrough word of mouth, specialevents, media and more.


As a public facility, the mission of theRoswell Recreation and Parks Depart-ment in Roswell, Ga., is to offer recre-

ation opportunities for all the city’s residents.From a tennis standpoint, every age group iscovered.

“The Roswell Recreation and Parks Depart-ment has a well-rounded offering of tennis pro-gramming for youth and adults,” says KarenFord, national manager of USTA Tennis in theParks. For that reason, it’s not surprising thatthe organization, which was selected as the2007 USTA Georgia Park and RecreationDepartment of the Year, has earned anotherhonor: RSI’s 2008 Public Park of the Year.

Beginning with Pee Wee tennis for ages 5and 6, juniors traditionally have progressedthrough a series of instruction-based levelsoffered by the Roswell Recreation and ParksDepartment. The organization is quick toembrace new opportunities, however, becom-

ing one of the few park and rec agencies orga-nizing USTA Jr. Team Tennis using the Quick-Start Tennis format.

Today, parallel tracks exist for juniors in tra-ditional clinics, as well as those whose parentsprovide on-court coaching support for theQuickStart team concept. While he believes theQuickStart approach is more fun for kids, recre-ation/tennis supervisor Scott Laakso says main-taining both offerings is important in satisfyingthe needs of the community.

The QuickStart format has become so popu-lar, however, that the organization recently putdown permanent QuickStart lines on eight pub-lic courts. Not only is it a time-saver over usingtemporary tape, but Laakso says the juniors feelprideful ownership in playing on courts thathave been specialized for their brand of tennis.

“The kids love it,” Laakso says. “For us, it’sall about making sure the kids have a good timeso they continue playing.” —Cynthia Cantrell

The Lee County Community Tennis Associ-ation in the Fort Myers, Fla., area wasestablished to provide tennis lessons to

the community’s underserved youth. Since itsfounding in 1995, it has grown by leaps andbounds. “But our primary focus,” says LCCTAPresident Harriett Bohannon, “is still on ouryouth programs,” which include lessons, dailyinstruction as part of an after-school program,and league and tournament competition.

Maintaining that focus is one of the associa-tion’s four core principles. The group alsostrives to offer accessible and affordable pro-grams, achieve continuous improvement in pro-grams and operations, and establishpartnerships to help support its goals.

“Our long-range vision is to position LeeCounty as a state and national tennis destina-tion that builds on a comprehensive schedule oftennis programs for all ages and abilities,” saysBohannon. Their efforts toward achieving that

vision have earned them distinction as RSI’sCTA of the Year.

Serving players throughout the county, theLCCTA has certainly put tennis on the map. Atthe end of 2007, the CTA closed in on 700members, who are offered fee reductions onlessons and clinics, a community tennisresource guide and newsletter, and discounts onsporting goods, fitness and personal care.

Volunteers are in strong supply, with morethan 100 full- and part-time residents, tennisprofessionals and more. And there are plenty ofopportunities to serve, from assisting at SpecialOlympics tennis practice to volunteering atafter-school tennis and tutoring programs.

“The Lee County Community Tennis Associ-ation has programs servicing all groups withinthe community, and does a great job of makingsure tennis courts are always full,” says DavidSlade, USTA National Manager of CommunityTennis Associations. —Kristen Daley

� Make it easy. At the Roswellpark and rec, players are provid-ed with a racquet, ball, T-shirt,junior USTA membership, andpaid entry fee into the local ten-nis league.

� Family affair. Roswell offers mul-tiple opportunities for childrenand parents to learn together.

� A park and rec is at risk of losingplayers to its competing sportsprograms. Introduce kids to hav-ing fun on court, however, andyou may see the beginning of alifelong love of the game.

� Reach an agreement on orga-nizational priorities and moni-tor progress towardachievement, to avoid beingpulled in many different direc-tions.

� Nurture the volunteers. Makesure they feel valued and knowtheir efforts are appreciated.

� Don’t hesitate to ask for peo-ple to volunteer time andresources. Some may just behesitant to step forward ontheir own.


In the 33 years Tom Sweitzer has been a full-time teaching pro, he has just about seen itall—from pros who are bored and show it, to

overly technical instructors who won’t let play-ers hit two shots in a row without correctingtheir strokes.

A successful junior and college player despitenever having taken a lesson himself, the Her-shey, Pa., native has dedicated his career tosharing his love of the game with others. Andfor 2008, Sweitzer is RSI’s USPTA Member ofthe Year.

“Tom Sweitzer has shown his continuedcommitment and dedication to the USPTA andthe sport of tennis,” says USPTA CEO Tim Heck-ler. “It is evident from his success in so manyfacets of tennis, including as a teaching profes-sional and through contributions to the commu-nity, education and publications.”

Now a USPTA master pro, Sweitzer teacheshis players the strokes and strategies he has

honed since those days. He is just as committedto his fellow USPTA members, speaking atnumerous national and sectional conventionsand writing more than 30 articles. He’s a USTAMiddle States Hall of Famer, former USPTA Mid-dle States Division president, past USTA andUSPTA Middle States pro of the year, and pastrecipient of Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Com-munity Service citation for helping to raise $8million for local health care facilities throughcharity tennis events.

Sweitzer has taught more than 50,000 hoursof tennis lessons, with more than 200 of his for-mer students involved in teaching or coachingtennis, and has directed over 250 USTA tourna-ments.

“I could probably make more money doingsomething else,” Sweitzer says, “but the biggestpaycheck for me is seeing my students do welland families come together through tennis.”

—Cynthia Cantrell

Jorge Andrew is the ultimate tennis profes-sional. The director of tennis operations forthe Lexington County (S.C.) Recreation and

Aging Commission, Andrew is a premierteacher of the game. He is a fixture at industryevents as a presenter (in both English and Span-ish), serves on sectional and national commit-tees, and is one of only a handful of teachingpros who are master professionals in bothteaching organizations.

“Jorge is one of the shining stars in this busi-ness,” says PTR CEO Dan Santorum. “Every-thing about him is so positive. He really iswonderful.” And Andrew genuinely cares notonly about tennis, but also for everyone whoplays the sport.

Because of his total dedication to tennis,Jorge Andrew is RSI’s PTR Member of the Year.

Andrew grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, andplayed on the pro tour for 10 years, reaching acareer high singles ranking of 61 and doubles

ranking of 69. He left the tour in 1982, but hesays playing professionally taught him to be dis-ciplined, something he has carried over to hisjobs in tennis.

“My teaching philosophy, too, has changedsince I left the tour,” says Andrew. “At first, Ienjoyed teaching top-level juniors. Then in theclub business, I enjoyed teaching women’s andmen’s teams. And now the thing I enjoy themost is doing QuickStart Tennis and workingwith beginners, not just juniors but also adults.”

Andrew has been the only tennis director atthe 21-court Lexington County Tennis Complex,which opened in 2002. Soon to be added to hislong list of responsibilities will be a secondmajor complex, with 24 courts, expected to becompleted in 2010.

But Andrew is involved in so many areas ofthe business, it’s hard to keep track. “Jorge justdoes an amazing job with everything,” says San-torum. —Peter Francesconi

� Plan your work and work yourplan. “I try to plan every day,and I also plan the time with myfamily,” says Andrew, who hastwo sons, ages 10 and 13.

� Make sure that when you teach,the main interest is your stu-dent’s needs, not yours. “Every-one would like to teach the No.1 player, but we need to keepevery single person that wetouch.”

� When teaching beginners, themost important thing is to teachthem how to rally. “The momentyou have them rallying, you’llhave them hooked on tennis,”says Andrew. “Make it fun, sothey’re not just chasing balls.”

� Get involved. Attending theUSPTA national convention is agreat first step for members, andall 17 divisions offer regularmeetings and educationalopportunities.

� It’s a big world out there. Visitand experience the good andthe bad of other clubs. You maygain valuable networking oppor-tunities, or learn something newwhich may benefit your ownplayers and club.

� You are your own business.Your business doesn’t have tostop when you step off thecourt. Promote and market yourskills.


Ever since Sue Bordainick started coachingtennis at Ramapo High School in SpringValley, N.Y., in 1973, she has not cut any

player who’s tried out for the team. While num-bers were modest when she first began coach-ing the team, 25 years later her boys’ and girls’teams are attracting upwards of 60 memberseach.

“The students know when they come outthat they made the team,” says Bordainick. “Sothere’s no pressure on them. They can justrelax.” For her work to make the game availableto all students who want to play, Bordainick hasbeen named the RSI’s 2008 High School Coachof the Year.

The Ramapo teams consist of three divi-sions—varsity, junior varsity and “modified” forseventh- and eighth-graders bused to Ramapofrom the local middle school. To manage timeand court space, the varsity practices first, fol-lowed by the JV team, then the modified squad.

“We just go until darkness,” says Bordainick.“Tennis owes a great deal of credit to coach-

es like Sue who work extra hard and spendmore time because keeping extra kids on theteam is more challenging than simply cutting toa more convenient or manageable number,”says Kirk Anderson, USTA director of Recre-ational Coaches & Programs.

“The kids just love coming out for tennis,”says Bordainick, who recently received the2008 USTA Starfish Award for no-cut coaches.“Most of the kids from our district, when theycome out, have never played before. It’s nice tosee them grow.”

And it’s not just the students’ tennis skillsthat are growing, but also a bond betweenschoolmates. “They are so close-knit by the endof the season,” says Bordainick. “After a longmatch, win or lose, they yell ‘Team Hug!’ Andthe whole team runs out on court.”

—Kristen Daley

For the USTA Pacific Northwest Section,teamwork is key. Success in everythingfrom tennis programming to improving

tennis infrastructure across the section has beenbuilt through the cooperation of its members.

“I think what sets the section apart is that theentire staff and volunteers are well-connected totheir communities,” says Karen Green, USTAnational manager of Tennis in the Parks. “Theyknow what is going on in almost every commu-nity and are a welcoming organization.”

And for all its success, the Pacific NorthwestSection is the 2008 RSI USTA Section of theYear. It’s the second time the section won thisaward, having been honored in 2004, too.

The section's current USTA membership ofmore than 23,000 represents a 100 percentincrease from eight years ago. This increase inmembers has resulted from program participa-tion, particularly in the USTA League and JuniorTeam Tennis programs.

Today, every area of the section offers aJunior Team Tennis Local League, and participa-tion has grown to 2,000 recently. League Tennisparticipation increased a record 9 percent since2007 and now boasts nearly 20,500 players. Afocus on team play for juniors through adults,says section CEO and Executive Director BillLeong, has led to competitive success all theway up to the national level.

To ensure there are plenty of places to play,the section provides grants for local communi-ties to use toward the construction and renova-tion of courts. It also teams up with technical,fundraising and advocacy experts. "There's a lotinvolved in it," says Leong.

The backbone of the PNW Section is itssquad of staff and volunteers, who workedtogether to host the Davis Cup final in 2007."We have a very strong and effective volunteerand staff partnership," says Leong.

—Kristen Daley

� For a no-cut tennis team, on thefirst day of practice (which isnot a “tryout”), let the studentsknow they all made the team.

� Compliment players on theirsuccess. Bordainick’s motto: “Ifyou get the ball over the netone more time than your oppo-nent, you’ll win the point.”

� Try to keep players movingthroughout the entire practice.Bordainick has each player hitfour balls, then run and placefour balls back in the hopper.There is no down time.

� Be sure diversity and inclusionare embedded in the businessoperating plan.

� Maintain a strong partnershipbetween professional staff andvolunteers.

� Engage the community and pro-vide relevant service needs.

Y O U R B U S I N E S S

New economic challenges are putting managers to thetest. Here are some of the characteristics they’ll needto acquire to meet these changing dynamics.


Darwin would be pleased to see that his evolutionary theorieshave progressed all the way from the Galapagos Islands toimpacting the managers of modern day tennis and fitness

facilities.In an industry that has evolved so rapidly in the last few

decades, managers who could not keep up with the changes havebeen left behind, or have become extinct. Those who have beenable to keep up, and who now are weathering economic woes,may well be evolving into near-perfect managers.

To be fair, no one’s perfect, but in this business climate, themanager often is asked to perform at that level. Put it in perspec-tive and you’ll see why. The purchase of a membership is, in mostcases, an option for the consumer. Despite your arguments thateveryone needs to partake in some sort of health and fitness pro-gram, it’s still the consumer’s choice. The fact is, most people havetheir natural environment or can attend public facilities—optionsthat are free. Now factor in the challenging economic situation fac-ing today’s consumers, and managers are really being put to thetest.

Those who do survive will truly become the cream of the crop.They may even evolve into the “perfect manager.”

What are the characteristics that these managers will acquireto meet today’s new challenges? What will it take for someone cur-rently in the position of tennis director to become general manag-

er? If a personal trainer aspires to become the fitness director,what will they need to learn?

SAVING MONEY AND TIMEThe first step will be to learn and have the ability to multi-task. Thisis more than just being able to sit at the front desk while anemployee takes a break, or correcting the height of a net whenplaying with members on court. This is all about being able to savemoney and save time.

As a manager reviews their responsibilities, they will transitionfrom overseeing different departments to being able to run thesedepartments. Instead of calling in a consultant to help with sales,the manager becomes astute enough to know how to properlymarket his product. He or she can create, design and properlyplace ads where those ads will get the most bang for the buck.They become experts at analyzing the market, using everythingfrom Google Analytics to caller I.D. feedback. They becomeexperts at selling memberships and, in turn, can organize andguide their sales staff from the experience of their own success.

Instead of calling in a temp when their accountant or book-keeper is unable to work, they can step in and handle the paper-work, everything from billing to payables. They can author, publishand print the club’s newsletter.

If a pipe breaks, they may not be able to fix it, but they can cer-

B Y R O D H E C K E L M A N


HOW TOBECOME THEPERFECTMANAGER

HOW TOBECOME THEPERFECTMANAGER


tainly address the problem from the standpoint of either guidingsomeone through that task or knowing how to limit the impact a bro-ken pipe might have. If a sprinkler head blows up and sprays waterall over the courts, instead of being dependent on a maintenanceperson who may not be on hand, they know how to turn off thevalve. They even go out and dry the courts for play. This list of whata perfect manager can handle becomes longer and longer, demand-ing that they evolve.

They know how to make the café an image of the members’desires and needs. The perfect manager creates a menu that isgeared to what is most likely to cross the counter and increase sales.They’re able to do this not only as a result of interacting with mem-bers and their staff, but by also having a complete knowledge of thesoftware so they can access the statistical information concerningthe turnover of inventory. They take it one step further, forecastingtrends and making available new types of healthy products that willsell.

An integral part of the food service will be the organization ofsocial events. The task of overseeing the calendar of events will beonly a portion of the job. Promoting events to take place at the cluband then making sure that these events run on time and are proper-ly serviced by the staff will become second nature for the perfectmanager. The manager will format a program that creates a ritual forthe staff to follow for all events. This reliability will provide muchmore time off for the manager while still being in control and on topof the profit/cost of these events.

HEALTH & FITNESS TRENDSAlthough the perfect manager may not need to conduct yoga or spinclasses, they will know how those classes are taught, and as a con-sequence, what teachers are best suited for the job. In the field of fit-ness, the staff is all-important. The quality and enthusiasm of ateacher can make all the difference in attendance. A knowledgeabletrainer can both attract and retain memberships. With the rapidexpansion in the fitness industry, it will be important to stay in touchwith the most recent advances, both in equipment and in classes.

The more insight the manager has, the more they will be able todistinguish between what is a fad and what has practical application.Is it what the members want or is it what a sales person or an enthu-siastic fitness person believes you should have? Is it a fiscally respon-sible move or a reaction to a few vocal members? Only a managerthat has stayed on top of the fitness industry and has been a hands-on person can really answer those questions. Looking in on the fit-ness area throughout the day, or occasionally discussing fitnessissues with staff, will not provide enough up-to-date information.

Small tennis clubs feeling the financial pinch may be forced tocut costs by hiring tennis pros, or directors, that also can serve asclub manager. This will be the ultimate test of multi-tasking. Proswho want nothing to do with management may become obsolete.

Pros who realize their close relationship with members makesthem the perfect choice to manage the club will not only save theirclub money, but will also give them job security. Their rapport withmembers and other employees will help greatly in membershipretention. During difficult economic times, the emphasis mustchange from acquiring new members to retaining current members.A change in management or bringing in new faces can sometimesupset the stability of a facility and cause members to leave.

MORE INTERACTIONThe perfect manager will more willingly take on interaction withboth members and employees. They may maintain a chain of com-mand for better organization, but they’ll take the time to interactwith the whole staff and as many members as possible.

More interaction means optimizing more ways to communicateand pass on information. The use of the internet, emails, the phonesystem all become elevated and, in turn, this manager can interactmore quickly and more accurately. Capitalizing on modern-day tech-nology will allow managers to interact from anywhere at any time,without compromising their own personal freedom.

Instead of managing their staff more so that they can work less,managers will become more efficient at delegating responsibility sothey can create more opportunities to be more productive. This taskof becoming more time-efficient requires the acquisition of moreknowledge and information. Attending conventions, reading articles,interacting with others in the industry all help to create shortcuts inboth problem resolution and the skills needed to avoid problems.This is a big change. No longer can managers just be on top of theirown operation. They will need to learn more about the entire indus-try. This process of collecting more outside information will providethe insight that will allow the perfect manager to be part of a rapid-ly changing industry.

DISAPPEARING STATUS QUOChange will be considered normal. The status quo for any managerwill disappear and there will be no resting on one’s laurels. No mat-ter how much success a manager has experienced in the past, theywill be judged on their daily accomplishments and what they areplanning to achieve in the future.

When it comes to motivating and educating staff, the perfectmanager will need to be able to walk the walk and talk the talk. It willnot be enough to remind members or staff of how things worked inthe “good old days.” Forecasting the future will not always be ade-quate; there will be a need to be the future—one step ahead of theindustry and the competition. The perfect manager will achieve thisby learning from their past and moving on, willing to accept the riskof attacking probability.

The industry has entered a new, economically challenging era.Managers will be asked to cut costs and increase services. Althoughthat may sound like an oxymoron, it is what these new economicchallenges demand. The sooner a manager realizes that andapproaches these challenges aggressively, the more likely they willachieve job security and financial rewards.

As you read this, there are many out there looking to hone theirtalents in club management. Most likely they will be the person whois willing and able to do many things very well. This will be the sur-vivor, the one most likely to evolve into the perfect manager. �

Rod Heckelman is the general manager and tennis pro atthe Mount Tam Racquet Club in Marin County, Calif.,where he has been for the last 31 years. His career in theindustry started in 1967 at the famed John Gardiner’s Ten-nis Ranch. In 1970, when Gardiner opened his resort onCamelback Mountain in Scottsdale, Ariz., Heckelman, atage 20, became one of the youngest head pros in the

country. He created the “Facility Manager’s Manual” based on his years ofexperience in the tennis business.

R E A C H I N G T H E 5 0 + P L A Y E R

Package tennis to meet all theneeds of the over-50 player,and you’ll meet your bottom-line needs, too.


B Y K A T H Y A N D R O N W O O D S

MATURE OUTLOOKMATURE OUTLOOK



Have you reached out to the 50+ population of players andpotential tennis players yet? If not, why not? Are you not con-vinced of their potential as a market, or just uncertain about

how to touch them, entice them and get them playing regularly? Ifthat is the case, read on for some insight and strategies that canswell your participation numbers and pump up your bottom line.

As people hit that big “5-0” birthday, many reflect that they arein the prime of their middle years and eager to enjoy life. Theywant to stay healthy, maintain physical strength and vigor, enjoysocializing with people, want to look good and feel great. Tenniscan be the answer to meet every one of those dreams.

Sports participation surveys show that millions of Americansare heading to gyms to use treadmills, elliptical trainers, strength-training machines or stationary bicycles. A significant number,especially women, have opted for yoga or Pilates. But indoor gyms,where the message is “workout,” don’t appeal to everyone andover time, legions of well-intentioned exercise-seekers drop out orstruggle with the discipline of regular activity.

We have the answer. Why not offer people the chance to“play” rather than “work” at a sport activity? Playing tennis canproduce intense feelings of enjoyment, success, fun and delight.Hitting a solid shot for a winner, ending a point with a well-placedvolley, or making an impossible save create feelings of exultation.Even the excitement of a challenging rally of eight or 10 balls iscause for celebration.

WHAT DO PEOPLE OVER 50 WANT?It really isn’t that complicated. We want to keep our bodies fit andlooking good, our minds sharp and spend time with friends andfamily. Think about those “wants” in tennis terms. We’re not look-ing to have perfect form, don’t expect to become the local cham-pion, and sure don’t want to put up with others who do. We justwant to play, have fun and do something good for our body, mindand emotions at the same time.

Tennis can be presented and packaged beautifully to meet allof these needs. But it take some re-engineering of thought and pro-grams led by professional staff who understand the market of 50+players.

We know tennis can be a greatphysical workout if you’re matched upwith the right partners and have theskill to maneuver each other aroundthe court. People do have to learn afew principles about how to keep theball in play during a rally if they want aworkout other than bending down toretrieve a ball. The physical benefitshave been widely circulated thanks tosport scientists and most people areconvinced. But how many know aboutthe effects of exercise on the brain andmemory?

New research on “neurogenesis,”or the brain’s ability to grow new cellsat any age through physical activity, istruly revolutionary stuff. Author JohnRatey, M.D., in his new book Sparkpresents convincing evidence that aer-obic exercise can stimulate the growth

of new brain cells. Perhaps even more exciting is the news thatsome types of exercise, like tennis, can enhance and strengthenthe neural connections in our brains.

Ratey suggests that, “Sports like tennis that tax both the car-diovascular system and the brain simultaneously will keep yourbrain and nervous system at the highest level even as you age.”Even though these new neural circuits are created through physi-cal activity, they can be recruited by other areas and used for think-ing in general.

Another author, Norman Doidge, M.D., writes in his book, TheBrain That Changes Itself, that the brain is no longer viewed as amachine hardwired early in life and destined to wear out, butinstead it exhibits a “plasticity” that allows it to change throughoutlife if given the right stimulus. If your memory is beginning to slipa bit like ours, this news is heaven-sent. Play more tennis andremember stuff… and where we left it.

So tennis is great for our body, maybe even better for ourmind. Who needs to know this information and how do we get itto them?

EXACTLY WHO IS OUR AUDIENCE?Let’s look at three groups of potential tennis players over the ageof 50.

First, there are those who have played all their lives, are fre-quent players and the backbone of our sport. As they age, unlesswe tailor the sport to meet their changing priorities, needs andwants, we may lose them. Or maybe age and injuries will get themfirst. They need help on keeping their bodies fit, recovering frominjuries, improving technique to minimize injury risk and newplaying strategies to accommodate gradual loss of mobility andspeed. Aging frequent players are a precious resource who lovetennis, but may turn to other less demanding sports unless weguide them carefully.

A second group is those who used to play tennis, maybe in the1970s during the tennis boom, but eventually dropped out. We canreclaim these players if we point out that today’s racquets makethe game easier to play, offer new strategies to understand thegame and congenial folks who will satisfy their social needs.

The third group is those who have never played tennis. In ourview, the only requirement to have some success in tennis is a rea-sonable amount of eye-hand coordination in tracking a ball andstriking it. We can teach the rest of it.

But programs need to be carefully designed to make learningfun, in groups to meet potential playing partners, no standing inlines, slower courts and tennis balls, oversize racquet heads andenthusiastic coaches. Once players learn to track a ball in flight andpredict the bounce, the easy part is learning the most efficientstroking technique.

In future articles, we’ll probe more deeply into strategies forattracting and retaining our 50+ friends. �

Kathy and Ron Woods are co-authors of Playing Tennis After 50, pub-lished by Human Kinetics. Kathy is the director of tennis at the Rac-

quet Club of St. Petersburg and a formerpresident of the USPTA. Ron is a former staffmember of the USTA for 20 years, collegecoach and professor of sport science. Bothwere individually awarded the prestigious Ten-nis Education Merit Award by the InternationalTennis Federation



String Playtest

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 1somewhat easier 8about as easy 22not quite as easy 4not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 0somewhat better 6about as playable 14not quite as playable 13not nearly as playable 2

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 0somewhat better 9about as durable 22not quite as durable 4not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.4Durability 3.5Power 3.3Control 3.3Comfort 3.3Touch/Feel 3.2Spin Potential 3.3Holding Tension 3.4Resistance to Movement 3.4

Wilson (K) Gut Pro is a premium multi-filament made of high crystallinity xycromicrofibers bonded together withpolyurethane. Fluorocarbon (polytetra-fluoroethylene) microfibers are inter-spersed among the xycro microfibers forenhanced performance. According toWilson, (K) Gut Pro is engineered formaximum control, and is more durablethat (K) Gut. (See our playtest report of(K) Gut on-line at racquetsportsindus-try.com.) (K) Gut Pro is also pre-stretched for a crisp feel and minimumtension loss. Wilson recommends (K)Gut Pro to any player who wants a stringwith excellent control, gut-like comfortand feel, and enhanced durability.

(K) Gut Pro is available in 16 (1.33mm) and 17 (1.28 mm) in gray only. It ispriced from $20 for sets of 40 feet. Formore information or to order, contact Wil-son at 773-714-6400, or visitwww.wilsontennis.com. Be sure to readthe conclusion for more information aboutgetting a free set to try for yourself.

IN THE LABWe tested the 16-gauge (K) Gut Pro. Thecoil measured 40’. The diameter measured1.32-1.35 mm prior to stringing, and 1.27-1.29 mm after stringing. We recorded astringbed stiffness of 74 RDC units imme-diately after stringing at 60 pounds in aWilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern)on a constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 65 RDC units, repre-senting a 12 percent tension loss. Our con-trol string, Prince Synthetic Gut OriginalGold 16, measured 78 RDC units immedi-ately after stringing and 71 RDC units after24 hours, representing a 9 percent tensionloss. (K) Gut Pro added 16 grams to theweight of our unstrung frame.

In our lab testing of 688 strings, wefound that (K) Gut Pro 16 has a stiffness of182 lbs/in. and a tension loss of 10.62 lbs.,putting it in the top 20 percent of strings interms of softness, and the top 20 percentin terms of tension maintenance. Compar-ing it only to other synthetic strings, (K)

Gut Pro 16 is in the top 15 percent in eachof these categories. You can read aboutour lab test procedure atwww.racquetsportsindustry.com/articles/2008/09/the_right_plotline.html.

The string was playtested for fiveweeks by 35 USRSA playtesters, withNTRP ratings from 3.5 to 6.0. These areblind tests, with playtesters receivingunmarked strings in unmarked packages.Average number of hours playtested was26.9.

There are no special stringing instruc-tions for (K) Gut Pro. We found that (K)Gut Pro is easy to handle during stringing,although we did have some problems with

blocked holes due to its softness.No playtester broke his sample during

stringing, one reported problems with coilmemory, none reported problems tyingknots, and two reported friction burn.

ON THE COURTIn our playtest team’s judgment, (K) GutPro 16 is above average across the board,and well above average in Touch/Feel andin Resistance to Movement, out of the 127strings we’ve playtested to date for publi-cation. It would normally be anomalous tohave a polyurethane-impregnated stringscore highly in Resistance to Movement,but in this case (K) Gut Pro follows in thefootsteps of (K) Gut, which scored wellabove average in this category.

Four players broke the string duringthe playtest period, one each at 6, 15, 21,and 27 hours.

Two playtesters broke the sample dur-ing testing, one at three hours and one at14 hours.

CONCLUSIONAs we predicted in our playtest report of(K) Gut, Wilson is refining its use of fluo-rofibers in tennis string. By reducing thepower and improving the durability of (K)Gut, while maintaining its benefits, Wil-son’s (K) Gut Pro should appeal to heavierhitters who are looking for a premiumnylon string to augment their game. Oneof the truly amazing things about (K) GutPro is how “balanced” its scores are fromcategory to category. In fact, (K) Gut Prohas the best across-the-board balance ofany string we’ve ever playtested. Basedon this metric, we’d have to say that nomatter what you want from your string,(K) Gut Pro is likely to deliver, and youwon’t have to sacrifice anything else toget it.

If you think that Wilson (K) Gut Promight be for you, fill out the coupon to geta free set to try. —Greg Raven �

Wilson (K) Gut Pro 16



“ Incredible spin from the back court, andgood pop on volleys.” 5.5 male serve-and-volleyer using Wilson nBlade strung at 60pounds LO (Wilson NXT 16)

“ This string absorbs shock very effectively.Excellent comfort and control.” 4.0 malebaseliner with heavy spin using Völkl DNX 8strung at 57 pounds LO (Luxilon Timo 122 17)

“ This is a good all-around string whichshould appeal to a wide audience. It comparesfavorably with the best multifilaments on themarket. The comfort and control are exception-al.” 5.0 male serve-and-volleyer using Wil-son nTour strung at 59 pounds CP (Natural Gut16/17)

“ Stringing is quick and easy. This is a com-fortable, all-court control string. It has a nicecrisp pop on volleys and a solid feel on groundstrokes. It does not lose playability overtime.” 4.0 male all-court player using PrinceO3 Red MP strung at 54 pounds CP (GammaTNT2 Pro Plus 17L)

“ This string has a comfortable feel. It is also

TESTERS TALKquite durable, making it a good option for stringbreakers who want to try something besides poly-ester.” 4.5 male all-court player using Prince O3Hybrid Tour (16x18) strung at 62 pounds LO(Prince Premier w/Softflex 16)

“ For a nylon multifilament, the control, durabili-ty, and tension maintenance are very good.”5.0 male all-court player using Prince O3 WhiteMP strung at 60 pounds LO (Wilson Sensation 16)

“ This is an arm-friendly string with a solid feel.Spin and touch are adequate. Power is on the lowend.” 4.5 male all-court player using WilsonKFour strung at 54 pounds LO (Wilson Sensation16)

“ This string feels great initially, but it eventuallyloses resilience and playability suffers.” 5.5male all-court player using Wilson nTour Twostrung at 55 pounds CP (Wilson Ultra SyntheticGut 16)

“ The ball seems to slide of the strings, makingit hard to control the depth and trajectory withspin.” 5.0 male all-court player using PrinceExtender Thunder 880 OS strung at 48 pounds CP(Prince Synthetic Gut Original 17)

FREE PLAYTEST STRINGPROGRAM

Wilson will send a free set of(K) Gut Pro 16 to USRSA members

who cut out (or copy)this coupon and mail it to:

Offer expires 15 January 2009Offer 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.

USRSAAttn: Wilson String Offer,

330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084or fax to 760-536-1171,or email the info below to

[email protected]

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


using string from the reel, simply leavethe reel on the Slatwall arm, pulling off thedesired length. The reel itself should spinand move easily while still hanging on thewall. Measure appropriately, and you'reready to string!5 sets of Ashaway Synthetic Gut 16 to:Lynn Khaing, MRT, Dallas, TX

TETHER YOUR AWLStringing in the comfort of your home isnice, but things might change in a hurry ifan awl happens to fall off the tray andland on your foot. I came very close twice:The awl just missed my foot about one

TOURNAMENT STRINGING SPEEDAlthough there are many skills a stringerneeds to master before becoming a “tour-nament stringer,” my advice to hopefultournament stringers is not to work fasterthan you can string. It sounds redundant,but I’ve seen stringers trying to workfaster than their skill level allows, andoften they’ll make errors — sometimes,bad ones. I find it’s better to take the timeyou need to do the job correctly, ratherthan hurry through the job and then haveto spend 10 minutes fixing it or 30 min-utes re-doing it.5 sets of Head Sonic Pro 17 to:Ron Yu, CS, Tampa, FL

SLATWALL FOR STRINGINGIf you have Slatwall close to your stringingmachine, use a long arm to store multiplereels of string. Here's a bonus tip: When


Tips & Techniques

inch, stabbing through the carpet.I don’t take chances anymore. I found

a solution to this problem that is inexpen-sive and quick: Use the rubber cord froma new racquet’s marketing tag to tetheryour awl. Tie the other end to yourstringing machine.

Depending on how high your stringingmachine is, you can adjust the length ofthe rubber band so that it is flexibleenough to be used as normal but not solong that it hits the ground if dropped.5 sets of Wilson NXT Max 16 to:Thomas Le, San Jose, CA

Readers’ Know-How in Action



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

KEEP YOUR TAILS SHORTWhen trimming the tails on knots, thetendency is to cut them relative to theedge of the racquet. That is, you angleyour cutters so that the end of the tail willbe slightly below the edge, which hopeful-ly will be out of the way so the playerdoesn’t scratch himself.

This works fine on racquets with rela-tively narrow beams, because the dis-tance from the edge of the frame to the

knot is small (photo 1). However, on rac-quets with thicker beams, this can leave atail that is long enough to snag, eventhough the end is still below the edge ofthe racquet (photo 2).

Therefore, I always check the totallength of the tail when trimming myknots, rather than trusting that a tailthat’s short enough on one racquet will beshort enough on all racquets (photo 3).Forten Tour Bag to:L. Hodges, Fresno, CA

MARK YOUR MACHINE SET-UPI don’t have to move my machine veryoften, but I really like the way I have it setup. To help me restore it to the correctposition each time, I put a band of electri-cal tape around the post to mark the

height adjustment. You wouldn’t believehow much time this saves.

I also mark off the positions of the legson the floor using gaffer’s tape, so I don’thave to approximate where the machinesits. This also saves me a lot of time,because I have the feet of my machine lev-eled to a specific spot in my shop, andbeing able to reposition it exactly means Idon’t have to relevel it each time I move it.5 sets of Gamma Asterisk 16 to:James Sly, Carpinteria, CA

—Greg Raven �


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Ask the Experts

LISTING GROMMET KITS IN THE DIGEST

I JUST RECEIVED MY NEWStringer’s Digest, you know, theone with the huge frame database

with stringing instructions. Well, I have asuggestion for a new field. I think it wouldbe most useful if there were a field withthe manufacturer’s grommet number orcode. It would serve multiple purposes byhelping us find grommets faster, but alsofind grommets that can be shared.

WE ACTUALLY USED TO publishsomething called the grommet

guide years ago. Unfortunately, it was areal mess because it was difficult toobtain accurate information about grom-mets. As a result we would spend lots oftime collecting the data, only to end uppublishing multiple erroneous listingsevery year. This obviously caused prob-lems for our members, as sometimes noinformation is better than incorrect infor-mation. However, it may be time to con-

tact some of the manufacturers again to seeif we can get more accurate informationabout grommet kits. If so, we’ll considerpublishing this information again. Com-pared to stringing instructions, though, itwill still be tricky: We obtain racquet sam-ples from each manufacturer to verifystringing instructions before publication. Itwould be much more difficult to exercisecomparable caution with bumperguard andgrommet kits.

O3 OPTIONSI HAVE A STRINGING MACHINE thatdoes not have an easily accessibleturntable lock. Does that mean I

have to use the boomerang tool? I have alsoheard that you have to string the racquetfive pounds higher, for some reason.

THE THREE BEST WAYS TO restringthe Prince O-port racquets are:

1) Lock the turntable,2) Use the boomerang tool, and3) Manually counter-hold the racquet from

turning while pulling tension.Clearly, the third technique is a des-

peration measure, and it’s a miserableway to string a racquet. If you can’t lockthe turntable, the boomerang tool is yourbest bet. If you can lock the turntablebut it’s an ordeal to do so, again theboomerang tool is your best bet.

As for the reference tension, you stillfollow the recommendations in theStringer’s Digest, or on the frame if youdon’t have the Digest handy. There is noneed to add five pounds to your refer-ence tension arbitrarily.

When the O3 racquets first came out,the rumor was that you had to increasethe reference tension when installing thecrosses because the boomerang toolsomehow changed the way the string ispulled, resulting in looser crosses. Giventhe extreme difficulty in measuring ten-sion on installed strings, however, it’sunlikely that anyone outside of Princeactually did so, and if someone did try,it’s unlikely that it was done correctly.

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Therefore, it is not necessary to increasethe reference tension by five pounds justfor the crosses, either.

LOOKING UP STRING STIFFNESS

I READ YOUR “GUIDE TO STRINGS”article on pages 38-39 in your Sep-tember/October 2008 edition of

Racquet Sports Industry magazine. I wantto look up the “stiffness/tension loss” specsfor the 600 other strings your article refersto. I went to www.usrsa.com, could notfind the link to click on to view the com-plete string listing and chart. Please directme to the appropriate link.

USRSA MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS tothe full listing on-line at

www.usrsa.com via the String Spec Searchtool, which allows you to narrow the listingby searching for strings of interest. To viewthe full listing of 688 strings in its entirety,go to: www.racquetsportsindustry.com/issues/200809/200809allstrings.html

Note that on the full listing, you canclick on any of the column heads to sortthe table by the contents of that column.Clicking again on the same column headreverses the order of the sort.

MAINS AND CROSSES REVISITED

I READ WITH INTEREST THE ASKThe Experts answer that, accordingto Babolat, the main strings con-

tribute durability and spin, while the crossstrings contribute power and comfort.Would it make sense to say that mainstrings are also contributing to the controlfactor?

IGNORING FOR THE MOMENT THEdifficulties that arise when you

attempt to define “control,” from what wecan tell in lab tests, control is a function ofstringbed stiffness and the impact signa-ture of the string in question, all otherthings being equal. Therefore, even thoughyou need mains to have meaningfulstringbed stiffness, it is not accurate tostate that control is due to the main stringsalone.

DIFFERENTIAL TENSIONSCAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY SOMEplayers lower the tension two tothree pounds on the crosses and

others are doing the same on the mains?Does it have an effect on the sweet spot,and is there any other reason to do this?

THE BEST REASONS TO lowertension on the crosses relative to

the mains are 1) this is the recommend-ed way of stringing some racquets, and2) some hybrid string sets recommendinstalling one string at a lower referencetension than the other. Other than that,it seems to be personal preference. Dif-ferential stringing does not change thesweet spot or anything else we candetermine, aside from the overallstringbed stiffness.

REMOVING OLD HEAD TAPE

I HAVE A FRAME THAT HAS sever-al strips of Babolat head tape on itthat I need to remove. Is there an

easy way to pop them off? I don’t want toscratch or damage the frame.

YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO removeeven old, baked-on head tape just

by peeling it off. To remove the residue,try an adhesive remover such as Valspar®Goof Off or Goo Gone®. —Greg Raven �

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

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Acting Locally

How can I help you today?”This is the credo of the 90-plus team of USTA Tennis Ser-

vice Representatives (TSRs) as they visittennis providers in communities acrossthe country. TSRs asked this question, or avariation of it, more than 36,000 times inthe past three years, as they visited morethan 10,000 facilities inquiring if therewas anything they could do that mighthelp a provider increase play.Originally envisioned as a “national

sales and service force” for tennis, TSRshave changed the way the USTA providessupport to individuals who deliver tennisat parks, clubs, schools and service organi-zations. Beginning in late 2005 and for thepast three years, it was my privilege tonavigate the TSR initiative from its originalconcept to the positive results our sporthas achieved during this period and whichthis group helped accomplish.Results of the latest Tennis Health

Index suggest tennis, especially participa-tion, is in the best shape it has been in thelast 30 years. While there are many indi-viduals and groups who can take some ofthe credit for this, I have no doubt the cre-ativity and hard work of local TSRs hasplayed a significant role.Without the presence of a TSR in

Akron, Ohio, for example, it is unlikelythat 165 children under the age of 10would have had the opportunity to playtennis, on a team, in a league organized incooperation among the park district, thelocal CTA and the USTA section. It is justas unlikely that more than 50 children inHuntington, Pa., would be participating ina play-based after-school tennis programwithout help from a TSR.True increases in participation begin at

the local level, and that’s exactly whyTSRs are so important to this sport. TSRshave contributed to literally hundreds oflocal success stories, including:

� A pizza company in Miami providingmore than $5,000 in sponsorship andsupport to a local JTT program.

� Convincing a reluctant mayor in PuertoRico to have tennis court lines paintedin the parking lot of the town’s sportscomplex, then to considering four newtennis courts.

� Establishing a Tennis on Campus clubat the University of Utah with 30 found-ing members.

� Creating an after-school program inKearney, Neb., featuring USTA JuniorTeam Tennis.

� Los Angeles and Santa Monica parkagencies working together with a schooldistrict and local CTA to establish twoJTT leagues, a new after-school pro-gram, and a summer novice tourna-ment.For the past three years, I was fortu-

nate to have been in a position to wit-ness the evolution of these ideas into realprograms and projects. At the conclusionof the 2008 US Open, however, I endedmy TSR role with the USTA. Now, I’vestepped into the world of tennis consult-ing and find myself working with manyof these same communities again.My first consulting project has me

working with the USTA Community Ten-nis marketing team and partnering withCTAs across the country in support of thelargest youth registration initiative ever.“Youth Registration Night” events arecurrently being organized by CTAs andplanned by facilities and will be held onMonday, March 2, which is “Tennis Nightin America.” Once again I find myself ina supporting role, working for the peoplewho do the heavy lifting of growing ten-

B Y M A R K M C M A H O N

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


The former TSR manager says drilling downinto communities is the way to get morepeople playing tennis.

nis participation and promoting tennis intheir local communities.By leveraging the excitement of pro

tennis matches televised live from Madi-son Square Garden on HBO on March 2,those who organize youth programminghave an opportunity to bring an earlyspringtime tennis focus to boys and girlseverywhere. Early March is typically atime when parents decide whether to reg-ister kids for soccer or Little League asspring and summer sport options. Now,with Youth Registration Night on TennisNight in America, tennis will be on that listof options. More information, and waysyou and your facility or organization canparticipate, can be found atwww.tennisnight.com.For more than 25 years, as a teaching

pro, facility manager and volunteer in thisbusiness, I’ve been fortunate to see—andhelp—this sport evolve at all levels. I hopethat TSRs will continue to play a pivotalrole in community tennis development asthe USTA supports local tennis providers,teaching pros and volunteers. And I lookforward to contributing to Tennis Night inAmerica as it brings in a new generationof recreational players. �


For the past three years, MarkMcMahon led the USTA’s TennisService Representative initiative. Arecipient of numerous industryawards, including Facility of the

Year, Tennis Director of the Year and USPTA Pro-fessional of the Year honors, he now runsMcMahon Tennis Consulting and can bereached at 404-271-3088 or at [email protected].

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200901 Racquet Sports Industry