200404 Racquet Sports Industry

Contents RETAILING SUCCESS These three retailers know how to keep their numbers up in apparel and footwear

26 Serious Tennis, Atlanta, GA 28 Van Der Meer Shipyard Tennis Resort, Hilton Head Island, SC

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Indianapolis Racquet Club, Indianapolis, IN

FEATURES 32

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A Welcome Advantage

For this Pennsylvania facility, the Tennis Welcome Center concept has already been a big hit.

Follow the Bouncing Ball Understanding how the ball bounces can help you and your students pick and read shots.

DEPARTMENTS 4 Our Serve 18 Ask the Experts 20 Winning Personnel 22 Retailing Strategies 24 Market Place 44 String Playtest: Klip Blast 17

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INDUSTRY NEWS 7 PTR Symposium includes USTA board meeting

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Wilson introduces new group for Innovation & Design

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Tennis Channel extends deal with ATP

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Stan Smith honored

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USTA honors 9 at Development Workshop

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USTA, MassMutual reach deal

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Prince releases racquet index

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USTA publications for your facility

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Briton receives Hall of Fame honor

Construction With a Soft Touch

The eight soft-court Facility-of-the-Year winners share some striking similarities.

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SSV Tennis rating system offered free

NY shop “boutiques” racquet brand

Pro events come to Forest Hills Texas A&M wins campus championship title

String Playtest: Head RIP PerfectPower 16 Tips and Techniques New USRSA Members and MRTs Calendar Your Serve

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Our Serve It’s About More Than Just The Job

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Every business has its movers and shakers—the high-profile types who keep pushing, get a lot of things done, and, because of their effectiveness, tend to receive a lot of attention.

Right now in tennis, it is an important time for movers and shakers. The new marketing campaign for the sport is starting to hit at the consumer level, and the Tennis Welcome Center program—which is the biggest initiative ever in this sport to bring people into the game—is beginning to get under way. In addition, the sport is on the verge of seeing a “US Open Series” of pro tournaments that lead into the Open, something that fans will love. But it’s also a time when the influence of many not-so-high-profile people and initiatives are beginning to be noticed more and more. Case in point is a man by the name of Kirk Anderson. Kirk doesn’t seek the limelight—he’s a soft-spoken man who knows that while it’s important to have people out front leading the charge, it’s even more important to have competent people behind the scenes making it all happen. Kirk is what the “player” side of this business is all about. And it’s people such as Kirk that the game needs to have even more of. Currently the director of the Community Play department at the USTA, Kirk has done pretty much everything in this sport over the last 30 years--player, recreation department instructor, teaching pro (both PTR and USPTA), club manager, promotions manager, program administrator, volunteer, author of books and articles. He was with the USTA Midwest Section for seven years and joined the USTA national office eight years ago. He travels a lot, giving clinics, teaching the teachers, designing curriculum. And the guy is fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that the International Tennis Hall of Fame just awarded him its Tennis Educational Merit Award, an honor for which the Hall of Fame could not have found a better recipient. The point of all this is, yes, to give Kirk his due, but also to point out that for Kirk—and for many others like him—tennis is more than a job, more than a simple source of income. When he’s not working on the clock for tennis, he’s, well, still “working” for tennis. And it’s fair to say that Kirk and others like him have kept tennis alive even through the lean years. To use an overworked phrase, he’s on a mission—and he’s been on that mission for more than 30 years. There are, of course, many others out there who not only do their jobs and do them well, but also go well beyond the scope of their jobs when it comes to working “for” tennis. For instance, in this issue of RSI, you’ll meet three retailers who also take the attitude that tennis is more than just punching in and out as they pass through their pro shop doors. And you’ll read about a facility owner in Pennsylvania who adopts that same attitude when it comes to programming for new and returning players. You know, it just makes sense to see tennis as more than a 9-to-5 job—not just for your own piece of business, but also for the sport as a whole. It’s also the best way to ensure that, while we all may not be holding aloft a welldeserved trophy or plaque, we will all—like Kirk Anderson—still be award-winners. Editorial Director

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RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

Publishers David Bone Jeff Williams Editor-in-Chief Crawford Lindsey Editorial Director Peter Francesconi Associate Editor Greg Raven Design/Art Director Kristine Thom Design Consultant Amy Berger Assistant to the Publisher Cari Feliciano Contributing Editors Cynthia Cantrell Rod Cross Joe Dinoffer Liza Horan Andrew Lavallee James Martin Mark Mason Chris Nicholson Mitch Rustad Drew Sunderlin Jonathan Whitbourne RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY Corporate Offices 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084 Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171 Email: [email protected] Website: www.racquetTECH.com Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time Advertising Director John Hanna 770-650-1102, x.125 [email protected] Apparel Advertising Cynthia Sherman 203-263-5243 [email protected] Racquet Sports Industry (application to mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is pending at Vista, CA, and at additional offices) is published 10 times yearly by USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084. April 2004, Volume 1, Number 3 © 2004 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 circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions $55 in the U.S., $65 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

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INDUSTRY NEWS INFORMATION TO HELP YOU

Wilson Racquet Sports has named company veteran Bill Severa the director of technology for the newly formed Innovations & Design Group. The new group will be responsible for all performance and prestrung racquets, from start to finish, from design and concept, to playtesting new technologies. The group also will handle all stringing aspects and the string itself. Severa, who has been with the company for 21 years, was the senior designer for the last seven years. He has 13 U.S. patents under his belt, including patents for the Sledghammer, Power Holes and TRIAD technologies. The Innovations & Design Group will utilize four engineers for the various product categories. Dan Hernandez is the project manager for racquetball, squash and paddle; Mark Lin is the test lab supervisor and product manager for badminton; Mike Moon is the project manager for recreational racquets; and Don Loeffler is the project manager for performance racquets. In addition, Ron Rocchi is the global tour equipment manager, responsible for servicing and customizing all racquets for touring pros. Klara Nowak is the prototype manager, and Dawn Cacioppo is the master racquet technician.

BUSINESS

2004 PTR Symposium Cited as “Best Ever”

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esults of an on-site survey conducted by the PTR at its 2004 International Tennis Symposium & $25,000 Tennis Championships say that the event was the “best ever held” by the organization, says Dan Santorum, the PTR’s CEO and executive director. Nearly 700 attendees participated in the courses and presentations at the February event. The Symposium also included a two-day Tennis Trade Show and a tournament in which more than 200 teaching pros competed for prize money in 27 divisions. One key to the event was that the USTA board of directors and key staff members attended, meeting with the PTR to discuss tennis participation in the U.S., among other issues. The board of directors participated in the Parade of Nations Flag Ceremony, which featured 47 countries. USTA President Alan Schwartz (above), who also is on the board of the ITF, welcomed attendees. “It was great that the USTA board was there for PTR week,” says Santorum. “They’re reaching out to the industry more and working with their partners. And I know it’s going to continue. You’re going to see the same tone from the people on the board who are going to succeed Alan Schwartz, as far as being more industry-friendly.” Santorum says he gave a report to the USTA board about the ACE multicultural program. ACE, which stands for Advancing the Commitment to Education, is a joint PTR-USTA initiative designed to educate tennis teaching pros in multicultural communities. It’s being conducted in 60 cities this year. Also at the Symposium was Tennis Corporation of America’s senior staff of tennis directors Photo by Ken Mak

Wilson Introduces New Group For Innovations & Design

RUN YOUR

and general managers from 37 top tennis clubs. TCA staff were among the 56 faculty who conducted more than 70 on-court and classroom presentations. “It was fantastic to have the TCA directors, and the nice thing was some of them were speakers for us, so we got to take advantage of their expertise in running and managing clubs,” says Santorum. In other PTR news, the organization was recently honored by Special Olympics South Carolina as the 2004 Outstanding Organization of the Year. The PTR and the Van Der Meer Shipyard Racquet Club have hosted the Special Olympics Southeast Regional Tennis Championships since its inception five years ago. Participation in that time has grown from 30 athletes to more than 175 athletes from 13 states. Among those honored at the PTR Symposium’s annual awards banquet were: Professional of the Year: Ajay Pant, Overland Park, Kan.; Coach Verdieck Award, College: Joey Rive, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas; Coach Verdieck Award, High School: Macy Bruce, Upper St. Claire High School, McMurray, Pa.; Coach Verdieck Award, Touring Pro: Andy Brandi, Boca Raton, Fla.; Also, Clinician of the Year: Jimmie Nigro, Philadelphia; Tester of the Year: Todd Miller, East Amherst, N.Y.; Stanley Plagenhoef Award, Dr. Jack Groppel, Algonquin, Ill.; Male Player of the Year: John Powless, Madison, Wis.; Female Player: Renata Marcinkowska, Rock Hill, S.C.; Wheelchair Pro: Paul Walker, Lakeland, Fla.; Also, Humanitarian Award: Dr. Elizabeth Odera, Nairobi, Kenya; Volunteer of the Year: Adam Gard’ner, Shanghai, China; Media Excellence Award: Carlos Manaure, Caracas, Venezuela; USTA Community Service Award: Mary Thompson, Sioux Falls, S.D.; TIA Commitment to the Industry Award: Fernando Velasco, Austin, Texas; Public Facility: Robinswood Tennis Center, Seattle; Private Facility: The Racket Centre, Nussloch, Germany.

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Tennis Channel Extends Deal With ATP Masters

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he Tennis Channel has signed a four-year extension for the exclusive U.S. telecast rights to five of the 10 tennis tournaments in the ATP Masters Series. The 24-hour cable television network devoted to tennis and other racquet sports will telecast the five European events of the ATP Masters Series—Monte Carlo, Rome, Hamburg, Madrid, and Paris—live and in their entirety, and will provide early-round coverage of the ATP Masters Series’ U.S.-based events in Indian Wells, Calif., and Miami. Additionally, this year The Tennis Channel will cap its ATP Masters Series telecasts with complete, live doubles coverage of the series’ finale, the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston in November. The agreement begins this year and runs through 2007, and builds on TTC’s previous licensing relationship with the ATP Masters Series which saw the network telecast the European ATP Masters Series tournaments and the doubles championship at the Tennis Masters Cup. “This agreement is great for tennis, tennis fans, the ATP Masters Series and The Tennis Channel viewers,” said Steve Bellamy, president and founder of TTC. “For viewers and fans, we will be bringing these tournaments on live and in their entirety, about 10 hours a day. For the sport, this extension continues our ability to provide the most comprehensive tennis coverage on television.” In other TTC news, the 2004 spring tournament schedule includes the following (check local listings for times): April 9-11:

Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, second round, France at Switzerland and Argentina at Belarus.

April 16-18:

U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships

April 18:

The Family Circle Cup, doubles semifinal and championship

April 19-25:

Masters Series Monte Carlo

April 24-25:

Fed Cup Opening Round, U.S. at Slovenia and Croatia at

May 1-2:

J&S Cup, semifinal and championship

May 1-2:

Open Seat Godo, semifinal and championship

May 3-9:

Masters Series Rome

May 8-9:

Ladies German Open, semifinal and championship

May 10-16:

Masters Series Hamburg

May 15-16:

Telecom Italia Masters, semifinal and championship

Belgium

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RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

STAN SMITH HONORED AT SPORTS LEGENDS AWARDS ormer Wimbledon and US Open champion Stan Smith (left) was one of five sports legends honored recently at the 13th Annual Sports Legends Awards, presented by The Paralysis Project of America. Tennis legend and former honoree Jack Kramer (right) a member of the Paralysis Project’s Sports Council, presented Smith with his award at The Omni Hotel in Los Angeles. Hosted by ABC sportscaster Al Michaels, the event also honored auto racing’s Bobby Unser, baseball’s Joe Morgan and golf’s Kathy Whitworth, and made a special presentation to football’s Mike Utley, the former Detroit Lion who was paralyzed on the playing field in 1991. (Photo by Lou Sauritch, The Paralysis Project of America)

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SSV Tennis Rating System Receives Anonymous Gift eil Johnson, president of SSV Tennis, says that a “significant” grant has been received to establish Serve, Stroke & Volley (SSV) as an international rating system for tennis. The funding, from an anonymous donor, will allow the SSV Tennis Rating and internet support services to be offered free to players, pros, coaches, clubs, schools, parks and associations across the country and internationally, Johnson says. In addition, to promote the use of the rating system, Johnson says SSV will sponsor a national competition for high school tennis teams. The free program will have players tested by their coaches on their home courts. All players receive a national ranking based on their SSV rating in their age division. The top six rating scores are added to determine the team score, and then the teams will be ranked nationally and by state. SSV is a method for determining tennis ability at all levels that Johnson says clearly and objectively answers the question, "How good are you?" The SSV Rating is an oncourt test that measures basic skills. Players hit 40 balls to target areas using different strokes, and points are scored for control and power by assigning a value to the first and the second bounces of the ball. The location of the first bounce indicates control; the depth of the second bounce indicates power. The combined total is the SSV score. The complete test takes less than 10 minutes. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit the website at www.ssvtennis.com.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Nine Honored at USTA Development Workshop

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The USTA honored nine individuals recently at an awards banquet held during its annual USA Tennis Community Tennis Development Workshop. More than 450 community tennis leaders attended this year’s workshop and banquet, held in February at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Six people were presented with the Eve F. Kraft Community Service Award for their selfless dedication to bringing the game of tennis to anyone who wants to play: Christy Balsiger of El Paso, Texas – formed the El Paso Tennis Development Foundation in 1996, formed a partnership with the El Paso Independent School District, and spearheaded a campaign to raise money to build the El Paso Youth Center, which opened in 1999 and provides free tennis to area students. Kerry Blum of San Diego – joined Youth Tennis San Diego as a volunteer in 1989 and now is director of the After School Tennis Program serving 7,500 kids. She has forged numerous partnerships with school districts and other organizations and agencies and is working toward growing the program to 150 locations and 40,000 students. Valerie Kreger of Cloverdale, Calif., and the Cloverdale Tennis Association – helped the high school in this small community restart its tennis program by purchasing equipment, assisting with travel expenses and, more recently, helping to provide coaches. Also, the CTA is helping the Boys & Girls Club implement the USA Tennis 1-2-3 program. Yvette Marshall of Denham Springs, La. – plans and implements all grassroots tennis programming for adults, children and multicultural populations for a large area of the Greater Baton Rouge CTA. She also provides training and workshops for instructors and solicits grants and sponsorships. She has broadened the reach of the CTA from 400 to 2,400 participants, and recently helped form two new CTAs and three NJTL programs. Mark Platt of St. Louis – runs Beginner’s World Tennis, geared to beginning adult players. He was instrumental in bringing “Rallyball” to the area’s kids and has brought tennis to more than 10,000 students at 25 elementary schools. In all, more than 40,000 people participate in his programs. Dr. Lance Turner of Stockton, Calif. – heads the grassroots program Future Stars 2000’s, teaching tennis to underprivileged kids and adults and promoting tennis in Northern California communities. The program now has more than 5,000 participants. Three other attendees were honored with the USA Team Tennis Volunteer Awards: David Bell of Pittsfield, Mass. – for his work with youth involved in team play. Kristin Granlund of Corvallis, Ore. – for her work with team competition at the collegiate level, specifically with Oregon State University. Laurie Selby of White River Junction, Vt. – for her work with the Upper Valley CTA and as the Adult Team Tennis League coordinator.

Corrections 8 The updated model of the Prince Scream will not be the Prince Turbo Scream, as reported in "Survival of the Fittest" in our February issue. The new racquet will be the Turbo Beast, which will be available in August. 8 The web address for PowerAngle in the string chart (“A Turning Point?”) in our February issue should be www.powerangle.net.

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USTA and MassMutual Sign 5-Year Sponsorship Agreement he USTA and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) signed a new worldwide marketing agreement for the US Open through 2009 in the insurance category. The five-year deal also makes MassMutual a charter sponsor of the proposed “US Open Series,” a series of summer professional tennis events that lead in to the US Open, tentatively scheduled to launch this summer. The deal includes a major media commitment to US Open television broadcasts and, for the first-time, an extensive sponsorship of usopen.org. This component will include online media, email, USOpen.org Radio and TV and an online promotion. In addition, CBS Sports will produce a vignette on MassMutual and the US Open Junior Championships that will air during CBS’s broadcast of the Men’s Singles Final. The agreement brings to 15 years MassMutual’s long-standing relationship with the US Open. “MassMutual has been a key partner in helping us grow the US Open into one of the world’s greatest sports and entertainment events,” says J. Pierce O’Neil, chief business officer of the USTA. “By creatively packaging and extending the power of our brand, we can continually offer sponsors new and bigger opportunities to get involved with the US Open.” As a major new extension to its involvement with the USTA and US Open, MassMutual will become a charter sponsor of the US Open Series which will establish for the first time regularly scheduled live television broadcasts of the North American hard-court summer season following Wimbledon and leading up to the US Open. “We are thrilled to expand our relationship with MassMutual to include the US Open Series,” says Arlen Kantarian, the USTA’s chief executive of Professional Tennis. “Their commitment to tennis on every level—from the Junior Championships to the US Open and now to the new US Open Series—is a significant development for tennis in the U.S.”

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NY Shop “Boutiques” Racquet Brand ustomer response to Mason’s Tennis Mart’s first “boutique” of racquets and accessories from a single brand “has been fantastic,” says Mark Mason, owner of the New York City tennis retail shop. “I’ve never ‘boutiqued’ a racquet brand. We do it in apparel, but not in equipment,” Mason says. Mason decided to display as a group all of Babolat’s products because the brand in his area “has been so hot,” he says. The displays have all the brand’s racquets, bags, T-shirts, hats, grips, dampeners and more together in one place. “It makes shopping for that brand so much easier,” says Mason. “Everything a customer wants is all in one place. We make it as visual as possible, and it makes for a better presentation.” Mason says that European shops often group, or “boutique,” their racquets and accessories by brand, rather than having one spot where, for instance, all the grips from different manufacturers would be displayed. “We’re trying in our shop to make people brand-conscious, and to add value to our franchise,” he says. “If this works the way it appears to be working, we may try to do this for other brands.”

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Prince Tennis Releases Performance Racquet Index rince Tennis unveiled its 2004 Racquet Index guide that educates players of all swing types on how to choose the right Prince Performance racquet according to their individual style of play. The index is broken down into the Thunder Series, Turbo Series and Tour Series, and correlates specific swing types and player preferences with racquets of varying levels of power and control, says Prince President Alistair Thorburn.

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Prince Tour NXG Graphite Mid

“We’ve worked to better segment our Performance racquet line and make it more consumer-friendly,” says Thorburn. “We want tennis players to understand the differences in their individual games so that they choose the correct racquet.” The Thunder Series includes models that cater to players with shorter swings who are looking for maximum power in a lightweight frame. The Turbo Series represents racquets for players with moderate swings who are looking for a blend of power and control. The Tour Series offers racquets for players with long, full swings who are looking for maximum touch and feel. To view the 2004 Prince racquet index, visit www.princetennis.com.

3 PRO EVENTS TO BE PLAYED AT he USTA has awarded The West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y., two new professional tennis tournaments, bringing the total to three for the 2004 tennis season at the historic club. Each tournament will be played on a different surface and will serve as a Grand Slam tune-up event. The historic West Side Tennis Club was the home of the US Open for more than 50 years.

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The WSTC will host two USTA Pro Circuit men's challengers—The Forest Hills Clay Court Classic May 10-16, and The Forest Hills Grass Court Classic June 7-13— and a newly sanctioned WTA Tour hard-court tournament Aug. 23-28 leading into the 2004 US Open. The two USTA Pro Circuit events will be held the weeks immediately preceding the qualifying tournaments at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, respectively. The USTA funds the 96 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S.—awarding nearly $3 million in prize money—and acquired a sanction from the WTA to launch the August women's event. "The return of professional events to this venerable club reinforces the connection of the US Open and the sport to the community," says Lee Hamilton, executive director of the USTA. "The West Side Tennis Club is a hub for recreational play and with these new events, we expect interest in the game to grow throughout Forest Hills and the Borough of Queens." Last year, professional tennis returned to the former home of the US Open for the first time since 1989 when the WSTC hosted The Forest Hills Classic, a USTA Pro Circuit Men's $50,000 Challenger. Home to the US Open until 1977, the club hosted the tournament on grass until 1974 and the only three years the event was held on clay (1975-’77). The West Side Tennis Club is currently home to over 800 members, maintaining 39 courts on four different surfaces.

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James Blake Announces Unique Charity Initiative

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.S. player James Blake kicked off a 2004 charity initiative during January’s Australian Open to benefit the Harlem Junior Tennis Program and Shriner’s Hospital. Blake, 24, began donating $100 to each organization for every match he wins. To date, his donations total $1,400 from the seven matches he won collectively at the Australian Open, Siebel Open, Kroger St. Jude and Franklin Templeton Classic. Prior to the Australian Open, Blake, ranked 23rd in the world, made initial donations and appearances on behalf of both charities. He plans to continue this initiative during all sanctioned professional matches this year as well as the Davis Cup. Nike and Dunlop will also participate in the donations, Blake said. A pro player since 1999, Blake has had a long-standing relationship with both organizations. Over 20 years ago, Blake’s parents became volunteer coaches at the Harlem Junior Tennis Program in New York City. Both James and his brother, Thomas, were also participants in Harlem Junior Tennis. Blake also has close ties to Shriner’s Hospital, which provided him with free medical treatment and equipment as he wrestled with scoliosis as a teenager.

USTA, ESPN Near Deal for Open Series eports in a recent issue of Sports Business Journal claim the USTA and ESPN are near to signing a multiyear agreement to broadcast a proposed new summer tennis series of tournaments that lead up to the US Open. The publication said an ESPN executive confirmed that the network was in talks with the USTA, but that the USTA still had to line up a requisite number of tournaments before the deal could go through. Citing “tennis sources,” the magazine said that four summer tournament have signed on. Tournaments that the publication said are believe to be on board are the Bank of the West women's event in Palo Alto, Calif.; the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C.; one if not both of the men's (Mercedes-Benz Cup) and women's (JP Morgan Chase Open) events in Los Angeles; and the

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Texas A&M Captures National Team Campus Championships

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exas A&M beat Virginia 30-9 to capture its second title in three years at the 2004 USA Team Tennis National Campus Championships at the Florida Ten-

nis Center in Daytona Beach. This co-ed event, which was played March 11 to 13, is the national championship for club and intramural tennis teams. This year’s event featured a record 40 teams from 33 schools participating in the fifth annual tournament. “This event gives me a great chance to represent my school,” said Michael Karka, a Texas A&M senior from Houston who had wins in singles and doubles. “I could have played tennis at other schools, but wanted to focus on academics at A&M. Coming here and playing in this tournament has been so much fun.” A&M was playing in its third straight final at this event, winning its second title. The Aggies dominated the tournament, winning 32 of 35 sets played in the seven matches and sweeping all five matches in the championship. The format for each match includes sets of men’s and women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles. Scoring is cumulative—each game won counts as a point to a team’s overall score). Also, Florida International won the Silver Division, Ohio University won the Bronze Division and Central Florida (B) won the Daytona Cup. Former U.S. Davis Cup Captain Tom Gullikson was on hand as a special guest for the championship. Tape delay television coverage will be broadcast on The Tennis Channel and Sunshine Network in May (dates and times to be announced). The tournament is administered by the USTA, Intercollegiate Tennis Association, and National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association.

USTA PUBLICATIONS FOR YOUR FACILITY ver wonder what publications you should make sure you have on hand at your facility? Rick Rennert, the USTA’s director of publishing, suggests that tennis facilities carry these:

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Friend at Court: The USTA Handbook of Tennis Rules and Regulations, 2004 edition. Paperback, spiral-bound, 286 pages, $5

Rules of Tennis, with The Code: The Players’ Guide for Unofficiated Matches, 2004 edition. Booklet, 52 pages, $1.50

Also suggested is the USA Tennis Guide to Dynamic and Static Stretching. Pamphlet, 2-sided, $1. (Rennert suggests getting two copies of this pamphlet and posting them, front and back, on your club’s wall.) To order, call 888-832-8291(shipping costs are extra). USTA members receive a 10 percent discount. April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

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USPTA Midwest Honors Its Own in Indy THE USPTA MIDWEST DIVISION HONORED THE FOLLOWING AT ITS ANNUAL CONVENTION IN FEBRUARY IN INDIANAPOLIS: Coaches of the Year — High School: Robert Wagemann, Lake Bluff, Ill.; College: Debbie Peirick, Noblesville, Ind.; Individual Junior Coach: Dennis Royal, West Bloomfield, Mich. Players of the Year — 45 and Over: Mark Simcina, Huntington Woods, Mich.; 35 and Over: Christine Sheldon, Arlington Heights, Ill.; Men’s Open: Mike Friedman, Highland Park, Ill.; Women’s Open: Kristin Reed, Westerville, Ohio. Rookie of the Year — Don Roesler, Fishers, Ind.; Facility Manger of the Year: Don Arndt, West Bloomfield, Mich.; Midwest Outstanding Education Award: David Brouwer, Hudsonville, Mich.; Seminar Contest Winner: Jason Stanislaw, Chicago; Nancy Mickler Memorial Award: Anna Hazlett, Evansville, Ind.; Fay Tooley Memorial Award: Denny Schackter, Palatine, Ill.

Briton Curry To Receive Hall of Fame Honor

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ohn Curry of Great Britain is the 2004 recipient of the prestigious Golden Achievement Award, presented annually by the International Tennis Hall of Fame to individuals who have made important contributions to tennis in the fields of administration, promotion or education, and have devoted long and outstanding service to the sport. Presentation of this year’s award will be made in England on Saturday, June 19, at the International Club Ball, which marks the start of the Wimbledon Championships. Curry has been involved in tennis form more than 30 years. He served as chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and chairman of The Lawn Tennis Championships (Wimbledon) from 1989 to 1999. During his tenure, Curry led major changes in the Wimbledon facilities for both players and spectators. He was also an active participant and leader of the Grand Slam Committee and worked to bring about major changes and enhancements in the worldwide importance of the Grand Slams. Nominations for the Golden Achievement Award are submitted by tennis federations from around the world, and then voted on by the Golden Achievement Award Selection Committee.

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SHORT SETS The Delray Beach Stadium and Tennis Center in Florida was >chosen as the site for the U.S. vs. Sweden Davis Cup quarterfinal, played April 9 to 11. The U.S. and Sweden have met on 10 previous occasions in Davis Cup play, with the U.S. leading the series 7-3. In the last meeting, Sweden swept the U.S. 5-0 in the 1997 World Group Final in Goteborg, Sweden. Davis Cup was last played in Florida in 1995 when the U.S. defeated France 4-1 in the first round in St. Petersburg. Tennis has been named the official racquet of the >2004Prince Family Circle Cup. The WTA tournament is in its 32nd year. Prince will showcase product and feature interactive elements, including two autograph sessions with Prince players. Völkl is the official racquet of the 2004 Easter Bowl junior >tournament. The company will have a booth at the event and consumers will be able to playtest racquets.

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Todd Fisher is the new marketing director for global footwear for Wilson Racquet Sports. Previously, he was the global director of tennis and indoor court footwear for Reebok. announced that it will close all 88 Just For Feet >storesFootstar and 77 Footaction stores, which is about 18 percent of the specialty chain’s outlets. Liquidators are lining up to bid on the right to sell off the more than $100 million in retail inventory. Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., as >partTheof International its 50th anniversary celebration, will hold the Angela Moore Fashion Show and Champagne Breakfast on July 8, from 9 to 11 a.m., just prior to the tennis session of the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. The event will include a fashion retrospective, plus new looks from Lilly Pulitzer, Manuel Canovas and the Angela Moore Collection. Tickets for the event are available at 401-849-6053 or online at www.tennisfame.com. The WTA Tour and Whirlpool Europe have signed a multi>million dollar, three year deal that establishes Whirlpool as the premier sponsor of the women’s tour in Europe. The deal establishes Habitat for Humanity International as the Tour’s official European social cause, and aligns Whirlpool Europe with the Tour in innovative sponsorship capacities involving television, new media and community outreach. The Whirlpool-WTA Tour partnership comes on the heels of the Tour’s recent signing of an umbrella sponsor for the Asia-Pacific/Middle East region.

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The 78th Annual National Public Parks Tennis Championships will be Aug. 2 to 7 in St. Louis, Mo. For information, check www.stlouis.usta.com or call 314-432-3990. SFX Tennis has signed a one-year extension of it’s agreement >to represent 21-year-old Russian tennis star Dmitry Tursunov in on- and off-court marketing and management.

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A P R I L

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INDUSTRYNEWS

PRINCE LAUNCHES NEW “PREMIER” STRING rince Tennis has announced a new string, Premier, that combines a multifilament design with Prince’s exclusive Softflex technology that the company says provides excellent playability. Doug Root, Prince’s product manager for strings, says Premier with Softflex offers gut-like play and performance at a price “far less than natural gut.” Premier provides players with increased power and feel without sacrificing durability, he says. The elasticity of Softflex offers shock dampening and shock absorption for an ultra-soft, enhanced feel, says Root, adding that “even those with tennis elbow will experience increased string reaction with added comfort thanks to the string’s gut-like feel. Additionally, the string experiences minimal tension loss due to Softflex’s superb recovery from stretch. Premier with Softflex features a multifilament string design consisting of a micro-filament core wrapped with filament outer wraps made of the elastic Softflex. The string also has a soft polyurethane coating for added touch and feel, says the company. Premier with Softflex is available in 16 and 17 gauges in gold. For more information, visit www.princetennis.com or call 800-283-6647.

P

TennisWelcomeCenter.com Website Goes Live The consumer website for the Tennis Welcome Center initiative was officially launched in February. New and returning tennis players wishing to find a place for introductory tennis programs can visit tenniswelcomecenter.com, plug in their ZIP code and find places in their area that offer lessons and play. More than 3,000 clubs and facilities signed on to become Tennis Welcome Centers, exceeding the goal the USTA and the Tennis Industry Association set for the program. The TIA says more content will be added to the consumer site in the future. w April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

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? ask

THE EXPERTS

Your Equipment & Business Hotline PROPORTIONAL STRINGING I STRING FOR A TALENTED local junior player, and her father has asked that I string her racquets using the proportional stringing method. I have no idea what he’s talking about. How do you do it?

Q A

“PROPORTIONAL STRINGING” refers to changing the reference tension while you string so that each string receives the theoretically correct tension in proportion to its length, compared to the length of the longest string (typically, the center two mains). If you have ever strummed the main strings before starting your crosses, you know that the outer mains sound at a higher pitch than the center mains, and the rest are usually somewhere in between. This is due in part to the fact that a shorter string pulled to the same tension as a longer string will be tighter (which is why it sounds higher when plucked). The goal of proportional stringing is to reduce the tension on shorter strings so that the installed stiffness of each string is the same, which in theory enables the stringbed to respond to offcenter hits more like it responds to on-center hits, optimizing rebound across the face of the racquet. Whatever its merits, there are some downsides to proportional stringing. First, it is time-consuming and error-prone

18 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

because you must change your reference tension setting often, sometimes for each pull on the crosses. Also, it works best if you are able to set the reference tension on your stringing machine to tenths of a pound. Keep in mind that proportional stringing does not take into account the fact that installing the crosses increases the tension of the mains, while due to friction the crosses are never at the reference tension on the side of the frame farther from the tension head. You should also be aware that proportional stringing can radically alter the stresses on the racquet. In a traditionallystrung Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 Classic, for example, with the mains and crosses both at 60 pounds, the pull on the frame by the mains is roughly 89 percent of the pull on the frame by the crosses. Using proportional stringing, that ratio changes to roughly 118 percent. That is, instead of the crosses exerting more pull on the frame than the mains, the mains exert much more pull than the crosses. As always, measure the dimensions of the hoop before and after stringing to ensure that the amount of frame distortion is acceptable. Before you get yourself into a situation where your junior must have her racquet proportionally strung or she simply cannot play, you should conduct a blind test, wherein you string up two identical racquets for her. Have her hit with each to see if she can tell the difference, and if so, that she prefers the proportionally-strung racquet. Depending on how much time you spend stringing her frames proportionally, you might want to consider charging more per frame.

Finally, USRSA members can use our on-line Proportional Stringing Calculator to determine the correct tensions for proportional stringing, which can be found on our website at http://racquettech.com/ members/tools/proportional.html.

FOREIGN PRODUCTS

Q

I’VE LOOKED ALL OVER your website and can’t find any mention of the strings I use locally. These are Epsilon strings, three of which are popular with my customers here in Australia. They are the Kev-Power, the Kev-Spin, and the Top-Spin. Do you have any information on these?

A

BECAUSE WE ARE the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association, we sometimes do not have information on products including frames and strings) that are not distributed or at least sold here in the U.S. If you would like to send us samples, however, we would be happy to test them and include them in our on-line tools.

KEVLAR TENSION

Q

I HAVE HEARD VARIED OPINIONS on the tension that should be used for Kevlar strings. One person says it should be 5 percent lower than normal, another says it should be 10 percent lower than normal, and yet another person told me not to string it above 48 lbs regardless of the player’s usual tension. Who’s right?

A

BECAUSE OF THE HIGH dynamic stiffnes of Kevlar, it is typically strung 10 percent lower than you would string nylon in the same application. According to our lab tests, Kevlar is between 2 and 6 times more stiff than nylon, and between 4 and 10 times more stiff than natural gut. For more information about dynamic stiffness, see our String Selector Guide in the June 2003 issue of Racquet Tech magazine.—Greg Raven w

We welcome your questions. Please send them to Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA, 92084; fax: 760-536-1171; email: [email protected].

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WINNING

personnel On The Rocks Learn to recognize and deal with a “troubled” employee before it affects your business. BY ROBERT F. HELLER, ED.D.

I

n spite of your best efforts to hire the right employee for the right job and to motivate and manage in a way to maintain a happy and effective employee, problems can and will develop. Like any relationship, sometimes the differences can be worked out. Sometimes, though, they lead to a parting of the ways. It may be that the employee has a better job opportunity elsewhere, decides to change careers, or needs to relocate for personal reasons. In these types of cases, assuming the employee has done a good job, you wish them well, have a going away party and do your best to replace them. In other situations, it may be that the employee is experiencing some level of professional burnout or that personal problems are interfering with his or her ability to do the job at the previous high standard. Given the cost in time, money, effort and good will required to hire, train and break in new employees and the possible negative impact that an unmotivated or dissatisfied staff member can have on many facets of your business, learning to recognize the signs and symptoms of a “troubled” employee makes good sense.

EARLY WARNING SIGNS A good manager maintains ongoing relationships with his or her employees through formal and informal methods of communication (see “Moving Ahead” in the March/April 2003 issue of Tennis Industry). This personal contact along with performance reviews reduces the risk of unwanted surprises. It alerts you to actual or potential problems, and to the changing needs or expectations of the employee. Hopefully, if you have developed a good relationship with your employees, they will come to you with problems, either for help in resolving them or in

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alerting you to factors that might affect their job duties. In that way, you can possibly make plans to address the changing needs of your employee. An example might be having the time to hire someone to help out in the morning clinics while the employee takes two weeks off to deal with a family situation in another part of the country.

ABPP, USPTA

parent, financial, health and legal concerns, and excessive use of alcohol or drugs. The most common sources of job stress include too much or not enough responsibility, ongoing interpersonal conflict with you, other staff or customers and clients, loss of interest in the work, feeling treated unfairly, lack of opportunity to advance, not feeling valued or appreciated, dissatisfaction with work conditions, pay or benefits.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

In cases where the employee may not come to you with problems, concerns and issues, you can rely on a knowledge baseline of past behavior and performance to notice gradual or sudden changes in their level of functioning at work. These changes may be both objective and subjective. Objective indicators include: attendance, punctuality, number of lessons taught, amount of product sold, etc. Subjective indicators include mood, attitude, demeanor (withdrawn, loss of enthusiasm, reduced effort, short temper, irritable), or comments and complaints by customers, colleagues and staff. The earlier these warning signs are recognized and addressed, the greater likelihood there is some part you can play in helping the employee adjust, modify or view things in a more positive way to return the situation to a satisfactory level. The most common sources of personal problems include difficulties at home with a spouse or child, problems with an aging

The first thing to do is review what you have or haven’t done that may have contributed to the problem. Have you made promises you haven’t kept? Have you showed favoritism among your employees or rewarded or punished them in an arbitrary way? Have you ignored early warning signs of difficulties hoping they would go away on their own? Have you been short on praise and long on criticism? If you identify a deficiency on your part, own up to it, rectify it and see if things start to improve. If you are comfortable that the problem doesn’t lie within your actions, then approach the employee privately and mention your concerns as objectively as possible. Mention what you have seen or heard using “I” messages. Take on a tone of concern for the employee. For example, “John, I noticed that you missed the staff meeting yesterday. Is everything all right?” Listen carefully to the response. Is there a reasonable excuse? Is it likely to happen again? Restate what you expect or modify it, based on what makes the most sense. Later, document your meeting and summarize what was said and agreed to. Effective managers are flexible and creative problem solvers. If the employee does a good job, the manager might

“...approach the employee privately and mention your concerns as objectively as possible.”

allow the employee to work earlier or later to make up for missed hours or exchange duties with another staff member to create a better job fit. A trickier issue is when the employee’s problem lies outside of the job but has a direct impact on their job. The employer needs to balance understanding the needs of the employee with the needs, requirements and duties of the job. The manager should try to listen to and understand the pressures the employee is experiencing but should take a limited role in helping to resolve personal problems. In most cases having a wide referral network to draw upon can be quite helpful to the employee. Offering and even suggesting contacting a relevant professional (doctor, lawyer, therapist, etc.) can be seen as a balanced approach that demonstrates caring and practical help without overstepping the bounds of the employer-employee relationship. Hopefully, these interventions will allow the valued employee to return to their previous high level of functioning.

LETTING GO Sometimes, in spite of your best efforts, the employee’s actions are either so unacceptable, the level of performance so low or the difficulties so varied and ongoing that your best decision is to let them go. In today’s litigious times, an unhappy or angry employee can sometimes blame you for their work difficulties and even accuse you of causing their personal distress. You can be sued for age, race and gender discrimination. There are numerous local, state and national laws that savvy lawyers can dredge up to make life miserable for you even if you didn’t do anything wrong. Depending on the size of your operation and the resources available to you, it would be best to consult with your own lawyer, human resource specialist, general manager or other specialist to determine what and how to go about laying off an employee. Whenever possible you want the employee to be in agreement that it’s best to leave and if possible, on good terms and with a good recommendation. Ideally, termination is worked out in a way and at a time to be least disruptive to your business and to the employee’s particular situation. w

Dr. Robert Heller is owner of “The Winning Edge” in Boca Raton, Fla. He consults with individual athletes, coaches, managers and executives and conducts workshops in the areas of Performance Enhancement Skills and Stress Management. Address your comments and questions to Dr. Heller at 561-451-2731 or [email protected].

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retailing

STRATEGIES

Watching Your Steps These retailing tips can help you find your way through the footwear minefield.

T

he success of your footwear business can be crucial to your tennis retail operation’s bottom line. But in today’s ever-changing footwear environment, retailers of all shapes and sizes could be forgiven for scratching their heads when it comes to sales strategy. “Footwear had become very, very tricky,” says Greg Wolf, president of Midwest Sports, who notes that the onslaught of new introductions and subsequent lack of continuity can lead to bewilderment as retailers and consumers look to keep pace with all the changes. To help navigate the footwear minefield, Racquet Sports Industry has assembled an array of tips—echoed by some of the country’s top tennis retailers—designed to put the spring back in your shop’s footwear sales.

emerging new star can lead to Grand Slam-like sales, but keeping your pulse on a player’s hot factor isn’t so easy. “Keep talking to your rep constantly, to keep in touch with the latest trends,” suggests Wolf. “It’s crucial to react quickly to what the stars are wearing, and to adjust futures accordingly.”

MAKE A SOLID FIRST IMPRESSION A crucial factor in booming footwear sales is establishing repeat business. “Make an extra effort to give them the right shoe the first time out,” says Betsy Bromley, store manager at Advantage Yours in Clearwater, Fla. “If you get them fitted properly the first time, that gives them a good first impression, and they’ll be back.”

OFFER A WIDE SELECTION WHO MOVED MY SHOES? As a barrage of new introductions creates faster-than-ever phase-outs of older models, consumers seeking a familiar favorite can be left in the lurch. Keeping close tabs on manufacturer’s changes can help your sales staff suggest compatible replacement models to an old favorite. “We make sure to let our staff know exactly what’s going away, and what is going to be replacing it,” says Wolf.

KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE This golden rule of retail applies to virtually any category, but especially to footwear, which is particularly prone to specific tastes and age groups. “We’ve learned that our members want something simple, so we avoid the flashy silver or multi-colored shoes,” says Jason Havelka, pro at the Sunset Hills Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif. “We focus on a more conservative shoe, because that’s what they want.”

Carrying only the biggest, flashiest footwear brands doesn’t always translate into bigger footwear business. Instead, offering an assortment of choices can help keep up with your customers’ unpredictable tastes. “Carrying a wide selection of brands, if possible, is definitely the way to go,” says Dan Oh, owner of Dan’s Sports Racquets in Simi Valley, Calif.

OFFER A SPECIFIC CLOSE-OUT AREA One of the biggest challenges for retailers—especially those short on display space—is what to do with older models gathering dust on the shelves. Displaying discounted models in a separate area of the store—perhaps near the front entrance—won’t distract or confuse customers seeking the newer models. “If you’ve got five pairs of old shoes left, you shouldn’t display them next to the new, higher priced models,” says Wolf.

BY MITCH RUSTAD sales tool for the higher-end, more expensive brands. “It’s almost like a 2-for-1 sale, so a customer might take a look at a more expensive shoe if it has a warranty,” says Oh. But proceed with caution, because warranties also have the potential to steal a sale from you down the road, says Wolf.

OFFER TOP BRANDS AT CLOSEOUT PRICES Offering last season’s models at closeout prices can build high-end brand loyalty and reach consumers at a variety of price points. “We always try to have something on closeout, so there’s always something on sale for people,” says Bromley. “There are always people that don’t have or aren’t willing to spend the money, so you’ll lose them if you don’t offer a sale or closeout.”

PROVIDE A COMFORTABLE SPACE How many people actually buy a shoe without trying it on first? Providing a comfortable, spacious area for customers to leisurely ask questions, use the mirrors, etc., can go a long way toward increasing footwear sales. “Most of the people buying shoes are repeat customers, so it’s important to provide a comfortable area for customers to try shoes on, ask questions and just take their time,” says Oh.

GIVE A SHOE SAVINGS PASS/INCENTIVE CARD Offering a shoe stamp card of some kind—such as an “after 5 purchases you’ll get half off your next purchase” discount—can be a highly effective repeat sales tool, in addition to creating customer loyalty.

STAR POWER SELLS

PROMOTE WARRANTIES— WITH CAUTION

OFFER A SELECTION OF WIDTHS

Beefing up your futures with the latest styles worn by an Andy Roddick or an

A wide variety of footwear manufacturers offer warranties, which can be an effective

Carry a variety of brands in different widths for hard-to-fit customers tired of

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having to go the extra mile just to get the right size. “There are always people requesting different widths,” says Oh. “There’s real a market for it, so I try to carry a variety of widths for men and women.”

FIRST IN, FIRST OUT DISPLAYS Organizing your shoe wall in this manner—categorized by new arrivals, in-line, specials and close-outs—can be a highly effective means of showcasing your inventory. Each proceeding step features a slightly lower price point. “For the customer who wants the latest and great-

est, it makes it very easy to shop, and it helps a retailer organize their inventory, because it helps you visualize what you’ve got to move,” says Wolf.

CARRY QUALITY BRANDS Buyers would be wise to focus their attention on performance shoes—not entrylevel brands—to keep footwear customers coming back and to establish higher-end brand loyalty. “In general, with performance shoes you’re going to get a better fit,” says Bromley. “And as people get older, they need shoes with really good support, so you just have to be careful with the quality of shoe you’re buying.”

ROTATE YOUR INVENTORY/MARK DOWNS—PRONTO! When you know you have a slew of new product coming in, be sure to mark down your old inventory—sooner rather than later—to make enough room for the new shipment. “With all the new introductions in footwear these days, that really has to be watched very closely,” says Wolf. w

Contributing Editor Mitch Rustad has been a longtime freelance writer based in New York City.

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a

THE

market place

HEAD TOUR TEAM COMBI BAG The Tour Team series of five bags features the new Climate Control Technology that Head says adds stability to the temperature within select pockets. The company says that racquets stored in pockets with CCT have a lower risk of damage due to temperature fluctuations. The Head Tour Team Combi bag shown features two racquet compartments for four to six racquets, a large outside compartment and end handle for easy carrying. There’s also a separate shoe bag and an MP3 and mobile phone pouch with headphone outlet. The Tour Team Combi retails for $45; prices for other bags range from $40 to $85. Contact 800-289-7366 or www.head.com.

GAMMA EZ TRAVEL CART This lightweight cart is designed for the teaching pro who travels from site to site, and for serious players looking for a mobile ball carrier. It takes just seconds to remove the 150ball-capacity bag, fold up the cart and put it into the carrying case (the empty bag and cart frame weigh about 11 pounds). For non-stop teaching, buy an additional bag and switch out with an empty bag on court. The zippered top holds balls in place when traveling. The cart and bag retail for $119.99; additional bags are $34.99 each. Contact 800-333-0337 or gammasports.com.

STREAMERS TAILBALL VISOR BUFF The concept behind Caviro USA’s new Visor Buff is to offer the same performance fabrics you find in apparel for gear you wear on your head. The Visor Buff has a neoprene visor with a microfiber fabric tail, which, according to the manufacturer, manages moisture, offers evaporative cooling in the heat, and blocks the wind and insulates when it’s cold—in addition to protecting from the sun. The tail can be styled about a dozen different ways: as a hat, headband, neck gaiter, balaclava, bandana, scarf and more. They retail for $18.50 each. Contact 307-734-7575 or www.buff.us.

SOLE CUSTOM FOOTBEDS Sole Custom Footbeds allow your members to customize their shoes without resorting to expensive orthotics. Consumers simply pre-heat the oven in their kitchen to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, place the insoles on the oven rack for a few minutes, put them in their shoes, then put the shoes on. The base layer of EVA softens in the heat, then molds to the shape of the foot and hardens as it cools. The orthotic is covered with a shock-absorbing material called “Poron” and finished with a fabric designed to wick away moisture and reduce friction. Suggested retail is $39.95. Contact 866-235-SOLE or www.yoursole.com.

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Add fun, variety and excitement to your drills with the new “Streamers” Tailball from Oncourt Offcourt. Each ball has 20 bright green and silver streamers that are resistant to tears or tangles. For instance, in any feeding drill, periodically throw in a surprise with a Streamer ball, then give the student an extra reward for correctly hitting that ball. By the dozen, they are $24.95. By the case, five dozen are $89.95. Contact 214-823-3078 or www.oncourtoffcourt.com.

SPIN TRAINER Pro Tennis Training has come out with a device that is designed to help your members learn proper form on ground stokes and will allow them to train anytime, anywhere, without a partner. With the 26-ounce Spin Trainer, the ball hangs in a sling from the aluminum frame and helps players to work on rhythm, footwork and timing. Players can hit the ball with topspin or slice and see the result as the ball releases from the sling. The unit folds to 27 inches and fits neatly into a tennis bag. Retail price is $199.99. Contact 949-388-2515 or www.ProTennisTraining.com.

MOLDING YOUNG ATHLETES Just released from Purington Press is Molding Young Athletes ($14.95), by Darrell Erickson, with a forward by Jim Baugh, the president of the Tennis Industry Association. The book targets parents and coaches of children and provides ways to help kids develop self-confidence and perseverance, deal with failure, become motivated and more—all while growing and having fun. Contact 608873-8723 or

www.puringtonpress.com.

MAPLE HARDWOOD CLOTHING RACK Add warmth to your pro shop with natural wood clothing racks that can attractively show off your apparel. The multi-use CRII-TRC-11 Tower Clothing Rack is part of a larger modular rack system. The 60-inch height

allows retailers to showcase tops and bottoms efficiently. The maple hardwood is resistant to scratching and marring. The unit costs $225 and includes the two 15-inch waterfalls, top sign board and point-of-purchase sign holder, and 2-inch casters. Contact The Conde Rack at 800-546-3155 or www.CondeRack.com.

SLINGHOPPER TEACHING DRILL BAG The new, lightweight SlingHopper Pro Bag is made of durable ripstop nylon and can hold 40 balls. The waterproof bag allows teaching pros greater mobility while feeding balls to students; pros can walk to various positions on the court and generate feeds with different trajectories, speeds and angles, while maintaining the rhythm necessary to keep the student focused. It can be used by itself or in conjunction with your current cart hopper. Contact 954-385-1374 or www.SlingHopper.com w

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RSI/USTC & TBA FACILITIES OF THE YEAR

Construction With a

L

ook at the list of soft-court winners of the Racquet Sports Industry/U.S. Tennis Court & Track Builders Association 2003 Facility-of-the-Year Awards and a few things immediately jump out at you. First, seven of the eight winners are in the state of Florida—that haven (some may say, “heaven”) for clay-court players. And second, five of the winning facilities were built by Welch Tennis Courts of Sun City, Fla. Welch built the facilities at KIWI Tennis Club, the Club at Seven Oaks, the Club at Mediterra, Cap Ferratt and Skyview at Terra Vista of Citrus Hills. The projects ranged from 13 courts at KIWI at Indian Harbour Beach (nine of them HarTru, three acrylic and one cushioned) to two rooftop Har-Tru courts at a high-rise condominium complex at Cap Ferratt in Naples (where equipment and materials had to be lifted by crane). The largest project in this group of outdoor winners was the 15-court Mirasol Country Club facility in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., built by Fast Dry Courts of Pompano Beach, Fla. Included in the project was one red-clay court. Some projects, such as the three-court Phipps Ocean Park Tennis Club in Palm Beach, Fla., built by Global Sports & Tennis Design Group of Fair Haven, N.J., also included future plans for more court construction. But there are some other significant similarities among these winners. All of the seven Florida locations were built using subsurface irrigation systems, which help to reduce water use and, ultimately, saves the facility money in the long run. The lone non-Florida winner, the five-court Tennis Facility at Black Rock Country Club in Hingham, Mass., was built by the Boston Tennis Court Construction Co. using conventional irrigation.

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Also, in a continuing trend, all eight winners used lasergrading to quickly and accurately get the surfaces just right. And there seems to be a conscious effort on the part of facility management, whether of a private or community facility, to give players and spectators amenities that make the on-court and off-court experiences pleasant ones, including viewing areas, player seating areas, food service and restrooms. All of the seven Florida facilities recognized the need to provide respite from the sun by offering players shaded areas near or between the courts. When it comes to building soft-court facilities, the term “Southern comfort” has a special meaning, for players and spectators alike. —Peter Francesconi w

F

E

H

B

The Best Softies A For details on the Outstanding Tennis Facility Awards, contact the USTC&TBA at 410-418-4875 or email [email protected].

The eight soft-court Facility-of-the-Year winners are:

A Black Rock Country Club Tennis Facility, Hingham, MA, built by Boston Tennis Court Construction Co. Inc., Hanover, Mass. B Cap Ferratt, Naples, FL, built by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla. C Club at Mediterra, Naples, FL, built by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.

D

D Club at Seven Oaks Tennis Facility, Wesley Chapel, FL, built by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla. E KIWI Tennis Club, Indian Harbour Beach, FL, built by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla. F Mirasol Country Club Tennis Facility, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, built by Fast Dry Courts Inc., Pompano Beach, Fla.

G

G Phipps Ocean Park Tennis Center, Palm Beach, FL, built by Global Sports & Tennis Design Group LLC, Fair Haven, N.J. H Skyview at Terra Vista of Citrus Hills Tennis Center, Hernando, FL, built by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.

C April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

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PROGRAMMING SUCCESS

A Welcome Advantage FOR THIS PENNSYLVANIA FACILITY, THE TENNIS WELCOME CENTER CONCEPT HAS ALREADY BEEN A BIG HIT

N

BY ED ROCERETA

ow that over 3,000

facilities have signed on as Tennis Welcome Centers, I’ll bet some of you are wondering whether this new program will pay off for your club. Well, I can tell you from our experience at the West Branch Tennis Club in Williamsport, Pa., that the concept will work. We’re proof that the TWC program is the way to spread the tennis gospel and make converts to the sport. Why? Because that same concept is essentially how we’ve been growing tennis in our area for more than 10 years. Williamsport is a small city, population 30,000, in North Central Pennsylvania about 100 miles north of Harrisburg, the state capital. It is located in Lycoming County, which has a population of 108,000. We probably have more deer in this area than people. And, for the past decade and a half or so, our population has actually been decreasing steadily. But our tennis club survives, even thrives, in this small population base. I can think of few other indoor facilities

with such a small base from which to draw. The West Branch Tennis Club is a sixcourt indoor facility that was built in the tennis boom years of the 1970s. We have a reception and viewing area directly behind and overlooking courts 2 through 5. The locker facilities are on the court level, under the desk and viewing area. Nothing fancy, but everything is well kept. I’ve owned the club for the past 17 years, having inherited a membership of 325.Our membership now is more than 500 and revenues have tripled as I learned the business of what motivated people to want to play tennis. It took about five years to evolve from combing the tennis community for members to an expanded idea that resembles the Tennis Welcome Center concept of today. The process began by realizing that even though we are the only indoor club for a 100-mile radius, having a monopoly on indoor tennis meant little. The tennis base was shrinking fast during the late ’80s and ’90s. I came to realize that a monopoly on the 8 percent of the population that played tennis regularly was not going to make a viable business. It was during those five years that I realized that my competition was not other tennis facilities, but anything that competed for people’s leisure time and

money. That made bowling, golf and other sports competitors. It also made non-sport activities like watching TV, doodling with a computer or even spending disposable cash on computer equipment my competition. I had to make tennis into something that people wanted to do rather than spending their time and money on these other activities. I also realized that we already had the 8 percent of the population that played. That left a hefty 92 percent as prospective members, just as soon as I taught them to play!

First, Get ’Em Playing! My strategy evolved over the next few years. We started by doing beginner classes at the club for a nominal fee. I devised a beginner class that was four sessions, usually four Fridays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. We taught the fundamental strokes to hundreds of people and sent them on their way, populating the Susquehanna Valley with new players. After a couple of years, during a beginner class, one student who had taken the course before remarked that he learned the strokes, but he never did learn how to play the game! I changed the course immediately to teaching how to play the game first. The April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

35

PROGRAMMING SUCCESS

first lesson is now a crash course in playing doubles, with the oft repeated phrase that no one should worry about not knowing how to do the shot, we are going to teach that next, just have some fun learning the mechanics of the game. The people have a ball! In about 20 minutes, we explain the general rules, scoring, where to stand, who serves and what to do when the ball is coming. Then we play a set. After this introduction, we stop and teach the serve, explaining that this is how the game begins and we will now add the serve to the player’s skills. We do the PTR method of serve instruction then finish with a few more games. The first lesson ends after a get-together and admonition to go out and practice before the next week’s lesson.

36 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

The second week starts with a serve review, and then we go into the forehand. The session ends with another 15 to 20 minutes of playing tennis. The third week includes a review of the previous strokes, adds the backhand and ends with more doubles play. The fourth week is for volleys, overheads and a quick video lesson of each student on their forehands, backhands and serves. We stress that this is not to see what is wrong, but to show them how far they have come while pointing out something that will improve each stroke. We finish with a little doubles roundrobin tournament in which the winning team wins the “coveted West Branch Tennis Club mug”— a souvenir coffee cup from WBTC. The final evolution of this training process came about 10 years ago when I realized that teaching people was not the most important thing, but keeping them playing was really what this was about. From the very first week on, I now tell them that there will be a place for each and every one of them in a group here at the club. I know that this may sound intimidating at first, but I throw it out there. As the weeks go by, the barriers break down and the students actually become a group of friends. Each week I describe a bit more how important it is to keep playing or they will return in three years to take the course over and begin again. I also

explain that we will make a league of this group at the club and explain the costs, telling them that their fee for taking the course will be deducted from the club membership and playing in a league only costs about $6 per week. We end the final session with a pizza party and a sign-up sheet for the new league.

Give Them a Reason to Play This is how I have steadily grown tennis in a small town for 10 years. I can look out from the club’s viewing area any evening and see different beginner classes playing each evening—some from years ago, some from just the last beginner class. I estimate that 20 percent of the people on my courts are graduates of our classes, part of the 92 percent of the population that did not play tennis before taking the course, part of the 200 new memberships that we did not have prior to 1986. Our advertising has stressed the words “fun, fitness and friends.” I discovered long ago that just asking people to play tennis meant little unless you explained why. We give people a reason to want to learn tennis, like meeting new friends, adding tennis to their fitness program or just doing something for fun, like when they were kids. We have found that people over 35 are the best targets for new members. This is when people have a little more free time and are looking for something new to do that is fun and provides exercise. Almost everyone has tried tennis as a kid, but most people are not ready to play until later, when tennis is the perfect activity to turn to. We explain that they don’t need

a team; we will put them in a league of compatible people with comparable skills, for a very reasonable cost. We say it over and over and eventually they try it out. Once in here, they are hooked. Tennis is truthfully the perfect activity for an adult and they find that out quickly. We also attract many people who are retired. That also is a great age to take up tennis, again for the first time! Advertising is paramount. Get the message out—over and over. We use newspaper ads, but our big boost came when we asked the star personality on the area’s most popular local radio show to take the course and we would pay for ads in which she would describe the fun she was having learning tennis. That was five years ago, and Gail still does our ads, telling thousands of listeners twice a week about the fun she has in her league and the people she meets through tennis at our club. What started out as a hopeful experiment turned out to be a primary advertising venue for us. Gail is able to tell her radio audience what a great time she is having with compelling conviction because she is having a great time. We supply general copy to reflect current programs, especially the beginner clinics we do four times per year. Gail ad libs with ease because of her ongoing experience with tennis. We expect that the Tennis Welcome Center concept will work for you. It has worked for us for 10 years, and added hundreds of new members. w

Ed Rocereta is the owner of West Branch Tennis Club in Williamsport, Pa.

April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

37

science

Follow the Bouncing Ball Understanding how the ball bounces can help you and your students pick and read shots. BY CRAWFORD LINDSEY Watching tennis played on the red clay of Roland Garros at the French Open and on the Centre Court grass at Wimbledon can seem like watching two different sports. The events, flow, and look of the game are completely different. And for good reason—the bounce of the ball is completely different on each surface, and it is the bounce that determines the game. That five-millisecond bounce dictates everything, including shot selection, tactics, strategy, stroke mechanics, grips, and training. During that five one-thousandths of a second, the ball's speed, spin, direction, height, and angle are changed. And these in turn dictate what kind of strokes and strategy a player adopts as he or she learns the game. When a ball hits the court, a vertical force pushes the ball up and a horizontal force acts to slow the ball and change its spin. These two forces have far-reaching consequences, with effects that may seem contrary to intuition and experience.

VERTICAL BOUNCE

spring back fast enough or efficiently enough to aid the ball in its bounce, so that energy is “lost.” (This is the opposite of what happens on strings. The softer the strings, the faster and higher the ball bounces. This is due to both the greater resiliency of strings and the fact that the ball deforms less on soft strings.) Comparing vertical speeds. The ratio of the ball’s vertical speed after the bounce to that before is known as the “coefficient of restitution” (COR). If the vertical speed after the bounce is faster on one court versus another, the ball will bounce higher on that court. The COR is about 0.6 for grass, 0.83 for hard courts, and 0.85 for clay courts. That means that a

Stages of Bouncing (some or all may occur) Flying Landing Slowing Spinning

VERTICAL BOUNCE FACTORS Vertical speed and court hardness. The magnitude of the upward force, known as the “ground reaction force,” is determined by the vertical incident speed of the ball and the relative hardness of the court and the ball. The harder the court, the higher the ball will bounce. If the court is soft, energy will be lost deforming the court surface. The surface does not

Skidding Rolling Biting Stretching Hopping Flying

ball’s vertical bounce will be highest and fastest on clay, lowest and slowest on grass.

LIMITS ON VERTICAL BOUNCE Ball deformation. The vertical bounce speed depends on the ball’s vertical speed before it hits the court. For a given court, the faster the ball hits the surface, the faster and higher it will bounce. The efficiency of the bounce will deteriorate, however. Higher impact speeds will cause the ratio of post- to pre-impact velocities (COR) to go down. That is because the ball will deform more with faster impacts. The more it deforms, the more the energy used in that deformation becomes unusable for ball bounce. Ball stiffness. In general, at moderate speeds, about 45 percent of the energy that goes into ball deformation is lost. This percentage goes up at higher impact speeds. But it does not go up a great deal. That’s because the ball also gets stiffer the more it is deformed. The gain in stiffness tends to decrease the amount of deformation that occurs for each unit of increase in impact speed. In general, a faster ball will always bounce higher than a slower one, but it will not bounce higher in direct proportion to the speed increase, but something less.

FACTORS INFLUENCING VERTICAL SPEED Trajectory. What will be the vertical speed of the ball when it impacts the court just prior to the bounce? This is important for both the vertical and horizontal bounce of the ball (see below). On most shots (all except volleys, overheads and some serves in which you hit down into the court), the vertical speed of the ball toward the court is almost totally determined by gravity. Simply put, the ball drops from the maximum height attained in its trajectory. You don’t usually hit the

April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

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science Table 1

ball down onto the court; it falls into the court. The horizontal speed of the ball before the bounce has nothing to do with the vertical impact speed or how high it will bounce. Spin. The spin of the ball will also affect the vertical impact speed. Topspin creates an airflow force known as the Magnus force. This force pushes a topspin ball down and pushes a backspin ball upward. Furthermore, a ball hit with topspin is likely to reach a higher apex in its trajectory, so it will drop from a greater height, gain more speed, and hit at a steeper angle. Topspin balls will therefore bounce faster in the vertical direction and higher than will balls hit flat or with backspin.

HORIZONTAL BOUNCE

object across the surface of another. There are three types of friction, all of which can play a role in the bounce of the ball from the court. The three types are sliding, rolling, and static friction. Unless we are referring to a specific type, we will use the generic term “friction.” Determinants of friction. Contrary to intuition, the magnitude of the friction force does not depend on the surface areas in contact or the horizontal speed of the ball. It depends on two things—the force pushing the ball and court together (called the “normal” force, which is the opposite of the ground reaction force pushing the ball back off the court), and the relative roughness of the ball and the court. The latter is quantified by the coefficient of friction (COF).

Comparing court friction. Every court surface has a different COF with respect to a tennis ball. COF is usually a number What is friction? All the real interesting between 0 and 1 but numbers greater stuff happens as a result of the friction than 1 are also possible. Grass is about force. Friction determines the angle of 0.6, hard courts about 0.7, and clay about bounce, the horizontal bounce speed, and 0.8. The higher the COF, the more friction the spin. It does not affect the vertical will be generated and the slower will be bounce, however. Friction acts parallel to the resulting horizontal speed of the ball. and opposite the direction of motion of Surprisingly, clay has both the highest the ball on the surface. Friction arises COR and COF and grass the lowest whenever a force is applied to move one (Table 1). Consequently, a surface with a fast and high vertical bounce will also bounce slow Hardness of court and steep horizontally. And a surface that has Hardness of ball a low and slow vertical bounce will tend to Vertical speed bounce fast at a low angle horizontally. That Force pushing ball up means fast courts are usually slow in the Force pushing ball down vertical direction and Spin speed and direction before bounce slow courts are usually fast in the vertical direction. Horizontal speed before bounce

FRICTION

Factors in Ball Bounce

Relative roughness of court and ball Magnitude, time, and direction of friction

40 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

Trajectory and friction. The impacting ball’s angle of incidence is important

Court

Grass Hard Clay

COR

Bounce Height COF

(speed out/ speed in)

(% of trajectory height)

.6 .83 .85

36% 69% 72%

.6 .7 .8

by virtue of what it implies. By itself, it does not determine the vertical impact speed, but rather indicates what the flight of the ball probably looked like. Imagine that two balls are hit with the same speed from the baseline to land at the same location at the opposite service line. If one is launched at 30 degrees and the other at 60 degrees, then the 60degree ball will follow a steeper, higher trajectory and thus gain more vertical speed on the way down. As a result, it will impact at a steeper angle and experience a greater friction force. You would think that if there is more friction, then the more vertically impacting ball will also slow down the most (as a percentage of its horizontal speed). This is not necessarily true because the combination of a slower horizontal speed and more friction can magically combine to reduce the time the friction force acts. This is, in turn, results in less slowing of the ball. That’s where the plot thickens, as we will shortly see.

SLOWING AND SPINNING Speed and Bounce Angle. The angle of the bounce is determined by the ratio of the vertical speed to the horizontal speed. If the vertical speed is greater than the horizontal, the ball will bounce greater than a 45-degree angle. If it is less, it will bounce less than a 45-degree angle. The more the ball slows during the bounce, the steeper will be the bounce angle. No matter the angle of impact, balls with the same vertical velocity will bounce to the same height in the same time on the same court. The steepness of this “climb” will depend on the horizontal velocity. Spin Change. When the ball first hits the court, it is squashed and it slides and skids across the surface. Friction immediately

begins to slow the horizontal speed by pushing backward on the bottom of the ball. This same action exerts a torque on the ball around the ball’s center. This causes the ball to spin in the direction of the force, resulting in topspin. Incident Spin Affects Speed and Spin. The big question is how much will the ball slow down and how much will it spin. The answer is that it depends. It depends on the magnitude of the friction force, which we have looked at, and also on the length of time and the direction in which it operates. And these depend on the direction and rate of spin just before the ball touches the court. The direction of the spin refers to the direction at the bottom of the ball in relation to the motion of the ball as a whole. The speed of the bottom of the ball is thus the speed of the ball’s forward motion plus or minus the ball’s spin speed. For a ball hit with backspin, the bottom of the ball is traveling faster than

the entire ball. For a ball hit with topspin, the bottom is traveling slower than the rest of the ball. If the ball has no spin, it will instantly gain topspin. If the backward spin speed is the same as the ball’s forward speed, then the speed at the bottom of the ball will be zero. The forward motion and backward spin cancel each other, and the bottom of the ball is actually momentarily at rest. This is an important event, as we will see.

SKIDDING Whenever speed and spin do not cancel in this manner (balls incident less than 20 degrees will skid the entire bounce), the ball will skid across the court surface. Throughout the skid, friction will continue to slow the forward speed and increase the topspin. When the forward speed slows enough and the topspin becomes fast enough, the two cancel, the bottom of the ball (not the entire ball) is at rest on the court surface, skidding stops, and sliding friction disappears, even though the

bounce is not yet finished. When the speed and spin are so aligned, the ball stops skidding and begins to roll. This is an important transition because the magnitude of rolling friction is much less than sliding friction, and for our purposes can be considered to be zero.

FROM SKIDDING TO ROLLING The reason there is no friction during rolling is that the bottom of the ball is at rest, and thus there is no movement of one surface against the other, nor is there the sliding friction force that arises with such movement. When sliding friction stops, so too does the horizontal deceleration and rotational acceleration. The phenomenon of motion occurring even though the surfaces in contact are at rest is a familiar situation. When a bicycle wheel rolls, the forward speed of the bike is the same as the spin speed of the wheels, so the bottom of the wheel is always at rest on the road. The case is

April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

41

science similar with walking. When you put your foot down, your foot remains at rest on the ground as you propel your body forward over that foot. No matter how fast you run, your foot must come to a complete stop on each step.

SPIN How long will friction last? This canceling of forward motion and backward spin manifests itself a little differently in backspin and topspin shots. If you hit the ball with a lot of backspin, it will take longer for friction to reverse the spin direction and accelerate the spin up to the opposite of the horizontal speed. During that time, friction will also be slowing the ball. However, if you hit the ball with heavy topspin, the spin is already going in the opposite direction from the forward trajectory, and if you hit with very heavy topspin, it might already be spinning almost as fast as the forward speed. If this is the case, friction does not have to work for very long to slow the forward speed and increase the spin speed until they are equal. In other words, a topspin ball will slow less than a backspin ball and it will change its spin less because friction works on it for a shorter time. Topspin bounces lower than backspin in the lab. What are the consequences of this? It means that for two balls hitting the court at the same angle and speed, but one with topspin and the other with backspin, the topspin ball will come upon you faster and lower than a backspin ball. Lower, because it travels farther horizontally for each unit of vertical bounce than does the backspin ball (see Figure 1). Backspin bounces lower than topspin on the court. But wait. This is completely opposite of what you experience on court. You know that the backspin ball will stay lower and seem to come to you faster. The answer is that topspin and backspin balls rarely will hit the court at the same angle. For a

42 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

backspin and topspin groundstroke from the baseline to hit the same spot at the same angle would be virtually impossible. You could get them to hit the same spot, but the trajectories would be radically different. The topspin shot would land at a much steeper angle. A cannon can fire topspin and backspin at the same angle at the court, but it won’t happen while you are playing. But nonetheless, our usual perception is wrong. We can’t say that backspin causes the ball to bounce lower and faster than topspin. Instead we must realize that backspin causes the ball to slow more and bounce steeper than topspin, but that backspin almost always takes lower trajectories and therefore lower bounces. You’re never comparing apples to apples in realistic court-playing situations.

FROM ROLLING TO BITING We said the ball will start to roll when the spin speed and the horizontal speed are equal but opposite and that friction stops working at that point. The sooner in the bounce that happens, the less the ball will slow and change spin speed. We find however that the rolling transition is really more of a theoretical transition point. As soon as the bottom of the ball comes to rest, the friction goes to zero, as if it were rolling, but instantly goes past zero into negative territory. In other words, it starts acting in the opposite direction. This would not happen with a hard object like a bowling ball. In fact, you can easily observe the transition from sliding to rolling as a bowling ball goes down the lane. At that point there are no other forces (ignoring air resistance) acting on the bowling ball. Figure 1 A tennis ball is different. When the bottom of the ball is at rest and while the ball is squashed on the court, the bottom of the ball “grips” or “bites” the court. The bottom actually gets stuck, as if it were glued to the court. The remainder of the ball is still rotating and translating faster than the bottom, and the ball therefore stretches horizontally. Its backside, behind the “stuck” point at the bottom of the ball, goes into tension, and the front side goes into compression as the faster pieces of ball start piling up in front of the stuck point.

FROM BITING TO STRETCHING

Figure 1. A backspin ball will slow horizontally more than a topspin ball hitting at the same angle and speed. Usually, and depending on the angle of incidence, the horizontal speed will slow more than the vertical speed. A backspin ball will therefore bounce at a steeper angle than the incident angle. The topspin ball is more likely to reach a rolling or biting condition where there is no friction and therefore will slow less horizontally than the backspin ball. Depending on the incident angle, the horizontal speed will slow less than the vertical bounce speed. Consequently, a topspin ball is most likely to bounce at a shallower angle than the incident angle.

We now have an elastic force acting on the ball that a bowling ball would not experience. The elastic force is trying to pull the back end and push the front end of the contact point across the surface in the backward direction. Consequently the friction between the court

and ball pushes back in the forward direction to resist this elastic force. Since the bottom of the ball still is not moving, we say that it is static friction that is resisting the elastic force. It is a consequence of the force pushing the two surfaces together. It is during this time, which may exist for less than a millisecond, that we say the ball is “biting” the court.

FROM STRETCHING TO HOPPING But this is fleeting, and the elastic force may overcome the static friction force before the ball finishes its bounce. The bottom of the ball then begins to skid backwards, because now it is rotating faster backwards than it is moving forward. So, sliding friction takes over from static friction and acts to slow the spin down and speed the ball up. This is just the opposite of what happened when the ball first hit the court. And it is now that bizarre things can happen. Depending on when the biting occurs during the bounce (i.e., sooner or later), you will have a longer or shorter time during the bounce when the friction force is actually propelling the ball forward. There are even situations where the ball can bounce at a greater horizontal speed than it landed. We have all seen bounces that seemed to accelerate and hop after the bounce. These same balls will also have less topspin than you would expect, since the same force is slowing the topspin. Balls that hit the court at less than 20 degrees will slide throughout the bounce and sliding friction will be evident throughout the bounce. Above 20 degrees, balls will bite the court at some point. When they do, friction will reverse itself. The steeper the angle of incidence, the sooner that is likely to happen in the bounce.

Topspin vs Backspin Bounce

Backspin vs Topspin Bounce

(incident at same angle and speed)

(incident at same angle and speed)

Bounces same speed and height vertically Faster horizontal speed More topspin Bounces shallower than incident angle

Bounces same speed and height vertically Slower horizontal speed Less topspin Bounces steeper than incident angle

thought. But we also saw that topspin and backspin balls don’t ever land at the same angle and speed in normal playing conditions. Given the way they do land (backspin with lower trajectories), our perception that backspin bounces lower and faster than topspin is correct, but only because they start out that way. We also learned that the relationship of incident spin speed and direction to horizontal speed determines how long and in what direction friction will act and what its results will be. All this happens in 5 to 7 milliseconds. Who would have

thought that so much could happen before our eyes in such a short time with such game-critical consequences? Better think again! Editor’s note: Much more on bounce can be found in The Physics and Technology of Tennis, by Howard Brody, Rod Cross, and Crawford Lindsey—available from the USRSA: 760-536-1177 or www.racquettech.com. Many of the findings reported in this article are based on research by both Brody and Cross. w

CONCLUSION We have learned some bizarre things in this little excursion into bouncing balls. First, we have learned that for balls incident at the same angle and speed, topspin bounces faster and lower than backspin—just the opposite of what we April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

43

string

PLAYTEST

Klip Blast 17 Blast 17 is one of Klip’s “Pro Doubles” line of hybrid strings. Blast combines their Hardcore polyester (for the mains) with a soft compound synthetic gut (for the crosses), which according to Klip deliver a unique combination of power and control for players of all levels looking for a durable string that will hold up to the rigors of today's tennis yet allows some give for added comfort. The durability comes from the Hardcore,

hours, a 9 percent tension loss. Klip Blast added 9.8 grams to the weight of our unstrung frame. The string was tested for five weeks by 27 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings from 3.5 to 6. These are blind tests, with playtesters receiving unmarked strings in unmarked packages. The average number of hours playtested was 17.9. Our playtesters were less than enthusiastic about stringing Blast, but it is actually fairly easy to install: The mains and crosses are already pre-cut, the more difficult of the two strings (the Hardcore poly)

which resists notching, while the comfort

EASE OF STRINGING

comes from the nylon, which was chosen

(compared to other strings) No. of testers who said it was: much easier somewhat easier about as easy not quite as easy not nearly as easy

largely for its elasticity. Klip reports that Blast has been very popular with college programs all over the U.S. because of its great durability and affordability. Klip Blast is available in 16 gauge (1.27 mm poly mains, 1.30 mm nylon crosses) and 17 gauge (1.23 mm poly mains, 1.25 mm nylon crosses) in gold (mains) and yellow (crosses). It is priced from $6 for sets of 40 feet. For more information or to order, contact Klip toll-free at 866-554-7872, or visit www.klipstrings.com.

OVERALL PLAYABILITY

IN THE LAB

(compared to other strings of similar gauge) No. of testers who said it was: much better somewhat better about as durable not quite as durable not nearly as durable

We tested the 17-gauge Klip Blast. The poly coil (mains) measured 22 feet and the nylon coil (crosses) measured 18 feet, 10 inches. The diameter measured 1.25 mm (mains) and 1.30 mm (crosses) prior to stringing, and 1.20 mm (mains) to 1.22 mm (crosses) after stringing. We recorded a stringbed stiffness of 74 RDC units immediately after stringing at 60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern) on a constant-pull machine. After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed stiffness measured 67 RDC units, representing a 9 percent tension loss. Our control string, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16, measured 78 RDC units immediately after stringing and 71 RDC units after 24

44 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

ON THE COURT 0 4 9 10 3

(compared to string played most often) No. of testers who said it was: much better 2 somewhat better 2 about as playable 5 not quite as playable 13 not nearly as playable 3

OVERALL DURABILITY

6 12 6 0 1

RATING AVERAGES From 1 to 5 (best) Playability Durability Power Control Comfort Touch/Feel Spin Potential Holding Tension Resistance to Movement

goes in the easier-tostring mains, and Klip recommends no change in tension between the mains and crosses. The soft nylon cross string is easy to weave, yet firm enough to enable easy passage through blocked holes. One playtester broke his sample during stringing, 10 reported problems with coil memory, two reported problems tying knots, and one reported friction burn.

3.0 4.3 3.0 3.5 2.8 2.8 3.2 3.4 3.8

Just about all of our playtesters agreed that Klip Blast 17 is a durable string. Not only did 24 out of 25 of our playtesters report that Blast 17 was as durable or more durable than other strings of similar gauge, they also gave it high scores for durability overall. Backing up this durability, our playtesters rated Blast 17 well above average in resistance to movement, and above average in tension retention. One of the benefits of using a soft nylon in a hybrid string set with a polyester main is that the nylon mitigates the traditionally stiff feel of a pure poly string job. Even so, Klip Blast has a surprisingly soft feel, some of which can be attributed to the Hardcore poly, which Klip has designed to be softer and livelier than normal polys. With this soft feel, there is a corresponding sensation that there is a great deal of control available, a characteristic reflected in our playtesters’ aboveaverage rating of Blast 17 in the categories of control and the often-related category of spin potential. Six playtesters broke their samples during play, one each at three, five, 11, 18, 32, and 200 (!) hours.

CONCLUSION When strung up with the Hardcore mains at the same tension as the soft nylon crosses, Klip Blast 17 is more comfortable

TESTERS

“

The best string I have ever played with. It has ultimate durability

for a hard hitter and someone with lots

break a string. It softened up and felt better as it broke in. Not as harsh as most polys would be. A good option for frequent string

offers exceptional touch at the net. The blend of string makes for an overall excellent combination. I would recommend this string to anyone looking for power, durability, and also touch.

”

“ I enjoyed this string

from the moment I opened the package:

The yellow and orange colors match my Head Liquidmetal Radical OS.

4.5 male all-court player using Prince

Stringing went without a hitch. The

AirDrive MP strung at 61 pounds LO

string had plenty of power and con-

(Wilson Stamina Spin DT 15L)

“

Suspecting the mains were polyester,

”

breakers.

of spin. For a polyester string it also holds the tension extremely well and

TALK

trol, and I got a substantial amount of spin on my serves and ground-

4.0 male all-court player using Topspin CL 633 strung at 60 pounds CP (Gamma XP 17)

“

Took time to get used to. It seemed to

have a mind of its own until I was accustomed

”

to it.

4.0 female serve-and-volleyer using Head S.12 strung at 57 pounds LO (Various 16)

“

The mains were difficult to install due to

coil memory. The crosses seemed flimsy. I

tried very hard to break this string, but

I pre-stretched them. The strings per-

strokes. I’m keeping this string in

formed beautifully: better than any other

my racquet — it has become my

poly hybrid I have used. I have used

string of choice. The only way that I

some very soft string in the crosses to

expecting a very stiff string after installation.

would reconsider changing to it

It did have a stiff feel, but it’s a solid overall

permanently would be price, and I’d

string.

tion was terrific for touch/feel and spin,

most likely be willing to pay more

6.0 male all-court player using Wilson H Tour

without the harshness. Obviously, loads

for this string based on what I

of power and no significant loss of ten-

experience.

sion. I would definitely recommend this

4.0 male all-court player using Head

get the touch and the mains ate them. Not so in this case. In fact, this combina-

”

string. What is it?

”

couldn’t. After initial hours of play, the string “settled in” and played rather well. I was

”

strung at 58 pounds LO (Head FiberGel 16)

“

The crosses moved more than on my other

strings. I didn’t have much feel with these

”

5.0 male all-court player using Head

Liquidmetal Radical OS strung at 60

strings. It didn’t feel comfortable.

i.S6 OS strung at 57/61 pounds LO (Wil-

pounds (Gamma Duraspin 16)

5.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Wilson Surge X strung at 61 pounds LO (Wilson

son NXT 16)

“

Sensation 16)

Sharp-looking string! As a string-breaker I was impressed by the

durability. Very little notching until well past when I would normally

than pure poly, and the durability is still very impressive. Yet this is only the beginning, as the relative tensions of the mains and crosses can be varied to suit your taste, and you could even use the soft nylon as the mains and the Hardcore poly as the crosses if you want, for tremendous versatility from one string. And if that’s not enough, there’s a 16-gauge version as well. At this price you can afford to experiment. If you think that Klip Blast 17 might be for you, fill out the coupon to get a free set to try. As a bonus, Klip is going to randomly select one lucky member from among the submitted coupons to receive five free sets of their premium Legend 100% Australian natural gut. —Greg Raven w

For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com (Strings normally used by testers are indicated in parentheses.)

FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM Klip has generously offered to send a free set of Blast 17 to USRSA members who request it. Klip is going to randomly select one lucky member from among the submitted coupons to receive 5 FREE sets of their premium Legend 100% Australian natural gut! To get your free set, just cut out (or copy) this coupon and mail it to: USRSA, Attn: Klip Blast 17 String Offer, 330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084 or fax to 760-536-1171 Offer expires May 15, 2004 One set of free string per USRSA membership • Offer only available to USRSA members in the US

FREE! KLIP Blast 17! Name: USRSA Member number: Phone: Email: If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your sample will be sent.

April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

45

string

PLAYTEST

Head RIP PerfectPower 16 RIP PerfectPower is the newest string in Head’s lineup, designed to be the company’s top string for players seeking more power. Head’s other power strings include IntelliString, RIP Ti.Fiber, and FiberGEL Power. To give players more power, Head tells us they have engineered a new core construction to

Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern) on a constant-pull machine. After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed stiffness measured 64 RDC units, representing a 7 percent tension loss. Our control string, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16, measured 78 RDC units immediately after stringing and 71 RDC units after 24 hours, representing a 9 percent tension

this multi-core, multi-wrap string to enable maximum energy return. Internally, RIP PerfectPower has a PowerCore wrapped with ribbons using Head’s RIP (Ribbon Improved Performance) technology. PowerCore is made of more than 1,250 polyamide fibers arranged in five bundles. These bundles are densely braided together to maximize elasticity for power and performance. The ribbon wraps are made of a new, softer co-polyolefine material that Head says provides a more comfortable elastic feel. Head also says that RIP PerfectPower minimizes tension loss, which in combination with the elasticity gives superior playability. Head RIP PerfectPower is available in 16 gauge (1.31 mm) in white. It is priced from $13.50 for sets of 40 feet. For more information or to order, contact Head at 800-289-7366, or PerfectPower’s multi-core visit www.head.com.

IN THE LAB Our test coil measured 40 feet, 8 inches. The diameter measured 1.38 mm to 1.41 mm prior to stringing, and 1.29 mm to 1.35 mm after stringing. We recorded a stringbed stiffness of 69 RDC units immediately after stringing at 60 pounds in a

46 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

EASE OF STRINGING (compared to other strings) No. of testers who said it was: much easier somewhat easier about as easy not quite as easy not nearly as easy

1 3 7 8 5

OVERALL PLAYABILITY (compared to string played most often) No. of testers who said it was: much better 2 somewhat better 8 about as playable 4 not quite as playable 7 not nearly as playable 3

OVERALL DURABILITY (compared to other strings of similar gauge) No. of testers who said it was: much better somewhat better about as durable not quite as durable not nearly as durable

4 9 8 0 2

RATING AVERAGES From 1 to 5 (best) Playability Durability Power Control Comfort Touch/Feel Spin Potential Holding Tension Resistance to Movement

3.4 3.8 3.2 3.5 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.6 3.3

loss. Head RIP PerfectPower added 12.9 grams to the weight of our unstrung frame. The string was tested for five weeks by 24 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings from 3.5 to 5. These are blind tests, with playtesters receiving unmarked strings in unmarked packages. Average number of hours playtested was 31. Our playtesters had a little trouble stringing RIP PerfectPower. Although it looks and feels almost like an aramid string out of the package, it retains a fair amount of coil memory, and it’s soft enough that you might have to re-trim the end when negotiating blocked holes. Although the surface has a fairly strong texture to it, it also has an almost waxy feel, which made it nice when pulling crosses, and when pulling the string through blocked holes for that matter. The braiding of the RIP wraps makes the string feel almost armored, and not at all fragile. One other nice aspect of RIP PerfectPower is that it seems barely to elongate while you are pulling tension, which is unusual for a highly-elastic string. No playtester broke his sample during Special stringing, 14 reported braiding of problems with coil the Perfectmemory, one reported Power core problems tying knots, and two reported friction burn.

ON THE COURT This may be a power string, but our playtesters also loved its durability. Twentyone out of 23 of our playtesters found RIP PerfectPower to be as durable or more durable than other strings of similar gauge, and they rated its durability and tension retention well above average overall. Based on the name, you probably

TESTERS

“

I loved this string. It played well, felt good, and strung up just fine.

It was a nice blend of control, feel, and durability. This string is a plea-

”

“

TALK

This is a pretty good durability and control string. It held tension

well and kept its original playability throughout the test. I would not

sure to play with.

recommend this string as a comfort or playability string.

5.0 male serve-and-volleyer using Wilson Triad 6.0 strung at 65 pounds

5.0 male serve-and-volleyer using Wilson Pro Staff Tour 90 strung at

LO (Wilson NXT Tour 17)

60 pounds CP (Syn Gut Extreme 16)

“

”

“

This string would be one I would recom-

mend to someone with arm problems. It was a comfortable string to play. The only problem I encountered was the tendency to kink up when

”

stringing.

5.0 male serve-and-volleyer using Head Liquidmetal Radical MP strung at 57 pounds LO (Wilson NXT 17)

memory of any I’ve tested or used. It literally

“ I absolutely love this string. I would push

jumped out of the plastic bag it came in. It reminded me of the old Slinky® toy that used to leap-frog down a flight of stairs. The

this string in the shop for top-

string has almost a cord-like feel to it during

level players who like power

stringing. I thought the string’s playing char-

and durability. It held tension

acteristics were just a little below average. It

and was resistant to movement,

“

Some good qualities. I enjoyed the durabil-

did nothing in particular to distinguish itself,

which was the best of both

and seemed lacking in the areas of comfort, touch, and feel. It is just an okay string with

”

ity and the touch at net. I felt the playtest

worlds, in my book.

string had good feel on drop-shots and angled

5.0 male baseliner with heavy spin

volleys. Overall, an above-average string for

This string has, by far, the most coil

no particular exceptional feature.

”

4.5 male all-court player using Wilson Triad

using Babolat Pure Control Zylon

5.0 strung at 60 pounds CP (Gamma

4.5 male serve-and-volleyer using Fischer Pro

strung at 62 pounds LO (Babolat

LiveWire 16)

No 1 strung at 63 pounds CP (BDE gut 16)

Super Fine Play 17)

”

volleys.

“

“

Although I was pleased with the durabili-

ty and resistance to movement, I was discouraged by the comfort,

When I took the string out of the package

the coil memory was so great it didn’t reach the ground while I was

touch, and playability. This string was tough on my injury-prone

holding one end. The string had a tendency to kink. All coil memory

elbow. I would only recommend this string to players who have string

”

disappeared after stringing about half the mains. Weaving the crosses

durability problems.

was much more difficult than with most string. I did not expect any

5.0 male baseliner with moderate spin using Wilson Hyper Pro Staff

elasticity, and was surprised when the string stretched a moderate

6.1 strung at 60 pounds LO (Wilson Sensation 16)

amount during stringing. On court, I was pleasantly surprised. This

“

string had much better feel and power than I expected. It showed

”

Not impressed.

4.0 male all-court player using Wilson Hyper Hammer 4.0 OS strung at

almost no wear after the test period, and held tension nicely. This seems like a good alternative for constant string breakers. It may be

”

60/57 pounds LO (Wilson Sensation 16)

worth pre-stretching the mains to reduce some of the coil memory.

4.5 male all-court player using Völkl Catapult 7 strung at 50 pounds CP (Natural gut 16)

expected our playtesters would give RIP PerfectPower an above-average rating for power. Well, you are correct, but it also rated above average for playability, control, and resistance to PerfectPower’s ribbon wrap

For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com

(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in parentheses.)

movement—not a bad combination. In fact, more than half of our playtesters indicated that they felt RIP PerfectPower played as well as or better than the string with which they most often play.

CONCLUSION Head seems to have hit the mark with RIP PerfectPower 16, which even outscored the impressive Head FiberGEL Power 16

playtest we published in December 2003. If you are looking for more power from your string but do not want to sacrifice durability, this may be the string for you. Head is so convinced that you are going to like RIP PerfectPower, that the company will be sending a free set to every USRSA member in the U.S. later this year. —Greg Raven w April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

47

tips

and TECHNIQUES

Readers’ Know-How in Action The ideas, suggestions and techniques found in “Tips and Techniques” have all been submitted by USRSA members. This department has run almost every month since its inception in 1993, recounting stringers tricks and tales of the trade garnered from everyday, real-life stringing and business experiences. All these tips have been gathered into a single volume of the Stringer’s Digest— Racquet Service Techniques—that is a benefit of USRSA membership. Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92804; or email: [email protected].

buttons. The stencil will not move while you apply the ink, and when you flip the stencil over to ink side number two, you can achieve perfect alignment. Now my next task is trying to figure out how to make the ink applicator last as long as the ink in the bottle! 5 sets of Prince Polygut 16 to: Mark Campanile, MRT, Northbrook, IL

Editor’s note: If you have two copies of the same stencil, you have the option of punching the holes in both copies so that the holes and the stencils line up. You can then fasten both stencils to the stringbed (one on each side) using the plastic snap buttons, so that you do not have to move the stencil to ink the other side of the stringbed.

Is there any one else out there who dislikes stenciling racquets as much as I do? For me there were two major difficulties: Trying to align the stencil on the opposite side of the stringbed after stenciling the first side, and keeping the stencil from moving or sliding over the stringbed when applying the ink. I have come up with a simple but effective solution for both problems. You will need a hole punch and four of the snap buttons that manufacturers use to fasten information cards on pre-strung racquets. Take the hole punch and make four holes, in the top and bottom corners of the stencil. Then align your stencil on the stringbed and pop in the snap

48 RACQUET

SPORTS INDUSTR Y April 2004

BEGINNER TIPS

DAMPENER RETENTION TOURNAMENT FOOTING

STENCILING MADE EASY

clamp. We do not recommend using door knobs, as pre-stretching puts a lot of stress on the doorknob, and sometimes the string can slip off with potentially harmful results. Whichever way you do it, hold the starting clamp firmly, but do not squeeze the handles as this opens the jaws and releases the string. Turn your back to the taut portion(s) of the string so that if it does snap, it can’t hit you in the face. Apply about 40 pounds of pull across the entire length of the string, and hold it for 15 to 30 seconds. USRSA Staff

When I string at tournaments, players and spectators often come up to talk. If they happen to step on the string on hard flooring, it could be detrimental to the string job and potentially cost me money, not to mention the loss of hard work I have put into the job. I eliminate this possibility by placing a 12’ X 12’ square of carpet beneath my stringing machine. It’s nicer to stand on for hours, too. Ashaway 5-string pack (including 1 set of Dynamite WB) to: Russ Bruns, MRT, Chesapeake, VA

PRE-STRETCHING Although pre-stretching isn’t as prevalent as it used to be, it is still a good technique when stringing gut, or other strings that have such a strong coil memory it would be beneficial to straighten them out before installation. Pre-stretching is also one way of getting a higher stringbed stiffness without over-tensioning the frame. You can loop the string around a smooth, round, firmly fixed pole and pull on both ends at once, but the best way is to use two people, each with a starting

When I receive a racquet to restring I remove the vibration damper and secure it

under the rubber band that is provided as a cover for the tape on the grip. If a rubber band is not in place I place one on the racquet as a service. The customers love it and it avoids using masking tape or scotch tape to secure the vibration damper. Alpha 5-string pack to: Jerry O’Hara, PTR, Mt. Lebanon, PA

TOOL TRAY ORGANIZATION It seems that tool trays are never big enough. To save myself from having to dig through all my tools looking for the desired one, I use organization and colorcoding. Each of my tools has a different color on the handle for instant recogni-

MARKETING TIPS

SELLING CUSTOMIZATION

tion, and I always put them in the same place in the tool tray each time. I find this really speeds things up for me. Bow Brand string pack (including 1 set of natural gut) to: Alan Yoshida, Santa Monica, CA

STRING MEASURING I measure string from a reel by using my body measurements. My wingspan handto-hand outspread is 6 foot 1 inch. I have not used a tape or measuring rule for over 15 years. 5 sets of Gamma Flex Core Control 16 to: Dan Kerr, MRT, Wiarton, ON Canada

I am a “home stringer” who does about 250 racquets a year. I do not have time to string too many more racquets, so I avoid traditional forms of advertising, and rely on recommendations from existing customers. To keep the recommendations coming, I try to find ways to provide added value for my customers. To give one example, I enclose a fact sheet regarding the benefits of racquet customization when I return a strung racquet. The sheet deals with matching racquet specs, changing the racquet’s playing characteristics, reducing arm and shoulder problems, and finding a list of racquets that meet the required playing characteristics sought in a new racquet—all of which I can easily do as a USRSA member with access to RacquetTECH.com. I also offer this information on my website. Offering these services not only gener-

ates additional business, it also seems to have increased my customers’ interest in tennis racquet performance and game enhancement. Head briefcase to: Leigh Cherveny, Sheboygan Falls, WI —Greg Raven w

Limit one string special order per customer

April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

49

NEW MEMBERS February 2004 NEW MEMBER

Kevin Taylor

CITY

STATE/COUNTRY

NEW MEMBER

CITY

Scottsdale

AZ

Shari Kontrath

Davis

CA

Lane Hoffman

Healdsburg

CA

Andy Trolan

La Jolla

CA

Ojai

CA

Pleasanton

CA

George Rupp

Reedley

CA

Sam Kiser

Roselle Garcia

San Leandro

CA

Jared Kelowitz

Stephen Choy

Saratoga

CA

Robert Weir

Allan Berger

Torrance

CA

Jim Burks

Gart Sports #139

Superior

CO

Sheryl Osborn

Joe Watson

Norwalk

Greg Hull Susan Teem Elliott Woolley Daniel McSweeney Mike Sedlak

USRSA 330 Main St., Vista CA 92084 Tel: 760 • 536 • 1177

STATE/COUNTRY

Cleveland OH Portland

OR

Salem

OR

Chuck Trau

Pittsburgh

PA

Allan Tomalesky

Zellenople

PA

President Patrick Curry Partner/Business Development Steve Schein Executive Director David Bone, MRT Managing Editor/Webmaster Crawford Lindsey Advertising Director John Hanna Production Manager Kristine Thom Technical Support Dot Hogen, MRT; Greg Raven, MRT Membership Services Nancy Crowley, Barbara Smith Shipping/Receiving Pat Regan

Clemson

SC

Sumter

SC

Greenville

SC

Maryville

TN

Abilene

TX

Arlington

TX

Rod Cross Associate Professor of Physics, Univ. of Sydney, Australia

CT

Oshmans Sporting Goods #208 Cedar Hill

TX

Key Biscayne

FL

Oshman's #207

Farmers Branch

TX

Bill Severa Director of Technology, Innovation and Design Group,Wilson Racquet Sports

Naples

FL

Katherine Yu

Lewisville

TX

Charles Borchers

Port Charlotte

FL

Patrick Horne

New Braunfels

TX

Patricia Ramirez

Weston

FL

Peter Laudon

Sugarland

TX

Richard Albritton

Dacula GA

Waco

TX

Bill Mitchell Director R&D, Powers Court

Oshmans Sporting Goods #209 Watauga

TX

Tom Parry Product Development Manager/ Pro Tour Services Manager; Volkl Tennis GmbH

Bob Toews

Miguel Chavez Rebecca Redshaw

Oshman's #243

Alan Aarnio

Dacula GA

Erin Gibson

Kennesaw GA

Rod Murphy

Parowan

UT

Lawrenceville GA

Jack Wilson

Onancock

VA

Honolulu

HI

Norman Jew

Blaine WA

Cedar Rapids

IA

George Kraft

Seattle WA

Derwin Roland Jerry Cape George Pelke Kenneth Wicker Kenneth Jantz City Sports #13 Tracy Bass

Louisville

KY

Clive Smith

Shreveport

LA

O V Victorovich

Boston MA East Boston MA

Jon Anderson

Worcester MA

Patrick McGough

Baltimore MD

Paul Webster

Bellalton MD

Tom Teal Sino Hoeung Timothy Jachymowski Barbara Glenn Mark Hoven Mike Harle

NC

Las Vegas

NV

Bedford

NY

Bronx

NY

Bronxville

NY

Jahdiel Williams

Brooklyn

NY

Fred Moshy

Brooklyn

NY

Mark Johns

Great Neck

NY

Victor Ancelson

Great Neck

NY

Qi Chen George Tarangioli

50 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

ADVERTISERS INDEX For more information on products and services in this issue of Racquet Sports Industry, please contact the manufacturers directly.

Company

Middlesex

UK

Advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Ashaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC ATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Bow Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Classic Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Courtsider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Douglas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Fischer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Forten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Fromuth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Gamma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 11, 13, 25 Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC ICA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Klip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 LBH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Lee Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Membrane Structure Solutions . . . . . . . . . 23 Novagrass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 21 Nova Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 On The Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 49 Prince . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC Silent Partner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Tecnifibre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Unique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 USRSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Völkl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Wise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Terry Stidder

MASTER RACQUET TECHNICIANS

Matt Broderick

Cincinnati, OH

Bryan Dowling

Lincoln, NE

Kansas City MO Lincolnton

Roger Petersman Business Manager-Accessories, Head/Penn Racquet Sports

UK

recently achieved MRT status

Sports Authority #789

Dr. Carl Love Professor Emeritus, Metallurgy; President, Love Sports Enterprises

UK

MI

NC

Dr. Simon Goodwill Research Assistant, University of Sheffield, UK

Essex

Michael Brookes

Sturgis

Brevard

Steve Davis VP of Next Generation, Prince Sports

Co Down

Peter Heyburn

Congratulations to the following members who

Columbia MO

Ron Carr R&D Manager, Gamma Sports

RUSSIA

MI

Lino Lakes MN

Dr. Howard Brody Professor Emeritus of Physics, Univ. of Pennsylvania; Science Advisor, PTR

Novosibirsk

Chesaning

Mark Albers Jan Holaday

NSW AUSTRALIA

USRSA TECHNICAL ADVISORS Warren Bosworth Professional stringer, racquet designer and industry advisor

MRT’s: 409

CS’s: 2498

USRSA MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION USRSA membership dues: $99 annually. (CA residents add 7.75% sales tax. $106.67 total.) Canadian Members add $20 (US) for postage costs. US Total: $119. Mexican Members add $25 (US) for postage costs. US Total: $124. All other International Members add $36 (US) for airmail postage costs. US Total: $135. Membership includes: 10 issues of Racquet Sports Industry, the five-volume Stringer’s Digest, free consultation, free classified advertising and access to the member's-only website.

Page

E V E N T

C A L E N D A R

May

May

Date

Event

Location Phone Number

Date

(Continued) Event

1-2

USPTA Certification

Big Rapids, MI 713-978-7782

22-23

PTR Certification

Philadelphia, PA 215-947-8370

1-2

USPTA Certification

Nashville, TN 713-978-7782

23-24

USPTA Certification

Denver, CO 713-978-7782

1-2

PTR Certification

Fisherville, VA 540-332-5280

27-28

USPTA Certification

West Orange, NJ 713-978-7782

1-2

PTR Certification

Mississauga, ON 905-521-4560

Location Phone Number

June

USRSA CERTIFICATION LOCATIONS CALL FOR DATES Birmingham, AL

205-985-4989

Anchorage, AK

907-244-9810 or 225-767-1379

1-2

PTR Certification

Gainesville, FL 352-373-4806

2-3

PTR Certification

Sioux Falls, SD 605-335-8546

Scottsdale, AZ

480-483-5560

3-4

PTR Certification

Lexington, SC 803-754-5223

3-4

USPTA Certification

Banksville, NY 713-978-7782

Mountain View, CA

650-968-8952

Ojai, CA

805-640-2109

Minneapolis, MN 713-978-7782

3-4

Walla Walla, WA 713-978-7782

San Diego, CA

858-272-9063

Boulder, CO

303-442-1412

Medford, MA 617-627-5196

5-6

Austin, TX 713-978-7782

Boca Raton, FL

561-997-0881

St. Louis, MO 713-978-7782

5-6

Flushing, NY 718-760-6235

Clearwater, FL

727-442-7923

Ft. Walton Beach, FL

850-862-2023

Conway, AK 713-978-7782

5-6

Palm Coast, FL

386-446-6360

7-8 7-8 8-9 8-9

USPTA Certification PTR Certification USPTA Certification USPTA Certification

USPTA Certification USPTA Certification PTR Certification PTR Certification

Huntsville, AL 256-372-5317

Winter Park, FL

407-673-9200 770-982-8989

Honolulu, HI

808-373-1212

8-9

USPTA Certification

Hoover, AL 713-978-7782

5-6

PTR Certification

Cincinnati, OH 513-793-9200

Snellville, GA

8-9

PTR Certification

Mishawaka, IN 574-277-1000

5-6

PTR Certification

Philadelphia, PA 215-487-9555

Boise, ID

Albany, NY 518-436-3556

5-6

Hinsdale, MA 800-762-2820

Northbrook, IL Overland Park, KS

913-491-4116 907-244-9810

8-9

PTR Certification

PTR Certification

208-794-6236 or 208-345-4140 847-480-7841

15-16

USPTA Certification

Burbank, CA 713-978-7782

5-6

PTR Certification

Highlands Ranch, CO 303-471-8919

Baton Rouge, LA

15-16

USPTA Certification

Ponte Vedra, FL 713-978-7782

5-6

PTR Certification

Mount Laurel, NJ 856-234-2990

East Lansing, MI

517-337-0002

St. Louis Park, MN

952-920-1603

Lincoln, NE

402-474-5050

or 225-767-1379

15-16

USPTA Certification

Wilmington, DE 713-978-7782

7-8

USPTA Certification

Honolulu, HI 713-978-7782

15-16

PTR Certification

Dallas, TX 972-253-4832

10-11

USPTA Certification

Mesa, AZ 713-978-7782

15-16

PTR Certificatioon

Wilton, CT 203-762-2423

11-13

USPTA Certification

Jefferson City, MO 713-978-7782

Albuquerque, NM

505-299-8052

Commack, NY

631-543-7077

Bellevue, WA 425-452-7690

12-13

Aurora, IL 713-978-7782

Flushing Meadows, NY

718-760-6227

Rochester, NY

585-427-2747

Flushing, NY 713-978-7782

12-13

Charlotte, NC 704-337-2509

12-13

15-16 19-20 22-23

PTR Certification USPTA Certification PTR Certification

USPTA Certification USPTA Certification USPTA Certification

San Diego, CA 713-978-7782 Atlanta, GA 713-978-7782

22-23

PTR Certification

Laguna Nigel, CA 949-496-4665

12-13

USPTA Certification

Greensboro, NC 713-978-7782

22-23

PTR Certification

Pembroke Pines, FL 954-394-5348

12-13

PTR Certification

An Arbor, MI 734-662-5514

22-23

PTR Certification

Fresno, CA 559-227-8405

17-18

USPTA Certification

Dixville Notch, NH 713-978-7782

22-23 22-23 22-23 22-23 22-23

USPTA Certification USPTA Certification USPTA Certification PTR Certification PTR Certification

Fremont, CA 713-978-7782

19-20

Atlanta, GA 713-978-7782

19-20

Hilton Head, SC 713-978-7782

21-22

Brunswick, ME 207-729-8433

26-27

Chambersburg, PA 717-263-0048

26-27

USPTA Certification PTR Certification USPTA Certification USPTA Certification PTR Certification

Mountainside, NJ

Cary, NC

919-859-6788

Cincinnati, OH

513-791-4636

Mentor, OH

440-357-6147

Lakeside, OR

FOR SALE: Two (2) Volkl Tour 10 Mid+ racquets, 4-3/8 grip. Almost new. Asking: $110 ea. or best offer. Contact: John Foster, Charleston, SC 29407 • 843/766-8773 WANTED: Babolat Star 4 machine. Please contact Gret at 760/536-1177 x18, or Email: [email protected]

52 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

907-244-9810 or 225-767-1379

Bryn Mawr, PA Pittsburgh, PA

610-525-2504 412-323-0335 ext 256

West Lawn, PA

610-288-5030

Hilton Head Island, SC

843-341-8647

Grenada, MS 713-978-7782

Myrtle Beach, SC

978-343-4944

Antioch, TN

615-731-3700

Hanover, MA 781-829-8585

Dallas, TX

214-821-8440

Sugarland, TX

281-980-4286

Houston, TX 713-978-7782

Arlington, VA

703-522-2700

Farmville, VA

434-392-6081

Hartsville, SC 713-978-7782

Seattle, WA

206-812-6002

Chicago, IL 312-742-7821

Victoria, Canada

604-418-4842

Tokyo, Japan

03-5603-1168

Ontario, CAN

519-534-3745

Tasmania, Australia

USRSA CLASSI

908-233-6650 or 201-679-7535

WANTED: Two racquets: Prince Thunder Ultralite Titanium MidPlus Longbody, 4-3/8 or 4-1/2 grip. If you have any in stock please send price by email. Contact: Francis Dean, Glastonbury, CT 06033 • Email: Francisthee [email protected]

03 62348627 or 04 19 523226

Victoria, Australia

061-03-9890-3011

For additional dates and locations, contact the organizations: PTR, 800-421-6289, USPTA, 713-978-7782; USRSA, 760-536-1177.

R S I RETAILERS– Tired of looking at your unsold merchandise? Let someone else sell it. Why not offer it to other retailers in a classified ad here? See bottom of this page to place a classified ad. STRINGERS—Want to sell a stringing machine you don?t use anymore? Why not offer it to someone needing a machine, such as college teams who want to string their own rackets? Or to an experienced stringer who wants to open his own business? See bottom of this page to place a classified ad. TENNIS PROS Want to change jobs and let everyone know you are available? Place a Tennis Position Wanted classified here?everyone gets RSI magazine. See details at the bottom of this page. MEMORABILIA COLLECTORS Want to sell your duplicates? Looking for a hardto-find item? Want to trade with other collectors? Place a classified ad here. Let the other collectors know what you want. See bottom of page for details. TENNIS CLUBS Want to add to staff? Place an ad in RSI; everyone reads it. All information is at bottom of this page. We can help. SUMMER CAMPS Are you looking for staff for this summer? All college coaches get RSI 10 times a year. They can tell their players or they can come and work for you. Place a classified here at RSI. See details at bottom of this page. DO YOU WANT TO BUY OR SELL A RACQUET BUSINESS? If you don?t want to keep it a secret, place a classified ad here. If you want confidentiality, let us advise you. For details, see bottom of this page.

and even job availability. For free sample write [email protected]. HOW TO HIRE A TENNIS PRO Get this free booklet that tells how to hire a pro, step by step and avoid making a mistake. For free copy, Call Bob Larson at 952 920 8947 or by e-mail at [email protected].

MERCHANDISE TO BUY/SELL BOOKS FOR SALE We have a small number of Vic Braden's book "Laugh and Win at Doubles" at a closeout price of $9.77US vs. regular price of $19.95. Postage and handling in US $6.50. If you buy before March 31, we will waive the postage and handling. To order, contact [email protected]. WE BUY TENNIS BOOKS —952 920 8947 WE BUY TENNIS RACKETS—952 920 8947

POSITION WANTED Highly successful Tennis Director/Head tennis professional, seeks a position in the Southern California area. This professional has extensive experience in all aspects including world class instructional programs, national junior development, and all duties concerning operating, maintaining, and transforming a facility into an elite class organization. Professional is currently employed, but will consider any position in Southern Calif. Inquries to [email protected] or 952 920 8947.

HELP WANTED

TENNIS PROFESSION ALS/CHAPERONES - EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA Males and females are invited to coach juniors on tournament circuits in Europe or DO YOU SELL A PRODUCT OR SER North America this summer. You must be 21 VICE TO TENNIS CLUBS OR years old and have experience working with RETAILERS?Why not contact them with a teenage tennis players. classified ad here in RSI? It?s easy, just see details at bottom of this page. We conduct serious-minded tournament circuits designed to give juniors match expeDO YOU WANT TO BRAG A LITTLE? rience and mental toughness. Each of our Would you like to congratulate someone teams consists of a maximum of 15 players who has excelled? Celebrating an anniver(ages 14-18). Two coaches travel with each sary? Just place an Announcement classified team. We provide you with training and ad and let the tennis world know. support to make the summer successful for you and your players. The ability level ranges from high school varsity players to ANNOUNCEMENTS nationally ranked players with trips from 16 to 31 days. We have 15 teams with our first TENNIS CELEBSis a new weekly publiteam leaving on June 21st and the team cation with stories and pictures of the rich departing on July 24th. and famous tennis people. TENNIS CELEBS This will be TENNIS: EUROPE's 32nd sumgets its news from reporters around the mer. Deadline for application is March 30, world sending it the latest news about the 2004 or whenever positions are filled. stars. For a free sample, write Please send resume and cover letter and [email protected]. write for detailed job description to: TENNIS: EUROPE, 73 Rockridge Lane, Stamford FREE SAMPLE TENNIS NEWSPAPER. CT 06903 or telephone 203 322 9803 or eGet a free one-month subscription to Daily mail to [email protected]. Tennis, the world‚s only daily tennis newspaper. Get the latest news about the playCAMP STAFF MAINE ers, tournaments, companies, college tennis

54 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

C L A S S I F I E D S BY BOB LARSON

The Laurel Camps represent the finest in Maine=s co-ed residential summer camping. Both camps are currently seeking talented Tennis Instructors and Professionals who have strong tennis backgrounds and who have experience as instructors or coaches. Both camps boast superb tennis facilities, as well as a strong commitment to our programs. We offer top instruction, as well as intercamp and tournament. Each camp offers state-of-the-art facilities, a professional atmosphere and excellent salary. We also welcome internships. Please visit our extensive website at www.TheLaurelCamps.com to submit an online application, or call us toll-free at 800327-3509 for a staff information packet and application. TENNIS COACHES CONNECTICUT Indoor Tennis Clubs in Connecticut is seeking hardworking, enthusiastic and dedicated instructors. Minimum two-years experience and commensurate salary. US Visa sponsorship will be considered for qualified applicants, if required. Contact Jeff Gocke at 203 655 2852 X 308, or via fax 203 656 1091. TENNIS ADVISORY STAFF SALES Bancroft Sports, America's Oldest Racquet Brand, is seeking qualified tennis professionals for part-time area sales positions of our new racquet line. A successful candidate will receive commissions from all sales in their area. There are a limited number of territories available. Phone 1-800-779-0807 or e-mail [email protected]. SALES REPS Join the fastest growing string company with a new fresh approach to the tennis industry. We are seeking established and motivated sales reps that are looking to add a string and accessory line to their current products. We offer a full range of strings including synthetics, polyesters, natural gut an gut hybrids. Sales reps are needed across the US, Mexico and Canada. Positions are commission-based only. Please e-mail all resumes and/or questions to [email protected] or fax us at 720 559 3253. TEACHING PROS AND COACHES Book your dream trip NOW! Enjoy seven days and six nights at an “all inclusive” SuperClubs resort—the most exclusive vacation destination in the Caribbean (13 locations) for you and a companion (or with your family). Small fee and limited teaching obligation required. Visit our websites at www.superclubs.com and www.sportsinternationaltennis.com. To book or for more information, call 978 466 9393 or e-mail to [email protected].

VACATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR TENNIS PROFESSIONALS For only $250 plus airfare, your guest and you could be vacationing at the #1 ultra allinclusive Sandals and Beaches Resorts in Jamaica and St. Lucia. Your food, drinks and accommodations are included as well as all the amenities of the resort. These working vacations run from Sunday to Sunday. For more information, contact Mike Romisher at 847 207 9475. E-mail [email protected].

BUSINESSES FOR SALE TENNIS TOUR BUSINESS FOR SALE This is a rare opportunity to own a tennis tour company. Travel the world escorting your clients to the most prestigious tennis events—Wimbledon, Roland Garros, Australian Open and the USOpen, Masters Series events, plus Davis Cup and Fed Cup events. Business can be re-located to wherever you choose! 12 successful years in business—hundreds of repeat clients. Call Daily Tennis for information 952 920 8947 or e-mail [email protected].

TENNIS SERVICES At no cost for clubs, ProMatch Tennis Service finds qualified tennis teaching professionals. We interview, check references and criminal background, and train. Professionals are certified either with the USPTA or the PTR. ProMatch Tennis Service can be contacted by calling 770-817-0559. You can email us for more information at [email protected]. COURT CONSTRUCTION Is it time to resurface or repair your tennis court? Sport-Master‚s nationwide and worldwide network of professional sport surfacing contractors are available to provide free on-site assessment and recommendations. Phone 1 800 395 7325, e-mail [email protected]. www.sealmaster.net.

TENNIS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE BUBBLE FOR SALE Air supported structure “bubble” for a two tennis court enclosure, translucent, available immediately. Used only for one season, 118‚ by 108‚ by 40‚ high. Complete with new heater/inflation system, doors and lighting. Contact Walter Ptaszek at MSS Inc. 908 876 0146. Cell phone 908 693 6232. Email [email protected] .

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES INCREASE YOUR NET INCOME WITH NO INVESTMENT! Promote the new tennis publication, TEN-

TO PLACE AN AD IN RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY CLASSIFIEDS Classified ads are $100 for up to 50 words. Additional words are $1 each. To place an ad or for help in writing the ad, call Bob Larson, 952 920 8947. Deadline for the May issue is April 10. E-mail [email protected].

GET THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Your Serve It’s a Beautiful Thing Tennis has been making life better for millions of people. Let’s spread that around even more. BY VIC BRADEN

I

t doesn’t matter where I go, I always run into someone who has a beautiful story to tell about how tennis has changed his or her life for the better. There’s something special about tennis that seems to be hard to wrap our arms around. For example, many marriage proposals have taken place on a tennis court, families have been reunited after years of estrangement, and many people claim they are alive today because of all that tennis has brought to their lives. Could it be that there are just too many beautiful things about our great game to be put into a single article? One year at the Vic Braden Tennis College and Coto Research Center, we conducted a survey as to why people play tennis. We were surely expecting five or six major reasons to surface. However, to our surprise, we received over 100 different answers to why people play the sport. Of course, the beauty of the health,

“Playing a sport such as tennis should be one of the finest treasures known to mankind.” social and time advantages of tennis popped up in our research. But we also heard many comments like, “It helps me do better in school,” or, “I discovered my best friends on a tennis court,” or, “Tennis helps me keep our family together.” These answers were not expected. Just to make certain that I had a fair representation, one of our coaches conducted the same survey for a master’s

56 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

thesis. Bingo! The same 100-plus answers cropped up. This helps me understand why tennis will always survive, in spite of the naysayers outside of our sport who would like to spread doom and gloom about tennis so that they can siphon off a few million people for their own business. Not long ago, I asked a group of male slow-pitch softball players and a group of golfers to name a sport better than tennis at utilizing several major variables. They couldn’t name one sport, including their own favorites, that could compete with tennis. Sports bring to light childhood emotions and experiences faster than anything I know, and sports are a major force in the understanding of human behavior and the development of a wholesome character in each of us. Playing a sport such as tennis should be one of the finest treasures known to mankind. So, as someone who earns your living through tennis, what does all this mean for you? What can you do to enhance the healthy growth of the game? The answer is so simple. To ensure the growth of tennis, we need to bring new people into the game. Think about it: If you can convince all of your members or customers to each bring one new person into tennis, the sport will double in size overnight. For a sport that has given each of us so much joy, encouraging one person to get into our game will keep us at the top. And just think about how increasing the number of tennis players in this country will positively affect your business. How much time will it take to get one new person into tennis? The answer is normally one hour. Once a person gets the feel of striking the ball, running, laughing and sleeping better, they’re hooked. And now, you have help getting more

people into the game, through the massive tennis marketing campaign and Tennis Welcome Center program that the industry is rolling out. And keep in mind, while people are being introduced to tennis, they should be laughing their guts out. Those who learn this way are usually in the sport for a lifetime. So encourage all your customers and members to get one new person playing tennis this year. They’ll have given someone the best gift in the world, and you’ll be giving back to the game that has given you so much. w

Vic Braden has been teaching tennis for more than 50 years. He is a licensed psychologist, author, sports educator, researcher and sports television commentator. We welcome your opinions. Please email comments to [email protected] or fax them to 760-536-1171.