September/October 2006

Volume 34 Number 9 $5.00

STRING FLING!
Our exclusive tests of 500
strings will pinpoint the right
one for you
How To Build Up Your
Replacement Grip Business
Footwear: Specialized
Features You Need to Know
Contents R S I S E P / O C T

INDUSTRY NEWS
2 0 0 6

7 Jim Baugh to step down from

TIA after 2006
SPECIAL SECTION 7 USTA renames NTC in honor
22 Strings 2006 of Billie Jean King
Our exclusive tests of every string on the market will help
you choose the right product for your customers. 8 ASBA’s December tech meeting
set for Daytona Beach

FEATURES 8 Tecnifibre R&D team adds

Po-Jen Cheng
20 A Class Room 8 “Legacy Program” to refurbish
The indoor winner in the RSI/ASBA Facility-of-the-Year Awards is alone at the top. courts in USOS markets
31 Courting Other Sports 9 Tennis Channel offers DISH
Racquetball and squash may represent opportunities for your business. Network deal to clubs

34 Handling Your Players 10 T-Kart introduces teaching cart

Emphasizing your replacement grip business will serve your customers and give with spring-loaded tray
you a better grasp on profits, too.
10 Head to release Agassi limited
36 Special Effects edition racquet
As tennis shoes become more specialized, retailers need to understand their key
features.
11 USPTA revamps Find-A-Pro
website
38 Stringing for the Modern Game 12 “Deluxe Club Cart” from
A longtime stringer shares his observations after stringing for the pros at Wimbledon.
Oncourt Offcourt
12 Bälle de Mätch offers Cardio
Tennis apparel line
13 Industry veteran Egdes moves
to Tennis Channel
14 Ashaway offers pre-packaged
Cover photo: Stephen Whalen Photography hybrid string

DEPARTMENTS
4 Our Serve 42 String Playtest: Tecnifibre Pro RedCode 16
16 Innovations: Beach Tennis 44 Ask the Experts
18 Service & Return 46 Tips & Techniques
40 Wimbledon Equipment Log 48 Your Serve, by Liza Horan

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

Our Serve
(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

More Than Money Can Buy Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

O n the one hand, it was a bold move: naming the

USTA National Tennis Center in New York—home
of the US Open and the world’s largest public tennis
Editor-in-Chief
Crawford Lindsey

Editorial Director
Peter Francesconi
facility—after Billie Jean King, and forgoing possibly Associate Editor
millions of dollars a year in naming rights. Greg Raven

On the other hand, it was simply the natural—and the right— Design/Art Director
thing to do. Kristine Thom

Some experts say the USTA could have realized $4 million to $5 Contributing Editors
million annually if it had decided to let corporations bid on the Cynthia Cantrell
Rod Cross
naming of the NTC. But, just as it did in 1997 when it named the
Kristen Daley
stadium court after Arthur Ashe, the USTA took the high road, hon- Joe Dinoffer
oring a tennis legend and trailblazer in both sport and society. And Liza Horan
it’s believed to be the first time a major sports venue has been Andrew Lavallee
James Martin
named for a woman.
Chris Nicholson
While USTA officials say there had been brief discussions in the Bob Patterson
past about selling the naming rights, they never went so far as to Cynthia Sherman
solicit any bids. USTA Chairman of the Board and President
RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY
Franklin Johnson proposed naming the NTC for King back in
Corporate Offices
March, then in July, the board of directors voted unanimously 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084
to do so. Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171
It’s refreshing to see another example of this sport doing the Email: [email protected]
Website: www.racquetTECH.com
right thing. Few people have meant as much to this sport as King
Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time
has. And the fact that King, a product of public-park tennis, now
has her name on the 46.5-acre public facility that is home to some Advertising Director
of the best tennis in the world is a testament to how this sport sees John Hanna
770-650-1102, x.125
itself, and how confident this sport is in its future.
[email protected]
Our mission here at Racquet Sports Industry is to tell you how
you can make more money in this business. But sometimes, this Apparel Advertising
business needs to be about more than the money. Cynthia Sherman
203-263-5243
[email protected]
Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-
5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly January
Peter Francesconi through August and combined issues in Septem-
ber/October and November/December by Tennis
Editorial Director Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.
Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443 and addi-
tional mailing offices. September/October 2006, Vol-
ume 34, Number 9 © 2006 by USRSA and Tennis
Industry. All rights reserved. Racquet Sports Industry,
RSI and logo are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the
U.S.A. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone
circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly sub-
scriptions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMAS-
TER: Send address changes to Racquet Sports Industry,
330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

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

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

 R S I S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6

INDUSTRY NEWS
INFORMATION TO HELP YOU RUN YOUR BUSINESS

USTA Renames NTC in

Honor Of Billie Jean King
Jim Baugh To Leave TIA
In a special tribute on the Aug. 28 Opening
At the End of 2006
im Baugh says he will leave his position as presi-
Night of the 2006 US Open, the USTA offi-
cially renamed the world’s largest public
tennis park the USTA Billie Jean King
National Tennis Center.
J dent of the Tennis Industry Association at the end
of 2006. He also has decided not to run for re-
election to the board of directors for the USTA.
Baugh’s decision to leave the tennis industry
The honor, which was announced in early comes in the wake of positive news about tennis’s
August, pays tribute to the tennis legend growth over the last three years, as participation, fre-
and trailblazer whose pioneering efforts quent play, and equipment and apparel sales are all
helped change the sport of tennis and up, according to the USTA and TIA. In addition,
launch the drive for gender equality in SGMA research shows that tennis has been the only
sports and society. King, one of the most
traditional sport to grow from 2000 to 2005, up 10.3
celebrated athletes in history, is recognized
percent in participation.
for spearheading the women's movement
in tennis by fighting for equal rights in the But Baugh, who began his career as a phys ed teacher, now will have the opportu-
sport. nity to reach a much larger audience with his message of physical fitness. He will devote
more time to PE4LIFE, a foundation he started six years ago designed to help kids cre-
King began playing tennis in the public ate healthy habits for life through physical activity at school, and he will pursue con-
parks of Long Beach, Calif., and has been a sulting opportunities.
pioneer on and off the court. She founded “It’s been exciting to see the growth of tennis in the U.S. over the last three years, the
the Women's Tennis Association in 1973 successful launch of Cardio Tennis, and the further positive developments with TIA part-
and the Women's Sports Foundation in ners such as the USTA, teaching organizations, and other aligned partners,” Baugh says.
1974. She also is the co-founder of World “Our accomplishments … have made it obvious that it is time to move on to pursue
TeamTennis. Her dedication to advancing other personal ventures and interests that I believe in,” he adds. “I am proud to say the
women's opportunities in sports helped
sport of tennis is in a much better position now than it was a few years ago.”
lead to the passage of Title IX legislation.
Baugh, whose distinguished career in tennis includes executive positions at Prince
For her many achievements, King was and Wilson, has served as the paid president of the TIA since January 2004. The TIA
named by Life magazine one of the "100 presidency is expected to return to a rotating volunteer position in 2007.
Most Important Americans of the 20th Cen- “We wish Jim continued success in his personal pursuits and appreciate all he has
tury," and placed No. 5 on Sports done for the industry over his career in the tennis business,” says TIA Chairman Dave
Illustrated's "Top 40 Athletes." Haggerty. Executive Director Jolyn de Boer will continue to lead the TIA. She serves at
the direction of the TIA board and executive committee.
"This obviously is a great honor for me," “The TIA will continue to focus on growing participation and on ensuring the eco-
says King. "This outstanding facility is a nomic vitality of the tennis industry,” de Boer says. “As the source for industry news
public park, a place where everyone can and research, we are dedicated to providing our members with benefits such as partic-
come and enjoy our wonderful sport. It is
ipation research, industry trade shipments, market trends, retail audits, and other
truly humbling that this will link me with
important research. We will maintain our focus on Tennis Welcome Centers, Cardio Ten-
Arthur Ashe [for whom the main stadium is
named], with whom I celebrated many nis, and the use of technology to better service the needs of our membership.”
experiences and shared dreams of the “I want to thank all those who have made my jobs easier,” Baugh said in a recent
future for this great sport. I know this will email to friends and colleagues, “especially the thousands of tennis professionals and
continue to be a place where present and facility operators who are so critical in the growth of the game.
future generations of players come out, pick “Tennis should easily grow beyond year 2010 goals of 30 million players and 6 mil-
up a racquet, learn a sport, and dare to lion frequent players if everyone continues to work together, consistently supports key
dream big and go for it." programs, and most importantly, keeps the focus on building the brand that supports
all of us…T.E.N.N.I.S.”

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7

INDUSTRYNEWS S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6

ASBA Technical Meeting Set for Daytona Beach

f you’re a court builder and haven’t yet marked your calendar to attend the 2006 Technical

I Meeting of the American Sports Builders Association, do it now. The meeting will be
Dec. 1-4 at the Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Judging by the excellent program at past ASBA Technical Meetings, this
year’s version is sure to be full of information that can help your business,
including presentations, opportunities to network, and a trade show.
Details of the meeting should be available in early September. Information
will be sent out automatically to all ASBA members; non-members can request
information by calling 866-501-ASBA, or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.

Top-Selling Racquets at Specialty Stores USTA Launches US Open Series

By year-to-date dollars, January-June 2006
“Legacy Program” To Refurbish Courts

T
Separate Head Sizes he USTA has launched the US Open Series Legacy Program, an
1. Babolat Pure Drive Team (MP) $163 initiative to refurbish public tennis courts in the communities
2. Prince O3 White (MP) $187 that host US Open Series tournaments. The renovated courts
3. Wilson nSix-One (16 x 18) (MS) $163 will be in the “US Open Blue” color to appear like the courts at the
4. Prince O3 Blue (OS) $222 US Open and USOS events.
5. Wilson N3 (OS) $212 In its first year, the Legacy Program will take place in three USOS
markets: Los Angeles, Cincinnati, and New Haven, Conn. The three
Combined Head Sizes public parks that will be renovated and resurfaced are Griffith Park in
1. Babolat Pure Drive Team $163 L.A., Ryan Park in Cincinnati, and East Shore Park in New Haven.
2. Prince O3 White $187 The USTA says the program will complement the Tennis in the
3. Wilson nSix-One $162 Parks initiative, which seeks to grow the game and increase partic-
4. Prince O3 Hybrid Hornet $162 ipation by helping to fund public parks facility enhancements, ren-
5. Head Flexpoint Radical $165 ovations, and new construction projects.

(Source: TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys)

Tecnifibre R&D Adds
Po-Jen Cheng
Tennis Racquet Performance

T
ecnifibre announces that racquet
Specialty Stores, January-June, 2006 vs. 2005
research and development special-
Units 2006 333,915
ist Po-Jen Cheng has been hired as
2005 298,067
a consultant for Tecnifibre tennis and
% Change vs. ’05 12%
squash racquets. Cheng has over 18
Dollars 2006 $44,035,000
years of experience working with all
2005 $41,096,000
% Change vs. ’05 7% facets of racquet design.
Average Price 2006 $132 Most of Cheng’s time in the industry
2005 $138 has been with Wilson Sporting Goods,
% Change vs. ’05 -4% where he was director of R&D respon-
(Source: TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys) sible for developing many of that company’s racquets and technolo-
gies. He will work with both the U.S.- and France-based Tecnifibre
team.
“Hot New Racquets*” at Specialty Stores “We are very fortunate to have one of the best in the industry to
By year-to-date dollar sales, January-June 2006 work with us as we develop our racquet business,” says Paul Zalatoris,
1. Prince O3 White (MP) general manager for Tecnifibre. “Po-Jen’s experience and knowledge
2. Prince O3 Blue (OS) is what our company needs to accelerate our entry and growth into
3. Prince O3 Hybrid Hornet (MP) this market.”
4. Prince O3 Hybrid Hornet (OS) Zalatoris says Cheng has been consulting with Tecnifibre since the
5. Head Flexpoint 4 (OS) beginning of the year and that the company is about to launch two
* Racquets first sold within the last 12 months. new racquets, the first ones that will have Cheng’s input. For more
(Source: TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys) information, visit www.tecnifibre.com, or contact
[email protected] or 877-332-0825.

8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

 INDUSTRY NEWS

L E T T E R S Tennis Channel Offers DISH Network Deal to Clubs

T
ennis facilities considering receiving
Instant Replay: Use It All the Time The Tennis Channel for their players
now can do so for $1.99 a month
To the Editor:
I enjoyed reading Paul Fein and Christo- through the DISH Network satellite TV
pher Noble’s “Your Serve” in the July issue on service. The TTC offer is the result of a partnership with EchoStar Com-
the Hawk-Eye line-calling system (“Why Play- munications Corp., which owns DISH Network, and Keypoint Communi-
er Challenges Are a Bad Call”). To me, the cations.
challenge rule is [a] stupid rule. The offer runs through Sept. 30, 2006. Tennis facilities that subscribe to
We first saw how the challenge worked the DISH Network’s News & Finance package for $28.99 per month can
here in Portland, Ore., a few years ago with a add The Tennis Channel for $1.99 per month. Facilities that do not have
rather silly promotion/exhibition called DISH Network can receive the same offer, as well as two free receivers and
“Superset.” They did have the replay chal-
$100 off on installation, by subscribing to DISH. In addition, participating
lenge, with the replay shown on the big
screen in an instant. I thought the replay was clubs can receive a substantial discount on flat-screen televisions, says TTC.
great, and hoped that it would become stan- To promote the offer, TTC launched a marketing campaign targeting
dard in pro tourneys. more than 3,000 tennis clubs in the U.S. and timed to the US Open. As an
Sure, I can understand every court can't added bonus, any club that signs up will receive a Tennis Channel wall
have one—yet—because it's too expensive. clock.
But when you have it and don’t use it, to me TTC, which offers coverage from 69 top-level tournaments, combines
that's just plain dumb. And it's not time-con- live sports with lifestyle programming, including original series, instruc-
suming to subjectively analyze replays from tion, equipment, travel, player profiles, news and analysis. In February,
different angles like in football—it's instant.
DISH began offering consumers The Tennis Channel as part of its Ameri-
Bob Stewert
Lake Oswego, Ore. ca’s Top 180 programming package on Ch. 400.
For more information on the special offers, call 866-650-2405 or visit
We welcome your letters and comments. Please www.KeyPointServices.com and click on The Tennis Channel logo. For
email them to [email protected] or fax them more on TTC, visit www.TheTennisChannel.com. For information about
to 760-536-1171. DISH Network, go to www.DISHNetwork.com or call 800-333-DISH (3474).

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9

 INDUSTRYNEWS S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6

Head to Release Agassi

Limited Edition Racquet
Head celebrates Andre Agassi’s 20-year
tennis career with the release of the
Andre Agassi Radical Limited Edition rac-
quet, an exact replica of the original Radi-
cal racquet Agassi first started playing
with in 1993. Agassi helped make the
Radical one of the best-selling racquets
worldwide; it was the best-selling model
from 1999 to 2004. Each racquet will fea-
ture Agassi’s signature on the shaft as
well as his Grand Slam titles and the
years he won them using the Radical. The
black cover bag will feature Agassi’s sig-
nature in bright yellow. Each limited-edi-
tion racquet includes a serial number and
certificate of authenticity. The frames will
hit retail in November with a suggested price of $200.

T-Kart Introduces New Teaching Cart

T
-Kart Ltd. will introduce it’s first line of teaching carts in October, says company
founder Phil Olesen. The teaching carts feature a spring-loaded tray that rises as
the balls are taken out, keeping the balls at the top of the cart to aid in feeding
students, he adds.
“Our customers will really appreciate how much easier teaching lessons will be
with T-Kart,” Olesen says. “This will eliminate the constant bending a pro must do
as he gathers balls to feed, especially as he gets to the bottom half of the cart.”
Olesen (below), who’s been a full-time teaching pro the last 15 years in Texas,
says he invented T-Kart for multiple reasons: “First, my back was tired from the
constant bending that comes from feeding balls all day. Second, when it came to
feeding to a large group, such as a Cardio Tennis class where rapid feeding is
required, it became increasingly difficult to feed at a smooth, consistent pace as
the balls decreased in the cart. Third, I not only wanted a cart that kept the balls
at the top, but could also hold a high
capacity. T-Kart can hold up to 450 balls.
Last, I wanted a durable cart with quali-
ty wheels that would last a long time.”
Ted Murray, owner of the Punta
Gorda Club in Florida and member of
the National Cardio Tennis Speakers
team, says, “The T-Kart makes it easy to
feed consistently with the speed and
rhythm that is required for Cardio Ten-
nis. It will help any pro improve their
feeding in a more relaxed, comfortable,
and consistent manner.”
Each cart has 5-inch polypropylene
wheels and comes with its own built-in
lock and key. Optional beverage holders
are available. To order or for more infor-
mation, call 866-44TKART (448-5278)
or visit www.t-karttennis.com.

10 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

 INDUSTRY NEWS

USPTA Revamps Navratilova, Budge to Enter

Find-A-Pro US Open Court of Champions
Website
M
artina Navratilova and the late Don Budge will be inducted into the US Open Court
of Champions this year in ceremonies before the US Open men’s final. The tribute

T
he USPTA has revamped its
Find-a-Pro website (www.uspta will also serve as a retirement tribute to Navratilova.
findapro.com) to make it easier Navratilova, who turns 50 this year, won the Open singles title four times, and Budge,
for consumers to find tennis-teach- who died in 2000 at age 84, won the title twice. Navratilova will play doubles this year,
her 29th and final US Open before retiring from the pro game. Annual inductees into the
ing profes-
Court of Champions are chosen by a panel of international media.
sionals, for
teaching
pros to
look for
jobs, and
for employers
to post jobs for
free.
The new site has expand-
ed search features that allow con-
sumers to not only search by ZIP
code, but also to specify a search
radius in miles. Consumers can also
search by state or by a person’s last
name by using the alphabet list.
When searching by ZIP, the results
are listed from closest to farthest. All
other search results are in alphabet-
ical order by member name. There
is still a link to members’ USPTA
Web sites, so that consumers can
find out more about individual ten-
nis-teaching pros.
Find-a-Job’s search features have
also been expanded to include a ZIP
code search, too. Also, pros looking
for a job can now search for more
than one type of position at a time.
An addition to Find-a-Job is a link
to the USPTA Career Center on
www.uspta.com. This section has
sample resumes and interview tips
specific to teaching professionals. It
also has P.R. tools and USPTA per-
sonal website information (a free
benefit to USPTA members).
The Post-a-Job layout has been
redesigned and is easier to navigate
to help employers search for candi-
dates more effectively. There is a
link to additional resources, along
with a hiring guide, sample work
agreement, and sample job descrip-
tion.
Visit www.uspta.com for more
information.

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11

 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6

EWA
INDUSTRYNEWS

PL T Oncourt Offcourt Offers “Deluxe Club Cart”

O
T
• Spanish pro Juan Car- he new Deluxe Club Cart,
E

C
los Ferrero has signed three-year designed by USPTA and PTR
Master Professional Joe

H
P

deal with Lotto Sport Italia for all

apparel, footwear, and accessories. Dinoffer (who is also an RSI con-
tributing editor), features a life-
• Pro player James Blake will appear in mar- time guarantee on its 4-inch
keting initiatives and serve as a brand ambassa-
wheels, a “back-friendly” feed-
dor for Evian Natural Spring Water, a longtime
ing height, water bottle and cell
sponsor of the US Open.
phone holder, ball basket hanger,
• Junior player and Dunlop D-Squad member double storage trays, and more.
Zach Hunter of Weston, Fla., teamed with Bren- The cart is available through
nan Boyajian to win the Boys’ 16 USTA National Oncourt Offcourt, which now
Clay Court Doubles Championship recently. offers its own custom-designed
Hunter plays with the Dunlop M-Fil 200 rac- ball pick-up and storage product
quet. For information on the Dunlop D-Squad, line, including three teaching
juniors can contact teamdunlop@dunlopsports carts, four ball baskets, and two
.com. ball tubes, says Dinoffer.
For wholesale and retail
• Rose Cantlin of Woodstock, Vt., and pricing and a free 84-page color catalog, contact 88-TENNIS-11 or visit
Matthew Kranich of Englewood, Colo., have
www.oncourtoffcourt.com.
been named winners of the 2006 Novo Nordisk
Donnelly Awards and were recognized during
ceremonies at the World TeamTennis Finals in
July. Both received a $5,000 scholarship to be
Prince String, Footwear Top 2Q
used for educational expenses, tennis training,
or medical expenses. The awards recognize the
Retail Audit of Specialty Stores
P
rince string is the No. 1-selling brand in U.S. specialty accounts, accord-
efforts of two athletes, ages 14 to 21, who
ing to the TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys Retail Audit Report, increasing its
have diabetes and play tennis competitively in
unit share to 28.4 percent in the second quarter.
tournaments or on their school team.
In addition, Prince Syn Gut with Duraflex has been the No. 1 string on the
• Ferris State University has named former Bull- market since May 2001, when the Tennis Industry Association and Sports Mar-
dog All-America player Jan Talian as the school’s keting Surveys began tracking tennis string sales and trends. In the second
15th head men’s tennis coach. Talian will take quarter of 2006, Prince Syn Gut with Duraflex had 14.7 percent of unit sales,
over for Dave Ramos, who resigned in May to more than 7 percentage points higher than the closest competitor.
pursue other career interests. In addition to his In footwear, Prince holds the No. 1 spot in the $75 to $84.99 range with
head coaching duties, Talian will also serve as a 24.8 percent of unit sales through the second quarter, according to the retail
club pro for Ferris’ Racquet and Fitness Center, report. Prince also is the No. 2 footwear brand overall, compiling an 18.3 per-
the school’s Professional Tennis Management cent unit share in all sales in 2Q year-to-date.
program, and help direct summer camps.

• Christopher Kyne is the new communications

manager for USTA New England.
Bälle de Mätch Offers Cardio Tennis Line
B
älle de Mätch has designed a line of apparel for Cardio Tennis. The clothing
• Jefferson T. Barnes is the recipient of the will be available late fall 2006. “Cardio Tennis is drawing tennis players out
Chairman’s Award of the International Tennis of the gym and onto the court for their workouts,” says John Embree, Bälle
Hall of Fame, which recognizes outstanding de Mätch co-owner and partner. “This is a great program for skilled players,
service by a Hall of Fame board member. beginners, or anyone just wanting a new way to get in shape and challenge the
body. We are proud to be associated with this concept that makes tennis more
• Jack Kramer was honored by the Internation- appealing to a wider range of fitness enthusiasts.”
al Tennis Hall of Fame on Aug. 19 on the 60th “Bälle de Mätch will be the first to offer a men’s line of tennis apparel
anniversary of his first U.S. Championships sin- designed for Cardio Tennis,” says TIA President Jim Baugh. “It is great that they
gles title. The honor took place at the Regent see the growth potential of this new program and want to help promote Cardio
Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. Tennis even further.” Bälle de Mätch joins Tail and Lejay in offering Cardio Ten-
Kramer turned 85 on Aug. 1 and was nis-specific apparel.
inducted into the Hall of Fame in Bälle de Mätch dealers can order Cardio Tennis apparel from the Team cata-
1968. log now for Fall delivery. For more information, contact Embree at 847-729-2497
or [email protected].

12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Young, Albanese Win Industry Vet Egdes

18s National Titles Moves to Tennis Channel

D T
onald Young of Atlanta and Lauren he Tennis Channel has hired long-
Albanese of Coral Springs, Fla., time tennis executive David Egdes
captured the singles titles at the as senior vice president, Tennis
USTA Boys’ and Girls’ 18s National Industry Relations, and Tennis Chan-
Hard Court Championships in early nel Open tournament director. Egdes
August, earning singles wild cards into most recently was vice president of
the US Open.
World TeamTennis in Los Angeles for
The country's top junior players
five years and has close to 10 years of
competed in eight different USTA
professional tennis experience as an
National Championships in early
executive and agent at IMG.
August. Winners are:
Q Boys' 16s: Singles—Brennan Boya-
Based in L.A., Egdes will act as a
liaison between the network and ten-
jian, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Dou-
nis players, agents, tournament direc-
bles—Albert El Mihdawy, Long
tors, associations, governing bodies,
Island City, N.Y., and Bradley
clubs, sponsors, manufacturers, and
Klahn, Poway, Calif.
Q Boys' 14s: Singles—Junior A. Ore,
retailers.
As tournament director for the net-
Gaithersburg, Md. Doubles—Den-
work’s “Panasonic presents the Tennis
nis Kudla, Arlington, Va., and Ore.
Q Boys' 12s: Singles—Gordon Wat-
Channel Open,” he will oversee all
aspects of the annual February event
son, Naples, Fla. Doubles—
in Las Vegas. He’ll report to TTC Chair-
Michael Rinaldi, and Watson.
Q Girls'
man and CEO Ken Solomon.
16s: Singles—Lauren
Embree, Marco Island, Fla. Dou-
bles—Embree and Rachel Saiontz,
Miami.
Q Girls' 14s: Singles—Kaitlyn Chris-
tian, Orange, Calif. Doubles—Kate
Fuller, Suwanee, Ga., and Julie
Sabacinski, Plantation, Fla.
Q Girls' 12s: Singles—Chanelle Van
Nguyen, Coconut Grove, Fla. Dou-
bles—Megan Kurey, Alpharetta,
Ga., and Caitlyn M. Williams,
Knoxville, Tenn.

TSRs Reach Out to

26,000 in Six Months

M
ark McMahon, the USTA’s
national manager for Tennis
Service Representatives and
Tennis Welcome Centers, says the 91
TSRs made more than 6,300 person-
al visits to tennis facilities, parks,
schools, colleges, Community Tennis
Associations, NJTLs, and other organ-
izations in the first half of 2006.
“The TSRs have been very visi-
ble,” McMahon says, “meeting with
over 26,000 different teaching pro-
fessionals, school coaches, PE teach-
ers, CTA volunteers, and more.”

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 13

 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6

SHORT SETS
INDUSTRYNEWS

tennis apparel pieces. Visit www.fila.com.

>special
Through September, Klip is offering a >to the
The Ultimate Fantasy Camp II will return
on its Excellerator and Venom
strings for authorized dealers, VIPs, USRSA,
> Dunlop and the U.S. Squash Racquets
Association are sponsoring a series of squash
Hyatt Grand Cypress Resort in Orlan-
do, Fla., Nov. 30-Dec. 3. Organized by Jim
PTR, and USPTA. If you buy eight, you’ll exhibitions and clinics at some of the nation’s Courier’s InsideOut Sports & Entertainment,
receive two at no charge, plus a free Klip leading squash clubs featuring champions the camp will include a champion lineup of
Moisture Management hat. Contact 866- Jonathon Power and Julian Illingworth. The instructors, including Courier, MaliVai
554-7872 or [email protected]. Dunlop Power Tour events will feature junior Washington, Aaron Krickstein, Jimmy Arias,
clinics and demonstrations, exhibition and Mikael Pernfors. For info, call 646-367-
>TailJane Luzzi, who has been apparel maker
Inc.’s Southern California sales rep for matches, autograph sessions, and the 2770 or visit www.insideoutlive.com.
opportunity to interact with the players. To
30 years, has expanded her territory to
cover the whole state. “Jane is one of Tail’s schedule a tour engagement, local organiz-
>MikeTheBryan,
world’s top doubles team, Bob and
recorded an original song,
strongest representatives and we are look- ers should contact U.S. Squash at 610-667- “Revolution,” which is featured in a 30-
ing forward to working with her to increase 4006 or email [email protected]. second commercial on ATPtennis.com. The
our presence in Northern California,” says For more information, visit www.us- commercial, which features doubles
Tail’s Brad Singer, vice president of sales and squash.org. footage, also was slated to be shown on TV
marketing. She can be reached at 949-643-
2386 or [email protected].
>washTheInternational
tennis management firm Peter Bur-
will direct the tennis pro-
broadcasts of ATP summer tournaments.

gram at the 12-court Lodge at Ventana

>azine,
Babolat, in partnership with Tennis mag-
> Viking Athletics’ OZ paddle is now
upgraded with a new Gamma Sports Pro Canyon in Tucson, Ariz. For more informa-
hosted a tennis event in New York
City’s Grand Central Terminal the Friday
Control grip. Viking is the top supplier of tion about PBI, visit www.pbitennis.com. before the Open. Babolat pros who were
platform tennis paddles, balls, and acces-
sories. For more information, contact 631-
> The USTA Southern Section presented
three Mississippi tennis facilities with more
slated to appear included Rafael Nadal,
Andy Roddick, and Robby Ginepri.
957-8000, email paddles@VikingAthletics than $70,000 in hurricane relief funding
.com, or visit www.VikingAthletics.com. recently. The facilities—Singing River Yacht
>topPrize money at the 2006 US Open will
$18.5 million, says the USTA, and may
Club in Pascagoula, Gulf Coast Tennis Club
>repsBällein Canada.
de Mätch has added two new sales
Both are currently territory in Gulfport, and Abbey Road Athletic Club in
exceed $21.1 million, depending on results
from the lead-in US Open Series of tourna-
managers for Wilson Racquet Sports Cana- Pass Christian—were damaged during ments. Men’s and women’s singles winners
da. Blair Rickers will handle the Toronto and storms in 2005. will each earn $1.2 million and receive a
Ontario areas, and Ben Michaud will cover
Montreal and Quebec.
>Kournikova
Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras, and Anna
will join Sir Elton John and Billie
new Lexus GS 450h automobile.

Jean King in the 14th Annual World

>publication
Deuce Magazine, a jointly produced
> Fila’s “Past Forward” campaign will
“usher in a new era of classically inspired TeamTennis Smash Hits to raise money in the
from the ATP and Sony Ericsson
WTA Tour, is now available for reading
apparel and footwear, which echoes the fight against HIV and AIDS. The event will be online in a unique, complimentary version.
grounding principles of its original vision: a Sept. 14 at the Bren Center on the Universi- Fans can read all articles from the hard-
bold spirit, elegant aesthetic, and authen- ty of California–Irvine campus. copy version at deucemagazine.com. The
ticity to sport,” says the company. The
brand, which debuted in 1973, recently
> The USPTA’s magazine, ADDvantage, won
an Apex Award for Communication Excel-
first-ever online edition utilizes a one-of-a-
kind format, designed as a virtual magazine
launched a series of limited edition, vintage lence for its October/November 2005 issue. with article spreads.

Ashaway Offers Pre-Packaged Hybrid Strings

A
shaway Racket Strings offers a range of pre-packaged hybrid strings that the company says is
designed to allow tennis players at all levels the ability to custom-tailor the playing character-
istics of their racquets. Ashaway's Crossfire family includes Crossfire MonoGut, which com-
bines a multi-polymer monofilament for mains with synthetic gut crosses, and Crossfire II, 17, and
18, which combine three gauges of Kevlar (aramid) fiber mains with synthetic gut crosses.
"Stringing logs of the Grand Slam tourneys over the past few years have shown an increasing
preference for hybrid strings among top pros," says Steve Crandall, vice president of marketing
for Ashaway. "Hybrid stringing allows players to fully customize their string bed to match their
game and style of play, and even with the particular type and condition of the court, whether it's
clay, grass or asphalt."
For information, contact 800-556-7260, email [email protected], or visit
www.ashawayusa.com.

14 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Philadelphia Wins 2006 USRSA MEMBER CLASSIFIEDS

WTT Championship TENNIS PROFESSIONALS NEEDED to take a Caribbean Vacation! You work

T
he Philadelphia Freedoms captured the 2006 3 hours per day and receive 5-star all inclusive accommodations for your-
World TeamTennis championship, ousting the self and 1 guest. Contact Denise Cox 678-778-4673; www.fitbodiesinc.com
Newport Beach Breakers, 21-14, at the Pal-
isades Tennis Club in Newport Beach, Calif., in July. FOR SALE: Alpha Edge Electronic Stringing Machine. Turntable upgrade to
Philadelphia, coached by Craig Kardon, was New Gamma 5800 6 point Quick Mount System and Action clamps. Also
aided by wins from pros Lisa Raymond, Daniel included: Original turntable, string clamps, tools, machine stand, manual,
Nestor, and Rennae Stubbs, who was named
and shipping cartons. Well maintained & calibrated. $1250 plus shipping.
Most Valuable Player for the finals. It was the sec-
ond WTT crown for the Freedoms, who also won Please contact John Zednick USRSA Certifier @ 919-859-6788.
the King Trophy in 2001. NOW HIRING: tennis racquet stringer with prior stringing experience.
In other news, WTT rookie Angela Haynes of
Must be reliable and detail oriented. Excellent potential for motivated
the Delaware Smash, and Philadelphia’s Nestor
won female and male MVP honors for the WTT individual. USRSA certification preferred. Chicago Tennis and Golf Com-
pro season. Also, for the third straight year, pany has been serving the tennis community for the last 18 years. Email:
Wayne Bryan of the Sacramento Capitals was [email protected] or call Corrine at 773-588-8884.
named WTT Coach of the Year.
FOR SALE: Tecnifibre TF5500 stringing machine; highly reliable; top condi-
tion: about 2 yrs. old: $3000 including shipping in continental US: Contact
Vince Chiarelli, [email protected] or call 727-595-7078.
FOR SALE: Babolat Sensor stringing machine; includes up-to-date modifi-
cations on clamp bases; includes badminton kit; top condition; about 4 yrs
old; $4000 including shipping in continental US; Contact Vince Chiarelli,
[email protected] or call 727-595-7068.

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 15


TENNIS innovations
Tennis on the Beach? New Sport Can
Help Attract New Players BY LIZA HORAN

W
ant an innovative and affordable way game—yes, there's a tour circuit of 11 registration and free use of racquets and
to attract new players to the game? events in six states and a Top 10 ranking— balls, includes demonstrations so bystanders
Marc Altheim, a New Yorker who offers competition at all levels and has can try out the game. Another bonus: Men
quit his job to back this new method 15 found a niche among teaching pros. work as "ball boys" for the women's
months ago, has the solution. There's only Heinz Haas, who works at Tennisport in matches, and women return the favor for
one catch: Sand. Long Island City, N.Y., says playing the sand men's matches.
Altheim is the creator of Beach Tennis adds a fresh dimension to tennis. "It's defi- In May, the Beach Tennis USA tractor
USA (www.BeachTennisUSA.net), a new nitely a great workout,” trailer, carting signage and
sport that borrows a court and no-bounce he adds. equipment, rolled into
rule from beach volleyball, and its format "I didn't think it How You Can Bradenton, Fla., for an
and tools from tennis. Played as doubles
with no-ad scoring, participants use tennis
would catch on as fast
with the top tennis play-
Play In the Sand event, which made a great
field trip for 45 students
racquets to hit a slightly depressurized ball ers," says Altheim, noting Any tennis facility, beach club, or of the Nick Bollettieri Ten-
over the elevated net. that the playing field cur- park and rec department that nis Academy. "These kids
The Beach Tennis USA team introduced rently is male dominated. wants to run the sport locally can licked it up," says Altheim,
the sport to more than 30,000 people since "It's been universally become a licensee. Licensees have who founded Beach Ten-
the first event in May 2005, and the embraced at the highest use of the Beach Tennis USA logo, nis USA LLC last year with
response has been overwhelming. Bottom levels of tennis." a net and lines kit, an operations Fredric Finkelstein and Sjo-
line: It's putting tennis racquets into the And volleyball. Sinjin manual, and support from the New erd de Vries.
hands of kids and adults alike for the first Smith, a beach volleyball York office. All events by licensees While the game is
time. legend and former presi- are sanctioned by the National played in places as diverse
"You have all these barriers of entry to dent of the Association Beach Tennis Association, which as Aruba, Brazil, and Hol-
the [traditional] game—getting to the court, of Volleyball Profession- means those players can be ranked land, it's never been quite
reserving court time," says Altheim, who als, is an avid beach ten- and participate in national events. as organized as what's
himself plays tennis, squash, table tennis, nis player. “I’m a huge Go to www.BeachTennisUSA.net happening here. This sum-
paddle tennis, racquetball, and the beach tennis fan, and of course for information. mer marked the start of
paddle game Kadima. "Teaching pros can can’t get away from the the sport’s governing body
use beach tennis as a way to leverage their beach and volleyball,” says Smith. “So it in the U.S., the National Beach Tennis Asso-
own tennis universe." was only natural that I try beach tennis— ciation.
The recreational game offers fun and and I loved it.” Also this year, Beach Tennis USA began
fitness in a cool setting. And the pro Each tournament, which provides free licensing the product, as tournaments creat-

16 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

ed more and more buzz about the sport. In
2007, Altheim says he hopes to add more tour-
nament dates, higher purses, and TV coverage.
The 2005 season-ending championships,
held in Long Beach, N.Y., drew 100 players
from eight countries and a purse of $15,000.
The prize money for the 2006 event was
$18,000.
"Our big challenge is to harness the
demand," says Altheim, who notes that more
than 30,000 people have tried beach tennis.
"Our dream is to have four beach tennis
trucks—one in each part of the country." In the
midst of this burgeoning growth, Beach Tennis
USA secured Head/Penn and Cobra systems as
sponsors. There's an opening for an overall
sponsor like a car manufacturer, Altheim says,
because "this is a great vehicle for them to acti-
vate their product."
For those whose “product” is traditional
tennis, it's also a great vehicle. And, yes, Beach
Tennis USA can refer sand suppliers for those
land-locked.

Frequent tennis player Liza Horan is

the editor and founder of
TENNISWIRE.org, an industry news
site, and president of the U.S. Ten-
nis Writers’ Association.

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 17

3 service AND return
Set the Stage to Make
Your Customer Service Shine
BY MIKE CARTER

LANDSCAPING enter your facility or shop? It’s known as

I’m not just talking about the lawn and the “7-11 Rule.” And “cleanliness” is the
bushes here. I’m assuming that you have first thing they look for.
that part all green and clean. You must The other impressions they quickly
know that the No. 1 thing that people note about you and your business are:
care about in the places they shop, attractiveness, creditable, knowledgeable,
according to more than one study, is … responsive, friendly, helpful, empathetic,
cleanliness. courteous, confident, and professional.
That probably wasn’t hard to figure Once they take all this in—in those critical

I
n our last customer-service article (June out, but how clean is your place? Now, first seven seconds—they make one of
2006, page 34), we were gearing up you’ve walked into your pro shop door so three decisions: they either like you, are
to kick off a big spring/summer with many times you may be numb to the indifferent to you, or dislike you.
some new techniques and ideas. Now we pizza boxes, odor, dirty carpet, and dead But did you know the 7-11 Rule
are hot, dehydrated, with the farmer-tan plant in the corner. Look at it with a fresh applies to the phone, too? Think about
in full bloom, and hopefully taking good set of eyes and see where you can take it the other businesses you call; I’m sure you
care of our clientele. Well, take care of up another level! form a number of impressions yourself,
yourselves, too, because, with just a little Did you know that people form 11 whether you talk to a person or a
tweaking, you are going to be diving right impressions of you and your business machine. Sometimes it can be a great
into a record-setting fall and winter pro- within the first seven seconds when they experience; many times it is not!
gram! Harvey Mackay, author of Swimming
Let’s get started with part two in this with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive
series. The following ideas will be key
ingredients to help you create an environ-
Have An and a tennis player, reserves the right to
hire only one person in his business—the
ment that will grow new customers and “Option receptionist. This is a huge issue that you
keep existing customers, so that they will must not take for granted. Some of us
spend their fitness and fun dollars with Seven” may not be able to hire shop staff and
you. There was an must rely on an answering machine, and
In addition, you will create an environ- email going that’s fine. It may even be better; you can
ment that will be a fun and rewarding around several be assured that the “voice of your busi-
place to work. Without fun, happy staff years ago ness” is always friendly, knowledgeable,
members, running a successful, customer- about a bank and upbeat, and that the people on the
friendly tennis business is nearly impossi- and its unique other end can hear the “smile” in your
ble. voice-mail system. When you called the voice. If you are able to hire a live body to
Back in June, we mainly focused on number, it sounded like any normal, well- answer phones, make sure each of the
the key traits that describe today’s organized system offering different options qualities listed above are “part of the
active/fitness consumers. These traits tell for you to push depending on what service deal” when they take on that role.
us who our clientele is and what their you needed. But when you got to Option Now that everyone loves how clean,
needs are. Now, we are going to tackle Seven, the friendly voice asked if you want- neat, and safe your place is, do you treat
maybe the most difficult, complex, and, in ed to hear a duck quack. That’s right, if you them to something special when they
my opinion, most important part of cus- pushed 7, you heard a duck quack! Now come in? What generosity do you show
tomer service: The Essentials. the employees at this bank could have your clients? Cookies, coffee, and
The Essentials are key “foundational” been chained to their desks in the base- Gatorade are all pretty easy to do. Some
business and personal principles that ment for all I knew. But my impressions fancy places vacuum the cars when their
make up you—Ms. or Mr. Professional— were that this was a fun place to work and players come and play. Find your gener-
your staff, and your business. The Essen- a great place to do business. What is your ous spirit and add some value to the
tials involve “landscaping” and Option Seven? experience of those who trust their limited
“manscaping.” time and money with you and your staff.

18 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

MANSCAPING
I may start to sound a little like your
mother here, but this is important—you
may not be as handsome as James Blake,
but you can wear a clean and pressed
shirt with the best of them. Manscaping
is about hygiene, people! It is semi-easy
because it’s totally under the control of
the individual, but it can be tricky, too,
because it is personal. You make the call,
but some of you and your staff try to get
by without making enough of an effort
to look professional, and it can cost you
and your business.
Stand closer to that razor and break
out that iron before you go to work every
day. Face it, we all act differently and feel
differently when we are dressed nicely, as
opposed to when we are walking around
the house in our boxers with bed head.
Check yourself and the staff and see if
some “improvements” need to be made.
Lastly, your smile may not be as blind-
ing as Cameron Diaz’s, but you have one,
you can use it, and it will be effective. I
heard someone say that your business
goes in the direction of the corners of
your mouth! We all need to increase our
smile ratio by 50 percent. In fact, John
Newcombe used to make himself smile
when he was angry on court. It is power-
ful enough to change your mood and the
mood of others around you.
OK, there you have it. The lesson here
is to Landscape and Manscape yourself to
huge success on and off the court.
Remember this old theater adage: “A
dramatic setting will create a dramatic
performance.” When you create the per-
fect setting, you will create an environ-
ment in which your employees will
actually enjoy working and people will
want to spend their time and their
money. Q

Mike Carter has been a certi-

fied tennis teaching pro with
the PTR and USPTA for more
than 20 years. For the past 14
years, he has worked to pro-
mote and develop the sport
for the USTA Texas Section. A
guest speaker at tennis conventions, sympo-
siums, and training seminars, Carter was rec-
ognized by Tennis Industry Magazine in
1997 as one of the Top 25 Unsung Heroes
of Tennis.

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 19

 A CLASS
ROOM
RSI/ASBA 2005 FACILITY-OF-THE-YEAR AWARDS

This indoor award winner is alone at the top.

here was only one winner in last year’s Indoor Tennis The existing roof deck, which was leaking, consisted of

T Facility category for the Racquet Sports Industry/American

Sports Builders Association’s Facility-of-the-Year Awards.
But it was a grand project: Seven existing outdoor courts on
two layers of concrete with insulation and a waterproof mem-
brane in between. For the new construction, everything was
removed down to the lower layer of concrete and new water-
the roof deck of a recreational center at Emory University in proofing and insulation was installed, and a new top layer of
Atlanta were converted to six cushioned hard courts inside a concrete was poured. Then the new metal building frame was
new metal frame building—on top of the same center. installed on top of the structure. Since the building below
In addition to the six courts, the enclosed space also remained occupied during construction, most of the materials
includes offices, bathrooms, workout areas, and aerobics needed to be lifted onto the deck with large cranes.
rooms. Plus, a two-court unit was designed for volleyball and The result, though, is a new indoor facility that is at the top
basketball use during the off-season. of its class. —Peter Francesconi

Indoor Tennis Facility at Emory University

Atlanta, Ga.
(Nominated by Lower Brothers Co. Inc., Birmingham, Ala.)
Contractor: Lower Brothers Co.
Surface: Plexicushion/California Products Corp.
Nets, Net Posts, Backdrop Curtains: J.A. Cissel

For more on the ASBA and the Outstanding Tennis Facility Awards,
contact 866-501-ASBA or [email protected], or visit
www.sportsbuilders.org. Watch for the 2006 winners in an upcoming
issue of RSI.

20 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

STRING SELECTOR
GUIDE TO STRINGS

MAP 2006
Our exclusive tests of every string on the market will help you
choose the right product for your customers. BY CRAWFORD LINDSEY

S trings can make all the difference in the world for your customers. To
help them, you need to know their current string, racquet, style of
play, and what they’d like to achieve by changing to a different string. But
are fed onto a computer oscilloscope.
Measurements from the oscilloscope and a separate controller provide
all the raw data for the formulas that calculate the results reported here
how do you find the right string to fit the resulting profile? That’s where and on the new String Selector Tool at www.racquettech.com. Each string
we come in. has a different oscilloscope fingerprint, but all strings of a given material
We’ve tested virtually every string on the U.S. mar- bear a strong family resemblance.
ket today (478* from 31 manufacturers) for stiffness The graph below shows a typical oscilloscope
and tension loss and present the results here in the tracing of an impact. Notice the hammer continuous-
2006 String Selector Map and on the web ly decelerating (the 2 millimeters from peak to peak
(www.racquettech.com) in the new String Selector on the red tracing take longer and longer), coming to
Tool (see facing page) that allows you to plug in spe- a stop, and then accelerating to take-off. The outgo-
cific criteria to find exactly the string you need, in sec- ing speed of the hammer is typically 2 percent to 3
onds! percent slower than the incoming speed, no matter
This data can be invaluable to your image of pro- the string. Tennis string is a very efficient energy stor-
fessionalism and to your customer’s satisfaction and age and return device.
return business. But ultimately, it is the string’s stiffness that
Here’s a brief look at how we generated the num- counts. Stiffer strings take in less energy (more goes
bers and what they mean. into deforming the ball), and thus give back less, even
though they are always giving back all but a couple of percent of what they
Anatomy of a String Test took in. The strings remain as efficient as ever, but the interaction with the
We collect a large amount of data on every string through our testing pro- ball is what matters.
cedure. Each string is hit with a hammer (photo above), which impacts Softer strings will have less shock and more innate power; stiffer strings
with a force equal to that experienced by a string during a 120 mph serve. will have more shock and less innate power, but you can therefore swing
The event is measured with precise electronic equipment and the results a bit faster to add more spin and player-generated power.

A: Starting tension

Deflection
= 22.55 kg (49.6 lbs)
B: End tension = 22.23
(48.9 lbs) (impact loss of
.22 kg or 0.48 lbs)
C: Maximum tension during
impact = 40 kg (88 lbs).
D: Tension rise during impact
= 17.77 kg (39.1 lbs)
E to F: String deflection
during impact = 28.2 mm;
Duration of deflection =
15.83 ms
F to G: String return =
28.2 mm; Duration of
ejection = 16.02 ms
(outgoing speed = 98.8%
speed of incoming)
E to G: Total impact
duration = 32.06 ms

*Note: hybrids are not specifically indicated, though the separate mains and crosses composing them are.

22 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

R
Try Racquettech.com’s New String Selector Tool The Geography
The exclusive, new String Selector Tool at www.racquettech.com allows you to choose your cur-
rent string from a list of nearly 500 strings. Then it prompts you to indicate what you would like of “Feel”
different in a new string, and then shows you every string on the market that meets your crite- Finding Your “Feel Good” Location
ria. You can sort your results by any combination Q To find the string that goes with
of two variables, and you can choose from as the dot, note the dot's coordinates
many as five subgroups of results data. and look them up in the table.
Q Find your current string:
• If you like it, dots in the
neighborhood (i.e., close ver-
tical axes to right or left) will
likely play similar (perhaps
with better durability and
cost).
• If you don't like it, move out
of the neighborhood (i.e., ver-
tical axes farther to right or
left).
• If you like the feel but it
doesn't last, choose a string
farther down on the same
axis.
Q Stiffness (horizontal axis) is the
MOST important factor in string
“feel.”
Q The amount of tension loss affects
the consistency of that feel.
Q “Consistency” is relative and
depends on player sensitivity, string
durability, and amount and style
of play.
Q Hard hitters lose more tension than
light hitters.
Q Softer strings are to the left, stiffer
strings to the right.
Q Strings that lose more tension are
at the top; those that lose less are
at the bottom.
Q All strings on the same vertical line
should feel about the same, no mat-
ter the tension.
Q All strings at different locations on
the same horizontal line will feel
different from each other.
Q Stringbed power increases to the
left.
Q Player supplied power increases to
the right.
Q Stringbed control increases to the
right.
Q “Arm friendly” strings are to the
left.
Q “Feedback” intensity (shock)
increases to right.
Q Feel consistency over time tends to
increase toward the bottom.
Test Procedure. All strings were tensioned to 62 pounds and allowed to sit for 200 seconds. Then
the string was hit five times with a force equivalent to hitting a 120 mph serve. The tension loss represents the
Hybrids: to look up a hybrid combination, you
total amount of the relaxation over both time and impact. The stiffness value is a calculation derived from the must look up each string separately. If it is a
amount of force created at impact to stretch the string. Lower values represent softer strings and lower impact pre-packaged hybrid, most packaging indi-
forces. Higher values represent stiffer strings and higher impact forces. cates the name of each string.

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 23

 Nylon, Zyex, & Polyolefin (Sorted by Stiffness)
Stiff- Tension Stiff- Tension
Company String Material Gauge ness Loss Company String Material Gauge ness Loss
(lb/in.) (lbs) (lb/in.) (lbs)
Head IntelliString17 cross (RIP Feel) Polyolefin 1.28 136 15.14 Head RIP Ti.Fiber 17 Nylon / Polyolefin 1.23 189 10.56
Head IntelliTour 17 cross (RIP Feel) Polyolefin 1.28 136 15.14 Pacific Futura TXT 16L Nylon 1.29 189 11.16
Iso-Speed Platinum 16 (cross) Polyolefin 1.27 138 16.62 Tecnifibre Multifeel 16 Nylon / Polyurethane 189 9.81
Head Protector 16 cross (RIP Comfort) Polyolefin 1.31 140 15.77 Volkl Power-Fiber II 18 Nylon 1.19 189 10.39
Head IntelliTour 16 cross (RIP Feel) Polyolefin 1.33 143 14.77 Wilson Reaction 15L Nylon 1.35 189 10.94
Gamma Live Wire Professional 18 Nylon / Zyex 1.22 144 15.15 Ashaway Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.26 190 14.93
Ashaway Dynamite 17 Zyex / Nylon 1.24 147 13.72 Gamma Live Wire 16 Nylon / Zyex 1.31 190 12.87
Isospeed Professional 17 Polyolefin 1.27 152 15.06 Gamma Live Wire XP 16 Nylon / Zyex 1.32 190 12.04
Head Protector 16 main (RIP Protect)Polyolefin / Nylon 1.32 163 11.57 Gosen OG-Sheep Micro 18 Nylon 1.19 190 12.28
Ashaway Dynamite WB 16 Zyex / Nylon 1.37 165 13.21 Head Synthetic Gut PPS 17 Nylon 1.22 190 11.38
Iso-Speed Platinum 16 (main) Polyolefin / Nylon 1.32 165 12.46 Kirschbaum Touch Multifibre 1.25 Nylon 1.25 190 11.2
Wilson Reaction 18 Nylon 1.20 165 12.81 Klip Kicker 17 Nylon 1.24 190 11.68
Gamma Live Wire Professional 17 Nylon / Zyex 1.29 168 12.37 Tecnifibre NRG2 17 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.24 190 9.55
Forten Ti-Blend Cross 16 Nylon 1.32 171 13.56 Unique Tournafiber Irradiated 17 Nylon 1.27 190 11.62
Gamma Live Wire Professional 16 Nylon / Zyex 1.33 174 13.28 Yonex Tour Super 850 16 Nylon 1.31 190 10.89
Alpha Axiom 16 Nylon 1.32 175 12.67 Gamma Live Wire XP 17 Nylon / Zyex 1.25 191 12.35
Gamma Prodigy 17 Nylon 1.25 175 11.16 Gamma TNT Fat Core 17 Nylon 1.27 191 13.36
Pacific Power Twist 16L Nylon 1.29 175 13.01 Gamma TNT2 Rx 17 Nylon 1.26 191 10.96
Prince Premier w/softflex 17 Nylon 1.25 175 11.97 Gamma TNT2 Pro Plus 17L Nylon 1.25 192 12.74
Wilson Reaction 17 Nylon 1.27 175 12 Kirschbaum Touch MultiFibre 1.30 Nylon 1.31 192 14.07
Head Synthetic Gut PPS 18 Nylon 1.16 176 11.93 PowerAngle Duo-Color TNT 17 Nylon 1.20 192 12.01
Prince Premier w/Softflex 16 Nylon 1.31 176 11.97 Prince Lightning XX w/ Powerfoil 17 Nylon / Polyester 1.24 192 10.94
Fischer Comfort 16 Nylon 1.33 177 17.44 Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 1.24 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.28 192 10.12
Head IntelliTour 17 main (RIP Tour) Nylon / Polyolefin 1.30 177 10.87 Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 1.30 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.31 192 10.08
Head IntelliString 16L main (RIP Power)Nylon / Polyolefin 1.32 178 10.91 Forten Omni Spin 15L Nylon 1.37 193 12.44
Head RIP Control 17 Nylon / Polyolefin 1.28 178 10.25 Gosen OG-Sheep Micro Super 17 Nylon 1.24 193 11.51
Pacific Power Twist 16 Nylon 1.35 179 11.78 Tecnifibre Multifeel 17 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.27 193 9.92
Head FiberGel Power 17 Nylon 1.26 180 12.28 Tecnifibre TRC 17 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.25 193 11.2
Head Perfect Power 16 Nylon 1.35 180 11.84 Wilson NXT 17 Nylon 1.24 193 12.99
Iso-Speed Energetic Plus 16 Nylon / Polyolefin 1.32 180 10.41 Wilson W Reflection16 Nylon 1.31 193 12.7
Gamma Prodigy 16 Nylon 1.30 181 11.67 Alpha Claycourt Plus 16 Nylon 1.32 194 13.8
Head FXP Power 17 Nylon 1.25 181 13.37 Ashaway Liberty 16 Nylon 1.33 194 12.9
Head IntelliTour 16 main (RIP Tour)Nylon / Polyolefin 1.37 181 11.51 Babolat FiberTour 16 Nylon 1.32 194 10.45
Tecnifibre NRG2 18 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.17 181 9.86 Forten Sweet 17 Nylon 1.27 194 12.62
Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 1.18 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.19 181 8.96 Gamma TNT Fat Core 16 Nylon 1.31 194 12.77
Wilson Reaction 16 Nylon 1.30 181 11 Head FXP 17 Nylon / Polyester 1.25 194 10.59
Babolat Xcel Premium 17 Nylon 1.25 182 10.01 Klip Venom 16 Nylon 1.32 194 9.96
Gamma ESP 17 Nylon 1.28 182 12.68 Prince Lightning Power w/ Powerfoil 17Nylon / Polyester 1.25 194 11.4
Prince Sweet Perfection 17 Nylon 1.25 182 14 Prince Lightning XX 16 Nylon 1.29 194 10.76
Tecnifibre 515 17 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.27 182 13.05 Silent Partner Ultimatum 18 Nylon 1.19 194 12.04
Blue Star Laser 130 16 Nylon 1.31 183 10.94 Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.27 194 13.96
Klip Venom 17 Nylon 1.26 183 12.46 Volkl Power-Fiber II 16 Nylon 1.30 194 11.2
Velociti Plus 16 Nylon 1.31 183 12.65 Yonex Tournament 80 Spin 15L Nylon / Vectran 1.35 194 11.33
Velociti Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.21 183 13.21 Gamma TNT2 Ruff 16 Nylon 1.52 195 11.95
Alpha Firecable 16 Nylon / Polyester 1.31 184 14.73 Klip Excellerator 16 Nylon 1.30 195 11.44
Forten Tiegut 16 Nylon 1.32 184 12.08 Klip Excellerator 17 Nylon 1.30 195 11.66
Head RIP Control 16 Nylon / Polyolefin 1.38 184 11.02 Unique Tournafiber SpinPlus 16 Nylon 1.32 195 11.14
Pacific PMX 16 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.33 184 10.8 Volkl Power-Fiber 18 Nylon 1.19 195 9.57
Head Perfect Control 16 Nylon 1.38 185 10.7 Alpha Prodigy 16 Nylon 1.32 196 11.95
Head RIP Ti.Fiber 16 Nylon 1.33 185 11.23 Ashaway Liberty L15 Nylon 1.41 196 16.25
Velociti Plus 17 Nylon 1.26 185 13.63 Gamma TNT2 Pro Plus 16 Nylon 1.32 196 11.16
Yonex Tough Brid 125 Nylon / Vectran 1.35 185 12.02 Gosen Super Tec AK Speed 17 Nylon 1.24 196 10.87
Babolat Attraction Power 17 Nylon 1.26 186 9.84 Head Synthetic Gut PPS 16 Nylon 1.31 196 11.69
Babolat Syntronic Brio 17 Nylon 1.25 186 10.41 Pacific Space Power TX 16L Nylon 1.31 196 12.26
Blue Star Fibergut XL 15L Nylon 1.39 186 11.71 Yonex Tour Super 850 Pro 16 Nylon 1.34 196 11.13
Blue Star Stargut 16 Nylon 1.36 186 12.94 Babolat Syntronic Brio 16 Nylon 1.34 197 10.52
Gamma ESP 16 Nylon 1.32 186 12.64 Dunlop M-Fil Tour 16 Nylon 1.33 197 11.87
Gamma Revelation 17 Nylon 1.26 186 13.08 Forten Spin Gear 15 Nylon 1.43 197 11.22
Volkl Power-Fiber II 17 Nylon 1.25 186 12.2 Gamma Revelation 16 Nylon / Zyex 1.32 197 11.88
Wilson Stamina Spin 16 Nylon 1.29 186 12.68 Tecnifibre NRG2 16 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.31 197 8.05
Alpha Gut 2000 Nylon 1.33 187 11.23 Wilson Sensation 17 Nylon 1.25 197 11.91
Babolat Xcel Premium 16 Nylon 1.31 187 10.12 Ashaway Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.34 198 12.12
Gamma Gut 2 16 Nylon 1.34 187 12 Blue Star Original 15L Nylon 1.43 198 13.92
Prince Sweet Perfection 16 Nylon 1.31 187 13.05 Forten Dynamix 18 Nylon 1.21 198 13.01
Gamma Live Wire 17 Nylon / Zyex 1.24 188 13.74 Head FiberGel 16 Nylon 1.34 198 11.97
Prince Lightning XX w/ Powerfoil 16 Nylon / Polyester 1.32 188 10.96 Pacific Premium Power X 16L Nylon 1.29 198 12.74
Silent Partner Filament Frenzy 16 Nylon 1.31 188 11.55 Velociti Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.30 198 12.88
Yonex Tour Super 880 Ti Soft 16L Nylon 1.28 188 9.77 Wilson NXT 16 Nylon 1.30 198 10.69
Alpha Element 16 Nylon 1.32 189 10.89 Yonex Tournament 50 16L Nylon 1.29 198 11.53
Babolat Attraction 16 Nylon 1.30 189 10.03 Dunlop Max Comfort 17 Nylon 1.23 199 11.78
Head FiberGel Power 16 Nylon 1.31 189 11.62 Gosen OG-Sheep Micro 17 Nylon 1.24 199 12.35

24 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

 Nylon, Zyex, & Polyolefin (Sorted by Stiffness) Cont.
Stiff- Tension Stiff- Tension
Company String Material Gauge ness Loss Company String Material Gauge ness Loss
(lb/in.) (lbs) (lb/in.) (lbs)
Prince Tournament Nylon 15L Nylon 1.40 199 13.19 Head FXP 16 Nylon / Polyester 1.34 209 10.83
Pro Kennex IQ-Elite 16 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.29 199 11.42 Klip Kicker 16 Nylon 1.32 209 12.55
Tecnifibre 515 16 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.35 199 10.58 Prince Synthetic Gut 15L w/Duraflex Nylon 1.35 209 11.13
Wilson NXT OS 16L Nylon 1.32 199 10.43 Prince Topspin 15L Nylon 1.30 209 11.92
Yonex Tough Brid 130 Nylon / Vectran 1.40 199 11.9 Prince Topspin Plus 16 Nylon 1.29 209 10.06
Babolat Xcel Premium 15L Nylon 1.39 200 10.17 Wilson NXT Tour 18 Nylon 1.24 209 9.53
Bow Brand Micro Tournament 17 Nylon 1.24 200 12.5 Wilson Sensation 16 Nylon 1.32 209 11.55
Dunlop Max Comfort 16 Nylon 1.32 200 11.07 Wilson Stamina 17 Nylon 1.25 209 9.68
Pacific Power Line 1 17 Nylon 1.33 200 11.54 Babolat Superfine Play 16 Nylon 1.32 210 12.76
Pacific Power Line 16 Nylon 1.34 200 11.38 Bow Brand Tournament 16L Nylon 1.32 210 11.97
Wilson Stamina 18 Nylon 1.22 200 9.81 Gamma TNT2 16 Nylon 1.31 210 10.34
Blue Star Focus 130 16 Nylon 1.33 201 10.76 Head Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.24 210 11.27
Bow Brand t2000 15L Nylon 1.37 201 11.38 Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.34 210 12.7
Forten Dynamix 15L Nylon 1.33 201 11.82 Wilson Extreme Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.25 210 10.39
Forten Ti-Blend Main 16 Nylon 1.34 201 12.57 Babolat Powergy 16 Nylon 1.34 211 13.1
Silent Partner Ultimatum 17 Nylon 1.28 201 12.66 Forten Competition Nylon 15L Nylon 1.41 211 10.89
Wilson Staminia Spin 15L Nylon 1.38 201 12.15 Gamma Marathon DPC 16 Nylon 1.32 211 11.51
Alpha Sensor Fibre 16 Nylon 1.35 202 11.02 Gosen Tecgut Super Tec AK Speed 16 Nylon 1.32 211 10.45
Gamma Challenger 17 Nylon 1.27 202 11.33 Unique Tournafiber Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.34 211 12.76
Gamma Gut 3 17 Nylon 1.25 202 10.09 Wilson NXT Max 16 Nylon 1.34 211 9.71
Klip Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.25 202 12.87 Alpha Viper 16 Nylon 1.29 212 12.35
Pacific Premium Power X 16 Nylon 1.33 202 13.67 Forten Sweet 16 Nylon 1.33 212 10.78
Pro Kennex IQ-Qualifier 16 Nylon 1.31 202 12.96 Gosen OG-Sheep Micro Super JC 16 Nylon 1.3 212 11.05
Gamma Synthetic Gut 17 w/Wearguard Nylon 1.26 203 9.15 Gosen Tecgut Super Tec Ak Pro 16 Nylon 1.34 212 11.64
Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Weargurard 18 Nylon 1.21 203 9.68 Prince Synthetic Gut 17 w/Duraflex Nylon 1.26 212 10.69
Gamma TNT2 Rx 16 Nylon 1.36 203 9.81 Prince Synthetic Gut 16 w/Duraflex Nylon 1.30 213 12.04
Gosen OG-Sheep Micro 16 Nylon 1.29 203 12.96 RAB Endura Classic Nylon 16 Nylon 1.32 213 11.62
Kirschbaum Touch Classic 1.25 Nylon 1.24 203 11.23 Babolat Razor Spin 16 Nylon 1.30 214 13.76
Kirschbaum Touch Classic 1.30 Nylon 1.30 203 10.94 Gamma TNT2 18 Nylon 1.18 214 11.05
Klip Screamer Titanium 16 Nylon / Titanium 1.30 203 12.54 Klip Synthetic Gut 15L Nylon 1.37 214 13.76
Prince Lightning Power w/ Powerfoil 16Nylon / Polyester 1.31 203 9.95 Klip Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.33 214 10.98
Prince Synthetic Gut 18 w/Duraflex Nylon 1.20 203 11.51 Prince Synthetic Gut Original 17 Nylon 1.24 214 10.59
Wilson NXT Tour 17 Nylon 1.27 203 12.46 Dunlop Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.31 215 13.21
Forten Sweet 15 Nylon 1.36 204 11.55 Gamma Ruff 16 Nylon 1.48 215 11.33
Gamma Dura Spin 15L Nylon 1.37 204 9.63 Gamma Synthetic Gut 15L w/Weargurad Nylon 1.38 215 11.18
Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 w/Wearguard Nylon 1.31 204 10.03 Klip Twister 15L Nylon 1.43 215 12.53
Gamma Zo Plus 16L Nylon 1.32 204 13.56 Unique Tournafiber Nylon 16 Nylon 1.32 215 12.33
Gosen OG Sheep Micro Super 16 Nylon 1.30 204 11.29 Alpha Sphere 16 Nylon 1.31 216 14.88
Klip Excellerator 15L Nylon 1.34 204 12.68 Pacific Dura Tech 16 Nylon / Aramid 1.32 216 12.85
Pacific Syntec 16L Nylon 1.32 204 12.37 Pacific Syntec 16 Nylon 1.37 216 12.15
Silent Partner Head Spin 15L Nylon 1.38 204 13.18 Babolat Conquest 16 Nylon 1.33 217 14.99
Silent Partner Titanium 16 Nylon 1.32 204 13.19 Gamma Challenger 16 Nylon 1.32 217 10.95
Unique Tournafiber Irradiated 16 Nylon 1.33 204 11.44 Gamma Dura Spin w/ Wearguard 16 Nylon 1.37 217 8.95
Unique Tournafiber Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.22 204 11.31 Gosen Nanocubic 16 Nylon 1.32 217 10.81
Dunlop Tour Performance 16 Nylon 1.34 205 10.85 Prince Synthetic Gut Original 16 Nylon 1.30 217 11.67
Fischer Tournament Pro 16 Nylon 1.36 205 13.54 Babolat Conquest 17 Nylon 1.27 218 12.64
Forten Dynamix 17 Nylon 1.26 205 11.14 Babolat Conquest Ti 16 Nylon 1.33 218 16.23
Gosen Micro 16 Nylon 1.31 205 10.94 Bow Brand Calibre 15L Nylon 1.36 218 12.28
Gosen OG-Sheep Micro Spin 15L Nylon 1.35 205 10.25 Bow Brand Super Pro 15L Nylon 1.43 218 11.42
Head Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.29 205 11.27 Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.30 218 9.86
Pacific Power Spin 16 Nylon 1.38 205 12.48 Gosen OG-Sheep Proform Tuff 15L Nylon 1.38 218 11.16
Wilson Extreme Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.28 205 10.3 Wilson Ultra Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.32 218 10.28
Wilson Supreme 17 Nylon 1.29 205 11.07 Dunlop Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.24 219 10.04
Bow Brand Ballistic 15L Nylon 1.35 206 10.59 Gamma Marathon DPC 15L Nylon 1.44 219 10.8
Klip Scorcher 17 Nylon 1.27 206 13.51 Gamma XL 16 Nylon 1.29 219 11.4
Silent Partner Ultimatum 16 Nylon 1.33 206 12.81 Head Master 15L Nylon 1.39 219 11.58
Tecnifibre TRC 16 Nylon / Polyurethane 1.31 206 10.5 Wilson NXT Tour 16 Nylon 1.31 219 8.98
Velociti Synthetic Gut 15L Nylon 1.35 206 10.83 Wilson Stamina 16 Nylon 1.32 219 10.1
Pacific Futura TXT 16 Nylon 1.39 207 11.51 Gamma Synthetic Gut 18 Nylon 1.22 221 10.14
Prince Lightning XX 17 Nylon 1.26 207 9.68 Gosen Tecgut Power 16 Nylon 1.31 221 14.58
Silent Partner Original Syn 16 Nylon 1.33 207 13.89 Head Master 16L Nylon 1.31 221 9.57
Babolat Superfine Play 17 Nylon 1.25 208 11.49 Bow Brand Superspin 1.33 Nylon 1.43 222 11.29
Bow Brand Synthetic Gut XT 16 Nylon 1.33 208 10.85 Gamma Dura Spin 16 Nylon 1.39 223 8.93
Forten Dynamix 16 Nylon 1.34 208 10.95 Fischer Pro Number One 16 Nylon 1.32 224 12.66
Kirschbaum Touch Titanium 1.30 Nylon / Titanium 1.30 208 12.11 Gamma Synthetic Gut 15L Nylon 1.37 224 11.42
Klip Scorcher 16 Nylon 1.31 208 12.83 Gamma Advantage 15L Nylon 1.39 227 9.9
Wilson NXT Max 15L Nylon 1.35 208 9.88 Gamma Marathon DPC 17 Nylon 1.27 228 9.42
Wilson Supreme 16 Nylon 1.32 208 10.34 Gamma Dura Spin 15L Nylon 1.41 230 10.23
Gamma Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.26 209 11.51 Ashaway MonoGut 17 Nylon 1.22 233 20.2
Gamma TNT2 17 Nylon 1.27 209 9.85 Ashaway MonoGut 16L Nylon 1.27 242 19.4

26 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

 Polyester (Sorted by Stiffness)
Stiff- Tension Stiff- Tension
Company String Material Gauge ness Loss Company String Material Gauge ness Loss
(lb/in.) (lbs) (lb/in.) (lbs)

Babolat Pro Hurricane 18 Polyester 1.21 187 22.29 RAB MonoFlex 16L Polyester 1.26 248 17.95
Tecnifibre Promix 1.25 Polyester 1.27 199 13.72 Gosen Polylon 17 Polyester 1.24 249 19.52
Pacific Poly Power 18 Polyester 1.09 201 21.17 Luxilon Big Banger Original 16 Polyester 1.28 249 17.11
Tecnifibre Promix 1.30 Polyester 1.29 204 14.99 Prince Tour 17 Polyester 1.25 249 21.37
Gosen Polylon Comfort 17 Polyester 1.26 215 19.91 Tecnifibre Polyspin 1.275 Polyester 1.27 249 19.87
Gosen Polylon SP 17 Polyester 1.25 215 20.7 Luxilon Monotec Supersense 16L Polyester 1.26 250 19.21
Pro Kennex IQ Poly XT 17 Polyester 1.22 217 20.05 Signum Pro Poly Speed Excl. 1.30 Polyester 1.30 250 19.63
Kirschbaum Competition 1.20 Polyester 1.19 219 19.09 Signum Pro Poly-Power 1.35 Polyester 1.35 250 19.38
Signum Pro Poly-Duluxe 1.22 Polyester 1.20 220 19.11 Toalson Thermaxe 130 Polyester 1.29 250 22.21
Klip K-Boom 18 Polyester 1.19 223 18.88 Gamma Zo Life 16 Polyester 1.28 251 15.5
Gamma Zo True 18 Polyester 1.13 224 17.55 Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.325 Polyester 1.33 252 20.75
Wilson Enduro Pro 18 Polyester 1.21 224 17.02 Signum Pro Poly-Deluxe 1.25 Polyester 1.32 252 17.4
Babolat Pro Hurricane 17 Polyester 1.25 226 16.83 Forten Flexion 16L Polyester 1.24 254 15.53
Toalson Thermaxe 123 Polyester 1.23 226 17.97 Gosen Polylon 16 Polyester 1.30 254 21.23
Kirschbaum P2 1.20 Polyester 1.18 227 18.1 Head UltraTour 17 Polyester 1.22 255 19.29
Pro Kennex IQ Poly XT 16L Polyester 1.23 227 19.29 Kirschbaum P2 1.275 Polyester 1.24 255 16.47
Signum Pro Poly Megaforce 1.19 Polyester 1.19 227 16.67 Klip K-Boom 16 Polyester 1.31 255 16.96
Kirschbaum Turbo Touch 1.25 Polyester 1.25 229 21.41 Yonex Poly Tour 125 16 Polyester 1.24 255 19.78
Silent Partner Roly Poly 17 Polyester 1.27 229 19.62 Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 17 Polyester 1.25 256 17.58
Pacific Poly Soft 16 Polyester 1.29 231 19.16 Forten Flexion 16 Polyester 1.28 256 16.76
Unique Tourna Poly Big Hitter 17 Polyester 1.26 231 18.15 Forten Intimidator 16 Polyester 1.30 256 17.91
Luxilon Big Banger Ace 18 Polyester 1.16 232 17.05 Gosen Polylon Comfort 16 Polyester 1.30 256 19.65
Yonex Tough Brid 125 (main) Polyester 1.24 232 20.95 Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky 1.25 Polyester 1.26 256 22.02
Signum Pro Poly Plasma 1.23 Polyester 1.25 233 17.48 Prince Tour 16 Polyester 1.28 256 21.57
Signum Pro Poly-Deluxe 1.30 Polyester 1.24 233 18.31 Signum Pro Plasma Hextreme 1.30 Polyester 1.29 256 16.63
Signum Pro Poly-Power 1.30 Polyester 1.32 233 19.58 Alpha Polycable 16 Polyester 1.33 257 23.44
Klip K-Boom 17 Polyester 1.23 234 17.99 Babolat Ballistic Polymono 16 Polyester 1.30 257 20.31
Volkl V-Rex 16L Polyester 1.24 234 18.32 Kirschbaum P2 1.25 Polyester 1.25 257 15.48
Gosen Polylon SP 16 Polyester 1.29 235 21.06 Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.25 Polyester 1.25 257 19.55
Kirschbaum Competition 1.25 Polyester 1.28 235 19.07 Signum Pro Poly Megaforce 1.24 Polyester 1.24 257 14.91
Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.20 Polyester 1.21 235 19.98 Signum Pro Poly-Speed Excl. 1.35 Polyester 1.39 257 20
Signum Pro Poly-Special 1.25 Polyester 1.23 235 20.64 Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky 1.275 Polyester 1.27 258 20.84
Tecnifibre Pro Red Cone 17 Polyester 1.26 235 16.27 Klip Hardcore 16 Polyester 1.27 258 19.42
Topspin Polypolar 1.30 Polyester 1.28 235 24.72 Signum Pro Poly Megaforce 1.29 Polyester 1.30 258 15.06
RAB Endura Classic Poly 1.27 Polyester 1.29 236 20.26 Tecnifibre Pro Red Cone 16 Polyester 1.28 258 14.9
Signum Pro Poly-Fiber Titan 1.25 Polyester 1.26 236 24.1 Topspin Cyber Flash 1.30 Polyester 1.27 258 15.28
Forten Pro Select 17 Polyester 1.20 238 18.92 Wilson Enduro Gold 16 Polyester 1.32 258 17.6
Pacific Poly Dura 15L Polyester 1.34 238 22.32 Ashaway Monofire XL 17 Polyester 1.26 259 17.13
Gamma Zo Power 16L Polyester 1.20 239 17.29 Gamma Zo Sweet 17 Polyester 1.22 259 15.75
Signum Pro Poly Plasma 1.18 Polyester 1.19 239 15.65 Luxilon Big Banger LTS 16 Polyester 1.30 259 18.57
Wilson Enduro Pro 17 Polyester 1.25 239 15.77 Signum Pro Poly Plasma 1.28 Polyester 1.27 260 15.98
Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough 16LPolyester 1.25 240 18.98 Wilson Enduro Pro 16 Polyester 1.30 260 14.33
Luxilon Monotec Zolo Rough 16L Polyester 1.25 240 19.56 Luxilon Big Banger TiMO 17 Polyester 1.23 261 16.29
Topspin Cyber Flash 1.25 Polyester 1.23 240 15.54 Toalson Thermaxe 127 Polyester 1.27 261 18.99
Babolat Pro Hurricane 16 Polyester 1.31 241 13.61 Pacific Force 17 Polyester 1.25 262 13.47
Forten Poly-Blast 17 Polyester 1.23 241 18.41 Yonex Poly Tour 130 16 Polyester 1.32 262 19.65
Luxilon Big Banger TiMO 18 Polyester 1.15 241 16.91 Fischer Poly Pro 17 Polyester 1.27 263 21.06
Luxilon Monotec Zolo 18 Polyester 1.25 241 17.86 Head UltraTour 16L Polyester 1.27 263 17.97
Pacific Poly Power 15L Polyester 1.33 241 24.83 Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.35 Polyester 1.37 263 19.36
Pacific Poly Spin 16L Polyester 1.25 241 19.12 Gamma Dura Blast 17 Polyester 1.26 264 16.82
Unique Tourna Poly Big Hitter 16 Polyester 1.29 241 17.62 Pacific Poly Power 16 Polyester 1.29 265 17.16
Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 16L Polyester 1.23 242 17.13 Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.30 Polyester 1.29 266 19.58
Signum Pro Poly-Fiber Titan 1.30 Polyester 1.30 242 24.89 Luxilon Big Banger Original Rough 16 Polyester 1.28 266 19.21
Kirschbaum Touch Turbo 1.30 Polyester 1.30 243 19.58 Gamma Zo True 17 Polyester 1.24 267 14.58
Klip Hardcore 17 Polyester 1.24 243 17.05 Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 16 Polyester 1.28 270 16.61
Luxilon Big Banger XP 16L Polyester 1.25 243 17.78 Signum Pro Poly Plasma 1.33 Polyester 1.34 270 14.26
Luxilon Monotec Zolo 16L Polyester 1.24 243 17.64 Unique Tourna Poly Premium 18 Polyester 1.21 271 15.39
Signum Pro Poly-Power 1.20 Polyester 1.20 243 19.5 Kirschbaum P2 1.30 Polyester 1.30 273 15.74
Signum Pro Poly-Special 1.30 Polyester 1.28 243 20.33 Ashaway Monofire XL 16 Polyester 1.29 278 16.14
Alpha Vengence 16L Polyester 1.29 244 22.05 Signum Pro Poly Megaforce 1.34 Polyester 1.34 278 15.69
Babolat Ballistic Polymono 17 Polyester 1.25 244 20.89 Kirschbaum Long Life 1.38 Polyester 1.40 281 20.71
Signum Pro Poly-Speed Excl. 1.25 Polyester 1.27 244 19.56 Signum Pro Poly Speed Spin 1.28 Polyester 1.29 283 18
Pacific PolySpin 16 Polyester 1.32 245 20.29 Luxilon Monotec Super Poly 16 Polyester 1.25 288 17.28
Prince Polygut 16 Polyester 1.31 246 20.09 Signum Pro Poly Speed Spin 1.33 Polyester 1.32 289 18.34
Prince Polygut 17 Polyester 1.24 246 21.52 Luxilon Big Banger 5-Star 15L Polyester 1.37 290 17.94
Signum Pro Plasma Hextreme 1.25 Polyester 1.25 246 16.23 Pacific Poly Force 17 Polyester 1.24 294 13.41
Kirschbaum Competition 1.30 Polyester 1.30 247 18.5 Gamma Dura Blast 16 Polyester 1.30 303 12.68
Signum Pro Poly-Power 1.25 Polyester 1.26 247 17.88 Pacific Poly Force 16L Polyester 1.30 320 17.84
Yonex Tough Brid 130 (main) Polyester 1.30 247 22.42

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 27

 Gut (Sorted by Stiffness)
Stiff- Tension Stiff- Tension
Company String Material Gauge ness Loss Company String Material Gauge ness Loss
(lb/in.) (lbs) (lb/in.) (lbs)

Unique Tourna Gut 17 Natural Gut 1.22 84 8.75 Pacific Classic Gut 16 Natural Gut 1.30 106 11.01
Pacific Tough Gut 16 Natural Gut 1.26 88 6.75 Babolat VS Touch 16 Natural Gut 1.30 107 8.31
Pacific Classic Gut 16L Natural Gut 1.28 92 6.39 Wilson Natural 15L Natural Gut 1.34 110 9.28
Pacific Prime Gut 16L Natural Gut 1.30 92 6.86 Bow Brand Championship 16 Natural Gut 1.30 111 7.36
Pacific Prime Gut 16 Natural Gut 1.28 97 5.75 Grand Slam Gut Grand Slam Gut 16 (coated) Natural Gut 1.41 113 9.28
Grand Slam Gut Grand Slam Gut 15L (coated) Natural Gut 1.36 100 8.58 Klip Legend 1.30 Natural Gut 1.28 113 8.77
Pacific Tough Gut 15 Natural Gut 1.37 100 7.37 Klip Legend 17 Natural Gut 1.27 113 9.31
Babolat VS Team 17 Natural Gut 1.26 102 8.45 Babolat Tonic+ Ball Feel Natural Gut 1.35 114 8.84
Wilson Natural 16 Natural Gut 1.31 102 8.43 Prince Natural Gut 16 Natural Gut 1.31 114 8.49
Wilson Natural 17 Natural Gut 1.26 103 8.13 Bow Brand Championship 15L Natural Gut 1.34 116 8.53
Grand Slam Gut Grand Slam Gut 17 (uncoated) Natural Gut 1.28 105 7.87 Babolat VS Touch 15L Natural Gut 1.35 118 8.68
Klip Armour Pro 16 Natural Gut 1.30 105 7.43 Babolat Tonic+ Longevity Natural Gut 1.38 119 9.26
Klip Armour Pro 17 Natural Gut 1.28 105 7.7 Unique Tourna Gut 16 Natural Gut 1.30 119 9.06
Pacific Prime Gut 17 Natural Gut 1.22 105 8.45 Grand Slam Gut Grand Slam Gut 15L (uncoated) Natural Gut 1.48 129 11.22

Kevlar/Technora/Vectran (Sorted by Stiffness)

Stiff- Tension Stiff- Tension
Company String Material Gauge ness Loss Company String Material Gauge ness Loss
(lb/in.) (lbs) (lb/in.) (lbs)
Ashaway Composite XL Pro 15 Kevlar 1.38 444 16.36 Forten Sweet Aramid 16L Kevlar 1.27 632 11.6
Ashaway Composite XT Pro 16 Vectran 1.30 470 14.34 Gamma TNT2 Fusion Plus 19 Kevlar 1.23 640 17.33
Pacific PowerCraft 18 Kevlar / Nylon 1.10 508 14.67 Gamma Infinity 17 Kevlar 1.24 641 20.57
Forten New Age 18 Kevlar / Nylon 1.13 511 18.43 Gamma Infinity 18 Kevlar 1.17 641 17
Forten Aramid Composite 18 Kevlar / Nylon 1.11 516 15.04 Ashaway Crossfire 18 Kevlar 1.08 671 27.21
Forten Ultra Thin Blend 18 Kevlar 1.12 545 15.12 Gamma TNT2 Fusion Plus 16 Kevlar 1.28 674 16.36
Forten Thin Blend 18 Kevlar 1.15 557 14.33 Gosen Aramix Pro 18 Kevlar 1.09 697 17.03
Wilson Hyperlast Spin 19 Technora 1.21 562 13.72 Wilson Hyperlast 15 Technora 1.41 709 13.15
Head RIP Blend 17 Kevlar 1.24 574 15.73 Prince Problend 17 Kevlar 1.24 720 16.39
Dunlop Max Touch 17 Kevlar 1.22 586 15.08 Gamma Infinity 16 Kevlar 1.30 736 17.9
Forten Aramid Composite 17 Kevlar / Nylon 1.17 597 11.27 Ashaway Crossfire 17 Kevlar 1.22 757 28.37
Pacific Aramid 16 Kevlar 1.27 601 12.17 Klip Atomic 16 Kevlar 1.29 758 28.36
Forten Aramid Gear 16L Kevlar 1.42 610 10.43 Forten Sweet Aramid 15L Kevlar 1.36 761 13.01
Forten Aramid Composite 16 Kevlar / Nylon 1.28 619 9.55 Ashaway Crossfire II 16 Kevlar 1.29 764 26.68
Silent Partner Gutsy Aramid 17 Kevlar 1.15 623 11.38 Gosen Aramix Pro 16 Kevlar 1.28 795 19.14
Forten Aramid Gear 15 Kevlar 1.45 627 11.84 Prince Pro Blend 16 Kevlar 1.30 981 15.88

28 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

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 COURTING
RACQUET SPORTS

OTHER
SPORTS Racquetball and squash may represent
opportunities for your business.
BY PETER FRANCESCONI
ennis has a lot going for it: The sport is growing in par- was probably just headed to a level where it should have been

T ticipation, equipment sales, “play occasions,” exposure

on TV, and pro tournament attendance. But at least two
other racquet sports—racquetball and squash—also appear
all along.”
Now, though, the sport appears to be holding its own. The
SGMA says there are nearly 5 million recreational players in the
to be finding their own levels. And while they may appeal U.S., and Hiser says participation has increased about 12 per-
to a slightly different crowd than you see on a tennis court, cent in 2005. “In talking to people at clubs, they’ve noticed
consider the potential these customers may hold in helping more players using racquetball as a cross-training sport,” says
your business. Hiser.
If you are a tennis retailer, it may not be too much of a Key, too, are programs for junior players and high school
stretch to expand your product line to carry squash and rac- players across the country, says Hiser. Also, about 50 colleges
quetball equipment, too. If you have a tennis and fitness facil- promote racquetball.
ity, maybe it’s time to convert that fitness room back to a But perhaps even more encouraging is court construction.
racquetball court. “Right now, you have very large chain fitness clubs expanding
Racquetball and squash are fast, fun sports that provide full around the country and building racquetball courts with them,”
workouts. “There aren’t too many sports you can play in 45 says Stafford, who is in the court-building business himself.
minutes to an hour, get a complete workout, have fun doing it, Chains like L.A. Fitness, Lifetime Fitness, Gold’s Gym, and oth-
and feel like you’re competing,” says Randy Stafford, the pres- ers, he says, “are building hundreds of courts. Plus, there are a
ident of the board of directors for USA Racquetball. “There are lot of colleges and universities, YMCAs, military bases, com-
long rallies, and it’s very easy to play.” munity centers, and more building courts.”
Helping to boost the popularity of racquetball is the fact that
Racquetball different factions of the sport—membership, tournaments, pro
Racquetball was huge in the 1970s and ’80s, when it was tours, manufacturers, etc.—are now coming together under the
one of the few “fitness” activities out there. According to umbrella of USA Racquetball, much like what tennis went
the SGMA, there were nearly 10.5 million players in the through in the last 10 years. Also, the tour stops are getting
U.S. in 1987. That number, though, steadily declined due to more exposure, including air time on The Tennis Channel.
competition from other sports, and courts disappeared to “We’ve done well the past several years in racquetball,”
make room for ever-growing fitness and aerobics classes. says Ben Simons, business manager for indoor court sports
“It may have seemed that racquetball was going downhill,” and accessories for Head/Penn, which supplies racquetball rac-
says Jim Hiser, executive director of USA Racquetball. “But it quets, gloves, eyewear, and Penn racquetballs. “The industry
September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 31
 RACQUET SPORTS
itself has shown some growth Kevin Klipstein, the CEO of the U.S. Squash Racquets Associ-
in the last few years. And that’s ation. The majority of that growth is at schools and clubs,
a great help to us.” “although not in the usual private club arena,” he adds.
And like in tennis, racquet- Currently, there are between 250,000 and 300,000 squash
ball and squash players are players in the U.S., and about 3,500 squash courts, says Klip-
becoming more knowledgeable stein. USSRA membership is about 8,000, which is up 7 percent
about their equipment, which over last year, he adds.
may represent an opportunity “Although squash is a smaller sport in the U.S. compared to
for savvy specialty retailers. “We racquetball, it’s a very important piece of our business,” says
see growth of racquetball in pock- Head/Penn’s Simons. “My perception is we’re seeing growth in
ets around the country,” says the junior and collegiate sections, and in urban types of pro-
Chuck Vietmeier, the product man- grams. And that’s great, because it’s longevity for the sport.”
ager for Gamma Sports. “For Klipstein says that over the last two years, participation in
instance, Ohio is always growing for junior club programs was up 40 percent. “We see our biggest
us.” Gamma supplies strings, vibra- challenge and opportunity in building out play at the middle and
tion dampeners, and replacement high school levels,” he says. Klipstein also says he’s seeing an
grips for racquetballers. increase in interest in public-private partnerships in building
Vietmeier says that since racquet- facilities.
ball players have gone to larger-head The USSRA, partnering with the National Urban Squash &
racquets, “they seem to be breaking Education Association, also has a major urban squash education
more strings.” But also, racquetball con- initiative to introduce the sport to inner-city kids and provide
sumers are much more familiar with squash instruction, tutoring, and mentoring, says Klipstein.
string products in general. “We Right now, there are five programs, in New York, Boston,
used to have four to six Philadelphia, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., with one soon in
strings that would say ‘rac- San Francisco, he adds.
quetball’ on the package,” All this is good news to
he says. “Now, we find string manufacturer Ash- For More Information
we don’t even need to do away. “The squash busi- USA Racquetball: 719-635-5396 or usra.org U.S.
that, since players are famil- ness is very good,” says Squash Racquets Association: 610-667-4006 or
iar with our specific Gamma Steve Crandall, Ashaway’s us-squash.org
lines. We just market the strings in gener- vice president of sales and
al, not specifically for racquetball.” marketing. “We’re seeing a consistent 3 to 5 percent annual
growth for the last few years in the U.S.
Squash “There seems to be a fair amount of momentum, especially
On the squash front, “We’re look- at the junior and intercollegiate levels, that I think creates a
ing at steady growth, between 5 market that sort of sustains itself,” Crandall adds. “There seems
and 10 percent per year over to be quite a good marketing effort to get young people
the last several years,” says involved.” Q

New Racquetball Racquets for Fall 2006

Racquet Headsize Length Weight Balance Balance Swingwt Pattern Retail
in.2 in. gm(strung) cm in. RDC MxC Price

E-FORCE
E-Force 800-4 E FORCE • www.e-force.com
Bedlam Knife 150 107 22.00 186 27.25 10.73 125 14x16 $170
Bedlam Knife 170 107 22.00 193 27.00 10.63 132 14x16 $160
Bedlam Knife 175 107 22.00 201 28.00 11.02 135 14x16 $150
Lethal 160 107 22.00 193 28.00 11.02 134 14x16 $230
Lethal 175 107 22.00 201 28.00 11.02 143 14x16 $200
Lethal 190 107 22.00 212 27.00 10.63 134 14x16 $180
EKTELON
Ektelon 800-283-6647 • www.ektelon.com
O3 Hybrid Diablo 106 22.00 236 28.00 11.02 155 16x19 $100
O3 Hybrid Shark 106 22.00 187 29.00 11.42 136 16x19 $170
O3 Pink specs not available at press time 16x19

32 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

 Racquet Headsize Length Weight Balance Balance Swingwt Pattern Retail
in.2 in. gm(strung) cm in. RDC MxC Price
HEAD
head 800-289-7366 • www.head.com
MX 170 106 22.00 188 30.00 11.81 140 16x16 $275
MX 180 106 22.00 193 29.50 11.61 143 16x16 $235
MX 190 106 22.00 198 29.50 11.61 145 16x16 $200
ProPRO KENNEX
Kennex 877-477-6536 • www.prokennex.com
HC2 165 107 22.00 197 29.75 11.71 152 14x17 $200
HC2 175 107 22.00 190 30.50 12.01 145 14x17 $190
Kinetic Ti. Diamond 107 22.00 213 29.50 11.61 161 16x19 $150
Shadow 170 107 22.00 191 28.00 11.02 140 16x18 $160
Shadow 180 107 22.00 207 27.75 10.93 148 16x18 $150
WILSON
Wilson 800-272-6060 • www.wilson.com
nBlade 107 22.00 193 29.75 11.71 142 14x18 $230
nRage 107 22.00 183 30.00 11.81 138 14x18 $260
New Squash Racquets for Fall 2006
Racquet Headsize Weight Balance Balance Flex Swingwt Pattern Retail
in.2 gm (strung) cm in. RDC RDC MxC Price

BLACK
Black Knight KNIGHT 800-535-3300 • www.bksquash.com
Magnum Pro nXS 77.5 161 36.00 14.17 61 187 14x18 $180
DUNLOP
Dunlop 864-552-4000 • www.dunlopsports.com
Hot Melt Carbon 77.5 156 35.15 13.84 46 179 16x18 $130
Hotmelt Graphite 72.8 161 34.50 13.58 33 182 16x19 $100
Hotmelt Pro 72.8 158 37.40 14.72 46 193 14x18 $150
Hotmelt Titanium 77.5 153 34.50 13.58 44 173 16x18 $120
Ice Custom Elite 72.8 161 33.50 13.19 34 177 14x18 $190
IceTour Lee Beechill 72.8 153 36.50 14.37 41 183 14x18 $160
M-Fil Tour 72.8 161 34.50 13.58 33 182 14x18 $180
M-Fil Ultra 77.5 154 35.00 13.78 46 179 16x18 $140
FEATHER
Feather 323-692-8256 • www.feathersports.com
Cyclone 2003 125 73.8 144 37.00 14.57 38 173 14x19 $140
Cyclone 2003 135 73.8 150 37.00 14.57 38 185 14x19 $140
Heavy Hitter 74.4 160 37.25 14.67 50 195 16x19 $160
Super Hitter 74.4 152 33.75 13.29 45 192 14x19 $160
Titanium Drop 110 74.1 145 37.50 14.76 44 184 14x18 $150
Titanium Drop 130 74.1 154 36.25 14.27 36 182 14x20 $150
HEAD
Head 800-289-7366 • www.head.com
Flexpoint 130 77.5 149 38.50 15.16 48 192 12x17 $200
Flexpoint 140 72.85 152 38.50 15.16 55 192 14x17 $190
Flexpoint 150 77.5 155 35.00 13.78 48 180 12x17 $180
Flexpoint 160 72.85 168 35.00 13.78 56 195 14x17 $170
PRINCE
Prince 800-283-6647 • www.princetennis.com
Air Drive 140 (Air TT) 75.3 153 37.00 14.57 57 186 16x17 $125
O3 Tour 73 156 37.25 14.67 59 192 16x16 $250
ProPRO KENNEX
Kennex 877-477-6536 • www.prokennex.com
HC2 140 80 171 39.00 15.35 47 219 16x20 $179
TECNIFIBRE
Tecnifibre 877-332-0825 • www.tecnifibre.com
Dynergy 125 80 specs not available at press time 14x18 $160
WILSON
Wilson 800-272-6060 • www.wilson.com
n135 72.3 150 38.00 14.96 53 193 12x18 $160
nPro 72.4 156 37.25 14.67 51 192 12x18 $130
nRage (4 Holes in Throat) 72.8 166 35.00 13.78 53 186 14x18 $120

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 33

 HANDLING
RACQUET CUSTOMIZATION

YOUR
PLAYERS
Emphasizing your replacement grip business
will serve your customers and give you a better
grasp on profits, too. BY BOB PATTERSON, MRT

eplacement grips are often overlooked as a routine You may also want to offer color choices in your most popu-

R part of racquet service. Frequently, they’re simply

treated as just an add-on item. Even shops that offer a
wide variety of string often keep the grip choices to a bare
lar grips. If you also sell racquets, consider stocking the grips that
come on your best-selling frames, since players often want a
replacement grip just like the original.
minimum.
In today’s marketplace, there are almost as many grip Profitable Sales
choices as there are strings. Obviously, you can’t carry every Replacement grips, if approached properly, are a fairly easy
grip on the market in your inventory, but you should stock a and profitable sale. They are relatively inexpensive to stock
wide variety of options for your customers. Smooth, con- and they take minimal space to store and display. But instead
toured, and perforated grips are a few of the staples that of the quick “add-on” approach, try treating grips as an impor-
should be in every shop. tant part of the services you offer.
You consider a customer’s grip as an integral component of
the racquet, just like when a professional stringer asks the cus-
tomer questions and then makes a determination as to the best
combination of string and tension to provide them with the best
performance from their racquet. Grips, like strings, will wear out
and should be replaced on a regular basis. Your customers may
need to be made aware of that fact.
When a customer takes a racquet in for service, the technician
should examine the grip for wear, along with the strings and
overall racquet. And the technician should question the player
about grip preferences and concerns, just like with strings.

Evaluating the Grip

When evaluating the grip, start with proper sizing. Hopefully
this was addressed when the racquet was purchased, but
don’t assume so, especially if the racquet was not purchased
in your shop.

34 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

 How to Regrip a Frame
If you string racquets, you probably have
most of the tools you need to re-grip, too,
If you don’t offer services to alter grip sizes, you are for instance needle-nose pliers; a narrow,
missing an opportunity. Increasing grip size with a heat flat-blade screwdriver; scissors; and possibly
sleeve process is fairly easy to master with the proper tools. You a staple gun.
can also “customize” the wrap style, which will further widen the vari-
After you remove the old grip and staple,
ety in your shop. Most grips can be overlapped to lay flat and smooth or
make sure the handle pallet is clean and
overlapped very slightly to form a contour effect. free of adhesive. The top of the grip general-
Also, you can vary the overlap more or less around the butt cap to change ly is secured with either tape or a wide rub-
the feel and shape of the grip to suit your customer. If you don’t currently offer ber band or rubber collar. If the racquet
these options, spend a little time practicing them. You might even you’re working on has a rubber band or col-
come up with a new technique. lar, it’s best to slide it on before you wrap
Remember, grips are wrapped differently for right- the grip, then push it up and out of the way.
handed and left-handed players. For righties, To begin wrapping the new grip, remove
when you look at the racquet standing up some of the tape backing and, starting at
(with the head up and handle on a the butt cap, attach the tapered grip end
table), the lines of the grip (you may or may not want to staple this
should go from end). When you wrap a grip for right-hand-
upper left ed players, attach the grip so that you’re
pulling it to the right when the racquet is
held upside-down.
down
to lower Hold the frame firmly and turn the racquet
right. When a right- slowly with one hand, using your thumb to
hold the grip in place. Your other hand
hander grips the handle,
should unwrap the tape backing as you go,
the lines of the grip roughly follow
while you pull the new grip tight and over-
the diagonal direction of the fingers. A
lap the edges. When you reach the top of
grip for a left-handed player, of course, the handle, trim the grip straight across with
runs in the opposite direction. the scissors, then secure the grip with tape
Most suppliers offer grip displays or slide the rubber collar down.
and other point of purchase material
For more on regripping, visit
that can be used not only to display your
www.racquetmaxx.com/wrapagrip.shtml.
grip selection, but also the various wrap
styles you offer. This will allow customers to see
and feel the difference. They will appreciate the
fact that you can customize their grip, which will aid
their playing style. And they will certainly be loyal cus-
tomers since you’ll know their own unique wrap style.
If you make grip customization one of the services that
you offer, your grip sales and your profits will grow hand-
somely. Q

Master Racquet Technician Bob Patterson of

Birmingham, Ala., owns Players Choice Tennis
and the racquet customization company Rac-
quetMaxx (www.racquetmaxx.com). In 2005,
he was named RSI’s Stringer of the Year.

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 35

 STRINGING
GP R O F E S S I O N A L S T R I N G I N G

FOR THE
retailing STRATEGIES

Ask Headline BYLINE?

MODERN
GAME
A longtime stringer shares his observations after stringing for
On the first day of play at
Wimbledon, freshly strung rac-
quets wait to be picked up by
the pros.

the pros at Wimbledon. BY JEFF ROTHSTEIN

his past summer, I joined about 20 other stringers as part of the ers, were truly Racquet
T Bow Brand team, which was the official and exclusive on-site
team stringer for the 2006 Lawn Tennis Championships at
Wimbledon. I was
exceptional. With
both poly-based Restringing
and natural gut The majority of the rac-

String Tension the only American

stringer on the
string, they were quets strung by the Bow Brand stringing service did
simply masterful. not have broken strings. The two main reasons for
About 80 percent of the players at Wimbledon had team; my col- The Bow Brand having racquets restrung were that the tension was
their cross strings strung 2 to 4 pounds lower than their leagues were from stringing service too low or the playing conditions (i.e. weather and
main strings. However, most American players used the England, Scotland, used nine Babolat court speed) had changed and a higher or looser
same string tension for their mains and crosses. Some Germany, Czech machines (eight string tension was needed.

Q Racquets restrung without any broken strings: 55

players requested that their racquets always be strung Republic, Spain, Star 3’s and one
the morning of their match. Japan, France, Sensor). Every
percent
Q Lowest tension: One male
Greece, and Aus- day, normally
tralia. starting at 5 a.m., Q Racquets restrung with broken strings: 40 percent
singles player had his mid-
Q New racquet frames strung: 5 percent
As you would each machine was
size racquets strung at 31 to
expect, the stringers serviced by having
33 pounds.
had a tremendous its clamps and ten-
Q Highest tension: The highest amount of experi- sion jaws cleaned, the clamp sliding track lubricated, and the
I saw was 68 pounds. ence, including the pulling tension calibrated.
Grand Slams, Although I had previously strung at 13 Grand Slams (French,
As the temperature increased, some players slightly
Olympics, Davis Wimbledon, and US Open) and several other ATP and WTA
increased their string tension 1 to 2 pounds. Grass
Cup, Fed Cup, Mas- events, I knew that stringing with polyester-based strings would be
courts play faster as the tournament progresses
ters Cup, Nasdaq- a physical challenge. As a stringer and USPTA teaching pro, I was
because the courts get worn down and become firmer.
100, and many interested to see how stringing has changed as “the modern
other ATP and WTA game” and string technology has evolved.
events. The expertise that these stringers brought to Wimbledon, Here are some of my observations from working at the Bow
and the quality of their work for the game’s top professional play- Brand stringing cabin at Wimbledon:

38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

Racquet
Q Natural Gut: polyester-based string used in a hybrid pattern. Luxilon’s poly-
Stenciling About 10 percent of the based strings (Alu Power, Alu Power Rough, Big Banger Original,
In addition to offering racquets strung were and Big Banger Timo) dominated
the placement of the with natural gut main
and cross strings. Babo-
this category, with about 50 per-
cent of all players using them.
Stringing
racquet brand stencils
(upon request), the Bow Brand ser- lat, Prince, Wilson, Babolat’s poly-based strings (Pro Prices
vice also offered “string” stencil support for Lux- Maillot-Savarez, Bow Hurricane and Tour Duralast) The players at
ilon, Kirschbaum, Iso-Speed, Pacific, Bow Brand, Brand, Klip, and Pacific were also used by a number of Wimbledon sup-
Babolat, Klip and Head. Black, red, and green ink gut strings were used. players. Wilson, Kirschbaum, plied their own
were available. About 60 percent of the Pacific, and Bow Brand poly- string to the string-
players who used gut based strings were also strung.
Q Traditional Synthetic Gut: ed at and near the All England Lawn
A few players did not always use the string ing services locat-
asked that the string be
brand that corresponded with the string logo pre-stretched. We rarely strung racquets using Tennis Club. Most of the stringing labor
marked on their strings. They openly stated that Q Hybrid Stringing: (non-poly based) traditional syn- fees are higher than normally charged in
they were not happy with the string brand they About 25 percent of the thetic strings. These strings do the U.S., but the players rarely complained
were contracted to use, but they felt they had to players used some type not offer the durability that the because they knew that Bow Brand and
display the string logo while under contract. of hybrid stringing com- modern pro game requires. Wilson/Luxilon had assembled some of
Some players, admitting to being superstitious, bination. The most If you only string for the pros, the best stringers in the world. The string-
had to place the logos on the strings themselves. common was a poly then you would think that poly- ing labor fees were:
main with gut cross based and gut strings were the
We needed to take special care to make certain strings, but some play- only ones on the market. This is in Q Bow Brand Stringing Service (on-site
the racquet logo was placed on the strings in the ers used gut mains with great contrast to what we see in exclusive stringer): $30 (average)
same direction as the racquet logo on the butt poly crosses, as well as pro shops and sporting goods Q Wilson/Luxilon Stringing Service (near
cap. poly mains with a softer stores. But the pros who play with All England Lawn Tennis Club): $29
synthetic or poly cross- poly-based strings desire durabili-
es. I saw only one racquet strung with an aramid fiber (i.e. ty. Based on today’s power game, Q Local Tennis Pro Shop (five-minute walk
Kevlar) hybrid string. poly-based strings are here to to All England Lawn Tennis Club): $17
Q Poly-Based Monofilaments: About 80 percent of the rac- stay. Q
quets strung were with either
all polyester-based string (for
mains and crosses) or with a

The Pros’ Racquets

The racquets used by the pros at Wim-
bledon were nearly the same as what
can be purchased in tennis shops. A
few players used frames painted to
look like later models from their con-
tracted brand, and one woman pro
who recently signed with one racquet
manufacturer still used her old racquet
painted black with the new company’s
logo on the strings.

A few players had custom-shaped

grips. One very tall player used a size
9 (5-1/8) grip size. Another pro who
The author (second from right) and his Bow Brand stringing team colleagues, including sales manager Frances Davies
uses an extreme Western grip had the (center in blue skirt), at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
two widest sides of his grip made
smaller, allowing him to hold his racquet easier using a “frying pan” grip.
Jeff Rothstein’s wide-ranging experience in tennis includes playing
Of the players having their rac- competitive tournaments, teaching tennis as a USPTA-certified pro,
stringing professionally, and as an industry executive and pro shop
quets strung by the Bow Brand
manager. He was on the USRSA’s advisory staff in the 1980s and
stringing service, about 85 per- contributed to the establishment of the stringer certification program.
cent of the frames were either Since 1979, Rothstein has strung at 13 Grand Slams, including Wim-
midsize or midplus, while 15 per- bledon, the French Open, and the US Open. He lives in New Jersey
cent were oversize. and can be reached at [email protected] or 973-722-7079.

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 39

 PLAYER EQUIPMENT LOG

MEN
Round Racquet Racquet String

1 W Roger Federer SUI Wilson nSix-One Tour 90 Wilson/Luxilon

Rank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand

2 F Rafael Nadal ESP Babolat AeroPro Drive 100 Babolat

3 3 David Nalbandian ARG Yonex RDS-001 MP 98 Luxilon
4 3 Ivan Ljubicic CRO Babolat Pure Drive Team + 100 Babolat
5 1 Nikolay Davydenko RUS Prince O3 Tour MP 100 Luxilon and Polystar
6 3 James Blake USA Prince Experimental 95 Luxilon
7 2 Tommy Robredo ESP Dunlop M-Fil 300 98 Luxilon
8 Q Mario Ancic CRO Yonex Ultimum RD Ti-80 98 Babolat/Luxilon
9 Q Radek Stepanek CZE Volkl DNX 9 98 Pacific
10 SF Marcos Baghdatis CYP Fischer M-Speed Pro No. One 95 Luxilon
11 3 Andy Roddick USA Babolat Pure Drive Roddick + 100 Babolat
12 Q Lleyton Hewitt AUS Yonex RDS-001 90 Babolat/Luxilon
13 Q Jarkko Nieminen FIN Wilson nSix-One 95 95 Luxilon
14 2 Gaston Gaudio ARG Wilson nSix-One 95 95 Kirschbaum
15 4 Tomas Berdych CZE Dunlop M-Fil 200 Plus 95 Luxilon
16 3 Fernando Gonzalez CHI Babolat Pure Storm Plus 98 Luxilon
17 1 Robby Ginepri USA Babolat Pure Storm 98 Babolat
18 4 David Ferrer ESP Prince Shark DB MP 100 Luxilon
19 Nicolas Kiefer GER Wilson nSix-One 95 95 Wilson
20 3 Andre Agassi USA Head Flexpoint Radical OS 107 Luxilon

WOMEN
Round Racquet Racquet String

1 W Amelie Mauresmo FRA Dunlop M-Fil 300 98 Babolat

Rank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand

2 SF Kim Clijsters BEL Babolat Pure Drive Team 100 Babolat

3 F Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL Wilson nTour Two 95 Maillot Savarez
4 SF Maria Sharapova RUS Prince O3 White 100 Babolat
5 Nadia Petrova RUS DID NOT PLAY
6 Q Elena Dementieva RUS Yonex RDS-001 MP 98 Luxilon
7 3 Svetlana KuznetsovaRUS Head Flexpoint Instinct 100 Luxilon
8 2 Patty Schnyder SUI Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP 98 Kirschbaum
9 Mary Pierce FRA DID NOT PLAY
10 Lindsay Davenport USA DID NOT PLAY
11 Q Anastasia Myskina RUS Head Flexpoint Instinct 100 Luxilon
12 4 Nicole Vaidisova CZE Yonex RDS-003 MP 100 Luxilon
13 3 Martina Hingis SUI Yonex RQS-11 100 Top Serve
14 1 Francesca SchiavoneITA Babolat AeroPro Drive 100 Luxilon
15 3 Dinara Safina RUS Babolat Pure Storm Team 98 Luxilon
16 1 Anna-Lena GroenefeldGER Fischer M-Speed Pro No. One 98 Babolat
17 4 Daniel Hantuchova SVK Yonex NSRQ 7 100 Luxilon/Babolat
18 4 Flavia Pennetta ITA Wilson nBlade 98 Wilson
19 4 Ai Sugiyama JPN Prince More Control DB 97 Yonex
20 4 Ana Ivanovic SCG Wilson nTOur Two 95 Luxilon/Wilson

40 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

Roger Federer and Amelie Mauresmo worked their way through the draws on the grass courts at the All England
Lawn Tennis Championships this year. Here’s a look at the equipment the top 20 men and women pros used as
they played on the lawns at Wimbledon. Post these pages in your shop, so your customers can check out their
grass-court favorites, too.

String String Footwear Clothing

Wilson Natural/Alu Power Rough 16L 21 Nike VAPOR S2 Nike

String Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model Brand

Pro Hurricane Tour 15L 24.5 Nike Air Max Breathe 3 Nike
Original 16 - Yonex SHT-305 Yonex
Pro Hurricane/VS Team 16L - Diadora Speedzone Plus DA Diadora
Original and Engergy 16 25/24 Prince Freak -
Alu Power 16L 28.5 Nike Air Zoom Vapor 3 Nike
Original 16 24/23 Sergio Tacchini - Sergio Tacchini
VS Team/Alu Power 16L - Nike Air Zoom Vapor 3 Nike
PrimeGut and Tough Gut 16L 25/24 Nike Breathe 3 -
Alu Power 16L 21/23 Adidas Barricade IV Adidas
Pro Hurricane/VS Team 16 29.5 Babolat Team All Court Roddick Lacoste
VS Team/Alu Power 16L - Yonex SHT-305 Yonex
Alu Power 16L - Asics Gel Sensation Asics
Supersmash - 27 Diadora Attax DA 2 Diadora
Alu Power 16L - Nike Air Max Breathe Free II Nike
Alu Power Rough 16L 25 Adidas Barricade IV Adidas
Ballistic Polymono/VS Touch 16/16 26 Nike Air Max Breathe Free II Under Armour
Original 16 23 Diadora Speedzone Plus DA Diadora
Natural Gut 17 - Diadora Attax DA 2 Diadora
Alu Power 16L - Adidas ClimCool Feather II Adidas

String String Footwear Clothing

VS Touch 16 24 Reebok - Reebok

String Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model Brand

VS Touch 16 29 Fila X-Point Fila

HT Tonic First Gold 15L 27 Adidas Barricade III W -
Pro Hurricane/VS Team 16L - Nike VAPOR S2 Nike

Alu Power 16L 24/23 Yonex SHT-304 Yonex

Alu Touch 16L 24/23 Fila X-Point Fila
Touch Turbo 17 25/26 Adidas Barricade IV W Adidas

TIMO 18 27/25 Nike - Nike

Ace 18 - Reebok Upset DMX Reebok
Racquet Fuel 16L 22/20 Adidas ClimaCool Feather II Adidas
Alu Power 16L 24/23 Diadora Speedzone Plus DA Diadora
Alu Power 16L 27/26 Adidas Barricade IV W Adidas
Xcel Premium/Pro Hurricane 16/17 28/27 Adidas Barricade IV W Adidas
Alu Power/VS Touch 16L/16 22.5/21 Nike Air Zoom Vapor Speed Nike
Wilson Natural 17 28.5 Nike - Sergio Tacchini
Poly / VS 1.30 16L 23.5 Nike Air Max Breathe Free Nike
Natural/Alu Power 16L/17 24/23 Adidas Barricade IV Adidas

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 41

 string PLAYTEST

Tecnifibre
Pro RedCode 16
Tecnifibre Pro RedCode is a new premi- control string, Prince Synthetic Gut
um copolymer polyester monofilament Original Gold 16, measured 78
RDC units immediately after
string that features an exclusive abra-
stringing and 71 RDC units after
sion-resistant coating and chemical 24 hours, representing a 9 per-
additives that offer a higher level of cent tension loss. Pro RedCode
tension resiliency compared to other added 17 grams to the weight of our
unstrung frame. to Movement—also achieved
polyester strings. Additionally, Tecnifi-
The string was tested for five weeks ratings well above average. These four
bre’s static and dynamic test protocol by 35 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP rat- ratings are strong enough to give Tecnifi-
measured Pro RedCode to have better ings from 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind bre Pro RedCode an overall rating that is
tension maintenance and durability than tests, with playtesters receiving unmarked well above average.
strings in unmarked packages. Average
other performance polyester strings,
number of hours playtested was 33.3.
which Tecnifibre attributes to the imple- Even though it is clear during installa- EASE OF STRINGING
(compared to other strings)
mentation of the red color pigment dur- tion that Pro RedCode is a poly, it strings
Number of testers who said it was:
ing the manufacturing process. up a little differently than other polys
much easier 0
According to Tecnifibre, Pro RedCode we’ve tried. It has a fair amount of coil somewhat easier 0
is designed for the new generation memory, which is not unusual. It glides about as easy 10
aggressive, hard-hitting player who needs easily against itself, which is nice when not quite as easy 20
durability with control. If you were won- you are pulling the crosses, but some- not nearly as easy 5
dering what string Janko Tipsarevic was times the tip of the string tends to follow
OVERALL PLAYABILITY
using in his first-round match against the blocking string on blocked holes,
(compared to string played most often)
Andy Roddick at Wimbledon this year, rather than shoving past it. We had no
Number of testers who said it was:
this is it. problem tying knots with Pro RedCode, much better 0
Pro RedCode is available in 16 (1.30 even though almost a third of our somewhat better 5
mm) and 17 (1.25 mm) in red only. It is playtest team reported difficulty in this about as playable 8
priced from $11.50 per set of 40 feet, area. not quite as playable 16
$110 per reel of 200 meters. For more No playtester broke his sample during not nearly as playable 6
information or to order, contact Tecnifi- stringing, 17 reported problems with coil
OVERALL DURABILITY
bre at 877-332-0825, or visit memory, 14 reported problems tying
(compared to other strings
www.tecnifibre.com. Be sure to read the knots, and one reported friction burn. of similar gauge)
conclusion for more information about Number of testers who said it was:
getting a free set to try for yourself. ON THE COURT much better 9
Our playtest team agreed with Tecnifi- somewhat better 19
bre’s assessment of the target player for about as durable 7
IN THE LAB not quite as durable 0
We tested the 16-gauge Pro RedCode. this string, rating it in the top 10 in Dura-
not nearly as durable 0
The coil measured 39.6 feet. The diame- bility both overall and compared to other
ter measured 1.25-1.28 mm prior to strings of the same gauge. (This overall RATING AVERAGES
stringing, and 1.21-1.23 mm after string- Durability rating also puts Pro RedCode in From 1 to 5 (best)
ing. We recorded a stringbed stiffness of the top 10 percent of the 104 published Playability 3.1
playtests we’ve conducted.) Our team Durability 4.3
73 RDC units immediately after stringing
also gave Pro RedCode a rating well Power 3.2
at 60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95
above average for Control, echoing Tec- Control 3.5
(16 x 18 pattern) on a constant-pull Comfort 2.9
machine. nifibre’s RedCode “mission statement”
Touch/Feel 2.8
After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed on each count.
Spin Potential 3.1
stiffness measured 65 RDC units, repre- Two other important aspects of dura-
Holding Tension 3.6
senting an 11 percent tension loss. Our bility—Tension Retention and Resistance Resistance to Movement 3.7

42 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

 TESTERS TALK

“ This string has a great blend of power and control. The power is control-
lable and the feel is good. The color is very cool. I would sell it in my
4.5 male all-court player using Head Flexpoint Radical OS strung at 57
pounds CP (Head Ultra Tour 17)
shop.
”
5.0 male serve-and-volley player using Head Flexpoint Heat strung at 54.5
pounds CP (Natural gut 16/17) “ This string was very stiff and tough to work with. It played well
and had good control. It was not comfortable and made my shoulder
tired while serving. I had to work too hard to make power. It’s proba-

“ This is a solid all-around string with excellent resistance to movement.

It definitely feels like a polyester, but
bly good for a baseline banger. I prefer a softer string.
”
3.5 male serve-and-volley player using Wilson Pro
with a softer touch.
”
6.0 male all-court player using Wilson “This is hard to
Staff 6.1 110 Stretch strung at 58 pounds CP
(Gamma TNT Fat Core 17)
nSix-One 95 strung at 58 pounds CP
string, but I love the
way it
(Gamma Live Wire XP 16/17)
plays.” 5.0 male serve-and-volley “ This is a very stiff string, but it had more feel
than I expected. It’s good for string breakers.
”
“ Wow! This is not what I expect
from a string that handles like barbed
player using Wilson H Rival 112 strung 5.0 male all-court player using Prince O3 White MP
strung at 60 pounds CP (Prince Lightning XX 17)
wire. This string provides very good at 57 pounds LO (Wilson NXT 17)
control and spin. Full, fast swings are
not penalized by uncontrollable power and depth. This string’s durability “ This is a very durable string with power. It felt
stiff initially, but after a short time felt good. I would like to try it as a
and resistance to movement are excellent. It provides more comfort and hybrid.
”
feel than strings with 1/3 of the durability. It’s not for touch volleyers. It has 5.0 male baseliner with heavy spin using Head Liquidmetal Prestige
a slightly muted response, but nothing like the first generation of polys.
4.5 male baseliner with heavy spin using Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 7g strung
” MP strung at 58 pounds CP (BDE Performance Natural Gut 16)

at 63 pounds CP (Babolat Pro Hurricane 16)

“ I did not reduce tension as directed. It would not have felt good.

“ This string, though much different from my current one, plays very
This is a soft string which generates decent power and playability.
5.0 male all-court player using Wilson n5 strung at 63 pounds LO
”
well. I would consider switching to this string for playing but not teaching (Wilson NXT 16)

”
(because it is a little firm).
5.5 male all-court player using Wilson nTour 95 strung at 53 pounds CP
(Wilson Extreme Synthetic Gut 16) “ Initially, this string had too much power and lacked control. How-
ever, over time, it played better. It gave my serve pop and my volleys

“ This string was surprisingly difficult to string. The durability, feel, and
control. I definitely want to stock this string.
”
4.0 male all-court player using Gamma Diamond Fiber M-6.5 MP
control were opposite to the difficulty in stringing. I can usually tell the strung at 67 pounds (Tecnifibre NRG2 17)
playability by the ease of stringing, but this one surprised me.
” For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com.
(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in parentheses.)

CONCLUSION FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM

Tecnifibre has generously offered to send a free set of Pro RedCode 16
To its credit, Tecnifibre does not
to USRSA members who request it.
claim that Pro RedCode will give you
To get your free set, just cut out (or copy) this coupon and mail it to:
more power and more control. In
USRSA, Attn: Tecnifibre Pro RedCode 16 String Offer, 330 Main Street,
fact, the target player for this string
Vista, CA 92084 or fax to 760-536-1171
probably doesn’t need any more
Offer expires September 15th, 2006 One set of free string per USRSA
power, as he has plenty. What he
membership. Offer only available to USRSA members in the US.
needs is to be able to pound the ball
and keep it in the court, and have FREE! Tecnifibre Pro RedCode 16!
strings that will last as long as he Offer expires September 15th 2006
does. For this type of player, Pro Red- Name:
Code fits the bill. USRSA Member number:
If you think that Tecnifibre Pro
Phone:
RedCode might be for you, fill out the
coupon to get a free set to try. Email:
—Greg Raven Q If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your sample will be sent.

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 43

 ask the EXPERTS

Your Equipment Hotline

GETTING THE LEAD IN Spec Search, show every racquet for piece stringing, but they are farther down on
ACCORDING YOUR RACQUET Mass which we have measurements. the hoop. (Many of the Babolat racquets are

Q Mover on-line calculator, adding

weight less than 9 centimeters from
the butt moves the center of percussion
TROUBLESOME TWO-PIECE
STRINGING
like this.) With these racquets, use a starting
clamp instead of a starting knot, install the first
few crosses (until you get past the point where
I AM BEING ASKED TO PERFORM
(COP) toward the tip, which is exactly what
I want. Is this really true or is there a prob-
lem with the on-line calculator? When I add
Q ever more two-piece string jobs on
racquets that specify one-piece
stringing only. The problem I often have is
the tie-off hole is). Then go back and re-tension
the first cross, clamp as normal, and use a tie-
off knot.
Also, as long as you are stringing the crosses
20 grams to the butt of my racquet, the
COP doesn’t move up (I tested it by hitting finding a large enough grommet hole to from the top to the throat, you're probably not
my hand against the string). tie off the start of the crosses, because endangering anyone's warranty. There are very
most racquets only have two tie-off holes few racquets that specify one-piece stringing

A THE COP ON ANY RACQUET IS A cal-

culated distance from the butt cap,
although it can be verified if you have the
at the top for the mains. Some people
have recommended using an awl to
enlarge another hole prior to starting, but
only. Even when the Digest shows only string-
ing instructions for the one-piece method, it is
virtually always permissible to string the racquet
ability to measure the apparent coefficient I haven't had good luck with this. I'm sure with two pieces of string. The problem, as
of restitution. For example, given a hypo- that experienced stringers have dealt with you’ve noted, is in finding the tie-off holes.
thetical racquet weighing 300 grams, with a this problem many times. Could you rec-
balance point at 30 cm, and a swingweight ommend the best way to enlarge one of PRINCE O3 STRINGING
of 300 kg•cm2, the COP will be 60 cm. the existing grommet holes, or in the I CHECKED THE 2006 STRINGER'S Digest
Adding 20 grams (which is a lot of
weight to add in a small space) at the butt
cap changes the COP by 2.07 cm. At the
alternative, pass a second string safely
through one of these small holes?
In addition, I always tell these cus-
Q and the website for information on
stringing a Prince O3 racquet. I don't
understand the statement, "The center six
same time, the balance changes by -1.88 tomers that this type of stringing tech- strings must be inserted through the small
cm, and the swingweight changes by 2.00 nique violates the manufacturer’s grommet holes in the plastic throat grommet at
kg•cm2. Two centimeters of change in the recommendation for the racquet. Even so, 6 o'clock." Can you explain this to me?
COP should be noticeable, but keep in mind I've never had anyone change his mind
that adding this much weight in this exam-
ple also changes the recoil weight by 16.88
kg•cm2 and the hitting weight by -8.61
after this warning. I was curious if people
have been reporting increased racquet
damage or breakage in one-piece rac-
A THE THROAT GROMMETS HAVE THE
large holes between the mains, but
alongside the large holes are much smaller
kg•cm2. Thus, the racquet will feel more quets, with the increased popularity of holes through which the string must be thread-
comfortable (due to the higher recoil this hybrid stringing technique? ed during re-stringing. Failure to do this will
weight, but it won’t transfer as much of its result in improper spacing of the main strings,
mass into the shot (because of the lower
hitting weight).
The changes in these other measure-
A THERE ARE SOME RACQUETS THAT
don't have enough holes, and for
them you just have to pick a grommet
and in the case of the soft elastomer throat
grommet, damage to the elastomer.
—Greg Raven Q
ments could account for your subjective and make it bigger. It's easier with a little
impression that the COP did not move after lube on the awl, and some stringers heat
you added mass to the butt cap. the grommet with the heat gun first. You
For more information about ACOR, see won’t have to make the hole as large, and
“Raw Racquet Power” in the February 2006 you’ll have an easier time getting the tie-
issue of RSI. off string through the hole, if you pick a
grommet where the string is going to be
SKETCHY SEARCH RESULTS pulled away from one side of the grom-
HOW COME THE HEAD TI.S6 IS not met. The string lies at an angle in some

Q included in the Racquet Selector

search results, when I ask for all rac-
quets lighter than 270 grams?
grommets, effectively blocking that grom-
met hole so other strings are more diffi-
cult to get through, unless you really
enlarge the grommet. So, choose your

A RACQUET SELECTOR SHOWS ONLY

racquets that are currently available.
Other on-line tools, such as the Racquet
new tie-off hole wisely.
There are other racquets, however,
that have the holes you need for two-
We welcome your questions. Please send them to Racquet
Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA, 92084; fax: 760-
536-1171; email: [email protected].

44 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

 tips and TECHNIQUES

Readers’ Know-How in Action

RACQUET LABELING quet, which has gotten a very positive
I have used engraving in the past to response.
identify racquets, particularly when 5 sets of Wilson NXT OS to:
doing a batch of four to six racquets for Dan Kerr, Warton, ONT, Canada
professional players. Recently, though, I
purchased a Brothers labeling machine, STAPLER
and now use this in place of engraving. RECOMMENDATION
The results look more professional and I had been seeking an adequate staple
it is a simple task to install the label. gun for attaching grips and butt caps.
You just have to make certain the sur- My regular staple gun did not penetrate
face is clean to get proper adhesion. grips well and although it used narrow #27231 (list $119.99). The staples are
Now when I sell or string a racquet I crown heavy-duty staples, they were still Sears item #00927209000, manufactur-
add the customer’s name to the rac- pretty wide. er model #27209.
After searching around, I found a There is a cordless version that might
powerful stapler that uses the same be convenient, but I wasn't aware that it
width staple as those used by racquet existed when I bought mine. The cord-
manufacturers: 3/16-inch crown, 5/16- less/battery version is actually a bit
inch length. So far I have not run into a cheaper than the corded model. The
handle that the staples will not pene- Sears item number is #00927235000,
trate. manufacturer model #27235.
It is the Craftsman Electric Stapler— 5 sets of Silent Partner
the regular corded model—Sears item Original Syn 16 to:
#00927231000, manufacturer model Peter Underwood, Whitewater, WI

46 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006

CUSTOMIZING handle. Distribute the weight between right away. By doing that, you keep your
LIGHTER RACQUETS the halves of the handle. The scrap string desk or your work area clean.
keeps the weight from migrating into the 5 sets of Forten Dynamix 16 to:
handle, eliminating the need for filler. Fin- Tony Woodworth, Las Vegas, NV, and
ish by stuffing more cotton in the handle Stan Parry, Surrey, UK
between the weights the butt cap.
Replace the butt cap and grip, and you’re OPEN SESAME
done. Those rubber grippers—designed to
5 sets of Gamma Flex Core Control 16 cushion and protect your hands when
& Gamma Hat & Gamma T-Shirt to: you open jars—are handy to keep next
Rick Cannan, Pompano Beach, FL to the stringing machine. I use one to
For adding weight inside the handle of protect my hands and fingers when loos-
lighter racquets, you don’t need lead STENCIL STORAGE ening machine mounts after I’m finished
tape: Scrap string is the thing. And with I stencil my fair share of racquets, and stringing a racquet. They can even be
my method, there is no danger of losing every time I would have to figure out had for free if you look around. The one
weights inside the handle. what do to with the wet stencil to avoid I am currently using promotes a local
You will need: making a mess. Now, I use hanging fold- newspaper. I picked it up for free at a
1. fishing weights of various sizes ers to store my stencils. The folder materi- local county fair.
(weights) al is thick and soaks up all of the ink even 5 sets of Prince Premier
2. a scrap piece of string if the stencil is not dry and you put it in with Softflex 16 to:
3. cotton balls John Youngblood, Suwanee, GA
4. masking tape
The fishing weights must have a hole all
the way through them. Run a piece of —Greg
Tips and Techniques submitted since Raven Q
2000 by USRSA
members, and appearing in this column, have all been
scrap string through the weight(s) and tie gathered into a single volume of the Stringer’s Digest—
a knot. Wrap cotton around the weights Racquet Service Techniques which is a benefit of USRSA
so they won’t rattle in the racquet. Then membership. Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330
Main St., Vista, CA 92804; or email
wrap masking tape around the cotton to [email protected].
compress the cotton so it fits into the

September/October 2006 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 47

 Your Serve
Sharing the Passion
TIA President Jim Baugh has left his mark on tennis, and has left the
sport in good hands. BY LIZA HORAN

T
ennis Industry Association President Jim January 2000, aims to keep kids active in This group is made of competitors aligned
Baugh is moving on from tennis. Simply, a world where budgets have cut athletic for the common good of the game. Can it
he's got work to do elsewhere. He'll be programs and recently threatened to work? Moot question, because it does work
beating the drums for another worthy cause, delete school recess. and it's been working for years. Each person
just as he did for a fractionated tennis industry And a bit of advice for school boards on that board has the right—and the
that in 1993 faced the infamous cover of everywhere: Prepare yourselves for an responsibility—to act on the momentum
Sports Illustrated that asked, “Is Tennis unadulterated barrage. Baugh’s a fireball, that's been created and take it to higher levels.
Dying?” preaching his passion for the healthful, They also have full-time jobs, and that's
Ouch! social, and just plain fun aspects of the where the director of this grand play comes
But Baugh helped rally the troops, sit game. He's been relentless, outspoken, in. Managing the operation from behind the
them down at the Round Table, and over and successful in turning the spotlight on scenes is Executive Director Jolyn de Boer,
the years turn forced smiles into a collab- tennis. who executes TIA business with her renais-
orative effort to stare down and answer Yet, let’s remember that tennis is a sance corps at HQ on Hilton Head Island.
that magazine cover. "Play Tennis Ameri- sport of individuals, no single person is This TIA staff is charged with carrying out
ca" was the firstborn of a series of indus- greater than the game. At times there the direction set by the tennis commission,
try-wide efforts that would bring friends have been cries for one to supercede all soon to be led by current chairman Dave
and competitors together around one Haggerty of Head/Penn.
brand: T-E-N-N-I-S, as he likes to say. Like “Baugh’s been an The view from here is of a group of indi-
the HMS Endurance, Baugh's been an ice- viduals representing many who act together
breaker, pounding inflexible attitudes and icebreaker . . . for the good of the game, because it is the
scattered efforts across the sport, clearing right thing to do and because it happens to
clearing the way for be good business. There are differences of
the way for a unified message to the
masses. a unified message opinion and persistent competitive barbs, but
Fast-forward to his more recent they're set aside in theory a few times a year
babies—Tennis Welcome Centers and to the masses.” when the individuals come together as a
Cardio Tennis—which are out of diapers team to better this game and the business of
and well integrated in the infrastructure others in the form of a Tennis Commis- tennis. They commit to support program-
of the sport. Baugh's legacy in tennis is sioner. Well, that idea has never flown. ming through advertising, marketing, and,
set. The programs are backed by all con- This is an international sport, and the no minor point, financial contributions.
stituents of the tennis business, count USTA as governing body for the growth As each member walks out of the board
celebrities as endorsers, and are working of the sport in this country is one of only meeting held during the US Open, there's
and sustainable. Consider the facts: 1 mil- four that govern tennis on the planet. likely to be extra spring in each step. With an
lion new players tried the game in 2005 Tennis is that big. invigorating meeting of the minds, an
and tennis is the only traditional sport to We don't have a commissioner, but upcoming passing of the torch, and world-
grow (up 10.3 percent) from 2000 to we do have a commission. It's the Board class tennis as the backdrop, there is much
2005. of Directors of the Tennis Industry Associ- energy for good works.
Now, as he leaves the TIA after this ation. The individuals who serve on it Baugh has ceded the spotlight to tennis
year, he takes his tornado-esque passion represent every part of the sport, from itself, and as he moves on to new chal-
to another worthwhile cause: childhood governing bodies (ATP, WTA, USTA) and lenges, he can take care that it's in good
obesity. PE4Life, a program he founded in teaching organizations to manufacturers, hands. Q
retailers, court products, and media.
These individuals are tennis people—
THE YOUTH MOVEMENT Liza Horan is editor and founder of
often “lifers” who play the game and TENNISWIRE.org, an industry news
Baugh dedicated his time to getting all ages
work in the game, but aren't complacent site, and president of the U.S. Tennis
playing tennis, now he's focusing on getting
because the market doesn't allow it. Writers’ Association.
kids physically active in any way possible.
Money's a great motivator.
Tennis is part of the effort. Stay up to date We welcome your opinions. Please email
With a lead actor exiting, the stage is
on his work at www.PE4Life.com. comments to [email protected] or fax
now set for the ensemble to take over. them to 760-536-1171.

48 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2006