Racquet Sports Industry

September 2004
Volume 1 Number 8 $5.00
STRINGING
MACHINE
SELECTION GUIDE
2004
Our exclusive guide will
help you find the perfect
machine for your shop
Apparel for Spring 2005:
Tech, Textures and Color
How the US Open Can Help
Market Your Business
Wimbledon Player
Equipment Log
Q French Open Stringer’s
Diary
Q String Playtest
Q Ball Machine Review
Contents FEATURES
R S I S E P T E M B E R
INDUSTRY NEWS
2 0 0 4
20 Lines of Force 7 Industry veteran John Embree

Tenniswear collections for Spring 2005 are big on textures, tech fab-
rics and colors. starts marketing firm
7 Prince streamlines its
27 Stringing Machine Selection Guide infrastructure
Use our exclusive guide to help you choose one of the most
important tools for your business. 8 Tennis Warehouse is official
supplier for ITA
page 20
34 Open for Business 8 PTR sets Professional
With the US Open upon us, you can promote your shop Development Weekend
or facility along with the tournament.
9 TIA TennisEXPO 2005 awards
36 Wimbledon Equipment Log 10 Top coaches headline USPTA
See what gear your favorite pro players brought to the hal-
World Conference
lowed lawns of the All England Club this year.
11 Wakley is back at Prince
footwear
page 36
11 Boeker joins Tecnifibre USA
12 USRSA book selected
by book club
12 PTR partners with Tennis
Coaches Australia
12 Lee Tennis holds indoor
clay conference
13 Dunlop adds three to sales force
page 27
14 Cross creates commemorative
Hall of Fame pen
DEPARTMENTS
4 Our Serve 42 Ball Machine Review: Lobster Elite
16 Grand Slam Diary 45 Events Calendar
38 Tips and Techniques 46 New USRSA Members and MRTs
40 String Playtest: Völkl F.I.R.E. 48 Your Serve, by Jim Baugh
September 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

Our Serve
(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)
Off To a Good Start! Publishers
W
David Bone Jeff Williams
e’d like to do something that, in many ways, we Editor-in-Chief
don’t do enough of. We’d like to pat ourselves Crawford Lindsey
on the back. Editorial Director

Peter Francesconi
Recently, we were notified that Racquet Sports Industry magazine, won an
Apex 2004 Award of Excellence. Of course, we’re proud to have our work rec- Associate Editor
Greg Raven
ognized in this way, but we think it’s important that you—our loyal readers
and supporters—know that you also share in this honor. Design/Art Director
Kristine Thom
RSI is the result of the merger of two indus-
try stalwarts—Tennis Industry magazine and Assistant to the Publisher
Cari Feliciano
the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association’s Rac-
quet Tech magazine. The merger brought Contributing Editors
Cynthia Cantrell
together the best of both magazines into an
Rod Cross
even better publication, dedicated to covering Joe Dinoffer
this industry in a more complete way than Liza Horan
ever before. Andrew Lavallee
James Martin
The Apex Awards recognize excellence in
Mark Mason
graphic design, editorial content and the “abil- Chris Nicholson
ity to achieve overall communications excel- Mitch Rustad
lence.” This year, there were about 5,500 entries in 109 different categories, Drew Sunderlin
Jonathan Whitbourne
with awards of excellence for about 1,700 publications and websites. RSI was
one of 12 winners in the New Magazines and Journals category. RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY
The talented men and women listed on the masthead just to the right of Corporate Offices
330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084
this column have been dedicated to the tennis and racquet sports business for
Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171
a long time. We are all thrilled to have been recognized for creating a maga- Email: usrsa@racquetTECH.com
zine that effectively communicates what this industry is all about. Website: www.racquetTECH.com
However, we also believe that we’re simply the medium for a sports indus- Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time
try that, with each passing issue of the magazine, becomes more and more
Advertising Director
dynamic and supportive. To that end, we share this honor with the nearly John Hanna
18,000 dedicated industry professionals who take the time to read RSI, and 770-650-1102, x.125
to the dozens of companies who support us—and the industry—through their john@racquettech.com
marketing and advertising. Apparel Advertising

In truth, this Award of Excellence simply recognizes a good start. We’ll of Cynthia Sherman
course take the wins wherever they come, but we all know, and look forward 203-263-5243
cstennisindustry@earthlink.net
to, a lot of hard and rewarding work as we continue down the road.
Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-
5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly January
through August and combined issues in Septem-
ber/October and November/December by Tennis
Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.
Dave Bone Jeff Williams August 2004, Volume 32, Number 8 © 2004 by USRSA
Co-Publisher Co-Publisher and Tennis Industry. All rights reserved. Racquet Sports
Industry, RSI and logo are trademarks of USRSA. Print-
ed in the U.S.A. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102
x.125. Phone circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177.
Yearly subscriptions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere.
Crawford Lindsey Peter Francesconi
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Racquet Sports
Editor-in-Chief Editorial Director
Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.
4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September 2004

R S I S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 4
INDUSTRY NEWS
INFORMATION TO HELP YOU RUN YOUR BUSINESS
Prince Streamlines Industry Veteran John Embree Creates New

Its Infrastructure Sports Management Company, JEDE
Prince Sports has realigned its organization,
F
internal functions and activities to better ormer Wilson Vice Presi- and by establishing a corporate financial
serve customers, says George Napier, chair- dent/General Manager John R. discipline, I think this brand has great
man and CEO of Prince Sports Inc. The new Embree has created John Embree potential to grow, especially at the grass-
structure went into effect in July. Diversified Enterprises (JEDE), a sports roots." One of Embree's first tasks will be
"This realignment is designed to strengthen management company based in the Chica- to hire strong independent sales reps in
the company, increase our ability to meet go area. The new company will offer con- areas of the country where Bälle de Mätch
local market needs more effectively, and sulting services, management expertise, needs attention.
enable efficient global coordination of our sales and marketing, sponsorship sales "John recognizes that Bälle de Mätch
business," says Napier. "We're excited about opportunities, and more for the tennis and has not reached its full potential, so we
our new structure that is designed to create golf industries. are very fortunate to have
faster and friendlier execution across all lev- Two companies are cur- found him," says Dever-
els and departments." rently under the JEDE ian. "I needed a strategic
The company will be divided into two busi- umbrella: tennis apparel partner, and now we have
ness units, Prince Sports USA and Prince maker Bälle de Mätch and a a proven tennis leader with a
Sports International. The new Prince Sports new service company, Golf Pro tremendous pedigree who
USA team is dedicated to accelerating its Shop Supply LLC. The 12-year- can work with the accounts,
goal of achieving market leadership and serv- old Bälle de Mätch recently and our reps, while we get
ing customers in the U.S., the company says. announced Embree as its new back to focusing on design-
Bill Foy will assume the role of president of CEO; the golf venture is a ing the line."
Prince Sports USA. start-up designed to help golf Embree has a strong his-
Linda Glassel will assume the new position of pro shop retailers manage tory in the tennis business,
vice president of sports marketing and com- their golf apparel inventory. going back to the mid-1980s.
munications, adding licensing to her ongoing “After spending the last 20 His grassroots background,
responsibilities that include advertising, pub- years in a corporate environ- along with extensive knowl-
lic relations, web and tennis tour management, the opportunity to be edge of the pro and specialty
ment activities. Additionally, Glassel and her more entrepreneurial was business and his passion for
team will support both business units with very attractive to me,” says Embree. “I'm the sport, are expected to be assets to
strategic marketing and brand messaging. also excited for the chance to be involved Bälle de Mätch, the apparel company said
The U.S. team will collaborate with other with a variety of different projects, all of in a statement. During Embree's tenure
markets around the world on key initiatives. which are in industries that I am extreme- with Wilson, which ended last fall, the
Prince has also created a new function to ly passionate about.” company witnessed record years in sales
coordinate and direct U.S. product manage- In early July, Bälle de Mätch founder and and gross profits in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
ment activities, which will be overseen by COO Chris Deverian announced Embree's “The beauty of both these companies
Howard Lay, who will take on the new role of new role with that Southern California- under JEDE is that they coexist quite nice-
vice president of product management based company. With the apparel maker, ly,” Embree says. “The industries are
The new Prince Sports International team will Embree will manage sales and marketing compatible, yet not conflicting. Having
be headquartered in London, with Alistair functions, as well as oversee day-to-day extensive knowledge about how to get
Thorburn as president. Prince Sports Interna- operations. business done at the green-grass level, or
tional will provide increased focus and sup- "Bälle de Mätch is a wonderful little pro/specialty marketplace, these two
port to the company's growth plans company whose product is underdevel- companies hit the center of my
internationally. oped and underexposed," says Embree. sweetspot.”
Prince Sports Inc. is based in New Jersey. "With a more intense focus on driving the For more information, contact 847-
top-line revenue via increased distribution, 729-2497.

INDUSTRYNEWS S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 4
Tennis Warehouse Named

Official Supplier for ITA
T
he Intercollegiate Tennis Association has announced a new partnership with
the Tennis Warehouse to become its new official shoe and clothing supplier.
"This is a great fit for both Tennis Warehouse and the ITA," TW President Don
Hightower says. "ITA coaches and players will gain access to our complete selec-
tion of apparel and footwear from top brands such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok
and over 20 other brands, at reduced ITA team pricing. Our new team website will
also offer coaches a single source for different brands and styles. For Tennis Ware-
house, the obvious benefit is to continue growing our team business, while
expanding our support of college tennis."
"We are delighted to enter into this new partnership with Tennis Warehouse,"
ITA Executive Director David Benjamin says. "Tennis Warehouse offers outstand-
ing products for our 1,500 member coaches and will provide them with fast, reli-
able and very knowledgeable service."
As the governing body of collegiate tennis, the ITA promotes both the athletic
and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA
(www.itatennis.com) is based in Skillman, N.J.
The Tennis Warehouse began as the Tennis Shop of San Luis Obispo (Calif.) in
1992 and became the Tennis Warehouse in 1994 when it expanded into the mail-
order business. The Tennis Warehouse is the exclusive e-commerce partner for the
ATP and WTA and the official site for Nike Tennis. For more information on TW,
visit www.tenniswarehouse.com.
PTR Sets Professional

Development Weekend
T
he PTR has scheduled its annual Pro-
fessional Development Weekend for
Sept. 22 to 26 at the PTR Headquarters
in Hilton Head, S.C. The weekend is held in
conjunction with the ROHO/PTR $15,000
Wheelchair Tennis Championships.
The Professional Development Week-
end is open to all tennis teachers, coaches
and enthusiasts. Courses include Munchkin
Games, conducted by PTR Executive Direc-
tor Dan Santorum, and Team Coaching,
The Basics, with PTR
Director of Develop-
ment Geoff Norton.
Also, PTR Inter-
national Director Inaki Balzola will present
the Play Action Drills workshop, and Mas-
tering the Mental Side will be presented by
Dr. Bryce Young and Linda LeClaire. Norton
will also conduct Instructing Wheelchair
Tennis 102, which is designed for tennis
professionals who wish to earn a wheel-
chair-tennis teaching certificate.
For more information, or to register for
any courses or workshops, contact 800-
421-6289 or 843-785-7244, or email
ptr@ptrtennis.org.

INDUSTRY NEWS
Awards to be Presented at TIA EXPO

The Tennis Industry Association has announced the categories
for the first TIA TennisEXPO Awards, to be presented in January
at the TIA TennisEXPO during the Super Show in Orlando, Fla.,
Jan. 17 to 19. More than 50 individuals, businesses and organi-
zations will be honored for setting the standards in retailing,
merchandising, and growing the game. The categories are:
Q Top 10 Pro Shops of the Year
Q Top 10 Specialty Tennis Shops of the Year
Q Top Sporting Goods Store or Chain of the Year
Q Top 20 Tennis Welcome Centers of the Year
Q Top Hard-Goods Manufacturer/Supplier of the Year
Q Top Soft-Goods Manufacturer/Supplier of the Year
For the Pro and Specialty Shop categories, 40 shops will be
nominated (20 pro shops and 20 specialty shops) in September,
with the winners announced at the TIA TennisEXPO in January.
In the hard-good and soft-good categories, winners will be man-
ufacturers who also show creative and progressive ways to grow-
ing their business. For the 20 Top Tennis Welcome Centers, there
will be one winner from each of the 17 USTA sections and three
"at large" winners.
Representatives from various manufacturers and associations
will choose the nominees and winners, however, the top hard-
and soft-goods manufacturer/supplier categories will be selected
through an online survey to be held in October. If any retailer
would like to be part of this survey, email
awards@tennisindustry.org and provide your email address and
account information.
All the nominees and winners will receive a travel allowance to
attend the TIA EXPO and will be honored at the TIA Forum on Jan. 17.
TIA TennisEXPO 2005 is the start of an annual trade event
(not open to the general public) that combines seminars, forums,
awards, a buying show, and more.
For more information about the TIA EXPO or the awards cri-
teria, visit TIAEXPO.com.
Honoring "20 Years of Service"

Have you been working in the tennis industry for 20 years? Has
your company been in business since 1985? The TIA and the
Super Show want to thank you for your dedication.
At the TIA TennisEXPO, and in celebration of the 20-year
anniversary of the Super Show, the TIA is working with the Super
Show to honor and publish a list of any individual or company
who was in the tennis business in 1985 and is still contributing.
Anyone is eligible: managers, sales reps, custom service reps,
teaching pros, club managers, administrative assistants. Also,
companies and associations are eligible.
To sign up and qualify, go to TIAEXPO.com and click on "20
Years of Service" to the Tennis Industry Awards. You'll then get a
form to fill in with your name, company's name in 1985, when
you started in the industry, where you are now, type of service
you perform, and your present email address and contact infor-
mation. Make sure all of your friends and eligible contacts sign
up, too.

TOP COACHES HEADLINE

USPTA WORLD CONFERENCE
C
oaches of some of the world's top players and a few
former world-ranked players will be the featured
speakers at the USPTA's World Conference on Tennis.
The conference will be held Sept. 18 to 25 at the La Quinta
Resort & Club in La Quinta, Calif.
Rick Macci, Nick Bollettieri, Jose
Higueras, David Wheaton, Anne Smith,
Jim Loehr, Jack Groppel, Eliot Teltscher
and Wayne Bryan are among the fea-
tured speakers. Most of them will make
their presentations on court during 90-
minute or two-hour general sessions.
A refined education schedule includes Rick Macci
more extended and unopposed general
sessions to give speakers more time to
discuss their topics and allow attendees
to have longer question-and-answer ses-
sions. In addition to more than 50 semi-
nars, there are 13 four-hour specialty
courses on the agenda.
Other speakers include Jill Fonte, Bill Anne Smith
Tym, Todd Ellenbecker, Barbara Fackel,
Dede Allen, Dave Kozlowski, Bryce
Young, Kurt Kamperman, Jim Baugh,
John Yandell and Larry Karageanes. Top-
ics include video analysis, programming
and curriculum, business communica-
tion and team building, strategy and
stroke technique, the sport sciences and David Wheaton
more.
"This year's education schedule is a
terrific opportunity to hear favorite
speakers and the fresh perspectives of
several new ones," says USPTA CEO Tim
Heckler. "The agenda will appeal not
only to tennis professionals interested in
Nick Bollettieri
teaching the modern game to players of
all levels, but also to those who are more
involved in the business side of tennis."
Also during the conference, USPTA
hosts its $30,000 International Tennis
Championships, board and Executive
Committee meetings, nighttime parties,
industry meetings, a tennis buying show
Jack Groppel
(Sept. 24 to 25), plus Developmental
Coach and Professional-level certification
exams.
Nonmembers are welcome at the con-
ference. More information about the con-
ference and online registration forms are
at www.uspta.com, or call 800-877-
8248. Jim Loehr

INDUSTRY NEWS
Wakley Is Back at Prince Footwear

F
ootwear expert Gary Wakley has rejoined Prince Sports Inc. and will be respon-
sible for leading the product management of Prince's tennis, racquetball and
squash footwear categories in the U.S.
Wakley will oversee market research, product development, product positioning
and market support programs. The addition of Wakley, according to Bill Foy, presi-
dent of Prince Sports USA, will provide Prince's footwear business with an experi-
enced leader who brings enthusiasm for the sport.
"Prince is thrilled to welcome back Gary to our footwear team," says Foy. "We
know that Gary's experience, combined with his passion for tennis and the Prince
brand, will make a significant contribution to our business, both immediately and
in the long-term. We are exploring several new initiatives to grow the brand, and
Gary's expertise will play a pivotal role in our success."
Wakley formerly worked at Prince from 1994 through 1999 in the footwear divi-
sion, where he introduced the NFS and Quik Trac lines. Before that, Wakley worked
at athletic footwear companies such as Adidas and Lotto, among others.
Boeker Joins Tecnifibre USA

N
icolas Boeker has joined Tecnifibre USA as U.S. player program manager. He will be
responsible for working with top coaches, college players and juniors, concentrating
within the U.S.
"We are excited to have Nicolas as part of the Tecnifibre USA team," says Paul Zalatoris,
Tecnifibre USA's general manager. Boeker recently graduated from the University of Geor-
gia. He played on the national championship tennis team of 2001 and the NCAA finalist
team of 2002 and was named team captain in 2003. He received All-American status in
singles in 2003.
Boeker, who will be based in southern Florida, will work with Marco Baron, Tecnifibre's
international promotion manager, who is also a former NCAA standout player.

USRSA Book Selected by Scientific

American Book Club
he USRSA's The Physics and Technology of Tennis has
T been named a selection of the Scientific American

Book Club. Founded in 1958, Scientific American Book
Club is the world's oldest and most respected science
book club. Dedicated to serving both professionals and
serious amateurs, it surveys the entire scientific field to
make the finest works available to club members. The
cross-disciplinary readership spans a variety of subjects
from theoretical and applied mathematics and physics to
biology, chemistry, and cognitive science.
The Physics and Technology of Tennis, by Howard Brody, Rod Cross, and Craw-
ford Lindsey, was also named "Best Book (Technical Division)" by Inside Tennis
magazine. Its 42 chapters are divided into four sections—racquets, strokes,
strings, balls and courts. Topics include racquet weight, balance, swing weight,
power, vibration, and shock; string materials, properties, tension, spin, and
power; and ball speed, trajectory, bounce, and spin.
It is published by Racquet Tech Publishing, an imprint of the USRSA, and
available by calling 760-536-1177 or going to the USRSA store at www.racquet
tech.com. Price is $29.95 for nonmembers and $26.95 for USRSA members.
PTR Partners With Tennis Coaches Australia

T
he Professional Tennis Registry announced a new cooperation agreement with
Tennis Coaches Australia (TCA) designed to enhance the products and services
offered by both organizations.
TCA President Judy Bull and PTR CEO Dan Santorum expressed enthusiasm about
the opportunity the union provides. "TCA is proud to affiliate itself with the largest
global tennis coaches organization," says Bull. "This relationship enhances TCA's
position as one of the premier coaching bodies in the world."
According to Santorum, "With members in 124 countries, PTR brings a global
resource to TCA and its members. The end result will be better-educated coaches who
will continue growing the game in Australia. We look forward to working with TCA
and its members for the betterment of tennis coaches in Australia.”
Lee Tennis To Hold Indoor Clay Court

Conference on Long Island
L
ee Tennis, in conjunction with Sportime Clubs and VelveTop, will host its first
conference on indoor clay courts Aug. 30 to 31, 2004, at Sportime at Syosset
on Long Island, N.Y.
“The conference is designed to bring together the nation's leading experts on
indoor clay courts to discuss the construction and maintenance of clay in an
indoor environment,” says Pat Hanssen of Lee Tennis. Topics will include mainte-
nance tools and techniques, surface compaction, irrigation, and structures. There
will be classroom presentations, panel discussions and court demonstrations.
For more information, contact Hanssen at 877-4HARTRU or
phanssen@luckstone.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS
Dunlop Adds 3 to Salesforce Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. All three have back-
grounds in playing tennis and in sales and marketing.
unlop Racquet Sports has added new reps in the Philadel- "We are happy to add such credentialed personnel to our
D phia, New York and Midwestern territories. Bruce Hamlin

will manage the New York and western Connecticut terri-
tories; Wolfgang Jaeger will manage New Jersey and Pennsyl-
already outstanding sales force," says Steve Zalinski, field sales
director for Dunlop. "I'm confident that with our great sales
force and leading product technology pipeline, 2004 and 2005
vania and Mark Kaneko will manage northern Illinois, Iowa, will be banner years."

WINTER SPORTS COMPANY K2 BUYS VÖLKL; SlingHopper

U.S. TENNIS BUSINESS NOT AFFECTED Teaching Drill Bags at
W
inter sports giant K2 has purchased Völkl International and Völkl Sport America in
July for about $39.1 million in cash and about $21.4 million in K2 stock. The agree-
ment was part of a huge deal in which K2 also acquired two other winter sports
Kids' Day
TR teaching pros at the 2004 Arthur
companies, Marker and Marmot.
Völkl International is the parent company of Völkl Ski, Snowboard and Winter Appar-
el, and Völkl Sport America is the U.S. distributor for Völkl Ski, Snowboard, Winter Appar-
P Ashe Kids' Day on Aug. 28 at the
USTA National Tennis Center will be
using SlingHopper Pro drill bags for on-
el and Tennis. However, excluded from the sale is Völkl Tennis GmbH, which is the parent court games and activities. Made of ripstop
company of Völkl Tennis. Völkl Tennis GmbH continues to be owned by Hans-Dieter
nylon, the bags hold
Cleven and Boris Becker.
40 balls and allow
A spokesperson for Völkl Tennis in West Lebanon, N.H., says the sale will have no
teaching pros to move
impact on the daily operations in the U.S.
around the court while
feeding balls. For
more information,
visit
www.slinghopper.com
or call 866-434-1600.
Cross Creates
Limited Edition
Pen For Tennis
Hall Of Fame
A.T. Cross Company intro-
duced a limited-edition solid
sterling silver fountain pen to
commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the Interna-
tional Tennis Hall of Fame in
Newport, R.I. The 1,954
pens (the Hall of Fame was
founded in 1954) are individ-
ually numbered and feature
engravings of historic tennis
racquets. The pens also have
an 18-karat gold nib plated
with brilliant rhodium. The
racquet-shaped pocket clip is
detailed with Swarovski crys-
tal. Suggested retail price is
$700. For further details and
a listing of retail stores, visit
www.cross.com.
Corrections
Page 12 of the July issue of RSI mag-
azine listed Nasdaq-100 open team
stringer Ralph Kusche’s name spelled
incorrectly.

GRAND SLAM diary
A veteran stringer joins the Tecnifibre
team at the French Open BY ALBERT LEE, MRT
PROLOGUE Sam, Corrie and I, walk around the neigh- quick run-through on machine functions:
I've been stringing racquets for more than borhood for a while, then head to dinner at speed, memory, knot tension, pre-stretch,
20 years here in Potomac, Md. For many Le Ty-Coz with the rest of the string team. string length meter, etc., then he passes out
years, Tecnifibre USA has run a contest for It's a cozy restaurant specializing in crepes. racquets.
stringers. Send back empty TF string packs, We're back at the hotel by 11 p.m., but I'm The form that comes with each racquet
and you'll have a chance to join the Tecnifi- so excited that I have a hard time getting to describes what's to be done and Luc makes
bre Stringing Team at Roland Garros to sleep. sure we all understand the French descrip-
string for French Open players. The last few tions. I don't recall my first frame or who it
years, I knew I was getting close in the SUNDAY, MAY 23 belonged to, I just wanted to be careful and
annual lottery drawing because I was win- The alarm wakes me around 6 a.m. I wash get it right. Players generally leave their reels,
ning second- and third-place T-shirts and up and dash down to the lobby to meet the which are marked with their names and
the like. other newbie Roland Garros stringers. There's boxed in alphabetical order. As we are issued
In late September 2003, I had a huge Virginia from Spain, John the Dutchman, racquets, we log them out by stringer name
collection of TF string packs and machine number, so when they
ready to send in for the come back, they can be strung on the
2004 drawing. Then I read same machine.
that Pro-Kennex and Tec- I string maybe 20 frames on the
nifibre decided to restruc- TF8000. I also spied the new TF7000,
ture. I emailed Paul Zalatoris which has dual-action clamps. If Tecnifi-
of Tecnifibre USA and bre USA brings a high-end machine to
found out the contest for the U.S., I hope it's this machine. Looks
2004 was cancelled. I was really sweet.
crushed. Stringing at the For this tournament there are 19
French Open had been my machines, and a couple of spares. They
dream. are all top-of-the-line TF8000s, and
Early in 2004, on a they just about string the frames for
whim, I emailed Jim Fro- you. Mounting is quick and straightfor-
muth of Fromuth Tennis, ward. The tension head adjusts for
the new U.S. distributor for short string lengths. There's knot ten-
Tecnifibre. Jim was heading sion, built in pre-stretch, and length
to the Supershow and meter, along with pound/kilogram set-
meeting with Tecnifibre Albert Lee stands his post in the Tecnifibre stringing room. tings. I especially like the keyboard entry
President Thierry Maissant and Zalatoris. I Lucien from Canada, and me. Sam Chan, for the tension; this is quicker than pressing
proposed to pay my own expenses in from England, is here for his third French and holding up-down buttons.
exchange for an invitation. Open, so he is responsible for getting us to The TF8000 clamps make the machine,
In mid-February, Zalatoris emailed me: the string room on time. It's a brisk 15- and these are really special. When you
"Book your flights, you're going to Paris!" minute walk to Porte Suzanne Lenglen. squeeze the clamp, it literally jumps up to
They signed me up for the first four days of Everyone is excited. clamp the string. There appears to be some
Roland Garros! Definitely the toughest part It's a beautiful, quiet morning. We take kind of linkage that simultaneously locks the
of the tournament for stringers. some photos on our way to the string room base and clamps the string in one effortless
for the 7 a.m. start. The space is huge. It is motion.
SATURDAY, MAY 22 normally an indoor tennis facility and has The day goes fast. At 7 p.m., they cut us
I make it to Paris' Hotel Alpha around 5 been converted into entertainment for kids loose. Overall, the stringing was a mixed bag,
p.m. In the lobby I see another stringer, and stringing space for us. mostly split-tension hybrids with the crosses 1
Sam Chan, and his wife, Corrie. I meet Tec- We scrounge through a box of red-han- kg lower than the mains. Probably 75 per-
nifibre rep Kristel and she hands me my dled tools, picking out a starter clamp, string- cent of the frames were polyester, 15 per-
clothing backpack and ID badge. My room bed cutter, needle-nose pliers, and awl. I get cent conventional synthetics, and 10 percent
is a good size; the view from the window is assigned a machine right in front. Luc gut. All the frames I strung were in fair
quite good. Vesseaux, the stringing team leader, does a shape, though I did have to repair a few

CONTINUED
GRAND SLAM diary and quick. They use a loop weave with
great efficiency. I've got to learn how to do
grommets on Carlos Moya's frames. this. I don't think it's any quicker than my
Dinner was at Le Relais des Sultans, my "snake weave," just more elegant.
first experience with Arabic food. Very We catch up around noon and have
good, and I especially like the mint tea. enough time for a quick bite and a chance
to run outside to take some pictures. I hear
MONDAY, MAY 24 American voices. It's Jim Fromuth. I also run
It's early morning and I'm in the darkened into Paul Zalatoris and Paul Kid, the Nos. 1
lobby, waiting for the first day of the main and 2 people running Tecnifibre USA. I
draw to begin. Luc is already here when Lee receives his stringing diploma from string- take a quick snapshot and thank them for
our group arrives. We each grab some cof- ing team leader Luc Vesseaux. inviting me.
fee, cut off a slice of some breakfast cake, Most of the frames being collected this
turn on our machines and head over to Luc afternoon are for Tuesday pickup, and it
to get our first frames of the day from the looks like tomorrow will be a busy day. In
8 a.m. bins. As racquets are dropped off, fact, the 10 a.m. bin overflows into a sec-
they are sorted into bins. Each bin is ond bin. Each bin is about 48 inches wide.
marked with a pickup time. For new Around 5:30 p.m., Luc gets a little nervous
stringers, Luc issues us racquets; the more and let's us start on the 8, 9 and 10 a.m.
senior stringers pick their own frames from bins for the next day. He hands out only
the bin. synthetic and poly string jobs; anything
It's a well-organized operation. The Stringing bins hold pending jobs. with gut will be strung on Tuesday morn-
desk staff is especially efficient at stripping We all string crosses bottom up or top ing. By 7 p.m., we've taken quite a bite out
out old string from incoming frames and down as dictated by the pattern. There is of the morning backlog.
stenciling restrung frames. The staff pays a no frame distortion. The frames exit the We're all sent home. After dinner at La
lot of attention to details, and for hybrid machines as easily as they mount. The Belle Epoque restaurant, we're told to be
frames, they leave one cross and one main French stringers, who are from stores on the machines at 6 a.m. Tomorrow will
in the frame as a reminder. throughout France, are very professional be quite busy.

TUESDAY, MAY 25 with racquets coming in and out so fast that
After two days, we newbie stringers feel like it barely registers who you've strung for. In
part of the team. We stow our backpacks, addition to stringing Moya's racquet, I recall
grab a quick coffee and walk over to Luc, doing frames for Rainer Schuettler, Ai
who hands out the sticks. Sugiyama, Francesca Schiavone and Tathi-
Time passes quickly. After winding ana Garbin, who later upset Justine Henin-
through 20 or so frames, it's now 12:15 Hardenne. It's a funny thing about
p.m. I glance behind me and half the stringers—we always cheer for the frames
machines are vacant. That can only mean we've strung.
one thing-lunch. The lunches are a variety The day goes quickly, and after lunch I
Paul Kidd of Tecnifibre, Jim Fromuth, Lee and
of sandwiches, a large chef salad, and large say my good-byes. I go back to the hotel to
Paul Zalatoris of Tecnifibre.
yogurt. It's more than I can eat in one sit- repack and get some rest before dinner and
ting. get ready to leave, but then a few "rush" the long trip home.
My legs are sore, and when I get back frames come in and I take a moment to This has been a great trip. I've learned a
on the machine, I find out how to raise the watch Laurent speed-string a few sticks. Luc lot, seen different stringing styles, met new
machine to a more comfortable height. chases us off and we walk back to the hotel people. I have to thank Paul Zalatoris, Jim
Things are quiet this afternoon, so Luc holds for a quick shower, then meet in the lobby Fromuth, Thierry Maissant, and Manuelle
the ceremony for the guest stringers. There to walk to the neighborhood Chinese restau- Felloni for allowing me to be a member of
are snacks, champagne, kind words, and a rant. Luc and Laurent show up after 9 p.m. the Tecnifibre Stringing Team at Roland Gar-
framed diploma. After the champagne, I Luc says we need to be on the machines at ros. I can now say I've just strung the tough-
feel the fatigue coming on. I've been run- 6:30 a.m. est clay court tournament in the world. It is
ning on adrenaline for the past three days one of the highlights of my career.
and the grueling nature of tournament WEDNESDAY, MAY 26 Au revoir!
stringing is finally catching up with me. I I enter Espace d'Animation, the entrance to
Albert Lee is an MRT Tour stringer with more than
have surgical tape on one hand and a ban- the string room, for the last time. Again, we 25 years of experience. He currently strings for Cabin
dage on the other where I jammed some have a lot of sticks to clear out, but we all John Indoor Tennis in Potomac, Md. After the 2004
poly under my fingernail. work hard and get caught up around noon. French Open, he also strung at the
Nasdaq-100 in Miami and at Wimbledon.
O.K., back downstairs, we clean up and It's been a whirlwind four days of stringing,

APPAREL
LINES OF FOR
Tenniswear collections for Spring 2005 are big on textures, te
MARCIA
Technical fabrics that wick away moisture and are quick-drying, such as
Vaportex (used in the Double Take line, shown), are big for Marcia appar-
el, especially in bra tops, polos and some skirts, says Pratrice Brayer, the
national sales manager. “We've also incorporated more surface-textured
fabrics, especially in our all-white collections, to make them more inter-
esting,” says Brayer, adding that color-blocking continues to be a big
component of Marcia's lines. “We've gone even deeper in terms of
styles offered that are color-blocked. It's extremely popular with
teams,” she says. Marcia has also incorporated more reversible gar-
ments, including a reversible skirt. 800-423-5208; www.
marciagolfandtennis.com
DIADORA
New in Diadora's line for spring is the Tessa collection with dress
(shown), tank top and skirt, made with 91 percent DiaDry nylon/9
percent spandex, combined with mesh insets for breathability.
DiaDry is a moisture-management system that helps keep players
cool and dry. The Tessa line comes in royal blue, navy, red,
maroon, purple, forest green and black, all with white trim. Also
new is the Irina top and skirt (in royal blue, red and black, with
white piping and trim) and the Bella top, with a hidden, built-in
mesh sports bra. 253-520-8868; www.diadoraamerica.com

ELLESSE
Ellesse created its Tennis Advantage line (shown) with perfor-
mance tech fabrics designed to keep players cool and dry. The
RCE
ech fabrics and colors.
collection includes women's racer-back tank top, skort and
warm-ups, in addition to a men's zip crew-neck. The Tennis
Essentials line consists of core basics in navy, red, white and
black, which work year-round for active players. Essentials can
mix and match with Ellesse's Tennis Signature collection, which
are classically styled pieces in functional materials, designed for
on or off the court. 561-491-9000; www.ellesse.com
BY PETER FRANCESCONI
LEJAY
For Lejay, “athletic-inspired looks”
are big, says Trish Levin, vice presi-
dent of merchandising. But, she
adds, “What's been past in tennis
might be coming around again in
an updated sort of fashion.”
Lejay's new Palm Beach Pucci
“Retro-Racquet” collection
(shown) features a classic
camisole and skirt in white
Meryl pique with crossed
racquet embroidery. Also
available is a coordinat-
ing visor. Lejay also
offers a new line of
screen-printed nov-
elty T-shirts. 800-
932-7535;
www.lejay.com

LBH
“It's all about color and texture,” says Katie Curry, LBH's vice president of marketing. “For spring 2005, we wanted to pro-
vide something for everyone. The styles are sleek, simple and flattering to the figure. The fabrics are technical with a sub-
tle surface interest for added dimension.” The LBH Blue Crush collection (shown below) offers a “flair of the feminine,”
along with textured fabric. For the Lily's of Beverly Hills line, the Wild Orchid collection (below), combines a gingham
check with white eyelet pointelle. And in LBH's Wimbledon Traditions (bottom), classic navy and white are combined with
a stretch micro-polyester cable stitch fabric. 800-421-4474; www.lbhgroup.com

KAELIN
Merchandising Director Sue Harding says Kaelin Sportswear's new collections build on the compa-
ny's reputation for quality fabrics. “We're continuing with our popular microfiber and Meryl jerseys,
faux suede and meshes,” she says, “as well as introducing a few new textures with each collection.”
(Meryl provides comfort and breathability and can offer protection against UV rays.) Colors in the
spring lines are “saturated” and intense, says Harding, rather than pale, although Kaelin plans on
bringing in paler colors for later in the spring. “Stripes are still strong,” she says, adding that the fab-
rics “lend themselves to nice body-fitting silhouettes.” 800-525-5415; www.kaelinsportswear.com
SPORTING LOOK
“Everything is performance fab-
rics, and ours is 'Moisture-
Move,'” says Peter Antonacci of
Sporting Look. Moisture-Move
transfers moisture away from
the skin to the outside of the
fabric, keeping players
cooler, drier and more
comfortable. Antonac-
ci says his new lines
offer more perfor-
mance T-shirts. “For
men, it's more and
more casual,” he says.
“We're seeing V-neck T's
and long-sleeved T's.”
Sporting Look, which spe-
cializes in custom-embroi-
dered tenniswear, also has
expanded its color palette for
men's and women's cotton
pique polos. 800-750-8960;
www.sportinglook.com

BUMI SIROTKA
Bumi Sirotka designed her new tennis collection, with its signature pineapple logo, to make
a sophisticated statement both on and off the court. “The shapes are neatly defined, creating
a fitted look with comfort and ease for an active game,” she says. Women's designs include
an inverted pleat skirt, sleeveless rib trim polo, sleeveless V-neck stretch tricot tennis dress,
racer-back scoop-neck top, stretch jersey A-line skirt, long-sleeve polo and T-shirt and a clas-
sic pleat skirt. 212-327-0095; www.bumisirotka.com
TAIL
“Fashion” is king in the
spring collection from
Tail, which this year is cele-
brating its 30th anniversary
with the tagline: “30 years of
tennis fashion and dressing for
the game.” New for spring is the
Nautical Sport line (shown), featur-
ing Tail's signature waffle fabric in a
red, white and blue group. “Grom-
mets and cording detail emphasize a
nautical feeling,” says Amy Bentley,
Tail's marketing manager. New items
include a hoodie sweater, long-sleeve
crewneck for sun protection, and a warm-up vest.
Also new is Tail's Tennis Diva group, in blush, crystal blue and black, and
white. 800-678-8245; www.tailinc.com
WILSON
“We’re getting back to designing groupings for women, as well as for men,” says
Randy Johnson of Wilson Apparel. “Our product manager and designer, Rob Grow,
has designed a fit system for ladies, allowing consumers to choose from one of three
fits in apparel: fitted, athletic and classic. This helps us have something for every-
one, from the junior girl to the senior player.” Johnson says Wilson’s sun-protection
grouping is doing well. “People are asking for it by name, and we’ve spun off a
female cut.” Wilson Apparel, which is also big in custom embroidery, has expand-
ed its junior line for spring in both color and styling. 800-990-0000; www.athco.com

SPEC IT Our Aerosystem® and Courtsider® systems can be specified
for all types of tennis courts – from residential to stadium.
CONTROL IT Our tennis lighting systems provide precise light

control for uniform illumination and minimum spillage
(meets IESNA requirements for full cutoff classification).
DESIGN IT As lighting specialists focused exclusively on lighting,

we provide not only aesthetically pleasing lighting systems of the
highest quality, but also offer customers assistance in the design
and layout of an energy-efficient solution.
INSTALL IT Courtsider Sports Lighting is the very definition of ease

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SEE IT Our systems offer glare-free visibility, which enables players

and spectators alike to see every play at its spectacular best.
BELIEVE IT Because seeing is believing, check us out at www.courtsider.com.
© Courtsider 2004
For more information, call 1 - 80 0 -79 4- 3448

or email Courtsider@lsi-industries.com
B
uying a stringing machine is one of be better. Six-point systems do support
the frame in more places, which
the most important purchases you means it is a little easier to lock the
racquet in place so it does not slide
can make for your business. It is also one back and forth during stringing. ATS
It also allows a better view of
of the most difficult. With the plethora of the grommets at the head and
Traveler
throat of a racquet. Six-point
machines, technologies, and features systems can require fewer
adapters for frames of different
available, selecting a machine is a daunt- shapes. Finally, some of these
systems have side arms that
ing task. can be adjusted simultaneously,
making it easier to center a
Our Stringing Machine Selection Guide will guide you racquet.
through the minefields and help you choose the best
machine for your business. Below we explain the essential 2-Point & 4-Point Mounting. Two-point and four-point
machine features, and the chart on pages 20-23 displays systems suggest that it is quicker to mount a racquet on
the features of almost every professional machine on the a 2-point machine because there are fewer mounting
market. points to be adjusted. They will also say that these sys-
tems offer more support at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock, (the
two most important points to support), because the
MOUNTING SYSTEMS amount of surface contact with the frame is greater at
The charts lists machines with 2-, 4-, 5-, or 6-point mount- these locations.
ing systems. This refers to how many places they support
the frame. There are Turntable Lock. This allows you
many subtle differ- to stop the turntable in one posi-
ences in mounting tion. Helpful for calibrating and
systems. The tying knots.
three most com-
mon types of 360o Rotation Turntable. Allows
mounting sys- you to turn the racquet all the way
tems are the 2- around during stringing.
Babolat
Alpha point, 4-point and 6-point,
Sensor
Orbiter SE though each of them is safe. 3-D Rotation Turntable. Allows the
turntable to tilt so that each string gets
6-Point Mounting. Fans pulled straight through the grommet.
of 6-point systems will This is designed to reduce the friction of the
tell you that more string against the grommet when tension
points of contact must is being pulled.

Sports Height Mounting Tensioning
3-D Turntablen Turntable

Rotation
Hand Cranktem-Drop
Table Top O ndard
Constant Pu ed Pull
Height Adjustptional
able
6-Point Mou nting

4-Point Mou ting
5-Point Mou ting
Turntable Lonting
Rachet Sys rop

Table Top Stable
360º Rotatiock
ed
k
n
n
2-Sided Cran
ll
Full Clutch-D
2-Point Mou
Drop Weight
Multiple Spe
Stand Availa
Stand Includ
Racquetball
Badminton
Linear Pull
Prestretch
Lockout
Squash
Electric
Tennis
Price Warranty
Brand Model (MSRP) (years)
AG 601F $219 5 x x x x x x x x x x
www.gutermanintl.com 602F $269 5 x x x x x x x x
800-343-6096 602S $379 5 x x x x x x x x x x
603GB $549 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
604S $569 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
603S $699 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
607 $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
Alpha String Pal $129 5 x x x x x x x x x x

www.alphatennis.com Pioneer FL $269 5 x x x x x x x x x x
800-922-9024 Pioneer DC $419 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
Revo 4000 $549 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Shuttle Express $549 5 x x x x x x x x
Axis Pro $749 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Blu-DC Plus $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
Apex $1,099 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Saturn $2,295 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Orbitor $2,695 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Orbitor SE $2,995 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
ATS Super Stringer II $135 Life x x x x x x x x x x

www.atssports.com Traveler $189 Life x x x x x x x x x x
800-866-7071
Babolat Sensor $5,200 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

www.babolat.com Sensor Expert $8,500 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
877-316-9435
X-2 $135 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
Gamma Progression 602 $299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
www.gammasports.com X-6 $299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
800-333-0337 Progression 602 FC $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
X-6 FC $469 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
Progression ST II $629 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
X-ST $629 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
5003 $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
Progression Es II+ $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x
E-Es $899 5 x x x x x x x x x x
6004 $1,199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
6500 Els $1,699 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
7500 Els $2,799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
8500 Els $3,499 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Klipper USA Klippermate $145 Life x x x x x x x x x x x

www.klipperusa.com Klippermate Bad’ton $155 Life x x x x x x x x
800-522-5547 280-CS $295 10 x x x x x x x x x x x
440-CS $495 10 x x x x x x x x x x x
LaserFibre MS200 ECO $399 10 x x x x x x x x x x x

www.laserfibre.com MS200 ECO $599 10 x x x x x x x x x x x
888-895-2350 MS200TT $699 10 x x x x x x x x x x x
MS200TT $799 10 x x x x x x x x x x x
MS200FX $999 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
MS200FX $1,099 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Self-Elevatin
x x
Automated g Linear Pull
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Diablo/NoseTension Release
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Rotational Tcone
e
x
x x
x x
x x
x x
Foot Pedal T nsioner
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Pounds & K ension Activator
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Manual Calibilos Tension
x x
x x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Self-Calibra ration Adjustable
x x x
x x x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Diamond Coting
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Tensioning
Knob/Dial T at Tension Head Grip

en
x
x
x
x
x
x
Plus/Minus sion Setting
T
x
x
x
x
Full Keypad ouch Pad Tension Set
LED/LCD Te Tension Setting
Knot Tensio nsion Display
x x x x x
x x x x x
x
x
x
x x x
x x x
x x x
x x x
x x x
Removable ning
Electric Ten
sioner Unit
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Flying Clam
x ps
Fixed Clamp
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Dual Swivel s on Glide Bars
x x x
x
x x
x
x
x
Dual Swivel Double Action Fixed
360 Degree Single Action Fixed
x
Single Swiv Clamps on Glide Bars
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Diamond Duel Fixed Clamp
x
x x
Clamping
Automated st Clamps
B
Magnetic Au ase Release Clamps
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
No Tool Nee to Clamp Base Relea
ded to Adju se
st Clamps
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Tool Tray
x x
x x
x
x x
x x
x x
x x
Cover Includ
x x
x x
x x
String Measued
x
x
x
Built-in Rule rer
x
x
x
x
x
x x Reel Rack r
Racquet S
x x x x x x x
Cabinet wittahnd
x
x
x
x
x
x
xx x
x
x
xx x
x
xx x
x
xx x
x
xx x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Extra Features
Leveling Pa Drawers
ds on Base
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Under 50 lb
s
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
50-75 lbs
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Over 75 lbs
Weight
Calibrator
x
x
x
x
x
Starting Cla
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Diagonal Cump
tt
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Needlenose ers
x
x x
x x
x x
x x
x x
x
x x
x x
x
x x
x
x x
x
x x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Awl Pliers
x
x
x
x
Flying Clam
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Assembly Inp
x
x
x
x
x
x
x x
x x x x
x x x x
x x x x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x x x x
x x x x
x x x x
x x
x x
x x
x x
x x
x x
x x
x x
Owners Ma structions/Video
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x x x x x x
x x x x x x
Guiding Awnual/Video
x
x
x
x
September 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY

Tools Included
Bent Nose Pl
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
29
Assembly T liers
x
x
x
x
Flying Clamools
p Starting P
ins
Sports Height Mounting Tensioning
n Turntable
Rotation
Hand Cranktem-Drop
Table Top O ndard
Constant Pueed Pull

Height Adjustptional
able
6-Point Mou ing

4-Point Mou ting
5-Point Mountting
Turntable Lonting
Rachet Sys rop

Table Top Stable
360º Rotatiock
Stand Availaed
k
3-D Turntable
n
n
2-Sided Cran
ll
Full Clutch-D
Drop Weight
2-Point Mou
Stand Includ
Racquetball
Multiple Sp
Badminton
Linear Pull
Prestretch
Lockout
Squash
Electric
Tennis
Price Warranty
Brand Model (MSRP) (years)
LaserFibre MS200DX $1,399 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x
www.laserfibre.com MS200DX $1,499 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x
888-895-2350 EM450 XLE $3,199 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
EM450 XLE $3,299 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
EM500 Tour Master $3,800 10 x x x x x x x x x x x x
Mutual Power Viking 200 $69 Life x x x x x x

www.mutualpower.com Alpine 600 $199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x
832-327-0256 Viking 500 $249 5 x x x x x x x
Hercules 610P $299 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
Alpine 2000 $429 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Hercules 620D $489 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Hercules 630F $539 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
e-Bravo 750D $579 1 x x x x x x x x x x x
e-Bravo 760F $629 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x
Prince
Neos 1000 $1,199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
www.princetennis.com
3000 $2,995 3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
800-283-6647
Silent Partner Swing $199 5 x x x x x x x x x x x

www.sptennis.com e.Stringer $249 5 x x x x x x x x x
800-662-1809 e.Stringer 6 point $299 5 x x x x x x x x x
e.Stringer CL $469 5 x x x x x x x x x
Jazz $599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
e.Stringer FL $699 5 x x x x x x x x x x
Maestro $799 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x
e.Stringer DG $999 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
e.Stringer Aria $1,599 5 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Tecnifibre Pro Cord $3,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x

www.tecnifibre.com 5500 $4,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
877-332-0825 TF-6000 $4,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
TF-7000 $5,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
TF-7000 with Cabinet$6,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
TF-8000 $7,500 1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Wise USA
2086 Professional ETH$495 2 x x x x x x x x x
www.tennishead.com
888-836-7466
starts to equalize and lose tension, it pulls a little more

TENSIONING SYSTEMS again to stay at reference tension. Constant-pull machines
There are two main types of tensioning systems available generally achieve slightly higher stringbed stiffness (we
today—lockout and constant pull. Lockout means that the find the difference to be about 5 percent to 10 percent).
machine pulls the string to the desired tension and then locks
the length of the string until you clamp it and release the ten- Drop Weight. These machines use a lever (with a weight
sion head. So, as soon as you lock the length of the string, it attached to it) to pull tension on each string. Moving the
starts equalizing and losing tension. Constant-pull machines weight on the bar determines how much tension it pulls.
pull the string to the desired tension, but when the string These machines qualify as constant pull because the

Tensioning Clamping Extra Features Weight Tools Included
No Tool Nee to Clamp Base Release

Full Keypad Touch Pad Tension Set
Single Swiv Clamps on Glide Bars

sioner Unit
st Clamps
Knob/Dial T at Tension Head Grip
Magnetic AuBase Release Clamps

Dual Swivel Double Action Fixed
360 Degree Single Action Fixed
Self-Calibra ration Adjustable
Pounds & K ension Activator
Owners Ma structions/Video
Diablo/NoseTension Release
LED/LCD Te Tension Setting
Dual Swivel s on Glide Bars
ins
Diamond Du l Fixed Clamp
Plus/Minus ension Setting
Knot Tensio nsion Display

Automated g Linear Pull
ded to Adju
Manual Calibilos Tension
Electric Ten
p Starting P
ds on Base
Automated st Clamps
Guiding Awnual/Video
Leveling Pa Drawers
Foot Pedal T nsioner
Pliers
Rotational T cone
Needlenose tters
Assembly T liers
Removable ing
Built-in Rule rer
Flying Clamools
Diamond Coting
Diagonal Cu p
String Measued
Cabinet withnd
ps
m
e
Assembly Inp
e
Cover Includ
Self-Elevatin
Fixed Clamp
Racquet Sta
Bent Nose Pl
Under 50 lb
Over 75 lbs
Flying Clam
Flying Clam
Starting Cla
50-75 lbs
Reel Rack
Calibrator
Tool Tray
Awl
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x
weight continues to pull the string as the string few allow you to choose between constant pull and lockout
stretches. modes. Some offer multiple pull speeds and a prestretch
mode.
Hand Crank. Tension is pulled by hand crank. These
machines lockout when the desired tension has been Linear Pull & Rotational Tensioners. Machines that pull ten-
reached. sion in a straight line away from the machine are said to be
linear pull. The alternative is a rotational tensioner, which
Electric. These machines require electricity to pull ten- wraps the string around a spool, then rotates the spool to pull
sion. Most of these machines are constant pull, but a tension on the string.

Diablo/Nosecone. The string is wrapped around the dia- strings to cross strings without having to remove and
blo or nosecone before it is put in the tension head, replace glide bars. There are two kinds: dual swivel,
allowing the tension head to grip the string dual action fixed
more gently. clamps that
require you to
Foot Tension. Foot-activat- lock two levers
ed tension head. to clamp a
string; and dual
Manual Calibration. swivel, single-
Allows you to adjust action fixed clamps that
Gamma (correct) the pulling require you to lock one lever.
X-ES force manually, as 360º glide bar clamps are
opposed to a few machines clamps that rotate 360
that are designed to calibrate themselves automatically. degrees, but they are Silent Partner
mounted on glide bars. Aria
Diamond Coated Tension Head. Grips the string with Single swivel fixed refers
less pressure. to machines with only one
clamp attached to the machine.
Tension Sets. Three types: dial tension Machines with this type of clamp
set, +/- key tension set, and numeric will generally require a starting clamp or
keypad. flying clamp for part of each string job.
Knot Tensioning. The machine Fixed Clamps that Don't Swivel. These are clamps
can be instructed to pull the last that are attached to the machine by glide bars, but
string before a knot tighter than can only be turned in two directions (90 degrees
the reference tension to allow and 0 degrees). These require removing and reposi-
for the tension that is lost tioning glide bars to switch from main strings to
between the clamp and the cross strings.
knot.
Diamond Dust.
Klipper Holds a string
CLAMPING SYSTEMS 440-CS with less pressure,
The clamping system is meant to avoiding string
hold strings in the racquet under crushing.
tension. If clamps slip, or allow strings to slip through
them, a string job can be ruined. There are many differ-
ent clamps, but we will only discuss three here. WEIGHT
Categories indicate Tecnifibre
Flying Clamps. These clamps are not attached to the whether the machine TF-8000
machine. They use one weighs less than 50
string to hold ten- pounds, between 50
sion on another and 75 pounds, or over 75
string. They gen- pounds. Heavier machines can be
erally do not hold more stable and solid, but they
tension as consistent- can be less convenient when mov-
ly as the other two types of ing or traveling.
clamps. The low price tag
makes them attractive to new
Prince
3000
stringers testing the waters. TOOLS INCLUDED
This final category indi-
Fixed Clamps that cates which supplies and
Swivel. These tools are included with the
clamps are attached machine. For descriptions
to the machine and of each tool, see pages 9-10
can be turned in any of the USRSA
direction, especially Wise Racquet Ser-
helpful when stringing 2086 Professional ETH vice Tech-
fan patterns. They also allow you to switch from main niques book. Q

MARKETING SUCCESS
OPEN FOR
BUSINESS
USTA/Russ Adams Photography
With the US Open upon us, you can promote your shop or
facility along with the tournament. BY JOE DINOFFER
I magine a world where everyone is talking about tennis.

Every day, it's on the front pages of newspapers and
magazines, and for hours on end televised matches are
watched by millions. If you're in the tennis business you'd
1. Become a local Mecca for the Open
Use bulletin boards, bathroom mirrors, voice-mail greetings,
court reservations staff, club newsletters, emails, fliers, TV,
VCR, and PA system announcements to broadcast the play-
be in second heaven, right? by-play of the Open. For weeks leading up to the event, show
Well, don't try to wake up because it's not a dream. For highlights from previous great US Open matches in public
two weeks this year, starting Aug. 30, an event called the areas throughout your club. If you don't have tapes of match-
US Open makes this dream come true. Millions of sporadic es yourself, ask around. Chances are one of your members
fans will enthusiastically come out of the woodwork to has some great matches of years past on cassette.
play during this two-week event, and millions more will During the event, daily draw sheets and results can be
watch it on television and read about it on the front pages pulled off the internet in seconds (www.usopen.org), faster
of the newspapers. It's the time of year when “play” than people will catch it on the news. Just print out the
becomes more than a button on a VCR. results and your facility becomes a Mecca for the Open.
You can take advantage of this excitement for tennis Advertise your intentions with local press releases and radio
right from the counter top of your pro shop. There is no PSAs weeks ahead of the event. Set up a temporary phone
better opportunity each year to increase the numbers of line with updated messages on voice mail bringing fans the
your tennis playing customers and the numbers on your latest results and human-interest stories.
bottom line. You may even become an “expert,” interviewed in local
Here are some ideas to fire you up about the US Open press, radio and television. The sort of exposure this effort
and tennis. Along the way, you'll also fire up everyone can bring will attract players to your doorstep throughout the
around you. year.

2. Promote player racquets
to boost your own racquet sales
Print out the US Open draw daily and go to a copy center in your neigh-
borhood that can blow it up to a 2 x 3-foot size for easy viewing. Then
make nickel-size copies of the logos of the racquets that each of the top
seeds are using. Post these logos next to the names of the top players.
Your own customers will then start identifying with the players who use
the same racquets as they do. Plus, depending on who wins the tour-
nament, be prepared to have inventory of that pro player's racquet.
Chances are that sales of that particular frame will increase overnight.
3. Become the local source

for US Open fan merchandise
US Open T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, and tennis balls are only some of
the possibilities. If you didn't do this for the '04 Open, plan it for next
year. There's even a basketball-size US Open tennis ball available
from one of the major ball manufacturers. Visit
www.molehillapparel.com to order US Open apparel and accessories
featuring the US Open logo.
4. Organize events leading up to

and during the Open
How about a dinner event with films highlighting the best matches
from previous US Open tournaments, or even bringing in a tennis leg-
end speaker who is prepared to play in a weekend mixer with your
members?
5. Create a US Open sweepstakes for several

months leading up to the event
How do tickets for two plus round trip airfare sound (an airline based
in your city may donate the tickets for the right kind of exposure or if
a percentage of revenues goes toward a good cause in your area).
Two possibilities for a sweepstakes are a tournament event—how
about calling it the US Open Qualifying Tournament?—staged in early
summer, or simply holding a drawing and to qualify for a ticket you
must have played a certain number of hours in a specific month or
purchased a certain amount of merchandise in your pro shop or spe-
cialty store.
The halo effect of the Open creates dozens of profitable possibilities.
The US Open is not only a huge profit center for the USTA, you can turn
it into an income-producing event for yourself as well. Like other Grand
Slam events, it's a great time to take advantage of the high visibility of
tennis.
Joe Dinoffer is Master Professional for both the PTR and USPTA.
USTA/Russ Adams Photography
He speaks frequently at national and international tennis

teacher workshops as a member of both the Head/Penn and
Reebok National Speaker's Bureaus. He is president of Oncourt
Offcourt Inc. and has written 16 books and produced more than
30 instructional videos.

PLAYER EQUIPMENT LOG
MEN
Round Racquet Racquet String

Rank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand
1 W Roger Federer SUI Wilson nSix-One Tour 90 Luxilon/Wilson
2 F Andy Roddick USA Babolat Pure Drive + 100 Babolat
3 2 Guillermo Coria ARG Prince Experimental NXGraphite 100 Luxilon
4 4 Carlos Moya ESP Babolat Pure Drive 100 Luxilon
5 Q Tim Henman GBR Slazenger Pro X-1 95 Babolat/Luxilon
6 David Nalbandian ARG DID NOT PLAY
7 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP Prince NXGraphite 100 Luxilon
8 3 Rainer Schuettler GER Head Liquidmetal Prestige Mid 93 Polystar
9 Q Lleyton Hewitt AUS Yonex RDX-500 90 Babolat/Luxilon
10 Andre Agassi USA DID NOT PLAY
11 Gaston Gaudio ARG DID NOT PLAY
12 S Sebastien Grosjean FRA Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP 98 Babolat
13 1 Nicolas Massu CHI Babolat Pure Control + 97 Luxilon
14 1 Paradorn Srichaphan THA Yonex Ultimum RD TI-80 98 Luxilon/Babolat
15 1 Marat Safin RUS Head Liquidmetal Prestige Mid 93 Babolat
16 2 Juan Ignacio Chela ARG Babolat Pure Control + 98 Babolat
17 2 Andrei Pavel ROM Fischer Pro No. One 98 Luxilon
18 1 Jiri Novak CZE Volkl Tour 10 MidPlus 98 Luxilon
19 2 Tommy Robredo ESP Dunlop 300G 98 Luxilon
20 2 Mardy Fish USA Dunlop 300G 98 Babolat/Luxilon
WOMEN
Round Racquet Racquet String

Rank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand
1 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL DID NOT PLAY
2 Kim Clijsters BEL DID NOT PLAY
3 S Amelie Mauresmo FRA Dunlop 300G 98 Babolat
4 3 Anastasia Myskina RUS Head Liquidmetal Instinct 100 Luxilon
5 S Lindsay Davenport USA Wilson H Tour 95 Babolat
6 1 Elena Dementieva RUS Yonex RDX-500 MP 98 Luxilon
7 Q Jennifer Capriati USA Prince Tour Diablo 95 Babolat/Luxilon
8 W Maria Sharapova RUS Prince More Attack 100 Babolat
9 1 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS Head Liquidmetal Instinct 100 Luxilon
10 Q Ai Sugiyama JPN Prince More Control DB 800 97 Prince
11 Q Paola Suarez ARG Prince NXGraphite 100 Prince
12 4 Nadia Petrova RUS Prince Triple Threat Hornet 98 Luxilon
13 4 Vera Zvonareva RUS Fischer Pro No. One FT 98 Kirschbaum
14 F Serena Williams USA Wilson H6 110 Wilson
15 2 Venus Williams USA Wilson H4 110 Wilson
16 2 Patty Schnyder SUI Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP 98 Kirschbaum
17 2 Francesca Schiavone ITA Fischer Pro No. One 98 Luxilon
18 1 Anna Pistolesi ISR Babolat Pure Drive 100 Babolat
19 4 Silvia Farina Elia ITA Prince Triple Threat Graphite 110 Luxilon
20 Q Karolina Sprem CRO Fischer Pro Tour FT 98 Tecnifibre

Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova overcome some tough competitors to win the
All England Championships this year. Here’s a look at the equipment that these two
champions, and their peers, used on the fast grass at Wimbledon. Show this to
your customers, too, so they can check out their favorites.
String String Footwear Clothing

String Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model Brand
Big Banger Alu Power Rough/Natural Gut 16L 25/23.5 Nike VAPOR S2 Nike
Pro Hurricane/VS Team 16 73 Reebok Figjam DMX Reebok
Big Banger Original 16 52 Adidas Barricade III Adidas
Big Banger Original 16 60 Nike MAX Breathe FREE Nike
Big Banger Timo / VS Team Natural Gut 18 51.6 Adidas Barricade III Adidas
Big Banger Original 16 53/51 Nike Air Court Implosion Sergio Tacchini
Energy 1.25mm Fila X-Point Fila
VS Team/Big Banger Alu Power 16L 56 Nike MAX Breathe FREE Nike
VS Touch 16 50.6 ASICS Gel Invasion Lacoste

Big Banger Alu Power 16L 53 Adidas Barricade III Adidas
Big Banger Alu Power/VS Touch Natural Gut 16L/16 64 Adidas Barricade III Adidas
Ballistic /VS Team 16 Adidas Barricade III Adidas
Ballistic 16 16 Adidas Barricade III Adidas
Big Banger Ace Touch 18/16L Nike VAPOR S2 Nike
Big Banger Alu Power 16L 29/28kg Australian
Big Banger Original 16L 23.5kg Sergio Tacchini Sergio Tacchini
Babolat VS Team Natural Gut/Big Banger Timo 18/18 Nike Air Zoom Breathe Free Nike
String String Footwear Clothing

String Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model Brand
VS Touch 16 57.2 Nike MAX Breathe FREE Nike

Big Banger Timo 18 56/52 Nike Nike
VS Touch 16 63/64 Nike Air Zoom Thrive Nike
Big Banger Alu Power 16L 51/48.5 Yonex Power Cushion 303 Yonex
VS Touch /Big Banger Alu Power 16/16L 67 Fila X-Point Fila
Pro Hurricane 17/VS Touch 16 17 Nike VAPOR S2 Nike
Big Banger Alu Touch 16L Fila X-Point Fila
Natural Gut 16 57 Nike Air Court Motion Nike
Nylon 15L Lotto ATP Supreme Lite Lotto
Monotec Supersense 16L 28 Adidas Barricade III W Adidas
Super Smash Spikey 16 Adidas Barricade III W Adidas
Natural 16 67 Puma Extrena Puma
Natural 16 65 Reebok VESW DMX Reebok
Super Smash Spikey 17 Adidas Barricade III W Adidas
Big Banger Alu Power 16L Diadora Kynetech W DA2 Diadora
Tour Duralast 16 77.2 Puma Puma
Big Banger Original 16 52/50 Sergio Tacchini Sergio Tacchini
X-Tra Dynamic 1.33 16 57.3/55.1 Adidas Barricade III W Adidas

tips and TECHNIQUES
Readers’ Know-
How in Action
GROMMET REMOVAL kits can be
Every once in a while when replacing a daunting or
grommet, the old one breaks off and just as easy as
won't come out. I've been successful with “falling off a
this problem by carefully screwing a 3-inch log,”
dry-wall screw a couple of turns into the depending
stuck grommet and gently pulling it out. on the
frame. There
appears to
be no logic
as to which
are easy or
difficult.
Often with difficult frames, the proper and
complete seating of the barrel takes an
extra effort. Accomplishing seating in con-
5 sets of Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 with junction with restringing can cause a prob-
WearGuard to: lem, especially if you are using natural gut
Glenn Brewer, Marietta, GA or a soft multifilament. Once the barrel is
bent or distorted, it will always be a prob-
RATTLE REMOVER lem. On frames requiring extra effort to
To get a loose, but still partially attached, seat the barrels, I use a scrap of string
piece of graphite out of a hollow racquet through the
handle, I run a narrow bottle brush in and affected
out of the handle after removing the butt barrels, run-
cap or the “trap door.” ning
through
opposing
barrels. I
tension this
to about 40
pounds
after mak-
ing sure the
barrels are
5 packs of Prince No Sweat overgrips aligned. This
(3 overgrips per pack) to: pulls them
Roger Hansen, Orange, CA up snug, thus allowing for good restringing.
Klip hat, wrist bands, and decal to:
Editor's note: For really tight passage- William Thompson, Farmville, VA
ways in hollow handles, the metal —Greg Raven w
brush that comes with gun-bore clean-
Tips and Techniques submitted since 1993 by USRSA mem-
ing kits is very effective. bers, and appearing in this column, have all been gathered
into a single volume of the Stringer’s Digest—Racquet Ser-
BEGINNER TIPS vice Techniques which is a benefit of USRSA membership.
Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA
SEATING GROMMET BARRELS 92804; or email greg@racquettech.com.
Installing bumperguard and grommet strip

string PLAYTEST
Völkl
F.I.R.E. Strings
Völkl's F.I.R.E. (Fully Integrated Racquet
recorded a stiffness of 175 lbs/in.,
Engineering) Strings is a hybrid comprised and a tension loss of 9.5 pounds.
of a nylon multifilament and polyester F.I.R.E. crosses recorded a stiffness
monofilament. According to Völkl, this of 258 lbs./in., and a tension loss of 12.8
pounds. machine. After 24 hours
combination delivers the power and feel of We recorded a stringbed stiffness of (no playing), stringbed stiffness measured
a multifilament with the durability and 68 RDC units immediately after stringing 62 RDC units, representing a 9 percent ten-
control of polyester. The interaction of at 60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 sion loss. Our control string, Prince Synthetic
(16 x 18 pattern) on a constant-pull Gut Original Gold 16, measured 78 RDC
these two string types was specially devel- units immediately after stringing and 71
oped to support Völkl's Catapult racquets. RDC units after 24 hours, representing a 9
EASE OF STRINGING percent tension loss. F.I.R.E. Strings added
The elasticity of the multifilament (compared to other strings)
14 grams to the weight of our unstrung
enhances the Catapult power, while the Number of testers who said it was:
frame.
much easier 0
stiffer polyester increases durability and somewhat easier 9
The string was tested for five weeks by
enhances the resetting of the string bed about as easy 12 36 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings
not quite as easy 11 from 3.5 to 6.5. These are blind tests, with
through the Catapult springs. playtesters receiving unmarked strings in
not nearly as easy 2
unmarked packages. Average number of
OVERALL PLAYABILITY
Völkl says F.I.R.E. Strings enables easy "tun- hours playtested was 20.8.
(compared to string played most often)
ing" of the racquet. For maximum power, It seemed odd to put the nylon in the
Number of testers who said it was:
use the multifilament (yellow and black much better 1
mains, rather than putting the more durable
string) in the mains, and the polyester somewhat better 6 poly there to resist breakage. Our
(white) in the crosses. For maximum control about as playable 10 playtesters were just about evenly split on
and durability, use the polyester in the not quite as playable 12 the degree of difficult of installing F.I.R.E.
mains, and the multifilament in the crosses. not nearly as playable 5 Strings, but given the slightly stiff nature of
Völkl recommends F.I.R.E. Strings for the nylon and the need to weave the much
OVERALL DURABILITY
players who seek the high-performance stiffer poly through the nylon, we expected
(compared to other strings
associated with natural gut, but want more a much lower rating here. As stiff as it is,
of similar gauge)
dependable control and greater durability. Number of testers who said it was: the tip of the nylon can become somewhat
F.I.R.E. Strings is available in 16L/17L in much better 10 mushy on small-diameter grommets and
yellow/black and white. It is priced from $12 somewhat better 13 blocked holes, making matters just that
for sets of 20 x 2 feet, and $160 for reels of about as durable 10 much more difficult. If you decide to try this
360 x 2 feet. For more information or to not quite as durable 1 string with the poly in the mains, however,
order, contact Völkl at 800-264-4579, or not nearly as durable 0 you'll find it easier to string.
visit www.volkl.com. No playtester broke his sample during
RATING AVERAGES
From 1 to 5 (best) stringing, eight reported problems with coil
IN THE LAB Playability 3.2 memory, five reported problems tying knots,
We tested the 16L/17L gauge F.I.R.E. Strings, Durability 4.1 and two reported friction burn.
using the multifilament in the mains and the Power 3.1
poly in the crosses. The coils measured Control 3.5 ON THE COURT
22'8” for the mains and 23' for the crosses. Comfort 2.9 The obvious reason to use a hybrid string
The diameters measured 1.38-1.39 mm Touch/Feel 2.9 such as F.I.R.E. Strings is to gain durability
(mains) and 1.28-1.30 mm (crosses) prior to Spin Potential 3.3 without sacrificing all touch and feel, and
Holding Tension 3.4
stringing, and 1.32 mm (mains) and 1.25 according to our playtesters, F.I.R.E. Strings
Resistance to Movement 4.0
mm (crosses) after stringing. F.I.R.E. mains is durable: 23 playtesters rated it more

TESTERS TALK
“ I thought this was a super string. It had a great combination of

playability and control, but when you throw the wonderful durability
“ Good overall string. Still in the racquet and in good shape.
4.5 male baseliner with heavy spin using Head Ti Radical strung at
”
into the mix you have a super string. I didn't love the colors, but I got 62/59 pounds CP (Luxilon Alu Power Ice 16L)
”
over it real fast after I hit the first couple of balls. Great string!
5.0 male all-court player using Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.1 strung at 60
pounds CP (Luxilon Alu Power 16L) “ Enjoyed the string. It feels similar to Head Intellifiber. Great color
on mains. String wore very well. Very responsive; ball reacts very
quickly off stringbed. Not too much notching. Strings stayed in posi-
“ The string did a good job of stiffening the frame. It was very good in tion the whole time. Nice feel. Eager to find out the manufacturer and
adding control. I did not feel much loss of power although it is less
powerful than the string I normally use. Very little wear after 30 hours
name of this string.
”
5.0 male all-court player using Head i.S2 strung at 55 pounds CP
of play. There has been some drop-off in (Forten Kevlar Gear 16/17)
power. Nice string for frequent string-break-
ers and those who do not care about playa- “ I am predominantly “ Had to look at directions a couple of times
a doubles player. This
”
bility as much as durability.
4.5 male baseliner with moderate spin string really felt good on vol-
to verify poly on crosses. I have to admit the
“bumble bee” color of mains bothered me. I
using Pro Kennex Core 1 No. 06 strung at was surprised by how well this string played.
leys. I usually hit with a lot of
59 pounds CP (Tecnifibre NRG 17) Good comfort and power. Not an easy combi-
topspin and these strings held
up well.
”
nation to achieve.
”
“ The mains were easy to string, but as
with most poly strings, the crosses were a 3.5 male serve-and-volleyer using
3.5 male all-court player using Wilson Hyper
Hammer 5.2 strung at 56 pounds CP (Gamma
bit difficult to weave across the mains. Live Wire XP 17)
Wilson Pro Staff 6.5 strung at 60
There was ample string for both the crosses
pounds CP (Wilson Stamina 16)
and mains. I really enjoyed playing with
these strings as they added a lot of control “This string surprised me and I'm not quite
sure what to make of it. After stringing I
to my strokes. The string held its tension and there was very little move- assumed it was a durability string, but after playing with it a while,
ment of the mains. If someone has a power racquet that needs a little I'm not sure how to categorize it. My arm has been bothering me, so I
calming down, this string will help a lot. I would recommend this string wasn't excited about playing with what I thought was a durable, stiff
to some of my power hitters looking for more control.
”
4.5 male all-court player using Head Liquidmetal Instinct strung at 60
string, lacking in power. This string played much better than I expect-
ed and did not bother my arm at all. I experienced a fair amount of
pounds LO (Wilson Stamina 16) tension loss, but it didn't seem to affect the playability, indicative of a
resilient string. The strings locked into place and there was almost no
“ A nice hybrid; good feel, good pop. Not crazy about the color. Very string movement.
”
durable.
”
5.0 male all-court player using Wilson H Tour strung at 55 pounds CP
4.5 male all-court player using Prince More Performance Power 1150S
strung at 65 pounds CP (Prince Premier 16)
(Wilson Stamina Spin 16)
For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com.
(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in parentheses.)
durable than other strings of similar egories! Not surprisingly, F.I.R.E. Strings' CONCLUSION
gauge. F.I.R.E. Strings also garnered more average score is also well above average. If you're running out of options trying
favorable comments than any other string It seems that Völkl's F.I.R.E. Strings has to get a traditional nylon or polyester
we've tested recently, as almost two- something for just about everyone, espe- string to work for you, Völkl F.I.R.E.
thirds of our playtesters had something cially considering the fact that you can Strings could be the way to go. With
favorable to say about it. install the other way around, with the two complementary string materials,
Our playtesters weren't just paying poly in the mains and the nylon in the you get to decide which goes in the
F.I.R.E. Strings lip service: they rated well crosses. mains and which in the crosses, and
above average in Durability, Control, Spin The test sample broke during play for it's a snap to use different tensions for
Potential, Holding Tension, and Resis- nine of our playtesters, at 5, 8, 8.5, 10, the mains and crosses for further cus-
tance to Movement—five of our nine cat- 12, 13, 14, 22, and 26 hours. tomization. —Greg Raven w

ball machine REVIEW
Lobster Elite
The Elite is Lobster's top-of-the-line ball a 15-second delay to allow you to get to
machine. Designed for maximum durabili- the other side of the court before it feeds
the first ball. It offers controls for ball
ty, the portable, battery-powered Elite
speed, feed frequency, and top- and
operates even where there is no AC underspin, as well as switches for power,
power source. The Elite sells for $1,049. elevation, oscillation, and the remote con-
To contact Lobster, call 800-526-4041, or trol.
visit www.lobsterinc.com.
REMOTE CONTROL
Remote control of oscillation and ball feed
ASSEMBLY is optional for this machine, but it certainly
In its shipping carton, the Lobster Elite is handy. With it, you can trigger the oscil-
weighs about 60 pounds, light enough for lation motor to aim the feed wherever you
one person to move without difficulty. want, turn off the ball feed to take a
Assembling the Lobster Elite requires break and adjust the settings and then FEED TRAY/INTERVAL
attaching the handle and removing a piece walk (rather than run) to the other side of The rotating feed tray did a great job of stir-
of tape that secures the power switch. The the court without missing a ball. It's also ring the balls and letting only one ball into
whole process took us less than 5 minutes. great when you need to clear stray balls each hole. In all the hours that we used the
Assembled, the unit weighs about 46 from around your feet. machine, we experienced an average of
pounds. only three misfeeds (when a ball doesn't
The machine was smaller than we BATTERY LIFE come out) per hour, and no jams. There
expected. This is partly because most of our We tested the battery life by running the were no multiple misfeeds, which under
experience has been with bigger machines, Elite continuously until it would no longer normal operating conditions can lead you
but also because it looks much larger in feed a ball, setting it to feed from the to wonder if the machine is empty,
photos. The compact size, though, allows baseline to the middle of the back court although the slot in the front of the ball bin
Lobster to ship the Elite in a manageable every four seconds with no oscillation and allows you to check the status visually. The
box that still has plenty of space inside to no spin. In this mode, the battery lasted 4 ball bin's capacity is 150 balls, but we
protect the machine. We were amazed by hours and 15 minutes, shooting more than found that when full, the stirring of the
how powerful and sturdy the machine is, 3,800 balls. We hit balls back for the first rotating tray would bump a few balls out of
considering its size. two hours, but ran out of energy long the bin. The interval knob on the machine
Lobster ships the Elite with a fully before the battery did. The Elite does have adjusts how fast this tray rotates and there-
charged battery, so we immediately a low-battery indicator, but we disregard- fore, how frequently balls are fed. The
pressed it into service. The big wheels on ed it to see just how long it would go. longest interval setting allowed 12 seconds
back and the tall handle make it easy to After three hours we had to bump up the between shots, while the shortest interval
navigate the Elite over bumps and even speed a little to get the balls to shoot as setting allowed 2.2 seconds. The 2.2 sec-
small curbs. The handle is secured by two deeply as they did at first. When making ond interval is faster than top players hit a
removable pins that, once removed, leave this adjustment, we figured the battery ball from baseline to baseline. But, it's a lit-
the body of the machine small enough to was about dead, so we were pleasantly tle slower than the time top players hit from
fit in the trunk of a convertible. The pads surprised when it ran another hour with- volleyer to baseliner.
under the machine keep it from sliding out needing further adjustment. At about
around. Molded handholds on the under- four hours we had to increase the speed a SPIN
side of the Elite make it easy to lift during little once again. The machine lasted The spin feature worked very well. We were
transport. another 15 minutes before it quit com- able to adjust the level from barely notice-
pletely. The amazing thing is how well it able to the kind of spin you get playing
USEMBLY continued to feed balls to the same spot with big string breakers. On full topspin, the
We filled the Elite to its 150-ball capacity. throughout the entire test. After draining machine fed a very heavy ball that would
The bin, which inverts to double as a cover the battery completely, recharging took jump forward off the bounce, while the full
when not in use, has a slot in front to about 25 hours. But, obviously it would underspin setting would send a ball that lit-
allow monitoring the ball level even from recharge more quickly if you don't com- erally stopped moving forward and sat
the other side of the court. The Elite offers pletely drain the battery like we did. straight up after bouncing. This is more

underspin than we've ever seen in live returned shots.
play. w Sturdier and more powerful than we
expected based on its size.
OSCILLATION w Plastic outer body helps to avoid
The oscillation works very smoothly and rusting.
feeds balls in random directions, almost w Ball bin has a slot in it to let you moni-
like playing a real person. The machine tor the number of balls remaining.
body rotates during oscillation, so you w No ball jams and very few misfeeds.
have some idea where the ball will go. w Optional extended warranty.
Even so, it didn't take long on random w Big wheels in back make it easy to
oscillation to wear us out. move around.
w 15 second delay on the feed motor.
w Adjustable speed, frequency, spin, and
HEIGHT elevation of feeds.
True to its name, the Lobster Elite lobs
w Full range of topspin and underspin.
like a champ. We were able to lob any
w Feeds lobs better than most teaching
height to any part of the court. And, by
pros, with any kind of spin.
adjusting the spin control, we were able
w Random oscillation.
to create offensive topspin lobs and
w The feeds were remarkably consistent.
defensive underspin lobs.
w Quiet, no complaints from neighbor-
ing courts.
THE PROS w Optional remote is very handy.
w Easy to unpack and assemble.
w Alignment marker under machine. THE CONS
w Arrived with a fully charged battery. w No assembly instructions.
w Long battery life. w Can't charge the battery while using
w Compact and light, making it easy to the machine.
transport and fit in trunk of a car. w It took a long time to recharge battery
w Smaller target for hitting it with your after it was fully drained—more than
24 hours.
w It would be nice if the battery would
just stop charging on its own when it
is fully charged.
w The 15-second delay on the feed
motor wasn't much help if you need-
ed to make any adjustments to the
settings before use.
w When the ball bin is completely full of
balls, a few can get pushed over the
edge by the stirring of the feed tray.
w Does not offer programmable
oscillation.
w No indicator of the height of the ele-
vation setting.
CONCLUSION
The Lobster Elite is a terrific little machine
ideally suited for a tennis-playing family.
It's small and easily portable, and it runs
on battery power, so you can use it any-
where. It feeds the ball as often as you
want to anywhere you want with as
much speed and spin as you want. It
even offers random oscillation to simulate
real play. The optional remote is a good
investment and the battery life is long
enough to wear out the whole family.
—Dave Bone w

R S I C L A S S I F I E D S
BY BOB LARSON
TENNIS PROS Want to change jobs ETS—952 920 8947 established and motivated sales reps that
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E V E N T C A L E N D A R
For more information or for additional dates and locations, contact the organization directly: PTR: 800-421-6289 • USPTA: 713-978-7782
October For additional dates

Date Event Location CERTIFICATION LOCATIONSand locations,
2-3 PTR Certification Phoenix, AZ contact the USRSA,
2-3 PTR Certification Atlantic Beach, NC
CALL FOR DATES 760-536-1177.
7-8 USPTA Certification Bethpage, NY Birmingham, AL 205-985-4989 Albuquerque, NM 505-299-8052
7-8 PTR Certification Flushing, NY Anchorage, AK 907-244-9810 Commack, NY 631-543-7077
9-10 USPTA Certification Rochester, MI or 225-767-1379 Flushing Meadows, NY 718-760-6227
16-17 USPTA Certification Sacramento, CA Scottsdale, AZ 480-483-5560 Rochester, NY 585-427-2747
16-17 USPTA Certificaiton Edmonds, WA Cary, NC 919-859-6788
Mountain View, CA 650-968-8952
16-17 USPTA Certification Hot springs, AK Cincinnati, OH 513-791-4636
Ojai, CA 805-640-2109
16-17 USPTA Certification Ft. Worth, TX
San Diego, CA 858-272-9063 Mentor, OH 440-357-6147
16-17 PTR Certification Wheaton, IL
Boulder, CO 303-442-1412 Lakeside, OR 907-244-9810
16-17 PTR Certification Williamsport, PA
Boca Raton, FL 561-997-0881 or 225-767-1379
18-19 USPTA Certification Atlanta, GA
19-20 USPTA Certification Mesa, AZ Clearwater, FL 727-442-7923 Bryn Mawr, PA 610-525-2504
21-22 PTR Certification Honolulu, HI Ft. Walton Beach, FL 850-862-2023 Pittsburgh, PA 412-323-0335 ext 256
23-24 USPTA Certification Memphis, TN Palm Coast, FL 386-446-6360 West Lawn, PA 610-288-5030
23-24 USPTA Certification Mandevilla, LA Winter Park, FL 407-673-9200 Hilton Head Island, SC 843-341-8647
23-24 USPTA Certification Joplin, MO Snellville, GA 770-982-8989 Myrtle Beach, SC 978-343-4944
23-24 PTR Certification Thorofare, NJ Honolulu, HI 808-373-1212 Antioch, TN 615-731-3700
23-24 PTR Certification Los Angeles, CA Dallas, TX 214-821-8440
Boise, ID 208-794-6236
23-24 PTR Certification Madison, WI
or 208-345-4140 Sugarland, TX 281-980-4286
25-26 USPTA Certification Beverly Hills, CA
Northbrook, IL 847-480-7841 Arlington, VA 703-522-2700
30-31 USPTA Certification Fayetteville, NC
Overland Park, KS 913-491-4116 Farmville, VA 434-392-6081
30-31 PTR Certification Hadley South, MA
Baton Rouge, LA 907-244-9810 Seattle, WA 206-812-6002
November or 225-767-1379 Victoria, Canada 604-418-4842
Date Event Location
East Lansing, MI 517-337-0002 Tokyo, Japan 03-5603-1168
4-5 USPTA Certification Hempstead, NY
St. Louis Park, MN 952-920-1603 Ontario, CAN 519-534-3745
6-7 PTR Certification Gainesville, FL
6-7 PTR Certification Duluth, GA Lincoln, NE 402-474-5050 Tasmania, Australia 03 62348627
6-7 USPTA Certification Mequon, WI Mountainside, NJ 908-233-6650 or 04 19 523226
6-7 USPTA Certification Brnswick, ME or 201-679-7535 Victoria, Australia 061-03-9890-3011
6-7 USPTA Certification Grenada, MS
6-7 USPTA Certification Charleston, SC
11-12 PTR Certification Flushing, NY
13-14 PTR Certification Medford, NJ
13-14 USPTA Certification Pebble Beach, CA
13-14 USPTA Certification Eugene, OR
14-15 USPTA Certification Atlanta, GA
15-16 USPTA Certification Houston, TX
19-21 PTR Certification San Jose, CA
20-21 PTR Certification Miami, FL
20-21 USPTA Certification Big Raids, MI
20-21 USPTA Certification San Diego, CA
20-21 USPTA Certification Asheville, NC
21-22 USPTA Certification Denver, CO
26-27 USPTA Certification Honolulu, HI
26-27 USPTA Certification Gastonia, NC
USRSA
CLASSIFIEDS
FOR SALE: Ten (10) brand new TST Precision
500 stringing machines, used for the Nasdaq-
100 Miami Open is available for sale. Price . . .
just $2200 ea. Plus shipping. For inquiries,
please email: sales@TopServe.com.au or call
Mike at 772/285-5845
WANTED: Wilson Sledge Hammer 3.8 Power

Holes, 98 inch head, 4-1/4 grip. Please call Dina
at 718/268-2300 x135 or email at westsidepro-
tennis@yahoo.com

NEW MEMBERS June/July 2004
NEW MEMBER CITY STATE/COUNTRY NEW MEMBER CITY STATE/COUNTRY NEW MEMBER CITY STATE/COUNTRY
Lance Andersen Boxborough MA James Wehner Acworth GA Christopher Jolivette Houston TX

Richard Hynes Sudbury MA Danny Thiets Mableton GA Terry Daniel Bryan TX
Marvin Wong Newton MA Charles Hoskins Birmingham AL Robert Wall Austin TX
Peter Bonacich Warwick RI Ronald Uszenski Morristown TN Cliff E. Rogge Mead CO
Eloise Meissner Bedford NH J B Harwood Ocean Springs MS Gary Wilson Greeley CO
Warren Bingham Lower Waterford VT Steve Ensley Reynoldsburg OH Kai Fong Lewiston ID
Josh Wasserman Westfield NJ Russell Wortman Westerville OH Cynthia Kennedy Salt Lake City UT
Frank Carcione Franklin Lakes NJ Maurice A Williams III Indianapolis IN Sports Authority #696 Tucson AZ
Michael Wong Burlington NJ Ken Hedrick Columbus IN James Oldham Santa Fe NM
McElryn Reynolds Valley Stream NY David Acton Bloomington IN Nik DeVore Los Angeles CA
Lisa Teitelbaum Plainview NY Bev Geesin Battle Creek MI Samuel Yeu Los Angeles CA
Trent Edwards Greensburg PA John Schaff Ada MI Harry Wickes Chino Hills CA
Eric Miller Langhome PA Jeremiah Burdett Traverse City MI John Kuramoto Monterey Park CA
Terry Brown Philadelphia PA Brad Smith West Des Moines IA Angelizen Zabala San Francisco CA
Richard Palmer Downingtown PA James Raife Des Moines IA Sportmart #656 Stockton CA
Don English Wilmington DE Bruce Dougan Champlin MN George Kevly Redding CA
Skip Bishop Sterling VA Jeffrey Cappel River Forest IL Michael Gibbons Portland OR
Sports Authority #522 Largo MD Victor J. Dupre Mandeville LA Aldo Lizzul Sequim WA
Ramon Bernal Dumfries VA Nathalie Roziers Monroe LA Ko Sau Bun Bunny Hong Kong CHINA
Scott Fonger Winchester VA Mark Saylor Edmond OK Colyn Dee Johannesburg S.AFRICA
Michael L Grabeel Rose Hill VA Craig Starke Oklahoma City OK Didier Windmeulen Battice BELGIUM
Matt Simeon Arapahoe NC Ryan Haddad Dallas TX Kirk Harry Birmingham UK
Ann Y. Fosnacht Blythewood SC Dustin Tankersley Keller TX B Snapes Kingston UK

USRSA
MASTER RACQUET TECHNICIANS
330 Main St., Vista CA 92084 Tel: 760 • 536 • 1177 Congratulations to the following members who
ADVERTISERS INDEX recently became MRTs
President Patrick Curry Eric Kaplan Bryn Mawr, PA
Partner/Business Development Steve Schein For more information on products and services in
Executive Director David Bone, MRT this issue of Racquet Sports Industry, please contact Shone Rowley Rochester, NY
Managing Editor/Webmaster Crawford Lindsey the manufacturers directly.
Advertising Director John Hanna Company Page
Design/Art Director Kristine Thom
CERTIFIED STRINGERS
Technical Support Advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Congratulations to the following members who
Dot Hogen, MRT; Greg Raven, MRT Ashaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 recently became CSs
Membership Services ATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Hannah Dolinger Bryn Mawr, PA
Nancy Crowley, Barbara Smith Bakko Backboards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Christopher W. Pappe Kenosha, WI
Shipping/Receiving Pat Regan
Bancroft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Classic Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Christopher M. Pappe Kenosha, WI
USRSA TECHNICAL ADVISORS

Courtsider LSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Fischer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 MRT’s: 401 CS’s: 2520
Warren Bosworth Professional stringer,
racquet designer and industry advisor
Forten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Gamma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 46, IBC
Dr. Howard Brody Professor Emeritus of Physics, Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Univ. of Pennsylvania; Science Advisor, PTR ICA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 18
Ron Carr R&D Manager, Gamma Sports Klip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 USRSA MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Rod Cross Associate Professor of Physics, LBH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 USRSA membership dues: $99 annually. (CA
Univ. of Sydney, Australia Lee Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
residents add 7.75% sales tax. $106.67 total.)
Bill Severa Director of Technology, Innovation and LeJay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Design Group,Wilson Racquet Sports Lobster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Canadian Members add $20 (US) for postage
Novagrass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 15 costs. US Total: $119. Mexican Members add
Steve Davis VP of Next Generation, Prince Sports
Nova Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Dr. Simon Goodwill Research Assistant, On Court Off Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 $25 (US) for postage costs. US Total: $124. All
University of Sheffield, UK Polo Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 other International Members add $36 (US) for
Dr. Carl Love Professor Emeritus, Metallurgy; Silent Partner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
President, Love Sports Enterprises Tecnifibre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC airmail postage costs. US Total: $135. Mem-
Bill Mitchell Director R&D, Powers Court TOA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 bership includes: 10 issues of Racquet Sports
Tom Parry Product Development Manager/
Unique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Volkl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Industry, the five-volume Stringer’s Digest,
Pro Tour Services Manager; Volkl Tennis GmbH
Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC free consultation, free classified advertising
Roger Petersman Business Manager-Accessories, Wise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Head/Penn Racquet Sports and access to the member's-only website.

Your Serve
Join the Campaign!
The TIA president says while work continues on bringing in new players,
we all need to focus on frequent-player retention. BY JIM BAUGH
W
e are approaching the end major priority. But, you must take this
of the first year of the Ten-
Frequent players, while challenge on, too! In fact, the fre-
nis Campaign. We launched quent-player retention war will not be
the largest new-player retention pro- representing only 19 won with marketing and advertising.
gram in our sport's history. How are Research shows the real key is facility
we doing? I'd give us a grade of a “B” percent of our total owners, pros and local effort. Here are
for the first year. some interesting research findings:
On the positive side, thanks to the players, account for
efforts of the entire industry, we have w 44 percent of all frequent players
established the largest grassroots net- over 75 percent of total have taken a lesson in the past
work in sport, with more than 4,000 year; only 15 percent of former fre-
Tennis Welcome Centers. We have had play. They are the quent players have.
good marketing, great tools for local
TWCs to use, and great support by our power-brokers of our w 60 percent of former players would
partners. Teaching pro, manufacturer play again if they had regularly
and retailer support has been out- sport. scheduled matches.
standing. The major associations and
media partners in our sport at the w 36 percent would play again if a
national level stepped up also, all for our future, we need to have more club called to schedule a match.
working together in an unprecedented “make it happen” people.
way, which will pave future success. This brings me to the future. The w 45 percent of new players would
The real results will not be known until Tennis Campaign will continue to be play more tennis if they thought
we see our participation numbers later relentless in fixing our new-player reten- tennis was a great workout
this year, but the feedback from many tion issue with Tennis Welcome Centers.
Tennis Welcome Centers has been pos- But we have an equally big issue: the In the near future, you will be hearing
itive. In a recent poll of TWCs, 62 per- deterioration of frequent players. about plans to help us win this battle.
cent rated the marketing good. And, Frequent players, while representing It will include practical and useful tips,
51 percent saw an increase in the only 19 percent of our total players, best practices, a greater focus on fit-
number of new players coming out to account for over 75 percent of total ness for our sport, and the use of
play tennis in the past few months! play. Frequent players are the power- technology in the future.
We do have some real challenges. brokers of our sport. They are our league But, the key will be you! Tennis
We need to push our message and the players, our club members, the ones needs your help. I don't want to be
urgency down to the local level. We who take lessons, the biggest fans of the 33rd ranked sport anymore. I hope
found many Tennis Welcome Centers tennis, they watch the most tennis on you don't, either! Be a leader in the
not ready to service new players. We TV, etc. Frequent players hold the keys Tennis Campaign. Growing and
will be focused on quality and not to our sport! rebuilding our sport has to be every-
quantity for 2005 and beyond. Proba- But we have lost frequent players at one's responsibility. w
bly the most disappointing thing was an alarming rate—a 25 percent reduc-
to see the number of facilities that tion over the past three years! This is Jim Baugh is the president
waited for the phone to ring and did- confirmed by our TIA/USTA survey and of the Tennis Industry
n't use the great marketing tools pro- recent SGMA surveys of frequent partici- Association and a
member of the USTA
vided. pants in all activities in America. And, if
board of directors.
Well, there are three types of peo- this doesn't get your juices flowing, Ten-
ple in this world: those who “make it nis is now ranked 33rd of all activities in
happen,” those who “watch it hap- our country by frequent participants.
We welcome your opinions. Please email
pen” and those who “wonder what The Tennis Campaign will focus on comments to rsi@racquetTECH.com or
happened.” With this campaign, and frequent-player retention as a second fax them to 760-536-1171.

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September 2004

Volume 1 Number 8 $5.00

20 Lines of Force 7 Industry veteran John Embree

September 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

Off To a Good Start! Publishers

on the back. Editorial Director

marketing and advertising. Apparel Advertising

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September 2004

Prince Streamlines Industry Veteran John Embree Creates New

September 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7

Tennis Warehouse Named

PTR Sets Professional

8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September 2004

Awards to be Presented at TIA EXPO

Honoring "20 Years of Service"

September 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9

TOP COACHES HEADLINE

10 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September 2004

Wakley Is Back at Prince Footwear

Boeker Joins Tecnifibre USA

September 2004 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11

USRSA Book Selected by Scientific

T been named a selection of the Scientific American

PTR Partners With Tennis Coaches Australia

Lee Tennis To Hold Indoor Clay Court

12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September 2004

D phia, New York and Midwestern territories. Bruce Hamlin

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WINTER SPORTS COMPANY K2 BUYS VÖLKL; SlingHopper

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3-D Turntablen Turntable

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