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July 2011 Volume 39 Number 7 $5.00 www.racquetsportsindustry.com 10 and Under Tennis How It Can Help Your Business 2011 Guide to Ball Machines Are You an Employee or Independent Contractor? How It Can Help Your Business 2011 Guide to Ball Machines Are You an Employee or Independent Contractor? 10 and Under Tennis

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Racquet Sports Industry magazine, July 2011

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Page 1: 201107 Racquet Sports Industry

July 2011Volume 39 Number 7 $5.00www.racquetsportsindustry.com

10 and UnderTennisHow It Can HelpYour Business

2011 Guide to Ball Machines

Are You an Employee orIndependent Contractor?

How It Can HelpYour Business

2011 Guide to Ball Machines

Are You an Employee orIndependent Contractor?

10 and UnderTennis

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DEPARTMENTS

R S I J U L Y 2 0 1 1

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 10 and Under Tennispromotions hit nationally

7 USPTA WorldConference in Florida

7 Pro player banned for lifefor match fixing attempts

8 European StringersAssociation honorsBaiardo, Luxilon

8 SmashZone Mobile Tourtargets family audience

8 Lacoste to launchRoddick apparel line

9 PTR offerssupplementary course

9 ‘Wheel of Fortune’ servesup ‘Tennis Week’ on TV

10 Peoplewatch

11 Anna Kournikova joinsTV’s ‘Biggest Loser’

12 Gamma adds basketto its Ballhopper line

14 Short Sets

15 USTA gives $50K to25 markets for 10U tennis

4 Our Serve

7 Industry News

10 Letters

17 TIA News

18 Retailing Tip

20 Pioneers in Tennis: Peggy Beard

36 Tips & Techniques

38 String Playtest: Tecnifibre Duramix HD 16

40 Your Serve, by Mary Helen Sprecher

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2011 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

21 Independent PracticeAre you, or your workers, consideredemployees or independent contractors?It pays to know the difference.

24 10 and Under Tennis:Do the MathFor facilities, retailers, court buildersand teaching pros, getting on boardwith the 10 and Under Tennis initia-tive can add up to big profits.

27 Building the TeamThe goal of the Wilson stringing teamwas to create a comprehensive train-ing program that would yield ultraconsistency.

FEATURES

30 Machine DrivenPut your ball machine to work gener-ating more income for you, and help-ing your players reach their potential.

33 Find Your Ball MachineFor 2011, new machines from Lobster,Match Mate and Sports Tutor join thelist.

34 Ball Machine SelectorOur exclusive chart is the only sourcewhere you can compare features fromall the different ball machines in oneeasy guide.

GUIDE TO BALL MACHINES

ContentsContents

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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 DinofferGreg MoranKent OswaldBob 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. July 2011, Volume 39,

Number 7 © 2011 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All

rights reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and

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

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

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

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

Send address changes to Racquet Sports Industry,

330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

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

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

A Rallying Point for the Industry

If you canʼt make it to NYC, follow what goeson at The Tennis Show on Facebook andTwitter at @rsimagazine, @tennisshow and@tennisindustry.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2011

One of the premier gatherings for industry pro-fessionals happens every year during the USOpen in New York, at the USTA Tennis Teach-

ers Conference. This year marks the 41st annual TTC,which will be Aug. 27 to 30 at the Grand Hyatt NewYork. As always, you can expect this event to bepacked with informative sessions and presentationsthat will be sure to inform and inspire.Since so many industry leaders gather in New York during the Open and the

TTC, that timeframe was chosen to reignite interest in “The Tennis Show”—a cel-

ebration of the sport that will feature a Trade Show, the TIA Tennis Forum, and

the TI Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony, then lead into the TTC’s Opening Session.

It all happens on Saturday, Aug. 27 (which earlier in the day is also Arthur Ashe

Kids’ Day at the NTC):

� 2 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan, the Trade Show opens.

� 5:30 p.m., the TIA Tennis Forum begins, featuring TIA President Jon Muir and

USTA President and Chairman of the Board Jon Vegosen, who will present key

industry data and initiatives. The Forum will be followed by the Tennis Industry

Hall of Fame Award Ceremony, then the TTC Opening Session.

� 7 p.m., the Trade Show reopens.

The hope is that in the future, this one-day Tennis Show (visit Tennis-

Show.com) will continue to expand and include even more educational and infor-

mative sessions, drawing even more interest and bringing more attendees—a

scenario where everybody wins. For exhibitors, concentrating the Trade Show

into one day cuts down on expenses and frees up time for all the good stuff that

happens at the TTC. (The Trade Show used to stretch out over two days.)

The TTC’s Opening Session on Saturday night will feature USTA Player Devel-

opment General Manager Patrick McEnroe and USTA Chief Executive of Commu-

nity Tennis Kurt Kamperman. Sure to be on the agenda is how to develop

American champions, along with the latest on the USTA’s 10 and Under Tennis

Initiative. The TTC continues until Aug. 30 with presentations and seminars from

some of the world’s best tennis teachers and coaches (visit USTA.com/TTC).

Keynote speakers expected are Rick Macci on Aug. 28, Nick Bollettieri on Aug. 29,

and Jim Courier at the closing session on Aug. 30.

If you can make it to NYC for The Tennis Show and the TTC, it should be an

amazing time that will give you plenty of ideas to increase your business and

develop professionally.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

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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

SGMA Study ShowsGrowth for SportingGoods BizAccording to the SportingGoods Manufacturers Associa-tion's 2011 State of the Indus-try Report, the sporting goodsindustry in 2010 showed itslargest one-year revenuegrowth swing in the sportinggoods industry in nearly 20years. The sporting goods indus-try also outperformed GDP forthe first time since 2007.

SportsOneSource Media report-ed that in 2010, U.S. wholesalesales of sporting goods equip-ment, sports apparel, licensedmerchandise, athletic footwearand fitness equipment were$74.2 billion, a 3.5 percentincrease over 2009. Athleticapparel is the biggest categoryin the sports products industry,and that increased 4.8 percentto $29.6 billion. The secondlargest category is sportinggoods equipment at $20.4 bil-lion. Athletic footwear saleswere $12.6 billion. Sportslicensed merchandise salesamounted to $7.3 billion.

"The sporting goods industryhas strengthened in the last 12to 16 months, despite chal-lenges which have been pre-sented by a number of issuessuch as the vagaries of theworldwide economy, federaland state legislation, sourcingand production concerns, regu-lations by sport governing bod-ies, and counterfeiting," saidSGMA President Tom Cove.

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July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Now is the time to start promoting 10 and Under Tennis in your community, as the USTA’sadvertising and promotional campaign to bring more kids into the game hits nationally,including a 15-city SmashZone Tour.

Full-page ads targeting parents and tennis providers have already been running in top tennisand consumer publications. In industry publications, informativeadvertorials have featured top coaches, such as Nick Bollettieri,endorsing 10 and Under Tennis. To date, stories have appeared inmore than 200 consumer and trade publications, such as The NewYork Times, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, Southern Living, SportsTravel, Advertising Age and more.In addition, nine leading consumer magazines, including Red-

book and Family Fun, reaching over 6 million consumers nationwidewill carry the 12-page “New Tennis for a New Generation” booklet.The booklet also will be in Tennis Magazine, in regional publications,and in local suburban publications.On TV, you’ll see 10 and Under Tennis spots running throughout the Olympus US Open Series

in July and August, and throughout the US Open broadcasts, too.

Pro Koellerer Banned for Match Fixing Attempts

Austria’s Daniel Koellerer, who once reached No. 55 in the world, became the first tennisplayer to be banned for life for attempting to fix matches. The Tennis Integrity Unit foundthe former Davis Cup player guilty of three violations of the sport’s anti-corruption rules,

including “contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of an event” and “soliciting or facili-tating a player not to use his or her best efforts.”The violations occurred between October 2009 and July 2010, although the Tennis Integrity Unit

would not specify which matches Koellerer was found to have manipulated. Details of the hearing,which was held in London on April 27-28, will not be released, according to the Tennis IntegrityUnit, which is an initiative of the ITF, ATP, WTA and Grand Slam Committee.

In addition to the lifetime ban, Koellerer also was fined $100,000. He has denied the chargesand reportedly is considering appealing the ruling. Koellerer, currently ranked No. 385 in theworld, climbed to a career-high No. 55 after reaching the third round of the 2009 US Open.

10 and Under Tennis Promotions Hit Nationally

USPTA World Conference Sept. 19-24 in Florida

The USPTA’s World Conference on Tennis will be Sept. 19-24 at Saddlebrook Resort in WesleyChapel, Fla., and will feature more than 40 general sessions, seminars andspecialty courses. The conference also offers the International Ten-

nis Championships, a tennis-only buying show, industry meetings,awards presentation, parties and more.Approximately 1,500 attendees are expected, including tennis professionals,

industry leaders and representatives, manufacturers, wholesalers and media.USPTA members, their friends and family, nonmember tennis-teaching pro-fessionals, industry leaders and media are invited. Sign up early for special pricing and discounts.Details are at usptaworldconference.com or 800-877-8248.

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SmashZone Mobile Tour TargetsFamily Audience in 15 US Cities

SmashZone, the USTA’s interactive fan attraction at the US Open,is hitting the road for a 15-city mobile tour. SmashZone Mobile

includes a 53-foot trailer, which anchors four kid-sized tenniscourts, complementing the USTA’s 10 and Under Tennis initiative.The tour, which kicked off Memorial Day Weekend at the

Atlanta Jazz Festival, will stop at fairs and festivals, along with someretail environments and downtown locations in markets across thecountry, including some of the Olympus US Open Series markets.The trailer features interactive activities for visitors, including a

Tennis Magazine Green Screen Cover Shoot, Wii Tennis and TouchScreen Kiosks. Among other things, the kiosks allow the public tofind a facility in their area offering 10 and Under Tennis program-ming. In addition, SmashZone will allow participants to try theirskills on any of the four 10 and Under courts, which are made ofSport Court's PowerGame modular playing surface.“To be able to get more racquets in kid’s hands at a young age,

and to share with them the idea that tennis can be played any-where from schools yards, to parks, to clubs, and even at home,underscores the fact that tennis is the sport of opportunity,” saidUSTA President and Chairman of the Board Jon Vegosen.Other SmazhZone locations include Denver; San Diego; San

Mateo, CA; Luling, TX; New Orleans; O’Fallon, MO; Austin; Dallas;Fort Wayne, IN; Washington, D.C.; Readington, NJ; Philadelphia;New Haven, CT; and Wilmington, DE; then on to the US Open inNew York. Visit 10andundertennis.com.

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ERSA Honors Baiardo, Luxilon

The European RacquetStringers Association

(ERSA) has named theWilson Baiardo stringingmachine the “Stringing Machineof the Decade” for 2000-2010. Thegroup also has named Luxilon the“String Manufacturer of theDecade.”Baiardo was released for pur-

chase in late 2008. “Given theintense competition in themarketplace, we are veryproud that Baiardo was namedthe stringing machine ofthe decade consideringhow relatively new it stillis,” said John Lyons, Wil-son’s global business director for Accessories. “Thisaward is a testament to the hard work and dedicationof our engineers and design teams.”Baiardo is the first stringing machine designed

using the Wilson B.E.S.T. stringing system (Biome-chanically Efficient Stringing Technology), with multi-ple ergonomic features providing user comfort.Luxilon won its title due to its dominant use on the

men’s and women’s pro tours. According to ERSA,Luxilon “is the string most companies are trying tocopy.”“This furthers our belief that strict quality control

and continuous research has helped to producestrings that will improve every player’s game, regard-less of ability,” said Luxilon President Nico VanMalderen.

Are Sporting GoodsPrices Moving Upward?

It looks like prices for sporting goods,including footwear and apparel, maybe increasing. According to a surveyof private, independent vendors andretailers by Robert W. Baird & Co. andreported by Bloomberg news, morethan 90 percent of manufacturerspaid higher input costs for the firstquarter, and 41 percent of those firms increased whole-sale prices.“This clearly demonstrates the emerging cost and

price pressure across the sporting-good space," PeterBenedict, a Baird retail analyst, told Bloomberg. "We'rehearing a consistent message from vendors and retail-ers that cotton, fuel and wage costs are starting to go up,and they're slowly going to come through on the retailside later this year and certainly in 2012."

Lacoste to Launch Roddick Apparel Line

Andy Roddick will debut a line of apparel in July created withLacoste, his clothing sponsor for the last six years.

The new line, which Roddick will wear on court,includes polo shirts, shorts, track pants andwarm-up jackets.The clothing, which Roddick reportedly

helped to design, will range in price from $85 retail for a pair ofshorts to $185 for a jacket. The new line will debut on July 1.

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July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9www.racquetsportsindustry.com

2011 GSS Symposium Sponsorships

The fifth annual GSS racquet stringers symposium will be Sept. 24-28at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Fla., with major sponsors that

include Wilson, Babolat, Prince, Gamma and Alpha Sports."We focused more on the attendees this year with the

sponsorships and because of that, attendees are going tosee their registration costs offset drastically,” says Tim

Strawn, the founder and owner of the event, which willalso include USRSA certification testing. For details,visit grandslamstringers.com.

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Serves Up ‘Tennis Week’

“Wheel of Fortune” teamed up with Tennis Channel to present viewerswith the show’s first-ever “Tennis Week,” which aired May 30 to June

3. Tennis Channel worked with the WTA, ATP and USTA to provide the fea-tured prizes on the TV show, which included luxury vacation packages sur-rounding upcoming major tennis tournaments: the French Open, AustralianOpen, US Open in New York, Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London, andthe Sony Ericsson Championships in Istanbul.Former World No. 1 woman pro and Tennis Channel commentator Tracy

Austin visited Pat Sajak and Vanna White on set to kick off “Tennis Week,”and throughout the week, some of the world’s top tennis players—includ-ing Billie Jean King, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, AndyMurray, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, Lindsay Davenport and Mar-tina Navratilova—made appearances.Also, as part of “Tennis Week,” Vanna White was invited to the BNP

Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif., to tape some segments for the fiveshows, including a tennis lesson from the top-ranked men’s doubles team,the Bryan Brothers.

Jack Huczek RetiresFrom Pro Racquetball

Racquetball’s most decorated player, JackHuczek, part of team Head/Penn, announced

his retirement from the sport in May. Huczek haswon 22 World Championships and 42 NationalChampionships. He’s been a full-time player onthe International Racquetball Tour since 2000.While playing on the pro tour, Huczek also

earned an MBA degree from Oakland University.He’ll be working in the telecommunicationsindustry for Ericsson, continuing to make Dallashis home.“I’ve been blessed to make a living playing

the sport I love, but my focus now is on my newjob,” says Huczek. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed thelast five years on the IRT with my partnershipwith Head Penn. I appreciate the friendships Ihave made within the Head Penn family andhope they will continue.”

Website Focuses onDeveloping Players on Clay

Har-Tru Sports has revamped HarTru.com tooffer competitive information that focuses on

junior player development and innovation,emphasizing why playing on clay is a key todeveloping championship tennis.“Playing on a clay court teaches players to

think, create and tactically respond to eachpoint,” the new website says. “Clay court playersdevelop enhanced footwork, balance and dexter-ity—all skills necessary for success on any tennissurface.”According to the Har-Tru website, 88 percent

of top 10 players learned to play on clay courts.The USTA recently installed clay courts at theUSTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center inFlushing, N.Y., to help developing juniors learnthe nuances of playing on the softer surface.

PTR Offers Supplementary Jr. Development Course

The PTR will offer a new course to supplement its Junior Development Certi-fication to teach10 and Under Tennis players. Tennis coaches who have suc-

cessfully completed the PTR Junior Development Workshop and Certificationcan now benefit from a follow-up online course that will enable them to moreeffectively teach 10 and Under Tennis. The new course, which will debut in

August, is titled “Programming, Bench-marking and Coaching 10 and UnderPlayers.”“The combination of the USTA's

three hour QuickStart RecreationalCoaches Workshop and PTR's 12 hourJunior Development Workshop pro-vides a solid foundation to start teach-

ing 10 and Under Tennis,” said Dan Santorum, PTR’s CEO. “This course willbe crucial to help tennis coaches plan lessons, better assess 10 and underplayers against well researched criteria, as well as work with their parents.”PTR says it has more comprehensive education on the horizon. PTR’s

Master of Tennis for Junior Development, which is the most extensive edu-cation for 10 and under tennis providing more than 200 hours of educationand online course work, is set to debut in November. For more information,visit ptrtennis.org.

USTA Taps Craig S. Jones

The USTA has named Craig S.Jones of Martinez, Ga., as its

director of youth play and competi-tion. Jones will be responsible for“helping to reshape youth competitionin the U.S.,” particularly at the 10 andunder level, as well as overseeing the USTA’s Jr.Team Tennis program. He has served as theowner and Director of Operations at the Peters-burg Racquet Club in Georgia since 1998.

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• Bjorn Fratangelo, a 17-year-old from Pittsburgh, captured theboys’ singles title at the French Open Junior Championsips June 5.He’s the first American to win the Roland Garros boys’ title sinceJohn McEnroe in 1977.

• Dunlop Sports has appointed Rich Neighbor as Western Region-al sales manager.

• Kim Clijsters was named one of the 2011 Time Magazine100—a list of the world’s most influential people. “When it comesto having it all, Kim Clijsters offers a great model,” wrote MartinaNavratilova in her tribute to Clijsters.

• The 85th Annual National Public Parks Tennis Championshipswill be July 28-Aug. 7 at the Baseline Tennis Center at the Univer-sity of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The event is open to all USTAmembers. Visit nppta.org or baselinetenniscenter.com.

• Tennis Hall of Famer Pauline Betz Addie of the Washington,D.C., passed away on May 31 in an assisted-living facility inPotomac, Md. She was 91 years old. Addie won the U.S. NationalChampionship (now the US Open) four times in the 1940s andWimbledon in 1946.

• ATP pro Gaël Monfils is the newest “ambassador” for sunglassmaker Maui Jim and will promote the importance of wearing sun-glasses for tennis.

• Barrie Markowitz, the USTA’s director of membership, left thecompany after seven years and will be the VP of Marketing for adivision of Amazon.com. Her position will not be filled, but herresponsibilities at the USTA will be under Membership Marketing,reporting to Sue Hunt, and Membership Operations, reporting toJeff Waters.

• Adidas has appointed Hermann Deininger as chief marketingofficer (CMO) for the Adidas brand.

• Legendary racquetball coach and Head/Penn Racquet Sports’National Promotions Coordinator Fran Davis has written the book“Championship Racquetball,” a comprehensive guide for master-ing the skills, tactics and strategies of the sport of rac-quetball. Visit frandavisracquetball.com.

• Pro Sabine Lisicki is part of the new LonginesRising Tennis Stars program. Longines is the officialtimekeeper for the French Open.

• Vince Cicero is the new tournament director for Cincin-nati’s Western & Southern Open.

• Franco Mata of Maputo, Fla., won the men’s open title at the$10,000 USPTA Clay Court Championships in May at the Ibis Golfand Country Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. Marina McCollom ofWest Des Moines, Iowa, defended her women’s open title.

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Letters‘Careers in Tennis’ is CriticalI’d like to commend Mary Helen Sprecher on her article “Making Their Moves” inthe May issue of RSI, about careers in tennis. Our industry will only be as strongas its members and future leaders. Developing the next generation of teachingpros and careers in tennis is critical to retaining and growing participation in thisgreat sport. This should be a priority, and this article gives understanding andeducation of how the journey can begin. Derek Ameel, Director

Professional Tennis Management Program, Ferris State University

USPTA Members Host Ten-nis Across America Clinics

Hundreds of USPTA members acrossthe nation hosted free Tennis Across

America clinics with the theme of “Ten-nis – for the health of it!” on May 14, tocelebrate the 22nd annual Tennis AcrossAmerica Day. While the overall goal ofTennis Across America is to take thegame of tennis to new, current and for-mer players, this year the focus has beenon promoting the health benefits oftennis to help support efforts to reduceobesity.The USPTA encouraged every mem-

ber to take part in the One-Clinic Chal-lenge and run at least one Tennis AcrossAmerica event to help spread the wordthat obesity is now an epidemic, espe-cially with today's youth devoting moretime to computers and other technologythan to exercise. In addition, it providesthe opportunity to focus on the long-range health benefits of developing ahabit of being active through tennisfrom early childhood.

Howard Brody a ‘Lifelong Friend’I was delighted to read the “Pioneers in Tennis” article on Dr. Howard Brody inthe June issue. Howard was so helpful when I started working at PTR 13 yearsago. In my first week on the job, I found out I had to solicit articles for TennisPromagazine. As the former vice president of marketing for Majestic Athletic, Icould have done that easily had the publication been about Major League Base-ball, the NFL, or licensed products, but at the time, I had no contacts in tennis.

I opened the PTR Handbook and saw the page of our Sports Science Advisors.Listed alphabetically, Brody was first, so I called him to introduce myself andshare my plight. He was so kind and empathetic. He gave me contact informa-tion for several of his contemporaries and instructed me to tell them that,“Howard said to write an article.” Dropping his name gave me the clout I neededto get started in my new career. That call also initiated a friendship.

They say tennis is the sport for a lifetime, but I have come to know tennis asa vehicle to forge lifelong friends. I am so very proud to call Howard Brody oneof mine. Peggy Edwards

PTR Director of Communications, Editor, TennisPro

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Nominate for Community Tennis Awards

The USTA is looking to honor the best in community tennis and is seeking nomina-tions two prestigious awards: the 2011 Eve Kraft Community Service Award and the

2011 Community Tennis Association of the Year Award. Deadline for nominations forboth awards is July 15.The Eve Kraft Award, originally established in 1974, is the highest volunteer honor

in community tennis. It recognizes USTA volunteer tennis leaders for significant con-tributions in tennis development through CTAs, parks and recreation departments,schools, or community centers. Anyone—individuals, CTAs or USTA Sections or Dis-tricts—can nominate a dedicated volunteer for the Eve Kraft Award.The CTA of the Year Award honors a registered CTA that provides programs that

promote and develop the growth of tennis. Nominations for the CTA award comefrom each USTA Section. If your CTA is doing great things for recreational tennis, nowis the time to let your Section know about it.Both awards will be presented at the USTA Community Tennis Development Work-

shop, which will be held in New Orleans Jan. 13-15, 2012. Nomination forms are onUSTA.com—click on “About USTA” then “USTA Awards.”

Anna Kournikova Joins ‘Biggest Loser’

Cardio Tennis spokesperson Anna Kournikova is the newest trainer on “TheBiggest Loser” reality show. The tennis star first came to the show in an episode

that aired last October, when she put the contestants through a Cardio Tennis work-out. Kournikova replaces Jillian Michaels, who left the NBC show after Season 11.“As a former professional tennis player and certified trainer, this is a wonderful

opportunity for me to share my enthusiasm for staying fit across America'shomes,” Kournikova says. “I'm honored to join a program that embraces the val-ues of a healthy lifestyle and is committed to fighting obesity.”

July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11www.racquetsportsindustry.com

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Gamma Adds EZ Basket150 to Ballhopper Line

Gamma Sports is shipping the Ball-hopper EZ Basket 150, a lightweight

ball pick-up basket designed as a com-panion product to the Ballhopper EZTravel Cart 150. The EZ Basket 150integrates the functionality of a ballbasket with a teaching cart, allowing ateaching pro, coach or player to quick-ly pick up tennis balls, set the EZ Bas-ket 150 into the EZ Travel Cart 150frame and start feeding balls immedi-ately.The basket design features a

durable nylon bag over a lightweightsteel frame and a padded handle. Thebottom of the EZ Basket is constructedof powder-coated steel wires, similar toa traditional ball pick-up basket. Thehandle can be quick-ly removed fortransport and stor-age.“By integrating

a ball-pickup witha teaching cart,we’ve eliminat-ed one piece ofequipment,making lessonsmore efficientand simplifyingtravel betweenlocations,” saidTom Sullivan,Gamma prod-uct manager.For information,visitgammasports.com.

PTR, USTA Texas Hold Wheelchair Workshop

The PTR, in conjunction with USTA Texas, held an Instructing Wheelchair Tennis Workshopat Circle C Tennis Center in Austin, Texas, at the end of April. The workshop gave tennis

teachers the opportunity to learn from a wheelchair to better understand mobility and weighttransfer issues.The workshop was conducted by PTR Clinician and Tester Geoff Norton, former coach

of the USA World Cup Team, and hosted by PTR Master Pro and Circle C Director of Tennis Fernando Velasco. It was organizedby USTA Texas Wheelchair Coordinator Taylor Helfeldt. Several USTA Texas TSRs participated in the April 29 workshop, includingCindy Benzon, Sam Jones, Amanda Knight and Katy Rogers. Attendees enjoyed a special treat when surprise guest, Internation-al Tennis Hall of Famer Dennis Ralston, with his recent prosthetic, joined them for lunch and shared his story.PTR’s next Instructing Wheelchair Tennis Workshop will be Sept. 18 on Hilton Head Island, S.C. Visit ptrtennis.org for info.

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2011 PEP Grants Approved, But Battle Looms

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) applauded the decisionby the U.S. Department of Education to give the Carol M. White Physical Edu-

cation Program (PEP) $78.84 million in funding for fiscal 2011—just 0.2 percentless than the federal government approved in FY 2010.However, just weeks later, PEP funding for fiscal 2012 came under attack on

Capitol Hill, as the U.S. House Education & Workforce Committee, voting alongparty lines, approved legislation to eliminate 41 education programs from the Ele-mentary and Secondary Education Act, including PEP. While the legislation isexpected to pass in the U.S. House, the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate doesnot support the House bill."As our childhood and adult obesity rates continue to climb, programs like PEP

need to be implemented to help reverse those trends,” says SGMA President TomCove. “Right now, it's important that we promote a cultural change in Americathat encourages physically active lifestyles. PEP will inspire the younger genera-tion to be active and more health conscious."Managed by the Department of Education, PEP grants are awarded to schools

and community organizations that provide quality physical education/physicalactivity programs for youngsters. This funding is a top priority in SGMA's com-mitment to provide quality physical education. Since the initial PEP grants in2001, more than $600 million has been awarded.

MEMBER CLASSIFIEDSFOR SALE—Used ALPHA Axis Pro stringing machine. Includes table top base (ALPHARevo). List price new $799, asking $500. Will also sell hand tools, instructional CD’s, andstring sets. Send email to: [email protected] or call Don (865)357-4830.

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14 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2011 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

> Wilson’s annual promotion for the2011 US Open runs through July 31, witha grand prize of a trip for two to New YorkCity and the Open. The prize includes air-fare, hotel, a VIP behind the scenes tourand box seats for a day and a night ses-sion. Six second-place prize packs includea case of US Open balls, a Wilson BLX rac-quet, a set of Wilson string and a BLX rac-quet bag. Online registration is atWilson.com/usopentrip.

> In May, the City of Irvine, Calif., pre-

S H O R T S E T Ssented a Professional Growth Weekend fortennis teachers and coaches, which featuredMaster Pros from both the USPTA and PTR.Among the presenters at the Bill Barber Com-munity Park Tennis Center were Ken DeHart,Bill Tym, Hans Romer and Don Henson.

> Fila Korea Ltd., the owner of the Filabrand globally, and a private equity firm inKorea purchased the Acushnet Companygolf business from Fortune Brands, whichincludes the Titleist and FootJoy brands for$1.23 billion.

J U L Y 2 0 1 1IN

DU

ST

RY

NE

WS

> Rough Hollow, a lifestyle waterfrontcommunity in Lakeway, Texas, has signedon as a local sponsor of the 2011 DavisCup by BNP Paribas Quarterfinal betweenthe U.S. and Spain, which will be playedat The Frank Erwin Center on the Univer-sity of Texas campus in Austin, July 8-10.

> The 17 USPTA divisions and USPTAnational have engraved bricks on theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame’s Leg-ends Walk in Newport, R.I.

> Tennis is well-represented on theForbes list of the World’s Most PowerfulCelebrities. In fact, tennis had more peo-ple on the list than any other sport. Thelist, a measure of entertainment-relatedearnings and media visibility, has RogerFederer at No. 25, Rafael Nadal at 46,Maria Sharapova at 80, Serena Williams at84 and Venus Williams at 86.

> “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Ten-nis,” a guidebook for competing in USTALeagues or any team tennis competition,is available from New Chapter Press. Thepaperback ($14.99) was written by TonySerksnis of Mountain View, Calif., whohas more than 25 years of competing inleagues and 15 years of captaining tennisteams. Visit newchaptermedia.com.

> The Cliffs Communities of TravelersRest, S.C., announced an exclusive agree-ment with Peter Burwash International todirect the tennis programming. VeteranPBI tennis pro Jack DeAndrade has beennamed the director of tennis at The Cliffs.

> Actor Will Ferrell brought a gift to“Late Late Show” host Craig Fergusonduring the actor’s May 6 appearance onthe show: a new Dunlop 200G racquet.Ferrell, who plays tennis and frequentlyplays in pro-am and charity events, saidthe racquet actually was for Ferguson’s 3-month-old son.

> Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire in Eng-land has appointed Peter Burwash Inter-national to direct a new tennis program.

> Corona is the official beer sponsor ofthe Atlanta Tennis Championships, whichis the ATP World Tour 250 event that willopen the Olympus US Open Series and beplayed at the Racquet Club of the SouthJuly 18-24.

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July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 15www.racquetsportsindustry.com

‘Photographing Tennis’Book Available

If you’ve ever tried to photograph yourstudents or tried to use your camera tocapture the action at a tournament orother event, you know how frustratingphotographing tennis can be. For somehelp, consider the new book Photo-

graphing Tennis: A Guide forPhotographers, Parents, Coach-es & Fans.

Authored by frequent RSIcontributor Chris Nichol-son, a longtime tenniswriter and photographer,the book details tech-

niques for making great tennisimages. Topics include how to choosethe right gear, how to pick positions toshoot from, strategies for composingphotos, techniques for timing, how tocapture the ball and freeze motion, andmore. Visit PhotographingTennis.com.

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

USTA to Give $50K to25 Markets for 10U

The USTA has identified 21 target mar-kets so far (of a possible 25 markets)

for investment in 10 and Under Tennis.Each market will receive $50,000 inmatching grants from the USTA to beused to grow the game, including build-ing new and adapting current tenniscourts to accommodate 10 and UnderTennis.The target communities will also

work with the USTA national office tomake sure local providers are taughtthe proper techniques and skills tolearn the game from national trainers.The $50,000 will be divided over athree-year period, so that after thethree years, local communities will beself-sufficient in running 10 and UnderTennis programming.The 21 USTA target markets to date are:

• Amarillo, TX• Boise, ID• Bridgeport, CT• Cary, NC• Charlottesville, VA• Corpus Christi, TX• Greenvl/Spartanburg, SC• Hillsborough Co., FL• Indianapolis, IN• Midland, MI• Montgomery Co., MD

• New Orleans, LA• Portland, OR• San Diego, CA• San Fran./Sacram., CA• Seminole County, FL• Shreveport, LA• St. Paul, MN• Stockton, CA• Trenton, NJ• Yonkers, NY

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18 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2011

Retailing 102

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

This is the second in aseries of retail tips pre-sented by the TennisIndustry Associationand written by the

Gluskin Townley Group(www.gluskintownleygroup.com).

the computer hardware to support thesesystems. Basic POS software startsaround $1,500. Also, there are now host-ed (i.e. web-based, or on the cloud) POSsystems available to all specialty retailersthat further lower the cost and enhancethe ease of getting started because of thesimplified installation.

The other common features of POSutilization by high-profit specialty retail-ers is integrated or compatible account-ing. Several systems offer integratedaccounting, and others are compatiblewith computerized accounting systems.In either case, the integration of POSdata and accounting data speeds up theanalysis of the business, and makes itpossible to look at key performance indi-cators (KPIs) weekly, and some KPIs asfrequently as every day.

Inventory management is also eitherbuilt-in or can be added on, includingmodules for purchasing, open to buyand special orders. The combinationallows the store to bring efficiency tomanaging all aspects of the investmentin inventory, and realize higher invento-ry turns, while enhancing customer ser-vice by having available what shopperswant, when they want it!

From the store’s standpoint, thegross margin return on inventory(GMROI) is improved and the increase inprofitability drops right to the bottomline.

Coming Up:Choosing the right POS system for yourbusiness, and KPIs you should trackweekly. �

PIN pad and receipt printer. Other equip-ment can include a bar-code scanner anda credit card reader.

Often, POS systems are sold precon-figured, but you can buy the componentsand software separately and add to thesystem as your needs grow. If you’venever had experience working with a POSsystem, it might be best to start simple,but with a system that will allow forfuture expansion.

High-profit specialty retailers utilizeevery feature and function of their POSsystems, and they train and educate eachof their staff members, whether full timeor part time, on the complete use of thestore’s system. They squeeze everythingthey can out of the investment they havemade, and when they do, they realize ahuge return on that investment.

This complete utilization includesusing modules such as purchasing, opento buy and integrated accounting toexpand the capability of the POS systemto contribute to the operational excellenceand growth and profitability of their retailbusiness.

Tracking KPIsThe cost of POS systems has droppedover the last decade, as has the cost of

ccording to a recent survey amongspecialty sporting goods retailersconducted by Leisure Trends

Group, “Point of Sale systems are the frontline of technology in a retail environment.The ability to integrate sales, inventorymanagement and customer communica-tions from a single platform are essentialwhen servicing savvy customers who havegrown accustomed to a more fulfillingshopping experience.”

The Leisure Trends Group study foundthat 89 percent of the specialty sportinggoods retailers responding to the surveyhave embraced and are using a POS system.

But among tennis specialty and proshops, use of POS systems is much lower.According to the TIA’s Cost of Doing Busi-ness–Tennis Retailers survey, only 44 per-cent of the responding retailers use a POSsystem. This means every tennis shop thatdoesn’t have a POS system has a hugeopportunity to greatly improve retail operations, inventory management andprofitability.

But there’s more. In our experiencedealing with retailers, we’ve found the dif-ference between a typical specialty retailerand a high-profit specialty retailer (definedas achieving a double-digit net pre-tax as apercent of total revenue) is, first, using aPOS system, and second, complete utiliza-tion of the features and functions built intothe POS system. In other words, a POSsystem will help your business, but it willhelp it even more if you use all the fea-tures that are available.

The Complete SystemBasically, a POS system is a way to ringup sales, produce detailed reports andtrack inventory, and it can be expanded asthe business grows. At its core, specializedPOS software runs on a standard comput-er, connected to a cash register, monitor,

A

Stay tuned for information aboutupcoming TIA webinars on selectingand using a POS system to help yourtennis retail business. Also comingup, TennisConnect, the TIA’s cost-effective software tool for tennisproviders, will soon introduce aQuickBooks component for tennisretailing, making POS integrationeven simpler and more cost-efficient.Check out all that TennisConnect canoffer retailers at TennisConnect.com.

Tennis Specialty Retail Tip: A POS System Will Help Grow Your Business

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20 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2011

Pioneers In Tennis

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

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

Peggy Beard: Transformingthe Court-Building Business

lisher of Tennis Magazine and co-pub-lisher of Racquet Sports Industry, "theindustry was a boys' club."

Peggy, however, doesn't cast herselfas someone who went around kickingdown doors or pushing the envelope inthe industry. "I only look at things asbeing a challenge," she says. "I feel likeI'm probably more of a facilitator than achief of anything. I'm good at gettingother people involved, and getting thebest person for the job. That's alwaysbeen my approach to everything I did."

In 2003, after 30 years in the indus-try, Burnham and Peggy retired, soldtheir house and embarked on a four-yearsojourn on a trawler they had purchasedtogether. Peggy, still actively servingwith the USTA, would make sure theyput into port periodically so that shecould join conference calls.

"Some places we stopped, there was-n't even a dock, so Burnham wouldbring the boat in as close as he could,drop me off in 3 feet of water with meholding my notebooks and folders onmy head, and I'd wade ashore and finda pay phone and call in."

They sold the boat in 2008 "andnow we're landlubbers, which is good,"says Peggy, "because I never really gotover being seasick. That was kind of aproblem."

Welch Tennis Courts is still in busi-ness. She and Burnham are still involvedin tennis, but mainly as players.

"It's funny," she said, "but people stillremember us. We'd built a court at JimCourier's house when he was about 12and still playing Little League Baseball. Afew years ago, his mother called me andsaid, 'I remember you; you built ourcourt, and now Jim's niece is playingand wants a court.' I had to say, 'No, I'msorry, we're retired, but I can give you anumber to call.'"

—Mary Helen Sprecher �

"Peggy was instrumental in formingthat," says Virgil Christian, the USTA's direc-tor of community tennis development. "Shewas a real leader for the program. She said,'It's important we get the right informationto people' and of course she had the techni-cal background as a builder. She's veryknowledgeable, and she has a really power-ful style, but really, it's the way she express-es herself; she can just transform things."

Already involved as a member of theAmerican Sports Builders Association, in1990 Peggy became the first woman Certi-fied Tennis Court Builder.

"People used to say to me, 'It must havebeen really hard for you to pass that test.' Atthe time, men just associated women in thebusiness as being in office work and not con-struction. I was probably one of the few."

She broke another barrier in 1998,becoming the first woman chairman of theassociation. She received the ASBA's Indus-try Merit Award, for outstanding contribu-tions to the industry, in 2001. She has alsoserved on the USTA Florida Section Founda-tion Board of Directors, and the ITF Techni-cal Commission.

"Up until Peggy," says Jeff Williams, pub-

eggy Beard never paid muchattention to glass ceilings. Shewas too busy with other bound-

aries. Service line. Baseline. Clear-play-ing back-space. And beneath that, thedepth of the surface course, base andsub-base.

Beard was one of the first women torun a court construction business, in anindustry that was by her own admission"traditionally associated with men."Welch Tennis Courts was the brainchildof Peggy Beard, her husband Burnham,and Peggy's father.

"My father had worked for Har-Trufor many years, and when he retired toFlorida during the height of the tennisboom in the '70s, he called us and said,'I think there's really a need for a tenniscourt construction company here inFlorida.'" She laughs. "Why we did it, Idon't know, because Burnham and I arevery conservative."

The Beards moved to Florida and setup shop, with Burnham (previously thepresident of a tennis court company inNew England) as president, and Peggyas secretary, treasurer and majoritybusiness owner. Florida had always heldan attraction for Burnham and Peggy,but being there in business rather thanon vacation was jarring. "Before, wewould come here, and we'd fish andrelax and have a great time. Then wecame here and opened the business andI don't think we fished or relaxed forabout 30 years."

Welch Tennis Courts flourished andPeggy's involvement in the intricacies ofthe business, and its ever-expandingindustry, grew. As a member, and laterchairman, of the USTA's Technical Com-mittee, she was key to the developmentof the Facility Assistance Team, whichoversees grant funding and technicalinformation assistance to communitieswho want to improve their facilities.

P

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F INANCES

What is in a label? In fact, why do so many teach-ing pros—and those who employ them—appearto covet the label of “independent contractor”?

The long-running controversy over properly labelingemployees and independent contractors shows no signs ofeasing. A recent Department of Labor study revealed that 30percent of businesses “misclassified” employees as indepen-dent contractors. A Senate committee hearing labeled themisclassification problem as “staggering.”Although the Government Accountability Office, the

investigative arm of Congress, acknowledges that employeemisclassification itself is not a violation of law, far too oftenit is associated with labor and tax law violations. The gov-ernment’s response to this growing problem has the LaborDepartment hiring more investigators to pursue misclassifi-cation issues.The Internal Revenue Service, for its part, is in the midst

of a comprehensive National Research Program of payrollaudits aimed, in part, at catching employers who fail to with-hold or improperly withhold taxes and pay Social Securityand Medicare premiums on the wages of workers misclassi-fied as independent contractors. Many states are also report-edly moving on the misclassification issue as well.

Who Is and Who Isn’ t?The IRS uses three characteristics to determine the relation-ship between businesses and workers—behavioral control,financial control and type of relationship. Misclassification ofa worker as a nonemployee can result in liability not only foremployment taxes, but also for the 100 percent penalty forfailure to collect and account for employment taxes.At its most basic, the employee-independent contractor

controversy boils down to the argument that by labeling aworker as an independent contractor rather than as anemployee, an employer can avoid the voluminous paper-work and payroll tax burden. A worker such as a teaching

pro who is an independent contractor can exclude certaintypes of compensation from income and deduct far morework-related expenses than an employee.Although the term “independent contractor” is not clear-

ly defined in our tax laws, it is no secret that the self-employed and independent contractors contribute greatly tothe ever-increasing “tax gap”—the difference between thetaxes owed and the taxes actually paid. In addition to theIRS’s worries about the timely payment of income taxeswhen an employer is not in the picture, the U.S. Departmentof Labor frets about misclassified employees unfairly exclud-ed from coverage under key laws designed specifically toprotect workers.It is not always a bad deal for an independent contractor

be re-labeled as an employee. After all, a worker may receiveemployee fringe and pension benefits, may be entitled toreimbursement for business expenses, may be entitled tofederal and state minimum wage and hour standards, andmay receive coverage under nondiscrimination laws, unem-ployment insurance and workers’ compensation protection.On the tax front, several years ago the IRS published guid-

ance for workers paid as independent contractors re-labeledas an employee. What should the worker do?� Tax Returns and Amended Returns: A worker may havereceived a Form 1099 and had no reason to report theamount as wages. However if, after filing a tax return, theIRS determines the worker is an employee, the workermust file an amended tax return. In all likelihood the re-classified employee would have overpaid because of theself-employment tax (which is equivalent of paying boththe employer and an employee’s share of FICA).

� Schedule “C” Expenses: Most independent contractorsinclude all their income and expenses from their indepen-dent contractor business on Schedule C of Form 1040. Thebottom line of Schedule C is the net taxable income fromthe business. For someone who has been reporting inde-

Are you, or your workers, employees or indepen-dent contractors? It pays to know the difference.

INDEPENDENTPRACTICE

July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 21www.racquetsportsindustry.com

B Y M A R K E . B A T T E R S B Y

INDEPENDENTPRACTICE

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22 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2011 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

An Independent Contractor’ s LifeAlthough the benefits to an employer dealing with inde-pendent contractors are largely economic, consider thebenefits of a teaching pro working as an independentcontractor:� You are your own boss—complete with all of the risks

and rewards. As master of your own fate, independentcontractors know that the amount of money they makeis directly related to the quantity and quality of theirwork.

� You may earn more. According to a Wall Street Journalsurvey a few years ago, independent contractors usual-ly are paid 20 to 40 percent more per hour thanemployees performing the same work. The employercan afford the independent contractor’s higher ratesbecause they are not required to pay half of the inde-pendent contractor’s Social Security taxes, pay unem-ployment compensation taxes, provide workers’compensation coverage, or employee benefits.

� An independent contractor’s tax bill will be lower.Being an independent contractor means no federal orstate taxes are withheld from paychecks as they are foremployees. Although independent contractors mustgenerally make periodic estimated tax payments direct-ly to the IRS, they can hold onto their hard-earnedmoney longer before turning it over to the IRS.

� Even more importantly, an independent contractor cantake advantage of many business-related tax deduc-tions that are largely denied to employees. All businessexpenses, so long as they are ordinary, necessary and

reasonable, qualify as tax write-offs. Even commutingexpenses, denied to employees, are often legitimatetax deductions for independent contractors when trav-eling from home.

But there’s also a downside to being an independentcontractor:� No job security. Admittedly, an independent contractor

is his or her own boss, but that is often a mixed bless-ing. Employees usually are paid even if business is slowor there is no work. There are rarely costs associatedwith dismissing independent contractors.

� No employer-provided benefits. Employers, includingmany tennis businesses, often provide benefits toemployees such as health insurance, paid vacationsand paid sick time. More generous employers may alsoprovide retirement benefits, bonuses and even employ-ee profit sharing.

� Independent contractors get no benefits. Each indepen-dent contractor must pay for their own health insur-ance, often at a higher rate than their employer must.Time lost due to vacation and illness comes directly outof an independent contractor’s bottom-line.

� No unemployment income benefits. That’s right, nosafety net. Teaching pros labeled as independent con-tractors can’t collect unemployment when the work foran employer ends.

� No employer-paid workers’ comp. If a work-relatedinjury is the fault of the independent contractor, thereis little or no recourse against the employer.

pendent contractor income on a Schedule “C,” the re-charac-terization can be messy.

� Changing Returns: According to the tax rules and the IRS, ifan independent contractor is re-labeled as an employee, theexpenses deducted from income on Schedule C must now bededucted as miscellaneous itemized deductions—subject to a2 percent floor. What’s worse, some of the expenses may nolonger be deductible at all, such as the deduction equal toone-half of the amount of self-employment tax.

� Do-It-Yourself or Have It Done For You: According to the IRS,a re-classified worker taking the initiative to correct matters,usually with an amended tax return, may be able to reduceor avoid any otherwise applicable interest or penalties ontaxes due. The re-classified worker might, in fact, receive arefund of any overpayment of tax. And for those who did notinitially pay FICA or self-employment taxes, paying it nowwill ensure credit for this income with the Social SecurityAdministration.

A Safe Harbor From Liabilities?An employer’s liability for violations of wage and hour laws,discrimination, wrongful termination and similar rules can eas-ily be minimized by not having employees or keeping theirranks to a minimum. And, as some tennis facilities and racquet

sports-related businesses have discovered, it is usually possibleto have some workers operate as independent contractors,thus sidestepping a panoply of tax and other liabilities—maybe.Created in 1978, Section 530 of the Tax Code provides relief

from re-classification liabilities when an employer misclassifiesworkers. More than 30 years after this “temporary” provisionwas enacted, it continues to be interpreted liberally, providingprotection when an employer has classified a worker as anindependent contractor and the worker is reclassified on audit.The employer is relieved of liability if the tax returns, includ-

ing Form 1099, show that all similar workers were consistent-ly treated as independent contractors, and that there was areasonable basis for that classification. Employers must usual-ly satisfy three requirements: a reasonable basis for treatingthe workers as independent contractors, a substantive consis-tency requirement and a reporting consistency requirement.The IRS has the resources to detect and pursue only a tiny

fraction of misclassification situations. In fact, the latest figuresavailable reveal the agency completed examinations of fewerthan 1,200 employers. But don’t be lulled into a false sense ofsecurity. Remember, it only takes one unemployment insur-ance “employee” determination to lead to one on workers’compensation, state disability, IRS issues, etc.

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July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 23

Fortunately, the IRS has a form, SS-8, that is a stream-lined ruling form that either workers or an employer can fillout to obtain an IRS determination on worker status.Although the IRS’s SS-8 program is helpful, there is somerisk involved. According to the IRS, in fact, 72 percent of allForm SS-8 requests it received resulted in IRS determina-tions that the workers in question were employees. Twenty-five percent were closed without any advice given. Only 3percent resulted in determinations that the workers in ques-tion were independent contractors. Surprisingly, about 90percent of Form SS-8 requests are filed by workers—whichcould explain the skewed numbers. Obviously, employersshould be taking advantage of this process more frequently,notwithstanding the figures.

Looking Like an Independent BusinessThe most fundamental difference between employees andindependent contractors is that employers have the right totell their employees what to do and how to do it. It’s accept-able for an employer to give detailed guidelines for theresults expected.If a teaching pro or other independent contractor runs

absolutely no risk of loss, chances are he or she is not real-ly an independent contractor. This can be as simple ascharging a set price for a job or engagement. Obviously, ifthe project price exceeds expenses, an independent con-tractor will make money; if too little is charged, a loss willresult.It’s also a smart move to look like an independent busi-

ness. Don’t accept employment benefits; instead chargeenough that health insurance, paid vacations or pensionbenefits are affordable. Independent contractors also find itis a good idea to maintain a separate bank account.Most importantly, an independent contractor should

make his or her services available to more than one personor company. Hanging out a shingle, advertising your ser-vices or joining a professional organization all are strongindications of independent contractor status.The potential liability for mischaracterization of workers

is already frightening, and it may become even more expen-sive. The Obama administration proposed to reform theIRS’s oversight of worker classification in its fiscal year 2011budget proposals. There are also proposals to make misclassification penal-

ties more severe both for employers and workers, as well asgive more power to the government in cases of misclassifi-cation. There are increased audit programs designed to fer-ret out problems and more employers of all sizes aredestined to face such battles. Short of treating everyone as an employee, there is no

easy solution to this problem. It is clear, though, that manytennis businesses do not routinely examine their workerrelationships before they are confronted with an IRS, LaborDepartment or other audit. And workers rarely look beyondthe anticipated tax breaks when assuming the independentcontractor label.This is one area in which a little thought, a little prepara-

tion and professional guidance can be better than a cure. �

www.racquetsportsindustry.com www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Mark E. Battersby is a tax advisor and freelance writer in Ardmore, Pa., who has specialized in tax and finance topics for more than 25 years.

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1 0 A N D U N D E R T E N N I S

You've heard and read about how shorter courts, softerballs and smaller racquets can translate into bigger num-bers of kids learning—and sticking with—tennis. But

maybe you're still on the fence about whether to dedicate partof your business to 10 and Under Tennis.

Considering the rough economic patch we've been through,who can blame you for being cautious? But here's a good reasonnot to hold back: Whether you’re a facility manager, teachingpro, retailer or court builder, the new teaching formats and pro-gramming for kids 10 and under, the equipment that theyrequire, and the shorter courts they play on can boost your bot-tom line.

And it's not just hypothetical. Across the board, industrymembers are talking about the way 10 and Under Tennis hasincreased their income and made their businesses grow. And bybusiness, we mean all kinds of business.

Some quick background: 10 and Under Tennis uses theQuickStart Tennis play format to introduce kids to the game.Balls are easier to hit because they are lower in compression, sothey bounce lower and don’t move as fast, allowing kids time to

reach them, which helps them develop proper swing patterns.Racquets are smaller, sized to smaller hands, allowing kids touse proper grips and swings. Courts are smaller, either 36- or 60-feet long, so it’s easier for kids to cover the court. All of thismeans kids have more fun and less frustration. In fact, within anhour kids are rallying and having fun—and they’re playing realtennis, right from the start.

Both the ITF and the USTA voted to change the rules for kids10 and under. Starting in 2012, tournament play for this agegroup must be on smaller courts, with lower bouncing, slowermoving balls and lighter, shorter racquets.

What does this mean for you? Well, there is some realoomph behind this 10 and Under Tennis initiative. In fact, theUSTA has invested heavily throughout the U.S. to bring tennis tokids—among other things, providing big bucks for nationaladvertising, marketing and promotion campaigns, providinggrants for 10 and under programs, and helping to subsidize lin-ing shorter courts. So, no matter what you do in this industry, allthis support can mean big things for your business, too. But youneed to get involved in 10 and Under Tennis.

For facilities, retailers, court buildersand teaching pros, getting on board withthe 10 and Under Tennis Initiative canadd up to big profits for your business.

For facilities, retailers, court buildersand teaching pros, getting on board withthe 10 and Under Tennis Initiative canadd up to big profits for your business.

DO THEMATHDO THEMATH

B Y M A R Y H E L E N S P R E C H E R A N D P E T E R F R A N C E S C O N I

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Facilities:Facilitating Growth in the GameTennis facility owners and managers have seen the 10 and UnderTennis initiative bring in new players, and more players on courttranslates into more income.

"It's simple math," says Ajay Pant, national director of racquetsports for Midtown Athletic Club in Rochester, N.Y. "If you current-ly have four kids on a court and they're paying $10, that's $40 com-ing in. With 10 and Under Tennis, you could have maybe 10 kidson a court, so now you're bringing in $100. If I ask a club owner,'Would you like to make more money?' they always say yes. I can'timagine anyone in this business not wanting to do that."

And it is simple math: A typical 78-foot tennis court can fit four36-foot courts on it. So, if you have four kids playing on each small-er court, you’re putting 16 kids on one regular size court—howmuch easier can it get to double, triple, quadruple your revenue percourt?

Bringing in more players also tends to have a cumulative effect,according to officials at Centercourt Athletic Club in Chatham, N.J."The format works so well that kids want to play more tennis," saysClay Bibbee, managing director. Bibbee and Jeff Rothstein, Center-court's senior director of player development and high perfor-mance, have seen more children moving through the club, startingwith 10 and Under Tennis clinics and going into group and privatelessons and competitive play sessions.

Mike Woody, executive director of the Midland CommunityTennis Center in Midland, Mich., says his organization has experi-enced measureable mathematical outcomes.

"This has increased our court utilization," says Woody. "We area mature organization and our court usage is up 10 percent thisyear. That kind of number is huge, especially when you considerthat in years past we celebrated when we had 1 to 2 percentincreases. It's up because we have kids now playing on courts thatwe would have considered dormant. Our lesson revenue is up; infact, we're up $50,000 in revenue over last year."

But it's not just kids' play that has increased, either. Facilities areseeing growthacross the boardbecause the newformat meanskids go hometalking about ten-nis. Parents whohave neverplayed get inter-ested enough totake lessons. Ifthey've had a hiatus from the game, it brings them back.

"Adult leagues definitely benefited from 10 and Under Tennisprograms because tennis is a family sport, and the parents want tokeep up," says Jorge Andrew, director of operations at the Lexing-ton Tennis Complex in Lexington, S.C. "There's no doubt about it;this has made a tremendous difference."

Lexington is reaping the benefits of increased participation. Anew tennis complex is almost finished, and 12 of the 23 full-sizecourts will be lined for 10U play. In addition, there will be sevendesignated 10 and Under Tennis courts.

Teaching Pros:More Lesson IncomeTennis pros have been endorsing 10 and Under Tennis program-ming as a way to get kids excited about the sport. What gets teach-ing pros excited, though, is the income potential.

"It certainly can increase the revenue you can generate," saysMike Lissner, senior tennis pro with the Columbia Association inColumbia, Md. "You can have two pros working with six kids eachand they're playing competitively. I used to say the physics of thegame was beyond little kids; now they're actually playing, whichmeans they're happy."

The lesson income can be even better, says Simon Gale, direc-tor of tennis at Yonkers Tennis Center in Yonkers, N.Y, if experi-enced pros use the learning experience to teach incominginstructors as well. "If you have a strong pro on one side and a col-lege kid who wants to work in the club and can put in afternoonswith you, you can have more kids on the court, and you can makemoney on that court, and it’s cheaper for you by about 25 percent,"says Gale. "Say they put in 20 hours a week—that really savesmoney over the course of the season. You're making money andyou're saving money. Why would anyone not look at investing inthis program?"

Providing incentive for children to stay in the program has builtbusiness for Mike Vetter, tennis pro at Elite Sports Club in Milwau-kee. "We tell kids while they're learning, ‘OK, in a few weeks, we'regoing to have a tournament, so let's practice our serves.' The nextweek, it's 'Don't forget, the tournament is coming, so let's practice

backhands.' We give them take-home tennis, rather than having alesson and leaving. Then they're going out and telling their friends,'I'm going to play in a tournament,' so they're walking billboardsfor us. Their friends want to do it too. If you multiply all those kids,the economicimpact is verygood."

At MidtownTennis Club inChicago, "Busi-ness is boom-ing," says LeahFriedman, direc-tor of the juniordevelopmentprogram. "We have over 580 kids. We are always sold out, and I'malways trying to figure out ways to put more kids in."

The secret of the program's success, says Friedman, "is thatkids are always playing, they're always active. They're engagedbecause they're keeping score and having a great time."

Kids who have to wait to hit balls, pros add, generally get boredand start goofing off. "If kids have a choice between a video gameand standing around being bored," says Pant, "well, guess what?They'd rather be playing that game where they're on Mars shootingat aliens. But get them playing and they're having a great time andthey want to come back. Suddenly, more courts are being used,there's more membership, and it just drives home the point: Thismakes money."

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July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 26www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Court Contractors:Building BusinessThe growth of 10 and under programming is being felt, literally,from the ground up. Court builders who promote adding 36- and60-foot court lines to facilities find themselves in demand. "Notonly do you gain additional revenue, but also you strengthen yourrelationship with your client base," says Bill Osterhold of SignatureTennis Courts Inc. in Woodstock, Ga. "My involvement in this hasdefinitely helped Signature's business."

Tom Hinding of HindingTennis Courts in West Haven,Conn., is even more direct: "Ifyou’re not involved with 10 andUnder Tennis, then from a mar-keting standpoint, you're reallymissing the boat. I would sayabout 25 percent of our quotesfor tennis projects include linesfor shorter courts, and we'realso quoting jobs that includenothing but 10 and Under Ten-nis lines. Every single club andfacility wants blended lines.Sometimes they're worriedsomeone will complain, but wehaven't had a single complaint."

In addition, says Hinding, it raises awareness of his company.

"We've gotten jobs out of places where we just went in to talkabout lining shorter courts. It's definitely boosted our revenue."Hinding actively markets his 10 and Under Tennis courts on Face-book, posting photos of jobs in progress and at completion, andsays that a few new jobs have come out of this method.

Leslie Coatings Inc. of Indianapolis has a business base "ofabout 90 percent schools and universities," says David Nielsen,"and we're seeing the demand. We’ve had quite a few customers,a lot of them high schools, who are anticipating putting on 10 andUnder Tennis lines when they recoat."

The ability of builders to make money on 10 and Under Ten-nis, says Mark Brogan, who operates Pro-Sport Construction Inc. inDevon, Pa., is limited only by the builder's willingness to embraceit. Lining courts comes at a minimal cost, but pays off later.

"On average, I think, people are charging maybe $350 to $375to line courts. That's not much, but it leads to more work laterbecause people remember you when they want something elsedone. We made up a brochure about 10 and Under Tennis and sentit out to a lot of our clients and we've seen a really good return."

Brogan, who serves on the board of directors of the AmericanSports Builders Association as the group's tennis division president,actively encourages other members of the industry to incorporatethe new format into their business.

"10 and Under Tennis is here, and people need to realize whatan important part of the industry it is," he says. "It's not just heretoday, it's going to be here down the road, and it's going to createmore players. More players use more courts. How hard is that kindof math?"

Retailers:Short- and Long-Term BusinessIt’s simple: As more and more 10 and under kids start playing ten-nis, the opportunities to sell the proper equipment to them willgrow. So retailers can realize some nice gains by stocking the short-er racquets and lower compression balls these kids will need—andthat are now mandated in the rules. And importantly, as kids con-tinue to grow, they’ll need to move up to bigger frames, so you’llbe ensuring repeat business, too. Plus, don’t forget, it’s the parentswho will be in your store paying for this equipment—you have anexcellent chance to supply their tennis equipment, apparel andfootwear needs, too.

“We’re very upfront about the fact that for kids playing 10 andUnder Tennis, they need the right equipment,” says Bruce Levine,the general manager of Courtside Racquet Club in Lebanon, N.J.“We do sell youth racquets in all sizes, and the red, yellow andgreen tennis balls. And we run junior tournaments, so with the rulechanges, it essentially forces parents to buy the right size equip-ment for their kids if they want to participate. In fact, just this pastweekend we had a small junior tourney, and our shop sold a cou-ple of shorter racquets to participants.”

Retailers also can benefit from free resources available fromthe Tennis Industry Association to help them sell 10 and UnderTennis equipment and promote the initiative in their store. “By reg-istering your retail business at TennisIndustry.org/Retail, you’llreceive a free 10 and Under Tennis Retailer Kit that includes accessto marketing and promotional materials,” says TIA ExecutiveDirector Jolyn de Boer. The TIA, she adds, is helping to lead the

effort in supporting retailers in the 10 and Under Tennis initiative.In addition, retailers who make a commitment to carrying 10

and Under Tennis equipment will be listed on the 10andUn-derTennis.com “Retail Locator,” provided they meet certainrequirements. (More information on this is at TennisIndus-try.org/Retail.) “This will help consumers find your store to buy rac-quets and balls,” de Boer says.

The key for retailers, though, is in the “connections.” Forinstance, if a nearby facility or club or park is running 10U pro-gramming, the youngparticipants will needthe right equipment.So connect up withthose facilities and sellto their players.

“I think the sale of10 and under equip-ment will surge in thenear future,” Levinesays. “And it canmake life very good for us. Kids just can’t play in a tourney with anadult-size racquet. They need the right fit, so to some degree, as aretailer you have an easy time with it.” �

For more on 10 and Under Tennis and howyou can get involved—and boost yourbusiness—visit 10andUnderTennis.com orTennisIndustry.org/Retail.

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BUILDING THET EAMT H E S T R I N G E R ʼ S F I L E

B Y R O N R O C C H I

Iam often asked, “How did the Wilson stringing team get itsstart?” My answer usually begins with a smile as I am remind-ed of all the talented individuals who helped make this hap-

pen. The stringing team has had great success, we haveaccomplished so much, and we continue to set the standard fortournament stringing. Looking back, many individuals havemade significant contributions to the team. So let’s go back tothe beginning…

It was November 2005, and I had been with Wilson for about10 years. Most people don’t know that the global headquartersfor Wilson Sporting Goods is in Chicago. At the time we had sev-eral floors in a typical office building, with one major differencefrom any other office—we always have tons of products lyingaround the office! Hundreds of racquets, string everywhere,more tennis balls than you could ever use, and every other ten-nis gear you can imagine. That office had four big conferencerooms, all named after the Grand Slams.

One day, I got called into a meeting in the US Open confer-ence room. The topic was ways we could enhance and strength-en our longstanding partnership with the USTA. Former GlobalTour Director Michael Wallace walked into the room and said, “Ijust got off the phone with the USTA and they wanted to know ifwe were interested in putting together a stringing team for theUS Open.”

I’ll never forget what happened next: Everyone in the roomlooked at me, and almost what seemed to be in unison asked,“So, what do you think?” My mind was flooded with thoughts,mostly of things we would need to do and things we did not have

in place. “And there’s more,” Wallace added. “They want us tobe stringing there in August.” That was only eight months away,and all I could think was, how in the world can we pull that off?

We were presented with a tremendous opportunity, and atthe same time a tremendous challenge. Over the next few min-utes, we had committed money, resources, personnel and sup-port to make this happen. Now all I needed to do was puttogether a team. Essentially I broke the whole project down intothree main areas: equipment (stringing machines and comput-ers), personnel (the stringers themselves), and to create a com-prehensive training program that would yield ultra consistency.

Building the SoftwareI spent many weeks evaluating various stringing software pro-grams, hoping to find something that we could use at tourna-ments, but for the level of sophistication required, it becameobvious that no existing program would be sufficient. I thenstarted to map out some basic programming ideas and listed allof the facets I wanted to incorporate. The main idea was to usethe power of computers to speed up the check-in process so thatthe players could move through our space easily and quickly.

I met with a software architect, and we decided to build acustom program to fit our needs. Our system scans the player'sbadge to bring up specific player records. At the 2011 AustralianOpen, the average amount of time needed for a player to dropoff racquets for stringing was less than 120 seconds.

Our highly trained desk staff used the system to log in theracquets, collect the tension information, enter the time required

With little time to pull together the first Wilson stringing team,the goal was to create a comprehensive training program thatwould yield ultra consistency.

This is the third article in a series by Ron Rocchi, RSI’s 2009 Stringer of the Year andthe Global Tour Equipment Manager at Wilson Sporting Goods, and the person behindthe Wilson/Luxilon tournament stringing team. Rocchi’s, and RSI’s, goal is to sharewhat he’s learned in a way that will help you improve your stringing business.

With little time to pull together the first Wilson stringing team,the goal was to create a comprehensive training program thatwould yield ultra consistency.

BUILDING THET EAM

July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 27www.racquetsportsindustry.com

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28 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2011 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

for pick up, and note any special stringing instructions. Typical-ly, special instructions could be to string the racquet in the morn-ing, to follow a specific pattern, and in some cases, variabletensions on different strings.

A player's schedule can be very hectic. They have to wait inline for transportation, for getting a practice court, and even toget food, so they appreciate never having to wait in a line fortheir racquets. One of our main objectives was to streamline ourservice as much as possible.

I can tell you that the players really appreciate our “hasslefree” drop-off and pick-up procedures. When they want to pickup their racquets, they simply scan their badge again, and ourcomputer system tells us which racquets to pull from the com-pleted rack and hand back to the player. This part of the processtakes less than 30 seconds!

Building the team was much like putting together any pro-fessional sports franchise, just pick any sport and look at whichteams are considered the best. The methodology and philosophyin which they build their team contain many of the same ele-ments I used to create the Wilson stringing team.

My role was that of head coach and general manager, so Ineeded to start recruiting stringers, and build an infrastructure.From the inception, our goal was to break new ground and forma team like no other in the world. Our team would be ultra con-

sistent, extremely pro-fessional, and alwaysfocus on player ser-vice. This meant Ineeded stringers whocould execute specificroles on the team, andput the best teamtogether for each tour-nament.

In the world ofstringing, Grand Slamsare the most difficult,just below that are

1000 Masters Series events such as Miami or Indian Wells, fol-lowed by the 500 and 250 Series. The quantity of racquets andnumber of stringers needed decreases accordingly, as does thelevel of difficulty. So, the challenge was to go from nothing to theUS Open in eight months. To the best of my knowledge, this hadnever been done before by any stringing team.

Rigorous Training CourseThe way Wilson strings at a tournament centers on the idea ofstandardization, and requires that all stringers adhere to the sys-tem while at the tournament. Each stringer must complete atraining course that can last from one to three days based on skilland previous tournament experience. During this trainingcourse, every aspect of stringing is standardized. We have a spe-cific way we mount the racquets, standard methods for usingstarting clamps, and specific stringing patterns for differenttypes of racquets. We also mandate the knot over-pull (+20%),clamp position, knots and many other details.

Our version of stringing “boot camp” culminates in a finaltest to string eight very difficult racquets in three hours, includ-

ing stencils, tubing, pads and bagging. Even the smallest mistakesuch as a crossover will cause the stringer to fail and repeat thetest. The Wilson stringing team currently has a 60% failure ratefor new potential stringers.

Although it is difficult to concisely describe all of the attribut-es that we are looking for in a stringer, there are common traitsthat all of our team members possess:� Previous tournament experience is a must; we look for at leastfive years of solid tournament work to even be considered fortraining.

� The ability to thrive in a team environment is also very impor-tant; to put any personal agenda aside and focus on teamgoals.

� Low ego—we have many stringers working in a small space,and we spend so many hours together, having your ego incheck makes the time spent tolerable.

� Communication skills, especially the spoken word, is critical tokeep information flowing in the stringing room; all stringersmust develop clear and straightforward communication.

� Cleanliness—we continually strive to project a professionalwork environment, so clutter and mess must be eliminated.

� Accuracy and consistency—the ability to string 18 hours a dayand have the last racquet come out the same as the first rac-quet is no easy task. And most importantly, the stringers’ mis-take level must be zero.The life of a tournament stringer is not glamorous. The days

are extremely long, most days we string for 18 to 20 hours. Theworking conditions are not ideal; we never seem to have enoughlighting, space or temperature control. The pressure is high; play-ers always want their racquets strung quickly. There neverseems to be time to eat or rest, and the concept of “time off”does not exist. To be a good tournament stringer, you must havea personality that thrives on the challenge and feeds off of thestress. And you need to string mistake-free for long periods oftime under stressful conditions.

The individuals who currently are members of the Wil-son/Luxilon stringing team exemplify these traits, and are someof the finest tournament stringers in the world today.

The 2011 Team MembersThe 2011 Wilson stringing team is comprised of 16 stringersfrom many different countries. Often, more than seven lan-guages are spoken in the stringing room. Within the team, thereis a core group of stringers who have been together from thebeginning, and comprise the heart and soul of the team. Thesestringers arrive early, stay late, and have no issues with stringing35 racquets each day, perfectly. As an added bonus, they alsoprovide much of the humor during the long hours, which isabsolutely necessary for the team. I want to thank them for theiryears of hard work and contributions to our success over theyears.• Yat Kong, New York, NY• Len Filatov, New York, NY• Goran Hofsteter, Croatia• Tadashi Hosoya, Japan• Dickie Lee, Hong Kong, China

In the past couple of years, we have added some newstringers to the team, all of whom are recognized for their abili-

‘The way Wilson strings at a tournamentcenters on the idea ofstandardization, andrequires that allstringers adhere to thesystem while at thetournament.’

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SUCCESSmarketingty. They are some of the best stringersin the world and they all have added adimension of depth and stability to theteam. Most of them have previousGrand Slam experience, Davis Cup,and/or Masters Series tournaments ontheir resume, and are well respected bythe players. These stringers make ourlives easy at tournaments by stringingerror-free for hours on end, and alwayscontribute to our success. • Todd Mobley, Atlanta, GA• Jarred Magee, Australia• Luis Pianelli, Argentina• Dustin Tankersley, Fort Worth, TX• Joe Heydt, Omaha, NE• Shane Mikic, Australia• Kian Pin Lay, Australia• Vasiliy Guryanov, Chicago, IL• Benoit Mauguin, France

Most recently, two stringers havesuccessfully completed training and willbe joining the team in New York for the2011 US Open. Since this will be theirfirst Grand Slam, they have the opportu-nity to string during the qualificationrounds and early days of the tourna-ment. Both these guys are great addi-tions to the team and their tournamentskills have improved greatly this year. Ilook forward to them becoming perma-nent team members, and stringing atmany tournaments for years to come.• Jim Downes, Centreville, MD• Jeff Weidemann, Clinton, NJ

I would be remiss if I did not recog-nize another critical part of the team,the individuals who interface with theplayers every day and make it possiblefor the stringers to get the jobs done.Wilson has always strived to enhanceplayer service, and the player receptionarea led by Joel Disbro is simply the bestin the business. Our staff is knowledge-able, professional, accurately collectsthe stringing instructions, and preparesthe racquets for the stringers to string.When a player walks into our place ofoperation, they are considered our cus-tomer, and they know that we will worktirelessly to provide the best servicepossible. • Joel Disbro, Wilson • Ryan Polito, Wilson• Brad Skoryi, Wilson • Marni Heydt, Omaha, NE• Linda Steinbock, Australia• Carla Smarrelli, Australia• Alana Smarrelli, Australia �

The 2011 Team Members

Coming Up:A look at common “redflags” we experience in thestringing room at tourna-ments, and our strategy andfixes for them.

Yat Kong Len Filatov Goran Hofsteter Tadashi Hosoya

Dickie Lee Todd Mobley Jarred Magee

Luis Pianelli

Dustin Tankersley Joe Heydt Shane Mikic Kian Pin Lay

Vasiliy Guryanov

Benoit Mauguin

Jim Downes Jeff Weidemann

Joel Disbro Ryan Polito Linda Steinbock Marni Heydt

Alana Smarrelli Brad Skoryi

July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 29www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Carla Smarrelli

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2 0 1 1 G U I D E T O B A L L M A C H I N E S

Ball machines are great for your business. They canhelp out in lessons and clinics by keeping your play-ers moving and hitting shots. They provide consistent

practice so customers can “groove” their strokes. And theycan be great revenue-generators all by themselves—just byletting your members book time with the ball machine fortheir own practice sessions. Of course, you can probably find

many other ways to use a ball machine to help your busi-ness, too.

To best help your players, though, you want to make surethey practice with a ball machine in a way that mimics whatan actual opponent will do. So here are a few “do’s anddon’ts” that you might want to tell your players when theyface down this electronic foe.

Put your ball machine to work generating moreincome for you, and helping your players reachtheir potential.

MACHINEDRIVENMACHINEDRIVEN

30 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2011 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

B Y K E N D E H A R T

DO:5 Things to Consider When Using a Ball Machine� Place the ball machine off-center, where the opponent might be whenmaking a shot.

� Have the ball machine direct shots where the opponent might hitbased upon their position on the court or particular tendencies of aknown opponent.

� If using the oscillation feature, have it direct the ball within theoptions available if it were playing from that position in a rally.

� After each shot, the player should recover to a new position on thecourt based upon where they hit their return of the ball, then theyshould recover quickly based upon where the next ball is coming fromthe ball machine.

� Direct each ball back toward an intended target, using direction,depth and spin.

DON’ T:5 Things to NOT Do When Using a BallMachine� Do not place the ball machineonly on the baseline in the centerof the court.

� Do not have the ball machineoscillate only from deuce court toad court.

� Do not use the ball machine topractice only ground strokes.

� Do not stand still after each shot.� Do not return random shots ofthe incoming ball.

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July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 31www.racquetsportsindustry.com www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Planning a PracticeWith a Ball MachineDepending on your ball machineuse policies, your players may havemany options to consider whenthey plan to use a ball machine tohelp them practice. Here are somethings they may want to considerto help improve the quality andeffectiveness of their practice.� First, make sure they know allthe safety precautions—and thatthey never look into the ball out-put. Ball machines can causeinjury if improperly used.

� Make sure they know how toadjust the ball machine and howto vary deliveries of the ball.

� Players should approach theirball machine sessions with aplan, knowing what shots theywant to work on, what level ofactivity they want, how long theywant to hit, etc.

� Often, two friends using the ballmachine at the same time can bean effective way to practice. Forinstance, one player can hitground strokes off the ballmachine, while the other takesthat ball and volleys it. Or thefirst player can volley off the ballmachine, and the second playercan hit a lob off that volley. Orplayers can alternate hitting aftera certain number of shots or apattern has been completed.

� Two players also help when itcomes time to pick up the ballswhen the machine is empty. Thatmay include taking turns puttingballs in the machine while theother player is hitting, then rotat-ing turns.

� Suggest to players that whenthey stop to pick up the balls,they practice serving all the ballsthat did not make it over the net.

� Suggest that players write downany ball machine drills they cre-ate, or suggest drills that wouldbe good for your players.

Tips for Making Practice Practical� Select real singles targets using the foursquares on the opposite side of the net:Square 1 is the deuce service court, square 2is the space behind the deuce service court,square 3 is the space behind the ad servicecourt and square 4 is the ad service court.This will help players with the direction anddepth of their intended target and maketheir practice more practical.

� Even though the ball machine is set to sendthe ball to players as a ground stroke, theyshould practice moving forward after the ini-tial shot to play a half-volley, and then mov-ing in farther to play a volley or two.

� As they play shots moving in toward thenet, have them select targets for directionand depth that they would actually use iftheir opponent were on the baseline wherethe ball machine is located and they wereattempting to capture the net.

� Once they get to the net, make sure theyrecover back quickly and retreat toward thebaseline as though they were put on totaldefense.

� Players should vary the speed of their shots,using at least three different levels: slowwith lots of spin, rally speed, and as hard aspossible—without missing.

� Vary the spin of theirs shots, using varyingdegrees of topspin and underspin.

� Vary the frequency of the shots delivered bythe ball machine, allowing both little timebetween shots or too much time, just like anopponent would in a match.

� Vary the spin of the shots delivered by theball machine, so players learn how toreceive different shots that may be difficultin matches.

� Limit the number of shots players makewithout pausing. Hitting 300 balls in a rowjust because that is how many the ballmachine holds is neither effective nor effi-cient practice. After about 40 or 50 balls,players should turn off the machine andreset some feature of the balls they arereceiving.

� Change targets often. Players should prac-tice enough returns to specific targets untilthey feel comfortable with that target, thenthey should move on to a new target.

Tips for Practicing forDoublesBall machines can easily beused to give your doublesplayers a workout. Here aresome tips they should con-sider to best simulatematch-play situations.� Place the ball machine inthe deuce court near thesingles sideline.

� Have the ball machinedirect shots to the deuce-court alley.

� When oscillating, havethe ball machine directballs to the deuce-courtalley and then toward thecenter service mark in thedeuce court. This will sim-ulate being pulled wide toreturn a shot, then havingto move back to the cen-ter for the next shot.

� After each shot, the play-er should recover to anew position on thecourt, keeping their feetin motion, like in a realmatch.

� Players should hit eachshot back toward anintended target, aimingwith direction and depth.

� If two players are usingthe ball machine, theycan practice poaching onevery other shot thatcomes out of themachine.

� Select real doubles tar-gets. For instance, deepcrosscourt to square 2,short underspin or heavyshort angle shots tosquare 1, down the linetoward the net player’salley or lobbing high anddeep to square 3 over theopposing net player’shead.

Ken DeHart is a Master Professional with both the PTR and USPTA, a USA High Performance Coach, a member of the Wilson Premier Advisory Staff,and the director of tennis at the San Jose Swim & Racquet Club. Visit www.kendeharttennis.com.

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Silent Partner Quest

2 0 1 1 G U I D E T O B A L L M A C H I N E S

FIND YOURBALL MACHINEFor 2011, new machines fromLobster, Match Mate and SportsTutor join the list

If you're considering the purchase of a ball machine, you'll be excited tohear that the USRSA has updated its Ball Machine Selection Guide for2011. This is the only source anywhere that allows ball machine buyers

to compare the features from all the different brands in one easy-to-useguide.

Five new machines have been added to the 2011 guide—two eachfrom Lobster and Silent Partner and one from Match Mate. To see howthey compare to all the other ball machines available, check out thechart on pages 34 and 35. You'll see the specs for the five newmachines printed in red.

Remember, many machines offer option that can be added at thetime of purchase. We list all the features that come standard with eachmachine, but we also list all the options available, along with the costof adding each. —David Bone �

Lobster Phenom

FIND YOURBALL MACHINE

July 2010 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 33

Match Mate Rookie

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7 - 6-Hour Non-Memory Battery Upgrade $1598 - Smash Conversion Box $3259 - Deuce Conversion Box $112510 - Genie Conversion Box $192511 - Genie PC Conversion Box $3750

Sports Tutorsportstutor.com800-448-8867

Super Coachtennismachine.com623-581-6200

PROPULSION

Elite Freedom $799 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 30 X 2 - 12 70 X X X X 8.5A 2-4h X X X $49 X 1a, 2Elite Grandslam IV $1,899 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 9 80 X X X X X X X X X 18A 4-8h X X $300 X X X $49 X 3Elite Model 1 $1,089 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 42 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X 18A 4-8h X X $169 X X $49 X 1b, 2Elite Model 2 $1,249 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X 18A 4-8h X X $169 X X $49 X 1c, 2Elite Model 3 $1,599 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X 18A 4-8h X X $169 X X $49 X 1d, 2 Elite Grandslam V $2,199 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 x 2 - 9 80 x x x x x 6 6 x x x x x x 18A 4-8h x x $300 x x x $49 x 4Elite Grandslam V Limited Edition $2,799 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 x 2 - 9 80 x x x x x 6 6 x x x x x x 18A 4-8h x x x Included x x x $49 x 5Phenom $2,999 2 32” x 25” x 50” 250 99 x 2 - 9 80 x x x x x x x x x x $300 x x x x 3Phenom 2 $3,499 2 32” x 25” x 50” 250 99 x 2 - 9 80 x x x x x 6 6 x x x x x x $300 x x x x 5

Rookie $399 1 11“ x 11” x 22” 55 22 X 2 - 7 25 X Topspin X X 7.5 X X

HALF VOLLEY $1,295 2 L 19” x 21” x 25” 200 42 X 1 - 10 80 X X X X X 17 X X X X $89.50 X 6, 7VOLLEY $1,795 2 L 19” x 21” x 25” 200 46 X 1 - 10 80 X X X X X 2 X 17 X X X X X $89.50 X 7ACE $3,495 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 200 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X 3 X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 XSMASH $4,395 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 X 9, 10, 11DEUCE $5,195 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 X 8, 10, 11GENIE $5,995 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 X 8, 9, 11GENIE PC $7,820 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 8 INF X X X X X X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 X 8, 9, 10GRAND SLAM $7,495 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 110 X 1 - 10 120 X X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 X 8, 9, 10, 11GRAND SLAM PC $8,995 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 110 X 1 - 10 120 X X X X X X 8 INF X X X X X X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 XI-SAM $684 1 19” x 17.5” x 18” 250 34 X 2 - 8 65 X X X $112 X X 12 X X X X X 13, 14SAM Professional Portable Model 1 $1,073 1 19.5” x 16” x 21.5” 300 48 X 2 - 8 75 X X X X $112 X X 15 X X X X X X 14, 15SAM Professional Portable Model 4 $1,749 1 19.5” x 16” x 21.5” 300 48 X 2 - 8 75 X X X X X 2 $112 X X 15 X X X X X X X X 14, 15SAM Sport $3,595 3 35” x 25” x 50” 250 87 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X X X X 3 X X X X 16SAM Coach $3,975 3 35” x 25” x 50” 250 87 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X X X X 6 X X X X X 16

Boomer $14,450 2 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 124 X 0.8 - 10 100 X X X X X 30 1000 X X X X X X X X X X $3,895 X X 17

Lite (Edge Series) $799 1 24” x 22” x 16” 200 35 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X X 9 X $40 XSport (Edge Series) $949 1 24” x 22” x 16” 200 46 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X X 21 X $40 XStar (Edge Series) $1,099 1 24” x 22” x 16” 200 46 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X $249 $100 X 21 X X X X $40 X 2 but. rem.

Rival (Scoop Series) $1,399 1 28” x 22” x 18” 300 48 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X 3 $249 $100 X 21 X X X X X X $40 X 16 but. rem.

Quest (Scoop Series) $1,799 1 28” x 22” x 18” 300 48 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X X 2 3 X X X $249 $100 X 21 X X X X X X $40 X 20 but. rem.

Smart (Scoop Series) $2,299 1 28” x 22” x 18” 300 48 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X X 20 3 X X X X X $249 $100 X 21 X X X X X X $40 X 22 but. rem.

Ace Attack $5,999 1 34” x 53” 200 150 X 1.5 - 12 110 X X X X X 4 X $300 X X $200 X

Tennis Twist $229 1 10” x 11” x23” 28 11 5 15 X X X 6 D Cells

Tennis Tutor ProLite - Basic $649 1 12” x 19.5” x 18” 125 22 X 1.5 - 10 60 X X X X X 9 X X $70 X $35 Tennis Tutor ProLite $749 1 12” x 19.5” x 18” 125 29 X 1.5 - 10 60 X X X X X 9 X X $70 X $35 18Tennis Tutor $1,049 1 12” x 19.5” x 20” 150 42 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X 4 $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 18, 19Tennis Tutor - Plus $1,249 1 20” x 19.5” x 20” 150 46 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X X 4 $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 18, 19, 20Tennis Tutor - Plus Player Model $1,649 1 20” x 19.5” x 20” 150 46 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X X 5 X X X $50 X 18 X X $200 X X X $35 X 18, 19, 20a,22

Tennis Tower $1,275 1 44” x 23” x 22” 225 60 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X $270 X 4 X $200 X X X XTennis Tower - Prof. Player $2,195 1 44” x 23” x 22” 225 60 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X X X 5 X X X X X X X X XShot Maker - Standard $3,100 2 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X X X 3 X $200 X X X XShot Maker - Deluxe $4,200 2 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X X X 6 X X X X X X X X 22Wilson Portable $1,095 1 22” x 14” x 20” 110 38 X 1.5 - 10 75 X X X X $200 2 $50 X 12 X X $200 X X $35 X 18Tennis Cube $499 1 15” x 12” x 13” 70 24 X 2 - 10 50 X X X X 6 X X 18Tennis Cube - Oscillation Model $599 1 15” x 12” x 13” 70 24 X 2 - 10 50 X X X X 6 X X 18

SuperCoach $11,465 1 36” x 27” x 22” 200 or 300 121 X 1.4 - 5.6 65 X X X X X 30 32 X X X X X X X X X X 21

Lobsterlobstersports.com800-526-4041

Playmateplaymatetennis.com800-776-6770

Silent Partnersptennis.com800-662-1809

SpinningWheelPropulsion

Air PressurePropulsion

FeedingInterval(seconds)

TopSpeed(MPH)

ElevationControl -Electronic

ElevationControl -Manual

AbletoFeedLobs

AbletoFeedTopspin&Underspin

BallCapacity

Weight (lbs)

Dimensions (Storage inches)

Warranty(years)

Price(MSRP)ModelManufacturer

Sports Attacksportsattack.com800-717-4251

SAMmastersports.com800-837-1002

Robot Optimizerstennisrobot.com888-8BOOMER

AbletoFeedSidespin

1a - Horizontal Oscillation / 1b - Horizontal Oscillation + Spin Control / 1c- Triple-Oscillation / 1d - Triple-Osciillation + 2-Line Narrow, Wide

2 - Fast charger $993 - 3 Pre-Programmed Court Drills (6 ball sequence per drill) 3 PositionalSettings of 2-Line (Narrow, Medium, Wide)

4 - 6 Pre-Programmed Court Drills + 6 Custom Programmable CourtDrills (with 6 possible locations) + 2 Line Narrow, Medium, Wide

5 - 6 Pre-Programmed Court Drills + 6 Custom Programmable CourtDrills (with 18 possible locations) + 2 Line Narrow, Medium, Wide

6 - Oscillation Upgrade $210, Remote Control Upgrade $290

New Machines in Red

2 0 1 1 G U I D E T O B A L L M A C H I N E S

Match Matematchmatetennis.com800-655-2739

Page 37: 201107 Racquet Sports Industry

MISC.REMOTE CONTROLPOWEROSCILLATIONNoOscillation

Oscillation-Random

Oscillation-Programmable

Number of ShotsinProgram

AdjustableDepthwithinProgram

AdjustableSpinwithinProgram

AdjustableHeightwithinProgram

RunsonBatteryorPowerCord

RunsonPowerCordOnly

RunsonBatteryOnly

BatteryAmp/Hour

BatteryLifeIndicator

BatterySwapability

RemoteControl -Standard

Rem. Cntrl-Optional Accessory

RemoteControl -Cord

RemoteControl -Wireless

RemoteControl of Oscillation

Rem. CntrlofProgramSettings

ServingTower-Standard

ServingTower-Optional Acc.

Cover -Standard

Cover -Optional Accessory

IncludesWheelsfor Portability

Other (SeeBelow)

PlayerSimulationMode

AdjustableIntervalwithinProg.

Smart ChargercomesStandard

Smart Chargeravail.asoption

12 - Grand Slam PC Conversion Box $375013 - Extra Heavy Duty Battery $35, Wireless Remote $10014 - 110/220 Volt AC converter $112, Water Resistant Cloth Storage Cover $6815 - Lob Enhancer $30, adjustable oscillation width16 - Ships via FedEx Gnd, Feeds Balls from 30" above ground

No. of Prog.thatCanBeStored

Elite Freedom $799 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 30 X 2 - 12 70 X X X X 8.5A 2-4h X X X $49 X 1a, 2Elite Grandslam IV $1,899 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 9 80 X X X X X X X X X 18A 4-8h X X $300 X X X $49 X 3Elite Model 1 $1,089 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 42 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X 18A 4-8h X X $169 X X $49 X 1b, 2Elite Model 2 $1,249 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X 18A 4-8h X X $169 X X $49 X 1c, 2Elite Model 3 $1,599 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 X 2 - 12 80 X X X X X X X 18A 4-8h X X $169 X X $49 X 1d, 2 Elite Grandslam V $2,199 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 x 2 - 9 80 x x x x x 6 6 x x x x x x 18A 4-8h x x $300 x x x $49 x 4Elite Grandslam V Limited Edition $2,799 2 24” x 16” x 19” 150 44 x 2 - 9 80 x x x x x 6 6 x x x x x x 18A 4-8h x x x Included x x x $49 x 5Phenom $2,999 2 32” x 25” x 50” 250 99 x 2 - 9 80 x x x x x x x x x x $300 x x x x 3Phenom 2 $3,499 2 32” x 25” x 50” 250 99 x 2 - 9 80 x x x x x 6 6 x x x x x x $300 x x x x 5

Rookie $399 1 11“ x 11” x 22” 55 22 X 2 - 7 25 X Topspin X X 7.5 X X

HALF VOLLEY $1,295 2 L 19” x 21” x 25” 200 42 X 1 - 10 80 X X X X X 17 X X X X $89.50 X 6, 7VOLLEY $1,795 2 L 19” x 21” x 25” 200 46 X 1 - 10 80 X X X X X 2 X 17 X X X X X $89.50 X 7ACE $3,495 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 200 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X 3 X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 XSMASH $4,395 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 X 9, 10, 11DEUCE $5,195 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 X 8, 10, 11GENIE $5,995 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 X 8, 9, 11GENIE PC $7,820 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 85 X 1 - 10 95 X X X X X 8 INF X X X X X X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 X 8, 9, 10GRAND SLAM $7,495 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 110 X 1 - 10 120 X X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 X 8, 9, 10, 11GRAND SLAM PC $8,995 3 L 35” x 21” x 38” 300 110 X 1 - 10 120 X X X X X X 8 INF X X X X X X X X X X X $4,695 $89.50 XI-SAM $684 1 19” x 17.5” x 18” 250 34 X 2 - 8 65 X X X $112 X X 12 X X X X X 13, 14SAM Professional Portable Model 1 $1,073 1 19.5” x 16” x 21.5” 300 48 X 2 - 8 75 X X X X $112 X X 15 X X X X X X 14, 15SAM Professional Portable Model 4 $1,749 1 19.5” x 16” x 21.5” 300 48 X 2 - 8 75 X X X X X 2 $112 X X 15 X X X X X X X X 14, 15SAM Sport $3,595 3 35” x 25” x 50” 250 87 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X X X X 3 X X X X 16SAM Coach $3,975 3 35” x 25” x 50” 250 87 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X X X X 6 X X X X X 16

Boomer $14,450 2 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 124 X 0.8 - 10 100 X X X X X 30 1000 X X X X X X X X X X $3,895 X X 17

Lite (Edge Series) $799 1 24” x 22” x 16” 200 35 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X X 9 X $40 XSport (Edge Series) $949 1 24” x 22” x 16” 200 46 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X X 21 X $40 XStar (Edge Series) $1,099 1 24” x 22” x 16” 200 46 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X $249 $100 X 21 X X X X $40 X 2 but. rem.

Rival (Scoop Series) $1,399 1 28” x 22” x 18” 300 48 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X 3 $249 $100 X 21 X X X X X X $40 X 16 but. rem.

Quest (Scoop Series) $1,799 1 28” x 22” x 18” 300 48 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X X 2 3 X X X $249 $100 X 21 X X X X X X $40 X 20 but. rem.

Smart (Scoop Series) $2,299 1 28” x 22” x 18” 300 48 X 1.5 - 10 95 X X X X X 20 3 X X X X X $249 $100 X 21 X X X X X X $40 X 22 but. rem.

Ace Attack $5,999 1 34” x 53” 200 150 X 1.5 - 12 110 X X X X X 4 X $300 X X $200 X

Tennis Twist $229 1 10” x 11” x23” 28 11 5 15 X X X 6 D Cells

Tennis Tutor ProLite - Basic $649 1 12” x 19.5” x 18” 125 22 X 1.5 - 10 60 X X X X X 9 X X $70 X $35 Tennis Tutor ProLite $749 1 12” x 19.5” x 18” 125 29 X 1.5 - 10 60 X X X X X 9 X X $70 X $35 18Tennis Tutor $1,049 1 12” x 19.5” x 20” 150 42 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X 4 $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 18, 19Tennis Tutor - Plus $1,249 1 20” x 19.5” x 20” 150 46 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X X 4 $50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 18, 19, 20Tennis Tutor - Plus Player Model $1,649 1 20” x 19.5” x 20” 150 46 X 1.5 - 12 85 X X X X 5 X X X $50 X 18 X X $200 X X X $35 X 18, 19, 20a,22

Tennis Tower $1,275 1 44” x 23” x 22” 225 60 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X $270 X 4 X $200 X X X XTennis Tower - Prof. Player $2,195 1 44” x 23” x 22” 225 60 X 1.5 - 8 85 X X X X 5 X X X X X X X X XShot Maker - Standard $3,100 2 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X X X 3 X $200 X X X XShot Maker - Deluxe $4,200 2 38.5” x 31” x 21.5” 300 96 X 1 - 6 95 X X X X X 6 X X X X X X X X 22Wilson Portable $1,095 1 22” x 14” x 20” 110 38 X 1.5 - 10 75 X X X X $200 2 $50 X 12 X X $200 X X $35 X 18Tennis Cube $499 1 15” x 12” x 13” 70 24 X 2 - 10 50 X X X X 6 X X 18Tennis Cube - Oscillation Model $599 1 15” x 12” x 13” 70 24 X 2 - 10 50 X X X X 6 X X 18

SuperCoach $11,465 1 36” x 27” x 22” 200 or 300 121 X 1.4 - 5.6 65 X X X X X 30 32 X X X X X X X X X X 21

17 - Plays Games, Rates Shots, Uses a Camera, Talks to Players, CordlessHeadphone System ($500 or $50/month), Wireless Printer for Analy-sis ($2000 or $100/month) Radar Gun, iPod input and speakers

18 - External Battery Pack $130, External AC Power Supply $12519 - Smart Fast Battery Upgrade $75

20 - Player Simulation (20a - $200, 20b - included)21 - Can deliver any type of ball (topspin, underspin,

flat, lob) to any place on court in any sequence,all ball parameters and timing customizable.

22 - Multifunction Remote

Page 38: 201107 Racquet Sports Industry

36 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2011

RELEASING YOUR CLAMPSWhen you release your double-actionclamps after tying off, undo or release thebase clamp first, then release the stringclamp. When installing natural gut or multi-filiament strings, releasing the string clampfirst can cause the jaws of the string clampto drag across the string, fraying the stringor at least leaving a burr. Of course, onceyou get into the habit you can do it all thetime, no matter what strings you areinstalling.5 sets of Dunlop Comfort Synthetic 16 to:Tony Ralfe, Christchurch, NZEditor’s note: Releasing your clamp basefirst is also helpful — especially when work-ing one-handed — as the string clamp willhold the clamp base in position even if thebase tries to rotate with the release lever.

CLEANING YOUR CLAMPSHave you ever gotten frustrated trying toclean your stringing machine’s clamps? I

MARK YOUR CLAMPSTo help keep the clamps adjusted properlyfor different gauge strings, I use fine-tipped

Sharpies. I use ablack Sharpie tomark the top of theadjustment knob for16-gauge strings,and a red Sharpiefor 17-gauge strings.This allows mequickly to find the

proper adjustment each time I switchgauges. It also gives me a visual indicationif the adjustment knob has moved duringthe handling.5 sets of Babolat N.VY 16 to:Dr. J. Elkovitch, Auburn, NYEditor’s note: Because of differences instring composition and diameter within anygiven gauge, you may have to make smalladjustments on top of the general adjust-ment shown by the marks.

Tips & Techniques

found an easy way to do it. Pick up some ofthe emery boards you use to file your nails.They are small enough to fit between thejaws of your clamps without loosening themall the way, and they are rough enough andstiff enough to clean the clamps well. I findusing a circular cleaning motion works best.After using them, I just take a Q-tip withrubbing alcohol on it to remove any residue.5 sets of Luxilon Supersense 125 (16L) to:Ed Anderson, Surgoinsville, TNEditor’s note: We recommend this methodonly for clamps that do not have diamonddust or some other similar type of texturing.

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Readers’ Know-How in Action

Page 39: 201107 Racquet Sports Industry

Tips and Techniques submitted since 1992 by USRSA membersand appearing in this column, have all been gathered into asearchable database on www.racquettech.com, the officialmember-only website of the USRSA. Submit tips to: GregRaven, USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084; or [email protected].

LEAD SAFETYThere have been questions lately about thepotential danger of lead weight strips ontennis racquets. This is perhaps spurred byCalifornia’s Proposition 65, which requiresall items with even minute, and harmless,traces of lead to be labeled. But racquetstringers should not be concerned aboutthe lead hazard; this according to informa-tion I received from the Illinois Depart-ment of Public Health.

The chief reason we hear so much aboutlead is because children are uniquely at risk

from lead in their environ-ment — only a smallamount of lead can have anegative impact, and chil-dren’s bodies do not excretelead. An adult’s body can,

and adults can handle much more lead intheir system. The danger level for childrenis 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood, ver-sus 40 micrograms for adults.

Lead is risky for adults who inhale or eatlead particles in substantial quantity overtime. There is extremely minimal risk forthose handling lead, and if you spend agreat deal of time working with lead, simplywash your hands at the end of the day.

It’s good to be concerned about yourhealth, but the risk here is next to nonexis-tent. Casual use of lead strips to weight rac-quet frames doesn’t present a genuinehealth risk to tennis players and racquetstringers.5 sets of Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 16 to:Todd Volker, Ottawa, IllinoisEditor’s note: Todd’s points are well taken,but because lead is a toxin, we feel it is bet-ter to err on the side of caution. Washingyour hands is a good idea, especially forstringers who have small children aroundthe house, but even here, this admits parti-cles of lead into our wastewater. Also, leadstrips can fall off of racquets, and if leftlying around can degrade and get into theenvironment, or even find their way intothe mouths of children.

DON T GET CAUGHTSHORT WITH REELSWhenever we get a new reel of string, the

first thing we do is mea-sure and cut off 42 feet.We then put a plastic ziptie around it and store itwith the other reels under-

neath our machine. This way, we arenever caught without enough string when

July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 37www.racquetsportsindustry.com

we get toward the end of a reel. Having 42feet ensures that we'll have enough for onefull string job or two hybrids.5 sets of Wilson K-Gut Pro 16 to:Stephen Caccam, Darien, CTEditor’s note: Another way of doing this is tobuy one packaged set of string when you buya reel. That way, you have your backup, andopening a package set should make enough ofan impression to get you to place an order foranother reel right away. Having a package setallows you to write “Reorder now!” on theoutside, as a further reminder. You can alsouse large freezer storage bags to hold both the

reel and the “backup set,” so they staytogether, although they don’t mount on themachine this way. If you are really orga-nized, you can include a 3x5 card in thebag that shows how many sets (or halfsets) you have cut from the reel, along withany other information you want, such aspurchase date, purchase price, your sellingprice, etc.

—Greg Raven �

Page 40: 201107 Racquet Sports Industry

38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2011

String Playtest

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 2somewhat easier 11about as easy 21not quite as easy 2not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 2somewhat better 9about as playable 9not quite as playable 15not nearly as playable 1

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 9about as durable 19not quite as durable 7not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability (16th overall) 3.8Durability 3.4Power (21st overall) 3.6Control 3.6Comfort (8th overall) 3.8Touch/Feel (5th overall) 3.8Spin Potential 3.3Holding Tension 3.2Resistance to Movement 3.4

Duramix HD is the latest addition toTecnifibre’s Team line of strings, whichalso includes X-Code. Duramix HD isconstructed using similar technology toTecnifibre Promix (which we playtestedfor the April 2003 issue of RacquetTechmagazine) and X-Code (which weplaytested for the January 2011 issue ofRacquet Sports Industry magazine). Inthe case of Duramix HD, bundles ofpolyamide (AKA nylon) microfilamentsand bundles of polyester microfila-ments are combined using uniquetechnology that encases each bundle inTecnifibre’s high-density polyurethane(PU HD). Multiple bundles are used toconstruct the string itself, held togetherwith PU HD. Where Promix had 30 per-cent polyester and 70 percentpolyamide microfibers, and X-Code has100 percent polyester microfibers,Duramix HD has 50 percent polyesterand 50 percent polyamide microfibers.

Tecnifibre’s testing shows there is 22percent more fatigue on arm muscleswith polyester monofilament — alongwith higher energy requirements — com-pared to a multifilament nylon. Tecnifi-bre tells us that Duramix HD is themissing link between their famouspolyurethane multifilaments and a poly-ester monofilament. Duramix HD is 30percent firmer than nylon, with morepower, better dynamics, and better ten-sion retention. Plus, it plays better thanpolyester monofilaments at lower ten-sions.

Tecnifibre recommends Duramix HDfor players seeking some of the playingcharacteristics of polyester strings with-out the potential for arm and wrist prob-lems associated with stiffer strings.

Duramix HD is available in 16 (1.30mm) and 17 (1.25 mm) gauges in naturalonly. It is priced from $13 for sets of 40feet, and $195 for 660-foot reels. Formore information or to order, contactTecnifibre at 888-TFTennis (888-838-3664), or visit tecnifibre.com. Be sure toread the conclusion for more informationabout getting a free set to try for yourself.

IN THE LABWe tested the 16-gauge Duramix HD. Thecoil measured 40 feet. The diameter mea-sured 1.29-1.32 mm prior to stringing, and1.25-1.26 mm after stringing. We recordeda stringbed stiffness of 76 RDC unitsimmediately after stringing at 60 poundsin a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pat-tern) on a constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 69 RDC units, represent-ing a 9 percent tension loss. Our controlstring, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold16, measured 78 RDC units immediatelyafter stringing and 71 RDC units after 24hours, representing a 9 percent tension

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

loss. In lab testing,Prince Synthetic Gut Original has astiffness of 217 and a tension loss of11.67 pounds, while Tecnifibre DuramixHD 16 has a stiffness of 205 and a ten-sion loss of 15.5 pounds. Duramix HDadded 16 grams to the weight of ourunstrung 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 receivingunmarked strings in unmarked packages.Average number of hours playtested was27.6.

Duramix HD feels soft out of thepackage and is easy to handle. The RUresin feels almost rubbery, and the stringsometimes emits a squeaking noise atthe grommets when tensioning themains. Despite the additional friction, wehad no problem weaving the crosses ortying knots. The tip frays like a multifila-ment, but even without trimming we hadno problem with blocked holes.

No playtester broke his sample dur-ing stringing, one reported problemswith coil memory, none reported prob-lems tying knots, and three reported fric-tion burn.

ON THE COURTOur playtest team’s scores put DuramixHD as the fifth best Touch/Feel stringwe’ve tested for publication, and eighthbest in the Comfort category. They alsorated it 16th best overall in Playability,and 21st best in Power. Rounding outthe ratings, Duramix HD scored wellabove average in Control and Resistanceto Movement.

Five playtesters broke the string dur-ing the playtest period, one each at five,eight, nine, eleven, and twelve hours.

Tecnifibre Duramix HD 16

Page 41: 201107 Racquet Sports Industry

July 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 39

FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM

Tecnifibre will send a free set of Duramix

HD 16 to USRSA members who cut out

(or copy) this coupon and send it to:

Offer expires 15 July 2011Offer 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.

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

USRSA, Attn: Tecnifibre String Offer330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

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

[email protected]

“ Plenty of pop, playability, and con-trol.” 4.0 male all-court player usingPrince O3 Red MP strung at 54 poundsCP (Gamma TNT2 Pro Plus 17L)

“ Outstanding playability andtouch.” 4.5 male all-court player usingWilson K Blade strung at 63 pounds LO(Luxilon Adrenaline 17)

“ This string has exceptional, comfort,resiliency, and pocketing.” 5.0 maleall-court player using Wilson K Six One(16x18) strung at 58 pounds LO (WilsonNXT 16)

“ This is a very arm-friendly string withexcellent touch.” 4.0 female all-courtplayer using Prince O3 Tour MS strungat 58 pounds CP (Tecnifibre NRG2 17)

“ This string strikes a nice compromisebetween durability and playability.”4.0 male all-court player using Headi.Prestige Mid strung at 57 pounds LO(Gamma Professional 18)

“ Excellent combination of comfortand durability. Definitely a string worth

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

carrying.” 5.5 male all-court playerusing Wilson BLX Tour strung at 55pounds CP (Wilson Synthetic GutExtreme 16)

“ Excellent feel and spin. This is agood alternative to solid corenylon.” 5.5 male all-court playerusing Babolat Pure Drive strung at 62pounds CP (Babolat VS Team 17)

“ This string got the job done, butit’s definitely not employee of themonth.” 4.0 male all-court playerusing Wilson nTour strung at 55pounds LO (Solinco Tour Bite 18)

“ This string has excellent feel, butit lacks power.” 5.0 male all-courtplayer using Wilson n5 strung at 56pounds LO (Wilson NXT 17)

TESTERS TALK

CONCLUSIONWhen you see a string score in the topten for both Touch/Feel and Comfort,you don’t expect it to have any polyesterin it. Yet the half-polyester Duramix HDdid exactly that. In the Touch/Feel cate-gory where it ranks fifth out of 154playtests, our playtest team scored justbehind Tecnifibre’s legendary NRG2 SPL.In the Comfort category where it rankseighth overall, three of the other stringsahead of it are also from Tecnifibre (X-One Biphase, TGV, and Xr3). With theseand its other high scores, Duramix HD’soverall score is well above average. Withthe introduction of Duramix HD, Tecnifi-bre does seem to have found the “miss-ing link” between nylon and polyesterstrings.

If you think that Tecnifibre DuramixHD might be for you, fill out the couponto get a free set to try. —Greg Raven �

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Afriend in my racquetball leaguetold me that it had been hard forher to take up the game initially

because she couldn't find anyone toteach her to play.

The club she used to belong to hadracquetball courts, but no onsite pro.People played, but she didn't knowthem personally, and without someoneto give instruction to a beginner, itseemed to be a closed community.

"The people at the front desk toldme that if I wanted to take up racquet-ball, I should just hang out by the courtsand ask one of the guys," she said dis-gustedly. "They said, 'Oh, you're awoman, they'll be glad to give you sometips.'"

Well, that got me thinking about theimportance of free clinics in increasingthe use of court facilities. Tennis hasgenerally done a good job with newplayer initiatives, but it's time other rac-quet sports stepped up their game, too.Unfortunately, in many clubs, sports likeracquetball and squash aren't flourishingbecause there isn't a lot of outreach. Andbecause money is tight, it's hard (if notimpossible) to hire a teaching pro. As aresult, the sports don’t gain any traction:the player population never changes,and the courts are often empty.

As a sport, racquetball's arc in popu-larity has been similar to that of tennis.There was a boom period (racquetball'swas around the 1970s to the early1980s) where every court was filled, fol-lowed by a decline in which people leftin droves to try new sports and differentworkouts. The difference here is thattennis eventually realized how to fixthings: In order to get anyone playing,you have to teach them the basic skills.After all, if they didn't grow up with a

sport or didn't have friends to teach it tothem, people generally don't take it upon their own; it's just too intimidating.

A few years back, my club offered afree racquetball clinic, hosted by a prowho plays for one of the racquet com-panies. It worked, people showed up,willing to learn. (I should know, I wasone of them.) From there, the promoved up to organizing leagues andtournaments. Now there's a whole newcommunity that plays: men, womenand even kids, and courts are tough toget at peak hours. In fact, when one ofthe other clubs in our network broachedthe idea of eliminating a court or two,the player backlash was so severe that(a) the club reversed its decision, and (b)the uproar made the local newspaper. Itwas a killshot the entire racquetballcommunity cheered for.

It's too bad racquetball doesn't havethe equivalent of the Tennis ServiceRepresentative, whose job it is to helpgrow the game at the local level, startingin community centers, parks, schoolsand more. Unfortunately, there are still

RSI Contributing Editor MaryHelen Sprecher also is themanaging editor of SportsDestinations ManagementMagazine, a niche business-to-business publication for plan-ners of sports travel events.

She is the technical writer for the AmericanSports Builders Association and works as anewspaper reporter in Baltimore City.

40 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY July 2011

‘My club offered a freeracquetball clinic, host-ed by a pro who playsfor one of the racquetcompanies. It worked,people showed up,willing to learn.’

a lot of places where the racquetball andsquash courts are getting very little use,except as a location for everything frommedicine ball workouts to hitting walls forthose who want to practice their lacrossethrows. That just makes me wince.

As a now frequent player, I can tell youthat if those clubs offered regular free rac-quetball and squash clinics and kept a sup-ply of loaner racquets, goggles and balls, itcould make a huge difference in the growthof those sports. As a technical writer aboutathletic facilities, I can tell you that whenyou let sports like lacrosse practice happenin those courts, the floors get marked andthe walls get dinged and damaged, leavingthem even less inviting to racquet sportsplayers. Keep up the courts by enforcingrules about footwear, equipment andmore, and you'll find your players aremore enthusiastic about using them.

If you've been wondering why racquet-ball or squash at your facility seems to bestagnating and not getting new partici-pants, ask yourself what you've done latelyto help them grow. Many sports are “tryand buy”—you just need to make the firstmove. �

We welcome your opinions. Please emailcomments to [email protected].

Your Serve

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Stepping Up Their Games

B Y M A R Y H E L E N S P R E C H E R

When it comes to getting new players,racquetball and squash can learnfrom tennis’s outreach.

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