201006 Racquet Sports Industry

June 2010Volume 38 Number 6 $5.00www.racquetsportsindustry.com

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Teaching ProsOne organization or two—what’sthe best system for tennis?

How Flex Leagues canhelp your business

Racquet Care 101

How Flex Leagues canhelp your business

Racquet Care 101

Teaching ProsOne organization or two—what’sthe best system for tennis?

DEPARTMENTS

R S I J U N E 2 0 1 0

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Babolat celebrates 135thyear with special frame

7 Industry loses Lee Tennisfounder Bob Lee

7 PTR to debut SpringTennisFest in 2011

9 Quarterly equipmentsales data

9 UC-Berkeley wins Tennison Campus championships

9 Genesis introducesTyphoon string

10 Short Sets

11 ASBA accepting courtconstruction award entries

11 Ashaway debuts UltraNick18 squash string

12 Peoplewatch

12 PTR Foundation distributestennis equipment

13 National Physical ActivityPlan gets boost from tennis

13 USTA partners withTennis Skillastics

4 Our Serve

7 Industry News

15 TIA Quarterly

21 Pioneers in Tennis: Vic Braden

34 String Playtest: Gamma TNT2 Touch

36 String Machine Review: Prince Neos 1500

38 Ask the Experts

40 Your Serve, by Ryan Melton

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2010 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

ContentsContentsFEATURES

22 Flex TimeThe growing popularity of flex leagues is fillinga need for players and helping feed othertennis programs, too.

24 Racquet Care 101We all need to be reminded of the basics everynow and then. These tips will help you serviceyour customers the best way possible.

31 Hard HittingMeet 10 great examples of outdoor hard-courtconstruction excellence.

SPECIAL REPORT:STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

27 Teaching Assistance?For nearly 35 years, there have been twoteaching pro groups in the U.S. Now thequestion is being raised again: Is thisthe best system for tennis?

The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo.

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. June 2010, Volume 38,

Number 6 © 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.

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4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2010

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

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Support From the ‘Tennis Family’

One sunny Saturday morning in April, Ireceived an email that made me sit back, sighand stare at the screen. “Dear Family and

Friends,” it began. “To keep you up to date on myhealth condition, I created a CaringBridge website….”

It was from Jaime Kaplan, a colleague in Macon, Ga., whom I had no idea washaving health issues. I soon found out that she recently was diagnosed withleukemia.

Jaime is an amazing woman. A former tour player (she’s in the Georgia SportsHall of Fame), she has been a tennis teaching pro and director, and she writes aregular tennis column for the local paper. She’s a huge advocate of communityand recreational tennis, and a winner of the USTA’s Eve Kraft Community ServiceAward. We’d catch up with each other at industry events as best as we could…she would constantly be running into another seminar or workshop, to add to herknowledge of what she already does so well in Macon—deliver tennis to recre-ational players, particularly juniors.

Jaime recently went for her first week of chemo at Winship Cancer Institute atEmory University in Atlanta. She says in her online journal(www.caringbridge.org/visit/jaimekaplan) that her faith, family and friends aresustaining her through this time, and the outpouring, within days, of her firstonline post has been amazing. Thousands of people have visited her site, andmany, many hundreds have left encouraging and loving messages for her in theguestbook.

It’s a reminder that for many of us, the people we meet through tennis are, andalways will be, our “family”—celebrating our triumphs with us, consoling us whenwe don’t come out on the winning side, and supporting us unconditionally whenwe face tough and trying times.

Jaime is one of the bravest persons I know. She’s so incredibly upbeat. Shewrites about how, days before she went into Emory, her teams took titles at statechampionships, and how proud she is of all of her “kids.” Her journal emphasizesothers, praising and thanking her friends, her family, her players, her doctors. I’mcaptivated by how positive she is as she starts this battle. And Jaime’s mantra,with which she ends each entry, is “BEAT LEUKEMIA!”

Her first journal post is telling: “I can't finish ‘my story’ without a tennismetaphor. I've played Martina, Chris, and Steffi...tops in the world...who I hungin there against, but was defeated. Now, I have an opponent greater than them,yet I KNOW I can beat this opponent...I KNOW I will ‘win.’ I have all of you cheer-ing for me and I love you.”

Like every one of Jaime’s friends, I wish there was more I could do. But I hopemy support, love and appreciation for all she does will at least provide some help.I’m so honored to be a part of Jaime’s extended, and extensive, “tennis family.”

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

Robert Lee, founder of Lee Tennis Products in Charlottesville,Va., and one of the founders of the U.S. Tennis Court and TrackBuilders Association (which later became the American Sports

Builders Association), died on April 5. He was 85 years old.Lee was born in Raleigh, N.C., in 1924, and served in World War

II as a Navy pilot. He later studied engineering at N.C. State. Hisfirst job after college was working as an engineer for the quarrywhere Har-Tru material was mined.“He migrated into the tennis business from there and built most

of the early Har-Tru courts back in the 1950s and early ’60s,” sayshis son-in-law, John Welborn. In 1964, Lee left Har-Tru and startedthe Robert Lee Co., making the product in Charlottesville. “Heeventually added many innovations in growing Lee Tennis to where it is today,” Welborn says.In 1964, Lee and industry colleagues came up with the idea of organizing as a group to

encourage others to pursue excellence in tennis court and running track construction. The idea,and the new organization, gained momentum and became the U.S. Tennis Court & TrackBuilders Association.According to Welborn, Lee (who retired from the business in 1997) has left a lasting impres-

sion on the tennis industry. “Bob devised many of the construction techniques and principlesstill used today to build clay courts,” Welborn says. “Eventually the company he founded endedup with the Har-Tru name, which he had helped build up originally.”

PTR to DebutSpring TennisFestin March 2011Starting in March 2011, PTR willhost an annual event on HiltonHead Island, S.C., for college ten-nis teams on spring break.

“With more than 200 collegecoaches who are PTR members,

and many varsity ten-nis players whoteach or want toteach tennis,hosting Spring

TennisFest is a natural fit,” saysPTR CEO Dan Santorum. “It is aperfect complement to our PTRon Campus Program that offersfull-time students certificationtraining, membership and liabili-ty insurance that’s affordableeven on a student’s budget.”

Bringing college tennis teams toHilton Head was the brainchildof Dennis Malick, who is servingas an event consultant for thePTR. Santorum worked with Mal-ick during the first two SpringBreak Tennis events at the Vander Meer Tennis Center in 1985.

In 2011, Spring TennisFestmatches will be played at Vander Meer Tennis Center and sev-eral other properties on HiltonHead. “We have several teamsalready lined up to play in theinaugural PTR Spring Tennis-Fest,” says event director JulieJilly.

For details, contact Julie Jilly orRachael Cox at [email protected] 843-785-7244.

Babolat Celebrates 135th Year With Special Frame

To mark its 135th anniversary, Babolat debuted a new design for the PureDrive racquet, in a unique “red clay” color. The anniversary PureDrive 135 and matching bag were available in May. The French

company said each member of Team Babolat will carry the anniver-sary bag during the French Open, which ends June 6.The PureDrive 135–Anniversary Racquet has a

100-square-inch head and weighs 10.6 ounces. Ithas a suggested retail price of $189. The Rac-quet Holder 135–Anniversary Bag is availablein two sizes: six racquets ($55) or 12 ($75).

R S I J U N E 2 0 1 0

June 2010 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Industry Loses Robert Lee, Founder of Lee Tennis

Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin are hoping to play to the largest tennis crowd everassembled when they meet for an exhibition at the 40,000-seat Baudouin Stadium in Brus-sels on July 8.

If the 34,000 tickets are sold and all 6,000 invitees show up, it will easily beat the 30,472fans who attended the 1973 "Battle of the Sexes II" between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggsat the Houston Astrodome. The match will mark the opening of Belgium's six-month presiden-cy of the European Union.

Clijsters, Henin Aim to Set Attendance Record

June 2010 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9

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


Top-Selling Tennis Stringsat Specialty StoresBy year-to-date dollars,January-March 20101. Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex2.Wilson NXT3.Wilson Sensation4. Luxilon Alu Power5. Prince Lightning XX

Top-Selling Racquetsat Specialty StoresBy year-to-date dollars,January-March 2010(average selling price)

Best-Sellers1. Babolat Pure Drive GT (MP)2. Babolat Aero Pro Drive GT (MP)3. Babolat Aero Pro Drive Cortex (MP)4.Wilson BLX Six.One Tour (MS)5.Wilson BLX Six.One 95 16 x 18 (MS)“Hot New Racquets”(Introduced in the past 12 months)

1. Babolat Pure Drive GT (MP)2. Babolat Aero Pro Drive GT (MP)3.Wilson BLX Six.One Tour (MS)4.Wilson BLX Six.One 95 16 x 18 (MS)5. Head YouTek Radical (MP)

Tennis Racquet PerformanceSpecialty Stores,January-March, 2010 vs. 2009Units 2010 126,090

2009 114,646% chg vs. ’09 10%

Dollars 2010 17,700,0002009 15,890,000% chg vs. ’09 11%

Price 2010 $140.382009 $138.60% chg vs. ’09 1%

Top-Selling Tennis Shoesat Specialty StoresBy year-to-date dollars,January-March 2010(average selling price)

1. Adidas Barricade V2. Prince T223. Nike Air Breathe Free II4. Nike Court Ballistec 2.35. Adidas Barricade II

(Source: TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys)

UC-Berkeley Wins TennisOn Campus Championship

More than 600 college players from 64schools participated in the 2010 USTA

National Campus Championships in April atthe Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex in Arizona. In the final, University of California-Berkeley beat University of Florida, 30-14, to win its first national title.Also at the 2010 ToC championships, Loyola University Chicago Club Tennis President

Cameron Burnett received the USTA Tennis On Campus Leader of the Year award, andthe University of Central Florida was named Tennis on Campus Club of the Year.The USTA Tennis On Campus program is now offered on more than 500 college cam-

puses servicing more than 30,000 students. The program provides students with an out-let to continue their tennis careers between junior and adult leagues, and to play for theirschool and interact with other students regionally and nationally. For more information,go to www.tennisoncampus.com.

Genesis Typhoon String Introduced

Genesis Tennis has launched a new string, the Typhoon, a co-poly available in twocolors, battleship gray and twilight blue, in 1.26 mm. Genesis says Typhoon deliv-

ers outstanding spin along with pinpoint accuracy and unrivaled tension maintenance.Genesis Typhoon is made from high-tech polyester resin combined with new per-

formance enhancing chemical additives, then extruded with a pentagonal profile andtwisted axially. An extra coating of teflon increases the liveliness and offers a crispstringbed, says the maker. For more info, visit www.genesis-tennis.com.


J U N E 2 0 1 0IN

DUSTRYNEW

S

> Awards applications are available now forthe USTA’s Community Tennis Association ofthe Year Award and the Eve Kraft Communi-ty Service Award. Go to usta.com/get-involved/cta.aspx. Deadline for both awardsis June 25.

> WTA Tour pro Sabine Lisicki of Germanyrecently signed a long-term deal with Wil-son. She uses the Wilson Blade 98 racquet.

> Tennis Channel has partnered with Babo-lat for a multi-episode television and internetcampaign that began in April. The “BabolatOne-Minute Clinics” represent a first for thenetwork: 12 instructional vignettes co-creat-ed with a racquet manufacturer as “entitle-ment sponsor,” that is, an advertisingpartner who shares editorial vision and direc-tion with the network. The segments offer avariety of tennis instruction for recreationalplayers.

> “Improve Your Game—Reward YourFeet” was a Head promotion through May inwhich players who purchased a YouTek tourracquet could receive a pair of Head per-formance tennis shoes for $25.

S H O R T S E T S> June 15 is the deadline for nominationsfor the 2010 Tennis Industry Hall of Fame,which recognizes those individuals who havemade a significant impact on the sport, fromthe 1960s to the present. The final inducteeswill be honored in New York City, just beforethe start of the US Open during the USTATennis Teachers Conference. Visit http://ten-nisindustry.org/HOF/.

> One of the largest free tennis festivals inthe country took place May 2 at Balboa Parkin San Diego. The 10th annual Tennis Fest,hosted by the San Diego District Tennis Asso-ciation typically draws 1,000 health-orientedparticipants. It’s considered to be a premier“Tennis Across America” event by theUSPTA.

> Mark Philippoussis won his first Champi-ons Series tournament in Boston in May,beating John McEnroe in the final. TheBoston event also marked the first time BjornBorg played in the U.S. in 10 years.

> Former Australian Open semifinalistChanda Rubin and former US Olympic coachRodney Harmon will be teaching this sum-

mer at Camp A.C.E., the annualovernight camp run by the USTA East-ern Section. Camp A.C.E. (Achievingthrough Coaching and Education) willbe July 25-31 at Ramapo College ofNew Jersey, for players 14-17. Visitwww.eastern.usta.com.

> To mark the 130th anniversary ofthe Newport Casino, which is thehome of the International Tennis Hallof Fame & Museum, a special exhibit,“The Casino: Newport’s Playground1880-1954,” chronicles the foundingof the Casino, early tennis in Newport,R.I., and the social scene. It will run forthe next year. For information, visitwww.tennis-fame.com.

> Prince was the official sponsor ofthe USTA Boys' and Girls' 12's Nation-al Spring Championships, which tookplace in April in Delray Beach, Fla.

> The PTR has expanded its memberbenefits to include Tennis World Mag-azine, which is available online free toPTR members.

> The Rancho Cienega Tennis Club,the largest Black tennis club in LosAngeles, will hold its inaugural Blackand Blue Tennis Shoot Out on June 5at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Center ofLos Angeles. The Black and Blue TennisShoot Out is a round-robin doublestournament that will feature membersof the LA tennis community of all skilllevels playing with and against playersfrom the LAPD, Los Angeles CountySheriff’s Department, LA Fire Depart-ment, and Los Angeles County FireDepartment. Players can register onlineat www.ranchotennisclub.org.

> Racquet Network and Russell TennisAcademy have signed on as PTR Cor-porate Members. Racquet Network is aworldwide network of racquet sportsplayers and coaches based in Calgary,Canada. Russell Tennis Academy islocated at the five star Rose Hall Resortand Spa in Jamaica.

> The USTA announced that the cityof Las Vegas Amanda and Stacy Dar-ling Tennis Center has been named asa USTA Certified Regional TrainingCenter.


U S R S A N E W S


New UltraNick 18Squash StringAshaway has introduced UltraNick®18, the first string in a new line ofZyex-based squash strings. Built on anew multifilament core, UltraNick 18is designed to provide increasedpower and resilience, and reducedtension loss over the life of the string.The ultra-thin 18-gauge constructionsoftens impact and provides betterfeel, while the braided surface sharp-ens ball control, says Ashaway. Formore info, visit www.ashawayusa.com.

An iPhone App toTest String Tension?

Appmaker.se says that racquetTunefor iPhone and iPod touch is now

available in Apple's App Store. Rac-quetTune is a quick, inex-pensive tool that allows anytennis player to check thathis racquet is correctlystrung. A couple of taps onthe strings and racquet-Tune displays the tension."The motivation behind

racquetTune was to giveplayers an easy to use tool to checkwhen its time to restring, or to findthe optimal tension to play with,"says Sten Kaiser, developer of rac-quetTune.RacquetTune uses the sound of the

racquet to analyze the frequency ofthe strings. The frequency is then con-verted to the tension of the stringbed.More information and a demo video isat http://racquetTune.com.

ASBA Accepting Awards Entries

The American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), the national organization forbuilders, designers and suppliers of materials for tennis courts, running tracks, syn-

thetic turf fields and indoor and outdoor synthetic sports surfaces, has announced theopening of its awards program for 2010. The program recognizes excellence in ath-letic facility design and construction. The application is available to members only, atwww.sportsbuilders.org. Deadline for submissions is June 21.New this year is a special "Green Facility Award." ASBA will select one project

from the winners in all categories in recognition of its ecologically sensitive designand construction, and its attention to earth-friendly details.

• Carrie Cimino in Southern California recentlywas honored as Head/Penn District Sales Repre-sentative of the Year for 2009.

• The International Tennis Hall of Fame classof 2010 will include two doubles teams, ToddWoodbridge-Mark Woodforde and Gigi Fernan-dez-Natasha Zvereva, former player Owen Davidson, wheelchairtennis pioneer Brad Parks, and, posthumously, former British LawnTennis Association Chairman Derek Hardwick. The 2010 inductionwill be July 10 in Newport, R.I. Visit www.tennisfame.com.

• Veteran tennis writer Steve Flink was inducted recently into theEastern Tennis Hall of Fame.

• Former French Open mixed doubles champion and EmmyAward-winning sportscaster Mary Carillo is the new president ofUSTA Serves, the philanthropic and charitable entity of the USTA.Over the last few years, USTA Serves has disbursed over $10 millionto fund hundreds of programs in more than 120 cities in 39 states.

• The USTA has picked four coaches to lead the 2010 USTA Men’sand Women’s Summer Collegiate Teams, an elite training programfor the top American collegiate tennis players. Jamea Jackson from

Oklahoma State University and Julia Scaringe from the University ofNotre Dame will coach the women’s team, while the University ofAlabama’s Bo Hodge and Chris Brandi from Baylor University, whoalso coached last year’s team, will lead the men’s team.

• Tony Larson of Fridley, Minn., captured the men’s open title atthe $5,000 USPTA Indoor Championships in April. He later joinedforces with Roy Bryan of Edina, Minn., to win the men’s open dou-bles title. Marina McCollom of West Des Moines, Iowa, defendedher women’s open title.

• Longtime Coach Ernie Peterson passed away April 10 in Atlanta.Peterson was a legend and life-changer for hundreds of African-American children wanting to learn the game.

• Lewis H. Sherr has been named Managing Director,Corporate Partnerships for the USTA.

• Alexsondra S. Fixmer is the new director, busi-ness and legal affairs at the Tennis Channel.

• Lee Hurst has been hired as a USTA NationalCoach, while Bret Waltz and Ryan Curtis have beenhired as Strength and Conditioning Specialists.


INDUSTRYNEW

SJ U N E 2 0 1 0

P E O P L E W AT C H

PTR FoundationDistributes Equipment

PTR Foundation, the charitablearm of Professional Tennis Reg-

istry, distributed more than$2,300 in new tennis equipment,as well as hundreds of gently usedtennis racquets to in-need pro-grams that participat-ed in the 2010Special OlympicsInvitational TennisChampionships.Nine states representing 17

individual area programs compet-ed in the Championships. Eachprogram is struggling for equip-ment and resources to servicementally challenged individuals toenjoy the sport of tennis. PTRFoundation provided training man-uals; beginner drills DVDs; usedracquets; foam, pressureless andregulation tennis balls; ball hop-pers; ball pick-up tubes; andportable mini-nets. PTR Foundationalso donated tennis shoes, warm-ups and shirts for players who aregoing to the National Games.


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


USTA Partners WithTennis Skillastics

The USTA has joined with TennisSkillastics to further combat

childhood obesity and re-energizephysical education in schools. Ten-nis Skillastics debuted recently atthe AAHPERD (American Alliancefor Health, Physical Education,Recreation and Dance) Conventionin Indianapolis.Tennis Skillastics is the most

recent addition to the USTA’s YouthInitiative, which includes the Quick-Start Tennis play format, Jr. TeamTennis, No-Cut School Teams, andthe Tennis On Campus program.The latest offering from SkillasticsInc., Tennis Skillastics producespopular fitness and sport-specificactivities and games for varyingages and skill levels that are mar-keted worldwide to schools, youthservice organizations and recre-ational agencies.Tennis Skillastics is designed to

be played with QuickStart Tennisequipment.

Prognosis Excellentfor Navratilova

Martina Navratilova revealed in Aprilthat she was diagnosed with

breast cancer, but that the disease wasdetected early and the prognosis isexcellent. The 53-year-old tennis leg-end said a routine mammogram inJanuary found a lump and that a biop-sy in February determined it was anoninvasive cancer. She had a lumpec-tomy in March and began six weeks ofradiation therapy in May.

The first national, comprehensive plan to support and encour-age physical activity among all Americans was released May 3

at an event in Washington, D.C. The National Physical ActivityPlan is a wide range of public policy recommendations and is theproduct of a 10-month, public/private collaboration of experts indiverse fields.Leaders of USPTA joined a broad coalition of experts to sup-

port the plan. The USPTA is an implementation partner, andwill be led by USPTA Vice President Jack Groppel, Ph.D.“This is a national initiative that goes well beyond just telling

people to exercise. We are recommending policies, programs

National Physical Activity Plan Gets Boost and initiatives that will change our communities in ways thatenable all Americans to be physically active,” said Russell Pate,Ph.D., chair of the National Physical Activity Plan.“The primary mission of USPTA’s ‘Tennis – for the health of

it!’ initiative is wellness and prevention, and the opportunity totie tennis with key initiatives [like the National Physical ActivityPlan] in order to improve the health of America is truly exciting,”said USPTA CEO Tim Heckler.Also involved is Barry Ford, the USTA’s director of advocacy

and outreach, who is also the president of the National Coalitionfor Promoting Physical Activity. Information is available atwww.physicalactivityplan.org.

June 2010 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 15Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

S U M M E R 2 0 1 0

GROW THE GAME

GROW YOUR BUSINESS

GROW THE INDUSTRY

• QuickStart Tennis: Add 10-and-under tennis to your programming.• Two-thirds of players who start out in organized programs or

instruction are retained in the game.

• GrowingTennis.com: Facility & Retailer Toolkits to help your business.• TennisConnect: Online tools & resources to engage players and

improve customer service.

• PlayTennis.com widget & TIA i-News web banners, Careers in Tennisinitiative along with mainstream media outreach on tennis growth.

• Market intelligence reports and data to monitor industry growth.

Creating Frequent Players a Key Focus

Frequent tennis players drive the economic health of this industry and sport,accounting for more than 80% of all consumer goods and services sold. Soit’s easy to see why we all need to increase the number of frequent

players. But in 2009, while overall tennis participation grew by 12%,frequent players (those playing at least 21 times a year) declined by3.4%, to 5.4 million. Related to that decline, total play occasionswent down 6.6%.The TIA, with its industry partners, is targeting the

24.7 million non-frequent players, hoping to get themon pathways to becoming frequent players—and fre-quent tennis consumers. The goal is to grow frequentplayers by 7% a year, starting in 2011. “Buildinggreater awareness of resources such as programsand pathways to help players get into tennis andplay more, and of coordinated efforts such as10-and-under [QuickStart] tennis will helpus produce 7.5 million frequent play-ers by 2015 and 10 million by2020,” says Jon Muir, TIApresident.

‘Components’ Make TennisConnect Even Easier

Now, it’s even easier to get exactly what you need with the tennis industry’s premier business software.TennisConnect Components provides a menu of “programmed functionality” that works with any exist-ing website, allowing tennis providers the choice to purchase and use just what they need.

TennisConnect was developed to provide access to affordable, reliable customer-service functions such asonline player matching, event enrollment, court reservations, group email and more. TennisConnect current-ly has more than 200,000 registered users and so far in 2010, more than 2.5 million online court reservationswere made. While you can still purchase TennisConnect in its “bundled” form, we’ve also broken it out into“components” that are far more cost-effective than “going it alone.” Available components include: ContactManager and Find-A-Game, Group Email, eCalendar, Tennis Court Scheduler, Web Page Builder, String Center,Demo Racquet Center, TennisCollect, and Web Site Builder, with future plans for a league/ladder componentas well as a Quickbooks-integrated POS software and hardware system..You can connect with your players through technology starting at about a dollar a day. To learn more, visit

TennisConnect.com.

ECONOMIC GROWTH

A Roadmap to a Healthy Tennis Industry

Building a healthy, vital and vibrant tennis industry means focusing on key areas important to all in this business: eco-nomic measures, frequent player pathways, and clear, consistent messaging about all the benefits tennis provides. Tohelp make this happen, the TIA and its partners provide many initiatives, programs and resources.

16 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2010 Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

Goal: To better define the economic impact of the industry andto identify ways to impact the growth of the industry.• TIA Economic Index: To define the industry’s “worth,” weare compiling data from all sectors of the industry to deter-mine a measurable economic impact for tennis in the U.S.

• Racket UP, America!: Industry-wide promotion to stimulatethe tennis economy and generate excitement and interestin the sport.

• TennisConnect Technology Products: Tools to help busi-nesses grow and better serve their members and cus-tomers, with web-based services.

FREQUENT PLAYER GROWTHGoal: To increase frequent players from the current 5.4 millionto 7.5 million by 2015 and 10 million by 2020.• Frequent players are the core economic drivers of oursport, accounting for more than 80% of all consumergoods and services sold.

• Together with USTA, USPTA, PTR and all industry partners,we are strengthening the supporting pathways for newplayers to develop into frequent players, including retentionprograms.

• Drive the QuickStart Tennis industry-wide focus to get chil-dren under 10 on the proper pathway to becoming fre-quent players. There are 4.9 million players between ages6 and 11.

COMMUNICATIONS/POSITIONINGGoal: To build a network of industry contacts and mainstreamcommunications tools to distribute clear, consistent messagingof health, fitness and the reasons to play tennis.• TennisIndustry.org is the all-access portal serving TIA mem-bers and the industry as a whole. The site is the centralsource for industry-related searches, research news, andindustry news and events.

• Broaden the industry’s and sport’s reach directly with con-sumers to increase awareness of the core benefits and howthey can easily get started.

• Promote widget, apps and simple consumer portal site(PlayTennis.com) that can serve as the central “clearinghouse” for mainstream audience to join our sport.

June 2010 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 17Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

Research BenefitsThe TIA is the source for tennisresearch, with nearly 80 tennis-specific reports available annu-ally to TIA member companies,organizations and manufactur-ers. All members have secureonline access through the TIA

website. Printed and PDF versions also are avail-able of the executive summaries of the Participa-tion, Tennis Health Index and Marketplace reports.• $600,000 total research value• TIA Economic Benchmark Study available –June 2010

TIA Affinity BenefitsThe TIA offers benefits to suit allmembers and businesses. TheTennisInsure program (accessiblethrough TennisInsure.com) is

designed to meet all the insurance needs of yourbusiness or facility, including health, liability, prop-erty, auto, umbrella and workman’s comp. Othermember benefits include low credit-card process-ing rates; fraud prevention services; shipping dis-counts; printing solutions; and other marketing,communications and media discounts. Visit Ten-nisIndustry.org.• Compare and save up to 20% on most TIAbenefits and services

Racket UP, America!This industry-wide promo-tion last year was designedto stimulate the tennis econ-omy and generate excite-

ment and interest in the sport. Consumers whopurchased a racquet could enter a drawing forprizes, including the chance to serve to a target towin $1 million in Madison Square Garden duringthe BNP Paribas Showdown. Future Racket UP,America! promotions—benefitting retail, manu-facturers and participation—are under review.• Retail promotion produced estimated$400,00 in sales

PlayTennis.comThis mainstream, con-sumer-oriented new play-er portal is designed tobring awareness andopportunity and to educate consumers on whereand how to get started in a structured program. Itis a pathway to frequent play and shows con-sumers that tennis is a lifetime sport that’s fun,affordable, easy to learn and has many health andfitness benefits. PlayTennis.com will be furtherdesigned and developed to be a dynamic, interac-tive site that engages players.•Widget & Mobile App available

GrowingTennis.comThrough the GrowingTennis Sys-tem, the TIA manages registra-tion, administration andfulfillment for Tennis WelcomeCenters, Cardio Tennis, QuickStart

Tennis and the GrowingTennis 50/50 Co-op Fund-ing program. The GrowingTennis System has seena major increase in use over the past few years asfacilities use it more and more to post their pro-grams and information for free. The site also hastools and resources for facilities and businesses.• 4 million consumer queries monthly• 20,000 facilities in database

TennisConnect.comTennisConnect pro-vides affordable, reli-able customer-servicefunctions such as

online player matching, event enrollment, accessto court reservations, group email, String Center,Demo Racquet Center, eCalendar and more. Now,with TennisConnect Components, tennis providerscan purchase just the services they need via amenu of programmed functionality that workswith your existing website.• More than 200,000 registered users• Over 2 million court reservations annually

Tennis Industry NewsThe TIA is reaching outlike never before with,among other things, a

revamped monthly newsletter, regular updates inRSI, a new “i-News” button for industry websites,targeted e-mail blasts, and press releases distrib-uted to industry and consumer outlets.With assis-tance from SK Communications, the USTA, PTR,USPTA and media partners, TIA messaging, initia-tives and goals are in front of all involved in thisindustry.• 300 million media impressions in 2009• Growth in Tennis story

Careers In TennisOur goals include attractingmore young talent into thetennis industry, identifyingcareers paths, and endorsing

more financially lucrative and stable job opportu-nities, particularly for teaching professionals. Plus,we are emphasizing the need to employ only cer-tified pros. At our free site, CareersInTennis.com,we encourage job-seekers to post resumes andemployers to post job openings, including intern-ships, for all areas of the industry.• Free job postings & searches• Educational services

TIA Forum & Hall of FameThe TIA Tennis Forum presentsthe latest news about thestate of the industry, includingparticipation growth, equip-ment sales data, grassroots ini-tiatives and more. The fourthannual Forum will be Aug. 31 inNew York City. During the Forum, the2010 inductees into the Tennis Industry Hall ofFame will be announced. The Hall of Fame wascreated in 2008 to recognize individuals whohave made a significant impact on the sport.• Tues, Aug. 31, at USTA TTC

GROW THE INDUSTRY GROW YOUR BUSINESS GROW THE GAME

Pioneers In Tennis


ic Braden has a message fortoday's teaching pros andcoaches: don't trot out your

best students as a measure of yoursuccess. Instead, he says, look for thatkid who's taking lessons but probablyisn't picked first for teams in gymclass.

"Show me your worst kid,"says Braden. "Then tell me, ishe learning? Is he having fun? Ishe getting better? That makesyou the best coach I've everseen."

It's thinking like that—a“reach-'em-all” philosophy—thathas distinguished Braden fromso many top-level instructorsand made him one of the mostsought-after coaches, speakers,authors and sports psychologistsin the game.

Yes, Braden has had a procareer. Yes, he’s coached cham-pions. And yes, his name is onthree tennis colleges, a ski school anda sports institute for neurologicalresearch. But he has never lost sightof the fact that if the game is to grow,people need to stay in the sport. Andthat won't happen, he says, unlessthey're having a good time.

"I think we need to focus on peo-ple playing and enjoying the game,"he says. "Right now, you have twopeople playing, and one is going to bea loser. That means 50 percent of allpeople who play tennis are going tobe losers. There is no second place.We need to change that. We need toteach people to look at it differently.The goal for all coaches should be tohelp people stay in the game."

Braden has plenty of competitivebackground, and he knows how towin. He had a successful tennis careerat Kalamazoo College, where he was awinner of the league singles champi-onships. Playing in the Midwest, he

V

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

Vic BradenUsing science to help people enjoy the game.

was second only to Tony Trabert. Heturned pro shortly after graduation, butthe pro circuit of his time was not thecelebrity circus it is today. He did playthree times in the World Tennis Champi-onship, but admits that options werelimited, since "if you weren't in the topfour, you didn't play much."

In 1952, Braden turned his energiesto coaching, spending time in both bas-ketball and tennis at the University ofToledo, then moving on to teaching. In1961, he co-founded the Jack KramerTennis Club in California then managedthe pro tennis tour (along with GeorgeMacCall). In 1980, he co-founded theCalifornia-based Coto Sports ResearchCenter and shortly after that, the VicBraden Ski College. The Vic Braden Ten-nis College followed, and today, threecampuses of the school bear his name.

Braden is a licensed psychologist, soperhaps it is no surprise how firmly hebelieves science isn't getting its due onthe tennis court. "I don’t think we’re stillin the Stone Age," he says, "but I dothink science is still overlooked."

He can cite reasons that physics,math, languages, science and more canall come into play on the tennis court.And he admits the development oflighter, more powerful racquets is a two-

edged sword. It has changed the waythe game is played, but at the sametime, the result is a baseline-driven strat-egy that in his view takes away from thesport it was meant to improve.

"We used to play with 15-ounce rac-quets. It's twice as easy now. But it alsohas a negative effect. The net play, the

variety of shots we used to see, wedon't see any more. We're alsoseeing more injuries from playershaving to turn so fast."

Which is not to say that thisgeneration (and the generationcoming into the game now) does-n’t have advantages over their pre-decessors. QuickStart Tennis, hebelieves, is a huge step forward,with its use of kid-size equipmentto help young players master thestrokes more quickly and feel thesatisfaction that comes with learn-ing a new skill.

"You have shorter racquets andshorter courts, and that's good,"

he says. "When I was teaching TracyAustin, she was 3 years old, and we hadto saw down a racquet to fit her hand."

Through the decades, Braden hasnever lost the ability to view tennisthrough the wonder of a child's eyes. Infact, he's staking his next program onthat. The Junior Tennis Ambassadors arechildren as young as third grade whoare learning to be tennis coaches,instructing their peers, and even adults.It's fun for both teacher and student, hesays, and helps address the dual prob-lems of school budget cuts and child-hood obesity. By providing a freeafter-school tennis program, more kidsare afforded the opportunity to becomephysically active.

Besides, he notes, children are justnatural teachers. "Kids say very brilliantthings," he says. "You really have toknow how smart kids are. They can bementors in so many things at once."

—Mary Helen Sprecher �


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

FLEX TIMEThe growing

popularity of flexleagues are filling a

need for playerswith busy schedules

and are helping tofeed players into

other tennisprograms, too.

B Y S C O T T H A N O V E R

Are your players looking for the newest game in town? Theymay want to take a spin on USTA Flex Leagues or other flexleague programs (see box at far right).USTA Flex Leagues (www.usta.com) were introduced in 2008

as a way for the USTA to become more involved with anotheraspect of tennis programming. The program groups players ofsimilar ability together in an organized season that allows playersto schedule five to 10 matches when it best fits their schedules, ata mutually convenient location. In 2009, the program had morethan 7,000 players in 75 leagues in 26 states. This year, it’s expect-ed to reach 14,000 players in more than 100 locations. Currently,USTA Flex Leagues are in 78 areas around the country, fromPhoenix to Kansas City, Mo., to Naples, Fla., and the Northeast.

Players register online for singles, doubles, or mixed doublesusing the TennisLink system. They can then track standings,report scores and review their schedule of matches.

It’s really tennis on your time, explains USTA Flex LeagueNational Manager Marilyn Sherman. “Thousands of players aregetting to play more tennis due to the ability to choose when andwhere to play,” she says. And Sherman should know. For years,

she coordinated USTA Leagues for the 150,000 adults in the ninestates that make up the USTA Southern Section and has workedwith players and coordinators of all levels to mobilize communityresources to grow league participation.

For your players, Flex Leagues offer a number of benefits.One big plus is that players get to meet and play with new peo-ple, which is great for their games and offers fun, competitivematch play. While Flex League formats can vary from city to city,most all leagues offer singles. Some cities also offer doubles, giv-ing participants the chance to play several matches in a row withthe same partner and to work on doubles strategy.

Although play in a USTA Flex League is based on a USTA selfrating or a verified rating, the matches themselves do not counttoward an official NTRP rating, which means players can use FlexLeague matches to work on their games and put into actual playwhat you teach them in lessons and clinics. So, if a player of yoursis more of a doubles expert, it’s a perfect format for honing thosesingles skills, and players say they enjoy having organized match-es where “winning” is nice, but de-emphasized. The NTRP ratingsystem helps to ensure compatible and competitive play.

FLEX TIME


Flex Leagues is the first adult USTA program that invites non-USTA members toplay. (Fees are $25 for USTA members, $35 for nonmembers.) Nearly 20 percent ofall USTA Flex League players are non-members, says Sherman. USTA Flex Leagueplayers also are entered into a sweepstakes for twice-a-year drawings with gift certifi-cates and even a trip to the US Open.

Matches can be played anywhere—at park and recreation facilities, country clubsand other indoor and outdoor tennis facilities. The league assigns home and awayplayers for each match, and if necessary, the home player pays for any court time ifdone at a private site. Home players also supply balls.

Local league play is put together by the Local Tennis Organizer, or LTO, an inte-gral part of the program. “Our LTOs include club owners, league coordinators, tennisdirectors, CTAs, and individuals determined by their section to be the best choice toadminister and promote USTA Flex Leagues in that community,” says Sherman.

“They typically are already a conduit fortennis and enjoy helping players get con-nected to everything offered in the localtennis menu.” The LTO is responsible forsuch things as helping find doubles part-ners if needed, promoting the league,arranging flights and schedules on Ten-nisLink, and helping solve any localleague disputes.

In Phoenix, Bob Zucker, LTO for thelargest league in the first full year of USTAFlex Leagues, says the program helpsbuild the tennis base in the community.“I encourage every facility, tennis profes-

sional, league coordinator and retailer in town to help promote USTA Flex Leaguesand they soon realize it’s a ‘win-win’ for everyone,” he says. “More court time filled,new members joining clubs, more tennis merchandise sold, more players for teamsnext season, etc.”

Flex Leagues also give a community a chance to offer a program during an off-season, such as when USTA Leagues, World TeamTennis, USTA Senior leagues orother play is not in session. It also feeds all those programs, as Flex League playersare often getting back into the game, and then discover the myriad of programmingavailable to them. And Flex Leagues gives the ability to offer another play opportuni-ty to new and returning players.

For teaching pros, there’s an opportunity to offer more lessons to Flex Leagueplayers, both those who had stepped away from the game for a time and those whosee the need for improvement based on their match-play results.

“My area club tennis professionals tell me they are veryexcited about the Flex League program because besides hav-ing another great program to promote to their membershipbase, it really helps the entry-level players find more peopleat their level to play with,” says Gregg Gruhl, USTA Florida’stennis program coordinator for the Tampa area.

Sherman says some areas are using the Flex League pro-gram to target specific groups, such as young professionalsin Jacksonville, Fla., and super seniors in Albuquerque, N.M.She also expects Tennis on Campus teams to offer FlexLeagues campus-wide, to students, alumni and faculty as afundraiser for their team’s travel expenses.

“This program can complete the local adult tennis menuand actually recruit players for existing leagues and tourna-

ments, in addition to offering an additional opportunity to those players who needflexibility to schedule more tennis,” Sherman says. “Flex Leagues has proven that thisformat can help players and the industry ‘flex their tennis muscle.’” �

Need moreinformationon how toorganize orplay in aUSTA FlexLeague?Contact your

section or Marilyn Sherman [email protected], or call914-697-2636.

Other FlexLeague ProgramsBesides USTA Flex Leagues, there are othersoffered around the country, including some thathave been running for quite some time. Hereare some other flex leagues worth checking out.

� Ultimate Tennis: Celebrating its 20thanniversary this year, Ultimate Tennis(www.UltimateTennis.com), based in St.Petersburg, Fla., is considered by many to bethe “granddaddy” of the format. It has morethan 85,000 members and 20,000 playersyearly. Founder Scott Nunn says Ultimate Ten-nis continues to expand, and right now can befound in nearly a dozen metro areas in Flori-da, Texas, Georgia and California.

� Peach Tennis League: Run by Scott Tuckerand based in Atlanta, Peach Tennis League(www.peachtennis.com) has programs inRaleigh and Charlotte, N.C., Columbia, S.C.,and Phoenix. Originally started as a free ser-vice, at the end of 2005, a website was devel-oped and Peach Tennis League became“official,” with Prince as its national sponsor.There are retail store sponsors in each partici-pating city, which help to draw player supportfor the program. Gift certificates to the spon-soring stores are given away to leagueplayers.

� LeagueTennis.com: Founded in 2007 byTrish Leeks in Atlanta, LeagueTennis.com alsois in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio andsoon, San Diego. The league has four seasonsand offers singles, doubles and mixed dou-bles; weekday leagues; and business leagues.The cost is $20 per season and $10 per sea-son for juniors. At the end of each eight-weekseason, there are city-wide playoffs to deter-mine city champions at each level, completewith prizes. Sponsors include Golfsmith inTexas and I Play Tennis in Atlanta.

—Cynthia Sherman


R A C Q U E T S E R V I C E

We all need tobe reminded of

the basics everynow and then.

These tips will helpyou service your

customers the bestway possible.

B Y T I M S T R A W N


No matter what your level of experience, everyone has his orher own ideas of exactly how a business should be run. As rac-quet technicians, each of us has invested a certain amount of

financial resources and time into training.But howmany of you implement all the practices and methods

you’ve learned on a daily basis? Do you ever find yourself fallinginto patterns, for whatever reason, where you stray from the pathof racquet service righteousness? Be truthful now. When was thelast time you put a racquet on the stringing machine withoutinspecting it first? I bet I caught you on that one, didn’t I?

Maybe a simple review might help us spot a few more thingsto take a closer look at.

THE CUSTOMERIt all starts with the customer. Make sure you treat your customersthe way you would expect to be treated if the roles were reversed.Customer service should be your No. 1 priority. Everything elsebuilds from there.

Think about it. You can be the very best in the business, butwhat good is that if people won’t patronize your business? If you’redifficult to deal with, they’ll settle for second best in a heartbeat ifthey feel they’re treated better somewhere else.

SYSTEMS AND PROCESSESDo you have dependable systems and processes in place? Main-taining good records is important for many reasons. Not onlymight your customers ask about past purchases they’ve made,but if you’re in the U.S., the IRS may ask, too. Plus, goodaccounting software can keep your business running smoothly,

saving you valuable time and surprise expenses.Having processes in place to deal with warranty returns on rac-

quets, standard product returns, irate customers, unhappyemployees, or difficult vendors can save you time and headaches,too. When you have the necessary processes in place, you’ll beprepared to tackle tough situations head on.

CARE AND SERVICE BASICSFor many, this is a passion, not a job, so excellent racquet serviceis and always will be a top priority. Are you following basic prac-tices that provide your customers with the service they seek?Here’s a quick review:� Keep accurate records: This is essential. There are several goodsoftware programs available that allow you to record any and alldata you choose when you service a racquet.

� Machine maintenance: Calibrating your stringing machine isessential to consistent performance. Follow manufacturer’sguidelines for frequency of calibration and procedures. Cleanand adjust the clamps regularly. This will depend largely on howmany racquets you string and partially on the types of stringsyou’re using most. Some strings have more residue than others,so you may need to clean your clamps more frequently.

� Prior to mounting the frame, thoroughly inspect the racquet.You’re looking for cracks in the frame, damaged grommets andbumper guards, drill flash rattling around in the frame, or brokenbutt caps.

� If the grip is worn, point this out to the customer, but let themmake the final decision to replace it.

� Stringing requires methods and processes just like the rest of


your business. The No. 1goal in stringing is consis-tency, so develop your ownstyle and stick with it.Whether you prefer stan-dard one-piece stringing, avariation of the many one-piece ATW (around-the-world) patterns, orstringing with two pieces ofstring, if you make sureyou’re doing the samething consistently, yourcustomers will appreciateit. This can actuallybecome an added benefitto you and your customers.There’s a level of comfortin knowing the same per-son will be stringing theirracquet every time.

� If, in your inspection ofthe frame, you seecracked grommets or adamaged bumper guard,let your customerknow about it so heor she can give youthe OK to replace it.If you don’t have aset in stock, explainto your customerthat the work needsto be done the nexttime the racquet isserviced (unlessthey’re in no hurryand can wait for youto receive the newB/G set). If they give you the green light, go ahead and order a newB/G set for the frame. This gives them a heads-up of the addition-al cost for the bumperguard/grommet set on thenext service. If the grom-mets are damaged youcan use Teflon tubing foradditional protection untilyou install the new B/G set.

� Adding special touchescan make a difference inhow your customers viewyour services and elevateyour status as a true pro-fessional. Placing a servicesticker on the frameshows who the work wasdone by and the date, plusany other data you feel the need to include.

� Stenciling can be an option if the customer prefers, but always

ask first. Some people donot like the racquet to bestenciled.� The last touch is to bagthe racquet in a clearpoly bag. It looks profes-sional, and you’ll beamazed at how much yourcustomers will appreciateit.

� The software program Iuse allows me to sendemail reminders whenit’s time to restring, andalso when the racquet isready for pickup. This eras-es any doubt that the cus-tomer was contacted andgives me a way to quicklynotify them when I’mfinished with the work.

OTHER CARETIPS FORCUSTOMERSOne last thing you mightconsider is to warn yourcustomers of the dan-gers of heat exposure totheir frame. Racquetframes can typicallystand heat up to 300degrees F., but thestrings, grip, and otherparts of the racquet aremore sensitive to hightemperatures.

A racquet bag with a good thermal pocket will keep the racquetat a more consistent temperature for a longer period of time, but

the best advice is to tellyour players not to leavethe racquet in the car dur-ing the hot summermonths. It’s also advisableto tell your customer tocarry their racquet onboard the plane if they’reflying, where it won’t besubjected to temperatureextremes in the cargo hold.

Just remember, it’s thelittle things you do thatmake a big difference. Yourprimary goal is consisten-cy. Once you’ve achieved

that you’ll be amazed at the long-term benefits you’ll reap and justhow much your customers will appreciate what you do for them. �

Leave Your MarkOne of the ways I keep track of my customers’ frames is to add my own racquetlabel. The label is generated with the software program I use for racquet data andprinted using a Brother P-touch label maker. It has the customer’s first and lastnames, a designated number for the racquet (especially important if they havemore than one frame of the same model), date, string used and reference tension,and my business name and phone number.

I also print the DT (dynamic tension reading from the Beers ERT 300 taken immedi-ately after the racquet is strung) in the lower left-hand corner of the label for quickreference. If the customer brings in a frame and wants to know if it needs newstrings I can quickly take a DT reading and compare it to the one on the label. Play-ers love this useful little label and for me, since I have a lot of customers, it helpsme identify them when they come in with a quick glance at their label. —T.S.


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

TEACHING ASSISTANCE?For nearly 35 years, there have been two teaching pro groupsin the U.S. Now the question is being raised again:Is this the best system for tennis?BY P E T ER FRANCESCON IAdd i t i o n a l r e p o r t i n g b y Ma r y H e l e n S p r e c h e r

To many in the tennis business, it’s fairly clear that the tennis teach-ing profession is one of the most important sectors of the industry.Tennis teachers often are the first ones to touch consumers. They

run tennis clubs, park and rec programs, and leagues. They help influ-ence consumer purchasing. They’re key for getting people into tennisand keeping them playing, and they help create “frequent” players.

What’s less clear, though, is whether tennis is better served byhaving two teaching pro organizations or one combined group.

Publicly, industry insiders have danced around this issue fordecades, not wanting to incur the wrath of either the ProfessionalTennis Registry or the U.S. Professional Tennis Association, or both.But the issue has been out there since the late 1970s, most of the time

simmering just under thesurface.

It’s recently bubbled upagain, but the differencenow seems to be that peopleare more willing to talkabout it. And more than that,officials of the PTR, USPTA,TIA, USTA and others arewilling to find ways the twogroups can work togetherand—who knows?—maybe

even form one teaching pro group someday.To be sure, there are those who maintain two separate teaching

pro organizations has its advantages. The PTR’s stance is to start“working together” rather than talk “merger.” The USPTA, on theother hand, has come out publicly about wanting to form one teach-ing pro group. For their part, USTA and TIA officials say that for thegood of the game, they are willing to support and assist bringing thetwo groups together—whether it means working together or merging.

Some in the industry say that tennis—and teaching pros—arebest served with one organization, a true trade group working towardcommon goals. Others maintain the competition keeps both organi-zations sharp, always looking for ways to better serve their members.Of course, clouding the issue is that for many, the debate tends to behighly political and emotional.

But how this issue plays out can easily affect many other impor-tant areas regarding tennis teaching pros and tennis in general. Forinstance, the PTR, USPTA and USTA all have talked about mandatorycontinuing education for teaching pros, a hot topic that easily is affect-ed by whether there is one group or two.

That issue, in turn, would affect certification and possible recer-tification, and that can affect the quality of teaching pros overall andtheir perception in the eyes of both the public and facility owners,which affects salaries. What happens next in this debate over teach-ing pro groups can influence priorities, programs, alignments andrelationships within this industry.

ONE GROUP, OR TWO?In September, at the USPTA’s World Conference, new PresidentTom Daglis said one of his initiatives in his two-year term is to formone united tennis-teaching organization. He reiterated that stance inthe March issue of USPTA’s ADDvantage magazine, which reprint-ed a letter he sent to PTR President Jean Mills. “We are not inter-ested in perpetuating the two professional tennis teachingassociation system,” Daglis wrote, adding that the USPTA is “onlyinterested in a merger.”

“The dynamics of one or two… it’s not an easy conversation,”says Mills. “The thinking of the PTR board is that before you can gointo a discussion like a merger, we think it’s more beneficial to sitdown with their leadership at every level and let’s start workingtogether.”

Whether a merger is in the cards or not, a positive sign cited byall parties is a vote by the USPTA board of directors in April torescind a rule that prevented pros who are members of both groupsfrommoving to the higher levels in the USPTA structure. For the lastfew years, if you were a member of both organizations, you had togive up your PTR membership if you wanted to be on the USPTAboard or in other national or sectional positions.

(The rule preventing dual membership remains in effect forUSPTA testers; they can’t also be testers for the PTR. “The rule fortesters has been in place a lot longer than the rule for the executivecommittee,” says USPTA CEO Tim Heckler. “Our testers areinvolved in a lot of our confidential business matters, such as tryingout new practices and programs.”)

Rescinding that rule, says Mills, “was a terrific step toward usreally building a wonderful, positive working relationship goingforward.”

“When the USPTA board made the decision to allow PTR mem-bership, that was a great gesture of goodwill,” says Jim Loehr, aUSPTA board member who has reached Master Pro status in bothorganizations.

With the USPTA advocating a merger, it’s the PTR that states thecase for maintaining two separate teaching pro groups.

TEACHING ASSISTANCE?

This is the third in a series of articles aboutthe tennis industry’s changing landscape.Future topics will deal more specifically withissues affecting teaching pros and their day-to-day work, such as salaries, insurance,their businesses, health and more. Otherupcoming topics in this “State of the Indus-try” series include tennis participation, courtconstruction, pro tennis and more. We’d liketo hear your comments and concerns, too.Email them to [email protected]. Pleaseput “state of the industry” in the subject line.

“The competition is good and healthy,” says Mills. “The bottomline is that we feel both organizations are great for tennis, and weencourage our members to be members of both.”

“The two organizations give people a choice,” says Dan Santo-rum, CEO of the PTR. “Both organizations have high numbers ofpeople joining and reinstating their memberships every year.Clearly these thousands of people value the choice and the differ-ences between the two, choosing the one that suits their needs thebest.

“We differ in culture, education, leadership, structure and phi-losophy,” he adds. “The question becomes, is it possible to bridgethese differences to form one organization?”

“Both groups have such terrific strengths,” says Ajay Pant, aPTR board member who also is a Master Pro in both organizations.“But if they merge, do you lose those strengths? I think it all goesback to looking at them as two organizationsthat both bring a lot to the table. There aresome things the USPTA does exceptionallywell and some things the PTR does exception-ally well.”

Industry watchers agree—both groupshave their definite strengths and attractions.Many like the way the PTR has a “family” feel-ing to it, the large international membershipbringing in fresh ideas, and the idea of a basicmethod for teaching fundamentals, especiallyto groups. Others cite the USPTA’s strong edu-cational and business components, includingthe use of technology, and its U.S. structure (ithas 17 “divisions” along the same lines as theUSTA’s 17 sections), which helps lead to astrong local presence.

DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS?But time after time, you hear comments likethis one, from a tennis director in the Midwest:“Having two organizations is a detriment toour industry. I’ll be frank, the reason we havetwo is because of egos, it’s all, ‘Mine’s betterthan yours.’ But more importantly, to get moreteaching pros you start to water down the cer-tification, so you’re only hurting the industry. Isee that as a major problem. To increase mem-bership, you're not developing the right prosor giving the right education.”

“An enormous amount of energy is expended to be competitivewith each other,” Loehr says. “Sometimes competition is helpfuland spawns good things, but I see a lot of things that are unneces-sary, a lot of planning that could be put into developing a muchmore robust trade association to help teaching pros protect theircareers and build stability.”

“Clearly at this point the teaching pro organizations are doingtheir own thing,” says Heckler. “If we merged there would certain-ly be a common interest in doing what is right for all of the pros inthe nation. In a lot of ways we’re just duplicating effort.”

“Both groups are so focused on competing that they’re notdoing justice to their own members,” adds another industry insid-er who is a member of both organizations. “Here, we certify you

and now you’re totally on your own. They need to create careerpaths, entry-level positions. We’re in an industry where the role ofthe teaching pro has become increasingly marginalized. We won’tsee improvement until we have one organization.”

Comparisons are frequently made to PGA of America profes-sionals in the golf industry. With only one certifying group in golf,standards are high and training is rigorous, and PGA pros are therecognized experts when it comes to teaching the sport. And thePGA has a clear line of progression and a mentoring process, soyoung golf teaching pros have a pathway for their careers.

“I think the credential in golf means a lot more than it does intennis,” says Greg Moran, director of tennis at the Four SeasonsRacquet Club in Wilton, Conn. “I’ve spent 17 years at a countryclub and I’ve not seen a PGA golf professional who’s not top-notch.What they have to go through is awesome.”

“The PGA is kicking our butt; their golfpros are so much more superior to us,” saysthe Midwest tennis director. “It’s because theone organization has control and doesn’tlower its standards.”

ALL FOR ONE?Supporters of a merger say that if there is onetennis certifying organization, those samebenefits enjoyed by golf pros will come totennis pros.

“There are so many good people involvedin both organizations,” Loehr says. “But if wewere speaking with one voice, protecting andreally developing the career path and compe-tency for this group, it would be so much bet-ter for them and so much better for tennis.”

“I think [a merger] will happen withinthree years,” adds Daglis. “It has a very biggroundswell, and I believe both member-ships want it to happen. I know our memberswant it to happen. What we’re trying to do isform a better trade association for those prostrying to make a career in this industry. Thestumbling block is at the top. If it doesn’t hap-pen, it goes back to us competing for thesame members.”

“I think there’s a real openness on thepart of the USPTA to find a structure that will

accommodate everyone,” says Loehr. “There’s a sense that this isin the best interest of the game and everyone needs to bury thepast. I have this strong feeling that this is a time when potentiallya great move could be made.”

Says Santorum: “Our board would make any decisions regard-ing a merger or not, but as Jean [Mills] points out, right now we’reinterested in getting together to talk about how we can worktogether to grow tennis. We understand that we’re competitors,but our focus is how to improve tennis.”

Ultimately, that’s what the USTA is after, too. “I’d love to think[the PTR and USPTA] could come to the same table and talkabout how they can grow the game,” says USTA President LucyGarvin. “Our goal is to improve tennis and to work with all of ourpartners. If they would like us to be part of it, we would certain-



HOW DID WE GET TWO?The USPTA is the world’s oldest associationof tennis-teaching professionals, foundedin 1927. The PTR was founded in 1976 byDennis Van der Meer.

Van der Meer was concerned that differentteaching pros were teaching differentmethods to students. “A systematicapproach was needed to make learningtennis simple, especially for the novice, andteachers needed guidelines to ensure pro-fessionalism in delivering quality lessons ina friendly environment,” he said. This ledto the birth of his TennisUniversity, aimedat developing teaching pros, which thenled to the PTR, to certify pros and teachthe Standard Method.

Today, the PTR no longer refers to it as the“Standard Method.” And while fundamen-tals, group instruction and sound teachingprinciples are still a key part of the PTR’scertification exam, the organization recog-nizes that there are different methods foreffectively teaching the game, says CEODan Santorum.


ly play any role that they would like us to play.”Head/Penn has had long-term sponsorships with both groups.

“Their goals and our goals are the same,” says Kevin Kempin, CEOand president of Head USA. But when asked if, businesswise, itwould make more sense to deal with only one group, Kempin isuncharacteristically silent, then he chooses his words carefully: “Inan optimal world, if there was one group, philosophically it wouldbe easier to deal with. But in the end it comes down to the individ-ual teaching pros out there supporting our brand because of theaffiliation they have.

“It would make life easier in many ways, and it would make lifeless challenging in many ways,” he continues. “Look at the PGA—there is one message coming out, rather than two. But in the endthat’s their business, not mine. I think it’s easier for others whoaren’t affiliated with either group to say yeah, one group makessense.”

Many, when considering a merger, say they are not in favor ofa “takeover,” but would want to take the best of both groups, pos-sibly forming a totally new teaching pro organization with a newname. “Both groups bring a lot to the industry and teaching pros,”says Jolyn de Boer, executive director of the TIA. “If there were tobe only one teaching pro group in the U.S., it would need to be clearthat it has elements of both the USPTA and PTR.”

“You never say never and shut the door to anything,” Santorumsays. “It is difficult to make a decision without a plan. Maybe theanswer is to draw up how you’d like to see a single organization.”

MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATIONThe notion of mandatory continuing education for teaching pros istied closely with this issue of a possible single teaching pro organi-zation—somemay say mandatory ed is what’s helping to move thisissue along. Right now, in either organization, once you take thetest and are considered “certified,” that’s it. It’s like getting a dri-ver’s license, you pass at age 16 and you never have to take thebasic DMV test again.

Of course, both the PTR and USPTA encourage their membersto continue their education beyond the basic certification, but that’snot mandatory; there’s no “required” continuing ed.

“That's not necessarily how you want your professional contin-uing education to be,” says Pant. “If you are a doctor and you weretrained in how to do a knee operation in 1975 and you haven'tdone anything to stay updated since then, you're not touching myknee. But it's also not just a lack of education, it's a lack of incen-tive [on the part of teaching pros].”

As the anonymous teaching pro from the Midwest alluded to, ifonly one teaching group implements a mandatory education policyfor its pros, it might drive members to the other group.

“What would be really nice would be if both groups could agreeon mandatory continuing education,” says Kurt Kamperman, theUSTA’s chief executive of Community Tennis. The idea is that thetwo organizations should get together to come up with a standardthat both groups can implement.

“I think it’s certainly a conversation that should be had,” saysMills. “A consistent mandatory education component would bebeneficial to tennis.”

“Everyone wants higher standards in coaching,” says Loehr.“The best protection you have is to have the highest level of com-petency in your field and clear-cut guidelines for excellence. If we’re

able to do that as one unified body, so much more could getaccomplished.”

“Every profession has continuing education,” says Pant. “ I don'twant people working for me who have not committed to their pro-fession, who have not committed to being good at what they do.”

RELAXING THE STANDARDS?So, has “competition” between the PTR and USPTA actually causeda “dumbing down” of the teaching profession in this country? Somebelieve it has, while others say U.S. pros are still better trained andcontinue to have more opportunities for top-notch education andtraining than any other teaching pros in the world. Clearly, bothteaching groups continue to stress education and are indeed pro-ducing more, and better, educational materials.

“In Europe, especially for entry-level pros, we’re a joke,” saysone longtime teaching pro in the West. “Things are much more rig-orous overseas.”

“Other countries require significantly more hours of trainingbefore potential teaching pros are even permitted to take the testfor certification,” says Kirk Anderson, the USTA’s director of coach-es and programs. Some, he adds, even require a phys ed degree.

In virtually every other ITF country, the national federation alsocertifies teaching pros. However, the USTA says it has no plans toget into the certification business.

“If we started things over again, would we structure it [the wayit is currently]? No,” says Garvin. “The best we can do in this coun-try is to work together with the teaching pro groups.” And manythink that’s as far as the USTA involvement should go.

“It’s a complex issue. The USTA has national coaches andthey’re in the coaching business,” says Loehr. “They can do what-ever they choose to do with mandatory training. But it’s importantto have a very clear line between a trade association and the nation-al governing body. The USTA is in the business of making players;a trade association is simply trying to protect the profession and theteaching pros. It should work in concert with the USTA.”

MORE, AND YOUNGER, TEACHING PROSMembership in both groups has been increasing over the years, sayboth Heckler and Santorum. For 2010, Heckler says total USPTAmembership should top 15,500, while Santorum says he expectsPTR membership to hit 14,500. Of these totals, the USPTA says ithas 2,000 international members, while the PTR claims 5,300 over-seas. Both executives agree there are about 1,000 people who holdmemberships in both organizations.

So if we assume all U.S. members of both groups are “certified”pros, for a total of 21,700 (taking into account the dual member-ships), and you start crunching numbers compared to the latest ten-nis participation survey, the figures are daunting. For instance, withthe 7 million people who took up the game in 2009, it would meanone pro for every 323 new players. With the 5.4 million “frequent”players, who presumably also take lessons and clinics, it would be249 players per pro. For the 30.1 million total players? Each prowould be dealing with 1,387 players.

The problem, say those in the industry, is that if the number ofplayers increases and there is not an increase in the number ofteaching pros, then players will begin to leave the sport. Qualifiedteaching pros are essential to keeping players playing.

“Attracting and retaining quality tennis teaching pros as well as



enhancing their importance to facility owners and managers isessential for this game to move forward and continue to grow,”says de Boer. “We need to raise the profile of teaching pros in thiscountry and make the profession one that young talent will beattracted to in terms of career goals, salary, benefits, chances foradvancement, and more.”

“The industry is still living off the really bright people who gotinto it in the late 1970s and early ’80s,” adds Kamperman.

Many are concerned about this “graying” of the teaching pro-fession. Santorum puts the average age of PTR members at 45years old, while Heckler says USPTA members average around 42to 43.

“There should be a concerted effort to groom and create inter-est for teaching pros in this business,” says Garvin. “We need tomake sure they have a desire to enter this profession.”

“My biggest concern is the next generation of teaching pros,”says Mills, “because I don’t see the commitment, knowledge, driveand professionalism that I feel the sport needs to sustain thefuture, and certainly to sustain a career.”

INDUSTRY “ FEEDER” SYSTEMLook at virtually any job within the tennis industry today. Whetherorganization executives, manufacturers or sales reps, retailers,facility owners or managers, court contractors or any other posi-tion related to tennis—many of these people started their careersas tennis teaching pros. The teaching profession, critical in itself,also is an important springboard to just about any other career inthis business, and the industry is concerned that this “feeder” sys-tem may slow down or run dry.

One element that many see as holding a key to the future is

more college-level Professional Tennis Management programs,such as those offered by schools such as Ferris State University inMichigan and Methodist College in North Carolina. Studentscome away with a business degree, tennis teaching certificationand knowledge in areas that extend well beyond the boundariesof the court.

Right now, there are four such programs for tennis. Again, acomparison can be made to the golf industry, where there are atleast 20 college-level Professional Golf Management programs.

“I have parents that come in who are not really sure about theprogram and whether this is a viable career for their son or daugh-ter,” says Derek Ameel, director of the PTM program at FerrisState. “After we go through our presentation, they leave with anentirely different perception. Tennis is the fastest growing sport,and you have people who are aging and retiring and you have thisgrowth—huge supply and demand issues. There is going to be ademand for more tennis professionals.”

“We would love to see more colleges and universities offermore PTM courses,” says de Boer. “Through the Careers in Tennisinitiative, we hope to create greater awareness of these college-level programs that will continue to help professionalize thisbusiness.”

And ultimately, continuing to improve the professionalizationof the teaching of tennis is what everyone is after. “Whatever wedo,” says Mills, “we want to grow the game so everyone benefitsand it’s a win for tennis, the pros and most importantly theplayers.”

“Every other area of the industry needs to work in cooperationwith teaching pros,” says Daglis, “because if the teaching pro issuccessful, every other area will be successful.” �



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

There were 10 outdoor hard-court winners of the RacquetSports Industry/American Sports Builders Association 2009Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards, the largest crop

of hard-court winners in some time. Six of the winning projectswere new construction, while four were upgrades of existingfacilities, although some of the upgrades involved total demoli-tion of existing courts.

Maybe pointing out the desire for communities and schoolsto offer tennis to residents and students, six of these projectswere at high schools or colleges (including one private school)

and two were at public parks. Theother two projects were at resorts.More and more, the constructionindustry appears to be going green inthat old court material is beingprocessed for re-use in the sub-base

material of the new construction.Nearly every site included player seating and spectator

viewing areas, particularly for the school and college projects.Fordson High School in Michigan, located in a residentialneighborhood, was an upgrade of the facilities and had to bedone on a tight schedule, right after the tennis season. The newconstruction at West Morris Mendham High School in NewJersey had to deal with a 22-foot elevation difference from oneend of the site to the other. Construction at the private BlairAcademy in New Jersey recycled the crushed material from the

old courts for use in the base of the new courts.At Pacific University in Oregon, the six courts were built

quickly and efficiently by coordinating excavation equipmentand crews already doing work on campus with the court con-tractor. Three of the six new Pacific courts were later coveredwith a metal structure for play in inclement weather. For theupgrade at Penn State Abington, a free-floating cushioned sur-face was installed over the existing cracked asphalt courts,after patching and prepping. The 12 courts at WashingtonState University are in a unique “amphitheater” created whenthe site was sculpted for the tennis center, which shields thecourts from wind and offers students a place to relax andwatch the action.

The six new courts at the public Bennett Park in Missourioffer player seating and shade between courts, along with spec-tator viewing areas. The upgrade at Mountain View TennisCenter in Phoenix saw the installation of three post-tensionconcrete courts, but not without numerous delays and resched-uling of the concrete pouring by city officials.

The upgrade to the six courts at The Broadmoor in Col-orado included two new post-tension concrete courts, resurfac-ing two other courts with the same cushioned surface and alsodesigning and building two rooftop sub-irrigated clay courts. Anair structure was placed over two of the hard courts. Construc-tion at the Four Seasons Resort & Club in Texas included ren-ovating three courts and building one new court, on apost-tension concrete slab. The oversized new court (130 by70 feet) was designed for possible future exhibition matches,with room for portable bleachers and linesmen.

—Peter Francesconi

Meet 10 great examples of outdoor hard-courtconstruction excellence.

HARD HITTINGHARD HITTINGMeet 10 great examples of outdoor hard-courtconstruction excellence.

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.

Fordson High School, Dearborn, Mich.(Nominated by Foresite Design Inc., Berkley, Mich.)Architect/Engineer: Foresite Design Inc.Specialty Contractor: The CourtSmithsNo. of Courts: 8Surface: Star Trac EnterpriseAcrylic: PlexipaveNets, Posts: EdwardsDrain: ACO Sport

Bennett Park, Liberty, Mo.(Nominated by McConnell & Associates Corp., North Kansas City, Mo.)General Contractor: McConnell & AssociatesNo. of Courts: 6Surface: California Products DecoTurfNets, Posts, Windscreen: Douglas Industries


The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo.(Nominated by Renner Sports Surfaces, Denver, Colo.)Specialty Contractor: Renner Sports SurfacesNo. of Courts: 6Nets, Posts, Windscreen, Center Straps, Anchors: Douglas Industries

Four Seasons Resort and Club, Irving, Texas(Nominated by Mid-American Courtworks, Wichita, Kan.)Architect/Engineer: HKS ArchitectGeneral Contractor: Spring Valley ContractorsSpecialty Contractor: Mid-American CourtworksNo. of Courts: 1Surface: Advantage Sports Surface System (Vance Bros.)Lighting: Techlight Sports LightingNets, Windscreen: Douglas Industries

Mountain View Tennis Center, Phoenix, Ariz.(Nominated by General Acrylics Inc., Phoenix, Ariz.)Specialty Contractor: General AcrylicsNo. of Courts: 3Surface: Gameco Acrylic, General AcrylicsNets, Posts, Windscreen: Douglas Industries


Blair Academy, Blairstown, N.J.(Nominated by Sasaki Associates Inc., Watertown, Mass.)Architect/Engineer: Sasaki Associates Inc.No. of Courts: 10Surface: Nova Sports USALighting: LSI Courtsider XLNets, Posts, Center Anchors: Douglas Industries


Pacific University, Forest Grove, Ore.(Nominated by Atlas Track & Tennis, Tualatin, Ore.)Architect/Engineer: KPFF Consulting EngineerGeneral Contractor: Lease Crutcher Lewis Builds LLCSpecialty Contractor: Atlas Track & TennisNo. of Courts: 6Surface: PlexipaveLighting: LSI Courtsider Aero SystemNets, Center Straps: Douglas IndustriesFencing: Atlas Track & Tennis


Penn State Abington, Abington, Pa.(Nominated by Pro-Sport Construction Inc, Berwin, Pa.)No. of Courts: 4Surface: NGI SportsAcrylics: LaykoldNets, Posts, Windscreen, Padding: J.A. Cissel

Washington State University, Pullman Wash.(Nominated by Global Sports & Tennis Design Group LLC, Fair Haven, N.J.)Architect/Engineer: KPFF Consulting EngineersDesign Consultant: Global Sports & Tennis Design GroupGeneral Contractor: Lydig ConstructionSpecialty Contractor: EscentNo. of Courts: 12Surface: Plexipave, Atlas Track & TennisFencing: Idaho Fence, Master HalcoLighting: MuscoTrench Drains: ACO

West Morris Mendham H.S., Mendham, N.J.(Nominated by Halecon Inc., Bridgewater, N.J.)General/Specialty Contractor: Halecon Inc.No. of Courts: 6Surface: Halecon Inc.Color Coating: California ProductsHardware, Windscreen: J.A. CisselDrain: Sportsfield Specialties


String Playtest

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 2somewhat easier 9about as easy 24not quite as easy 1not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 2somewhat better 11about as playable 14not quite as playable 9not nearly as playable 0

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 0somewhat better 10about as durable 15not quite as durable 11not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability (tied for 10th) 3.8Durability 3.5Power (tied for 10th) 3.7Control 3.7Comfort 3.8Touch/Feel (11th place) 3.6Spin Potential (17th place) 3.5Holding Tension 3.5Resistance to Movement 3.2

Gamma TNT2 Touch is the first multi-core, multi-wrap string energized withthe Gamma patented TNT (ThermoNuclear Technology) process. TNT2

Touch is a premium string that accord-ing to Gamma offers amazing feel andpower without sacrificing control.Gamma says that the ball stays on thestring so long it feels as though thestrings are "cupping" the ball, enablingpinpoint control for maximum accuracy.

The TNT process greatly enhances thedynamic resiliency and the dynamic elas-ticity. Up to now, all Gamma multifilamentstrings have been in the “Live Wire” cate-gory. These are strings constructed of hun-dreds or thousands of micro fibers(depending on the construction) that arebundled and bonded together using spe-cialized resin systems. These multifilamentstrings are processed using what Gammarefers to as a "High Energy Gamma Irradi-ation Process" to maximize the resiliencyof a multifilament construction.

Up to now, the TNT treatment hasonly been applied to solid core, multi-wrapstrings, which is to say strings with a rela-tively large diameter monofilament centercore or a co-extrusion center core (as inthe case of Asterisk, RX, or Prodigy) withsingle or multiple wraps of smallermonofilaments around the center core toprovide the basic construction of thestring. Gamma’s TNT treatment was devel-oped to provide "super elasticity" to whatwould otherwise be a relatively stiff con-struction.

TNT2 Touch uses a hybrid multicore,multi-wrap construction with bundles ofmicro fibers wrapped around a relativelysmall diameter Ultra High Modulus fila-ment. According to Gamma, the combina-tion of this special multifilamentconstruction with the TNT treatment pro-vides elasticity and flexibility that allowthe string to flex and elongate locally atimpact, and conform to the ball asopposed to elongating uniformly along theentire length of the strings, which createsmore of a "trampoline" effect that canreduce control and touch.

Gamma TNT2 Touch is recommended

for all types of players and playing styles.TNT2 Touch is available in 16 (1.32

mm) and 17 (1.27 mm) gauges in naturalonly. It is priced from $17.50 per 40-footset, $157.50 per 360-foot reel. For moreinformation or to order, contact Gamma at800-333-0337, or visit www.gammasports.com. Be sure to read the conclusion formore information about getting a free setto try for yourself.

IN THE LABWe tested the 16 gauge TNT2 Touch. Thecoil measured 40 feet. The diameter mea-sured 1.29-1.31 mm before stringing, and1.25-1.26 mm after stringing. We recordeda stringbed stiffness of 80 RDC units imme-


Gamma TNT2 Touch

diatelyafter 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 72 RDC units, repre-senting a 10 percent tension loss. Ourcontrol string, Prince Synthetic Gut Origi-nal Gold 16, measured 78 RDC unitsimmediately after stringing and 71 RDCunits after 24 hours, representing a 9 per-cent tension loss. In lab testing, PrinceSynthetic Gut Original has a stiffness of217 and a tension loss of 11.67 pounds,while Gamma TNT2 Touch has a stiffnessof 190 and a tension loss of 14.86pounds. TNT2 Touch added 14 grams tothe weight of our unstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeksby 36 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP rat-ings from 3.5 to 6.0. These are blindtests, with playtesters receiving unmarkedstrings in unmarked packages. Averagenumber of hours playtested was 28.2.

Gamma TNT2 Touch 16 presented noproblems during stringing.

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

ON THE COURTOur playtest team gave Gamma TNT2

Touch some great ratings, including forComfort (tied for 7th overall), Playabilityand Power (each tied for 10th overall),Touch/Feel (11th overall) and Spin Poten-tial (17th overall). TNT2 Touch’s aggregatescores in Power, Control, and Comfortare within ten percent of the best in eachcategory, with the well-above-average rat-ing for Tension Retention nearly reachingthat heading level as well.

CONCLUSIONGamma TNT2 Touch 16’s ratings put it inthe top echelon of strings. Not only did it


“ Very comfortable. Volleys have a remark-ably solid and precise feel. Control is incredi-ble.” 4.5 male all-court player using WilsonK Five strung at 57 pounds CP (Luxilon M2Pro 17)

“ This is one of those strings that cries outto be used again. Excellent power andspin.” 4.0 male baseliner with heavy spinusing Prince Triple Threat Hornet strung at62 pounds CP (Wilson NXT 17)

“ This is a crisp and responsive string. Out-standing comfort and playability.” 6.0male serve-and-volley player using Prince O3Hybrid Comp MP strung at 65 pounds CP(Prince Lightning XX 16)

“ This string’s combination of feel, touch,and power transported me back to my pre-polyester days.” 4.0 male all-court playerusing Head Youtek Radical OS strung at 57pounds LO (Luxilon M2 Plus 16)

“ This a soft string with above averagedurability and spin.” 5.0 male baselinerwith moderate spin using Prince EXO3 WhiteMP strung at 58 pounds CP (Prince Hybrid3D Spin 16)

“ This string has great feel. The comfortand control are not bad either.” 4.5 maleall-court player using Wilson K Tour strungat 55 pounds LO (Wilson NXT 16)

“ The comfort, elasticity, and power aredecent, but not nearly as impressive as thecontrol and spin.” 4.0 male all-court play-er using Head CrossBow 6 strung at 58pounds CP (Gamma ESP 17)

TESTERS TALK FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAMGamma will send a free set of TNT2 Touch to each USRSA member who cuts out

(or copies) this coupon:

Offer expires 15 June 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: Gamma String Offer, 330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084 or fax to 760-536-1171, or email the info below to

[email protected]

come in 14th best overall, its averagescore ranks it in the top ten percent ofthe 142 strings we’ve playtested for publi-cation. In addition, comments from ourplaytesters support Gamma’s claims,which indicates that Gamma knew exact-ly what it was doing in creating TNT2

Touch.If you think that Gamma TNT2 Touch

might be for you, fill out the coupon toget a free set to try. —Greg Raven �

model of machine. So, now that Princehas updated the Neos 1000, stringersshould pay attention. One interesting dif-ference in this update is that Prince hasdecided to continue carrying the Neos1000. This means that all those stringerswho prefer the glide-bar clamps don’thave to make a change until they areready. Prince has also committed to con-tinue to stock replacement parts for theNeos 1000. The update from the Neos1000 to the Neos 1500 involved 4 mainchanges: new clamps, new mounting,adding 360-degree rotation, and a newturntable brake.

The USRSA recently put the new Neos1500 through its paces at our headquar-ters in San Diego. Overall, we feel theNeos 1500 does a good job of keeping thebest of the old, while embracing the con-venience of the new.

ASSEMBLYAssembling the Neos 1500 was child’splay. A single person was able to unpack

The story of the Prince Neos 1500started 34 years ago with the intro-duction of the Ektelon Model C

stringing machine. That machine wasupdated several times over the yearsunder the Ektelon name. When Princeacquired Ektelon in 1990, the first Neosmachine (Neos 1000) was introduced asan update under both the Ektelon andPrince names. In 2010, Prince introducedthe next generation, the Neos 1500 witha list price of $1,299 and a warranty of 3years.

When the Ektelon Model C was intro-duced, there were very few models ofstringing machines available to choosefrom. Today, there are more models ofmachines on the market than at anyother time in history. But, throughout theyears, as new technologies have beenintroduced and many new competitorshave entered the business, this lineage ofmachine has remained the workhorse ofthe industry. More Neos 1000s can befound in tennis shops than any other


Stringing Machine Review

and assemble the machine in just under15 minutes. The machine comes in twoboxes weighing 22 and 57 pounds. Thesmaller box contained the stand base,stand post, and tool tray. The base of thestand is one piece with four legs makingassembly easier than many machinesthat require attaching three or four sepa-rate legs. The larger box contained theturntable, mounting towers, and tensionunit (each of which comes pre-assem-bled). The entire process required onlyseven screws and the included 6 mmAllen wrench. We tested the machine’scalibration after assembly and found thecalibration to be accurate right out of thebox. So, no calibration adjustment wasnecessary.

PROSClamps - The Neos 1500 features dual-swivel double-action clamps. This is a bigchange from the glide bar clamps usedon all the earlier generations of thismachine. The new clamps make it easier

Prince Neos 1500


encounters more friction inthe grommets than it doesin the Neos 1000. This canhave a small effect on over-all tension. But, virtually all machineswith 360-degree rotation have this extrafriction and any tension lost can easily beovercome by setting the reference ten-sion slightly higher.

CONCLUSIONOverall, we were very impressed withthis new generation of the Neos. Thechanges from the previous generationseem to be improvements and the fea-

tures carried overfrom the previousmachine are stillwell suited fortoday’s stringing

needs. The mounting system is almost asquick as the Neos 1000, but offers betterframe security because the stringer can’tforget to lock the towers in place. Theclamps are consistent with those offeredon more expensive machines and makeit much easier to string racquets withangled patterns. The turntable brake ismore convenient because it requires lessmovement. And, the 360-degree rotationallows stringers to turn the racquet either

to string racquets with angled strings,such as racquetball frames. Plus, theyeliminate the need to remove and reposi-tion glide bars when switching frommains to crosses and back again. The lackof Diamond Dust on the clamps mayrequire more pressure to avoid stringsslipping (especially on first pulls), but theywon’t scratch the surface of the string if itdoes slip. Clamping pressure can beadjusted with a knob so no tool is needed.However, the knob is a little small andmay be a little tough to grab for someonewith big hands. The clamps feature smallteeth that seemed to fit well into moststringbeds. Theclamp bases slidenicely and lock wellwith minimal pres-sure. The clampbase lever has a positive feel so you knowwhen the base is locked.

CONSAs we mentioned in the Pros, the Neos1500 uses the same tension head as theNeos 1000. But, because the racquet ismounted higher relative to the tensionhead (for 360-degree rotation), there aretwo small issues. First, pulling tensionfrom a lower position means the string


way without banging the handle into thetension head. The tension head is stillrock-solid and large tool tray is still a wel-come sight when most of the other pro-fessional model machines seem to beoffering smaller and smaller trays. TheNeos 1500 should fit well as the newindustry standard. �

? Ask the Experts

STRING TOO SHORTTHIS DOESN’T HAPPEN TOO often,but every once in awhile I find thatthe string length listed in the Digest

is too short for the racquet I’m stringing.

MOST OF THE STRING LENGTHSshown in the Stringers Digest come

from the manufacturer. Some date back tobefore poly became popular, and most ifnot all of them assume you are using a typ-ical nylon string.

When it comes to string lengths, wehave to take into account several factors.There are different types of machines,which take different lengths of "extra"string to reach the tension head, and differ-ent strings will have different elongationproperties. This means that if we publishedlengths assuming that everyone was usinga lock-out machine, anyone using thosemeasurements on a machine with a rota-tional tensioner — especially with anaramid string — would find himself run-ning short.

If we notice (or a member reports) aproblem, we’ll check it out and adjust it ifnecessary. It is unusual, however, for thestring length to be too short, as we try toerr on the other side, so you have toomuch string rather than too little. Also,starting with “too much” string does allowyou to string the crosses one ahead all theway down, which can be a nice luxury.

With that said, there are a couple ofthings you can do to protect yourself fromtoo-short string lengths:

First, always have a “butt saver” onhand. A “butt saver” is a starting clampwith a short section of string attached thatallows you to grab the tail end of the stringyou’re installing with the clamp end, andthen run the string into the tension jaws,temporarily extending the length of thestring. Unless you’ve cut the string reallyshort, in many cases if you can grab thestring with the “butt saver,” you will have

enough to tie off after tensioning.Second, you can help prevent this from

becoming an issue by cutting the stringfrom the reel only after you’re certain howmuch string you need. For example, if younormally string 16x18 and 16x19 racquetswith a certain length of nylon string, andyou’re faced with an 18x20 racquet requir-ing poly, you will have to allow for theadditional mains and crosses, as well as forthe lower elongation during stringing of thepoly, and any difference in head size.

Third, if you have doubts when work-ing from a pre-cut set of string from apackage, start out with one piece of stringeven on a two-piece racquet, cutting onlyafter you’ve completed the mains. The fewextra inches may make all the difference.

Finally, you could make notations inyour copy of the Digest, so that the nexttime you face that racquet you have theadditional information — and string — youneed in order to finish the job right the firsttime.

TOO MUCH STRING NEEDED

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I NEEDmore than 40 feet of string to com-plete a racquet?

THIS SITUATION NORMALLY aris-es only when using strings from

packaged sets, as if you are cutting stringfrom a reel you would first consult theDigest and simply cut the lengths youneed.

Depending on how much additionalstring you need, you may be able to usetwo sets, cutting the longer section fromone package and the shorter section fromthe other. This will leave you with twopieces that you can use to restring another,different racquet.

For repeat customers, you can also doa little research to see what packaged setscome with the extra length you need, soyou don’t have to resort to merging sets.Your success at this depends in part on thecustomer’s approval of whatever extra-length string you find, though.

This leads us to the worst-case sce-nario, where using two sets leaves you

with a portion of a set that you cannot useelsewhere. In this situation, you’ll have tocharge the customer for the left-over stringthat you are forced to throw away.

CUTTING OUT THE OLD STRINGBED

I SAW A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE thatgave an inside look at the stringingroom at the 2009 U.S. Open. In this

video, the “check-in” member of the string-ing team seems to be cutting out thestringbed up and down rather than on thediagonal, as recommended by the USRSA.What’s your take on this?

WE ASKED RON ROCCHI, PrincipalDesigner and Global Tour Services

Manager for Racquet Sports at Wilson aboutthis, as he is in charge of the stringing teamfor the U.S. Open. Ron is also the 2009 RSImagazine Stringer of the Year. Here’s whathe had to say:

“There are many technique items that wehave reviewed, debated, asked for moreinput, and debated again. The final conclusionthat we as the Wilson stringing team havedeveloped is a combination of practices thatare deemed ‘acceptable’ and others that wefeel ‘unacceptable’ for tournament stringing.

“The primary and best method to removethe strings is similar to the way that theUSRSA has been suggesting for many years.We cut the center mains and crosses on thediagonal, and then proceed outward to helpminimize the force distribution in the hoop.When you watch the video, this alternatemethod is being used, but the main differ-ence is the total time it takes to relieve theload of the string pressure. By using thisalternate method, one can remove the entirestring tension in about two seconds, which inour opinion is acceptable on most tour typeframes with adequate wall thickness. In addi-tion, since the bottom is cut first, the shaftsprovide added resistance for the stress onthe hoop. And, by using this method in atournament setting, we can increase our effi-ciency when you have to remove 3000+string beds.

“This method should not be used onmany racquets that most consumers use,typically with lighter weight, and most impor-tantly lower or reduced wall thickness.”

—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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All of us in the tennis industry areenjoying the good news that tennisparticipation topped 30 million

players for the first time in decades andthe sport saw a 43 percent increase in par-ticipation over the past 10 years. As withall industries, however, there is a signifi-cant challenge ahead that may threatentennis’ ability to remain the fastest grow-ing traditional sport in America.

With more than 77 million baby-boomers set to retire in the next 10 yearsand the average age of the U.S. populationcreeping higher, tennis is increasingly see-ing a “graying” of the entire industry.While this older generation provides expe-rience, direction and leadership, it isimportant to remember that without aqualified crop of young talent to succeedthe current industry leaders, this industrycannot properly nurture its human capitaland plan for sustained growth and prof-itability across all spectrums of the tennismarketplace.

In my relatively short experience inthe tennis industry, I’ve heard severalindustry “veterans” express their con-cerns about generating a new pool of well-educated, young and qualified talent to fillindustry positions. As a comparison,many of these veterans look at the PGA ofAmerica and its ability to continuouslygenerate interest and retain a young, qual-ified pool of candidates to fill golf industryjobs. Often the question goes a little likethis: “How is golf and the PGA putting outso many young people with the back-ground necessary to be viable employeesand foster growth in their industry?”

I offer this simple answer: Currently atleast 20 different U.S. colleges and univer-sities offer Professional Golf Managementprograms delivering required program-ming to students interested in a career inthe golf industry. The PGA of America has

specific degree requirements that must bemet by PGM students.

Contrast the golf industry to the tennisindustry, which has really just scratchedthe surface of the post-secondary educa-tion market with only four U.S. collegesand universities offering a ProfessionalTennis Management curriculum. In myopinion, one way for this industry todevelop a well-qualified and educatedgroup of future leaders is to obtain moresaturation of tennis education program-

ming at universities and colleges, with adegree requirement for PTM students thatis developed with all aspects of the tennisbusiness in mind.

With tennis participation moving inthe right direction, the viability of thecareers in this industry should be greaterthan ever. This is a key messaging pointthe industry, as a whole, has to get acrossto Generation Y’ers who have a passionfor the sport and would like to make acareer out of their love for the game.

Recently, the industry has takenstrides in developing messaging tools todo just that, for instance with the develop-ment of the Careers In Tennis initiativeand CareersInTennis.com, an industry-supported career center and job boardavailable for free to both job-seekers andemployers. In addition to creating aware-

Ryan Melton is the ProjectCoordinator for the TennisIndustry Association in HiltonHead Island, S.C., in charge ofthe coordination, management,and development of the

Careers In Tennis (CareersInTennis.com) ini-tiative, among other projects. He graduatedtop of his class from Francis Marion Universi-ty in 2009 with a BBA in Management.


“The more the industrycan promote its viabilityas a career to a youngergeneration, the greaterthe chance tennis willremain one of the fastestgrowing sports.”

ness of careers in the industry, we have tobuild a “network” that includes a youngergeneration.

Tennis industry organizations need tomake an effort to grow their talent byoffering more internship opportunities attheir companies to foster interest in indus-try careers, as well as send younger staff toindustry conferences to develop a “net-work” of colleagues that will be around forthe next 20 to 30 years, and not just thenext 10. Think about how you got yourfirst job or moved to the position you arein now. Odds are you got that job by know-ing someone or knowing someone whoknew someone who could help you getyour “foot in the door.”

Current industry leaders and veteranshave begun to pave a bright future for theindustry and the sport. The more theindustry can promote its viability as acareer to a younger generation, the greaterthe chance tennis will remain one of thefastest growing sports.

All of us in the industry want to pro-mote the growth and economic vitality oftennis. By nurturing a new crop of industryleaders with fresh ideas, creative thinkingskills, and the ability to communicate intoday’s world, we will ensure the long-term sustainability of this great Americantradition and sport. �

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

Your Serve


Creating Future Leaders

B Y R Y A N M E L T O N

A recent grad, immersed in this industry, sayseducation and messaging to youth will help build asolid future for the sport.

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