200503 Racquet Sports Industry

COURTCONSTRUCTION &MAINTENANCE GUIDE� Building for a New Demographic� Fixing Cracked Asphalt Courts

� Solutions for Compacted ClayCourts

� Outdoor Soft-Court Winners

2005 RacquetSelection MapOur exclusive guide will help you findthe right racquet for your customers

Tennis Welcome CentersEnter the Next Phase� Cardio Tennis Rolls Out

� String Playtest

� Ball Machine Review

� Ask the Experts

� Tips and Techniques

March 2005Volume 33 Number 3 $5.00

DEPARTMENTS

R S I M A R C H 2 0 0 5Contents

March 2005 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

Contents

4 Our Serve

14 Tennis Welcome Centers

38 String Playtest: Toalson Cyber Blade Tour Thermaxe 123

42 Ask the Experts

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Cardio Tennis rolls out to industry

7 Penn donates $50,000 fortsunami relief

8 ASBA elects new officersand directors

9 Universal Cooler Stand byAdvantage

10 “The Winner’s Mind” newbook from USRSA

10 Short Sets

11 Tecnifibre launches racquetsfor U.S. market

11 PTR sponsors Special OlympicsChampionships

12 USTA Foundation offers US Openpaver donation project

12 Prince Pink string aids fightagainst breast cancer

12 People Watch

13 Williams sisters use Wilson’snCode racquets

13 Ashaway introduces squashfootwear line

EXCLUSIVE!

44 Tips and Techniques

46 Ball Machine Review: Super Coach

48 Your Serve, by Karlyn Lothery

16 2005 Racquet Selection MapUse our comprehensive guide of the latest racquets to helpyour customers find the perfect frame for their game.

Court Construction& Maintenance Guide25 Active Aging

Changing demographics are causing everyone in thisindustry—including facility designers and builders—totake a look at how they do business.

28 Get Wise to CracksThere’s no getting around it: Asphalt courts will crack.Here’s what you can do to repair the damage.

31 New Solutions for Surface CompactionTwo machines from the golf industry are helping torehabilitate, and rehydrate, compacted clay courts.

34 A Soft MarketThese outdoor soft-court winners of the RSI/ASBA 2004Facility-of-the-Year Awards hit some common themes.

S P E C I A LS E C T I O N

n January, I was invited to the USTA Southern Section

Annual Meeting in Atlanta. The nice folks on their

Media/Public Relations Committee (Marc Kaplan, Ron

Cioffi, and Marcy Hirshberg) asked me and Seth Sylvan,

director of communications for the national USTA Com-

munity Tennis division, to speak on “Getting the Word

Out” about tennis.Our presentation at the section committee meeting, along with the Q&A

session, went well (in a future issue of RSI, you’ll read about some of the

things we presented, and how you can get the word out in your community

about all that you have to offer tennis players, and potential players). While

I’d like to credit my and Seth’s presentation style for the positive comments

we received, it really was the enthusiastic and interested people in the audi-

ence and on the committee that made us look good.

And that’s what this boils down to. Whether you make your living from

this business, or whether you’re a volunteer who loves tennis and wants to

see as many people playing and watching it as possible, it all comes down to

the amount of interest and enthusiasm you have in wanting to make this

industry—and sport—better. Whether volunteers, staff, teaching pros, facility

managers, and so on, the people in the USTA Southern Section, like those in

the other 16 USTA sections who take the time to be involved with the sport,

“get it.”

Now I’m sure you’re asking, what does this have to do with me? Well, if

you’re making your living from tennis, you need to get in touch with what the

USTA is doing and the people who are doing it—especially at the local level.

Right now, I’m sure you’re rolling your eyes. I realize that nationally, the

USTA is a huge organization that deals with hundreds of millions of dollars

every year. And I also know that—justified or not—it’s easy to take shots at

the USTA and some of the decisions it makes. But let’s not forget that the

organization does a lot of good for the sport, which in turn benefits your busi-

ness.

More importantly, though, it’s the people who make up the USTA, espe-

cially at the community, district, and section levels, that deserve your support

and can benefit from your expertise. Serve on a committee, get involved with

a local CTA, volunteer at a local clinic, raise funds to rehabilitate courts.

The people in the USTA Southern Section showed me, once again, that get-

ting involved is a good thing and can only lead to better things down the road.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

Our ServeLessons From a USTA Section

(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

PublishersDavid Bone Jeff Williams

Editor-in-ChiefCrawford Lindsey

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Assistant to the PublisherCari Feliciano

Contributing EditorsCynthia Cantrell

Rod CrossJoe DinofferLiza Horan

Andrew LavalleeJames MartinMark Mason

Chris NicholsonMitch RustadDrew Sunderlin

Jonathan Whitbourne

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRYCorporate Offices

330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084Phone: 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 (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly Januarythrough August and combined issues in Septem-ber/October and November/December by TennisIndustry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.March 2005, Volume 33, Number 3 © 2005 by USRSAand Tennis Industry. All rights reserved. Racquet SportsIndustry, RSI and logo are trademarks of USRSA. Print-ed in the U.S.A. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102x.125. Phone circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177.Yearly subscriptions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Racquet SportsIndustry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY March 2005

I

ting involved is a good thing and

Peter Francesconi

fter eight months of research and playtesting, Cardio Tennis is rolling out to the ten-nis industry. The TIA is encouraging tennis facilities and pros to apply at

www.Partners.CardioTennis.com to be an official Cardio Tennis site.Cardio Tennis is a new nationwide program that features a fun, group activity with drills on

court designed to give players of all abilities a high-energy workout. The consumer rollout isexpected in the second half of 2005.

“We analyzed existing programs, tried new drills, did playtests with players wearing heart-rate monitors, and have come up with a format that delivers heart-pumping fitness,” says TIAPresident Jim Baugh. “If Americans want to find a great new way to get in shape and burn calo-ries, they must try Cardio Tennis.”

“The new Cardio Tennis DVD is just what our industry needs,” says Dino Bondallian ofHawaii, who, with his wife Donnia, is one of the original architects of the aerobic style of ten-nis. “It will help every pro and facility operator see this big opportunity, and learn how to do itright.”

By June, the TIA hopes to have 1,000 “quality sites” signed onto the program. “We want all Cardio Tennis sites to go through amulti-step process to ensure we deliver this program properly,”says Baugh. “This is really a fitness activity. While people areplaying tennis, we must deliver a great cardio workout.”

In related news, the TIA has hired Michele Krause as the busi-ness manager for Cardio Tennis. Krause, who is the director of

tennis at the Punta GordaClub for Tennis and Fitnessin Punta Gorda, Fla., waschosen from a list of morethan 100 candidates.

“I loved Michele’s passion for Cardio Tennis, tennis and fit-ness overall,” says Baugh. “She is a successful teaching profes-sional and club operator, knows the fitness world, and has thesales and marketing skills I was looking for.”

Krause helped develop a state-of-the-art tennis and fitnessfacility at Punta Gorda and has been dedicated to fitness andstrength training for more than five years. She’s been involved in“figure competition,” a professional sports discipline with anemphasis on aesthetics/beauty combined with an athleticphysique. In addition, she runs a successful tennis aerobic andfitness program similar to Cardio Tennis.

“Cardio Tennis is a huge idea,” says Krause. “We need quali-ty programs throughout the U.S., all giving the consumer a new,fun, fitness activity. We can grow tennis participation and busi-ness for our pros and facilities at the same time.”

For more information on Cardio Tennis, visitwww.Partners.CardioTennis.com, call the TIA at 843-686-3036or email [email protected].

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I M A R C H 2 0 0 5

A


Penn Donates$50,000 To AidTsunami VictimsPenn Racquet Sports donated$50,000 to “Ellen’s Tsunami ReliefFund,” which will benefit UNICEFand The American Red Cross, dur-ing the Jan. 25 broadcast of the“The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Thepopular talk show featured a visitby rising ATP star Taylor Dent andKevin Kempin, vice president ofPenn Racquet Sports Worldwide.

During the show, Dent andKempin sat in DeGeneres’s “Luxu-ry Box,’’ where they presentedEllen with an oversized check.They also presented the host withan autographed oversized PennRacquet Sports ball and a racquetsigned by Andre Agassi. Theball—autographed by Dent, JimCourier and Roger Federer—andracquet will be auctioned on ebayto raise additional funds for therelief efforts.

In other fund-raising efforts fortsunami victims, Jim McIngvale ofHouston teamed with Jim Couri-er’s company, Inside Out SportsEntertainment, to put on an eventat the end of January in Houstonwhich featured Courier, JohnMcEnroe, Anna Kournikova, AndyRoddick, and Chris Evert.

Also, pro players at tournamentsearly in the year, including at theAustralian Open, donated moneyto the relief efforts. Carlos Moyadonated his $52,000 winner’scheck from the Chennai tourna-ment in India, a country hit by thetsunami, Maria Sharapova gave$10,000, and Lindsay Davenportdonated an undisclosed amount.

I 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

Cardio Tennis Program Rolls Out to Industry

How to Become aCardio Tennis Site1. Contact the TIA (843-686-3036)or visitwww.PartnersCardioTennis.comto receive a personalized CardioTennis DVD.

2. View the entire 40-minute DVD.

3. Write down the I.D. numberthat will appear at the end ofthe DVD, then go towww.Partners.CardioTennis.com/apply and fill out the site appli-cation.

4. You’ll be asked a few questions,which you must answer correct-ly. The answers are on the web-site and DVD.

5. Once approved, the TIA will callto verify data and send you aCardio Tennis Site Kit, whichcontains an educational DVD forstaff, a banner, heart-rate moni-tor map poster, promotionalcounter card, talking points, infoon ordering music and Polar

M A R C H 2 0 0 5I N D U S T R Y N E W S

8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY Mach 2005

ASBA Elects New Officers and Directors

David Marsden, a Certified Tennis Court Builder with Boston Ten-nis Court Construction Co. of Hanover, Mass., was re-elected aschairman of the American Sports Builders Association. The

ASBA (formerly the U.S. Tennis Court & Track Builders Association)recently announced election results of its new officers and directors.

Marsden (right) is a longtime active member of the ASBA and has served mul-tiple terms as Tennis Division president. Other officers and directors are:� George Todd Jr. as the ASBA’s new secretary-treasurer. Todd is a CTCB and pres-

ident of Welch Tennis Courts in Sun City, Fla.� Alex Levitsky as the new president of the Professional Division. Levitsky is prin-

cipal of Global Sports & Tennis Design Group.� Brion Rittenberry, re-elected as president of the Indoor Division. Rittenberry is

president and CEO of Kiefer Specialty Flooring Inc. of Zion, Ill.� Sam Fisher as the new president of the Track Division. Fisher is a Certified Track

Builder and president of Fisher Tracks Inc. of Boone, Iowa.New to the ASBA’s board of directors is Randy Futty, the national sales manag-

er for Lee Tennis of Charlottesville, Va., who joins as an elected representative ofthe Associate/Affiliate Division. Also new on the board is Mike Vinton, CTCB, ofVasco Asphalt, who will represent the Builders Division.

Remaining on the board of directors are Associate/Affiliate Division PresidentBruce Frasure of LSI Courtsider Sports Lighting of Cincinnati; Tennis Division Pres-ident Gerry Wright, CTCB, of Court One in Raleigh, N.C.; and board members RonNemeth, CTB, of Conica Technik, New Port Richey, Fla.; David Nielsen of LeslieCoatings Inc. of Indianapolis; Gerald Perry, CTCB, of Gerald Perry Tennis Courts ofSpringfield, Mo.; and John Schedler, CTB, of FieldTurf Mid-America of St. Louis.

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


Advantage Tennis Sup-ply’s new UniversalCooler Stand adds the

convenience of a waterfountain without having todig up your courts. Thestand holds any size and anystyle of cooler. It’s uniquepowder-coated wire topadjusts from 11 to 20 inchesin diameter, allowing it tohold any size beverage cool-er as well as a square-based ice chest. The systemshown at left includes theAdvantage Court KeeperBasket, and Igloo cooler(different Igloo choices areavailable). The cooler stand,in either black or green,retails for $120. For moreinformation, call 800-476-5432 or visit


M A R C H 2 0 0 5I N D U S T R Y N E W S

> Tecnifibre has re-signed twins Bob andMike Bryan to a two-year extension oftheir contract for 2005 and 2006. Thebrothers have used the Tecnifibre NRG2multi-filament string since 2001. For infor-mation on the company, visitwww.tecnifibre.com.

> The U.S. Davis Cup team, captained byPatrick McEnroe, will meet Croatia in thefirst round of the 2005 Davis Cup March4 to 6 at The Home Depot Center in Car-son, Calif. Expected to play for the U.S.are Andy Roddick and Mike and BobBryan. Tickets, which range from $90 to$375 for the three-day series, are availableby calling 888-484-USTA.

> Olympus is expanding its partnershipwith the USTA and will now be the officialcamera of the US Open and the US OpenSeries, which is the eight-week summertennis season that links 10 tournamentsto the US Open. The four-year deal alsodesignates Olympus as the official binocu-lar and official photo image storage andimage printing sponsor of the Open.

> The U.S. Fed Cup team will host Bel-gium in the quarterfinals April 23 to 24 atthe Delray Beach Tennis Center in DelrayBeach, Fla. Top player Lindsay Davenporthas committed to play the match. Ticketscan be purchased by calling 888-334-USTA.

> The WTA Tour has announced a land-mark six-year, $88 million global sponsor-

ship that makes Sony Ericsson Mobile Com-munications the worldwide title sponsor ofthe tour, which will be renamed the Sony Eric-sson WTA Tour. The deal is the largest andmost comprehensive sponsorship in the historyof tennis and of women’s professional sport.

> The USTA Tennis & Education Foundationawarded 40 grants to programs across thecountry in 2004, totaling $785,000. The grantawards ranged from $5,000 to $50,000.Combined with scholarship awards, the Foun-dation disbursed about $1 million last year.

> The Brickell Tennis Club, a state-of-the-artfacility in downtown Miami, opened inDecember with a party and tennis exhibitionmatches, featuring Butch Buchholz, HaroldSolomon, Fred Stolle, Cliff Drysdale, Jay Berg-er and top young pro Brian Baker. The clubhas seven hydro-clay courts.

> The USTA Southern Section has signedBMW of North America as title sponsor ofCombo Doubles for the USTA Southern Sec-tion and USA Tennis Florida. The deal runsthrough Jan. 31, 2007. BMW’s Mini Cooperbrand will be an Official Sponsor of the USTASouthern Section and USA Tennis FloridaCombo Doubles Program.

> The USTA has acquired a 25 percent stakein the JPMorgan Chase Open and now has anoption to buy majority control of the women’sevent. The $85,000 tournament, which wasone of the 10 events comprising the inaugu-ral US Open Series in 2004, will be the weekof Aug. 8 in Los Angeles.

SHORT SETS

New from Dr. Allen Fox is the book “TheWinner’s Mind: A Competitor’s Guide toSports and Business Success,” pub-lished by Racquet Tech Publishing, animprint of the USRSA. Jam-packed withtennis examples and anecdotes, thisbook offers analysis of what makes awinner tick, both in the athletic arenaand in business. Fox offers up a pre-scription for success that includes usingintellect to conquer emotions that makeyou lose, avoiding achievement limits,overpowering fears of failure, settingand achieving goals, controlling yourcompetitive destiny, expanding yourcapacity for work, and much more. For more information or to order ($15.95for USRSA members; $17.95 for nonmembers), visit www.racquettech.com.



Tecnifibre LaunchesRacquets for U.S.

Tecnifibre USA is launching twoseries of tennis racquets into theU.S. market. The frames will be

available March 1.The company says the T-Fight

series of two racquets (325 and 315)is for hard-hitting baseliners and

the T-Feel series of four frames(305, 305XL, 290XL, 275XL) isfor all-court players. The rac-quets will carry suggested retailprices from $170 to $190.

“Three are global racquetsthat have had very strong sales in

Europe and Asia during the pastsummer and fall, and three modelswere developed specifically for theU.S. market,” says Paul Kid, TecnifibreUSA’s sales and marketing manager.

In January, Tecnifibre signedworld No. 26 player Juan IgnacioChela of Argentina to a three-year con-tract to use the T-Feel 305 racquet.

For more information, visitwww.tecnifibre.com or call 877-332-0825.

PTR Sponsors SpecialOlympics Championships

The Sixth Annual Special OlympicsTennis Championships, hosted bythe Professional Tennis Registry, will

be March 14 to 16 at the Van der MeerShipyard Racquet Club on Hilton HeadIsland, S.C. In the past, the three-dayevent has attracted more than 100 ath-letes from 10 states and four countries.

Officials from the Special Olympicsand the USTA will attend the event, andan exhibition match with former ATPTour players will follow the opening cere-mony. The event will also feature trainingfor coaches, two days of competition, adinner dance and medal presentations.

“This is one of the most rewardingthings I do,” says Dennis Van der Meer,PTR founder and president. The PTR hasmore than 11,000 members in 122 coun-tries. For more information, contact JulieJilly at 843-785-7244, [email protected], or visitwww.specialolym-pics.org.

12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRYMarch 2005

• Jon Muir (at right) has

been promoted to U.S. director of

sales and marketing for Wilson Racquet

Sports. Muir, who was the compa-

ny’s U.S. director of marketing

and promotions, has been with

Wilson for seven years. In other

Wilson moves, Jim Burda is the

new U.S. promotions manager.

Burda, the founder of Racquets for

Life, a family racquets consulting, education,

and publishing firm involved in tennis retail

management at several clubs, has more than

18 years experience in the tennis industry.

• Megan Costello is the new communications

manager at Head/Penn Racquet Sports, where

she will be responsible for all marketing and

communications programs, including public

relations and advertising for Head/Penn rac-

quets, balls, and accessories. Prior to joining

Head, Costello was the marketing manager

for the tennis division of Völkl.

• Jim Courier, Yannick Noah, Jana Novotna,

and Butch Buchholz will be inducted into the

International Tennis Hall of Fame in July. The

ceremony coincides with the Campbell’s Hall

of Fame Tennis Championships, played at

the Newport Casino in Newport,

R.I., July 4 to 10.

PE

OP L E W AT

CH

USTA Foundation Offers Paver Donation Project

The USTA Tennis & Education Foundation is giving tennis enthusiasts the chanceto leave their mark on the USTA National Tennis Center—home of the US Open—and make a difference in a child’s life.

The foundation is spearheading an “Avenue of Aces” paver project, the proceedsfrom which will fund college scholarships and the development of after-school, men-toring, literacy and tennis programs for at-risk children across the country. TheAvenue of Aces will be located between the tennis center’s East Gate entrance andArthur Ashe Stadium.

From March 1 through June 30, 2005, USTA members can purchase an 8-by-8-inch Brick Paver for a $750 donation—a 25 percent discount off the $1,000 price.Also available are 8-by-16-inch pavers in cast aluminum for a $5,000 donation;$2,500 for cast bronze. Pavers in the prestigious Founder’s Court, measuring 16 by16 inches, are $25,000 in cast aluminum and $15,000 in cast bronze. Pavers pur-chased by July 1 will be in place at the 2005 US Open. The donations are tax-deductible.

For more information, contact the USTA T&EF at 914-696-7223 or email [email protected].

M A R C H 2 0 0 5IN

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Prince Pink String Aids FightAgainst Breast Cancer

In support of the Susan G. Komen Breast CancerFoundation and the quest to find a cure forbreast cancer, Prince Tennis has unveiled a spe-

cial edition Lightning XX Pink racquet string.Through February 2006, Prince will donate 15 per-cent of the wholesale price for each Lightning XXPink string package sold to a retailer to the KomenFoundation. “Physical activity is a major factor inlowering a woman’s risk for breast cancer, and wefeel that the Lightning XX Pink string will be a greatway for tennis enthusiasts to show their support of the Foundation and its efforts whilealso protecting their own health and well being,” says Linda Glassel, vice president ofmarketing and communications at Prince.



Ashaway IntroducesSquash Footwear Line

Ashaway Racket Strings has intro-duced a new line of shoes for squashplayers. The Ashaway AST family of

shoes features “Anatomic System Tech-nology,” which the company says allowsthe shoes to mold to the natural shape ofthe foot, increasing comfort and stabilityand reducing fatigue.

We work closely with squash players,from top professionals to those who playrecreationally, and across the board theyhave asked us to extend our squash lineinto footwear and accessories,” saysSteven Crandall, vice president of mar-keting for Ashaway.

For more information, contact 800-556-7260 or visit www.ashawayusa .com.

Serena Williams WinsWith Wilson’s nCode

Serena Williams captured her sev-enth Grand Slam using the newWilson n3 nCode racquet, which

she switched to just before playing inthe Australian Open. The champi-onship match between Williams andLindsay Davenport showcased two ofWilson’s nCode frames. Davenport isusing the nTour.

Venus Williams also is playing withan nCode model, which is due out inthe summer of 2005, says Wilson.Both Williams sisters had been testingthe frames since their debut last sum-mer, says the company. Serena’s n3 isthe first frame on the pro tour thatincorporates the nCode process withwhat Wilson calls “volcanic geome-try” and the new Triad technology.

Also playing with Wilson’s nCodeframes are twins Bob and Mike Bryan,who made it to the men’s doublesfinal at the Australian Open this year.

Wilson’s nCode racquets featurean exclusive nanotechnology processin which nano-sized silicon dioxidecrystals permeate the voids betweencarbon fibers, reinforcing the molecu-lar structure of the frame. The nCodetechnology offers increased strengthand playability and has been Wilson’smost comprehensive racquet launchin years, says the company. For infor-mation, visit www.wilson.com.

ADVANCINGITS POSITION


ake no mistake, the Tennis Welcome Center campaignthat began successfully a year ago is alive and well—and

looking to make some improvements for 2005 and beyond.Last year, nearly 400,000 unique visitors went onto the Ten-

nisWelcomeCenter.com website to find out where they canlearn to play tennis in their local areas. More than 4,000 tennisfacilities and parks signed onto the TWC campaign, exceedingthe initial goal of 3,000 tennis venues. Research by the industryshows that last year, 51 percent of TWCs saw an increase innew players at their facilities, and 63 percent felt the nationalmarketing campaign was effective.

“In terms of wholesale industry acceptance, the Tennis Wel-come Center initiative has been the most successful initiativewe’ve ever launched,” says Kurt Kamperman, the USTA’s chiefexecutive of Community Tennis.

The TWC campaign is a joint USTA-Tennis Industry Associa-tion initiative that saw the active involvement of all the differentgroups in tennis—teaching pro organizations, manufacturers,associations, retailers,tournaments, media,and more. TWCs aredesigned to get newpeople into the gameand to bring back play-ers who have left thegame by providing themwith a local “friendly”facility where they can“learn to play tennis . . .fast.”

“There were a lot ofsuccessful parts to theTennis Welcome Centercampaign,” says Kam-

perman. “But there are clearly some areas we need to improve. Andwe’re taking the steps needed to make the TWC initiative evenstronger.”

FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICEOne concern, following the rush to get facilities on board as TWCs,was that there was a wide range of customer-service issues. In2005, to remain a TWC, “facilities have to reapply, and there is anapplication and renewal process that asks for specific criteria todetermine eligibility,” says Jim Baugh, president of the TIA. “Also,we’ll be doing more and better-defined ‘secret shopping’ of TWCsites, to make sure they meet certain service criteria.”

The more stringent application and renewal process is expectedto whittle down the number of TWCs. “It would be great to main-tain 4,000 nationwide, but if we have 2,500 quality TWCs signedup, we’d be quite happy,” says Kamperman.

Also planned are TWC seminars and training workshops acrossthe country, especially dealing with customer service and local tennis

marketing.“One of the things we

learned,” says Kamper-man, “is that in our overalltennis delivery system, likeany service-oriented busi-ness, we have ongoingcustomer-service chal-lenges. There are a lot offacilities—private, commer-cial, and public— that arenot prepared to appropri-ately take on new cus-tomers.”

Kamperman explainsthat usually, players walk

M

ADVANCINGITS POSITIONAfter the initial push, the Tennis Welcome Center campaign isrefining—and improving—its offerings. B Y P E T E R F R A N C E S C O N I

After the initial push, the Tennis Welcome Center campaign isrefining—and improving—its offerings.


NNinto their club or facility, wave to the desk person, then breeze onby to the assigned court. “With a Tennis Welcome Center, it’s adifferent dynamic,” he says. “You have people calling for the firsttime, not knowing what the procedures are like, what they need towear, etc. We need the facilities to take a hard look at how theycan make that first impression as inviting and as friendly as possible.”

Another key area for 2005 is local marketing. “Our nationalmarketing proved to be successful,” says Baugh, “but we clearlyneed to get more local facilities active in marketing efforts. We’vecome up with a really easy-to-use, turn-key marketing package forlocal facilities.”

LESSON PLANSWhile the initial TWC program encouraged all facilities to have cer-tified pros, there seems to be an acknowledgement that many facil-ities, especially parks programs, simply don’t have access to a PTRor USPTA pro. The USTA is expanding its Tennis in the Parks pro-gram, working with the NRPA to provide grants to park and recre-ation agencies to help them hire certified pros, say industry sources.

Also available starting in 2005 will be “generic” entry-level pro-

grams that TWCs may use, if they desire. “The USPTA and PTRare offering entry-level lesson plans if pros want to tap intothem,” says Kamperman.

Other important enhancements for 2005, says TIA ExecutiveDirector Jolyn de Boer, include enhancing the two main TWC web-sites, TennisWelcomeCenter.com for consumers and Part-ners.TennisWelcomeCenter.com for the trade. “We’re alsodeveloping a ‘Get Connected for 2005’ plan of benefits that willinclude individual websites, hosting, emails, online registration, afind-a-game feature, and more,” says de Boer.

On the quality-control side, the two teaching organizationswill add educational certification and develop specialty courses forTWCs, says de Boer. In addition, a TWC project manager positionhas been established, and the USTA is looking at tapping intolocal USTA volunteers to help with TWCs in their areas.

In terms of marketing support, the USTA is expected to com-mit about $3 million to support the program this year. Inserts areagain planned for newspapers and national magazines, and theATP and WTA Tour will provide signage and other marketingopportunities at pro events.

In the tennis trade, there will be an increased effort to makesure manufacturers have TWC mentions and links on their web-sites. Also, retailer involvement will be promoted in local markets,along with links to “Welcome to Tennis” events leading up toNational Tennis Month in May and the US Open.

“We want to raise the bar and have more high-quality TennisWelcome Centers,” says Kamperman. “For consumers, thatmeans a better first impression of tennis, and a stronger likeli-hood they’ll stay in the game.” �

1. Power/Control (columns). (formula = lengthindex x headsize x flex x swingweight) ÷ 1000.Length index calculation: 27" = 1.0, 27.5" =1.05; 28" = 1.1, etc.2. Maneuverability (rows). RDC (BabolatRacquet Diagnostic Center) swingweight units.3. Racquet ID. The number in the grid corre-lates to the accompanying racquet list.4. Headsize. Midsize and midplus (≤104 sq.in.) have no indicator.Oversize (105 -117 sq. in.) = •. Superoversize(≥ 118 sq. in.) = :.5. Length. x = extended length. Standardlength (27") racquets have no indicator.6. Flex (RDC). a = < 60; b = 60-64; c = 65-69;d = 70-74; e = > 74. The higher the number,the stiffer the racquet.7. Company. Coded by number and color. Seeaccompanying racquet list on the followingpages.

RACQUET SELECTION MAP KEY


8. Racquet Quadrants and the Center of theRacquet Universe. The center of the racquetuniverse is located at the intersection of thetwo red lines. Approximately half the racquetslie to the right and left, and half above andbelow these lines. The lines divide the racquetuniverse into four color-coded quadrants –clockwise from top left: (1) quick power, (2)quick control, (3) stable control, (4) stablepower. These characterizations provide a gen-eral vocabulary for comparing racquets.9. Racquet Finder List. The racquet listaccompanying the map identifies each rac-quet and gives additional information. Themap provides specific (very narrow ranges,anyway) swingweight, flex and power statis-tics, and general size and length characteris-tics. The racquet list specifies the length andsize and further specifies weight, balance,and price.

How To Use It1. Ask questions. What are you looking forthat your current racquet does not provide?What do you like most and least about yourcurrent racquet? What are the strengths andweaknesses of your game?2. Locate current racquet on map. If the rac-quet is not in the list, take measurements.3. Locating potential racquets. Dependingon the answers to the above questions,draw an imaginary arrow (a wide or skinnyone) from your present racquet in thedesired direction for power and maneuver-ability.4. Narrowing the field. Shrink the choicesusing the length, headsize, and flex codes tomatch customer preferences.5. Selecting racquet demos. Once the choic-es are narrowed, locate the racquets bynumber in the racquet list.

Weight MattersThe Racquet Selector Map plots power and swingweight.This seems pretty straightforward, but some explanation ofwhat is behind these numbers is elucidating. The power for-mula used here is: (headsize x length index x flex x swing-weight)/1000. "Power" refers to the intrinsic power potentialof the racquet. This potential is primarily determined by theamount and distribution of mass, which manifests in theracquet in four very important ways: weight/mass (resis-

tance to motion in a straight line), swingweight (resistance torotation about an axis in the handle 10 cm from the butt),recoilweight (resistance to rotation about the balance point),and twistweight (resistance to rotation about the long axisfrom tip to butt). Racquet features that influence these areheadsize (how far from the long center axis mass can belocated) and length and balance point (how far from boththe swing axis in the handle and the recoil axis at the bal-ance point that mass can be located). All these "weights" areimportant to power for one very important reason—they

OUR EXCLUSIVE GUIDE TO HELP YOUR CUSTOMERSFIND THE PERFECT FRAME FOR THEIR GAME.

by Crawford Lindsey

Text continues on page 23.

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AVERY

1 Avery M3 95 27.00 372 32.25 12.70 72 364 2490 $180

BABOLAT

2 Babolat Aeropro Control 98 27.00 343 32.25 12.70 71 341 2373 $179

3 Babolat Aeropro Drive 100 27.00 324 33.75 13.29 69 337 2325 $179

4 Babolat Drive Z Lite 100 27.00 274 36.00 14.17 68 306 2081 $169

5 Babolat Drive Z Max 107 27.20 272 37.00 14.57 68 321 2382 $169

6 Babolat Drive Z Tour 100 27.00 298 34.75 13.68 74 316 2338 $169

7 Babolat Pure Control 98 27.00 346 31.75 12.50 69 334 2259 $190

8 Babolat Pure Control + 98 27.50 345 32.25 12.70 69 335 2379 $190

9 Babolat Pure Control Zylon 360 97 27.00 310 33.50 13.19 65 304 1917 $189

10 Babolat Pure Drive 100 27.00 317 33.00 12.99 71 313 2222 $190

11 Babolat Pure Drive + Team 100 27.50 313 33.50 13.19 73 322 2468 $179

12 Babolat Pure Drive OS Team 110 27.50 289 35.00 13.78 72 320 2661 $191

13 Babolat Pure Drive Zylon 360 100 27.00 261 35.50 13.98 66 281 1855 $189

14 Babolat Pure Storm MP Team 103 27.00 298 34.50 13.58 68 313 2192 $179

15 Babolat Pure Storm Team 98 27.00 311 33.75 13.29 64 320 2007 $179

16 Babolat Soft Drive 104 27.00 284 34.50 13.58 69 299 2146 $160

17 Babolat VS NCT Drive 110 27.50 271 36.25 14.27 72 303 2520 $209

18 Babolat VS NCT Power 118 27.88 264 37.50 14.76 70 319 2865 $199

19 Babolat VS NCT Tour 100 27.00 294 34.00 13.39 71 292 2073 $199

BANCROFT

20 Bancroft Classic 280 107 27.00 276 34.50 13.58 68 288 2095 $189



23 Bancroft Vapor 260 107 27.50 270 38.25 15.06 66 290 2150 $189

24 Bancroft Vapor 270 115 28.00 277 38.50 15.16 82 329 3413 $189

25 Bancroft Vapor 280 107 27.00 278 38.00 14.96 80 345 2953 $189

BLACKBURNE

26 Blackburne Double Strung 107 107 27.00 292 36.75 14.47 68 341 2481 $199

27 Blackburne Excalibur Ti 107 Double Strung 107 27.00 280 37.00 14.57 71 327 2484 $299

28 Blackburne Excalibur Ti 97 Double Strung 97 27.00 280 36.25 14.27 71 320 2204 $299

CUNLOP

29 Dunlop 1000G ICE 115 27.50 278 37.25 14.67 70 321 2713 $229

30 Dunlop 200G XL 95 27.50 314 32.75 12.89 61 296 1801 $170

31 Dunlop 300G OS 105 27.50 294 34.25 13.48 61 295 1984 $180

32 Dunlop 600G ICE 102 27.00 285 36.00 14.17 73 297 2211 $220

33 Dunlop 800G ICE 110 27.50 281 36.75 14.47 68 314 2466 $190

34 Dunlop Lady G 108 27.50 280 35.00 13.78 75 295 2509 $191

35 Dunlop M Fil 2 Hundred 95 27.00 346 32.75 12.89 58 337 1857 $169




39 Dunlop Maxply McEnroe (70 Holes) 98 27.00 320 34.00 13.39 67 333 2186 $159

RACQUETS AS OF JANUARY 2005

BLACKBURNE 781-729-3891 • www.blackburneds.com

Racquet Headsize Length Weight Balance Balance Flex Swingweight Power Retail(in2) (in.) (gm) (cm) (in.) (RDC) kg x cm2 Formula Price

BABOLAT 877-316-9435 • www.babolat.com

AVERY 800-758-9467 • www.tomavery.com

BANCROFT 800-779-0807 • www.bancroftsports.com

DUNLOP 800-277-8000 • www.dunlopsports.com



40 Dunlop Super Revelation 108 108 27.00 298 36.50 14.37 67 335 2424 $170

41 Dunlop Super Revelation 95 95 27.00 291 36.00 14.17 68 317 2048 $170

FISCHER

42 Fischer GDS Rally FT 102 27.38 297 33.50 13.19 67 296 2100 $155

43 Fischer GDS Spice FT 102 27.25 276 35.00 13.78 67 284 1989 $180

44 Fischer GDS Spirit FT 107 27.00 296 35.50 13.98 66 311 2196 $140

45 Fischer Pro Tour Extreme FT 95 27.25 340 32.00 12.60 62 301 1817 $210

46 Fischer Pro Tour 100 27.00 312 33.75 13.29 59 307 1811 $140

47 Fischer Pro No. 1 Impact FT 102 27.38 309 33.50 13.19 65 293 2015 $180

48 Fischer Pro No. 1 98 27.00 334 32.00 12.60 64 308 1932 $180

49 Fischer Pro No. 1 FT 98 27.40 309 33.25 13.09 63 297 1907 $180

50 Fischer Pro Tour FT 98 27.38 338 32.25 12.70 66 319 2142 N/A

51 Fischer Smash Ti. 102 27.00 297 33.25 13.09 64 282 1841 $100

51.5 Fischer Strike Ti. 102 27.38 277 34.75 13.68 63 284 1893 $120

52 Fischer Twin Tec 1250 FTi 118 27.75 272 36.00 14.17 63 297 2373 $240



55 Fischer Twin Tec Speed FTi 107 27.38 290 35.75 14.07 69 314 2405 $180

GOSEN

56 Gosen Carbon-15 115 27.50 249 38.25 15.06 69 307 2558 $130

57 Gosen Twin Pro 120 28.00 264 39.00 15.35 71 342 3205 $170

HEAD

58 Head Liquidmetal 1 110 27.38 258 37.50 14.76 65 306 2270 $120





63 Head Liquidmetal Fire 102 27.38 292 34.75 13.68 68 315 2267 $150

64 Head Liquidmetal Heat 102 27.00 295 34.25 13.48 66 297 1999 $140

65 Head Liquidmetal Instinct 100 27.00 307 33.70 13.27 64 319 2042 $170

66 Head Liquidmetal Instinct Tour XL 100 27.63 331 32.25 12.70 66 330 2314 $170

67 Head Liquidmetal Prestige Mid 93 27.00 348 32.00 12.60 63 341 1995 $225

68 Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP 98 27.00 329 32.30 12.72 63 317 1957 $225

69 Head Liquidmetal Radical MP 98 27.00 310 33.25 13.09 66 318 2057 $200

70 Head Liquidmetal Radical OS 107 27.00 314 33.00 12.99 60 321 2061 $200

71 Head Liquidmetal Radical Tour MP 98 27.00 349 32.50 12.80 63 332 2050 $180

72 Head Liquidmetal Rave 98 27.38 297 34.50 13.58 69 310 2175 $170

73 Head Protector MP 102 27.38 282 36.75 14.47 66 320 2235 $300

74 Head Protector OS 115 27.63 283 38.00 14.96 64 340 2659 $300

POWERANGLE

75 Power Angle Power 102 102 27.38 274 36.50 14.37 72 314 2392 $149



78 Power Angle Power 98/K 98 27.00 326 30.75 12.11 64 289 1813 $149

79 Power Angle Spin 102 102 27.50 283 38.00 14.96 71 354 2692 $149

FISCHER 800-333-0337 • www.fischertennisusa.com

HEAD 800-289-7366 • www.head.com

GOSEN 800-289-7366 • www.head.com


POWER ANGLE 877-769-3721 • www.powerangle.com

PRINCE

80 Prince AirDB Midplus 100 27.00 295 34.25 13.48 70 302 2114 $170

81 Prince AirDB Oversize 110 27.50 288 35.00 13.78 68 312 2450 $170

82 Prince AirDrive B900 MP 100 27.25 287.8 34.75 13.68 74 315 2389 $160

83 Prince AirDrive B975 OS 110 27.50 280.2 34.00 13.39 72 301 2503 $160

84 Prince Diablo XP MP 96 27.50 326 33.00 12.99 69 325 2260 $190

85 Prince Diablo XP OS 110 28.00 299 35.25 13.88 69 326 2722 $190

86 Prince Graphite Classic OS 107 27.00 348 30.80 12.13 62 335 2222 $200

87 Prince Graphite Classic Pro MP (90””) 90 specs not available at press time

88 Prince O3 Red MP 105 27.25 294 34.50 13.58 73 312 2451 $250

89 Prince O3 Silver OS 118 27.75 270 37.50 14.76 78 320 3166 $300

90 Prince Thunder Rip OS 115 28.00 274 37.00 14.57 78 340 3355 $210

91 Prince Tour Diablo Mid 93 27.00 340 32.00 12.60 67 310 1932 $170

92 Prince Tour Diablo MP 100 27.25 314 32.00 12.60 63 298 1924 $170

93 Prince Tour NXGraphite Mid 92 27.00 359 31.00 12.20 64 329 1937 $200

94 Prince Tour NXGraphite MP 100 27.25 336 32.00 12.60 66 310 2097 $200

95 Prince Tour NXGraphite OS 107 27.50 336 31.50 12.40 64 325 2337 $200

96 Prince Turbo Beast MP 100 27.00 292 35.00 13.78 74 310 2294 $120

97 Prince Turbo Beast OS 110 27.50 281 35.00 13.78 67 305 2360 $120

98 Prince Turbo Outlaw MP 100 27.00 291 35.75 14.07 71 311 2208 $150

99 Prince Turbo Outlaw OS 110 27.50 285 35.00 13.78 71 312 2559 $160

100 Prince Turbo Shark MP 100 27.00 330 33.00 12.99 70 320 2240 $150



PRINCE 800-283-6647 • www.princetennis.com

101 Prince Turbo Shark OS 110 27.50 293 35.00 13.78 71 319 2616 $190

PROKENNEX

102 Pro Kennex Core 1 No. 06 95 27.13 339 31.75 12.50 61 317 1860 $190



105 Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 15g Reach 105 28.00 309 32.75 12.89 65 345 2590 $189

106 Pro Kennex Type C 93 93 27.00 346 32.00 12.60 60 328 1830 $169

SLAZENGER

107 Slazenger Pro X1 95 27.00 336 32.00 12.60 67 305 1941 $180

TECNIFIBRE

108 Tecnifibre T Feel 275 XL 107 27.50 294 36.00 14.17 65 323 2359 $190


110 Tecnifibre T Feel 305 98 27.00 321 33.25 13.09 68 315 2099 $170


112 Tecnifibre T Fight 315 98 27.00 334 33.00 12.99 65 318 2026 $170

113 Tecnifibre T Fight 325 98 27.40 345 32.50 12.80 60 327 2000 $170

TOPSPIN

114 Topspin CL603 93 27.00 342 32.75 12.89 66 322 1976 $150

115 Topspin CL628 97 27.50 306 35.75 14.07 67 339 2313 $160

VOLKL

116 Volkl Catapult 1 (with FIRE) (Generation II) 120 27.75 261 36.50 14.37 72 311 2889 $270

117 Volkl Catapult 2 (Generation II) 115 28.00 269 37.25 14.67 70 324 2869 $240


TOP SPIN 760-804-8322 • www.prokennex.com

VOLKL 800-264-4579 • www.volkl.com


PRO KENNEX 760-804-8322 • www.prokennex.com

SLAZENGER 800-277-8000 • www.slazenger.com

TECNIFIBRE 877-332-0825 • www.tecnifibre.com

volkl continues

118 Volkl Catapult 3 (with FIRE) (Generation II) 110 27.75 273 34.00 13.39 68 296 2380 $220

119 Volkl Catapult 4 Gen II 105 27.50 289 34.25 13.48 69 304 2313 $190

120 Volkl Catapult 6 100 27.25 294 33.75 13.29 66 299 2023 $180

121 Volkl Catapult 8 V-Engine 100 27.25 307 33.50 13.19 64 301 1975 $190

122 Volkl Catapult V1 MP 102 27.00 297 33.00 12.99 64 288 1880 $250

123 Volkl Catapult V1 OS 110 27.50 306 34.00 13.39 59 321 2187 $250

124 Volkl Tour 10 MP Gen II 98 27.00 339 32.25 12.70 64 322 2020 $180

125 Volkl Tour 10 V Engine Mid 93 27.13 336 32.00 12.60 60 308 1740 $200

126 Volkl Tour 10 V Engine MP 98 27.00 334 32.25 12.70 65 319 2032 $200

127 Volkl Tour 5 105 27.00 274 34.25 13.48 64 283 1902 $130

128 Volkl Tour 6 Gen II 100 27.00 289 33.50 13.19 61 293 1787 $150

129 Volkl Tour 8 V Engine MP 100 27.60 314 34.00 13.39 70 328 2434 $160

130 Volkl Tour 9 V Engine (70 Holes) 98 27.00 321 33.00 12.99 66 301 1947 $180

131 Volkl Tour 9 V Engine (76 Holes) 98 27.13 322 33.00 12.99 64 303 1924 $180

132 Volkl V1 Classic 102 27.00 313 33.50 13.19 68 320 2220 $240

133 Volkl V1 Classic 10 Year Anniversary 102 27.00 298 34.50 13.58 72 310 2277 $200

WEED

134 Weed Z-One 35 135 27.00 273 36.25 14.27 67 314 2840 $250

WILSON

135 Wilson H1 Outer Edge 135 135 28.50 253 39.25 15.45 75 329 3825 $220

136 Wilson H6 (Hammer 6) MP 95 27.25 271 36.25 14.27 67 314 2049 $140

137 Wilson H6 (Hammer 6) OS 110 27.50 276 36.75 14.47 65 326 2447 $140

138 Wilson H-Cyclone 115 27.90 251 38.75 15.26 75 315 2961 $160

139 Wilson H-Rival 112 112 27.50 256 38.50 15.16 70 317 2610 $150

140 Wilson H-Rival 96 96 27.50 285 36.25 14.27 72 323 2344 $150

141 Wilson n1 115 27.90 256 38.75 15.26 75 323 3037 $300

142 Wilson n5 (110) 110 27.25 272 37.25 14.67 60 299 2023 $240

143 Wilson n5 (98) 98 27.25 278 37.50 14.76 63 312 1974 $240

144 Wilson n6 (110) 110 27.50 275 36.75 14.47 67 329 2546 $200

145 Wilson n6 (95) 95 27.00 269 37.50 14.76 65 322 1988 $200

146 Wilson nPro 98 27.00 311 33.25 13.09 70 304 2085 $200

147 Wilson nProStaff 95 95 27.00 298 34.25 13.48 59 315 1766 $170

148 Wilson nProSurge 100 27.00 313 33.25 13.09 59 305 1800 $200

149 Wilson nSix-One 95 (68 holes) 95 27.00 347 32.00 12.60 68 329 2125 $200

150 Wilson nSix-One Tour 90 27.00 354 32.00 12.60 66 325 1931 $200

151 Wilson nTour 105 105 27.25 297 35.50 13.98 67 334 2408 $220

152 Wilson nTour 95 95 27.25 305 35.50 13.98 63 340 2086 $220

153 Wilson nVision 103 27.25 277 36.50 14.37 63 316 2102 $180

154 Wilson Pro Staff Blitz 100 27.00 280 35.50 13.98 58 304 1763 $120

155 Wilson Triad 5 OS 110 (T5) 110 27.38 271 36.00 14.17 70 287 2294 $200

Yonex

156 Yonex RDX 300 MP 98 27.25 311 33.25 13.09 70 307 2159 $189

157 Yonex RDX 300 Super Mid 103 27.50 296 34.00 13.39 68 305 2243 $189

158 Yonex RDX 500 90 27.00 331 32.50 12.80 62 312 1741 $199

159 Yonex RDX 500 HD 98 27.00 333 32.25 12.70 61 313 1871 $199

YONEX 310-793-3800 • www.yonex.com


VOLKL continued 800-264-4579 • www.volkl.com

WILSON 773-714-6400 • www.wilsonsports.com

WEED 800-933-3758 • www.weedusa.com


160 Yonex RDX 500 MP 98 27.00 322 32.50 12.80 64 306 1919 $199

161 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti 210m 102 27.00 258 36.00 14.17 73 281 2092 $119

162 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti 260m 98 27.00 264 37.00 14.57 76 298 2220 $139

163 Yonex VCon 17 100 100 27.50 295 35.25 13.88 68 312 2228 $229

164 Yonex VCon 17 107 107 27.50 287 35.75 14.07 71 315 2513 $229

165 Yonex VCon 30+ 107 107 27.50 264 37.00 14.57 73 297 2436 $279

166 Yonex VCon 30+ 117 117 27.50 269 36.75 14.47 74 306 2782 $279



determine the amount of energy loss that occurs when theball pushes the racquet around in translation, rotation,and twisting.

Energy Loss"More powerful" actually means less energy loss. So,although racquet ads are constantly singing the praises of"more powerful" racquets, these racquets have no propul-sion system. All the energy that is possible is presentbefore the impact. That is the energy of motion in the rac-quet and ball approaching each other. The impact doesnot produce energy; it only loses it. Designing a powerfulracquet is ALL about limiting energy loss, not about pro-ducing energy.

The most productive, even if not always the most prac-tical, way to limit energy loss is to make the racquet "heav-ier" in all the ways listed above. This limits the energy thatgoes into translation, rotation, and twisting, making itpotentially available to propel the ball. If you make the rac-quet 5, 10, or 20 pounds, it will give back much moreenergy. The only trouble is that you might not be ableswing it fast enough to create as much available energy tobegin with. Energy is directly proportional to mass and tothe square of racquet velocity. So, if, for example, you dou-ble the mass of your racquet, you still have to be able toswing it at least 70 percent of the speed that you couldswing the lighter racquet just to maintain the same rac-quet energy. Even if you could develop a racquet that lostalmost no energy, you still have to be able to swing it fastenough to maximize the amount of available energy tobegin with. Sometimes, losing nothing of a small amountof energy may not be as good as losing a lot of muchmore.

Ultimate Power PotentialThere is in fact an ultimate limit to how fast you can hitthe ball. Even if you designed a racquet that lost no ener-gy at all, the maximum attainable ball speed for a servewould be twice the racquet speed at the impact location.For a groundstroke, the maximum possible speed is twicethe racquet speed plus the incident ball speed. The powerpotential of such a racquet would be awesome. But itwould be too heavy to swing, and the power output wouldbe nil—zero ball speed for a serve and the speed of theincident ball for a groundstroke, if the ball happened tocollide with the unmovable racquet.

Note: Swingweight, twistweight, recoil-weight, and hittingweight (not dis-cussed here) can all be determined forany racquet with the USRSA's onlinetools in the member section ofwww.racquettech.com. Further discus-sion of all these topics is available inthe book The Physics and

Technology of Tennis, available from the USRSA.

Interpreting the Selection MapHow does this all relate to the Racquet Selector Map? Becausetwistweight and recoilweight are not easily measured, head-size and swingweight stand in for them in the power potentialformula. Twistweight is increased more the further the weightis from the long axis. So the bigger the head, the further fromthe axis the weight will be and the greater will be the twist-weight.

As to recoilweight, it generally moves relative to swing-weight, so racquets sorted in order of swingweight will also bevery close to being ordered in terms of recoilweight. So swing-weight, which is easily measured on commercial machines,serves as a proxy for recoilweight in the power formula.

Swingweight also shows up on the other axis as themaneuverability index. This is the real meaning of swing-weight. Strictly speaking, it does not affect the intrinsic powerpotential of the racquet, except as a proxy for recoilweight,which does. But it does contribute to the final ball speedbecause it influences how fast you can get the racquet mov-ing. But that contribution is due to swing speed, not intrinsicracquet power potential. If you can keep that straight, youwon't be confused by swingweight showing up in one way oranother on both axes.

Finally there are flex and length. Flex is included in thepower potential formula because stiffer frames bend less andthus lose less energy doing so. Length is actually alreadyimplicitly accounted for in swingweight and recoilweightbecause it influences those values by delineating the maxi-mum distance from the axes that weight can be located. Butit is also included explicitly in the formula because if you dohit the ball farther from your hand as a result of the longerracquet, then the impact location on the racquet will be trav-eling faster than a point closer to your hand and will add toball speed (assuming swingweight didn’t increase too muchwith the extra length). �

Continued from page 16.

EEvery year, this game changes. Your members andplayers change, too. And you have to be ready tochange, in all the things you do—giving lessons andclinics, running tournaments and social play, market-ing your programs, laying out your facility.

“We are now in the middle of the largest transfer ofwealth in the history of the world,” says John Welborn ofLee Tennis, who, along with Alex Levitsky of Global Sports &Tennis Design Group, presented a seminar at December’sTechnical Meeting of the American Sports Builders Associa-tion (formerly the U.S. Tennis Court & Track Builders Associa-tion) titled “Ageless Marketing/Marketing to the BabyBoomers.”

“The retirement age of 65 was established in the 1930s,when life expectancy was 68,” Welborn says of some of the“macro trends” taking place. “Now, life expectancy is over80.”

By the year 2015, the U.S. population will match what arethe current demographics in Florida—49 percent of the popu-lation will be over 50 years old, says Welborn. “Over the next15 years, the 50-to-69 age group will increase by 87 percent.”

From2001 to 2010,

spending by those in the24-to-44 age group is expected to decline by $115 billion,while spending by the 45-to-64 age group is expected to growby $329 billion, says Welborn. Currently, the 40-plus marketis 45 percent larger than the 18-to-39 age group. By 2010, the40-plus market will grow to 60 percent larger.

Welborn says that there will be an emphasis by the publicsector to get this older demographic active. “A lot of things aregoing to change, mindset-wise—traveling, adventure, sports,”he says. “These people are going to do something. Tennis has


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 G U I D E

ACTIVEACTIVEAGINGAGING

Changing demographics are causing everyone in this industry,including facility designers and builders, to take a look at how theydo business. BY P E T ER FRANCESCON I



a lot to sell, it has all the elements. So we need to start talkingabout it.

“What all this means,” he adds, “is that if your business isto grow in the next 20 years, you’ll need to deal with thisdemographic.”

Safety and ComfortIn terms of tennis facility design, Levitsky points out certainconcerns of this older demographic, such as safety, comfort,maintenance, and affordability. “When we talk about theboomers, we need to focus in on safety and comfort,” hesays.

Where you have active areas at your facility, says Levitsky,there should be fewer obstructions, and the flow should bemore continuous. Other safety concerns include:

� Emergency communications that are easily accessible.� Wider access points and through passages, to anticipate

access by emergency vehicles.� Smooth transitions from walkways, with adequate light-

ing. Often, the walkways are used as an activity in itself,when people circulate around the facility.

� Accommodating the provisions in the Americans withDisabilities Act.

� Divider fences and nets that reduce tripping and colli-sions.

Where comfort is concerned, Levitsky says facilities need totake into account:

� Convenient and sufficient parking.� Efficient pedestrian circulation, with

signs and graphics that are easyto read and understand.“The first time you visit,you need to knowwhere you’re going,”says Levitsky.

� Convenient waterfountains andrestrooms.

� Shade shelters.� Higher lighting

levels, since eye-sight changes aspeople age.

� A variety of surfaces,which provide a vari-ety of experiences.

� Backdrops and wind-screens. Levitsky says somefacilities are now looking at coveringcourts, but leaving the sides open.

� Socializing spaces, which allow for food and refreshment.� Breaking up hard landscapes, and breaking up paved

areas. “Softening the space is especially important in tightareas,” says Levitsky.

In determining what’s best for your facility or for facilities

in your area, you need to look at demographic and marketstudies, says Levitsky, and, importantly, “ask your customer.”Also, make use of the internet, consult with professionals, andcontact the AARP or other groups in your area that cater tothis demographic.

Marketing Tactics“These mature customers are guided by their inner values,”says Welborn. “They generally share a desire to live mean-ingful and purposeful lives. In addition, meaningful activities,exercise, and personal well-being programs are the best wayto control increasing medical expenses.”

Welborn adds that the words “senior” and “retirement” areoutdated descriptors for this group, and that “aging” is nolonger a metaphor for decline and dependence.

In promoting your services to this group, there are certainthings you should consider when it comes to “the language ofageless marketing,” says Welborn. For instance:

� Avoid terms such as “senior” and “elderly,” which maygenerate negative images.

� In marketing material, use inclusive terms, and use con-ditional and experiential images in visuals.

� Remember that this audience will fight aging and will stayactive. “The interest in fitness and wellness is growing bigtime,” says Welborn.

� They also have time and money.� This group also will exercise and socialize more in retire-

ment.� In advertising, show the people, not

the product.� A “need-driven” strategy is

no longer relevant to thisolder group. They don’t

“need” things anymore;they need to wantthings, says Welborn.

“Today’s older con-sumer is healthier,wealthier, better edu-cated, and more self-directed than in thepast,” says Welborn.

This older demographicdesires programs, equip-

ment, apparel, shoes, andfacilities all designed for

them. Softer courts must be aconsideration, he says.

But most important, “They need anudge from us to get tennis on their menu

choices,” Welborn says. “We need to communicate how ten-nis can be a gateway to a more meaningful, personally enrich-ing life.

“To reach this group, we must help them visualize them-selves getting what they want through tennis.” �



TO CRACKSTO CRACKSGET WISEGET WISE

There’s no getting around it: Asphalt courts will crack. Here’s whatyou can do to repair the damage.

CCracks have been the bane of the hard-court industry formany years. But it seems as though courts now are crackingfaster and to a greater extent than ever before.

While asphalt courts are significantly more affordable thanconcrete, asphalt’s major drawback is its tendency to crack.There are a number of reasons why cracks develop. Forinstance, improper site preparation, defective materials, orfaulty installation can each lead to cracking.

But after many decades of asphalt court construction, itappears clear that besides the weakening of asphalt andasphalt binders, a big reason why asphalt courts crack pre-maturely is due to a combination of not enough structuralmaterial for the conditions or the region and improper prepa-ration and a lack of proper time between construction steps.

Flaws in the ProcessEssentially, either the court may not be constructed withenough base stone, base asphalt and/or surface asphalt, orsome part of the process may be rushed. For instance, thecontractor, for one reason or another, may not allow the prop-er amount of time to compact properly, or to compact in lifts,or to allow for some settlement to occur before laying theasphalt, etc.

Often, project owners may be to blame for requesting theabsolute minimum amount of materials or procedures inorder to cut costs. Because contractors simply aren’t in a posi-tion to press the issue with owners, they can’t ensure that theproper amount of materials will be used. Project owners have

also compromised the success of asphalt courts by rushingthe process.

The customers, therefore, can create flaws in the court rightfrom the outset. Fighting costs and forcing contractors to cuttime both conspire against asphalt tennis courts, laying thegroundwork for cracks to develop.

Flaws in AsphaltAlso working to crack the surface are flaws inherent toasphalt, such as the quality of asphalt and the fact that thecourt is paved as a jointed system. In addition, asphalt has anatural tendency to shrink as it weathers and ages. And overtime, asphalt will lose its flexibility and become more brittle.

The pressure created by the tension of the net on the netpost footers is a factor in cracking. The placement of concretein and around the court for fence posts, net posts and center-strap tie-downs also creates problems due to the differentexpansion and contraction properties between concrete andasphalt. Other factors, such as continual ground movement,settlement of the subsurface, weathering, and improper con-struction, can all work to crack hard courts, especially asphalt.

Surface Cracks andPavement CracksSurface cracks, which are just on the top of the asphalt, canbe distinguished as follows:

� Hairline cracks: Small, irregular cracks present over large

BY DAN C LAPP , ARMOR CRACK REPA I R SY S T EM ,AND CHR I S ROS S I , P R EM I E R CONCEP T S I NC .

There’s no getting around it: Asphalt courts will crack. Here’s whatyou can do to repair the damage.

Photos

Courtesy

ofArmor

CrackRepairSystem


S

areas of the court. If left untreated, they willdevelop into more serious cracks.

� Alligator cracks: These interlocking cracksmake a pattern over the surface, resemblingan alligator hide.

� Shrinkage cracks, or stress cracks: These area random pattern of interconnected crackswith irregular angles and sharp corners. Theyare usually very small.

Products that contractors can use to repair sur-face cracks include very flexible surface coatings,fabric membranes, or a new asphalt overlay.

Pavement cracks go all the way through thefour inches of asphalt. The types of pavementcracks include:

� Heat-checking cracks: Caused during com-paction of the asphalt when the roller“stretches” the asphalt horizontally.

� Structural cracks: These penetrate the totalthickness of the asphalt. New cracks are verythin and grow in width as they age.

� Reflection cracks: Appearing in asphalt over-lays, reflection cracks simply mirror the crackpattern in the old pavement surface beneaththe overlay.

� Radial cracks: These radiate off the corner ofthe concrete net-post footings.

Dan Clapp is the president of Armor Crack Repair System (www.armorcrackrepair.com

or 877-99-ARMOR) and Chris Rossi is the vice president of Premier Concepts Inc.

(www.premiercourt.com or 800-458-4675). This article is based on a presentation they

gave at the 2004 Technical Meeting of the ASBA.

Tennis Court Crack Repair AlternativesThere are a number of methods and products available to repair pavement cracks. The short-term and long-term repairs listed here are ranked fromleast expensive to most expensive. (Chart provided by Armor Crack Repair System.)

REPAIR METHOD DESCRIPTION ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Crack Fillers and Caulks Material is poured, troweled, or caulked into thecrack to fill the void. Designed for temporaryrepairs between normal resurfacing intervals.

Very inexpensive, but only a quick,short-term fix. The flexible material isusually tinted to match the court color.

Cracks reappear almost immediately. Widecracks can’t be filled; small cracks are too nar-row to fill.

Fiberglass Membranes Fiberglass fabric is glued over the crack, thenthe court is painted.

Inexpensive, and looks good initially. Cracks reappear as soon as it begins to getcold. May delaminate from the surface, caus-ing a tripping hazard.

Armor Crack Repair System An expandable fabric is applied over the crack toabsorb movement without tearing or delaminat-ing. Covered by typical color coating material.

Good for long-term repair, withoutspending three to five times moremoney. No machinery required.

May hear a “hollow” sound when ballbounces directly on center of repair. Does notwork on cracks that emit heavy moisture.

Saw Cut & Asphalt Patch An area of asphalt about a foot wide, contain-ing the crack, is cut out. The void is then filledwith new asphalt.

Sounds impressive. Ends up being an expensive way to trade onecrack for two parallel cracks.

Infrared Asphalt Patch Propane is used to heat the asphalt around thecrack, in an attempt to get the new asphalt tobond to it.

None. Does not allow for movement. No long-termsuccess.

Geotextile & Asphalt Overlay Fabric is laid over the cracks and/or the entirecourt. New asphalt is installed over the wholecourt.

Can correct surface planarity problems.Very effective crack repair.

Requires access for heavy machinery andreplacement of the net posts and their con-crete footings.

Pre-Fabricated Roll-Out Sur-face (such as Premier Court)

A sand-filled turf or cushioned mat is installedover the entire court surface.

Hides cracks well and adds cushion tothe surface. No heavy machinery orremoval of the fence is required.

Not a good surface for inline skating or bas-ketball.

Stone Screening & AsphaltOverlay

New asphalt is installed over a layer of smallstones, which act like a bed of marbles thatprevent cracks from reflecting up into the newsurface.

Effective repair for existing and futurecracks. It can correct both surface pla-narity and slope problems.

Requires access for heavy machinery andreplacement of the net posts and their con-crete footings.

Total Removal& Reconstruction

Remove the existing court and build a com-pletely new court in its place.

Corrects surface planarity and slopeproblems.

The ground that caused the original surface tocrack may very well cause the new surface tocrack, too.

Crack Repair Products and AlternativesThe last five years or so have seen the development of products that willhelp to maintain cracks more effectively, and at reasonable prices. Severalof these types of products involve using polyurethane or acrylic-basedcaulks as new types of fillers, thus extending the life of a simple crack-fillproject.

Several products utilize fabrics that have the ability to stretch extensive-ly, yet return to their original state and position to isolate the crack from therepair system, thereby preventing the crack from reflecting through therepair system.

Also, full surface system alternatives to total reconstruction or asphaltoverlay systems have proven their effectiveness. Several of these systemsrely on installing products directly over the entire court, but attaching themonly around the perimeter. This type of installation method allows the exist-ing cracks, or future cracks, the ability to move without reflecting throughthe overlayment system, thus eliminating crack problems on the surface.(See “Tennis Court Crack Repair Alternatives” below.)

Keep in mind that quality design and construction may minimize or delaycracking, but it can’t completely eliminate it. Once cracks appear, it may beimpossible to repair their cause, but it is not impossible to repair the crackitself and to better maintain the court from total deterioration.



NEWSOLUTIONSFOR SURFACECOMPACTIONTwo machines from the golf industry are helping to rehabilitate, andrehydrate, compacted clay courts.

C

NEWSOLUTIONSFOR SURFACECOMPACTION

BY ED MONTECA LVO , L E E T ENN I S

Clay tennis courts are in increasingly heavy demand by clubsand avid players alike because of the health benefits they pro-vide, including a cooler, softer surface that is easy on thejoints. To best maximize revenue with a clay-court facility,you need to keep your clay courts in excellent condition. Thelast thing you want to do is give your players and members anexcuse to go elsewhere.

If clay courts aren’t maintainedproperly, one condition that canoccur in some areas is “surface com-paction,” which is when the top half-inch or so of the clay becomescompacted and hard. The character-istics of the court change when thesurface becomes compacted. Forplayers, it will often feel like they’replaying on a hard court.

Outdoor courts in the Northeastare not particularly susceptible tosurface compaction, in mostinstances due to the cycle of freez-ing and thawing. This conditionhowever, can occur in areas where there are longer playingseasons, with an increased demand for courts, which leads toless down time for watering and rolling. Indoor tennis courtsare one example where facility managers need to be aware ofsurface compaction. Other areas of concern would be in theever-growing Sunbelt regions from Georgia to California,below the 35th parallel.

Failing to scarify the surface regularly and also rolling thesurface when it’s too wet can cause surface compaction,whether indoors or out, in warm climates or cold. In afflictedcourts, the condition shows as a distinct layer of compactedmaterial, starting as a thin layer at the top and working down-ward. The particles of surfacing material are pressed closertogether in a smaller space, the bulk density increases, poros-

ity decreases, and the water infiltra-tion and water retention ratesdecrease. Essentially, with surfacecompaction there are no “voidspaces,” so water cannot work itsway up and down through the sur-face material. When it rains, a com-pacted court may stay wet longerbecause of a lack of “porosity.”

Staying ahead of surface com-paction is not difficult. Scarifying thesurface regularly, daily if possible,will keep the surface agitated andgenerate sliding material. “There’snot a lot you can do to permanently

hurt a clay court or fast-dry court,” says Fred Manchester, aCTCB with Tennico of Columbia in South Carolina. “The dam-age will occur if you’re not aggressive enough.”

Back in the day, a compacted court had to be completelydug up. To help maintain courts, hand tools are good for a cer-tain amount of depth, but if you have courts that are heavilycompacted, you need something with more firepower. Thank-

Photos

courtesy

ofLeeTe

nnis


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 G U I D Efully, there are a couple of pieces of equipment, both adaptedfrom the golf-course maintenance industry, that do an excel-lent job rehabilitating clay courts that suffer from surfacecompaction. They do so in a fraction of the time and expenseit would take to dig up the courts and with a minimum ofdown time for players.

Rehydrating CourtsTo punch through compacted soil on a golf course or, in thiscase, to punch through clay material so that water can movethrough it, the Toro HydroJet (below) can shoot 10 millisec-ond jets of water at 5,000 psi. The water comes out of themachine at 600 mph, the diameter of pencil lead. The Hydro-Jet drills these tiny holes into the surface every 3.5 inches (or15 to 20 holes per square foot).

Instead of keeping a court out of service for days, with amachine like the HydroJet, which basically shoots holesthrough a surface that is almost as hard as concrete, it takesone man-hour per court. And you can go over the court sur-face multiple times, depending on how extensive the com-paction is.

The HydroJet not only makes vertical holes, but also caus-es lateral fracturing, further loosening the compacted area.After using the machine, the surface needs to be lightly scar-ified, then a coarse blend of top dressing is applied andbroomed into the holes, so that they won’t re-compact. Last,a regular top dressing is brushed in and the surface is waterednormally. The holes will have disappeared, the surface will berehydrated, and the courts will look and play nearly brand-new.

Another piece of equipment being pressed into service oncompacted clay courts is the Dryject machine (above) provid-ed by Dryject, a New Jersey-based national franchise servic-ing the golf-course industry.

Bill Shaughnessy, a CTCB with The Racquet Shop Inc. ofColts Neck, N.J., says he used the Dryject machine at anindoor facility in New Jersey with excellent results. “Thecourts were so compacted, because the facility just keptadding material to it, that they became extremely slick andthe lines got buried,” he says. “We were able to turn it backinto granular material.”

Dryject fills the holes at the same time it injects and makesthe holes. The machine injects a coarser blend of materialinto the holes, which helps water to move up and down. Afterusing the Dryject machine, the courts were scarified and ren-ovated.

While it’s reassuring for clay-court managers to know thereare remedies out there for fixing surface-compacted courts,the idea is to not let it get this far to begin with. Have a clay-court specialist take a look at your courts to see what statethey are in, then adjust your maintenance schedule as need-ed to make sure the courts stay playable, all the time. A suc-cessful club can keep their members happy with this routineprocedure. �

Ed MonteCalvo is a technical representative for Lee Tennis and can

be reached at [email protected] or 800-327-8379. He

recently spoke about surface compaction at the annual meeting of

the American Sports Builders Association.

A



These outdoor soft-court winners hit some common themes.

A few things quickly become apparent when looking at theeight outdoor soft-court winners of the Racquet Sports Indus-try/American Sports Builders Association 2004 Facility-of-the-Year Awards.

First, all of these winners made use soft-court materialfrom Lee Tennis. Second, all of them installed subsurfaceirrigation systems. Third, they all made use of laser-grading,so if you haven’t made that investment yet, you really oughtto look at it.

And fourth, two Florida-based court-building companiescornered the market on the soft-court awards this year: FastDry Courts of Pompano Beach had three winners, andWelch Tennis Courts of Sun City had five winners.

These soft-court winners included five new projects (FourSeasons Resort–Bahamas, Chautauqua Tennis Center, North

Shore Park Tennis Center, VillageWalk, and The StirlingClub) and three that were upgrades of existing construction(Woodfield C.C., Johns Island, and River Forest Tennis Club).Number of courts ranged from six to the 12 at North ShorePark.

Subsurface irrigation, while it may be a bit more expen-sive to install initially, saves money in the long run, sincewater doesn’t evaporate from the surface as in standardwatering, and the courts don’t have to be taken out of ser-vice while they’re watered. In two instances (Woodfield C.C.and Four Seasons), Fast Dry Courts Inc. also installed addi-tional above-ground sprinkler systems.

While all these facilities have a number of commonthreads, each project came together to form its own unique,winning pattern. � —Peter Francesconi

For details on the 2005 OutstandingTennis Facility Awards, contact theASBA at 866-501-ASBA or [email protected].

Chautauqua Tennis CenterChautauqua, N.Y.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)Number of Courts: 8Specialty Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.Surface: Har-Tru (Lee Tennis)Subsurface Irrigation: HydroGrid (Welch Tennis)Windscreens: J.A. CisselLighting: LSI Courtsider Sport

A SOFTA SOFTMARKETMARKET


Johns IslandVero Beach, Fla.(Nominated by Fast Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)Number of Courts: 10Architect/Engineer: Fast Dry CourtsGeneral & Specialty Contractor: Fast Dry CourtsSurface: Lee HydroBlendUnderground Irrigation, Line Tapes: Lee TennisWindscreens, Net Posts: BP InternationalTrench Drain: Zurn Industries

North Shore Park Tennis CenterMiami Beach, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)Number of Courts: 12 (10 Har-Tru, 2 DecoTurf)Specialty Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.; Agile Courts Construction Co.Surface: Har-Tru (Lee Tennis), DecoTurfSubsurface Irrigation: HydroGrid (Welch Tennis)

River Forest Tennis ClubRiver Forest, Ill.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)Number of Courts: 10General Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.Surface: Har-Tru (Lee Tennis)Subsurface Irrigation: Hydrogrid (Welch Tennis)Windscreens: J.A. Cissel

Four Seasons ResortEmerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas(Nominated by Fast Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)Number of Courts: 6Architect/Engineer: Wilson/Miller Inc. and Fast Dry Courts Inc.General Contractor: FoxCorSpecialty Contractor: Fast Dry CourtsSurface: Lee HydroBlendUnderground Irrigation, Line Tapes: Lee TennisWindscreens, Nets, Net Posts, Wall/Pole Pads: BP InternationalTrench Drain: Zurn IndustriesLighting: RLS TE 2000


The Stirling ClubLas Vegas, Nev.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)Number of Courts: 6Specialty Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.Surface: Har-Tru (Lee Tennis)Subsurface Irrigation: HydroGrid (Welch Tennis)Durascreen: Ball Products

VillageWalk of SarasotaSarasota, Fla.(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)Number of Courts: 6General Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.Surface: Har-Tru (Lee Tennis)Subsurface Irrigation: HydroGrid (Welch Tennis)Windscreens: J.A. CisselLighting: LSI Courtsider XL

Woodfield Country ClubBoca Raton, Fla.(Nominated by Fast Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)Number of Courts: 7Architect/Engineer: Global Sports & Tennis Desing GroupGeneral Contractor: Weitz GolfSpecialty Contractor: Fast Dry CourtsSurface: Lee HydroBlendUnderground Irrigation, Line Tapes, Net Posts: Lee TennisWindscreens, Nets: BP InternationalTrench Drain: Zurn IndustriesLighting: RLS TE 2000


Toalson Cyber Blade Tour Thermaxe 123

is a new monofilament developed for

tournament players based on the opin-

ions and experience of Toalson contract

players worldwide. According to Toal-

son, Thermaxe 123 affords an excellent

combination of elasticity and durability

by blending special polyester material

with themoplastic. Toalson recommends

that you reduce your normal tension by

5 to 10 percent when using this string.Toalson Cyber Blade Tour Thermaxe

123 is available in 1.23 (16L) in silver only.It is priced from $9.95 for coils of 44 feet4 inches, and $149.95 for reels of 656feet. For more information or to order,contact ATS Sports at 800-866-7071, orvisit www.atssports.com. Be sure to readthe conclusion for more informationabout getting a free set to try for yourself.

IN THE LABThe coil length measured a whopping 45feet 3 inches. The diameter measured1.22–1.24 mm prior to stringing, and 1.21mm after stringing. We recorded astringbed stiffness of 74 RDC units imme-diately after stringing at 60 pounds in aWilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern)on a constant-pull machine. After 24hours (no playing), stringbed stiffnessmeasured 69 RDC units, representing a 7percent tension loss. Our control string,Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16,measured 78 RDC units immediately afterstringing and 71 RDC units after 24 hours,representing a 9 percent tension loss.Cyber Blade Tour Thermaxe 123 added14.95 grams to the weight of ourunstrung frame.

The string was tested for five weeks by33 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratingsfrom 3.5 to 5.5. These are blind tests,

with playtesters receiving unmarkedstrings in unmarked packages. Averagenumber of hours playtested was 21.5.

No playtester broke his sample duringstringing, 17 reported problems with coilmemory, five reported problems tyingknots, and two reported friction burn.

ON THE COURTOur playtesters found that Toalson CyberBlade Tour Thermaxe 123 has outstandingdurability, rating it third highest of all thestrings we’ve tested in this category. This isnot a complete surprise for a polyesterstring designed for big hitters, although thisrating is accompanied by ratings well aboveaverage for Spin Potential, Holding Tension,and Resistance to Movement. Additionally,our playtesters rated Toalson Cyber BladeTour Thermaxe 123 as above average inboth Power and Control. These strengthscombined to give Toalson Cyber Blade TourThermaxe 123 an overall score well aboveaverage.

Six testers broke the sample string dur-ing play, with one at eight hours, one atnine hours, one at 12 hours, two at 16hours, and one at 25 hours, for an averagetime before breakage for these sixplaytesters of 14.3 hours.

CONCLUSIONIf Toalson’s definition of a “tournamentplayer” is someone who blows throughstrings but can’t afford to forgo otheraspects of string performance, the polyesterblend in Cyber Blade Tour Thermaxe 123has definitely met its design goals. ToalsonCyber Blade Tour Thermaxe 123 aced thefour main categories for a string of its type(Durability, Spin Potential, Holding Tension,and Resistance to Movement), without sacri-ficing Power or Control. And Toalson CyberBlade Tour Thermaxe 123 is more than“just” a string that can hang in there inpunishing conditions: Its overall average

score—up in the range of the betternylon strings—is testament to its well-rounded nature.

If you think that Toalson Cyber BladeTour Thermaxe 123 might be for you, beone of the first 250 USRSA members to fillout and return the coupon to get a freeset to try. —Greg Raven �

Toalson Cyber BladeTour Thermaxe 123

EASE OF STRINGING(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 1somewhat easier 1about as easy 8not quite as easy 20not nearly as easy 3

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 14not nearly as playable 3

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 9somewhat better 23about as durable 1not quite as durable 0not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.2Durability 4.5Power 3.3Control 3.4Comfort 2.9Touch/Feel 2.8Spin Potential 3.4Holding Tension 3.5Resistance to Movement 3.9

string PLAYTEST


“ Reminds me of that famous silver-colored poly. Full power and con-fidence. Love the string, and it would make a great hybrid with my cur-rent string. I would recommend this string to poly players. I love thisplaytest program!”3.5 male baseliner with heavy spin using Head i.radical OS strung at62 pounds LO (Forten Aramid Gear/Luxilon Big Banger 15/16L)

“ For a poly, this sample plays well. I get good spin as the ballcomes off the stringbed, and with above-average durability for a thin-ner gauge, this string will be an appealing choice. While the stringbedseemed a little stiff overall, the string still played comfortably. I alsoliked the lack of string movement.”4.0 male all-court player using YonexRDX 500 strung at 59 pounds LO (Wil-son Sensation 16)

“ This string feels like a typical poly-ester. I would use it for any of my bighitters who break strings quickly.”5.0 male serve-and-volleyer usingHead Liquidmetal Radical MP strungat 67 pounds LO (Bow Brand Champi-onship Gut 16L)

“ Some coil memory during stringing. On court, this string playedquite well. I found lots of power and control. I would consider using itas a hybrid string for the mains. Lots of pop on volleys and I was ableto produce more spin.”4.5 male all-court player using Wilson n5 strung at 58 pounds LO(Wilson Stamina 16)

“ Good string. I found good power in the first 10-12 hours, then itbecame loose. This would work great as part of a hybrid.”5.0 male baseliner with moderate spin using Babolat Pure ControlZylon + strung at 59 pounds CP (Babolat Super Fine Play 17)

“ Good poly. I liked the thinner gauge.”5.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Prince Turbo Shark strung at62 pounds CP (Gamma Power Play 18)

“ Very nice string. Reminded me of Luxilon Big Banger. Not the easi-est string when doing the crosses, but not too difficult either. Had nicepop, even after several hours of steady hitting.”5.0 female baseliner with heavy spin using Head Liquidmetal 4 strungat 51 pounds LO (Wilson Stamina 17)

“ A very consistent string that held tension well.”5.0 male all-court player using Prince More Control DB 800 strung at58 pounds CP (Prince Premier w/Softflex 16)

FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAMToalson has generously offered

to send a free set of Cyber Blade Tour Thermaxe 123 tothe first 250 USRSA members who request it.

To get your free set, just cut out (or copy)this coupon and mail it to:

USRSA, Attn: Toalson String Offer,330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

or fax to 760-536-1171 Offer expires March 15, 2005

One set of free string per USRSA membershipOffer only available to USRSA members in the US

FREE! Toalson Cyber Blade Tour Thermaxe 123!Name:USRSA Member number:Phone:Email:

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

“ Very good control string, similar to my normal string only a bit softer.Tension loss is minimal, but still occurring due to the type of string.Overall 8/10 for exception feel and control for this type of string, andgreat durability.”5.0 male all-court player using Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 Original strung at58/56 pounds CP (Gosen Polylon 17)

“ I am pleasantly surprised by the playability of this string. Given itsdurable nature, I would think it to be an excellent choice for hard hitters.I am looking forward to find out what it is.”4.0 male all-court player using Volkl Catapult 7 strung at 55 pounds

CP (natural gut 16)

“ This string is “rock solid.” After 30hours of teaching and playing I had very lit-tle tension loss and virtually nomovement.”4.0 male all-court player using Head Liq-uidmetal Radical OS strung at 60 poundsLO (Head Ultra Tour 17)

“ A stiff monofilament feel, but with nostring movement. A nice combination of control and power with a slightconcession to feel.”4.0 male serve-and-volleyer using Head i.x6 MP strung at 54 poundsCP (Gamma ESP 17)For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com.

“Pretty good feel fora polyester. I’d like to try it

in a hybrid combination in the mains.”

4.0 male all-court player using Prince TT

Bandit OS strung at 59 pounds LO (Prince

Synthetic Gut 16)

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

TESTERS TALK

string PLAYTESTC

ON

TIN

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the EXPERTSask

50-50 STRINGINGI AM FAIRLY NEW TO STRINGINGand I always string from head tothroat on two-piece jobs. My friend

who has been stringing for about sevenyears starts the crosses in the center of theframe (half on each side) and weaves halfup toward the head and the other halfdown toward the throat, and ties off nor-mally. He says it reduces stress on theframe. Seems logical to me and makesmore sense than starting at the head. Arethere any disadvantages of doing it thisway? Is there any chance of damaging theframe or putting extra stress on it?

THIS TECHNIQUE IS KNOWN AS 50-50 stringing. The benefits are that you

have two short ends for the crosses insteadof one long end, and as a result, you haveless wear and tear on the crosses from

pulling the entire length through the mainseach time. The obvious drawback is thatyou have two difficult “last crosses” toweave instead of one. What’s less obviousis that there is a real danger to the framewhen stringing this way. Before starting thecrosses, the mains are all in and tensioned,so the hoop is compressed lengthwise (thatis, it’s shorter than it should be because ofthe pull of the main strings). If you measureacross the hoop from the 3 o’clock to the 9o’clock position, you will find that the hoopis also wider as a result of this compression.When stringing the crosses normally fromthe head to the throat, the tension of thecrosses gradually pulls the hoop back to itsnormal width.

The accompanying chart shows this pro-gression of hoop deformation and recoveryon a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 Classic (16 x 18pattern) during stringing on a Babolat Star

3. For this test, we used a “box pattern,”which means that we installed 14 mains,then the top cross, then one outside main,then the bottom cross, then the final out-side main, and then continued filling in thecrosses from the head down. We measuredthe length of the hoop (12 o’clock to 6o’clock) and width of the hoop (3 o’clockto 9 o’clock) using frame micrometersbefore starting, and after the installation ofeach of the 34 strings. The chart shows 37data points: one for each of the strings;plus an initial point for the unmounted,unstrung racquet (point zero on the chart);a final point for the unmounted, strungracquet; with the next-to-last point beingthe measurements taken after tying off thefinal cross and releasing the string clamps.

As you can see, the first pull actuallylengthens the hoop because there is noth-ing to offset the tension of the string

Q

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Your Equipment Hotline

cates on some racquets you use the crossesto tie down the end of bumperguards.Threading this “middle cross string” createssignificant friction, and I worry about notch-ing the mains. Any suggestions?

AS IT SAYS, THIS PROCEDURE isneeded only in those cases where the

ends of the bumperguard must be securedagainst the frame. The trick is to install thecrosses so that the loop of string outside thehoop on each side of the racquet holdsdown the bumperguard ends. The only wayto accomplish this is to skip the cross at theends of the bumperguard (that is, install thenext cross in sequence), and then comeback to fill in that skipped cross. For thecross that skips a hole, the weave will be thesame as the last cross you installed. Toreduce the friction on the fill-in cross, weaveit before tensioning and clamping the previ-ous cross. This is called weaving one ahead,and it is a good procedure for installingeach of the crosses.

—Greg Raven �

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


pulling the far end of the hoop toward thetension head. The installation of the secondmain starts to pull the hoop back, but bythe fourth main, the hoop is clearly becom-ing shorter and wider. Installing the crossesonce again pulls the hoop back into shape,and the resulting deformations are wellbelow the maximum acceptable deforma-tion of 0.094 inches (3/32 inches). You willnote that the hoop of the strung racquet is

compressed so that it is both shorter andnarrower than that of the unstrung racquet.

However, even these figures do not tellthe whole story. When stringing 50-50, thefirst crosses (in the center of the hoop) exerta tremendous amount of pull immediatelyat the point where they have maximumleverage. The more effective these crossesare at returning the hoop to its normalwidth, the more the width of the racquetwill return to normal immediately (ratherthan gradually). This relatively suddenchange in the width of the hoop will trans-fer the stress and compression of the hoopinto the “shoulders,” causing them tosquare off. This concentration of stress isusually less of a problem toward the throat,where the hoop is reinforced by the shaft,but at the head, the combined tensions ofthe mains and crosses serve to turn a curveinto a corner, which can weaken the frameat the shoulders and make it more suscepti-ble to breakage.

SECURINGBUMPERGUARD ENDS

I HAVE AN OLD COPY OF THE Rac-quet Service Techniques that indi-Q

A

wrestle with it, I simply put the leathergrip in the microwave oven for 10 sec-onds or so. This makes the grip a lot easi-er to wrap and stretch.5 sets of Prince PolyGut 16 to:Joel Disbro, MRT, Kalamazoo, MI

PRE-FORMINGREPLACEMENT GRIPSWhen you remove a replacement grip,you will notice that the butt-cap end ofthe old grip has taken on a spiral shape.Duplicating this spiral on the new grip willmake for easier installation and asmoother job. This can be accomplishedby gradually stretching the first few inchesalong the outside edge of the butt end ofthe new grip between your thumb andforefinger.5 sets of Gamma Synthetic Gut 16with WearGuard to:Joseph Pillsworth, Troy, NY

BEGINNERSKEEPING POSTED

I tape two 3x5 Post-It notes together anduse them to highlight stringing instruc-tions in the Stringer’s Digest for the rac-quet I’m working on. The Post-Its lastmany weeks, and when they finally losetheir tackiness, I simply replace them withnew ones.5 sets of wilson Stamina 16 to:Bob Provines, MRT, San Antonio, TX

—Greg Raven �

through to the short side instead of pulling30 feet through to the long side. This elim-inates pulling of well over 100 feet ofstring on each string job.5 sets of Volkl Power-Fiber 18 to:Barry Farwell, San Diego, CA

P-200 RACQUET PROTECTION

The most common P-200 throat adapterused for tennis racquets is the "H"adapter. For racquets that have a thinthroat bridge and a thicker frame, the backof the adapter can make contact with andpush into the side of the frame, causingdamage. The solution is to cut off the backhalf-inch of the adapter. If you find a framethat clears the adapter but contacts theback of the adapter mount, a spacer canbe placed between the front of theadapter and the adapter mount for clear-ance.Gosen T-shirt plus 5 packs ofTournaGrip to:Bill Sommers, Apple Valley, MN

NUKE 'EMOlder leather grips can be difficult to wraparound the angles of the butt cap, as wellas those at the top of the handle. Usingdouble-sided tape helps hold it in place,but doesn’t make the wrapping any easier,and you still need a lot of muscle to stretchthe wrinkles out of the grip. Rather than

and TECHNIQUES

SPEED SEARCHTo increase my stringing speed, I alwaysstart my crosses so that the weave is overthe top of the first main string, similar tothe tip from David Haskins’ that you pub-lished in August 2003. On two-piecestring jobs I go one step further, startingmy crosses on the first cross “outside”the last main—even if it is three or fourcrosses down from the head. I then haveto pull through only enough string for theremaining top crosses, instead of thestring for all the crosses, and I can easilyestablish my weave starting over the top,no matter what the skips are. After that, Itension and clamp from the top down asnormal.Alpha string sample packw/ 5 strings per pack to:Dan Kerr, MRT, Wiarton, Ont

Editor’s note: Installing your firstcross farther down on the stringbed,and then filling in toward the topbefore tensioning, is more simplethan trying to figure out whether togo over or under an “inner” mainstring so that you will be going overthe outside mains for the rest of thecrosses, but it does make it so thatyou have two “last crosses,” whichare typically more difficult to weave.

PRE-STRUNG MAINSOn one-piece string jobs, I pre-lace all themains starting from the long side, leavingextra string at the center mains to startmy pulling. There’s a bit of scienceinvolved in leaving the minimum amountof string to be cut off of the short sideafter tying off, but the benefit is that I ampulling only half the string (say 20 feet)

Readers’ Know-How in Action


Tips and Techniques submitted since 2000 by USRSAmembers, and appearing in this column, have all beengathered into a single volume of the Stringer’s Digest—Racquet Service Techniques which is a benefit of USRSAmembership. Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330Main St., Vista, CA 92804; or [email protected].

tips

Super Coach is a one-machine company,but that one machine is the first we’veever encountered that really can feedany ball a person can. It offers a seem-ingly endless list of features and settingsand is designed to withstand a lot of useand last a long time. It is great for useanywhere that has secure, dry storagespace. It does not have a battery, so itmust be plugged in during use. TheSuper Coach sells for $7,495 and comeswith a two-year warranty. To contactSuper Coach, call 408-855-9644 or visitwww.tennismachine.com.

ASSEMBLYThe Super Coach is quick and easy toassemble. However, at 121 pounds, itweighs enough that it has to ship in awooden crate, and it needs to be deliv-ered by a freight company with a palletjack, as opposed to a parcel carrier.

Once it’s out of the crate you just haveto affix the ball basket with four wing-bolts and attach the handlebar. One smallinconvenience is that Super Coach asksyou to keep the crate for re-use if youshould need to return it for repairs. This isa pretty big box to have to hold onto.

The sturdy 10-inch inflatable tiresmake the machine easy to roll around. Infact, the size of the wheels and the tallhandlebar even make it relatively easy tomove up or down stairs. The machinecomes with a plastic outer body thatreduces rust problems, but it does notinclude a cover. The machine is surprising-ly small considering all it can do. With theball bin and handle off, it will fit on theseat of most cars.

USEMBLYWe filled the Super Coach to its 200-ballcapacity. Balls exit the machine through alarge opening in front, which is necessarybecause the shell of the machine is sta-tionary. The opening is wide enough toallow ball feeds to both corners of thecourt and tall enough to allow feeds fromline drives to lobs. The opening has a plas-tic shield to stop balls from entering themachine from the front. It is possible for

Super Coach


ball machine REVIEW

balls to get stuck in the opening, but mostjust bounce back out.

The hopper has a stirring device to keepthe balls moving and help avoid jams. Thestirring action tends to knock balls out ofthe bin when it is full. Unfortunately, themachine we received had problems withthe stirring device and Super Coach had toreplace the piece by mail twice before wegot one that worked properly.

This is the first machine we’ve seen thatallows you to program different types ofspeeds, spins, timings, and trajectories with-in a drill. The Super Coach offers the abilityto adjust ball speed, feed frequency, top-spin and underspin, power, elevation, andoscillation, and features a remote control,30-shot programs, and program memory.This means that there are a lot of buttonson the control pad, which can be intimidat-ing. But the machine comes with threeusers manuals that explain how each of thefeatures work. You just need to set asidesome time to read the manuals becausesome feature adjustments are complicatedand require quite a few keystrokes.

The machine also offers 10 pre-pro-grammed six-ball drills designed for recre-ational players and seven professional-leveldrills. You just select which drill you wantto do and tell it what level player you areand the machine automatically adjusts thetrajectory, spin, speed, and timing of theshots. The 10 drills designed for rec playersworked well, but it is hard to imagine eventour-level players who could perform theprofessional drills for more than a minuteor so.

The Super Coach is unique in that youcan adjust the calibration of the machine,for instance, if you want to adjust for use atdifferent altitudes or using different typesof balls. Once recalibrated, it’s also easy toreset it back to factory settings.

REMOTE CONTROLA two-button remote comes standard tocontrol ball feed, and it works well fromthe other end of the court. We were ableturn off the ball feed until we reached theother side, so we did not have to wasteballs. And you can stop the ball feed when

balls have started to gather around theplayers’ feet.

It would have been nice if the keypadcould be used from farther away. This waya coach could adjust the program for themachine from the other end of the court.Super Coach tells us they do offer a longcable version.

FEED TRAY/INTERVALThe 200-ball capacity seems a little smallconsidering this machine is capable of feed-ing balls so quickly that multiple players canbe drilling with it at the same time. Sinceyou can program drills of up to 30 balls,you can only do the drill six times beforeyou have to refill the hopper.

We experienced no ball jams in all thehours that we used the machine, and notmany misfeeds. And we were impressedwith the way this machine handles mis-feeds. If a ball does not drop through thehole, then the feed mechanism does notmove to the next feed direction. So, if themachine is feeding alternating forehandsand backhands, you don’t get two fore-hands in a row, just a delay between shots.This comes in handy if you have multipleplayers doing a drill.

The interval between shots can beadjusted to any amount of time you want.When using the drills that come built intothe machine, we found the timing good forsimulating groundstroke rallies, but tooslow to simulate volley rallies. Luckily thistiming can be adjusted.

One interesting aspect is that themachine automatically schedules a delay(which can be adjusted) between repeti-tions of a drill. This is a great feature espe-cially if you are developing 30-ball


programs. This delay can give you a chance to catch yourbreath before you repeat a drill, or give you time to move oneplayer off the court before the next player starts the drill.

SPIN/HEIGHTThe Super Coach can feed a ball with topspin or underspin toany part of the court. At full topspin, the ball drops quickly andreally takes off when it bounces.

The height of feeds is adjustable from deep, high lobs toline drives. However, adjusting the height of the shots is fairlycomplicated, so unless you really plan ahead, you will probablyend up using the pre-installed height settings for different lev-els of play.

OSCILLATIONOscillation worked smoothly and quietly, moving from onedirection to another quickly, to any part of the court. Oscilla-tion is controlled by programs that you can customize, whichcomes in handy if you have multiple players hitting at the sametime.

When the oscillation is engaged, the outer body of themachine does not move, so it is harder to tell which directionthe ball is about to be fed, a nice feature that makes it harderto move before the ball is fed. Finally the machine offers a ran-dom feed setting to simulate match play.

PROGRAMMABILITYPerhaps the most impressive feature of the Super Coach is thealmost unlimited programmability. The machine uses a largekeypad that can be removed for security. The machine alsocomes with a sturdy stand to hold the keypad and has a slot inthe back to protect the keypad from balls being hit back.

There is virtually nothing that this machine cannot be pro-grammed to do. The basic programming is fairly simple andcan be learned quickly. However, advanced programming iswhat really makes this machine special. But this advanced pro-gramming is pretty complicated, requiring many keystrokes.

We recommend not trying to do advanced programmingwhile you have players waiting. Instead, this should be doneahead of time so you can make the necessary adjustments tothe program. But once a drill is successfully programmed youcan save it into memory. The machine even comes with pre-printed sheets to help you decide how to program it.

One drawback, though, is that each keystroke takes amoment to register, so even when you become efficient atprogramming, you can only go as quickly as the machineallows.

CONCLUSIONThe Super Coach is the most amazing machine we’ve everused. There seems to be no limit to what you can do with it.It is pretty expensive, but it is easy to imagine how thismachine could help you make more money and quickly payfor itself.

The limitless programmability makes it truly special, butmake sure you are patient enough to make all the necessaryadjustments and plan ahead to get things just right beforeyou use it in a lesson. —Dave Bone �

THE PROS� Arrives almost fully assembled.� Easy to unpack.� Two-button remote comes standard.� Big, sturdy wheels for rolling around and even climbing stairs.� Non-rusting plastic outer body.� Balls don’t get stuck inside machine.� Unlimited adjustable settings allow different types of feeds with-

in a drill.� Three manuals explain how to adjust all settings.� All the bells and whistles will be used regularly.� Operates very quietly, no complaints from other courts.� Pre-programmed six-shot drills are quick and easy to use.� 30-shot programs allow for countless different drills.� Memory features let you store a drill once it is perfected.� Feeds frequently enough for multiple players.� No ball jams during our testing.� Top speed is faster than we could react to at net.� Oscillation is smooth and very quiet.� Offers unlimited different types of balls for each shot in a pro-

gram.� Outer body remains still during oscillation and elevation changes.� Can store up to 28 programs of up to 30 balls each.� Surprisingly small for all it can do.� Offers some easy-to-use pre-programmed drills.� Drills are easy to adjust for different level players.� A light lets you know when ball is about to feed.� Hard to tell where ball is aimed—harder to cheat.� Adjustable calibration.� Interval can be adjusted for any type of rally at any level.� Delay between repetitions of drill is adjustable.� Pre-printed program sheets mean you can design drills at home.� Offers a random feed setting to simulate match play.

THE CONS� No unpacking instructions, but we didn’t need any.� Can’t tell how low the balls are getting from other side of court.� Too heavy for one person to lift.� No battery option—requires an outlet.� Short cord requires an extension cord.� Probably too expensive for most families, so most will probably

be sold to clubs.� For this much money we would think a cover should be included.� 200-ball capacity seems a little small for a machine that can run

drills for multiple players.� Manuals did not explain the use of remote or the lights on front

of machine.� Ball feeds not quite as consistent as some other machines.� Have to store a big packing crate.� Control pad is a little intimidating.� Advanced programming requires a lot of fine tuning and is pret-

ty complicated.� Professional drills appear almost impossible.� Remote doesn’t control oscillation or allow programming.� Programming should not be done with players waiting.� Keypad is a little slow registering each keystroke.

Your ServeAdding Value To TennisIt’s easy to see the social case for embracing diversity, but considerwhat your business, and the sport, stands to gain, too.

Askany good financial advisor how tomaximize the value of one’s portfolio,and they’ll tell you to diversify. The same

is true for generating the highest return in thetennis industry. Embracing diversity is one keycomponent to rejuvenate the prosperity of thesport.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau,for Americans aged 70 and older the ratioof white to non-white is 9 to 1. At theopposite end of the spectrum, for youthaged 7 and under—who we hope will bethe tennis players of tomorrow—the ratio is1.5 to 1. With data like this as a sign of thediversification of our country as a whole,the USTA has adopted its own diversitystatement as the first of many signs of ourcommitment to make tennis more inclusive.We have to focus on making our tennisevents, clinics, marketing approach andmaterials, staff, vendors, and the US Openmore inclusive and attractive to people ofall backgrounds.

While anyone can make the social casefor embracing diversity, the truth of thematter is, it just makes good business sense.As the USTA’s first chief diversity officer, itis my charge to continue driving the mes-sage of inclusion and the importance ofdiversity when boosting the bottom line.

The tennis world is enjoying somedegree of the so-called “Tiger Woodseffect.” The success of ParadornSchrichipan, for instance, has sparked atremendous tennis boom in the Thai com-munity. The Williams sisters have advancedthe earlier steps of Althea Gibson, Zina Gar-rison, and Arthur Ashe as seen with thenew crop of young players taking the gameby storm. More black teens are playing ten-nis than ever before. The girls look at theWilliamses and see that not only is tennis asport of skill and power, but a sport of highvisibility and good fortune. Recent juniortourney winners Scoville Jenkins and TimothyNeilly continue to excel, with help from mul-ticultural participation grants from the USTA.

At the 2004 US Open we saw the most

diverse group of wild-card recipients ever:Five of the eight were multicultural women,while two of the eight were multiculturalmen. The signs are all here that the sport isstarting to diversify. For the first time, thestars of tennis are starting to look like thetotal picture of our country, those whoexhibit extraordinary talent and skill arejoining the more traditional faces at centercourt.

With this wide variety of professionalsto emulate, the number of multiculturalplayers is increasing, and the number ofmulticultural juniors, who at one time neverconsidered playing a sport like tennis, arenow looking at the game in a whole newlight. They’re making their way to our pub-lic parks, tennis clubs, and recreationalfacilities to try their hands at tennis. If welook to our own communities for otherswho may identify with our up-and-comingstars, and show them that tennis is a sportfor everyone to enjoy for a lifetime, we willcontinue to grow the game.

Believe it or not, people look atbrochures, fliers, posters, and mailings tosee if anyone shown represents someonefrom their community. If not, they thinktwice about whether they’d like to partici-pate. If they see someone like them, they’llbe more likely to try the sport, the facility,or the product. It is with this in mind thatthe USTA has revamped its promotionalmaterials and its website.

“Diversity” is now a main menu choiceon the home page, containing everythingfrom FAQs and available grant opportuni-ties, to how to do business with the USTA.We’ve even launched a Spanish translation

of the www.usta.com site. This is criticallyimportant when you consider that one ofevery four new tennis players is of Hispanicorigin.

To that end, the utilization of minorityvendors is an underestimated way to increasemulticultural participation. Doing businesswith minority vendors establishes a “sponsor-ship-like” relationship. They will want to con-tinue to do business with you, so they’ll takea greater interest in the overall success of oursport. They’ll talk about tennis, watch more ofit on television, try the game, or play moreoften than before. And most importantly,they’ll spread the word that tennis is foreveryone. And positive word of mouth, whendelivered from a third party, is always moreeffective than singing your own praises.

Finally, employers who value diversitywithin their staff create their own network offoot soldiers to talk about tennis, play thegame themselves, and encourage othersaround them to do so. They become the uni-fied army to grow the sport in their communi-ties. It’s not enough to simply have minoritieson staff. There should be a diverse group ofmanagers and executives in any organizationlooking to capitalize on the benefits of diversi-ty. Only when the perception of a glass ceil-ing is shattered will an organization berecognized as creating an inclusive environ-ment.

The USTA is proud to be leading the effortto create a more inclusive game and maketennis a more diverse sport. Diversity is one ofthe easier ways to add value to any business.It lends itself to increasing one’s market share,fan base, and ultimately the bottom line.�

We welcome your opinions. Please emailcomments to [email protected] or faxthem to 760-536-1171.

Karlyn Lothery, who joined theUSTA as the association’s first chiefdiversity officer in April 2004, is theprimary driver of the “USTA Diversi-ty Plan: Multicultural Focus.” Anavid tennis player for more than 25years, Lothery has a decade of expe-

rience in public relations, marketing, and journalism.

B Y K A R L Y N L O T H E R Y


“People look at brochures,fliers, posters, and mailingsto see if anyone shownrepresents someone fromtheir community.”

200503 Racquet Sports Industry

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