Contents RETAILING SUCCESS

R S I A P R I L

INDUSTRY NEWS
2 0 0 4

These three retailers know

how to keep their numbers up
in apparel and footwear
7 PTR Symposium includes USTA
board meeting

26 Serious Tennis, Atlanta, GA 7 Wilson introduces new group

for Innovation & Design
28 Van Der Meer Shipyard Tennis 8 Tennis Channel extends deal
Resort, Hilton Head Island, SC with ATP
29 Indianapolis Racquet Club, Indianapolis, IN 8 Stan Smith honored
8 SSV Tennis rating system
offered free
FEATURES 9 USTA honors 9 at
32 Construction With a Soft Touch Development Workshop
The eight soft-court Facility-of-the-Year winners
share some striking similarities. 10 USTA, MassMutual reach deal

35 A Welcome Advantage 10 NY shop “boutiques” racquet

For this Pennsylvania facility, the Tennis Welcome Center brand
concept has already been a big hit.
11 Prince releases racquet index
39 Follow the Bouncing Ball
11 Pro events come to Forest Hills
Understanding how the ball
bounces can help you and your
students pick and read shots. 13 Texas A&M wins campus
championship title
13 USTA publications for your
facility
14 Briton receives Hall of Fame
honor

DEPARTMENTS
4 Our Serve 46 String Playtest: Head RIP PerfectPower 16
18 Ask the Experts 48 Tips and Techniques
20 Winning Personnel 51 New USRSA Members and MRTs
22 Retailing Strategies 53 Calendar
24 Market Place 56 Your Serve
44 String Playtest: Klip Blast 17
April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3
 Our Serve
(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

It’s About More Than Just The Job Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

E
Every business has its movers and shakers—the Editor-in-Chief
Crawford Lindsey
high-profile types who keep pushing, get a lot of
Editorial Director
things done, and, because of their effectiveness, Peter Francesconi

tend to receive a lot of attention. Associate Editor

Greg Raven
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, Design/Art Director
Kristine Thom
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 Design Consultant
addition, the sport is on the verge of seeing a “US Open Series” of pro Amy Berger

tournaments that lead into the Open, something that fans will love. Assistant to the Publisher
But it’s also a time when the influence of many not-so-high-profile people Cari Feliciano
and initiatives are beginning to be noticed more and more. Case in point is a Contributing Editors
man by the name of Kirk Anderson. Cynthia Cantrell
Rod Cross
Kirk doesn’t seek the limelight—he’s a soft-spoken man who knows that
Joe Dinoffer
while it’s important to have people out front leading the charge, it’s even more Liza Horan
important to have competent people behind the scenes making it all happen. Andrew Lavallee
Kirk is what the “player” side of this business is all about. And it’s people such James Martin
Mark Mason
as Kirk that the game needs to have even more of.
Chris Nicholson
Currently the director of the Community Play department at the USTA, Kirk Mitch Rustad
has done pretty much everything in this sport over the last 30 years--player, Drew Sunderlin
recreation department instructor, teaching pro (both PTR and USPTA), club Jonathan Whitbourne
manager, promotions manager, program administrator, volunteer, author of
RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY
books and articles. He was with the USTA Midwest Section for seven years and Corporate Offices
joined the USTA national office eight years ago. 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084
He travels a lot, giving clinics, teaching the teachers, designing curriculum. Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171
Email: usrsa@racquetTECH.com
And the guy is fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that the International Tennis Hall
Website: www.racquetTECH.com
of Fame just awarded him its Tennis Educational Merit Award, an honor for Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time
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 Advertising Director
John Hanna
for Kirk—and for many others like him—tennis is more than a job, more than
770-650-1102, x.125
a simple source of income. When he’s not working on the clock for tennis, john@racquettech.com
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 Apparel Advertising
Cynthia Sherman
phrase, he’s on a mission—and he’s been on that mission for more than 30
203-263-5243
years. cstennisindustry@earthlink.net
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 Racquet Sports Industry (application to mail at Period-
working “for” tennis. For instance, in this issue of RSI, you’ll meet three retail- icals Postage Rates is pending at Vista, CA, and at addi-
tional offices) is published 10 times yearly by USRSA,
ers who also take the attitude that tennis is more than just punching in and out 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084. April 2004, Volume 1,
as they pass through their pro shop doors. And you’ll read about a facility Number 3 © 2004 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All
owner in Pennsylvania who adopts that same attitude when it comes to rights reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo
are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone
programming for new and returning players. advertising: 770-650-1102 x.125. Phone circulation and
You know, it just makes sense to see tennis as more than a 9-to-5 job—not editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions $55 in the
U.S., $65 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address
just for your own piece of business, but also for the sport as a whole. It’s also
changes to Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St.,
the best way to ensure that, while we all may not be holding aloft a well- Vista, CA 92084.
deserved trophy or plaque, we will all—like
Kirk Anderson—still be award-winners.
Editorial Director

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004


INDUSTRY NEWS
INFORMATION TO HELP YOU
Wilson Introduces
New Group For
Innovations &
Design
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 respon-
sible 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.
RUN YOUR
2004 PTR Symposium Cited as “Best Ever”
R
esults of an on-site survey conducted by
the PTR at its 2004 International Tennis
Symposium & $25,000 Tennis Champi-
onships say that the event was the “best
ever held” by the organization, says Dan Santo-
rum, 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
Photo by Ken Mak
USTA board of direc-
tors and key staff
members attended,
meeting with the
PTR to discuss ten-
nis participation in
the U.S., among other issues. The board of direc-
tors 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 peo-
ple 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 Corpora-
tion of America’s senior staff of tennis directors
R S I A P R I L 2 0 0 4
BUSINESS
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 Organiza-
tion of the Year. The
PTR and the Van Der
Meer Shipyard Racquet
Club have hosted the
Special Olympics South-
east 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 Sympo-
sium’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 Play-
er: 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. w
April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7
INDUSTRYNEWS A P R I L 2 0 0 4

Tennis Channel Extends STAN SMITH

Deal With ATP Masters HONORED AT
SPORTS
T
he Tennis Channel has signed a four-year extension for the
exclusive U.S. telecast rights to five of the 10 tennis tour-
naments in the ATP Masters Series. LEGENDS AWARDS
The 24-hour cable television ormer Wimbledon and US
network devoted to tennis and
other racquet sports will telecast
the five European events of the
F Open champion Stan Smith
(left) was one of five sports
legends honored recently at the
ATP Masters Series—Monte Carlo, 13th Annual Sports Legends
Rome, Hamburg, Madrid, and Awards, presented by The Paraly-
Paris—live and in their entirety, sis Project of America. Tennis legend and former honoree Jack
and will provide early-round cov- Kramer (right) a member of the Paralysis Project’s Sports
erage of the ATP Masters Series’ U.S.-based events in Indian Council, presented Smith with his award at The Omni Hotel in
Wells, Calif., and Miami. Los Angeles. Hosted by ABC sportscaster Al Michaels, the
Additionally, this year The Tennis Channel will cap its ATP event also honored auto racing’s Bobby Unser, baseball’s Joe
Masters Series telecasts with complete, live doubles coverage Morgan and golf’s Kathy Whitworth, and made a special pres-
of the series’ finale, the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston in entation to football’s Mike Utley, the former Detroit Lion who
November. The agreement begins this year and runs through was paralyzed on the playing field in 1991. (Photo by Lou
2007, and builds on TTC’s previous licensing relationship with Sauritch, The Paralysis Project of America)
the ATP Masters Series which saw the network telecast the

SSV Tennis Rating System

European ATP Masters Series tournaments and the doubles
championship at the Tennis Masters Cup.

Receives Anonymous Gift

“This agreement is great for tennis, tennis
fans, the ATP Masters Series and The
Tennis Channel viewers,” said Steve eil Johnson, president of SSV Tennis, says that a “signif-
Bellamy, president and founder
of TTC. “For viewers and fans,
we will be bringing these
N icant” grant has been received to establish Serve, Stroke
& Volley (SSV) as an international rating system for ten-
nis. The funding, from an anonymous donor, will allow the
tournaments on live and in SSV Tennis Rating and internet support services to be
their entirety, about 10 hours a offered free to players, pros, coaches, clubs, schools, parks
day. For the sport, this extension and associations across the country and internationally,
continues our ability to provide the most com- Johnson says.
prehensive tennis coverage on television.” In addition, to promote the use of the rating system,
In other TTC news, the 2004 spring tournament schedule Johnson says SSV will sponsor a national competition for
includes the following (check local listings for times): high school tennis teams. The free program will have play-
ers tested by their coaches on their home courts. All players
April 9-11: Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, second round, France at receive a national ranking based on their SSV rating in their
age division. The top six rating scores are added to deter-
Switzerland and Argentina at Belarus.
mine the team score, and then the teams will be ranked
April 16-18: U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships nationally and by state.
April 18: The Family Circle Cup, doubles semifinal and championship SSV is a method for determining tennis ability at all lev-
April 19-25: Masters Series Monte Carlo els that Johnson says clearly and objectively answers the
question, "How good are you?" The SSV Rating is an on-
April 24-25: Fed Cup Opening Round, U.S. at Slovenia and Croatia at
court test that measures basic skills.
Belgium Players hit 40 balls to target areas using different strokes,
May 1-2: J&S Cup, semifinal and championship and points are scored for control and power by assigning a
value to the first and the second bounces of the ball. The
May 1-2: Open Seat Godo, semifinal and championship
location of the first bounce indicates control; the depth of
May 3-9: Masters Series Rome the second bounce indicates power. The combined total is
May 8-9: Ladies German Open, semifinal and championship the SSV score. The complete test takes less than 10 minutes.
May 10-16: Masters Series Hamburg For more information, contact info@ssvtennis.com or
visit the website at www.ssvtennis.com.
May 15-16: Telecom Italia Masters, semifinal and championship

8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Nine Honored at USTA

Development Workshop
T
The USTA honored nine individuals recently at an awards banquet held dur-
ing 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 Founda-
tion 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 equip-
ment, 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.

April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9

 INDUSTRYNEWS A P R I L 2 0 0 4

USTA and MassMutual Sign 5-Year

Sponsorship Agreement
he USTA and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual)

T 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 promo-
tion. 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 Sin-
gles Final. The agreement brings to 15 years MassMutual’s long-standing relation-
ship 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 opportuni-
ties to get involved with the US Open.”
As a major new extension to its involvement with the USTA and US Open, Mass-
Mutual 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 Amer-
ican 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 Ten-
nis. “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.”

NY Shop “Boutiques”
Racquet Brand
ustomer response to Mason’s Tennis Mart’s first

C “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.”

10 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Prince Tennis Releases

Performance
Racquet Index
rince Tennis unveiled its 2004 Racquet Index guide that

P educates players of all swing types on how to choose the

right Prince Performance racquet according to their individ-
ual 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 con-
trol, says Prince President Alistair Thorburn. Prince
Tour
“We’ve worked to better segment our Performance racquet line NXG
and make it more consumer-friendly,” says Thorburn. “We want ten- Graphite
nis players to understand the differences in their individual games so Mid
that they choose the correct racquet.”
The Thunder Series includes models that cater to players with short-
er 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

T professional tennis tournaments, bringing the total to three for the 2004 ten-
nis 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 Ten-
nis Club was the home of the US Open for more than 50 years.

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 mil-
lion 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 connec-
tion of the US Open and the sport to the community," says Lee Hamilton, execu-
tive 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 For-
est 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.

April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11

 INDUSTRYNEWS A P R I L 2 0 0 4

James Blake Announces Unique

Charity Initiative

U
.S. player James Blake kicked off a 2004 charity ini-
tiative during January’s Australian Open to benefit
the Harlem Junior Tennis Program and Shriner’s
Hospital. Blake, 24, began donating $100 to each organi-
zation 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 initia-
tive during all sanctioned professional matches this year
as well as the Davis Cup. Nike and Dunlop will also par-
ticipate in the donations, Blake said.
A pro player since 1999, Blake has had a long-stand-
ing 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 wres-
tled with scoliosis as a teenager.

USTA, ESPN Near

Deal for Open
Series
eports in a recent issue of Sports Busi-
R ness Journal claim the USTA and ESPN
are near to signing a multiyear agree-
ment to broadcast a proposed new sum-
mer tennis series of tournaments that
lead up to the US Open.
The publication said an ESPN execu-
tive 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 maga-
zine 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

12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Texas A&M Captures National Team

Campus Championships

T
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 champi-
onship 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 dou-
bles. 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 Ten-
nis 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

E facility? Rick Rennert, the USTA’s director of publishing, suggests that tennis
facilities carry these:

Friend at Court:
Rules of Tennis,
The USTA Handbook
with The Code:
of Tennis Rules and
The Players’ Guide for
Regulations,
Unofficiated Matches,
2004 edition.
2004 edition.
Paperback,
Booklet, 52 pages,
spiral-bound,
$1.50
286 pages, $5

Also suggested is the USA Tennis Guide to Dynamic and Static Stretching. Pam-
phlet, 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 13

INDUSTRYNEWS A P R I L 2 0 0 4

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 Jun-
ior 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 Out-
standing Education Award: David Brouwer, Hudsonville, Mich.; Seminar Contest Winner: Jason Stanislaw, Chicago; Nancy Mick-
ler Memorial Award: Anna Hazlett, Evansville, Ind.; Fay Tooley Memorial Award: Denny Schackter, Palatine, Ill.

Briton Curry To
Receive Hall of
Fame Honor
J
ohn Curry of Great Britain is the
2004 recipient of the prestigious
Golden Achievement Award, pre-
sented 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 Ten-
nis Club and chairman of The Lawn Ten-
nis 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 Achieve-
ment Award are submitted by tennis
federations from around the world, and
then voted on by the Golden Achieve-
ment Award Selection Committee.

14 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

 INDUSTRYNEWS

SHORT SETS
>chosen
The Delray Beach Stadium and Tennis Center in Florida was
as the site for the U.S. vs. Sweden Davis Cup quarterfi-
nal, 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.

>2004Prince Tennis has been named the official racquet of the

Family Circle Cup. The WTA tournament is in its 32nd
year. Prince will showcase product and feature interactive ele-
ments, including two autograph sessions with Prince players.

>tournament.
Völkl is the official racquet of the 2004 Easter Bowl junior
The company will have a booth at the event and
consumers will be able to playtest racquets.

> 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.

>storesFootstar announced that it will close all 88 Just For Feet

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 inven-
tory.

>partTheof International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., as

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 Camp-
bell’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.

>million
The WTA Tour and Whirlpool Europe have signed a multi-
dollar, three year deal that establishes Whirlpool as the
premier sponsor of the women’s tour in Europe. The deal estab-
lishes 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.

> The 78th Annual National Public Parks Tennis Champi-

onships will be Aug. 2 to 7 in St. Louis, Mo. For information,
check www.stlouis.usta.com or call 314-432-3990.

>to represent
SFX Tennis has signed a one-year extension of it’s agreement
21-year-old Russian tennis star Dmitry Tursunov in
on- and off-court marketing and management.

April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 15

 A P R I L 2 0 0 4 INDUSTRYNEWS

PRINCE LAUNCHES NEW

“PREMIER” STRING
rince Tennis has announced a new string,

P Premier, that combines a multifilament design

with Prince’s exclusive Softflex technology that
the company says provides
excellent playability.
Doug Root, Prince’s prod-
uct 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. Additional-
ly, 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 elas-
tic 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.

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 intro-
ductory tennis programs can visit tenniswelcomecen-
ter.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 17

? ask THE EXPERTS
Your Equipment & Business Hotline
PROPORTIONAL STRINGING
I STRING FOR A TALENTED local
Q 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?
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 short-
er strings so that the installed stiffness of
each string is the same, which in theory
enables the stringbed to respond to off-
center hits more like it responds to on-cen-
ter 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 fric-
tion 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 propor-
tional stringing can radically alter the
stresses on the racquet. In a traditionally-
strung 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 propor-
tional 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 rac-
quets for her.
Have her hit with
each to see if she
can tell the differ-
ence, and if so,
that she prefers
the proportional-
ly-strung racquet.
Depending on
how much time
you spend string-
ing her frames
proportionally,
you might want
to consider charg-
ing more per
frame.
Finally, USRSA members can use our
on-line Proportional Stringing Calculator to
determine the correct tensions for propor-
tional stringing, which can be found on our
website at http://racquettech.com/ mem-
bers/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, how-
ever, 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 stiff-
ness, see our String Selector Guide in the
June 2003 issue of Racquet Tech maga-
zine.—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:
usrsa@racquettech.com.
W
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 employ-
ee, problems can and will develop. Like
any relationship, sometimes the differ-
ences 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
20 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004
alerting you to factors that might affect
their job duties. In that way, you can pos-
sibly 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.
In cases where the employee may not
come to you with problems, concerns and
issues, you can rely on a knowledge base-
line 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 rec-
ognized and addressed, the greater likeli-
hood 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
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 opportuni-
ty to advance, not feeling valued or
appreciated, dissatisfaction with work
conditions, pay or benefits.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
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 sum-
marize 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 allow the employee to
work earlier or later to
employee privately make up for missed
hours or exchange
and mention your duties with another
concerns as staff member to create
a better job fit.
objectively as A trickier issue is
when the employee’s
possible.” problem lies outside of
the job but has a direct
impact on their job. The employer needs to balance understand-
ing the needs of the employee with the needs, requirements and
duties of the job. The manager should try to listen to and under-
stand 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 robertfheller@earthlink.net.

April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 21

G
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 Mid-
west 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 mine-
field, Racquet Sports Industry has assem-
bled 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.
WHO MOVED MY SHOES?
As a barrage of new introductions creates
faster-than-ever phase-outs of older mod-
els, 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 Sun-
set Hills Country Club in Thousand Oaks,
Calif. “We focus on a more conservative
shoe, because that’s what they want.”
STAR POWER SELLS
Beefing up your futures with the latest
styles worn by an Andy Roddick or an
22 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004
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
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’ unpre-
dictable 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 retail-
ers—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 cus-
tomers 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.
PROMOTE WARRANTIES—
WITH CAUTION
A wide variety of footwear manufacturers
offer warranties, which can be an effective
BY MITCH RUSTAD
sales tool for the higher-end, more expen-
sive 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 com-
fortable, 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 buy-
ing shoes are repeat customers, so it’s
important to provide a comfortable area
for customers to try shoes on, ask ques-
tions 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” dis-
count—can be a highly effective repeat
sales tool, in addition to creating customer
loyalty.
OFFER A SELECTION
OF WIDTHS
Carry a variety of brands in different
widths for hard-to-fit customers tired of
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 man-
ner—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 cus-
tomer 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 atten-
tion on performance shoes—not entry-
level brands—to keep footwear customers
coming back and to establish higher-end
brand loyalty. “In general, with perfor-
mance 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.
April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 23
a
THE market place
HEAD TOUR TEAM GAMMA EZ TRAVEL CART
COMBI BAG This lightweight cart is designed for the teaching pro who travels
The Tour Team series of five bags features the new Climate Con- from site to site, and for serious players looking
trol Technology that Head says adds stability to the temperature for a mobile ball carrier. It takes just
within select pockets. The compa- seconds to remove the 150-
ny says that racquets ball-capacity bag, fold up the
stored in pockets with cart and put it into the carrying
CCT have a lower risk case (the empty bag and cart
of damage due to frame weigh about 11
temperature fluctua- pounds). For non-stop teach-
tions. The Head Tour ing, buy an additional bag and
Team Combi bag shown switch out with an empty bag
features two racquet compartments on court. The zippered top holds
for four to six racquets, a large outside com- balls in place when traveling. The
partment and end handle for easy carrying. There’s also a cart and bag retail for $119.99;
separate shoe bag and an MP3 and mobile phone pouch with additional bags are $34.99 each.
headphone outlet. The Tour Team Combi retails for $45; prices for Contact 800-333-0337 or
other bags range from $40 to $85. Contact 800-289-7366 or gammasports.com.
www.head.com.

STREAMERS TAILBALL
Add fun, variety and excitement to
VISOR BUFF your drills with the new “Stream-
The concept behind Caviro USA’s new Visor Buff is to offer the ers” Tailball from Oncourt Off-
same performance fabrics you find in apparel for gear you wear on court. Each ball has 20 bright
your head. The Visor Buff has a neo- green and silver streamers that are
prene visor with a microfiber fabric tail, resistant to tears or tangles. For
which, according to the manufacturer, instance, in any feeding drill,
manages moisture, offers evaporative periodically throw in a surprise
cooling in the heat, and blocks the with a Streamer ball, then give the
wind and insulates when it’s cold—in student an extra reward for correctly
addition to protecting from the sun. hitting that ball. By the dozen, they are
The tail can be styled about a dozen dif- $24.95. By the case, five dozen are $89.95.
ferent ways: as a hat, headband, neck Contact 214-823-3078 or www.oncourtoffcourt.com.
gaiter, balaclava, bandana, scarf and more.
They retail for $18.50 each.
Contact 307-734-7575 or www.buff.us. 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
SOLE CUSTOM FOOTBEDS allow them to train any-
Sole Custom Footbeds allow your members to customize their time, anywhere, with-
shoes without resorting to expensive orthotics. Consumers simply out a partner. With the
pre-heat the oven in their kitchen to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, place 26-ounce Spin Trainer,
the insoles on the oven rack for a few minutes, put them in the ball hangs in a sling
their shoes, then put the shoes on. The base layer from the aluminum
of EVA softens in the heat, then molds to frame and helps players
the shape of the foot and hardens as it to work on rhythm,
cools. The orthotic is covered with a footwork and timing.
shock-absorbing material Players can hit the ball
called “Poron” and finished with topspin or slice
with a fabric designed to and see the result as
wick away moisture and the ball releases from the sling. The unit folds to 27 inches and fits
reduce friction. Suggested retail is neatly into a tennis bag. Retail price is $199.99.
$39.95. Contact 866-235-SOLE or www.yoursole.com. Contact 949-388-2515 or www.ProTennisTraining.com.

24 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

MOLDING YOUNG ATHLETES allows retailers to showcase tops and bottoms efficiently. The
Just released from Purington Press is Molding Young Athletes maple hardwood is resistant to scratching and marring. The unit
($14.95), by Darrell Erickson, with a forward costs $225 and includes the two 15-inch waterfalls, top sign board
by Jim Baugh, the president of the Tennis and point-of-purchase sign holder, and 2-inch casters. Contact The
Industry Association. The book targets Conde Rack at 800-546-3155 or www.CondeRack.com.
parents and coaches of children and pro-
vides ways to help kids develop self-confi-
dence and perseverance, deal with failure, SLINGHOPPER TEACHING DRILL BAG
become motivated and more—all while The new, lightweight SlingHopper Pro Bag is made of durable
growing and having fun. Contact 608- ripstop nylon and can
873-8723 or hold 40 balls. The water-
proof bag allows teach-
ing pros greater mobility
while feeding balls to
www.puringtonpress.com. students; pros can walk
to various positions on
MAPLE HARDWOOD the court and generate
CLOTHING RACK feeds with different tra-
Add warmth to your pro shop with jectories, speeds and
natural wood clothing racks that can angles, while main-
attractively show off your apparel. The taining the rhythm
multi-use CRII-TRC-11 Tower necessary to keep the student focused. It can be used by
Clothing Rack is part of a larger mod- itself or in conjunction with your current cart hopper. Con-
ular rack system. The 60-inch height tact 954-385-1374 or www.SlingHopper.com w

April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 25

 RSI/USTC & TBA FACILITIES OF THE YEAR

Construction With a

L
ook at the list of soft-court winners of the Racquet Also, in a continuing trend, all eight winners used laser-
Sports Industry/U.S. Tennis Court & Track Builders grading to quickly and accurately get the surfaces just right.
Association 2003 Facility-of-the-Year Awards and a And there seems to be a conscious effort on the part of
few things immediately jump out at you. First, seven facility management, whether of a private or community
of the eight winners are in the state of Florida—that facility, to give players and spectators amenities that make
haven (some may say, “heaven”) for clay-court players. And the on-court and off-court experiences
second, five of the winning facilities were built by Welch Ten- pleasant ones, including viewing areas,
nis Courts of Sun City, Fla. player seating areas, food service and
Welch built the facilities at KIWI Tennis Club, the Club at restrooms. All of the seven Florida facili-
Seven Oaks, the Club at Mediterra, Cap Ferratt and Skyview ties recognized the need to provide respite
at Terra Vista of Citrus Hills. The projects ranged from 13 from the sun by offering players shaded
courts at KIWI at Indian Harbour Beach (nine of them Har- areas near or between the courts.
Tru, three acrylic and one cushioned) to two rooftop Har-Tru When it comes to building soft-court
courts at a high-rise condominium complex at Cap Ferratt in facilities, the term “Southern comfort” has
Naples (where equipment and materials had to be lifted by a special meaning, for players and
crane). spectators alike. —Peter Francesconi w
The largest project in this group of outdoor winners was F
the 15-court Mirasol Country Club facility in Palm Beach Gar-
dens, 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. E
32 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004
 B H
A winners are:
For details on the
Outstanding Tennis
Facility Awards, contact
the USTC&TBA at
410-418-4875 or email
info@ustctba.com.
D
G G Phipps Ocean Park Tennis
C
The Best
Softies
The eight soft-court
Facility-of-the-Year
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 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.
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.
April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 33
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 experi-
ence 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 popu-
lation 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 six-
court indoor facility that was built in the
tennis boom years of the 1970s. We
have a reception and viewing area direct-
ly 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 popu-
lation 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 prospec-
tive 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, back-
hands 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 round-
robin 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 begin-
ner 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

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 rea-
son—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, tac-
tics, strategy, stroke mechanics, grips, and
training. During that five one-thousandths
of a second, the ball's speed, spin, direc-
tion, 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
VERTICAL BOUNCE FACTORS
Vertical speed and court hardness. The
magnitude of the upward force, known
as the “ground reaction force,” is deter-
mined 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
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 “coeffi-
cient 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
Skidding
Rolling
Biting
Stretching
Hopping
Flying
science
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 high-
er 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 hori-
zontal 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 39
 science
ball down onto the court; it falls into the object across the surface of another.
court. The horizontal speed of the ball There are three types of friction, all of
before the bounce has nothing to do with which can play a role in the bounce of the
the vertical impact speed or how high it ball from the court. The three types are
will bounce. sliding, rolling, and static friction. Unless
we are referring to a specific type, we will
Spin. The spin of the ball will also affect use the generic term “friction.”
the vertical impact speed. Topspin creates
an airflow force known as the Magnus Determinants of friction. Contrary to
force. This force pushes a topspin ball intuition, the magnitude of the friction
down and pushes a backspin ball upward. force does not depend on the surface
Furthermore, a ball hit with topspin is like- areas in contact or the horizontal speed of
ly to reach a higher apex in its trajectory, the ball. It depends on two things—the
so it will drop from a greater height, gain force pushing the ball and court together
more speed, and hit at a steeper angle. (called the “normal” force, which is the
Topspin balls will therefore bounce faster opposite of the ground reaction force
in the vertical direction and higher than pushing the ball back off the court), and
will balls hit flat or with backspin. the relative roughness of the ball and the
court. The latter is quantified by the
coefficient of friction (COF).
HORIZONTAL BOUNCE
Comparing court friction. Every court
FRICTION surface has a different COF with respect
What is friction? All the real interesting to a tennis ball. COF is usually a number
stuff happens as a result of the friction between 0 and 1 but numbers greater
force. Friction determines the angle of than 1 are also possible. Grass is about
bounce, the horizontal bounce speed, and 0.6, hard courts about 0.7, and clay about
the spin. It does not affect the vertical 0.8. The higher the COF, the more friction
bounce, however. Friction acts parallel to will be generated and the slower will be
and opposite the direction of motion of the resulting horizontal speed of the ball.
the ball on the surface. Friction arises Surprisingly, clay has both the highest
whenever a force is applied to move one COR and COF and grass the lowest
(Table 1).
Consequently, a sur-
Factors in Ball Bounce face with a fast and
high vertical bounce
Hardness of court will also bounce slow
and steep horizontally.
Hardness of ball And a surface that has
a low and slow vertical
Vertical speed bounce will tend to
bounce fast at a low
Force pushing ball up angle horizontally. That
means fast courts are
Force pushing ball down usually slow in the
vertical direction and
Spin speed and direction before bounce slow courts are usually
fast in the vertical
Horizontal speed before bounce direction.
Relative roughness of court and ball Trajectory and fric-
tion. The impacting
Magnitude, time, and direction of friction ball’s angle of
incidence is important
40 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004
Table 1
Court COR Bounce Height COF
(speed out/ (% of
speed in) trajectory height)
Grass .6 36% .6
Hard .83 69% .7
Clay .85 72% .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 60-
degree 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 combina-
tion 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 momen-
tarily 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 magni-
tude 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 decelera-
tion 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 for-
ward 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 cancel-
ing of forward motion and backward spin
manifests itself a little differently in back-
spin 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
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 dif-
ferent. 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 back-
spin causes the ball to slow more and
bounce steeper than topspin, but that
backspin almost always takes lower trajec-
tories and therefore lower bounces. You’re
never comparing apples to apples in
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 how-
ever 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

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
Figure 1
realistic court-playing situations. forces (ignoring air resistance) acting on
the bowling ball.
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
We now have an elastic
force acting on the ball that
a bowling ball would not
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 inci- experience. The elastic force
dence, the horizontal speed will slow more than the vertical speed. A backspin is trying to pull the back
ball will therefore bounce at a steeper angle than the incident angle.
end and push the front end
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 of the contact point across
ball. Depending on the incident angle, the horizontal speed will slow less than the surface in the backward
the vertical bounce speed. Consequently, a topspin ball is most likely to bounce
at a shallower angle than the incident angle. direction. Consequently the
friction between the court

42 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

and ball pushes back in the forward direc-
tion to resist this elastic force. Since the Topspin vs Backspin Bounce Backspin vs Topspin Bounce
bottom of the ball still is not moving, we (incident at same angle and speed) (incident at same angle and speed)

say that it is static friction that is resisting Bounces same speed and height vertically Bounces same speed and height vertically
the elastic force. It is a consequence of the
Faster horizontal speed Slower horizontal speed
force pushing the two surfaces together.
More topspin Less topspin
It is during this time, which may exist for
Bounces shallower than incident angle Bounces steeper than incident angle
less than a
millisecond, that we say the ball is
“biting” the court.
thought. But we also saw that topspin thought that so much could happen
FROM STRETCHING TO and backspin balls don’t ever land at the before our eyes in such a short time
HOPPING same angle and speed in normal playing with such game-critical consequences?
But this is fleeting, and the elastic force conditions. Given the way they do land Better think again!
may overcome the static friction force (backspin with lower trajectories), our
before the ball finishes its bounce. The perception that backspin bounces lower Editor’s note: Much more on bounce
bottom of the ball then begins to skid and faster than topspin is correct, but only can be found in The Physics and Tech-
backwards, because now it is rotating because they start out that way. nology of Tennis, by Howard Brody,
faster backwards than it is moving We also learned that the relationship Rod Cross, and Crawford Lindsey—avail-
forward. So, sliding friction takes over of incident spin speed and direction to able from the USRSA: 760-536-1177 or
from static friction and acts to slow the horizontal speed determines how long www.racquettech.com. Many of the
spin down and speed the ball up. This is and in what direction friction will act and findings reported in this article are
just the opposite of what happened when what its results will be. All this happens in based on research by both Brody and
the ball first hit the court. And it is now 5 to 7 milliseconds. Who would have Cross. w
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 top-
spin.
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.

CONCLUSION
We have learned some bizarre things in
this little excursion into bouncing balls.
First, we have learned that for balls inci-
dent at the same angle and speed, top-
spin 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 look-
ing 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,
which resists notching, while the comfort
comes from the nylon, which was chosen
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.
IN THE LAB
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 immedi-
ately 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, represent-
ing 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
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 rat-
ings from 3.5 to 6. These are blind tests, goes in the easier-to-
with playtesters receiving unmarked string mains, and Klip recommends no
strings in unmarked packages. The aver- change in tension between the mains and
age number of hours playtested was 17.9. crosses. The soft nylon cross string is easy
Our playtesters were less than enthusi- to weave, yet firm enough to enable easy
astic about stringing Blast, but it is actual- passage through blocked holes.
ly fairly easy to install: The mains and One playtester broke his sample dur-
crosses are already pre-cut, the more diffi- ing stringing, 10 reported problems with
cult of the two strings (the Hardcore poly) coil memory, two reported problems tying
knots, and one reported friction burn.
EASE OF STRINGING
(compared to other strings) ON THE COURT
No. of testers who said it was:
Just about all of our playtesters agreed
much easier 0
that Klip Blast 17 is a durable string. Not
somewhat easier 4
about as easy 9
only did 24 out of 25 of our playtesters
report that Blast 17 was as durable or
not quite as easy 10
not nearly as easy 3 more durable than other strings of similar
gauge, they also gave it high scores for
OVERALL PLAYABILITY durability overall. Backing up this durabili-
(compared to string played most often)
ty, our playtesters rated Blast 17 well
No. of testers who said it was:
above average in resistance to movement,
much better 2
somewhat better 2
and above average in tension retention.
about as playable 5 One of the benefits of using a soft
not quite as playable 13 nylon in a hybrid string set with a poly-
not nearly as playable 3 ester main is that the nylon mitigates the
traditionally stiff feel of a pure poly string
OVERALL DURABILITY job. Even so, Klip Blast has a surprisingly
(compared to other strings
of similar gauge)
soft feel, some of which can be attributed
to the Hardcore poly, which Klip has
No. of testers who said it was:
much better 6 designed to be softer and livelier than
somewhat better 12 normal polys. With this soft feel, there is a
about as durable 6 corresponding sensation that there is a
not quite as durable 0 great deal of control available, a charac-
not nearly as durable 1 teristic reflected in our playtesters’ above-
average rating of Blast 17 in the
RATING AVERAGES
categories of control and the often-relat-
From 1 to 5 (best)
Playability 3.0 ed category of spin potential.
Durability 4.3 Six playtesters broke their samples
Power 3.0 during play, one each at three, five, 11,
Control 3.5 18, 32, and 200 (!) hours.
Comfort 2.8
Touch/Feel 2.8 CONCLUSION
Spin Potential 3.2 When strung up with the Hardcore mains
Holding Tension 3.4 at the same tension as the soft nylon
Resistance to Movement 3.8
crosses, Klip Blast 17 is more comfortable
 TESTERS TALK
break a string. It softened up and felt better as it broke in. Not as
“ The best string I have ever played with. It has ultimate durability
for a hard hitter and someone with lots
harsh as most polys would be. A good option for frequent string

of spin. For a polyester string it also

holds the tension extremely well and
offers exceptional touch at the net. The
blend of string makes for an overall
excellent combination. I would recom-
mend this string to anyone looking for
power, durability, and also touch.
”
4.5 male all-court player using Prince
AirDrive MP strung at 61 pounds LO
(Wilson Stamina Spin DT 15L)
“ Suspecting the mains were polyester,
I pre-stretched them. The strings per-
formed beautifully: better than any other
poly hybrid I have used. I have used
some very soft string in the crosses to
get the touch and the mains ate them.
Not so in this case. In fact, this combina-
tion was terrific for touch/feel and spin,
without the harshness. Obviously, loads
of power and no significant loss of ten-
sion. I would definitely recommend this
”
string. What is it?
5.0 male all-court player using Head
i.S6 OS strung at 57/61 pounds LO (Wil-
son NXT 16)
“ I enjoyed this string
from the moment I
opened the package:
The yellow and orange colors match
my Head Liquidmetal Radical OS.
Stringing went without a hitch. The
string had plenty of power and con-
trol, and I got a substantial amount
of spin on my serves and ground-
strokes. I’m keeping this string in
my racquet — it has become my
string of choice. The only way that I
would reconsider changing to it
permanently would be price, and I’d
most likely be willing to pay more
for this string based on what I
experience. ” “
4.0 male all-court player using Head
Liquidmetal Radical OS strung at 60
pounds (Gamma Duraspin 16)
breakers.
”
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
couldn’t. After initial hours of play, the string
“settled in” and played rather well. I was
expecting a very stiff string after installation.
It did have a stiff feel, but it’s a solid overall
string.
”
6.0 male all-court player using Wilson H Tour
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
strings. It didn’t feel comfortable.
”
5.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Wil-
son Surge X strung at 61 pounds LO (Wilson
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
For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com
(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in parentheses.)

than pure poly, and the durability is still very

impressive. Yet this is only the beginning, as the FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM
Klip has generously offered to send a free set of Blast 17 to USRSA members who request it.
relative tensions of the mains and crosses can be
Klip is going to randomly select one lucky member from among the submitted coupons to receive
varied to suit your taste, and you could even use 5 FREE sets of their premium Legend 100% Australian natural gut!
the soft nylon as the mains and the Hardcore 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
poly as the crosses if you want, for tremendous
or fax to 760-536-1171 Offer expires May 15, 2004
versatility from one string. And if that’s not One set of free string per USRSA membership • Offer only available to USRSA members in the US
enough, there’s a 16-gauge version as well. At
this price you can afford to experiment. FREE! KLIP Blast 17!
If you think that Klip Blast 17 might be for Name:
you, fill out the coupon to get a free set to try. USRSA Member number:
As a bonus, Klip is going to randomly select one Phone:
lucky member from among the submitted
Email:
coupons to receive five free sets of their premium
Legend 100% Australian natural gut. If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your sample will be sent.
—Greg Raven w

April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 45

 string PLAYTEST

Head RIP
PerfectPower 16
RIP PerfectPower is the newest string in
Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern) loss. Head RIP PerfectPower
Head’s lineup, designed to be the
on a constant-pull machine. After 24 added 12.9 grams to the weight of our
company’s top string for players seeking hours (no playing), stringbed stiffness unstrung frame.
more power. Head’s other power strings measured 64 RDC units, representing a 7 The string was tested for five weeks by
percent tension loss. Our control string, 24 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings
include IntelliString, RIP Ti.Fiber, and
Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16, from 3.5 to 5. These are blind tests, with
FiberGEL Power. To give players more measured 78 RDC units immediately after playtesters receiving unmarked strings in
power, Head tells us they have stringing and 71 RDC units after 24 unmarked packages. Average number of
hours, representing a 9 percent tension hours playtested was 31.
engineered a new core construction to
Our playtesters had a little trouble
this multi-core, multi-wrap string to stringing RIP PerfectPower. Although it
EASE OF STRINGING looks and feels almost like an aramid string
enable maximum energy return.
(compared to other strings)
out of the package, it retains a fair amount
No. of testers who said it was:
Internally, RIP PerfectPower has a of coil memory, and it’s soft enough that
much easier 1
PowerCore wrapped with ribbons using somewhat easier 3
you might have to re-trim the end when
Head’s RIP (Ribbon Improved Performance) about as easy 7 negotiating blocked holes. Although the
technology. PowerCore is made of more not quite as easy 8 surface has a fairly strong texture to it, it
than 1,250 polyamide fibers arranged in not nearly as easy 5 also has an almost waxy feel, which made it
five bundles. These bundles are densely nice when pulling crosses, and when pulling
OVERALL PLAYABILITY
braided together to maximize elasticity for the string through blocked holes for that
(compared to string played most often)
power and performance. The ribbon wraps matter. The braiding of the RIP wraps
No. of testers who said it was:
are made of a new, softer co-polyolefine much better 2
makes the string feel almost armored, and
material that Head says provides a more somewhat better 8 not at all fragile. One other nice aspect of
comfortable elastic feel. Head also says about as playable 4 RIP PerfectPower is that it seems barely to
that RIP PerfectPower minimizes tension not quite as playable 7 elongate while you
loss, which in combination with the elastici- not nearly as playable 3 are pulling tension,
ty gives superior playability. which is unusual
OVERALL DURABILITY
Head RIP PerfectPower is available in 16 for a highly-elastic
(compared to other strings
gauge (1.31 mm) in string.
of similar gauge)
white. It is priced No. of testers who said it was: No playtester broke
from $13.50 for much better 4 his sample during
Special
sets of 40 somewhat better 9 stringing, 14 reported
braiding of
feet. For more about as durable 8 problems with coil the Perfect-
information or not quite as durable 0 memory, one reported Power core
to order, con- not nearly as durable 2 problems tying knots,
tact Head at and two reported friction burn.
RATING AVERAGES
800-289-7366, or From 1 to 5 (best)
PerfectPower’s multi-core
visit www.head.com. Playability 3.4 ON THE COURT
Durability 3.8 This may be a power string, but our
IN THE LAB Power 3.2 playtesters also loved its durability. Twenty-
Our test coil measured 40 feet, 8 inches. Control 3.5 one out of 23 of our playtesters found RIP
The diameter measured 1.38 mm to 1.41 Comfort 3.2 PerfectPower to be as durable or more
mm prior to stringing, and 1.29 mm to Touch/Feel 3.0 durable than other strings of similar gauge,
1.35 mm after stringing. We recorded a Spin Potential 3.1 and they rated its durability and tension
Holding Tension 3.6
stringbed stiffness of 69 RDC units immedi- retention well above average overall.
Resistance to Movement 3.3
ately after stringing at 60 pounds in a Based on the name, you probably

46 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

 TESTERS TALK

“ 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-
“ 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.
”
5.0 male serve-and-volleyer using Wilson Triad 6.0 strung at 65 pounds
recommend this string as a comfort or playability string.
”
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 Liq-
uidmetal Radical MP strung at 57 pounds LO
(Wilson NXT 17)
“ I absolutely love
this string. I would push
this string in the shop for top-
level players who like power
and durability. It held tension
and was resistant to movement,
“ This string has, by far, the most coil
memory of any I’ve tested or used. It literally
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
string has almost a cord-like feel to it during
stringing. I thought the string’s playing char-
acteristics were just a little below average. It
did nothing in particular to distinguish itself,

“ Some good qualities. I enjoyed the durabil-
ity and the touch at net. I felt the playtest
string had good feel on drop-shots and angled
volleys. Overall, an above-average string for
volleys.
”
4.5 male serve-and-volleyer using Fischer Pro
No 1 strung at 63 pounds CP (BDE gut 16)
which was the best of both and seemed lacking in the areas of comfort,
touch, and feel. It is just an okay string with
worlds, in my book.
”
5.0 male baseliner with heavy spin
no particular exceptional feature.
”
4.5 male all-court player using Wilson Triad
using Babolat Pure Control Zylon
strung at 62 pounds LO (Babolat
5.0 strung at 60 pounds CP (Gamma
LiveWire 16)
Super Fine Play 17)
“ Although I was pleased with the durabili-

“ When I took the string out of the package

the coil memory was so great it didn’t reach the ground while I was
ty and resistance to movement, I was discouraged by the comfort,
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
was much more difficult than with most string. I did not expect any
durability problems.
”
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
almost no wear after the test period, and held tension nicely. This
“ Not impressed.
”
4.0 male all-court player using Wilson Hyper Hammer 4.0 OS strung at
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
” For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com
CP (Natural gut 16)
(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in parentheses.)

expected our movement—not a bad combination. In playtest we published in December

playtesters would fact, more than half of our playtesters 2003. If you are looking for more power
give RIP PerfectPow- indicated that they felt RIP PerfectPower from your string but do not want to sac-
er an above-average played as well as or better than the string rifice durability, this may be the string for
rating for power. with which they most often play. you.
Well, you are correct, Head is so convinced that you are
but it also rated CONCLUSION going to like RIP PerfectPower, that the
above average for Head seems to have hit the mark with RIP company will be sending a free set to
playability, control, and PerfectPower 16, which even outscored every USRSA member in the U.S. later
PerfectPower’s ribbon wrap resistance to the impressive Head FiberGEL Power 16 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: greg@racquettech.com.
STENCILING MADE EASY
Is there any one else out there who dis-
likes 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
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.
TOURNAMENT FOOTING
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
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
BEGINNER TIPS
DAMPENER RETENTION
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 color-
coding. Each of my tools has a different
color on the handle for instant recogni-

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 hand-
to-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
MARKETING TIPS
SELLING CUSTOMIZATION
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 cus-
tomers. 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 rac-
quet. The sheet deals with matching rac-
quet specs, changing the racquet’s playing
characteristics, reducing arm and shoulder ates additional business, it also seems to
problems, and finding a list of racquets have increased my customers’ interest in
that meet the required playing characteris- tennis racquet performance and game
tics sought in a new racquet—all of which enhancement.
I can easily do as a USRSA member with Head briefcase to:
access to RacquetTECH.com. I also offer Leigh Cherveny, Sheboygan Falls, WI
this information on my website.
Offering these services not only gener- —Greg Raven w
Limit one string special order per customer
April 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 49
 NEW MEMBERS February 2004
USRSA
330 Main St., Vista CA 92084 Tel: 760 • 536 • 1177
President Patrick Curry
Partner/Business Development Steve Schein
NEW MEMBER CITY STATE/COUNTRY NEW MEMBER CITY STATE/COUNTRY Executive Director David Bone, MRT
Managing Editor/Webmaster Crawford Lindsey
Kevin Taylor Scottsdale AZ Shari Kontrath Cleveland OH Advertising Director John Hanna
Greg Hull Davis CA Lane Hoffman Portland OR Production Manager Kristine Thom
Technical Support
Susan Teem Healdsburg CA Andy Trolan Salem OR Dot Hogen, MRT; Greg Raven, MRT
Elliott Woolley La Jolla CA Chuck Trau Pittsburgh PA Membership Services
Nancy Crowley, Barbara Smith
Daniel McSweeney Ojai CA Allan Tomalesky Zellenople PA Shipping/Receiving Pat Regan
Mike Sedlak Pleasanton CA George Rupp Clemson SC
USRSA TECHNICAL ADVISORS
Bob Toews Reedley CA Sam Kiser Sumter SC Warren Bosworth Professional stringer,
racquet designer and industry advisor
Roselle Garcia San Leandro CA Jared Kelowitz Greenville SC
Dr. Howard Brody Professor Emeritus of Physics,
Stephen Choy Saratoga CA Robert Weir Maryville TN Univ. of Pennsylvania; Science Advisor, PTR
Ron Carr R&D Manager, Gamma Sports
Allan Berger Torrance CA Jim Burks Abilene TX
Rod Cross Associate Professor of Physics,
Gart Sports #139 Superior CO Sheryl Osborn Arlington TX Univ. of Sydney, Australia
Joe Watson Norwalk CT Oshmans Sporting Goods #208 Cedar Hill TX Bill Severa Director of Technology, Innovation and
Design Group,Wilson Racquet Sports
Miguel Chavez Key Biscayne FL Oshman's #207 Farmers Branch TX Steve Davis VP of Next Generation, Prince Sports
Rebecca Redshaw Naples FL Katherine Yu Lewisville TX Dr. Simon Goodwill Research Assistant,
University of Sheffield, UK
Charles Borchers Port Charlotte FL Patrick Horne New Braunfels TX
Dr. Carl Love Professor Emeritus, Metallurgy;
Patricia Ramirez Weston FL Peter Laudon Sugarland TX President, Love Sports Enterprises

Richard Albritton Dacula GA Oshman's #243 Waco TX Bill Mitchell Director R&D, Powers Court
Tom Parry Product Development Manager/
Alan Aarnio Dacula GA Oshmans Sporting Goods #209 Watauga TX Pro Tour Services Manager; Volkl Tennis GmbH
Erin Gibson Kennesaw GA Rod Murphy Parowan UT Roger Petersman Business Manager-Accessories,
Head/Penn Racquet Sports
Derwin Roland Lawrenceville GA Jack Wilson Onancock VA
Jerry Cape Honolulu HI Norman Jew Blaine WA
George Pelke Cedar Rapids IA George Kraft Seattle WA ADVERTISERS INDEX
For more information on products and services in
Kenneth Wicker Louisville KY Clive Smith NSW AUSTRALIA
this issue of Racquet Sports Industry, please contact
Kenneth Jantz Shreveport LA O V Victorovich Novosibirsk RUSSIA the manufacturers directly.
City Sports #13 Boston MA Peter Heyburn Co Down UK Company Page
Tracy Bass East Boston MA Michael Brookes Essex UK Advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Ashaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC
Jon Anderson Worcester MA Terry Stidder Middlesex UK ATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Patrick McGough Baltimore MD Bow Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
MASTER RACQUET TECHNICIANS Classic Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Paul Webster Bellalton MD Courtsider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Tom Teal Chesaning MI Congratulations to the following members who Douglas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Fischer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Sino Hoeung Sturgis MI recently achieved MRT status Forten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Timothy Jachymowski Lino Lakes MN Fromuth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Matt Broderick Cincinnati, OH Gamma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 11, 13, 25
Barbara Glenn Columbia MO Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC
Bryan Dowling Lincoln, NE ICA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Mark Hoven Kansas City MO Klip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
MRT’s: 409 CS’s: 2498 LBH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Mike Harle Brevard NC
Lee Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Mark Albers Lincolnton NC Membrane Structure Solutions . . . . . . . . . 23
Sports Authority #789 Las Vegas NV USRSA MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION Novagrass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 21
USRSA membership dues: $99 annually. (CA resi- Nova Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Jan Holaday Bedford NY dents add 7.75% sales tax. $106.67 total.) Canadian On The Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 49
Qi Chen Bronx NY Members add $20 (US) for postage costs. US Total:
Prince . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC
$119. Mexican Members add $25 (US) for postage
George Tarangioli Bronxville NY Silent Partner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
costs. US Total: $124. All other International Mem- Tecnifibre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Jahdiel Williams Brooklyn NY bers add $36 (US) for airmail postage costs. US Total: Unique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Fred Moshy Brooklyn NY $135. Membership includes: 10 issues of Racquet USRSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Sports Industry, the five-volume Stringer’s Digest, free Völkl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Mark Johns Great Neck NY consultation, free classified advertising and access to Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Victor Ancelson Great Neck NY the member's-only website. Wise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

50 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

 E V E N T C A L E N D A R
May May (Continued)
Date Event Location Date Event Location
Phone Number Phone Number
1-2 USPTA Certification Big Rapids, MI 22-23 PTR Certification Philadelphia, PA
713-978-7782 215-947-8370 USRSA CERTIFICA-
1-2 USPTA Certification Nashville, TN 23-24 USPTA Certification Denver, CO TION LOCATIONS
713-978-7782 713-978-7782
1-2 PTR Certification Fisherville, VA 27-28 USPTA Certification West Orange, NJ CALL FOR DATES
540-332-5280 713-978-7782
Birmingham, AL 205-985-4989
1-2 PTR Certification Mississauga, ON
905-521-4560 June Anchorage, AK 907-244-9810
1-2 PTR Certification Gainesville, FL 2-3 PTR Certification Sioux Falls, SD or 225-767-1379
352-373-4806 605-335-8546 Scottsdale, AZ 480-483-5560
3-4 PTR Certification Lexington, SC 3-4 USPTA Certification Banksville, NY Mountain View, CA 650-968-8952
803-754-5223 713-978-7782 Ojai, CA 805-640-2109
7-8 USPTA Certification Minneapolis, MN 3-4 USPTA Certification Walla Walla, WA San Diego, CA 858-272-9063
713-978-7782 713-978-7782 Boulder, CO 303-442-1412
7-8 PTR Certification Medford, MA 5-6 USPTA Certification Austin, TX Boca Raton, FL 561-997-0881
617-627-5196 713-978-7782
Clearwater, FL 727-442-7923
8-9 USPTA Certification St. Louis, MO 5-6 PTR Certification Flushing, NY
Ft. Walton Beach, FL 850-862-2023
713-978-7782 718-760-6235
Palm Coast, FL 386-446-6360
8-9 USPTA Certification Conway, AK 5-6 PTR Certification Huntsville, AL
713-978-7782 256-372-5317 Winter Park, FL 407-673-9200
8-9 USPTA Certification Hoover, AL 5-6 PTR Certification Cincinnati, OH Snellville, GA 770-982-8989
713-978-7782 513-793-9200 Honolulu, HI 808-373-1212
8-9 PTR Certification Mishawaka, IN 5-6 PTR Certification Philadelphia, PA Boise, ID 208-794-6236
574-277-1000 215-487-9555 or 208-345-4140
8-9 PTR Certification Albany, NY 5-6 PTR Certification Hinsdale, MA Northbrook, IL 847-480-7841
518-436-3556 800-762-2820 Overland Park, KS 913-491-4116
15-16 USPTA Certification Burbank, CA 5-6 PTR Certification Highlands Ranch, CO Baton Rouge, LA 907-244-9810
713-978-7782 303-471-8919 or 225-767-1379
15-16 USPTA Certification Ponte Vedra, FL 5-6 PTR Certification Mount Laurel, NJ East Lansing, MI 517-337-0002
713-978-7782 856-234-2990
St. Louis Park, MN 952-920-1603
15-16 USPTA Certification Wilmington, DE 7-8 USPTA Certification Honolulu, HI
Lincoln, NE 402-474-5050
713-978-7782 713-978-7782
Mountainside, NJ 908-233-6650
15-16 PTR Certification Dallas, TX 10-11 USPTA Certification Mesa, AZ
972-253-4832 713-978-7782 or 201-679-7535
15-16 PTR Certificatioon Wilton, CT 11-13 USPTA Certification Jefferson City, MO Albuquerque, NM 505-299-8052
203-762-2423 713-978-7782 Commack, NY 631-543-7077
15-16 PTR Certification Bellevue, WA 12-13 USPTA Certification Aurora, IL Flushing Meadows, NY 718-760-6227
425-452-7690 713-978-7782 Rochester, NY 585-427-2747
19-20 USPTA Certification Flushing, NY 12-13 USPTA Certification San Diego, CA Cary, NC 919-859-6788
713-978-7782 713-978-7782 Cincinnati, OH 513-791-4636
22-23 PTR Certification Charlotte, NC 12-13 USPTA Certification Atlanta, GA Mentor, OH 440-357-6147
704-337-2509 713-978-7782
Lakeside, OR 907-244-9810
22-23 PTR Certification Laguna Nigel, CA 12-13 USPTA Certification Greensboro, NC
or 225-767-1379
949-496-4665 713-978-7782
Bryn Mawr, PA 610-525-2504
22-23 PTR Certification Pembroke Pines, FL 12-13 PTR Certification An Arbor, MI
Pittsburgh, PA 412-323-0335 ext 256
954-394-5348 734-662-5514
West Lawn, PA 610-288-5030
22-23 PTR Certification Fresno, CA 17-18 USPTA Certification Dixville Notch, NH
559-227-8405 713-978-7782 Hilton Head Island, SC 843-341-8647
22-23 USPTA Certification Fremont, CA 19-20 USPTA Certification Grenada, MS Myrtle Beach, SC 978-343-4944
713-978-7782 713-978-7782 Antioch, TN 615-731-3700
22-23 USPTA Certification Atlanta, GA 19-20 PTR Certification Hanover, MA Dallas, TX 214-821-8440
713-978-7782 781-829-8585 Sugarland, TX 281-980-4286
22-23 USPTA Certification Hilton Head, SC 21-22 USPTA Certification Houston, TX Arlington, VA 703-522-2700
713-978-7782 713-978-7782 Farmville, VA 434-392-6081
22-23 PTR Certification Brunswick, ME 26-27 USPTA Certification Hartsville, SC Seattle, WA 206-812-6002
207-729-8433 713-978-7782
Victoria, Canada 604-418-4842
22-23 PTR Certification Chambersburg, PA 26-27 PTR Certification Chicago, IL
Tokyo, Japan 03-5603-1168
717-263-0048 312-742-7821
Ontario, CAN 519-534-3745
Tasmania, Australia 03 62348627
or 04 19 523226
USRSA CLASSI - Victoria, Australia 061-03-9890-3011
FOR SALE: Two (2) Volkl Tour 10 Mid+ racquets, 4-3/8 grip. WANTED: Two racquets: Prince Thunder Ultralite
Almost new. Asking: $110 ea. or best offer. Contact: John Titanium MidPlus Longbody, 4-3/8 or 4-1/2 grip. If you have
For additional dates and locations,
Foster, Charleston, SC 29407 • 843/766-8773 any in stock please send price by email. Contact: Francis
WANTED: Babolat Star 4 machine. Please contact Gret at Dean, Glastonbury, CT 06033 • Email: Francisthee contact the organizations: PTR, 800-421-6289,
760/536-1177 x18, or Email: greg@racquettech.com good@cs.com USPTA, 713-978-7782; USRSA, 760-536-1177.

52 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004


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 hard-
to-find item? Want to trade with other col-
lectors? 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.
DO YOU SELL A PRODUCT OR SER - juniors on tournament circuits in Europe or
VICE TO TENNIS CLUBS OR
RETAILERS?Why not contact them with a
classified ad here in RSI? It?s easy, just see teenage tennis players.
details at bottom of this page.
DO YOU WANT TO BRAG A LITTLE? rience and mental toughness. Each of our
Would you like to congratulate someone
who has excelled? Celebrating an anniver-
sary? Just place an Announcement classified
ad and let the tennis world know.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TENNIS CELEBSis a new weekly publi-
cation with stories and pictures of the rich
and famous tennis people. TENNIS CELEBS
gets its news from reporters around the
world sending it the latest news about the
stars. For a free sample, write
bob@tenniscelebs.com.
FREE SAMPLE TENNIS NEWSPAPER.
Get a free one-month subscription to Daily
Tennis, the world‚s only daily tennis news-
paper. Get the latest news about the play-
ers, tournaments, companies, college tennis
54 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004
R S I
and even job availability. For free sample
write bob@tennisnews.com.
HOW TO HIRE A TENNIS PRO
Get this free booklet that tells how to hire a
pro, step by step and avoid making a mis-
take. For free copy, Call Bob Larson at 952
920 8947 or by e-mail at
bob@tennisnews.com.
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
bob@tennisnews.com.
WE BUY TENNIS BOOKS —952 920
8947
WE BUY TENNIS RACKETS—952 920
8947
POSITION WANTED
Highly successful Tennis Director/Head ten-
nis professional, seeks a position in the
Southern California area. This professional
has extensive experience in all aspects
including world class instructional pro-
grams, 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
bob@tennisnews.com or 952 920 8947.
HELP WANTED
TENNIS PROFESSION - surfacing contractors are available to pro-
ALS/CHAPERONES - EUROPE
AND NORTH AMERICA
Males and females are invited to coach
North America this summer. You must be 21
years old and have experience working with
We conduct serious-minded tournament
circuits designed to give juniors match expe-
teams consists of a maximum of 15 players
(ages 14-18). Two coaches travel with each
team. We provide you with training and
support to make the summer successful for
you and your players. The ability level
ranges from high school varsity players to
nationally ranked players with trips from 16
to 31 days. We have 15 teams with our first
team leaving on June 21st and the team
departing on July 24th.
This will be TENNIS: EUROPE's 32nd sum-
mer. Deadline for application is March 30,
2004 or whenever positions are filled.
Please send resume and cover letter and
write for detailed job description to: TEN-
NIS: EUROPE, 73 Rockridge Lane, Stamford
CT 06903 or telephone 203 322 9803 or e-
mail to tenniseuro@aol.com.
CAMP STAFF MAINE
C L A S S I F I E D S
The Laurel Camps represent the finest in
Maine=s co-ed residential summer camp-
ing. Both camps are currently seeking tal-
ented 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 pro-
fessional 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 800-
327-3509 for a staff information packet and
application.
TENNIS COACHES CONNECTICUT
Indoor Tennis Clubs in Connecticut is seek-
ing hardworking, enthusiastic and dedicat-
ed 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 profes-
sionals for part-time area sales positions of
our new racquet line. A successful candi-
date 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 tennis@bancroftsports.com.
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, poly-
esters, 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 ques-
tions to klipamerica@san.rr.com 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 sportsinternation-
al@hotmail.com.
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 bob@tennisnews.com.
BY BOB LARSON
VACATION OPPORTUNITIES
FOR TENNIS PROFESSIONALS
For only $250 plus airfare, your guest and
you could be vacationing at the #1 ultra all-
inclusive 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 Vis10sPro@aol.com.
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, Aus-
tralian Open and the USOpen, Masters
Series events, plus Davis Cup and Fed Cup
events. Business can be re-located to wher-
ever you choose! 12 successful years in
business—hundreds of repeat clients. Call
Daily Tennis for information 952 920 8947
or e-mail bob@tennisnews.com.
TENNIS SERVICES
At no cost for clubs, ProMatch Tennis Ser-
vice finds qualified tennis teaching profes-
sionals. We interview, check references and
criminal background, and train. Profession-
als are certified either with the USPTA or the
PTR. ProMatch Tennis Service can be con-
tacted by calling 770-817-0559. You can
email us for more information at pro-
match@hotmail.com.
COURT CONSTRUCTION
Is it time to resurface or repair your tennis
court? Sport-Master‚s nationwide and
worldwide network of professional sport
vide free on-site assessment and recom-
mendations. Phone 1 800 395 7325, e-mail
info@sealmaster.net. www.sealmaster.net.
TENNIS EQUIPMENT
FOR SALE
BUBBLE FOR SALE
Air supported structure “bubble” for a two
tennis court enclosure, translucent, avail-
able 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. E-
mail waldema@goes.com .
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
INCREASE YOUR NET INCOME
WITH NO INVESTMENT!
Promote the new tennis publication, TEN-
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 differ-
ent 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 togeth-
er.” 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 ten-
nis at utilizing several major variables.
They couldn’t name one sport, includ-
ing 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 under-
standing 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 people
treasures known to mankind. into the game, through
So, as someone who earns your living the massive tennis marketing campaign
through tennis, what does all this mean and Tennis Welcome Center program that
for you? What can you do to enhance the the industry is rolling out. And keep in
healthy growth of the game? mind, while people are being introduced
The answer is so simple. To ensure the to tennis, they should be laughing their
growth of tennis, we need to bring new guts out. Those who learn this way are
people into the game. Think about it: If usually in the sport for a lifetime.
you can convince all of your members or So encourage all your customers and
customers to each bring one new person members to get one new person playing
into tennis, the sport will double in size tennis this year. They’ll have given some-
overnight. For a sport that has given each one the best gift in the world, and you’ll
of us so much joy, encouraging one per- be giving back to the game that has given
son to get into our game will keep us at you so much. w
the top. And just think about how increas-
ing the number of tennis players in this
country will positively affect your business. Vic Braden has been teaching tennis for more
How much time will it take to get one than 50 years. He is a licensed psychologist,
new person into tennis? The answer is author, sports educator, researcher and sports
normally one hour. Once a person gets television commentator.
the feel of striking the ball, running,
laughing and sleeping better, they’re We welcome your opinions. Please email
hooked. And now, you have help getting comments to rsi@racquetTECH.com or
more fax them to 760-536-1171.