201304 Racquet Sports Industry

April 2013Volume 41 Number 4 $5.00www.racquetsportsindustry.com

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Annual RacquetSelection GuideTwo-Piece StringingOr One-Piece?

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DEPARTMENTS

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INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Study: Tennis has positiveinfluence on students

7 PTR Symposium set for May on HHI

7 IART schedules StringersSymposium

8 Five programs named USTA regional centers

9 Evans named Aer-Flo sales manager

10 Wilson partners with TGAPremier Youth Tennis

10 Peoplewatch10 Indian Wells OKs Tennis

Garden expansion

11 Roddick, Stephens top WTT player draft

12 Short Sets12 Infographic shows

increase in 10U statistics

13 US Open Series eventscoordinate ticket sales

4 Our Serve7 Industry News14 Tennis Coaching15 Retail Sales

16 TIA News18 Retailing Tip32 Ask the Experts34 String Playtest: Tecnifibre ATP Razor Code 1636 Your Serve, by L. Jon Wertheim

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Cover photo by Bob Patterson

FEATURES

20 Is Two Better Than One? A Master Racquet Technician considersthe advantages of using two-piecestringing

22 Racquet Selection MapOur exclusive guide enables you to findthe perfect frame for your customersquickly and easily.

28 Soft LandingThese outdoor ASBA facility winnersare excellent examples of soft-courtconstruction.

ContentsContents

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). April 2013, Volume 41, Number 4 ©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 30096.

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

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Take A Second Look at 10U Tennis

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2013

Irecently was talking with a very highly regarded teach-ing pro in the USTA Southern Section who was tellingme about his first encounters with the 10 and Under

Tennis initiative. In short, he was not a fan. He was skeptical of the rule change that mandated the use of lower

compression balls and shorter racquets on shorter courts. He was gettingcomplaints from parents of some of his talented 9- and 10-year-olds,upset that they would be forced to either play events with lower compres-sion balls, or play up to stay with the yellow ball.

The pro had other reservations, too. The initial cost of having to buybaskets of red and orange balls, having to put down taped lines to create36- and 60-foot courts—it all was a hassle. Then when the time came toput permanent lines on 78-foot courts, how would adult club membersreact?

But then, it all just clicked. Suddenly, his junior programs were boom-ing. And importantly, his 10 and under players were playing amazing ten-nis, hitting strokes properly because the ball was no longer bouncing overtheir heads—and having more fun than ever. Within a couple of weeks,adult players didn’t even notice the lined courts. This pro did a complete180—he’s now a huge proponent of 10U tennis because he can see thepositive results.

He admits that for some young players, and their parents, there wasa rough transition, as they fell in that range where they either had to playwith a ball they weren’t used to, or play with older kids to stay with theyellow ball. But he says it was something that had to happen, there hadto be one group that would end up being more affected during the tran-sition, in order to reach the point where now, all the kids are playing withthe racquets and balls that truly help them develop proper strokes andtechnique.

What’s important is that this pro says “mandating” these changes, andworking through the rough patch to get to the other side, was the rightthing to do—if it hadn’t been required, then pros wouldn’t do it.

From my perspective, anything we can do to get more people playingthis game is a good thing, and 10U tennis gets more people into thegame. Kids have a lot of options when it comes to sports, and gettingthem involved in tennis earlier, and actually playing the game and enjoy-ing it, is a huge key in keeping them playing throughout their lives. It cre-ates players, frequent players, and tennis consumers.

The bottom line about 10U tennis is the bottom line… it simply makesgood business sense. If you’re a tennis provider and you haven’t yet got-ten involved in 10 and Under Tennis, you need to take a second look athow it can help your business.

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

PTR Symposium Set for MayThe 2013 PTR Interna-tional Tennis Symposium& Championships will beApril 30 to May 6 at thenewly renovated SonestaResort on Hilton HeadIsland, S.C.

The Symposium attractstennis teachers andcoaches from more than50 countries. Many ofthe industry’s notablespeakers, including Dr. JimLoehr, Pat Etcheberry,Butch Staples, Leo Alonso,Lorenzo Beltrame, DougCash, Mike Barrell, AnneDavis, Michele Krause,Jorge Capestany and Dr.Mark Kovacs, will beamong the more than 50presenters who will con-duct classroom and on-court presentations.Subjects range from 10and Under Tennis to ten-nis business to teachingtactics and techniques.There is also a specialhigh school coaches’track sponsored by theUSTA that will be heldover the weekend toaccommodate scholasticschedules.

The PTR InternationalChampionships, held inconjunction with theSymposium, will start onApril 30. The Symposiumalso offers a Tennis TradeShow. Professional Devel-opment Courses will beheld May 1, 6 and 7.

Visit ptrtennis.org forinformation or to register.

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USTA Study Shows Positive Influences of Tennis

USTA Serves, the national charitable foundation of the USTA, recently released the results of theUSTA Serves Special Report, “More Than a Sport: Tennis, Education and Health.” The study, con-ducted among high school students, is the first nationwide study to analyze the educational,

behavioral and health benefits to adolescents who participate in tennis.Results from the study show that, when compared to non-athletes and participants in many other

sports, young people who participate in tennis get better grades, devote more hours to studying, thinkmore about their future, aspire to attend and graduate from college, andhave lower suspension and expulsion rates.Key findings from the report include:

w Tennis is a unique catalyst for educational advantage. Tennis playersspent more time doing homework, and were more likely to reportreceiving “A” grades. A full 48% of students in the report have an “A”average and 81% say they will attend college.

w Tennis players had significantly lower rates of suspension from schooland other disciplinary measures than participants in other sports andnon-athletes.

w Educational advantages among tennis players occurred across allsocioeconomic levels.

w Adolescent tennis players are well-rounded. Participation rates withinextracurricular activities and community involvement were higheramong adolescent tennis players. In fact, 82% volunteer in their com-munities.

w Tennis contributes to adolescent health. Tennis players reported lowerrates of unhealthy behavior such as drinking and smoking, and are lesslikely to be overweight or become obese.

w Adolescent participation in tennis varies by race/ethnicity and gender, as well as across geographicregions. Among all adolescent tennis players in the U.S., whites constituted 77%, Hispanics 14%, andAfrican-Americans 9%.“While most people may not be surprised to learn that the majority of adolescent tennis players score

better than most other athletes (and all non-athletes) on education and social behavior, what is lessknown is that those benefits also cross all socioeconomics levels in varying degrees,” said Deborah Slan-er Larkin, executive director of USTA Serves. “Hopefully, this evidence-based research will encouragemore educators, health policy makers and parents to promote tennis in physical education classes as wellas in school and community-based sports programs.”For the full executive summary and report, visit www.ustaserves.com.

April 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7www.racquetsportsindustry.com

IART Schedules 2013 Stringers Symposium in Florida

The International Alliance of Racquet Technicians (formerly GSS) will hold its 2013 training sympo-sium Sept. 21-25, again at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Fla. The event will offer a variety of semi-nars covering all aspects of racquet service, including a four-hour specialty course on customization.

Other seminars include beginning, intermediate, and advanced stringing plus the Wilson speed-stringingcontest. Supplemental courses on business planning, marketing strategies through social media, USRSAand ERSA certification testing, and 10 & Under Tennis are also planned.For information, contact IART founder Tim Strawn at [email protected] or 540-632-1148.

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RSI’s ‘30 Under 30’ Presented by CareersInTennis.com

Nominate now for Racquet Sports Industry’s “30 Under 30” honors, recognizing someof the young movers and shakers in the tennis industry. The 30 individuals we pick

will be featured in an upcoming special section in the magazine. RSI’s “30 Under 30” section is presented by CareersInTennis.com, the industry’s

largest database for connecting job seekers with tennis employers. The TIA’s freeCareers in Tennis initiative had over 40,000 website views in 2012 and has more than1,000 tennis-specific job postings. Nearly 2,000 job seekers are registered on the site,which also has 200 registered employers posting jobs—all for free.

Anyone can nominate potential “30 Under30” honorees (you can even nominate yourself),and nominees can come from any segment ofthis industry. Nominees can even be volunteersin tennis; they don’t have to be employed in thisindustry. The only restriction is that the nomineecannot have turned age 30 before June 1, 2013.To nominate, send us a brief email by April 1

describing your choice for “30 Under 30” hon-ors. Also include the nominee’s birthday (month

and year is fine) if you know it, and con-tact information for both you and thenominee. Put “30 Under 30” in the subjectline and email [email protected].

NY Knicks’ Chandler Praises Allen Fox’s ‘The Winner’s Mind’

New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler, in an article inthe New York Times in February, said that Dr. Allen

Fox’s book, “The Winner’s Mind: A Competitor’s Guide toSports and Business Success,” helps him collect histhoughts and perform at his best. “I recently read ‘The Winner’s Mind,’ by Allen Fox,” Chan-

dler was quoted as saying. “It calmed me because it put me ina place where I had the satisfaction that I’m working towardsmy goal. And then I could go on to the next day.”“The Winner’s Mind” is published by Racquet Tech Publishing and available in the

online store at racquettech.com.

Top-Selling Tennis Stringsat Specialty StoresBy year-to-date units, Jan.-Dec. 20121. Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex2. Babolat RPM Blast3. Wilson NXT4. Wilson Sensation5. Luxilon Alu Power

Top-Selling Racquets at Specialty StoresBy year-to-date dollars, Jan.-Dec. 2012Best Sellers1. Babolat Aero Pro Drive GT (MP)2. Babolat Pure Drive GT 2012 (MP)3. Wilson BLX Juice (MP)4. Babolat Pure Drive Lite 2012 (MP)5. Babolat Pure Drive GT (MP

“Hot New Racquets”(introduced in the past 12 months)1. Babolat Pure Drive GT 2012 (MP)2. Wilson BLX Juice (MP)3. Babolat Pure Drive Lite 2012 (MP)4. Babolat Pure Drive 107 2012 (OS)5. Wilson BLX Juice (OS)

Tennis Racquet PerformanceSpecialty StoresJanuary - December, 2012 vs. 2011UNITS 2012 731,346 2011 719,490 % change vs. '11 2%DOLLARS 2012 102,432,000 2011 101,748,000 % change vs. ’11 1%PRICE 2012 $140.06 2011 $141.42 % change vs. ’11 -1%

Top-Selling Tennis Shoes at Specialty StoresBy year-to-date dollars, Jan.-Dec. 20121. Prince T222. Adidas Adipower Barricade 73. Asics Gel Resolution 44. Babolat Propulse 35. Nike Zoom Breathe 2K11

(Source: TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys)

Five Programs Named as USTA Certified Regional Centers

USTA Player Development announced that five junior development programs havestarted new, three-year agreements to serve as USTA Certified Regional Training

Centers (RTCs). The programs will train junior players in four USTA sections.Eagle Fustar Tennis Academy in Santa Clara, Calif. (USTA Northern California), Dar-

ling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, Nev. (USTA Intermountain), and T Bar M Racquet Clubin Dallas (USTA Texas) each are renewing their partnerships as USTA Certified RegionalTraining Centers,Five Seasons Sports Club in Northbrook, Ill. (USTA Midwest) and The Smiths, LLC.,

in Indianapolis, Ind. (USTA Midwest), are joining the USTA Certified Regional TrainingCenter network, setting the total number of USTA Certified Regional Training Centersacross America to 17.As USTA Certified RTCs, the programs will enhance the training and development

of junior players in their respective areas of the country. USTA Player Development willuse these partnerships as vehicles to educate and collaborate with junior tennis coach-es in these four USTA sections to work toward developing the next generation of world-class Americans.

April 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

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

USTA President Dave Haggerty Sends ‘Chairman’s Update’

In late February, new USTA Chairmanof the Board and President DaveHaggerty sent out his first “Chair-man’s Update” to USTA volunteersand staff. Here is part of what he hadto say:

“Since I assumed my new role inJanuary, you know that one of the toppriorities of my administration will becommunication. It is vitally importantto me that all of us within the USTAcommit ourselves to keeping all lines ofcommunication open among ourselvesand among our constituents and part-ners in the sport. It is only throughopen dialogue that we can learn fromeach other and improve as an associa-tion, as a sport, and individually. Tothat end, I will be sending out these“Chairman’s Updates” on a regularbasis, so that all of you will be aware ofour activities, priorities, and the vari-ous important developments in thesport that impact us as an association.

“In terms of priorities, I want tostress that we have one set of five pri-orities that are uniform and consistentacross all areas of the USTA. This is thebest and only way to maximize ourefforts and ensure that all staff and vol-unteers are aligned with our mission.These five priorities will be structuredupon the foundation of Leadership,Management and Partnership, andinclude:1) Listening and communicating effec-

tively.2) Embracing and leading change.3) Growing tennis participation.4) Improving our financial perform-ance.5) Focusing on fewer things and doing

them better.“These are the things that matter,

because these are the things that willmake our sport and the USTA stronger,more robust and more vital. You’ll behearing more from me on each of theseareas, but this is an outline by which wemust shape all that we do going for-ward. If we do, then we will have abright future.”

Keith Evans Named Aer-Flo Sales Manager

Aer-Flo Inc., manufacturer of the Tuffy windscreen, has named Keith Evans as itsnational sales manager of its Tennis Division. A former NCAA All American at the

University of Mississippi, Evans played on the ATP Tour for six years and won 17 prosatellite events. A USPTA-certified pro, Evans has served as tennis director at five privateclubs over the last 14 years, most recently at the University Club of Memphis.“Keith understands the many demands on club professionals and college coaches,

which will be helpful as he manages Aer-Flo’s nationwide network of tennis equipmentdealers,” says Aer-Flo President Bill Henning. Aer-Flo is headquartered in Bradenton,Fla., with a second production plant in Anniston, Ala.


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• Dutch wheelchair tennis phenom Esther Vergeer, 31, has retired from thegame. She leaves pro tennis with an active win streak in singles of 470matches, her last loss coming in January 2003. She lost only 18 sets duringthat streak and won more than a third of her sets by a 6-0 score.

• After reaching a career-high ranking of No. 6 on the International Rac-quetball Tour in early February, Head Penn’s Tony Carson of Denver, alongwith his partner, won the 2013 Men’s Doubles National Championship andcaptured his first USA Racquetball National Adult title. With the win, Carsonearned a one-year appointment to the USA Racquetball National Team Pool.

• Frenchman Brice Leverdez, playing his first tournament with the new Wil-son Recon badminton racquet in February, won his sixth men’s singles title ina row at the French National Badminton Championships.

• Head Penn racquetballer Paola Longoria of Mexico extended her match

winning streak to 665 straight days with a win at the 2013 Winter Classic inKansas in late February. She now has a record 17 straight titles on the LadiesProfessional Racquetball Tour.

• Head Penn junior racquetball sensation Jordan Cooperrider of Florida wonthe Women’s State Open title at the Florida State Racquetball Champi-onships recently. She plays with the Head Scorpion 170 frame.

• After their contracts with IMG expired at the end of last year, RafaelNadal and his longtime manager, Carlos Costa, started a new company thatwill manage athletes, including tennis players, soccer players and golfers.

• Ashaway Racket Strings has announced the addition of NewZealand's rising squash star, Joelle King, to its roster of spon-sored players. King currently is ranked No. 7 on the Women'sSquash Association World Tour.

PEOPLEWATCH

Wilson Partners With TGAPremier Youth Tennis

Wilson Tennis has formed anexclusive partnership with

TGA Premier Youth Tennis (TGA)in a deal that includes Wilson becoming theofficial equipment and apparel provider forTGA programs and providing funding toTGA’s 501c3 Foundation. The deal includesWilson providing 10 and Under Tennis equip-ment and apparel for TGA’s programming.“The partnership is a great fit for Wilson

Racquet Sports and our shared vision toattract more youth participation,” said JonMuir, general manager of Wilson RacquetSports. “TGA’s pathway programs haveproven to be successful in providing youth anentry into sports and the tennis industry.” The partnership will include Wilson con-

tributing funds over the next three years tothe 501c3 TGA Sports Foundation in an ongo-ing effort provide all youngsters access to thesport of tennis through school-based pro-grams and beyond. The goals of the TGAFoundation are to develop under-resourcedand special needs youth by making tennisaccessible in all communities while transi-tioning students and families to local tennisfacilities and USTA programming.“This is a partnership that will impact the

long-term growth of the tennis industry,”said Joshua Jacobs, co-founder and CEO ofTGA Premier Youth Tennis. “We are alreadyworking with Wilson to develop opportuni-ties for our franchises to grow tennis in thecommunities we serve.” For more informa-tion on TGA, visit www.playtga.com.

Stringlet Expands to Canada

Stringlet Brand magnetic tennis string bracelets has expanded to Canada viaits work with the Ontario Tennis Association and retail launch at Ontario’s

The Merchant of Tennis shops. The Stringlet (www.stringlet.net) is a durableand feather light magnetic tennis string bracelet constructed of colorful synthet-ic gut string and a powerful magnetic clasp and made for tennis players andfans. Stringlet comes in 27 varieties to represent team colors, player favorites,

country colors or tournament colors. Custom options are also available for qual-ified partners. Contact [email protected].

Indian Wells OKs Tennis Garden Expansion

The Indian Wells City Council has OK’d a $70 million expansion of the IndianWells Tennis Garden, home of the BNP Paribas Open. The expansion is part

of a five-year plan aimed at boosting attendance to 500,000 people. The 2012event drew about 370,000 fans.The proposal includes an 8,000-seat stadium built 27 feet sunken into the

ground; an additional 2,000 parking spaces; three restaurants; and more than700 palm trees to keep the garden feel.BNP Paribas Open CEO Ray Moore said the project should be completed in

about 10 months, in time for the 2014 tournament.

✘ CorrectionThe phone number to order “Tennis Courts: A Construction andMaintenance Manual” listed on page 28 of the March issue should be866-501-2722. The manual also can be downloaded as a pdf atwww.sportsbuilders.org.

April 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11



Roddick, Stephens TopWTT Player Draft

Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick wasthe top pick recently in the Mylan

World TeamTennis Marquee Draft. Rod-dick will play for the Springfield Lasers.Sloane Stephens, a young Americanwho is currently ranked No. 17 on theWTA Tour, was selected by the Philadel-phia Freedoms with its first-round pick.The newest Mylan WTT franchise,

Texas Wild, will bring the world's bestdoubles team to their new home court inIrving, Texas. The Wild, who relocated toTexas this year after 20 seasons inKansas City, protected the rights to Boband Mike Bryan who are back for their11th season.Venus Williams, who led the Wash-

ington Kastles to its second straightundefeated season and championshiptitle in 2012, returns to the nation's cap-ital for her 10th Mylan WTT season. Thethree-time champion Kastles will be tak-ing a 32-match win streak into its 2013season opener.Two of the top Americans on the ATP

Tour will once again play for the Sacra-mento Capitals. The Caps protected theirrights to Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish.The eight WTT teams will compete in

two conferences during the regular sea-son, which concludes on Wednesday,July 24. The 2013 Mylan WTT Finals willbe contested on the home court of theEastern Conference Champions. Formore information, visit www.WTT.com.

New CSsCameron Davitt San Diego, CACole O'Neill Argyle, TXMichael Vernon Sunnyvale, CA

Congratulations To the Following For Achieving MRT Status

New MRTsMatthew Bolin Concord, NC

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> Unique Sports has announced multi-yearTourna Grip agreement with top-ranked ITFjunior Taylor Townsend of Georgia. Townsend,who recently turned pro, joins fellow WTATour Tourna Grip endorsees Christina McHale,Yaroslava Shevedova, Genie Bouchard andAlexa Glatch, among others.

> The U.S. Fed Cup team will host Sweden inthe 2013 Fed Cup World Group Playoff April20-21 in Delray Beach, Fla. Winning nationsin the World Group Playoff qualify for the2014 World Group to compete for a Fed Cuptitle. The U.S. fell to Italy, 3-2, in the 2013World Group first round in Rimini Feb. 9-10.

> The Sarasota Open, a USTA Pro Circuitevent, will now be called The Nick BollettieriSarasota Women’s Open. It will be April 13-21at the Longboat Key Club.

> For the second consecutive year, the Fam-ily Circle Cup has named Antigua Apparel as

SHORT SETSits official apparel sponsor for the tournament. Aspart of the agreement, Antigua will outfit the offi-cials, staff, volunteers and ball kids in addition tohaving a retail presence on site.

> The Middlebury (Conn.) Racquet Club hosteda fund-raising event, Serving Up for Sandy Hook,in late January, after the elementary schooltragedy. "As a club that serves a number of sur-rounding communities, we have many membersand several staff from Newtown," said PatriciaDecker, owner of the Middlebury Racquet Club."We are grateful that we have the opportunity tosupport the healing process in these communitiesby coming together through the sport of tennis."More than 450 people attended the event thatraised more than $6,500.

> Reports say that the sports management com-pany IMG is up for sale, possibly worth more than$2 billion. Among its tennis clients are NovakDjokovic and Maria Sharapova; the companyrecently lost management of Roger Federer and

Rafael Nadal. IMG also runs tournament sandother events.

> Rich Johns of Saratoga Springs, NY, RSI’s2009 High School Coach of the Year, haslaunched a new website, www.actwithrespectal-ways.com. The Act With Respect Always cam-paign he created has picked up the endorsementof Duke University basketball coach MikeKrzyzewski.

> Volkl has launched its new website at volkl-tennis.com.

> Emirates Airlines is extending its sponsorshipof the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA,until 2015. Emirates has been the Official Airlineof the tournament since 2010.

> Second-seeded Kenyon upset top-seedEmory on Feb. 24 to win the ITA Division IIINational Men's Team Indoor Championship, heldat Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota.

Infographic ShowsIncreases in 10U Statistics

In the most recent USTA/TIA ten-nis participation study, the agedemographic that saw the greatestpercentage increase in 2012 wasyoung players 6 to 11, whichincreased 13% from 2011. Clearly,messages about 10 and Under Ten-nis are reaching kids, their parents,and tennis providers—and all ofthat is having a positive influencein other industry segments, too..For instance, there are now

more than 10,000 courts in theU.S. lined for youth tennis, includ-ing standalone 36- and 60-footcourts and blended lines on 78-foot courts. Sales of red, orangeand green balls and graduated rac-quets continue to increase, as doesthe number of facilities offering 10and Under Tennis programs andthe number of kids in youth tenniscompetition.The USTA recently produced the

infographic at left to showcasesome of the latest stats to tennisproviders.



US Open Series EventsCoordinate Ticket Sales

Tickets for all nine of the 2013 Emi-rates Airline US Open Series events

went on sale in March at www.emi-ratesusopenseries.com—the first timethat US Open Series events are coor-dinating their ticket sales. The USTA isrunning a national marketing cam-paign to push the Series, as well as asatellite media tour with Americanteenager Sloane Stephens, who is cur-rently ranked No. 17 on the WTA Tour.Now in its 10th season, the Series

consists of:w July 22-28: Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, CAw July 22-28: BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlanta, GAw July 29-Aug. 4: Mercury Insurance Open, Carls-bad, CA

w July 29-Aug. 4: Citi Open, Washington, DCw Aug. 5-11: Rogers Cup, Toronto, CANw Aug. 5-11: Rogers Cup, Montreal, CANw Aug. 11-18: Western & Southern Open, Cincin-nati, OH

w Aug. 18-24: New Haven Open at Yale, New Haven,CT

w Aug. 18-24: Winston-Salem Open, Winston-Salem, NC


Tennis Coaching

players. Level C is intended for coachesworking with junior and Futures-levelplayers.

GPTCA CoursesIn April, GPTCA courses will be conduct-ed in Morocco, Germany and Brazil,while Italy, Germany and France will hostsessions in May. During the rest of 2013,the U.S., Russia, Spain, Serbia, Taiwan,Myanmar, Dubai, Colombia and Finlandwill have courses. The GPTCA recentlyfinalized an agreement with Patrick

Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’coach, to hold courses at hisfamous tennis academy nearParis.

The GPTCA’s growing prestigein the tennis-teaching world wasunderscored when it and the Pro-fessional Tennis Registry signedan agreement to partner from2013 through 2015. The PTR hasapproximately 14,000 membersin 117 countries. PTR CEO DanSantorum says, “It’s a good com-bination because they’re dealingwith information about how tocoach on the tour. And the perfor-mance education we provide is

more detail- and technical-oriented. Sowe felt we could help them and theycould help us.

“High-profile coaches Toni, Dirk, Rain-er, Alberto and others will be affiliatedwith PTR and also be speakers at ourconventions. That raises the profile of thePTR, and we want our members to be aseducated as possible.” w

The GPTCA’s mission is “to unify allworld-class coaches in one association forthe first time in history and to foster high-er standards of professionalism andethics,” says Castellani.

The association is already representedin 40 countries by national presidents whoare well-known and respected in the ten-nis coaching profession. A complete list ofthe presidents and members, plus otherimportant information, appears on theGPTCA website (gptcatennis.org) and ontheir Facebook page.

According to Schuettler, GPTCA coach-es are focusing on the three most impor-tant areas in professional tennis:technique, mental strength, and physicalskills. “In the next 10 years, every strokewill become better because everyone willwork to make strokes even more soundand efficient,” Schuettler predicts.

The GPTCA accredits three levels ofcoaching proficiency. Level A certificationis attained solely on the basis of achieve-ments, such as coaches of Grand Slamwinners or runners-up, coaches whoreached at least Grand Slam finals as ten-nis players, and all former Top 10 players.Levels B and C certification is gainedthrough successful completion of courses.Level B is designated for coaches workingwith Grand Slam, ATP and Challenger-level

ou may not have heard of theGlobal Professional Tennis CoachAssociation, but sooner or later this

new organization will come to an acade-my, club or tournament near you. TheGPTCA grew out of an idea that AlbertoCastellani and Dirk Hordorff had bandiedaround for years. Why not assemble agroup of world-class coaches to teach lessexperienced coaches the finer points andsubtleties of the game? With their exper-tise, a corps of local coaches couldimprove aspiring pro players and helptake world-class tennis to a high-er, even more exciting level.

Their ideas came to fruitionwhen the GPTCA was founded ata meeting of renowned tenniscoaches during the US Open in2011. “The meeting explodedwith ideas, proposals, and com-mitments,” recalls RainerSchuettler. “The idea to go to theATP and ask for their certifica-tion came straightaway, and thatwas one of the many brilliant ideas the meeting generated.”

Castellani, a 64-year-old Ital-ian, became GPTCA’s first presi-dent. He has coached the MoroccanDavis Cup team, Janko Tipsarevic, IvoKarlovic, and 1992 Olympic gold medal-ist Marc Rosset.

Hordorff, Toni Nadal, and Schuettlerwere named to the GPTCA’s board. Hor-dorff is No. 9-ranked Tipsarevic’s currentcoach and guided Schuettler for manyyears. Nadal is superstar Rafael Nadal’suncle and only coach. Schuettler is the2003 Australian Open finalist and formerworld No. 5.

Supplementing that leadership nucle-us are knowledgeable and experiencedcoaches Jose Perlas, Marcos Gorriz, Jean-Philippe Fleurian, Claudio Pistolesi, BorisSobkin, Alexander Waske, and Larri Pas-sos, who guided Gustavo Kuerten to threeFrench Open titles.

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How the GPTCA Is Changing Coaching and Pro Tennis B Y P A U L F E I N

Paul Fein has received more than 30 writ-ing awards and authored three books, Ten-nis Confidential: Today’s Greatest Players,Matches, and Controversies; You CanQuote Me on That: Greatest Tennis Quips,Insights, and Zingers; and Tennis Confiden-tial II: More of Today’s Greatest Players,Matches, and Controversies. Fein is also aUSPTA-certified teaching pro and coachwith a Pro-1 rating.

At the Australian Open, Dirk Hordorff (from left), PTRboard member Leo Alonso, Dan Santorum, and GPTCA'sGiorgio Di Palermo agreed to a two-year partnership.


& Retail Sales

w 25% say they’ll delay the purchase ofluxury items.

w 46% indicate they will simply spendless overall.What does this mean for tennis

retailers? Chances are, your business islikely to see some impact from the pay-roll tax-cut holiday expiration in oneform or the other. But the key to reduc-ing its impact is to plan ahead.

If you are planning to put productson sale prices in 2013, consider extend-ing how long those sales run. Also keepin mind that ultimately, your shoppershave less money to spend on discre-tionary purchases, so they will be moreattentive to when sales are running.You can also capitalize on this height-ened attention to retail sales by effec-tively communicating your sales toyour customers through various mar-keting channels and media.

In addition, think about the compet-itive advantages you may have overother retailers. Keep in mind, a quarterof all shoppers will comparison shopmore in 2013. You need to focus onyour competitive advantages duringthese times and capitalize on them toensure that consumers complete thesale at your store.

Another key factor to consider areyour inventory levels. Considering that46% of consumers plan to spend lessoverall in 2013 to help offset theimpact of the payroll tax-cut holidayexpiration, appropriately monitoringyour inventory levels will becomeextremely important. w

ccording to a recent survey con-ducted by the National RetailFederation, over 70% of Ameri-

cans are planning to adjust their spend-ing due to the recent expiration of thepayroll tax-cut holiday. In fact, 46% ofconsumers indicated they will be spend-ing less overall in 2013 because of thebite out of their take home pay, whileothers say they’ll delay purchases andwatch for sales more often. This mayclearly affect tennis retail, too.

The tax-cut holiday expiration willimpact consumers’ take-home pay byroughly 2%. For the average householdincome earning $50,000, that's a directimpact of $1,000 a year, and evenmore in households with higher annualincomes.

“A smaller paycheck due to the fis-cal cliff deal early last month, higher gasprices, low consumer confidence andongoing uncertainty about our nation’sfiscal health is negatively impacting con-sumers and businesses across the coun-try,” said NRF President and CEOMatthew Shay. “We cannot grow thenation’s economy until consumers con-sume. Every day we hear about buildingthe middle class. We can only do that ifwe tear down barriers that prevent con-sumers from investing their hard-earnedmoney back into our nation’s economy.It’s really that simple.” (Visit nrf.com formore details.)

Some key points from the NRFreport relative to retailers include:w Of those who say they will spend lessin 2013, 25% say they’ll do so by"comparison shopping" more.

w 36% say they’ll watch for sales moreoften.

w 24% say they’ll delay major purchases.

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Expiration of PayrollTax-Cut Holiday MayImpact Your BusinessB Y R Y A N M E L T O N

Ryan Melton is the Operations Manager forthe Tennis Industry Association. Industryresearch, and interpreting the data, areamong the areas he deals with at the TIA.

TIA State of the Industry Due in Spring A spring release is planned for the third edition of the TIA's State of the Industry report. The 2013 edition will synthesize data from the past year that the TIA collects through its nearly 80 surveys and research studies into an easy-to-read report.

The State of the Industry takes a top-level view of a variety of trends and segments in the industry to tell a comprehensive "story" of the tennis industry. The report will analyze the tennis industry via four segments:

• The Economy and Tennis-This section will include trends in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Consumer Confidence Index and compare those to overall trends in the tennis economy with the TIA Economic Index.

• Demand-Among other areas, this section will highlight participation trends as well as playing habits of the industry's key revenue driver, frequent players.

• Supply- The report will highlight trends in wholesale shipments for manufacturers, trends affecting the retail market, tennis facility performance, business trends from court contractors, and the current state of the industry from the perspective of teaching professionals.

• Competitive Tennis-This section will highlight competitive tennis at the recreational, collegiate, and professional levels.

The State of the Industry report is an annual release made available to TIA Industry Level members and above. For information on how to obtain a copy when it is released, contact the TIA at research@ tennisindustry.org or 866-686-3036.

16 RACQU ET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2013

Total Tennis Economy Grows 3.1% in 2012 to $5.57 Billion

The total value of the U.S. tennis economy grew by just over 3% last year, up to $5.57 billion. The data stems from the Tennis Industry Association's annual "Economic Index," created to evaluate the total worth of the U.S. tennis industry to the overall economy. The 2012 index value measured 101, meaning the industry is in a slightly better position than it was in 2008 when the first Economic Index value was released.

According to advanced estimates from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, real GDP in the U.S. grew 2.2% in 2012, indicating the growth in the tennis economy outpaced growth in the overall economy by nearly 1%.

Helping drive growth in the 2012 Tennis Economic Index value over 2011 (which was $5.4 billion) was the 4% growth in total tennis participation, 10% growth in frequent players, and increases in lesson revenue from teaching professionals and in sponsor revenue and

spectator spending at pro tournaments. The increase in spectator spending was a large contributor to

the Economic Index's growth in 2012. "2012 was a good 'rebounding' year for the tennis industry," says TIA

Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. "We saw growth in overall participation and an increase in frequent players, the industry's key revenue generators, which had been down or flat the previous few years."

Player spending on equipment in 2012 was up about 5% over 2011 and wholesale dollars shipped into the market were up 7%. Although neither of these values have reached the pre-recessionary levels seen in 2008, they nonetheless helped contribute to the overall growth seen in the TIA Economic Index.

"What we've seen in the overall economy is a normalization of consumer and commercial spending," says Keith Storey, Vice President of Sports Marketing Surveys USA. the TIA's research partner. "Consumers have learned to cope with lower discretionary income and businesses have adapted to become leaner and more efficient. These more sustainable growth rates of 2% to 3% that we are seeing in tennis and overall U.S. GDP are typical of what we have expected and are likely to continue into 2013."

A complete overview of the TIA Economic Index will be included in the 2013 TIA State of the Industry, which is slated for release in early spring. For more information on TIA research, contact Ryan Melton, TIA Operations Manager, at (843) 473-4490 or via email at [email protected].

TIA Cost of Doing Business Report Slated for Release

Every two years the TIA releases its Cost of Doing Business Study for Tennis Retailers, providing key performance indicators and other industry averages. Retailers who utilize the report have the opportunity to see how they are performing against the rest of the retail landscape, as well as identify

areas in which they may be able to improve. This year's report should be released by spring and will be available to Associate TIA Members and above. To reserve a copy ofthis year's Cost of Doing Business Tennis Retailer report, contact TIA Retail Manager Marty Mohar at 843-473-4505 or [email protected].

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

PlayTennis.com Relaunches With New Look and Feel Are you ready to move your business up a level? The relaunch of PlayTennis.com this spring offers a new look and feel, and will help to make it easy for consumers to get into the game and find playing opportunities, partners, equipment, lessons, courts and more.

All the major tennis companies and organizations are supporting PlayTennis.com, which is a free, "brand neutral" site that focuses on increasing tennis play and business. Tennis providers-teaching pros, retailers, facilities, court bui lders, etc.-need to make sure they're a part of PlayTennis.com, and they can easily do so by updating or creating their free provider listing.

"One of the unique aspects of this industry is our unified effort to promote this sport, which also helps to promote your business," says TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. "One way the TIA does this is by maintaining the free GrowingTennis System, the industry's largest database of loca l tenn is providers. The information in this database is available to consumers through search engines and tennis websites, so when potential customers are looking for a place to play, buy equipment, take lessons, or more, they can easi ly find your business."

To make sure your information in the GrowingTennis System is accurate and up to date, the TIA recently sent out a Facility and Retail Census to providers across the country, with easy to use links to update information. If you missed the emai l, you can quickly and easily update or create your free database listing by going to GrowingTennis.com.

"We want people to play tennis- that's the simple message of PlayTennis.com," says TIA President Greg Mason. "It's a message that's the core of this industry and something we all should get behind."

Retailers Consider romotions to Boost Business At meetings in New York City in early March, the TIA and a group of tennis retailers considered ways to help boost the retai l business in the U.S.

"We want to help retailers bring more customers into their stores and generate more sales," says TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. "The ideas we discussed in New York, and many more, can help us on that path. But we'd also like to hear from other retailers and tennis providers about what they think can help promote tennis retai l." Contact t he TIA at [email protected] with your reta il ideas.

Among the ideas considered by the retailers at the meeting were: • Restring campaign: "Retailers have told us getting players into their stores more often for a racquet tune-up can

help their business," de Boer says. "We discussed a 'restring campaign' that wou ld focus on changing the thinking of consumers, so that they'll restring more often to get the most out of their racquets and play their best." One possibility might be to promote a "persona lized racquet tune-up" that would send consumers to PlayTennis. com to find a local retailer or stringer.

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

• Try tennis for free: Also a topic among retailers was a possible

"try tennis for free" promotion, which wou ld be designed to bring people into stores and tennis

faci I ities. • "Tennis event": A national "tennis event" exclusively for pro/specialty retailers also was discussed, which

would involve presentations and educational seminars for retailers along with manufacturers displaying products and services. • Tennis fashion show: Another consideration is a possible tennis fashion show, to highlight apparel designers and manufacturers, where it could attract mainstream media coverage and help drive customers to tennis retai lers across the country. • Tennis fan promotion: The retail group also discussed a retai ler/tennis fan promotion that would help connect consumers to pro events, such as the Emirates Airline US Open Series.

&


Retailing 119

improvement in Ownership & Manage-ment, he should commit to work on anddevelop a passion for the retail business,and project this passion to employees.

For instance, at store closing timethere are two shoppers still in the store.The part-time employees have had a longday and grumble that they wish the shop-pers would leave so they can get to thecourt and play some tennis. The ownerhas a golden opportunity to tell them:“We’re in the specialty retail businessfirst, and customers make it possible forus to enjoy our sport. Our job is to deliveran extraordinary retail shopping experi-ence each and every time by making surethey can enjoy the tennis lifestyle, too!”

In your annual storebusiness plan, you need tospell out how you are goingto correct your store operat-ing weaknesses, who isgoing to do it, what theexpected results will be andwhen you are going tomake the improvementsand what the anticipatedcost will be.

How do you measure improvementsto the assessment benchmarks you set?Simple: Set up another online Retail Busi-ness Assessment in six months or a year,after you’ve implemented recommenda-tions that can move up the weak andneutral areas. w

After you have read the whole report, goback and review your store’s weaknesses,which are the immediate threats to yourretail business. This is where “benchmark-ing” comes in. Benchmarking simplymeans setting the standard for your retailstore performance and operations by whichyou can measure or judge improvements.

In the example below, Store Operationsand Ownership & Management should bebenchmarked against the four neutralareas, and improved to an assessmentscore between 40% and 64%. The bench-mark this owner should then establish inthe store’s business plan for the neutralareas is improvement to an assessmentscore of 65% or higher, into the strengthsarea.

Drilling into the detail of benchmarking,in the assessment we are using as an exam-ple, let’s say this store owner has severalpart-time employees, but his answers onthe Retail Assessment indicate he does nothave a store operating manual. An operat-ing manual would state how the ownerexpects the business to be run and makessure there is consistency in the level of cus-tomer service delivered whether the owneris present in the store or not. In bench-marking an assessment score between40% and 64% for Store Operations, thisowner should commit to writing down howthe store is be run and the level of cus-tomer service the owner expects part-timeemployees to consistently deliver.

Also, in this example, the owner indicat-ed on the assessment that he has a passionfor tennis, but not an equal passion for theretail business. In benchmarking an

n January, we talked about the TIARetail Business Assessment, which isa great way to get a check-up for

your specialty retail business andreceive valuable input for your businessplanning process.

Taking the TIA Retail Assessment iseasy; it’s all done online and takes onlyabout 20 minutes. The assessment iskept confidential—it’s evaluated andscored by independent retail consultantGluskin Townley Group, which does notshare the results with anyone, includingthe TIA itself. (To find out more aboutthe TIA Retail Assessment, contactMarty Mohar at [email protected] or 866-686-3036 ext. 704.)

The Retail Assessmentinvestigates eight criticalareas of your specialty ten-nis retail business, all ofwhich are important ele-ments to your store opera-tions and annual businessplan, including: BusinessTechnology & Reporting,Financial Benchmarks,Store Operations, StaffRecruiting & Hiring, Ownership & Man-agement, Store Environment, Marketing& Promotions, and Customer Service.

After you take the Retail Assess-ment, you will get back a completestrengths and weaknesses analysis.You’ll also get recommendations forwhat aspects of your business to focuson during the year so that you can elim-inate the identified weaknesses thatthreaten your business, and move upthe neutral operating areas.

Your store’s strengths and weak-nesses analysis will include a chart simi-lar to this example, which looks at eachof the eight critical areas of a retail busi-ness. Strengths receive 65% or highermarks; neutral areas are 40% to 64%;and weaknesses in your businessreceive marks of 39% or below.

I


This is part of a seriesof retail tips presentedby the Tennis IndustryAssociation and written

by the Gluskin Townley Group(www.gluskintownleygroup.com).

What’s Next? The April TIA Webinar is “Merchan-dising Your Specialty Tennis Storefor More Sales.” Visit TennisIndus-try.org/webinars for details and toregister.

Using ‘Benchmarks’ to ImproveYour Specialty Retail Business

Strengths & WeaknessesStrengths Neutral Areas Weaknesses(65% or higher) (40%-64%) (39% or lower)Staff Recruiting & Hiring Financial Benchmarks Store OperationsStore Environment Business Technology Ownership &

& Reporting ManagementMarketing & PromotionsCustomer Service

-7GHTsERIES For the next generation of baseline players. Power and spin.

R A C Q U E T S T R I N G I N G

A Master Racquet Technician considers the advantages of usingtwo-piece stringing.

IS Two BeTTerThan one?IS Two BeTTerThan one?

You and your customer have chosen a frame, using ourRacquet Selection Map (see page 22). Now, the frameneeds to be strung. For years the debate has raged on

among racquet technicians as to whether one-piece or two-piecestringing is better.

This of course, is a personal decision that every technician isfaced with from the moment they decide to take up the challengeof learning to string a racquet. They will, through personal expe-riences and encounters along the way, decide for themselveswhich method they prefer.

However, one point needs to be emphasized before we pro-ceed: The technician’s primary goal is to see that the racquetmaintains its original shape after the stringing process is completed.

We know that the racquet is going to “breathe” and the shapeis going to change during the stringing process. But, if you wereto take measurements of the racquet before and after stringing,you want those two measurements to be as close to the same aspossible.

Some technicians reading this probably are already sayingthat you can’t just do one method over the other all of the time.For the record, they’re right. There are touring pros who preferpatterns that are rarely, if ever, used in a typical tennis shop, likea triple-box ATW (around the world) pattern. There are also someracquets that can benefit from bottom-up installation of the crossstrings.

I’m making no attempt here to circumvent other availablepatterns. The purpose is to point out that in the majority of cases,two-piece stringing just makes good common sense. Let’s take acloser look.

We know that on many racquets the main strings end at thethroat. If you were to use one piece of string and a standard

stringing pattern (not a version of an ATW), you would end upstringing the cross strings from the bottom up to the top. Somemanufacturers, Yonex for instance, recommend two-piece string-ing and their intent is to make sure that you install the crossstrings from top to bottom. The reasoning behind this is that theyoke of the racquet (the Y-shaped piece just above the handle) isthe strongest part of the frame. Each time you install a crossstring the stress on the racquet builds in the direction you’reweaving. The idea is to reduce the stress as much as possible, andpointing it in the direction of the strongest part of the racquet isa good place to start.

Through the years there have been enough arguments pre-sented and some thoughtful insights from fellow technicians thatI decided to do a little digging on the subject. Here are some ofthe things I’ve uncovered.

Tournament Stringing1) No two tournament stringing teams do things the same

way. Wimbledon does it one way and the US Open does it anoth-er way because they are two different teams. As a result, tourna-ment stringers often have to learn something new about howthings are going to be done at each tournament they work at, andthis usually involves the stringing pattern.

My point here is simple: If two-piece stringing is the standard,this problem is eliminated. An industry-wide change to two-piecestringing would institute a new consistency from tournament totournament.

2) Why is this good? Racquet technicians have enough toworry about in high-pressure situations such as a Grand Slamstringing room. With two-piece stringing, it simplifies things atthe front desk and it simplifies things for the technician. There’snever any guesswork for the technician or worrying about


B Y T I M S T R A W N


whether or not you read the label wrong. It’s two-piece all the time.3) In addition, tournament players are notorious for picking up a racquet and

pulling on the two outside main strings to see if the tension is equal on bothsides. With standard ATW patterns (and no adjustments) one of those outsidemains is always going to be looser than the other because it’s a tie-off string. Inthe player’s mind that’s just not acceptable. Yes we have ways to offset thoseouter main tension differences when we do a one-piece ATW pattern, but withtwo-piece stringing those work-arounds are not necessary. Both outside mainsare tie-off strings and therefore, the tension is the same.

4) With the popularity of hybrid stringing on the tour (and elsewhere) thisargument is almost a moot point. So many players are using hybrids that two-piece stringing is more the norm than the exception today. It’s not a matter ofaesthetics or whether two-piece stringing affects overall play of the racquet.Don’t believe me? Roger Federer uses a hybrid. Try convincing him that the rac-quet plays poorly when it’s strung with four knots.

5) One last point with regard to tournament stringing and that’s the elimina-tion of counting crosses. With most ATW patterns the technician has to beaware of how to start the weave on the cross strings because there’s already onecross installed at the bottom. Should I go under or over the first main with thatfirst cross at the top? In the heat of the moment, mistakes have been made andthe technician is not going to realize it until they get closer to the bottom and itbecomes obvious that they started the crosses wrong. With two-piece stringingthat problem is eliminated.

other advantages of Two-PieceNow that we’ve talked about tournament stringing let’s talk about some othersignificant points to consider concerning two-piece stringing:w For any racquet technician, working with two shorter pieces of string is easierthan working with one longer piece of string.

w As mentioned above, the strongest point on a racquet is the yoke. Weavingcross strings toward the yoke ensures the stress is directed toward the strongerpart of the frame.

w ATW patterns leave the most used/worn string in the hitting area, so this is aconcern, especially with natural gut. Think about that. The strings that aregoing to be used to install the crosses have just been pulled along behind asthe main strings are installed. They’ve endured wear that can be completelyavoided prior to ever being woven into their final resting place!

w It is widely believed that two-piece stringing limits frame distortion. This, inand of itself, can be a major discussion on its own.

w Certain racquets are more flexible than others and they benefit from top-downcross-string installation.

w Higher tensions are more likely to cause frame distortion so top-down string-ing lends an additional security of frame protection since you are weavingtoward the yoke.

w Installing cross strings from top to bottom on a machine with a sub-parmounting system (yes, machines differ) is safer because there’s less chance ofdamaging the racquet during the stringing process.So … is two-piece stringing better than one-piece? Sure, in many situations.

Does it warrant becoming the de facto process we all use? We may not quite bethere yet, but we seem to be headed that way. w

Contributing Editor Tim Strawn is a USRSA Master Racquet Technicianand Certification Tester. He has worked for many years stringing for thepro tour (including at Wimbledon and the US Open). He is theOwner/Founder of the International Alliance of Racquet Technicians (IART)and hosts the annual IART training symposium (formerly the GSS sympo-sium). Strawn can be reached through his website at www.gssalliance.comor via email at [email protected].


1. Power/Control (columns). (formula = lengthindex x headsize x flex x swingweight) ÷ 1000.Length index calculation: 27" = 1.0, 27.5" = 1.05;28" = 1.1, etc.2. Maneuverability (rows). RDC (BabolatRacquet Diagnostic Center) swingweight units.3. Racquet ID. The number in the grid correlatesto the accompanying racquet list. 4. Headsize. Midsize and midplus (≤104 sq. in.)have no indicator. Oversize (105 -117 sq. in.) = •. Superoversize (≥118 sq. in.) = :. 5. Length. x = extended length. Standard length(27") racquets have no indicator.6. Flex (RDC). a = < 60; b = 60-64; c = 65-69; d= 70-74; e = > 74. The higher the number, thestiffer the racquet.7. Company. Coded by number and color. Seeaccompanying racquet list on the following pages.

8. Racquet Quadrants and the Center of theRacquet Universe. The center of the racquet universeis located at the intersection of the two red lines.Approximately half the racquets lie to the right and left,and half above and below these lines. The lines dividethe racquet universe into four color-coded quadrants –clockwise from top left: (1) quick power, (2) quick con-trol, (3) stable control, (4) stable power. These charac-terizations provide a general vocabulary for comparingracquets. 9. Racquet Finder List. The racquet list accompany-ing the map identifies all the new racquets and givesadditional information. For a complete list of all currentframes on the map, go to RacquetSportsIndustry.com.The map provides specific (very narrow ranges, anyway)swingweight, flex and power statistics, and general sizeand length characteristics. The racquet list specifies thelength and size and further specifies weight, balance,and price.

How To Use It1. Ask questions. What are you looking forthat your current racquet does not provide?What do you like most and least about your cur-rent racquet? What are the strengths and weak-nesses of your game? 2. Locate current racquet on map. If theracquet is not in the list, take measurements.3. Locating potential racquets. Dependingon the answers to the above questions, draw animaginary arrow (a wide or skinny one) fromyour present racquet in the desired direction forpower and maneuverability.4. Narrowing the field. Shrink the choicesusing the length, headsize, and flex codes tomatch customer preferences. 5. Selecting racquet demos. Once the choic-es are narrowed, locate the racquets by numberin the racquet list.

RACQUET SELECTION MAP KEY

Asics 1 109 109 27.25 292 10.30 35.00 13.78 74 308 2546 $1892 116 116 27.25 277 9.77 35.50 13.98 72 293 2508 $1893 125 125 27.50 276 9.74 36.25 14.27 73 307 2941 $189 Babolat 13 Drive Max 105 105 27.00 278 9.81 34.80 13.70 69 293 2123 $20014 Drive Max 110 110 27.50 275 9.70 36.30 14.29 67 294 2275 $19915 Drive Z Lite (Mostly Pink) 100 27.00 272 9.59 36.50 14.37 66 295 1947 $169 Bolt 29 B 100 Light 100 27.13 286 10.09 32.80 12.91 62 293 1839 $21530 B 98 Light 98 27.00 317 11.18 33.20 13.07 63 332 2050 $215

New Racquets from March 2012 to February 2013Racquet Headsize Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex Swingweight Power Retail (in2) (in.) (gm) (oz) (cm) (in.) (RDC) kg x cm2 Formula Price

BABOLAT 877-316-9435 • www.babolat.com

Our exclusive Racquet Selection Map enables you tohelp your customers choose the perfect racquet forthem quickly and easily, with the features and per-

formance they want. The map on the following page presents the entire perform-

ance racquet universe on one grid that instantly locates eachracquet compared to every other in terms of power, control,and maneuverability. Simply locate the specs of your cus-tomer’s current racquet on the map, then move outward inlarge or small increments in the direction of the customer’s pri-mary preference—relatively more or less power, control ormaneuverability. Once you’ve zoomed into an approximate

location on the grid, you can narrow down the racquet’s feelattributes by choosing from length, size, and flex specs codedinto the racquet number.

Next, look up the racquet(s) by number in the accompany-ing table. Note, though, that the table on these pages lists everynew performance racquet that came out in the last 12 months.If the racquet you find on the grid is not in one of these charts,you’ll find it online at www.racquetsportsindustry.com, wherewe have the complete list of every racquet that is currently onthe market, both the newest and the older models.

Your customer will now have a handful of “choice-cus-tomized” demos. And you’ll have a satisfied customer.

raCQUeTSeLeCTIonMaP


raCQUeTSeLeCTIonMaP

R A C Q U E T S

BOLT 877-430-2658 • www.boltadvance.com

ASICS 800-678-9435 • www.asicsamerica.com



Racquet Headsize Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex Swingweight Power Retail (in2) (in.) (gm) (oz) (cm) (in.) (RDC) kg x cm2 Formula Price

Donnay 35 Formula Lite 100 100 27.00 280 9.88 34.20 13.46 66 293 1934 $22936 Formula OS EXT 110 27.25 279 9.84 36.00 14.17 71 313 2506 $24937 Pro One 97 (16x19) 97 27.00 325 11.46 33.25 13.09 67 318 2067 $24938 Pro One 97 (18x20) 97 27.00 328 11.57 32.60 12.83 67 323 2099 $24939 Pro One OS EXT 105 27.50 296 10.44 34.00 13.39 64 317 2237 $24945 X Dual Silver Lite (27.5 inch) 99 27.50 300 10.58 34.60 13.62 66 321 2202 $229 Dunlop 56 Biomimetic Black Widow 102 27.00 275 9.70 33.90 13.35 68 290 2011 $15057 Biomimetic F 2.0 Tour 95 27.00 336 11.85 32.20 12.68 67 319 2030 $21058 Biomimetic F 3.0 Tour 98 27.00 325 11.46 32.40 12.76 63 313 1932 $21059 Biomimetic F 5.0 Tour 100 27.00 321 11.32 32.60 12.83 71 306 2173 $21060 Biomimetic M 2.0 95 27.00 333 11.75 31.70 12.48 73 317 2198 $21061 Biomimetic M 3.0 98 27.00 317 11.18 33.40 13.15 66 319 2063 $21062 Biomimetic M 5.0 100 27.00 293 10.34 34.40 13.54 69 303 2091 $21063 Biomimetic M 6.0 102 27.00 293 10.34 33.30 13.11 69 305 2147 $21064 Biomimetic Max 200G 98 27.00 329 11.61 32.70 12.87 67 317 2081 $21065 Biomimetic S 3.0 Lite 98 27.00 285 10.05 35.10 13.82 66 300 1940 $21066 Biomimetic S 5.0 Lite 100 27.00 264 9.31 36.50 14.37 67 294 1970 $21067 Biomimetic S 6.0 Lite 105 27.25 287 10.12 34.30 13.50 70 297 2238 $21068 Biomimetic S 8.0 Lite 105 27.25 287 10.12 34.30 13.50 70 297 2238 $210 Fox 69 Evolution 2.2 100 27.00 327 11.53 31.00 12.20 60 302 1812 $15070 Pro Class 1.9 110 27.00 347 12.24 32.00 12.60 60 323 2132 $14071 SAR Plus 112 27.00 316 11.15 33.50 13.19 59 324 2141 $15072 Target Plus 110 27.00 293 10.34 35.20 13.86 64 321 2260 $170 Gamma 75 RZR 105 105 27.25 295 10.41 35.00 13.78 66 305 2166 $20577 RZR 95 95 27.00 321 11.32 31.70 12.48 64 290 1763 $18580 RZR Bubba 137 29.00 297 10.48 38.90 15.31 64 405 4261 $22081 Thunder Power XL 100 27.50 319 11.25 32.70 12.87 68 328 2342 $190 Head 82 Youtek Extreme MP (Clear Bumper & Grommets) 100 27.00 316 11.15 33.40 13.15 66 320 2112 $19083 Youtek Extreme Pro (Clear Bumper & Grommets) 100 27.00 330 11.64 32.30 12.72 68 320 2176 $19084 Youtek Extreme S 107 27.00 293 10.34 34.50 13.58 70 303 2269 $19085 Youtek Graphene Instinct MP 100 27.00 309 10.90 33.30 13.11 69 306 2111 $20086 Youtek Graphene Instinct PWR 115 27.70 241 8.50 38.80 15.28 70 301 2593 $19087 Youtek Graphene Instinct Rev 100 27.00 256 9.03 36.20 14.25 59 291 1717 $19088 Youtek Graphene Instinct S 102 27.00 284 10.02 35.50 13.98 71 298 2158 $19089 Youtek Graphene Prestige PWR 107 27.30 275 9.70 35.30 13.90 70 303 2338 $22590 Youtek Graphene Speed MP 100 27.00 311 10.97 33.30 13.11 65 318 2067 $22591 Youtek Graphene Speed Pro 100 27.00 333 11.75 33.00 12.99 66 338 2231 $22592 Youtek Graphene Speed PWR 115 27.40 267 9.42 36.50 14.37 67 314 2516 $21093 Youtek Graphene Speed Rev 100 27.00 269 9.49 35.60 14.02 62 304 1885 $21094 Youtek Graphene Speed S 100 27.00 292 10.30 34.80 13.70 68 314 2135 $210 Mantis 106 285 100 27.00 304 10.72 32.80 12.91 68 295 2006 $169107 300 100 27.00 312 11.01 32.80 12.91 68 306 2081 $169108 Pro 295 98 27.00 306 10.79 33.10 13.03 62 297 1805 $189109 Tour 305 95 27.00 316 11.15 32.40 12.76 65 301 1859 $169110 Tour 315 95 27.00 326 11.50 31.60 12.44 66 301 1887 $169 Prince 140 EXO3 Warrior DB Team 100 100 27.00 286 10.09 35.00 13.78 64 310 1984 $169

DUNLOP 800-768-4727 • www.dunlopsport.com

GAMMA 800-333-0337 • www.gammasports.com

HEAD 800-289-7366 • www.head.com

FOX 800-PLAYFOX • www.playfox.com

New Racquets from March 2012 to February 2013 (Cont.)

DONNAY 800-264-0509 • www.donnayusa.com


PRINCE 800-2TENNIS • www.princetennis.com

MANTIS www.mantis-sports.com

Racquet Headsize Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex Swingweight Power Retail (in2) (in.) (gm) (oz) (cm) (in.) (RDC) kg x cm2 Formula Price

Solinco 150 Tour 10 xtend 98 27.50 338 11.92 32.00 12.60 66 340 2309 $180 Tecnifibre 153 T Fight 255 (Synergy Link) 100 27.00 275 9.70 34.25 13.48 66 281 1855 $169154 T Fight 295 (16M Tour Prepared) 95 27.00 310 10.93 33.50 13.19 68 305 1970 $189155 T Fight 295 MP (Synergy Link) 100 27.00 307 10.83 33.50 13.19 69 298 2056 $189156 T Fight 305 (18M Tour Prepared) 95 27.00 317 11.18 33.40 13.15 69 310 2032 $189157 T Fight 315 Limited (16M) 98 27.00 328 11.57 32.15 12.66 60 297 1746 $199158 T Fight 315 Limited (18M) 98 27.00 332 11.71 32.50 12.80 59 305 1764 $199159 T Fight 320 (16M Tour Prepared) 95 27.00 336 11.85 32.25 12.70 67 317 2018 $199160 T Fight 325 (18M Tour Prepared) 95 27.00 338 11.92 32.25 12.70 66 317 1988 $199163 T Rebound 265 Feel 105 27.00 284 10.02 34.25 13.48 70 295 2168 $169164 T Rebound 295 Pro (Synergy Link) 100 27.00 313 11.04 33.75 13.29 68 309 2101 $189 Volkl 168 Organix 1 115 27.80 271 9.56 36.40 14.33 72 304 2718 $300171 Organix 10 Mid 93 27.00 334 11.78 32.50 12.80 59 318 1745 $240172 Organix 2 115 27.60 293 10.34 36.00 14.17 70 324 2765 $260173 Organix 3 110 27.80 286 10.09 36.00 14.17 69 322 2639 $250175 Organix 5 100 27.13 274 9.67 34.50 13.58 68 291 2004 $190177 Organix 7 (295g) 104 27.00 311 10.97 34.30 13.50 73 316 2399 $240178 Organix 7 (310g) 104 27.25 316 11.15 34.00 13.39 72 318 2441 $240181 Organix 9 98 27.00 324 11.43 32.50 12.80 66 309 1999 $230182 Organix V1 MP 102 27.00 294 10.37 33.50 13.19 64 296 1932 $250183 Organix V1 OS 110 27.50 302 10.65 34.00 13.39 67 317 2453 $250 Weed 195 Open 135 135 27.00 265 9.35 35.40 13.94 63 286 2432 $250 Wilson 198 Blade Ninety Eight 16x19 (98 BLX) 98 27.00 319 11.25 33.50 13.19 67 322 2114 $230199 Blade Ninety Eight 18x20 (98 BLX) 98 27.00 317 11.18 33.50 13.19 64 314 1969 $230200 Blade Ninety Three (93 BLX) 93 27.00 339 11.96 32.25 12.70 67 325 2025 $230201 Blade One Hundred Four (104 BLX) 104 27.50 307 10.83 33.75 13.29 56 309 1890 $230205 BLX Juice 100L 100 27.00 292 10.30 36.10 14.21 74 327 2420 $220217 BLX Steam 105 S 105 27.33 300 10.58 33.70 13.27 70 310 2354 $220218 BLX Steam 96 96 27.25 307 10.83 34.70 13.66 67 322 2123 $220219 BLX Steam 99 99 27.00 320 11.29 33.70 13.27 68 327 2201 $220220 BLX Steam 99 S 99 27.00 320 11.29 33.30 13.11 70 321 2225 $220223 Four BLX 105 27.00 258 9.10 37.00 14.57 71 297 2214 $210224 Three BLX 117 27.50 277 9.77 37.50 14.76 41 313 1577 $260225 Two BLX 110 27.25 239 8.43 39.50 15.55 67 305 2304 $230 Yonex 231 V Core Tour 89 89 27.00 340 11.99 31.70 12.48 63 327 1833 $240232 V Core Tour 97 97 27.00 351 12.38 32.00 12.60 66 336 2151 $240233 V Core Xi 100 (280 Grams) 100 27.00 293 10.34 35.00 13.78 68 305 2074 $240234 V Core Xi 100 (300 Grams) 100 27.00 312 11.01 32.90 12.95 70 297 2079 $240235 V Core Xi 98 98 27.00 321 11.32 32.40 12.76 68 301 2006 $240236 V Core Xi Team 98 26.88 287 10.12 34.10 13.43 65 289 1818 $190237 V Core Xi Team + 98 27.38 295 10.41 33.90 13.35 65 305 2016 $190

TECNIFIBRE (888) TFTennis • www.TFTennis.com

VOLKL 866-554-7872 • www.volkl-tennis.com

WILSON 800-272-6060 • www.wilson.com

YONEX 800-44-YONEX • www.yonexusa.com

SOLINCO 310-922-7775 • www.solincosports.com


WEED 800-WEED RKT • www.weedusa.com

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

There were nine outdoor tennis facilities thattook honors in the Racquet SportsIndustry/American Sports Builders Associa-

tion Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards for2012, and four of those we’re classifying as soft-court projects.

The lone non-Florida winner, in California,involved building both a new clay court and a newhard court. But we’re including it here to help offsetthe stranglehold Florida seems to have on buildingaward-winning soft-court facilities. We certainlyapplaud the number of amazing clay-court facilitiesin the Sunshine State and the skill of the companiesbuilding them, but we have to believe there areaward-winning soft-court projects in other states,too, which we’d love to hear about (see box fordetails on the 2013 Facility-of-the-Year Awards).

The Toscana Country Club in California is onesuch example. The contractor built a new fast-drycourt and a new post-tensioned concrete court forthe club. The project included site grading, utilities,walls, curbing, fencing, lighting, landscaping, stor-age areas, walkways and tennis pavilions, and thefinished project provides players with all the ameni-ties, including seating at the courts, shaded areasand a spectator viewing area.

The Doral Park Country Club in Florida addedfour new HydroGrid courts (in two two-court batter-ies) to its existing facility. The new courts are adja-cent to the existing courts, so fencing had to bemodified to provide the appearance that the wholefacility was constructed during a single build.

The centerpiece of the Sports Club at Mediterrais the new, recessed “coliseum court.” The club’sdirector of tennis, Tim Bauer, designed the court,pergola and terraced viewing area, surrounded by astone wall and lush landscaping. The project had toovercome a flood when severe weather struck thesite during construction.

The Timber Pines Community Association tookout asphalt courts and installed six new clay courts.The facility was on two levels, with a retaining walldividing the north three courts from the southcourts, so there needed to be two points of accessfor construction. —Peter Francesconi w

These outdoor facility winners are excellentexamples of soft-court construction.

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.

SOFT LANDINGSOFT LANDING

Timber Pines Community Association Inc.Spring Hill, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.) Specialty Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.No. of Courts: 6Surface: Har-Tru Sports HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis HydroGridNets, Posts: Welch Tennis


These outdoor facility winners are excellentexamples of soft-court construction.


The Sports Club at MediterraNaples, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)Architect/Engineer: Global DesignSpecialty Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.No. of Courts: 1Surface: Har-Tru Sports HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis HydroGridWindscreens, Nets, Posts: Welch Tennis Courts

Toscana Country ClubIndian Wells, Calif. (Nominated by Zaino Tennis Courts Inc., Orange, Calif.)Specialty Contractor: Zaino Tennis Courts Inc.No. of Courts: 2 (1 soft, 1 hard)Surface: Har-Tru Sports, PlexipaveNet Posts: EdwardsLights, Poles: VisionaireFencing: Zaino Tennis Courts Inc.Court Accessories: Har-Tru Sports

Doral Park Country ClubDoral, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)Specialty Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.No. of Courts: 4Surface: Har-Tru Sports HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis HydroGridWindscreens, Nets, Posts: Welch Tennis Courts


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? Ask the Experts

STRINGING NATURAL GUTFOR CERTIFICATION

WHAT TRAINING DOES A stringerneed to go through to be proficientstringing natural gut, and be prop-

erly prepared for CS certification? Anyadvice you can give us would be mostappreciated.

THERE'S NO SUBSTITUTE FORactually stringing natural gut. Com-

pared to other strings, you have to workmore slowly and pay attention to what'sgoing on. Before you start, you shouldreview the information we provide in Rac-quet Service Techniques. This and otherrelevant materials for certification tests aresent to applicants, so you'll receive themwhen you apply.You can also check the article back

issues at usrsa.com, searching for “naturalgut” (in quotes), as well as “Don’t Bust aGut,” which appeared in the March 2006issue of Racquet Sports Industry magazine.

NATURAL GUT BREAKAGEDURING STRINGING

I JUST HAD AN INCIDENT IN MYshop where a set of natural gutsnapped while tensioning, halfway

through the mains. Is that uncommon inyour experience? What could havecaused the breakage, and what could wehave done to avoid such incidents?

NATURAL GUT BREAKING halfwaythrough the mains usually happens

for one of two reasons.First, there is a sharp edge inside the

grommet barrel that is damaging the gut.Depending on the condition of the grom-mets, you may be able to burnish anysharp edges using a large-diameter piece ofsynthetic string that has a thin coating ofwax on it, running it through the grommetseveral times to smooth the edges.Second, there may be an issue with the

tension jaws on your machine. If the ten-sion jaws are cutting too deeply into thestring at a point where that section laterhits the grommet, the string can break.

PERFECT PINGIF YOU HAVE A SUPER oversizeframe with 16 mains and 14crosses, and a midsize frame

with 18 mains and 20 crosses, and they"ping" the same when you hit thestrings, is the string bed stiffness thesame on both racquets, regardless ofhead size and string density?

WE ASKED STEN KAISER OFappmaker.se (the programmer

behind racquetTune and other great ten-nis apps) for a technical explanation.“No, they are not the same.“Take one string with a certain ten-

sion, and check the sound and stiffness.Then add a similar string in parallel. Thesound will be the same but the stiffnesswill be twice as high.“If you look at a racquet you can sim-

plify the tension T and the stiffness S to:

“A is racquet area, μ is string density,f is the sound frequency, n is the numberof strings, and C1, C2, and C3 are con-stants. The third equation comes fromsubstituting the T from the top equationinto the second equation and simplifying.This is assuming small deformations, andthat all strings contribute equally to thestiffness (which they don't, in real life).“As you can see from the bottom

equation, two racquets with the same f(ping) can have different stiffnessdepending on n, μ, and A.“The stiffness equation is very much a

simplification and only valid for smalldeformations. For large deformations,e.g. when playing, it gets much morecomplicated. This doesn't alter the con-clusion that you can't judge the stiffnessfrom the sound only, but rather it under-lines it.”

CHOOSING A RACQUET FOR A BETTER SERVE

I WANT TO BUY A RACQUETthat will improve my serve.What attributes should I look for?

BEFORE YOU BUY A NEW rac-quet, you should schedule some

time with a serving coach. If the biome-chanics of your serve are wrong, it does-n't really matter what racquet you use.Your grip, toss, rhythm, timing, shoulderturn, shoulder load, arm vector, contactpoint, and pronation are some of the keyaspects that you must master first.Once your biomechanics are correct,

selecting a racquet to optimize your serveis much like selecting a racquet in gener-al. You typically want to use the heaviestracquet you can without altering yourstroke timing, and for comfort andmaneuverability you’ll probably want it tobe head light (that is, with the balancepoint of the racquet closer to the butt capthan to the head).Because the racquet rotates through

180 degrees in a split second betweenthe “scratch your back” phase andimpact, you will also have to pay atten-tion to the racquet’s swing weight, inaddition to its overall weight. This is espe-cially true if you try an extended lengthracquet. You can easily alter the swingweight of your existing racquet throughthe application of temporary lead weightsinside the hoop at the 12 o’clock position.The more weight you add, the higher theswing weight.There is one racquet characteristic,

though, that will show up in the servebefore it shows up in your groundstrokesand volleys, and that is the twist weightof the racquet. Twist weight is the rac-quet’s resistance to rotation in the handwhen a ball impacts away from the rac-quet’s centerline (that is, its stability).Twist weight is created by any mass thatis not on the racquet centerline, times thesquare of the distance between the cen-terline and the mass. Because the mass ismultiplied by the square of the distance,


Q

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Your Equipment Hotline

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even fairly light racquets can be sta-ble (high twist weight) if they arewide.This is important on the serve

because a biomechanically correctserve involves pronation, duringwhich the racquet rotates around itsaxis. If the twist weight of your rac-quet is too high for you, either youwon’t pronate properly on yourserve, or you will attempt to recruityour “wrist muscles” to force prona-tion (as opposed to allowing the rac-quet to pronate naturally while youkeep your wrist loose). To experi-ment with different twist weights onyour existing racquet, add your tem-porary lead weights to the inside ofthe hoop at the 3 o’clock and 9o’clock positions. The more weightyou add, the higher the twist weight.Building consistency often

means ensuring you get enoughheight over the net to get the ballinto the other court, with enoughspin to bring it down in the servicebox. To this end, you can experi-ment with different string bed densi-ties. USRSA testing shows that stringbed stiffness is one of the mostimportant characteristics in generat-ing spin: The higher the stiffness(whether through a dense string pat-tern or stiff strings or high stringtension), the more spin potential,generally speaking. However, yourparticular string and tension prefer-ences and stroke production maymean you find you are more confi-dent using a racquet with a lessdense string bed. The more confi-dence you have in your equipment,the looser your arm will be duringstroke production, and the moreracquet speed you’ll generate, soyou’ll get more spin.

—Greg Raven w

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


String Playtest

EASE OF STRINGING (compared to other strings) Number of testers who said it was:much easier 0somewhat easier 3about as easy 20not quite as easy 8not nearly as easy 1

OVERALL PLAYABILITY (compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 2somewhat better 8about as playable 11not quite as playable 8not nearly as playable 3

OVERALL DURABILITY (compared to other strings of similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 9somewhat better 10about as durable 10not quite as durable 2not nearly as durable 1

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.4Durability (15th overall) 4.4Power (8th overal) 3.5Control (4th overal) 3.9Comfort 3.1Touch/Feel 3.0Spin Potential 3.5Holding Tension (17th overall) 3.7Resistance to Movement (2nd overall) 4.3

Tecnifibre ATP® Razor Code is a co-extruded polyester string. Thesolid core utilitizes Thermocore

technology, a Tecnifibre process toimprove flexibility in polyester strings.The Thermocore process involves usingtemperature control during the manufac-turing process to soften the string’s struc-ture for shock absorption and vibrationreduction.

Tecnifibre’s target for this string is theadvanced tournament-level player, andas such is offered as one of its “Perfor-mance Pro” strings alongside Black Code(July 2009 RSI), Ruff Code (Apr. 2012RSI), Pro Redcode (Sep. 2006 RSI), andPolycode. ATP Razor Code was, however,developed exclusively for the associationbetween Tecnifibre and the ATP — thefirst such string from Tecnifibre — requir-ing three years of R&D. Tecnifibre’s ATPplayers such as Janko Tipsarevic arealready switching to ATP Razor Code.

ATP Razor Code is available in16/1.30, 17/1.25 and 18/1.20 in carbonand blue. It is priced from $16 for 40-foot sets, $200 for 660-foot sets. Formore information or to order, contactTecnifibre at 888-TFTennis (888-838-3664), or visit tftennis.com. Be sure toread the conclusion for more informationabout getting a free set to try for your-self.

IN THE LABWe tested the 16-gauge ATP Razor Code.The coil measured 40 feet. The diametermeasured 1.31-1.33 mm prior to string-ing, and 1.24-1.27 mm after stringing.We recorded a stringbed stiffness of 75RDC 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), stringbedstiffness measured 69 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. ATP Razor Code

added 16 grams to the weight of ourunstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeksby 32 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP rat-ings from 3.5 to 5.5. These are blindtests, with playtesters receivingunmarked strings in unmarked packages.Average number of hours playtested was22.7.

ATP Razor Code installs much likeother poly-based strings. We noted nodifficulties or special considerations. Tec-nifibre recommends a 5-10% reductionfrom your typical nylon reference ten-sion, and we passed this along to themembers of our playtest team.


One playtester broke thesample during stringing, six reportedproblems with coil memory, two report-ed problems tying knots, and nonereported friction burn.

ON THE COURTOur playtesters found a lot to like in ATPRazor Code, but most of all they likedthe Resistance to Movement, rating it2nd best in this category of the 170strings we’ve playtest for publication.They also gave it high marks in the Con-trol category (rating it 4th highest), oftenmentioning the great spin afforded themby ATP Razor Code. The high-moduluspolyester sheath no doubt had some-thing to do with ATP Razor Code’s 15th-highest rating in the Durability category.Tecnifibre also performs a high-tempera-ture pre-stretch of ATP Razor Code dur-ing manufacture, which may havehelped it garner a 17th-best rating inTension Retention. In addition, ourplaytest team rated ATP Razor Codeexcellent in the Power category, andwell above average for Spin Potential. Asa result, Tecnifibre ATP Razor Codecomes in as the 16th-highest-rated stringwe’ve playtested.

Two playtesters broke the sampleduring the playtest period, one at ninehours and one at 18 hours.

CONCLUSIONWith years of experience making poly-ester strings, on top of its decades ofexperience making other types of premi-

Tecnifibre ATP Razor Code 16


FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM

Tecnifibre will send a free set of Razor Code to USRSA

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

Offer expires 15 April 2013 • Offer only available to USRSA members in the US.

Name:

USRSA Member number:

Phone:

Email:

If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your sample will be sent.


USRSA, Attn: Tecnifibre String Offer

PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096

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

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

player using Head MicroGEL Prestige MPstrung at 48/50 pounds CP (Tourna Big HitterBlue 17)

“ This one not only has a crisp and pre-dictable response, the feel is decidedly aboveaverage. Control and spin are top notch. Oneof the better polys I’ve hit with.” 4.0 maleall-court player using Babolat AeroPro Drive +strung at 47 pounds CP (Tourna Big Hitter Blue 17)

“ I cannot detect anything special about thisstring. It feels like a standard polyester.” 5.0male all-court player using Head Flexpoint Rad-ical MP strung at 40 pounds CP (Polyester 16)

“ Playability is lacking. Tension does notdrop much but the strings do seem to lose popover time.” 3.5 male all-court player usingWilson K Blade strung at 52 pounds CP

(Gamma TNT2 16)

“ This is the best all-around poly I’ve hitwith! It is the ultimate topspin string, withthe perfect combination of spin, control, anddurability. It has incredible comfort for adurability string.” 4.0 male baseliner withheavy spin using Dunlop Aerogel 4D 1 Hun-dred strung at 40 pounds LO (Luxilon XP16L)

“ Great option for string breakers. Recom-mended to heavy hitters who want the con-trol benefits of a poly. Big swings comedown inside the lines!” 4.0 male baselinerwith heavy spin using Babolat Pure DriveRoddick strung at 60 pounds LO (SolincoTour Bite 16)

TESTERS TALK

“ For once a soft poly with exceptionalall-around playability. This control stringdoes everything well, including touch!”4.0 male baseliner with moderate spinusing Babolat AeroPro Drive GT strung at50 pounds CP (MSV Focus Hex 17L)

“ Very comparable to the soft co-poly Iuse. Extremely playable for monofilamentcontrol string.” 4.5 male all-court play-er using Wilson K Blade strung at 57pounds LO (Wilson Enduro Pro 17)

“ A pleasing and juicy feel for a co-poly,like the kind experienced with Luxilon AluPower or Babolat RPM Blast. Very pleasur-able hit!” 5.0 male all-court player usingBabolat Pure Drive Cortex strung at 60pounds CP (Luxilon Alu Power 16L)

“ This string plays great after a shortbreak-in period. Comfort and power arehigh for a poly.” 4.0 male all-courtplayer using Volkl V1 Classic strung at 50pounds CP (Wilson Hyperlast Spin 17)

“ Much easier to string than most polys.The somewhat slippery exterior decreasesfriction burn. This one has above averagepower for a poly. The spin is excellent.”5.0 male all-court player using PrinceEXO3 Red strung at 55 pounds LO (WilsonReaction 16)

“ Very impressive feel and control at alower tension. Spin potential does notwaiver over time. After eight hours thefeels diminishes.” 4.0 male all-court

—Greg Raven◗

um strings including its well-knownpolyurethane offerings, Tecnifibre haspoly string manufacturing covered. Andalthough Tecnifibre isn’t afraid to thinkoutside the box (as shown in stringssuch as Promix and X-Code), even a rel-atively traditional offering such as ATPRazor Code still incorporates plenty ofinnovative thinking, with impressiveresults.

If you think that Tecnifibre ATPRazor Code might be for you, fill out thecoupon to get a free set to try.

Tennis’s Grand Slam champi-onships are the four tent poles ofthe sport, the highest peaks on

the landscape. Though the four businessmodels are slightly different, each Majoroperates as a non-profit. The proceedsfrom the events we’re told (and told andtold) are “reinvested in the game.”

At first blush, anyway, this model isprincipled. Noble, even. At the pinnacleof the sport there is an appreciation forthe grassroots effort and underpinningsthat make it all possible. This model issocially responsible. This model makesus more comfortable with the vaststreams of revenue coursing briskly andconspicuously through Wimbledon andthe Australian, French and US Opens.

This model is also absurd.Today more than ever, the best play-

ers are international celebrities, able tocommand vast sums of money for one-night-only exhibitions, chosen by corpo-rations to endorse products and serve as“brand ambassadors.” There’s littledebate that players are paid less thanmarket value at the Majors. But, we arequickly reminded, the Majors reinvestprofits, so purse increases would comeat the expense of the little people.

Yet where else does this occur?Where do we distort the labor marketand suppress wages in the name of phil-anthropy? The fees paid to Hollywoodstars aren't stifled so that the movie prof-its can be reinvested in the local play-house. Authors’ book contracts aren’tkept artificially low, so that part of thesavings can go to school literacy pro-grams. We don't ask NFL players to takeless than fair market value in order tofund Pop Warner leagues and pay for the

coaching of talented prospects.For decades, players accepted this—

what should we call it?—quirk. Sure, theMajors devoted much less of their grossrevenues to prize money than othertournaments; but even so the payoutwas much more. For the top players,their endorsements deals often con-tained bonuses based on their results atthe Big Four; so that provided an eco-nomic incentive. Yes, the profits weregoing to the federations of only fourcountries; but those were also the coun-tries that furnished most of the top play-ers. So there was an element ofnoblesse oblige.

But lately, players have been lesswilling to accept the status quo. Oneenvisions, say, Rafael Nadal, takingstock of the US Open prize money andsaying: “So let me get this straight:you’re paying less than market rate soyou can resurface courts in Topeka orsubsidize Sloane Stephens’ travel? Noneof it even goes to my federation? Huh?”Or one imagines the 95 percent of thenon-native players at the AustralianOpen scratching heads and wondering:“The profits I’m helping to generate aregoing toward racquets in Sydney andflights juniors take from Perth to Bris-bane? What?”

The players read about the terms ofthe Majors’ TV deals. They see the rev-enue generated by suites and hospitali-ty tents and merchandising. They catchwind of lavish salaries being paid toexecutives. Catalyzed by their tours,they have complained and even thrownaround the dreaded B-word, boycott.They want a bigger slice of the pie, non-profit be damned.


When the Majors’ make concessionsto the players and increase prizemoney—as each did in 2013 and will like-ly continue to do—it has consequences.Funding gets reduced. The federationsmay have to cut staff. Fat must betrimmed. Sure, there is something dis-tasteful about cutting funding so that mil-lionaire pro tennis players can make stillmore millions. But how much less dis-tasteful is it to ask athletes to take a paycut so the host federation—not even theplayers’ own federation in most cases—can fill its coffers?

What happens now? Likely a cordialgame of chicken. The players will contin-ue to gripe and threaten work stoppage.The tournaments will make incrementalincreases, hope to keep the barbarians atthe gate, but operate on the assumptionthat as long as they still offer the highestpurses on the circuit, players aren't likelyto unify.

One would like to think—quixotically,perhaps—that there’s a creative solution.Perhaps the proceeds can be distributedto federations in addition to those in Aus-tralia, France, the U.K. and the U.S.Maybe lavish federation salaries arereconsidered and capped. And maybeboth sides devise a formula, so a certainpercent of revenues are devoted to thepurses and both sides have incentive to“grow the pie.”

Whatever, the current arrangement isflawed. Ask the NCAA. You distort themarket and you ask for trouble. w

Your Serve


Follow the MoneyA veteran tennis journalist says whilemoney from Grand Slam tournaments are‘reinvested in the game,’ the current prizemoney arrangement is flawed.

B Y L . J O N W E R T H E I M

L. Jon Wertheim is a senior writer for SportsIllustrated

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

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