201105 racquet sports industry

May 2011Volume 39 Number 5 $5.00www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Displaying andSelling ApparelDisplaying andSelling ApparelThe Importanceof Grips and Handles

Soft-Court Award Winners

Careers in Tennis

The Importanceof Grips and Handles

Soft-Court Award Winners

Careers in Tennis

DEPARTMENTS

R S I M A Y 2 0 1 1

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Tennis participationjumps 46%

7 Hall of Fame honors 4

8 Gamma launches stringperformance guarantee

8 USTA grants to helpfacilities grow 10U tennis

8 USRSA introduces newracquet service software

10 Peoplewatch

10 National Tennis Centerto add show court

10 Stolen Sampras trophiesrecovered

12 WTA, Sony pick ‘HotShots’ for web TV show

12 Ashaway adds 17-gaugesquash string

12 Organix racquets debut

13 Dunlop adds 2 stings toBiomimetic line

14 Short Sets

15 Gamma adds to Zostring line

4 Our Serve

7 Industry News

17 TIA News

19 Pioneers in Tennis: Bob Lee

42 Tips & Techniques

44 Ask the Experts

46 String Playtest: Luxilon Savage White

48 Your Serve, by Jon Vegosen

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2011 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

ContentsContents21 Making Their Moves

For young professionals entering theindustry, laying a good foundation andmaking connections are key.

24 Soft GoodsWhere can you find excellence in out-door clay-court construction? Take alook at these seven winners.

28 Standard PracticesWhether stringing for the pros or forrecreational players, you need to estab-lish standard operating procedures.

35 Handling Your PlayersOften overlooked by players, the gripand handle are crucial to a racquet’sperformance. Educate your customers onhow important this area is to theirgame.

38 Rules of EngagementFor these apparel retailers, careful buy-ing, trimming inventory, creative mer-chandising and expert customer serviceare helping their businesses.

FEATURES

Our Serve(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

PublishersDavid Bone Jeff Williams

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Contributing EditorsRobin BatemanCynthia CantrellJoe DinofferLiza HoranGreg MoranBob Patterson

Cynthia ShermanMary Helen Sprecher

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRYCorporate Offices

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

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

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

Advertising DirectorJohn Hanna

770-650-1102, [email protected]

Apparel AdvertisingCynthia Sherman203-263-5243

[email protected]

Racquet Sports Industry is published 10 times per

year: monthly January through August and com-

bined issues in September/October and Novem-

ber/December by Tennis Industry and USRSA, 330

Main St., Vista, CA 92084. Application to Mail at

Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Vista, CA and

additional mailing offices. May 2011, Volume 39,

Number 5 © 2011 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All

rights reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and

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

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

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

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

Send address changes to Racquet Sports Industry,

330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

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

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

A Redefined and Renewed TIA

RSI is on Facebook. Become a fan and keep up with all thelatest news and information at facebook.com/rsimagazine.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2011

RSI magazine, as many of you know, worksclosely with the Tennis Industry Associa-tion on a number of levels. After all, we

have a similar goal—to grow your tennis busi-ness—so it only makes sense we work togetherfor the good of the industry.

What concerns me, though, is that many people have the perception that the

TIA is an “arm” of the USTA. They’re unclear of exactly what the role of the TIA

is, and the difference between the TIA and the role the USTA plays.

The USTA’s mission is to “promote and develop the growth of tennis,” in

short, to get as many people playing tennis as possible. The TIA’s mission is to

“promote the growth and economic vitality of the tennis industry,” that is, to

make this sport profitable for stakeholders. Granted, the more consumers who

play the game, the more profitable it will be for everyone. So in many respects,

the goals of the two organizations are similar—and complementary.

This important synergy was reinforced recently at a meeting of both the TIA

and USTA leadership, which helped to define, and in some cases redefine, some

of the roles both groups play in this industry. For its part, the TIA is making some

important changes. Its board of directors, for instance, will both be streamlined,

yet will broaden in expertise, in some instances looking outside the traditional

tennis industry lines to bring in new and fresh ideas.

The TIA also will play an important role in 10 and Under Tennis. The USTA

wants to get as many kids as possible in the game as effortlessly as possible; the

TIA’s task is to develop ways for stakeholders, including tennis retailers, to help

make that happen for the good of the industry. Specifically, the TIA will manage

the 10 and Under Tennis retail initiative, including developing timelines, regis-

tering retailers and making sure retailers know the importance of providing the

full line of different 10 and Under Tennis products.

Also important to both the USTA and TIA leadership is the PlayTennis.com

portal, which will be rolled out in 2012. The TIA created PlayTennis.com two

years ago as a single portal to tie together all parts of this sport and create a path-

way for new players to become frequent players. Now, the cooperation between

the USTA and TIA will take PlayTennis.com to the next level.

What is the message here? While the TIA has always worked with and sup-

ported the USTA, there is now a new, and renewed, TIA and a better under-

standing between the two organizations. It’s all about finding ways to help

businesses grow. And it’s all about TENNIS.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSI N F O R M A T I O N T O H E L P Y O U R U N Y O U R B U S I N E S S

Adams, OthersHonored by Hall of FameJodie Adams, aparks and recre-ation professionalfrom Springfield,Mo., received theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame’s2010 Samuel Hardy award April 2,at an awards lunch held in conjunc-tion with the USTA’s Annual Meet-ing in Naples, Fla. Adams, a formermember of the USTA board of direc-tors, has been active in growing ten-nis programs in parks nationally.

Adams has served on a number ofUSTA National Committees for morethan 25 years and currently is onthe National Association of CountyPark and Recreation Officials Boardof Directors. For her service to thesport she was awarded the 2009USTA President's Award and the2007 USTA/NPPTA Hollis Smith Life-time Achievement Award.

Also honored by the Hall of Famewith Tennis Educational MeritAwards were Leslie Allen of NewYork, N.Y., Dale Caldwell of NewBrunswick, N.J., and Coach DanMagill Jr. of Athens, Ga. Allen is aformer top-20WTA player who hasstayed active in the sport and is thefounder of a youth program thatuses tennis as a platform for person-al development. Caldwell is a busi-ness executive and tennis enthusiastwho has been involved with USTAprogramming for tennis in schools.University of Georgia's Magill hasheld the position of head tenniscoach for 34 years and developedone of the finest collegiate tennisprograms in the nation.

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May 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Tennis Participation Jumps 46% For 2000-2010

The latest data from the Physical Activity Council (PAC) shows participation in the sportgrew 46% from 2000 through 2010, making tennis by far the fastest growing traditionalparticipation sport in the U.S. for the past decade.

In PAC’s 2011 Sports, Fitness, and Recreation Participation Overview, tennis was one ofonly two sports to show an increase in overall participation in the past 10 years. Among tra-ditional participation sports, the second fastest growing in the past decade was racquetball,up 3%, according to the study. All other traditional sports showed a decline or had noincrease in participation over that same period. The annual PAC study examines sports trendsand participation for 119 sports.

In addition, Cardio Tennis, a program started in 2005 by the TIA and USTA, has seen rapidgrowth. Cardio Tennis was added to the PAC study in 2008, and in the 2010 survey had 1.5million players, an 81% increase in participation over the two years, and 28% more than in2009. Cardio Tennisalso has beenexpanding interna-tionally and is nowin more than 30countries.

“We’re pleasedthat interest and par-ticipation in tennishas been able towithstand the chal-lenges in this econo-my,” said Jolyn deBoer, executive director of the TIA. “This is also a credit to our joint effort with our partners,especially the USTA, in terms of launching programs designed to attract new players into thegame, bring people back into tennis, and have current players playing more tennis, as well asthe certified tennis teaching pros who deliver the programming.”

The Physical Activity Council is composed of seven of the major governing bodies andtrade associations, including the TIA and USTA.

Djokovic is Flying High in Head Racquet Ad

It’s not just Novak Djokovic’s tennis play that has taken off in recent months. At the end oflast year, Djokovic climbed out onto the wing of a biplaneto promote Head’s YouTek IG Speed Racquet and “bring to

life the concept of ‘Ultimate Speed,’” says Head.The commercial, which was posted on head.com, YouTube

and other sites in March, was filmed in Europe. It shows theworld No. 2 “rallying” on the wing of a plane with anotherplayer, both dressed in headgear, goggles and flight suits.

Visible in the video is Djokovic apparently standing on thewing of the plane as it lifts from the runway. But did he reallygo 1,000 meters up to play tennis?

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Gamma Launches StringPerformance Guarantee

Gamma Sports has introduced the Gamma String Perform-ance Guarantee for U.S. consumers, in which the compa-

ny will refund the purchase price if a consumer is notsatisfied with the performance expectations of Gamma per-formance processed and co-polyester strings.

The guarantee covers strings such as TNT2, TNT2 Touch,Live Wire, Professional, Live Wire XP, Zo Black Ice, Zo Verveand more. For details on the guarantee and to see whichstrings are covered, visit GammaSports.com/guarantee.

If a consumer is not satisfied with the performance oftheir Gamma string, they download a claim form from thewebsite, cut the string out of their racquet, and return thestring to Gamma by trackable shipment within 14 days ofpurchase. Once all information is verified, Gamma will refundthe purchase price of the string and string job up to $50.

USTA Grants Available to HelpFacilities Grow 10U Tennis

Along with the USTA’s plans to invest $8 million to fos-ter growth in 10 and Under Tennis in 100 markets across the

country, the organization also has made available money to helppublic facilities install shorter courts and to paint blended lines onexisting full-size tennis courts.

The USTA’s Facility Assistance program offers competitivegrant applications to tennis facilities that are open to the publicand that meet other guidelines. (For details, visitusta.com/facilities.) Categories for funding are:� Category 1: Up to $4,000—to be matched by the local commu-nity—for basic facility improvements such as fixing courtamenities, 10 and Under Tennis lines, etc.

� Category 2: Up to 20 percent of the total project cost or $35,000maximum to resurface existing courts at public facilities.

� Category 3: Up to 20 percent of the total project cost or $50,000maximum for new construction or existing facility reconstruc-tion and expansion.The cost to line courts for 10 and Under Tennis is approxi-

mately $200 to $400 per 78-foot court. Converting an existing78-foot court to four permanent 36-foot courts is estimated to be$8,000 to $10,000 per 78-foot court.

Other facility assistance services include offering facility con-cepts, design review, construction document review, RFP and biddocument review, and concepts for 36-foot and 60-foot facilities.

To take advantage of the USTA’s Facility Assistance Program,complete and submit the online assistance form atusta.com/facilities. The form can be completed at any time dur-ing the year. A USTA representative will then contact you within30 days to talk about your needs.

USPTA Adds Co-Chairs forTennis Across America

The USPTA, which announced the One-Clinic Challenge for its 2011 Tennis

Across America events, has signed upformer President George H.W. Bush andTV analysts Cliff Drysdale and Patrick McEnroe, among oth-ers, as honorary co-chairs and health and fitness industrypartners.

Also on board are former touring professionals Todd Mar-tin, Emilio Sanchez Vicario and Tony Trabert; Pam Shriver, TVanalyst and former touring professional; world-renowned ten-nis coach and Master Professional Rick Macci; and author,speaker and Master Professional Peter Burwash.

Health and fitness companies supporting the USPTA’sefforts include:� The American College of Sports Medicine – Exercise is Med-icine Initiative� International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association –Campaign for a Healthier America� The National Physical Activity Plan� Mental Health America – Live Your Life Well Initiative� Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation

May is National Physical Fitness Month and Mental HealthMonth, and the USPTA is encouraging every member to runat least one Tennis Across America event to help spread theword that obesity is now an epidemic, especially with today'syouth devoting more time to computers and other technolo-gy than to exercise. In addition, it provides the opportunity tofocus on the long-range health benefits of developing a habitof being active through tennis from early childhood. Eventscan take many forms leading up to May 14 (Tennis AcrossAmerica Day).

For tools and resources on ideas for TAA events, visituspta.com.

USRSA IntroducesNew Racquet Service Software

The U.S. Racquet Stringers Association has developed twonew, innovative database applications designed to help rac-

quet stringers and customizers keep track of their business.Both database applications are personalized to the user’s busi-ness, and both are available for PC or Mac users.

Stringers’ Companion and Stringer's Companion Lite arestored and run on the user's computer, alleviating the need forinternet access. Designed by racquet stringers for racquetstringers, both tools help manage all facets of the day-to-daystringing business and needs for those working in the racquetservice field.

"After years of development, we're excited about the com-bination of features, efficiency and flexibility that these toolsoffer,” says David Bone, executive director of the USRSA. “Webelieve they should help improve the professionalism of any-one offering racquet service."

For a list of features for each application, visit the onlinestore at www.racquettech.com. Demo versions of the softwareare available at no cost by visiting the online store atwww.racquettech.com.

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• Rafael Nadal is a newspokesman for Barcardi’s“Drink Responsibly” cam-paign and will appear inadvertisements for the alco-holic beverage company.

• Canadian sensation MilosRaonic, age 20, signed anendorsement deal with thesoftware company SAP.

• Eric Mitchell is the newexecutive director of theUSTA Southwest Section.Mitchell, age 40, has beenwith the section for 12 yearsas the Junior Competitionmanager. He also served asco-interim executive directorduring the selection processfor the position.

• Dave Miley, the Interna-tional Tennis Federation’sexecutive director of TennisDevelopment, is the newestmember of the Tennis Indus-try Association’s board ofdirectors. Miley, who joinedthe ITF in 1991, is responsiblefor overseeing the non-pro-fessional activities of the ITF,including junior, senior andwheelchair tennis, and sci-ence and technical activities,as well as the ITF’s Develop-ment Program.

• Rodney Harmon, the 2008US Olympic coach, will againteach at Camp A.C.E., theNJTL Regional Leadershipcamp run by USTA Eastern,held July 24-30 at RamapoCollege in New Jersey. CampA.C.E., which stands forAchieving through Coachingand Education, is in its 13thyear and provides playersages 14-17 with daily tennisinstruction, college admis-sions counseling and commu-nity activities.

• Former WTA CEO and Nikeexec Kevin Wulff is the newCEO of Asics America. Wulffjoined Asics in August. Hewas WTA CEO from 2001 to2003.

• Kelly Hesketh has beennamed USTA 10 and UnderTennis coordinator forGreenville/Spartanburg, S.C.She is one of three 10 andUnder Tennis coordinatorsbeing hired in the SouthernSection and about 20throughout the country. Thecoordinators are responsiblefor administering and pro-moting the USTA 10 andUnder Tennis Initiative in theircommunity.

• Bob Bartlett is the newoperations manager of TifosiOptics, based in Watkinsville,Ga.

• Mia Horvit of Parkland,Fla., the No. 3 seed, won the40th annual Maureen Con-nolly Brinker Girls’ 14 Nation-al Championships at T-Bar-MRacquet Club in Dallas inMarch, defeating Tiffany Tangfrom Rogers, Ark., 6-2, 6-1.

• Maria Sharapova may havea special bond with the plightof those in Japan affected bythe nuclear power plantthreats in the wake of theearthquake and tsunami. Herparents fled the fallout fromthe Chernobyl explosion 25years ago. A year after Cher-nobyl, Maria was born inSiberia. A disaster like Cher-nobyl “opens your eyes, andobviously puts a lot of per-spective in your life,” saysSharapova, who has donated$350,000 since 2007 to helpyoungsters in the Chernobylarea.

P E O P L E W AT C H

NTC to Add Fourth Show Court

The USTA announced in March that the USTA Billie Jean KingNational Tennis Center in New York will get a new 3,000-seat

stadium to complement its three existing stadiums. The new arenawill be ready for the 2012 US Open, says the USTA, and could beready for this summer’s Open.

The NTC is on leased public land, and the new stadium willneed approval from the New York City Design Commission. Itwill not require public funds, and will not change the current bor-ders of the tennis center site. The USTA pays the city about $1.5million a year to rent the public park space. When the Open isnot taking place, the NTC site is open to all for public play.

New NYC Center Bubbles 12 Courts

The new, 16-court Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Park inNew York City, in the shadow of Yankee Stadium at East

152nd Street and the Harlem River, opened at the end of 2010with a seasonal bubble covering 12 of its Decoturf tenniscourts—one of the largest bubbles of its type in the world. Thebubble covers an area of more than 75,000 square feet, with avolume of more than 4 million cubic feet.

An adjacent clubhouse will be completed in the comingmonths and will feature a pro shop, café, locker rooms andlounge areas, wi-fi computer access, workspace where childrencan do schoolwork and read, and a tennis library. The tenniscenter is part of Mill Pond Park and the Yankee Stadium Rede-velopment Project. It formerly was a vacant and decayingindustrial site. Visit stadiumtennisnyc.com.

Stolen Sampras Trophies Recovered

Dozens of Pete Sampras’s trophies stolen in December werefound behind a hospital in the L.A. suburb of Marina Del Rey

on March 19. Reports say a private investigator, working for Sam-pras, received a tip about the trophies then notified hospital secu-rity. It was unclear exactly how many trophies, or which ones,were recovered.

Most of the trophies from Sampras’s career, which included64 tour titles and 14 Grand Slam singles wins, were taken froma West Los Angeles storage facility in December. Sampras said hehad not insured the trophies since he was unsure of how to puta value on much of the collection.


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Shots’ for Web TV Show

Six women “Hot Shots” will star in areality series airing online and on

mobile handsets. The Experia Hot Shotsshow will follow the lives of six aspiringtennis stars as they strive to build theirprofile on and off the court and gain asupport deal with WTA sponsor SonyEricsson.

The six, announced in Miami at theSony Ericsson Open, are DominikaCibulkova, Sorana Cirstea, Alize Cornet,Sabine Lisicki, Bethanie Mattek-Sandsand Heather Watson. The show will aironline for five months, and the winnerwill be chosen by fan voting online.Sony Ericsson will give the womenexclusive access to the worlds of music,film, gaming and fashion, allowingthem to grow their online fan base. Visitwtatennis.com for more information.

Organix Racquets Debut

Epic Sports International Inc., aglobal sports brand management

firm and worldwide licensee forVölkl Tennis and Boris Becker Tennis,launched its Organix Racquet Tech-nology, a product line featuring com-binations of high-technology carbonnano tubes, organic materials and acutting-edge handle system,designed to enhance power and feel.The Organix product line has a sug-gested retail price range of $230 to$250.

The new Organix line includesfive racquets designed for all playerlevels and developed by Völkl in con-junction with the Fraunhofer Insti-tute in Munich, Germany. Theracquets feature three new technolo-gies: 1) Bio Sensor Handle System toreduce vibration; 2) Organix, whichis a fusion of DNX carbon nano tubesand organic cellulose materials toincrease dynamic power; and 3)Optispot, which provides playerswith the ability to hit 40% more ballsin the sweetspot, according to thecompany.

Descriptions of the new Organixracquets are at www.volkltennis.com.

Ashaway Adds17-Gauge Squash StringAshaway Racket Strings has introduced a heavier gaugeaddition to its popular UltraNick series of squashstrings. UltraNick 17 utilizes the same Zyex multifila-ment fiber core as its 18-gauge sibling to provideincreased power and resilience, and reduced tensionloss, says Ashaway. But the thicker 17-gauge with itsbraided surface maximizes durability while still provid-ing better touch and ball control. Visit ashawayusa.com.

May 2011 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 13

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Dunlop Adds 2 Stringsto Biomimetic Line

Dunlop has expanded itsredesigned string line with the

introduction of two new strings:Juice and DNA. The new strings join

five others (Black Widow,Silk, Hexy Fiber, Explosive

and S-Gut) to make upthe Biomimetic line.

The brightly col-ored Juice string drawsits inspiration from oneof nature's most explo-sive forces—lightning.The premium poly-ester has two con-struction

characteristics that Dunlopsays deliver its power and spin: thehigh-tensile monofilament polyesterconstruction gives Juice its power,while its twisted, pentagonal profilehelps to grip the ball, imparting extraspin.

The DNA string is inspired by theshape of a DNA helix. Dunlop saysthe multi-filament offers a crisp,comfortable feel. It features a uniquePBT (Polybutylene terephthalate)fiber coil that spirals around the mul-tifilament core, giving the stringextra power and durability.

Both strings are available in 16-and 17-gauge sets and 16- and 17-gauge 200m reels. For info, visit dun-lopsport.com or call 800-768-4727.

Create an OnlineUSTA Account

You and your players can now createan online USTA account that will pro-

vide access to new features, including apersonalized “My Tennis Page” that dis-plays your current player record forUSTA programs and events and high-lights upcoming play opportunities inyour area.

With your USTA account, you canaccess TennisLink and USTA Member-ship with a single log-in; have a person-alized “My Tennis Page”; get an NTRPrating (self-rate) without joining a USTALeague team; and learn about addition-al relevant play opportunities.

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> The Family Circle Tennis Center inCharleston, S.C., has been chosen as thehost site of the 2011 World TeamTennisFinals Weekend, July 22-24. The 2011WTT Pro League schedule will be high-lighted by a lineup that includes a currentor former world No. 1 playing on 15 ofthe 18 regular-season nights during thethree-week season. The 66-match sched-ule starts July 4. Visit wtt.com.

> In 2010, USPTA teaching pros raisedmore than $5 million for charity throughthe association’s Lessons for Life program.Since the program began in 1999, theUSPTA and its members have raised morethan $45 million for various charities.

> The American Sports Builders Associa-tion’s annual Technical Meeting meetingwill be Dec. 2-5 at the J.W. MarriottResort & Spa in Palm Desert, Calif. Forinformation, visit sportsbuilders.org.

> Pacific, which is the official string, gripand machine of the ATP Tour, is looking toadd independent sales agents for key U.S.regions. Contact [email protected] or941-795-1789.

> Professional Tennis Registry announcedthat BoomerTennis.net, an “online tennisclub,” and Solar Bat Leverage, a tennissunglass lens, have signed on as Corpo-rate Members.

> Davis Cup Captain Jim Courier’s firsttest on American soil will come in Austin,Texas, July 8-10, against a Spanish teamthat will feature world No. 1 Rafael Nadal.Austin also is the hometown of Davis Cupstalwart Andy Roddick, who is second all-time in U.S. Davis Cup singles victorieswith 33. The quarterfinal tie will be playedat the Frank Erwin Center on the campusof the University of Texas at Austin. Visitusta.com/daviscup.

> Nominate your league captain to bethe USTA’s Captain of the Month. Ifselected he or she will be recognized onusta.com and will receive a $100 gift cer-tificate. Visit nominateyourcap-tain.usta.com.

> The USTA has entered into a partner-ship with Positive Coaching Alliance (pos-itivecoach.org) to provide PCA’sDouble-Goal Coach training for more

S H O R T S E T Sthan 2,000 USTA youth tennis instructors.PCA-trained Double-Goal Coaches havewinning as their first goal, while pursuingthe second, more-important goal of teach-ing life lessons through sports.

> OncourtOffcourt is offering the four-hourDVD set “The Complete Guide to 10 andUnder Tennis,” which provides activities,interviews and guidance for coaches andparents. Hosted by Joe Dinoffer, the DVDincludes sections from Dr. Robert Pangrazi,Gary Avischious, Mike Barrell, Butch Staples,Craig Jones, Anne Pankhurst and others.Visit oncourtoffcourt.com.

> The Junior Tennis Champions Center inCollege Park, Md., will honor USTA HighPerformance and two of its leaders, PatrickMcEnroe and Jay Berger, at its annual GeicoChampions Celebration May 12 and 13. Allproceeds from the event benefit JTCC’sgrassroots programs that provide tennisinstruction and training to youth in the Dis-trict of Columbia. For info: 301-779-3000,ext. 106, or [email protected].

> Players at the Sony Ericsson Open inMiami in March roamed the stands collect-ing donations that would go to help therelief efforts in Japan. Also, the men prosstaged a charity soccer match and dinner toraise funds. Andy Murray and Marcos Bagh-datis scored goals, but the pro tennis playerslost to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers profes-sional soccer team 4-2. Novak Djokovic wasthe team captain.

> The Adidas Group presented a five-yearplan to reengineer the company's approachto environmental management by focusingon improvements along the entire chain.Part of the strategy involves using 100%Better Cotton by 2018. The Adidas Groupco-founded the Better Cotton Initiative, whichaims to improve the environmental impact inthe mainstream cotton industry. The primaryfocus is on reducing water consumption andpesticide use in cotton farming.

> The National Foundation for CancerResearch is teaming up with tennis playersfor a nationwide fundraiser titled “Game,Set, Match!” Any tennis team, whether highschool, college, or community-based, canparticipate by donating proceeds from oneor more matches to NFCR. For details, visitnfcr.org/gamesetmatch.

Gamma Sports Adds2 Strings to Zo Line

Gamma Sports has released two newco-polyester strings, Zo Verve and Zo

Black Ice, that the company says aredesigned with a combination of materi-als that maintain tension and play moreconsistent than mono-polyester strings.

Zo Verve has a two-part construc-tion consisting of a red high-energy co-polyester core and threediamond-shaped black filaments ofhigh molecular weight polyester pro-viding spin and durability. The result,says Gamma, is a string for hard-hittingplayers who want maximum power,greater spin and deeper, more pene-trating shots. The three black polyesterfilaments protrude from the surface ofthe string to provide additional spin.

Zo Black Ice is a co-poly that offerstremendous ball bite for hard-hittingplayers looking for consistency, morespin and greater accuracy, says thecompany.

“Zo Verve is a blend of stiff and softmaterials so it strings tight, maintainstension and plays like a poly but givesthe player more power, exceptionalspin and control for deeper shots,” saidChuck Vietmeier, product manager. “ZoBlack Ice co-polyester constructionmaintains tension longer for more con-sistent play over the life of the string.”Visit gammasports.com.


Racquet Art Offers 8-Ounce Stencil Ink Bottles

Racquet Art (racquetart.com) has nowbottled its racquet stencil inks in 8-

ounce containers for the racquet indus-try. Under normal usage, a 1-ouncecontainer of stencilink will paint six toeight racquets. Thelarger bottles willreduce waste andsave stringers’ money,says Michael Waroffof Racquet Art LLC.The bottles come withan applicator forapplying the ink tothe strings.

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Register for 10 and UnderTennis Retailer KitAfter you register your retail business atTennisIndustry.org/Retail, you’ll receive a free10 and Under Tennis retailer kit that includesmaterials (below) to help you market and sell equipment and promote your business. Once you register, you also can download this material. In addition, qualified retailers can have their businessincluded in a retail search locator that appears on10andundertennis.com. (Details on this are coming soon.)>> 10 and Under Tennis Retail Opportunities Presentation:

See the opportunities that this initiative can bring to yourbusiness and the sport.

>> 10 and Under Tennis National Promotional Events:This calendar will help you plan your local marketingstrategy to take advantage of the national campaign, soyou can create awareness of 10 and Under Tennis andyour retail business.

>> 10 and Under Tennis Product Wall Chart: An easy-to-useguide on how to fit children with the appropriate-sizedequipment for their age and height.

>> 10 and Under Tennis Parents’ Guide: This booklet willhelp parents get their children playing, and enjoying,tennis right now.

>> 10 and Under Tennis Logos: Use these logos on yourwebsite or on any printed material to show that you have10 and Under Tennis products available.

>> 10 and Under Tennis Webinar Series: Theseinformative webinars are designed to provideretailers with educational information andmarketing ideas to help boost your saleswhile growing awareness of 10 and Under Tennis.

>> 10 and Under TennisAdvertorial: Nick Bollettieridiscusses the new ruleschange for tennis and how itwill help tennis grow in thecoming years.

>> TIA Tools and Resourcesfor Retailers: Informationto help you take advantageof marketing opportunitiesand to create awarenessof 10 and Under Tennisand your retail business.

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The TIA’s mission is topromote the growth andeconomic vitality oftennis–ensuring there isa positive economicimpact for the industry.

One of the most effective ways to achieve industry growth is throughcollective support for the USTA’s 10 and Under Tennis initiative, which hasthe overall goal of increasing the number of new, young tennis players andensuring they start appropriately on the pathway to becoming frequentplayers and lifelong tennis consumers.

The USTA’s objective is to get as many children as possible playingtennis. The TIA’s goal is to work with the USTA to support the 10 andUnder Tennis initiative in a way that will bring both short- and long-termbenefits to all sectors of this industry. To that end, the TIA has assumed alarger role in supporting tennis retailers in 10 and Under Tennis.

On the 10andundertennis.com website–which is a key to bringingyoungsters, and their parents, into the sport–the TIA will coordinate thelocator for both online and brick-and-mortar tennis retailers. This includessupporting both a broad online retail locator function and also creating andmaintaining an easily searchable (by ZIP code) database of tennis shopsmeeting minimum qualifications for listing.

One component crucial to the success of 10 and Under Tennis is theavailability of a full range of racquets and balls, which effectively cover all ages.

As a retailer, what can you do right now to move the 10 and UnderTennis initiative forward and help your business? VisitTennisIndustry.org/Retail and register your contact information and retailstore. After you do, you’ll receive a free 10 and Under Tennis Retailer Kit(see box at right for details) and you’ll be on our list to receive timely emailblasts about future youth tennis retail developments and promotions.

The goal for the industry is to put young tennis consumers on thepathway to becoming frequent tennis players and key revenuegenerators–benefiting all sectors of the industry. Your efforts andcontinued support are vital to the sustainability and growth of the industry.

10 and Under Tennis Product Wall Chart

TIA to Lead 10 and Under Tennis

Retail Effort



Pioneers In Tennis


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

Bob Lee: The King of Clay Courts(The system was eventually installedunder several courts at Wimbledon).

"I would say the development ofthe underground watering systemwas very important," said Carl Paylor,Lee's longtime friend and former Har-Tru colleague. "That really brought alot of desert areas into the clay-courtmarket."

Lee also marketed a ride-on rollerthat made maintenance easier, andeventually, launched a line of courtupkeep products, and later, lighting,that now accounts for nearly one-third of the company's business.When the tennis boom began to sub-side in the 1980s, the companyexpanded its marketing reach, offer-ing new products as well as seminarsand hands-on service.

In 1998, Bob Lee retired, sellingthe company to Luck Stone. In 1999,

Lee Tennis purchased the Har-Tru nameand continued to use it as the brandname. The company is now officiallyknown as Har-Tru Sports, a Division ofLuck Stone. Welborn, currently the direc-tor of business development, says hisfather-in-law (who passed away in April2010) would have been happy.

"That's where he started out, andthat's where it has evolved," said Wel-born. "I guess you could say it came fullcircle."

Paylor and Welborn love to tell sto-ries about Lee himself. Once, he built aboat in his basement and then couldn'tget it out. "He had to knock down a wallto fix that," says Paylor. Welborn justlaughs, remembering Lee's obsessionwith the boat in general.

"He spent more time tuning up thatboat than riding in it," Welborn says."He would drive me crazy on weekends;he would invite me over and I'd beready to go boating and he'd just becleaning up the boat all day. He lovedhaving a project. He was happiest whenhe was pounding nails into something."

—Mary Helen Sprecher �

always detail-oriented, went to workengineering and building perfect courts.His meticulous work paid off, and beforelong, Har-Tru facilities were in demandnationwide.

"To me, that was the secret," saysWelborn. "Because he had the mindsetof doing it right every time, he wouldstay until he had all the courts allchecked out. That was why the businesstook off."

By 1964, Lee had tired of the con-stant travel for Har-Tru and left the com-pany, moving to Charlottesville, Va., andstarting his own firm, Lee Tennis. In histravels, he had met the Luck family, whoowned a quarry locally. The Luck stonewas perfect for Lee's work, and theensuing partnership resulted in a newcompetitor for Lee’s former company,Har-Tru. Lee indulged his love of tinker-ing and inventing, as well as his curiosityabout new technology, furthering hiscompany's interests and revolutionizingthe soft-court industry.

Lee Tennis purchased the patentrights to HydroCourt, the undergroundwatering system, in 1990, and with it,expanded the accessibility of soft courts.

hen a player slides on acourt to make a shot,chances are he or she

has Bob Lee to thank. Any time thepro turns a knob to water the courtfrom underneath, or drives a rolleracross the surface, there's Bob Leeto thank for that, too.

Lee, who founded Lee TennisCourt Products, did much toadvance the science of the game,but he wasn't a renowned player.He was an engineer, a builder andan inventor, and he actuallylaunched his career in the sport inorder to get out of something hedidn't like doing: setting off explo-sive charges in mines.

The year was 1952, and Lee wasworking with the Funkhouser Com-pany in Hagerstown, Md.Funkhouser made roofing granules.Lee's job was to go into the mines,ascertain where a blast was likely toyield the most usable material, andthen detonate the appropriate charges.

"It was very dangerous work,"recalls John Welborn, Lee's son-in-law."But that's what he was doing everyday."

When stone was processed, abyproduct ensued: fine particles thatcouldn't be used in the roofing opera-tion. Over time, officials at Funkhouserwere persuaded to try the stone dust asa tennis court surface. The result wassuccessful, and the surface becameknown as Har-Tru. Eventually, the com-pany owner, Richard Funkhouser Sr.,wanted to market it to a wider audi-ence, and asked Lee to head up theeffort.

"I think, really, to get out of what hewas in, he would have jumped on justabout anything," laughs Welborn.

Funkhouser gave Lee and his earlyco-workers an edict: "He said, 'I'm notgoing to watch your costs or what youspend, but I don't want any callbacks. Iwant those courts perfect.'" Lee,

W

For young professionals entering the industry, laying a goodfoundation and making connections are key.

MAKINGTHEIR MOVESMAKINGTHEIR MOVES

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

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

They're in their 20s and making their mark in tennis. Youwon't find them on the pro tour, but they're just abouteverywhere else in the sport. Some are working full time,

and some are working more than one job. They're teaching ten-nis, promoting tennis and selling tennis, in offices and on thecourt, behind the scenes or on the front lines.

As part of its continuing coverage of careers in tennis, RSI isfollowing various paths open to those who are interested in thesport, and who want to parlay that interest into a paying job. Thismonth, we're focusing on some fairly recent college grads. Manyparticipated in the Tennis On Campus (TOC) or club programs attheir schools. Another is a grad with a degree from a Profession-al Tennis Management program. They're all working, but in vast-ly different capacities, and they took different routes to get there.

While networking remains a vital part of the job-findingprocess, career websites are coming on strong everywhere,

including in the sport. The Tennis Industry Association launchedits Careers in Tennis website (careersintennis.com) in 2009, andaccording to Project Manager Ryan Melton, has had more than10,500 views since that time. The free site lists jobs in differentcapacities (retail, teaching positions, facility construction, mediaand more) as well as offering information on teaching certifica-tions and college programs.

The purpose of the site, says Melton, "is to create a greaterawareness regarding the viable career paths and opportunities inthe tennis industry, especially among a younger generation offuture leaders, since we want to help combat the ‘graying’ of ourindustry overall.” As of late March, careersintennis.com, which isfree to both employers and job-seekers, had nearly 1,000 tennisspecific jobs listed.

Have ideas for careers we should be covering? Send them tous at [email protected].

For young professionals entering the industry, laying a goodfoundation and making connections are key.


Alex ChanWorks at: USTA Virginia, as Northern Virginia Community Ten-nis Representative (also currently in grad school)

College: University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyCollege playing experience: President of UMBC's Tennis on Cam-pus club.

About school: "I actually founded the TOC at UMBC when Iwas a freshman. I came to the school, and I thought they had a ten-nis club, but all they really had was an intramural tournament, andthat was played maybe once a season. That wasn't enough, so Istarted going around looking for people who were interested inplaying. I felt like we were more social and close-knit than the var-sity program."

About the current job: "My main focus areas are NJTL, mil-itary bases in Northern Virginia, and initiatives involving multi-cul-tural participation. I'm mostly in the northern Virginia area."

How he got there: "I really thought it would be good to workfor the USTA. I started doing events and getting to know the USTAstaff in that area.”

What else helped: "Tennis on Campus helped me a lot, forsure. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have had the credentials toget the job. I ran the club, I was its president; it definitely played abig part of my college career."

"I would say get to know as many people inthe industry as possible—everyone knowseveryone. Networking is how I got this job."

22 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY MAY 2011 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Kasey GrohsWorks at: "In the winter season, I work for College Park Athletic Club (Chicago) as theassistant manager of their new West location. In the summer, I am the Director of Junior Ten-nis at Royal Melbourne Country Club in Long Grove, Ill. I was fortunate enough to find twogreat places to start my career in the tennis industry only a few miles apart."

College: Graduate of the Professional Tennis Management program at Ferris State Univer-sity

Tennis background: "I am a lifelong tennis player. My dad got me into the sport at anearly age. I played all four years in high school, and this was at the time when I really gotserious about the sport. I realized I wanted a career in tennis late into my senior year andmanaged to get into the PTM program by lucky timing and by having a passion."

About the current job: "As assistant manager at College Park,my job entails everything from teaching private and group lessons torunning events, racquet repair, front desk and administrative duties,as well as running USTA tournaments. At Royal Melbourne, I run thejunior program, teach private and group lessons, run events, racquetrepair, and normal pro shop duties."

Long-term goal: "To own and operate my own club."

Taylor HelfeldtWorks at: USTA Texas Section

College: Texas A&M

Playing experience: Member of TOC team that won the national cham-pionship in 2006.

College playing experience: "I really enjoyed playing. It was a greatopportunity to have the program because it meant people could play tennis incollege even if they couldn't or didn't want to play Division I. This gave us allopportunities for playing and for camaraderie and being part of a team sport."

About the current job: "With the USTA Texas Section, I work as com-munity tennis support staff, as well as with wheelchair tennis, adult recreationand grants. They call me the Swiss Army Knife of the office."

Long-term goal: To stay in the tennis industry. "Playing in college defi-nitely instilled in me the passion for the sport, and it also gave me an opportu-nity to network. I didn't realize it six years ago, but looking at things now, I candefinitely see that it impacted my decisions. I love this area, I love this job, andI love being able to work with these people."

Meghan HoukWorks at: Jim Reffkin Tennis Center in Tucson, Ariz., as Associate Director of Tennis

College: University of Arizona

College playing experience: Started the Tennis on Campus program at her col-lege and played for two years, and is now advisor for the club. "I wanted to go to theUniversity of Arizona because of their business and Spanish programs, but was notgood enough to play on the varsity team and frankly wouldn't have had the time to dothat while maintaining my academic scholarship. I played intramurals at school, butparticipation decreased each year and it was poorly organized. That was why I startedthe TOC program at U of A. It's a three-part program with a beginner QuickStart format,intramural team program, and competitive traveling club team."

About the current job: "At the tennis center I run 100-plus tournaments a yearincluding the Level 1 Junior Winter Nationals and the Tennis on CampusSpring Invitational. I also teach tennis to players ages 4-84. My main focus isin our NJTL Summer Program and our Junior After-School QuickStart formatprogram." (Note: She also currently serves on the USTA Southwest CollegiateCommittee, and is vice-chair of the USTA's National Tennis on Campus Com-mittee.)

"Follow your passion. If you love the sport and wanta job in it, you have to hang in there. It's not an easyindustry to get into, but people are definitely willingto help you. Meet everyone you can and learn fromeveryone you meet."

"If people want to get a job in the industry, they shouldhold a leadership position in their TOC program and theyshould start working part time at a local tennis facility orworking as a volunteer or intern for the USTA."

"I would recommend getting a degree in Professional TennisManagement. The leadership opportunities are endless, and thehands-on approach to learning, combinedwith a great internshipprogram, give you the tools to make it in this industry. Not tomention you graduate with a bachelor's in marketing."


Sarah RiceWorks at: USTA New England Section, as Community Tennis Development Assistant

College: University of New Hampshire

College playing experience: "Our men's and women's varsity tennis program wascut after my freshman year so we applied to become a club sport at UNH. During my sopho-more year, we learned that there were other club teams in New England that we could play.We worked to formalize the New England league and get more tournaments and matchesgoing. We had great competition but there was also a feeling of camaraderie with all of theteams because we were all enjoying Tennis on Campus. It's also so rewarding to know wehelped start the club team at UNH that so many players will get to enjoy in the future."

About the current job: "I support our department with Jr. Team Tennis, schools,Recreational Coach Workshops, and growing 10 and Under Tennis. I am also the contactfor the New England Tennis on Campus League. Now I get to help expand the league andthe teams in New England and I also run the Campus Championship–NewEngland."

Getting the job: "I found the job opening online and realized I knew theDirector of Community Tennis (my future boss) from working with her whenI was a Tennis on Campus captain. I already had hands-on experience witha program that I would be running as part of the job. Organizing a club teamand all of the practices, matches, team events, and fundraisers is a lot ofresponsibility, so I think that's impressive on a resume as well."

Nichole WilliamsWorks at: USTA Texas Section

College: Texas A&M Club Team (won National Campus Championship title in 2006)

College playing experience: "I had some friends who were on the club team who werevery competitive and who really liked playing there, as opposed to a more time-consuming var-sity program. I’m still in touch with the people I played there."

About the current job: "I work as the NJTL Schools and Diversity Coordinator. I bring ten-nis to the P.E. curriculum for the schools, and I also work with trying to get all kinds of diversepeople involved in the sport. With both those programs, I have a chance to bring tennis to peo-ple who might not normally ever play it. I started this in December and I lovetennis and I love kids, and this allows me to do the things I love the most."

Getting the job: "It goes back to a connection I made through Tennis onCampus. Someone I knew in the program was working in this office, and he putin a good word. People who played on the varsity don't have those contacts likethat."

Ai TakamoriWorks at: Southern California Tennis Association, as Manager of Junior Competition and PlayerDevelopment

College: University of California–San Diego

College playing experience: "I had just transferred to UCSD after playing at the varsity levelat two different schools and thought I was done competing. I heard about TOC when I was playingintramural tennis my junior year at UCSD. My friend was in charge of the intramural tennis programand when our team won the intramural championships, we got an invitation to play at the TOC Sec-tionals. She was graduating, but encouraged me to start a club team at UCSD. The following year,another friend and I started the club team there. Competing in the nationals was definitely the high-

light of TOC."

About the current job: "I run and administer various tournamentsand programs throughout the year for junior players. I spend most days inan office, but also get to spend a lot of time outdoors at tournament sites."

Landing the job: "The Tennis on Campus coordinator at the SCTA,Linda Milan, actually e-mailed all the TOC captains about the job opening. I

had been searching six months for a job after I graduated college, so it was perfect timing! I majored in economics, so I alwaysthought I'd end up working at a typical 9 to 5 job at a big corporation, but I couldn't be happier doing what I do."

"Stay involved in the sport and you never know whatopportunity might come along! I never thought I'd bedoing this, but I'm loving every minute of it."

"Use your connections! I think that was a huge part of why Igot an interview for my job. I set up a lot of informationalinterviews with anyone I knew in my field. Even if they don'thave a job opening, they'll keep you in mind for the futureand might have other connections for you to use."

"Tennis on Campus absolutely helped me, but there arealso a lot of goodwebsites out there. Do everything youcan to make those connections."

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

With six of the seven winners, Florida again dominates in the outdoor soft-court category ofthe Racquet Sports Industry/American Sports Builders Association 2010 DistinguishedFacility-of-the-Year Awards.

All seven of these winning projects use subsurface irrigation, which both conserves water andmaximizes playing time. All the projects also used laser grading to ensure a uniform and prop-erly sloped surface.

Four of these projects are new construction (Cindy Hummel Tennis Center, NewBridge on theCharles, Roger Scott Tennis Center and Valencia Lakes Tennis and Recreation Facility), and fourare public facilities with at least six clay courts. (At least one project included a shorter court for10 and Under Tennis.) On some of these projects, cut, or angled, corners also seem to be a nicetouch, both aesthetically and in helping players retrieve balls.

The Cindy Hummel Tennis Center was a design-build project for the city that, in addition tothe eight clay courts, also included one shorter hard court for 10 and Under Tennis. Site workrequired the removal of several large oak trees, and an abandoned sewer line had to be cement-ed-in to create retention ponds.Club Med Sandpiper Bay was upgraded; the four hard courts were demolished, the old

asphalt removed, the fencing was expanded, and six new Har-Tru courts were installed in twobatteries, with the existing lights left in place.

The single court at NewBridge on the Charles in Massachusetts is brand new, on a site thathad steep slopes, so stone retaining walls were built to create a level platform for the court andclubhouse. Noise from a nearby highway was mitigated with an 8-foot-high ship-lap groove cedarboard fence.

Another upgrade, the three new Har-Tru courts at the Ritz Carlton in Amelia Island, were builtover three older all-weather courts that were being used as a parking lot. Fill had to be added tochange the direction and rate of the slope, and the exterior ground needed to be reshaped to cap-ture draining water and direct it to catch basins.

Excessive rain caused major washouts during the construction of the10 new soft courts at the Roger Scott Tennis Center, which are in twotwo-court and two three-court batteries, all with cut corners. The facili-

ty, designed by the USTA, also required curbing and fenc-ing that can withstand hurricanes, so the pouredconcrete curb was reinforced with three rows of rebar,and all fence poles were tied into the slab.

The project at Seaview Park also included a concrete practice court with a hit-ting wall, in addition to the five-court and two-court Har-Tru batteries. One diffi-culty was the subbase, which was full of contaminated material that had to beremoved, then replaced with clean fill and geo-tech material. But now the urbanfacility has been transformed into an upscale municipal tennis center with mod-ern courts and irrigation.

The tennis and recreation facility at Valencia Lakes is geared toward 55-plus active adults,and this center has it all: six new clay tennis courts, four hard pickleball courts, sub-irrigatedbocce ball courts, basketball court, horseshoe pits and more. At the time of construction, therewas a major drought that produced dust storms. The contractor had to fabricate dust barriersaround the courts so the surface wouldn’t be contaminated. And the result, as in all these win-ning projects, is flawless. —Peter Francesconi �

Where can you find excellence in outdoorclay-court construction? Take a look atthese seven winners.

For details on the 2011 Outstand-ing Facility-of-the-Year Awards,contact the ASBA at 866-501-ASBA or [email protected],or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.

SOFT GOODSSOFT GOODS

NewBridge on the CharlesCottage Community, Dedham, Mass.(Nominated by Stantec, Boston, Mass.)Architect/Engineer: Patrick MaguireSpecialty Contractor: Cape and Island Tennis & TrackNo. of Courts: 1


Where can you find excellence in outdoorclay-court construction? Take a look atthese seven winners.

Cindy Hummel Tennis CenterAuburndale, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)General Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.No. of Courts: 8Surface: Lee Tennis HydroblendLighting: LSI CourtsiderSubsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis HydroGrid

Club Med Sandpiper BayPort St. Lucie, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)Specialty Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.No. of Courts: 6Surface: Lee Tennis HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis HydroGridCourt Accessories: Welch Tennis Courts

Ritz CarltonAmelia Island, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)General Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.No. of Courts: 3Surface: Lee Tennis HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis HydroGridWindscreen: J.A. CisselCourt Accessories: Welch Tennis Courts


Roger Scott Tennis CenterPensacola, Fla.(Nominated by Fast-Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)Specialty Contractor: Fast-Dry CourtsNo. of Courts: 10Surface: Lee Tennis HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Lee TennisWindscreen: Aer-FloNet Posts, Line Tapes: Lee TennisTrench Drain: Zurn IndustriesNets, Accessories: Fast-Dry Courts

Seaview Park Tennis FacilityPalm Beach, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)Architect/Engineer: Global Sports & Tennis Design Group Inc.Specialty Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.No. of Courts: 7Surface: Lee Tennis HydroblendLighting: LSI CourtsiderSubsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis HydroGrid


Valencia Lakes Tennisand Recreation FacilitySun City, Fla.(Nominated by Fast-Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)Specialty Contractor: Fast-Dry CourtsNo. of Tennis Courts: 6 (soft)No. of Pickleball Courts: 4 (hard)Surface: Lee Tennis HydroblendSubsurface Irrigation: Lee TennisNet Posts: J.A. CisselWindscreen: PuttermanLine Tapes: Lee TennisLighting: Recreational Lighting SystemsNets: Fast-Dry CourtsResurfacer (Pickleball): Nova Sports

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

Whether stringing for the pros or for recreational players, youneed to establish standard operating procedures.

STANDARDPRACTICESSTANDARDPRACTICES

T H E S T R I N G E R ʼ S F I L E

B Y R O N R O C C H I

The Wilson stringing team has refined many aspects oftournament stringing, and there are some practices thatcan be applied to any type of home or retail stringing.

Our constant focus while stringing at tournaments is to deliv-er the highest quality, most consistent and repeatable installationpossible, for the most demanding players, in the shortest time.We treat each string job as the most important thing that day,and understand completely the needs of our customers. To dothis, we have developed a comprehensive system and standardpractices that when executed by the team, put us in a great posi-tion to succeed.

The system we use is not proclaimed as the “right way”—rather, it’s one specific way to string. Keep in mind that althoughmany things can be learned from tournament stringing, someideas simply do not translate well for the average player, or theaverage stringer.

LEARN FROM THE PROS:‘Clean the Machine’A great lesson for any stringer is to know your equipment, andknow it well. This means to understand how your machineworks, how to maintain it properly, and how to clean and adjustall the parts. This is not dependent on the type of machine youare using, or how much it costs. It is the responsibility of thestringer to take care of the machine. Tournament stringers arefanatical about cleaning their machines, and they know that awell-functioning machine will allow them to provide the beststring installation possible.

Stringing machines have various moving parts, each of whichneeds to be cleaned regularly. We use basic isopropyl alcohol

(rubbing alcohol) for daily cleaning, and all the moving partsneed to be cleaned. A great tip is to purchase cotton-tipped appli-cators from any laboratory supply company. They usually comein a bag of 50 or 100, and are inexpensive. These are fantasticto clean small areas as well as hidden parts and grooves.

Lubrication is another issue. When there is any direct contacton two moving parts, we prefer to use lubricant that containsTeflon. We have found silicone-based lubricants dissipate quick-ly and don’t provide the ease of movement required. We like touse a product called Tri-Flow, although there are many other guncleaners and lubricants that work well, and build up over time toprovide really good frictionless surfaces. For tight areas that needlubrication, use a clean cotton-tipped applicator.

It is also important to pay close attention to the clamps.Lubricate the post and lower moving parts, while constantlycleaning the teeth. Never apply lubricant to the friction areawhere the clamp base meets the turntable or the teeth of aclamp! If the clamp teeth are not clean, the string will slip andthe coating will be ruined. In a tournament setting, we clean ourclamps four to five times per day. That translates to about everyfive racquets strung. This allows us to maintain the correct clamppressure and avoid over tightening, which damages the string.How clean are your clamps?

LEARN FROM THE PROS:‘Which Way is Up?’This simple idea serves as a launching pad for the entire systemwe use at tournaments. We begin each string job by mountingthe racquet to the machine with the end cap facing “up” basedon the manufacturer’s logo. As a result, this determines the

Whether stringing for the pros or for recreational players, youneed to establish standard operating procedures.


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


“right” and “left” sides for stringing. This allows us to determine theshort and long side automatically, and ensures we will tie off in the

exact same location everytime. This is extremelyimportant when stringing a“series” (multiple) racquetsfor the same player, as theywill see the same knot loca-tion on all racquets we’vestrung for them.

But even more important-ly, as we see this player manydays and sometimes weeksin a row, they receive theexact same patterns and knotlocations, which also adds toour overall consistency. Thestringer does not have toremember or write downwhere he tied off a particularstring; it has been pre-deter-mined within our system.

As with any good rule,there are always exceptions.There are some Prince rac-quets that require a specificshort-side orientation, which

means that the end cap may have to be upside down. However, westill mount the frame so that the short side is on the same side of themachine as all the other racquets we service.

Whether you string alone at home, or with other stringers in ashop, this “right side up” mounting idea is a great first step toimprove the overall consistency of your stringing service.

CRITICAL DECISION:‘Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up?’In the world of stringing, this debate has existed for decades, andthere are many valid arguments to both sides. Top-downers usuallycite less frame distortion, and bottom-uppers talk about the naturalflow of a superior one-piecestring job. To be honest, this isnot a case of right and wrong,rather a debate of preference.I think there are additionalfactors to be considered, suchas the type of mounting sys-tem being used. If yourmachine has only two-pointmounting, then a bottom-upapproach may cause theframe to distort in the hoop.With a six-point mountingsystem, much less frame dis-tortion would occur.

But I also believe that even more critical factors are the frequen-cy of stringing and tension. From a purely scientific standpoint, the

stringing process imparts massive amounts of force and load dis-placement that most stringers don’t even consider. In today’s car-bon-fiber racquets, this stress is so great in fact that somemanufacturers must plan and design lay-ups with this in mind. Soour approach at tournaments is to string “top-down” whenever pos-sible. This is due in great part to the simple fact that these racquetsare being re-strung almost every day, and the stringing force mov-ing in the direction of the shafts of the racquet will help the integri-ty over a longer period of time. Remember, these are pro playerracquets at a professional event, not consumer racquets that may bereturned for warranty consideration. You should never do anythingthat would void a warranty on a racquet for your customer.

CRITICAL DECISION:‘One-Piece or Two-Piece?’Two-piece stringing is a by-product of the recent hybrid popularity.But again, a strong debate exists. If you are installing a hybrid (dif-ferent strings for mains and crosses) then two-piece (four knots)stringing is necessary. And there are some advantages: Separatepieces allow for different tensions to stay different, and with fourknots all outside strings will result in a slightly lower tension due totie-offs. This lower tension should be more forgiving on off-centerhits, which is a plus for average players.

In a tournament setting, we string one-piece whenever possible.To be more specific, we string one-piece top-down whenever possi-ble. Our philosophy is simply that at the professional level, we wantto minimize things that can go wrong, and with four knots, more cango wrong. Also, pro players tend to hit the vast majority of theirshots in the center of the strings, so lower tension outside strings donot matter as much. Furthermore, top-down one-piece stringing pro-vides a clean look with only two knots, and contributes to thelongevity of the frame.

LEARN FROM THE PROS:‘All Are Knot Created Equal’The vast majority of stringers use the double half-hitch and/or someversion of a starting knot. Yet other stringers revel in the ability toexecute various exotic knots from faraway lands. Let us not forget

what the purpose of a knot is:To tie off one string to another.And, if it is a good knot, it willnot damage either string. But, ifit is a superior knot, it will alsolook clean and perform just aswell. In our opinion, the doublehalf-hitch looks bulky, and thesecond hitch never seems to“close up” against the other.

As for the starting knot,accomplished tournamentstringers simply do not use thisbecause it is big, looks differentfrom the finishing knot, and at

higher tensions tends to add unwanted stress to the string and grom-met. It is my personal opinion that the greater your skills as a

‘Pulling’ itAll Together…The stringing system used by theWilson team centers around stan-dardization and repeatability.Some of the key ideas describedhere can be implemented at theconsumer level and can improvethe overall quality of your stringingin the shop.� Clean your machine every day,like the pros.

�Mount the racquet right side up.� Consider “top-down” vs. “bot-tom-up” stringing.

�Make the right choice—one-pieceand two-piece stringing.

� All knots are not created equal.� Understand the differencebetween tournament stringingand stringing in your shop forrecreational players.


stringer, the less likely you are to use a startingknot. To avoid using a starting knot, we utilize astarting clamp to secure the string, then comeback and tie off using our standard finishing knot.

So we consider both aspects of a knot, firstthe function and then the aesthetics. I have hadthe privilege of working with and seeing the besttournament stringers in the world, and have beenin the stringing rooms at all the major tourna-ments. The single most common aspect of alltournament stringing is the knot, and it repre-sents the biggest difference between shop string-ing and tournament stringing. Sure, there arevariations and a few different types of knotsbeing used, but nowhere is the old double half-hitch considered the best knot for tournamentplayers. On the other hand, if you are stringing ina shop for the general public, the double half-hitch and any starting knot are completelyacceptable and will serve you well. But in theworld of tournament stringing,other knots are preferred.

Most professional tournamentstringers use similar knots that holdwell and “cinch up” close to theframe. The Wilson team uses ourown version of the tournamentknot, but it is similar to tournamentknots you can look up online. Forus, the most important thing is that we each usethe same knot. In case you’re wondering, thisknot has served us well over the years: In morethan 60,000 racquets we’ve strung at tourna-ments, not a single knot has failed, ever. �

Understanding the‘Tournament’ Difference…There is a huge difference between what we do at a tournament and what moststringers experience every day. The biggest difference is quantity per day. In ashop setting, a stringer may complete 10 or even 15 racquets on a busy day.Most of the tournament stringers have completed that before lunch, and arelooking at an additional stack of up to 20 more! Note that in most cases we arenot talking about synthetic gut in racquets with 16 mains and 18 crosses, butrather stiff poly in racquets with an 18 x 20 string bed.

Another major difference is what tournament stringers call a “series.” Thisis where you have multiple racquets that are exactly the same frame, with iden-tical stringing requested in all the racquets. This takes a great amount of skill andtime management, and requires that the stringer duplicate every aspect of thestringing from the first racquet to the last. If you have six racquets to string, andthe goal is for them to end at exactly the same tension, you had better have agood system for how to handle the installation process.

As part of the Wilson stringing system, we always string a series in its entire-ty from start to finish without stopping in between racquets. This does takesome delicate planning and time management, especially with other players’racquets to string as well as Mother Nature calling.

To illustrate the process of stringing multiple racquets for the same player, Ihave a few examples from the Sony Ericsson Open this year:� ATP World No. 1 Rafael Nadal usually drops off four racquets on match daysfor stringing. As his tension of 25.5 kg remains the same for the entire tour-nament, it is our challenge to duplicate this each time. From a stringing stand-point, it does not matter which order we string the racquets, because each isat the same tension.

� Young upstart Alexandr Dolgopolov also drops off four racquets on matchdays. However, he wanted three racquets at 27/26 kg and one at 26.5/25.5 kg.The order in which we string these racquets becomes very important. Becausefour racquets will take about two hours to string, we cannot string the lowesttension last, as in that time the tension on the first racquet will be slightly loos-er, making it seem the same tension as the last racquet—the one strung at thelower tension. Therefore, we must string the loosest tension first, so that sub-sequent racquets strung at higher tensions will always be tighter.

�WTA World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki also drops off multiple racquets forstringing, and her tension is 26 kg. Since she uses a hybrid of Babolat Revengeand Natural gut, we always use four knots.Imagine a customer dropping off six of the same racquets, asking that they

all be strung at the same tension, and then they check the work of the stringerupon pick-up. And then they do that every day for two weeks! In most shopsand clubs, a customer will drop one racquet for stringing, and then you will notsee them again for months or even a whole year. At a tournament, we see that

player every day, and in many cases more than once per day.The responsibility of a tournament stringer to reproduce

the same installation each day is paramount to the player.Constant adjustments to tension, sometimes by a half pound,are critical to maximize racquet performance. You see, theplayers are balancing many factors to find the exact right ten-sion, none of which is taken into consideration for the averageplayer. These factors are temperature, humidity, speed of thecourt surface, and ball characteristics.

Once the player has found the magic combination, it becomes the respon-sibility of the stringer to reproduce that stringing each and every day, and thefinal tension cannot vary, period. On the other hand, if a shop stringer is off by2 or 3 pounds for a recreational player they see only once a year, this may notbe even noticed by the customer. —R.R

Coming Up:A closer look at the Wilson/Luxilon stringing teammembers, and some of theskills required of a world-class tournament stringer.

Often overlooked by players,the grip and handle are crucialto a racquet’s performance.Educate your customers on howimportant this area is to their game.

HANDLINGYOUR PLAYERSHANDLINGYOUR PLAYERS

R A C Q U E T C U S T O M I Z A T I O N

B Y B O B P A T T E R S O N

The handle of a racquet is the only contact the player haswith the racquet during play, yet it is often the most over-looked. Most players seem content to play with a grip or

overgrip until it literally disintegrates. Most are totally surprisedwhen they compare their worn-out grip to a fresh one.

As racquet technicians, we notice a severely worn grip whena racquet comes in for stringing and recommend a replacementfor the customer. Often it ends there, but it shouldn’t. The gripand handle are crucial to the performance of the racquet, andboth players and technicians should understand this.

Grips, like strings, should be treated as an integral part ofthe racquet that must be tuned to players’ specific needs inorder to provide optimum performance every time he or shesteps out on the court. I encourage technicians to add the gripand handle to their discussion with their customers to deter-mine how that customer can best be served. Just like the strings,most players are using a grip just because it came on their rac-quet. That may be just fine, but they should at least try othersto see if there is something that may work better for them.

Grips are available in such a wide variety and what worksfor one player may feel terrible to the next guy. You shouldstock an assortment of grips and have a display available forcustomers to grab and feel. Some will like a cushy, soft grip,while others will gravitate to the firmer feel of leather. Some willprefer grooves while others will go for ridges. Unless you offera variety, you may not only miss a sale, you may lose a client.That perfect string job won’t feel so perfect when the client ishaving trouble holding onto the racquet.

But don’t stop with the grip. The handle underneath the grip

is just as important. Although almost all racquets come with anoctagon-shaped handle, each manufacturer has a slightly differ-ent shape. Some even have a couple of different shapes withintheir own lines. Although all 4-3/8-inch grips should have a cir-cumference of 4-3/8 inches, they certainly don’t feel the same.The difference in the bevels and angles of the octagon shapewill change the feel in a player’s hand. Some players are moresensitive to this than others. The differences are very subtle,and subtle alterations may make the difference for mostplayers.

Think about simple customizations that can make a differ-ence. Do you have a client who prefers a more rounded feel ontheir racquet that has a more rectangular profile? Try the simplebuild-up shown in “Rounding Out a Handle” on page 36.

Do you have a customer who complains about the racquetflying out of their hand on serves? Try offering a tacky grip withgrooves or ridges to help them hold on better. If that is notenough to do the trick, offer a handle customization shown in“Flaring the Butt Cap” on page 37. By customizing the handle tomake the butt cap more steeply flared, the racquet won’t slideout of their hand so easily.

These are two examples of simple customizations that anytechnician should be able to do. If you can build up a handlewith heat sleeves, then you can do this. There are other handlecustomizations that can be done using heat sleeves. Just thinkoutside the box! A bump here, a groove there—no problem!

Giving your customers full service not only shows you havetheir enjoyment of the game in mind, but it also sets you apartfrom your competition and adds to your bottom line.

Often overlooked by players,the grip and handle are crucialto a racquet’s performance.Educate your customers on howimportant this area is to their game.



Rounding Out a Handle

1. Start with a clean handle. 2. Apply double-face tape along theface bevel on each side.

3. Apply the heat shrink sleeve asnormal.

4. Trim to length as with a normalbuild-up.

5. Trim away the material along thelength of the handle, leaving the facebevel material over the tape.

6. Wrap the grip.


Flaring the Butt Cap

1. Start with a clean handle. Cut build-upsleeves to length. The quantity and lengthdepends on your application. You will wantthem longer than desired, then trim to fit.

2. Heat shrink the small sleeves over the buttcap and allow each one to cool completelybefore applying the next one. Wait until allare in place before trimming.

3. Trim the sleeves at the top of the buttcap, or lower if you want a more pro-nounced effect.

4. Trim flush with the end of the buttcap.

5. Shrink a 1/16” size sleeveover the others and allowto cool.

6. Trim justabove the topedge of thebutt cap. Apiece of fin-ishing tapemakes agood guide toensure a smooth, straight cut. This sleeve needs to belonger than the others to lock the entire process in place.

7. Trim flush with butt cap.

8. Install the grip, makingsure to keep the grip taughtas you wrap around the buttcap and transition to thehandle to ensure there areno wrinkles.

38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY MAY 2011

APPAREL


RULES OFENGAGEMENTRULES OFENGAGEMENT

It’s been a tough couple of years for apparel retailers. But withcareful buying, trimming inventory, creative merchandising andexpert customer service, these shops are surviving and thriving.

It’s been a tough couple of years for apparel retailers. But withcareful buying, trimming inventory, creative merchandising andexpert customer service, these shops are surviving and thriving.

Players World of SportsHilton Head Island, S.C.Though Players World of Sports does fine with rac-

quet sales and stringing, “Soft goods is where themoney is,” says Jill Swanker, who owns the store withTom Jilly. “With almost a 45 to 60 percent margin onapparel, we’re always moving around the clothes tomake it look new.” Players World moved into its currentspace in 2008 and since then has seen a yearly boost insales.

Swanker orders more fashion pieces than basics,though she makes sure to pick staples, which customerscan pair with fashionable tops or skirts. She also buyslines with certain types of customers in mind—returningaffluent customers vacationing in Hilton Head, whoalways come in to buy the latest styles.

Players World also has incorporated the “crossover”fitness element showcasing Under Armour in its apparelselection, which attracts a variety of customers. Whilethe demographic appears to skew toward the more for-giving fit of Bolle and Tail, the varied customer base thatcomes to Players World also buys Nike and the fashion-able Lija line. Carrying a variety of shoes, Swanker saysK-Swiss is their best selling brand with customers gravi-tating toward tried and true models. —Cynthia Sherman

PlayersWorld of Sports Apparel Sales Tips� Keep women customers happy sincethey’re the main shoppers.

� Make sure you have certain staples inyour inventory that can be paired withother pieces.

� Put sales racks in the back so customershave to move through the store.

� Know the preferred sizes and styles ofyour customers to keep control of order-ing and inventory.

Midtown Tennis ClubChicagoMidtown Tennis Club pro shop manager Lynda Reis says

that while soft-goods sales dropped off in 2008, clothingsales made a resurgence last spring. Midtown carries women’sNike, Adidas, Fila, Bolle, KSwiss and Tail, and sometimes Reiswill order Eliza Audley or Lija for something different and styl-ish. “It depends on what’s being offered that year,” she says.“But customers are always looking for sales and mark-downsbecause there are sales everywhere.” Knowing too that dress-es sell more in the summer, she orders accordingly.

Being a tennis club, the retail setup at Midtown is some-what unique—the pro shop surrounds the reception desk onall sides. The sale racks are in the back, along with racquetsand shoes. While Midtown stocks strictly tennis clothes formen, Reis has brought in fitness/crossover lines for women,which are increasingly popular. The club also logos UnderArmour clothing. Displays are changed all the time to keepthings fresh looking, says Reis.

Midtown does a brisk men’s business, keeping men’sclothing up front, so the men players pass the clothing on theirway to reception and don’t have to go past racks of women’sclothes. Reis says children’s clothing is a growing category.Midtown has created a kids’ corner, with clothing, racquetsand shoes, which has proven quite successful.

—Cynthia Sherman


Midtown Tennis Club Apparel Sales Tips� Look ahead to see what’s coming inandmake adjustments/cuts on currentorders as necessary.

� Move merchandise around; don’tleave it in one spot for more than aweek or two.

� Have a feature rack in front, and keepit fresh.

� Change men’s displays regularly.� Emphasize service by having pro shopstaff available to customers.


TennistopiaRockville, Md.Darrell Haines, owner of Tennistopia, says frequent rotation of merchan-

dise displays is key. "We try to follow the seasons," Haines says. "We dosome neat window displays for things like Valentine's Day, Mother's Day andFather's Day, and we do tie-ins with Wimbledon, the French Open, the USOpen and so on." The display in Tennistopia's large front window is changedabout every three weeks and Haines says he tries to rotate merchandisearound in the store, from back to front, at least every month.

Apparel is throughout the store, with a discount rack in the center. Hainessays there’s also strong interest in the juniors’ apparel section. Shoes aretoward the back, so that customers walk through apparel and equipment toreach them.

In choosing stock, "We try to follow what the pros are playing on the tourbecause we know that can drive people in. We also listen to our sales repsbecause they'll tell us that an ad is going to be appearing in a magazine withNadal wearing a certain shoe or shirt,” says Haines.

But ultimately, he adds, it comes down to a staff familiar with shoppers'tastes. "Sometimes, the reps will have something, but we know it isn't goingto sell well to our customers."

Shoppers may come in to look at pieces that tour players are wearing, but,says Haines, the real test is in the dressing room. "They want to see the styleand the color, but they really need to know itfits."

While all brick-and-mortar shops face stiffcompetition from online retailers and the varietyof merchandise they can offer, independentstores have the advantage of knowledgeable per-sonnel onsite at all times, says Haines. "Plus,there's not many places you can go as a con-sumer that the owner is standing right in front ofyou. And that's what you get with a tennis shop:you're dealing with the owner. That's optimalcustomer service." —Mary Helen Sprecher

Tennistopia Apparel Sales Tips� Change front window apparel displaysevery few weeks.

� Follow the seasons with your displays,and gear displays to holidays, specialoccasions, Grand Slam tournaments,etc.

� Listen to sales reps so you can tie intoadvertising that will appear showingpro players in particular clothing.

� Make sure your staff knowswhat yourcustomers like and will wear.

42 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2011

the racquet, the excess silicone will popright out.5 sets of Babolat Revenge 16 to:Ted Ruthling, Santa Fe, NM

RACQUET STORAGE BINSI recently found myself stringing at a tour-nament away from my shop. I brought allof my tools and accessories, but in thestringing area there was no provision forstoring racquets. There was no time orpossibility of building shelving or attachingholders to the walls, but I needed to organize and contain incoming and out-going racquets, and it had to be quick and simple.

What I did was to commandeer somemedium-size rubber trash containers fromthe players’ lounge. I had two on one sideof my machine for incoming racquets andtwo on the other side for finished racquets.

The system worked so well that Ibought a couple of similar containers formy home workshop. Now I don’t have togive up precious wall space for racquetholders, or settle for stacking them againstthe wall where they are easily knockedover.5 sets of Dunlop Sport Comfort Synthetic16 to:Alan Yoshida, Ocean Park, CA

ADJUSTING STAR 5 CLAMPSThe Babolat Star 5 has textured clampfaces that hold the string securely, andafter working with them for a while it’seasy to pre-adjust them as you changefrom string to string. However, sometimes

SILICONE IN THE HOOPPutting silicone inside the hoop of theracquet isn’t for everyone. Obviously, itadds mass to the racquet, but once it’sin, you aren’t going to get it out, andthen way it dampens the feel of theframe and makes the racquet feelmuch different than if you added theweight using lead tape.

However, if you need (or want) to doit, here’s the method I use:

First, even though the silicone seemsas though it doesn’t flow very well, blockoff the section(s) of the hoop where youwant to add the silicone, using cottonballs inside the hoop. This is similar tothe way you would add silicone orexpanding foam to the handle, to pre-vent the added material from flowinginto the upper handle and shaft.

Second, weigh the racquet with thebumperguard and grommet strip(s) offand the cotton in place, so you knowwhen to stop adding silicone. You’regoing to have one shot at getting it right,although if you’re under weight whenyou’re done it is possible to use leadtape to make up the difference.

Third, tape off the inside edge of thehoop so when you inject the siliconethrough the holes on the outside of thehoop, it doesn’t just run through theframe and out the other side.

Fourth, after injecting the siliconeinto the hoop, let it set for a few min-utes, and then insert the grommet stripthrough the holes while the silicone isstill workable. Note that you will lose abit of the silicone — and thus the weight— you added, but replacing the grom-met strip before the silicone completelysets up is definitely easier than waitingfor the silicone to cure and then drillingout each grommet hole. As you do this,some of the silicone will get onto theoutside of the frame and some will plugthe grommet holes. Clean the siliconeoff the frame right away, but let it set upin the grommet holes before restringingthe racquet. Then when you do restring

Tips & Techniques

when switching from a hard poly to a softmultifilament, the clamps will not beadjusted in enough. I’ve noticed that ifI’m a little off in my pre-adjustment onthe loose side when I release the tensionhead, the moving jaw of the clamp willshift to the side slightly relative to thefixed side of the clamp, even though thestring doesn’t slip. This indicates that theclamp needs to be adjusted in a littlemore.5 sets of Head Sonic Pro 16 to:Jefferson K. Officer, Del Mar, CA

RACQUET MICROMETER

I could not help but wonder why a rac-quet stringer would want a standard six-inch micrometer, other than to repair ormodify the stringer. (Ask the Experts, Jan-uary 2011 RSI magazine)

Then the thought occurred that per-haps the questioner was looking for away to accurately measure the width andlength of racquet hoops before and afterstringing.

I purchased an inexpensive 6-inch dig-ital caliper for under $25 and then boughta "caliper extender" for $134 that allowsme to measure accurately (probably +/-.002 inches) between 0 and 26 inches.This tool has been invaluable in allowingme to determine the optimum tensiondifference between mains and crosses tominimize head distortion.

By way of comparison, the cost of an18-inch micrometer runs between $350-$600.5 sets of Wilson K-Gut Pro 16 to:Kenneth Sachar, Orange, CT

—Greg Raven �


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 ServiceTechniques which is a benefit of USRSA membership. Submittips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084; oremail [email protected].

Q

? Ask the Experts

SHAPED STRINGSTHERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALKabout the new shaped strings likeBabolat RPM Blast and the addition-

al spin that they can create. Do you haveany info on how long these shapes lastbefore all the sharp edges become round-ed? I agree that the shape helps with spin,but don't think it lasts that long.

THE SHAPE IS BUILT INTO THEstring, so unless it is ground away (as

might happen for example at the intersec-tion of a main and a cross), it's there to stay.However, as the string ages, it typically

becomes more "bouncy," so you get morevelocity for the same spin, which can makeit seem as if you're not getting as muchspin. Of course, this holds true for moststrings.

ONE-PIECE VS. TWO-PIECE

pieces of string. Does it make any differ-ence which way I do it? Is one better thanthe other, or is it just preference of playerand/or stringer? I’ve been asked and I don’thave a good response.

ONE OBVIOUS REASON TO USEthe two-piece stringing method is

that it is the only possible way to installhybrid strings, that is, those with one typeof string for the mains (such as Kevlar orpolyester), and another for the crosses(such as gut or nylon).Aside from this special circumstance,

there are other reasons why you might stringa racquet with two-pieces instead of one.First, on racquets where the mains fin-

ish at the throat, two-piece stringing createsless stress in the frame, because you canstart the crosses at the head where thehoop is weakest, reinforcing it right away.Then as you install the crosses, you will beworking toward the stronger part of thehoop as the pressure builds on the frame.

With the top crosses already in, and theshaft supporting the hoop at the bottom,there is far less danger of racquet damage.Second, you are working with two

shorter pieces of string, rather than onelonger piece of string, which can reducetangles and wear-and-tear on the string. Atthe last Wilson Speed Stringing Contest inLas Vegas a few years ago, all the fastestcontestants used two pieces of string.On the other hand, a two-piece job has

four knots, which means twice as manyknots to tie, and four knots don't look asneat as the two knots of a one-piece stringjob. Also, with four tie-off knots, you havetwice as many strings that can be at alower tension. Two-piece stringing (exceptin the case of hybrid string sets) also meansmore measuring and, if you are workingwith reels, a bit more wasted string.See Wilson/Luxilon Stringing Team

manager Ron Rocchi’s article “StandardPractices” in this issue for more informa-tion on this topic.

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Q


Your Equipment Hotline

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SOME RACQUETS CAN BE strungwith one piece of string or two

PRO EQUIPMENT LISTINGS

I USE THE PRO EQUIPMENT list-ing often. However, there hasn’tbeen a new entry for Novak

Djokovic since 2009. When are you goingto update it?

AS SOON AS WE GET NEW infor-mation. Although some stringers,

such as the Pacific Stringing Team andStar Stringing, share information with usas a matter of course, other stringers andteams don’t. Even the Wilson/LuxilonStringing Team, which has shared infor-mation with us over the years, sometimestakes months to get us its tournamentstringing logs. In the case of Djokovic, hehas a private stringing team under con-tract, which means that the main stringersor team for any given tournament are notgoing to see his racquets, because his per-sonal stringer services them off-site.

FLOATING CLAMPI AM NEW TO STRINGING tennisracquets and have a question aboutfloating clamps. Do you clamp the

strings at the end of the racquet closest tothe tension head or the end farthest awayfrom it? I know I have to clamp two stringsat once. Last week I joined the USRSA andhope the Stringer Digest will answer theseand other questions.

WITH FLOATING CLAMPS, YOUalways clamp closest to the ten-

sion head, but there’s a trick when start-ing. You install the two center mains(right and left of the center line of the rac-quet), and position one floating clampabout one clamp’s width from the frameat end of the racquet where the left andright center mains loop outside of theframe.You then thread one of the second

mains (it doesn’t matter which one), andpull tension on it. This means you will bepulling tension on two strings at once,which is normally frowned upon, but isnecessary when starting with floatingclamps.Now as you clamp the first and sec-

ond mains on the side you’re working on,you can see why you had to leave aclamp’s-width of space between the firstclamp and the frame: It leaves room forthe second clamp.Once you get to this point, you pro-

Q

A

ceed as outlined in the Stringers Digest(which fully explains and illustrates thistechnique), continuing to clamp off eachnewly-tensioned string as close to theframe as you can.

TOP FIVE CONTROL STRINGS

I REALLY ENJOY READING THEstring playtest reports in RSI. Iwas wondering something. Could

you tell me the top five multifilamentstrings in the "Control" category in yourplaytest database?

THERE’S SOMETHING EVEN better: Youcan look it up yourself any time you

want, not only in the Control category but inany of our categories, or the overall rating. It’sall on-line at usrsa.com in the Playtest section.The only catch is you have to be a USRSA mem-ber to gain access to this database, but USRSAoffers both full memberships to month-longweb-only memberships. See the on-line store atUSRSA.com, or call Dianne Pray at 760-536-1177 extension 10. —Greg Raven �We welcome your questions. Please send them to Racquet SportsIndustry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA, 92084; fax: 760-536-1171;email: [email protected].

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String Playtest

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 0somewhat easier 2about as easy 18not quite as easy 13not nearly as easy 2

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 3about as playable 6not quite as playable 20not nearly as playable 5

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 8somewhat better 12about as durable 15not quite as durable 0not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.1Durability (11th overall) 4.3Power 3.3Control 3.3Comfort 2.8Touch/Feel 2.7Spin Potential 3.2Holding Tension 3.3Resistance to Movement 3.9

Savage is a new shaped monofilamentthat builds on Luxilon’s experienceswith the proprietary materials andtechnologies it uses in its other strings.Luxilon tells us that the combination ofthese materials has resulted in a stringthat is comfortable with a very livelyfeel. Luxilon reportedly worked hard tosoften Savage’s six edges to make iteasy to install and prevent sawingbetween the mains and crosses, whilestill having enough shape to bite theball for extreme spin potential. Feel isenhanced by the use of Liquid Crys-talline Polymer, which is also found inthe Luxilon Adrenaline we playtestedin the August 2010 issue.

Savage is designed for the player whois looking to hit a hard, heavy, spin-loaded shot. Typically this player is abaseliner who takes big cuts at the balland wants as much spin as possible.

Savage is available in 16L (1.27 mm)only as Savage White, Savage Black, andSavage Lime. It is priced from $11 forsets of 40 feet, and $150 for 600-footreels. This puts Savage pricewisebetween Luxilon Alu Power on the highend and Adrenaline on the low end. Formore information or to order, contactLuxilon at 800-272-6060, or visit lux-ilon.com. If you are a USRSA member,there is a sample set of Luxilon SavageWhite included with this magazine.

IN THE LABWe tested Savage White. The coil mea-sured 40 feet. The diameter measured1.26-1.28 mm prior to stringing, and1.24-1.25 mm after stringing. We record-ed a stringbed stiffness of 75 RDC unitsimmediately after stringing at 60 poundsin a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pat-tern) on a constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 69 RDC units, repre-senting an 8 percent tension loss. Ourcontrol string, Prince Synthetic Gut Origi-nal Gold 16, measured 78 RDC unitsimmediately after stringing and 71 RDCunits after 24 hours, representing a 9 per-

cent tension loss. In lab testing, Prince Syn-thetic Gut Original has a stiffness of 217and a tension loss of 11.67 pounds, whileLuxilon Savage White 127 has a stiffness of274 and a tension loss of 18.57 pounds.Savage added 16 grams to the weight ofour unstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeksby 35 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP rat-ings from 3.0 to 6.0. These are blind tests,with playtesters receiving unmarked stringsin unmarked packages. Average number ofhours playtested was 33.7.

Luxilon Savage has a smooth, hardexterior that is easy to handle during string-ing. If you twirl Savage between your fingerand thumb you can tell it is a multi-sided


string, but the shape doesn’t interferewith weaving. While stiff, crosses are nota problem because they slide across themains. When tying off, you have to pay alittle extra attention to make certain thatthe knot cinches fully down.

No playtester broke his sample duringstringing, eight reported problems withcoil memory, seven reported problemstying knots, and one reported frictionburn.

ON THE COURTOur playtest teams ratings and other com-ments classify Luxilon Savage as a stringwith good durability. In fact, Savage’s rat-ing in the Durability category is goodenough to rank it in 11th place of the 152strings we’ve playtested to date for publi-cation. Savage also scored well aboveaverage in Resistance to Movement, a keycategory for durability strings. Comparedto Luxilon’s first Liquid Crystalline Poly-mer string, Adrenaline, Savage is a littlebit stiffer with better tension mainte-nance.

One playtester broke the sample duringthe playtest period after 10 hours of play.

CONCLUSIONAs Luxilon intended, Savage scored betterwith our baseliner playtesters, particularlyin the categories of Power, Control, andSpin Potential. Speaking of spin, the pack-aging for Luxilon Savage features a largehexagon on the front, which should helpyour customers identify the string withthe results.

If you’re a USRSA member and youthink that Luxilon Savage might be foryou, there’s a set included with this issueof the magazine. —Greg Raven �

Luxilon Savage White


“ Two words: Powerful polyester.” 5.0male all-court player using Babolat PureStorm Tour GT strung at 59 pounds CP(Babolat Pro Hurricane/Prince Synthetic GutOriginal 16/16)

“ The high power level is very easy tocontrol. Playability and feel are outstand-ing.” 5.5 male all-court player usingBabolat Pure Drive Roddick strung at 59pounds CP (Luxilon Alu Power 16L)

“ This polyester has unusually good touchand feel.” 5.0 male all-court player usingBabolat Aero Storm Tour strung at 51pounds CP (Natural Gut/Polyester 16/18)

“ Poly players looking for more powershould start here.” 3.0 male baselinerwith heavy spin using Prince O3 Silverstrung at 60 pounds CP (Luxilon Alu PowerRough 16L)

“ This is not a harsh polyester. It has sur-For the rest of the tester comments, visitwww.racquetsportsindustry.com.

prisingly good feel, touch, comfort, andplayability.” 5.0 male all-court player usingPrince O3 Red MP strung at 52 pounds CP(Prince Synthetic Gut w/Duraflex 17)

“ This is a durable string with a little extrapop.” 4.0 male all-court player using Wil-son K Blade Team strung at 57 pounds LO(Luxilon Adrenaline 17)

“ Overall playability is adequate, but powerand feel are lacking.” 5.0 male all- courtplayer using Wilson BLX Tour strung at 52pounds CP (Luxilon Alu Power Rough 16L)

“ Control and spin are above average. Feelis a little lacking.” 4.0 male baseliner withheavy spin using Wilson nTour strung at 50pounds LO (Solinco Tour Bite 16)

“ Great control on a wide variety of shots,but overall not spectacular. Comfort is low,noise is high.” 5.0 male all-court playerusing Volkl DNX V1 MP strung at 42 poundsLO (Gamma Zo Tour 16)

TESTERS TALK “ Recommended to big hitters and stringbreakers who care more about power thanfeel.” 5.0 male all-court player using WilsonBLX Tour strung at 55 pounds CP (Wilson Hol-low Core 16)

“ This string plays a little better than a typicalpolyester, but it isn’t truly exceptional.” 4.0male all-court player using Pacific Raptorstrung at 51 pounds LO (Pacific X Force/GosenOG Sheep Micro 18/17)

“ The lack of feel and power leads to controlproblems. Tension loss is substantial.” 6.0male all-court player using Vantage VT002White strung at 60 pounds CP (Natural Gut 16)

“ Tension maintenance is sub-par. This stringfeels too stiff on balls struck off center.” 4.0male serve-and-volley player using Gamma TSeven strung at 60 pounds LO (Babolat ProHurricane 17)

It is a distinct honor and privilege to beleading the USTA as its 50th president. Iam committed to the growth of our

sport. I look forward to the challenges thatlie ahead, knowing that the people who puta face on this association—our unparalleledvolunteers and staff—are our greatest asset.Their boundless talents afford us the oppor-tunity to plan and to achieve without limits.

The USTA already has a compelling mis-sion—to promote and develop the growthof tennis. But the opportunity lies before usnot only to further that mission, but also totranscend it—to put in place a plan that notonly will help to grow the game, but alsoenhance the lives of those who play it.

Imagine if instead of only promotingand developing the growth of tennis, wealso devoted ourselves to promoting anddeveloping the growth of people throughtennis. Imagine if we became known as thesport that is genuinely concerned about thelives of its constituents and a sport that isresponsive to their needs. Imagine if wecreated pathways for youngsters fromdiverse backgrounds to easily pursue oursport in their communities, at their levels,on an affordable basis that would notrequire them to sacrifice educationally butwould strengthen and amplify their person-al growth. Imagine if we put in place a play-er development system that aims to createthe conditions for developing not onlychampions on the court, but also champi-ons in life.

I have always seen tennis as the sport ofopportunity, and that is the theme for myadministration. In order to reach our fullpotential as a sport, we need to be sure thatwe are providing meaningful opportunitiesto people.

I recognize that tennis has often beenperceived as anything but a sport of oppor-tunity. It has too often been viewed as elit-ist. We have made good progress in taking

some of the air out of that myth. Particu-larly during this past decade, we havebecome a more inclusive sport thatembraces all communities. MichelleObama’s selection of tennis for her “Let’sMove” initiative implicitly recognizes this.

But we have not yet realized our fullpotential to be the sport of opportunity forall. Not enough people are cognizant of thecountless opportunities tennis provides.And, more importantly, we still have yet tomaximize the opportunities that our sportcan and should offer.

I have established six priorities thatcan support our efforts to be “The Sport ofOpportunity.” The first is to maintainstrong and transparent relations with ourpartners and enhance volunteer serviceopportunities. The second is to advancethe financial soundness of the USTA. With-out both, we cannot fulfill our mission.

The third priority is to promote andenhance the youth-collegiate continuum—from 10 and Under Tennis right upthrough college. We must continue toreach out to youth to get them playing ten-nis and keep them playing during their life-time, and we must significantly expandthe base of juniors 10 and under playingcompetitive tennis on courts using theQuickStart Tennis format. To do this, weneed to have an emphasis on fun and fit-ness, and make tennis affordable, accessi-ble, and relevant to families and their kids.

My fourth priority is to build cross-cul-tural competence to ensure successfuldiversity and inclusion. It is imperativethat we embrace diversity and inclusion inthe broadest of terms—to respect not justdifferences such as gender, race, religion,national origin, and disabilities, but alsodifferences in sexual orientation or prefer-ence, generational differences, economicdifferences, and differences in thinkingstyle. As author and diversity thought

Jon Vegosen started his two-year term as USTA presidentand chairman of the board thispast January.


leader Andrés Tapia has stated, we mustmove from “I tolerate your differences” to “Ineed your differences.”

The fifth priority is to leverage theUSTA’s commitment to education. TheUSTA already has in place a tremendousinfrastructure that can support and promotethis “college imperative.” Our challenge isto determine how the USTA can best pro-mote the importance of every Americanyoungster obtaining a college education,and drive home the idea that tennis is thesport of opportunity for achieving this goal.To support this effort, I have created a Ten-nis and Higher Education Task Force com-prised of, among others, educators andcollege professors. By being the sport thatpromotes not only fitness and fun but alsoopportunity through education, we canattract many more people to tennis.

My final priority is to have fun! We havemore fun and gain greater satisfaction whenwe do something well that we are proud of.And since we’re dedicated to the greatestsport in the world, our work should be fun!

All of us who have been involved in thisgreat sport for a good part of our lives knowwell the bounty of benefits that go hand inhand with tennis. We need to make morepeople aware of those benefits. Because,when we share our sport, we in fact extendto others a universal key that opens doors,minds and hearts. And when we developpeople through tennis, we inevitably pro-mote and develop the growth of tennisitself. �

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

Your Serve


The Sport of Opportunity

B Y J O N V E G O S E N

The new USTA president says to reach our fullpotential as a sport, we need to provide meaningfulopportunities to people.

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