200808 Racquet Sports Industry

August 2008Volume 36 Number 8 $5.00

ContentsContents

Cover Photo: Stephen Whalen

DEPARTMENTS

R S I A U G U S T 2 0 0 8

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Boris Becker/Volkl addnew frames

7 USPTA sets WorldConference schedule

7 Florida governor approvestennis license plate

8 Wilson releases Federer“Super Six” Bag

8 Prince extends O3Speedport Black line

9 TIA names coordinator forP.R. and communications

9 Wilson names newapparel director

9 USTA Middle States to honorJane Brown Grimes

10 Ektelon launches O Seriesracquetball footwear

11 Prince names Dave Malinowski

11 PTR schedules OctoberDevelopment Weekend

14 USTA names nine toOlympic tennis team

15 USTA Tennis TeachersConference in August

4 Our Serve

7 Industry News

18 TIA News & Updates

21 Facility Manager’s Manual

23 Industry People

24 Community Service

42 String Playtest: Prince Recoil

44 Ask the Experts

46 Tips and Techniques

48 Your Serve, by Bruce Levine

FEATURES

26 Learn From a Reborn ClubA Texas club changed ownership andwas forced to revamp its operations.Here’s how it achieved success.

28 Healing the HurtIf you know the injuries that canaffect your players, you can keepthem playing longer.

30 Valuable LessonsFrom the pro to the shop staff to themaintenance crew, all are involved ina wonderful experience for students.

32 Grow Your MarketWith retention as the goal, you needto communicate and program effec-tively to reach today’s players.

34 Triple CrownThese three residential court winnersare great examples of excellent con-struction and workmanship.

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2008

36 2008 Guide to Stringing MachinesUse our exclusive guide to help you find thebest stringing machine for your business.

’ve been involved in the tennis business for more than 20years. And I have to admit that when I first joined TennisMagazine in 1987, I would not have said I was particularly

passionate about the sport. I was attracted to the job itself,and to the potential for growth in that job.But the passion for the sport of tennis quickly grew for me. I

started taking lessons, became a frequent, and avid, player, andcontinued to become more and more involved in the sport and inthe industry itself. I quickly realized all the positives about tennisthat for me, continue to this day: the activity, health benefits, fun,competition and, importantly, the social network that tennis pro-vides.And I quickly realized something else: that I want to make sure

this game reaches as many people as it possibly can. Here at RSImagazine, that’s our reason for being. And as a member of thisindustry, that most likely is your motivation, too.Often, you can tell when someone you meet in this industry

isn’t particularly passionate about the sport. They’re in it for otherreasons—maybe a quick profit (good luck in that endeavor),maybe to make a quick name for themselves. In short order, thesefolks frequently will move out of the industry, looking for some-thing that just won’t materialize for them in the tennis business.But those of us who remain—and we are many, and growing—

are ardent supporters of tennis. We look for, and find, the good inthe sport and its people, and we take it upon ourselves to spreadthe word about tennis.I’ve been fortunate to find that many people who work in this

business believe in tennis and the good it brings to others.Whether they are teaching pros, coaches, facility managers, parkand rec personnel, retailers, manufacturers, media members,USTA staff, and, particularly, volunteers in this business, there is apassion that burns in each of them. They want this game to grow,and they are passionate about spreading the word.If that isn’t your motivation, I only hope that one day, it will

become so.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

Our ServeFinding That Tennis Passion

(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Contributing EditorsRobin BatemanCynthia Cantrell

Rod CrossKristen DaleyJoe DinofferLiza Horan

James MartinGreg Moran

Chris NicholsonBob Patterson

Cynthia ShermanMary Helen Sprecher

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRYCorporate Offices

330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171

Email: [email protected]: www.racquetTECH.com

Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time

Advertising DirectorJohn Hanna

770-650-1102, [email protected]

Apparel AdvertisingCynthia Sherman203-263-5243

[email protected]

Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-

5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly Janu-

ary through August and combined issues in

September/October and November/December by

Tennis Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA

92084. Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443

and additional mailing offices. August 2008, Vol-

ume 36, Number 8 © 2008 by USRSA and Tennis

Industry. All rights reserved. Racquet Sports Indus-

try, RSI and logo are trademarks of USRSA. Printed

in the U.S.A. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125.

Phone circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Year-

ly subscriptions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POST-

MASTER: Send address changes to Racquet Sports

Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.


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

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INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I A U G U S T 2 0 0 8

I 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

The Boris Becker and Volkl racquet brands are launching four new racquets, two for eachbrand, both featuring new technology. For the Becker line, the new DeltaCore 1 and 3frames move DNX to the next level, says Sean Frost, Volkl/BB managing director. “Delta-

Core is now 40 times stronger than traditional carbon fiber used in other racquets,” hesays. The graphite in the DeltaCore material is in a “delta” configuration thatis more compact and solid. Frost says the new material, put in key areas togive more strength to the frame, provides more resiliency, a livelier feel, andwon’t break down as easily as other racquets.

The company says the DeltaCore 1 is ideal for players lookingfor maximum support from their racquet. It has a 115-square-inch head, weighs 9 ounces, and carries a suggest-ed retail price of $340. The DC 3 is designed for players ofall levels, with a 110-square-inch head and 9.7-ounceweight, with a suggested retail of $300. Both will be avail-

able Aug. 25. The Grand Slam line of BB bags also arenew, and available at the same time.

New for the Volkl line are the Powerbridge 8 and 10. Powerbridge is a progres-sion of Volkl’s DNX technology, says Frost. The new racquets mix DNX with a resincompound that allows the throat to be thinner and livelier, which helps to increasethe size of the sweetspot.

The Powerbridge 8 has a 100-square-inch head size and weighs 10.4 ounces; thePB 10, a tournament-level frame, is 98 square inches and weighs 11.5 ounces. Bothcarry a $200 suggested retail and will be available Aug. 25. Also new for Volkl is the Chal-lenger bag series, with 3-, 6- and 9-packs and a backpack.

“As the Volkl and Becker brands continue to grow, you will see more and more sepa-ration between the two, as we work toward making Becker a standalone brand,” saysFrost. For more information, contact 866-554-7872.

Florida ApprovesTennis License PlateFlorida Gov. Charlie Crist signed alicense plate bill in May that allowsfor a “Florida Tennis” specialty plate,the first tennis license plate in thestate. Revenue generated by the newplate will assist the USTA Florida Sec-tion Foundation, which is the section’scharitable arm, in its efforts “toimprove the health and quality of lifeof Floridians through tennis.”

“Research indicates that 2 millionpeople play tennis in Florida,” saysDoug Booth, USTA Florida executivedirector. “It is great promotion for thesport of tennis and is exciting thatplayers will now have the ability toshow their love of the game by pur-chasing a Florida tennis license plate.”

The USTA Florida Section Foundationwill use purchases from the new plateto provide financial assistance in therenovation and building of qualitypublic tennis facilities. Ninety percentof proceeds from annual user fees willbe used for grants back to the com-munity, including funding to operateyouth tennis programs and adaptivetennis programs for special popula-tions of all ages and for building, ren-ovating and maintaining public tenniscourts.

The specialty plate will be availablefor statewide purchase by tennis fansand community supporters no laterthan May 28, 2009, as mandated bylaw; however, the foundation antici-pates it will be available at the end of2008 or early 2009.

August 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7

USPTA Sets World Conference Schedule

Top speakers, educational seminars and courses, a tennis buying show, andmore are on the schedule for the USPTA’s World Conference on Tennis, tobe held Sept. 15-20 at the La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, Calif. The

conference is expected to draw more than 1,500 tennis-teaching pros, industryleaders and representatives, media and manufacturer representatives.

Presenters this year will include Tracy Austin, Dr. Martin Baroch, Nick Bollettieri, WayneBryan, Jack Groppel, Tom Gullikson, Brett Hobden, Jim Loehr, Rick Macci, Anne Smith andJohn Yandell, discussing a variety of topics related to the tennis industry. Close to 40 semi-nars and four-hour specialty courses will be offered during the conference.

Exhibitors at the Buying Show, which will be Sept. 18, will include tennis equipment,apparel and footwear companies, marketers and wholesalers of hard and soft goods, video-analysis and software, teaching aids, court surfacing and lighting, awards, backboards, edu-cational materials, nutrition bars and vitamins and more. Booth space is still available (visitwww.uspta.com or call John Dettor at 713-978-7782).

USPTA members and nonmembers are welcome at the World Conference. Visit the web-site for more information.

Boris Becker/Volkl Add New Frames

A U G U S T 2 0 0 8IN

DUSTRYNEWS


Federer ‘Super Six’ Bag Released

Wilson has released a limited-edition RogerFederer Super Six racquet bag, which theWorld No. 1 will carry through this year’s US

Open. The bag providesThermoguard andMoistureguardcompart-mentstopro-tect rac-quets. Thisyear’s bag includesseveral embroidered compo-nents including Federer’s signature as well as theWilson script logo. For more information, visitwww.wilson.com.

US Open Theme ArtThe 2008 US Open theme art showcases the“It’s Showtime” tagline, with a Broadway-stylemarquee and the US Open’s flaming ball logo.The design also integrates the 40th anniversaryof the Open Era in tennis, which will be cele-brated at the 2008 Open. The Open will beAug. 25 through Sept. 7 at the USTA Billie JeanKing National Tennis Center. Arthur Ashe Kids’Day presented by Hess—a full-day tennis andmusic festival for children and families—will beSaturday, Aug. 23. Tickets for the 2008 USOpen can be purchased via USOpen.org or bycalling 1-866-OPEN-TIX.

Prince Extends O3 Speedport Black Line

Prince has introduced two new versions of its popular O3 SpeedportBlack frame, the O3 Speedport Black Team and Black Longbody. TheBlack Team version is a slightly lighter, more maneuverable frame

than its original counterpart, designed to be a perfect transitional racquetfor a player—perhaps a younger competitive junior player, says Prince—

who likes the feel of the O3 Speedport Black, butwould benefit from a slightly lighter frame. Inaddition, for players who want a smaller gripsize, the O3 Speedport Black Team is avail-able in a grip size zero (0).

The O3 Speedport Black Longbody isdesigned for more advanced players who

want a longer frame to generate faster racquet-head speed, as well as extended reach and court

coverage.With the O3 Speedport Black family, players can further

customize their racquet in both feel and cosmetic. All threeversions will continue to give players the chance to selecteither the String Hole or String Port Inserts, providing twooptions in terms of hitting feel off the string bed. And players canchoose which color they want their inserts to come in, givingthem the ability to design their O3 Speedport Black cosmetic inmore than 2,400 color combinations.Visit www.princetennis.com for more info, and to use the online

customization tool to test out cosmetic combinations.

Pat Mac, Tracy Austin Earn USPTA Certification

Patrick McEnroe and Tracy Austin, former players on the ATP andWTA professional toursrespectively, have become

certified Professional 1 membersof the USPTA. They were certifiedin May by the head tester of theCalifornia Division, Lee DeYoung.

McEnroe, who played on theATP tour from 1988 to 1998, iscurrently based in New York,where he recently was namedgeneral manager of USTA Elite Player Development. He also recentlycoached the U.S. Davis Cup team to its first title in 12 years.

Austin, who played on the WTA tour from 1978 to 1994, is current-ly based in California. She was the youngest player to win the US Openat the age of 16 and was the youngest inductee into the InternationalTennis Hall of Fame at the age of 29. Now she works frequently as atennis commentator for NBC and USA Network.

“We’re extremely proud to have Patrick and Tracy join the ranks ofmany of the famous players as members of USPTA,” says USPTA CEOTim Heckler. “We’re honored to now call them professional tenniscoaches.”

The USPTA certification process provides assurance that the tennis-teaching professional’s knowledge and abilities have been tested thor-oughly. There are three rating classifications for each newly certifiedUSPTA member, which are Professional 3, Professional 2 and Profes-sional 1. Professional 1 represents the highest tested level in USPTA cer-tification.

From left, Robin White, Tracy Austin,Patrick McEnroe, Kim Po Messerli andLee DeYoung.


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

TIA Names P.R. Coordinator

Amanda Becker hasjoined the TIA staff asPublic Relations and

Communications Coordina-tor. In this newly createdposition, Becker will overseethe organization’s publicrelations and communica-tions campaign, distributinginformation to TIA member organizationsand media outlets worldwide. She also willhelp in planning and managing TIA events,forums, and trade shows.

“Amanda will be a valuable asset to theTIA team,” says TIA Executive Director Jolynde Boer. “She is an avid tennis player and hasa great love of the game, and she is commit-ted to helping us grow our organization andthe sport of tennis. In her new role, she’ll bea key player in spreading the news about thegreat programs and initiatives in thisindustry.”

Becker is a recent Media Studies graduatefrom the College of Charleston, where shecaptained the women’s tennis team.

Middle States to Induct Jane Brown Grimes

USTA Chairman of the Board and President JaneBrown Grimes of Chadds Ford, Pa., headlines the2008 class of inductees into the USTA Middle

States Hall of Fame on Oct. 24. In 1981, Brown Grimesbecame the executive director of the International Ten-nis Hall of Fame and served as tournament director forboth ATP and WTA Tour events. In 1986, she was namedthe managing director of the Women’s Tennis Counciland presided over an unprecedented period of growth inwomen’s professional tennis.

Joining her in the Middle States Hall of Fame are Edward D. McQuillin, RoseWeinstein, George K. Wills, Ann Paley Hoffmann (posthumously) and WallaceF. Johnson (posthumously).

Wilson Names Apparel Director

Wilson has named Claire Ortiz as its new global business director for appar-el in racquet sports. Ortiz previously spent six years with Nike, serving invarious leadership positions including creative director for Brand Jordan

apparel and accessories.Prior to Nike, she worked at Eddie Bauer in the youth sport and fashion

areas and helped lead their overall line development process and sourcingaspects. Most recently she was at Under Armour as creative director for theirapparel efforts in multiple sports categories.

Ortiz is an avid tennis player. Her daughter is currently an ITF-ranked juniorplayer and a Wilson nationally sponsored junior in the US.

Ektelon Launches O Series R-Ball Footwear

Ektelon has launched its new O Series performance racquetball footwear,after months of design and on-court playtesting. The new shoes featureO-Port ventilation in the upper for breathability.O Series also builds on the original M Series line by delivering improved

Precision Tube technology, which rounds the tubes for max-imum energy return and greater shock absorption, says

Ektelon. Coming in a mid profile, the OC-1 per-formance shoe is built to provide players with

support and features a gum rubber outsolein an aggressive herringbone tread pat-

tern for traction, quicker accelera-tion and improved lateral

stability.The OC-1 is avail-

able in black/red/sil-ver and white/black/silver. Suggestedretail is $110. Forinformation, visitwww.ektelon.com.

A U G U S T 2 0 0 8


INDUSTRYNEWS

Wise Announces ElectronicAdapter For Drop-WeightStringing Machines

Frustrated by your drop-weight string-ing machine and the balancing proce-dure required to get an accurate string

tension? With a simple angle bracket fromWise USA, you can take advantage of elec-tronic stringing.

Wise says it’s easy to install the 2086Professional Tension Head on most drop-weight machines by bolting the bracket tothe base of the machine, then installingthe 2086 onto the bracket.

The 2086 Professional features con-stant-pull on/off, digital readout in poundsor kilos, pre-stretch, speed control and twomemory banks and other features onlyfound on the newest high-priced electron-ic stringers. And the 2086 still fits easilyon any crank (manual) machine.

For more information and a drawing ofhow it might work on your machine, [email protected] with the words“Drop Weight” in the subject.

Congratulations To theFollowing For AchievingMRT Status

New Master RacquetTechnicians - MRTsJohn Gillespie Oakville, Ontario

Rob Horwood Toronto, Ontario

Fisk Nery Toronto, Ontario

Robert Thomas Toronto, Ontario

Jason Lore Toronto, Ontario

Kirby Mendes Toronto, Ontario

Jan Pastoriza Toronto, Ontario

Jay Vandermoer Toronto, Ontario



UCLA ChampionsVisit D.C.Members of the UCLAwomen’s tennis team, theNCAA Division 1 team cham-pions, visited the WhiteHouse in June, where theypresented President GeorgeBush with a racquet and casethat they each had signed. InMay, the UCLA women wontheir first national title.

Malinowski Joins Prince

David Malinowski has joined PrinceSports as its new global productmanager for strings, grips and

machines. A racquet technician withmore than 20 years of experience instringing and racquet customization,Malinowski comes to Prince fromWilsonSporting Goods, where he held variousracquet sports roles for the past 11 years,most recently managing sales for thecompany’s mid-Atlantic region.

In his new position, he will beresponsible for developing and manag-ing the implementation of Prince’sglobal strategic plan for strings, grips,machines and accessories. With exten-sive experience on the sales side, hisunderstanding of product development,and his time spent in retail and aUSPTA-certified teaching pro, Malinows-ki brings a wealth of intimate knowl-edge and insights to these categories,says Prince.

“Having someone with Dave’s expe-rience and expertise focused solely onmanaging these products, we have theopportunity to take these categories tothe next level immediately,” saysHoward Lay, Prince’s vice president ofproduct management for tennis hard-goods. “Players should be very excitedabout what they are going to see fromPrince.”

PTR SchedulesDevelopment Weekend

The PTR will hold its annual Profes-sional Development Weekend Oct.16-19 at PTR Headquarters, located

at the Van der Meer Shipyard RacquetClub on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Presentations includeAdvanced Stroke Produc-tion; Growing Kids, Grow-ing the Game—PTR Kids

Tennis; Mental Coaching—The Confi-dence Factor; Team Coaching; Teachingand Marketing Cardio Tennis; Fast TrackYour Tennis Business with Technology;and more. The event is open to PTR mem-bers and non-members.

For more information or to register,visit Upcoming Events at www.ptrtennis.org.

• Ben Porter is the newassistant director of the Professional

Tennis Management program at MethodistUniversity in Fayetteville, N.C. Porter, originally

from England, graduated from the PTM program in2004. He will complete his Masters in Sports Business

Management at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y.,this summer and will start at Methodist in the fall. He is thedirector of junior tennis and head pro at the Beach Club atWee Burn Country Club in Darien, Conn., in the summersand has also been the head women’s coach and assistantmen’s coach at Manhattanville College.

• Sports and digital veteran Dominic Schmitt is the new gen-eral manager of Tennis.com. His responsibilities include theoperational management, content syndication, productdevelopment and growth of Tennis.com, the official site ofTennis Magazine. The site provides users with breaking news,live scores, instruction resources, gear reviews, travel, and aninteractive online community.

• Sunset Hills Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif., hasthree new tennis pros. Quinn Borchard will be the new headteaching pro, and Scott Christie and Mila Horak will take onjunior and adult classes, as well as the QuickStart Tennisprogram.

• Georgia Tech's Amanda McDowell and Virginia's SomdevDevvarman have been named the 2008 Intercollegiate TennisAssociation's National Players of the Year. Southern Califor-nia's Kaes Van't Hof and Robert Farah andUCLA's Riza Zalameda and Tracy Lin are theITA National Doubles Teams of the Year.

• Head player Ivo Karlovic (right) of Croatiasuccessfully defended his title at theSlazenger Open in Nottingham recently.Karlovic plays with the Flexpoint Instinct.

• World No. 3 and 2008 Australian Open champion NovakDjokovic is now represented by CAA Sports, a division ofentertainment and sports agency CAA.

• Todd Martin of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., (formerly of EastLansing, Mich.), Barbara Mueller of Oconomowoc, Wis., andAlan Schwartz of Chicago will be inducted into the 2008USTA Midwest Section Hall of Fame on Dec. 6 in Chicago.

• Nick Bollettieri’s “Bollettieri Video Collection” is nowavailable on DVD, offering techniques and coaching

methods, and covering topics from skill develop-ment to stroke technique. The 10-disk collec-

tion is available fromwww.HumanKinetics.com.

P

E O P L E W ATCH


A U G U S T 2 0 0 8IN

DUSTRYNEWS

Coaching Youth Tennis Book ReissuedThe fourth edition of “Coaching Youth Tennis” is now avail-able. The book, written by the American Sport Education Pro-gram in conjunction with Kirk Anderson, director ofrecreational coaches and programs at the USTA, offers infor-mation every coach needs on coaching philosophy, communi-cation, and safety. It also provides step-by-step instructionsfor executing and teaching the basic technical skills and thetactical aspects of singles and doubles tennis. To assist with

team-management skills, thebook includes practical contenton coaching matches and devel-oping season and practice plansthat promotes tennis as a teamsport. It is also the official hand-book of USTA Jr. Team Tennis. Formore information, contact 800-747-5698, [email protected], or visitwww.ASEP.com.

A Doubles Pairing Beyond the Court

Court 11 of the John Drew Smith Tennis Center in Macon,Ga., served as the venue for a doubles pairing when avidrecreational players Tara Wasson and Rich Taylor of the near-by town of Warner Robins tied the knot on June 21. The cere-mony was performed by Warner Robins Tennis Director KerryBacon, who taught Wasson to play tennis. The couple hadbeen legally married on June 5, but they wanted a “tenniswedding” for all their tennis friends, so they rented the JDSfacility for the evening wedding, providing a buffet dinnerwith Gatorade drinks. The bride wore an Adidas outfit shepurchased from the pro shop at the JDS Tennis Center; thegroom wore Nike. The bridesmaids all wore skirts designedfor the event by Marion Wharton, owner of Sassy Gal TennisSkirts (email [email protected]) of Macon. The 50 guests,who viewed the ceremony from the stadium seats, alsoreceived Wilson tennis balls and participated in tennis match-es afterward. (Photo by Robin Bateman)


A U G U S T 2 0 0 8IN

DUSTRYNEWS USTA Names Olympic

Tennis Team Members

The USTA has named nine players to the U.S.Olympic team for tennis at the 2008 OlympicGames, Aug. 10-17 in Beijing, China.U.S. women’s tennis coach Zina Garrison

announced a four-woman team with three singlesentries and two doubles teams. All three singlesplayers—Serena Williams, Venus Williams andLindsay Davenport—are former Olympic goldmedal winners. The two doubles teams consist ofworld No. 1 Liezel Huber with Davenport and theWilliams sisters.

U.S. men’s tennis coach Rodney Harmonannounced a five-player men’s team, also withthree singles entries and two doubles teams.James Blake, Sam Querrey and Robby Ginepriwere named to the team in singles. Bob and MikeBryan, the No. 1 doubles team in the world, andBlake and Querrey have been nominated as thetwo U.S. men’s doubles teams.

The 2008 Olympic tennis competition will beon the hard courts of the Olympic Green TennisCenter in Beijing. The U.S. has won 15 Olympicmedals in men’s and women’s tennis since itreturned as a full medal sport in 1988—morethan any other nation.

2008 GSS SymposiumExperience Stringing at a Grand Slam

Attendees at the Grand Slam Stringers Symposium in Orlando, Fla., will havea unique opportunity to see and experience the pressure, satisfaction andpace of working for the top professional players in the world in a Grand

Slam tournament environment. Wilson, the official stringing service at the USOpen, will set up a simulated tournament stringing room at the Symposium.

Ron Rocchi, Global Tour Equipment Manager for Wilson, heads up the stringoperation at the Open and will operate the simulation room. “We want to makethe experience as real as possible,” he says. “We are shipping our computer-ized tracking system, machines, and everything straight from the US Open. Wewant to give shop stringers a chance to see what it is like stringing in a majortournament environment.

“For those who sign up to participate, it will be a pressure-packed three orfour hours of stringing,” he adds. “We’ll be using thesame procedures and patterns that we use at theOpen. Pace, of course, is important, but quality can-not be sacrificed.” Rocchi says he’s always on thelookout for qualified technicians. “We’ll be looking atparticipants as potential team members.” There area limited number of spaces available for the WilsonTour Simulation Stringing Room.

The GSS Symposium, presented by the USRSA,will be Oct. 11-14 at the Regal Sun Resort in Walt Dis-

ney World. Cost is $495 per person; group lodging rates start at $115 per night.For more information on other seminars and presentations, seminar leaders,and the trade show, or to register, visit www.grandslamstringers.com.

2008 GSS Symposium

Trade Show at GSS SymposiumThe trade show at the GSS Sympo-sium will be Oct. 13, from noon to 6p.m., and will feature these vendors:Alpha, Babolat, Gamma, Head, Lux-ilon, Prince, Pro Supex, UniqueSports, Wilson, Wise 2086 Profession-al Tennis Head, Yonex.



Ektelon Team Holds Top Spots

Ektelon now has the world’s top-ranked maleand female racquetball players, Rocky Car-son and Rhonda Rajsich. And r-ball legend

Ruben Gonzalez, also an Ektelon player, recent-ly wrapped up one of his most successful yearson the tour with two Grand Slam titles.

“This has been a remarkable year and marksa very exciting time for Ektelon,” says Scott Winters, vice president of indoor sports atEktelon. “We are proud of all of our players, but it’s only appropriate to recognize andcelebrate having both the No. 1 players in the world on the men’s and women’s pro tourand one of the greatest players of all time in Ruben continuing to succeed at the high-est levels.”

Carson and Rajsich both play with the O3 White. Gonzalez plays with the O3 RG.For more information, contact 800-283-2635 or visit www.ektelon.com.

TennisPuzzles.com is New Online Game Site

Anew online game site provides tennis-themed crossword, wordoku and wordsearch puzzles for tennis fans. TennisPuzzles.com debuted during the FrenchOpen. "Tennis is a lifestyle, and fans and players just can't seem to get enough of

this growing sport,” says TennisPuzzles.com Editor-in-Chief Liza Horan. “Our free puz-zles will allow them to enjoy tennis off the court, and pick up a bit of history, too.”

Puzzles on the site during the French and Wimbledon were authored by MattGaffney exclusively for TennisPuzzles.com and the TennisWire Network. Gaffney'swork has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Jour-nal, and The Onion, among others.

Peter Fleming to Open Florida Tennis Resort

Heritage Key, a new resort near Orlando, Fla., will have 20 hard and clay courts,a state-of-the-art Racquet Club & Spa, and tennis and lifestyle programmingdesigned by tennis champion Peter Fleming.

Heritage Key will be the home of Peter Fleming's Power Tennis, which will pro-vide both competitive and recreational play along with peak performance, healthand fitness resources. Fleming (who partnered John McEnroe to four Wimbledonand three US Open titles) says he will combine his tennis expertise with his years ofstudy in the fields of movement, health/nutrition and peak performance to helpplayers of all ages and abilities. "Heritage Key will have all the resources to makeyour stay first-class and your tennis experience unforgettable," says Fleming.

The tennis complex and spa is slated to open by summer 2009. The completedresort, which is minutes from Orlando International Airport and Disney World, willoffer more than 600 villas. Heritage Key is offering a three-night complimentarystay, based on availability. Contact [email protected], call 888-850-2494 or visit www.heritagekey .com.

USTA Tennis Teachers Conference Aug. 23-26

It’s not too late to make plans to attend the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference, whichwill take place Aug. 23-26 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City and at the USTA Bil-lie Jean King National Tennis Center. More than 600 teaching pros and coaches are

expected to attend the event. This year’s closing speaker will be Randy Snow, a Paralympic gold medalist, author

and entrepreneur. In addition to seminars and presentations at the TTC there will bea special session on Monday, Aug. 25—the TIA Tennis forum, presented by TennisMagazine. Registration includes an audio recording of all TTC sessions. For more infor-mation or to register, visit www.usta.com/ttc or call 914-696-7004. (Early bird regis-tration ends Aug. 4.)

A U G U S T 2 0 0 8IN

DUSTRYNEWS


> Billie Jean King’s “GreenSlam” initiative

was featured recently in a profile on Eco-Biz,

which aired on The Sundance Channel.

GreenSlam is an initiative to harness the

power of sports to create positive environ-

mental impact. The segment highlighted

King and Linda Glassel, vice president of

marketing and brand image at Prince Sports,

which is a founding sponsor of GreenSlam.

Visit www.greenslam.net for more informa-

tion and www.sundance.com/thegreen to

view the program.

> Wilson Racquet Sports is now on Face-

book. The venture started in June, asking

fans to post their tribute video of Justine

Henin on the Wilson Tennis page. “The goal

of our page is to keep Facebook users more

informed on our latest products, tour players,

and have some fun in the process,” says

Tracy Almeda-Singian, Wilson’s grassroots

manager. Type Wilson Tennis to search for

Wilson Racquet Sports on Facebook.

> The Prince Grand Slam Dream Trip Sweep-

stakes gives tennis fans who demo a new O3

racquet the chance to win a trip for two to

the 2009 Australian Open, French Open,

Wimbledon or US Open, or other prizes. Fans

can log on to www.princetennis.com and

locate a Demo Event in their area, or check

with their local retailer or teaching pro. At

the demo, they’ll get the chance to hit with

the latest Prince frames and receive a free

decoder card that they can redeem at

princetennis.com to see if they are a winner.

> JamesBlakeTennis.com, the website of pro

player James Blake, recently was relaunched

and includes added content and improved

ways for fans to interact with the tennis star.

In addition to the latest news and pictures,

the website focuses on Blake’s charitable

endeavors: a new cancer research fund in his

father’s memory and the J-Block, the name

given to his fanbase, which has raised over

$100,000 since its inception in 2005.

> First day sales for individual session tickets

for the 2008 US Open set an all-time record

in early June, with more than 41,000 tickets

sold, surpassing the entire 2007 first week

sales. Last year’s first day sales, a record at

the time, was 29,155.

> The USPTA received an award of dis-

tinction in the 2008 Communicator

Awards competition. The winning entry

was a feature article published in the

August 2007 issue of ADDvantage maga-

zine titled “Shelton enjoys ‘the process’

that led to picture-perfect win,” written

by USPTA staff writer Jill Phipps. It

recounts how Bryan Shelton, USPTA Pro-

fessional and coach of the Georgia Tech

women’s tennis team, helped transform

his struggling squad into NCAA

champions.

> The USTA and Olympus announced

that a specially-designed bus will criss-

cross the country to kick-off the 2008

Olympus US Open Series, dubbed the

“Greatest Road Trip in Sports.” The

nation-wide tour began in New York in

June to coincide with the start of US Open

ticket on-sale to the general public, then

crosses the country to California and cul-

minates with a return to New York for the

US Open, the last stop on the Olympus US

Open Series.

> A “Tennis—for the health of it!”

poster, listing 34 reasons to play tennis, is

available for anyone to download from

the USPTA website, www.uspta .com. The

poster can be printed out on 8.5- by 14-

inch paper from your home or office

printer. For larger posters, copy the PDF to

a disk and take it to a local printer, such as

Kinko’s. Also available for download are a

booklet and brochure.

> Tenacity in Boston has been chosen to

be the featured 2008 tennis-based youth

development program on Arthur Ashe

Kids Day on Aug. 23, at the USTA Billie

Jean King Tennis Center. CBS filmed a 2-

to 3-minute video of Tenacity that will be

shown in Arthur Ashe Stadium, then will

air nationally on CBS on Aug. 24. And

Tenacity recently relaunched its website at

www.tenacity.org.

> Julian Krinsky Camps & Programs of

King of Prussia, Pa., has launched an

interactive initiative: JKCP Goes Green. In

an effort to inspire students to become

more ecologically mindful, JKCP will incor-

SHORT SETSporate fun and simple green techniques

both at their summer programs and in

their offices. A new website, jkcpgoes-

green.com, showcases the steps the com-

pany is taking to reduce its carbon

footprint.

> USTA Florida’s 59th Annual Meeting

and Volunteer Appreciation Weekend in

Clearwater, Fla., Dec. 5-7 will feature an

Inaugural Pro-Am Tennis Event presented

by the Climb for Cancer Foundation and

USTA Florida Section Foundation.

Fundraising will benefit cancer research,

patient support and quality tennis oppor-

tunities for all Floridians. MaliVai Washing-

ton and Tom Gullikson are scheduled to

play in the event. For more information,

contact Linda Curtis at 386-671-8934 or

[email protected].

> Cricket has lost its status as Australia's

most popular sport to tennis, according to

a recent survey by research consultants

Sweeney Sports. It found 57 percent of

Australians either attended tennis events,

watched the sport on television or read

about it in newspapers over the past year,

placing it at the top of the popularity

ranking for the first time in 17 years.

Swimming was the next most popular

sport at 55 percent, while cricket lan-

guished in third place at 53 percent, after

interest dropped 6 percentage points over

the past year.

>Prince has launched a Facebook page

that gives tennis fans a chance to engage

in conversation about current Prince prod-

ucts, make suggestions for future prod-

ucts, post images and video and share

thoughts regarding all aspects of the

game with other fans. Players and fans

should search for "Prince Products" on

Facebook.

>The 784-page “Bud Collins History of

Tennis” book has just been released by

New Chapter Press. The book contains an

authoritative compilation of the records

and histories of tennis written by famed

tennis journalist Bud Collins. More infor-

mation on the book, which sells for

$35.95. can be found at www.newchap-

terpressmedia.com.



Hall of Fame Pros Teach Juniors in Jamaica

International Tennis Hall of Fame Vice President and Director of Tennis Bill Rompfand his wife Mary, the Hall’s head tennis pro, spent a week in Ocho Rios, Jamaica,working with junior tennis players from the region. Arriving with duffel bags filled

with new and used racquets, T-shirts, shoes, tennis balls and other gifts, the Rompfsgave professional instruction and conducted practice drills and techniques to morethan 20 Jamaican juniors.

The Ocho Rios Tennis Program is a special project developed 15 years ago byPierre Battaglia, a tennis enthusiast and general manager of the Couples San SouciResort in Ocho Rios. Battaglia has provided coaching, equipment, and monetary sup-port for the juniors in the program, and his efforts have resulted in college tennisscholarships for several talented players.

Joining the Rompfs for the junior tennis camp was former World No. 1 doublesplayer and Olympic gold medalist Ken Flach. In past years, tennis aficionados includ-ing Zina Garrison, Stan Smith, Tony Trabert, Jim Loehr, Dick Gould, Raz and KerryReid, Roscoe Tanner and Dick Stockton have worked with the juniors in Jamaica.

12 Named to USTA Summer College Team

Twelve of the nation's topmen's and women's collegiatetennis players have been

named to the 2008 USTA SummerCollegiate Team, administered bythe USTA and the IntercollegiateTennis Association. The USTA Sum-mer Collegiate Team is an elitetraining program for the top Amer-ican college players that began in1996 and is funded by the USTA. Itis designed to provide college play-ers with exposure to the USTA ProCircuit in a team-oriented environ-ment during the summer months.

Selected to this year’s teamare:� Men: Jean-Yves Aubone, Florida State; AlexClayton, Stanford; Travis Helgeson, Georgia;Justin Kronauge, Ohio State; Greg Ouellette,Florida; Nate Schnugg, Georgia.� Women: Hilary Barte, Stanford; AmandaFink, Southern California; Sanaz Marand,North Carolina; Amanda McDowell, GeorgiaTech; Kristi Miller, Georgia Tech; RizaZalameda, UCLA.

Kyle Spencer, assistant directorof men’s tennis at Baylor Univer-sity, and Rance Brown, assistanthead coach of women’s tennis atUCLA, will be coaching the men'sand women's teams, respectively.

Jeffett Honored by Hall of Fame

Nancy Jeffett, the president of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation,received the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Golden Achievement Award inJuly at a ceremony at Wimbledon. USTA President Jane Brown Grimes, along

with boardmembersDavid Dinkinsand Joe Grover,and past cham-pion VirginiaWade, were onhand to honorJeffett, shownwith her daugh-ter, Sissy JeffettSmith. (Photoby Mark Win-ters)


T I A N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8

Our favoritetime of theyear! The USOpen in ourbackyard …plus all thesurrounding

action including the TTC,TIA Tennis Forum and cel-ebration of the industry’snew Hall of Fame.

With several key initia-tives under way, we arepleased to report that thenumber of facilities partic-ipating continues togrow—TWCs are at2,345; Cardio Tennis sites,1,669; and QuickStart Ten-nis sites, 820—as doesthe traffic for both Con-sumers and Providersthrough the websiteGrowingTennis.com.

And while the economy ischallenging, there aremany new tools and serv-ices to help save youmoney. Online enrollment,TennisInsure, TennisCon-nect, just to name a few,have already helped hun-dreds of businesses withtheir bottom line.

As always, thanks for yoursupport and involvement!

NEWS & UPDATESNEWS & UPDATES

Jolyn de Boer

Second Annual Forum To Be in NYC on Aug. 25

The TIA and USTA will share the news in tennis at the second annual TIA TennisForum, presented by Tennis Magazine, on Monday, Aug. 25, at the Grand Hyatt in NewYork City, in conjunction with the 38th Annual USTA

Tennis Teachers Conference.The hour-long Forum, which is free to attendees, will cel-

ebrate the sport and serve as a rallying point for the indus-try. Topics will include the latest research in tennis, anoverview of key USTA and industry initiatives, and othernews in the sport. In addition, we’ll announce the inaugu-ral class of inductees for the new Tennis Industry Hall ofFame.“Last year’s Forum was an important opportunity to

come together and present the facts and our unified mis-sion of tennis growth,” says TIA President Dave Haggerty.“This year, we look forward to sharing the news about tennis participation, equipment sales, leagueplay and much more, including key research that can help your business. Also, we’re pleased toannounce our first Tennis Industry Hall of Fame class, honoring those who have made a significant

impact on the sport.” (See below.)Some of the research will include how tennis is

weathering the overall economic climate. “Weknow there are many challenges for retailers andmanufacturers,” says TIA Executive Director Jolynde Boer. “But our research shows that people arestill going out to play tennis, which is certainly abright spot in this industry.”The Forum will start at 9 a.m. in Manhattan Ball-

room at the Grand Hyatt (immediately followingthe 8:30 a.m. USTA awards presentation). Admis-sion is free and includes breakfast for all registeredattendees, along with an information packet. Therewill be a question-and-answer session. Attendeesalso will be able tosubmit questions forany speaker that willthen be answeredonline in an openforum.

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

News You Can Use!

To find outabout gettinga copy of TheTennis Mar-ketplace,visit Ten-nisIndus-try.org orcall toll-free 866-

686-3036.

Some of the speakers at the event include:� USTA President Jane Brown Grimes� TIA President Dave Haggerty� USTA Community Tennis Chief Executive

Kurt Kamperman� Tennis Magazine Group Publisher Jeff Williams

“Last yearʼs TIA Tennis Forum was veryinformative for me. I learned a lot of insideinformation about the state of tennis,especially how we can bring more peopleinto the game and keep them playing on aregular basis."

—Jorge Andrew, Tennis Director, Lexington County (S.C.) Tennis Complex

“I thought the 2007 Forum was extremelyproductive. Attendees had an opportunityto see how everyone in TENNIS is work-ing together to grow the game!”

—Delaine Mast, National Director, WTT Recreational Leagues

“It was great to hear about all the industrystatistics and the game plan for going for-ward. I am better able to try to developmy clubʼs programs and plans in line withthose initiatives and goals.”

—Bruce Levine, General Manager, Courtside R.C., Lebanon, N.J.

New Tennis Industry Hall of Fame to DebutThe Tennis Industry Hall of Fame, honoring individuals who have made a significant impact on tennis, willinduct its inaugural class at the TIA Tennis Forum held during the USTA TTC in New York City on Aug. 25.HoF candidates, considered from the 1960s to the present, do not have to be TIA members or representa-tives from member companies. Categories include Inventors, Founders, Innovators and Contributors who arewell-recognized within their field for their accomplishments.

The Tennis Industry Hall of Fame will annually honor those who have played a key role in this industry. Formore information, visit www.TennisIndustry.org/HoF or call the TIA at 866-686-3036.

TIA Tennis Forum

TIA Tennis Forum at the TTCAug. 25, 9-10 a.m., Grand Hyatt,Manhattan Ballroom For more information or to register,go to tennisindustry.org/forum.

T I A N E W S

Chicago Cardio Tennis Group Sheds 45 Pounds In 90 Minutes

Chicago’s Midtown Tennis Club was the scene of a Cardio Ten-nis extravaganza in May for 176 beginning players. On aver-age, each participant burned about 900 calories in

90 minutes—for thegroup, that was theequivalent of sheddingabout 45 pounds.The fun but intense

Cardio Tennis workouttook place on 18 ofMidtown’s courts. “Allof the courts were inunison, doing the exactsame drills at the sametime,” says Butch Staples, head tennis professional at Midtown. “It looked very syn-chronized and orchestrated and that added to the impact. It made people feel likethey were part of a big happening.”Midtown was one of the first facilities in the U.S. to offer Cardio Tennis when

the program was created by the TIA in 2004. “When we started the program, weoffered a month of free Cardio Tennis toget people hooked. We held classes ninetimes a week,” Staples says. “Now wecharge $16 a class and offer 20 classesa week. About 200 people participate inCardio Tennis every week.”

Healthier, Happier and HookedJune Woodward has been a Cardio Tennisregular at Chicagoʼs Midtown RacquetClub since the program started four yearsago. In that time, the 63-year-old Aus-tralian native has lost 103 pounds! “I started off doing Car-dio Tennis when I wasoverweight and itinspired me to want toget quicker on the court,”she says. “I like the pro-gram because you cando the tennis that youlike but itʼs also a reallyfun workout. I am now much faster and Ifeel much better doing it.”Woodward is just one of many Cardio par-ticipants who has seen a remarkablechange in their fitness. “I was just hooked,”she says. “And I donʼt plan on stoppinganytime soon.”


Attention Facilities, Retailers, Court Contractors…

Please help the tennis industry by answering a few questions from Sports Marketing Surveys about your business. Allanswers will be confidential and used only as part of larger data collection. Also, you’ll automatically be entered towin a $200 gift certificate from Amazon.com. Visit www.TennisIndustry.org/surveys.

TWC of the Month: Family Circle Tennis Center

Where can you find a $15 million award-winning public tennis facility with17 lighted courts, a 10,200-seat stadium, year-round tennis programsand tournaments for all ages, and the oldest Tier I women’s pro event

in the U.S.? At The Family Circle Ten-nis Center.The FCTC, 10 miles from down-

town Charleston, S.C., was namedone of the Top 50 Tennis WelcomeCenters for 2007. When the TWCprogram began in 2004, the centerwas one of the first to sign on. “Weare constantly changing, adding ordeleting programs,” says RobEppelsheimer, FCTC director. “Whenwe became a TWC, our junior pro-gramming changed toward moregrassroots offerings, and we saw adramatic increase in all junior pro-gramming.”

Growing Tennis News

Some of the speakers at the event include:� USTA President Jane Brown Grimes� TIA President Dave Haggerty� USTA Community Tennis Chief Executive

Kurt Kamperman� Tennis Magazine Group Publisher Jeff Williams

If you would like to be highlighted as a Ten-nis Welcome Center of the Month, [email protected] and tell ushow your club is leading the charge in thegrowth of the sport.


Upcoming Schedule• June 27: USPTA Cardio Tennis Specialty

Course, Lafayette, La. (email [email protected] for more information)

• Aug. 25: TIA Tennis Forum, Grand Hyatt,NYC (register at tennisindustry.org/forum)

• Aug. 26: Tennis Welcome Center Business& Technology Workshop, New York, N.Y.

• September TBA: Tennis Welcome CenterBusiness & Technology Workshop, LosAngeles

• Oct. 3-4: Cardio Tennis Workshop, Boston(register at growingtennis.com)

• Oct. 18: Tennis Welcome Center Business& Technology Workshop, Hilton HeadIsland, S.C.

• Oct. 25: USPTA Cardio Tennis SpecialtyCourse, Phoenix (email [email protected] for more information)

Canʼt get to a workshop listed here? Let uscome to you. Visit partners.cardiotennis.com,click on “training” and “special requests.”


Do you or someone you know have what ittakes to be the Cardio Tennis Player orFacility of the Month? E-mail your story [email protected]. If featured,youʼll win a special CT package.


Tag the breakers so that any employee knowswhat breaker affects what area of the club.You must be specific; there is no room forerror. They sell systems that can help youtrace the outlets and switches to the properbreakers.

Now chart your plumbing. There are prob-ably many valves that operate within yourwater system. If a shower breaks, do you havea valve that would allow you to turn off thatshower, or the shower area? If a main pipewere to break, would your staff know how toturn off the water to the entire facility? Howabout the fire sprinkler system? Do they knowwhere the alarms are, and the valves thatneed to be turned off once the fire is put out?

Plumbing also includes what is going outof your club. If a toilet overflows, does every-body know how to turn it off? If you get asewage backup, will the staff know who tocall and then be able to direct the emergencyplumbers to the right locations, such as theclean-outs?

ou’re at dinner with friends andenjoying a wonderful evening outwhen suddenly the waiter

approaches you and informs you that youhave an urgent call. It’s from your front-desk manager, who has been trying toreach you because of a broken pipe thatis flooding the facility. Your evening isshot, and so are the next few days tryingto recover from the damage.

Could all of this have been prevent-ed? Maybe the maintenance staff needsto be on-hand 24/7? Maybe they were onhand, but a plumber was needed. Maybethe managers need to know how to fixanything that goes wrong.

Or maybe you need to reevaluate yourmethod of managing. That’s a bitter pillto swallow, but even the best of man-agers can come up short on the subject ofmaintenance. We can have the best per-sonnel and the best contacts in the indus-try, but without a proper emergencyresponse procedure in place, we will fallvictim to the unexpected. The fact is, evenwith a great emergency plan, you will stillhave issues.

MAINTENANCE CENTRALThere is a solution. Start by creating acomplete “maintenance information cen-ter.” If you don’t think you need this, askyourself, “If a maintenance person onstaff were to leave suddenly, how muchinformation would go with him?” If theanswer is, “any at all,” then you need amaintenance information center.

Essentially the maintenance informa-tion center is all-encompassing. All of themanuals, charts and specialty tools are inthis location. Start putting this depart-ment together with copies of all the man-uals. Note that you want to make copies,but keep the originals in the main office.

Every piece of machinery, equipment orappliance has a manual. Usually, these manu-als are locked away and unavailable to yourmaintenance crew. Set up the files in the orderof a combination of alphabetical and usage.As an example, if your freezer goes on thefritz, the manual and any other informationwould be filed under “F” for freezer, but alsounder “R” for restaurant. It is important tomake sure that the manuals are available inall the languages that are used by youremployees.

CHARTING YOUR CLUBThe next most helpful thing in case of anemergency is the implementation of charts.Charting your club can be broken down intothree sections. One chart would cover theelectrical. Large buildings can have many dif-ferent panel boxes housing breakers for differ-ent sections of the building. Knowing whichbreaker covers which switch and which plug isnot only helpful, but also can be a life-saver.

Preparing for ProblemsCreating a “Maintenance Information Center” willhelp you and your staff resolve crises easier.B Y R O D H E C K E L M A N

��

Y

Rod Heckelman is the generalmanager and tennis pro at theMount Tam Racquet Club inMarin County, Calif., where hehas been for the last 31 years.His career in the industry start-ed in 1967 at the famed John

Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch. In 1970, when Gar-diner opened his resort on Camelback Moun-tain in Scottsdale, Ariz., Heckelman, at age 20,became one of the youngest head pros in thecountry. He created the “Facility Manager’sManual” based on his years of experience inthe tennis business.

HEATING AND A/CThe other chart of importance would beone that clearly demonstrates how yourventilation systems function. Where is theA/C hooked up and where does the duct-work run? A large building can have sev-eral units on top of the building that arededicated to various rooms. Map outwhich unit covers which space, alongwith the seasonal servicing these unitsneed.

If you have a number of employeesworking in your maintenance depart-ment, you will need to create a system tocontrol inventory of the tools and equip-ment. Nothing is more frustrating thannot having the right tool for the right job.

If you have a growing club, or a verylarge club, over the years you will find itboth cost- and time-efficient to buy theequipment rather than rent or hire some-one to perform a task. Carpet cleaners,tile cleaners, special steam cleaners, courtcleaners, paint sprayers and many gar-dening tools often can become part of


�

�

your inventory so that you can take care ofmany projects on your own. If you are goingto spend the money to invest in these items,you need to spend the time to make sure theyare always kept in good working conditionand properly stored.

REPAIR RECORDSSpeaking of storing, you need to do the samewith the information that is collected whenitems are repaired. Every time somethingbreaks and is repaired, a record should bekept of how that action was performed. If youtake the time to analyze this data, you wouldnotice that usually the same things breakaround the facility. It could be the handles onthe showers, certain parts on the exerciseequipment, or the sprinklers in the gardens.The more usage you have, the more likely cer-tain things will break.

Besides making sure you have plenty ofreplacement parts, write down the steps takento repair these items so that anyone in themaintenance department can fix them. Thiswill also provide a record that may lead to

some changes in your operation, or at leastchanges in how a certain item functions.

This approach means more paperworkfor a manager, but in the end, it’s eithermore paperwork or more interrupted lateevenings or nights. Mitigate the paper loadby using a computer spreadsheet to trackthis data.

It may seem a daunting task at first toput together all the manual, charts andrepair procedures for your facility, butspending the time now will save you time—and money—later. �


INDUSTRY☺

Embree SeesSolid Team,Edgy BrandDrivingPrince

ennis industry veteran John Embreehas been president of Prince Americassince this spring, and he’s been

putting the wheels into motion as heworks toward his goals for the Princebrand. Embree says he’s been assessingwhat’s working and what’s not working,but that it all comes down to the “Princeteam” of employees as the driving forcedetermining the brand’s success.

To make Prince the market leader, “Allcategories have to be firing at full efficien-cy,” says Embree. “Everything going onnow translates to having a special 2009.Energizing the sales force and adding somecritical people to the team will make a dif-ference. Our sales reps have to becomeexperts at all levels.”

Among his goals are capitalizing on O3technology. Embree says more and moretouring pros are using Prince racquets, andhe wants to build on that theme. “Ourperformance racquets are the fuel that dri-ves the engine and the opportunities tofurther enhance the player side of the busi-ness are tremendous. We’ll be even moreattentive to what the players’ needs are.”

For the past four years, Embree hasbeen a part owner of the specialty apparelbrand Bälle de Mätch. Before that, hespent more than 17 years with WilsonSporting Goods, where he rose to the posi-tion of vice president and general managerof Wilson’s global racquet sports divisionbefore leaving in 2003.

Embree is a proponent of building abrand from the grassroots. With Prince,he’s keen on finding talented kids to use

the brand to form a solid core of players,and he cites the Prince Plugged In pro-gram as one that attracts and developsjunior players who will become part ofthe Prince family. The PPI program con-nects more than 50 high-performancetennis academies into one network,where players and coaches share tips andstrategies while competing in round-robin team competitions.

In coming months, Embree says anew Prince branding campaign willattract younger, more aggressive players.“We’re reinventing Prince as it relates toenergy, grassroots and kids, and we’recoming across more edgy,” he says.

To reach the younger consumer,Embree sees using a wide range of tac-tics. For instance, Prince’s presence onFacebook encourages users to have anopen dialogue about products, programsand ads, and YouTube has all the PrinceTV spots.

Another branding foray for Prince isteaming up with Nintendo to introducePrince racquets for the Wii. “Here, Princehas developed a racquet that encourageskids to get off the couch,” says Embree.“They like playing on screen, maybe itgets them from the video game to sport-ing goods stores. It’s great for the brandand the sport of tennis.

“All these benefits are growing thegame,” he says. “Making tennis moremainstream. It’s all part of Prince’s effortto develop a cooler brand—more cuttingedge—and represents a departure fromtraditional tennis marketing avenues.” �

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

People


SERVICECommunity�

Holabird’s ‘Shoesfor Grades’ Makes aDifference for Students

ne racquet sports equipment store hasthe secret of motivating teenagers toget better grades: athletic shoes.

“There’s probably no piece of clothingthat means more to high school kids thanthose shoes,” says Doug Crusse, marketingdirector of Holabird Sports in Baltimore, Md.“It’s their status symbol.”

Crusse’s pilot program, Shoes For Grades,was implemented in 12 Baltimore highschools this past academic year. The planwas simple: If students could bring up theirGPA by one full point during a designatedgrading period, they could win a free pair ofname-brand athletic shoes valued up to$100. (Straight-A students could qualify bymaintaining their GPA.) Crusse worked withschool-system officials to identify areaswhere the promise of free shoes wouldmake a difference.

In some locations, he says, “If a kidwants new shoes, it’s just a trip to the mall.But there are places where it’s not that easy.This is a way of teaching those kids, here’swhat hard work can get you.”

As a result of the program, 833 studentsreceived free shoes. Holabird Sports part-nered with Sports Boosters of Maryland,which raised funds, and New Balance provid-ed discounted shoes. Among participatinginstitutions, Dr. Samuel L. Banks High School

had the most students win shoes—151 stu-dents out of 648, or 23.3 percent of thestudent population.

Other Baltimore organizations showedsupport. Under Armour supplied each stu-dent at Banks with clothing as a reward.The Baltimore Orioles threw in a night at theball game for the school’s entire population,“everyone from the students to the facultyto the cafeteria people,” says Crusse.

Dr. Catherine Gomes, dean of studentsupport services at Banks, says the programraised the bar for students. “The best partwas that it motivated not only the straight-Atypes, but the average students. They couldall work for this.”

City school officials have embraced theidea as well, according to Deb Silcox, direc-tor of partnerships for Baltimore City PublicSchools. “It is important that we movebeyond the norm and think creatively indetermining ways to motivate students,” Sil-cox says. “Shoes for Grades accomplishesthat goal—innovative thinking with positiveresults.”

Crusse hopes to offer the program nextyear. “I think the fact that 833 studentsraised their grades is incredible,” he says.“For these kids to do the right thing, withthe pressures they’re under these days,that’s wonderful.” �

O

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

From left:Gomes, PrincipalAnthony Harold,and studentsCheikhounaNounez andKatelyn Zissimos.

B Y F E R N A N D O M . V E L A S C O

F A C I L I T Y M A N A G E M E N T

After a change in ownership, the Circle C Tennis Club in Texas wasforced to revamp how it operated. Here’s how the facility achievedsuccess.


Back in 2000, my wife and I decided to move to Austin,Texas, where our four children and three grandchildrenwere living. At that time, I was employed in a well-paid posi-

tion at a country club in Boca Raton, Fla., but we wanted to be clos-er to our family.Thanks to the referral of a friend, I was offered a teaching pro

position at the Circle C Tennis Club in Austin. In addition to teach-ing tennis, I also helped at the front desk and assisted with someadministrative duties. A year later, when the club manager decid-ed to leave to build his own tennis club, I was asked to take overthe duties of general manager and director of tennis.The developer of Circle C Ranch and its surrounding areas was

happy to have the tennis club as an added amenity to his devel-opment. Since the area was growing rapidly and the homes wereselling with success, he assured me that he would cover all deficitsthe club might incur. In the first six months of operation, the clubhad a net loss of $66,000; in 2002, the loss was $81,000; in 2003,$93,000; in 2004, $73,000, and in 2005, $32,000. True to hisword, the developer covered all shortfalls. But in September 2005,the developer filed for bankruptcy and we were left on our own.A new developer bought the property and gave me the reins to

run the club with the understanding that he would offer no finan-cial help. I had a great staff, programs were strong, and member-ship was growing. I was determined to keep the club from goingunder. In 2006 we had a minimal loss of $132, and in 2007, weturned the corner with a positive net income of $16,000.How did we do it? Here are a few tips that may help you to pro-

mote your club and make it financially stable:

1. Have Faith and TrustI believe that everything in life happens for a purpose. When wearrived in Austin, we had the benefit of being close to our familyduring times of crisis, including a family separation, death of twostep-grandchildren and one of our daughters being diagnosed withcancer. We could not have dealt with those issues as effectivelyfrom a distance.

2. Surround Yourself With Good StaffWe were blessed with an incredible, professional and trustworthystaff—from our business manager to tennis pros, front desk staffand child care staff, all of which treat the club as their family. Welistened to their experiences and allowed them to operate the cluband their programs with much TLC. They developed their pro-grams to fit the needs of all ages and abilities of children andadults.

3. Communicate With StaffA key to our growth has been the constant communicationbetween the staff and me. I made an effort to keep all employeesinformed of our club’s status. Many times some of us had to waitto get paid until funds were available to cover our checks. They allhad the same faith and trust that one day the club would be a suc-cessful one.

4. Expand ProgrammingAll efforts were made to continue offering programs that werewell-attended, and we encouraged the creation of new programs


to build membership. As a result, our clinics and lessons were well-supported by members, even on the coldest or hottest days. Orig-inally we had only twomember categories: Family and Singles. Weadded four more—Senior Family, Senior Single, Junior Executiveand Junior Players—and in the process created a new market ofplayers and club members.

5. Go After BeginnersWe took advantage of the TIA’s co-op funding to promote begin-ner lessons. At first, I was skeptical about starting a beginner pro-gram. But I decided to take a chance and Ipersonally gave every one of the lessons inwhich for $60 (now we charge $75) begin-ners received six one-hour group sessions.Also, during that time, they could use thedemos, ball machine, the club, and childcare.The first year, I taught more than 130

players, of which 33 families joined theclub. The second year, I taught 180 playersand 55 families joined. They not only tookthe lessons and bought racquets, shoes andclothes, but they also brought their spousesand children to the programs. And ourleagues grew from six to 15.

6. Believe in YourselfWithin a few years our membership grewfrom 40 to 178. But it was time to takechances. Previously, we never charged initi-ation fees when players joined. A playeronly needed to join on a monthly basis andthey could leave the club at any time.In March 2006, I sent a letter to mem-

bers indicating that if they wished to con-tinue playing at the club, they needed tore-join by paying a one-time non-refundable“initiation fee” in addition to their monthlydues. Our goal was to generate $31,000 toresurface eight courts, replace windscreensand paint light poles.We gave members 15 days to respond,

and by the 16th day, we had received com-mitments for $32,000 worth of initiationfees. We lost only eight members in the process. All projects werecompleted by June and the club looked fantastic and had becomesomething staff and members alike were proud of.

7. Listen to Your MembersOnce the courts were completed, several members questionedwhy we did not charge a higher initiation fee originally, whichwould have generated enough money to include blacktopping theparking lot. I sent another letter to members, asking for a “volun-tary donation” to cover the cost of this project. Our goal was toraise $32,000 and after 20 days, we received commitments for$20,000.To make up the difference, I approached vendors, sponsors,

real-estate agents, restaurants, car dealers and other local busi-

nesses for a donation in exchange for an advertisement in theform of a banner that would be displayed at our club for a year.They were also promised an advertisement spot on our website.We raised an additional $15,000 to cover the project.

8. Write Your Business PlanAll of these would not have been possible without writing and fol-lowing a business plan. This plan had “back-up” options in theevent the original plan was not successful. I wrote four phases to

complete these projects and once eachplan was finished, I revised the next plan.So far, we’ve completed the first threephases and are into our fourth phase.One of the areas that needed improve-

ment was our visibility with prospectivemembers and players. We redesigned ourwebsite, improved our newsletter coverageand communicated almost weekly viaemails, reminding members of tourna-ments, complimentary Cardio Tennis clin-ics and special events. Our website grewfrom 13,300 hits in 2005, to 19,008 in2007.

9. Believe in Your ClubOnce all projects were completed, phasethree included raising initiation fees in con-junction with raising monthly dues. Wehaven’t had any problem bringing in newmembers with the new fees nor havemembers left because of the dues increase.They trusted us with their investment andwe have fulfilled their trust and faith in us.

10. Keep Looking AheadGood managers and directors of tennisneed to look at the past, present and futureof their club. One must stay focused on thedaily needs of each member while continu-ing to look for ways to improve in all areas,whether it is improving staff, programs,facility, merchandising, or simply keepingthe club safe, healthy and clean.

In short, follow your instinct, have faith and keep tennis grow-ing by being an active promoter of the game and your facility. �

Stay True to Your MissionAt Circle C Tennis Club, we truly believe inand follow our mission statement, which isposted in the club and published in ournewsletter each year. Our goal is to followit every day when we come to work. If youdon’t have an actual mission statement foryour facility, gather your staff and trustedmembers and put one together.

Circle C Tennis ClubMission Statement� To retain the present membership and

attract new members to join Circle CTennis Club.

� To provide members with a completetennis program. To meet their needsranging from beginner level to advancedtournament level.

� To develop a junior tournament programthat attracts the best junior players.

� To maintain the tennis facilities in thebest conditions possible.

� To prevent possible injuries to bothmembers and staff caused by careless-ness.

� To meet budget goals.

� To offer friendly and sincere service.

Fernando Velasco is the general manager and direc-tor of tennis at the Circle C Tennis Club in Austin,Texas. A USPTA Master Professional since 1984, hewas the first recipient of the USPTA National "Pro ofthe Year" Award in 1976. He is also a Master PTRProfessional. There are only seven tennis pros in the

world who have been recognized by both the USPTA and PTR asMaster Pros. A member of the Wilson Premiere Advisory Staff,Velasco has been ranked in the National USPTA, PTR, and the USTAin the different age divisions since 1970.

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

S P O R T S I N J U R I E S

Knowing the types of injuries yourcustomers may encounter, and whento send them to a specialist, cankeep them playing longer.


Nobody wants to be laid up because of an injury. And as atennis pro, you certainly want to keep your customers andstudents as healthy as possible. But tennis is not without its

aches and pains.Let’s face it: Any time a player is on the court longer than usual,

or plays against someone who moves faster and hits harder, dis-comfort is going to follow.

But there has to be a way to draw the line between the out-too-long and hit-too-many-smashes kind of pain, and the kind thatsays, Uh-oh. See a doctor. Right?

Of course, says John Wilckens, M.D., chief of orthopedics atJohns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. Wilckenssees his share of sports-related injuries every year, including thoseresulting from on-court incidents and accidents.

If a player comes to a pro to seek advice concerning an injury(or if that player is simply worried about a symptom and wonder-ing whether or not to see a doctor), says Wilckens, “the importantthing to do is to decide whether this is pain or whether this is sim-ply discomfort.” Discomfort, he notes, can come from tryingsomething new, or from playing more vigorously than normal.Also, in general, discomfort is something that will go away once aplayer has stopped doing (or overdoing) that new activity.

Pain, on the other hand, is different. “When you have sharppain, or pain associated with swelling, you should see a sportsmedicine doctor,” says Wilckens.

A few of the more common tennis-related injuries and condi-tions Wilckens sees includes:

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis):Everyone has heard of it, but the problem is that the term has beenmisused to mean any forearm pain that crops up in tennis players.True tennis elbow involves pain in the outside (lateral area) of theelbow, just below the bend of the elbow itself. It is a gradual prob-lem that grows more painful if left untreated. The patient eventu-ally will feel pain not only during athletic activity, but when liftingor bending the arm even to grasp small or light objects.

Wilckens advises players who have been diagnosed with ten-nis elbow to meet with their pro. “Generally, [tennis elbow resultsfrom something] secondary to their game—usually the person’sbackhand technique or the grip size on their racquet.” Pros shouldsee firsthand both the racquet and the stroke before making a deci-sion, he notes, since a combination of the two may be at fault. Sta-tistically, players who have a two-handed backhand are less likelyto suffer from tennis elbow, although that may not be the besttechnique for every player.

The good news is that the majority of tennis elbow cases canbe treated with rest (perhaps the most important cure of all), iceand non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibupro-fen or Aleve. Sometimes, players find relief by using special sportssupport bands that fasten around the arm, just below the elbow. A


sports medicine specialist can prescribe some gentle stretchingexercises to help limber and strengthen the joint area when playresumes. In the most severe cases, such as when an individual can-not do his or her day-to-day work without pain, cortisone injectionsor surgery might be recommended. For the most part, however,says Wilckens, the ice, rest and over-the-counter meds areeffective.

Rotator cuff injuries:“A lot of club players develop shoulder pain,” says Wilckens. Manytimes, that pain can be traced to rotator cuff injuries. The rotatorcuff is comprised of the tendons and muscles that cover the shoul-der joint.

Sports that involve repetitive motion—such as tennis, swim-ming, baseball, and golf—can lend themselves to overuse injuriesin varying degrees. These injuries range from impingement, whichoccurs when the shoulder blade rubs or “impinges” on the rotatorcuff when the arm is lifted, to the most severe: a complete tear. Amild injury may only require rest and oral medication, sometimescombined with physical therapy. A tear can require surgery and amore protracted recovery period. A doctor can decide the severityof the injury and the treatment required.

Back injuries:According to Wilckens, there are two kinds of tennis players whosuffer from back pain: quite young, and middle-aged and up.

“We see it in very young players—12 or 13 years old—whocommonly hyperextend their backs,” he says. “It can result instress fractures in the lower back.” Pros and instructors shouldkeep an eye out for exaggerated, arched posture, particularly whenbeginners and other young players are serving—it’s a dead give-away. Back pain in middle-aged and older players (ages 45 to 60),meanwhile, tends to be caused by degenerative disc problems thatare worsened by the twisting or shifting of the body that tennis cannaturally bring.

The good news? According to Wilckens, kids can be taught cor-rect on-court posture to prevent injuries (and can sit out a seasonto heal anything that might be hurt). Even better, older players,including those who have had lower back injuries, “can continuetheir tennis careers for years,” provided they stretch properly,remain limber, rest when necessary and have a doctor’s approval.

Knee problems:Knee pain can by a symptom of a meniscus tear (also known astorn cartilage) as well as ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) or MCL(medial collateral ligament) injuries—along with a host of others. Asports medicine specialist can evaluate where and how badly theknee hurts and during which specific activities, and can decidehow to proceed. Because treatment for various injuries can rangefrom rest and over-the-counter medications all the way up tosurgery, it’s important to get that advice from an expert.

Tennis Leg:Here’s a case where an injury looks and feels truly alarming, butdoesn’t have terrible long-term ramifications, according to Wilck-ens. A player in mid-game will feel a “pop” followed by pain in theupper calf area that causes him or her to limp off the court. By thenext day, the area is swollen and/or discolored, usually promptingthe player to go to the nearest emergency room. The diagnosis?

Tennis leg, a tear of the gastrocnemius muscle.The name, notes Wilckens, is actually misleading, since the

condition “really has nothing to do with the sport of tennis.” Unfor-tunately, it just happens to be one of those things that has croppedup in tennis players in the midst of a game. Theories abound onthe reason for this, with one of the most popular being that thechanges of direction a player makes during a game can stress themuscle. As distressing a condition as it is, claims Dr. Wilckens, ten-nis leg “usually resolves on its own. It can take about a week beforea person is able to walk comfortably.”

Be aware, though: A non-medically trained person may con-fuse the symptoms of tennis leg with any number of other injuries,including sprains, strains, Achilles tendonitis, or even a rupturedAchilles tendon. And no, not all problems will fix themselves. Hav-ing any injury looked at promptly is always in the player’s bestinterest.

What the doctor ordersWilckens particularly recommends that injured athletes seek outsports medicine specialists. These doctors, he believes, have anadvantage over regular physicians, since they are familiar not onlywith athlete-related injuries and conditions but more importantly,with the mentality of the athlete who doesn’t want to stop workingout for fear of losing his or her hard-won physical fitness.

“Sports medicine doctors will engage the athlete and will letthem know when they can expect the injury to be better,” he says.“They’ll give the patient exercises and cross-training activities sothat they don’t lose their conditioning. They’ll help the person out-line their experience and goals andthey can work with them.” Sportsmedicine specialists can also sup-ply athletes with special stretchesand techniques aimed at helpingthem avoid a recurrence of theirproblems.

Sure, there are always goingto be those whom Wilckens refersto as “knuckleheads”—the hardcoreathletes who want to play throughpain. And pros can help keep an eye outfor them. Just look for those playerswhose altered gait, posture or stroke canindicate that they are suffering from dis-comfort, or even from outright pain. A fewtactful words of advice can help point aninjured player in the right direction.

Preventive maintenance, particularlyas athletes age, is imperative, says Wilck-ens. Core conditioning, stretching priorto play, paying attention to various achesand pains—and above all, resting andrecuperating when necessary—can helpkeep players on the court right throughtheir later years. Although he does not rec-ommend a particular type of surface, headvises patients to know their limits andtheir comfort zone. With that in mind, hesays, they can go back out on the courtfor years to come. �

C U S T O M E R S E R V I C E

From the tennis pro to the shop staff to the maintenance crew,everyone can help ensure that students have not only a great tennislesson, but also a wonderful experience.


In our business, customer service is crucial to success. Especiallynow, when tennis participation has been growing, it’s importantthat we service these players both on and off the court in a way

that will ensure that they keep coming back—and keep playingtennis.

I often read articles in a wide range of tennis publicationsemphasizing the importance of customer service—from the check-in process at the desk, to communicating with members, to thetypes of services and products offered in a tennis shop. But rarelymentioned—and one of the most important aspects of customer

service—is what happens during the tennis lesson itself. Customerservice during a tennis lesson involves more than just good instruc-tion and hitting lots of balls.

For instance, how often do you think about what your studentsare paying on a per minute basis for instruction? If you’re charging$60 per hour for a private lesson, ask yourself, would you pay $1per minute to learn a skill? If you were the student, what would youexpect on a per minute basis over the hour?

The teaching professional is the most obvious person who cancontribute to excellent customer service during a tennis lesson. But

B Y D A V E K E N S L E R


depending on your situation, others can have a hand in this aswell, such as the staff person at the desk, and even the mainte-nance/landscaping person, if they are working at the time. Here’sa look at each of these people and their customer-serviceopportunities.

The Teaching ProThe goal of a tennis professional during a lesson should be to cre-ate a positive experience for the student, not just provide tennisknowledge, stroke analysis and make them sweat. Just becausethe tennis pro is sharing all their wisdom and lots of balls arebeing hit does not mean the student is having a good experience.Here is what the tennis professional can do to ensure great cus-tomer service.

Safety: There is nothing more important than the safety of thestudent. Providing a safe environment for taking a tennis lesson issupreme customer service. This means being aware of tennis ballsscattered around the court that the student (or pro) can step onand become injured.

Awareness of the weather and temperature and how theyimpact the student are paramount to excellent customer service.Make sure your student takes enough water breaks; let them haveany benefit of shade on the court and not have to look directlyinto the sun. Naturally, the drills used should be safely within thestudent’s abilities.

Ball Collection:Whether the pro teaches from a ball machine,shopping cart or small hopper, at some point during the instruc-tion a ball collection will be needed. Whatever devices are avail-able for ball collection (mower-type, hoppers, tubes, etc.), the firstoffer to use them should be to the student, particularly so if thereis only one such device. If anyone has to bend over and pick upthe balls it should be the pro, not the student.

Personally, I like “tubes”—they are light, easy to handle forjuniors and adults, the most practical to move in and out of stor-age and affordable, so essentially everyone can be using one.

Use Names and Proper Gender Identification: During arecent vacation, I watched a pro teach a group clinic for nearly 20minutes without mentioning the name of any of his students.Instead, I heard phrases like, “Okay guys, the next drill is …” Yetthe students were all teenage girls!

Female students are not “guys,” just like male students aren’treferred to as “gals.” If you need to refer to a group of people in aclinic or lesson and are not going to use their individual names,then the standard used by Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts is the bestone to follow: “ladies” and “gentlemen.” “Let’s have all the ladieson Court One and all the gentlemen on Court Two.”

One summer I ran the tennis program at a camp for nearly400 girls ages 8 to 17 and always referred to them as “ladies.” Nota single girl complained to me about such a reference.

Start and Finish the Lesson On Time: Not starting and fin-ishing lessons on time is one of the worst customer service sins inthe tennis teaching profession. The lesson belongs to the student,not the teaching pro. The student is “purchasing” the time andexpertise of the pro and therefore has a right to expect the sessionto begin and end punctually. If the student signs up for a lessonfrom 4 to 5, then that is the time frame it should be given—not4:05 to 5:05. In our cost-per-minute analysis, starting a lesson fiveminutes late just cost the student $5.

Now, if the student arrives late, then the pro—depending ontheir remaining schedule, and on the student’s available time afterthe lesson—may have some options in extending the time so thestudent gets their full time period. However, this extension shouldnot be done if it interferes with the next lesson.

It is up to the teaching pro to police themselves for lessons thatstart late due to the pro's negligence. Personally, I feel a lessonthat starts late due to the fault of the pro should be given compli-mentary to the student for the inconvenience it has caused them.This is the worldwide policy for Peter Burwash International.

Have a Tennis Supply Kit Readily Available: What are someof the common “mishaps” that can happen to a student during alesson? They start to get a blister. Their grip becomes slippery withperspiration or they have a worn-out grip or overgrip. They startto get a sunburn…the list goes on.

I keep a small bag of items handy to help resolve these issues.My bag contains bandages, first-aid tape, sweatbands, spray-onsunblock, vibration dampeners and a couple of overgrips. (Ifsomeone is paying you good money for a private lesson, why notgive them a complimentary overgrip if they are having problemsholding on to their racquet?) In addition, extra racquets are alsohelpful in case either my student or I break a string.

Shop StaffHow involved a shop staff person can become in a tennis lessonwill, of course, depend on the demands of working at the desk.Let’s say the staff person has a few moments where the phonesare not ringing and no guests are in the shop.

A quick glance at the teaching courts will tell if extra towels,water or cups are needed. Maybe a student needs a hat or visorto protect them from the sun, or at least an offer of one. Ball col-lections or water breaks can be a good opportunity to relay a mes-sage to a student from a family member rather than interruptingtheir hitting during a drill.

Maintenance/Landscaping StaffSometimes customer service is more about what is not done. Oneof the primary complaints from tennis players is when mainte-nance or staff uses loud machines (mowers, edgers, blowers) onlya few feet from the courts. Because this type of work often has tobe done on a set schedule, it can be difficult to change and adjust,especially if the staff is required to work on other projects and atdifferent areas of the property.

But sometimes minor changes can help. For example, doesthe mowing have to begin exactly at the moment the pro is doingan introduction to the clinic? Maybe the staff can delay starting themowers by five minutes. Most tennis players find it more annoy-ing trying to listen to someone talk over a loud noise than havingto hit tennis balls over the same noise. Perhaps the workers canstart at another part of the tennis area first, where guests are notplaying or the pro is not talking or demonstrating.

Those issues aside, even something as simple as the mainte-nance staff picking up balls that have gone outside the courts can

be helpful. The more balls the student has to hit, thebetter their experience. �

Dave Kensler is a 26-year tennis professional withPeter Burwash International.

B Y S A N D Y C O F F M A N

P R O G R A M M I N G F O R P R O F I T

With retention as the goal,you need to communicateand program effectively toreach the players of today.


The name of my company is Programming For Profit. Isn’tthat what we all want to achieve? Of course. But as youbecome a tennis professional, you must take a good, hard

look at yourself, your market, and your business.Just like any good business—a Fortune 500 or 1000 compa-

ny—after a generation of time, we must take a look at where wehave been, where we are now, and where we are going. We findthat in the tennis industry, our biggest challenge in the last 20years has been to grow our sport and work at retaining ourplayers.

We now know that our market is very different from yester-day, therefore our marketing strategies and programs must havenew dimensions. Today, we must do more than create great ten-nis players. We need to concentrate on the enjoyment of the gameand offer tennis as a sport that will guarantee a happier, healthierlifestyle. The whole concept of mind, body, spirit has come into thesport of tennis.

Today the majority of our new market is well into their 40s—and those 55 and over are coming in droves. They will be themajority of the people who want us and need us most in the next20 to 30 years. They are said to be in the “third third” of their lives,and we will be responsible for giving them the quality of life thatthey will need for the next three decades.

For this market, the physical aspect of the game may take a

back seat to the mind and spirit. In fact, our priorities must beginwith creating positive attitudes, self-esteem, and new beginningsfor people who are inexperienced, apprehensive, and feeling thephysical effects of aging. The good news is that they know theyneed to exercise and they are looking for a way to have fun doingit. We’re here. Let’s show them that we have the answer.

Here are some simple points to consider and effective tools tomake it all happen. We must first understand that our market oftoday is far more educated than that of yesterday and far moredemanding of professional communication skills, respect, andtrustworthiness. The profile of today’s member is:� They NEED... health, exercise, fitness and an enjoyable way ofattaining it.

� They WANT... a sense of belonging and acceptance.� They EXPECT... state-of-the-art equipment and instructorexpertise.

� They DEMAND... service, which they equate to value for theirmoney.

� They REACT... to attention.� They RESPOND... to leadership.

The Business of ResponsePeople respond to people, and the first people they respond to areyou—their leaders. Psychologists tell us that people will make 11

August RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 33

decisions about you in seven seconds, so we must be able to givethe ultimate first impression with how we greet our clients. It maybe the deciding factor of their participation.

There are five steps to a “professional greeting” that will estab-lish a good relationship between you and your client right from thebeginning. Remember, it only takes seven seconds! Make it good.

1. Smile: Friendliness, confi-dence, and a positive professionalpersonality is a must. For the lastseveral years, we’ve been toutingthe fact that we have to make tennis“fun.” In order to make tennis fun,we have to hire “fun” people. Ourclubs and tennis programs mustprovide energetic, enthusiastic, funexperiences. Without it, people willquit. Statistics tell us that tennis par-ticipation is on the upswing. We hadbetter make some quality changesin our welcome that will keep itmoving upward.

2. Aim your smile at some-body: Eye contact is the toughestpart of the greeting, but the mostimportant. Looking straight intosomeone’s eyes tells them that youare focusing on them and caringabout what they are saying. It alsohelps you to not be preoccupiedwith anything else, and to learn togive undivided attention to yourclient.

3. Introduce yourself—first: Iwant you to be proud of yourself,proud of your club, and proud of thesport and industry you represent.Take the initiative to show yourclient that you are there to servehim or her and that you are confi-dent in yourself. Pride and confi-dence shows professionalism. In thecorporate world it would called being “proactive.” Many instructorsof today tell me that they want to be more “approachable.” I wouldrather have them be more “approaching.” Take the initiative andmake a good impression.

4. Shake hands—as though you mean it: Shaking hands isalmost a lost art, but not with the market of today. They will beimpressed with a professional handshake, and you will comeacross as a professional communicator and an educated businessperson.

5. The Conversation: You are now ready to start managingyour professional personality, building on your relationship, andselling your client into your lessons and programs.

a. Learn to give a compliment. It’s easy. A compliment isgiven on either appearance or performance. Be aware ofwhat to say to give your client a positive feeling of self-esteem and self-worth.

b. Make a suggestion and take the role of a leader, not adictator. Remember that your personality will probably

determine whether your clients will “enjoy” the lesson ornot. If not, you’ll never see them again. Remember, too,that leaders can’t motivate this market to practice orwork by dictating to them. Leaders must create an envi-ronment that will make their clients want to motivatethemselves. That will often occur as you are able to laugh

with them and create a friendly,social experience.

Programming,Retention,and CommunicationsLet’s look at the word “social.” Moreand more, you will find that privatelessons will evolve into “group clin-ics and drill sessions.” In our worldof today, tennis has the opportunityto create an atmosphere of fun andfriends in a fitness environment. Ifyou can put people together in termsof interests, skill levels, schedules,personalities, ages, and genders, youwill surely be developing players forlife. People quit working at a sport,but they don’t quit friendships!

The goal of programming is reten-tion. It will cost you four to six timesmore to get a new client or memberthan it will to keep one. You can’tafford not to start building your busi-ness to create the participation,growth, and retention from the mar-ket of today and tomorrow—themarket that wants you and needsyou most.

As you look to grow your busi-ness and to grow the sport of tennis,always be aware of your communi-cation skills and how you encourageyour members, overcome objec-tions, and how you use one program

to promote another to achieve retention.The Professional Greeting and the 10 Magical Words are excel-

lent tools to use as you hone your communication skills and devel-op a professional personality that will help manage your businessmore productively. Soon, you’ll be programming for profit, andmaking a difference in peoples’ lives and in the entire tennis indus-try. You are the leaders of the next generation. �

Sandy Coffman is president of Programming For Prof-it, a speaking and consulting firm in Bradenton, Fla.She specializes in customer service, retention, anddynamite programming. With 30 years of experience,Coffman is nationally and internationally acclaimedas a featured presenter at USTA events, IHRSA, Club

Industry, Athletic Business, ICAA, and CanFitPro. She’s also authoredarticles and spoken at several universities. Coffman, who guaranteesthat her sessions are educational, motivational, and inspirational, canbe reached at [email protected] or 941-756-6921.

Here are 10 “Magical Words” toincorporate in your vocabulary.1. Invite—Always personally “invite” your client to your class

or clinic.

2. Join—Invite them to “join” people with similar interests,skill levels, personalities, ages, or genders.

3. Enjoy—People are looking for an experience to tell othersabout. The simple words, “You will ‘enjoy’ yourself” isencouraging.

4. Fun—People need fun in their lives and will do anything tofind it. Tell them that they will have fun. Let them know it’spart of your tennis program.

5. Other People—The group concept creates the social ele-ment and enjoyment. In our industry, it’s called “niche mar-keting,” and retention is the result of people finding a senseof belonging and a social commitment.

6. Want—Everyone needs to be “wanted.” Tell them so. It’s thepower of verbiage.

7. Need—Everyone wants to be “needed.” Tell them so.

8. Help—People want to be part of success. Tell your clientsthat they will be successful in their experience and that theywill help make you successful in your training efforts.

9. Terrific! Wonderful! Brilliant!—Show some enthusiasm!

10. Guarantee—You must be able to “guarantee” that theywill have FUN, they will ENJOY themselves, and that theywill meet OTHER PEOPLE like themselves. If you cannot guar-antee this, you may not be ready to run your program.


TRIPLE CROWNThese three residential court winners are greatexamples of excellent construction.

When it comes to beautiful tennis settings, noth-ing can compare with a private court project.With only one owner to please, and often a

budget that can include many fine extras, court buildersreally have a chance to show off their talents. And for thebuilders of the three 2007 residential court winners of theRacquet Sports Industry/American Sports Builders Associa-tion Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards, that isexactly the case.

Two of the three winning residential projects were newconstruction. The upgrade, of the court at the Finley Resi-dence of Paradise Valley, Ariz., was done mainly for aes-thetic reasons, since the homeowner doesn’t play tennis.The original asphalt court had fallen into disrepair andclearly looked out of place in the spectacular, immaculate-ly landscaped location. Access to the site was limited, sothe old surface couldn’t be removed, and equipment toresurface the asphalt couldn’t be brought in. The contrac-

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

TRIPLE CROWN

Private ResidenceBoca Raton, Fla.(Nominated by Fast-Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)Contractor: Fast-Dry CourtsSurface: Lee Tennis HydroblendNet Posts: J.A. CisselWindscreens: M. PuttermanLine Tapes: Lee Tennis

tor suggested a sand-filled synthetic turf, and the result was acourt as magnificent as its surroundings.

The cushioned hard court of the Balin Residence in Penn-sylvania has lights, outdoor deck, “tennis house” with refriger-ator and bathroom, backboard and basketball goal. Thecontractor ran into a large bedrock vein through parts of thecourt base and had to configure the layout, fence and someposts to avoid it. Boulders that were dug from the court areawere reused in the landscaping, including for a large waterfallnext to the court.

The new private court in Boca Raton uses subsurface irriga-tion for the fast-dry surface. Because of a nearby lake, the con-tractor had to bring in extra fill to slope the ground away fromthe court, and they laser-graded a swale into the base to allowfor proper drainage. They also graded a rock perimeter aroundthe court.

For the contractors, these award-winning projects are greatexamples of excellent workmanship. —Peter Francesconi


Finley ResidenceParadise Valley, Ariz.(Nominated by General Acrylics Inc., Phoenix, Ariz.)Specialty Contractor: General Acrylics Inc.Surface: NGI Sports Pro Court XPNet, Posts, Strap: Douglas Industries

Balin ResidenceThorton, Pa.(Nominated by Sportsline Inc., Exton, Pa.)General Contractor: Sportsline Inc.Surface: California Products PlexicushionNet, Posts: Collegiate PacificLighting: LSI IndustriesBackboard: Bakko

For details on the2008 DistinguishedFacility-of-the-YearAwards, contact theASBA at 866-501-ASBA or [email protected].


uying a stringing machine is one of the mostimportant purchases you can make for your busi-ness. It is also one of the most difficult. With theplethora of machines, technologies, and features

available, selecting a machine is a daunting task.Our Stringing Machine Selection Guide will guide you

through the minefields and help you choose the bestmachine for your business. Below we explain the essentialmachine features, and the chart on pages 38 to 41 displaysthe features of almost every professional machine on themarket.

MOUNTING SYSTEMSThe chart lists machines with 2-, 4-, 5-, or 6-point mountingsystems. This refers to how many places they support theframe. There are many subtle differences in mounting sys-tems. The three most common types of mounting systemsare the 2-point, 4-point and 6-point, though each of them issafe.

6-Point Mounting. Fans of 6-point systems will tell you thatmore points of contact must be better. Six-point systems dosupport the frame in more places, which means it is a littleeasier to lock the racquet in place so it does not slide backand forth during stringing. It also allows a better view of thegrommets at the head and throat of a racquet. Six-point sys-tems can require fewer adapters for frames of differentshapes. Finally, some of these systems have side arms thatcan be adjusted simultaneously, making it easier to center aracquet.

2-Point & 4-Point Mounting. Fans of two-point and four-point systems suggest that it is quicker to mount a racqueton a these machines because there are fewer mountingpoints to be adjusted. They will also say that these systemsoffer more support at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock, (the twomost important points to support), because the amount ofsurface contact with the frame is greater at these locations.

Turntable Lock. This allows you to stop the turntable in oneposition. Helpful for calibrating, tying knots, and stringingO3 and Rollers frames.

B

G U I D E T O S T R I N G I N G M A C H I N E S

360o Rotation Turntable. Allows you to turnthe racquet all the way around during string-ing.

3-D Rotation Turntable. Allows the turntable totilt so that each string gets pulled straight throughthe grommet. This is designed to reduce the fric-tion of the string against the grommet whentension is being pulled.

TENSIONING SYSTEMSThere are two main types of tensioningsystems available today—lockout andconstant pull. Lockout means that themachine pulls the string to the desired ten-sion and then locks the length of the stringuntil you clamp it and release the tension head.So, as soon as you lock the length of the string, itstarts equalizing and losing tension. Constant-pull machines pull the string to the desired ten-sion, but when the string starts to equalize andlose tension, it pulls a little more to stay at ref-erence tension. Constant-pull machines gener-ally achieve slightly higher stringbed stiffness(we find the difference to be about 5 percentto 10 percent).

Drop Weight. These machines use a lever(with a weight attached to it) to pull tension oneach string. Moving the weight on the bar deter-mines how much tension it pulls. Thesemachines qualify as constant pull because theweight continues to pull the string as thestring stretches.

Hand Crank. Tension is pulled by handcrank. These machines lockout when thedesired tension has been reached.

Electric. These machines require electricity topull tension. Most of these machines are con-stant pull, but a few allow you to choose

BabolatStar 5

ATSTraveler

AlphaRevo

StringwayMS200 T92

between constant-pull and lockoutmodes. Some offer multiple pull speedsand a prestretch mode.

Linear Pull & RotationalTensioners. Machines that pull tension in astraight line away from the machine aresaid to be linear pull. The alternative is arotational tensioner, which wraps thestring around a spool, then rotates thespool to pull tension on the string.

Diablo/Nosecone. The string is wrappedaround the diablo or nosecone before it isput in the tension head, allowing the ten-sion head to grip the string more gentlyand ensuring the string enters the tensionjaws at the same angle each time.

Foot Tension. Foot-activated tension head.

Manual Calibration. Allows you to adjust(correct) the pulling force manually, asopposed to a few machines that aredesigned to calibrate themselves automati-

cally.

Diamond CoatedTension Head. Grips thestring with less pressure.

Tension Sets. Three types: dial tension set,+/- key tension set, and numeric keypad.

Knot Tensioning. The machine can beinstructed to pull the last stringbefore a knot tighter than thereference tension to allow forthe tension that is lostbetween the clamp and theknot.

CLAMPING SYSTEMSThe clamping system is meant to holdstrings in the racquet under tension. Ifclamps slip, or allow strings to slip throughthem, a string job can be ruined. There aremany different clamps, but all will fall intoone of three categories.

Flying Clamps. These clamps are notattached to the machine. They use one

string to hold tension on another string.They generally do not hold tension as con-sistently as the other two types of clamps.The low price tag makes them attractive tonew stringers testing the waters.

XtremeRX-V2

YonexES5 Pro

PacificDigital X8

Fixed Clamps that Swivel. Theseclamps are attached to the machineand can be turned in any direction,especially helpful when stringingfan patterns. They also allow youto switch from main strings tocross strings without having toremove and replace glide bars. Thereare two kinds: dual swivel, dualaction fixed clamps that require youto lock two levers to clamp a string;and dual swivel, single-action fixedclamps that require you to lockone lever. 360º glide bar clampsare clamps that rotate 360degrees, but they are mounted onglide bars. Single swivel fixed refersto machines with only one clampattached to the machine. Machineswith this type of clamp will generallyrequire a starting clamp or flyingclamp for part of each string job.

Fixed Clamps that Don't Swivel.These are clamps that are attachedto the machine by glide bars, butcan only be turned in two direc-tions (90 degrees and 0 degrees).These require removing and repo-sitioning glide bars to switch frommain strings to cross strings.

Diamond Dust. Holds a string withless pressure, avoiding string crush-ing but can scar surface of string ifthey are adjusted too loosely andallow the string to slip through them.

WEIGHTCategories indicate whetherthe machine weighs less than50 pounds, between 50 and 75pounds, or over 75 pounds. Heaviermachines can be more stable andsolid, but they can be less conve-nient when moving or traveling.

TOOLS INCLUDEDThis final category indicateswhich supplies and tools areincluded with the machine.For descriptions of eachtool, see pages 9-10 of theUSRSA Racquet ServiceTechniques book. �

Wise2086 Professional Tension Head

TecnifibreTF-8000

Prince5000

Klipper440-CS


Gamma8800 Els

Silent PartnerJive

Mutual PowerAtlas 9600


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601F $219 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x602F $269 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x602S $379 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x603GB $549 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x604S $569 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x603S $699 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x607 $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

String Pal $129 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xPioneer DC Plus $429 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xRevo 4000 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAxis Pro $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xApex II-Cobra $1,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xEquinox $2,495 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Super Stringer II $159 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTraveler $189 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sensor $5,200 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xSensor Expert $8,500 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xStar 5 $3000 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

X-2 $159 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xProgression 602 $339 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-6 $359 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xProgression 602 FC $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-6 FC $499 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xProgression ST II $679 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-ST $659 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x5003 w/6pt $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x5003 w/2pt SC System $1,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xProgression Es II+ $979 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-Es $999 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x6004 w/6pt SC System $1,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x6004 w/2pt SC System $1,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x6500 Els w/6pt SC Sys $1,799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x6500 Els w/2pt SC Sys $1,799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x5800 Els w/6pt $2,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x5800 Els w/2pt SC Sys $2,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x8800 Els w/6pt SC Sys $3,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x8800 Els w/2pt SC Sys $3,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Klippermate $149 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xKlippermate Bad’ton $155 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x280-CS $245 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x440-CS $445 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Hercules 680 $319 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xHercules 690 $349 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAlpine 6600 $569 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xHercules 880 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

AGwww.gutermanintl.com800-343-6096

[email protected]

ATSwww.atssports.com800-866-7071

Babolatwww.babolat.com877-316-9435

Gammawww.gammasports.com800-333-0337

Klipper USAwww.klipperusa.com800-522-5547

Mutual Powerwww.mutualpower.com832-868-0168


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601F $219 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x602F $269 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x602S $379 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x603GB $549 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x604S $569 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x603S $699 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x607 $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

String Pal $129 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xPioneer DC Plus $429 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xRevo 4000 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAxis Pro $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xApex II-Cobra $1,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xEquinox $2,495 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Super Stringer II $159 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTraveler $189 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sensor $5,200 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xSensor Expert $8,500 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xStar 5 $3000 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

X-2 $159 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x xProgression 602 $339 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-6 $359 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x xProgression 602 FC $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-6 FC $499 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x xProgression ST II $679 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-ST $659 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x5003 w/6pt $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x5003 w/2pt SC System $1,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xProgression Es II+ $979 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xX-Es $999 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x6004 w/6pt SC System $1,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x6004 w/2pt SC System $1,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x6500 Els w/6pt SC Sys $1,799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x6500 Els w/2pt SC Sys $1,799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x5800 Els w/6pt $2,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x x x x x5800 Els w/2pt SC Sys $2,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x x x x x8800 Els w/6pt SC Sys $3,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x x x x x8800 Els w/2pt SC Sys $3,299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x x x x x

Klippermate $149 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xKlippermate Bad’ton $155 Life x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x280-CS $245 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x440-CS $445 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Hercules 680 $319 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xHercules 690 $349 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAlpine 6600 $569 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xHercules 880 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Titan 7700 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTitan 7600 $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAtlas 8600 $829 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xAtlas 9600 $959 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Digital X8 Call 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xDigital 700 Call 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTronic X6 Call 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Neos 1000 $1,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x5000 $3,499 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Swing $199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xHip Hop Call x x x x x x x x x xCrump Call x x x x x x x x x x x xJazz $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xMaestro $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xJive Call x x x x x x x x x x x x x xe.Stringer DG $999 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xSilent Partner Aria $1,599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xSilent Partner Opus $2,799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

ML90 TH $599 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xML90 T98 $799 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xML 100 T98 $899 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xML 100 T92 $999 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xMS 200 T98 $1,449 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xMS 200 T92 $1,549 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xEM450-N T98 $2,450 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xEM450-N T92 $2,570 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xEM450-L T98 $3,200 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xEM450-L T92 $3,320 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

TF-6000 $5,500 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-7000 $7,000 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-7000 with Cabinet $8,000 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xTF-8000 $8,900 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

2086 Professional $495 2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xElectronic Tension Head

ES5 Pro $6,499 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Xtreme™ XLR8-Pro $1,295 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xXtreme™ NRG $2,395 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xXtreme™ NRG-Pro $2,895 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xXtreme™ Pro Master $3,495 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xXtreme™ RX-V2 $5,995 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

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Silent Partnerwww.sptennis.com800-662-1809

Tecnifibrewww.tecnifibre.com877-332-0825

Wise USAwww.tennishead.com888-836-7466

Mutual Power cont.www.mutualpower.com832-868-0168

Princewww.princetennis.com800-283-6647

Yonexwww.yonex.com800-449-6639

Pacific N. Americawww.pacific.com941-795-1789

[email protected]

Xtreme SportsMachines™www.xtremesportsmachines.com61-3-9357-5354

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Extra Features



string PLAYTEST

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 2somewhat easier 4about as easy 25not quite as easy 6not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 3somewhat better 6about as playable 11not quite as playable 15not nearly as playable 2

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 4somewhat better 17about as durable 15not quite as durable 1not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.3Durability 3.9Power 3.3Control 3.6Comfort 3.4Touch/Feel 3.0Spin Potential 3.5Holding Tension (9th overall) 3.7Resistance to Movement (17th overall) 3.8

Prince Recoil is a solid core multifilament

with some interesting features. The core is

advanced thermoplastic for extra feel and

comfort. The inner wrap is a new high-

tenacity filament, for improved tension

memory and better durability due to its

high tensile strength.The outer wrap is MicroWeb Technolo-

gy from W. L. Gore & Associates. Accordingto Prince, Gore’s MicroWeb Technology is arevolutionary material made by applying aspecial process to a proprietary formulationof expanded polytetrafluoroethylene(ePTFE). ePTFE is a woven mesh-like struc-ture that is flexible and strong. The outerePTFE wrap provides a surface with ultra-low friction, allowing playability characteris-tics never before achieved in a string.

According to Prince, the main benefit ofusing this exotic outer wrap is that Recoil isself-aligning, improving string bed consis-tency. Also, because Recoil is able to snapback into position quickly, Prince claimssuperior spin, feel, and comfort. The ePTFE-to-ePTFE contact of mains and crosses issaid to reduce string notching.

Prince feels that tournament-level play-ers with long, fast strokes will best appreci-ate Recoil, especially in “player’s frames,”although feedback from dealers has shownthat players of all abilities enjoy Recoil’sbenefits.

Recoil is available in 16 gauge in whiteonly. It is priced from $21.50 for sets of 40feet. For more information or to order, con-tact Prince at 800-2-TENNIS, or visitwww.princetennis.com. Be sure to read theconclusion for more information about adrawing for a free set.

IN THE LABThe coil measured 40 feet. The diametermeasured 1.30-1.33 mm prior to stringing,and 1.27-1.28 mm after stringing. Werecorded a stringbed stiffness of 75 RDCunits immediately after stringing at 60pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x18 pattern) on a constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 66 RDC units, represent-ing a 12 percent tension loss. Our control

string, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16,measured 78 RDC units immediately afterstringing and 71 RDC units after 24 hours,representing a 9 percent tension loss. Recoiladded 16 grams to the weight of ourunstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeks by37 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratingsfrom 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind tests, withplaytesters receiving unmarked strings inunmarked packages. For this playtest team,the normal longevity was 22.1 hours, andthe average number of hours spent playtest-ing Recoil was 25.4.

The ends of the coil are cut at an angle,which is always nice. Despite it’s inherentlyslippery nature, Recoil has a slight textured

feel to it. Thistexture might be why we had noclamping problems, nor problems grabbingthe end of the string to weave the crosses,or getting knots to stay put. Recoil doesseem to attract dirt, though, which reallyshows due to its color. You may need towipe down the stringbed after stringing.

Prince suggests setting the referencetension for Recoil 10 percent lower thanfor a typical nylon string, due to its low-friction outer wrap. Consequently, we rec-ommended that our playtesters string 5 to10 percent lower than normal.

No playtester broke his sample duringstringing, one reported problems with coilmemory, one reported problems tyingknots, and one reported friction burn.

ON THE COURTPrince Recoil got great marks from ourplaytest team for Tension Retention andResistance to Movement. Its score for Ten-sion Retention was 9th best of the 123strings we’ve playtested to date, and 17thbest for Resistance to Movement. Ourplaytest team also liked Recoil’s Durability,Control, Comfort, and Spin Potential, giv-ing it scores that are well above average ineach of these categories. As a result,Recoil’s overall average score is well aboveaverage.

Three players broke Recoil during theplaytest period, one at 10 hours, one at12, and one at 14.

CONCLUSIONIt’s always exciting to see manufacturersusing new materials and manufacturingprocesses to create new products, andRecoil is on the cutting edge in this respect.With its unique composition and higherprice point, Recoil is clearly a premiumstring.

We should note that our rating systempenalizes low-power strings, even if lower

Prince Recoil


“ Incredible — a durability string with greatfeel. This string has more pure control thanalmost any I’ve tried. It encourages andrewards big swings. I am able to generatetremendous head speed and create very heavyspin. I never find myself being tentative. This isa confidence string.” 4.5 male baseliner withheavy spin using Völkl Tour 10 MP Gen IIstrung at 58 pounds LO (Prince Synthetic Gutw/Duraflex 17)

“ This string provides the advantages of agood polyester, but with fewer downsides. Ithas great control from the baseline, especially

TESTERS TALKon big swings. Tons of pop on volleys and limit-less kick on serves. Even touch drop shots areeasy to execute. For a durability string, I amamazed at how arm friendly and comfortable thisis. This is the perfect compromise for players whodon’t like polyester, but want the controlled andcrisp response that comes with it.” 4.0 male all-court player using Prince O3 Red MP strung at 54pounds CP (Gamma TNT2 Pro Plus 17L)

“ Best playtest string I’ve tried! Nearly everystroke was accompanied by a “wow.”The ballcomes off the string bed with a comfortable andcrisp precision. Depth and trajectory are very easy

to control.” 5.0 male all-court player usingPrince O3 Red MP strung at 61 pounds LO(Wilson NXT 16)

“ This string is incredible from installation toground strokes. The control, comfort, power,and durability are obvious from the first hit.There is some very slight notching after 10hours. This is a very consistent and solid feel-ing string.” 4.5 male serve-and-volley playerusing Head MicroGEL Radical MP strung at 60pounds LO (Babolat Xcel 16)

FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAMPrince will hold a drawing and send a free set of Recoil to 100 luckyUSRSA members who cut out (or copy) this coupon and mail it to:

USRSA, AttnPring Offer,330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

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

Offer expires 15 August 2008 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: Prince String Offer,330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

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

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

power is advantageous to the players who wouldtypically use that string. In other words, our teamgave Recoil “only” an above-average rating forPower, lowering the overall score, even thoughthis is actually a benefit given that the targetplayer for this string typically generates his ownpower. Keep in mind that with its lower powerand self-aligning properties, Recoil might also bea good choice for players needing to tame over-size racquets with a string that doesn’t require alot of attention.

If you think that Prince Recoil might be foryou, fill out the coupon to enter a drawing for afree set to try. —Greg Raven �

the EXPERTSask

CHANGING GRIP SHAPEI HAVE A CLIENT WHO LIKES HEADracquets but prefers the roundergrip shape of the Wilson racquets.

Is there an easy way to change the shapeof the Head racquet’s grip?

IT’S TEMPTING TO THINK THAT YOUcould simply remove the replace-

ment grip and apply tape or balsa woodselectively to the bevels to get the gripshape you want, but this method doesn’twork because while you can build up theunderlying bevels, you cannot change therelationship among the bevels in such away to make one shape the same as theother shape.

Regarding your situation, Head grips

are composed of two halves that fit around the“hairpin” (that is, around an inner carbon fiberpost). It’s not too difficult to remove the origi-nal halves; the trick is having new pallet halvesthat are shaped differently. For this, contactRPNY Tennis in New York. You can find themon the web at: http://www.rpnytennis.com.

For racquets with molded handles, the mold-ing must be removed and a new moldingmade. RPNY Tennis does this as well, but thecost is a bit higher. If you have two or moreracquets that need a different grip shape orsize, RPNY can also match the weight, balance,and swingweight in addition to the gripchange, assuming your racquets are matchablein the first place, of course.

ONE-PIECE VS. TWO-PIECETHE USRSA STRINGER’S DIGEST AND theUSRSA online tool both say that theHead MicroGel Prestige Pro MP should

be strung with two pieces of string. But themains end at the head, so why can't this rac-quet be strung with one piece of string?

THIS RACQUET DOES SEEM TO BE A nat-ural for the one-piece stringing tech-

nique, and you would probably never have aproblem restringing this racquet that way. TheDigest specifies two-piece stringing for thisframe because Head requires that every perfor-mance racquet they sell must be strung two-piece, period. With a properly-done two-piecestring job, you avoid not only having the cross-es installed from the throat to the head, butalso any potential problem that might occurwith an around-the-world or box pattern,where you might have a 90- or 270-degreeturn between a main and a cross, which couldbreak through a section of the frame wherethe grommets are close together. Because ofthis, in the unlikely event there was a problemwith this frame, Head would have the option ofdenying the warranty claim due to the one-piece string job.

TENSION AND CONTROLDOES A TIGHTER STRING TENSIONmean less control because it bounces offfaster? And does a looser string tension

mean more control because it stays on thestring longer?

Q

A


Q

A

Q

Your Equipment Hotline


NO. IN FACT, JUST THE OPPOSITEseems to be true.

Although everyone thinks he knowswhat he means when he says “control,” itis actually a difficult word to describe accu-rately. For the purposes of this question,let’s assume that for there to be “control,”the bounce of the ball off the strings mustbe as similar as possible to what it wouldbe if it were obeying the Law of Reflection,that is, where the angle of reflection equalsthe angle of incidence. The more deviationbetween the actual bounce and thebounce as described by the Law of Reflec-tion, the less control you have.

It used to be thought that to control theball better, you wanted the ball tostay on the strings longer, so youused looser tension. As Brody,Cross, and Lindsey point out inthe best-selling The Physics andTechnology of Tennis, whichis available for purchase atwww.usrsa.com /store/ptot

.html, we now think we know better.In the case of on-center hits, the longer

the ball is on the strings, the longer theracquet has to rotate out of position dueto the natural movement caused by theimpact of the ball. In the case of off-centerhits, the stringbed deforms asymmetrically(with a higher angle where the ball is clos-er to the frame, and a lower angle wherethe ball is farther away). The looser thestringbed is, the greater the angular differ-ence during off-center impacts. In each ofthese two cases, there is a loss of control.

As Rod Cross has pointed out, contacttime decreases if the stiffness of the stringplane increases (Dwell Time, by Rod Cross,at www.usrsa.com/members/backissues/2003/05/dwell-time/). Therefore, tighterstring tension gives you a stiffer stringbed,less contact time, and more control. Looserstring tension gives you a softer stringbed,more contact time, and less control.

BETTER DURABILITYI STRING MY 16X19 RACQUET with17-gauge multifilament nylon mainsat 52 lbs. and poly crosses at 49 lbs.

I get the power I want this way, but I’mhaving problems with durability on themains. I am thinking of using 17-gaugenatural gut instead as my mains. If I go toa gut, do I need to increase the tension toachieve the same playability as I achievedwith the multi mains at 52 lbs?

An additional, related question: If I putthis same string setup in an 18x20 stringbed, how much would I have to tweak thesettings to accommodate the increasedstring-bed stiffness?

NORMALLY, WHEN SWITCHINGfrom a multifilament nylon to natural

gut, you can go up a couple of pounds,and some players do get better durabilityfrom natural gut than from a multifila-ment. However, if this doesn’t work foryou, you can also try a monofilament nylonin the mains, or a thicker version of thestring you’re already using. Either of theseshould improve durability.

As for the change in racquet, there arefew (if any?) racquets that come in both16x19 and 18x20, so if you make thisswitch you will likely be changing morethan the stringbed density. This means thatyou’re going to have to experiment withthe new racquet to get it set up the wayyou like. Everything else being equal, how-ever, you’ll need to lower the referencetension by 6 pounds or so when stringingthe 18x20, to get roughly the samestringbed stiffness as with the 16x19.

—Greg Raven �

We welcome your questions. Please send them to Rac-

quet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA, 92084;

fax: 760-536-1171; email: [email protected].

A

Q

A

tool, or don’t like to use them, one extrahard weave is a small price to pay.There are a couple of tricks to using

this stringing method, though. First,don’t be too stingy when cutting yourcross string to length, as on racquets withan odd number of crosses, you could runshort on the side with the “extra” cross.Next, you’ll have to locate the center

of the stringbed when starting the cross-es. On the O3 frames, this is usually onthe side of the racquet where the O-portsstart immediately below the bumper-guard. Prince sometimes marks this as theshort side of the racquet, but not always,and some O3 racquets have a bumper-guard extender that might throw youoff.Because each Prince O3 racquet model

has slightly different geometry, you mayfind that your first cross (either going uptoward the head or down toward thethroat) will still wander away from theframe. You should be able to counteract

and TECHNIQUES

O3 50/50 STRINGINGI strung my O3 tour with a two-piece50/50 pattern and — much to my delight— I didn't need my table break or theboomerang tool. If you string an O3 thisway you are pulling from the middle ofthe frame to the top and bottom so thestring is pulled in to the proper positionand you can straighten the string beforeyou clamp it.5 sets of Head FXP 16 to:Darren Litz, MRT, Portsmouth, OH

Editor’s note: For those not familiar withthe two-piece 50/50 technique, youinstall the mains as normal, but you startthe crosses from the middle of the hoop(that is, at the 3 o’clock or 9 o’clock posi-tion), working one end of the stringtoward the tip and the other toward thethroat, in a fashion similar to that ofinstalling the mains. It means two hardweaves instead of one, but if you don’thave a table brake and/or boomerang


tips

this tendency by holding the racquet, or ina worst-case scenario, turning the racquetslightly before clamping. From that pointon, you shouldn’t have any problems.Finally, depending on the type of string-

ing machine you have, you may need astarting clamp. This is because the clampbases on many of the newer machinesallow the clamps to run fully from thethroat to the head, but not from side toside. This means you’ll have to start thecrosses with a starting clamp, and use bothmachine clamps to install half of the crosses(toward the head, for instance), and thengo back and install the other half. Makecertain that you pad your starting clamp soit doesn’t scratch the racquet finish.

IT’S IN THE SCANI scan most racquet heads before doing anywork to them. I use this first as a record ofwork completed and more importantly, a ref-erence for future possibilities of customerquestions. I do a lot of badminton racquets

Readers’ Know-How in Action


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

and the most common question is, “Didyou change the shape of the head? Itdoesn't look the same.” Also, a lot oftimes racquets come to me with incorrectpatterns and the customer again ques-tions the workmanship after seeing theracquet with the strings correctly installed.I use the scanned image to show themwhy the pattern was wrong and that theshape has not changed.5 sets of Dunlop M-Fil Tour 16 to:Clarence Golding, Qualicum Beach, BC,Canada

PRINCE DOUBLEBACK TECHNIQUEPrince Ozone Pro Tour and O3 SpeedportPro White do not need the Double Backtechnique because the last two crossesare in traditional grommets. You may dis-regard the DB marked on the frame.USRSA Staff

PRINCE DOUBLEBACK DOUBLE PULLOn any racquet that recommends theDouble Back technique, you are supposedto tension the last two crosses in one pull.The Stringer’s Digest has been updated toreflect this.USRSA Staff

PRINCE O3 ANDOZONE 2-PIECE ONLYThe Prince Ozone Pro Tour, O3 SpeedportPro White, and O3 Hybrid Comp shouldonly be strung as 2-piece. Therefore, the“short side” marked on some of theseframes is unnecessary. However, we havedeveloped an around the world (ATW)method available for anyone who insiststhat his racquet be strung as 1-piece.

To perform this ATW method on theseframes, start by giving yourself a fewmore inches that normal on your short-side measurement. Install and tension allshort side mains as normal (alternatingwith the long side mains), but instead oftying off, continue on and install the bot-tom cross. Tension and tie off as normal.On the long side, leave the last (outside)main uninstalled, going instead from thenext-to-the-last long side main to the topcross. The weave on this top cross mustbe the same as the weave of the bottomcross. Install the remainder of the crosses.From the final cross (which will be thesecond cross from the throat, because

you already have installed the bottom crossusing the end of the short side), continueto install the last (outside) main on thelong side from throat to head, then tie off.USRSA Staff

CONVERT LEADWEIGHTS TO LEAD TAPEI’ve often found that in racquets that havea rattle, a player will hear the noise comingfrom the handle of the racquet and give itto me to correct the problem. Generallyone or more aftermarket-installed weightsin the handle have come loose. I simplyremove the weights inside the handle and

then wrap an equal weight of lead tapearound the pallet, centered at the locationof the original lead weights. The lead tapeis thin enough that the customer doesn’tnotice the increase in grip size.5 sets of Prince Synthetic GutMultifilament 16 to:George McKelvey, Pittsburgh, PA

—Greg Raven �

A United FrontA longtime teaching pro says that to make thisgame truly grow, it’s time the PTR and USPTAcome together and form one organization.

I’ve been a full-time tennis teaching profes-sional for 30 years. In that time, I’ve seen alot of programs come and go, a lot of teach-

ing methods become really popular then fall bythe wayside, and a lot of people rotate into,then out of, this business. But the one thingthat continues to baffle me is, why do we stillhave two professional teaching pro organiza-tions?

It’s time that both groups join handsand start to work together, with the ulti-mate goal that we have only one organiza-tion that certifies tennis-teachingprofessionals.

In my three decades in this business Ihave constantly dealt with both USPTA andPTR pros. I’ve worked alongside pros fromboth organizations, I’ve hired pros fromboth, I’ve recommended pros from eachgroup to various players over the years. Butlet’s face it, when we’re trying to grow thisgame and increase participation, two com-peting teaching organizations are simplyconfusing to consumers and provideunnecessary conflict within the industryitself.

As a teaching pro, think of it from abusiness point of view. Should you belongto one group, or the other? How do youknow which group to join? Is there anadvantage to spending even more of yourhard-earned money to be a member ofboth?

I realize there are differences betweenthe two groups, both real and perceived.The USPTA, some say, is more “serious”about its business; the PTR is the muchmore “friendly” and “open” organization.The PTR, founded by Dennis Van der Meer,uses a “Standard Method” that pros needto learn for the certification exam; whereasthe USPTA, led by Tim Heckler, is moreopen-minded in terms of technique. Andwithin the industry itself, the perception isthat the USPTA can be irascible, stubbornand suspicious of other groups, while the

PTR takes in more “hobbyist pros” whoaren’t making their living in this sport andthe group lags behind in technology.

And what should our students, andpotential students, think? If you are aUSPTA or PTR pro, just ask your students ifthey know what that teaching pro “shin-gle” means, or if they even know abouteither organization. I’m willing to bet that99 percent of your students couldn’t reallycare about which organization you belongto. In fact, they probably perceive no differ-ence between the two, and if they didknow about both, they’d probably wonderexactly what this industry is doing.

Also consider manufacturers and otherbusinesses and organizations in this indus-try. Do they throw their lot in with one orthe other group in terms of sponsorship? Ifso, do they risk the ire of the group theydon’t select? Or is it easier for them just notto get involved at all? (And how, then, willthat benefit anybody?) Kudos to Head/Pennfor figuring out a way to sponsor bothgroups, but I suspect there are a lot of mar-ginal members of either group that join toget the free or discounted equipment, and Isuspect Head may be paying a heavy pricefor this appeasement of both groups.

The USTA, TIA and manufacturers needto get involved here. They need to take astand and make it clear that both PTR andUSPTA need to take steps toward gettingtogether. Otherwise, I would be willing tobet that the USTA itself will, at some pointdown the road, take things into its ownhands and start certifying teaching pros—and you know, with the current situation,maybe that’s not such a bad idea. In virtual-ly every other country, the national tennisfederation certifies teaching pros. (For anumber of years, the USTA has been run-ning the very successful Recreational CoachWorkshops, designed essentially to get par-ents and other adults involved in teachingbasics to beginning children. I think this is a

B Y B R U C E L E V I N E

wonderful program to grow the game,but I can only imagine the resistance theUSTA has had to overcome from, espe-cially, the USPTA.)

Think how much easier it will be tobuild this game without these two com-peting groups. Think how much easier itwill be for the businesses in tennis to con-fidently deal with one teaching pro orga-nization and know that members of thatone group will influence the developmentof this game in the U.S. And think hownice it would be to combine the USPTA’simpressive digital and internet serviceswith the PTR’s friendly and open cus-tomer service, along with its internationalrepresentation. Something tells me thatthe more each of these two groups maycompete for members, the lower thestandards for teaching pros may actuallybecome. And no one in this businesswants that. Just look at golf: There’s onlyone teaching organization, the PGA, andI’ve been to dozens of clubs that all havePGA-certified pros.

If the leaders of both the PTR andUSPTA made a point to sit down and becivil toward each other, with other keyindustry players in the room, somethingcould be worked out toward unifying thiscountry’s teaching pros under oneumbrella. Then, instead of spending theirresources (which are, after all, their mem-bers’ money) duplicating their efforts,competing with each other, and snipingat each other, their unified efforts willmake this sport grow for all. �

Your Serve

Bruce Levine is the GeneralManager of the CourtsideRacquet Club in Lebanon,N.J.

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


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