201309 racquet sports industry

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DEPARTMENTS

R S I S E P / O C T 2 0 1 3

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 NYC Council OK’s plan for NTC

7 USTA, PTR, USPTA collaborate on kid’s tennis

8 USPTA to change membership categories

8 PTR hosts Southwest tournament, conference

9 Spinfire adds two new ball machines

9 New Sport Court spursyouth tennis participation

10 Peoplewatch

10 Hingis, Drysdale among 5 inducted into HoF

11 Obama greets WTT’s Washington Kastles

11 PTR elevates Master Professionals

12 Short Sets12 Ashaway offers two

Zyex Monogut strings

14 ITA announces Division 1 awards

4 Our Serve7 Industry News15 Letters16 TIA News18 Retailing Tip

20 Pioneers: Seena Hamilton

22 Tennis Media

40 Ask the Experts42 String Playtest: Isospeed Black Fire44 Your Serve, by Tim Mayotte

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

COURT CONSTRUCTIONAND MAINTENANCE

FEATURES

24 Tennis’ New ‘Rallying Point’ PlayTennis.com, recently re-launchedby the TIA, not only connects playersand fans to the game, it connects theindustry, too.

26 The Art of ‘More’Q4 isn’t usually a time for introduc-tions, but there will be some newproduct and promotions as the yearwinds down.

29 History LessonsUnique in the business of sports, theTIA is the product of decades of indus-try leaders who continue to cometogether to grow tennis.

32 Tennis Industry Hall of FameFor 2013, the industry honors threelongtime leaders: Howard R. Gill Jr.,Walter Montenegro and SheldonWestervelt.

ContentsContents

35 Re-Ordering the Court What can you do during your facility’sshutdown to have it ready for yournext open house?

38 A Moveable FeastTemporary and portable courts—usingmodular tiles or rolled products—arehelping to grow tennis participationwith children and adults.

Our Serve(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

PublishersDavid Bone Jeff Williams

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

[email protected]

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Special Projects ManagerBob Patterson

Contributing EditorsRobin BatemanCynthia CantrellKent Oswald

Cynthia ShermanMary Helen Sprecher

Tim Strawn

Contributing PhotographersBob KenasDavid Kenas

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRYCorporate Offices

PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171

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

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

Advertising DirectorJohn Hanna

770-650-1102, [email protected]

Apparel AdvertisingCynthia Sherman203-263-5243

[email protected]

Racquet Sports Industry is published 10 times peryear: monthly January through August and combinedissues in September/October and November/December by Tennis Industry and USRSA, PO Box 3392,Duluth, GA 30096. Periodcal postage paid atDuluth, GA and at additional mailing offices (USPS#004-354). Sep/Oct 2013, Volume 41, Number 9 ©2013 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rightsreserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo aretrademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Phoneadvertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulationand editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions$25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Sendaddress changes to Racquet Sports Industry, PO Box3392, Duluth, GA 30096.

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

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Facing the Challenges, Together

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2013

Let me get this out of the way: All is not rosy in the tennis indus-try. We have challenges to address and to overcome. But beforeyou think this is all gloom-and-doom (and really, have I ever

been a gloom-and-doom person?), let me say that these challenges are,in many ways, being addressed. What’s important, too, is how they’rebeing addressed—we’re addressing it as an industry, unified in workingto grow the game for everyone who has a stake in it.

And that’s one of the unique things about the tennis industry. Tom Cove, theexecutive director of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (formerly theSporting Goods Manufacturers Association), has for many years praised the tennisindustry for how it comes together to grow the game for the good of everyone,and how that sort of unity is simply not seen in other sports industries.

This collaboration, led by the Tennis Industry Association, is something weneed to celebrate and take greater advantage of, because when one segment intennis comes up against a challenge, it will affect other areas of the sport. Andwhat are some of the challenges this industry is facing?

For one, racquet sales are down at specialty stores. The tough economy inrecent years has also taken its toll on the number of tennis specialty retailers inthe U.S., and we don’t want to lose more of them.

Another concern: USTA membership has been declining. In fairness, manymembership-based organizations are also experiencing declines, but still, this issomething we all should be concerned about. USTA members are core playersand fans—losing them is not a good thing. (On the positive side, both overall ten-nis participation and frequent tennis player participation have increased.)

We’ve also lost pro tournaments in this country, and that’s a bad sign for thevisibility of this sport. And, while it’s terrific that ESPN stepped up with an 11-year, $825 million deal to televise the US Open, America’s Grand Slam will nowonly be on cable, not a broadcast network. What will that mean for mainstreamviewers? How will it impact tennis’ visibility? (A writer from Business Insider saidby moving away from CBS, “It has become clear that tennis is no longer bigenough for network television.” Ouch.)

Also, in some corners, 10 and Under Tennis is still running up against resis-tance, which is odd because it seems pretty clear—at least to most people con-cerned with growing the sport and the business—that getting more kids playingtennis the right way, at an earlier age, will right off the bat grow the base of play-ers, increase participation, help sell more equipment, court time and lessons, andbasically help every segment of the industry.

Of course, there are other challenges, too, but I’m convinced we will getthrough these, and we’ll do it as a unified industry built on collaboration. 10 andUnder Tennis has that industry-wide collaboration—the USTA, PTR and USPTAare together in developing a youth tennis coaching curriculum. PlayTennis.comalso has that industry-wide collaboration, and this unique website promises tobring people into the sport.

Working together, supporting each other, is the pathway to growing tennis.

Peter Francesconi, Editorial [email protected]

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

R S I S E P / O C T 2 0 1 3

NYC Council Approves $500 Million Plan for NTC

The New York City Council on July 24 voted overwhelmingly in favor of the USTA’s plan to improvethe Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (NTC) in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The $500million plan will ensure the NTC remains a top public recreational facility and world-class spec-

tator venue and also continues to be an econom-ic catalyst for Queens and the City of New York.

By a 47-1 margin, the City Council approvedthe legislation, which will enable the USTA toreplace and renovate aging, out-of-date infra-structure and facilities that have reached the endof their useful lives. The City Council vote wasthe culmination of a public review process thatalso included the local community boards,Queens Borough President, City Planning, andthe State Legislature.

“We are very pleased that the City Councilpassed the legislation,” said David A. Haggerty,Chairman of the Board, CEO and President of the USTA. “The updates and improvements to the NTCwill enhance the usage of the tennis center for local residents, visitors and professional and recreationaltennis players while also preserving the US Open Tennis Championships as a world renowned event.”

In exchange for the 0.68 acres of parkland it will add as part of its improvement plan for the NTC,the USTA will return to the city a portion—1.56 acres—of its currently leased NTC land. The USTA willalso launch an increased community outreach program and has made a long-term commitment tofund capital improvements in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and to help establish the FMCP Alliance,which will be dedicated to improving all aspects of the park.

September/October 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7www.racquetsportsindustry.com

USTA, PTR, USPTA Collaborate on Youth Coaching Curriculum

The USTA, PTR and USTA are working together to develop an educational curriculum, con-sisting of a series of courses and workshops, that focuses on the development of youngplayers. The collaborative curriculum will serve as part of the pathway to PTR and USPTA

certification.A statement by the USTA says the three associations will use their partnership to “raise the level

of coaching in the U.S. and enhance the teaching process and long-term development ofchildren in the sport.” The program, which is set to launch in January, will consist of twostages of course work and will include interactive and engaging online courses and tests.In addition, the program includes a 10 and Under Tennis workshop that will provide prop-er fundamentals and skill development progression for teaching professionals.

“This important partnership and commitment among our organizations will positivelyimpact how we develop and grow the sport among our nation’s youth,” said Kurt Kamperman,USTA chief executive of Community Tennis.

“This cooperation should result in more tennis teaching professionals becoming edu-cated and certified to coach 10 and Under Tennis so we can continue to grow the game,”said PTR CEO Dan Santorum.

"Continuing education will only strengthen the industry, especially at the grassroots level,”said Tom Daglis, USPTA national president.

ITF to Permit Use of ‘Smart’EquipmentThe International Tennis Fed-eration has amended theRules of Tennis to permit datacollection by “player analysistechnology” during play. Thenew rule was approved at anITF meeting in Paris on July12 and will be included in the2014 edition of the Rules ofTennis as Rule No. 31. Playeranalysis technology includesany equipment that collects,stores, transmits, analyses orcommunicates information onplayer performance, and maybe a stand-alone device orincorporated within existingequipment.

However, during a match, thedata collected by the technol-ogy constitutes “coaching”under the Rules of Tennis,therefore the use of suchtechnology during play isrestricted in accordance withthe existing Coaching rule. Inother words, while the datacan be “collected” during amatch, a player can’t “use”the information during thatsame match. The ITF willapprove all player analysistechnology that may be usedduring play.

“When the Rules of Tennisrelating to equipment werewritten, no one foresaw theadvent of Player AnalysisTechnology,” says ITF Execu-tive Director of Science andTechnical Stuart Miller. “Thisnew rule is necessary toensure that all types of PlayerAnalysis Technology are covered.”Photo by Bob

Ken

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Patterson Named RSI Special Projects Manager

Bob Patterson of Birmingham, Ala., aUSRSA Master Racquet Technician,

is the new Special Projects Manager forRacquet Sports Industry and theUSRSA. Patterson, the founder of Rac-quetMaxx, which provides racquetservice to tennis players at all levels ofthe game, has been a racquet technician since 1975 andwas RSI’s “Stringer of the Year” in 2005.

A tester for USRSA Certified Stringer and MRT programssince 2000, Patterson also has been a contributing editorfor RSI, writing and editing articles on racquet service. Inhis new role, he’ll not only continue to provide editorialcontent for the magazine and website, but he will alsomanage many of the projects involving strings, racquets,and court and service equipment. He can be reached [email protected] or 760-536-1177 x25.

Chase, City Parks, USTA Refurbish Hurricane-Ravaged Courts

In mid-July, representatives from Chase,City Parks Foundation and the USTA cut theribbon on the refurbished Wolfe's Pond ParkTennis Courts in the New York City borough ofStaten Island and opened them back up to thepublic. Chase dedicated funds to ensure that thecourts were refurbished and opened after they were severelyimpacted by Hurricane Sandy. The Wolfe’s Pond Park courtshave hosted “CityParks Tennis presented by Chase” for over adecade, teaching hundreds of children to play the sport eachsummer for free.

More than 20 aspiring young tennis players, ages 8 to 15,who have participated in free intermediate tennis lessons inWolfe's Pond Park in previous years, enjoyed the newly openedcourts with a free clinic led by three-time Grand Slam singleschampion Virginia Wade, who is a City Parks Foundation boardmember and a longtime youth tennis advocate. The playerswere also greeted by Patrick McEnroe, the general manager ofUSTA Player Development.

The project received technical and financial support fromthe USTA’s Disaster Relief Fund and Facility Assistance Pro-gram, and the New York City Department of Parks & Recre-ation. "We are committed to the people and parks of StatenIsland and are so pleased to be hosting our first ever reopeningof tennis courts here in this borough," said Alison Tocci, Presi-dent of City Parks Foundation. "Over the years, City ParksFoundation and Chase have introduced over half a millionyouths to this ‘sport for life’ and produced hundreds of collegetennis scholarship recipients, including several who have com-peted in the US Open.”

USPTA to Change Membership Categories in January

Starting in January, the USPTA willchange its membership categories. In an

email to members, the USPTA said that inthe new year, “We will no longer have theProfessional 3, Professional 2 or Professional 1 cate-gories, as the Executive Committee and Board of Direc-tors voted in April to streamline the categories ofmembership to make them easier to understand and pro-mote to the public.”

USPTA membership categories will change to: Recre-ational Coach,�Professional, and�Elite Professional.USPTA pros can complete the exams and tests to upgradetheir ratings before the changes take effect. Contact theUSPTA membership department for more information.

PTR Hosts Inaugural Southwest Tournament & Conference in Arizona

PTR will host its inaugural Southwest Tournament & Confer-ence Sept. 26-29 at the Mesa Country Club in Mesa, Ariz.

The event is open to members and non-members.Participants are encouraged to play two divisions in the prize

money (up to $5,000) tournament, and take advantage of theeducational opportunities provided. Speakers include PaulAllam, Josh Bates, Eric Burke, Ken DeHart, Jeff Greenwald,

Jason Jamison and Steve Keller.Registration is $110 for both the tournamentand conference, but interested parties may reg-ister for only the tournament or conference. APTR 11 to 17 Certification Workshop will beheld immediately following the event for

those who wish to get certified to teach this age group. For information about the Southwest Tournament & Confer-

ence, accommodations, or to register, visit Events atwww.ptrtennis.org or call 843-785-7244.

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

September/October2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Spinfire Adds TwoNew Ball Machines

Spinfire has two new ballmachines, the Spinfire Pro 1

and Pro 2, both of which offerfeatures that include a 200-ballcapacity, feeding intervals from2 to 15 seconds, and ball speedsfrom 20 to 80 mph. The Pro 1 is$1,599, while the Pro 2 sells for$1,899 (the Pro 1 can beupgraded to the Pro 2 for $499).

Other features the twomachines share include: a two-year warranty, propulsion viaspinning wheels, electronic ele-vation control with ability tofeed lobs, and battery operation(22 amp/hour, with indicatorlight). The 26 x 20 x 20-inch unitweighs 48 pounds and comeswith a smart charger. Optionsinclude a light cover (additional$40), carry cover ($80) and fastcharger ($120).

The Spinfire Pro 2 alsoincludes a nine-button, multi-functional wireless remote con-trol, oscillation-random verticaloscillation, and two-line-drillcapability (which can be set forwide, medium or narrow) foralternating shots to each side ofthe court.

RSI received the Spinfireinformation too late to includein our 2013 Ball Machine Guidein the July issue, however wehave included it in our compre-hensive chart on www.racquet-tech.com, in the USRSAmembers-only section.

For more information onSpinfire ball machines, visitmambatennis.com or www.spinfiresport.com or call 888-976-6532.

Wheelchair Competition Returns to US Open

The US Open Wheelchair Competition is returning the the USTA Billie Jean King NationalTennis Center this year, to be held Sept. 5-8 during the US Open. The wheelchair event, in

its sixth year, is returning after a year’s hiatus due to the 2012 Paralympic Games, whichwere scheduled during last year’s US Open.

This year’s US Open Wheelchair Competition field will feature 20 of the top wheelchairtennis athletes from around the world. They’ll compete in six events: men’s singles, men’sdoubles, women’s singles, women’s doubles, quad singles and quad doubles. Wheelchairtennis follows the same rules as able-bodied tennis, except that the ball can bounce twice.

This is the first time each of the divisions will feature the world’s Top 8-ranked men’s andwomen’s wheelchair players (according to the July 22 ITF rankings). The Top 4 quad playersin the world also will be competing. The total purse for the event will be $150,000, a $30,000increase in prize money from 2011.

The U.S. will be represented in quad singles and doubles by three-time Paralympic Quaddoubles gold medalists David Wagner (Chula Vista, Calif.) and Nick Taylor (Wichita, Kan.).Wagner is the defending US Open quad singles champion. In doubles, Wagner and Taylorhave won four US Open doubles titles.

The USTA became the national governing body for the Paralympic sport of wheelchairtennis in June 2002—the first Olympic NGB to earn this recognition.

New 10U Sport Court Spurs Youth Tennis Participation

Three years ago, in the midst of an economic recession, Marc Stulz had a wild idea: Whynot build a year-round, private tennis club in Overland Park, Kan., that in part would

be dedicated to developing all levels of junior tennis players?Today, Stulz’s vision is a reality with the Elite Squad Tennis Club, which now is a thriv-

ing tennis business in the southern suburb of Kansas City. Stulz is president of Elite Squad,which hosts a nationally recognized junior program headed by Mike Wolf, Tony Tsym-balov, Diego Mayorga and Nick Hegarty. Over the years, this program has produced

numerous local, section-al and national champi-ons.

Courtney Vialle, theclub’s youth tennis direc-tor, credits Stulz and theclub’s owners for equip-ping the club with thetools needed to maketennis approachable andexciting for all players.“Kids want a place to calltheir own, and our new36-foot Sport Court ten-nis court gives them thatspace,” Vialle says. “Forkids under 8, a full-sizetennis court can seem

way too big. That’s why we committed to building a stand-alone 36-foot court for our 4-to 8-year-olds to practice and play on.”

The court was installed by local Sport Court dealer and builder Marc Loe. Working withthe club’s existing layout, Loe was able to convert an underutilized patio area into the cen-terpiece of Elite’s youth programming.

“Our court is so inviting for the kids and for their parents,” Vialle adds. “It’s an amazingfeeling to see the excitement that our kids have toward ‘their’ court. And, without adoubt, it’s been a catalyst for the surge in youth tennis at the club.” The club’s long-termvision includes adding more 10U courts to ensure young players can properly learn andenjoy tennis.

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• The Southern California Tennis Association (USTA South-ern California Section) named Bruce A. Hunt as its newexecutive director, replacing Henry Talbert, who retiredafter 16 years. Hunt, a former ED of the USTA NorthernCalifornia Section, was most recently the ED of theRotary Club of San Diego for the last five years.

• Alan Schwartz, co-founder of Chicago-based Midtown Athletic Clubsand a former USTA president, has been inducted into the IntercollegiateTennis Association Tennis Hall of Fame. In 2012, the USTA National IndoorCenter at the NTC in Flushing, N.Y., was dedicated in Schwartz’s honor. Hewas inducted into the Club Industry Hall of Fame in 1987 and the TennisIndustry Hall of Fame in 2009.

• Andy Murray claimed the 2013 Wimbledon title overfellow Head player Novak Djokovic to become thefirst British man in 77 years to win the All-EnglandChampionship. Murray plays with a Head YouTek IGRadical and Djokovic hits a YouTek Graphene Speed.

• Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis of the Washington Kastles and top20 doubles specialist Jean-Julien Rojer of the Springfield Lasers werenamed as the Mylan World TeamTennis MVPs. Steve Johnson of theOrange County Breakers and Alisa Kleybanova of the Springfield Laserswere named as Rookies of the Year, while Murphy Jensen of the Kastleswas named WTT Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season.

• Florida's Lauren Embree and Virginia's Jarmere Jenkins are the 2013 ITA

National College Players of the Year, awarded to the singles players whohave had the most outstanding year in college tennis. Additionally, USC'sSabrina Santamaria and Kaitlyn Christian were named the ITA NationalWomen's Doubles Team of the Year, while Henrique Cunha and RaphaelHemmeler of Duke were honored on the men's side.

• NCAA Champion Magazine recently featured Haverford Collegewomen’s tennis coach Ann Koger. Koger, a touring pro in the 1970s, hasbeen at the helm of the Pennsylvania college’s women’s program for 32years, since its inception.

• Andy Roddick has joined golf apparel brand TravisMathew as aninvestor and brand ambassador.

• Daniel Kerznerman, 17 of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Chloe Ouellet-Pizer, 15, ofChapel Hill, N.C., captured the USTA Boys’ and Girls’ 18s National ClayCourt Championships singles titles July 22, with each receiving a wildcard entry into the 2013 US Open Junior Championships. In the 16s, CiCiBellis, 14, of Atherton, Calif., won the girls’ title while Tommy Paul, 16, ofCoconut Creek, Fla., won the boys’ crown. Winners in 14s were NoahMakarome, 14, of Wesley Chapel, Fla., and Claire Liu, 13, of ThousandOaks, Calif. In the 12s, Steven Sun of Glen Cove, N.Y., and Carson Branstineof Orange, Calif., took the titles.

• Hop-a-Razzi has named Gary Thomas as national sales manager andLiza Horan as head of brand strategy & engagement as part of expansionefforts at the start-up manufacturing company, which makes a line of ten-nis ball baskets with built-in wheels.

PEOPLEWATCH


Pacific, Official Stringer at Stuttgart, Offers Stats

Pacific was again the official tournament partner and stringing service for the ATPMercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, held in July and won by Fabio Fognini. The

company reports that it strung a total of 390 frames at the event, on its threemachines: two Pacific DX8’s and one DX6.

Three stringers worked full-time at the clay-court event, plus a full-time desk per-son. The Pacific booth also doubled as a retail selling booth, giving fans a close-upview of the racquet technicians at work and the players’ interaction with them. Some of Pacific’s stats from the event include:w Players with the most string-jobs: Philipp Kohlschreiber, 22; Fognini, 14; ErnestsGulbis, 14; Tommy Haas, 13.

w Highest tension requested: Dustin Brown (66/73 lbs.)w Lowest tension requested: Thomaz Belucci (42/42 lbs.)

Hingis, Drysdale Among 5 Inducted Into Hall of Fame

Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis,Australian tennis great Thelma

Coyne Long, and three tennis industryleaders—Cliff Drysdale, CharliePasarell, and Ion Tiriac—were induct-ed into the International Tennis Hall ofFame & Museum in a ceremony inNewport, R.I., on July 13. Enshrine-ment in the Hall of Fame is the highesthonor in tennis.

In addition to the new honorees,other Hall of Famers taking part in theceremony included International Ten-nis Hall of Fame President Stan Smithand Australian tennis legend RodLaver, who accepted the honors onbehalf of the 94-year-old Long, whowas unable to attend. Also presentwere Hall of Famers Russ Adams,Butch Buchholz, Rosie Casals, BudCollins, Owen Davidson, Donald Dell,Peachy Kellmeyer, Dick Savitt, VicSeixas, and Pam Shriver.

September/October 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11



President Obama Greets WTT Champs

At the start of the 2013 Mylan World TeamTennis season, the 2012 champion teamWashington Kastles visited with President Obama in the Oval Office—the first

time in the 38-year history of Mylan WTT that the championship team has been invit-ed to the White House. The visit must have spurred them on, as the Kastles went onto win its third straight WTT championship, defeating the Springfield Lasers on July28. Representing the 2012 championship squad were Venus Williams, BobbyReynolds, Leander Paes, Anastasia Rodionova, coach Murphy Jensen and Kastlesowner Mark Ein. Mylan WTT co-founder Billie Jean King and CEO/CommissionerIlana Kloss also accompanied the Kastles.

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FOR SALE: Pro-OwnedGamma ELS 8800 for Sale.Please contact BrandonLuu if interested [email protected] 778-892-0672

PTR Elevates Master Professionals

PTR’s Board of Directors voted to ele-vate current PTR Master Profession-

als to International MasterProfessionals. Going forward, PTR haseliminated the “Master Professional”designation and will use “InternationalMaster Professional” as one of the orga-nization’s highest designations. ThePTR has 42 International Master Profes-sionals, including Dennis Van der Meer,Dr. Jack Groppel, Dr. Jim Loehr and Bil-lie Jean King.

The PTR Selection Committee con-tinually reviews applications for thisdesignation. The application deadlinefor the awards presentation in Februaryis Sept. 1. Candidates must meet cer-tain criteria, including service to PTR orinternational federation, coachingexperience, professional development,publications and presentation, tourna-ment administration and communityservice to facilitate the growth of thegame.

Congratulations To the FollowingFor Achieving MRT and CS Status

New MRTJose Luis Pulido Lomeli Palm Desert, CA

New CSsPhilip Tobar Berwyn, PA

Official W

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> The Washington Kastles won its thirdstraight Mylan World TeamTennis championship,defeating the Springfield Lasers 25-12 on July28. It was the Kastles fourth King Trophy. BobbyReynolds was named MVP for the finals, afterwinning 10 games from the 13 he played in histwo sets.

> The USPTA Florida Division and Club Medannounce a new partnership that makes ClubMed Sandpiper Bay the official home of theUSPTA Florida Division through June 2014. Thepartnership will provide USPTA Florida Divisionmembers with preferred benefits at Club Medresorts. In addition, Club Med will extend Pre-ferred Partner rates for meetings, incentives,conferences and events for the Association aswell as USPTA divisions outside of Florida.

> Esurance has extended and expanded itssponsorship of the US Open through 2015. Thenew agreement includes a growing relationshipwith USTA digital platforms. This year, Esurancewill be one of three sponsors of the “US OpenSocial Wall,” a new fan enhancement to the2013 US Open. The Social Wall, a 50-foot wideby 8-foot high video wall located on the USOpen grounds, will display the most compellingUS Open-related social content.

> The U.S. Fed Cup Team will open its 2014campaign at home against Italy in the firstround, Feb. 8-9, 2014, at a venue to be deter-mined by the USTA. The U.S. also faced Italy inthis year’s first round, losing 3-2 in Rimini, Italy.

SHORT SETS> The second edition of “Let's Play Tennis!”,written for young athletes, is now available. Thebook, endorsed by former pro Todd Martin, haseight additional pageswith basic match strat-egy for beginners,nutrition informa-tion, diagrams ofsimple drills forparents and kids,and more. It’savailable on Amazon, orretailers, clubs and organizations maypurchase six or more at wholesale directly fromthe author, Patricia Egart, at 763-438-8466 [email protected].

> Wisconsin Cheeseheads, a youth tennis teamrepresenting the USTA Midwest Section, won itsfirst World TeamTennis Junior Nationals Champi-onship, defeating Youth Tennis San Diego'sBarnes Bashers 40-33 in San Diego.

> Har-Tru Sports is investing $500,000 towarda clay-court training facility in the San FranciscoBay area. The company is working with the USTANorthern California Section and former tour play-er Brad Gilbert.

> Fila has renewed its multi-year sponsorshipas the Official Apparel and Footwear Supplier ofthe International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum.The deal includes having Fila’s tennis line avail-able for sale in the Hall of Fame Tennis Club ProShop and retail stores year-round.

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Ashaway Offers Two Zyex Monogut Strings

Ashaway Racket Strings is now offering two versions of its popular Zyex-based MonoGut tennis strings, 16-gauge (127 mm)MonoGut ZX and 17-gauge (1.22 mm) MonoGut ZX Pro. Ashaway says MonoGut ZX Pro is a thinner, lighter string, designed

to provide better elongation, snap-back and playability for players who do not require the added durability of a 16-gauge string. Both strings offer 100 percent Zyex monofilament con-

struction, which provides dynamic stiffness and gut-likeplayability, says the company. The total lack of polyesterincreases elongation and decreases stiffness for comfortablesoft power.

"Like natural gut, MonoGut ZX series strings provideexceptional energy return, better than any other syntheticmaterial," says Steve Crandall, vice president of Ashaway.“This means more power. Also like gut, MonoGut ZX seriesstrings remain soft at higher tensions, reducing impactshock. This results in more comfortable performance—whatwe call 'soft power.’” For more information, visit www.ash-awayusa.com or call 800-556-7260.

> The Samuell Grand Slammers tennis team ofDallas is hosting a Western Swing Dancefundraiser in Dallas Nov. 23 to benefit theMichael J. Fox Foundation in its fight to find acure for Parkinson’s. For more information or todonate, email Pam Wood [email protected].

> PHIT America—the non-profit education andadvocacy organization designed to combat theobesity and sedentary activity crisis—has select-ed Buffalo Communications as its public rela-tions agency. Buffalo will create and implementa publicity and media-relations program target-ing print, digital and broadcast outlets with focuson consumer health and wellness, sports, busi-ness, parenting and related editorial niches.Since its January 2013 launch, more than 130leading companies and associations from thesports, fitness, retail and media industries havecontributed funds and services to support PHITAmerica.

> Head Penn juniors won seven gold medals,three silver medals and two bronze medals atthe 2013 USA Racquetball Junior OlympicNational Championships held in Des Moines,Iowa, in July.

> The Indiana Racquets won the 2013 NationalBadminton League. Racquets’ player Petr Koukalwas named the league’s Male MVP and LauraChoinet the Female MVP and Female Rookie ofthe Year. Ruud Bosch of the Los Angeles Stringsearned Male Rookie of the Year honors.


Top-Selling Tennis Stringsat Specialty StoresBy year-to-date units, Jan.-June 20131. Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex2. Babolat RPM Blast3. Wilson NXT4. Wilson Sensation5. Luxilon Alu Power

Top-Selling Racquets at Specialty StoresBy year-to-date dollars, Jan.-June 2013Best Sellers1. Babolat Aero Pro Drive 2013 (MP)2. Babolat Pure Drive GT 2012 (MP)3. Wilson BLX Juice (MP)4. Wilson Steam 99S (MP)5. Wilson Steam 105S (OS)

“Hot New Racquets”(introduced in the past 12 months)1. Babolat Aero Pro Drive 2013 (MP)2. Wilson Steam 99S (MP)3. Wilson Steam 105S (OS)4. Head Graphene Speed Pro (MP)5. Babolat Aero Pro Team 2013 (MP)

Tennis Racquet PerformanceSpecialty StoresJanuary-June, 2013 vs. 2012Units 2013 304,526 2012 336,728 % change vs. ’12 -10%Dollars 2013 $44,175,000 2012 $47,055,000 % change vs. ’12 -6%Price 2013 $145.06 2012 $139.74 % change vs. ’12 4%

Top-Selling Tennis Shoes at Specialty StoresBy year-to-date dollars, Jan.-June 20131. Prince T222. Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour3. Adidas AdiPower Barricade 74. Nike Air Max Cage 20135. Asics Gel Resolution 5

(Source: TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys)



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Marketplace Fairness Act Passes Senate

This spring, the U.S. Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, withover 70 percent of senators supporting the legislation. The bill now goes to the

House of Representatives for consideration.The main statute of the Marketplace Fairness Act gives states the authorization

to require remote sellers (i.e., online retailers) to collect and pay state sales anduse taxes on products sold.

ITA Announces 2013 NCAA Div. I National Awards

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced the national award win-ners for NCAA Division I tennis.

2013 Men's Award WinnersWilson/ITA National Coach of the Year—Sam Winterbotham, TennesseeAssistant Coach of the Year—Chris Woodruff, Tennessee�Farnsworth National Senior Player of the Year—Jarmere Jenkins, Virginia�Rookie of the Year—Romain Bogaerts, Mississippi StatePlayer to Watch—Mikelis Libietis, Tennessee�ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship—Henrique Cunha,DukeITA/Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award—Sebastian Fanselow, Pepperdine2013 Women's Award WinnersWilson/ITA National Coach of the Year—Jenny Mainz, AlabamaAssistant Coach of the Year—Alex Santos, Miami (FL)Senior Player of the Year—Lauren Embree, FloridaRookie of the Year—Julia Elbaba, VirginiaPlayer to Watch—Ema Burgic, BaylorITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship—Hannah Dake, USAir Force AcademyITA/Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship—Mary Weatherholt, Nebraska

Top Wheelchair Player and Coach Offer Video Tutorial

Sydney 2000 Paralympic Gold Medalist and six-time World Champion DavidHall has joined with his longtime coach, Rich Berman, to produce the video

tutorial “Let’s Roll—Learning Wheelchair Tennis With the Pros.” The tutorial cov-ers all areas of the wheelchair game, including basic strokes and mobility,advanced strokes and mobility, mental toughness, wheelchair selection andinjury prevention.

“Rich is the master at teaching the wheelchair game. It’s a real honor for meto be involved in this project with him,” says Hall of his coach. “I remember whenI first started playing wheelchair tennis. To have had something like this [tutorial]available would have been so helpful. But also, with tennis you never stop learn-ing, and ‘Let’s Roll’ covers all areas.” Hall was inducted into the Sport AustraliaHall of Fame in 2010.

Berman, who runs Rich’s Tennis School near Boulder, Colo., has almost 20years of experience teaching tennis to wheelchair players. “Over the years weboth have had many players, parents and organizations ask us for guidance aboutcoaching wheelchair tennis,” Berman says. “Our hope is that all current andfuture wheelchair players and coaches worldwide will use ‘Let’s Roll’ as the foun-dation for learning and teaching this wonderful sport. That is the reason we havetwo primary sections—one for the novice and one for the advanced player.”

Over his 15-year career, Hall has won more than 80 tournaments worldwide,including nine Australian Opens, eight US Opens, seven British Opens and sixParalympic medals. Berman has been by his side throughout the years, providingknowledge and guidance.

For more information, visit letsrollwheelchairtennis.com or contact 303-494-5196 or [email protected].


Tennis Role ModelsThank you for the article “Pros and Coaches as Role Models” byBruce Knittle in the August issue (Your Serve). In a sport that is boundby etiquette, tennis needs to maintain this type of philosophy, notjust for the game, but for life.

Brett A. ManoloffCoach, Amesbury Girls Tennis

Amesbury, Mass.

Letters

Cable TV Limits US Open ReachAfter reading “ESPN to Air US Open, USOS Starting in 2015: CBS Out"in Industry News in the July issue, I was very disappointed in theUSTA. It appears it's all about the almighty dollar, and not about pro-moting and developing the growth of tennis in places like Buffalo,N.Y., where as the third poorest city in the nation we have half ourchildren living in impoverished households that do not have access tocable television or the internet.

CBS has carried the US Open since 1968, and I can recall sittingaround the TV with my siblings in the 1970s watching the Americantennis champions of that decade. That's when I became interested intennis. Kids in cities like Buffalo, Cleveland and Detroit will notbecome interested in tennis. They will not watch Serena win a Slamand say I want to do that. They will not tell their parents they wantto play tennis. They will not be the tennis champions of tomorrow.

The article quotes USTA Executive Director Gordon Smith as say-ing, “The new broadcast agreement will deliver tennis to more fans inthe formats that today's consumers demand." What planet is he liv-ing on? Families in the ghetto are not technology consumers. Theycan't afford to purchase cable television's premium tier where ESPNis offered or the internet or sexy electronic devices like iPhones andiPads.

Television rights to the US Open should not be awarded on thebasis of high bid alone. The USTA should be considerate of the televi-sion viewing needs of all communities throughout our nation as itdoes in funding tennis programming for underserved neighborhoods,for which I am grateful to receive in the city of Buffalo.

One of the challenges I face in organizing tennis in neighborhoodswith high poverty census tracks is recruitment, and that challengewill become more difficult if our kids cannot watch tennis on TV.

Marsha HuardPresident

RiverRock Tennis and Education AssociationBuffalo, N.Y.

TIA Focuses on Technology Solutions

for Tenn1s Growth The TIA is creating new opportunities for technology developme_nt companies that offer "software as a service" (SaaS) to help tenn1s providers manage and grow their businesses. . .

"The software as a service industry has been growmg at a rap1d pace," says TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. "Now~ ther~ are . many companies that offer business management solut1~:>ns, mclud1ng software designed for tennis facilities, retailers and prov1ders. Our goal and opportunity is to help identify these companies and off~r a grou~ of TIA-researched solutions, which will eliminate some of the t1me providers spend trying to select one or more ofthese services." .

Approved TIA SaaS Business Partners will become part of the fam1ly of TIA Recommended Software and Business Solutions. They'll also receive membership benefits and services to help the facilities, retailers and providers using their specific technology product. "Conn~cting facilities, retailers, and tennis businesses to our TIA SaaS Busmess partners will help move the industry forward an~ ultimately h~lp grow the tennis economy- by making provider operations more eff1c1ent and accessible for consumers," de Boer adds.

"SaaS partners also will be contributing to the growth of ~ PlayTennis.com, the industry-supported site to con~ect

Saa.SPartner consumers to all things 'tennis,"' says TIA lnformat1on - ··••••w•-· Technology Manager Matt Allen. A key component of the partnership will be the utilization of an API (appl_ic~tion pro_gramming interface) that allows SaaS clients to select tenms mformat1on (such as business info, programs and events, etc.) that can be automatically published on the PlayTennis.com website. .

"This is an instant added value to our SaaS partners and the1r end-users. Tennis providers can publish their business and program information in one place and have it appear on PlayTennis.com searches, instantly expanding their potentia l consumer reach," says de Boer.

For more information, contact TIA IT Manager Matt Allen at (843) 473-4500 or matt@ten nisindustry.org.

'State of the Industry' Meeting Set for Aug. 26 at the Grand Hyatt, NYC The TIA's "State of the Tennis Industry" meeting will be Monday, Aug. 26, at the Grand Hyatt New York, beginning at 8 a.m. The meeting is free and open to all in the industry, however space is limited. Those interested in attending should visit Tennislndustry.org/Meeting for more information and to register.

"The State of the Tennis Industry is an opportunity for us to share what we're collectively doing throughout the industry to grow the tennis economy, get more people playing tennis, and pave a path for future sustainability for the game," says TIA President Greg Mason.

The meeting will cover research trends and important performance indicators on tennis industry growth, in addition to updates from key industry stakeholders. Industry executives from the tennis media, professional tours, USTA and SFIA will be on hand to deliver an overview of the current state of tennis as it applies to their respective segments and the industry overall.

"As an update on the state of the game and the economy of tennis, the State of the Industry meeting is one of the TIA's overall efforts to grow the sport," says TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. "It will also serve as a preview to a larger 'Vision 2020' conference planned for March 2014 in California. Rallying our industry at these types of events continues to spur valuable ideas and insight that elevates tennis and the

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1 6 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2013 Join the TIA .. . Increase Your Pro fits .. . Grow the Game . .. www.Tennislndustry.org

A new player-matching tool for the PlayTennis.com website is being beta-tested now with a group of recreational players and should start to roll out later this summer. The new feature will help to overcome one of the biggest barriers that TIA research shows has been an entry to playing tennis: finding someone to play with.

"Our upgraded player-match system on PlayTennis.com will make it much easier for players to find a compatible match," says TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. "It wi ll allow players to sign up on the site, then connect directly with other players, including through text messaging." Other PlayTenn is.com features include creating a personal "dashboard" that will al low consumers to manage their tennis-playing lifestyle, such as their favorite facilities, retailers, previous matches and more.

To encourage player sign-ups on PlayTennis.com, consumers can register to win hundreds of prizes from TIA members and partners, including autographed products, US Open seats, USTA memberships, Tennis magazine subscriptions and more.

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TIA, ITF Create Global Research Partnership The TIA and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) have joined to create a Global Tennis Research Partnership designed to create a plan that establishes participation and market trends on a global basis. It's the first time that a sport has established an international evaluation and measurement program managed and controlled by the stakeholders in the sport.

The tennis participation component will: evaluate the health of the game; track participation, play frequency, playing habits and motivations; examine reasons players leave the sport; gauge interest in tennis among non-players. Tennis marketplace information includes monitoring racquet, ba ll and string shipments in each market, including for youth tennis.

Stay tuned for further updates.

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

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& Retailing 124

diminish their impact on your specialtytennis retail store, or eliminate themcompletely, by making the change tobeing a customer-focused retailer.

It’s All About … Them!So … you think you are already a con-sumer-focused specialty retailer deliver-ing satisfactory customer shoppingexperiences? According to Daryl Travis,author of How Does It Make You Feel?:“Surveys reveal 80 percent of companiesbelieve they deliver superior customerexperience, yet only 8 percent of theircustomers agree.”

Being customer-focused isn’t aboutyou at all…it is all about them. It’s allabout each and every shopper thatenters your specialty retail store andeach and every customer that honorsyou with their business.

If you are the only full-time employ-ee, your path to changing to a consumerfocus is a state of mind. You just needthe discipline to apply what you learn, atno real cost, about:w Promptly greeting every shopper, start-ing with the three-letter word, “How…”

w Learning to really listen to what eachshopper is saying.

w Asking questions until you have anunderstanding of individual wants andneeds.

w Making individual tennis lifestyle sug-gestions representing want and needsolutions.

w Presenting lifestyle solutions as “bun-dles” (including balls and lessons with aracquet).

w Capturing shopper and customer “opt-in” contact information.

Educating Your StaffIf you employ staff you will have totranslate your customer-focus state ofmind to both educating and consistentlymanaging for satisfying shopping experi-ences every time. There is a nominalcost, primarily in regular staff education

hen it comes to your tennisretail business, is it about the“product,” or is it about the

“experience”? Tennis products are important…

right? Sure they are, and there is noquestion that a racquet well selected,with the right grip and strung properly,is an important part of any tennis play-er’s game. But the process of selectingand purchasing the right racquet as partof a tennis lifestyle shopping “experi-ence” with your store brand, that is, asthe commercial says, “Priceless!”

What we are talking about here is thesimple and cost-effective change in yourspecialty tennis retail store operationsfrom being product-focused to being cus-tomer-focused to deliver an extraordi-nary retail shopping experience everytime.

Confused about the differencebetween being product-focused and cus-tomer-focused? When a shopper entersyour store and you engage them, youstart by asking, “How can I help you?”When they respond that they are lookingfor a new tennis racquet, do you point toyour display then start to tell themeverything you know about the productsyou stock, or what racquets are on sale?Or, do you take a more customer-focused approach and ask a series of fol-low-up questions to find out what theywant from a new racquet, and whatimprovement they expect a new frameto make in their game?

Being product-focused got you by inthe past—but it doesn’t work today. Intoday’s consumer-driven marketplace,where shoppers have instant access toall the knowledge they will ever want orneed about the name-brand productsyou stock, being product-focused invitesprice comparisons, requests to pricematch and showrooming. If you are hav-ing problems with any of these, or simi-lar issues, they are the symptoms ofbeing product-focused and you can

W


This is part of aseries of retail tipspresented by the Ten-nis Industry Associa-

tion and written by the Gluskin TownleyGroup (www.gluskintownleygroup.com).

For upcoming TIA retail webinars,and to view previous webinars, visitTennisIndustry.org/webinars.

In Today’s Retail World, YouNeed to Be Consumer-Focused

if you are not already conducting regu-lar education sessions, and for onlinecustomer-service assessments.

One of the reasons 80 percent ofcompanies believe they deliver superiorcustomer experience, yet only 8 percentof their customers agree, is because thecompanies are putting employees whoare not hardwired to serve in front ofthe public, causing a huge amount ofstress on the employees—and both lostsales and dissatisfied shoppers for thecompanies. The solution is a relativelylow-cost online customer-service assess-ment that lets you know if the employ-ee is a customer-service natural who isalready educated, or can be educated—or if he or she should not be attemptingto serve your store’s shoppers and customers.

There is also a technical aspect tomaking the change to being consumer-focused, and that is being able to mea-sure your success by the sales gaingenerated from individual customers.This can be accomplished throughpoint-of-sale systems that are nowaffordable for all sizes of specialty ten-nis retailers.

Being product-focused isn’t workingfor specialty retailers today because itinvites price comparisons, price match-ing and showrooming right through thefront door. Rather than just complainand struggle, become consumer-focused. It’s a solution that will help youdeliver consistently satisfying shoppingexperiences and grow your specialtytennis retail business. w


Pioneers In Tennis


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

2007 when Hamilton’s health declined.“My mother was a forward-thinkingvisionary who ran the Easter Bowl like apro tournament,” says Fineberg, whowas director for six years. “She had notolerance for injustice, and she’d lose hertemper, but she did a lot for a lot of peo-ple over the years.”In fact, Robert Kenas credits Hamilton

with his start in tennis photography.While on vacation, he was casually tak-ing photographs at Easter Bowl matchesin 1984 when she encouraged him toshoot junior players because theyreceived such little coverage. For thenext five years, Kenas became a leadingsource of junior photos for World Tennisand other publications. With Hamilton’scoaching, he shot a portrait of her withArthur Ashe at an Easter Bowl press con-ference (inset, above), which she saidwas her favorite photo ever taken.Kenas says Hamilton has never got-

ten enough credit for her many and var-ied contributions to the junior game, norto so many of the people whose careersshe helped along the way. “Seena is avery unique person—smart, creative, per-ceptive and always candid, sometimes toher own detriment,” says Kenas. “Shepaved the way for what junior tennis hasbecome.”Marylynn Baker, a USTA referee who

ran the tournament desk at the EasterBowl for 34 years, says she would neverhave gone on to officiate at the US Open,Wimbledon and Olympic Games inAtlanta and Barcelona without Hamil-ton’s hands-on training. “She wasdemanding of her staff, and not an easywoman to work with at times, but I sawhow she mentored the young people, thehours she put in and how hard sheworked,” says Baker.“I always said you’ll never meet a

more passionate and caring person thanSeena,” she adds. “I owe so much toSeena. Many of us do.” ◗

ber of players the motivation and opportu-nity to excel and appreciate tennis.”Now at dual sites in Palm Desert and

Rancho Mirage, Calif., the Easter Bowlremains the only national championshipfeaturing three age divisions: boys’ andgirls’ 18s, 16s and 14s. In all, 768 playersfrom 40 states, plus their family membersand coaches, congregate every April forwhat has been called the Super Bowl ofjunior tennis.Now 89 years old and suffering from

Alzheimer’s disease, Hamilton remainsadmired for her innovations and contribu-tions that put junior tennis on the map. A former journalist and radio personali-

ty, she incorporated events like roundtablediscussions to generate national press cov-erage, while negotiating hotel discountsand high-profile sponsorships. She pio-neered surveys and symposiums thataddressed injuries, fitness, nutrition,sports psychology, home schooling, col-lege tennis and the pro tour. Hamiltonwas also determined to make the EasterBowl a lot of fun, selecting family-orientedresorts and hosting a welcome reception,player dinner with DJ and free lunches.Fineberg, a former tour player, took

over as director of the Easter Bowl in

eena Hamilton didn’t knowhow to read a draw sheet whenher son, Bryan Fineberg,

became a top-ranked junior in the 12-and-under Eastern division in 1968.But that didn’t stop her from address-ing his lack of local playing opportuni-ties by founding the Easter BowlJunior Tennis Championships thatyear at the Midtown Tennis Club inher native New York City. While Hamilton’s outspoken

nature and passion for promotion hasmade her a controversial figure overthe years, her impact on junior tennisis above reproach. In its inauguralyear, the Easter Bowl drew 100juniors, such as Jimmy Connors,Harold Solomon and Dick Stockton,from 20 states. Since that time, nearlyevery top U.S. tennis player has compet-ed at the now designated USTA NationalSpring Championship, including PeteSampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier,Andy Roddick, John McEnroe, LindsayDavenport, Jennifer Capriati and TracyAustin.Mary Joe Fernandez, a former Top 5

pro who now commentates for ESPN,says the tournament has always beenspecial to her. “Seena was Miss EasterBowl, the face of the tournament forme,” says Fernandez. “She had a lot ofpassion for the game, and gave back aton by promoting the sport as much aspossible.”Tennis Channel analyst Justin Gimel-

stob won the Easter Bowl 14s and 16s,but fell just short in his bid for the 18stitle in 1994. Even as a teenager, he sayshe recognized that Hamilton’s “energyand passion for kids in tennis wereunmatched.”“Seena is iconic in junior tennis,” he

adds. “Her spirit, conviction, self-beliefand sheer will created one of the greatestand most prestigious traditions in juniortennis. She gave an unimaginable num-

SB Y C I N D Y C A N T R E L L

Seena Hamilton: Champion of Junior Tennis

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Tennis Media

learning the game is now easier thanever using tennis equipment and courtsthat are sized right for children. A specialpress event at last year’s Open highlight-ed the many facilities and events nation-wide designed to get kids active andfight childhood obesity, generating sto-ries to help the game grow. In addition,the US Open provides a natural platformto educate fans about ongoing efforts byUSTA Player Development to improveAmerican tennis at the highest level.

“From player interviews, to pressmaterials, to information packets to thebroadcasters, we can tell all these storiesthrough the US Open,” Haggerty adds.

Cindy Shmerler, a writer and broad-caster who will be covering her 35thconsecutive US Open this year, callsAmerica’s Grand Slam the “cornerstoneand most visible representation of tennisin the U.S.” The result, she says, is afinancial boon for the sport and the NewYork City area.

“That can’t help but have a trickle-down effect for the recreational game,as people who watch the Open on televi-sion are far more likely to want to go outand play at their local club or park,” shesays. “Parents see the health benefits,not to mention the potential for keepingtheir kids occupied and out of trouble,college scholarships and even future procareers, and they will spend the moneyfor lessons and become their kids’

ith more than 700,000 fans,the US Open is the highestattended annual sporting

event in the world. In fact, the tourna-ment regularly breaks its own atten-dance, website traffic and televisionviewership records from year to year.

Yet while the number of newspaper,magazine and online articles disseminat-ed worldwide are incalculable, their ori-gin is the same: the media center withinArthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA BillieJean King National Tennis Center, locat-ed within Flushing Meadows-CoronaPark in Queens, N.Y., just a short tripfrom Manhattan.

According to USTA President DavidHaggerty, the organization supportsabout 1,500 credentialed members ofthe media from 60 countries in produc-ing around-the-clock coverage through-out the two weeks of the Open.

“The US Open is one of the world’spremiere sporting events, which pro-vides the USTA with an unparalleledplatform to promote our most importanttennis initiatives in the United Statesand around the globe,” he says. “Expo-sure extends beyond the tournamentitself, to include broader coverage of allwe do to benefit communities across thecountry.”

For example, youth tennis demon-strations held during the tournamentshowcase to families and the media how

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Media PlayersThe US Open is a boon to recreational tennis growth, thanks toextensive press coverage, facilitated by the USTA.

biggest fans. It doesn’t get much betterthan that.”

Joel Drucker, who has covered the USOpen for a variety of print and broadcastoutlets since 1978, agrees that mediacoverage generates fan interest. “It’s fas-cinating also to see how recreationalplayers can get inspired to play more byall the great stories that emerge from theUS Open,” he says.

Media and fans have the luxury ofrarely suspecting the tireless preparationthat has taken place long before the firstkey is struck on a journalist’s laptop. Inher role as manager of USTA CorporateCommunications, Jeanmarie Daly over-sees the state-of-the-art media facilitiesand working conditions so members ofthe international press can perform theirjobs at the highest level.

“A lot that goes on behind the scenesisn’t enviable,” says Daly, who will workher 12th US Open from Aug. 26-Sept. 9,“but it’s still rewarding.”

By March, Daly is already preparingfor the late summer tournament. One ofher first tasks is updating the previousmedia credential application, which wasmade available this year on April 15. Thedocument assists her in tracking thetotal number of print, online, radio andbroadcast journalists and photographers,along with their respective requirementsin terms of discounted hotel reserva-tions, parking, workstations, lockers,

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Media PlayersThe US Open is a boon to recreational tennis growth, thanks toextensive press coverage, facilitated by the USTA.

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meal allowances, tickets and technicalrequirements.

During the tournament, complimen-tary wi-fi is available in both mediawork rooms, and each of the 347 work-stations also is equipped with a high-speed ethernet connection andtelevision hookup to a sophisticated sur-veillance system that monitors thecourts and interview rooms. Throughoutthe Open, virtually from dawn to wellinto the night, USTA communicationsstaff continually updates the media bothvia email and by producing and distrib-uting all types of press releases, inter-view transcripts and informationalsheets.

Another challenging aspect is feedingthe 700 to 1,100 media who passthrough the grounds each day. Themedia dining room in the media centeris open from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., withspecial emphasis placed on variety andthe eclectic tastes of an internationalclientele. Members of the media can

also dine at the US Open food vil-lage.

Although Daly’s role is primarilybehind-the-scenes, she can occasion-ally catch a few minutes of a matchon Arthur Ashe Stadium while check-ing on the photographer pit. Asidefrom the actual tournament, whichshe calls a “fantastic event to be partof,” her best memories are getting toknow tennis legends such as Hall ofFame photographer Russ Adams,whom Billie Jean King has called a“national treasure.”

“My responsibilities have grownthrough the years, but I still reallyenjoy what I do and the people Iwork with,” says Daly, noting herappreciation for the contributions ofcolleagues including Corporate Com-munications Managing Director ChrisWidmaier and Director Tim Curry.

“I like to think we’ve built aworld-class media center here,” sheadds. “I take a lot of pride in that.” w

PlayTennis.com 1S unique among sports websites. It's an unprecedented. collaborative effort from all the major stakeholders in the tennis industry. all with one

simple. common goal to get more people to play tennis. "We see PlayTennis.com as a rallying point for tennis

and For the industry." says Greg Mason. president of the Tennis Industry Association. "This is something all of us in this industry can agree on and support. We all can send the message to consumers that PlayTennis.com is where they'll Fmd all they need to get jnro the game and play more tennis. This will help grow the game for the benefit of everyone."

As a one-stop portal For all things tennis, the newly re-launched PlayTennis.com site has the support of industry manufacturers. retailers. facilities. the USTA. teaching pro organizations. the pro tennis tours and many more companies and organizations. Directing consumers and fans ro rhe sire-including through messaging on tennis ball cans and racquet and product hang rags

provides the opportunlly For a single, unified message from all corners of the industry: "Play tennis!"

Managed by the TIA, PlayTennis.com is completely free to use-for both consumers and rennis providers. The site is designed to provide a central source for consumerfriendly and easy-to-use search functions focused on finding information about tennis. Consumers can search for places to play and programs. find coaches and retailers, see the latest equipment, view instructional videos, and stay connected on the community page. Providers list their programs, location

and other information. so consumers can search for and find them.

"Beginning later this summer we will stan rhe roll out of an all-new, upgraded player-marching rool ... says TIA Executive Director jolyn de Boer. "In TIA participation surveys. we ftnd that one of the biggest barriers to playing tennis is finding someone to play with. Our new playermatch tool on PlayTennis.com will make that much easier."

The player-matching tool will allow consumers to sign up on the site. then directly connect with others to

play with. including through text messaging. Plus, PlayTennis.com will create a personal

"dashboard" that will allow consumers to manage their tennis-playing lifestyle, such as their favorite Facilities, retailers. previous matches and more.

The TIA will also be promoting

contests on the site to encourage player sign-ups, including monthly drawings for

autographed racquets and other prizes supplied by TIA members and partners. and a grand prize

rrip to rhe US Open. "PiayTennis.com will continue to evolve as we monitor

how consumers are interacting and engaging with the sire. so we can serve the best interest of growing tennis overall. and in return, the economy of our industry," adds de Boer. An

important aspect to the site is that it is "unbranded"- visitors won't find messages and marketing for particular companies. The message PlayTennis.com seeks to convey is to simply get more people playing tennis. and playing more often.

..

··playTennis.com will serve as a great tool to promote industry-wide efforts, such as Youth Tennis, Cardio Tennis and the new Tennis Tune-Up campaign," Mason says. "We're committed to this site becoming THE source to connect people to the game of tennis, to each other and to the resources to get them more engaged with our sport.

"A key to growing the $5.57 billion tennis industry starts with increasmg the size of the player base, and that's what PlayTennis.com will do for all of us." he says. 'Tve worked in other sports before tennis. and am in touch with many of my colleagues in other sports, and this son of collaboration and cooperation to grow the overall industry is truly unique. we often say a rising tide lifts all boats. PlayTennis.com is a great example of the unity we have to lift the entire industry."

What They're Saying About PlayTennis.com Dave Haggerry, Chairman of the Board. President and CEO, U.S. Tennis Association: "As a single source for information about tennis. how to get in the game. and how 10 play more frequently. PlayTennis.com is unique 1n this mdustry. It's a website that can be supponed and promoted by all industry stakeholders and will help to grow miuatives and programs. mcludmg 10 and Under Tennis and Youth Tennis. and will help to create more frequent players.··

jon Muir. Worldwide General Manager, Wilson Racquet Sports. Former TIA President: "As an Industry. we wanr this robe a site ro which everyone rnvolvcd in tennis can pomt players. and porenrial players. The name- PiayTenms.com-is easy 10 remember. and it says exactly what we wam people to do: Play tennis!"

David Egdes, Senior Vice President, Tennis Channel: " fans and players will appreciate the v1deos and instruction segments we supply ro PlayTennis.com. and we look forward to continuing 10

help promote the site ...

jeff Williams, Group Publisher, The Tennis Media Company (fennis.com!Tennis Magazineffennis 15·30): "Having Tennis. com and rennis magazine product and gear reviews available for visirors ro PlayTennls.com will help players and those lool~ing to get into tennis lind what will worl~ best for them ...

Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO, WTA: "When visitors go to PlayTennis.com. they get turned on to the spon in so many waysas a fan. as a player. as a parent. as a tennis provider. we·re excited to be a pan of this industry·wide effort to help grow the sport at every level."

Dan Santorum, CEO. Professional Tennis Registry (PTR): "The 'find a Pro· search function on PlayTennis.com is easy ro use for players looking to improve their tennis. and we encourage ail PTR pros to make sure they go through the simple and free registration so they are hsted on the sne ...

john Embree, CEO, U.S. Professional Tennis Association (USPTA): ''If you're looking to play tennis, or play more tennis, then PlayTennis.com is the right place to be. it's easy to lind USPTA pros through the site's search function. Helping players lind quali ty tennis instruction quickly and easily will help grow this sport."

David Bone, Executive Director. U.S. Racquet Stringers Association (USRSA): "One of the initiatives driven by PlayTennis. com is a Tenn1s Tune-up· campa1gn. which the USRSA is happy to be a parr of. Through the website, players can easily lind USRSA Certified Stringers and Master Racquet Technicians.··

Tennis Providers: Don't Miss Out on Business! v\'1ch unprecedenced support commmed from all pans of che mdustry to message PlayTenn1s.corn to consumers. and w1ch a potential consumer reach well imo che m1llions. ic 1s more unportant than ever for tenn1s providers to make sure chey·re llsced 1n the search functions on the sire.

Getting listed IS s1mple and free. and can help reap benefits for tenn1s busmesses. To get listed. facilities. retailers. teach1ng pros. etc should visit PlayTennis.com and click on "Get Listed" and then "Providers ... Providers should also mal\e sure the1r consumer contacts are listed on the sne. too. play l e, 1 1s.co To learn m ore about PlayTennis.com and how it's being used to grow the game, visit the site or contact the TIA at (888) 556- 1221 or [email protected].

Join the 'Tennis Tune-Up' Campaign Now

T up Y"'" eq pment...and your game

Accompanying the recent re-launch of PlayTennis.com was rhe imroducrion of a ''Tennis Tune-Up" campaign. which has support from retailers. manufacrurers. and rhe USRSA. The goal of the campaign is rwo-fold: Firsr. to help educare consumers on the need ro be properly fir for tennis equipmenr and ro resrring their racquets on a regular basis, and second. ro drive customers to rennis rerail outlers and Certified Stri ngers and MRTs for expert advice.

"Consumers benefit from knowledgeable retai lers and racquet technicians to help them choose the frame and

string thar besr suirs their game and style of play. and who can help rhem determ ine when their racquet needs to be serviced." says TIA Executive Director jolyn de Boer.

To help consumers find retai lers who participate in rhe "Tennis TUne-Up" effort. rhe TIA has developed an incegrared search function for USRSA Certified Srringers and Masrer Racquet Technicians on the PlayTennis.com "Find·A·Rerailer" search. "This will help drive business to rhe rhousands of USRSA Certified Stringers and Master Racquet Technicians in the U.S .. " says Dave Bone, executive director of rhe U.S. Racquet Stringers Association.

The TIA also is working with the USRSA. industry manufacturers. and members of its TIA Retail Division to

develop collateral material that tennis rerailers and Certified Stringers and Master Racquer Technicians can use in the promotion and delivery of the Tune-Up campaign.

Rerailers who want to participate in the campaign and be a pan of PlayTennis.com should make sure they're listed on the PlayTennis.com retail locator, or that their listing is up to date. To learn more about the Tennis Tune-Up campaign. visit PlayTennis.com.


Q4 isn’t usually a time for introductions, but there will be somenew product and promotions as the year winds down.B Y K E N T O S W A L D

The key word for strings and racquets for the remainder ofthe year will be “more.” Each year discussions take placeon court and in stores over the promise of more power

behind shots, more spin to keep shots within the lines, and morecontrol of the vibrations caused when ball hits strings. Beginningthis summer the Tennis Industry Association will be promotingthe Tennis Tune-Up campaign (visit PlayTennis.com) and encour-aging players to have more of those discussions with the peoplewho really know strings and racquets.Education is a key to improving everyone’s game, in addition

to growing business at the retail level. While individual brands areattempting to connect racquet purchases directly to their ownstring, there is hope throughout the industry that Tune-Up conver-sations will inspire more string and racquet sales. Initially, the emphasis of the Tennis Tune-Up campaign will be

on strings and, hopefully, consumers will come to understand, asWilson Tennis Hardgoods Marketing Manager Tracy Almeda-Sin-gian explains, “Just like optimal tires and tire pressure allow a carto perform its best—in terms of safety, handling, better fuel effi-ciency, etc.—string performance and tension are vital to the per-formance of a racquet. Older strings can become brittle, whichaffects power, comfort, control, spin, and durability.”

The story of improved technology is not always gettingthrough. “The string market has continued to evolve tremendous-ly in recent years and with the introduction of various shaped anddifferently constructed co-polyester strings, the biggest challengeis developing a product that is both spin-friendly, easy to string,soft and durable simultaneously,” offers Genesis Managing Direc-tor Mitchell Lvovsky. However, all the evolution isn’t yet growingthe string business fast enough.“The most daunting challenge,” says Tourna’s Kevin Niksich,

“is getting noticed in an oversaturated string market. It’s tough toconvince a retailer to add yet another string and it’s tough to getconsumers to notice there are many great choices out there.” Rather than have more slices being taken from the same rev-

enue pie, it is hoped that greater education will result in morestring jobs, which will benefit players—allowing them to get morefrom their games—and the industry.New technology. New products. New messaging. And increas-

ingly focused efforts to explain why certain types of strings makebetter marriages with specific styles of racquets. They should allbe part of the Tune-Up conversations and should add up to moreopportunities for more players to improve their games, and formore stringers and retailers to increase sales.w

The arT Of‘MOre’The arT Of‘MOre’

ashawaYAshaway has arranged a heavy advertising flight for itsMonoGut ZX polyketone monofilament strings. The roll out ofthese no-polyester high-end strings is scheduled to continueinto 2014 with increasing marketing and promotional supportalong with the introduction of ZX hybrids. ashawayusa.com • 800-556-7260

princePrince will begin a big push this fall, building momentum tobe carried through 2014 when the company will haverefreshed its racquet line and produced a line of strings

On Tap fOr Year-endWhile the calendar’s final quarter is not usually a time of introductions, in addition to the wide range of racquets and strings thatalready have established their territory, there will be new products and promotions to talk about.


N E W R A C Q U E T S & S T R I N G S

designed and marketed to enhance the new sticks’benefits and performance.The first of two racquet collections being

unveiled are those featuring the ESP (extreme stringpattern) technology, which was developed as a com-plement to the company’s EXO3 technology. Tohelp retailers sell the Prince story, the ESPs aregrouped in Premier (shorter, slower strokes), War-rior (moderate to full strokes) and Tour (longer,faster strokes) segments. Racquets making theirdebut include the Premier 115L ESP and 105 ESP,the Warrior 100 and 100L ESP, and Tour 98 ESPand 100T ESP. The second of the two collections, “The Clas-

sics,” will provide players with comfortable hittingand something of a “retro” feel as the companyleverages its history to bring forth The ClassicGraphite 97, 100, 100 Longbody and 107. Addition-al models for both collections are scheduled for roll-out in the new year. The string line is receiving new packaging and is

also being segmented in a way—by designation as a“Premier,” “Warrior” and “Tour” and further identi-fied as either a “touch,” “power,” or “control”string—that should further establish the linkbetween Prince racquets and strings.princetennis.com • 800-283-6647

TOurnaLater in the fall, Tourna will roll out advertising andseeding sets for its Quasi Gut Armor, a moredurable multifilament version of Quasi Gut. In addi-tion to working well on its own, the expectation isfor the string to work with the new generation ofshaped and sharp poly’s while still softening thestringbed.uniquesports.us • 800-554-3707

VOlklPushing the promote-ability envelope with a nameto attract attention, Volkl is adding Psycho Hybridstring to its line, combining the multi-fiber PowerFiber II and its gut-like feel with the twisted co-poly-mer Cyclone and its 20 sides for bite on the ball.The company also be showcasing the new OrganixVI racquet, with a 110-square-inch head and the BioSensor Handle system, all in service of creating acomfortable hitting experience.vb-tennis.com • 858-626-2720

wilsOnThis fall, Wilson will be spinning a tale of spin. Thetheme is Spin Effect Technology. For the racquets,this includes a signature feature of fewer crossesthan mains. The newest entry in the line is the pow-erful Blade 98S, which is optimized with a lighterweight/balance and 18x16 string pattern to producemore spin and a heavier ball. Additionally, the com-pany will be highlighting its new monofilament, theco-poly RipSpin, which has an ultra low-friction sur-face designed to generate a high degree of spin, butin a durable and comfortable string.wilson.com • 773-714-6400

More coming attractionsDunlop (dunlop.com, 800-768-4727 ) and Genesis(genesis-tennis.com, 888-750-1011) will be announc-ing the details of new products they’re rolling outfor 2014 later in the fall.

Solinco (solincosports.com, 310-922-7775) reportsthat it has a brand extension in the works for its lineof strings.

Tecnifibre (tecnifibre.com, 877-332-0825), finishingoff the first year in its new five-year racquet, string,bag and accessories partnership with the ATP, hasits sights set on a January 2014 introduction.

September/October RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 27 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

For decades, tennis has been an important part of the Imporrantly, notes former tennis industry executive Doug

U.S. sports industry landscape and a key segment of Fonte, in the m id- I 980s the ATI F primarily was supported by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, which coun equipment manufacturers. Buc as it became clear the

was founded in 1906 in New York City by six sporting goods tennis boom had fizz led out, other forces were influencing the manufacturers. In Fact, it was che SGMA (now called the industry and would become factors in the formation and path Sports & Fitness Industry Association) that officially created that eventually led to the current TIA. A key group at the time

the forerunners of the Tennis Industry Association . In 1931, was the USTA's Tennis Industry Council, for which Fonte, who the SGMA began developing sports specialty organizations. worked for Penn at that time, served as a chairman . and one of the earl iest was the Tennis Racket Association,

which later was called the Tennis Manufacturers Association. "Spirit of Sarasota" The current TIA can be traced directly ro the Tennis The USTA Tennis Industry Council was formed in 1986 and

Foundation of North America, which was created by rhe SGMA in June 1974. The TFNA was formed "to effectively

coordinate efforts to promote the growth of recreational tennis," according to an SGMA repon ar the rime, and it was headquartered with the SGMA in North Palm Beach .

Fla. The TFNA later merged with the Ten nis Manufacturers Associat ion , then changed irs name w the American Tennis Industry Federation (ATIF) , which established a formal

allegiance wi th the SGMA in 1982 . In January 1993, the ATIF changed its name to the Tennis Industry Association. which

remains a member organization of the SFIA.

included a cross-section of vested interests, including tennis manufacturers, publications, rournament d irectors, TV

executives, player unions, agents, and other tennis officials. The TIC's job, wrote Tennis Week publisher Eugene Scott at the time, was "to explore ways to breathe new life back into

a sport perceived by many to be functioning on one lung." Led by Fonte. the TIC organized a two-day gathering

in florida in early 1987. dubbed [he "Spirit of Sarasota"

meet ing. "That was a turning point for this industry," says tennis media veteran j eff Williams, group publisher of

Tennis.com and Tennis magazine.

TIA Presidents and Chairmen Throughout the Years


At the SarasQ[a meeting. the many companies and organizations in tennis, which normally went after each other for marl~et share, decided they needed w work together to

save an industry that now was foundering. It's that same

spiri t of cooperation among industry stakeholders that is so important in growing the sport today. and why the tennis industry is unique among other sports industries.

Meanwhile. the ATIF was making its own headway under its president, Bob Montenegro, who was the president of Babolat at the time. (Montenegro's late father, Walter, played

an influential role in the development of the tennis industry from the 1930s into the 1990s.)

"Every maj or compa ny was involved in some way,'' Bob Montenegro says of the ATlF in the mid- 1980s. "One of the things we worked on back then, and that the TIA is still

reaping the benefits from, is getting companies to provide quarterly dara on what they were selling- racquets, strings.

needed all the influential people and groups involved." Another challenge was trying to get money behind the

effort. The SGMA helped greatly in this regard. When The Super Show was created in 1986, there were actually eight different show elements, including The Tennis Show, within the main event. Each of the different industries received a cut

of the overall net excess proceeds based on the size of their part of The Super Show. That money went w the industry groups, including the ATIF (later the TIA).

The Super Show also was pivotal for the tennis industry in

another way- it served as the rally ing point for the industry. At the first TIA Forum, held at The Super Show in Atlanta in February 1993, the leadership of the TIA began to campaign for a unified industry-wide effort to build tennis participation.

Of course, the USTA was (and still is) instrumental in helping to fund the TIA's efforts. In the m id-1990s, the TIA, which moved from Florida to irs current Hilton Head Island,

balls, shoes. It helped everyone to know what their market share was and what they needed to do."

Today, industry research remains a cornerstone for the TIA.

While the 1987 Spiri t of Sarasota meeting laid the groundwork for the overall industry cooperation that followed. over the

'We're all about the economy of the game: says TIA President

Greg Mason. 'Overall, our charge is to continue to offer

opportunities to grow revenue.'

S C., headquarters. also starred an "assessment" program whereby tennis manufacturers contributed to the TIA based on

a percentage of their sales, which was anQ[her unique aspect to

industry growth that wasn't seen in other sports at the time.

next few years the TIC ran up against its own challenges. After developing a plan to grow the game, supported 50% by the USTA and 50% by TIC members. the USTA pulled out of the plan-an action that, in hindsight, helped push the development of the present-day TIA.

"At that point, as the three-term chairman of the TIC, I

suggested we re-form as an industry association, in the mode that the TIA operates in roday," Fonte says. That helped accelerate the agenda of the ATIF (the TIA's direct forebear), and Fonte suggested that Matt Dingman of

Penn becom e the firs t chairman of the newly chr istened Tennis Industry Association.

Super Show Influence The key in the early 1990s. says Dingman, "was making sure the TIA was totally represented across the board with all aspects of the sport, nor just the manufacturers. We


"This was another key moment in the industry," Williams says. "Once the assessment

program started, we were able to work aggressively w ith the USTA and other organizations tO grow the sport."

"What I call the 'formative years' of the TIA were around 1995 w '97," says Kurt Kamperman, the current chief executive of Community Tennis for the USTA, who back then was the tennis d irector at Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island.

Kamperman was hired as a consultant to the TIA in 1995, and he and Jim Baugh helped get the assessment program

going and started working on ideas to get more people playing tennis.

"We had a handful of companies carrying a heavy load," says Kamperman, who became TIA president in 1997, leaving in 2003 tO join the USTA "Wilson was the marl~et

leader, and jim, as president of Wilson and of the TIA, was really putting his money where his mouth was, investing big dollars w ith the TIA."


Fueling a Turnaround "When Sports Tllustrated came our with rhe ' ls Tennis Dying?'

story in May 1994, that really lit a ftre under all industry

leaders to rurn this around." says Baugh. who was TIA

president from 1994 ro 1997. then again from 2003 ro 2006.

rr was during his second slim as president char Baugh

oversaw rhe forma cion of the Tennis Welcome Center initiative

and drove the creation of the highly successful Cardio Tennis

program. "There is no organization that is closer co the

grassroots than the TIA," Baugh notes. "lr goes right from

the TIA, to manufacturers, to America. The closer we ger to

America and to the player, the better chis industry is."

Dave Haggerty. currently rhe USTA chairman of the

economy; increasing the TIA's role as the major source for

tennis research; increasing awareness and advocacy for tennis

through communications and positioning; and unifying the

industry under one brand: TENNIS. Also on Muir's watch, and

working closely with Executive Direcmr Jolyn de Boer, the TIA

established long-term corporate governance, set up rhe TIA

Retailer Division platform. developed the annual Stare of the

Industry report and expanded and improved research efforts

across the industry. And importantly. the TIA helped lay the

foundation for PlayTennis.com.

Current TIA President Greg Mason of HEAD Penn Racquet

Sports continues w focus the strategic vision. including the

all-important goal of increasing the frequent player segment.

"We're all about rhe economy of the game," board and president, followed Baugh as TIA

president, from 2007 ro 2008 "The TIA has

always been a group char's wanted co make

sure it was rhe conscience of tennis." Haggerty

says. "I think what's viral is co make sure all rhe

key manufacturers and organizations are at the

table. Every company goes through a change ar

~ -. he says. "Overall, our charge is to continue

............... w offer opportunities w grow revenue, and

• ~ that means doing what we can w support

TENNIS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION initiatives to get more people playing more often and ro create frequent players, including

times. bur whar doesn't change is the need for the industry

co be rogerher. co have one voice."

In rhe lase few years. rhe TIA has continued co focus on consumer growth, but with an increased focus on frequent

consumers vs. general participation. ''I tried ro shift gears

co clarify our focus on the frequent player base, which is

so important ro rhe growth and susrainabiliry of rhe tennis

economy." says jon Muir, rhe worldwide general manager

for Wilson Racquet Spores. who served as TIA president from

2009 ro 2012. ''lr is imporrant ro have the TIA as an industry

platform that can support growth of the various revenue

srreams and stakeholders rhar make up the industry. and co serve as a strong communications vehicle w drive our smry ro

an even broader consumer base."

Under Muir. the TIA reftned irs long-rerm strategic

vision that includes four l~ey platforms: growth of the tennis

TIA Board of Directors adidas Dave Malinowski

American Sports Builders Assn. Fred Stringfellow

ATP World Tour Linda Cla rl~

Sabol at Eric Babolat

Dunlop Kai Nitsche

HEAD/Penn Greg Mason (TIA President)

Int'l. Health, Racquet&. Sportsclub Assn. Meredith Poppler

International Management Group Kevin Callanan

International Tennis Federation Dave Miley

International Tennis Hall of Fame Marl~ Stenning


a key focus on the PlayTennis.com platform.

That will grow the tennis economy for everyone. I have major

goals for PlayTennis.com and how the entire industry and

our spore can beneftt from this simple message to play more tennis."

"TIA's mission to 'promote the growth of tennis and the

economic vitality of the industry' is deeply ingrained with all those who lead the TIA and all those who served on the board,

past and present," says de Boer. who has been deeply involved with the TIA since the mid- 1990s, becoming executive director

in 2003 . "TIA is a remarkable collaboration of the stakeholders

in the industry who truly recognize the important role rhe TIA

needs to play. where the only important brand is TENNIS.

"This industry owes a lor to the leaders who helped shape and evolve the current-day TIA," de Boer adds. "We're excited

about our future direction, the business of tennis, and the

opportunities that lie ahead for this sport.''

Prince Global Sports Mike Ballardie

Professional Tennis Registry Dan Santorum

Sports &. Fitness Industry Assn. Tom Cove

Tennis Channel David Egdes

Tennis Magazine jeff Wil liams

United States Professional Tennis Assn. john Embree

United States Racquet Stringers Assn . Dave Bone

United States Tennis Assn. Kurt Kamperman

Wilson Sporting Goods Jon Muir

Women's Ten nis Assn. Stacey Allaster

World TeamTenn is Ilana Kloss


2013 Tennis Industry Hall of Fame

This year, three leaders will be added to the Tennis Industry Hall of FameSheldon Westervelt, Howard R. Gill Jr., and Walter Montenegro. They join previous inductees Howard Head (2008), Dennis Van der Meer (2008), Alan Schwartz (2009), Billie jean King (2010) and Nick Bollettieri (2011). Plaques

of Tennis Industry Hall of Fame inductees are on permanent display at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.

Sheldon Westervelt In 1964. professional engineer

Sheldon Westervelt and a group of

colleagues decided there should

be a trade association w ith the

goal of improving the quality of

tennis court construction. So they

started the U.S. Tennis Court &

Track Builders Association, and

Westervelt became the fi rst chairman. Nearly 50 years later,

the organization they created- now called the American

Sports Builders Association (ASBA)-encompasses a

wide range of professionals in the athletic facili ty design,

construction and supply industries and includes educational

sessions. certificat ion programs. construction manuals and

guidelines, and more.

Howard R. Gill Jr. Howard Gill, or "Howie" as he was known in the industry, was publisher of Tennis magazine from 1976 ro

1985. and very active in helping to move the tennis industry to new heights. capitalizing on the " tennis boom" rhat was occurring at the rime. In 1988, in recognition of all he did ro help grow the spon and the industry, and in bringing tenn is manufacturers and organizations together, Gill was named an honorary lifetime member of the TIA.

Bur Gill had a first love. and that was golf- he cofounded the popular magazine Golf Digest in 1950, with two

friends who had all gone ro high school together in Chicago then to Northwestern Universi ty. The three alternately took turns as editor, chief ad salesman and business manager for

the fledgling gol f publicacion. but Gill was the entrepreneur and face of the magazine; he could w in over any advertiser or stubborn golf pro .

~ Eventually, both Golf Digest and Tennis magazine 3 cam e under the same corporate umbrella. and Gill became ! actively involved in the tennis industry, where his s l~il l at

~ finding consensus served tennis well. When he retired in § 1988, he not only continued to enj oy tennis, golf and ski ing,

{ but he took up polo, tap dancing and sculpture. "Howard <3 was a good writer, a good salesman, a good athlete, a good 1:' ~ sport and a great friend," said a former colleague. He died ~ in July 1996 at age 73 .


Westervelt sti ll puts in time as a consultant wi th Global

Spores & Tennis Design Group and remains a l~ey player in the industry, having overseen the design and construction of

nearly 7.000 tennis projects around the world and winning numerous design awards. He has served on the faculty of many athletic and sports conferences and has been a USTA volunteer for more than 40 years. Westervel t has also

worked w ith the ITF and, in 1994. he was honored wi th a life membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers. In 20 10, the ASBA honored its founders and charter members,

including Westervel t, with the Industry Merit Award. ASBA's

highest honor. Long a driving force in the tennis industry- whether as

a founding father of the ASBA. working to refine methods for building courts in the 1960s and '70s. or as a principal

in one of the world's foremost tennis design companiesWestervel t has been a visionary leader.

Walter Montenegro Tennis and racquet sports industry innovator Wal ter Montenegro was 100 years old when he died in November 2009. A beloved figure

wi thin the tennis industry for many years, Montenegro was born in I 909 in San Jose, Costa Rica. As a 20-yearold, he began stringing racquets for $ 1.75 a fra me. ''I became infatuated with the idea of stringing racquets." he once said. "Tool~ it up as a hobby and eventually went into the business."

Montenegro had earned an accounting degree from the University of Buenos Aires and emigrated to the U.S. in his early 20s. He started Walter's Tennis Service out of his home in Brooklyn, N.Y., then in 1939 purchased

the st ruggling Cragin-Simplex Corp., eventually opening a 60,000-square-foot racquet factory in North Attleboro, Mass., and building the company by "giving value. service and quali ty.·· Montenegro's company also imported and distributed Babolat strings and, among other endeavors, developed a squash ball for summer play that changed the game to a year-round spon.

In 1983, the TIA named him an honorary lifetime

member. Among his many honors are the 1985 induction

into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame and coverage of his achievements in a Sports Illustrated article by George Plimpton. He j oined the USPTA in 1940, served as a vice president in the 1950s, and remained a member for the

rest of his life.


34 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY April 2004

September/October 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 35www.racquetsportsindustry.com www.racquetsportsindustry.com

C O U R T C O N S T R U C T I O N & M A I N T E N A N C E

What can you do during your facility’s shutdown to have it readyfor your next open house?B Y M A R Y H E L E N S P R E C H E R

You’ve just looked at your calendar and realized you’re onlya few weeks away from the club’s yearly shutdown. Oncethe facility is open for business again, it’ll be time for the

annual open house when membership recruitment starts. Andlooking at your courts, you have only one thought: Yikes!.

In today’s economy, there might not be much of a budget fordrastic improvements. That does not mean, however, that youcan’t freshen up your courts and have them ready for a greatshow-and-tell performance.

Small tOuCheS that add upA facility that commands respect isn’t always the product of onesweeping change. Sometimes, say contractors, several relativelyinexpensive changes can make courts look brighter and newer.

“Adding a new piece of windscreen—it can even have the clublogo on it—is a sure way to get the members’ attention, plus it’sgreat publicity for the club,” says Steve Wright of Trans Texas Ten-nis Ltd. in Houston.

Since the fence may be the first thing a prospective membersees from the outside, take time to repair sagging rails or placeswhere the windscreen droops. Touch up chipped paint on netposts as well.

net ReSultTennis nets will show wear—and can bring down the entireappearance of a court. If a net has holes, rips or tears, replace it.A new net, with its bright, white headband, will do wonders forthe court’s appearance.

Take some time to adjust the tension on the net. A variety ofnet tensioning devices are on the market, and particularly whencourts are in a bank, can keep them looking uniform and neat.

On the SuRfaCe“There are a lot of quick, less expensive ‘spruce ups’ a facilityowner or manager can do,” notes David Marsden of Boston Ten-

nis Court Construction Co. Inc. in Hanover, Mass. “For a more dra-matic improvement, a new color surfacing will add new life to afacility. A change of surface colors is something that is even morenoticeable than maintaining the same color scheme.”

If a new surfacing job isn’t in the cards, make sure the court isclean. Power-washing (either done by the court contractor or inaccordance with that contractor’s directions) can make a surfacelook surprisingly clean and bright.

Art Tucker of California Products Corp. in Andover, Mass.,notes that if a facility manager is addressing only isolated stainson a court, there are a variety of brand-name products designedspecifically for tennis court use. In all cases, the court contractor’sopinion should be sought in advance, since different stains mayrequire different treatments. Check with a contractor before usingany soap, cleaner or method, no matter how mild, since a discol-ored or bleached surface can be difficult, if not impossible, to rem-edy effectively.

“On soft courts, a pre-season reconditioning, top dressing andnew line tapes will make a noticeable difference,” adds Marsden.

paRt Of the fuRnituReTake the time to inspect courtside benches, tables and more.Make certain they sit firmly and do not rock (a small but annoyingthing players will notice). If tables or benches have umbrellas toshade players before or after games, make sure the umbrellas areeasy to raise and lower and are in good working order.

Often, equipment such as ball carts, hoppers and machines, aswell as tennis drill equipment, winds up being pushed to the cor-ners of the facility where pros and players can reach it as needed.Store it in a convenient (but hidden) area instead.

amenitieS and aCCeSSORieSIf your facility (either indoor or outdoor) has lights on the courts,make sure you replace any burned out lamps or lamps that havedegraded to a point where the manufacturer recommends

Re-ORdeRingthe COuRtRe-ORdeRingthe COuRtWhat can you do during your facility’s shutdown to have it readyfor your next open house?

Photo Courtesy Tennis Courts Inc., Aylett, Va.

36 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 3013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com www.racquetsportsindustry.com

replacement. Tennis court lighting is sup-posed to adhere to specific standards, sotake the time to do light meter readings inspecified locations around the court.

In an indoor facility, backdrop anddivider curtains should be kept off thefloor and attached to support cables atevery grommet. In addition, clean andwell-lit walkways behind the backdropcurtains are a must. Replace overheadand walkway lights as needed.

If everyday court maintenance equip-ment (squeegees and rollers for hardcourts, drag brooms and line sweepersfor soft courts) is present, it should behung neatly on the fence, not left leaningagainst it.

Small changes add up, and not just toprospective members. “Players like toknow that their membership fees arebeing spent on maintaining and improv-ing the facility they belong to,” says Marsden.w

Note: The American Sports Builders Associ-ation (ASBA) is a non-profit associationhelping designers, builders, owners, opera-tors and users understand quality sportsfacility construction. The ASBA sponsorsinformative meetings and publishesnewsletters, books and technical construc-tion guidelines for athletic facilities includ-ing tennis courts. Available at no charge isa listing of all publications offered by theAssociation, as well as the ASBA’s Member-ship Directory. Info: 866-501-ASBA (2722)or www.sportsbuilders.org

Photo Courtesy Baseline Sports Construction, Knoxville, Tenn.

Photo Courtesy Lower Bros. Co. Inc., Birmingham, Ala.

Photo Courtesy Stantec Sport, Boston

Photo Courtesy Zaino Tennis Courts Inc., Orange, Calif.

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C O U R T C O N S T R U C T I O N & M A I N T E N A N C E

Temporary and portable courts—using modular tiles or rolledproducts—are helping to grow tennis participation with childrenand adults.B Y M A R Y H E L E N S P R E C H E R

the good news: Tennis participation is trending upward.But, it’s still a “try-and-buy” sport. In other words, to sellpeople—kids and adults—on the fun and benefits of tennis,

it's necessary to get them onto the court and hitting balls.The industry-wide 10 and Under Tennis initiative has helped

make the sport accessible, not only creating standalone 36- and60-foot Youth Tennis courts, but also allowing lines for smallercourts to be painted on 78-foot courts, or painted or temporarilylaid down on playgrounds, parking lots, gym floors and other sur-faces. But for times when it becomes necessary to actually bringin a court, many in the industry recommend using a portable surface.

Portable surfaces are those that can be laid into place in timefor a special event. They may take the form of modular interlock-ing tiles or rolled or textile products. The common denominator?Their ability to be used, and re-used.

"We store a portable 8-and-under-sized court for the USTATennessee Section and have done several remote events bothindoors and out," says Lee Murray of Competition Athletic Sur-faces in Chattanooga, Tenn. "By setting up this safe, attractive ten-nis court and having qualified teaching pros on hand, we can getkids on a court and experience tennis for the first time in theirlives. The pros’ goal is simply to give the kids a fun tennis experi-ence. While the parents are watching, a representative of the localcommunity tennis association will talk to them about program-ming and lesson options."

As clubs, parks and fitness facilities work to gain new mem-bers and players, representatives are starting to take the game tothe streets, having booths at community festivals and health fairs.Other venues include senior expos, summer camp meet-and-greets, open houses and more. The fact that nets are collapsibleand balls are lower pressure adds to the appeal of the set-up. Anadditional advantage of temporary courts, says Franz Fasold ofAce Surfaces North America in Altamonte Springs, Fla., is the factthat they take up significantly less storage space than might beexpected.

"Modular surfaces also combine the comfort and resiliency ofa soft court with the durability and low maintenance of a hardcourt," notes Fred Jones of Mateflex in Utica, N.Y. He adds such

a mOveablefeaSta mOveablefeaSt

Courtesy Hinding Tennis, West Haven, Conn., and Ace SurfacesInc., Altamonte Springs, Fla.

38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 3013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com www.racquetsportsindustry.com

courts can provide a good playing experience in the presence ofminor flaws in the sub-base.

In addition, says Randy Futty, director of tennis for ConnorSport Court International based in Salt Lake City, Utah, a portable,modular surface can “offer the safety that parents want, withexceptional footing and shock absorption, along with the perfor-

mance and ball bounce that 10 and Under Tennis players need.” "I would recommend using modular surface tiles for the sur-

face and a portable tennis system," says Chris Rickerl of DouglasIndustries in Eldridge, Iowa.

While it's easy to praise the courts' ease and versatility,builders say the real proof is seeing them in action.w

Courtesy Competition Athletic Surfaces, Chattanooga, Tenn.

September/October 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 39www.racquetsportsindustry.com www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Courtesy Mateflex Mele, Utica, N.Y.

Courtesy Sport Court International, Salt Lake City, Utah

Courtesy Mateflex Mele, Utica, N.Y.

Courtesy Sport Court International, Salt Lake City, UtahCourtesy Sport Court International, Salt Lake City, Utah

? Ask the Experts

STRING MOVEMENTMY CLIENT SAYS HE HATES thathis strings are moving. He’s usinga nylon string in a midplus rac-

quet that has a 16x19 stringbed, at 58pounds reference tension. I’ve increasedthe reference tension to the top of therecommended tension range for thisframe, but it hasn’t helped. Would stringsavers do the trick? Is there another typeof string that moves less?

THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TOknow is that strings always move

during play. On impact, they move out ofposition, and then as the push of the ballagainst the strings diminishes, they canmove back to their starting position. If thestrings straighten themselves, most play-ers think the strings aren’t moving, whenin fact they are moving twice as much asstrings that move during impact and thenget stuck.

The two factors that determinewhether or not a string gets stuck are fric-tion and string elasticity. If there is notenough elasticity in the string to over-come the friction between the string andits cross strings (whether you are dealingwith a main or a cross), the string willbecome stuck out of position afterimpact. Tension has little to do with it.Increasing the tension can provide mar-ginal improvements in the string return-ing to its original position, but it alsoincreases the friction applied by the crossstrings. You may have noticed that evenwhen you are stringing a racquet, thecrosses often need to be straightenedbefore giving the racquet to the customerbecause — even when fresh — thestrings do not run straight from onegrommet to the other.

This leaves the composition of thestring itself. Nylon strings typically get"stuck" in the moved position (especially

after a few hoursof play when gritgets into thestring intersec-tions), while polystrings usuallyslide back into position. Of course, polystrings play completely differently thannylon strings, and not everyone wants tomake the switch from nylon to poly.

You can try to find a nylon string thatdoesn't have this problem as much, or per-haps go with a hybrid string job with halfnylon and half poly, to see if that helps.Don’t be afraid to try the nylon in themains and the poly in the crosses.

String savers may help, but you have touse the right ones. The ones you’re lookingfor are more like pucks of slippery materialwith shallow depressions to locate thestring saver at the intersection, as opposedto the string savers that have deep saddlesthat partially surround the string.


Q

A

Your Equipment Hotline


REELING IN NXTI HAVE CUSTOMERS USINGthe Wilson H1 Outer Edgeracquets. The problem is

that they like Wilson NXT, but itcomes only in 40-foot sets, and notin reels. Is it possible to obtain thisstring in reels?

ACCORDING TO Ryan Politoat Wilson:

“NXT is not available in reels.There are many reasons for this, butthe main reason is due to the uniqueconstruction of the string and the pro-duction process. A great deal of han-dling and inspection go into each setof NXT string, so putting it onto reels

would prevent us from performingmany of the steps in our rigorousquality control.

“Additionally, some of fibers thatgive NXT its unique feel are fragile, sotightly winding the string on the reelwould not be optimal for perfor-mance.

“However, we are constantly test-ing new methods of possibly puttingNXT on a reel one day in the future.An alternative string for these playerswould be NXT OS. It is packaged in45-foot sets to accommodate largerracquets. The string is also pre-stretched and thermoset during pro-duction to improve tensionmaintenance, especially in super-over-size racquets such as the H1.”

It bears repeating that the USRSA’snewest on-line tool, String Colors andLengths (above), allows members tofind extra-length sets of string. It isavailable online at http://goo.gl/38b11

A

Q


String Playtest

EASE OF STRINGING (compared to other strings) Number of testers who said it was:much easier 1somewhat easier 3about as easy 23not quite as easy 4not nearly as easy 0

OVERALL PLAYABILITY (compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 0somewhat better 5about as playable 11not quite as playable 13not nearly as playable 1

OVERALL DURABILITY (compared to other strings of similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 3somewhat better 11about as durable 16not quite as durable 0not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.5Durability 4.1Power 3.5Control 3.7Comfort 3.3Touch/Feel 2.9Spin Potential 3.4Holding Tension 3.5Resistance to Movement (15th overall) 4.1

Isospeed Black Fire is a modified co-polyester monofilament that is madeusing a triple-heating process to soft-

en the stiff modulus somewhat. Isospeedtells us the string is produced very stifffor control, but shrinking the string in thelast heating step reduces vibration on thearm. The result is a stiff string that stillhas power and comfort.

Isospeed has successfully tested BlackFire 17 with demanding professional tourplayers. It is designed to give hard-hittingcollege and pro players maximum con-trol without sacrificing power.

Black Fire is available in 17-gauge(1.25mm) in black only. It is priced from$7.50 per set of 12 meters. For moreinformation or to order, contact Isospeedat 800-883-6647, or visitisospeed.com/en/. Be sure to read theconclusion for more information aboutgetting a free set to try for yourself.

IN THE LABThe coil measured 40 feet. The diametermeasured 1.26-1.28 mm prior to string-ing, and 1.22-1.23 mm after stringing.We recorded a stringbed stiffness of 73RDC units immediately after stringing at60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95(16 x 18 pattern) on a constant-pullmachine.

After 24 hours (no playing), stringbedstiffness measured 66 RDC units, repre-senting a 10 percent tension loss. Ourcontrol string, Prince Synthetic Gut Origi-nal Gold 16, measured 78 RDC unitsimmediately after stringing and 71 RDCunits after 24 hours, representing a 9percent tension loss. In lab testing,Prince Synthetic Gut Original has a stiff-ness of 217 and a tension loss of 11.67pounds, while Isospeed Black Fire 17 hasa stiffness of 232 and a tension loss of21.2 pounds. Black Fire 17 added 16grams to the weight of our unstrungframe.

The string was tested for five weeksby 31 USRSA play-testers, with NTRP rat-ings from 3.5 to 6.0. These are blindtests, with testers receiving unmarkedstrings in unmarked packages. Isospeed

recommends reducing the reference ten-sion by 10 percent compared to a nylonstring, and we so advised our playtestteam members. The average number ofhours tested was 23.9.

Black Fire feels thicker than its 17gauge out of the package. The surface issmooth and cylindrical, and it feels “soft”during stringing. It is easy to weave andpull the crosses through the mains, butthe string is slightly springy, so you haveto pay attention during knotting.

None of our testers broke the sampleduring stringing, three reported problemswith coil memory, one reported prob-


—Greg Raven◗

Isospeed Black Fire

lems tying knots, none reported frictionburn, and one reported other problems.

ON THE COURTIsospeed Black Fire’s smooth surfacemakes installation easy, and seems alsoto contribute to the characteristic of aid-ing its resistance to movement. Ourtesters rated Black Fire the 15th beststring in this category of the 174 stringswe’ve play tested for publication to date.Isospeed promises control with BlackFire, and our testers agreed, rating BlackFire excellent in the Control category.Our testers also awarded Black Fire withwell-above-average ratings in six cate-gories: Durability, Playability, Power,Tension Retention, and Spin Potential.As a result, overall Isospeed Black Firegarnered an excellent rating from ourtest team.

None of our testers reported prema-ture fraying or peeling, one reportedbuzzing, and four reported notching.None of the testers broke the sampleduring the playtest period.

CONCLUSIONConsidering that Isospeed designed BlackFire 17 for players whose abilities arewell above those of most of our testteam’s, it speaks well of the Isospeedprocess that even lesser players found alot to like in Black Fire 17. No stringreceives great scores in seven categories(including one in the top 20) — and anoverall excellent rating — by accident.

If you think that Isospeed Black Firemight be for you, fill out the coupon toget a free set to try.


FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAMIsospeed will send a free set of Black Fire to USRSA members who cut out (or copy)

this coupon and send it to:

Offer expires 15 September 2013 • Offer only available to USRSA members in the US.Name:USRSA Member number: Phone: Email:

If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your sample will be sent.


USRSA, Attn: Isospeed String OfferPO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096

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

(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in paren-theses.) For the rest of the tester comments, visitwww.racquetsportsindustry.com.

TESTERS TALK

“ I am surprised by the comfort of thispoly. Even strung in the low forties, thecontrol, spin and overall playability areexceptional.” 4.0 male baseliner withheavy spin using Babolat Pure Drive + Cor-tex GT strung at 43 pounds CP (Head SonicPro 17)

“ This is a spin-friendly co-poly but withthe comfort of a nylon multifilament.”5.0 male all-court player using BabolatPure Drive Cortex strung at 60 pounds CP(Luxilon Alu Power 16L)

“ This string has better tension mainte-nance than similar feeling polys. It makesit easy for me to control points withspin.” 6.0 male serve-and-volley playerusing Yonex V Core Xi (300 Grams) strungat 67 pounds CP (Yonex Poly Tour Pro 16L)

“ This test string has average playability.It would be good in a hybrid with a multi-filament or natural gut cross.” 4.0 malebaseliner with moderate spin using BabolatAeroPro Drive strung at 56 pounds CP(Babolat RPM Blast 17)

“ The feel goes down over time but theperformance remains high. Nice combina-tion of spin and power.”4.0 male all-court player using HeadYoutek Prestige MP strung at 54 poundsCP (Gamma Live Wire XP 17)

“ This is an average polyester withdecent power and spin. If it is priced lessthan ten dollars a set, I will recommend it.But it’s not for me.” 5.0 male all-courtplayer using Babolat Pure Drive + Cortexstrung at 43 pounds LO (Luxilon Alu Power16)

“ The string pocketing is better thanexpected. This is a great option for nonpolyester players who want to make thetransition to polyester.” 4.5 male all-court player using Wilson BLX Blade strungat 56 pounds CP (Luxilon 4G 16L)

Over the last 10 years, two thingshave stood out when it comes tomany great men’s matches: daz-

zling groundstroke exchanges, and thefact that very few of the matches haveincluded Americans.

The world’s best players, along with ahandful of other top pros, showcase anability to build points that often unfoldsusing three important skills: “trading”powerful strokes, followed by one play-er's attack then being either “neutralized”or “defended” by his opponent. In thesegreat matches, the top players are able topatiently work their opponents with theirgroundstrokes, then make them pay byforcing errors or turning defense tooffense.

The capacity to engage in this highlydisciplined, patient and technicallydemanding defensive play is basically arequirement to enter the game's elite. Itmakes sense, then, when Roger Federersays he plays his best tennis when heplays his best defense.

But I can't imagine our best Americanmen saying the same thing. Chances are,not one top American male of the 21stcentury would identify “defense” or “neu-tralizing” as central to their games likeFederer does. Make no mistake: Offensematters, but it must be accompanied bysolid trading, neutralizing and defendingskills, which in many ways is more tech-nically demanding than playing offense.

The U.S.’s two highest ranked men,Sam Querrey and John Isner, would likelysay their first serves and attacking fore-hands are key to their games, as wouldJames Blake, Mardy Fish, Andy Roddickand just about every other Americanmale player of the last dozen years.

As a whole, U.S. male players have amajor deficit because they never learnedto master the sophisticated skills neededto “trade,” “neutralize” and “defend.” It’smost noticeable on the backhand sides,but for many, problems exist off bothwings.

This has been the source of a disturbingand predictable pattern through manypainful losses on the American tennis land-scape. U.S. players, being forced to hit fore-hands from deep in the backhand corner,get worn down by their more balancedopponents, especially in best-of-five-setmatches. What’s particularly troubling isthat two of our most promising upstarts,Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock, are hamperedby this exact same issue.

While players of my era could dominateby being mainly aggressive, the best playerstoday have to master great defense as well.

Attacking play has been the signaturestyle of U.S. players for decades. For years,it worked beautifully (except on clay, ofcourse).

Many now suggest having players trainand compete on clay will help, and it mayin the long run. But there are faster ways toaffect change: by understanding and teach-ing the technique of trading, neutralizingand defending. Telling our players to bemore patient and disciplined is not enough.We have to show them how to do it.

If we expect our players to be the best inthe world, as coaches we need to be thebest in the world as well. If we want ourplayers to work harder and be smarter, wehave to work harder and smarter as well.

A close look at the best American play-ers of the 21st century shows that manyhave been held back by sub-par techniqueat some level. By technique, I mean theshape of swings, movement patterns, andimplementing advanced biomechanics.U.S. players need to master all these ele-


'Make no mistake:Offense matters, but itmust be accompaniedby solid trading, neutralizing anddefending skills.'


America’s Tennis ‘Trade’ Deficit A former top pro says U.S. coaching must teach young players how to‘trade,’ ‘neutralize’ and ‘defend.’ B Y T I M M A Y O T T E

Tim Mayotte is the director ofthe Mayotte-Hurst TennisAcademy at the CunninghamSports Center in Fresh Mead-ows, N.Y. After capturing theNCAA men’s singles title atStanford in 1981, Mayotte won

12 ATP Tour titles, an Olympic Silver Medal andreached the semifinals at Wimbledon and theAustralian Open. Since ending his pro playingcareer, he has been one of the most respectedtennis teaching professionals. From 2009-11 heserved as a USTA National Coach and openedand ran the USTA’s High-Performance Center inNew York. He can be reached at 917-596-0746or [email protected].

ments to be able to compete at the highestlevels. And the earlier players learn these,the better—“fixing” a problem is muchtougher than teaching it correctly in thefirst place.

So what can we do differently? Ourbest juniors must learn these complicatedskills as they work through their develop-ment. Sadly that is not happening on alarge scale. It is also not happening on alarge scale in our colleges. Clearly we needour players to become better at neutraliz-ing, so that means our coaches need tobecome better at teaching them this tech-nique. As a former pro, I know these skillsare very difficult to master as a player. Asa teacher, I have come to understand howcomplicated they are to teach.

There are many very good and evengreat coaches in this country, but we needmore. To create more great players weneed more great coaches. Each teacherwho betters one player pushes the levelhigher for all. I believe there are manyjuniors playing now who could be great ifwe show them the best way to the top.

I was pretty good, but I was desperateto become great. I would have relished thechance to understand more fully how toimprove. As coaches, trying to developgreat players, we have to feel and act onthat same desire. w

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

Your Serve

Wll..SaN.COM

CONTROLI ITIHE COUR-T.

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"I'm glad that Wilson has added Spin Effect Technology to the Blade family. It's the best racket to give me the control and accuracy I need to play the big points well. You have to love a racket that gives you the goods to place the ball where you want." -Milos Raonic Wilson #1 in Tennis ·.

0" etten c ~_.torrize lt.' rackets Uley u~e. Racket specifications on endorsed consumer models may vary from the mOdels used by Pros for match play.

3a• co on TIA ceosu' (LSA 20121. Yano census (Japan. 2012). SMS ce·sus (Europe. 20'2) \2014 '+.',illso.., Sportr'"'q Gcods Co rade'ITll~ks advcrtio;cd other :han tho5c of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. "lrc properties at their rc<>pcctivc owners. 131~66

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201309 racquet sports industry

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