201607 tennis industry magazine
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JULY 2016 / VOLUME 4 4 / NU MBER 7 / $5. 00
Industry News
HAR-TRU sold;PLAYSIGHT techat Lake Nona
Your Serve
Use ROG ballsFOR ALL AGES tokeep ’em playing
Grow Participation
How to movethe needle withMARKETING
JULY 2016 / VOLUME 4 4 / NU MBER 7 / $5. 00
2016 Guideto BallMachines
A money maker for your clubHelp your players improveOur exclusive listings
TIA State of theIndustry ReportLatest datashows gains &challenges
Plus:
ndustry Report
Latest data
ndustry Report
Latest data
ndustry Report
shows gains
challenges
shows gains
challenges
shows gains
I n c o r p o
r a t i n g
U S P T
A p g
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DEPARTMENTS
4 Our Serve
7 Industry News
14 TIA News
16 Grassroots Tennis
18 Marketing
31 Tips & Techniques
32 String Playtest: Kirschbaum
34 Your Serve, by Lou Marino
INDUSTRY NEWS
7 Har-Tru Sports acquired by
Tuckahoe Holdings
7 PlaySight to equip all courts
at USTA National Campus
7 Tennis leaders gather at
USTA symposium
7 USTA joins with NFHS for
“Coaching Tennis” course
8 USTA names new Chief
Marketing Officer
8 TIA Tennis Forum Aug. 29
in New York
10 Head debuts next generation
Speed Limited Edition
10 Peoplewatch
10 New book chronicles senior
player’s tennis quest
11 Tecnifibre continues “Young
Guns” contest
12 Short Sets
13 Tom Daglis to head PTM program
at Berry College
13 USTA, Discovery team up
for “Careers” initiative
PLUS
36 CEO’s Message
38 Vice President’s Message
50 Beyond the Court
52 Master Pro Corner
54 USPTA News
56 Growing Your Business
58 Career Development
60 Member News
JULY 2016
TennisIndustry
FEATURES
20 Money MachinesWith attention to how your ball machine is
used, you can hit a revenue winner.
22 Guide to Ball MachinesUse our exclusive guide of current ball
machines on the market to find the perfect
unit for your players.
27 2016 State of the Industry While the latest TIA research shows some
gains, the State of the Industry report pointsout a number of challenges we must address.
42
USPTA World
Conference
52
Adding Time
and Focus
to Tennis
Instruction
50
Whys and
Hows of
Personal
Branding
56
TGA’s New
Tennis Center
Opens Doors
for USPTA
2 TennisIndustry July 2016
p.41
www.tennisindustrymag.com
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com
www.tennisindustrymag.com
p.20
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Our Serve
4 TennisIndustry July 2016 www.tennisindustrymag.com
LET’S MAKE THIS CLEAR UP FRONT:
I’m not suggesting tennis providers
ignore or lessen the appeal of programs
available to kids. We must continue to
get more kids into tennis, and it’s prob-ably more imperative now than ever, in
light of the most recent research that
shows overall tennis participation for
ages 6 to 17 actually slipped from 2014
to 2015. In fact, we should re-double
our eff orts at the local level. We need to
play a long game here—young players
are our industry’s future.
But we also need to make sure we’re
not forgetting a key segment of our
playing population—a group that has
the time, energy, desire and, especially
for our businesses, the money. I’m talk-ing about the 50-plus market.
The U.S. Census Bureau says about
one of every three Americans is over
the age of 55. Staying healthy and fit is a
priority for this group, and the lifetime
sport of tennis should play a vital role
in serving those desires. Baby-boomers
helped this sport grow decades ago;
let’s not assume they no longer have an
interest in tennis and being active.
Yes, there is money to be made by
reaching out to this segment of the
population, but this is also about run-
ning sustainable programs and buildingcustomer loyalty that can reach down
generations—including into the youth
market. Baby-boomers have children
and grandchildren, too.
In your outreach to players and
potential players, are you using
materials and messages that appeal to
the 50-plus crowd? Are your clinics,
leagues and programs, along with your
marketing and advertising, reassuring
baby-boomers that the clinic you’d like
them to attend won’t be full of young
players that they’ll have trouble keep-
ing up with? Don’t assume one email
or one poster will appeal to every type
of player, age or gender. Tailor yourmessages and, when appropriate, your
tennis programs.
With all the emphasis on youth,
sometimes it’s easy for older players to
get lost in the mix, and then forgotten
completely. It’s one reason why we have
this “leaky bucket”—we get new players
into tennis, yet we also lose a nearly
equal number of existing players.
Appealing to the 50-plus market will
get and keep players on your courts,
buying lessons, court time, apparel and
equipment. It’s not like you need toreinvent anything; there are plenty of
programs out there already—like POP
Tennis with ROG on shorter courts,
Cardio Tennis, and Masters Ten-
nis—that can easily cater to this huge
audience and provide them with all the
right reasons to play this game. Doing
so will help retain one group of players,
and provide you the resources to help
attract another.
Peter Francesconi
Editorial Director
Peter@TennisIndustryMag.com
Fishing InProfitable Waters
PUBLISHER
JE FF WI LL IA MS
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
PETER FRANCESCONI
MANAGING EDITOR
SCOTT GRAMLING
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
IAN KNOWLES
SENIOR EDITOR
ED MGROGAN
AR T D IR EC TOR
CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
BOB PATTERSON
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
ROBIN BATEMAN, CYNTHIA CANTRELL,
PEG CONNOR, KENT OSWALD, CYNTHIA
SHERMAN, MARY HELEN SPRECHER
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSBOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS
WEBMASTER
GREG RAVEN
AS SO CI ATE ED ITO R
TIM M AR TH UR
EDITORIAL DIRECTION
10TEN MEDIA
TENNIS INDUSTRY
48 W 21st St., New York, NY 10010
646-783-1450
info@tennisindustrymag.com
ADV ERT ISI NG DI REC TOR
JO HN HA NN A
770-650-1102, x.125
hanna@knowatlanta.com
AP PAR EL ADV ERT IS ING
CYNTHIA SHERMAN
203-558-5911
cstennisindustry@gmail.com
Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year:
monthly, January through August with combined
issues in September/October and November/
December, by Tennis Media Company, 48 W 21st
St., New York, NY 10010. Periodical postage paid in
Duluth, GA and at additional mailing offices (USPS
#004-354). July 2016, Volume 44, Number 7 © 2016
by Tennis Media Company. All rights reserved. Tennis
Industry, TI and logo are trademarks of Tennis Media
Company. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone advertising:
770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation and editorial:
646-783-1450. Yearly subscriptions $25 in the U.S.,
$40+ elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to Tennis Industry, 48 W 21st St., New York, NY 10010.
Tennis Industry is the official magazine of the USRSA,
TIA and ASBA.
Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/Racquet
Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our website
at TennisIndustryMag.com for free digital versions.
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THE
REDSURRECTION
EASIER
TO STRING
MAXIMUM
SLIDE POLYETHYLENE WAX
FULLY IMPREGNATING
THE POLYESTER MATRIX
MAXIMUM LUBRICATI
MORE
DURABILITY
LESS FRICTION
MAXIMUM
SPIN
EXPANDED STRING SLIDEFASTER SNAPBACK
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Har-Tru Sports was sold in mid-May to
Richmond, Va.-based Tuckahoe Holdings.
Har-Tru had been owned and operated by
Luck Companies since 1998.
Tuckahoe Holdings is a private investment firm
focused on building a portfolio of operating compa-
nies that it owns on a permanent basis, according to
a statement on the sale. Har-Tru is the first tennis
company in the Tuckahoe portfolio.
“Our team is extremely excited about this transi-tion,” said Pat Hanssen, president of Har-Tru. “This
has been a really positive experience. From the
beginning, Charlie Luck has wanted to be certain he
sold Har-Tru to the right kind of buyer. Tuckahoe
has a buy-and-hold mentality and a strong con-
sumer focus, and they’re excited to be in the tennis
industry. They are going to bring great new energy
and focus to the business, to our products and, most importantly, to our customers.”
Har-Tru started as Lee Tennis in 1965, providing clay tennis-court material and clay-
court maintenance tools to the industry. Since then it has evolved into a global tennis
company with a product line that includes natural and synthetic clay court surfaces as
well as equipment, accessories and amenities for all court types. Along with Har-Tru,
the company has developed a stable of well-known brands including ClayTech, Hydro-Court, Courtmaster and Hoag. Company operations are based in Troy, Va. Luck Compa-
nies announced its intention to sell Har-Tru last November.
July 2016 TennisIndustry
Industry NewsInformation to help you run your business
Tennis Leaders Gather At USTA Symposium
The USTA held its first USA Tennis
Symposium in early May in Orlando,
Fla., with representatives from the
USTA and organizations including the
ATA, ITA, NIRSA, PTR, TIA, USPTA and
WTT. The symposium and discussions
analyzing the state of the sport were
led by USTA Chairman of the Board and
President Katrina Adams.
The overall purpose of the sympo-
sium was to introduce U.S. tennis lead-
ers to the USTA National Campus and
discuss how the new Home of Ameri-
can Tennis can benefit each attending
organization and the sport of tennis as
a whole. Special emphasis was placed
on programming and support for Youth
Tennis and U.S. Player Development.
USTA Joins With NFHSFor ‘Coaching Tennis’ Course
In partnership with the USTA, the
National Federation of State High
School Associations has launched
the “Coaching Tennis” online course
through the NFHS Learning Centerat NFHSLearn.com. The course pro-
vides information on tennis coach-
ing philosophy and techniques,
as well as managing a team and
its practices. “Coaching Tennis”
expands upon the USTA’s teaching
philosophy, and serves as a basis for
coaches to develop their own indi-
vidual styles and techniques.
“Providing educational oppor-
tunities is essential to enhance the
skills of high school coaches,” says
Glenn Arrington, director of USTA
High School Tennis. “Our partner-
ship with NFHS allows us to make
a positive impact in our sport by
ensuring high school coaches are
provided valuable resources to help
their players.”
“We are pleased to add tennis
to our list of sport-specific courses
since all of our states are involved in
hosting championships in this popu-
lar sport,” says Dan Schuster, NFHS
director of educational services.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
Har-Tru Sports Acquired by Tuckahoe Holdings
F R E D M U L L A N E / C A M E R A W O R K U S A
PlaySight to Equip All Courts at Lake Nona
A ll 102 tennis courts at
the USTA National
Campus at Lake Nona
in Orlando, Fla., will have
either PlaySight’s Smart Courtor video technology. Thirty-
two courts will be full Smart
Courts, with analytics and
multi-angle video analysis.
“The USTA National
Campus will be this country’s
model tennis facility, and with
the addition of PlaySight, the
USTA can bring technology
generally reserved for top
professionals to players of all
ages and abilities,” says USTA
Executive Director and COO
Gordon Smith.
PlaySight provides an all-
in-one video and analyticssolution for sports, including
video and live streaming, real-
time statistics and analytics,
instant replay, line calling, and
a mobile and social on- and
off -court experience.
The USTA broke ground at
Lake Nona in April 2015, and
the project is expected to be
completed late this year. For
more, visit playsight.com.
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Industry News
Tennis becomes the 15th sport with an
online course through the NFHS Learn-
ing Center.
USTA Names New
Chief Marketing Officer The USTA has hired retail marketing ex-
pert Amy Choyne as chief marketing officer.
Choyne will oversee the USTA’s marketing
efforts across all divisions, including com-
munity tennis and professional tennis.
Choyne joins the USTA from a multi-fac-
eted retailer marketing career that included
senior positions at Aeropostale, Kenneth
Cole Productions, Anthropologie, Barneys
New York, Limited Brands and Giorgio
Armani. Her responsibilities have run
through the entire marketing spectrum,
Guinness Record-HoldersFor Longest Volley Rally
Twin brothers Ettore Rossetti (left) and Angelo Rossetti (right) recently
received the certificate recognizing their Official Guinness World Recordfor the longest tennis volley rally. The twin brothers hit 30,576 consecu-
tive volleys on Aug. 8, 2015, at Weston Racquet Club in Weston, Conn. The eff ort
raised over $112,000 for Save the Children.
from creative campaign development to
strategic branding and brand imaging, as
well as digital marketing development and
database management.
Choyne fills the role held previously by
Sue Hunt, who left the USTA last fall.
TIA Forum Aug. 29 in NYC
The ninth Annual TIA Tennis Forum
will be Monday morning, Aug. 29, at the
Grand Hyatt New York City. In addition,
this year the TIA will present a Tennis &
Technology fair that will highlight many
innovative products on the market
that are impacting sports and fitness
activities. The Forum is free to attend,
but space is limited, so registration is
required at tennisindustry.org/forum.
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Industry News
10 TennisIndustry July 2016
People Watch
Steffi Graf, former
world No. 1 and 22-time
Grand Slam champion,
will be the Tournament
Ambassador for the 2016
WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai,
held in China Nov. 1-6.
Established last year, theWTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai
features 12 top-ranked
singles players, along
with six top-ranked
doubles teams.
The International
Tennis Hall of Fame and
the International Tennis
Federation honored
Vittorio Selmi with the
2016 Golden Achieve-
ment Award in recogni-
tion of his outstanding
service to tennis. The
award was presented by
ITF President Stan Smith
and Francesco Ricci
Bitti, immediate past
president of the ITF, at
the Italian Open in May.
Johnny Johnston
of Gainesville, Fla., a
Vietnam veteran who
lost the use of his legs
after being wounded in
combat, passed away
in May. Johnston, a pas-
sionate ambassador for
tennis, used the sport as
a vehicle to recovery andbecame an accomplished
wheelchair player,
competing in interna-
tional events. In 2004, he
became the first wheel-
chair player to compete
against able-bodied
players at a USTA League
National Championship.
Twenty years after
their Olympic gold
medal match in Atlanta,
former world No. 1 Andre
Agassi will play two-time
French Open champion
Sergi Bruguera, again in
Atlanta, in an exhibition
match on Sunday,
July 31, as part of the
BB&T Atlanta Open.
Former longtime USTA
staffer Tim Curry has
joined the marketing
department for the Con-
necticut Open as ticket
sales and partnership
marketing manager.
Rafael Fuentes of
Victorville, Calif., was
honored with a Lifetime
Achievement Award
in April by the High
Desert Tennis Associa-
tion, in conjunction with
the Spring Valley Lake
Country Club. Fuentes
began his tennis career in
El Salvador as a ball boy,
and a few years later won
the first of five national
championships. He con-
tinued in the sport as a
teaching pro for 46 years.
Head Debuts Next GenSpeed Limited Edition
Head has introduced the 2016 Speed
Limited Edition racquet, with its “matte-
metallic look” to capture the “fast game of
the next ‘Speed’ generation,” according
to the company. The frame, created with
the help of up-and-coming pro Alexander
Zverev, is based on the Graphene XT Speed
and designed for a versatile game mixing
power and control. It has a 16/19 string
pattern. Visit Head.com for more details.
Book Chronicles SeniorPlayer’s Tennis Quest
Late to the Ball: Age. Learn. Fight.
Love. Play Tennis. Win. is a new book by
former New York Times Magazine edi-
tor Gerry Marzorati that recounts his
quest to learn tennis in his late 50s and
become a competitive
player on the national
senior circuit. Amid the
setbacks and successes,
Marzorati, an award-
winning author, attains a
deeper appreciation for
the wonders of tennis,
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Industry News
www.tennisindustrymag.com
Top-Selling Racquets atSpecialty Stores
January-March, 2016 vs. 2015
Units 2016 113,696
2015 120,046
% change vs. ’15 -5%Dollars 2016 $17,163,000
2015 $17,845,000
% change vs. ’15 -4%
Price 2016 $150.95
2015 $148.66
% change vs. ’15 2%
Top-Selling Racquetsat Specialty Stores
By year-to-date dollars
Jan.-March. 2016
Best Sellers
1. Babolat Pure Aero (100) 2016 (MP)
2. Babolat Pure Drive 2015 (MP)
3. Wilson Pro Staff 97 (MP)
4. Babolat Pure Aero Team 2016 (MP)
5. Babolat Pure Aero Lite 2016 (MP)
“Hot New Racquets”
(introduced in the past 12 months)
1. Babolat Pure Aero (100) 2016 (MP)
2. Babolat Pure Aero Team 2016 (MP)
3. Babolat Pure Aero Lite 2016 (MP)
4. Head XT Radical MP (MP)
5. Wilson Ultra 100 2016 (MP)
Top-Selling Tennis Shoesat Specialty Stores
By year-to-date dollars,
Jan.-March. 2016
1. Asics Gel Resolution 6
2. Prince T22
3. Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour 2015
4. Nike Zoom Cage 2
5. Asics Gel Solution Speed 3
Top-Selling Stringsat Specialty Stores
By year-to-date units,
Jan.-March. 2015
1. Babolat RPM Blast
2. Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex
3. Wilson NXT
4. Wilson Sensation
5. Luxilon Alu Power
(Source: TIA)
and learns that it’s never too late in life
to rediscover the joys of being a student.
The hardcover book ($26, published by
Scribner) went on sale in mid-May.
Tecnifibre Continues ‘Young Guns’ Contest
As part of the “On The Road to the ATP
World Tour” program, Tecnifibre created
the first “Young Guns Contest” in 2015. For
2016, the four-month contest will follow four
rookies on the pro circuit competing for a
cash prize of $50,000. The inaugural contest
was won by American Denis Kudla.
This year’s four Young Guns are Gregoire
Barrere of France (22 years old, No. 242),
Mitchell Krueger of the U.S. (22 years old,
No. 267), Omar Jasika of Australia (19 yearsold, No. 220) and Daniil Medvedev of Russia
(20 years old, No. 240). They’ll be evaluated
on their results on the court and their ability
to share their life on the pro circuit.
The winner’s check will be presented by
the presidents of Tecnifibre and the ATP at
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Industry News
ShortSets
Nemours Children's
Health System and
Andrews Institute forOrthopaedics & Sports
Medicine will be the
official medical provid-
ers of the USTA National
Campus in Lake Nona.
The two companies
will provide the USTA
with a team physician,
sports nutritionists and
athletic trainers and will
be responsible for medi-
cal services and care of
visiting athletes, coaches,
staff and spectators.
Tualatin Hills Tennis
Center in Beaverton, Ore.,
is the site for the 2016
Davis Cup World Group
Quarterfinal between
the U.S. and Croatia,
July 15-17. The USTA
will construct a 6,000-
seat stadium around
the main court at the
center. For tickets, visitusta.com/daviscup.
Total prize money
offered at Wimbledon
has increased by 5 per-
cent for 2016. Singles
champions will each
receive $2.9 million, an
increase of 6.4 percent.
First-round losers will
now receive $43,000.
The Lake Nona Sports
& Performance District
will become the home
of the new USTA Florida
Section headquarters.
A ceremonial ground-
breaking took place on
June 3 at the end of USTA
Boulevard, adjacent
to the USTA National
Campus. The district also
will be the home to the
USPTA headquarters.
Peter Burwash Interna-
tional (PBI) has sched-
uled two World Tennis
Camps: Sept. 5-9 at the
Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt in
Austria and Oct. 27-30
at the Silverado Resort
in Napa Valley, Calif.
PBI hosted its inaugural
World Tennis Camp last
year. The camps draw
from PBI’s international
network of coaches, des-
tinations and students to
provide a unique tennis
and cultural experience.
The ATP and Infosys
have launched a new way
to measure the best
performing ATP players
in three categories:
Serving, Returning
and Under Pressure.
These new statistics
and ratings, which canbe broken down by
surface, year or career,
can be accessed at
ATPWorldTour.com.
After an eight-year
hiatus, Sun Devil
Athletics announced
the reinstatement of the
men's tennis program
at Arizona State.
The USTA has
partnered with
LimeGreen Moroch
to help strengthen its
multicultural marketing
initiatives. The Chicago-
based cross-cultural
agency will develop
strategies and pro-
grams to engage more
African-Americans,
Hispanics and Asian-
Americans in the sport.
PBI will be directing
the tennis program at
True Arena Hua Hin, a
premier sports club two
hours south of Bangkok
with 11 Plexipave
courts. Veteran pro
Arturo Navarro will be
the tennis director.
To combat the
increasing integrity
issues in pro tennis,
Tennis Australia has
created the new execu-
tive position of Head of
Integrity and Compli-
ance, and hired Ann
West to fill the role.
12 TennisIndustry July 2016 www.tennisindustrymag.com
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Industry News
maximum repulsion and shuttle response.
Both ZyMax 66 Fire and ZyMax 66 Fire Power
are 0.66-mm strings designed for high
performance players. ZyMax 69 Fire is the
heavyweight of the group and is geared to
provide durability and string life. Visitashawayusa.com for more information.
Fila, Hall of Fame Launch Junior Tennis Program
The International Tennis Hall of Fame
and Fila have launched a new partnership
focused on junior tennis development.
It features multiple junior invitational
tournaments hosted at the historic Hall of
Fame in Newport, R.I., a new junior
ambassador program and an ongoing
involvement with the Hall of Fame Tennis
Club's junior tennis program.
“This new partnership provides an
important opportunity to bring junior
players to the place where tennis history
is celebrated and to educate them about
the successes of those who have come
before them in the sport,” says Hall of
Fame CEO Todd Martin. “We are very
excited by this new partnership and the
future opportunities it will offer."
The partnership kicked off at the first
Fila Junior Tennis Indoor Invitational
at the Hall of Fame Tennis Club in April.
The two-day tournament drew 18 junior
players from around New England. Thenext tournament will take place in July,
in conjunction with the ATP Hall of Fame
Tennis Championship.
ITA Partners With FloSports
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association
announced a five-year deal with FloSports
to provide live streaming coverage of all ITA
National Championships and a total of 15
ITA events per year, beginning in the fall. All
content and programming will be streamed
live on FloTennis.com.
In addition, FloSports, a direct-to-con-
sumer, subscription-based sports media
company in Austin, Texas, will produce a
series of original documentaries that will
focus on highlighting college tennis' pro-
grams and personalities, along with a weekly
college tennis show.
Daglis to Head PTMProgram at Berry College
Tom Daglis has been appointed execu-
tive director of the Rome Tennis Center at
Berry College and will also serve as the
the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London
in November.
USTA, Discovery TeamFor ‘Careers Beyond Court’
The USTA and Discovery Education, aleading provider of digital content and
professional development for K-12 class-
rooms, have launched a new educational
initiative, Careers Beyond the Court.
Available at no cost, the program pro-
vides high school students, educators
and families with resources that explore
the many career opportunities available
in the tennis industry. Careers Beyond the
Court, the USTA’s first partnership with
a global education company, includes
videos, career profiles, industry guides
and a list of colleges with specific degrees
to consider.
“To develop the next generation of
leaders in our sport, it is essential to
provide professional development pro-
grams and education,” says Scott Schultz,
managing director of USTA University
(USTAU). “We are extremely proud to
team up with Discovery Education to pro-
vide high school students the resources
and skills necessary to achieve success in
the tennis industry.”
Visit careersbeyondthecourt.com for
additional information.
Ashaway Badminton StringsGain Worldwide Appeal
Since its introduction last year, Ashaway's
ZyMax Fire family of badminton strings has
been racking up impressive sales figures
around the world. The four strings are
ZyMax 62 Fire, ZyMax 66 Fire, ZyMax 66 Fire
Power and ZyMax 69 Fire. ZyMax 62 Fire is
a 0.62-mm micro-gauge string designed for
director of the Professional Tennis
Management Program at Berry Col-
lege in Rome, Ga.
Kevin Brundle has been
selected to serve as
director of tennis at theRome Tennis Center
and assistant director
of the PTM program.
Daglis will oversee the
strategy, operations, staff, finances and
culture of Rome Tennis Center at Berry
College and Downtown Tennis Center.
With the PTM program, one of five cur-
rently sponsored by the USTA nationally,
Daglis will oversee the four-year academ-
ic and experiential/work program.
A career tennis professional, Daglis is a
certified USPTA Master Professional who
served as USPTA national president. He
is also a former director of the PTM pro-
grams at Methodist University in North
Carolina and Ferris State in Michigan. The
Rome Tennis Center at Berry College is
scheduled to officially open in July.
PBI Resorts Receive Honors
Peter Burwash International recently
received recognition from Real Estate Score-
card, Bloomberg and TennisResortsOnline.
Real Estate Scorecard’s Tennis Commu-
nity of the Year is Reynolds Lake Oconee in
Greensboro, Ga., a program managed by PBIsince 2004 and under the direction of PBI
tennis director Dave Neuhart. The award also
recognized the tennis center for its extensive
programming, activities and calendar of
tennis events.
Four of the eight resorts on Bloomberg.
com’s World’s Most Luxurious Tennis Resorts
are PBI-directed tennis programs: Four
Seasons Resort Nevis, JW Marriott Desert
Springs, Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt in Austria and
Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai. And Tennis
Resorts Online’s annual rankings honored six
PBI-operated programs in its Top 25, with 12
in the Top 50 in the world.
USRSA Announces New MRTs
Master Racquet Technicians
Morrison Carlson—Johns Creek, Ga.
Peyton Daniel—Sandy Springs, Ga.
Keith Hardie—Fayetteville, N.C.
Jonathan Nation—Roswell, Ga.
Barry Roach—Johns Creek, Ga.
Peter Haberberger—Victoria, Australia
Braeden Beller—British Columbia, Canada
Jimmy Costmagna—B.C., Canada
July 2016 TennisIndustry 1
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The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), in partnership
with USTA Florida, has increased highschool “No-Cut” tennis teams from22 at the end of 2015 to 164 registeredschools thus far in 2016.
“The No-Cut program gave kidswho wouldn’t normally make the teaman opportunity to participate,” says Will Adams, the contract adminis-
tration specialist for the FHSAA. “Ireceived several calls from coachesthanking us so they could take advan-
tage of the program.”USTA Florida invested $15,000 in the
program, off ering the first 100 schoolsto register two free cases of tennis
balls, or four cases if the school had
both boys’ and girls’ teams. The next 50schools to register each received one
free case.Thad Hawkes, entry-level tourna-
ment coordinator for USTA Florida anda high school coach, coordinated the
eff ort. As a No-Cut coach himself, hehas seen the diff erence the program hasmade in keeping kids in tennis.
“The hardest thing for a coach is totell someone that they didn’t make theteam,” Hawkes says. “The other con-sequence is that the student may very
well drop tennis and pick up anothersport. Growing the No-Cut program is just the first step in growing the oppor-
tunity for high school tennis in years tocome.”—Rick Vach
Play It Forward!CTAs, public parks, high schools and NJTLsare on the front lines when it comes to growingour sport in communities.
Grassroots Tennis
16 TennisIndustry July 2016
F LOR IDA
Partnership Results in Huge H.S. No-Cut Gains
Over the course of 30 summers, at least500 youngsters from western Missis-
sippi have been introduced to tennisby Birlette Jelks, in just one of theprograms he and the Greenville NJTL
& CTA have established.
Jelks, who founded the organizationwith Harold Hall and S.B. Buck, coordi-nates hands-on programs and com-
munity outreach. “Underprivilegedkids who don’t have a clue about tenniscome to our summer camps. We aretheir tennis program,” explains Jelks.
“Greenville provides the facilities; weprovide the instruction and the kids. And we also have a regional reach. In
the Delta, there is only us—Greenville,Greenwood, Ruleville, Cleveland andLeland all bring kids by the busload.”
On the agenda is a lesson about
Arthur Ashe, who co-founded theNJTL in 1969. “We teach children to bebetter players. We teach them to be
better sportsman and better citizens. We teach them respect,” Jelks says.
In 2004, Jelks’ family was named theMickey McNulty Family of the Year by
the USTA Southern Section. The for-mer Alcorn State player has seen about30 youngsters develop into collegetennis players, including his own two
children.—Ron Cio ffi
SOUTHERN
NJTL Volunteer Brings
Tennis to the Delta
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“PLAYSIGHT IS THEULTIMATE PLAYER
DEVELOPMENT TOOL”Paul Annacone
ormer coach of Pete Sampras
and Roger ederer
PlaySight Edge Since 2015
playsight com
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Consider creating a ball-machine “club,” where customers
purchase a pass to use the machine regularly, or even on an
unlimited basis, without having to pay each time. Once theypurchase a pass upfront, then it’s up to them to schedule time
with the machine.
There are many ways you can set up this ball-machine club.
The pass could be a simple card that players buy, which then
gets punched or stamped each time they use the machine.
You could also incorporate the purchase of the pass into your
club management software. Pricing can be on a sliding scale,
so the more time a customer buys, the cheaper it is per hour.
However you make it work for your club or facility, your play-
ers will benefit and groove their strokes by regular, more fre-
quent use of the machine.
Lessons and Clinics A ball machine also should be a key tool for teaching pros
and incorporated into lessons and clinics. With a ballmachine across the net, the pro can stand next to the stu-
dent to provide coaching and encouragement. At the same
time, the player gets consistent feeds, can work on a variety
of strokes and shot sequences, and gets plenty of repetition.
It’s all about hitting a lot of balls. Plus, the machine provides
an opportunity for videotaping the student hitting a specific
shot. When a teaching pro uses a ball machine in lessons, the
student often shows quick improvement—which means he or
she will be excited to continue playing and improving!
When you or your staff use a ball machine with lessons and
clinics, it helps to promote the machine to your players—and
2016 Guide to Ball Machines
Money Machines With some attention to how your ball machine is
used, and our exclusive guide, you can hit a revenue winner. By Peter Francesconi
Is your ball machine in constant use? It should be, because when it is, it’s a cash machine for your business.
Chances are, you probably have that ball machine sitting in a corner, unplugged and covered, with a bin
full of dead balls. It gets pressed into service only when someone rents it by the hour or half-hour. It’s great
that you off er rental time, but this pay-to-play program means your players need to open their wallets
each time, so they need to budget for it. That, in turn, might cause them to not use the machine as often as
they should to improve their game.
Welcome to
the Machine
With proper planningand ample use, a ball
machine should more
than pay for itself.
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Lobster Sports • 800-526-4041 • www.lobstersports.com
Elite Freedom $799 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 35 X 2-12 65 X X X
Elite Liberty $899 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 35 X 2-12 70 X X X X
Elite One $1,089 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 40 X 2-12 80 X X X X
Elite Two $1,349 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 42 X 2-12 80 X X X X
Elite Three $1,599 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 42 X 2-12 80 X X X X
Elite Grand Four $1,899 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 44 X 2-9 80 X X X X
Elite Grand Five $2,199 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 44 X 2-9 80 X X X X X 6 6
Elite Grand Five Ltd. Edition $2,499 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 44 X 2-9 80 X X X X X 6 6
Phenom $2,999 2 Years 32" x 25" x 50" 250 99 X 2-9 85 X X X X
Phenom Two $3,499 2 Years 32" x 25" x 50" 250 99 X 2-9 85 X X X X X 6 6
Match Mate • 800-837-1002 • www.matchmatetennis.com
Rookie $449 2 Yeara 11" x 11" x 22" 70 22 X 2-10 35 X Topspin X
Quickstart $558 2 Yeara 12.5" x 12.5" x 28" 80 29 X 2-10 30 X X
iSAM Value $759 2 Yeara 19" x 17.5" x 18" 250 34 X 2-10 65 X X X
iSam Extend $799 2 Yeara 19" x 17.5" x 18" 250 39 X 2-10 65 X X X
iSam Ultimate $999 2 Yeara 19" x 17.5" x 18" 250 39 X 2-10 65 X X X
SAM P1 Value $1,099 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X
Sam P1 Pro $1,199 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X
Sam P1 Ultimate $1,299 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X
Sam P 4 Trainer $1,599 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X X
Sam P 4 Pro Trainer $1,799 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X X
Sam P 4 Ultimate $1,899 2 Yeara 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X X
Sam Coach $3,999 3 Year 35" x 25" x 50" 250 87 X 1.5-8 95 X X X X X X 7 7
Playmate • 800-766-6770 • www.playmatetennis.com
Half Volley $1,595 2 Year Ltd. 19" x 21" x 25" 200 42 X 1-10 70 X X X X
Volley $2,095 2 Year Ltd. 19" x 21" x 25" 200 46 X 1-10 70 X X X X X 2
Ace $3,995 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 200 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X 3
iSmash $5,175 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X 7
Deuce $5,995 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X 7
Genie $6,945 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X 7
iSmash w/ iPlaymate Tennis $5,995 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X 8 INFINITE
Grandslam $8,675 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 110 X 1-10 120 X X X X X X 7
Robot Optimizer • 888-8BOOMER • www.playmatetennis.com
Boomer (with camera) $14,450d 2 Year 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 124 X 0.8-10 100 X X X X X 30 1,000
Boomer (without camera) $12,450e 2 Year 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 124 X 0.8-10 100 X X X X X 30 1,000
Silent Partner • 800-662-1809 • www.sptennis.com
Lite (Edge Series) $799 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 35 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X
Lite-R (Edge Series) $949 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 35 X 1.5-11 95 X X X X
Sport (Edge Series) $949 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 46 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X
Star (Edge Series) $1,099 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 46 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X
Rival (Scoop Series) $1,399 2 Year 28" x 22" x 18" 300 48 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X 3
Quest (Scoop Series) $1,799 2 Year 28" x 22" x 18" 300 48 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X X 2 3
Smart (Scoop Series) $2,299 2 Year 28" x 22" x 18" 300 48 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X X 20 3
Spinfire • 888-976-6532 • www.mambatennis.com
Pro 1 1899 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 50 X 2-15 80 X X X X
Pro 2 2049 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 50 X 2-15 80 X X X X
Pro 2 with Portable Battery Pack 2099 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 38 X 2-15 80 X X X X
Sports Attack • 800-717-4251 • www.sportsattack.com
Ace Attack $6,995 5 Year Ltd. 34" x 53" 220 150 X 1-10 110 X X X X X X 4
Ball Machines on the Market
Model Price Warranty Dimensions
(MSRP) (years) (Storage Inches)
2016 Guide to Ball Machines
a1 year battery
b2-4 Hours of Court Time
c4-8 Hours of Court Time
dor $600/month
eor $300/month
B a l l C
a p a c i t y
W e i g h t ( L b
s . )
P r o p u l s i o
n
S p i n
n i n g W h e
e l
A i r P r
e s s u r e
F e e d i n
g I n t e r v a l s
( s e c o n d s )
T o p S p
e e d ( M
P H )
E l e v a t i o
n C o
n t r o l
( E l e
c t r i c )
E l e v a t i o
n C o n t r o l
( M a n u a l )
A b l e t o F e
e d L o b s
A b l e
t o F e
e d
T o p s p i n & U n d
e r s p i n
A b l
e t o F e
e d
S i d e
s p i n
O s c i l l a t i
o n
N o O s c i l l
a t i o
n
O s c i l l
a t i o
n - R a n d o m
O s c i l l
a t i o
n - P r o g r a m
a b l e
# o f s h o t s i n
p r o g r a m
# o f p r
o g r a m s t h a t
c a n
b e s t o r e d
1 - Fast charger $99
2 - 6 pre-programmed court drills (6-ball sequence per drill)
3 - 12 pre-programmed court drills + 6 custom programmable court
drills + 2-line narrow, medium, wide
4 - 12 pre-programmed court drills + 6 custom programmable court drills +
18 locations to choose from + 2-line narrow, medium, wide
5 - Horizontal oscillation
6 - Horizontal oscillation + spin control
7 - Triple-oscillation (horizontal + vertical oscillation)
8 - Triple-oscillation + 2-line narrow, wide
9 - 3 position settings of 2-line (narrow, medium, wide)
10 - iPhone/Android remote-control compatible
11 - Great for youth and beginners to work on dealing with topspin
12 - Especially designed for 10 and Under Tennis
13 - Extra heavy-duty battery $35, 110/220-volt AC converter $135, wireless remote $100
water-resistan t cloth storage cover $68
14 - Comes standard with two 8-amp 12-volt batteries
15 - Lob Enhancer $30,110/220-volt AC converter $135, water-resistant storage
cover $68, adjustable oscillation width
16 - Ships via LTL freight, feeds balls from 30" above ground
17 - Oscillation upgrade $245, remote-control upgrade $325, additional non-memory
battery upgrade $180
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$119 X 8.5 b X X $49 X 1, 5
$119 X 8.5 b X X $169 X X $49 X 1, 6
$119 X 18 c X X $169 X X $49 X 1, 6
X X $119 X 18 c X X $169 X X $49 X 1, 7
X X $119 X 18 c X X $169 X X $49 X 1, 8
X X X X $119 X 18 c X X $300 X X X $49 X 2, 9, 10
X X X X X $119 X 18 c X X $300 X X X $49 X 3, 10
X X X X X $119 X 18 c X X $300 X X X $49 X 4
X X X X X X $300 X X X $99 X 2, 9, 10
X X X X X X $300 X X X $99 X 4
X 8 X X X 11
X 8 X X X X X 12
X 8 X X X X X X 13
X 16 X X X X X X 14
X 16 X X X X X X
X X 16 X X X X X X X 15
X X 16 X X X X X X X
X X 16 X X X X X X X
X X X 16 X X X X X X X 15
X X X 16 X X X X X X X X X
X X X 16 X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X 16
X 17 X X X X $99 X 17
X 17 X X X X X $99 X 18
X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X
X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X 19
X X X X X X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X 20
X X X X X X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X 21
X X X X X X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X
X X X X X X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X 21
X X X X X X X X X X $3,895 X X 22
X X X X X X X X X X $3,895 X X 23
X 9 X $40 X
X 9 X X X X $40 X 24
X 18 X $40 X
$249 X 18 X X X X $40 X 24
$100 X 18 X X X X X X $40 X 25
X X X $249 $100 X 18 X X X X X X $40 X 26
X X X X X $249 $100 X 18 X X X X X X $40 X 27
X X 20 X X X $39 X 28
X X 20 X X X X X X $39 X 28
X 20 X X X X X X $39 X 28
X X X X $119 X 29
A d j u
s t a b l e D e
p t h w i t h
i n
P r o g r a m
A d j u
s t a b l e S p i n
w i t h
i n
P r o g r a m
A d j u
s t a b l e H
e i g h t w
i t h i n
P r o g r a m
A d j u
s t a b l e I n t e r v a l w i t h
i n
P r o g r a m
P l a y
e r S i m u l a t i o
n M
o d e
P o w
e r
R u n s
o n B a
t t e r y o r P o
w e r
C o r d
R u n s
o n P o
w e r C o
r d O n l y
R u n s
o n B a
t t e r y O n l y
B a t t e r y A m
p / H
o u r
B a t t e r y L i f e I n
d i c a t o r
B a t t e r y S w
a p a b i l i t y
S m a r t C h a
r g e r c o m e s
S t a n d a r d
S m a r t C h a
r g e r a v a i l a b l
e
a s o p t i o
n
R e m o t e C o
n t r o l c
o m e s
S t a n d a r d
R e m o t e C o
n t r o l a
v a i l a b l
e
a s a n
o p t i o
n
R e m
o t e C o n t r o l
R e m o t e C o
n t r o l - C o
r d
R e m o t e C o
n t r o l - W i r e l e
s s
R e m o t e C o
n t r o l o
f
O s c i l l
a t i o
n
R e m o t e C o
n t r o l o
f
P r o g r a m S e t t i n
g s
S e r v i n
g T o
w e r
- B u i l t - i n
o r
I n c l u d
e d
S e r v i n
g T o
w e r
- O p t i o
n a l
A c c e s s o r y
M i s
c e l l a
n e o u s
C o v e r c
o m e s S t a n d a r d
C o v e r a v a i l a b l
e a s
a n
o p t i o
n
I n c l u d
e s W h e
e l s f o r
P o r t a b i l i t y
O t h
e r F e
a t u r e s
18 - Additional non-memory battery upgrade $180
19 - Deuce Conversion Box $1,355, Genie Conversion Box $2,305, iPlaymate Tennis $995
20 - iSmash Conversion Box $535, Genie Conversion Box $2,305, iPlaymate Tennis $995
21 - iSmash Conversion Box $535, Deuce Conversion Box $1,355, iPlaymate Tennis $995
22 - Plays games, rates shots, uses a camera, talks to players, cordless headphone
system ($500 or $50/month), wireless printer for analysis ($2,000 or $100/month),
radar gun, iPod input with speakers, allows user to modify level, height, frequency
and speed
23 - Talks to players, cordless headphone system ($500 or $50/month), iPod input
with speakers, allows user to modify level, height, frequency and speed
24 - 2-button remote
25 - 16-button remote
26 - 20-button remote
27 - 22-button remote
28 - Internal oscillation–machine does not swivel sideways while shooting balls; optional
$79 carry case/dust cover; optional $129 fast charger; optional $149 AC charger; horizontal
oscillation–medium & wide; self-calibrates to center on start using infrared sensors; 30-day
money-back guarantee (no fee); 2-line drill—narrow, medium, wide; vertical oscillation;
triple/all-court/3-D oscillation (horizontal & vertical); all-function antenna-less remote
with snooze for low-power mode; convert to portable battery with $69 upgrade; portable
battery only needed for recharge; add optional $49 internal battery to double running time
29 - All-in-one serving machine with variable-height release points for groundstrokes as well
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2016 Guide to Ball Machines
Sports Tutor • 800-448-8867 • www.sportstutor.com
Tennis Twist $289 3 Year 10" x 11" x 23" 28 11 5 15 X X
Tennis Tutor ProLite - Basic $699 3 Year 12" x 19.5" x 18" 125 22 X 1.5-10 60 X X X
Tennis Tutor ProLite $799 3 Year 12" x 19.5" x 18" 125 29 X 1.5-10 60 X X X
Tennis Tutor $1,099 3 Year 12" x 19.5" x 20" 150 42 X 1.5-10 85 X X X
Tennis Tutor Plus $1,299 3 Year 20" x 19.5" x 20" 150 46 X 1.5-10 85 X X X X
Tennis Tutor Plus Player Model $1,749 3 Year 20" x 19.5" x 20" 150 46 X 1.5-10 85 X X X X X 5
Tennis Tower - Competitor Classic $1,395 3 Year 36" x 23" x 22" 225 60 X 1.5-8 85 X X $270 X
Tennis Tower - Competitor $1,645 3 Year 44" x 23" x 22" 225 60 X 1.5-8 85 X X $270 X
Tennis Tower - Professional Player $2,245 3 Year 44" x 23" x 22" 225 60 X 1.5-8 85 X X X X 5
Shot Maker - Standard $3,200 3 Year 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 96 X 1-6 95 X X X X X 3
Shot Maker - Deluxe $4,200 3 Year 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 96 X 1-6 95 X X X X X 6 9
Wilson Portable $11,495 3 Year 22" x 14" x 20" 110 38 X 1.5-10 75 X X X X
Tennis Cube $579 3 Year 15" x 12" x 13" 70 24 X 2-10 50 X X X
Tennis Cube - Oscillation Model $659 3 Year 15" x 12" x 13" 70 24 X 2-10 50 X X X
ProLite Plus - Basic $889 3 Year 22" x 14" x 20" 110 36 X 1.5-10 60 X X X
ProLite Plus $989 3 Year 22" x 14" x 20" 110 36 X 1.5-10 60 X X X
Model Price Warranty Dimensions
(MSRP) (years) (Storage Inches)
B a
l l C a
p a c i t y
W e i g h t ( L b
s . )
P r o p u l s i o
n
S p i n
n i n g W h e
e l
A i r P
r e s s u r e
F e e d i n g I n t e r v a l s
( s e
c o n d
s )
T o p S p
e e d ( M
P H )
E l e
v a t i o n C o
n t r o l
( E l e
c t r i c )
E l e
v a t i o n C o
n t r o l
( M a n u a l )
A b
l e t o F e
e d L o b s
A b l
e t o F e
e d
T o p
s p i n
& U n d
e r s p i n
A
b l e t o F e
e d
S i d e
s p i n
O s
c i l l a t i
o n
N o
O s c i l l
a t i o
n
O s c i l l a
t i o n
- R a n d o m
O s c i l l a
t i o n
- P r o g r a m
a b l e
# o
f s h o
t s i n
p r o g r a m
#
o f p r
o g r a m s t h a t
c a n
b e
s t o r e d
Ball Machines on the Market
30 - External battery pack $150, external AC power supply $125
31 - Smart-fast battery upgrade $45
32 - 2-line oscillation $200
33 - AC/DC option $200
34 - Player simulation $200
35 - Multi-function remote $200
36 - Player simulation included
37 - Multi-function remote $300
38 - External battery pack $130, external AC power supply $125
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X 6 D Cells
X X 9 X X $70 X $35
X X 9 X X $70 X $35 30
$50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 30, 31, 32
$50 X 18 X X $200 X X $35 X 30, 31, 33, 34
X X X $50 X 18 X X $200 X X X $35 X 30, 31, 33, 35
X X X
X $200 X X X X
X X X X X X X X X 35, 36
X $200 X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X 37
$50 X 12 X X $200 X X $35 X 30
X 6 X X 38
X 6 X X 38
X X 9 X X $70 X $35 X 38
X X 9 X X $70 X $35 X 38
A d j u s t a b l
e D e
p t h w i t h
i n
P r o g r a m
A d j u s t a b l
e S p i n
w i t h
i n
P r o g r a m
A d j u s t a b l
e H
e i g h t w
i t h i n
P r o g r a m
A d j u s t a b l
e I n t e r v a l w i t h
i n
P r o g r a m
P l a
y e r S i m
u l a t i o
n M
o d e
P o
w e r
R u n
s o n B a
t t e r y o r P o
w e r
C o r d
R u n s
o n P o
w e r C o
r d O n l y
R u n s
o n B a
t t e r y O n l y
B a t t e r y A m
p / H
o u r
B a t t e r y L i f e I n
d i c a t o r
B a t t e r y S w
a p a b i l i t y
S m a r t C h a
r g e r c o m e s
S t a n d a r d
S m a r t C h a
r g e r a v a i l a b l
e
a s o p t i o
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R e m
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n t r o l c
o m e s
S t a
n d a r d
R e m
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n t r o l a
v a i l a b l
e
a s a n
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R e
m o t e C o n t r o l
R e m o t e C o
n t r o l - C o
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R e m o t e C o
n t r o l - W i r e l e
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R e m
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O s c i l l a
t i o n
R e m
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P r o g r a m S e t t i n
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S e r v i n g T o
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S e r v i n g T o
w e r
- O p t i o
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A c c e s s o r y
M i s
c e l l a
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C o v e r c
o m e s S t a n d a r d
C o v e r a v a i l a b l
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I n
c l u d
e s W h e
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P o r t a b i l i t y
O t h e
r F e a t u r e s
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More DirectionBob Patterson’s article (“FollowingDirections,” June 2016) about paying
attention when servicing new direc-tional racquets was great, especiallyhis advice regarding bumper-guardand grommet replacement. His string-
ing advice dealt only with one-piecestringing, though, so anyone doingtwo-piece will need to observe acouple of additional pointers.
For example, on Prince O-Portframes (which as Patterson pointsout are directional), the mains end at
the head. Thus, Prince also puts the“short side” marking at the head.
Additionally, Prince labels a grommeton the opposite side of the racquet with “starting knot.”
If you mount one of these racquetsso the “short side” label is on theright, the marked grommet for the
starting knot for the crosses will be onthe left (or long) side. Simply observethe markings, and the directionalaspects will fall neatly into place.
For racquets such as the Babolat Aero Drive and Babolat Pure Drive, which have the mains end at the
throat, mounting the racquet sothe “short side” label is on the rightmeans you have to tie the startingknot for the crosses on the same side
as the label (not the opposite side) toget the directional elements correcton the crosses when stringing with
the two-piece technique.The difference is that these (and
many other) racquets have an oddnumber of crosses. Because you startthe crosses from the head and not the
throat using the two-piece technique, you have to take into account thatthe top cross will thread through theframe counter to the way the bottom
cross will thread through the frame.With the Babolat Pure Drive, start-
ing the crosses in the wrong directionnot only means you miss the benefits
of the Woofer system, but also thatthe grommet-strip splits on each sideof the head of the racquet will not be
covered by an outside loop of string.Unfortunately, each of these errors isso subtle that you can easily complete
the racquet without realizing youinstalled the crosses incorrectly.
You will be able to see that the
string is not lying in the protective
relief in the bumper guard, but gettingthe direction wrong also means thegrommet-strip splits will not be cov-
ered. It is a lot easier to see the stringslying outside of the bumper guardreliefs on these racquets, but no less
aggravating to redo the racquet.Because I am so accustomed to
starting my crosses from the rightside of the frame, I mount these
directional frames “upside-down” sothat stringing them involves the samemotions and techniques as stringing
non-directional racquets.
5 sets of Gamma Ocho string to: L. Hodges, Apple Valley, Calif.
Stencil Alignment
During tournaments, most teamstringers also do the stenciling, too. Ithink the most difficult logo to stencilis Luxilon—it’s hard to get the “back”
side of that logo to match the “front.”To make this easier, I cut some
arrows at the edges of the stencil,
using the front side alignment lines as
a guide. This way, even when the logois flipped over, you can still determinethe correct position by aligning the
tips of the arrows with the sixth mainand third bottom cross.
5 sets of Pacific PLX string to:
Sam Chan, MRT, Australia
Professional Prince Stencils Editor’s note: Back in November 2006, we ran a tip about how to do a Princestencil. I still see amateur string-ers get it wrong, and after seeing my
second professional tournament ontelevision with incomplete Princestencils, I thought it might be time torevisit this topic.
After stenciling the strings usingthe Prince stencil, remove the stenciland fill in the non-inked portions of
the “P,” where the support bars are for
the inside of the “P.” Not only does thefinished stencil look as if the strings were stenciled by the Prince factory,
but you don’t have to work as hardto get the stencil ink right up to theedges and into
the cornersof the stencil where thesupport bars
are, becausethere won’t beany lines thereafter you do
your touch-up.
—Greg Raven
Tips and Techniques submitted since 1992 by USRSA members and ap- pearing in this column have all been gathered into a searchable database
on www.racquettech.com, the officialmembers-only website of the USRSA. Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA,
PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096 oremail greg@racquettech.com.
Reader Know-How in Action
Tips and Techniques
www.tennisindustrymag.com July 2016 TennisIndustry 3
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String Playtest
K irschbaum Pro Line II Rough isa third-generation co-polyester
string with a roughened surface
designed for extra spin, with balanced
precision and power. According to
Kirschbaum, the string comes from
a development of new materials and
mastery of the low-temperature fusion
at which they are processed, resulting
in a feel that’s similar to a synthetic gut
regarding playability, but with all the
virtues of polys. It also does not move
and will hold its tension, the company
says. Pro Line II Rough is suited for
competitive players of all ages.Pro Line II Rough is available in 1.20
mm, 1.25 mm and 1.30 mm in black
only. It is priced from $9 for 40-foot
sets, and $109 for reels of 660 feet.
For more information on any of these
strings, or to place an order, contact
Kirschbaum at 866-443-4428, or visit
kirschbaumusa.com. And be sure to
read the conclusion of this review for
details about getting a free set of Pro
Line II Rough to try for yourself.
In the Lab
We tested the 1.25-mm Pro Line II Rough.
The coil measured 40 feet, 11 inches. The
diameter measured 1.25 mm prior to
stringing and 1.23 mm after stringing. We
recorded a string-bed stiffness of 69 RDC
units immediately after stringing a Wilson
Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern) at 60
pounds on a constant-pull machine.
After 24 hours (no playing), string-
bed stiffness measured 62 RDC units,
representing a 10 percent tension loss.
Our control string, Prince Synthetic Gut
Original Gold 16, measured 78 RDC units
immediately after stringing and 71 RDC
units after 24 hours, representing an 8.3
percent tension loss. In lab testing, Prince
Synthetic Gut Original has a stiffness of
217 and a tension loss of 11.67 pounds,
while Kirschbaum Pro Line II Rough 1.25
has a stiffness of 194 and a tension lossof 19.56 pounds. Pro Line II Rough 1.25
added 15.7 grams to the weight of our
unstrung frame.
The string was tested for five weeks by
34 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings
from 3.5 to 5.5. These are blind tests, with
playtesters receiving unmarked strings in
unmarked packages. The average number
of hours playtested was 23.8.
Kirschbaum does not provide a tension
recommendation, so we allowed our play-
testers free rein. Pro Line II Rough does
have some coil memory. The surface tex-
ture creates extra drag through grommets
and when pulling crosses through mains—
along with some noise. It is not difficult,
just different. We almost ran out of string
on an oversize racquet, so perhaps the
extra density implied by the high weight of
the string helps it withstand stretch.
No playtester broke the sample during
stringing, eight reported problems with
coil memory, five reported problems tying
knots, two reported friction burn and eight
reported other problems.
On the Court
Pro Line II Rough promises spin—and our
playtest team agreed, rating it the seventh
best string in the Spin category of the 192
strings we have playtested for publication.
Hand-in-hand with this, the playtesters
also rated Pro Line II Rough the 15th best
string in the Control category.Pro Line II Rough also garnered an
excellent rating in Durability, and was
judged to be well above average in Resis-
tance to Movement and Tension Reten-
tion. Accordingly, the overall score is well
above average.
No playtester reported premature fray-
ing or peeling, one reported buzzing and
five reported notching.
Conclusion
If you have customers looking for a spin
string, Pro Line II Rough is much easier to
install than some of the geometric spin
options on the market. It has all the charac-
teristics needed by players who generate
their own power, and with three different
gauges, you can dial to your customers'
specific needs.
If you think that Kirschbaum Pro Line II
Rough might be for you, fill out the co
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