201005 Racquet Sports Industry

May 2010Volume 38 Number 5 $5.00www.racquetsportsindustry.com

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Sales DivisionsDespite some encouragingsigns, retailers remain wary

Winning Soft-Court Facilities

Tips to Help Apparel, Gear Sales

Winning Soft-Court Facilities

Tips to Help Apparel, Gear Sales

Sales DivisionsDespite some encouragingsigns, retailers remain wary

DEPARTMENTS

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INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Mantis Sport to bringstrings, grips to U.S.

7 TIA part of Wash., D.C.,lobbying effort

8 USPTA offers TennisAcross America

8 PTR Tennis Club & FacilityConference in May

8 Nominate for TennisIndustry Hall of Fame

9 Cleantech Solutions offersenergy-efficient solutions

9 Prince to sponsor GSSSymposium stringing contest

9 Head video featuresNovak Djokovic

10 Short Sets

10 Upcoming Industry Schedule

11 PTR signs three newcorporate members

12 Peoplewatch

13 Boris Becker Tennis addsnew frames, string

14 Ashaway introduces newracquetball string

4 Our Serve

7 Industry News

17 Pioneers in Tennis

28 Tips and Techniques

30 String Playtest: Wilson Hollow Core Pro

40 Your Serve, by Randy Futty

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2010 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

ContentsContents

FEATURES

24 Soft LandingsThese seven outdoor RSI/ASBA winners are excellentexamples of clay-court construction.

26 Selling TipsDespite a difficult sales environment, you can learnfrom some retailers who are able to play through thepain.

SPECIAL REPORT:STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

19 Sales DivisionsTennis sales appear to be rebounding somewhat, butindustry retailers still have major concerns about theirbusiness.

Our Serve(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

PublishersDavid Bone Jeff Williams

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Contributing EditorsRobin BatemanCynthia CantrellJoe DinofferLiza HoranGreg MoranBob 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. May 2010, Volume 38,

Number 5 © 2010 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-

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

Send address changes to Racquet Sports Industry,

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4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2010

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

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Check Out Our Digital Editions

One thing that’s always gratifying to me is when I goto industry events and people come up to me andsay how much they enjoy reading RSI, how infor-

mative they find the magazine, and how it helps them in theirbusinesses. It’s nice to know that what we produce is havingan impact in this industry.

Now, we’re making all this great information we put into each issue ofRSI even more accessible. Our team, in particular our art director, Kris-tine Thom, and our associate editor, Greg Raven, recently converted all ofour issues from 2008 through our current 2010 issue to digital editions,which are available on our website, www.racquetsportsindustry.com.

These digital editions have the look and feel of the actual magazinepages (you even hear a “swoosh” noise when you click the lower cornersto turn the pages). You can literally page through the magazine digitallyand see all the editorial, including photos, and all the advertisements.

In addition, websites and email addresses that are in the text willappear as clickable links, which will open in a separate browser window.And you can view a “contents” of the issue—miniature pages so you canhop right to the story you’re interested in. You can print stories or savepdf’s of the pages, and you can email them to friends and colleagues.

Check out RSI’s dig-ital editions. Just go towww.racquetsportsin-dustry.com and clickon the RSI coverimage on the rightside. That will leadyou to an index ofpast issues, and youjust click the issue youwant to view. Wehaven’t digitizedissues before 2008,but all the stories forthose issues—and

even for the issues we have digitized—are available in “movable type”versions. (To view the “movable type” versions, click “Past Issues of RSI”at the top right of the home page.)

We hope you make use of our digital editions and continue to enjoyand benefit from every issue of RSI.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

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

Mantis Sport, a year-old racquet sports brand based in the U.K.and founded by former Dunlop Global Head of ProductsMartin Aldridge, has signed a multi-year agreement that

makes Sport Source International the exclusive U.S. distributor forthe brand. Mantis has developed a range of strings and grips andwill be launching additional products for both tennis and squash inthe second half of the year.

Sport Source International is headed by industry veteran PaulZalatoris, who has spent more than 20 years in the business,working with Wilson, Tecnifibre and Balle de Match. SportsSource International also is manufacturing a range of tennis cloth-ing geared for team competition under his own brand—SSI Tennis.

“Martin has great product development knowledge within thetennis industry and has worked with toptouring players, coaches and professionaltour stringers,” says Zalatoris. “He’s devel-oped new strings and a grip that are get-ting superior feedback. I’m excited aboutthe opportunity to develop this new brandfor the U.S. market, which is ready forsomething new that is of high quality and goodvalue”.

For information about Mantis and its products, contact Zalatoris [email protected] or 630-325-6600, or visit Mantis-Sport.com.

TIA Is Part of D.C.Lobbying EffortSports industry leaders, execu-tives, and celebrity athletestook to Capitol Hill on March10 to “Get America Moving”by lobbying members of Con-gress to support the Carol M.White Physical Education Pro-gram and the Personal HealthInvestment Today Act for fiscalyear 2011. The Tennis IndustryAssociation was a sponsor ofthe annual event.

For the past 10 years the Sport-ing Goods Manufacturers Asso-ciation (SGMA) has hosted100+ Industry Executives, 20+Sports Celebrities, 40+ Spon-soring Companies, and PhysicalEducation Professionals inWashington to promote a moreactive and healthier lifestyle forAmericans, especially for chil-dren. Included in the delega-tion of SGMA participants wereTIA Executive Director Jolyn deBoer and Project CoordinatorRyan Melton.

SGMA participants held meet-ings with members of Congressto discuss the benefits of howliving a healthier lifestyle canimprove one’s quality of life,reduce the nation’s totalhealthcare costs, and evenimprove academic performanceamong children in schools.Without the necessary fundingthat theWhite Act proposes,schools across the U.S. cannotpromote a healthy lifestyle forchildren via physical educationprograms.

PGA Tour Superstore Hires Tennis Industry Veteran

PGA Tour Superstore recently hired retail veteran TiffanyGrayson to head up its tennis division as part of a com-pany-wide initiative to focus on tennis. Grayson, who

previously owned and operated Coach Matt’s Tennis & Morein the Atlanta area, will manage all aspects of the tennis busi-ness including buying, merchandising, in-store tennis services,marketing, sales and grassroots partnerships.

“Our plan is to reintroduce PGA Tour Superstore as a forcein the tennis industry,” she says. The stores will introducenew product assortments and a tennis Preferred Plus Play-er’s Club in May as part of its re-branding.

“Customers who shop at PGA Tour Superstore will beoffered a tennis experience unlike any other retailer intown,” Grayson adds. With tennis courts in most stores, expert tennis pros and stringers on site,and a wide selection of tennis apparel, footwear and racquets, our company is a one-stop shop.”

The company opened its 10th store in December and now has stores in Atlanta, Dallas, Myr-tle Beach, S.C., Phoenix, and Naples, Fla.

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May 2010 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7www.racquetsportsindustry.com

SSI, Zalatoris to Bring New Mantis Sport to U.S.


PTR Tennis Club & FacilityConference May 19-21

The PTR’s Tennis Club andFacility Conference will be

May 19-21 at PTR Headquar-ters on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The three-day eventis designed for tennis club owners, club managersand directors of tennis.

Presentations and sessions will deal with topicssuch as customer service, programming, innovativeideas, marketing, controlling energy costs, managingstaff, creating and improving your website, and more.

The program starts at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 19,and runs through 5 p.m. May 21. The cost, $349before May 1, $399 after, includes all workshops,meals and social activities. Additional attendees fromthe same club are $299 each. For information or reg-istration, call 800-421-6289 or visit www.ptrten-nis.org

USPTA Offers Tennis Across America

May 8 is the USPTA’s 21st annual Tennis AcrossAmerica Day. Teaching pros will provide

learning opportunities for people eager to play byoffering free Tennis Across America clinics in morethan 350 cities, and then provide follow-up pro-gramming.

Established in 1990 by the USPTA, Tennis Across America is a freegrassroots lesson program, with the goal of getting people out on thecourts. A multicultural segment was added later with the goal of reach-ing various communities and potential players who have special needsand may not otherwise have the opportunity to play. People gettingtheir first taste of tennis will learn the basics to get started, find outhow to improve and reap the benefits of a calorie-burning workout.

The Tennis Across America program consists of three major ele-ments. First, free clinics are held at public and private facilities aroundthe nation. Second, multicultural clinics introduce the sport to variousgroups and give everyone the opportunity to experience tennis. Third,follow-up programs are created to provide players with an opportunityto pursue their new enthusiasm for tennis.

While Tennis Across America Day will officially be celebrated May8, it is not limited to just that day. More than 1,500 USPTA profession-als and recreational coaches, along with volunteers, offer free clinics tothe public throughout the spring and summer months. Clinics can bedirected toward adults, children or both, and may include new, currentand former players returning to the game. Professionals usually sched-ule clinics to coincide with the start of entry-level lesson programs. Forinformation, visit uspta.com.

Nova Sports Provides Lithuania Davis Cup SurfaceNova Sports USA Inc. provided the acrylic surfacing for the first-round DavisCup match between Great Britain and Lithuania in March. More than 2,500spectators watched Lithuania’s team upset Great Britain at the newly con-structed SEB Arena in Vilnius. The arena is Eastern Europe’s largest tenniscomplex and has hosted two Davis Cup matches in the first 18 months of itsopening. Davis Cup organizers gave the facility top marks including the high-est rating to the tennis center’s 19 Ultracushion® courts. For more on NovaSports USA tournaments or the Novacrylic Sport Surface system, [email protected] or 1- 800-USA-NOVA.


USTA Honors AwardWinners atAnnual Meeting

The USTA recognized individuals andorganizations for their commitment to

growing the game at its annual meeting in March in Dallas.� Seniors’ Service Award: Kathy Langer, Rockwall, Texas� Brad Parks Award: Bill Hammett, Dallas� Member Organization of the Year Award: SeminoleCounty Leisure Services Department, Sanford, Fla.

� Ralph W. Westcott USTA Family of the Year Award: TheJoe and Cindy Walz Family, Aitkin, Minn.

� Bill Talbert Junior Sportsmanship Award: Shaun Chaud-huri, Pleasanton, Calif.; Neil Karandikar, Belle Meade,N.J.; Marc Powers, Stamford, Conn.; Caroline Price,Duluth, Ga.

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Nominate for the TennisIndustry Hall of Fame

Nominations are now being acceptedfor the 2010 Tennis Industry Hall of Fame, which rec-

ognizes those individuals who have made a significantimpact on the sport, from the 1960s to the present. Thefinal inductees will be honored in New York City, justbefore the start of the US Open during the USTA TennisTeachers Conference.

Nominations, which are due by June 15, can be madein four categories—inventors, founders, innovators andcontributors—by visiting http://tennisindustry.org/HOF/.The Tennis Industry Hall of Fame was created in 2008.The first two inductees were Dennis Van der Meer andthe late Howard Head. Last year, Alan Schwartz was thesole inductee.

May 2010 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9

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

Cleantech Solutions LightingOffers Energy Savings

Cleantech Solutions has pioneered a hybrid direct-indirectlighting system that reduces energy use by 55 percent to

70 percent while dramatically improving light levels andquality, says the company. Cleantech custom engineers itssolutions to meet the unique needs of each facility. Directlighting brilliantly illuminates the playing surface while theindirect lighting ensures the ceiling is bright and the tennisballs are always well lit and easy to track.

The photo below shows the Cleantech Solutions energy-efficient lighting installation in Denver, and the differencebetween the two front courts and the courts that still have theold lighting. Once this job was completed, there was a near-ly 100 percent increase in light levels, with more than 60 per-cent energy savings, says Cleantech.

Cleantech Solutions is an energy services company thatfocuses on energy efficiency solutions for athletics facilitiesbusinesses, educational institutions and municipalities. Thecompany offers a free energy usage evaluation. Call 303-495-3442 or email [email protected]


Djokovic vs. Tennis Machine

Tennis fans have a chance to see world No. 2 Novak Djokovicoff court in a new video by Head for “The Power of You” cam-

paign. The video shows an experiment with tennis balls andHead Speed racquets, where an astonishing chain reaction isunexpectedly created, to the surprise of Djokovic and his team.

Viewers can visit head.com/experiment and watchDjokovic’s experiment take place on several online platformslike YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Fans will also have theopportunity to view the exclusive behind-the-scenes footageand making of the production.

Three Honored by Hall of Fame

The International Tennis Hall of Fame pre-sented the 2009 Samuel Hardy and Tennis

Educational Merit Awards on March 20 duringthe Hall of Fame Annual Awards Luncheon,held in Dallas in conjunction with the USTA’sAnnual Meeting. Jane Brown Grimes of ChaddsFord, Pa., received the Samuel Hardy Awardand Dr. Steve Wilkinson of St. Peter, Minn., andDr. W. Ben Kibler of Lexington, Ky., receivedthe Tennis Educational Merit Award.

"We are very pleased to recognize theseindividuals who have made such great contri-butions to tennis over the years," said Christo-pher Clouser, chairman of the InternationalTennis Hall of Fame.

For more information on the awards and onthe nomination process, contact the Interna-tional Tennis Hall of Fame at 401-849-3990.

Prince to Sponsor Stringing Contest at GSS Event

Prince Sports will once again sponsor the GSS RacquetStringers Symposium, which will be held Oct. 9-13 in

Orlando, Fla. Prince staged the first “Fastest Stringer” con-test at last year’s symposium and the company plans tohost the popular contest again in 2010.

“Symposium founder and director Tim Strawn organiz-es an incredibly informative and fun event that bringstogether the most knowledgeable and talented stringers inthe industry,” says Dave Malinowski, global product man-ager for String, Grips and Accessories at Prince. “We are excited to host theFastest Stringers Contest, have some fun, and connect with a group of folksthat agrees with the fact that strings truly are the most important part of a play-er's equipment.”

“Prince has been a dominant force in the racquet sports industry for manyyears and GSS is very appreciative of their support of the symposium,” saysStrawn. For details or to register for the 2010 GSS Symposium, visit grand-slamstringers.com.


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DUSTRYNEW

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> Prince sponsored the 43rd annual EasterBowl Junior Tennis Tournament, held inApril in Rancho Mirage, Calif. “Grassrootsand junior development have always playedan important role in Prince's success andhave been paramount in how we havegrown the brand since our inception 40years ago,” says Max Brownlee, v.p. of pro-motions at Prince.

> New Chapter Press has released thenewly-updated memoir of Australian tennislegend Rod Laver, “The Education of a Ten-nis Player.” Written with Hall of Fame jour-nalist and historian Bud Collins, the book isLaver's first-hand account of his famous1969 Grand Slam season. Laver also writesabout his childhood and early days in ten-nis. Originally published in 1971, the book($19.95, www.New-ChapterMedia.com)was updated by Laver and Collins with newcontent including his recovery from a near-fatal stroke in 1998.

> Acura is the official automobile of theWorld TeamTennis Pro League and will bepresent at all 73 WTT matches scheduled

S H O R T S E T Sfrom July 5 to 25 in 10 venues across thecountry. This is the 35th season of the coedLeague co-founded by Billie Jean King. Tokick-off the sponsorship, King was in theAcura booth at the New York InternationalAuto Show in April.

> Dunlop Sports Group returned this yearas the official ball and racquet of the Fami-ly Circle Cup, which was held in April. Theballs used for the Charleston, S.C., eventwere produced in the same production runas the Dunlop balls to be used at the FrenchOpen. Dunlop also sponsored a contest towin a trip for two to the 2010 French Open.

> The USTA Southern Section is partneringwith Adidas to create a new team store forUSTA Southern tennis teams, no matterwhich program they play in. The sectionand Adidas will work with Team Connec-tion, an online commerce site, to offer dis-counts for USTA Southern tennis teams onapparel, shoes and other items. Adidas hasbeen named an official sponsor of USTASouthern and official outfitter of USTASouthern Junior competitive teams in 2010.

Upcoming Industry Schedule� May 13: USPTA SouthernDivision Convention, TBD

� May 17: USPTA Eastern Divi-sion Convention, Flushing, NY

� May 19: PTR ProfessionalDevelopment Weekend/TennisClub & Facility Managers Con-ference, Hilton Head Island, SC

� June 1: USPTA Florida DivisionConvention, Key Largo, FL

� June 3: USPTA PacificNorthwest Division Convention,Richland, WA

> The International Tennis Hall of Fame &Museum has announced an open call fornominations for the Induction Class of 2011.Nominations can be submitted online atwww.tennisfame.com.

> The LA Tennis Open recently announceda new partnership with the Andre AgassiFoundation for Education. To mark thebeginning of the partnership, and supportthe Foundation's efforts, Agassi will playJohn McEnroe in a special one-night exhibi-tion at the LA Tennis Center on July 24. Pro-ceeds from the match will benefit AAFE,which operates the Andre Agassi CollegePreparatory Academy in Las Vegas, a K-12public charter school.

> The USPTA has redesigned its tennis-health.com site. The interactive website sup-ports the “Tennis—for the health of it!”initiative, which targets teaching pros, tennisconsumers, health-care professionals, andnon-tennis playing consumers. The upgrad-ed site includes feature articles and videosand a blog on “tennis and your health” fea-turing Dr. Jack Groppel.

Corrections� Our Racquet Map in the April issuelisted Pacific contact information asincorrect. The correct website andphone number for Pacific is (941)795-1789, www.pacific.com

� Our April issue listed our long timemembers, and we left out 30+year members John Zednic andTom Parry.

For the numerous certification workshopsavailable, visit ptrtennis.org and uspta.org.


U S R S A N E W S


Competition AthleticInstalls IndoorSurface at Miss. St.

It’s tough to compete in your league’sindoor tennis season when you don’t

have a dedicated indoor tennis facility.But that’s the position Mississippi Statecoach Per Nilsson found himself in lastyear.

When the Bulldogs moved indoorsto McCarthy Gym for the winter, theyhad to compete for time and spacewith the university’s robotics and phys-ical education programs. As if thatcompetitive disadvantage wasn’tenough, the retrofitted multi-purposerubberized floor made the bounce ofthe tennis ball anything but true.

Nilsson convinced the university togive him exclusive use of the formerbasketball arena if he paid to have thefloor resurfaced. He called on Compe-tition Athletic Surfaces of Chattanooga,Tenn., the company that had installedhis outdoor tennis surface two yearsearlier. Company President Lee Murrayworked with a couple of manufacturersto find a surface that would adhere tothe rubberized surface already in place.Murray felt the PlexiPave PG system byCalifornia Products would work best. InDecember, CAS installed a few testareas and invited the tennis team in to“kick, scuff, rub, slide and abuse itevery way they could,” Murray says.The surface passed muster, and in Jan-uary CAS installed the rest of the floor.

“Like many old buildings, this onehad accessibility issues, so we had toshuttle all our materials and equip-ment down a 40-foot corridor. The oldrubber floor was so slick that we foundwe couldn’t apply the new surface inthe standard manner using asqueegee. So we devised a way tospray it on instead,” says Murray. Butdespite this, the surface was ready forplay in time for the beginning of theindoor season.

“As more and more buildings andcourts are being adaptively re-used,this kind of creative thinking is goingto become increasingly important,”says Murray. Visit competitionathletic-surfaces.com for more information.

PTR Signs Three New Corporate Members

The PTR announced that the Institute of Sport Science for Tennis (ISST), Tennis BusinessSolutions and Tennissmith have signed on as Corporate Members.ISST (isportscience.com) specializes in improved visual focus and faster anticipation

using eye tracking technology, and practical mental skills training and education formatch improvement. PTR members receive a 10% discount on all ISST products andservices. Tennis Business Solutions (tennisbusinesssolutions.com or 770-497-1705) is amarketing tennis specialty software company that also offers business consulting fortennis clubs. Tennissmith, Tennis Intelligence Applied (tennissmith.com) is a new edu-cational program by Steve Smith, a 31-year PTR member, designed to assist players, par-ents and teaching pros. The initial phase has 25 user-friendly hours, covering all aspectsof the game with 365 visual clips that average less than five minutes each.

• Don Lang recently was named Fila’s 2009 Specialty Sales Repre-sentative of the Year. Lang is the company’s rep in Florida.

• Spanish star Fernando Verdasco has signed with Dunlop for rac-quets, strings and accessories. Also, Nikolay Davydenko signed withDunlop for racquets, clothing and accessories.

• Master Racquet Technician Tim Strawn will present a seminar atthe Methodist University (Fayetteville, N.C.) Professional TennisManagement Program on May 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Theevent, sponsored by Babolat, is $50 and includes lunch and a set of

Babolat Natural Gut string. For info, contact BenPorter at 910-630 7484 or [email protected].

• Ivan Ljubicic hammered 21 aces with his HeadYouTek Extreme Pro to defeat Andy Roddick andwin the title at Indian Wells in March.

• Well-respected tennis expert Dr. E. Paul Roetert isthe new CEO for the American Alliance for Health,Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAH-PERD). He had been with the USTA for 19 years,

most recently as man-aging director of PlayerDevelopment.

• The 2010 World TeamTennis ProLeague season will be highlighted byhead-to-head matches between fiveformer and current world No. 1 play-ers—Martina Hingis, Venus Williams,Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport andcurrent world No. 1 Serena Williams—during the 3-week season, which startsJuly 5.

• Deborah Slaner Larkin isthe new executive direc-tor of USTA Serves –Foundation for Aca-demics. Character.Excellence., the philan-thropic and charitableentity of the USTA.

• Cliff Richey, the former No. 1-rankedAmerican tennis player and hero of the1970 championship U.S. Davis Cupteam, admits in a new book his contin-ued use of drugs and a life largely livedsuffering from depression. The book,“Acing Depression: A Champion’sToughest Match,” is from New ChapterPress (www.newchaptermedia.com).

• Heinz Grimm of Switzerland is the2010 recipient of the Golden Achieve-ment Award, given jointly by the Inter-national Tennis Hall of Fame and theInternational Tennis Federation. It is pre-sented annually to individuals who havemade important contributions interna-tionally to tennis in the fields of admin-istration, promotion or education, andhave devoted long and outstandingservice to the sport.


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P E O P L E W AT C H


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


Boris Becker Tennis Adds4 Frames, New String

The Boris Becker Tennis brand hasintroduced four new racquets—

DeltaCore Power, DeltaCore Sportster,DeltaCore Pro and Junior Legend.

The DeltaCore Power racquet, forplayers looking for lighterweight but with the sta-bility and power of aheavier frame, featuresthe new Double RailTechnology (DRT) andDeltaCore. The manufac-turer says DRT, at the 3

and 9 o’clock frame posi-tions, consists of two bracesthat strengthen the racquet tohelp prevent it from twisting,and that, when combined withDeltaCore (carbon nanotubes)creates an “arm-friendly” hit.The 9.7-ounce frame has a 110-square-inch head and a 16 x19 string pattern.

The DC Sportster, saysthe company, provides sta-bility and maneuverabili-ty, along with a solidfeel. It’s 10.4 ounceswith a 102-square-inchhead and 16 x 19 pattern.The DeltaCore Pro is

designed for intermediatethrough professional players,who like to hit with pace andspin. It has a 10.8-ounceweight, 100-square-inch head

and 16 x 18 string pat-tern.

Boris Becker brandalso has strings avail-able, including the BBHero Natural Gut (avail-able in 16L gauge), BBBomber (17 and 16

gauge), and BB Hybrid,which combines 16L BBHero and 17 BB Bomber.For more information,

contact 866-554-7872 oremail [email protected]. Klip America is theU.S. distributor for the BorisBecker brand.

DC Pro

DC Sportster

DC Power

Atlanta, Stanford to Host US Open National Playoffs

The inaugural US Open National Playoffs–Men’s and Women’s Championshipswill be played at the first men’s and women’s tournaments of the 2010

Olympus US Open Series. The Atlanta Athletic Club will host the US OpenNational Playoffs–Men’s Championship, July 22-25, during the Atlanta Ten-nis Championships. The Taube Family Tennis Stadium at Stanford Universi-ty in Stanford, Calif., will host the Women’s Championship, July 29-Aug. 1,during the Bank of the West Classic.

In January, the USTA announced the launch of the US Open National Playoffs,which will provide the opportunity for all players 14 years of age and older to earn awild card into the 2010 US Open Qualifying Tournament. The US Open National Play-offs begins with 16 men’s and women’s sectional qualifying tournaments held through-out the country from April through June. The men’s and women’s champions fromeach of the sectional qualifying tournaments advance to the US Open National Playoffs.

Participants can be of any playing level. Entry fee for each of the sectional qualify-ing tournaments is $125. Entry information and a schedule of US Open National Play-offs Sectional Qualifying Tournaments are available at usopen.org.

The USTA has acquired all rights to First Serve, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization,and its programs, including the First Serve Life Skills Curriculum and the First Serve

National Student Athlete Competition. These programs will join the Arthur Ashe EssayContest and Tennis Leadership Camp to help strengthen the NJTL menu of educationalofferings and enhance the USTA’s ability to build the brand and seek outside investment.

USTA Acquires Rights to Nonprofit ‘First Serve’

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Ashaway Introduces UltraKill 17 R-Ball String

Ashaway has introduced UltraKill® 17, the first of a new line of Zyex-based racquetballstrings. Built on a new multifilament core, UltraKill 17 is designed to provide amateur and

professional players with a strong, durable string with both power and ball control. The braid-ed surface maximizes control and increases spin while the Zyex® multifilament core preventstension loss for more consistent performance throughout the life of the string, says thecompany.

According to Ashaway Vice President Steve Crandall, recent advances in technology haveproduced Zyex filaments that are even finer and stronger than before. “We're now able to pro-duce thinner, stronger, lighter-weight strings which provide superior feel, more power, andimproved ball control, yetstill offer the well-knownZyex playing characteris-tics and tension-holdingproperties,” he says.

UltraKill 17 is avail-able in 40-foot sets and360-foot reels. Recom-mended stringing tensionis up to 40 lbs. Ashawaysuggests using 10–20%less tension than normal-ly used for standardnylon strings. Visit ash-awayusa.com or emailsales@ashawayusa .com.

Do You Knowa YoungMover & Shaker?

Early in 2011, we’d like todo a special “30 Under

30” section in RSI, and we’dlike your suggestions on whoin this industry we shouldconsider. Please help usidentify those industry“players,” under 30 yearsold, who are doing greatthings and have a brightfuture in the tennis business.Email your suggestions, witha brief explanation of whyyou think this young personfits the bill, [email protected] put “30 under 30” inthe subject line.

MAKE YOURSUBMISSION!

Pioneers In Tennis


ennis in the Parks. CommunityTennis Associations. The QSTformat being taught to under-

privileged youngsters in after-schoolprograms. Everywhere you look, out-reach for the sport is being done closeto the ground, close to home, with thethought that tomorrow's championsare learning the basic strokes today atrec centers and on public schoolcourts.

Flash back to the 1950s, when avery different philosophy prevailed.Tennis was played in private clubs andon college campuses, and championswere expected to rise from thoseplaces. And so it might have contin-ued, had it not been for Eve Kraft, thewoman who served as visionary (andjust as often, as stubborn adversary),and who by force of sheer will suc-ceeded in getting tennis industry lead-ers to look to communities as the nextbig thing.

Not that community tennis was allthat popular a concept at the timeKraft was trying to introduce it.

“It wasn't,” says Henry Talbert,now the executive director of the USTASouthern California Section. "It justwasn't. But it was my good fortune tobe hired by Eve and her colleague atthe time, John Conroy, who was thetennis and squash coach at Princetonin 1974. Back then, they were twolonely voices suggesting to what wasthen the U.S. Lawn Tennis Associationthat group instruction on parks andplaygrounds were the wave of thefuture because there were so manymore people who fit that model thanthere would be of people who wouldbecome champions."

Even with Kraft's professional back-ground (she and Conroy had beeninstrumental in founding the PrincetonTennis Program in 1954; and in 1971,when Princeton University first admit-ted women, Kraft became the

T

"Pioneers in Tennis," an occasional column in RSI, draws attention to trailblazers in the sport. Have someone to suggest?E-mail [email protected].

Eve F. KraftA community tennis visionary.

women's varsity tennis coach), doubts lin-gered within the industry about the con-cept of teaching tennis to the masses.

"One of the things that was just begin-ning to happen in the 1960s and 70s wasthat tennis was starting to come out of thecountry clubs and more into the parks,thanks to group instruction," says AnneHumes, administrative director in theUSTA's Office of the President and a friendof Kraft’s. "Eve saw that, and what shewas trying to do was emulate the Prince-ton tennis program all around the coun-try—she wanted to try to help othercommunities establish these little serviceorganizations for tennis with the idea thatyou could get quality group tennis instruc-tion and learn the game at affordableprices."

Over time, the volunteer group Kraftand Conroy began gained momentum.Community tennis organizations grew.Ultimately, Kraft's office began creatingand supplying teaching resources, instruc-tor guides and more—and became theUSTA's Center for Research and Education.

Kraft's role and influence in the USTAgrew as well. She was the co-founder anddirector of the USTA Tennis Teachers' Con-ference and helped establish the USTAFoundation. She was inducted into theUSTA Middle States Tennis Hall of Fame in1994 and into the International TennisAssociation's Women's Collegiate Hall ofFame in 1996.

According to Humes, many of today'spopular outreach programs were champi-oned by Kraft. She was a proponent ofwheelchair tennis, programs for juniors,and even Short Court Tennis, the forerun-ner of QuickStart.

In the face of doubts and oppositionfrom industry leaders, Kraft's stubborn-ness and perseverance ultimately won out,and not just in terms of the game. She wasa feminist before feminism as a conceptbecame an actual issue, according to herson, Robert Kraft, and was also a tirelessdefender of civil rights.

“She was ahead of her time in somany ways, but especially in race rela-tions. My mother had the benefit ofbeing colorblind as a person, but shealso felt very strongly about equal rightsfor all. In the 1940s as an undergrad atAntioch, she would sit in movie theatersbeside African-Americans who otherwisewould have had to sit up in the bal-conies. And you saw that on the tenniscourts, too. At her funeral, a womanspoke about seeing my mother at thepublic courts in St. Louis. I think thewords she used were, ‘This one little oldwhite lady playing tennis in the middleof the community tennis courts.’”

Kraft died in 1999, but her presenceon community tennis courts is still verymuch felt today. The home of the Prince-ton Tennis Program is known as the EveKraft Community Tennis Center. Eachyear, the USTA honors outstanding stew-ardship in community tennis with theEve Kraft Community Service Award.

"I think the enduring legacy that EveKraft brought to the USTA was a wholenew way of thinking about tennis," saysTalbert. "She thought that good players,if there was a huge enough pool of themat the bottom, would bubble to the sur-face. Eve was, I think, the visionary thatbrought that all together for all of us."

—Mary Helen Sprecher �


S P E C I A L R E P O R T : S T A T E O F T H E I N D U S T R Y

SALES DIVISIONSTennis sales appear to be rebounding somewhat, but industryretailers still have major concerns about their business.B Y P E T E R F R A N C E S C O N I & M A R Y H E L E N S P R E C H E R

Most retailers would agree that over the last 12 to 18 months,they’ve been beaten up pretty badly. When the economy tooka nosedive, everything became harder. Suddenly, consumers

cut their purchasing, manufacturers had excess inventory they had tomove, prices dropped, retailer margins dropped, credit tightened,expenses such as insurance costs went up—it was a match that manyretailers felt they couldn’t win. Some pro and specialty shops wereforced to quit. Others cut personnel, cut hours, pared back invento-ry—anything to trim costs and be able to stay in the game.

Amid all this scrambling, many retailers were left wondering, iftennis participation rose 12 percent in 2009 to more than 30 millionplayers, why weren’t they, too, realizing gains? In fact, they rea-

soned, why weren’t manu-facturers in general makingmore headway?

As we reported in“Brand Management” in theApril issue of RSI, whichfocused on the concerns ofmanufacturers, there is nowa feeling that this industry

may have weathered the worst of the economic storm. Inventoryproblems that plagued manufacturers appear to be clearing up, andracquet, ball and string sales at pro and specialty shops, while downoverall for 2009, did turn up slightly in the fourth quarter. A slightdrop in frequent players in 2009 remains a concern (and may be thebiggest contributing factor to weak retail sales), but the larger base ofplayers overall, combined with industry initiatives, is expected tohelp to push that frequent player number higher.

In the general economy, the fickle Consumer Confidence Indexhas been edging upward lately, and according to the National RetailFederation, the world’s largest retail trade association, retail sales ingeneral are looking better. The NRF’s economic forecast projectsoverall retail sales for 2010 will increase 2.5 percent over last year.

“We continue to see signs of improvement throughout the U.Seconomy,” says NRF Chief Economist Rosalind Wells. “While we stillexpect shoppers to be frugal with their discretionary spending, retail-ers will soon be able to reap the benefits of leaner, smarter invento-ries and a year and a half of pent-up consumer demand.”

Another positive sign, according to the NRF, is that import cargovolume at the nation’s major retail container ports will be 25 percenthigher during the first half of 2010 compared with the same period ayear ago. “This is a dramatic turnaround,” says the NRF’s Jonathan

Gold. “Increases in import volumes don’t correspond directly withdollar volumes in sales, but retailers are clearly expecting to movemore merchandise this year.”

“The end of last year was the worst inventory position for retail-ers since 2002,” says Keith Storey, vice president of Sports Market-ing Surveys, which does extensive research in the tennis industryand for other sports. “Since last year, I think retailers have beenpretty savvy about what they’ve ordered in, so that should start tohave a positive impact on inventory.”

While there appears to be some good news on the horizon as faras tennis sales, retailers still have major concerns and issues aboutthe business. Many of their concerns overlap with those expressedby manufacturers, including how to deal with product inventory andcloseouts, concerns of product life cycles, and, in particular, main-taining and enforcing Minimum Advertised Pricing policies.

PRICE BUSTERS?Minimum Advertised Pricing, or MAP, is now common in the indus-try, and is even beginning to spread beyond racquets to other prod-ucts. Ask any manufacturer, and they’ll most likely tell you theyenforce their MAP policies. However, ask retailers and you get a dif-ferent story.

“I am a strong advocate of MAP and I wish it were more preva-lent, and I wish the manufacturers would enforce it,” says Jeff Rode-feld, director of retail operations at the Indianapolis Racquet Club. “Ithink enforcement is part of the problem. I don't think everyone isconsistent.”

Of course, when it comes to MAP policies, the larger retailers,particularly large internet retailers, come in for much criticism bysmaller retailers. Large internet retailers, says Rodefeld are “erodingand dictating the market by not abiding by MAP. In my opinion, thisis one of the most important concerns. It’s painful to see smallercompetitors going out of business because they can't compete anylonger.”

Clearly, whether real or perceived, there is a disconnect. If retail-ers believe that manufacturers are not enforcing MAP policies, thenthe manufacturers either aren’t communicating effectively whatmeasures they are taking against MAP violations or, worse, they’reletting enforcement slide. Either way, it appears, this ongoing—andbecause so many retailers think this is a problem, it’s fair to call it“chronic”—concern needs to be addressed.

In interviews with manufacturers, they do say they contact retailoutlets that clearly are promoting product below MAP, but the

SALES DIVISIONS

This is the second in a series of articles aboutthe tennis industry’s changing landscape.Future topics will deal with teaching pros,participation, court construction, pro tennisand more. We’d like to hear your commentsand concerns, too. Email them [email protected]. Please put “state ofthe industry” in the subject line.

brands are vague on what else may constitute violations of the pol-icy. And outside of telling retailers to “stop it,” they’re also gener-ally nonspecific about what other enforcement measures theytake.

For retailers, it’s not just minimum “price” that makes up MAP.Offers such as free stringing with a racquet purchase, or free gripsor bags or other gifts with purchase, are all ways that some retail-ers get around MAP pricing. “Free goods of any kind is a violationof MAP,” says Tony Taverna, whoowns two Perfect Racquet retailstores in Connecticut. “And quot-ing prices over the phone that arebelow MAP needs to be enforcedas a violation.”

“I just wish the average manu-facturer would be a little stricter onwhat they're putting on a MAP pol-icy and how they're reinforcing it,”adds Rodefeld.

“We usually end up being thepolice out there,” says Don High-tower, president of online retailgiant Tennis Warehouse, at which many brick-and-mortar retailersdirect their frustrations. “We often will make vendors aware of pol-icy violations in the industry. Our philosophy is that if a policyexists, we take the high road, and it’s served us well.

“The way some online retailers may choose to circumvent MAPis to have one price on the website and another when the cus-tomer calls in,” Hightower continues. “And this has been a battlethat we’ve been fighting for years. If there’s going to be a MAP pol-icy, it needs to be enforced.”

INTERNET COMPETITIONNearly all of the retailers we talked to—large and small—men-tioned large internet retailers as a main source of competition andfrustration, gobbling up product from manufacturers and able toundercut in price.

“The concern I have is that large internet retailers are importantfor the manufacturers, but at the same time they can destroy orhurt a brand because of pricing,” says Rodefeld. “For a small spe-cialty store to match or compete with that, it may lead to them tohave to price it at or below their cost. I think that's why we're see-ing an erosion of specialty shops. It would be very difficult for proshop or specialty retailers to make it unless they have some lever-age to get their average cost lower.”

“The large e-tailers, as far as I see it, get first dibs,” says ChrisGaudreau of the Racquet Koop in New Haven, Conn. “They canbuy as much as they want and they’ll get it. And because they’reso big, they can dictate policy.”

One solution that might help smaller retailers, says Gaudreau,is to combine with other shops to negotiate with manufacturers. “Igo with three other shops, and I’m ready to back up any one ofthem. If one of us goes, we all go,” he says. “We may still be muchsmaller than some e-tailers, but the four of us can make a biggerstatement. There’s strength in numbers.”

But some retailers mentioned a positive side to the internetcompetition. “Internet retailers like Tennis Warehouse do serve a

purpose,” says Rodefeld. “We attempt to differentiate ourselveswith service. The customer will go to an internet site to get infor-mation, and then come into our shop looking to make a purchase.”

“I'm the only tennis store in Richmond, so people are going tobuy it here or buy it online,” says Ed Smith of Plaid Racquet inRichmond, Va. “We can guarantee the racquet—if it cracks and it'snot their fault, we'll replace it; it's very difficult to go through allthat with an online retailer. And all my employees are tennis play-

ers and I try to bring in reps to talk tothem about the newest technology.Personal knowledge of the game isstill worth a lot. Someone will paymore to get that service.”

“People will at least look online atwhat's out there and how much itcosts before they come in,” says KimCashman of Advantage Yours inClearwater, Fla. “The internet can be agood thing, but you do want them tocome to you and buy. But it's sales taxthat hurts us. That's really what itcomes down to. We include the string-

ing, but for the most part if the racquet's on MAP, we're on thesame price, they don't charge much for shipping and it comesdown to the tax. And people don't want to spend extra.”

“The thing that’s disappointing to me,” says Mike Pratt, ownerof MP Tennis in Tampa, Fla., “is that you start sensing that maybe[manufacturers] don’t want to do business with you anymore, likethey want to go to all internet.

“I think probably what's happening is tennis has sold its soul tothe internet—and what loses is tennis,” he continues. “Locally, werun leagues, do lessons, promote the game—and we still lose.Those things don’t make us much money, but without us, you startseeing the domino effect. Internet can't provide that. This businessis more than just about computer screens.”

MARGINS OF VICTORY, OR DEFEAT?For retailers, hand in hand with MAP policies are concerns overmargins, inventory and discounting.

“What’s happened in the industry overall is that once a productis in your store, once it gets a little time to it and your customershave seen it, it’s not worth anything anymore,” says Pratt. “Thecompanies are saying, ‘Hey, we have new stuff now; we can’t helpyou out with the old stuff.’ Not everything’s going to sell. Theyalmost blackmail you with the discount thing. You have to re-proveyourself every January. You get stuck with product. They keeppushing the product even though it's been discontinued. And it’snot one company doing this, it’s all of them.”

“What I really need is to make sure I'm not caught with oldproduct,” adds Paul Davis, owner of Princeton Sports in Baltimoreand Columbia, Md. “I need to turn my inventory. If I don't sell aracquet before it's a year old, I'll be selling it for what I paid for it.

“I also need to fight for margins from the manufacturers,”Davis continues. “All the manufacturers are trying to work on a 40percent margin after your discounts. A retailer can't survive on 40percent if they have to pay for shipping, stringing, the salesper-son's time, and all the other overhead. Bigger people are getting




the manufacturers to bring down the margin by throwing freeproduct at them, and the little ones are not surviving.”

Of course, it’s hard to talk about inventory without talkingabout the number of SKUs and product life cycles.

“There are way too may racquets and they’re changing way tooquickly,” says Davis. “Manufacturers dump them or discontinuethem too soon. That leaves customers thinking, ‘Why should I pay$250 when I can wait a year and pay $119?’”

Cashman agrees: “They have to come out with new reasons toget people excited, but there are just too many choices, too quickturnovers. You want to say to the manufacturers, ‘When you real-ly don't have a new technology in a year, don't try to redo theentire line for marketing purposes.’”

“The shelf life on tennis racquets is nowhere near where it usedto be,” adds Bruce Bell of Bell Racquet Sports in East Rochester,N.Y. “And unfortunately, it creates a mindset with the player—‘If Iwait it'll come down in price.’”

“I think there are times when manufacturers make a new intro-duction on a string or a racquet and they don't give it time to real-ly take off,” says Brad Blume of Tennis Express in Houston. “Iknow they have to make sales numbers and grow their business. Ijust think sometimes there's not the advertising dollars to makethe new product successful. There are times when products seemto move to discontinue very quickly.”

Retailers also expressed concerns about minimum orders. “Theamounts of racquets [manufacturers] are asking people to buy hasgotten out of hand,” Cashman says. “If you don't order thatamount, you can't make the margin, and that's not fair. We knowwhat our customers want. If I say I want to buy X number of rac-quets and they say you can get a better discount by buying fivemore, well, with all due respect, I don't need those five more. Iknow what I can sell and I don't want to be caught with more thanI need.”

“With a lot of the programs,” Bell says, “you can get a real juicydiscount, but you have to take on this new grip, this new bag if youwant to be part of the program. Thatdoesn't sit well with me if I don't likethe product they're trying to force usto buy. Sales should be a little moreal a carte.”

Bell, Cashman and other retailersdon’t like the idea of manufacturersforcing product on them. “A productthat works in one market might notwork in mine,” says Bell. “I'm com-mitting to thousands of dollars worthof racquets, and you're trying tocommit me to $60 worth of gripsbecause you think you know whatmy customers want? We're the closest link to the consumer; we'regoing to have the best idea of what our clients will like. For some-one brand new starting out in the business it may be different, butfor someone like me who's been here since 1991, we deserve thatrespect.”

OTHER RETAILER CONCERNSInventory and pricing issues have been so dominant recently that

other retailer concerns sometimes get lost in the shuffle or pale incomparison. But retailers do have other things they need to dealwith, including how to find good employees, which is a key to sell-ing product and providing good service to customers.

“There are special challenges in tennis retail because you haveto provide an extremely high level of service,” says Taverna. “Prod-uct knowledge, stringing consistency and technique, customiza-tion, talking to customers to really figure out what they want andneed—you can’t just hire anybody to do that.”

For Taverna, he’s found that good customers often make thebest employees—they’re involved in the sport and are interestedin all the new products and their features. “There’s such a highturnover in products; you have to stay on top of the ever-changingmodels,” he says.

“I never had a hard time finding good employees, and I knowthat’s not the norm,” says Tiffany Grayson, who formerly ownedCoach Matt’s tennis specialty stores in the Atlanta area, and mostrecently was hired by PGA Tour Superstores to oversee their tennisbusiness. “For me, finding the right employees is all about creatinga family atmosphere where people are excited to come to work.Generally, they are tennis players who want to be involved inanother facet of the sport.”

Grayson, who at one point employed 22 people, says that in herexperience, the key to good employees is to “put them on apedestal. I would never ask them to do something I wouldn’t domyself. I catered to their needs and schedules when I could, I paidthem for a job well done, and I was fair across the board.”

She closed her Coach Matt’s stores in January 2009 to devotemore time to her family. (“As it turned out, I got out at the righttime,” she says.) But she’s proud that “most of the people whoworked for me still get together once a month for a ‘Coach Matt’sstaff dinner.’ It’s part of the family.”

DEALING WITH ‘ SHRINKAGE’Yes, it’s a “Seinfeld” joke, but in retail, “shrinkage” is about shrink-

ing inventory due to theft, inventoryerrors, etc. By some estimates, theft,by both customers and employees,costs U.S retailers more than $30 bil-lion a year, and employee theft is oneof the biggest threats that all retailersface.

“We've certainly had issues withall of that,” says Blume. “I thinkthat's a challenge for all retailers:employee shrink and shrink overall.As you grow bigger, employees maystart to think, ‘Oh they're rich, theyowe me, I have stock in their compa-

ny.’ I think we all have those problems.”“Shoplifting is a potential issue for everyone,” says Rodefeld,

“but because of the way our store is laid out, it really isn’t bad forus.”

Store layout does seem to play a big part in thwarting potentialfor losses due to theft. In the tennis business, maybe because we’retalking about generally smaller retail spaces, both shoplifting andemployee theft don’t seem to be prevalent, at least with the retail-


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ers we contacted. “Our stores are laid out so that there’s really noarea where you can disappear into,” says Taverna. “You can seesomeone from every area of the store.”

“I didn’t let my people stand behind the counter unless theywere ringing someone up,” adds Grayson. “They would greet cus-tomers on the floor when they walked in and be available to them.I was very happy that our shrink was minimal.”

WEBSITES, MARKETING AND ADVERTISINGDespite complaints about internet retailing, brick-and-mortar ten-nis retailers know the value of having a website and of maintain-ing a database of customers. Theirinvolvement in the internet runs thegamut, from a fairly static web pres-ence, mainly for informational purpos-es (so that, for instance, a search oftennis in a particular area will pull uptheir store), to a full-bore site thatincludes regular customer emails,newsletters, online sales, and more.

“We’re updating our website rightnow,” says Gaudreau. “It’s importantbecause when people Google ‘tennis’and ‘New Haven,’ my shop comes up.We do believe we need a presence on the web.”

Blume’s Tennis Express is in a unique position, with both a suc-cessful retail location (it won RSI’s 2009 Pro/Specialty Retailer of theYear award) and a growing internet sales business. “We took risksto grow our business,” Blume says. “The internet is very, very chal-lenging. The margins are much slimmer in apparel and footwear,so it isn't just like you open a website and they will come. We'resuper-committed to the web, but it is not as easy as some wouldthink. Our margins on the web are lower because there are a lotlower prices, things that are not on MAP policy.

“If you're going to have an internet business, you want to do itright,” he adds. “It takes great software, great images, buyer'sguides, it takes research and work. It's not something that's doneeasily.”

“Doing e-commerce is a totally dif-ferent business model,” says Grayson.“At Coach Matt’s, we had a store web-site that was informational only.”

The Indianapolis Racquet Club’swebsite, says Rodefeld, is mainly forinformation, not e-commerce. Butspending time maintaining it is key.“You need to find the right person tomaintain a website and do it effective-ly,” he says.

“In today’s market, a store websiteis absolutely critical,” says Taverna.“Although we don’t sell a ton of stuff online, we do sell some things,and a lot of people find us online. But once you have a decent web-site, it’s a real challenge to keep it up to date.”

Many tennis retailers put having an internet presence into thesame category as marketing and advertising, which certainlymakes sense. Andmany say they’ve forsaken print ads in their local

newspapers in favor of targeted emails to reach customers, andpotential customers.

“I have an internet newsletter and a mailing list of about 2,800people,” says Smith. “Maybe one out of a hundred people in myarea are tennis players, so this is the best way to reach them. News-paper advertising is costly and you don't reach who you want toreach. I've encouraged all my employees to get customers' e-mailaddresses. I send out the newsletter, and I always have a coupon init, along with new products and tennis tips. I’ve found that works ahundred times better than any other kind of advertising.”

Bell agrees: “We don't do a lot of marketing—we have a web-site. I think we more rely on word ofmouth. I've done my fair share ofnewspaper ads, and I don't think itworks as well for us. What we do ishave a sign-up sheet for customers'email, then we do e-mail blasts aboutthings they're interested in.”

Longevity helps, too. “We’ve beenhere for 19 years,” says Gaudreau, “soI don’t really need to do anything. Atsome point, it just runs on autopilot,although I do try to be visible at eventsin our area. If you do a good job, peo-

ple will know about you.”Community and charity events, says Grayson, are “invalu-

able”—both for visibility and for your own gratification. It’s takesplanning, she says, and it’s a long-term payoff. Coach Matt’s wasvery involved in events in the Atlanta area, and Grayson says oneof her objectives in her new role with PGA Tour Superstore is todevelop grassroots relationships between communities and the 10stores.

ARE PRO SHOPS/SPECIALTY STORES DYING?Retailers and the industry as a whole are concerned about the sur-vival of pro shops. While there are no hard numbers yet, the Ten-nis Industry Association is researching the number of pro/specialtyshops that have been lost recently. “The TIA is still trying to quan-

tify it so we can better understand thesituation,” says Jon Muir, TIA presi-dent and the worldwide general man-ager of Wilson Racquet Sports.“There is a feeling that retailers havebeen closing.”

Retailers themselves worry thatthey may be a dying breed. “Theproblem with small stores is thatyou're not buying volume to get yourprices down,” says Rodefeld. “Rota-tion of merchandise is criticallyimportant. I think that's what we're

looking at: pro shop as an endangered species.“We're fortunate in that we're tied to a club that has 3,500

members. If you're freestanding, trying to drive customers in, it'sdifficult. I would not recommend anyone in today's market opena freestanding shop.”

“People who love tennis think they can hang a shingle and say




'Oh, I'm going to have a tennis store,’” Blume says. “Then they godo it and they find it's a real flop. It's extremely tough to launch aretail store in today's market because you'd have to have a situa-tion where you could control the amount of inventory for yourgrowth.”

Grayson says that in today’s economy, “More of the mom andpop shops are figuring out they have to lean on their vendor repsand build that relationship. The reps can help them understandhow the numbers apply to their business and can teach them toanalyze their businesses to maximize profits.”

“From a Wilson perspective,” says Muir, “we try to be consul-tants to retailers. The more we can provide education and knowl-edge and service to retailers, it helps their businesses.”

Jolyn de Boer, the executive director of the TIA, says the asso-ciation provides tools to help retailers in all aspects of their busi-ness. “TIA membership includes access to research reports to keepyou up to date on what’s happening at retail and in the industry,and how your business compares to others,” she says. Also, the TIAhas member benefits and services that include shipping discounts,merchant card services, insurance, including business liability andworker’s comp, advertising discounts and more.

“The TIA also is compiling a retailer guide that, coupled with the‘Facility Manager’s Manual’ already available free on GrowingTen-nis.com, will provide valuable insight into successfully running abusiness,” de Boer says. TennisConnect is another TIA product tohelp retailers run their business, she adds. It helps retailers to con-nect with customers, track stringing and demos, run promotions,

and more, and this year will add QuickBooks and Point of Sale inte-gration.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGESIn some sense, the challenges the tennis retail business faces alsocreates opportunities. The difficult economy and retail in generalare “bringing out the creativity in all of us,” says Grayson. “I thinkwe’re probably going to have smarter manufacturers and retailers,who are running their businesses more efficiently.”

“Nowadays, you can't wait for the consumer to come to you,”says Rodefeld. “Too many retailers wait for the customer to comein. We're going to go out after that customer, drive business backin here.”

“We need to educate consumers more,” says Blume, on every-thing from the need to restring, to when to buy a new pair of shoes,to when to buy a new racquet or the type of racquet that’s best fora player. “And I think manufacturers need to educate players ongame-improvement racquets; the right racquet for you isn't neces-sarily the one that Agassi uses.”

Successful tennis retailing today, says Taverna, “is not like itwas 15 or 20 years ago. You have to have everything in place: supe-rior service, competitive prices, a decent website, marketing andadvertising, knowledgeable employees, ways to combat all types ofcompetition … you have to do everything extremely well.”

“All in all, things do seem to be turning upward,” Grayson says.“I think the people who can see past today, and still have hope forthe future, they’ll be the ones to grow their businesses.” �

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Once again, Florida dominates in the outdoor soft-court category of the Racquet SportsIndustry/American Sports Builders Association 2009 Distinguished Facility-of-the-YearAwards, as the Sunshine State is home to four of the seven winners. But credit Massachu-

setts as coming on strong, with two winners.The interesting news with this crop of winners is the use of

subsurface irrigation for six of the projects. At least two of theseswitched to subsurface irrigation because of a desire to con-serve, but also to reflect members’ wishes.

Members at the St. Andrews Country Club, for instance,complained that they wanted to maximize their playing time,and subsurface irrigation allowed them to do that. The FisherIsland Club converted its eight overhead-watered courts to eighthydro courts in the last phase of a project to upgrade and mod-ernize the facility. Access at Fisher Island was so limited, thatspecial wagon carts had to be constructed to take away the exca-vated material and bring in the new material.

The Longboat Key Club & Resort was a major rebuild of the facility, which includes 20 newclay courts, with new fencing on all. Access was limited due to nearby construction and water

on two sides of the site. The well water for the subsurface irrigation sys-tem contained fine silt, so an inline automatic flushing filter had to beinstalled. The Jonesville Tennis Center is a major new public facilitywith 14 lighted clay courts, new fencing, shade cabanas and otheramenities. There’s also a tournament staging area and spectator viewingareas.

The Placencia Hotel inBelize uses Lee Tennis’s ClayTech surface, which usesconventional overhead watering, but less of it. Thecontractor for the Placencia Hotel listed “difficulties”as “jungle, swamp, unskilled labor.” His solutions?“Rain gear, bug spray, and lots of patience.”

In Massachusetts, The Field Club converted a for-mer asphalt plant site and dumping ground into afirst-class recreational facility built to be environmen-tally friendly in all ways. The facility has seven claycourts, a grass tennis court area, two platform tenniscourts, and a grass pitch for croquet and badminton,along with a Tennis Pavilion with locker rooms, a lounge and a pro shop.

The Wequassett Resort & Golf Course removed its existing courts andinstalled four subsurface irrigated courts, with custom fencing. The projectincorporated green design throughout, including using native and recycledmaterials. Construction started in December with a deadline of April 15,so fencing was measured and built off-site, along with footings for netposts, center anchors and light poles. —Peter Francesconi

D I S T I N G U I S H E D F A C I L I T Y - O F - T H E - Y E A R A W A R D S


These seven outdoor winners are excellentexamples of clay-court construction.

SOFT LANDINGSSOFT LANDINGS


For details on the 2010 Outstand-ing Facility-of-the-Year Awards,contact the ASBA at 866-501-ASBA or [email protected],or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.

These seven outdoor winners are excellentexamples of clay-court construction.

The Field Club, Edgartown, Mass.(Nominated by Global Sports & Tennis Design Group LLC, Fair Haven, N.J.)No. of Courts: 8 (7 soft, 1 grass)Architect/Engineer: Ahearn, Schopfer and AssociatesTennis Design Consultant: Global Sports & Tennis Design Group LLCGeneral Contractor: Metric Corp.Specialty Contractor: Boston Tennis (soft courts), Lawn Tennis Supply(grass court)Surface: Lee TennisFencing: Perfection Fence Co.Irrigation: Bettencourt Irrigation

Wequassett Resort & Golf CourseChatham, Mass.(Nominated by Cape & Island Tennis & Track, Pocasset, Mass.)Specialty Contractor: Cape & Island Tennis & TrackNo. of Courts: 4Surface: Lee Tennis HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis HydrogridLighting, Line Tapes: Lee TennisNets, Posts, Center Straps: J.A. Cissel


Fisher Island Club, Miami, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)General & Specialty Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.No. of Courts: 8Surface: Lee Tennis HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Welch HydroGridCourt Supplies: Welch Tennis CourtsChannel Drains: ABT


Placencia Hotel, Placencia, Belize(Nominated by Ritzman Tennis Courts LLC, Fort Myers, Fla.)Specialty Contractor: Ritzman Tennis CourtsNo. of Courts: 2Surface: Lee Tennis ClayTechNets, Net Posts: Superior Court SupplyLighting: Tech-LightFencing: U.S. WholesaleWindscreens: CN Screen

Jonesville Tennis Center, Gainesville, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)General & Specialty Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.No. of Courts: 14Surface: Lee Tennis HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Welch HydroGridLighting: LSI Courtsider

Longboat Key Club & ResortLongboat Key, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)Architect/Engineer: Global Sports & Tennis Design Group LLCSpecialty Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.No. of Courts: 20Surface: Lee Tennis HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Welch HydroGridLighting: LSI Courtsider

St. Andrews Country Club, Boca Raton, Fla.(Nominated by Fast-Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)General & Specialty Contractor: Fast-Dry CourtsNo. of Courts: 5Surface: Lee Tennis HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Lee TennisNet Posts, Windscreens: J.A. CisselNets: Superior Court SuppliesLine Tapes: Lee Tennis


R E T A I L S U C C E S S S T O R I E S

SALESFORCE

Retailing, especially apparel, hascertainly been a challenge recently.

But there are some tennis retailers whoare pulling in business, and servingtheir customers in such a way that

they’re growing and positioningthemselves better for the future.

Here are some of their stories, and tips.B Y C Y N T H I A S H E R M A N

SALESFORCE


With three stores in the greater Phoenix area, Tennis Cabana manager Cheryl Megli is keptvery busy. The stores, which have a strong demo program, carry most of the major racquetbrands and stringing is a key business component. Apparel sales have been strong, Meglisays, and the stores carry Nike, Adidas, Bolle, Tail, Jerdog, K-Swiss, and New Balance. Com-fortable fitting rooms enhance the shopping experience.The stores do some team business, women’s leagues, and partner with local teaching

pros, so referrals go back and forth. They’re also flexible with teams, ordering extra piecesand ensuring clothing samples and lines are in the store so team members can see it beforeordering.Tennis Cabana works with Peach League Tennis and provides gift certificates to tourna-

ment winners, so involvement with the tennis community is an important part of the operation. They also work with the nearby Sur-prise Tennis Center, which is run by John Austin.“We have excellent partnerships with stores throughout the state,” Megli says, “with the majority of stores interconnecting—we all

rely on each other, which enables us to get product for customers from another store.” Megli also confirms the challenge of orderingearly since manufacturers are keeping their production close to what stores are pre-booking. Megli says under these tighter circum-stances, customers will buy sooner rather than later since future supply is limited.

The Takeaway� Go above and beyond in customer service.Fill special orders, discuss stringing andracquet needs. This encourages repeatbusiness.

� Have knowledgeable tennis-playing staffthat wears product in the store; have teach-ing pros who string, if possible.

� Offer discount programs—for seniors, forfrequent restringing, for high school teams,etc.

Tennis Cabana, Phoenix, AZ

Dan Kester, owner of I Play Tennis in downtown Atlanta, is a survivor. He’s been in retail allhis life, including as v.p. of Sport Mart in Chicago. He opened I Play Tennis in 2006 after doing

extensive demographic research. “Iblended the retail that I knew with thetennis that I loved,” he says.Despite the challenging economy,

Kester says business in his 1,200-square-foot shop has increased in dou-ble digits every year. He does a briskstringing business and carries all themajor racquet and shoe brands. Inaddition to stocking Nike, Adidas, Fila, Tail, Prince and Wilson apparel, he fills inwith staple pieces from each brand, and recognizes that his consumer ratio is more

men than women, so he buys accordingly. He also carries children’s clothing and shoes.With his retail expertise, Kester runs a tight ship and has a very detailed point-of-sale system, allowing him to buy differently than

the average pro/specialty shop.

The Takeaway� Educate your customers. As a specialtyshop, you’re in a good position to use yourexpertise to help consumers make educateddecisions.

� Be visible at local tennis events. Sponsortournaments, donate to school fund-raisers.

� Be fiscally responsible, and be an oppor-tunist—buy closeouts when you can.

� Tailor your buys to your customers’ prefer-ences rather than manufacturers’ prefer-ences.


I Play Tennis, Atlanta, GA

Tennis Set, Kansas City, KSIn the middle of the country, Tennis Set finds itself in an exciting and expansive position.Located near Kansas City, KS, owner John Tidrick moved and enlarged his store operationfrom 1,500 square feet to a 6,000-square-foot showroom two years ago. Additionally, he

added a website, which has spurred agrowing business. Having the luxury ofspace, he incorporated a real experien-tial marketing aspect to his store byputting in a nearly full-size singles courtwith net, so consumers can demo racquets on the spot, allowing quicker point of sale.Since more women than men buy clothing, Tennis Set has three comfortable fit-

ting rooms and carries Nike, Adidas, Tail, Bolle, Fila, Wilson, Eliza Audley and Prince.He also does a big team business. Carrying a full array of shoes and racquet brandskeeps his six to 10 staff people constantly busy. The two stringing machines arealways in use, often providing same-day service. Because of the larger store, he

stocks more inventory. But with manufacturers’ levels much tighter than a year or two ago, re-ordering to fill in a line after the fact, heacknowledges, can be challenging. Tidrick also has ties with park and rec programs and youth leagues, helping them with product needs.Sponsoring the biggest tournament in Kansas City, The Kansas City Open, also helps him promote his business.

The Takeaway� Customer service is top priority. Learnabout your customers as individuals,address their likes and needs.

� Carry top products and selection—be pricesensitive and competitive.

� Put in the time. It takes hard work and longhours.

� Get involved in local tennis programs.

Pete Carlson Golf and Tennis, Palm Desert, CAWhile Pete Carlson Golf and Tennis caters mostly to a golf market, General Manager DianeThacker says their tennis business is growing. Starting out in a 1,000-square-foot space 29years ago, the business has increased to 12,000 square feet, including administrative offices.

In the heart of the desert, they get a bigdraw from the tournament at IndianWells as well as a steady supply oftourists. Thacker says most of the smaller pro shops in the area have gone out of busi-ness, so sales at Pete Carlson’s have risen. Shoe sales have increased 40 percent in thelast five years, with New Balance leading the way.Clothing sales have been brisk, too. They carry Tail, Bolle, K-Swiss, Peachy Tan,

Down the Line, Fila, New Balance, Prince and Sergio Tacchini, and they’ve tailoredtheir inventory to a changing desert demographic. Thacker sees a growing presence ofyounger families because of more affordable housing. “It’s not the same desert it was20 years ago,” she says. “Now it’s more of a year-round community.” Because of more

children’s tennis programs, Thacker carries more kids’ clothing now. In general, they’re buying more tennis apparel than in years past,which has put them in a good spot with manufacturers. “The challenge now is space,” Thacker says. “But we know how much we can putinto our space and still be in a comfortable shopping environment for the customer.”

The Takeaway� Know your customer’s likes and dislikes.Keep customer files detailing favoritebrands, styles, etc.

� Hire experienced sales people who knowtheir customers’ preferences.

� Offer volume and varied selection.

1.36 mm. The diameter of Tonic+Longevity (nominally a 15L gauge) rangesfrom 1.343 mm to 1.45 mm. In order toprovide my Tonic+ customers withsome level of consistency, I have gotteninto the habit of weighing the packageswhen they come in, and marking theweight on the back. When a customerasks for Tonic+, I record the weight ofthe package and the diameter of thestring in my database. From then on,each time that customer comes in, I pullthe package closest in weight to their laststringing for that gauge.

5 sets of Tecnifibre TGV 1.30 16 to:Ed Goldzweig, CS, Franklin Square, NY

ACCURATE POLY MAINS MEASUREMENTI have come up with a handy, easy calcu-lation to help determine the length ofstring to use in the mains when doing apoly hybrid. I do as much stringing as Ican from reels. Hence, I offer hybrids ofvarious assortments primarily to meetprice concerns. Trying to be as economi-cal as possible, I was still nervous aboutcutting the string too short, as poly does-n’t stretch. Here’s what I did to optimizethe length I cut from the reel.

For each hybrid string job using poly

MEASURING FRAME DISTORTIONWhen we first begin to string tennis rac-quets, we noticed that racquet faces dis-torted during stringing. The controllingfactor appeared to be the stringingmachine’s mounting system. Using a tapemeasure to check this distortion wasaccurate only in extreme cases, so wemade our own measuring tools. Startingwith 1.0-inch micrometers, we removedthe anvil and added an adjustable frameto extend the range of measurement toalmost 17 inches. Now we have the abili-ty to measure the outside dimensions ofjust about any frame with an accuracy ofplus or minus 0.001 inches.

This degree of accuracy allows us tosee not only frame distortion but alsoframe compression, which occurs nor-mally when the frame is under load bythe strings. We know we have mountedthe racquet properly when the ratio ofthe vertical measurement to the horizon-tal measurement remains the same afterstringing as it was before stringing.

For those racquets that don’t holdshape, we have a log book that showshow much to pre-load the racquet for agiven string and reference tension.5 sets of Wilson Stamina DT 15 to:Dr. Carl Love, Albany, OREditor’s note: USRSA does not recom-mend pre-loading racquets.

GRADING BABOLAT TONIC+I carry Babolat Tonic+ natural gut. It’sless expensive than Babolat VS Natural,but the trade-off is that the gauge canvary from package to package. Thediameter of Tonic+ Ball Feel (nominallya 16 gauge) ranges from 1.235 mm to


Tips & Techniques

mains, I measured exactly what theStringers Digest recommends for themains. Then after completing themains, but before trimming off theexcess, I allowed six to eight inches perside to reach the tension head andmeasured the remainder. This gave methe actual length of poly needed tocomplete the mains on that racquet.

At the same time, I measured theracquet hoop at the center mains (out-side the frame) and recorded it to thenearest quarter inch. I also made anote of the number of mains for eachracquet.

Once I had accumulated enoughdata, I was able to compare the actuallength of poly needed for the mains inany given racquet (in feet) against thehoop axis (in inches). The ratio was asurprising constant. For racquets with16 mains it’s 1.3 feet of poly neededper inch of the racquet hoop measure-ment; for racquets with 18 mains, it’s1.4 feet per inch. Therefore, to obtainthe length in feet I need to cut from thereel for the mains, I measure the axisof the hoop in inches, and multiply itby the appropriate ratio. For example:

I have already saved a lot of string.5 sets of Gamma Synthetic Gutw/WearGuard 16 to:Dave Heilig, MRT, Chapel Hill, NCEditor’s note: Before trying this tip, youshould check to see if six to eight inchesare enough to reach the tension head onthe last pull. If not, you will need tocome up with your own measurementsand ratios.

—Greg Raven �

Readers’ Know-How in Action

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


# Mains Hoop Ratio Mains axis (in.) len. (ft)

16 13.75 1.3 17.9

18 13.75 1.4 19.25


String Playtest

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 6somewhat easier 11about as easy 19not quite as easy 0not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 9about as playable 12not quite as playable 14not nearly as playable 0

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 7about as durable 13not quite as durable 11not nearly as durable 4

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.4Durability 2.8Power 3.3Control 3.6Comfort 3.5Touch/Feel 3.3Spin Potential 3.1Holding Tension 3.4Resistance to Movement 2.8

Hollow Core Pro is an innovative nylonand polyester multifilament from Wil-son. Instead of a round solid core, Hol-low Core Pro has an air-filled, hollowtriangle-shaped polyester core. Accord-ing to Wilson, this hollow core is whatgives the string its unique playing prop-erties. The hollow core lends exception-al shock absorption, and the triangularshape of the core gives the string addedstrength. Around the triangular core arewrapped high-elasticity microfibers ofnylon and fluorocarbon for increasedperformance and comfort. Hollow CorePro is coated for ease of installation.

We published a playtest of HollowCore 16 in the April 2009 issue of RacquetSports Industry magazine. The HollowCore Pro used in this test has a thinnerdiameter for added “bite” and spin.

Wilson tells us that Hollow Core Pro isfor players looking for a string that pro-vides exceptional ball touch and feel. Thisstring will suit players who like a crispfeeling string that provides superb controland feel on all shots.

Hollow Core Pro is available in 17 onlyin gold only. It is priced from $11.25 forsets of 40 feet, $162.50 for reels of 660feet. For more information or to order,contact Wilson at 773-714-6400, or visitwilson.com/newstring. Be sure to read theconclusion for more information aboutgetting a free set to try for yourself, and aspecial offer for Wilson dealers.

IN THE LABThe coil measured 40 feet. The diametermeasured 1.26-1.28 mm before stringing,and 1.23-124 mm after stringing. Werecorded a stringbed stiffness of 78 RDCunits immediately after stringing at 60pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x18 pattern) on a constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 71 RDC units, repre-senting a 9 percent tension loss. Our con-trol string, Prince Synthetic Gut OriginalGold 16, measured 78 RDC units immedi-ately after stringing and 71 RDC unitsafter 24 hours, representing a 9 percent

tension loss.In lab test-ing, PrinceSyntheticGut Origi-nal has astiffness of217 and a tension loss of 11.67 pounds.Wilson Hollow Core Pro has a stiffness of180 and a tension loss 16.95 pounds. Hol-low Core Pro added 13 grams to the weightof our unstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeks by36 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratingsfrom 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind tests, withplaytesters receiving unmarked strings in

unmarked packages. Averagenumber of hours playtested was 21.1.

Hollow Core Pro presented no prob-lems during stringing.

No playtester broke his sample duringstringing, none reported problems withcoil memory or tying knots, and onereported friction burn.

ON THE COURTWilson Hollow Core Pro posted somegood numbers, including well-above-aver-age ratings in Control, Comfort, Playabili-ty, Tension Retention, and Touch/Feel. Asgood as these numbers are, though, theypale compared to the glowing commentsour playtesters gave Hollow Core Pro.There’s a sample of the comments at theend of this report, but if you read the fulltext of the comments on-line, you’ll seethat our playtest team said very nicethings about every aspect of Hollow CorePro. Hollow Core Pro garnered an aboveaverage overall rating of the 141 stringswe’ve playtested for publication.

Eight playtesters broke the sampleduring the playtest period, one each at 3,5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 20 hours.

CONCLUSIONIn a world that seems to be becomingswamped in polyester strings, a soft, thin,easy-to-install nylon can be a real treat.Hollow Core Pro offers many of the samebenefits as Hollow Core 16, although it isa bit more of a niche string, if for noother reason than it is a thinner gauge.

If you think that Wilson Hollow CorePro might be for you, fill out the couponto get a free set to try. If you are alreadya Wilson dealer, Wilson is offering a “Buy1, Get 1 Half Off” special. Contact yoursales rep to place your order.

—Greg Raven �


Wilson Hollow Core Pro


“ This string gets better with age. It playslike natural gut. The spin and feel are excep-tional. I would definitely buy this string.”6.0 male all-court player using Wilson K Tourstrung at 57 pounds CP (Wilson NXT 17)

“ This is a very comfortable string withoutstanding feel.” 5.0 male all-court playerusing Prince OZone Seven strung at 60pounds CP (Prince Lightning XX 16)

“ This string has a gut-like feel with excep-tional playability. Outstanding comfort andcontrol.” 5.0 male all-court player usingPrince Triple Threat Warrior MP strung at 58pounds CP (Signum Pro Poly Plasma 17)

“ Excellent control, playability, and spin.Durability is no slouch either.” 5.5 femaleall-court player using Babolat Drive Z Litestrung at 60 pounds CP (Babolat Xcel Premi-um 16)

“ This string is comfortable with a greatfeel. It starts to move after a few hours. Ten-sion maintenance is on the low side.” 4.5male all-court player using Wilson K Fourstrung at 60 pounds CP (Luxilon Alu PowerRough 16L)

“ This string grips the ball. The bite isexcellent. It has great touch. String move-ment is fairly high.” 4.0 male all-courtplayer using Tecnifibre T Fight 335 (18x20)strung at 60 pounds CP (Isospeed BaselineControl/Gamma TNT2 16/16)

“ This string has a very rare combination ofcomfort, power, and control. It is at oncesoft without being mushy, and firm withoutbeing harsh.” 5.0 male all-court playerusing Wilson K Blade strung at 55 poundsLO (Babolat Hurricane/Wilson Sensation17/16)

“ This is a very elastic string which notchesslightly after a few hours of play.” 4.0male baseliner with moderate spin usingPrince O3 Speedport Pro White strung at 62pounds CP (Forten Pro Select 18)

TESTERS TALK FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAMWilson will send a free set of Hollow Core Pro to each USRSA member who cuts

out (or copies) this coupon:

Offer expires 15 May 2010Offer 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.


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

USRSA Attn: Wilson String Offer, 330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084 or fax to 760-536-1171, or email the info below to

[email protected]

Last fall, I took my first trip to thePeoples Republic of China. It’s easyto see what great opportunities

China has taken advantage of as one ofthe world’s manufacturing powerhouses.Likewise, it’s easy to see just howextremely large the gap is between thosewho “can” play tennis in that country andthose who “want” to play tennis.

Without a doubt tennis—like theentire Chinese economy—continues togrow. Accordingly, most, if not all, of themajor tennis companies in the U.S. looktoward China as one of the few truegrowth markets in the world right now.While the Chinese economy has taken abit of a hit, I was struck by the amount ofcommerce and construction. If I saw onehigh-rise building going up in Shanghai,Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, I saw a thou-sand. The skyline is riddled with tallcranes building 20- to 40-story buildingseverywhere.

In addition to housing and factories,tens of thousands of tennis courts havebeen built since the Beijing Olympics, andit seemed as though every city had built,or was building, a world-class sportsvenue. Cities you’ve never heard of arebuilding 50,000-seat soccer stadiums,NBA-quality indoor arenas, Olympic-sizetracks, modern aquatics centers—andhuge tennis facilities. It’s becoming com-monplace for relatively small cities likeNantong or Changshu to build a tenniscenter with more than 100 courts. Yes, it’smind-boggling to most Americans.

But what is even more confusing is try-ing to understand how “tennis” will find a

way to become a part of the recreationalchoices made by the majority of the peo-ple in China.

While the factory owners and businesspeople are doing fairly well, the vastmajority of the population earns very,very little. Of the five factories I visited,the average wage of the workers wasabout 4 ¥ (Yuan) per hour, or in U.S. cur-rency, about 60¢ an hour. So with the mil-lions of people making less than $2,000USD a year and the majority of the “mid-dle class” making between $10,000 and$20,000 USD annually, who has the timeor disposable income to invest in a love ofthe game of tennis?

Assuming a factory worker can buy atennis racquet for $15 USD at an open-airmarket in a Chinese city, that’s still aninvestment of 1 percent of their yearlysalary—that’s a tough sell in any country.And even if their passion for the game ranso deep that they did acquire a racquetand balls, most of the tens of thousands ofcourts are locked out to the masses. Oper-ators would rather let the courts stay

Randy Futty is the general man-ager of Lee Tennis Court Prod-ucts, based in Charlottesville,Va.


I urge the Chinese gov-ernment and Americantennis companies doingbusiness in China to reachout, take action, and helpgrow tennis at alleconomic levels in China.

vacant than allow the commoners to enjoythe sport.

In fact, one of the companies we visitedhad built a beautiful tennis court on its prop-erty to showcase the products they made,and even though the factory had an on-sitedormitory to house its hourly workers andsales staff, the company kept the court pad-locked and would not allow access to it forthe people who lived and worked there.These are the same people who built theproducts being showcased, and the samepeople who had made their company prof-itable and a successful seller of tennis goods.

It seems to me that while the cities,provinces, and national governments buildtop-notch facilities to show off to the rest oftheir country and to the world, they areoverlooking the opportunity to invest intheir biggest and largest asset they have—their people. Until they do, tennis will nevertruly flourish in China.

I urge the Chinese government andAmerican tennis companies doing businessin China to reach out, take action, and helpgrow tennis at all economic levels in China.If we choose not to, the entire global tenniscommunity will have missed a goldenopportunity to build on and expand thegame that we all dearly love. �

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

Your Serve


A Great Wall in China

B Y R A N D Y F U T T Y

An American manufacturer says companiesdoing business in China need to help thatcountry bring tennis to the masses.

Documents

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