June 2008

Volume 36 Number 6 $5.00

Contents R S I J U N E

INDUSTRY NEWS
2 0 0 8

9 John Embree named new

president of Prince Americas
9 ESPN and Tennis Channel to
broadcast US Open
10 Gamma unveils new
Zo Tour string
10 Penn’s new Pro Penn+ ball
to debut in July
10 Zalatoris named new president
of Bälle de Mätch
10 Prince creates new “product
validation” position
11 Babolat launches
3 new frames
SPECIAL SECTION:
YOUR WEB ADVANTAGE 12 New “Crossbow” technology
debuts in Head frames
25 Retain Control of Your Website 34 Spreading the Tennis Bug 13 Industry recognizes the Top 50
Your job as a business owner is to ensure For one club, the viral nature of Facebook
that you have a duplicate set of keys to your
Tennis Welcome Centers
has been a boon to their business.
online kingdom.
16 Wilson catalog wins
28 Clickety-Split! 38 Web Write-Offs design award
Right now, there are no formal tax rules on
When players sign up online, you’re
providing the ultimate in customer service
how to treat web expenses. But there are 17 Tennis Resorts Online names
ways you can benefit. top resorts, camps
and giving your business a boost, too.
18 USTA and Bollettieri to work
32 New Generation with top young prospects
Whether you run a tennis shop, facility or
program, interactive elements can help 18 Viking Athletics players
market your brand. dominate platform nationals

DEPARTMENTS
4 Our Serve 22 Grand Slam Stringers Symposium
6 Letters 41 Industry Resource Guide
9 Industry News 46 String Playtest: Pro Supex Matrix Hybrid
20 TIA News & Updates 48 Your Serve, By James Martin

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008

Our Serve
(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

Boosting Your Online Game Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

his magazine is all about helping your business.

T
Editorial Director
Peter Francesconi
Whether a pro shop, facility, teaching pro, coach, court
Associate Editor
builder, CTA, manufacturer—we want you to succeed.
Greg Raven
We want more people playing tennis, we want to see full
Design/Art Director
courts and more being built, and we want more equipment Kristine Thom

and apparel to be sold. This magazine’s reason for being is Contributing Editors
Robin Bateman
to help you make money. Cynthia Cantrell
But RSI alone isn’t going to do the job. You need to be proac- Rod Cross
Kristen Daley
tive, too. And one area that you absolutely have to address in your
Joe Dinoffer
business is the internet. Liza Horan
Some of you have embraced technology and are using it to James Martin
Greg Moran
make your life and your jobs easier. But I’m betting there are Chris Nicholson
many more out there who have yet to realize the full potential the Bob Patterson
Cynthia Sherman
internet has in helping your business. Maybe you have a website Mary Helen Sprecher
that doesn’t really get updated. Maybe you have an AOL or yahoo
RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY
account and check email every now and then. Maybe, God forbid, Corporate Offices
you shun the internet and email altogether. 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084
Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171
Well, it’s time to wake up to all that the internet can bring to Email: RSI@racquetTECH.com
your business. Every day, more and more people are using the Website: www.racquetTECH.com
Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time
web to make their lives easier, both personally and in business.
And you should, too. In fact, you must if you’re going to succeed Advertising Director
in today’s world. John Hanna
770-650-1102, x.125
Consumer use of the web is exploding. In tennis, players, con- hanna@knowatlanta.com
sumers—your customers—now use the web to find all sorts of
Apparel Advertising
information, like how the Yellow Pages were used 25 years ago. Cynthia Sherman
And more and more, they use it to make online court reserva- 203-263-5243
cstennisindustry@earthlink.net
tions and—we might as well say it—buy products, too. Yes, that
Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-
is a reality that, if you haven’t admitted it to yourself, you need 5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly Janu-
to face: More and more products are being purchased via the ary through August and combined issues in
September/October and November/December by
internet. All of this is why you need to have, and increase, your Tennis Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA
presence on the web. And it’s not that hard to do. 92084. Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443
and additional mailing offices. June 2008, Volume
To help you, we have a special section in this issue starting on
36, Number 6 © 2008 by USRSA and Tennis Industry.
page 25 devoted to your business on the web and how you can All rights reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and
logo are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A.
benefit greatly from all that the internet has to offer. Step up your
Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circu-
web presence
p now and it’ll definitely pay off down the road. lation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscrip-
tions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to Racquet Sports Industry,
330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.
Peter Francesconi
Editorial Director
RSI is the official magazine of the USRSA, TIA,and ASBA

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008

Letters
Positive Signs
I thoroughly appreciated the “Tennis’ Upward
Swing” articles in the May issue on the growth in
the tennis industry. I keep articles like this for our
Professional Tennis Management classes here at
Methodist University.
In fact, the tennis industry is so good that our
assistant PTM director recently resigned to start
up her own tennis specialty shop in Southern
Pines, N.C., (www.tennisessentialsstore.com).
Pete Peterson, PTM Director
Methodist University, Fayetteville, N.C.
Stringing Ability Pays Off
It turns out my stringing talents have paid off!
Being on a Navy ship in the ocean, we don't real-
ly go around storms, we just tie everything down
and trudge on through. Well, if you have ever
tried to tie down half-inch cable, it isn't easy—
unless you are an MRT. I found myself tying start-
ing knots around the tie-offs that we had been
using, and sure enough, I seemed to be the only
one able to get a knot that held on that thick
stuff.
The most recent thing is when we were running
some LAN cable through a passageway. The
"stuffing tubes" were tremendously full (we gen-
erally just run a new wire and leave the other
"retired in place"). This caused a bit of concern as
the only somewhat free tube was located behind
a pipe with a large amount of insulation around
it, making it impossible to get a shot into the
hole.
But since the other side of the tube was free, and
being the talented stringer that I am, I grabbed
the ballpoint pen from my assistant’s pocket,
unscrewed it and pulled it apart. He thought I
was crazy when I told him I was going to use the
pen to feed the cable. Then I knocked the pen
into the hole and used the pen as a pathfinder
awl. Bingo, it worked like a charm.
Thanks to my stringing abilities, I’ve become
known as the "MacGyver" of our work center.
Russ Bruns
Ladson, S.C.
We welcome your letters and comments. Please email them to rsi@racquetTECH.com or fax them to 760-536-1171.
6 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008
‘Shallow’ Luxilon Story
Deserved Better
I found your article about Luxilon string in the
May issue to be disappointingly shallow and con-
taining errors and inconsistencies. For instance,
saying Luxilon strings don't lose any tension in the
first few hours after stringing is both impossible
and contradicted by the results of tests that are
available on RSI’s website. One thing you didn’t
mention is that players don’t have to straighten
Luxilon strings after every shot: This is a big deal
for some players, and it’s one of Luxilon’s
strengths.
And the attempt to contrast Pete Sampras' all-gut
set-up of 10 years ago to current players who are
using Luxilon doesn’t hold up. Sampras used to
have his racquets strung at extremely high ten-
sions, which reduces natural gut's liveliness dra-
matically. How could you miss the fact that
Sampras is now using a Luxilon hybrid, too?
The tone of the article implies that you shouldn’t
try out an interesting set of strings until after
you’ve given it long, careful consideration. It’s
only a set of string! Throw in it the racquet and
see how it works for you, for goodness sake. If
you don’t like it, cut it out and go on to the next
one.
The article simply rehashes all the stock view-
points and offers not a single new, fresh, or
thought-provoking piece of information. It would
have been nice if you had contacted the ITF to see
if it would comment on the rumor that it has test-
ed or is testing Luxilon to see if there is something
about its oval cross-section or proprietary compo-
sition that gives players an unfair advantage.
At the 2008 Pacific Life Open, just over half of the
players used Luxilon in mains, crosses, or both. At
the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open, 65 percent of the
men and 45 percent of the women used Luxilon in
some fashion. And a number of these players,
such as James Blake, are not sponsored, which
means each of them must buy reels of Luxilon just
like the rest of us. Add to this the frequent men-
tions of Luxilon strings by commentators during
matches, and you have a subject that deserves
better than you gave it.
Kevin McCormick
Oakton, Va.

INDUSTRY NEWS
INFORMATION TO HELP YOU
ESPN, Tennis Channel
To Show US Open
The USTA, ESPN and Tennis Chan-
nel signed a six-year deal in May
that, starting in 2009, will
increase by nearly 100 hours the
amount of tennis broadcast dur-
ing the US Open and Olympus US
Open Series.
The agreement came about after
USA Network, which has broad-
cast the Open for 24 years,
announced it was dropping the
event after this year. Sources said
USA decided televising the Open
no longer made economic sense
as the network seemed to be
gaining headway with its prime-
time entertainment lineup.
Under the new deal, which
sources say will cost ESPN $140
million, the US Open will receive
200 hours of total coverage, an
increase of more than 50 hours—
the most in US Open history. This
marks the first time that the
Series and OUSOS will be carried
by the same cable broadcaster.
ESPN2 will become the lead cable
broadcaster for the Open and the
Series, with nearly 200 hours of
coverage during the eight-week
North American summer tennis
season. Tennis Channel, which
continues as a Series broadcaster
with nearly 150 hours of cover-
age, will sublicense from ESPN
and will broadcast more than 60
hours of live Open coverage.
CBS Sports will continue to
broadcast nearly 40 hours of live
Open coverage, bringing national
coverage of tennis during the
summer season to more than 400
hours.
R S I J U N E 2 0 0 8
RUN YOUR BUSINESS
Embree Named New President of Prince Americas
ndusty veteran John Embree has joined Prince Sports as its new pres-
I ident of Prince Americas. Embree replaces another longtime industry
insider, Doug Fonte, who recently announced his retirement from
Prince.
Embree will be responsible for the brand in the U.S., Latin America
and Canada. He’ll report to Prince Sports Chairman and CEO George
Napier.
For the past four years, Embree has been a part owner of the special-
ty apparel brand Bälle de Mätch. Before that, he spent more than 17
years with Wilson Sports Goods, where he rose to the position of vice
president and general manager of Wilson’s global racquet sports division
before leaving in 2003.
“Adding John's leadership to our already strong team and great brand
will accelerate our drive to ‘take the racquet sports hill,’” says Napier. “I am confident the vast
majority of the U.S. dealer community will be thrilled when this news spreads. Our entire team
will benefit from John’s sharp mind and relentless passion and energy."
“The last thing I was thinking of doing, until I heard of Doug's retirement, was leaving Bälle
de Mätch,” says Embree. “But the opportunity to join Prince in such an important capacity was
too good to pass up. Prince is a clean, strong global brand, with an exceptional team and great
products, and I can't think of a better fit in terms of matching my enthusiasm, energy and skill
set with its momentum and credibility."
Embree says he plans to relocate from Chicago to the New Jersey area with his family.
QuickStart
Tennis On
Today Show
he Today Show on
T NBC devoted a live
segment to the
QuickStart Tennis for-
mat at the end of April.
With kids playing in the
background, Today
Show host Ann Curry
interviewed Kurt Kam-
perman, the USTA’s
chief executive of Com-
munity Tennis, in front
of a temporary short
court set up on the
street outside of the
Manhattan studio.
June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9
 J U N E 2 0 0 8

Gamma Unveils Zo Tour String

INDUSTRYNEWS

Tennis Participation
G
amma Sports’ new Zo Tour string contains six polyester monofilaments in the
core—rather than a single poly core—surrounded by the Zo High Energy Polyester Up in High Schools
T
Core. The company says this innovative design creates maximum control for play- he National Federation of State
ers looking for a crisp and durable polyester string. High School Associations
The six “high-tenacity” fibers help to maintain tension and provide a crisper feel, (www.nfhs.org) recently issued its
says Gamma. “The combination of comfort and control found in Zo Tour is the per- report on the State of High School
fect example of Gamma Sports’ continued commitment to Sports Participation. The findings
innovation and quality,” says Chuck Vietmeier, Gamma’s show that in the school years from
string product manager. 2001-’02 to 2006-’07, tennis participa-
Zo Tour is available in individual 40- tion among boys was up 12.5 percent
foot sets and 660-foot reels, in both and among girls up 10.4 percent.
16 and 17 gauges. For informa- Other data for tennis include:
tion, call 800-333-0337 or visit Boys Girls
www.gammasports.com. 2006-’07 156,944 176,696
2005-’06 153,006 173,753
1-Year Change +2.5% +1.8%
2001-’02 139,483 160,114
5-Year Change +12.5% +10.4%

Bälle de Mätch Names

Prince Creates New Product Validation Spot Zalatoris
P
rince has hired Kevin Stayart as it product validation and technical expert,
overseeing playtesting and validation for the company’s tennis products in the President
U.S. The new position centralizes functions that previously were performed by

P
aul Zala-
various people within the company. toris, who
In his new role, Stayart will manage all phases of the product validation and joined
playtesting process for Prince. He will collaborate closely with the company’s R&D apparel brand
and Product Management teams on testing methodology, competitive product Bälle de Mätch
selection, timing, and analysis of results. as chief finan-
“My job will be to make sure that when a player goes into a store, they will know cial officer at
that by picking up Prince, they are getting a product that has been thoroughly vet- the beginning of
ted, properly tested and completely validated with similar and appropriate player the year, has
types before it reached the shelf,” says Stayart. He is a lifelong tennis player, has been named president of the company.
taught tennis, and most recently was part of the Wilson customer service team. He will be located at the brand’s Chicago
headquarters.
Zalatoris has been in the tennis indus-
Pro Penn+ Ball to Debut in July try for nearly 20 years, much of that time

P
enn has introduced its newest tennis ball, the Pro
Penn+, which the company says features new “Long-
Play” felt for 25 percent more wear and 19 percent
greater visibility. “Our challenge was to find a longer wearing
felt that doesn’t play heavy at the start,” says Jennifer Parker,
business manager for Penn Tennis Balls. Parker says the
answer is the new LongPlay felt of the Pro Penn+ balls, which
she says plays exactly the same as the original Pro Penn, but
lasts 25 percent longer, based on abrasion-box testing.
Penn also says the felt on the new ball is brighter for better
visibility on-court. The Pro Penn+ also uses Encore Technolo-
gy, which is Penn’s core compound of natural and man-made
polymers in the core.
“The clear benefit to players is to have the ball they know
and love last even that much longer,” says Parker. The new ball
will be available in July. For more information, visit
www.pennracquet.com.
at Wilson Sporting Goods, where he rose
to be global business director of tennis
balls. He also worked in corporate finance
as well as controller for the Racquet
Sports Division. Zalatoris recently was
general manager for Tecnifibre USA,
where he was responsible for string distri-
bution, as well as introducing all other
hard goods, such as tennis and squash
racquets. During his time there the com-
pany more than tripled its sales.
“This is a great opportunity to guide
this company to further success,” says
Zalatoris. “I am anxious to build on what
they have already accomplished.” For
more information, visit www.ballede-
match.com.

10 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Babolat Launches 3 New Frames

B
abolat recently launched three new frames: the Aero Strike, a lighter version of
three-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal’s Aero Pro Drive that’s designed for
up-and-coming juniors and intermediates; and the Pure Storm Limited and
Aero Storm 2008, both designed for experienced players. In addition, the company
relaunched the Aero Storm Tour, which was formerly the Aero Storm 2007 model.
The Aero Strike, says Babolat, provides for better maneuverability while main-
taining great power and is designed to appeal to players with a faster, medium-to-
full swing. It features three of Babolat’s technologies: the “Cortex System,” which
links the handle and the frame to filter different vibrations; “Aero Modular” technol-
ogy, designed to simulate an airplane wing, which helps increase head speed and
power while providing control; and the “Woofer System,” which links the frame and
strings for comfort and is on all Babolat performance frames.
Babolat says the Aero Strike is more forgiving, more maneuverable and lighter than the
Aero Pro Drive and is the next step for players moving up from a racquet like the Drive Z
Lite, another lightweight mid-plus racquet in the Babolat range. With a 100-square-inch
head size, the 9.8-ounce Aero Strike has a suggested retail price of $185.
The 95-square-inch Pure Storm Limited is for players with a wide, fast swing. The 11.2-
ounce frame features “Carbon Xtrem,” which the company says offers more control and
sensations upon impact. The traditional cross section provides stability and control, says
Babolat. Suggested retail price is $179.
Babolat extended the Aero Storm range with the Aero Storm 2008, at 98 square inches
and 10.6 ounces. This newer, lighter version of the Aero Storm 2007 model is designed for
expert players with a full swing. It retails for $185.
The Aero Storm Tour is a relaunch of the Aero Storm 2007 and carries the same product AERO STRIKE
specs, including the 98-square-inch head size and 11.2-ounce weight. It retails for $185. P U R E S TO R M L I M I T E D
For more information, contact 877-316-9435 or visit www.babolat.com. A E R O S TO R M

June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11

INDUSTRYNEWS J U N E 2 0 0 8
Hall of Fame Honors Johnson,
Presents Education Awards
U H
STA Immediate Past President Franklin R. Johnson has
been named the recipient of the 2007 Samuel Hardy
Award, presented by the International Tennis Hall of
Fame. The award is given annually to a USTA volunteer in
recognition of long and outstanding service to the sport. The
honor was presented to Johnson at a special luncheon helat
Naples Grande Beach Resort in Naples, Fla., during the USTA
Annual Meeting.
Johnson has served on the USTA Board for 11 years. As
2005-06 Chairman of the Board and President, he oversaw
significant strides in the landscape of tennis, from the
emphasis on public parks to the renaming of the USTA
National Tennis Center in honor of Hall of Famer Billie Jean
King. Currently, Johnson is the Chairman of the USTA Past
President’s Committee and a member of the board’s Inter-
national Committee.
The Hall of Fame also announced three winners of the
2007 Tennis Educational Merit Awards. Todd S. Ellenbecker
of Scottsdale, Ariz.; Sharon Rosenburgh of Indianapolis; and
Kathleen Ann Stroia of St. Petersburg, Fla., were also hon-
ored during the USTA meeting in Naples. The Educational
Merit Awards are given annually to individuals who have
made notable contributions in the tennis education field at
the national level. Award winners have repeatedly demon-
strated leadership and creative skills in tennis instruction,
writing, organization and promotion of the game of tennis.
Tennis a Part of New
Sports Museum of America
T
he Sports Museum of America (www
.sportsmuseum.com), the nation's only interactive,
multi-media all sports museum, was scheduled to
open in May in New York City. As the first museum to
pay tribute to the history and excitement of all sports,
SmA has partnered with more than 60 single sports Halls
of Fame—including the International Tennis Hall of
Fame—national governing bodies and other top athletic
organizations, to showcase inspiring exhibits, memora-
bilia, stories and heroes.
In addition to hosting the first women’s sports hall of
fame, SmA will also be the new permanent home of the
Billie Jean King International Women’s Sports Center and
the legendary Heisman Trophy and annual presentation.
SmA is at 26 Broadway, in the heart of Lower Manhattan.
Under the terms of the partnership, the International
Tennis Hall of Fame will provide archival tennis materi-
als, such as the racquet used by Chris Evert in the 1982
US Open; the outfit worn by World No. 1 Roger Federer
in the 2005 US Open; the 1929 US National Men’s Sin-
gles trophy won by Bill Tilden; and more. Other memo-
rabilia of interest to the projected 1 million worldwide
annual visitors to SmA will be sent on a rotating basis.
12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008
New ‘CrossBow’ Technology Debuts in
Five Head Frames
ead recently launched its new “Cross-
Bow” technology, which is a dynamic
bridge construction that the company
says allows the racquet to store energy dur-
ing ball impact then release it as the ball
leaves the string bed, providing maximum
power on shots. Initially, the new technology
will be incorporated in the new CrossBow 10
and CrossBow 6 and three Airflow racquets.
The bridge is suspended from the frame and
moves independently, which Head says allows the
racquet to store energy in both the string bed and the
bridge. “The CrossBow concept acts like a spring or a
CROSSBOW 6
bow that is loaded during ball impact,” then
CROSS BOW 10
“unleashed in every shot,” says Head. In addition,
the company says CrossBow creates a larger
sweetspot than a conventional fixed-
bridge racquet because 10 main
strings go through the dynamic
bridge.
Head says the two new Cross-
Bow frames are “power loaded” for
players with shorter, more compact
swings. The new frames include a
newly redesigned “Stabilizer”
designed to reduce racquet vibration
and increase comfort. Both are Metallix
frames and have a 16 x 19 string pat-
tern.
Crossbow 10, designed for maneuver-
ability, is 9 ounces and has a 124-square-
AIRFLOW 3
inch head size. CrossBow 6 is 112 square
inches and 9.2 ounces.
AIRFLOW 5
The newest generation of Airflow rac- AIRFLOW 7
quets, designed for women, also feature
CrossBow technology for more power. The three frames—Airflow 7,
5 and 3—also have an ergonomic grip for better handling and con-
trol, says Head, and a new dampening system called InteGrip for
comfort.
The 115-square-inch Airflow 7 is 8.6 ounces and is the most pow-
erful Airflow frame to use CrossBow. The Airflow 5, at 109 square
inches and 9 ounces, balances power and control, and the 102-
square-inch Airflow 3, at 9.2 ounces, offers extra control for longer
swing styles.
For more information, visit www.head.com or call 800-289-7366.
New Head ETS String
H ead also has a new “power-loaded” string
recommended for oversized frames such
as the CrossBow 10 and 6. ETS, or Energy
Transfer String, has a multifilament core
with a polypropylene outer wrap. It comes
in 16 and 17 gauge in 40-foot sets.
 INDUSTRY NEWS

• Los Gatos Tennis Academy–Todd Dissly Athletics LLC,
Los Gatos, Almaden, Calif.
• Maine Pines Racquet & Fitness Club, Brunswick, Maine
• Meadow Creek Tennis and Fitness Club, Denver
• Midland Community Tennis Center, Midland, Mich.
Top 50 TWCs Recognized • North Hills Club, Raleigh, N.C.
• Oak Meadow Golf Club, Evansville, Ind.
• Regency Sport and Health Club, McLean, Va.
• Reynolds Plantation and the Lake Club Tennis Center,
Greensboro, Ga.
• Rudgear Park, Walnut Creek, Calif.
• Richland Tennis Center, North Richland Hills, Texas
• Sarver Tennis Club at Sedgewood, Bluefield, Va.
• Scottsdale Park Ranch Spts. Complex, Scottsdale, Ariz.

T
he TIA, USTA and RSI magazine • Oglebay Park Tennis Center, Wheeling, W.V. • South Towns Tennis Club, Orchard Park, N.Y.
are honoring the "Top 50 Ten- • Oxford Tennis Center, Oxford, Ala. • Southlake Tennis Center, Southlake, Texas
• Pacquenac Tennis Club, Pompton Plains, N.J. • Tennis Center of the Black Hills, Rapid City, S.D.
nis Welcome Centers of 2007" • Paseo Racquet Center, Glendale, Ariz. • Texarkana Country Club, Texarkana, Ark.
as leading the charge in the growth • Plaza Tennis Center, Kansas City, Mo. • The Wailea Tennis Club, Wailea, Hawaii
of the sport by providing well- • Pocono Farms Country Club Assn, Tobyhanna, Pa. • Timberhill Tennis Club, Corvallis, Ore.
• Point Set Indoor Racquet Club Inc., Oceanside, N.Y. • Towpath Tennis Center, Akron, Ohio
rounded programs to new and cur- • Querbes Tennis Center, Shreveport, La. • Village Glen Tennis Club, Williamsville, N.Y.
rent players of all ages and abilities. • Racquet Club of Columbus, Columbus, Ohio • Willis S. Johns Recreation Center, Rochester, N.Y.
The tennis facilities honored all
exhibited excellent participation fig-
ures involving new and returning
players, support of industry pro-
grams and community tennis devel-
opment, and were active with TWC
facility requirements, among other
criteria.
“All of the more than 2,100 Ten-
nis Welcome Centers have played
an important role in the increased
tennis participation we’ve seen in
the last few years in the U.S.,” says
TIA Executive Director Jolyn de
Boer. “These Top 50 Tennis Wel-
come Centers have been doing an
exemplary job of creating a positive
tennis experience for people in
their communities. Tennis Welcome
Centers serve a vital role in deliver-
ing tennis. The TIA, together with
the USTA, is very pleased to recog-
nize these efforts.”
The Top 50 TWCs of 2007 are:
• An Achievable Dream Academy, Newport
News, Va.
• Auburndale Tennis Center, Auburndale, Fla.
• Barnes Tennis Center, Home of Youth Tennis
San Diego, San Diego
• Baseline Tennis Center, Minneapolis, Minn.
• BCTA Inc., Langhorne, Pa.
• Columbia Basin Rac. Club, Richland, Wash.
• Cranmore Family Fitness Center, North Con-
way, N.H.
• Delaware Tennis Center, Wilmington, Del.
• Eastlake Athletic Club, Elkhart, Ind.
• Family Circle Tennis Center, Charleston, S.C.
• Fleming Tennis Center, Augusta, Ga.
• Frog Hollow Racquet Club, Lansdale, Pa.
• Hilton El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort,
Tucson, Ariz.
• Homewood-Flossmoor Racquet & Fitness
Club, Homewood, Ill.
• Intnl. Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, R.I.
• La Crosse Country Club, Onalaska, Wis.
• Lake Cane Tennis Center, Orlando, Fla.
• Lake Oswego Indoor Tennis Center, Lake
Oswego, Ore.
• Lexington County Tennis Complex, Lexing-
ton, S.C.
• Littleton Golf and Tennis Club, Littleton,
Colo.

June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 13

 INDUSTRYNEWS J U N E 2 0 0 8
O P L E W AT C
E H
P Sharapova,•playing
Maria
with a Prince O3 White, cap-
tured her third title of the year,
the Bausch & Lomb Championships
in Amelia Island, Fla., in April.
• Head has re-signed 18-year-old pro
player Donald Young to a deal that will
continue through 2010. Young plays with a
MicroGel Radical MP and currently is ranked
No. 77 in the world.
• RSI Contributing Editor Mary
Helen Sprecher recently
won three regional jour-
nalism awards from the
Maryland/Delaware/D.C.
Press Association for sto-
ries in the weekly Baltimore
Guide newspaper, for which she
is a full-time reporter. She received first-place
awards for environmental and
arts/entertainment reporting and a second
place for public service reporting.
• Ashaway Racket Strings and squash rac-
quet manufacturer Black Knight have signed
a joint long-term sponsorship agreement
with squash legend David Palmer. Currently
ranked fourth in the PSA World Rankings,
Palmer is a three-time British Open and two-
time World Open champion. He’s been spon-
sored by Ashaway for more than five years.
• Popular teaching pro Dan Bonfigli, 49, of
Vermont died Jan. 29 after a long battle with
cancer. The USTA New England Section has
chosen Bonfigli to receive the 2007 Gardner
Ward Chase Memorial Award for outstand-
ing contributions to New England tennis,
which will be presented at a ceremony at the
International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport,
R.I., in June. Contributions may be made to
the Daniel Bonfigli Tennis Memorial Fund,
c/o Merchants Bank, 54 Pearl St., Essex
Junction, VT 05452.
• Two top men’s pro racquetball players
have re-signed with Head/Penn. Both
Shane Vanderson and Jason Thoern-
er have extended their contracts
with the company for three
years. And Head racquet-
ball player Jack
14 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008
Huczek
recently won the title at
the International Racquetball
Tour’s San Diego Open.
• Holly Goddard has been named the
new director of Adult Tennis for the
USTA Southern Section, replacing Marilyn
Sherman, who is leaving the section. God-
dard had been the section’s director of com-
munications and publications since 2006.
• Bill Riddle, head tennis coach at Cumber-
land University in Nashville, Tenn., was select-
ed as the TranSouth Conference Women's
Tennis Coach of the Year.
• David Marquina is the new coordinator of
junior programs for the Raleigh (N.C.) Rac-
quet Club.
• Jim Courier defeated Wayne Ferreira in
April to win the singles title at the $150,000
The Residences at The Ritz Carlton, Grand
Cayman Legends Championships, the sec-
ond event on the 2008 Outback Champions
Series tennis circuit. It was Courier’s first vic-
tory on the Outback Champions Series since
2006.
• Texas brothers Ryan and Christian Harrison
have signed an international agreement to
use Babolat racquets and strings for the next
four years. Ryan, age 15, and Christian, 13,
train at the John Newcombe Tennis Academy
in New Braunfels, Texas, where there father,
Pat, is the assistant director. Ryan, ranked
No. 7 in the world in the ITF 18-and-under
category, and Christian, who recently won
the Boys’ 16's International Spring Champi-
onships in Carson, Calf., are both managed
by IMG.
• Industry veteran Sheri Norris has joined
Bälle de Mätch as national sales and promo-
tions manager. A former touring pro and
All-American collegiate player at Arizona
State University, where she also coached
briefly, Norris is a certified
USPTA member. She
spent 18 years with
Head/Penn, holding
both promotion
and sales positions
during her tenure.

SHORT SETS
PTR Vice President Julie Jilly presided over > Jennifer Kerr, age 8, set a new record
>a wheelchair
tennis drills clinic and exhibition for Girls 8 and Girls 10-and-Under SSV
during the Family Circle Cup on Daniel
Island, S.C. The exhibition featured PTR
members Bob Masella and Dave Rogers,
along with Holly Wise of MUSC and Pam
Pearce of SCTA. Organized by the South Car-
olina Wheelchair Tennis Committee, the pur-
pose of the event was to promote and
educate players and the public about wheel-
chair tennis.
> The USPTA hosted a free Tennis Across
America clinic with the theme of “Tennis—
for the health of it!” on May 9 at Zina Garri-
son’s All Court Tennis Academy at
MacGregor Park in Houston. In addition to
Garrison, other attendees included USPTA
CEO Tim Heckler, USPTA board of directors
VP Jack Groppel, and Adrian Hutber of the
American College of Sports Medicine.
>Nikolay
Prince says that in the weeks after pro
Davydenko switched from the Ozone
Tour frame to the denser string pattern of the
Ozone Pro Tour before his first match at the
Sony Ericsson Open, there was a surge in
consumer demand for the racquet. “From
the week prior to Davydenko’s picking up the
new frame to the week following his win, we
saw demand increase by nearly four times,”
says Prince VP of Marketing Linda Glassel.
> Fed Cup defending champion Russia beat
the U.S., 3-2, in the semifinals in April to
advance to its fourth Fed Cup final in five
years. The Russians will face five-time champ
Spain in the final in September. The U.S.
team consisted of Vania King, Ahsha Rolle
and new U.S. citizen Liezel Huber. The U.S.
has won a record 17 Fed Cup titles, the last
in 2000.
> Lexington County in South Carolina is
building another huge tennis complex. Offi-
cials in the city of Cayce, S.C., recently
announced plans for a 24-court center, with
an expected cost of $4.6 million. It is hoped
the complex will be completed by July 2009,
when the National Public Parks Tennis Cham-
pionships comes to the county. The new cen-
ter will be in addition to the current 21-court
Lexington County Tennis Complex, which is
under the direction of Jorge Andrew.
(Serve, Stroke, & Volley) Tennis Ratings at
a recent junior clinic held at La Costa
Resort in Carlsbad, Calif. Jennifer scored
92 on basic skills strokes and 28.68 sec-
onds on mobility, for an SSV Tennis Rating
of 110.300. For more information on SSV,
visit www.ssvten-nis.com.
>firm,KSLrecently
Capital Partners, a private equity
acquired Western Athletic
Clubs, the owner and operator of luxury
private health, fitness, and athletic clubs
and sports resorts on the West Coast.
Founded in 1977 by WAC's President, Jim
Gerber, WAC today operates nine premier
facilities in the San Francisco and San
Diego metropolitan areas.
> Tennis legend and ESPN commentator
Cliff Drysdale will design and operate the
tennis center at Portones Del Mar Yacht
Club & Resort, a new beachfront marina
community under development along
Panama’s Pacific coast. Drysdale will per-
sonally direct the design of the tennis
center, which will include lighted Har-Tru
courts and a clubhouse.
>CollinsBudHistory
Collins’ new book, The Bud
of Tennis ($35.95, New
Chapter Press), was slated to be in book-
stores in the spring and is available now
on internet retailers, including
www.amazon.com, which is offering the
book for 39 percent off the discounted
pre-sale price of $21.21. For more infor-
mation or to order directly from the pub-
lisher, go to www.newchapterpress-
media.com.
> A new book by Bernard A. Chavis, The
Games of Tennis: An African-American
Journey, has recently been published by
Infinity Publishing. The book recounts
Chavis’ journey in the administrative
world of tennis through his roles in local,
regional and national positions with the
USTA and American Tennis Association.
To order, visit www.bbotw.com or email
berniec @chavis-info.com.
>second
Mansion Grove House is releasing the
edition of the book Tennis Beyond
INDUSTRY NEWS
Big Shots, which includes a new chapter.
The book, written by Greg Moran, tennis
director at the Four Seasons Racquet
Club in Wilton, Conn., was Amazon’s
No. 1 new tennis release in 2007
(www.tennisbeyondbigshots.com).
> A Lymphoma Foundation Pro-Am at
the Bethpage (N.Y.) State Park Tennis
Center raised about $40,000 for research
on the disease. The event was organized
by David Fischbach. Additional donations
can be sent to Dr. Mortimer J. Lacher-
President, Lymphoma Foundation, Box
286236, New York, N.Y. 10128.
>“Legends
The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s
Ball” will be on Sept. 5 at 6:30
p.m. at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York
City—the last Friday of the US Open. The
celebration will honor Billie Jean King
along with the Hall of Fame induction
class of 2008—Michael Chang, Mark
McCormack and Eugene Scott. For tick-
ets or information, call 212-843-1740 or
e-mail legendsball@hgnyc.com.
>Prussia,
Fairmount Athletic Club of King of
Pa., will host nine weeks of
squash camps for juniors on its 14 new
squash courts this summer. Coaches
include Demer Holleran, Fairmount
squash director and multi national cham-
pion.
>WayneAmericans Madison Brengle and
Odesnik earned wild card entries
into the 2008 French Open men's and
women’s singles main draw after win-
ning USTA wild card tournaments on the
clay courts of the Boca West Country
Club in Boca Raton, Fla., in early May.
The USTA and the French Tennis Federa-
tion have a reciprocal agreement in
which wild card entries into the main
draw at the 2008 French Open and 2008
US Open are exchanged.
>Resorts
The tennis programs at 13 of Tennis
Online’s Top 75 Tennis Resorts are
directed by pros from Peter Burwash
International. Leading the PBI properties
are the Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt in Austria at
No. 4 and Caneel Bay, A Rosewood
Resort in the U.S. Virgin Islands at No. 5.
June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 15
INDUSTRYNEWS J U N E 2 0 0 8

USTA Presents Honors Wilson, ITA Announce

T
he USTA honored volunteers and players
at its annual meeting in April in Naples, Internship Winners

Fla. Winning the annual awards were:
Q Seniors’ Service Award, for service to sen-
ior tennis: Percy Hughes of Richfield, Minn.
Q Brad Parks Award, for outstanding contri-
butions to wheelchair tennis: Michael Mercier of Beverly, Mass.
Q Barbara Williams Leadership Award, for encouraging and inspiring
others to become volunteers and assume leadership roles: Sharon
B. Gault of Greenville, Miss.
Q Member Organization of the Year Award: Houston Racquet Club of
Houston, Texas
Q Ralph W. Westcott USTA Family of the Year Award: Don and Becky
Cleveland Family of Delray Beach, Fla.
Q Bill Talbert Jr. Sportsmanship Award (in partnership with the Inter-
national Tennis Hall of Fame): Alexa Glatch of Newport Beach,
Calif.; Evan King of Chicago; Alison Riske of McMurray, Pa.; and
Michael Sicora of Buffalo, Minn.
A
my Brown of Stanford and Jared Karlebach of
Skidmore have been selected as the 2008 Wil-
son/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA)
Internship Award Program winners. The internship
program recognizes individuals who promote the
game of tennis at the collegiate level by devoting con-
sistent time and effort to promotional activities, and
who support and bring awareness to either their
school program or to the sport as a whole.
Two categories of collegiate promoters have been
established: Varsity Team Managers and Varsity Stu-
dent-Athletes. One individual from each category—
Brown and Karlebach, respectively—have been
selected to receive a paid summer internship at Wil-
son's global headquarters in Chicago.

Wilson Catalog Wins Design Award

Wilson Sporting Goods Co.’s inhouse graphic design team has been awarded the 2008 American Inhouse
Design Award presented by Graphic Design USA. The 2008 Wilson Racquet Sports Consumer Catalog has
been specifically recognized as an outstanding marketing piece for design. Graphic Design USA has pre-
sented this award to cre-
ative professionals with the
highest quality work for
over 40 years. This year, the
Wilson Racquet Sports Con-
sumer piece was chosen out
of more than 5,000 entries.
Tim McCaffrey, global art
director for Wilson, was the
lead designer on the
project.

Tennis Racquet Top-Selling Racquets Top-Selling Top-Selling

Performance at Specialty Stores Tennis Shoes at Tennis Strings
Specialty Stores, By year-to-date dollars, January-March 2008
(average selling price)
Specialty Stores at Specialty
January-March, 2008 vs. 2007 By year-to-date dollars,
Units 2008 143,173 Best-Sellers January-March 2008
Stores
1. Babolat Pure Drive Cortex (MP) $170 (average selling price) By year-to-date dollars,
2007 143,212
2. Babolat Aeropro Drive Cortex (MP) $174 1. Adidas January-March 2008
% Change vs. ’07 0%
3. Wilson K Blade (MP) $173 Barricade V $102 1. Prince
4. Prince O3 Speedport Black (MP) $186 2. Nike Synthetic Gut Duraflex
Dollars 2008 $19,952,000
5. Wilson K SixOne 95 (16x18) (MS) $177 Air Breathe Free 2 $96 2. Wilson
2007 $19,690,000
“Hot New Racquets” 3. Adidas NXT
% Change vs. ’07 1%
(Introduced in the past 12 months) Barricade IV $90 3. Wilson
1. Babolat Aeropro Drive Cortex (MP) $174 4. Adidas Sensation
Price 2008 $139
2. Wilson K Blade (MP) $173 Barricade II $82 4. Prince
2007 $137
3. Prince O3 Speedport Black (MP) $186 5. Nike Air Breathe Lightning XX
% Change vs. ’07 1%
4. Head MicroGel Radical (MP) $163 Free Cage $92 5. Luxilon
5. Prince Ozone Seven (OS) $161 Alu Power
(Source: TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys)

16 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Rancho Valencia,
Emerson Camp Top
Tennis Resorts
Online Lists

F
or the ninth year, Tennis
Resorts Online has pub-
lished its annual list of top
resorts and camps. The top
resort, as picked by vacationers
who voted online at tennisre-
sortsonline.com, is Rancho
Valencia Resort in California,
which also held the No. 1 spot in
2004 and 2005. The No. 1 camp
was Roy Emerson Tennis Holi-
days in Switzerland.
For 2008, TRO’s survey
asked players to assess resorts
and camps in 20 categories,
including all aspects of the ten-
nis experience and such diverse
characteristics as the quality of
the lodging, restaurants, chil-
dren's programs, and value for
dollar. Those reviews were used
to compile a numerical ranking.
The Top 10 Resorts are:
1. Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa, Calif.
2. The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa,
Ariz.
3. Kiawah Island Golf Resort, S.C.
4. Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt, Tirol, Austria
5. Caneel Bay, A Rosewood Resort, U.S. Vir-
gin Islands
6. The Broadmoor, Colo.
7. Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, N.C.
8. Wintergreen Resort, Va.
9. Palmetto Dunes Resort, S.C.
10. Saddlebrook Resort, Fla.
Top 5 Camps:
1. Roy Emerson Tennis Weeks, Switzerland
2. New England Tennis Holidays, N.H.
3. PBI Tennis Camp at Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt,
Tirol, Austria
4. Saddlebrook Tennis (Hopman), Fla.
5. Vic Braden Tennis College, Green Valley
Spa, Utah

USRSA MEMBER
CL ASSIFIEDS
FOR SALE: Prince 3000 Tennis
Stringing Machine in excellent
condition. For digital pic-
tures/additional information
please contact David Valencia
at redstarstringing@gmail.com.
Price $2000. Local p/u pre-
ferred (zip 93455).

June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 17

INDUSTRYNEWS J U N E 2 0 0 8

Tennis Channel Sells Las Vegas Tourney Viking Athletics Players

T
ennis Channel has
sold its Las Vegas- Dominate APTA Nationals
based men’s pro

tournament to the ATP.
While the ATP has not
yet decided the future of the tournament, industry sources say it will
either shut down and be removed from the ATP schedule completely or
will leave the U.S., possibly for South Africa.
Tennis Channel said in a statement that its executive team and
board of directors made the decision to sell the tournament, currently
named the Tennis Channel Open, to the ATP due to a combination of
growth in the network’s core media business and the timing presented
by a revamped pro tennis tournament schedule beginning in 2009. The
network recently added three Grand Slam tournaments to its lineup in
less than a year.
Tennis Memphis Receives $100,000 Grant
V
iking Athletics had a strong showing at the
American Platform Tennis Association (APTA)
Nationals in Rochester, N.Y., in April, the first
national tournament since the brand was acquired
by Prince Sports. Seven of the eight men’s semifinal-
ists and five of the eight women’s semifinalists were
Viking players.
In addition, Viking founder David Kjeldsen was
inducted into the APTA Hall of Fame during Nationals.
One of four 2008 inductees, Kjeldsen was honored
for his unparalleled commitment to the sport and his
continuous drive to create the best products for the
game. In addition to Kjeldsen, Nationals' Tournament
Chairman Fritz Odenbach and platform legends Flip
Goodspeed and Scott Mansager also were inducted.
"We are off and running and extremely pleased

T
ennis Memphis has received $100,000 grant from the USTA Ten-
with how the integration process has gone," says
nis & Education Foundation and the Ford Foundation through the
Scott Winters, VP of Indoor Court and Paddle Sports
National Junior Tennis League “Community Building Through Ten-
at Prince. Viking Athletics will retain its name and
nis” initiative.
continue to conduct business in the same fashion.
This is the second year of the initiative, which seeks to utilize the
The 2008-09 product line is expected to launch in
sport of tennis and tennis facilities to build community in changing
August. For more information, visit www.vikingath-
neighborhoods. The money will support NJTL projects designed to
letics.com.
bring together people from diverse backgrounds.

USTA, Bollettieri to Ektelon Introduces ASBA Sets Tech Meeting

New R-Ball Frames
T
he 2008 ASBA Technical Meeting
Work with Donald Young will be Dec. 7-9 in New Orleans at

E
ktelon is introducing new O3

T
he USTA announced that it will be work- the Astor Crowne Plaza. The tenta-
Speedport racquetball frames that
ing with Nick Bollettieri in the training tive program includes sessions on safety
the company says will be more
and development of some of the top issues on the jobsite, communications,
powerful and quicker through the air,
U.S. tennis prospects, including 18-year-old marketing your business, rewarding
and will also provide personal cus-
pro Donald Young. The partnership is an employees, fencing materials and instal-
tomization options that allow players
example of the USTA Elite Player Develop- lation, renovating clay courts, surfacing
to configure the racquet to best accom-
ment’s new collaborative approach with top concrete courts, and much more. For
modate their playing style. The new
coaches and private academies to develop information, visit www.sportsbuilders
frames will be available July 1.
the next generation of American champions. .org or call 866-501-ASBA.
By adding “power plugs” to the
Young, who is currently working with
Speedports on the sides and top of the
USTA National Coach Ricardo Acuna, will
frames, players can dictate weight, bal- Congratulations To the Following
visit Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in
Bradenton, Fla., where he’ll work with top
ance and power to customize the rac- For Achieving MRT and CS Status
quetball frames to their style of play. New Master Racquet Technicians - MRTs
pros currently training there. He also will
The new frames have an ultralight
receive on-court instruction and support Gordie Lehman Raleigh, NC
weight of 170 grams but can be
from Bollettieri.
“plugged up” to a more traditional Brad Praught Toronto, Ontario
The USTA says it will also work with Bol-
lettieri and support the training of three top
weight of 185 grams. Darren Litz Portsmouth, OH
Ektelon says top racquetball players New Certified Stringers - CSs
junior prospects—Sachia Vickery, Victoria
Rocky Carson and Rhonda Rajsich
Duval and Alicia Black, all from Florida— Stacey Moon Anchorage, AK
have playtested the racquets and plan
who are currently training at the Nick Bol-
to make the switch. Both the O3 Wai Pang Casper Lee Kowloon, Hong Kong
lettieri Tennis Academy. The USTA will
provide coaching assistance, grants, USTA
Speedport Red and Speedport Camo Dave Dennick Spring, TX
carry a suggested retail price of $300. Michael Stafiniak Orefield, PA
sponsored competitions, and potential wild
For more information, contact 800-
cards. Ken Phoenix Clearwater, FL
283-2635 or visit www.ektelon.com.

18 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008

 INDUSTRY NEWS

PTR Names New Director of Development

S
teve Keller has joined the PTR staff as director of devel-
opment, responsible for developing and conducting
workshops and Professional Development Courses, as
well as overseeing the PTR on Campus program. In addition,
Keller will be responsible for PTR certification and testing.
Keller is a 21-year member of PTR and has been a PTR cli-
nician and tester for 18 years, conducting clinics and work-
shops across the U.S. He most recently was the tennis director
for Tennis Corporation of America’s Midtown Athletic Club in
Rochester, N.Y. Prior to Midtown, he served as director of tennis for the Van der
Meer Tennis Center on Hilton Head Island, S.C. In 1996, Keller earned the
USTA/PTR Public Service Award, and in 2008, was named PTR Member of the Year
for New York.

Tennis Channel, Berry Farms Promote Wimbledon Coverage

Tennis Channel and California Giant Berry Farms
have developed a campaign to coincide with
TC’s first-time coverage of Wimbledon. “The
Sweetest Match” includes a “Win a Trip to
Wimbledon” sweepstakes for the 2009
event. Playing off the traditional strawber-
ries-and-cream, California Giant Berry
Farms will place TC messaging on
20 million packs of strawberries.
Visit www.thesweetestmatch
.com.

June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 19


News You Can Use!
Tennis con-
tinues to
lead in par-
ticipation
sports. In
addition to
Jolyn de Boer
the recent
Tennis Marketplace
research, the new SGMA
Superstudy shows that in
comparison to other
sports, tennis is No. 1 in
participation growth, with
a 16.3% increase from last
year. The new Tennis
Health Index final number
is projected to be positive
and a joint marketing
piece will be available
soon to further promote
this good news for tennis.
As we all do our part to
keep this message and
momentum both strong
and positive, the results
show Tennis IS the fastest
growing sport. With tech-
nology opening up new
ways to communicate, con-
nect and expand this mar-
ket, we hope you will take
advantage of the many
free tools provided via
growingtennis.com.
The industry is fortunate to
have great support from
our partners, providers and
the media who work
together for TENNIS. Please
join us Aug. 25 at the Ten-
nis Forum in New York,
where the first inductees
into the Tennis Industry
Hall of Fame will be recog-
nized. As always, we wel-
come your comments and
suggestions at the TIA.
20 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008
T I A N E W S J U N E 2 0 0 8
NEWS & UPDATES
Tennis Marketplace Update
Latest Issue Offers Key Information
T
he latest issue of The Tennis Marketplace was released in May and
contains much positive information and data for your business.
Some of the research includes:
Q Racquet and ball shipments continue to increase.
Q Total players, and importantly, frequent players, continue to increase.
Q Facilities are reporting increases in play.
Q In dollars, racquet sales at specialty stores have increased each year
since 2003.
Q Dealers forecast an increase in the racquet market.
Q Consumer use of online court reservations and tennis event enroll-
ment has increased dramatically in the past year.
Q More than two-thirds of facilities running Cardio Tennis programs have
gained financially from the program.
Each issue of The Tennis Marketplace Report includes an overview from our tennis participation sur-
vey, consumer report, specialty retail audit, retailer satisfaction and census reports. For more informa-
tion on The Tennis Marketplace, visit tennisindustry.org, or call the TIA at 866-686-3036.
Tennis Health Index
T
he 2007 Tennis Health Index is a new reporting measure that aims
to construct a robust index composed of a number of different ele-
ments to help give an accurate annual measure on the state of tennis
in the U.S. The measurements include phone, online and mail surveys, ball
shipment data and court activity monitor data. At press time, the final index
number was not yet released but is projected to be positive.
Don’t Miss This Year’s Tennis Forum—Aug. 25
T
he second annual Tennis Forum will be held on Monday, Aug. 25, at the Grand
Hyatt in New York City, in conjunction with the US Open and the USTA Tennis
Teachers Conference. This free event is open to all in the industry and will feature
key information about the present and future of the tennis industry. Also, new this year
will be the announcement of the inaugural class of inductees into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame.
Attention Court Contractors!
Please complete the survey at www.tennisindustry.org/surveys
T
he American Sports Builders Association and TIA are conducting a survey of all tennis court con-
tractors to help provide valuable information for the industry and also for your business. All
information given is strictly confidential and will only be presented nationally and regionally—
no individual contractor data will be identifiable. (Information will remain confidential with Sports Mar-
keting Surveys, which will not pass any individual company data to other associations.)
This is an important survey that monitors levels of court building and refurbishment activity. We
will also set benchmarks for key business ratios so you can see how your business is performing rela-
tive to the industry. For more information, contact Sports Marketing Surveys at 561-427-0647. Thank
you for your help in completing the survey.
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

Growing Tennis News
QuickStart Tennis
and Cardio Tennis With
Tracy Austin
F
ive Lifetime Fitness facilities in the
Minneapolis/St. Paul area promot-
ed both Cardio Tennis and the
QuickStart Tennis format for kids in May,
attracting more than 500 participants
and a lot of local media attention.
Michele Krause,
National Cardio Ten-
nis Program Manag-
er, also ran a
training session for 30 Lifetime Fitness
pros, then Tracy Austin and Krause ran
Cardio Tennis clinics and QuickStart Ten-
nis events for consumers at the facilities.
“Thank you for such a great experi-
ence,” wrote Mike Laurel, a tennis pro
with Lifetime Fitness. “These two days
were absolutely awesome! I’m not really
a person that needs to be motivated or
pumped up to teach tennis, since I really
love it, but Michele and Tracy did just
that for me. I’m motivated to the max
and ready to show people how extreme-
ly awesome Cardio Tennis is!”
Growing Tennis
Workshops &
Online Open
Houses
Q Online Open Houses: every Monday,
Wednesday & Thursday: 1-1:30 pm
EST. Visit GrowingTennisTraining.com
to sign-up—for FREE.
Q Business & Technology Workshops:
June 16, Chicago; Sept. TBA, Los
Angeles
Top 50
TWCs
The Top 50 Tennis Welcome
Centers of 2007 have been hon-
ored by the TIA, USTA and RSI
magazine. There are more than
2,100 TWCs (register for free on
GrowingTennis.com). To see the
complete list, see page 13 of
this issue.
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org
TIA NEWS
Cardio Tennis Update
C
ardio Tennis has had a busy first half of the year,
as it continues to draw excitement both in the
U.S. and internationally with demonstrations at professional tourna-
ments, workshops and Cardio Tennis for Kids. Demos were held at the Inter-
national Delray Beach Tournament, Tennis Channel Open, Family Circle Cup,
Pacific Life Open and Davis Cup in North Carolina. Cardio Tennis on the Beach
was held at the Sony Ericsson in Miami.
Q Workshops/Training: A national workshop was held in Maryland in May, and
international workshops took place in Canada and Turkey earlier this year. If
you’re finding it difficult to attend a workshop, we may be able to come to
you. Visit partners.cardiotennis.com and click on “training” then “special
requests,” or email info@cardiotennis.com.
Q Cardio Tennis for Kids was presented at the Texas and Northern California
USPTA division conventions and at the PTR Symposium on Hilton Head.
CT4Kids is a great add-on to your current junior programming. It also can
enhance QuickStart, USPTA Little Tennis or PTR Kids Tennis.
Upcoming CT Workshops:
Q National Workshop: June 8-9, Carson, Calif. Register at the partners site or
growingtennistraining.com.
Q USPTA Cardio Tennis Specialty Course: June 27 in Louisiana and Oct. 25 in
Phoenix. To register, call 800-USPTA-4U.
Technology News: 100,000th TennisConnect User
A
player from South Carolina recently became the 100,000th person to
register their player profile on a TennisConnect-powered website. Kim
Dye, a 3.5 league player, regis-
tered online at www.theclubatduneswest
.com when she was enrolling for the
Free-For-All tennis event in early May
held at The Club at Dunes West in
Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Tennis Director Jack Miller says his
TennisConnect-powered website has
been a boon to his business. “I love this
website,” he says. “It’s so easy to use. I
like how the templates are available so
you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
There’s a lot of legwork that I no longer need to do.”
Miller says all his court reservations are made through the website. “It’s
made my life much easier, and it’s made it easier for my players,” he says.
“And now, since we’ve added online payment features this year, players pre-
pay for events, making budgeting and fee collection much easier.”
More than 400 clubs so far have been set up
with a TennisConnect-powered website. The
The Palmilla Tennis Club at Vil-
system includes easy to use features such as a
las de Oro in Mexico, which fea-
court scheduler, group email, ecalendar and
tures a TennisConnect-powered
much more. (Visit www.tennisconnect.org.) website (palmillatennis.com),
“I can access my system from any computer was chosen as the Best Tennis
with internet access, whether at the club or at Club in Baja by the 5 million
home,” Miller says. “TennisConnect is an amaz- readers of Baja Traveler maga-
ing communications tool, and it’s saving us a zine in its annual “Best of Baja”
tremendous amount of money.” Reader’s Choice Awards.
June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 21
 2008 GSS Symposium
Happy Returns
With experts in racquet customization and stringing on hand, the
GSS Stringers Symposium can be a key investment in your business.

W
hether you aspire to be the best try and make it to this year’s event.”
home-based stringer in the world, Adds Ed Matheson of Georgia: “It was
want to create a retail dynasty of a fantastic opportunity to participate in a
tennis stores or, as a teaching pro, want to hands-on seminar conducted by some of
provide a well-rounded operation at your the world’s finest and most knowledgeable
facility, the Grand Slam Stringers Sympo- people associated with the manufacturing,
sium, presented by the USRSA, can help customizing and stringing of tennis rac-
you achieve your goals. quets. It was a pleasure to have one-on-
Regardless of your experience, you’ll one time to discuss specific issues and
find a variety of beneficial seminars, establish friendships. I don't hesitate to
hands-on sessions and networking oppor- contact any of the attendees or team lead-
tunities at the GSS Symposium, to be held ers for their advice. I am looking forward
Oct. 11-14 in Orlando, Fla. Attendees of to the next Symposium.”
last year’s event included those just start-
ing a pro shop business, those new to BEGINNERS WELCOME
stringing, teaching pros, veteran shop Even beginners found plenty of learning
owners, and other industry veterans. And opportunities. “Being relatively new to
they took advantage of the chance to stringing, I expected to learn a lot, but the
meet and mingle with some of the indus- reality was way beyond my expectations,”
try’s most knowledgeable insiders. says Doug Clark of Tennessee. “The
“The Sympo- instruction was great, but when added
Grand Slam sium was great,” with the real-life perspectives from string-
Stringers Symposium says Dustin ing professionals, the complete package
Tankersley, a was above and beyond.”
When: Oct. 11-14
teaching pro in “As a ‘newbie,’ I was concerned that I
Where: Regal Sun Resort in Walt
Disney World, Orlando, Fla. Texas. “I learned might be getting in over my head,” says
Symposium cost: $495 per person something in every home stringer Greg Christopherson of
(register online on or before July seminar I attend- New York. “But that was so far from the
10 and receive 10% discount) ed, and I felt like I truth! Everyone made me feel welcome
Lodging cost: Group rates start at
made a lot of con- and made certain that I became part of the
$115 per night and are available
3 days before and after the nections that group.”
Symposium could help me in If your business sells or services rac-
Information/Registration: the future. I am quets, or you are considering doing so,
www.grandslamstringers.com definitely going to then you need to see firsthand what the
FREE ADMISSION
TO THE 2008 GSS STRINGERS SYMPOSIUM
GSS is waiving the $495 symposium fee for one lucky winner.
Just cut out this coupon and mail it to:
Baselines Racquet Sports LLC
4710 Norwood St SW, Roanoke, Va 24018
One entry per month, per person please. Drawing will be held July 15th, 2008.
Offer good for symposium admission only. Travel, lodging, and food not included.
Name _____________________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________
Phone _____________________________________________________________
Email ______________________________________________________________
winner will be notified by phone and email - please write legibly!
Symposium has to offer. It may very well
be the best investment you can make in
yourself and your business. Learning new
skills to create or enhance revenue streams
for your business will pay dividends for
years to come.
“I spent years attending the SGMA
Super Show in Atlanta and the networking
benefits from those trips are still paying
dividends today,” says Tim Strawn, founder
and director of the Symposium. “The con-
tacts I made, the accounts established, and
the learning experience all played a signifi-
cant role in the growth, development, and
overall success of my business today.”
By broadening your services and
improving how you run your business, you
will see results to your bottom line immedi-
ately. As you market your skills and sepa-
rate yourself from the competition, the
dividends will continue to grow.
CERTIFICATION TESTING
One way to set yourself apart from the
competition is become certified as a USRSA
Certified Stringer or Master Racquet Tech-
nician. Not only is testing available at the
Symposium, but there are several seminars
that will help you prepare for the test.
“After taking the MRT at the Sympo-
sium last year, which I managed to pass, I
placed a small report in the local press on
the Symposium and passing the test,” says
Simon Jordan of the United Kingdom.
“This has increased my stringing business
enormously. Even traveling from the UK,
the Symposium was well worth it.”
Another opportunity for learning comes
with the accompanying trade show. Wil-
son, Alpha, Wise and Luxilon will join other
manufacturers of string, stringing machines
and diagnostic equipment. To see a full list
of the seminars, seminar leader profiles
and registration information, go to
www.grandslamstringers.com.
Make a valuable investment in yourself
and your business that will pay dividends
for years to come. Q

22 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008

Your job as a business owner is to ensure that you have a
duplicate set of keys to your online kingdom.
t seems as though no business can be considered even halfway
I serious if it doesn’t have a good-looking and informative website.
If you are a typical shop owner, though, your tennis skills proba-
bly far exceed your skills at designing and/or coding a website.
Enter the web expert, who might be a friend, relative or hired
hand, who deals with all the arcane “administrivia” of registering a
domain name, acquiring space on a server, enabling email for your
domain, designing the site, turning the design into pages, transfer-
ring the files to the server, making certain that search engines find
your pages, fixing things that break, and updating things that
change. For the truly computer challenged, this expert might even
help with the set-up of your personal computer, so you can see
your own website, and send and receive email.
BY GREG RAVEN
Whether your expert is doing all this for free or you are paying
him a small fortune, the bottom line is that even though your busi-
ness has a website, someone else has all the keys to your online
kingdom.
Your job as a business owner is to ensure that you have a dupli-
cate set of those keys.
Over the years, I’ve been called on to work on dozens of web-
sites where the person who originally put everything together has
vanished for whatever reason, and the owner of the company has
no idea about the complexities of his own website. I’ve had cases
where the owner didn’t know how to renew the registration of his
domain name; what passwords he needed for dealing with the reg-
istrar, web hosting provider, or Internet Service Provider (ISP); how
June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 25
 and when to make the necessary payments to keep everything know not only how to set up your email software to get your mes-
going; or where to find source and backup files for his website. sages, but also where to administer all email settings for your

KNOW YOUR CODE

I’m not saying that you now have to train yourself to replace domain.
your web expert, but—no matter how much you trust him—there
is information about your site that you must have, to safeguard

KNOW YOUR REGISTRAR

your online presence.
The first step is to learn where your domain name is registered.
Registrars are companies such as Network Solutions, GoDaddy,
Register.com and NameCheap.com. They record the vital infor-
mation that links you as a person to your website. To find out the
current registration information, you can look up your domain
name at http://www.whois.net. Although contact information is
sometimes encrypted, you can at least find the registrar, and con-
tact it directly to learn the registration details.
In order to change or update this information, however, you
will need to have the account name, password, and email
address that was used when your domain name was registered.
If you don’t have this information, contact the registrar and
explain the situation. There’s usually some way for the legitimate
site owner to regain access to the domain account. However, if
you wait until the week before your domain registration expires,
there’s a good chance you will not have enough time to update
your account before your registration lapses. Once your registra-
tion lapses, you may have to pay hundreds of dollars to get your
own domain name back, on top of normal registration fees.
Once you are in control of your domain name, have yourself
added as a contact person (along with your e-mail address), so
There are more ways to build a website than you can imagine,
and some are clearly better than others. The worst situation is
where each page is hand-coded, as this makes site-wide changes
and updates extremely difficult.
If your expert has created your website in such a way that
there are “global” files for repetitive aspects of your website
design, you need to be able to lay your hands on those files (or
copies, at the very least), so that if worst comes to worst, you
don’t have to reverse-engineer your site to find out how it was
coded. For that matter, you should also find out if there is any
special software used in the creation or maintenance of your site.
This knowledge will help you narrow your search for a replace-
ment expert, should that need arise.
You also need to know if there are any copyright issues gov-
erning the code, images, or other aspects of your site. You may
think you’re the copyright holder because it’s your site, but this
isn’t always the case. Make certain that material that originated
with you has your copyright, and that any other copyrighted

KNOW YOUR HOST

you are never out of the loop.

With the details about your domain name nailed down, it’s time
to figure out who is “hosting” your files. It may be that your reg-
istrar is also hosting your website. If your host is separate from
your registrar, you will need all the information they require for
allowing you to access your account. Again, ask them to add you
as a contact for this account.
In addition to knowing how to gain access to your account
information, for most day-to-day website work, you’ll need to
know the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) address for transferring
files to your website. In most cases, this takes the form of
ftp.yoursite.com with your account password to open a connec-
tion. Sometimes, though the FTP server name bears no relation
to your account name. Without FTP access, you won’t be able to
make changes to your website.

KNOW YOUR
EMAIL PROVIDER
The simplest set-up is when your registrar forwards all your
domain email to your personal email account, or your host pro-
vides email accounts in addition to web-hosting. In the latter
case, your domain account name and password will usually be
enough to allow you to retrieve email and make changes to the
set-up (such as adding new email addresses, setting a vacation
message, etc.).
If you have a separate email provider, make certain that you

26 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008

materials are being used with permission.
If your website is built using a content management system
(CMS)—which includes “blog” software—you should have your
own user name and password (even if you never use it) so you
can sign onto the system. Most CMSs make use of a database
called MySQL, which requires its own user name and password,
so you’ll need those, too.
Finally, if your site is backed up to an outside system (such as
Rsync.net for Unix/Linux systems, Mozy.com for Mac systems,
or Carbonite.com for Windows systems), you’ll need the contact
information for the back-up provider and, ideally, a short primer
on how to restore your main system if your web host experi-
ences a major catastrophe. If your back-up system allows it, it’s
a good idea to have the back-up software email you a report each
time it runs a backup. This shows you that the system is work-
ing, even if you don’t understand all the ins and outs, and you get
to see what changes are being made to the site on a day-to-day
basis.
KNOW WHERE
YOUR WALLET IS
If you have an online store, the code that runs that store may be
part of your hosting agreement. If not, you will need all the
account information so you can make changes to the items
you’re selling. Again, try to get yourself added as a contact
person.
If your store is “secure,” meaning that information sent to
your site (such as credit card numbers) is protected from poach-
ers, you may also need the details on the SSL (Secure Socket
Layer) certificate that establishes and guarantees that security.
You can check the current status of your SSL certificate at
www.digicert.com/help.
If you accept advertising (such as Google Adsense), you’ll
need to have a user name and password with administrative
access to ensure that payments are sent to you. If you are using
Google for Adsense, Adwords, Sitemaps, email, site search, wid-
gets, or any of its products, the best approach is to set up one
Gmail account that is the master account for all your Google tid-
bits. That way, with one user name and password, you can cover
a lot of the items you’ll need to track in case of emergency. And,
because all mail to that Gmail account is archived indefinitely on
Google’s email servers, you’ll have access to the whole history of
interactions across the range of these items, from just about any
KNOW YOUR ACCESSORIES
computer on the planet.
You’ll also need to find out if you have user forums, bulletin
boards, blogs, social networking, and any other “add-on” sys-
tems on your site. Some web hosts include these add-ons as part
of your hosting package, in which case your main account user
name and password will allow you to control them. But if you are
using external suppliers (such as Blogger.com or Yahoo! Groups)
for any of these features, get your own user name and password
with administrative privileges.
Obviously, if you have more than one site, you’ll need to col-
lect the access information for each of them, especially if your
sites are scattered across a variety of servers, or you have
accounts with Facebook, Flickr, Friendster, GooglePages, Hi5,
and/or Myspace (to give just a few examples) as part of your total
web presence.
KNOW WHERE
TO FIND ANSWERS
You’ve probably heard how difficult it is getting programmers to
write documentation. Your website is essentially one big piece of
software, though, so if you can get your expert to document what
he’s doing and why, you’ll be ahead of the game if you ever need
to turn the project over to someone else—especially if that some-
one else is you. Even if your expert can email you with sporadic
progress reports, you can at least collect these reports in one
place, for later reference.
If all of this sounds like a lot of work, well, it is. But if your web
presence is important to you and your business—and in today’s
business climate, it should be—it’s better to put in a little time in
preparation against disaster than it is to pay someone $75 an
hour or more to sit on the phone for a couple of days trying to
coax a password out of your registrar’s customer support per-
sonnel, while your website is down due to circumstances beyond
your control.Q
June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 27
 When players sign up online,
you’re providing the ultimate in
customer service and giving your
business a boost, too.
BY CHARLIE RUDDY

hen we think of using technology in business, we often When I’m looking for service, I want immediate gratification.

W think of the internet. Too often we think of Google, and mar-

keting, and the billions of eyeballs that ought to be search-
ing for our most excellent programs.
But tennis is a 15-mile-radius business. Sure, you want your
website to be easily found on Google, and hopefully come up on
top. But the players in a 15-mile radius from your facility are your
bread and butter. How easy is it for them to find out about your
If you struck a chord with me about how fun your summer camp
would be for my child, or how I could stay in shape playing Car-
dio Tennis, I want in. And I want in now.
And now, using online event enrollment, it’s easy to turn your
website into a virtual customer-service machine that sells for you
all day (and night). You don’t even have to be there—you can be
on the courts running your programs, or at home after a day’s

programs? How informative is that first experience with your
marketing? How easy is it to get signed up for the right clinic,
camp, or league?
As early as 1996, I stopped calling airlines on the telephone.
Around 2000, my bank stopped taking my phone calls, referring
me to their website. Around the same time, the USTA took a lead-
ership role in tennis by requiring tournament enrollments to go
through something called TennisLink.
Today, we embrace the internet as the ultimate form of cus-
tomer self-service. Ever present, ever available, the internet has
saved countless voice-mail volleys and an untold number of hours
of recording, playing, and replying to old-fashioned messages.
CUSTOMER BENEFITS
work.
When you upgrade your website to offer online enrollment, five
things will happen for your players:
Q The convenience of signing up online 24/7 makes you more
accessible. Supporting online enrollment from your website
gives you a 24/7 “staff” for taking orders.
Q The clarity of the process allows you to communicate every-
thing you need to “take a good order.” Your program descrip-
tion, pre-enrollment comments, and post-enrollment
comments/conditions have the effect of delivering your terms

28 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008

 and conditions to your players without having to say it yourself.
Q The confirmation benefits are enormous. We all love immediate gratification.
When I sign up for something online and receive a confirmation immediately, I
feel like the outfit I am doing business with really cares about my business.
Q And when it comes to commitment—I’m in, I’m enrolled, I’m signed up. I can’t
break that date. My confirmation email says so!
Q But that’s not all. Online enrollment systems capture valuable player infor-
mation that helps you provide ultimate customer service. With access to your
enrolled player database, you have a list to send email if the weather threatens
or the time changes.

CONVENIENCE FOR YOU

By keeping the data from program to program, you also build a database of pro-
gram participants who you can reach out to for marketing upcoming events.
(“Hey, John Doe, if you liked tennis camp this summer, develop your skills even
further with our fall after-school program—click here for details…”).
“Roll-call sheets are even easier to print from an enrollment database,” says
Billy Power, director of tennis for the Texarkana (Ark.) Tennis Club, “so partici-
pation, business billing and customer statements are more accurate than ever.”
At the Forest Hill Tennis Club in Baltimore, players took note when Director of
Tennis Jon Jacobson added online enrollment to his website. Even before the club
opened this summer, Jacobsen filled his May Vic Braden Clinic and already has a
waiting list for several programs in July (now Jacobsen can look for additional staff
to meet that demand).
In Houston, Juan Bracho, director of the Juan Bracho Tennis Academy, allows
players to search for and sign up for lessons online. Since offering online lesson
enrollment, Bracho says lesson revenue was up 40 percent in 2007, and he
expects the trend to continue. “It’s just so great that my players now know to go
to my website, where they can check for lesson availability and book a lesson—
and I don’t have to call them back, leave a message, juggle my schedule,
etc.,” he says.

GROWING NUMBERS
Want more proof that online enrollment for tennis programs and court booking
is becoming more and more popular in the U.S? Just look at some of the recent
data.
In 2007, nearly 820,000 tennis court reservations were made through Ten-
nisConnect-powered websites, up from nearly 568,000 in 2006. And so far, in just
the first quarter of 2008, there have been nearly 250,000 online court bookings.
Online tennis event enrollment also has been increasing each year, to more than
43,500 in 2007 from less than 30,000 the year before.
“Searchable” online events also has shot up dramatically in the last three
years. In 2007, there were about 32,500 events posted online for consumers to
search for; in just the first three months of 2008, the number of searchable events
has doubled, to more than 64,000. Clearly, tennis pros and directors are finding
out that having events listed online is valuable to their business.
As further proof that consumers are going to websites for more and more of
their information, in the first quarter of 2008, there were nearly 5.7 million “eCal-
endar” queries on the GrowingTennis system, more than double the number in
the same three months of 2007. Page views have continued to rise every quarter
for the last few years, topping 7 million in the first three months of 2008.
So, how do you get set up for online program enrollment? First, you want to
make sure your facility and programs are listed for free on the “GrowingTennis
System” by going to www.GrowingTennis.com. Then, just follow the links on that
website to various online enrollment options, including the use of your own pay-
ment system or by hooking up with Active.com. Next, if you want to integrate the

June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 29

 WHAT THE PROS
ARE SAYING
Does online enrollment really help your bottom line? Here’s what tennis
directors around the country are finding.

Q Mark Townsend, director of tennis, Upper Main Line YMCA, Philadelphia:

“Our Monday night Cardio Tennis program had maybe 11 regular players
each week. Since we started offering online enrollment, we have 19
players signed up this Monday, and we had to allocate an extra court
and another pro to support the demand.”

Q Mike Woody, executive director, Midland (Mich.) Community Tennis Cen-

ter: “We use the online enrollment system for everything. Our system
has increased participation, attendance, and accuracy in everything that
we offer.”

Q Ken Dehart, director of tennis, San Jose Swim & Racquet Club: “We have
enrollment process on your website, check out the upgrades
available by using the TennisConnect software and website host-
many members who are accustomed to just calling, or signing up at the
ing for your website from the TIA (www.tennisindustry.org).
clubhouse while they are here. But we pick up additional participants
If you let your website do the work for you, you’ll find that
each week who enroll online from our website. It’s great. We service
it’s easier to fill courts, lesson and clinics—and your bank
account, too. Q
people the way they want to be serviced.”

Q Jack Monick, athletic director and head tennis coach at Penn State and
Charlie Ruddy is a recreational tennis player with president of the USTA Eastern Pennsylvania District: “While running our
more than 40 years on the courts and 25 years work- swim and tennis club we introduced online enrollment for our most pop-
ing for major technology companies. Currently, he is ular Friday night mixed-doubles round-robin social and dinner. It was
responsible for delivering TennisConnect services and awesome. We always know exactly who is coming so we can allocate
providing assistance in technology to the Tennis
the correct number of courts and tell the caterers exactly who to
Industry Association.
expect.”

30 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008

ADVERTISEMENT
 Whether you run a tennis
shop, facility or program,
interactive elements can
help market your brand.
BY LIZA HORAN

f you follow technology, you may have come across “Web 2.0”
BLOGS
I recently. Don’t let the term intimidate you. It just means that the
internet experience has improved enough to be labeled as a "sec-
ond version." It’s kind of like how “new and improved” Tide deter-
See Wordpress.com, Blogger.com
A "blog" is like an opinion column. It usually has one author who
posts commentary. Blogs are becoming very popular as a corpo-
gent has been reformulated to make your clothes cleaner and
rate marketing tool. Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick are
brighter. Or like the way instant replay in pro tennis improves the
among the players who actively blog; Dell and Nike are two com-
spectator experience.
panies who have started blogs to keep customers informed about
In the last decade, the internet went from being a business-to-
their products and initiatives.
business (B2B) application to a business-to-consumer (B2C) tool,
Benefits: Blogs are a great way to provide a single voice to your
and now has grown to a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) platform.
business and to position your company as approachable and
The development of web-based communities and a proliferation of
"human." It could be authored by a teaching pro, a shop manager
social-networking sites is all part of Web 2.0.
or a product designer.
Web 2.0 makes web surfing more interesting through video,
Keep in mind: Make sure you have something to say on a reg-
self-publishing and interactivity. This can range from website visi-
ular basis, and figure out the tone you want to take. Instead of talk-
tors posting comments to an article, publishing an article directly,
ing "at" people, take a down-to-earth and inclusive tack.
rating a product, or messaging your company or each other.
Informational content or answering questions from web visitors
In other words, Web 2.0 now allows everyone to contribute to
are great approaches.

SOCIAL NETWORKS
content on the web. It enhances creativity and information sharing,
and it allows for interaction, conversation and collaboration among
users. The opportunity for your business is that you can encourage
your target audience—tennis players—to interact with you and See YouTube.com, MySpace.com,
buzz about your business to their friends. Facebook.com, LinkedIn.com
Here's an overview of some of the ways you can create buzz These types of sites allow individuals—and companies—to publish
about your company. Proceed carefully: Savvy web users demand and share content on a website, such as audio and video clips, pho-
authenticity and get turned off by overt sales plugs and schmooz- tos and profiles.
ing. Integrity is the name of the game. Benefits: The internet has replaced the Yellow Pages. The more

32 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008

exposure you have on the web, the better. If you have video con-
tent, post it on YouTube and if you have an audio clip or podcast,
post it on your MySpace or Facebook pages. List yourself on pro-
fessional directory sites like LinkedIn. Every time a web page links
to your main business website, it increases your site's search
engine rankings.
Keep in mind: Make sure you're posting quality content and
that it's relevant wherever it's being posted.
Benefit: When you make it easy to access your products and
services, you are providing better customer service.
Keep in mind: If it's not easy to use, people won't use it.
Finally, if you don't have the budget for the website you wish
you could have, set up a page on GooglePages.com or
MySpace.com for free, or SmallBusiness.Yahoo.com for a small
fee. Remember, you get what you pay for, so plan wisely: A solid

PEER
yet cost-efficient web presence provides greater reach to your tar-

COMMUNICATION
get audience and can reap real rewards for your
business.Q

Shopping and community sites Liza Horan runs TennisWire.org and WorkInTennis.com.
Whether you've purchased books
from Amazon.com or shoes from
Zappos.com, you've likely read
reviews from "regular" people. Stud-
ies have shown that peer recom-
mendations are very influential in
purchasing decisions. Also, placing
small “save this” or “email this” but-
tons on web pages allows visitors to
add your site to a list of favorite sites
and/or share it with friends.
Benefit: Offering message
boards so website visitors can post
messages, questions and/or reviews
of products or events allows them to
interact on your website. If they
view your website as a resource,
they'll be more likely to visit often
and also to create bonds with your
company and each other.
Keep in mind: Another way of
allowing people to provide feedback
or testimonials is by posting an
online form or email address; once
you've collected them you can post
them. Web visitors will realize,
though, that posted messages have
been "approved" by you, so they
may not carry quite as much weight
as unsolicited messages on a forum.

INTERACTIVE
TOOLS
Such as TennisConnect.org,
Sports-InterActive.net
People have become conditioned to
doing more than reading web pages
and email online. Now they want to
accomplish tasks that save them
time and money. Whether it's mak-
ing court reservations, enrolling in a
clinic or reserving a demo racquet,
they are likely to stick with the facil-
ity or shop that allows them to do
these things online.

June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 33

 For one club, the viral nature of Facebook has been a
boon to their business.
n February 2004, Mark Zuckerberg, a Harvard University stu-
I dent, launched an amateur website that sought to bring students
together into a small social network. He had no idea that he was
about to start a revolution.
Today, less than five years later, Zuckerberg's social networking
website has 70 million registered users and is worth an estimated
$8 billion. Facebook, as Zuckerberg's website is now known, is
now the most popular social networking site in Canada and the
United Kingdom. In the U.S., only MySpace is more popular.
But while MySpace is a hit with the high school crowd, most
Facebook users are college students and young professionals. It is
precisely this demographic that should be of most interest to rac-
quet sports clubs who are seeking to tap into the enormous poten-
tial of the online marketplace.
Facebook is a wonderful tool for promoting racquet sports
clubs. I can testify to that fact. My own social network for racquet
sports players (racquetnetwork.com) now draws nearly one-third
of its annual income from contacts originally made through Face-
book over the past year. By connecting with Facebook users who
openly declare that they are interested in tennis, squash, bad-
minton, table tennis and racquetball, we have been able to add cus-
tomers, top up clinics, and grow our ladders and leagues.
Of course Facebook can't take all of the credit for our success.
We have a great website, an excellent reputation and wonderful
partners and instructors. And we also take to heart many of the tips
34 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008
BY BRENT JOHNER
and techniques we read and hear about for our business. All of
these things work together in a way that is attracting customers.
But I have no doubt that our business is expanding in large part
due to our ongoing activities on Facebook. The viral nature of social
networking is helping to create awareness of our programs and ser-
vices. When a Facebook user joins our network, each and every
one of his Facebook friends reads about it a few minutes later.
When another Facebook user signs up for a squash backhand clin-
ic, her friends hear about it just as quickly.
Racquet Network's Facebook group has allowed us to expand
our base within Calgary by more than 100 people in the past year.
It has also allowed us to begin expanding into new markets around
the world. In the past few months, for example, we have added
new clients from the U.S. and Europe. We have even added a new
badminton instructor from China. None of this would have hap-
pened without Facebook.
So, how can you make Facebook work for your business? Fol-
low these steps:
STEP 1:
HOW TO GET STARTED
You have two options here. 1) The simplest way to get started is to
go to www.facebook.com and look for the “Businesses” link at the
bottom of the page. From there, choose the “Facebook Pages” link
to set up a page for your club. 2) A slightly more complicated but
still worthwhile route to the same end is to go to
www.facebook.com and set up a personal account. Once you have
a personal account, you can choose to create a “Facebook Group.”
My personal recommendation is to go with No. 2. Don't worry
about the technology here. The interface is simple. You will be
asked a few short questions. Do your best to answer them. The
only thing that can't be changed later is the name of a Facebook
Group. You get a second, third, even fourth chance to correct any
mistakes you might make while setting up your group. You also
have the option of deleting everything and starting over.
Anybody who can type should be able to set up a Facebook site
using one of the two options above. Take your time. Spread this
project out over a few days if you want to. If you run into problems,
try grabbing the nearest 20-something and asking for a two-minute
tutorial. Nearly all of the 20-somethings I know have their own
Facebook pages. I'm betting that the ones you know do, too.
When it comes to setting up your group, keep things simple. Be
clear about who you are and where you are located. If you are a
tennis club, include those words (tennis and club) in the name of
your group. Choose a nice image, preferably a friendly face, to
accompany your group's profile. Remember that you can change
things, including photos, later. So start simple and build as you
learn. Your site will change frequently over the first few months as
you become more comfortable with Facebook's tools and
environment.
STEP 2:
INVITE PEOPLE
TO JOIN YOUR GROUP
Regardless of where your club operates, you almost certainly have
registered Facebook users on your membership roles already.
Begin the process of building your group's membership with these
people. Follow the step-by-step instructions on your screen and
invite them to join your club's Facebook group as soon as you set
it up.
Social networking and business networking are based on the
same principles. Begin with the people closest to you, and bring
them into your network first. Over time, these people will invite
other people and your network will grow. For this reason, I also
recommend keeping your Facebook group open to the public.
Allow people to join and leave the group whenever they like. Allow
them to be as involved as they want to be.
An open-door policy on your website is the best policy. Many of
Racquet Network's customers join our free Facebook group
months before taking out their credit cards and buying a full mem-
bership. I think that's wonderful. Customers who do this tend to
know exactly what they want to do once they make the decision
to buy our product. It makes my job much easier in the end.
STEP 3:
FILL YOUR
SITE WITH CONTENT
Nothing is less interesting to internet users than enormous blocks
of text. Take some time to add some visual content to your Face-
book site after you set it up. Photographs and 10-second video clips
give potential customers a chance to look in through your store
windows. Show them your facility. Show them glimpses of your
programs. But most importantly, show them what they want to
see: people having fun while playing tennis and other racquet
sports.
Contrary to popular belief, website content does not all have to
be professionally produced. If you are a registered Facebook user,
have a look at www.racquetnetwork.com/facebook to see exam-
ples of some of the effective content we are using. (Sorry, only reg-
istered Facebook users will be able to see what I am talking about
here.) Yes, there are some professionally produced feature items.
But these are supplemented by a lot of simple on-the-spot content
that we produced ourselves.
STEP 4:
GIVE THE PUBLIC
A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE
Once your group is established, give potential new customers a few
reasons to come to your facility. Facebook users are typically peo-
ple who are just beginning their careers. Many are young profes-
sionals with mortgages and student loans. Before you know it,
however, they will be raising families and earning more than the
national average. In other words, they are exactly the kind of peo-
ple with whom racquet sports clubs want to establish long-term
relationships.
Facebook users will jump at an opportunity to hit with a ball
machine for an hour. They will gladly pay a fee to do so, but they
will balk at the prospect of having to buy a membership first. They
will also pay for the opportunity to come to a one-time round-robin
event, but they are not likely to sign up for a regular weekly league.
Use your imagination. Find holes in your club's schedule that
you can fill with one-off events that will be attractive to this demo-
graphic. Think 60-minute clinics instead of 6-week lesson plans.
The key to developing a relationship with customers in this demo-
graphic is to get them on the court with a racquet in their hand
when they have the time to be there. They will return more often
as their incomes rise and their debt loads shrink. And sooner or
later, they will bring children with them.
Remember, too, that even the youngest and poorest Facebook
users have parents, aunts, uncles, bosses and co-workers who play
tennis and other racquet sports and who also know how to use a
web browser. It's important to keep this in mind when marketing
to a Facebook audience. It may be a Facebook user who finds you,
but it may the user's college benefactor (father or mother) who
ends up buying a family membership.
STEP 5:
KEEP YOUR
CONTENT CURRENT
Maintain your Facebook site as you maintain your facility. Log in
and update it whenever you check your email. The Events and
News sections should get the greatest amount of attention. Be dili-
gent about deleting old information. Nothing scares off potential
new customers faster than the smell of a stale website.
June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 35
 It is also important to take a couple of hours every now and
then to update your photos and videos. Club members who see
themselves on your website will get excited. They will share this
excitement with their friends. The excitement soon becomes viral.
Awareness of your club and its activities will grow.
STEP 6:
AVOID SPAM
The best Facebook sites are organic. Growth is slow and steady
punctuated now and then by seasonal growth spurts. So don't be
surprised to see your tennis site visitors pick up in the spring and
slow down in the fall.
Accept the fact that many racquet sports are seasonal and learn
to build on cyclical surges in interest. Consider promoting your
tennis site during a Grand Slam tournament and when tennis will
be prevalent on TV.
Fight all urges to promote your club when your audience is
tuned out. Remember that Facebook users can drop you from
their personal networks at the click of a mouse. Therefore, any
time you feel the urge to resort to spamming in order to increase
your website traffic, get up from the keyboard and go chat-up
some customers.
STEP 7:
PREPARE FOR SUCCESS
I have no doubt that Facebook and other networking sites (includ-
ing my own) can help you build your client base and increase your
36 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008
sales. However, nobody should
expect the technology to do the
work for them. Having a website
is a good thing. Having a website
and a Facebook site is even better.
Both of them will help you com-
municate what you have to poten-
tial customers.
But what you have, at the end of
the day, is at least as important as
how you advertise it. For this reason,
you should take a good look at the
product you are selling and ask your-
self: Is this what the college-educat-
ed but still relatively poor young
professionals who I will meet on Face-
book want to buy?
If the answer is “yes,” then I am confident that
you will succeed. If the answer is “no,” then please
rearrange this article and begin with Step 7.
Brent Johner, who has been designing websites pro-
fessionally since 1996, is a founding member of the
Oakridge Tennis and Squash Association in Calgary,
Alberta, Canada. He is currently executive director
for Racquet Network (www.racquetnetwork.com), a
worldwide social network for racquet sports players.
He can be reached through RacquetNetwork.com.

id you know that there is nothing in our tax laws about how to
D treat website development and maintenance costs? That’s
right, the IRS has not issued any guidelines in this area.
As a tennis facility or retail shop owner, you’re pretty much left
on your own as to how to handle these expenses. Would your busi-
ness be better off with an immediate tax deduction, or with deduc-
tions spread over a number of years, offsetting what, hopefully, will
be higher income in those later years?
Informal IRS guidance suggests that one approach to web
expenses is to treat them like an item of software and depreciate
those amounts over three years. In reality, many taxpayers who
pay large amounts to develop sophisticated websites have been
allocating their costs to items such as software development (cur-
rently deductible as Section 174), research and development costs,
or currently deductible advertising expenses.
In the absence of formal IRS guidelines, the strategies utilized
by many businesses will vary, often depending on the financial sta-
WEBSITE SOFTWARE
tus of the operation.
Software is usually an "intangible” business asset. Thus, software
used to create a website usually is treated as either “purchased” or
38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008
Right now, there are no
formal tax rules on how
to treat web expenses.
But there are ways you
can benefit.
BY MARK E. BATTERSBY
“self-created.” Although the tax rules for purchased software are
straightforward, self-created software deductions are more ques-
tionable.
Today, the expense of developing software (whether for your
business’s own use or for sale to others) may either be deducted
currently or amortized over a five-year period—so long as such
costs are treated consistently. Purchased software, other than an
intangible asset acquired as part of a business acquisition, is usual-
ly depreciated using the straight-line method over three years
beginning in the month that it is placed in service.
Are those web-related expenditures really for software? After
all, how can any operator differentiate between whether a cost is
for software, whether it relates to graphics or whether it relates to
content? It might even be considered an advertising expenditure.
Advertising expenses are deductible if they are reasonable in
amount and bear a reasonable relation to your business. The
expenses may be for the purpose of developing goodwill as well as
gaining immediate sales. The cost of advertising is tax deductible
even though the advertising program extends over several years,
or is expected to result in benefits extending over a period of years.
Many facility and business owners—as well as their tax profes-
sionals—consider the costs of developing and maintaining a web-
site to be similar to advertising costs and, thus, deductible as an expense. A ruling by the
U.S. Tax Court supports this: Packaging design costs were treated as a deductible advertis-
ing expense even though the design provided the company with “significant future
benefits.”

RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTATION

Our tax rules allow a credit for amounts spent on research and experimentation. Extreme-
ly regulated and very narrow in scope, the R&E tax credit is available, in some instances,
for "internal-use software.” However, only costs of research in the laboratory or for exper-
imental purposes qualify—whether carried out by the business or on behalf of that business
by a third party.
Market research and normal product testing costs are not legitimate research expendi-
tures, although many taxpayers routinely label web development costs as research and
development to reap an immediate tax write-off. Remember, once made, the R&D election
applies to all research costs incurred in the project for both the current and all subsequent
years.
Some website software clearly does not qualify as internal-use software, such as an
online tax preparation program or an online game, both of which are intended primarily for
customer use. Other web programs, such as an application devoted to network manage-
ment or pure order-processing software, are likely to be considered to be for internal use.
A tax “credit” is a direct reduction of your business’s tax bill as opposed to a reduction
in its taxable income. Unfortunately, until it expired at the end of 2005, it existed for the
incremental increase in research expenditures.
As an alternative, you can elect to capitalize research and experimental costs, amortiz-
ing them ratably using a period of at least 60 months beginning in the month when the ben-
efits are first realized from them. This assumes, of course, that the property created does
not have a determinable useful life at the time of the deduction or write-off. Costs associat-
ed with property that has a determinable useful life must be amortized or depreciated over
its useful life.
Be aware that the IRS wants to tighten the rules for claiming the R&E tax credit. In fact,
some say IRS field agents are already taking the position that nothing qualifies for this
credit.

SOFTWARE PURCHASES
Today, the capitalized cost of goodwill and most other intangible assets are ratably amor-
tized, or written-off over a 15-year period generally beginning in the month of acquisition.
A unique 15-year safe harbor exists for self-created intangibles. You can amortize certain
created intangibles that do not have readily ascertainable useful lives over a 15-year period
using the straight-line depreciation method and no salvage value. Anyone may use the 15-
year amortization period for intangible assets other than one acquired from another person.
But is a 15-year write-off period for the cost of developing and maintaining your website
beneficial?
Web-related costs aside, the cost of developing software (whether for your business’s
own use or for sale or lease to others) may be deducted currently or it may be amortized
over five years (or shorter if established as appropriate), so long as such costs are treated
consistently. For today’s software purchases, computer software that is not amortizable
over 15 years as a Section 197 intangible asset is depreciated using the straight-line method
over three years. The cost of software that is included as part of the cost of computer hard-
ware and is not separately stated is treated as part of the cost of the hardware. Computer
software with a useful life of less than one year is currently deductible. A deduction is
allowed for rental payments made for software licensed for use in a trade or business.
Obviously, immediately deductible expenses, whether for software or web costs, are far
more beneficial in reducing out-of-pocket costs than a depreciation deduction that spreads
those costs over a number of years. And while the IRS hasn’t yet outlined specific tax treat-
ment for web development costs, it has provided clues that can produce substantial tax sav-
ings for your business—if handled properly.Q

Mark E. Battersby is a tax advisor and author in Ardmore, Pa.

June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 39

 ADVERTISEMENT

LISTING BY COMPANY
10-S Tennis Supply Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment P 800-538-0026 Oncourt Offcourt
1400 NW 13th Avenue 3441 S. 11th Ave. 714-379-7400 6301 Gaston Avenue, Suite 650
Pompano Beach, FL 33069 Eldridge, IA 52748 F 714-379-7099 Dallas, TX 75214
P 800-247-3907 P 800-553-8907 email: sales@gosenamerica.com P 88-TENNIS-11
561-547-1772 F 800-443-8907 web: www.gosenamerica.com 214-823-3078
F 954-969-5451 email: sales@douglas-sports.com F 214-823-3082
email: sales@10-s.com web: www.douglas-sports.com Har-Tru email: info@oncourtoffcourt.com
web: www.10-s.com 2975 Ivy Road web: www.oncourtoffcourt.com
Dunlop Sports Charlottesville, VA 22903
ASBA 25 Draper Street P 877-4HARTRU Pacific North America
(American Sports Builders Association) Greenville, SC 29611 434-295-6167 8520 43rd Ave Dr West
8480 Baltimore National Pike, No. 307 P 800-768-4727 F 434-971-6995 Bradenton, Fl 34209
Ellicott City, MD 21043 F 800-766-8379 email: hartru@leetennis.com P 941-795-1789
P 866-501-2722 email: cusomterservice@dunlopsports.com web: www.leetennis.com F 941-761-9172
410-730-9595 web: www.dunlopsport.com email: mail@pacific.com
F 410-730-8833 HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports web: www.pacific.com
email: info@sportsbuilders.org Edwards/RolDri 306 S. 45th Ave.
web: www.sportsbuilders.org 1901 Diplomat Drive, PO Box 7087 Phoenix, AZ 85043 Prince Sports, Inc.
Farmers Branch, TX 75234 P 800-289-7366 One Advantage Court
Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co. P 800-527-0871 602-269-1492 Bordentown, NJ 08505
P.O. Box 549 / 24 Laurel Street F 888-858-8337 F 602-484-0533 P 800-2 TENNIS
Ashaway, RI 02804 email: pwood@tacvpisports.com email: askus@us.head.com 609-291-5800
P 800-556-7260 web: www.tacvpisports.com web: www.head.com F 609-291-5902
401-377-2221 web: www.princetennis.com
F 401-377-9091 Ektelon Kirschbaum USA
email: info@ashawayusa.com One Advantage Court 401 93 St PTR
web: www.ashawayusa.com Bordentown, NJ 08505 Surfside, FL 33154 (Professional Tennis Registry)
P 800-283-6647 P 866-443-4428 P.O. Box 4739, 116 Shipyard Dr.
ATS Sports 609-291-5800 786-287-3998 Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
200 Waterfront Drive F 609-291-5900 F 305-868-4629 P 800-421-6289
Pittsburgh, PA 15222 web: www.ektelon.com email: info@kirschbaumusa.com 843-785-7244
P 800-866-7071 web: www.kirschbaumusa.com F 843-686-2033
412-323-9612 Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc. email: info@ptrtennis.org
F 412-323-1320 109 E. Garfield St., PO Box 136 Lee Tennis Court Products web: www.ptrtennis.org
email: tennis@corp.atssports.com Chambersburg, PA 17201 650 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 300-B
web: www.atssports.com P 800-511-7272 Charlottesville, VA 22911 Rocky Mountain Sports
717-263-4950 P 877-4HARTRU 650 South Taylor Ave.
Babolat VS North America F 717-263-2969 434-295-6167 Louisville, CO 80027
650 S. Taylor Ave. email: evgtennis@comcast.net F 434-971-6995 P 800-525-2852
Louisville, CO 80027 email: hartru@leetennis.com 303-444-5340
P 877-316-9435 Fast Dry Companies web: www.leetennis.com F 303-444-7526
303-444-5340 1400 North West 13th Avenue email: info@rmsboulder.com
F 303-444-2088 Pompano Beach, FL 33069 Lobster Sports, Inc. web: www.rmsboulder.com
email: info@babolatusa.com P 800-432-2994 7340 Fulton Ave.
web: www.babolat.com F 954-979-1335 North Hollywood, CA 91605 Tecnifibre USA
email: info@fast-dry.com P 800-210-5992 15721 Bernardo Heights Parkway
Century Sports web: www.fast-dry.com 818-764-6000 Suite B, PMB431
PO Box 2035, 1995 Rutgers Univ. Blvd F 818-764-6061 San Diego, CA 92128
Lakewood, NJ 08701 Fromuth Tennis email: info@lobsterinc.com P 877-332-0825
P 800-526-7548 1100 Rocky Drive web: www.lobsterinc.com 858-618-1246
732-905-4422 West Lawn, PA 19609 F 858-618-1246
F 732-901-7766 P 800-523-8414 NGI Sports (Novagrass) email: sales@tecnifibreusa.com
email: centurysportsinc@cs.com 610-288-5024 2807 Walker Road web: www.tecnifibre.com
web: www.centurysportsinc.com F 610-288-5040 Chattanooga, TN 37421
email: sales@fromuthtennis.com P 800-835-0033 Tennis Machines, Inc.
DecoTurf web: www.fromuth.com 423-499-5546 14520 Manchester Road
150 Dascomb Road F 423-499-8882 Winchester, MO 63011
Andover, MA 01810 Gamma Sports email: info@novagrass.com P 800-572-1055
P 978-623-9980 200 Waterfront Dr. web: www.novagrass.com F 636-394-3271
F 978-623-9970 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 email: jhenry@tennismachines.com
email: info@decoturf.com P 800-333-0337 Nova Sports USA web: www.tennismachines.com
web: www.decoturf.com 412-323-0335 6 Industrial Road, Building #2
F 800-274-0317 Milford, MA 01757 The Racket Man
DeRosa Tennis Contractors email: tsr@gammasports.com P 800-872-6682 11048 Olive Blvd.
PO Box 430, 438 Center Ave. web: www.gammasports.com F 508-473-4077 St. Louis, MO 63141
Mamaroneck, NY 10543 email: info@novasports.com P 877-772-2538
P 914-698-2404 Gosen America (Sportmode, Inc.) web: www.novasports.com F 314-567-1184
F 914-698-2668 5445 Oceanus Dr., Suite 113 email: Jim@racketman.com
email: mike@derosatennis.com Huntington Beach, CA 92649 web: www.racketman.com
web: www.derosatennis.com
June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 41
 ADVERTISEMENT

TIA USPTA USTA Yonex Corporation USA

(Tennis Industry Association)
P.O. Box 7845
Hilton Head island, SC 29938
P 843-686-3036
866-686-3036
F 843-686-3078
email: info@tennisindustry.org
web: www.tennisindustry.org
(US Professional Tennis Association) (US Tennis Association) 20140 S Western Ave
3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite One 70 West Red Oak Lane Torrance, CA 90501
Houston, TX 77042 White Plains, NY 10604 P 800-44-YONEX
P 800-877-8248 P 800-990-8782 310-793-3800
713-978-7781 914-696-7000 F 310-793-3899
F 713-978-7780 F 914-696-7167 email: support@yonexusa.com
email: uspta@uspta.org email: info@usta.com web: www.yonexusa.com
web: www.uspta.com web: www.usta.com

Unique Sports Products USRSA Wilson Racquet Sports

840 McFarland Road (US Racquet Stringers Association) 8750 West Bryn Mawr Avenue
Alpharetta, GA 30004 330 Main Street Chicago, IL 60631
P 800-554-3707 Vista, CA 92084 P 800-272-6060
770-442-1977 P 760-536-1177 773-714-6400
F 770-475-2065 F 760-536-1171 F 773-714-4586
email: sales@uniquesports.us email: usrsa@racquettech.com email: racquet@wilson.com
web: www.uniquesports.us web: www.racquettech.com web: www.wilson.com

LISTING BY PRODUCT
EQUIPMENT Fromuth Tennis Strings-Hybrid Ektelon
Tennis Racquets HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports 10-S Tennis Supply Fromuth Tennis
10-S Tennis Supply Rocky Mountain Sports Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co. Gamma Sports
ATS Sports The Racket Man ATS Sports Gosen America (Sportmode, Inc.)
Babolat VS North America Wilson Racquet Sports Babolat VS North America HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports
Century Sports Yonex Corporation USA Century Sports Kirschbaum USA
Dunlop Sports Dunlop Sports Pacific North America
Fromuth Tennis Strings-Gut Fromuth Tennis Prince Sports, Inc.
Gamma Sports 10-S Tennis Supply Gamma Sports Rocky Mountain Sports
Gosen America (Sportmode, Inc.) ATS Sports Gosen America (Sportmode, Inc.) Tecnifibre USA
HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports Babolat VS North America HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports The Racket Man
Oncourt Offcourt Century Sports Kirschbaum USA Unique Sports Products
Prince Sports, Inc. Dunlop Sports Pacific North America Wilson Racquet Sports
Rocky Mountain Sports Fromuth Tennis Prince Sports, Inc. Yonex Corporation USA
Tecnifibre USA Gamma Sports Rocky Mountain Sports
The Racket Man Pacific North America The Racket Man Vibration Dampeners
Wilson Racquet Sports Prince Sports, Inc. Unique Sports Products ATS Sports
Yonex Corporation USA Rocky Mountain Sports Wilson Racquet Sports Babolat VS North America
The Racket Man Yonex Corporation USA Century Sports
Squash Racquets Unique Sports Products Dunlop Sports
Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co. Wilson Racquet Sports Accessories Ektelon
Century Sports ATS Sports Fromuth Tennis
Dunlop Sports Strings-Synthetic Babolat VS North America Gamma Sports
Fromuth Tennis 10-S Tennis Supply Century Sports HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports
HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co. Dunlop Sports Kirschbaum USA
Prince Sports, Inc. ATS Sports Ektelon Pacific North America
Rocky Mountain Sports Babolat VS North America Fromuth Tennis Prince Sports, Inc.
Tecnifibre USA Century Sports Gamma Sports Rocky Mountain Sports
The Racket Man Dunlop Sports Kirschbaum USA Tecnifibre USA
Wilson Racquet Sports Ektelon Pacific North America The Racket Man
Fromuth Tennis Prince Sports, Inc. Unique Sports Products
Racquetball Racquets Gamma Sports Rocky Mountain Sports Wilson Racquet Sports
Century Sports Gosen America (Sportmode, Inc.) Tecnifibre USA Yonex Corporation USA
Ektelon HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports The Racket Man
Fromuth Tennis Kirschbaum USA Unique Sports Products Stringing Machines
HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports Pacific North America Wilson Racquet Sports ATS Sports
Prince Sports, Inc. Prince Sports, Inc. Yonex Corporation USA Babolat VS North America
Rocky Mountain Sports Rocky Mountain Sports Century Sports
The Racket Man Tecnifibre USA Grips Ektelon
Wilson Racquet Sports The Racket Man 10-S Tennis Supply Fromuth Tennis
Unique Sports Products ATS Sports Gamma Sports
Badminton Racquets Wilson Racquet Sports Babolat VS North America Pacific North America
Century Sports Yonex Corporation USA Century Sports Prince Sports, Inc.
Dunlop Sports Dunlop Sports Rocky Mountain Sports

42 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008

 ADVERTISEMENT

Tecnifibre USA Pacific North America Pacific North America Unique Sports Products
Tennis Machines, Inc. Prince Sports, Inc. Rocky Mountain Sports Wilson Racquet Sports
The Racket Man Rocky Mountain Sports The Racket Man
Yonex Corporation USA Tecnifibre USA Wilson Racquet Sports Team Business
Tennis Machines, Inc. Yonex Corporation USA ATS Sports
Stringing Tools The Racket Man Century Sports
ATS Sports Unique Sports Products Socks Fromuth Tennis
Babolat VS North America Wilson Racquet Sports ATS Sports Pacific North America
Century Sports Babolat VS North America Prince Sports, Inc.
Fromuth Tennis Arm Bands Century Sports Rocky Mountain Sports
Gamma Sports ATS Sports Fromuth Tennis The Racket Man
Pacific North America Fromuth Tennis Gamma Sports Unique Sports Products
Rocky Mountain Sports Gamma Sports Pacific North America Wilson Racquet Sports
Tecnifibre USA Pacific North America Prince Sports, Inc.
Tennis Machines, Inc. Rocky Mountain Sports Rocky Mountain Sports FOOTWEAR
Yonex Corporation USA The Racket Man The Racket Man Tennis
Unique Sports Products Wilson Racquet Sports 10-S Tennis Supply
Stringing Accessories Yonex Corporation USA ATS Sports
ATS Sports Knee Bands Babolat VS North America
Babolat VS North America ATS Sports Hats/Caps/Visors Century Sports
Century Sports Fromuth Tennis ATS Sports Fromuth Tennis
Fromuth Tennis Gamma Sports Babolat VS North America HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports
Gamma Sports Pacific North America Century Sports Prince Sports, Inc.
Pacific North America Rocky Mountain Sports Dunlop Sports The Racket Man
Rocky Mountain Sports The Racket Man Fromuth Tennis Wilson Racquet Sports
Tennis Machines, Inc. Unique Sports Products Gamma Sports Yonex Corporation USA
Yonex Corporation USA HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports
TENNIS APPAREL Pacific North America Other
Tension Testers Men’s Prince Sports, Inc. Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co.
ATS Sports ATS Sports Rocky Mountain Sports Ektelon
Century Sports Fromuth Tennis The Racket Man Fromuth Tennis
Gamma Sports Gamma Sports Unique Sports Products HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports
Pacific North America Pacific North America Wilson Racquet Sports The Racket Man
Prince Sports, Inc. Prince Sports, Inc. Yonex Corporation USA Yonex Corporation USA
Rocky Mountain Sports Rocky Mountain Sports
Tennis Machines, Inc. The Racket Man Wristbands Insoles
The Racket Man Wilson Racquet Sports ATS Sports ATS Sports
Yonex Corporation USA Babolat VS North America Fromuth Tennis
Sports Bags Century Sports The Racket Man
ATS Sports Women’s Ektelon
Babolat VS North America ATS Sports Fromuth Tennis Ankle Supports
Dunlop Sports Fromuth Tennis Gamma Sports ATS Sports
Ektelon Gamma Sports HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports Fromuth Tennis
Fromuth Tennis Pacific North America Pacific North America Gamma Sports
Gamma Sports Prince Sports, Inc. Prince Sports, Inc. Pacific North America
HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports Rocky Mountain Sports Rocky Mountain Sports Rocky Mountain Sports
Pacific North America The Racket Man The Racket Man Unique Sports Products
Prince Sports, Inc. Wilson Racquet Sports Unique Sports Products
Rocky Mountain Sports Yonex Corporation USA Wilson Racquet Sports TENNIS LIGHTING
Tecnifibre USA Yonex Corporation USA Outdoor
The Racket Man Children’s 10-S Tennis Supply
Wilson Racquet Sports Fromuth Tennis Tennis Panties DeRosa Tennis Contractors
Yonex Corporation USA Pacific North America ATS Sports Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Rocky Mountain Sports Fromuth Tennis Har-Tru
Tennis Balls The Racket Man Gamma Sports Lee Tennis Court Products
10-S Tennis Supply Wilson Racquet Sports The Racket Man Rocky Mountain Sports
ATS Sports
Century Sports T-shirts Custom Cresting Indoor
Dunlop Sports ATS Sports Wilson Racquet Sports Rocky Mountain Sports
Fromuth Tennis Babolat VS North America
Gamma Sports Fromuth Tennis Embroidery COURT EQUIPMENT
HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports Gamma Sports Fromuth Tennis Court Surfaces
Oncourt Offcourt HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports 10-S Tennis Supply

June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 43

 ADVERTISEMENT

COURT EQUIPMENT Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Court Surfaces (cont.) Edwards/RolDri
ASBA (American Sports Builders Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Association) Fromuth Tennis
ATS Sports Gamma Sports
Century Sports Har-Tru
DecoTurf Lee Tennis Court Products
DeRosa Tennis Contractors NGI Sports (Novagrass)
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc. Nova Sports USA
Gamma Sports Oncourt Offcourt
Har-Tru Rocky Mountain Sports
Lee Tennis Court Products Tennis Machines, Inc.
NGI Sports (Novagrass) The Racket Man
Nova Sports USA Wilson Racquet Sports
Rocky Mountain Sports
Tennis Posts
Maintenance Equipment 10-S Tennis Supply
10-S Tennis Supply ATS Sports
ATS Sports Century Sports
Century Sports DeRosa Tennis Contractors
DeRosa Tennis Contractors Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment Edwards/RolDri
Edwards/RolDri Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc. Fromuth Tennis
Fromuth Tennis Gamma Sports
Gamma Sports Har-Tru
Har-Tru Lee Tennis Court Products
Lee Tennis Court Products NGI Sports (Novagrass)
NGI Sports (Novagrass) Oncourt Offcourt
Nova Sports USA Rocky Mountain Sports
Rocky Mountain Sports Tennis Machines, Inc.
Wilson Racquet Sports
Surface Repair Products
10-S Tennis Supply Scorekeepers
ATS Sports 10-S Tennis Supply
Century Sports ATS Sports
DecoTurf Century Sports
DeRosa Tennis Contractors Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc. Edwards/RolDri
Gamma Sports Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Har-Tru Fromuth Tennis
Lee Tennis Court Products Gamma Sports
NGI Sports (Novagrass) Har-Tru
Nova Sports USA Lee Tennis Court Products
Rocky Mountain Sports Oncourt Offcourt
Rocky Mountain Sports
Fencing Tennis Machines, Inc.
10-S Tennis Supply The Racket Man
Century Sports Unique Sports Products
DeRosa Tennis Contractors Wilson Racquet Sports
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Har-Tru Water Cooler Stands
Lee Tennis Court Products 10-S Tennis Supply
Rocky Mountain Sports ATS Sports
Wilson Racquet Sports Century Sports
Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Tennis Nets Edwards/RolDri
10-S Tennis Supply Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
ATS Sports Fromuth Tennis
Century Sports Gamma Sports
DeRosa Tennis Contractors Har-Tru
Lee Tennis Court Products
Oncourt Offcourt
Rocky Mountain Sports
The Racket Man
Wilson Racquet Sports
Windscreens
10-S Tennis Supply
ATS Sports
Century Sports
DeRosa Tennis Contractors
Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Edwards/RolDri
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Fromuth Tennis
Gamma Sports
Har-Tru
Lee Tennis Court Products
NGI Sports (Novagrass)
Oncourt Offcourt
Pacific North America
Rocky Mountain Sports
Tennis Machines, Inc.
Wilson Racquet Sports
Backdrop Curtains
10-S Tennis Supply
ATS Sports
Century Sports
Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Edwards/RolDri
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Fromuth Tennis
Gamma Sports
Har-Tru
Lee Tennis Court Products
NGI Sports (Novagrass)
Rocky Mountain Sports
Wilson Racquet Sports
Netting
10-S Tennis Supply
ATS Sports
Century Sports
Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Edwards/RolDri
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Fromuth Tennis
Gamma Sports
Har-Tru
Lee Tennis Court Products
NGI Sports (Novagrass)
Oncourt Offcourt
Rocky Mountain Sports
Wilson Racquet Sports
Ball Retrieval Equipment
10-S Tennis Supply
ATS Sports
Century Sports
Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Dunlop Sports
Edwards/RolDri
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Fromuth Tennis
Gamma Sports
Har-Tru
Lee Tennis Court Products
Lobster Sports, Inc.
Rocky Mountain Sports
Tennis Machines, Inc.
Unique Sports Products
Wilson Racquet Sports
Ball Machines
10-S Tennis Supply
ATS Sports
Century Sports
DeRosa Tennis Contractors
Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Fromuth Tennis
Gamma Sports
Har-Tru
Lee Tennis Court Products
Lobster Sports, Inc.
Oncourt Offcourt
Rocky Mountain Sports
Tennis Machines, Inc.
The Racket Man
Wilson Racquet Sports
Backboards
10-S Tennis Supply
ATS Sports
Century Sports
DeRosa Tennis Contractors
Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Gamma Sports
Har-Tru
Lee Tennis Court Products
NGI Sports (Novagrass)
Oncourt Offcourt
Rocky Mountain Sports
Tennis Machines, Inc.
Teaching Aids
10-S Tennis Supply
ATS Sports
Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Edwards/RolDri
Fromuth Tennis
Gamma Sports
HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports
Lobster Sports, Inc.
Oncourt Offcourt
Rocky Mountain Sports
The Racket Man
Unique Sports Products
Wilson Racquet Sports

44 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008


Water Removal Equipment
10-S Tennis Supply
ATS Sports
Century Sports
DeRosa Tennis Contractors
Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment
Edwards/RolDri
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Fromuth Tennis
Gamma Sports
Har-Tru
Lee Tennis Court Products
Lobster Sports, Inc.
Oncourt Offcourt
Rocky Mountain Sports
Tennis Machines, Inc.
The Racket Man
Wilson Racquet Sports
BUILDERS & DESIGNERS
Court Contractors
ASBA (American Sports Builders
Association)
DeRosa Tennis Contractors
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc.
Fast Dry Companies
Har-Tru
Lee Tennis Court Products
ADVERTISEMENT
Facility Planners/Designers Unique Sports Products Oncourt Offcourt
ASBA (American Sports Builders Wilson Racquet Sports USRSA (US Racquet Stringers
Association) Association)
Evergreen Tennis Services, Inc. Sun Protection
Fast Dry Companies Rocky Mountain Sports Water Bottles
ATS Sports
MISCELLANEOUS Sunglasses Gamma Sports
Books ATS Sports Wilson Racquet Sports
ASBA (American Sports Builders Fromuth Tennis
Association) Pacific North America Associations/Certifications
Oncourt Offcourt Rocky Mountain Sports ASBA (American Sports Builders
USRSA (US Racquet Stringers The Racket Man Association)
Association) Unique Sports Products PTR (Professional Tennis Registry)
TIA (Tennis Industry Association)
Computer Software Tournament Prizes USPTA (United States Professional
Oncourt Offcourt Dunlop Sports Tennis Association)
Unique Sports Products USRSA (US Racquet Stringers
Gifts/Trinkets Wilson Racquet Sports Association)
Kirschbaum USA USTA (US Tennis Association)
Oncourt Offcourt Towels
Unique Sports Products ATS Sports Educational Workshops
Gamma Sports 10-S Tennis Supply
Sports Eyewear Rocky Mountain Sports Har-Tru
ATS Sports Unique Sports Products Lee Tennis Court Products
Dunlop Sports The Racket Man PTR (Professional Tennis Registry)
Ektelon Wilson Racquet Sports
Gamma Sports
Prince Sports, Inc. Videotapes
Rocky Mountain Sports 10-S Tennis Supply
ATS Sports
June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 45
 string PLAYTEST
Pro Supex Matrix Hybrid
Pro Supex Matrix Hybrid is composed of
two strings that are designed to offer the
best in both durability and playability: Pro
Supex Big Ace (mains) and Pro Supex
Maxim Touch (crosses).
Big Ace is a German-made monofila-
ment co-polymer polyester, which accord-
ing to Pro Supex is made of high-grade
polymers and special monomix-reinforced
chemical additives. Pro Supex claims that
Big Ace offers power, spin potential, con-
trol, comfort, durability, resistance to move-
ment, and tension maintenance. We
published the results of the USRSA playtest
of Big Ace in RSI magazine, April 2007.
With its top 5 ratings in durability and resis-
tance to movement, Big Ace quickly
became a hit with players of all levels.
Maxim Touch is a crisp-playing wrapped
multifilament nylon with a polyurethane
coating that provides durability to accom-
pany its superior touch and feel.
Pro Supex feels that Big Ace and Maxim
Touch together offer the ultimate combina-
tion for power, control, durability, and
playability, so players of all levels can bene-
fit from Matrix Hybrid. Although Pro Supex
recommends using Big Ace in the mains
and Maxim Touch in the crosses (with 5
percent less tension on the Big Ace), for a
softer stringbed, Pro Supex tells us that the
Maxim Touch can be put in the mains and
the Big Ace in the crosses, which gives you
more comfort, feel, and power.
Matrix Hybrid is available in 16L (Big
Ace 1.25 and Maxim Touch 1.30) and 17L
(Big Ace 1.22 and Maxim Touch 1.25) in
red/natural only. It is priced from $6.75 for
sets of 20x20 feet. For more information or
to order, contact Pro Supex at 866-787-
4644, or visit www.prosupexusa.com. Be
sure to read the conclusion for more infor-
mation about getting a free set to try for
yourself.
IN THE LAB
We tested the 16L gauge Matrix Hybrid.
The coils measured 20’ and 20’. The diame-
ters measured 1.22-1.25 mm (Big Ace) and
1.27-1.31 mm (Maxim Touch) prior to
stringing, and 1.19-1.22 mm (Big Ace) and
46 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008
1.25-1.27 mm (Maxim Touch) after string-
ing. We recorded a stringbed stiffness of
75 RDC units immediately after stringing at
60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16
x 18 pattern) on a constant-pull machine.
After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed
stiffness measured 65 RDC units, repre-
senting a 13 percent tension loss. Our con- by 37 USRSA playtesters, with
trol string, Prince Synthetic Gut Original NTRP ratings from 3.5 to 6.0. These are
Gold 16, measured 78 RDC units immedi- blind tests, with playtesters receiving strings
ately after stringing and 71 RDC units after in unmarked packages. Average number of
24 hours, representing a 9 percent tension hours playtested was 26.4.
loss. Matrix Hybrid added 16 grams to the Matrix Hybrid is easy to install. The Big
weight of our unstrung frame. Ace is not as stiff as it could be, so the
Matrix Hybrid was tested for five weeks mains take no time at all. The Maxim Touch
feels very flexible when you take it out of
EASE OF STRINGING the package. Even with the polyurethane
(compared to other strings) coating, the crosses don’t stick on the
Number of testers who said it was: mains, and there is only minor clamp mark-
much easier 1 ing. We had a momentary problem with a
somewhat easier 5 badly blocked hole, but dressing the end
about as easy 26 quickly solved that issue.
not quite as easy 5 No playtester broke his sample during
not nearly as easy 0 stringing, seven reported problems with coil
OVERALL PLAYABILITY memory, three reported problems tying
(compared to string played most often) knots, and two reported friction burn.
Number of testers who said it was:
much better 1 ON THE COURT
somewhat better 10 Our playtest team especially liked the Spin
about as playable 7 Potential and Resistance to Movement of
not quite as playable 16 Matrix Hybrid, rating it 7th overall of the
not nearly as playable 3 121 strings we’ve playtested to date for
OVERALL DURABILITY Spin Potential, and 16th overall for Resis-
(compared to other strings tance to Movement. However, they also
of similar gauge) gave Matrix Hybrid well-above-average
Number of testers who said it was: scores for Durability, Control, and Tension
much better 3
Retention. On the strength of the top-20
somewhat better 18
ratings in Spin Potential and Resistance to
about as durable 14
Movement, and the very strong ratings for
not quite as durable 1
not nearly as durable 1 Durability and Control, Pro Supex Matrix
Hybrid’s overall score was also well above
RATING AVERAGES average.
From 1 to 5 (best) Five playtesters broke the sample during
Playability 3.3
testing, two at four hours, and one each at
Durability 4.0
13, 16, and 34 hours.
Power 3.4
Control 3.6
Comfort 3.1 CONCLUSION
Touch/Feel 2.9 Pro Supex Matrix Hybrid leverages Big Ace’s
Spin Potential (7th overall) 3.6 strengths in Durability and Resistance to
Holding Tension 3.6 movement. Combining Matrix Touch with
Resistance to Movement (16th overall) 3.9 Big Ace improves playability, control, touch,
comfort, and even spin potential. Pro Supex
TESTERS TALK

“ Easy installation. I’m in love with this
string. It has the perfect blend of power,
control, and spin. It stays fresh for a long
time. It has the comfort and touch of a
nylon multifilament. Big swings are rarely
”
punished. I want more. 4.0 male all-
court player using Tecnifibre T Fight 320
(16x20) strung at 52/55 pounds CP (Luxilon
Alu Power 16L)
sore. If you typically use an arm-friendly
string, I would put the nylon in the mains.
4.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using
Head i.Radical OS strung at 60 pounds LO
(natural gut 17)
“ Though the crosses are pretty soft, this
hybrid has a stiff feel, especially for slower,
more compact stroke styles. I would recom-
FREE PLAYTEST STRING
” PROGRAM
Pro Supex will send a free set of Matrix
Hybrid to the first 500 USRSA members
who cut out (or copy) this coupon
and mail it to:
USRSA,
Attn: Pro Supex String Offer,
330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

“ Great spin, control, and power. This is a

heavy ball hitter’s dream. I find myself aim-
ing for the lines. Playing on the dirt, I’m
able to kick serve my opponent off the
court and come in for an easy volley. Ten-
sion holds up remarkably well for a
”
hybrid. 5.5 male serve-and-volleyer using
Wilson nSix One Tour (68 Holes) strung at
mend it to my big hitting juniors. 4.5
”
male all-court player using Prince O3 Hybrid
or fax to 760-536-1171,
or email the info below to
Tour (16x18) strung at 58 pounds LO (Prince stringsample@racquettech.com
Premier w/Softflex 16) Offer expires 15 June 2008
Offer only available to USRSA
members in the US.
“ This hybrid lacks spin and pop. I am
unable to get a sense for how the ball is Name:
coming off the strings. It feels mushy and

62 pounds CP (Babolat Pro Hurricane 16) ”

nondescript. 5.5 male all-court player
using Wilson nBlade strung at 57 pounds
USRSA Member number:
(Babolat VS Touch/Luxilon Alu Power
Phone:
“ This string is exceptionally lively with
great control and comfort. It solicits many
15L/16L)

questions from my fellow players. I guess For the rest of the tester comments, visit Email:
”
they can tell how much I like it. 4.5
male baseliner with moderate spin using
www.racquetsportsindustry.com.
If you print your email clearly, we will notify
you when your sample will be sent.

Wilson K Four strung at 54 pounds CP

(Prince Lightning XX 17)

“ This is a comfortable hybrid. It provides

my compact stroke style with more than
enough power and depth. The bite is very
pronounced. As a natural gut loyalist with
tendon problems, I am pleasantly

”
surprised. 3.5 male baseliner with mod-
erate spin using Head Metallix 2 strung at
56 pounds CP (Wilson Natural 16)

“ More power than I was expecting. This

is one of the softest hybrid crosses I’ve ever
used. The thin poly mains are quite stiff and

”
they provide some solid bite. 4.5 male
all-court player using Head MicroGEL Pres-
tige MP strung at 56 pounds LO (Gamma
TNT2 17)

“ This string feels good initially. Over

time, though, my arm starts to tire and feel

promises a lot for Matrix Hybrid, and

according to our playtest team, it delivers.
If you think that Pro Supex Matrix
Hybrid might be for you, fill out the
coupon to get a free set to try.
—Greg Raven Q

June 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 47

 Your Serve
Off Message
A tennis insider says the industry
needs to forget about comparisons to
the past, embrace the fact that we’re
a niche sport, and promote the
wonderful assets of the game.
BY JAMES MARTIN
I
received an unwelcome email in March. No,
it wasn’t spam imploring me to purchase
pills and potions. I wish. It was an email from
the hub of the tennis industry’s public relations
arm, the Tennis Industry Association. The sub-
ject line read: "Tennis Is Alive And Well!”
Just like that, in one fell swoop, the
TIA undermined what was otherwise a
positive message about growth in partici-
pation. By saying “alive and well,” it rein-
forced the image that tennis was, at one
point, dying and is now crawling its way
out of the grave like a zombie in a
George A. Romero movie. Not exactly the
kind of imagery that builds morale and
gets people excited.
And while the TIA deserves criticism
for this PR blast, the memo (or something
like it) could have easily come from the
USTA, or ATP, or any of the other alpha-
bet soup of organizations that can’t get
over The Article. You know the one. It
was a Sports Illustrated cover story in
1994 that read the game its late rites. Has
one piece ever had such a profoundly
negative effect on a sport? The tennis
industry has a serious inferiority complex,
with an unhealthy dollop of self-loathing,
as a result of this single piece of journal-
ism.
It wasn’t all bad. The Article did help
the industry realize that major problems
existed, and served as a catalyst to get the
game’s organizations working more close-
ly together, relatively speaking.
But it’s been over a decade since The
Article and no one, it seems, can get past
it. Everyone’s complicit. Commentators on
TV insist ad nausea that the sport is thriv-
ing and tout the huge crowds attending
pro tournaments, often in the face of
48 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2008
empty courtside seats. When is the last
time you’ve watched a football game, a
baseball game, a soccer game, or a hockey
game for that matter, and heard the
announcers obsess over the health of their
industry? They don’t have time for such
nonsense because they are too busy enjoy-
ing their respective sports. What a novel
idea.
“The industry’s PR
efforts, while very
well-intentioned,
leave you with a
negative impres-
sion of the sport.”
Tennis writers and bloggers are equally
preoccupied with the state of the industry.
Over the years, as a writer and editor, I’ve
also been caught up in the hype and found
myself drinking the Kool-Aid and stewing
over The Article. And the governing bodies
continually throw out PR with dubious sta-
tistics to illustrate the sport’s growth,
though if you actually spend time crunch-
ing the numbers you often see a smoke-
and-mirrors campaign.
So, please, tennis industry—stop. Stop
with the specious stats. Stop with the self-
flagellations. Stop, most of all, insisting that
the sport is healthy and on the rebound.
This serves to reinforce the false but still
widely held belief that tennis is dying or
simply irrelevant.
When conducting its PR campaigns,
the tennis industry should also steer clear
of another favorite tactic, referencing the
tennis boom and how the game is on its
way back to the so-called glory days. Talk
about setting yourself up to fail. Using the
much-ballyhooed benchmark of 30 mil-
lion tennis participants (I’d argue that
number is grossly inflated and, as such,
insignificant, but that’s another story) also
sets people down a slippery slope. They
first start to reminisce about Borg, Mac,
Chrissie, and Martina. This inevitably leads
them to the popular refrain that these
days the game lacks “personalities” and is
less cool.
Net result: The industry’s PR efforts,
while very well-intentioned, leave you
with a negative impression of the sport.
This happens time and again.
Well, it’s time the industry change its
message. Forget the boom. And please,
forget The Article. We’re a niche sport
and need to embrace that fact. From
there, we can promote the wonderful
assets of the game—from the teaching
pros to the touring pros, and all the peo-
ple who move the needle—and celebrate
tennis with an enthusiastic and straight-
shooting public relations approach.
And from there, we can really grow. Q
James Martin is the editor-in-chief of TENNIS
Magazine and TENNIS.com. He is the former edi-
tor of Tennis Industry magazine. You can reach
him at jmartin@tennismagazine.com
We welcome your opinions. Please email
comments to rsi@racquetTECH.com or fax
them to 760-536-1171.