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February 2013 Volume 41 Number 2 $5.00 www.racquetsportsindustry.com OUTLOOK 2013 w Racquets w Shoes w Apparel w Strings Q&A With New TIA Prez Greg Mason Facility-of-the-Year Award Winners OUTLOOK 2013 w Racquets w Shoes w Apparel w Strings Q&A With New TIA Prez Greg Mason Facility-of-the-Year Award Winners

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Racquet Sports Industry magazine, February 2013

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Page 1: 201302 Racquet Sports Industry

February 2013Volume 41 Number 2 $5.00www.racquetsportsindustry.com

OUTLOOK2013w Racquetsw Shoesw Apparelw Strings

Q&A With NewTIA Prez Greg Mason

Facility-of-the-Year Award Winners

OUTLOOK2013w Racquetsw Shoesw Apparelw Strings

Q&A With NewTIA Prez Greg Mason

Facility-of-the-Year Award Winners

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2

DEPARTMENTS

R S I F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Head, Djokovic introducenew Graphene racquet

7 USTA ‘pauses’ proposedjunior comp changes

7 Nominate for RSI's '30 Under 30'

8 US Open schedules rest day before finals

8 Victory/Acelon releasesfirst tennis strings

8 PTR Spring TennisFest on Hilton Head

9 USPTA announces 2013 certification exams

10 Peoplewatch10 Host a kids’ Tennis

Festival in March

12 GSS changes name to IART12 Cardio Tennis ‘Get Fit

Challenge’

12 Short Sets15 Gamma debuts 3

RZR racquets

4 Our Serve7 Industry News17 TIA News20 Resort Management

22 Pioneers in Tennis: Bud Collins25 Retailing Tip40 Ask the Experts42 String Playtest: Head Sonic Pro Edge44 Your Serve, by Greg Kleiner

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

OUTLOOK 2013

28 Over the Edge Every year, it seems that racquet tech-nology manages to take at least onemore leap forward.

30 Step LivelyTennis companies are making shoesincreasingly innovate in both style andtechnology.

32 Sources of InspirationFashion professionals give insight intohow they create their looks for 2013.

34 Game-Changers When it comes to string, manufactur-ers, and pro players, are bringing atten-tion to a frequently ignored part of aplayer’s game.

ContentsContents

FEATURES

17 Q&A: Greg Mason At the start of his two-year term, thenew TIA president shares his thoughtsabout the industry, the TIA and prioritiesmoving forward.

26 Flexible BenefitsFlex leagues stirred a huge interest intennis at New Jersey’s Mercer CountyPark, and led to relationships that havehelped the facility thrive.

36 Level Best!With the Outstanding Facility-of-the-Year Awards, RSI and the ASBA bringyou the best in tennis court construc-tion and design.

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Our Serve(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

PublishersDavid Bone Jeff Williams

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

[email protected]

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Contributing EditorsRobin BatemanCynthia CantrellJoe DinofferKent OswaldBob Patterson

Cynthia ShermanMary Helen Sprecher

Tim Strawn

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRYCorporate Offices

PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096Phone: 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 peryear: monthly January through August and combinedissues in September/October and November/December by Tennis Industry and USRSA, PO Box 3392,Duluth, GA 30096. Periodcal postage paid atDuluth, GA and at additional mailing offices (USPS#004-354). February 2013, Volume 41, Number 2 ©2013 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rightsreserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo aretrademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Phoneadvertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulationand editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions$25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Sendaddress changes to Racquet Sports Industry, PO Box3392, Duluth, GA 3009.

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

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

New Year, New Start

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013

We all make New Year’s resolutions in someform or another. We may not make a big dealabout it, but in the back of our minds, when

January rolls around, we say things to ourselves such as,it’s a new start, this is the year I’ll get organized. Or, thistime, I’m really going to eat right, exercise and lose weight.Or, it’s time I played more tennis, or spent more time withmy family.

In your tennis business, I’m sure you also look at the beginning of theyear as a time to make a fresh start in some way, or at least to makesome changes in how you do things, or how you deal with others, oryour commitment to growing this sport, and therefore, to growing yourprofits.

Whether we realize it or not, all of us in the tennis business havemade some sort of a commitment to this industry. Maybe this should bethe year that you step up that commitment in some way.

Maybe this is the year that you decide, one of the best ways to helpyour business is to actually get more involved in this industry. Maybe thisis the year when you realize that, yes, I want my business to grow, butif I can contribute in a way that helps this sport grow, that will also helpmy own little slice of the pie, too.

In the January issue, we honored our Champions of Tennis Awardwinners, and I’ve found that over the years, one of the defining charac-teristics for our winners is their involvement in this industry. Sure, mostare in this to make money, but they feel it’s their responsibility to getinvolved in this industry in other ways, too.

Many volunteer in tennis, especially at the local level. Others lendtheir time and expertise to volunteer committees or boards, working togrow this sport and to grow their particular segment of the industry.There are countless ways you can get involved—whether you’re a teach-ing pro, facility manager, school coach, retailer, stringer, court builder,sales rep, tennis media member.

Start this new year with a new outlook—one that includes contribut-ing more to this industry. Your involvement will help make this sport,this industry, and your business grow.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

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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

Nominate for RSI’s ‘30 Under 30’HonorsWe need your help. We want torecognize some of the youngprofessionals in the tennisindustry who are knocking thecover off the ball when itcomes to their job, this industry,and growing this sport. Help usby sending your picks for Rac-quet Sports Industry’s “30Under 30” honors. The 30 indi-viduals we pick will be featuredin an upcoming special section.

Anyone can nominate potentialhonorees (you can even nomi-nate yourself), and nomineescan come from any segment ofthis industry. Importantly, nomi-nees can even be volunteers intennis; they don’t have to beemployed in this industry. Theonly restriction is that the nomi-nee cannot have turned age 30before June 1, 2013.

To nominate, simply send us abrief email describing yourchoice for “30 Under 30” hon-ors. Also include the nominee’sbirthday (month and year isfine), and contact informationfor both you and the nominee.Put “30 Under 30” in the sub-ject line and email [email protected].

Thank you for helping us to rec-ognize the young professionalswho are moving this industry,and this sport, forward.

R S I F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Head, Djokovic Introduce Graphene Speed Pro

Head has introduced the new YouTekGraphene Speed Pro racquet, which worldNo. 1 Novak Djokovic debuted at the Aus-

tralian Open in January. The new frame introducesHead Graphene.According to Head, the Graphene material con-

sists of a single two-dimensional layer of carbonatoms that is extremely lightweight, yet 200 timesstronger than steel. The integration of Graphene inthe racquet shaft allowed Head engineers toreduce weight in the middle part of the racquetand shift it to functionally more relevant areas inthe grip and the head. More weight in the gripmakes the racquet more maneuverable and easier to swing; more weight in the racquet headenables more powerful shots, says the company.As part of a digital marketing campaign in December, 50 Head Tennis Facebook fans worldwide

had the chance to test a black prototype version of the new Speed racquet and leave their reviewson head.com/g. The launch of the racquet also included Djokovic hitting a tennis ball that traveledfaster than an Audi race car driven by Australian GT driver Dean Grant at a Melbourne racetrack.Djokovic’s Head YouTek Graphene Speed Pro is the top model of the newly developed Speed

tour racquet family, which also includes the MP, S, REV and PWR models, as well as the new SpeedJunior racquet. Head players Maria Sharapova, Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic also debuted theirnew Graphene Instinct MP racquets at the Australian Open.

February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7www.racquetsportsindustry.com

USTA ‘Pauses’ Proposed Junior Competition Changes

After taking heat from individuals and groups opposed to proposed changes to the 2013national junior competitive structure, the USTA board of directors at its December meetingvoted to put the changes on hold for further consideration.

The USTA’s Junior Competition Committee, during its 2011-12 term, was charged with proposing arevised national junior tournament competitive structure, which resulted in proposed amendments tothe USTA Regulations. Those amendments were passed by the USTA Executive Committee in Marchlast year.Since that adoption, the USTA president at the time, Jon Vegosen, and then president-elect David

Haggerty (who started his two-year term as president in January 2012) agreed that it was in the bestinterest of the USTA and the sport to “pause” until 2014 the reduction of the Boys’ and Girls’ 18 and16 USTA National Clay Court Championships and the reduction of USTA National Championships(hard courts) singles draw sizes from 192 to 128.The other two amendments scheduled to take effect in 2013—the transition of the USTA National

Doubles Tournament into a Gold Ball National Championship and the introduction of the USTANational Masters—are not included in the “pause,” and both will be included on the 2013 schedule. Apreviously made decision by the Junior Competition Committee—the planned reduction of the July2013 USTA Regional Tournaments singles draw size from 64 to 32—also will go forward.Over the next several months, the USTA will continue Town Hall-style listening sessions concern-

ing the proposed changes. In addition, all comments, concerns, and perspectives can be sent [email protected].

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8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

US Open Schedule Provides Rest Day Before Finals

The USTA has changed the 2013 US Open schedule to include a day of restbetween the singles semifinals and finals. This year’s men’s final is now

scheduled to be played on Monday, Sept. 9. The move was in response toplayers’ requests for the rest day, says the USTA. The women’s singles semifinals will be played in a single day session on

Friday, Sept. 6, and the women’s final will take place on Sunday, Sept. 8 at4:30 p.m. ET, in the time slot where the men’s singles final was traditionallyplayed.The men’s singles semifinals will continue to be played in a single day ses-

sion on Saturday, Sept. 7. The Monday men’s singles final will start at 5 p.m.ET. In the new schedule, no competition will be scheduled for the second Sat-urday night of the tournament.“I'm pleased that the USTA has modified the US Open schedule to include

a day of rest between the semifinals and final,” said Andy Murray, winner ofthe 2012 US Open. "It’s good that they've taken on board the players’ con-cerns.”The final four days of the men’s and women’s singles competitions will be

broadcast by CBS Sports.

Oncourt Offcourt ReleasesNew, Colorful ‘MultiCart’

PTR and USPTA Master Pro Joe Dinofferannounces the release of a new 10 and

Under Tennis teaching cart called the Multi-Cart, which features four color-coded baskets,each with a 100-ball capacity. Coaches andteaching pros can now easily organize theirred, orange, green, and yellow balls, Dinoffersays.The MultiCart also features the Oncourt

Offcourt standard 4-inch smooth-glide wheels,and the units are stackable for easy and space-saving storage. “This is the most versatile cartin the industry,” says Dinoffer.Oncourt Offcourt also plans to launch other

new products this year for 10 and Under Ten-nis, including color-coded junior racquets, redand orange boundary lines for red and orangelevel courts, and a patented 18-foot net onwheels. To see photos of these products go tooncourtoffcourt.com or contact the companyfor a free 80-page color catalog toll free in theU.S. at 888-366-4711.

College Teams Hit HHI For PTR Spring TennisFest

The PTR announces its third annual Spring TennisFest, which will be onHilton Head Island, S.C., again this March. Spring TennisFest will bring

tennis teams from more than 70 colleges and universities to Hilton HeadIsland to compete with schools they may not otherwise have the oppor-tunity to play.

Matches will be played at various island facilities, including Vander Meer Tennis Centers, Chaplin Park Tennis Center,

Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort, HHI HighSchool, and on the courts of several propertyregimes. Participating schools range from NAIA toDivision I.

Spectators are welcome to watch matches and mingle with their almamater or favorite college team. The match schedule is available atwww.springtennisfest.com/schedule.htm. Match times and locations willbe added in February.

Victory/Acelon Releases First Tennis Strings

Victory Racquet Sports/Acelon has released its first two Acelon tennisstrings. The company, which has 30 years of experience in manufactur-

ing lines and leaders for sport fishing, brings its technology totennis with the Acelon Seven and Acelon Advanced, both

manufactured in Europe using copolyester for-mulas.Acelon Seven is for top-level players and fea-

tures a sharp seven-sided construction to helpplayers achieve maximum topspin with control.It’s available in black, 1.24, 1.27 and 1.31 mm.Acelon Advanced is softer than Seven and offerscontrol and topspin with a poly that the compa-ny says is less jarring on the elbow. It’s availablein silver or pearl, 1.25 and 1.30 mm.Visit www.victoryracquetsports.com or call

610-466-6100 for more information.

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February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9www.racquetsportsindustry.com

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

‘Best Sales Ever’ in 2012, Says Head Racquet Sports

Head Racquet Sports USA announced in early January that it had posted its bestever sales results for a full year in company history, with double-digit percentage

increases for both the Head and Penn brands.In addition, says the company, a year-end retailer survey placed Head and Penn at

the top of the industry for sales force and speed of shipment, as well as very highmarks in all marketing and operations categories. “We are thrilled with our year-end results. We outpaced the market throughout the

year as a result of very hard work from our internal team combined with incredibleresults from our athletes like Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova and Andy Murray,”said Greg Mason, vice president of sales and marketing. “The combination of the twomade for the best year in our history. We are poised for further growth in 2013 withaggressive marketing around Novak and Maria throughout the first half.”

USPTA Announces 2013Certification Exams

The USPTA has announced it will offermore than 150 USPTA Certification

Exams nationwide in 2013. Additionalexam dates are expected to be addedlater.USPTA’s Certification Exam includes

an on-court evaluation of tennis strokesand playing skills, feeding and

grip analysis, privateand group lessoninstruction, and otherskills needed in thetennis-teaching pro-fession. The exam also

includes a two-hour writ-ten test covering teaching, playing andbusiness management skills, 10 andUnder Tennis rules, club activity pro-gramming and other topics. Applicantscan now opt to take the written and gripexams online after completing the on-court portions of the certification test.The exam process also offers the

Professional Tennis Coaches Academy Ithat covers test topics. The PTCA I canbe taken at Regional Testing Centers,which offer tests every other month onthe same weekends, or it can be takenonline. The course is also useful to cur-rent USPTA members who wish toreview specific exam areas beforeupgrading their certification ratings.Topics include sport psychology, devel-oping student rapport, class organiza-tion, lesson progression and a review ofteaching techniques.Contact USPTA at 800-877-8248 or

[email protected] to register foran upcoming exam, or for furtherdetails, or visit uspta.org. Advanced reg-istration is required. The total fee forthe exam and application is $175, plusprorated USPTA membership dues.

MEMBER CLASSIFIEDS

FOR SALE: Used Babolat RacketDiagnostic Center, serial 412. Tabletop. Has had light use. Excellentcondition with manuals and cover.$1800 (obo) includes shipping.Dave Heilig, [email protected]

‘X Factor’ Is New Scoring System from Match Point

Match Point, which has specialized in tennis acces-sories for 38 years, announces its new X Factor

portable tennis scoring system, which the company saysis easy to use, rugged and transports from court to court. The X Factor slips over the net and can be positioned

to be seen from the spectator side or the player side of thenet. The red and black 4- by 8-inch game numbers gofrom 0 to 9 and are made for long-term use.The company headquarters are in Waukesha, Wis.

Visit www.match-point.biz.

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• Dave Mathews, district sales manager for Head Penn Racquet Sports cov-ering North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin for 17 years,has retired. Taking over for Mathews will be Ursula Shute, who joins HeadPenn from Prince Racquet Sports.

• Prince Global Sports has named Miguel Rosa as its business developmentmanager Latin America. A native of Brazil, Rosa spent the last seven years atIMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Fla., managing the BollettieriTennis Program.

• Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic has become the first player to endorseNew Balance's new line of tennis shoes and apparel. The 22-year-old, whoended the 2012 tennis season ranked 13 in the world, will use New Balancesportswear from this season onwards after switching from French brandLacoste.

• American Mitchell Krueger, who recently turned professional, signed amultiyear racquet and strings agreement with Tecnifibre. Krueger, who willbe training out of Boca Raton with the USTA, has used Tecnifibre productssince he was 15 years old. He plays with the Tecnifibre T-Fight 325 VO2 Maxtennis racquet and the Tecnifibre Black Code 16 string. Visittecnifibreusa.com.

• IMG Worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company, hassigned ATP World No. 1 player Novak Djokovic for exclusive worldwide man-

agement and representation. Under the terms of themulti-year agreement, IMG will represent Djokovic indeveloping a brand building strategy through marketing,endorsements, appearances and licensing along with selectglobal business initiatives.

• Deborah Slaner Larkin is stepping down as executive director of USTAServes, effective March 1.

• Bill Curry is the new chairman of the board for the Rodney Street Tennisand Tutoring Association of Wilmington, Del., succeeding Jane Brown Grimeswho has held the position since 2008. Curry, an attorney and entrepreneur,has been the board treasurer for the past three years. In related news, theComcast Family of Companies will continue as the charity’s principal sponsorin 2013.

• John Isner, the top-ranked American player on the ATP World Tour, will bethe next brand ambassador for the Star Scientific’s Anatabloc dietary supple-ment for anti-inflammatory support. Isner is the second brand ambassadorfor Anatabloc, joining PGA Tour champion Fred Couples.

• American tennis champion, Hall of Famer and World War II veteran Art"Tappy" Larsen passed away on December 7 in California, at the age of 87.Larsen achieved the No. 1 ranking in the U.S. in 1950, and he was ranked inthe world top-10 several times in the 1950s.

PEOPLEWATCH

Gamma Sports Offers New Strings for 2013

Gamma Sports announces a new poly line-up for 2013,which the company says will provide players with

more “bite, power and control.”For more “bite,” Gamma offers the Moto, a heptag-

onal-shaped string developed for the high perform-ance player. This seven-sided construction allows forgreater ball bite to generate more spin on groundstrokes and serves, says the company, adding thatthe co-poly material is responsive and provides greaterfeedback and excellent tension maintenance.For “power,” Gamma introduces iO, a co-poly that

also generates spin and is designed for players“seeking penetrating and punishing ground strokesfrom anywhere on the court.” And for “control,”Gamma’s new Poly-Z is for players with full, fastswing speeds. The polyester string provides a firm,responsive string bed for greater control and spin,while maintaining tension and providing greaterdurability, says the company.Gamma also offers the new RZR Rx string, which is a co-

extruded monofilament constructed with a proprietary Thermo-plastic Elastomer (TPE) material that is engineered to stretchmore upon impact for enhanced control and comfort. RZR Rxhas an oval shape that the company says provides for a moreaerodynamic string bed, to generate greater racquet head speedand reduce the contact pressure at the string intersections.For more information, visit gammasports.com.

Host a Kids ‘Tennis Festival’ in March

On March 4, the USTA will launch thousands of TennisFestivals that will continue throughout the month,

designed to get kids active and excited about tennis. Thelaunch of these Tennis Festivals coincides with the annual“Tennis Night in America” celebration at New York’s Madi-

son Square Garden, which this year will featureRafael Nadal, Juan Martin del Potro, SerenaWilliams and Victoria Azarenka. These Tennis Festivals are a great way for

tennis facilities, parks, and municipalities tointroduce tennis to kids and provide a plat-form to register children for spring andsummer programs, says the USTA. TennisFestivals showcase the fun and excitementof playing tennis, as well as sharing withparents the benefits of involving their

children in the game. Theevents provide an oppor-tunity for kids to experi-ence a variety of tennis

activities and games designed for all ages and skill levels. Tennis Festival hosts will receive an event pack that

includes special giveaways for their attendees. Organizerswill have access to customizable marketing materials andbe featured in the searchable database onYouthTennis.com, the destination for consumers to findlocal events.To host or find a tennis festival, visit YouthTennis.com.

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> Converse Inc., a subsidiary of Nike, Inc.,announced plans to relocate its world head-quarters from North Andover, MA, to Boston,in April 2015. The move to downtown Bostonfollows an extensive search for a new compa-ny headquarters in the greater Boston metro-politan area.

> The USTA has selected DDB New York asits agency of record. The agency will beresponsible for brand strategy and creative,including digital campaigns. The new relation-

SHORT SETSship begins immediately with work hitting in Q22013.

> The Pro Squash Tour (PST) announced a newthree-year relationship with Detroit, whichincludes hosting the tour’s World Championshiptournament at the Detroit Athletic Club. Thisyear’s PST World Championships will be May 3-5,and the tour has committed to returning in 2014and 2015.

> Julie Bliss has received the ITA Collegiate Var-

GSS Changes Name to IART, Forms Partnership with Ashaway

Ashaway Racket Strings has formed a strategic part-nership with the International Alliance of Racquet

Technicians (IART), formerly known as Grand SlamStringers, to help develop educational and support pro-grams to help build IART members' technical knowl-edge of string materials, construction methods, andperformance metrics. The partnership also is designedto build stronger member relationships with AshawayRacket Strings in terms of product developments, mar-keting programs, and grassroots stringing industrynews."The IART has made great strides in building its

brand over the past few years," said Steve Crandall,Ashaway Vice President, "and is quicklyemerging as the leading interactive onlineforum for stringers and stringing worldwide.Ashaway is delighted to partner with IART andhelp them fulfill their mission.""The IART is a global organization that spe-

cializes in hands-on training for racquet technicians ofall levels," said IART (and GSS) Founder Tim Strawn."As such, we are delighted to partner with a brand likeAshaway, which has such a long-standing commitmentto the stringing community.”IART has a membership of more than 125 top

stringers from 18 countries, who participate throughan interactive blog as well as informative discussionson message forums. The membership shares an inter-est in racquet service at the retail, club, and tour levels,as well as in supporting a large contingent of home-based racquet technicians.Established to provide a "community" atmosphere

for stringers, IART hosts an annual training sympo-sium at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Fla., (formerlycalled the Grand Slam Stringers Symposium) thatoffers seminars led by world-class technicians andindustry professionals. It also offers a line of profes-sional stringing tools and accessories through theironline store at gssalliance.com.

sity Performer of the Year Award and JenniferReinbold was named ITA Collegiate VarsityVolunteer of the Year. The awards, by the ITAand USTA, were presented at the 2012 ITACoaches Convention in Florida in December.Bliss is the director of Competition & PlayerDevelopment for the USTA Eastern Section;Reinbold, a USTA Midwest Collegiate VarsitySub-Committee member, has been a leaderin promoting tennis programs in the Mid-west Section.

Upper St. Claire Wins Inaugural Cardio Tennis‘Get Fit Challenge’

The Upper St. Claire (Pa.) Municipal TennisCenter won the inaugural Cardio Tennis Get

Fit Challenge, in which tennis facilities from across country compet-ed in a five-week challenge designed to help participants reach theirhealth and fitness goals."Cardio Tennis is the perfect way for people to get fit, stay

healthy, and have fun—all while on the tennis court,” says MarcyBruce, who captained the Upper St. Claire team and is a PTR certi-fied tennis teaching professional. "The Get Fit Challenge brings anonline interactive component to Cardio Tennis that adds a lot ofvalue to the program. It’s a great way for us to engage players andhelp them to reach their fitness goals, then to remain healthy.” Brucealso is a member of the Tennis Industry Association’s National Car-dio Tennis Speakers Team and is a licensed TRX Cardio Tennis professional.Throughout the Get Fit Challenge, which ended in late fall, partic-

ipants competed both against each other and against other tennisfacilities by tracking their own results, including the amount of timeand intensity of playing tennis, working out, and playing Cardio Ten-nis (visit CardioTennis.com).The Get Fit Challenge is a part of the Cardio Tennis Interactive

online experience and is designed to help participants get even bet-ter results, stay engaged with the program for longer periods of time,and increase the enjoyment of the health benefits associated withCardio Tennis via an online web portal that tracks calories burned,participant activity, provides healthy eating guidance, and more.Participants in the Cardio Tennis Get Fit Challenge received an

online health and wellness account that allowed them to:w Track their exercise, nutrition, goals, and results.w Download their Polar Heart Rate Monitor data directly into theiraccount to track results.

w Participate in Fitness Challenges specific to Cardio Tennis.w Gain reward points for using the site, participating in challengesand more that can be used in the Cardio Tennis Rewards Store.To learn more about the Cardio Tennis Get Fit Challenge, which is

set to launch again in February, visit CardioTennis.com or contactBrian O'Donnell at the Tennis Industry Association at 843-473-4504or [email protected].

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Letters

14 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

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In Grants and Scholarships

USTA Serves, the National Charitable Foundation of theUSTA, has granted 34 community tennis and education

organizations in the U.S. more than $340,000. Combinedwith scholarship awards, USTA Serves distributed $1.7 mil-lion in 2012.The bi-annual grant process was developed to provide dis-

advantaged, at-risk youth with the opportunity to participatein tennis and strive for academic excellence, and to helpcombat childhood obesity by promoting healthy lifestyles. Todate, USTA Serves has disbursed more than $11 million to236 programs that support its mission.Programs awarded 2012 year-end grants are:

• Aceing Autism Inc., Los Angeles• Adaptive Tennis Association Of North Carolina, Raleigh,N.C.

• Carl E. Sanders Family YMCA at Buckhead, Atlanta, Ga.• Currey Ingram Academy, Brentwood, Tenn.• Dallas Tennis Association, Addison, Tex.• Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia, Penn.• FDDOC Winners' Circle, Inc., Shreveport, La.• Genesis School Inc., Kansas City, Mo.• Harper for Kids, San Francisco• HERO, Inc., Purchase, N.Y.• I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County, Boulder,Colo.

• Inter American University Of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puer-to Rico

• International Rescue Committee, Inc., San Diego, Calif.• MACH Academy, Inc., Augusta, Ga.• Monterey County Police Activities League, Prunedale, Calif.• New Haven Youth Tennis and Education, Inc., Guilford,Conn.

• Our Military Kids Inc., McLean, Va.• Panda Foundation Inc., Bradenton, Fla.• Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA, Newport News, Va.• Police Athletic League Of Parsippany Troy Hills, Parsippa-ny, N.J.

• Prince Georges Tennis And Education Foundation Inc.,Upper Marlboro, Md.

• Quickstart Tennis Of Central Virginia Inc., Ivy, Va.• Reach For College Inc., Washington, D.C.• Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands, East Sand-wich, Mass.

• Rodney Street Tennis and Tutoring Association, Wilming-ton, Del.

• San Diego District Tennis Association, San Diego, Calif. • Sportsmen’s Tennis Club, Dorchester, Mass.• Tennis & Education Inc., St. Paul, Minn. • Tennis for Charity Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio• University of Akron, Akron, Ohio • University Of La Verne, La Verne, Calif.• Ventura Education Partnership, Ventura, Calif.• YMCA of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City, Mo.• Zina Garrison All Court Tennis Academy, Houston, Tex.

US Open Prize Money Continues to Grow

In the ever-escalating Grand Slam tournament prize moneywars, the USTA announced in December that prize moneyfor the 2013 US Open will be increased by $4 million, dou-bling the record $2 million increase of 2012. Total US Openprize money in 2013 will be $29.5 million.Singles prize money at the US Open has now increased

by 34 percent since the 2011 US Open. Overall tournamentprize money has been increased by $6 million since the 2011event. The USTA will solicit suggestions for distribution fromthe men’s and women’s players and their respective tours.

Questions Wisdom of Single Teaching GroupI enjoy reading RSI. It fills a real void in providing inside industry infor-mation. But I don’t agree with the thoughts expressed in PeterFrancesconi’s “Our Serve” column in the Nov./Dec. issue about unifyingthe USPTA and the PTR.

Tennis according to John Muir and Kurt Kamperman has beengrowing at a very healthy rate in the past six years. Both teaching proorganizations also appear to be growing and both are healthy finan-cially. It is great that teaching pros have a choice. The fact that theycompete with each other has spurred better and more creative services.Encouraging a monopoly is not a good policy for a growing industry.

Any merger can be very disruptive, even when the cultures andpeople align pretty well. In this case there are significant differences inthe governance structures as well as the cultures. The PTR is muchmore of an international organization. There are numerous other subtledifferences.

So why is it that an industry composed of many small- to medium-sized companies is suddenly looking seriously at consolidating into asingle organization one of its most important components, its deliverysystem for teaching the game? Frankly, if this was coming from thepros I would understand it better. - Skip Hartman

Mylan to Sponsor World TeamTennis

The pharmaceutical firm Mylan and World TeamTennisannounced a three-year agreement in which Mylan will

serve as the title sponsor of WTT, which will be renamed MylanWorld TeamTennis."Mylan and WTT share the same ideal of access and oppor-

tunity for everyone," says Ilana Kloss, WTT CEO/Commission-er. "We are excited to partner with a global company likeMylan, and we will work together to elevate our respectivebrands and create greater opportunities for access both in theU.S. and international markets."Mylan will serve as the title sponsor of the WTT Pro

League's more than 50 matches per season through 2015 andaims to extend the reach of WTT to new markets outside of theU.S. Mylan WTT includes professional coed tennis teams ineight U.S. markets. Under the agreement, Mylan also will bethe title sponsor of Mylan WTT Smash Hits through 2015,which is the annual charity event co-hosted by Billie Jean Kingand Sir Elton John to raise funds for the Elton John AIDS Foun-dation (EJAF) and various local AIDS charities.

Page 17: 201302 Racquet Sports Industry

February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 15

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

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Host a Family Tennis Championships Event

There’s a new tennis tournament that doubles as family time. The 2013 National Family Ten-nis Championships offers thousands of amateur players across America the opportunity to

team up with a family member to earn the right to play for a national title in New York Cityfrom Aug. 22 to 26. Tennis facilities interested in being one of the 300 host sites have untilFebruary 28 to sign-up.Each local host site receives a free tournament kit with everything they need to promote

and run the event, including counter cards, promotional posters, NFTC banners, player premi-ums, tennis balls, plus winner and runner-up awards for each division. In addition, theyreceive $10 from every team entry fee and the chance for their winners to advance to one offour Super Regional Tournaments. For more information or to register as a local host site visitfamilytennis.com.“We encourage all tennis facilities to join our family and offer their families the chance to

compete on a national stage,” says Kathleen Francis of the 2013 National Family Tennis Cham-pionships. “This program is a great way for facilities to excite and grow their customer baseby offering family members and non-club members the chance to join in on the fun.”Tennis facilities have until June 30 to conduct their local tournaments for up to six divisions

of play: Husband/Wife, Brother/Sister, Father/Son, Father/Daughter, Mother/Son andMother/Daughter. Host sites are encouraged to offer at least three of the six divisions. Playersof all levels compete in the same division with the only limitations being a son or daughtermust be under the age of 18 and a father or mother is required to be the minor’s legalguardian.“We’re excited to support the National Family Tennis Championships as it promotes tennis to all family members and affords

players of all ages and abilities an opportunity to get on the court and play,” says Kurt Kamperman, USTA Chief Executive of Com-munity Tennis.During July and August, local winners in each division can advance to one of four Super Regional Tournaments. The top teams

at each regional advance to the National Championships in New York City. Teams will receive travel, meals and three nights ofhotel accommodations as well as tickets to see the best in the game play at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

3 New RZR FramesDebut from Gamma

New for 2013 are three RZRframes from Gamma Sports—

the RZR 95 and RZR 105 adultracquets, and the RZR 100 Junior25—which feature RZR AdvancedAerodynamics.The RZR 95 is for all-court

players and the company says itoffers “tremendous potential forspin” on ground strokes andserves, high maneuverability andtouch at the net, and “pop” fromthe baseline. The RZR 105 is for awide range of players, offeringfeel without sacrificing control,and is a great all-around racquet,says Gamma.The RZR 100 Junior 25 is a 25-

inch version of the RZR 100 adultframe and is constructed of“MCarbon,” a carbon fiber matrixthat Gamma says increasesstrength, resulting in maximumpower transfer on all shots. Visitgammasports.com for more.

Page 18: 201302 Racquet Sports Industry

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Page 19: 201302 Racquet Sports Industry

Greg Mason, the TIA's new president has been in the sporting goods industry for more than 25 years in a variety of senior management roles. Currently the vice president of sales and marketing for Head Penn Racquet Sports, where he's been for the last 12 years, Mason recently shared his thoughts about the industry, the TIA and priorities moving forward.

Q: 'Wha~ do you feel is the 1op TIA priority? GM: The TIA is all about the economy of the game. Overall, our charge is to continue to offer opportunities to grow revenue, and that means doing what we can to support initiat ives to get more people playing more often and to create more frequent players. That will grow the tennis economy for everyone. The good news is that frequent players increased by 10 percent in 2012, and we know frequent players are responsible for over 70 percent of the economic impact and are a key focus area ofthe TIA. So we have a bit of a tailwind going into 2013 in th is area. The USTA is charged with growth of the game-and they do that. We focus on the growth of the tennis economy.

0. What is a 'key c'hallenge fa~iny the TIA? GM: I'm not sure if people t ruly understand all the components and all the pieces that are involved in this industry, and al l the areas the TIA is involved with . This is a chal lenge for us, but I think it's also one of the opportunities we have moving forward, to let people know what the TIA is doing so they are more willing to support the ideas and in itiatives t hat can help the industry. Also, we're impacting virtually every segment of th is industry. We've often stayed under the radar. Now, it's time we let people know we're there for them.

Different components of what we do are important for different segments of this industry. There are so many elements that cross so many areas- whether it's research that manufacturers can use, or maintaining the largest industry database so we can reach tennis providers effectively, or promoting Card io Tennis as a way to

·-Joon the TIA •.. Increase Your Prof1ts ... Grow the Ga

·''.....-;'\"

create frequent players and for tennis providers to make money, or providing tools and resources fo r retailers, or the dozens of other areas the TIA affects- many people simply aren't aw are that they're impacted by the TIA.

n. H Dl,., does. the TllA lJo. that? GM: We need to be more consistent and more relevant. We need to show every segment of this industry that what w e're doing is relevant to their business and to the tennis industry as a w hole. We need to make sure each segment of the industry knows what's in it for them, what they're getting through the TIA.

We also need to communicate succinctly w ith a unified, simple message we can all ral ly beh ind. The TIA is in a unique position to craft t hat message and combine t he energ ies of al l the various groups in t his industry-retailers, manufacturers, teaching pros, the pro tou rs, and more- al l under t he umbrella of growing the revenue of the game. If we com bine the energy and the efforts of these multiple segments, then the whole becomes much greater than the parts.

Unifying the Industry Under One Brand -TENNIS

Manufacturers Associations

Retailers

Facilities

Court Contractors

Teaching Pros

Tournaments

Media

0. lhe TIA is heavily into i nduJ~!Y research. How important is th1s fol lennis? GM: The industry research that the TIA spearheads is unique in the sporting goods industry. Ask people at the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA-formerly the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association) and other sports retailers t hat carry multiple categories, and they'l l tell you that tennis is the gold standard when it comes to compiling and using research to grow the industry. It's important that we continue th is, so that all industry stakeholders can make informed, timely decisions. People who only have been in the tennis industry may not realize what a unique strength we have with our research compared to other sports categories.

February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 17

Page 20: 201302 Racquet Sports Industry

. . 0: How can af11he ilifleron1 elements, organizations andl com~,anies in Uiis indu!Stty work toge1her? GM: For many years, we've said we need to unify this industry under one brand- TENNIS, and that 's still very true. And that's a major part of what the TIA does. We all need to realize we're part of the same goal, which is to grow tennis. It doesn't mean that we'll always be in agreement on everything, but we all need to look out for the greater good. When we get together in the TIA, it's been said, "Check your logo at the door."

Each individual group in the sport, including the USTA, can on ly touch a portion of the tennis-playing community. The only group that touches every tennis player is the TIA itself because you need a racquet, a ball and a court to play the game. We're the best delivery system in the industry.

Tennis in the U.S. a $5.4 billion industry, and obviously there wi ll be times when w e're not all going to agree, and sometimes passions boi l over. But we need to minimize and eliminate the personal challenges and focus on constructive criticism. While the pieces have all been coming together in recent years, this infrastructure is still a work in progress.

0: What is the TIA's relationship with the USTA? GM: We're solid partners in growing the game, because initiatives that get more people playing tennis more often will impact the economics of this industry, and that's right in our wheelhouse.

In many ways, we're a consultant to the USTA, helping to measure and anticipate the impact their decisions have on the revenue of the game and on industry stakeholders. And in some cases, we need to be a voice of reason, especia lly when decisions that may make sense from a governing body's point of view may not make sense when taken to the next level within the industry. That means we won't always be on the same page and agree with everything they do, and they may have the same opinion of our efforts at times. The goal is to have common ground that works for both of us. It's all about TENNIS, and in the long run, everyone is better off if we can deliver messages that satisfy both the economic side of the sport and the grow-the-game side.

0 ; In recent years, 10 and Under Tennis has been pushed on afl fronts. What should be the TIA's role m Youth Tennis? GM: It's impossible to argue that bringing more kids into tennis is a bad thing. The TIA is 100 percent behind getting more kids into tennis. With the USTA's significant

10 UNDER

I

investment in the marketing and growth of this area, we need to support this in every way we can because it's good for the economic vitality of the game, both short­and long-term, and that's our mission. We need to bring in young players and get them involved so they become frequent players, and to do that, we're supporting manufacturers and retailers so the

18 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013

consumer has the right products to make the game easier to play for kids.

To help consumers, we're producing hang tags that will appear on graduated-length

racquets. We're also labeling the different types of balls to

make it easier for parents to find what they need. And, among other things, we're producing material for retailers and facilities that they can use to bring kids into the game. Importantly, 64 percent of retailers say they've seen a significant spike in consumer interest in 10 and Under Tennis in the last 10 months, and half say this segment will continue to grow through the next year. So retailers see the opportunity here.

Q: Whm otlhor stra1egi,&s is the TIA p_ursuing to increase frequent 1111 ay?

GM: It's important to note that there's a real difference between bringing new people into the game, versus

increasing play frequency. By getting players on the court more often-whether it's kids involved

i in Youth Tennis, adults playing in leagues A • and tournaments, players taking regular

clinics and lessons, consumers doing Cardio Tennis twice a week to improve their health, fitness and overall tennis game-the better this sport's economy

will be.

Frequent players, who play at least 21 times a year, account for 70 percent of all consumer

tennis expenditures. While it was great to see overall participation increase by 4 percent in 2012, the 10 percent increase in frequent players, to 5.3 million, is truly good news. Our goal is to have 10 million frequent players by 2020, which will add another $3.9 billion to the tennis economy.

Not to oversimplify, but we can increase play frequency by making it easier for people to find matches, find partners, find programming and lessons, and find places to play. Research says that finding a partner is the No. 1 reason people don't p lay more often. That's where playtennis.com, along with other initiatives already in place, come into play- they make it easier to play tennis more often.

Average 7%

growth per year needed to achieve goal

ll~ Pr~(!l s •• • Grow lhc Game ... www.Tcnmslndustry org

Page 21: 201302 Racquet Sports Industry

0: HllW does pJaytennis.·oom help the tenms economy? GM: Playtennis.com is a consumer portal for all things tennis-it's designed to be a

L!..!::::!.!:::~==~~~:J single, unbranded gateway where all industry stakeholders can

direct consumers so they can get involved in tennis, stay involved in the game and play more often. This should be the single message for the industry-everyone should be saying "playtennis.com."

The USTA has invested a lot in playtennis.com, and now the TIA will be taking more of a direct role in the day-to-day operations of the site. We're looking into how best to enhance functionality to improve the way people communicate through the site, set up matches, and interact. Execution and marketing will be key, and there w i ll be a high-level focus on Youth Tennis, too.

But make no mistake: playtennis.com is a long-term piece of the TIA's portfolio. It's a great example of w hat we can do when we combine energ ies with other organizations to enhance frequent play-which is target No. 1 for the TIA.

Q: There has been mu:ch discussion recent~y on tennis retailing. What should the TIA be domg to ho'p this segment of the industry? -GM: Tennis retailers are facing more challenges today than they ever have. But the important fact is they are on the front lines of this industry. They talk to players more often than any other group, and they have more influence on their communities than any other segment of the industry-engaging with influencers, sponsoring events, and promoting tennis locally.

We've been committed to helping tennis retailers, and we provide an increasing number of tools and resources to do that. But also, retailers have a voice that should be heard, and we need to make sure they're consistently brought into the discussion. We're helping a tennis retailer division grow and become a unifying force. A retai l association in tennis is important not just for retailers themselves-it will help keep the TIA current on what's happening at the local level, with consumers directly. So it will help the industry as a whole.

11: Whe.re does 1he TIA~managed tardio Tennis program fit in 1erms of the economic growth of this inrlusb"y? GMr: Cardio Tennis hits all the right notes for many segments of this industry. It appeals to consumers and offers them tangible benefits such as weight loss and game improvement, it f ill s courts, it makes money for teaching pros, it helps sell equipment and apparel­basically, it creates frequent players and keeps them active and healthy.

The latest survey shows that 1.3 million people participate in Cardio Tennis-which is pretty amazing since this program started just seven years ago. That speaks to a real need among consumers for this type of fun, healthy activity. And it's spreading internationally­more than 30 countries are doing Cardio Tennis, and we have partnership agreements with six of them. Plus, we continue to expand our offerings, with TRX Cardio Tennis, Cardio Tennis Interactive, coaching programs, and more.

It's important to understand that Cardio Tennis was developed because our research 10 years ago anticipated the inroads that the fitness industry was making. To ensure tennis' future, we needed to get a piece of that market. So, with support from the USTA. we developed Cardio Tennis, which can greatly expand the tennis consumer market by reaching into the fitness arena. It also shows that when something is a good idea, it has a viral effect that becomes sustainable, as it has succeeded without a great deal of financial support in the past few years.

Ct Wha1 o~hor op:portunities is 1he TIA pursuing? GM: If there is one thing I've heard industry folks mention time and again, it's that, with the focus on 10 and Under Tennis, are we doing things for the adult player? Adults by far make up most of our frequent

players. This is an area we continually need to address and that may be through Cardio Tennis, through partnerships outside the industry, etc. But it is important that we don't ignore this consumer. As we look at ways to further engage them, we will make

this a priority.

Also, while clearly we're focused on growing the economic vitality of tennis in the U.S., we can't ignore that business is global, and we're pleased that we're able to work more with other countries to grow this sport. It's a_great testament to our efforts and initiatives in many "areas that other countries are looking to the U.S. TIA as a model to implement in their part of the world, too.

February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 19

Page 22: 201302 Racquet Sports Industry

Resort Management

thought, despite all the time he has hadon the road to study the business fromthe outside. He acknowledges, ”When I checked

into a hotel the past 20 years, I neverknew how hard it is to run.” Off-courtcomplications can be daunting when itis up to you to “know everything, fromlight fixtures to how to get the right[employees] in the right places. … Ihave a new respect for anyone workingin the tennis business,” he admits.“The dream is that people will think

tennis when they think Sea Island,” saysJensen, and to that end he is hard atwork planning to fill the 16 Har-Trucourts (eight lighted, including the show-case stadium court) split between theresort’s primary campus of guest andmember residences and the separategolf facility and lodge. On tap is anexpansion of the Murphy Jensen TennisAcademy Sea Island that has seen thejunior program grow from two to 50players during the first six months andthe creation of specific adult-themedweeks through the spring and sum-mer—as well as a regular seasoning of“Jensen Brothers Tennis Weekends.” While planning to take advantage of

the Davis Cup tie between the U.S. andBrazil to be played Feb. 1-3 in nearbyJacksonville, Fla., to create interest andbuzz for the facility, he is also reachingout to friends from the professional touras well as others he knows from hisdays as a Tennis Channel personality,hoping to have them participate in theFriday Night Lights exhibitions through-out the high season, or as featured visi-tors who take advantage of the facilitiesas part of their training.“I didn’t realize I would enjoy teach-

ing this much,” says Jensen. But there is

courses to a nature camp for kids, a65,000-square-foot spa and fitness cen-ter, unique cuisine experiences andextraordinary racquet-enthusiast experi-ences. Bringing aboard the Jensens and Hall

are part of the process, Reiss explains, of“building a bridge that pays respect tothe past and that tradition, but alsomakes it fun and attractive to a newclientele.”Not completely coincidentally, Mur-

phy Jensen claims that his personalbrand is “fun.” A major attribute as ateacher is the enthusiasm he brings tothe court every day, every lesson. As for what he and older brother Luke

(who will be spending about 120 days ayear on site) receive from their new gig,he grows animated about the opportunityto create a learning facility with anemphasis on doubles that only they canbring. He has hopes of creating a legacymelding the traditions of the academiesof Dennis Van der Meer, John Newcombeand even Harry Hopman, only in aneven more incredible environment. “Thisplace is different...[and] a chance to buildsomething from a blank canvas.”

Learning the BusinessJensen, who also coaches current WorldTeamTennis champion Washington Kas-tles and continues to work with a fewtouring pros, has set himself the task ofheading up the “tennis vertical,” handlingbudgets and payroll while leaving hisimprint on everything from what isordered in the pro shop, to how his dou-bles expertise infuses lessons, to how thecourts get swept (even if he finds himselfdoing it). But he’s also learning the hospi-tality business from the inside. It turnsout to be more complicated than he

In a high energy bid for attention toa previously softly-peddled vacationdestination, Sea Island, a resort on

the Georgia coast that prides itself onoffering a massive, private residencesense-of-place, has stepped up the pro-file and scope of its tennis and squashprograms. In June it brought tennis star power

by hiring 1993 Roland Garros doubleschampions (and fanatically fan-friendlypersonalities) Murphy Jensen as tennisambassador and director of tennis andbrother Luke as the resort’s touringpro. It followed by three months thehiring of Steve Hall, former Dunlopdirector of marketing, as squash direc-tor to run the nation’s only five-starresort squash program.The hires come as part of an

aggressive marketing push for thehaven of secluded opulence, since thelate 1920s a getaway for Southernelites, politicians, celebrities and thosethey let in on “their secret” that cameto the attention of the larger world ashost of the 2004 G-8 Summit. Situated on a Georgia barrier island

amid marshlands, the facility caters toa membership that owns (and rents)residences, as well as to guests. Afteryears in family hands, Sea Island waspurchased by a group of partners firstbidding against each other over theassets during 2010 bankruptcy pro-ceedings. The current vision is to expand visi-

torship and membership programmingas part of a transition from what wasprior to 1999 a real estate company,according to General Manager RickReiss, to a fully developed resort pro-viding everything to its high-end clien-tele from three championship golf

Stepping Up Their GameSea Island hires high-profile pros to revamp its tennis and squashprograms.

20 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Resort ManagementStepping Up Their GameSea Island hires high-profile pros to revamp its tennis and squashprograms. B Y K E N T O S W A L D

Page 23: 201302 Racquet Sports Industry

February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 21www.racquetsportsindustry.com

no getting away from the current prima-cy of golf among the resorts’ attractions.Since it can’t all be about the one game,he is also considering the synergy to befound in marketing to corporate groupsand others by introducing a “tennis forgolfers” series. “Who knows where thisleads?” he says.

Squash MasterHall, master of two singles softball andone doubles hardball squash courts,echoes Jensen. While the tennis gurumay announce that, “anything’s possi-ble,” and, “the ultimate goal is to pro-vide a service you can’t get anywhereelse,” the squash maven claims thatwhatever it takes to satisfy and exciteguests and members, “We’ll make ithappen.”Regular squash programs include

adult clinics and junior programs. Hall,who after 12 years at Dunlop remainson the advisory board and offers onlythe one company’s racquets—soon toinclude a signature Sea Island model—inhis pro shop, is looking to add two tour-nament events a year. The “Sea IslandClassic,” an amateur event, is already setas part of the resort’s President’s Week-

end celebration, Feb. 15-17. He also plansfantasy squash camps (the inaugural eventfeatures World No. 2, Nick Matthew, theresort’s touring professional and ambas-sador, March 28-31); a college recruitingweekend; skills-building summer camp ses-sions; guest mixers; and parent-child pro-grams. Also being considered as a way touse squash as an outreach to new guests are“squash and spa” and “squash and golf”weekends. Hall, a former board member of the U.S.

Squash Racquets Association and beforethat a top Canadian player, sees this coun-try’s emerging squash renaissance as help-

ing to fit his program very neatly intomarketing to the resorts present and goaldemographic. Recently married to a for-mer top Princeton squashite, the transi-tion from corporate to courtside is goingwell for the former Dunlop exec whosays it “is massively satisfying [to redis-cover] through others’ eyes” what a greatgame he is teaching.w

Murphy Jensen (above left) heads the tennisprogram at Sea Island and Steve Hall runsthe squash program.

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22 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013

Pioneers In Tennis

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Bud Collins: An American OriginalWho Helped Tennis Boom

Ali’s Rumble in the Jungle boxing boutwith George Foreman. Throughout hisillustrious career, Collins has producedthousands of articles, as well as morethan a dozen books, including biogra-phies of Rod Laver and Evonne

Goolagong, the “Bud Collins TennisEncyclopedia” and “Bud Collins His-tory of Tennis,” a multi-edition setthat can best be described as theBible of the game. At major events,Collins, joined by his wife, photogra-pher Anita Klaussen, can be seenhawking books around the groundsand affectionately signing every onefor the bevy of friends and fans hehas coveted over the years.

IN 1963, COLLINS wasapproached by PBS’s Greg Harneyto do his first network tennis broad-cast. “We’re going to televise ten-nis,” he was told. His reaction?“Why?” “Because the people whorun the station are all preppies whoplay tennis,” was the answer. Thatwas a good enough reason forCollins, who realized early on thatgetting tennis on TV would be aboon to the sport. It was a disas-trous TV start for Collins—withequipment failures from an oldschool bus that had been convertedinto a TV truck, a disinterested

broadcast partner and skeptical play-ers—and after his first show, his then-wife advised him not to sell histypewriter.

But Collins has continued to coverthe sport live now for some 50 years.He’s broadcast tennis for every majornetwork and cable outlet, including for35 years with NBC, where his colorfultrousers worn during interviews at Wim-bledon caught the attention of everyonefrom players to generations of BritishRoyalty. Once, the Duchess of Kent put

Ohio and served in the Army beforedeciding to follow a friend to Boston forgrad school and a hopeful career. Inorder to pay his way, Collins beganknocking on the doors of the then eightdaily newspapers in Boston. The Herald

hired him to cover high school footballfor $5 every Saturday. If he came to theoffice and also answered phones, thepay would escalate to $10. It tookCollins exactly two Saturdays to knowwhat he would do with the rest of hislife.

Though a straight-A student at BU,Collins never finished his graduation the-sis; he was too busy traveling the worldcovering breaking stories—first for theHerald and then for the Boston Globe—from the Vietnam War to Muhammad

t took Bud Collins only a few min-utes after seeing a young teenagernamed Steffi Graf swing a racquet

for him to dub her “Fraulein Forehand.”He had a similar epiphany in re-namingSpaniard Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, aneffervescent spitfire, the“Barcelona Bumble Bee.” When16-year-old Chris Evert capturedthe nation’s collective heart, sheimmediately became “Chris Ameri-ca,” according to Collins, andwhen Venus and Serena wallopedtheir way into the nation’s imagi-nation, they earned the moniker“The Sisters Sledgehammer.”

In 1985, when a tornadospawned on the grounds of theUSTA National Tennis Center dur-ing the US Open, shaking andthreatening to topple an overheadpress box filled with members ofthe international media, Collinssimply looked up, chuckled andshouted, “What a boon to theColumbia School of Journalism.”

Collins may have been imply-ing that if the press box collapsedthat day, plenty of sportswriters’jobs would have to be replaced.But the truth is, there is only onetruly irreplaceable member of thetennis media corps, and that is thecolorful Collins himself.

IT WAS 1956 WHEN Collins,then a first-year public relations gradu-ate student at Boston University work-ing as a copy boy at the Boston Herald,was sent by his sports editor to coverthe U.S. Doubles Championships at theLongwood Cricket Club.

“They didn’t have anyone else to doit,” says the 83-year-old Collins of thatmost fortuitous day in his now 57-yearcareer. Collins had already been toBaldwin-Wallace College in his native

IPh

oto by

Bob

Ken

as

February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 23

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

her hand on Collins’ shoulder and wishedhim a happy birthday on the air.

Collins can lucidly recount a gaggle offavorite matches over the years, includinga 1976 match in Stockholm, Sweden,between Arthur Ashe and Ilie Nastaseduring which an argument arose betweenthe players. “Nasty was up to his usualtricks,” says Collins, recalling the event asif it were yesterday. “Arthur got peeved,finally said ‘That’s enough,’ threw downhis racquet and headed to the lockerroom. The referee tried to coax Arthurback on the court but he wouldn’t come.Nastase had already been defaulted butnow they had to default Arthur, too. Itwas one tennis match with two losers.The next day Nastase brought Ashe abouquet of roses.”

THROUGH HIS WRITING andhis work on TV and radio over thedecades, Collins has helped to popularize

tennis in the U.S. and helped the sportgrow, inspiring untold legions to pickup a racquet and play. And, despiterunning for many years a fun amateurevent called the “Hacker’s Classic” at aresort in Florida every December,Collins himself was no slouch on thecourt. He won the U.S. Indoor mixeddoubles championship in 1961 andwas a finalist with Jack Crawford in theFrench Senior doubles in 1975. He alsowas the tennis coach at Brandeis Uni-versity from 1959 to 1963 (where oneof his players was the political andsocial activist Abbie Hoffman).

Throughout his career, Collins hasbeen honored with countless awards,including the prestigious Red SmithAward in 1999 by the Associated PressSports Editors, and with his inductioninto the Sportscasters and Sportswrit-ers Hall of Fame in 2002. He alsoreceived the tennis world’s highest

honor in 1994, when he was inductedinto the International Tennis Hall ofFame.

But perhaps his greatest legacy isthe many friends he has acquiredthrough his goodness of heart and gen-erosity of spirit. Virtually every youngjournalist in every tennis press roomaround the world can relate a timethat Collins, though writing on dead-line, has stopped to answer a questionor do a quick interview.

As for how he would like to beremembered, the ever-humble gentle-man, dressed in pink and greentrousers and matching pink Crocs onhis feet, tips his straw hat off his baldhead and says with a sly grin, “I wantto be known as a good-humored guywho made a lot of friends and wholoved tennis, but didn’t take it too seriously.”

—Cindy Shmerler ◗

February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 23

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Retailing 117

with your clients. Your database of satisfiedcustomers is valuable only if you make prop-er use of it to continually communicate withcustomers that have already spent moneywith you—by inviting them back to see whatis new or visit your website to find an idealtennis gift for family or friends.

w Increase the number of clients. Focusyour multichannel marketing budget onreaching out to the demographics in yourneighborhood to invite young people,women and the multicultural diversity ofyour community into your store to discoverthe enjoyment of the tennis lifestyle that youoffer.

Re-PlanningThis may be the most important aspect ofthe planning process. Be aware that no plansurvives first engagement. All plans arechanged the minute they are executed, andhere is what separates the small businessowners who don’t get the importance of abusiness plan from those that get it. Youneed to adjust for the things that don’t workand take advantage of the things that do.

You spend five days of your year devel-oping an operational business plan … so thatyou are prepared to re-plan, to adjust to thechanges that your real-time marketplacethrows at you every day.

The key to your retail operation is receiv-ing weekly reports on your key performanceindicators so that you can quickly makechanges to any number of store operationsthat will give you the best opportunity toadjust for the things that don’t work andtake advantage of the things that do—all inorder to maintain your profit and growthplan for the year. w

local stationary store, find an appropriatesoftware or computer application—or makeyour own.

Meet with your supplier sales reps andpromotional partners in your local businesscommunity and map out and write in thepromotional and advertising opportunitiesfor the coming year. Research the costs andwrite them in—and ask your sales reps tocontribute and ask their employers (yoursuppliers) to share in the costs.

wWrite It Down: A defining trait of suc-cessful independent retail businesses is theywrite down their operational business plans… and a defining trait of unsuccessful inde-pendent retail businesses is they tend not towrite down their plans. So, build your plan-ning calendar and then write down thedetails of How, Who, Why (the expectedresult), When, Where and how much it willCost for each and every item.

Here is where you need to create a finan-cial and sales projection spreadsheet. If youdon’t like computers, do this manually, butwhatever you are comfortable with, writedown your financial projections and forecastfor the coming year for inventory, businessexpenses, revenue, gross margin and profit.

w Retail Assessment: Get a check-up foryour business by taking a TIA Retail Busi-ness Assessment. The whole process willtake about 20 minutes and you will get backa complete analysis of strengths and weak-nesses, along with recommendations forwhat aspects to focus on during the comingyear to eliminate the weaknesses and buildon the strengths. Contact the TIA today(843-473-4505 or [email protected]) to arrange to take your retail businesscheck up.

Three Ways to GrowThere are only three ways to grow yourbusiness, and you should build your opera-tional business plan to:

w Increase the dollar value of transactions(average ticket value per customer). Simple,basic retailing like up-selling and add-onsales can increase the value of individualtransactions and create happier customerswho appreciate consultative suggestions toenhance their tennis lifestyles.

w Increase the frequency of transactions

lanning to grow your businessand make money…can actuallybe fun! We are optimistic about

the future of specialty tennis retailers inthe U.S. This may seem odd consider-ing we have pointed out in TIA Webina-rs the fact that retailing in America is inthe midst of profound changes, andsome industry observers are predictingthat by 2020, half of all retail stores inthe U.S. today will be gone.

But what fuels our positive futureview for all specialty retailers is arecent statement by the National RetailFederation: “The fastest growing retailmodel—small, independently ownedboutiques in neighborhoods, close totheir consumers.”

So, this tip is about planning—andspecifically planning for your specialtytennis retail business today. Indepen-dently owned boutiques, or specialtyretailers, may be the fastest growingretail model, but they are still doingbusiness in the midst of profoundchanges.

A Passion for RetailingIn this retail environment, having a pas-sion for tennis, while important, simplyisn’t enough. It has to be matched byan equal passion for all aspects of spe-cialty retailing, including operationalplanning.

You can actually make it enjoyable,because it can be financially rewarding… and who doesn’t like making moremoney! There is no magic in a retailoperational business plan, but there is agreater control of your business, itsexpenses, product costs and profitthrough planning and re-planning.

Make a commitment to work onyour business, and not in it for fivedays—or just over 1 percent of yourwhole year. The first months of theNew Year are ideal for you to make acommitment to spend about five daysworking on your operational businessplan.

w Planning Calendar: We are bigadvocates of planning calendars. Pur-chase a monthly planner from your

PBuild Your Operational Business Plan

February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 25www.racquetsportsindustry.com

This is part of a series ofretail tips presented by theTennis Industry Associationand written by the Gluskin

Townley Group (www.gluskintownleygroup.com).

What’s Next? The March TIA Webinar is “UsingAssessment Benchmarks to ImproveYour Specialty Tennis Retail Business.”Visit TennisIndustry.org/webinars fordetails and to register.

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F A C I L I T Y P R O G R A M M I N G

At New Jersey’s Mercer CountyPark, flex leagues stirred a hugeinterest in tennis, and led torelationships that have helpedthe public facility thrive.B Y A N N L O P R I N Z I

26 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013

FLEXIBLEBENEFITSFLEXIBLEBENEFITS

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

At New Jersey’s Mercer CountyPark, flex leagues stirred a hugeinterest in tennis, and led torelationships that have helpedthe public facility thrive.

Page 29: 201302 Racquet Sports Industry

When New Jersey’s Mercer County built a large outdoortennis facility in 1981 in the middle of a 2,500-acrepark, who knew that the impetus for its growth and

popularity would be summer leagues? Mercer County Park, subse-quently named the Richard J. Coffee Mercer County Park, lies inWest Windsor Township, just outside of Princeton, offers a pletho-ra of recreational activities, and itstennis leagues continue to drawplayers from many miles around.

Soon after its grand opening,then-director of tennis Judy Niederercame up with the idea of filling thecourts with a flexible league. Theconcept took a little time to grow,and now players know that, if theydon’t sign up early, they may not getin. Today, leagues span some 40divisions and are limited to the first725 people who sign up. There always ends up being a waitinglist.

“I don’t know if there’s been another flex league of this scale,”says current Tennis Director Marc Vecchiolla. “The courts wouldnot have as great a usage without them. I feel that the leaguedraws everyone in, and they find other things going on here.There are huge waiting lists for our lesson programs. Beforesignups went online a few years back, the long lines to register forprograms looked more like lines for Springsteen tickets.”

League players used to receive a schedule in the mail; nowthey access the schedule online. Then, they simply contact theirweekly opponent and schedule the match. Standings are updatedweekly, and there’s a post-season playoff system.

Generating InterestWith 22 outdoor courts, six indoor, and 16 lighted courts, it’s easyto see why the facility became a central focus of area tennisdespite an abundance of other quality clubs and programs withinstriking distance. And the hugely popular and long-running CryanTournament (for which Vecchiolla was a ballboy in 1982) contin-ues to draw and impress new people.

“Special events generate a lot of interest in our facility,” saysVecchiolla. “It is the most well-known public tennis facility in thestate. We’ve won three national awards. We host a US Open Sec-tional Qualifier, USTA League sectionals, state and county high

school championships, and college events. Every weekend in thesummer we offer a different county tournament. The cost for anID card is affordable.”

A key element of the facility’s success is the county’s commit-ment to upkeep. Not only did Mercer County add a six-court fab-ric-covered facility a few years ago to replace the crumbling

indoor structure on the other side ofthe county, but they reconstruct oneor two bays of outdoor courts everyyear and address cracks on an annu-al basis on all courts. Last year theyadded blended lines on four outdoorcourts for Youth Tennis play.

“We wouldn’t be able to do allthis without the support of the Coun-ty Executive and the Park Commis-sion Executive Director,” saysVecchiolla. “All of our ideas came to

fruition. They recognized we had a following and an interest.Every vision and dream is coming true as to how we wanted thisfacility to evolve. And there’s a good return on its investment.”

Details and OrganizationAs nicely as things fell into place for the Mercer County TennisCenter, it took some good leadership to make it all happen. Vec-chiolla has this advice for anyone trying to emulate where theyare: w Start on a smaller scale.w Pay attention to the details.w Be as organized as possible.w Stay consistent.

“It takes organization to run a public facility, and if you wantpeople coming back, you have to be precise and detail-oriented,”he says. “If you let some things slide, it will open up huge cans ofworms. You want everyone to be happy, but you want them tostick to the guidelines, too. If you say there’s going to be a 6-1 stu-dent-to-teacher lesson ratio, make sure it is. Some clubs will takemore kids, and then the quality diminishes.”

Vecchiolla also believes there’s another reason why the Mer-cer County Park facility and other area clubs are all doing well.

“It’s a great sport and a great time for our sport. Some of thebest players ever are playing now,” he says. “Consistency in thepro game gives us more visibility with the casual fan.” w

‘Before signups went onlinea few years back, the longlines to register for pro-grams looked more like linesfor Springsteen tickets.’

February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 27 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

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O U T L O O K 2 0 1 3 : R A C Q U E T S

Every year, it seems that racquet

technology manages to take at leastone more leap forward.

28 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

How much more techno-logically advanced canracquets get? Is it still

possible for individual sticks tohave their vibration dampenedmore? Sweetspot enlargedmore? Have their “feel”improved more? Generate morepower? Produce more spin?

With each passing year andinnovation, it seems as if manu-facturers have taken technologyto the edge and that all that canbe left is a cosmetic tweak ortwo.

But every year, doubters arequieted as racquet technologytakes at least one more leap for-ward. With each season anotherswing style has a racquet that fitsits particular idiosyncrasies.

When reviewing what’s com-ing up, it appears that once againthe biggest challenge for mostplayers is not having to takelessons so they can change theirstrokes to “what works,” butchoosing the racquet refined toproduce the optimum resultfrom what they are alreadydoing.

OVER THEEDGEOVER THEEDGE

BABOLATbabolat.com • 877-316-9435The Aeropro Drive, in its fifth genera-tion, continues as the racquet line ofchoice for bold-faced tennis names likeRafael Nadal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, SamQuerry and Agnieszka Radwanska. It isexpected to be picked up,too, by the host ofplayers who want tohit with the samepower and spin.Cosmetic tweaksinvolve splashes ofbright yellow andmatte black. Tech-nological highlightsinclude an evolvingaerodynamic shape, animproved system for let-ting frame and stringsinteract more freely, anduse of a graphite and tung-sten composition within theframe to reduce torque.Specific models includethe Aeropro Drive andDrive+, the AeroproLite and Aeropro Team.

Aeropro Drive +

GAMMAgammasports.com • 800-333-0337Continuing the development of its RZR line ofracquets introduced last year, Gamma will addthe RZR 95, a 95-square-inch frame for theadvanced player looking for additional control;the RZR 105, a 105-square-inch frame for big hit-ters looking to display power; and the RZRJunior 25 foryoung butserious play-ers. Addi-tionally, asthe compa-ny’s litera-ture proudlyannounces,‘The Bubba isback”—a 29-inch-long, 137-square-inch headracquet offering amega-sweetspot. Eachof the sticks featuresenhanced graphiteframes that minimizedrag and aid headacceleration, saysGamma.

RZR 95RZR 105

B Y K E N T O S W A L D

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February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 29www.racquetsportsindustry.com

YONEXyonexusa.com • 800-44-YONEXThe Japanese firm will add to its VCore line, whichfeatures frame heads injected with higher densityfoaming urethane to diminish vibra-tion and add power. All featuringexpanded sweetspots, additions willinclude the head-light VCore Xi 100and VCore Xi 98, as well as thehead-heavy VCore Xi Lite. Theendorsement lineup includes AnaIvanovic, Bernard Tomic, StanWawrinka and Caroline Wozniacki.

DUNLOPdunlop.com • 800-768-4727Continuing to push the extremes of biomimetic technology, Dunlophad redesigned and re-engineered its line for different players at all lev-els of game. There are rounded, more elliptical heads to enlargesweetspots, attention to the grip to aid control, and textured adapta-tions to improve swing speed. The naming system has been tweakedto make it more intuitive as to whichracquet is best for which playerbased on swing style/speed. Keyendorsers are Fernando Verdasco,Nicolas Almagro, Jurgen Melzer,Tommy Robredo, DominikaCibulkova, and Heather Watsonand the marketing will include out-reaches through video/TV, print, web,and social media in order to expand thecustomer base beyond its traditionalcore. New, revised and tweaked racquetsinclude the F3.0 Tour, M3.0, S3.0 Lite,M6.0, S6.0 Lite, S8.0 Lite, M3.0 (25 and26 inch), Biomimetic 400 (and 400 Tourand Lite), Biomimetic 600 Tour and Bio-mimetic 700.

F3.0 TourM6.0S8.0 Lite

WILSONwilson.com • 773-714-6400Hoping to continue building on thesuccessful Blade and Steam launches,Wilson has adapted improved technol-ogy and will also add new racquets toboth lines. In addition to adding sleekblack and silver touches to the look ofthe Blade, the company has enhancedthe handle technology and strength-ened the graphite construction, to addfeel and control. Additionally, there’snow a 16x19 string pat-tern for the Blade 98 asan option for evenmore robust spin.Blade endorsersinclude Gael Monfils,Milos Raonic, andLaura Robson. Thecompany has alsoadopted technology forthe new Steam 99S andSteam 105 in order toratchet up spin playerscan achieve. The enhancedhandle technology has alsobeen added to the line,which will feature endorse-ments by Feliciano Lopez,Philipp Kohlschreiber, andMelanie Oudin, among oth-ers.

VOLKLvb-tennis.com • 858-626-2720Continuing to promote Organixtechnology, with its improved damp-ening, response and stability, in2013 Volkl will expand its line intomore swing segments. An improvedhandle system and greater respon-siveness when ball meets strings willalso be a notable feature of new rac-quets, including the Organix 1,Organix 7 295g, Organix 7 310g,and Organix 10 Mid, says Volkl. Thecompany has also updated its Clas-sic V1 and will be offering its transi-

tion Team Speedin neon orange.Organix 1

Organix 7 310gOrganix 10 MID

HEADhead.com • 800-289-7366Head has introduced Graphene—which the companyrefers to as the world’s strongest and lightest material—into its new racquets. The debut of the material began atthe highest levels of the game, with the unveiling of NovakDjokovic’s new Speed racquet inMelbourne, while Maria Sharapo-va, Tomas Berdych and MarinCilic will be tied into promotionof Graphene’s introduction intothe Instinct line beginning inMarch. Benefits include the “opti-mal redistribution of weight” inthe swing and additional racquetspeed and maneuverability with everyshot, says Head. Racquets receiving theupdate include the YouTek GrapheneSpeed MP, YouTek Graphene Speed Rev,YouTek Graphene Speed Jr., YouTekGraphene Instinct MP, YouTek GrapheneInstinct Rev, and YouTek GrapheneInstinct. Jr.

YouTek Graphene Speed REVYouTek Graphene Instinct MP

VCore Xi 100

PACIFICpacific.com • 941-795-1789While refining the cos-metics on some rac-quets for 2013, thenext big step for thefamily-owned Ger-man company’s rac-quet line will come inmid- to late 2013. Theintroduction of theBasaltX2TM will showcasethe benefits of a technologi-cal breakthrough allowing theaddition of 30 percent morebasalt to the frame with fiberslighter, stronger and offeringgreater dampening, accordingto the company.

XForce ProXFeel Pro.90 Vacuum

Blade 98

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O U T L O O K 2 0 1 3 : F O O T W E A R

Tennis companies are makingshoes increasingly innovative inboth style and technology.

The major brands are celebrating the paradoxes of tennisfootwear. Across the board, shoes are becoming lighter,while also increasingly durable—with 6-month and even

1-year outsole guarantees a norm. Fashion and function, ratherthan co-existing as antagonists, are increasingly paired bydesigners (and technicians) as key drivers for increased sales.Manufacturers have responded to the difficult business climateof the past few years with shoes increasingly innovative in style

and technology. It may not all be leading to a paradise whereplayers will be coordinating multiple pairs of shoes to their ten-nis outfits, but it appears manufacturers have responded to thechanging demands of all player segments and are well posi-tioned to take advantage of the needs of the 28-plus million pairsof feet needing to be shod that the TIA recently reported are nowsprinting, sliding and planting themselves on court surfacesacross the land.

B Y K E N T O S W A L D

BABOLATbabolat.com • 877-316-9435Having collaborated with Michelin experts for durability andenhanced traction on all surfaces, and Andy Roddick for stylishnessand game effectiveness, Babolat will introduce its new Propulse 4shoe in March. The latest iteration of its popular footwear (availablein black/yellow/white for men, women and juniors) will continue ina low profile, but offer increased lateral movement support and heelcushioning.

30 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

ADIDASadidas.com • 800-448-1796The latest additions to Adidas footwear lineup are theadizero Climacool Feather III (men) and ClimacoolTemapaia II (women), very stable, lightweight shoes withsignificant outsole durability and featuring the highlybreathable Climacool. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and AnaIvanovic are the premier endorsers (for men in two ver-sions of vivid yellow/black/running white; and forwomen in running white/tech grey/vivid yellow).

STEPLIVELY

Climacool Feather IIIClimacool Temapaia II

STEPLIVELY

Propulse 4

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February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 31

K-SWISSkswiss.com • 800-714-4477The flagship shoe of the K-Swiss line has been revised. The BigShot II, the most technical, performance shoe of the Californiacompany, has been reworked into a lighter, more breathable ver-sion. Enhancements for this version include improved support forlateral movement and enhanced mid-foot and heel stability, trac-tion and durability.

NEW BALANCEnewbalance.com • 800-253-7463With plans to increase its marketing to the tennis audience as theyear unfolds, New Balance introduced its low-profile, high-stabilityand durable 996 in January. The all-court, performance shoe for men(white/silver, white/green and black/yellow) and women (white/silverand white/pink/blue) features a lightweight cushioning material, aherringbone outsole to improve traction and extra toe-box protec-tion.

PRINCEprincetennis.com • 800-2TENNISPrince, carrying its head high with the T22 being the best-sellingshoe in U.S. specialty shops according to TIA/SMS data, updates theline with new colors for men and juniors (white/black/energy) andwomen (silver/berry). For marketing and promotion of the shoes

(and the remainder of the line as well), the compa-ny will be relying heavily on social media

throughout the spring.

WILSON • wilson.com • 773-714-6400Featured footwear in Wilson’s 2013 line will be the Rush Pro (forboth men and women) and Rush Pro Jr. The shoes are lightweight,low profile and engineered to offer the aggressive player stability, feeland responsiveness. The Rush, a lighter model also available for bothmen and women, will be coming to market in May. The shoes areavailable in a stylish range of color options and the most prominentendorsers are Feliciano Lopez and Melanie Oudin.

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

996

HEADhead.com • 800-289-7366Featuring the endorsements of Andy Murray and ChristinaMcHale, Head will be introducing its new shoes prior to the pro-fessional tours joining up in Miami in March. The new shoes tobe introduced for men will be the durable, stable and breathableSpeed Pro III, as well as the lightweight, comfort-oriented MotionPro. The women’s line will also add the Motion Pro, and theSpeed III, built on a special junior last, will be unveiled foryounger players.

Speed Pro IIIMotion Pro

Rush Pro

T22 Big Shot II

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O U T L O O K 2 0 1 3 : T E N N I S W E A R

If you think the styles you see at the club or in vendor’s catalogsare random acts of color, cut and fabrication, think again. Theresearch, man-hours and “science” that goes into the design

and execution of a line of tennis/fitness wear has never been morecomprehensive. Influences from the runway, nature, and one’s sur-roundings all play a part in this ebb and flow of designs.

Two designers gave us insight into the new year of fashion.Francine Candiotti, designer for Fila, takes her cue from high fash-ion and adapts it to a sportier look. Fila’s 100-year heritage allowsCandiotti to combine classic tradition with updated youthful looksby using trending colors, unique details, and textures, which, shesays, “will be a key” in the months ahead.

The intricate and detailed patterns that laser-cut fabricsspawned several years ago in haute couture outfits have hit main-stream fashion and Candiotti uses it to define a neutral colored toplayer of finely detailed cut-out designs, over bright yellow shortsthat really make the outfit pop in both its attention to detail andcolor.

Talking to retailers, sales reps, club players and touring prosgives Candiotti a real sense of what’s selling and what people arelooking for, she says, and it enables Fila to plan lines accordingly.

Shorts are in, says Candiotti, and people seem to feel morecomfortable in them. In creating Fila’s four yearly collections,including a men’s and children’s line, Candiotti says, “It’s all aboutbalance. You have to accommodate different kinds of customerswith tops, dresses, shorts, warm-ups, and skirts in differentlengths.”

Aside from the retro Heritage look of red, white and blues, theneed for basics and white is still important to the sporting con-sumer. But fashion colors for 2013 range from bold fluorescentpinks, oranges, yellows and greens to more muted heather grays,

with dashes of metallic detail.Updating a classic design using great fabrics, colors of the

moment and fashion twists seems to be the path for sporting fash-ion. But as Candiotti notes, “Telling a story when you design isimportant, but if the fit isn’t fabulous and comfortable, no one willwant to wear it.”

For 15 years, Carlos Perez has been at the forefront of Bolle’sdesigns. He recently was in Barcelona, and he says the magnificentarchitecture of that Spanish city “gave me this year’s focus.” Com-bining that architectural geometry with an asymmetry, than addingto that from high fashion trends, gives his current silhouettes addedpanache, especially when combined with creative prints andstripes.

Again, strong colors are abundant, combined with sueded fin-ishes, soft neutral heathers, tone-on-tones, and textures and layers.Bold blues, gold, violet, electric green, pinks and corals paired withwhite, slate grays make 2013’s court wear from Bolle more fun andsophisticated than ever.

This year, Perez notes, you’ll see more unusual color combina-tions and fabrics. “The layering effect of shapes and colors to getsurface interest with raised jacquards, netting, mesh … while pro-viding style and most importantly, comfort, are key components of2013 fashion,” he says.

Paying attention to competitors, and constantly seeking feed-back from players and retailers are all cues Perez takes to formulatehis fashion route for the year. Having all these components, plus“hanger appeal,” price point and timely delivery, all go into the for-mulation of a collection.

He also emphasizes “balance” in collections—having dresses,skirts of varying lengths, shorts, separates and jackets; go-to basicteam colors; and an all-white line as an essential for doing business.

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

32 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2012www.racquetsportsindustry.com

SOURCES OF

INSPIRATION

SOURCES OF

INSPIRATIONFashion pros give insight into how they create theirlooks for 2013.

Page 35: 201302 Racquet Sports Industry

February 2012 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 33www.racquetsportsindustry.com

FILAfila.com • 410-773-3000New from Fila for 2013 is the Her-itage line, which pros will wear atthis year’s US Open, and the Base-line line.

BOLLEbolletenniswear.com • 301-362-0360Bolle’s new lines feature strong colorsand the layering effect of differentshapes.

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ASHAWAYashawayusa.com • 800-556-7260The Rhode Island company with 60-plus years of tennisstring manufacturing experience is highlighting its 17-gauge MonoGut ZX Pro, a slightly thinner, lighter com-plement to the previously released 16-gauge MonoGut.Both offer stiffness and playability similar to naturalgut, with minimum tension loss and at a significant cost sav-ings. Ashaway Vice President Steve Crandall describes the keyattraction of energy responsiveness and arm comfort as “softpower.”

BABOLATbabolat.com • 877-316-9435One hundred thirty-seven years after first producing gutstrings, Babolat still keeps their R&D folks busy. The nextstring to be added to the product line is a brand extension ofthe co-poly, monofil RPM Blast. The RPM Dual, also featuringa cross-linked silicone coating to reduce friction and increasestring positioning time and ball spin, is set for a February debut.

DUNLOPdunlopsport.com • 800-768-4727The latest addition to Dunlop’s revamped string line is Ice,a monofilament polyester available in both 16- and 17-gauge. The clear string is intended to offer significant biteto aid with control and provide durability for players with thefullest of swings.

GAMMAgammasports.com • 800-333-0337Pittsburgh-based Gamma will add to its lineup with four

new strings. The co-poly Gamma Moto is designed tocreate a maximum amount of bite with itsseven-sided construction; generating spin that

lets big hitters keep the ball in the court throughexceptional “ball pocketing” is the story for the

co-poly Gamma iO; and durability, control andtension maintenance in a responsive polyester

string are the selling points for the new Gamma Poly-Z. The company will also be bringing to market theGamma RZR Rx, an oval shaped, co-extruded monofil-ament offering a more aerodynamic string bed tomaximize racquet-head speed and spin potentialthrough a reduction of friction where the stringscross.

GENESISgenesis-tennis.com 888-750-1011

Not yet at the four-year anniversary of the launch ofits first two strings, and with thunder and lightning-

serving Ivo Karlovic as a key endorser, Genesis willfeature the 16-gauge, Typhoon. The pentagonal co-

poly is designed to boost player power and spin and isoffered in battleship gray and twilight blue. Current pro-

motion plans include reaching out to big hitters by work-

O U T L O O K 2 0 1 3 : S T R I N G

Aficionados and frequent players have long argued the bene-fits of one string over another, but could it now be thatstrings are poised on the brink of gaining respect from the

majority of players? Forced by a highly competitive market and need-ing to define their particular niche in order to survive the difficult eco-nomic climate, manufacturers have explored string technology andbrought attention to a frequently ignored part of a player’s kit.

No less than Roger Federer, in recent remarks as he prepared for

the Aussie Open, claimed that the biggest change to the game duringhis career has been the development of string technology. Althoughclearly a beneficiary, he also recognizes the need to adapt his owngame when opponents are enabled by their mains and crosses to hitwith “so much spin and so much angle” thanks to the work of somany labs and manufacturers around the world. And that was beforethe current crop of strings was launched, adding their targeted bene-fits to players’ arsenals.

B Y K E N T O S W A L D

34 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013

GAME-CHANGERSGAME-CHANGERSManufacturers, and pro players, are bringing atten-tion to a frequently ignored part of a player’s game.

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ing through online retail partners and increasingbrand awareness with cross promotions of racquetsand bags.

HEADhead.com • 800-289-7366The co-poly, pentagonal, 16-gauge Sonic ProEdge will be introduced in March. While notstinting on letting players showcase their power,the focus of Head’s research and developmentfor this string has been to help advanced hittersmaximize spin and touch in order to showcaseshot control.

PACIFICpacific.com • 941-795-1789"The racquet is really just a string holder," says Pacif-ic's Tom Parry, perhaps exaggerating slightly. Actu-ally, if you look at the sheer comprehensiveness ofPacific's offerings you realize that Parry, one ofthe most accomplished stringers in the world, is notkidding. Pacific’s natural gut line is, on thewhole, the softest tested at the USRSA.Throw in “best of class” tension mainte-nance and it proves just how much of a bur-den Pacific believes the stringbed shouldbear. As for polyester, like the recently addedXcite, Parry stresses that, “Developing a polywhich not only performs better but holds ten-sion longer is a tedious endeavor.” This proba-bly explains why the company took over twoyears to develop player favorites such as Poly PowerPro.

SOLINCOsolincosports.com • 310-922-7775Doing a bit of brand extension, Solinco will bring to mar-ket the Tour Bite Soft, a newly designed co-polyestermonofilament string to be introduced in 16- and 17-gauge versions. The goal was to maintain the tensionmaintenance and performance of the well-received TourBite, but offer an alternative for players lookingfor a slightly softer relative that will offer thesame power generation and spin and bite pro-motion.

TECNIFIBREtecnifibreusa.com • 888-838-3664Rather than feature new strings in its spring market-ing efforts, the French-made string companyTecnifibre—featuring Janko Tipsarevic aslead endorser—will highlight its full slate. Theline includes the vibration reducing, soft-play-ing Black Code; firm Polycode; durable, pop-providing Pro Red Code; flexible, durable RazorCode; firm, co-poly cored Ruff Code; highly-elasticNRG2; elastic, multifilament TGV; elastic X-One

Biphase in natural and red; durability and comfort combin-ing Duramix; and multi-filament power and control blend-

ing X-Code.

TOURNAuniquesports.us • 800-554-3707

The most recent strings include the German-engineered BigHitter Black 7 co-polyester, which garnered favorable ratings forthe sharp edges that promoted massive spin while not producingtoo much arm wear and tear. The line also continues to featurethe powerful Big Hitter Blue Rough (with five sides) and thesimilar, but slightly more control-oriented, Big Hitter SilverRough. Always careful about adding to the line, the company

will only admit to exploring plans for developing ultra-thinversions of its Big Hitter Blue Rough and Silver Rough.

VICTORY RACQUET SPORTS/ACELONvictoryracquetsports.com • 610-466-6100

Longtime fishing-line manufacturer Acelon has released itsfirst two tennis strings—the Acelon Seven and Acelon

Advanced, two co-polys. The Seven features a sharp seven-sided construction for spin and is available in black. The softer

Advanced is available in silver or pearl.

VOLKLvb-tennis.com • 858-626-2720Complementing Volkl’s Power-Fiber II multifilament strings innatural and black, which are focused on power, the Germancompany introduces two new, control-focused strings. TheCyclone Tour is a soft, co-poly in red and twisted to providegreater spin. The V-Torque is a polyester available in mul-tiple gauges as well as neon green and blue, and designed

to increase a ball’s rotation as it heads back acrossthe net.

WILSON/LUXILONwilson.com • 773-714-6400

Wilson heads into the new year highlighting two well-touted strings launched on the eve of the 2012 US

Open, the Luxilon 4G and Extreme Octane. The formeris a 16-gauge co-poly for aggressive hitters (also in a 15-

gauge version, the 4G S, for additional durability). TheExtreme Octane, a solid core synthetic gut available inboth 16- and 17-gauge versions, is economical, medi-um-soft and highly durable.

Y-TEXytexstrings.com • 786-280-2138Three strings stand out among Y-Tex’s 2013 lineup.

The Microfiber-X is a five-strand, gut-like string with high rat-ings for power, durability and feel. The Sintex, a 16-gauge,mint-green multifilament, provides solid comfort and con-trol, while the Touch, with its multifilament core encasedin monofilament fibers, is, just as the name implies, ahighly responsive string that still offers a strong measureof power and durability.

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

In 2012, there were 15 tennis winners in the RSI/Ameri-can Sports Builders Association Facility-of-the-YearAwards program. Ten of those winning projects were

multi-court outdoor facilities, possibly an indication that, astennis participation growth has improved in the U.S., bothmunicipal and private multi-court projects are again on therise, too.

Each year, based on entries submitted by an ASBA mem-ber who designed or built the facility or court, the associa-tion selects outstanding tennis facilities that meet thestandard of excellence in design and construction deter-mined by the judging committee. For 2012, the panel of

judges deemed 15 courts or facilities to be worthy of specialrecognition, but three of those winners were chosen for“Outstanding” honors:w Clay W. & Lynn B. Hamlin Tennis Center at Penn Park,Philadelphia

w A residential court in Boca Raton, Fla.w Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Facility at Universityof Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala.Award plaques to the three Outstanding winners and

recognition for the Distinguished winners were presented atthe ASBA Technical Meeting held in December in Orlando,Fla. For more information, visit www.sportsbuilders.org.

RSI and ASBA bring you the best in tennis courtconstruction and design.RSI and ASBA bring you the best in tennis courtconstruction and design.

For details on the 2013 Outstand-ing Facility-of-the-Year Awards,contact the ASBA at 866-501-ASBA or [email protected],or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.

36 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com www.racquetsportsindustry.com

LEVEL BEST!LEVEL BEST!

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February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 37

Outdoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year AwardClay W. & Lynn B. Hamlin Tennis Center at Penn ParkPhiladelphia, Pa.The 24-acre Penn Park is on the campus of the University of Penn-sylvania. Since the site is near the Schuylkill River, where existingsoils weren’t ideal, the area for the 12-court Hamlin Tennis Centerneeded to be reinforced with concrete piers. The varsity courts aredepressed about 5 feet and the JV courts about 3 feet; pre-cast con-crete retaining walls enclose the depressed courts. The lighted hardcourts are on post-tensioned concrete slabs and separated into fourbatteries, with an elevated walkway between them that allows forspectator viewing.Nominated By: Stantec SportArchitect/Engineer: Stantec Sport GroupSpecialty Contractor: Sportsline Inc.Suppliers: Aer-Flo, Riteway Crack Repair, DecoTurf, Edwards/Roldri, J.A. Cissel Corp.Number of Courts: 12Completed: September 2011

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Distinguished Facility HonorsIn addition to the Clay W. & Lynn B. Hamlin Tennis Center at Penn Park, the residen-tial court in Boca Raton, Fla., and the Roberta Alison Baumgardner indoor tennisfacility at the University of Alabama, these 12 locations were chosen by the 2012panel of judges for the ASBA as excellent examples of court construction, receivingDistinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards. You’ll read more about them in upcomingissues of RSI. (The nominating company is in parentheses.)

w Bernstein Residence, Delray Beach, Fla. (Welch Tennis CourtsInc.)

w Doral Park Country Club, Doral, Fla. (Welch Tennis Courts Inc.)w George S. Gibbs Tennis Center at Huntingdon College, Mont-gomery, Ala. (Lower Bros Co. Inc.)

w Gulf Coast Tennis Club, Gulf Shores, Ala. (Fast-Dry Courts Inc.)w Koch Tennis Center, Omaha, Neb. (L.E.R. Inc., dba RennerSports Surfaces)

w Randolph-Macon College Tennis Court Complex, Ashland, Va.(Tennis Courts Inc.)

w Sevierville City Park, Sevierville, Tenn. (Baseline Sports Con-struction LLC)

w The Sports Club at Mediterra, Naples, Fla. (Welch TennisCourts Inc.)

w Timber Pines Community Association Inc., Spring Hill, Fla.(Welch Tennis Courts Inc.)

w Toscana Country Club, Indian Wells, Calif. (Zaino Tennis CourtsInc.)

w Virginia Beach Tennis & Country Club, Virginia Beach, Va.(Tennis Courts Inc.)

w Williams Bollettieri Tennis Center at the Robins Campus of TheCollegiate School, Goochland, Va. (Tennis Courts Inc.)

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38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Indoor Tennis Facility of the Year Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Facility at University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala.The University of Alabama built a 12-court outdoor complex in 2004 and left an area near-by for a potential future site. When funding was made available recently, a new six-courtindoor facility was built, and includes a mezzanine for spectator viewing, an entrancelobby with restrooms, and plenty of storage. A large retaining wall was installed on oneside of the property, and berms were built on another side to minimize the visible portionof the building. Spacing between courts was expanded to 18 feet to provide more roomfor the players, and translucent panels are used in vertical walls, allowing for an abun-dance of natural daylight.Nominated By: Lower Bros. Co. Inc.Specialty Contractor: Lower Bros. Co. Inc.Suppliers: J.A. Cissel, DecoTurf, LSI Industries Inc.Number of Courts: 6Completed: January 2012

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February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 39www.racquetsportsindustry.com www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Residential Tennis Facility of the YearBoca Raton ResidenceBoca Raton, Fla.This new, lighted, sub-irrigated court, with American Red Har-TruHydroblend surface, was built for an orthopedic surgeon who wantshis four children to learn tennis on a clay court, for reduced pres-sure on the joints and back. Access to the site was from the back ofa neighbor’s property, and the proximity to the pool and deckrequired measures for elevation changes, including integratingsteps into the perimeter curbing. Drainage is achieved with thegrass swale around the exterior. Nominated By: Fast-Dry Courts Inc.Architect/Engineer: Fast-Dry Courts Inc.Contractor: Fast-Dry Courts Inc.Suppliers: Har-Tru, Fast-Dry Courts & 10-S Tennis Supply, TechlightCompleted: June 2011

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? Ask the Experts

GUIDE TO STRINGSI JUST PULLED OUT MY JANUARY2012 issue and reread the extensive“Guide to Strings: String Selector

2012” written by Dave Bone.There's no doubt that those eight pages

were filled with comprehensive, detailed,valuable, helpful information. I simply havea problem with the graphs: Too complicat-ed, too small. The data don't immediatelycome through. I had to work too hard to uti-lize it.

Is there any way to display this other-wise helpful data in an alternative manner?

ALTHOUGH THE GRAPHS DO illus-trate the mass of data represented by

the listing of strings, we never expectedthem to be used for selecting a string. Ratherthey are intended to give an idea of what theuniverse of strings looks like in terms of stiff-ness and tension loss, both overall and bygeneral string classification.

For selecting strings, the String Selectortool on the USRSA website is a much moreuseful tool. With the String Selector, you justtell it which string you've been using andwhat you want from your new string (thin-ner, softer, etc.). It then gives you a list of allthe strings that meet your requests. This gen-erally gives you a much shorter and moremanageable list from which to choose. It alsoincludes the specifications of the stringsfound (as seen in the article), which you cansort based on the different specs, to find like-ly candidates for a new string.

MIND YOUR OWN BEESWAXBACK IN THE DAY, I USED TOstring a lot of racquets with naturalgut. At that time I always kept a

block of white beeswax on my stringingmachine tool tray to rub on the mains. Itreally made pulling the crosses much easier.

Today many of the strings I use have arough surface or are faceted. I believe theuse of beeswax on the main strings wouldfacilitate pulling the cross string and wouldprevent damage in this type of string. Usingbeeswax on the end of the string alsomakes it easier to get it through the tie-offhole or any other shared holes without hav-ing to use an awl.

Is the use of beeswax common practicethese days? Also, do you know of anystring manufacturers or distributors whosell beeswax in blocks?

IT IS DEFINITELY NOT COMMONpractice to lube poly strings, in part

because poly is typically perceived as beinga tough string. Tough or not, there are plen-ty of polys that show friction burn on themains as you get toward the end of thecrosses if you are not careful.

As with any lube (even the factory lubethat coats some strings), once you apply itto the strings, it gets everywhere, includingthe friction surfaces of your clamps. At best,this means youhave to clean yourclamps moreoften. At worst, itcan coat the clamps to the point where slip-page occurs.

Treating the end of the string to get itthrough a blocked hole is a different matter,of course, but one that would be more use-ful with softer strings, as most polys are stiffenough to get through just about anyblocked hole.

As for obtaining a block of beeswax, trydoing an Internet search for "bulkbeeswax." Your search engine should pro-vide you with an overwhelming number ofresults. The going rate seems to be around$5 per pound, not including tax and ship-ping.

HYBRID TENSIONSCAN YOU GIVE ME YOUR thoughtson tension for hybrid stringingespecially when combining nylon

and polyester? Can you also discuss differ-ent tension for mains and crosses whenyou use the same string type?

THE ONLY RULE GOVERNING THEuse of different tensions for the

mains and crosses, whether when stringinga hybrid or the same string in the mainsand crosses, is to keep an eye on the framedeformation. If the hoop isn’t holding itsshape with the tensions you’re using, youneed to 1) choose different reference ten-sions, 2) swap the mains and crosses (in

case of hybrid stringing), or 3) inform thecustomer that his tension choice is dramati-cally reducing the life expectancy of hisframe.

In hybrid string beds using nylon withpolyester, the conventional approach hasbeen to reduce the tension on the poly. Ourlab tests show that although poly strings typi-cally lose tension faster than nylon strings,they are still much stiffer in play. Reducingthe reference tension doesn’t really compen-sate for the difference in inherent stiffness,but it does get the two strings closer to par.

The standard operating procedure forhybrid stringing used to be to install the moredurable string in the mains. Normally, themains break first during play, so in your caseyou would install the poly in the mains toprolong the life of the string bed. Nowadays,however, hybrids are sought for more thansimple durability. Because of the nearly infi-nite possible combinations of strings and ten-sions, any player with enough patience andsensitivity to the differences among variousset-ups can really dial in a blend that is rightfor him.

As for differential tensions using the samestring in the mains and crosses, some of thepros have been doing this for years, andthere are even racquets where the manufac-turer specifies differential tensions (this isclearly marked in the Stringer’s Digest whereapplicable).

Because of the differences in stringlengths between the mains and the crosses,dropping the reference tension on the crossespartially equalizes the installed tension of thecrosses compared to the mains. Dropping thereference tension on the crosses also reducesthe tension increase on the mains due to theweaving and tensioning of the crosses.

In all cases, though, the goal is to providea string bed that performs up to the personalpreference of the player in question. Becausethere are more variables, it can take moretime to figure out what tensions deliver thatstring bed. Keep good notes on each stringjob so you can duplicate desirable combina-tions and avoid repeating unsuccessful ones.

—Greg Raven w

We welcome your questions. Please send them to RacquetSports Industry, PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096; fax: 760-536-1171; email: [email protected].

40 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Q

A

A

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Your Equipment Hotline

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January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 41www.racquetsportsindustry.com

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42 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013

String Playtest

EASE OF STRINGING (compared to other strings) Number of testers who said it was:much easier 1somewhat easier 3about as easy 21not quite as easy 11not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY (compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 0somewhat better 11about as playable 10not quite as playable 12not nearly as playable 3

OVERALL DURABILITY (compared to other strings of similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 6somewhat better 11about as durable 18not quite as durable 1not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.6Durability (14th overall) 4.4Power 3.6Control (2nd tie) 4.0Comfort 3.3Touch/Feel 3.3Spin Potential (4th overall) 4.1Holding Tension 3.6Resistance to Movement (20th overall) 4.0

Sonic Pro Edge is a new version ofthe well-known Sonic Pro fromHead, the most obvious difference

being that Sonic Pro Edge is a five-sidedgeometric monofilament, where SonicPro is a more traditional cylindricalmonofilament.In addition to its pentagonal cross-sec-

tion, Sonic Pro Edge features uniquelyprocessed co-polymer polyester, which isa specially-formulated combination ofresins and fibers. According to Head,Sonic Pro Edge offers maximum spinand control, increased power for a poly-ester string, exceptional touch and feel,and increased durability.Sonic Pro Edge is designed for players

looking to create extra spin and controlwith polyester.Sonic Pro Edge is available in 16-

gauge only in anthracite. It is priced from$13 for sets of 40 feet, and $180 for 660-foot reels. For more information or toorder, contact Head at 800-289-7366, orvisit head.com. Be sure to read the con-clusion for more information about yourfree set.

IN THE LABWe tested the 16-gauge Sonic Pro Edge.The coil measured 40 feet. The diametermeasured 1.28-1.33 mm prior to string-ing, and 1.25-1.27 mm after stringing.We recorded a string bed stiffness of 73RDC units immediately after stringing at60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95(16 x 18 pattern) on a constant-pullmachine.After 24 hours (no playing), string bed

stiffness measured 67 RDC units, repre-senting an 8 percent tension loss. Ourcontrol string, Prince Synthetic Gut Origi-nal Gold 16, measured 78 RDC unitsimmediately after stringing and 71 RDCunits after 24 hours, representing a 9percent tension loss. Sonic Pro Edgeadded 16 grams to the weight of ourunstrung frame.The string was tested for five weeks

by 36 USRSA play testers, with NTRP rat-ings from 3.5 to 6.0. These are blindtests, with play testers receiving

unmarked strings in unmarkedpackages. Average number ofhours play tested was 24.6.Installing Sonic Pro Edge is a

little different from installingmost other polyester strings.We did note that some of theedges on the mains becameworn during the installationof the crosses, but this is nor-mal for geometrics that havewell-defined apexesbetween the facets.One playtester broke his sample

during stringing, 10 reported problemswith coil memory, four reported prob-

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

lems tying knots, andfour reported friction burn.

ON THE COURTEven before we had all the results to tab-ulate, the positive comments by mem-bers of the playtest team gave noticethat there was something special aboutthis string. Once all the results were in,they echoed the other feedback wereceived: Sonic Pro Edge is a winner.

Of the 168 strings we’ve playtestedto date for publication, Sonic Pro Edgetied for second for Control, placed fourthoverall for Spin Potential, came in 14thoverall in Durability, and placed 20thoverall in Resistance to Movement.That’s four top-20 finishes for a co-poly-ester string.

“Tied for second for Control” is plen-ty impressive, but wait until you hearthe details. The other string with thesame score is a premium multifilament,and the number one string in this cate-gory is a premium natural gut product.Did we mention that Sonic Pro Edge is aco-polyester string?

It seems almost anticlimactic tomention that Sonic Pro Edge also gar-nered excellent scores in Tension Reten-tion and Power, and well-above-averagescores in Playability, Comfort, andTouch/Feel.

Overall, Sonic Pro Edge is the third-highest-scoring string we’ve everplaytested.

Four of the playtesters broke the

Head Sonic Pro Edge

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February 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 43www.racquetsportsindustry.com

(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in paren-theses.) For the rest of the tester comments, visitwww.racquetsportsindustry.com.

(Luxilon Alu Power/Wilson NXT Tour 16L/16)

“ Great spin. Not as stiff as most poly-esters.” 4.5 male all-court player using Babo-lat Pure Drive GT strung at 56 pounds LO(Babolat RPM Blast 17)

“ Great spin and control with above averageplayability and power. Good stuff!” 3.5 maleall-court player using Head Youtek Star Five

strung at 50 pounds CP (Solid Core Nylon 16)

“ Decent playability, power, and comfort fora firm-handling string.” 4.5 male all-courtplayer using Babolat Pure Drive Roddick GTstrung at 40 pounds LO (Babolat RPM Blast16)

TESTERS TALK

“ This is comfortable for a monofila-ment, with excellent control. It might betime to switch to polyester.”4.0 male all-court player using PrinceEXO3 Red strung at 48 pounds CP(Gamma TNT2 Pro Plus 17L)

“ Solid all-around performance. Excelsin every area. This string is definitelyplayable enough to be used as a fullset.” 4.5 male all-court player usingPrince EXO3 Tour (18x20) strung at54/57 pounds LO (Prince Lightning XX16)

“ This is a soft co-poly with a very pre-cise response. The sharp edges bite intothe ball and create great spin. This stringdefinitely goes in my ‘top ten’ list. ”5.5 male baseliner with heavy spin usingVortex ES 100 strung at 52 pounds CP(Spintex Exclusive HD 16)

“ This should appeal to players whofavor the softer feel of nylon or syntheticgut. ” 4.5 male all-court player usingVolkl Boris Becker 10 strung at 60pounds CP (Gamma Synthetic Gut 16)

“ Very precise response. It holds upquite well over time. High marks forcomfort.”4.5 male all-court player using WilsonBLX Six One Tour strung at 45 pounds LO

—Greg Raven◗

sample during the playtest period, oneeach at 6, 8, 14, and 25 hours.

CONCLUSIONAs of now, three of the top-four stringswe have playtested are polyester-based.While it may be comforting to tradition-alists to see that natural gut is firmlyensconced at the top of this short list, itis clear that manufacturers such as Headhave made tremendous strides in thedesign of polyester strings, with SonicPro Edge being the most recent impres-sive example.Head is so confident the USRSA

members will like Sonic Pro Edge that itis including a free sample set with thismagazine for all USRSA members in theUnited States.

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Here’s a problem that’s probablyall too familiar in today’s econ-omy: a country club facing

bankruptcy. In my case, at the Continen-tal Country Club in Flagstaff, Ariz.,where I’m the director of tennis, our ten-nis program was losing more than$10,000 a year.Game over? Not really. There’s a sim-

ple-sounding solution: Reduce spendingand increase revenue.OK, so how can you do that? Well, I

began turning the tennis situationaround at my club by changing theemployment structure for the tennis pro,then we increased our membershipsand got creative with our court time. The Continental Country Club is a

seasonal tennis program, running fromMay to October. We received virtuallyno income from tennis, and the sportwas looked on as merely an amenity forour club members. Our tennis proreceived a salary, plus 100 percent of hislessons.I started by reworking the pro’s posi-

tion, making him an independent con-tractor and splitting his lesson and clinicincome: he kept 80 percent, and theclub took 20 percent. Naturally, he wasunhappy at first, but he accepted thenew arrangement because he under-stood the fiscal state the club was in.This was the start of the concept thattennis could be revenue-generating forour club.The second phase was to increase

membership by selling tennis member-ships to non-club members, whichincreased usage of the courts. As some-one who has been active in the tenniscommunity for over 30 years, I was also

aware that USTA Leagues had grown inour area, and often they lacked thecourts for home matches. Since clubmembers used our courts almost exclu-sively in the mornings, I rented courts tothe USTA for league play in the after-noons.

The club also sponsored USTA teamsby creating a corporate rate. The busi-ness model of having the tennis courtsused only by members meant the courtswere unused a majority of the time. Imaximized usage by renting the courtsto USTA teams and hosting three tourna-ments.Also, our local college, Northern Ari-

zona University (NAU), has men’s andwomen’s tennis teams. To make roomfor university expansion, the tenniscourts on the NAU campus had to beremoved. In addition, the local indoortennis facility closed its doors for finan-cial reasons. This created a uniqueopportunity to rent courts to the college.Because NAU needed the courts fromSeptember to April, this dovetailed nicelywith our season. I consulted with themaintenance staff, and they agreed tokeep the courts clear of snow. This

44 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY February 2013

‘Reaching out and integrating the courts’usage with the community’s needs is awin-win formula forboth the club and thecommunity.’

enabled us to rent the courts in the winterto the college and also to high schoolteams.The biggest factor behind our turn-

around was integrating the courts withthe community, understanding our com-munity’s needs and matching it withwhat our facility had to offer. I also hiredother pros who teach in the city’s tennisprogram during the summer to work asindependent contractors here in the win-ter, since we were maintaining thecourts.In 11 months, we are now up

$19,686, a turnaround of more than$30,000. And our future is bright. Thefinancial model of having a tennis clubused exclusively by members when thereis not sufficient membership to financial-ly support the tennis program is a recipefor failure. Reaching out and integratingthe courts’ usage with the community’sneeds is a win-win formula for both.On the horizon for us is snow play,

cross-country skiing, and ice skating onartificial ice, utilizing the club’s infrastruc-ture to further enhance our economic for-tunes. Our successful tennis turnaroundhas given us a whole new outlook onwhat we can do to generate revenue. w

Your Serve

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Turning It All AroundWith some creative restructuring and reachingout to the local community, a private club’stennis courts are generating revenue.B Y G R E G K L E I N E RD I R E C T O R O F T E N N I S , C O N T I N E N T A L C O U N T R Y C L U B

Continental Country Club Tennis Director GregKleiner, with Georgie Mills, coauthored thebook “Strings,” which was due to be released inJanuary. “Strings,” a work of fiction, takesreaders behind-the scenes of a college’swomen’s tennis team and its journey through ayear of training, study, competition, relation-ships, and the mysterious life balance requiredof a female student athlete. The book is beingpublished by Xlibris.

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

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