CUSTOMIZATION TEAM PLAY DEVELOPMENT

Pair the perfect League tennis is A business

strings in a creating more leader’s lessons
hybrid setup frequent players from tennis

February 2018 / Volume 46 / Number 2 / $5.00

The Year
2018 Outlook
Strings Shoes Apparel
In a diversifying The latest models Tenniswear pushes

in Gear
market, poly-based will have customers boundaries with bold
strings remain looking and playing textures, colors and
on top. 26 their best. 28 patterns. 30

New technology and design

continue to benefit players
of all types.

1
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USP
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MEN WOMEN JUNIOR
 www.tennisindustrymag.com
TennisIndustry

Contents February 2018

DEPARTMENTS p. 34
4 Our Serve
26
7 Industry News
10 Letters
14 New Products
16 Racquet Tech
18 Hybrid Stringing
20 Tennis Pioneers
22 TIA News
38 Your Serve, by Douglas
Conant
40 Ask the Experts

INDUSTRY NEWS 24
7 USTA develops coaching
accreditation program
7 ITA, PlaySight extend
collegiate tennis partnership 28
7 ATA signs lease to build
20-court facility in Florida
8 Bollettieri, Murray to present
at PTR Symposium
8 49-year-old Ashaway player
makes World Championships
9 K-Swiss, PHIT America focus
on youth activity 2018 OUTLOOK
9 Bank of the West Classic
leaves Stanford
24 Racquets: 26 Strings: 28 Shoes: 30 Apparel:
9 Asheville to host Fed Cup
12 PTR signs deal with Hungarian
Complete Market Force Function vs. Spring Ahead!
Tennis Association Coverage Consumer Fashion Pastels, bold
12 Miami Open to move Manufacturers demand for New shoe colors and
to Dolphins Stadium
12 Halep, Cahill, Tiafoe
continue polyester-based models aim to denim are in
headline benefit event to improve strings still have customers this spring, as
technology and appears to be playing, looking tenniswear
FEATURES
design for all driving and feeling seeks to push the
32 Outstanding Tennis
Facility Awards types of players. this market. their best. boundaries.
34 League Tennis Success Stories

PLUS
p.41 42 CEO’s Message
44 From the Board
46 Master Pro Corner
42 46 51 55
We Have Built Timing the Timing and the Personality 51 Inside Coaching

It and They Are Serve of World’s Contact Zone Traits of a 55 Inside Coaching
Coming Best ATP Great Director 57 Padel News
Players of Tennis 58 Member News
60 Career Development
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

2 TennisIndustry February 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 O F F IC IA L
S U R FAC E
O F T H E U S P TA

id e in st al le rs .
ts , w it h ex pe ri en ce d na ti on w
& re pa ir pr od uc
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sportmaster.net
 TennisIndustry

OurServe PUBLISHER
JEFF WILLIAMS

EDITOR
PETER FRANCESCONI
EDITOR'S NOTE

The Common Good MANAGING EDITOR

SCOTT GRAMLING

If you haven’t supported this industry CREATIVE DIRECTOR

IAN KNOWLES

before, now is the time. SENIOR EDITOR

ED McGROGAN

ART DIRECTOR
CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ

PRODUCTION EDITOR
SAM CHASE

 A
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
BOB PATTERSON

s the editor of this
magazine, one of the
important things I do
is work with the Tennis
Industry Association to
help promote the tennis business. I’m
not alone—much of our team helps to
promote this sport through partnering
in this industry, feel we’ve benefited CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
from our affiliation with the TIA over CYNTHIA CANTRELL, PEG CONNOR,
KENT OSWALD, CYNTHIA SHERMAN,
the years, and we know there are many MARY HELEN SPRECHER
companies, organizations and individu-
als out there who feel the same way and CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
BOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS
are very supportive of the TIA.
But there also are a number of com- ASSOCIATE EDITOR
panies and organizations—including TIM McARTHUR

with the TIA. (Full disclosure: Tennis
Industry's publisher, Jeff Williams, is
the president of the TIA.)
It makes sense to do this because TI
magazine and the TIA both have similar
missions—to promote the growth of this
industry and to help tennis businesses
make money. At the end of the day, both
some that continue to make plenty of EDITORIAL DIRECTION
money off our industry—that aren’t yet 10TEN MEDIA
a part of the Tennis Industry Associa-
TENNIS INDUSTRY
tion. They aren’t yet supporting the one 250 Park Avenue, Ste 825, NY NY 10017
group in tennis that has been all about 646-381-8735
supporting them and growing this busi- info@tennisindustrymag.com
ness for all.
The TIA does a tremendous amount ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

TI and the TIA are in business to help
make your business grow.
The thinking is that we all win when
this sport does better—when more
people are playing tennis, buying equip-
ment and joining leagues. Whether you
say “a rising tide lifts all boats” or “grow
the whole pie, not just your slice,” the
TIA is and has been the vehicle to help
make that happen.
With very few resources,
the TIA does a tremendous
amount to support and grow
this sport for everyone.
In fact, the tennis industry has been
held up by the Sports & Fitness
Industry Association as how to do
things right—where competitors put
aside their differences and come togeth-
er for the common good of the sport.
We, as a magazine and as a business
to support and grow this sport for
everyone, with very few resources and
a very limited budget. The last thing we
want in this business is for companies
and facilities to disappear. We need
healthy, profitable companies that work
with the TIA to promote the sport.
Keep in mind that the TIA isn’t just
helping companies in this business—
individuals also can support the TIA
with a very low-cost membership that
returns benefits almost immediately.
It’s easy to join the “Tennis Network” by
visiting TennisIndustry.org.
The bottom line is this industry needs
the support of all the businesses and
individuals who take something out of
it. You need to be a part of this tennis
business community. And to do so, you
need to join the Tennis Network.
Peter Francesconi
Editor
Peter@TennisIndustryMag.com
JOHN HANNA
770-650-1102, x125
hanna@knowatlanta.com
APPAREL ADVERTISING
CYNTHIA SHERMAN
203-558-5911
cstennisindustry@gmail.com
Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year:
monthly, January through August with combined
issues in September/October and November/
December, by Tennis Media Company, 250 Park
Avenue, Suite 825, New York NY 10017. Periodical
postage paid in Duluth, GA and at additional mailing
offices (USPS #004-354). Feb. 2018, Volume 46,
Number 2 © 2018 by Tennis Media Company. All rights
reserved. Tennis Industry, TI and logo are trademarks
of Tennis Media Company. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone
advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation
and editorial: 646-381-8735. Yearly subscriptions
$25 in the U.S., $40+ elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to Tennis Industry, 250 Park Avenue,
Suite 825, New York NY 10017. Tennis Industry is the
official magazine of the USRSA, TIA and ASBA.
Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/Racquet
Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our website
at TennisIndustryMag.com for free digital versions.

4 TennisIndustry February 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 LET’S SHAPE THE FUTURE OF TENNIS
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 IndustryNews Information to help you run your business
TEACHING PROFESSIONALS
USTA Develops Coaching
Accreditation Program
T
he USTA has created a
tennis coaching accredita-
tion program for organi-
zations and institutions
that certify U.S. tennis
professionals. The goal of the program,
which begins this year, is to set manda-
P H O T O S S H U T T E R S T O C K ; C O U RT E S Y P L AY S I G H T
tory standards for the development of
those new to the profession. It will also
include ongoing coaching education for
all certified pros who are members of
accredited organizations.
“The USTA has developed a set of
criteria and specific accreditation
guidelines with the aim of setting
uniform standards for coaches and
improving the level of instruction for
tennis programs nationwide,” says Scott
Schultz, managing director of USTA-U.
“By aligning our efforts with coaching
www.tennisindustrymag.com
associations willing to uphold the stan-
dards, we will work together to ensure
a consistently high level of coaching.
The result will be a more engaged and
enthused base of players of all ages.”
The USTA says it conducted a world-
wide review of standards for tennis
coaching, and it was determined the U.S.
needed to elevate its approach to certifi-
cation and continuing education.
Coaching associations will remain
responsible for certifying individual
teaching pros. The USTA will act
as a third-party evaluator, ensuring
accountability and helping to prevent
conflicts of interest for groups setting
their own standards. The accreditation
process for coaching certification
organizations will require a review by
an independent, five-person committee.
ITA, PlaySight Extend
College Tennis Partnership
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association
and PlaySight, whose products have
helped bring data analytics, video
content, live streaming and now line-call
reviews through PlayFair to the ITA and
college tennis, have extended their part-
nership. Over the past two years, the ITA
has helped facilitate PlaySight's Smart-
Court expansion across all divisions, with
PlaySight now connected to nearly 50
men's and women's programs.
“We installed our first SmartCourt
nearly four years ago at the University of
Georgia and we're now working with top
[college] teams all over the country,” says
Yuval Bar Yosef, the GM of PlaySight's U.S.
operations. “We're particularly excited
about driving change in the sport with
our PlayFair video replay."
ATA Signs Lease to Build
20-Court Facility and HQ
The American Tennis Association (ATA)
has signed a 99-year lease with the city of
Miramar, Fla., to build a $6.6 million tennis
facility at Miramar Regional Park.
The new complex will include a new head-
quarters for the ATA; more than 20 tennis
courts, including a feature court with seating
for 3,000; a clubhouse with locker rooms,
treatment areas and a fitness center; and
a 20,000-square-foot Black Tennis Hall of
Fame. In addition, plans include a $13 mil-
lion, 125-room hotel.
The ATA, based in Washington, D.C.,
was formed 101 years ago by black tennis
clubs after their members were barred from
February 2018 TennisIndustry 7
IndustryNews
A
INDUSTRY EVENTS cclaimed coaches Nick Bol-
Bollettieri, lettieri and Judy Murray are
headline speakers at the PTR
Murray to International Tennis Symposium,
which will be held Feb. 13-16 on Hilton
Head Island, S.C. For more information
Present at or to register for the Symposium, visit
ptrtennis.org or call 843-785-7244.
PTR Tennis
Bollettieri is an author, philanthro-
pist, motivational speaker, commenta-
Symposium
tor, mentor, advisor and clinician—and
at 86 is still coaching daily. He is a
member of 10 halls of fame, including
the International Tennis Hall of Fame
and the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame.
Murray, coach of former No. 1 Andy
Murray, is a former Scottish tennis
player with 64 national titles. She be-
came Scottish National Coach in 1995.
In 2011, she was appointed captain
of the British Fed Cup team. She has
developed several tennis initiatives,
including Miss-Hits, a starter program
for girls ages 5 to 8, that she will present
at the PTR Symposium.
8 TennisIndustry February 2018
tounaments. The group held its first
national championship in 1917.
The ATA is currently raising funds and
securing permits, so ground won’t be
broken for several years. However, Venus
and Serena Williams have pledged to
donate $1 million to the facility, which is
expected to hold national and regional
events. The American Tennis & Education
Foundation, a part of the ATA, will run the
Hall of Fame.
“We are prepared to make the facility
available as a benefit to [Miramar] resi-
dents, to the young people to participate
in tennis programs, and to parents and
older folks,” ATA representative Barron
Channer told Miramar commissioners,
who approved the lease in late Novem-
ber. The ATA will manage its facility and
offer free programs for the city’s youth to
introduce them to the sport.
49-Year-Old Ashaway Player
Reaches World Championship
Yuko Kawasaki's journey to this
year's World Badminton Champion-
ships in Glasgow, Scotland, was a tale
of grit, determination and talent. As
an amateur and, at age 49, the oldest
female competitor, Kawasaki and
her partner, Tuck Chan, didn't win
the title. But she competed to end a
yearlong, 10-country, 10-tournament
quest—and fulfill a lifelong dream.
The Californian, a self-confessed
“badminton nerd,” is a mother of
three, assistant director of nursing at
El Camino College, chair of the junior
C O U RT E S Y P T R ; C O U RT E S Y A S H AWAY
badminton program at Manhat-
tan Beach Badminton Club and an
Ashaway-sponsored player, playing
with ZyMax 66 Fire badminton string.
She says her quest to qualify for the
World's, "was like a bucket list kind of
thing. My intention originally was just
to have the chance to do it. What an
amazing opportunity!"
Visit ashawayusa.com for more.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
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used to support new physical activity
programs throughout U.S. schools
by leveraging the PHIT America GO!
Grants program. GO! Grants are des-
igned to jumpstart active lifestyles
for thousands of school children.
In addition, the partnership brings
further support to PHIT America as it
works with Congress to pass the PHIT
Act. The PHIT Act will change current
federal tax law to allow for the deduc-
tion or use of pre-tax dollars to cover
expenses related to sports, fitness
and other physical activities.
Visit PHITAmerica.org for more.

Bank of the West Classic

Leaving Stanford
The Bank of the West Classic will
no longer be held in Stanford, after
the university said it doesn’t want
to host a tournament with a com-
mercial sponsor. The WTA event
was played at Stanford’s Taube
Family Tennis Center for 22 years.
The tournament, which is
played in the summer prior to the
US Open, is owned by IMG, which
is now looking for another sponsor
and site. The Classic is the longest
continuously running women’s
tournament in the world.

Asheville to Host
Fed Cup First Round
Asheville, N.C.’s U.S. Cellular Center
will host the 2018 Fed Cup World
Group first-round tie between the
United States and the Netherlands
on Feb. 10-11. It is the first time
Asheville will host Fed Cup action.
The U.S. team is the defending Fed
Cup champion, having beaten Be-
larus in the November final. Sloane
Stephens and Coco Vandeweghe,
who were members of the title-win-
ning team, are expected to compete
in Asheville. The winner will move on
to the semifinals in April.
Visit usta.com/fedcup for more.

www.tennisindustrymag.com February 2018 TennisIndustry 9

IndustryNews
Letters
Readers Rally Back
CLOTHES FOR ALL PLAYERS
I read with disappointment the November/
December cover story “Clothes Make the
GET A FREE DEMO!
Half Page Ad-Rev4.indd 1
10 TennisIndustry February 2018
Player.” All the styles displayed were for and
modeled by young, thin women. Tennis is
a lifelong sport, and those short skirts are
typically unattractive on older women.
I’ve long advocated companies design
slightly longer skirts for older female play-
ers, along with dresses that include panties
and pockets for balls. A company can earn
great profits if marketing fun, attractive
attire to all female players, young and older.
Sheila Simpson
Gaylord, Mich
DEVELOPING A ‘VIABLE’ PROFESSION
I enjoyed "Be Certifiable" by Denny Schack-
ter (Your Serve, Nov./Dec.), but I think the
article should have added more to the idea
of age and the future of the industry.
The largest issue I see are college players
who don't see teaching as a viable profes-
sion—they use tennis as a means to get into
another profession. Tennis shouldn’t be a
fall back, but a true career. This is something
we need to address as a community.
We also need talent to teach talent and
keep the industry progressing. Youth does
this, and I like the idea of helping the next
generation of coaches find their hidden
talents. I really appreciates this article and
would like to hear more on this topic from
the industry.
William David Taylor
Director of Tennis
Columbia Basin Racquet Club
iGENIE
TM
The Official Ball Machine of the USPTA
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www.tennisindustrymag.com

People
Watch
The American Sports Builders Associa-
tion recently named two new Certified
Tennis Court Builders (CTCB): Greg
Nichols of Premier Surface Solutions Inc.,
Tallahassee, Fla., and Michael Robinson
of Talbot Tennis, Marietta, Ga.
Swiss chocolatier Lindt has extended
its global partnership with Roger Federer
as an ambassador for the brand.
USTA Southern Tennis Hall of Famer
John Peddycord passed away on Nov. 25
at age 85. A noted volunteer, Peddycord
was a former president of the North Caro-
lina Tennis Association and NC Tennis
Foundation, and chaired numerous USTA
Southern and national committees.
PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK
www.tennisindustrymag.com
In November, tennis lost two Hall of
Famers: former Wimbledon champion
Jana Novotna, who passed away at 49
from cancer; and famed coach and player
Pancho Segura, who died at 96 from com-
plications from Parkinson’s disease.
Tyson McGuffin captured his first-ever
major pickleball championship, winning
the Men’s Singles Open Division of the
2017 USA Pickleball Association National
Championships in Casa Grande, Ariz. The
victory propelled him to the No. 1 men’s
singles ranking in the world for pickle-
ball. McGuffin is part of Team Selkirk.
Former pro-tour player Jeff Tarango
is the new director of tennis at the Jack
IndustryNews
Kramer Club in Rolling Hills Estates,
Calif., replacing the retiring Dennis Rizza.
In November, Mike Goldammer
resigned as USTA Northern section ED.
Head Penn’s Paola Longoria, the
No. 1-ranked female racquetball player in
the world, wrapped up 2017 with her fifth
win in singles on the Ladies Professional
Racquetball Tour, at the Christmas Clas-
sic near Washington, D.C., in December.
PTR- and USPTA-certified pro Marcy
Cohen of Shelton, Conn., will serve as
head tennis coach for the Ramah Sports
Academy this summer, at Fairfield Uni-
versity, in Fairfield, Conn.
February 2018 TennisIndustry 11
IndustryNews
TEACHING PRO ORGANIZATIONS
PTR Signs Partnership With
Hungarian Tennis Association
T
he PTR has signed a
multi-year partnership
with the Hungarian Tennis
Association in which PTR
will be an Official Continuing Education
partner of HTA. PTR and HTA will col-
laborate on an annual Symposium to be
held in Budapest.
“PTR is excited to be working with
one of the top tennis associations in the
12 TennisIndustry February 2018
Signing a deal for tennis
education in Hungary are (from
left) PTR Education Consultant
Anne Pankhurst, PTR CEO Dan
Santorum, Attila Richter of the
HTA, HTA Coach Gabor Pelva,
Sports Director Gabor Juhász,
and PTR Education Director
Brian Parkkonen.
world,” says PTR CEO Dan Santorum.
“Hungary has a strong tennis tradition,
an excellent association staff, and a
talented group of coaches. We are con-
fident our collaboration will contribute
to the growth of tennis in Hungary."
“PTR provides world-class and
accredited tennis education that will be
very beneficial to coaches in Hungary,”
adds Attila Richter, CEO of the HTA.
Miami Open to Move
To Dolphins Stadium
This is the last year that the Miami
Open will be held in Key Biscayne’s
Crandon Park. In mid-December,
Miami-Dade County commissioners
unanimously approved an agreement
that allows the tournament to move to
Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's
Miami Dolphins, starting in 2019.
Showcase matches will be in the
main 65,000-seat stadium, which will
be temporarily revamped for tennis.
Tournament owner IMG and Dolphins
owner Stephen Ross plan to spend
about $53 million building a new ten-
nis complex on parking lots adjacent
to Hard Rock Stadium.
The sticking point in the move was
about the amount of money the tour-
nament owed the county from the
past three years. The agreed-on terms
capped the expense at $1.8 million.
The Miami Open’s future has been
in question since a 2015 appeals court
decision prevented upgrades to the
Key Biscayne complex. The tourna-
ment has been held on Key Biscayne
since 1987. Hard Rock Stadium is
about 18 miles north of Key Biscayne.
Halep, Cahill, Tiafoe Headline
‘Tennis With The Stars’
World No. 1 Simona Halep will
headline Cliff Drysdale Management's
fourth annual 'Tennis With The Stars' on
March 6 at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas
Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
The charity event will once again benefit
ACEing Autism, a national non-profit that
connects children on the autistic spec-
P H O T O C O U RT E S Y P T R ; A P
trum to tennis. Darren Cahill, Halep's
current coach and ESPN analyst, will also
participate in the event, and returning for
the second consecutive year is American
star Frances Tiafoe.
For more information on the event, visit
tenniswithstars.com.
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Short
Sets
Nike will name a new building that
covers 1 million square feet after Serena
Williams, and a new fitness center after
Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski.
The new buildings are part of Nike’s HQ
expansion in Beaverton, Ore. The build-
ing named for the 23-time Grand Slam
champion, a Nike athlete since 2003,
will be the biggest on the campus and is
slated to be finished in 2019.
USTA President Katrina Adams will
chair the ITF's new Women in Sport
Committee, which was created to pro-
mote equal opportunities for women.
Tennis Hobo: A Derailed Memoir is a
semi-autobiographical novel by author
www.tennisindustrymag.com
John Gruberg about the golden years of
the sport as seen through two California
pros who make their living off the beaten
path as they negotiate the joys and sor-
rows of teaching the game. In addition
to Gruberg’s insights, the book includes
unique instruction tips. It is now available
at Amazon.com.
Peter Burwash International will direct
the tennis program at The Abaco Club on
Winding Bay in the Bahamas.
The leading stars of the movie Battle of
the Sexes, which premiered in September,
were nominated for Golden Globe awards.
Steve Carell, who played Bobby Riggs,
and Emma Stone, who played Billie Jean
IndustryNews
King, were nominated for Best Perfor-
mance (Musical or Comedy).
Facing Sampras: Symposium of a
Champion is a new book by sports jour-
nalist Mark “Scoop” Malinowski, in which
competitors and rivals of Pete Sampras
discuss in detail their memories and
experiences of playing tennis against the
seven-time Wimbledon champion, who
reigned for six years as the ATP World
No. 1-ranked tennis player. It is
Malinowski’s ninth tennis book and is
now available at Amazon.com.
Asics America Corp. opened its first
U.S. flagship store in December, at 579
Fifth Avenue in New York City.
February 2018 TennisIndustry 13
TennisIndustry

SNEELW
LIN
PGR OFDR U
A CMTESS

2 0B1U7 SRI NA EC SQ SU EBTO SO ES LT E CRTSO R

2/ Tennis Ball Recycling

RecycleBalls has been at the forefront
of keeping tennis balls out of landfills
for the last few years and continues to
gain support across the country. Recent
developments include new collection/
shipping bins designed to withstand
even the harshest winter weather. The
company also is looking at novel ways
to recycle tennis ball felt into clothing.
Recycleballs is a 501(C)3 nonprofit, so
tax deductions are available.
www.recycleballs.org • 855-988-2255

Tennis 1/ Smart Dampener

Smart Dampener by Courtmatics may 3/ TruScore Scorekeeper

Marketplace look like a normal vibration dampener,

but it provides smart coaching and
detailed feedback for players at all lev-
The new TruScore scorekeeper has
tough nylon rings that are virtually
unbreakable and stand up to full sun
Help your players, els via its mobile app. Courtmatics says and harsh environments, says the com-
customers and the device tracks metrics such as stroke
analysis, footwork, serve speed, racquet
pany. The game and set cards are made
from HDPE plastic and treated with
bottom line acceleration, wrist snap, sweetspot, fol-
low through, racquet preparation, spin
a UV inhibitor to protect against sun
damage. Features include “first serve”
with these three and calories, in addition to monitoring
string tension and alerting the player
and “tiebreak” indicators. TruScore
scorekeepers can be customized in a
innovations. when it’s time to restring. Price is $99.
www.courtmatics.com
school or club’s colors, with a logo.
www.Ilovetruscore.com • 801-359-8900

14 TennisIndustry February 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

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TennisIndustry

RacquetTech
CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Tension-Power Myth

When it comes to polyester strings, we all
need to make sure adult recreational
players and juniors know the facts.
By Bob Patterson

F
or as long as tennis has
been around, we have
heard, “string looser for
more power and tighter
for more control.”
The thinking is that a looser string
bed deforms more and acts like a tram-
poline to catapult the ball, thus creating
a shot traveling faster and deeper into
the court. While all of that is true, to
some extent, it isn’t quite that simple.
In their book Technical Tennis, co-
authors Rod Cross and Crawford Lind-
sey explain that while the ball does exit
the strings a bit faster when a racquet
is strung looser, it is not to the extent
most people think. According to the
book, a 10-pound drop in tension will
result in a gain in ball velocity of less
than 2 percent. For a 60 m.p.h. shot,
that’s only about an extra 1.2 m.p.h.
So while it’s true that lowering the
tension will create a small amount of
extra power, it’s more accurate to say
that lowering the tension will create
more depth on your shot. This happens
for three reasons.
First, since the ball leaves the string It’s more accurate to say that
bed slightly faster, it will travel a bit
farther into the opponent’s court. Sec-
lowering the tension will create
ond, the ball embeds in the string bed more depth on your shot.
longer at impact, staying on the strings
a bit longer (otherwise known as dwell
time). Because of this, the player will racquet. We don’t have the space here the tongue the same way, but the con-
swing through a larger vertical arc to explain it all, but if you’re interested, cept can help you choose the correct
during the dwell time and the ball will you should find a copy of Technical tension for your client, depending on
C O U RT E S Y S H U T T E R S T O C K

leave the racquet at a higher angle,
thereby travelling farther.
The third reason gets a bit more com-
plicated, but essentially, it deals with
the actions of the string movement dur-
ing impact with the ball, and the result-
ing launch angle of the ball leaving the
Tennis to read all about it.
So, while “string looser for more
power and tighter for more control”
may have some merit, a more accurate
statement would be, “string looser for
more depth on shots and tighter for less
depth.” I know that doesn’t quite roll off
how deep—rather than how hard—they
are hitting the ball. •
Technical Tennis, by Rod Cross and
Crawford Lindsey, is published by Racquet
Tech Publishing and is available on the
USRSA website, www.RacquetTech.com.

16 TennisIndustry February 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 Join the Leader
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TennisIndustry

D I S T I N G U I SRHAECDQ U
F AE CT I CL U
I TSY-
TOOM
F -ITZHAET -Y
I OENA R A W A R D S

C OHUYRBTR ICDO NS TS RT IRNUGCITNI GO N

W
ith more
than 10,000
different

Match Play
strings cur-
rently on
the market,
one would
have to believe there is a perfect string
Help your customers pair the
for every player.
Players can certainly come close to
perfect strings in a hybrid setup.
finding their perfect string if they take
a methodical approach and have the By Bob Patterson
guidance of a trained professional tech-
nician. But sometimes, a player may
need to combine two different strings to
make a perfect pairing that will help his
or her game and prevent arm injury.
In the January 2016 issue, in an
article titled “Finding the Perfect Pair,”
I compared choosing string to pairing
wine with food. We can use that same
analogy when it comes to finding the
perfect hybrid pairing.
Hybrid stringing combines two
strings—one for the mains and another
for the crosses—and utilizes the unique
characteristics of each one so that, when
combined, they meet the player’s needs.
On the professional tours, hybrid string-
ing has become the norm. According to
Babolat, 70 percent of ATP players and
80 percent of WTA players use a hybrid
setup. Yet many club or recreational play-
ers seem to be unaware of this option.
Even though there have never been
so many string choices before, to be
fair, of the 10,000-plus strings on the
market, there no doubt is some duplica-
tion, and many may be very similar in
their characteristics and performance.
However, there still is a huge diversity
of string materials and manufactur-
ing techniques. When you consider
the sheer number of strings, then take
into account the ability to combine two
strings in a hybrid setup, the choices for
your players explode exponentially.
So, why should your customer
consider a hybrid string setup? It allows
you to tailor the string bed to suit your
customer’s specific needs, whatever they
may be. Sure, you may be able to accom-

18 TennisIndustry February 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 A hybrid string setup allows you to tailor
the string bed to suit your customer’s specific needs.
plish this with one string, but hybrids
give you even more selection and flexibil-
ity in being able to fine-tune the setup.
When discussing the topic of hybrid
stringing with experienced racquet
technicians or tennis retailers, I’m
constantly surprised that in gen-
eral, their assumption is the hybrid
is always a polyester monofilament
main string with a nylon synthetic
cross string. While this is a popular
combination, if this is your only view
of a hybrid, then you are missing out,
and so are your customers. You need
to think about your entire inventory,
www.tennisindustrymag.com
not just a poly-synthetic mix.
While performance is the main reason
for using a hybrid, there are other con-
siderations, such as budget. My earliest
use of a hybrid was combining natural
gut mains with a soft nylon cross. This
reduced the overall cost of a full set of
gut and allowed players to have the feel
and power of gut. While it wasn’t quite
as good as a full set of gut, it was close—
and it was within their budgets.
Understanding the String Bed
To understand hybrid stringing, you
first have to understand the string bed
and its function. At the USRSA World
Conference this past October, Master
Racquet Technician Tom Parry, the
global brand manager for Pacific, pre-
sented a seminar on racquets, or as he
referred to them, “string holders.” Parry
used that term to emphasize the im-
portant role strings play in the racquet.
“You have a frame and you have string,
and when the two are combined, you
have a racquet,” he said. “But the strings
are the most important.”
So how does a player find the perfect
string for them? It all starts with an
honest evaluation of the player and his
or her game. You have to consider their
particular needs, wants and expectations.
If a player is looking for more power
or depth on their shots, but their swing
is compact and/or slow, then they are
going to need a powerful engine to pro-
pel the ball on impact. Conversely, if the
player has a fast, long stroke through
the ball, they need the string bed to
absorb some energy from the ball so the
shot can be more controlled.
As with most things, there are
tradeoffs, and pros and cons. A string
bed that is powerful may be harder to
control. One that is very firm may offer
control or less depth, but it also creates
more shock at impact. Because of these
conflicts, a technician must consider
the “big picture” when recommending
a string setup. For an advanced player
with big strokes, a stiff poly may seem
to fit the needs to control the ball, but if
that player has a history of arm injuries,
it may not be a good choice after all.
Where to Place Strings
The racquet’s “engine” is comprised of
mains strings and cross strings. Gener-
ally, the main strings do most of the
work, with the cross strings playing a
supporting, although important, role.
Simply reversing the placement of
strings in a hybrid makes a huge differ-
ence in the string bed and the perfor-
mance of the racquet.
We took a racquet and installed a
hybrid of a monofilament polyester
string in the mains and a multifilament
nylon in the crosses, and then took the
same racquet and string and reversed it,
with the multifilament in the mains and
the poly in the crosses. Both times we
strung the racquet at 50 pounds.
For the poly mains/multifilament
crosses setup, we measured a string-
bed stiffness of 59 on the Babolat RDC
machine and 36 on the Beers ERT de-
vice. For the mutifilament mains/poly
crosses setup, the string-bed stiffness
was 54 RDC and 33 ERT. That is a dif-
ference of 9 percent just in the lab tests.
We also know from experience and
playtesting that on-court differences
are just as dramatic.
The mains dictate the feel and perfor-
mance, but the crosses contribute to the
overall string-bed stiffness and elastic-
ity, and therefore the performance.
While most players at the professional
level use a hybrid of polyester and natu-
ral gut, there is no standard of which
string is used for the mains.
Utilizing your entire string inventory
for hybrids is easy. All you need is some
small zip ties and small plastic bags,
such as sandwich bags. When you use a
half set of string for a hybrid, recoil the
remaining half, secure with a zip tie,
place it in a plastic bag and put it back
into inventory, so it will be ready to use
for the next hybrid that may require
that string. •
February 2018 TennisIndustry 19
TennisIndustry
PioneersInTennis
PLAYER SERVICES
Influence for Good
Holabird Sports founder Willi Hirshfeld
not only influenced tennis retail, but also
helped change lives for local youngsters.
By Mary Helen Sprecher
B
ig-box stores are plenti-
ful—much to the dismay
of brick-and-mortar
establishments. Sports
superstores, however, are a
different breed, and when the Hirsh-
feld family opened one in Baltimore
County, it was a rare species indeed.
In 1981, the family, led by patriarch
Willi Hirshfeld, founded Holabird
Sports. Now staring down its fourth
decade, the store has changed and
evolved, but it has never lost touch with
its customers. And even with Willi, at
age 94, enjoying retirement, the family
carries on that tradition.
“My father knew the customer was
20 TennisIndustry February 2018
always first,” says David Hirshfeld, who
is Holabird’s president and owner.
Willi’s reach into the tennis business
was actually far more hands-on than
simply being a store owner; in 1975 he
created the Greenspring Racquet Club
in Lutherville, Md., then in 1979 built
the Holabird Racquet Club in Balti-
more. Holabird Sports began as a mail-
order business operating out of HRC.
Willi’s customer-service philosophy
carried through the clubs’ doors, mean-
ing everyone from a casual player to
a hardcore athlete received the same
warm welcome.
“He thought everyone who came
in the door should be coming into an
Holabird's Willi Hirshfeld—
with his wife, Loretta, at the
1995 US Open—was an early
influencer in mail-order
sports equipment.
atmosphere that was friendly and
open. He was the official greeter at
Greenspring,” David remembers. “He
had an old-school business approach.”
Willi’s acumen was well-known in
the industry—“My father treated ten-
nis as a business even though it was a
pleasure sport,” notes David.
Jim Fromuth of Fromuth Tennis, a
longtime friend and colleague, cites
Willi as a pioneering member of the
industry and a man who, despite being
a tough negotiator, never lost sight of
the person on the other side of the desk.
“He might fight you like crazy,”
recalls Fromuth, “but when he hugged
you, you knew you’d been hugged.”
Willi Hirshfeld knew ‘the
customer was always first.’
Something many might not realize,
Fromuth adds, was that Willi lever-
aged the benefits of working with both
Greenspring and Holabird to assemble
a highly successful program that gave
disadvantaged children an incentive to
stay in school.
“He would open early on Saturdays
and have the kids in to play,” Fromuth
says. “If they got A's on their report
cards, they could get shoes or racquets.”
Holabird became an early influencer
in mail-order shopping for tennis,
then in the online business—and then
for a much larger array of sports,
including racquetball, squash, pickle-
ball, running, walking and CrossFit.
The Greenspring Racquet Club no
longer operates, but Holabird Sports is
still family-owned; David and his son,
P H O T O C O U RT E S Y H I R S H F E L D FA M I LY
Brian, now operate it together. And
they have always remembered Willi’s
thoughts on the essential role played
by the athletes who shop in the store or
visit it online, much the same way Willi
did when they entered the club.
“My dad always treated players as
his marketers,” says David. “That was
important to him.” •
www.tennisindustrymag.com
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Doug Conant, Stephen Tharrett Among
Top Speaker Lineup at TOM Conference
Business and sports industry leaders Douglas Conant and Stephen Other featured TOM speakers
Tharrett will be among the keynote presenters and moderators at include legendary coach Nick
the 2018 Tennis Owners & Managers (TOM) Conference, which will Bollettieri, sports club marketing
be April 8-11 at Wild Dunes Resort in Charleston, S.C. Presented by expert Casey Conrad, Tennis
the TIA, the TOM Conference targets tennis owners, managers and Industry Health & Wellness
industry decision-makers with a focus on innovation, growth, business Advisor Dr. Jack Groppel, the
Doug Conant
leadership and development. co-founder of Johnson & Johnson’s
Conant, the founder and CEO of ConantLeadership, will discuss Human Performance Institute,
leadership skills and development. The former CEO of Campbell Soup and Craig Morris, the USTA’s
Co. and chairman of Avon Products, Conant also is the chairman of general manager of Community and
the Kellogg Executive Leadership Institute at Northwestern University Youth Tennis.
and chairman of CECP—the CEO Force for Good. The TOM Conference will have
Tharrett is the co-founder of ClubIntel, owner/president of Club educational sessions (CEU credits
Industry Consulting and former president of IHRSA. He’ll talk about are available from both the PTR
key issues facing the tennis industry today and how to turn those and USPTA), a Resource Center,
challenges into opportunities, including how fitness and wellness can an “Innovation Challenge,” best
and should play into the sport’s future. practices roundtables, leadership
and facility management sessions, Stephen Tharrett
The Tennis Owners & Managers Conference presentations on equipment and
recently was honored in the January issue of technology, networking sessions, future of tennis and technology
Tennis Industry magazine as its “Innovative Tennis applications, digital and social media discussions, and more. The TOM
Event of the Year.” The magazine will honor its also will feature on-court equipment/retail demos and demonstrations
17th annual “Champions of Tennis” winners at this
year’s TOM Conference.
for short-court sports such as POP Tennis, paddle, pickleball and padel.
Visit TheTOMConference.com.

Join Tennis Industry Experts at the CHARLESTON, SC | 2018

April 8-11, 2018, Wild Dunes Resort, Charleston, S.C.

Submit Your Product or Service For the

‘Innovation Challenge’ Te n n i s I n d u s t r y

Do you have an innovative new product,

innovation SC 2018

CHALLENGE
software or service that can help grow the Charleston, South Carolina
April 2018
April, 2018
sport or business of tennis? Submit your
pitch now for the “Tennis Industry Innovation Challenge—2018.”
Through Feb. 15, companies and individuals can complete a short
application at TheTOMConference.com describing their new, innovative
product or service. There is no charge to apply.
Finalists from the online application process will have the opportunity to
present their new product or service to a panel of judges at the TOM—and
in front of an audience of tennis industry leaders—in a “Shark Tank”-like
competition. The winner will receive $1,000, a national press release,
coverage in Tennis Industry magazine, a one-year TIA membership, and
additional exposure through industry marketing and social media channels.
22 TennisIndustry February 2018 Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . TennisIndustry.org
 Williams Reappointed As
TIA President in Expanded Role
The Tennis Industry
Association Board
of Directors voted
in early December to reappoint Jeff Williams as the ongoing
TIA president in a new and expanded capacity. Williams will
become the first president as a staff position since Jim Baugh
held that position 10 years ago. This newly created role will
allow Williams to further focus on the industry’s specific
challenges and opportunities by working closely with TIA staff
and industry partners.  Chanhassen, Minn., is the Facility Representative.
Williams has a range of experiences to make him a natural
for this role, including publisher of Tennis Magazine and Tennis
Industry magazine. Currently, he is publisher with Tennis
Magazine/Tennis Media Co./Tennis Channel.
The board also voted to appoint Susan DiBiase as TIA vice
president. DiBiase is the General Manager for Babolat USA.
In addition, Dr. Timothy Russell, the CEO of the Intercollegiate
Tennis Association, is the newest member of the TIA Board of
Directors. Joining the Board last spring was Gavin Forbes, the
managing director and senior vice president of IMG Tennis.
Two new TIA Board Representatives, which are non-voting
positions, were also named. Adam Burbary, owner of Game-
Set-Match Inc. of Denver, is the Retailer Representative, and
Ajay Pant, the national tennis director for Life Time, based in
The TIA Board will next meet on April 8 at Wild Dunes Resort
in Charleston, S.C., in conjunction with the Tennis Owners &
Managers Conference/Tennis Innovation Challenge. The Board
also is scheduled to meet in New York City Aug. 27 during the US
Open. For more information, visit TennisIndustry.org.

The full TIA board is:
• adidas: Dave Malinowski
• American Sports Builders Association: Fred Stringfellow
• ATP World Tour: Linda Clark
• Babolat: *Eric Babolat/Susan DiBiase
• Dunlop Sports Group: Kai Nitsche
• ESPN: John Suchenski
• HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports: Greg Mason *Ottmar Barbian
• Intercollegiate Tennis Association: Dr. Timothy Russell
• International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Assn.:
Meredith Poppler
• International Management Group: Gavin Forbes
• International Tennis Federation: Dr. Stuart Miller/
*David Haggerty
• International Tennis Hall of Fame: Todd Martin
• Professional Tennis Registry: Dan Santorum
• Sports & Fitness Industry Assn.: Tom Cove
• Tennis Channel: David Egdes
• Tennis Magazine/Tennis Media Co./Tennis Channel:
*Jeff Williams
• U.S. Professional Tennis Assn.: John Embree
• U.S. Racquet Stringers Assn.: Bob Patterson
• U.S. Tennis Association: Kurt Kamperman
• Wilson Sporting Goods: *Hans-Martin Reh/Mickey Maule
• Women’s Tennis Association: Steve Simon
• World TeamTennis: Ilana Kloss
(*TIA Global Council)

‘Play Tennis Month’ Planned Support YOUR Industry!

for May 2018 Across the U.S. Join the ‘Tennis Network’
Industry partners are working together to designate May 2018 as Any business, organization or individual looking to
“Play Tennis Month” to help showcase the sport of tennis and associated support the tennis industry can become part of the
health benefits. Thousands of tennis programs and events will be held Tennis Network for just $35 and enjoy TIA benefits and
around the country, with a goal of helping jump-start the industry and get access to key information to grow their business.
people moving and playing tennis, the No. 1 sport for a long and healthy life. Whether U.S. or global, all members of the industry—
Play Tennis Month events will include many fund-raisers to benefit PHIT including tennis facility owners or managers, retailers,
America GO! Grants, which provide funds for physical education in schools, court builders, coaches, grassroots organization
including supporting Net Generation equipment and curriculum. PHIT America, and more—can join the Tennis Network and begin
which was founded by former TIA President Jim Baugh, is also looking to pass receiving valuable benefits and services, including
the PHIT Act (visit phitamerica.org for more information), which is designed to the new CollegeSave Tuition Discounts, PerkSpot
get more people active and moving, including through tennis. discounts and savings, subscription discounts, Careers
Play Tennis Month also ties in with PHIT in Tennis Job Bureau, and more. A portion of your
America Month, which has more than 30 membership will help support PHIT America, too.
PLAY TENNIS! sponsor companies and organizations, in- Visit TennisIndustry.org/membership to view benefits
M NTH supporting
cluding the USTA and TIA. Tennis providers
looking to support Play Tennis Month in May
and services, and to join the TIA.

should visit RallyTheIndustry.org to be listed as a participating location.

For more information and to register for the CHARLESTON, SC | 2018 Register
TOM Conference, visit TheTOMConference.com or
contact 843-686-3036 or info@tennisindustry.org.
Today!

Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . TennisIndustry.org February 2018 TennisIndustry 23
TennisIndustry

S E LRL A
I NC G
Q UF E
R TASM E S

2 0 1 7 ORUATCLQOUOEKT 2S0E1L8E C T O R

Complete
Coverage
Manufacturers
continue to improve
technology and
design so players
can find their
perfect frame.
By Bob Patterson

A
 
s we launch into the new
year, new racquets and frame
technologies continue to come
our way. It’s hard to point to
any “earth-shattering” developments in
2018—but more importantly, companies
are continuing to tweak and improve their
techology and design in their efforts to
provide the best possible racquet for every
player type.
As you are probably aware, the industry
and the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association
continue to emphasize how important it
is that retailers and stringers “fit” rac-
quets to their players. The key to a satis-
fied customer is making sure the racquet
they invest in is one that is suited to their
particular swing and style of play—thereby
providing the best performance possible,
with little to no risk of injury. A properly
fitted customer will be a repeat customer,
both in terms of regular stringing and
customizing needs, and when it’s time to
purchase a new frame.
Manufacturers are making this process
easier with a wide variety of frames, so that Wilson / wilson.com /773-714-6400
you can fit your client with a racquet with Wilson introduces new frames in the Pro Staff and Ultra families.
the best head size, weight, swingweight and The Pro Staff 97 and 97L feature Countervail technology, as does the
string pattern to meet their needs and help Ultra 100 and 105S. Also new is the Ultra Tour and Ultra 110 (Version 2.0),
them perform their best on court. XP-1, Triad XP 3 and Triad XP 5.

24 TennisIndustry February 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 Head / head.com /800-289-7366
Head continues to update its lineup of
Graphene Touch Technology frames,
most recently with the new Radical
line. In addition to the Graphene tech,
the new Radical frames also feature
new cosmetics with a logo designed to
point out the versatility of the line—it
can be read right-side up and upside
down. The Radical line includes the
MP, Pro, S and PWR.
The Graphene Touch Prestige
line also launched in January, which
includes the Prestige MP, Prestige Pro,
Prestige Tour and Prestige Mid.
P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y B A B O L AT, D U N L O P, H E A D, PA C I F I C, VO L K L , W I L S O N
Volkl / volkltennis.com/ 866-554-7872
Volkl continues the roll-out of its
V-Sense tech with several new models,
including the V-Sense 1, V-Sense 5,
V-Sense V1 MP and OS, and V1 Pro.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
Dunlop / dunloptennis.us
888-215-1530
The new frames from Dunlop carry
dual-branding as Dunlop and Dunlop
Srixon racquets. As their ads proclaim,
“This is what happens when English
tradition meets Japanese precision.”
Featuring a redesign that merges the
best of both brands, the new frames
include the Revo CX 2.0 Tour, the CX
2.0, CX 2.0 LS and CX 4.0, which all fea-
ture Dunlop Srixon’s Solid Core Tech-
nology. Also new are the CZ 98D and
CZ 100S frames. All CZ and CX frames
are Sony Smart Tennis compatible.
The key to a satisfied
customer is making
sure the racquet
they invest in is one
that is suited to their
particular swing
and style of play—
thereby providing
the best performance
possible, with little to
no risk of injury.
Babolat / babolat.com/877-316-9435
Babolat recently released the newest
incarnation of its popular Pure Drive
racquet. Two updated technologies
are included in this version: FSI Power
features a new string pattern with
diamond grommets to provide a larger
sweetspot and more power on shots;
and Babolat’s Cortex Pure Feel vibra-
tion absorption technology helps play-
ers achieve optimal feel on shots,
according to the company.
The complete line of Pure Drive
models is scheduled to launch in the
first quarter of 2018.
Pacific / pacific.com /877-847-7721
The X Fast ULT is light—ours weighed
9.7 oz. strung. But it could be a perfect
transition for an advanced junior or
any adult looking for a lighter racquet.
February 2018 TennisIndustry 25
TennisIndustry

S E L LSI TNRGI N
FGRA
SMES

2 0 1 7 ORUATCLQOUOEKT 2S0E1L8E C T O R

Market Force
Polyester-based strings aren’t for
everyone, but consumer demand for them
continues to drive the market.
By Bob Patterson

Despite what seems to be a consensus in this industry that polyester-based strings are
suited for only a small percentage of the playing population, manufacturers continue
to introduce new poly models. While there are several non-poly strings in the works, it
seems that the consumer demand for poly continues to drive the market.
The good news is that poly strings seem to be getting softer. We also hope to see
more introductions of multifilament strings and other innovations that will help club
players continue to enjoy playing without the potential for injury.

P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y G O L D E N S ET, G O S E N, S O L I N C O, U N I Q U E S P O RT S

Golden Set Gosen / gosenamerica.com Solinco / solincosports.com Tourna / uniquesports.us

goldensettennis.com
866-865-3202
Golden Set has two new
strings that are both avail-
able in 16 gauge and 17
gauge: Snake Bite Smooth is
a co-polyester tennis string;
Satin is a nylon-based string.
Both are available in 40-foot
sets or in reels.
714-379-7400
Gosen introduces a new
polyester string, the yellow
G-Tour 3, available in 17
gauge (1.23) and 17L gauge
(1.18), in both 40-foot sets.
and 726-foot reels.
310-922-7775
Solinco has added 19- and
20-gauge versions to its
popular Hyper-G co-poly
string, available in 40-foot
sets and 656-foot reels (and
currently in gauges 16, 16L,
17 and 18).
770-442-1977
Tourna has released new
18-gauge versions in several
popular string models,
including Big Hitter Black
7, Big Hitter Black Zone, Big
Hitter Blue, Big Hitter Red,
Big Hitter Silver and Big
Hitter Silver Rough.

26 TennisIndustry February 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

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TennisIndustry

S E L L ISNHGOFERSA M E S

2 0 1 7 ORUATCLQOUOEKT 2S0E1L8E C T O R

G
lamour sells a shoe, but
technology is what gives it
buzz—at least at first. The
epitome of reaching full
potential is Adidas’ Stan Smith series,
launched 45 years ago with an inno-
vative leather upper creating a new
standard for tennis-shoe support and
comfort. In 2017, the iconic kick’s ever-
green success earned the former World
No. 1 player Footwear News’ Manolo
Blahnik Lifetime Achievement Award.
In terms of overall strength of sales,
and not just attracting attention from
the sport’s most frequent players, “We
are in a cycle where non-performance
shoes are winning,” says Matt Powell,
vice president and footwear industry
analyst at The NPD Group Inc. “I
expect the retro and casual athletic
trend to continue for some time.”
While odds are against any of this
year’s new tennis footwear becoming
the next Stan Smith, Jack Purcell or
any of the other classics, each is being
launched in that spirit.
Hopes for achieving short- and
long-term sales goals are founded on
player recognition that performance
tweaks over previous models will take
the purchaser’s game closer to the level
of the touring pros who wear the same
shoes—as well as the belief that they
are not just playing well, but looking
their best from the ground up.
(Prices are suggested retail.)

Function vs. Fashion

Between performance tweaks and cosmetic updates, new
shoes aim to have customers playing and looking their best.
By Kent Oswald

P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y A D I DA S, B A B O L AT, F I L A , H E A D, K- S W I S S, N I K E , P R I N C E , W I L S O N, YO N E X

Head / head.com / 800-289-7366 Nike / nike.com / 800-344-6453

Head debuts its lightest tennis shoe ever, the low-profile,
all-court Sprint Pro 2.0 (men’s and women’s, $140), offering
superior fit and stability. Modified versions include the men’s
Sprint Pro 2.0 Team ($120) and Sprint 2.0 Junior ($80). The
premier performance Revolt Pro 2.5 (men’s and women’s,
$140) provides superior cushioning and support, and the line
has been extended with a Revolt Pro 2.5 Team (men’s, $120).
Featuring a low profile, responsive cushioning and comfort
from the heel forward, the Court Zoom Vapor X (men’s and
women’s, $150) will roll out throughout the year in new
colorways based on the tennis calendar’s tent-pole events,
including the Australian Open and hard-court tournaments
in Indian Wells and Miami.

28 TennisIndustry February 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 TennisIndustry

Adidas / adidas.com / 971-234-2300

The Barricade Boost 2018 (men’s, $160) launched in January and enhances the
line of performance footwear noted for its stability and fit. The seamless upper
flexes with the foot while the midsole construction provides robust support.
The Adizero Ubersonic (women’s, $130) is designed for speed and comfort, with
a stretchy mesh upper and seamless bootie construction for maximum airflow.

Babolat / babolat.com / 877-316-9435

Continuing the evolution of the mega-lightweight performance shoe, the new
Jet Mach II (men’s and women’s, $150) provides superior support as well as
outstanding cushioning. The partnership with Michelin continues to give these
shoes outstanding outsole durability and responsiveness. New colorways will
become available throughout the year.

Fila / fila.com / 800-845-FILA

A beloved shoe is reinvigorated for 2018. The Axilus Energized (men’s and
women’s, $110) is the updated model of Fila’s longtime favorite. This version
gains additional comfort and support, and is primed for availability in a variety
of stylish new colorways.

K-Swiss / k-swiss.com / 844-284-1292

New shoes expected to help K-Swiss build on its status as the fastest-growing
tennis footwear brand in the U.S. are the Ultrashot (men’s and women’s, $135)
and the series extender, new junior Hypercourt Express ($80). The former,
available in a variety of stylish color combinations, offers superior stability,
durability and comfort for frequent players. The latter, like the popular adult
version, is lightweight, comfortable and breathable. The only difference is that
this streamlined shoe is designed for the competitive junior.

Yonex / yonexusa.com / 424-201-4800

Expanding the line that includes the recently released Power Cushion Eclip-
sion Clay, with a dot pattern instead of the traditional herringbone sole, Yonex
offers greater cushioning and repulsed energy with the Power Cushion Eclip-
sion 2 (men’s and women’s, $140). The Power Cushion Fusion Rev 2 (men’s and
women’s, $130) also features new colors. With the new Power Cushion Sonicage
(men’s and women's, $110), the company is reaching out to customers searching
for a lightweight, stable shoe at a more popular price point.

Prince / princetennis.com / 800-2TENNIS

Exciting new colors are on tap as the T22 Lite (men’s and women’s, $99)
continues its long run as a popular attraction on the shoe wall. Mesh in the toe
box, tongue and along both sides of the upper combine with cushioning on the
inside to provide a comfortable shoe at an aggressive price point.

Wilson / wilson.com / 773-714-6400

At the high end of a full line is the lightweight Kaos SFT (men’s and women’s,
$139), in all-court and clay versions. The line and its main themes extend
through the Kaos 2.0 (men’s and women’s, $119) and Kaos Comp (men’s and
women’s, $99). Updated in colors and tech are the Rush Pro 2.5 (men’s and
women’s, $129; juniors $75), which focus on delivering acceleration/decelera-
tion and stability. The high-profile Amplifeel (men’s and women’s, $159) offer
increased upper support as well as enhanced comfort, stability and fit.

www.tennisindustrymag.com February 2018 TennisIndustry 29

TennisIndustry

S E L LAI PNPGA FRREAL M E S

2 0 1 7 ORUATCLQOUOEKT 2S0E1L8E C T O R

Spring Ahead!
Pastels, bold colors and denim are
fair game this spring, as tenniswear seeks
to push the boundaries.
By Cynthia Sherman

Spring is always a hopeful time for apparel manufacturers, as players who may not play
as much during the winter get the itch to hit outdoors in fresh new outfits. These pieces
reflect the variety of textures, comfort, colors and patterns that players seek when
looking to make their outdoor tennis debut.

Bolle / bolletennisapparel.com / Fila / fila.com /410-773-3000 EleVen by Venus / Elevenbyvenuswil-

301-362-0360
Bolle’s Amalfi group spotlights prints
and delicate broken plaids in mint and
periwinkle. The soft poly-spandex
jersey blend ($64) stands out in a color
block tank, while the matching skirt
($68) features a fun, flirty double ruffle
layer at the sides.
Fila ushers in spring pastels courtside
with the Elite Club Collection—the
skort’s abstract print, inspired by a ten-
nis net, features a contrast color waist-
band, pleated back panel and the silver
F-box logo ($60). The companion tank
sports contrast color T-back straps,
ruched side details and F-box logo.
liams.com / 855-880-7777
EleVen by Venus sports serious game
with its Sprint Collection. This racer-
back tank top ($61) with back pleat
detail and shelf bra liner accompany
the pleated spring flutter skirt ($65),
in red/space dye jersey with a flat yoke
waistband and compression short liner.

30 TennisIndustry February 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y B O L L E , E L E V E N BY V E N U S, F I L A , LU C KY I N L OV E , TA I L
Lucky in Love / shopluckyinlove.com
305-638-5484
Denim is on trend everywhere—even on the court. Lucky
in Love’s pieces signify fun, performance and style. The
Daybreak short-sleeved white poly/lycra top ($69) comple-
ments the Long Dip dye skirt ($88) in an engineered denim
dip dye poly/lycra blend.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
Tail / tailactivewear.com
888-906-1341
Tail’s easy-wear soothing blues are anything but tame in this
Savoy top ($59), in a looser fitted 24-length, comprised of
glamor jersey (a poly/spandex blend) with moisture-wicking
and a UPF rating of 50. The Erin skort ($69) in a crossing
print performance jersey with sunburst pleats and matching
hyacinth blue shorties offers a longer 14.5-inch length.
February 2018 TennisIndustry 31
TennisIndustry
DOI S
U TT ISNTG
Double Feature
Tennis Industry and the ASBA
bring you the best in tennis court
construction and design.
I
n 2017, there were 15 ten-
nis project winners in the
Tennis Industry/American
Sports Builders Association
(ASBA) Facility-of-the-Year
Awards program. Thirteen of
those winning projects were
multi-court outdoor facilities, nine of
which were at schools or colleges. Two
award-winning projects were residen-
tial tennis courts.
Each year, based on entries submit-
ted by an ASBA member who designed
or built the facility or court, the
association selects outstanding tennis
facilities that meet the standard of
excellence in design and construction
determined by the judging committee.
While its panel of judges deemed 15
courts or facilities to be worthy of spe-
cial recognition, two of those winners
were chosen for “Outstanding” honors:
• Trump National Doral Miami
in Doral, Fla.
• Lower Merion Residence
in Gladwyne, Pa.
Award plaques to the two Outstand-
ing winners and recognition for the
Distinguished winners were presented
at the ASBA Technical Meeting held in
early December in New Orleans.
For more information, visit www.
sportsbuilders.org. —Peter Francesconi
32 TennisIndustry February 2018
AUN IDSIHNEGD FFAACCI ILLI ITTY-
Y-OOFF- T- THHEE-Y
-YEEAARR AAWWAARRDDSS
COURT CONSTRUCTION
Distinguished Tennis Facility Honors • Miami University Women’s
In addition to the Trump National Tennis Courts
Doral Miami and the Lower Merion Oxford, Ohio
residential court, these 13 locations (Sportworks Field Design)
were chosen by the panel of judges as
excellent examples of court construc- • City of Palm Beach Gardens T.C.
tion, receiving Distinguished Facility- Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
of-the-Year Awards. The ASBA also (Fast-Dry Courts Inc.)
awarded Silver and Bronze honors in
various categories. You’ll read more • Pinecrest Residence
about these winners in upcoming Pinecrest, Fla.
issues. (Nominating company is in (Fast-Dry Courts Inc.)
parentheses.) Silver Award, Residential Court
• Coopersville High School • Southern Wesleyan University
Coopersville, Mich. Central, S.C.
(GMB Architecture + Engineering) (Baseline Sports Construction LLC)
• Daly Field Tennis Facility • West Ottawa Middle School
Brighton, Mass. Holland, Mich.
A S B A / FA S T- D RY C O U RT S I N C ; A S B A / P R O - S P O RT C O N S T R U C T I O N I N C.
(Activitas Inc.) (GMB Architecture + Engineering)
• Hudsonville High School • The Wheeler School Tennis Facility
Hudsonville, Mich. Seekonk, Mass.
(GMB Architecture + Engineering) (Cape and Island Tennis & Track)
Silver Award, Outdoor Facility
• Winding Cypress
• Kearney High School Naples, Fla.
Kearney, Mo. (Welch Tennis Courts Inc.)
(McConnell & Associates Corp.)
Bronze Award, Outdoor Facility The deadline for the 2018 Outstanding
Facility-of-the-Year Awards is June 1,
• Laguna Beach High School and awards will be presented at the
Laguna Beach, Calif. 2018 ASBA Technical Meeting, to be
(Zaino Tennis Courts Inc.) held in Scottsdale, Ariz., Nov. 30-Dec. 4.
For details, contact the ASBA at
• Loomis Chaffee School 866-501-ASBA or info@sportsbuilders.
Windsor, Conn. org, or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.
(Milone & MacBroom Inc.)
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 TennisIndustry

OUTSTANDING OUTDOOR TENNIS FACILITY OF THE YEAR

Trump National Doral Miami / Doral, Fla.

To make room for the four new clay courts at Trump
National Doral Miami, the entire spa area, including a pool,
had to be removed. Due to the close proximity of utilities to
some of the light pole locations, a vacuum truck was used to
excavate so as not to damage conduit and water lines. The
new courts have both conventional and subsurface irriga-
tion, along with LED lighting and shade structures.
Nominated By: Fast-Dry Courts Inc.
Architect/Engineer/Contractor: Fast-Dry Courts Inc.
Surface: Har-Tru Sports HydroBlend
Suppliers: Fast-Dry Courts Inc., 10-S Tennis Supply, Aer-Flo
Fencing: Fast-Dry Courts Inc.
Courts: 4
Completed: December 2015

OUTSTANDING RESIDENTIAL TENNIS FACILITY OF THE YEAR

Lower Merion Residence / Gladwyne, Pa.

The subsurface-irrigated red-clay court took a long time to
complete due to the limited access to the site. No vehicles
were able to reach the court, so all materials, including the
aggregate, Har-Tru, retaining wall blocks, piping for the
storm-water management system and landscaping plants,
had to be stockpiled at the front of the house, then trans-
ported by skid-steer machines down a steep access road.
Nominated By: Pro-Sport Construction Inc.
General Contractor: Pro-Sport Construction Inc.
Surface: Har-Tru Sports
Suppliers: LSI Lighting, Har-Tru Sports
Completed: May 2017

www.tennisindustrymag.com February 2018 TennisIndustry 33

TennisIndustry

LEAGUE TENNIS
COURT CONSTRUCTION
T E A M P L AY

Pulling for the Team

Throughout the country, USTA League Tennis
has been enjoying success and creating
more frequent tennis players.

P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y C O O P E R C R E E K T E N N I S C E N T E R / C O RTA , U S TA I N T E R M O U N TA I N/ I DA H O TA , U S TA S O U T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A , U S TA C A R I B B E A N
U S TA S O U T H E R N

Growing USTA League Tennis in Georgia

For 65 years, the Columbus (Ga.) Regional Tennis Associa-
tion (CORTA) has been growing tennis in the region. With
a membership of 2,300 players, the organization offers
programs that engage players of all ages and abilities.
“We start off our beginners with Tennis 101, then transi-
tion those players to Rookie Leagues, and from there, USTA
Leagues,” says Judy Pearce, executive director of CORTA,
which was named by the USTA as its 2017 CTA of the Year.
CORTA Adult Programs Director Cissy Sanders attributes
the organization’s growth to its diverse set of leagues.
“The numbers vary from season to season,” says Sanders,
“but we have held pretty steady with offering USTA League
Combo, Mixed, Tri-Level and other adult leagues.”
In June, CORTA will host the 55 and Over USTA Georgia
League State Championship, the biggest state championship
in Georgia. The tournament will take place at the recently
renovated Cooper Creek Tennis Center, CORTA’s home
base, which in December was named Tennis Industry’s
Municipal Tennis Facility of the Year.
“The tournament is estimated to have over 700 players,”
Sanders says. “Now that we have more than 50 courts on
site, there is always something going on.” —James I. Pressley

34 TennisIndustry February 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com


U S TA I N T E R M O U N TA I N
Social Tennis on
Rise in Idaho
Sometimes, people just want
to play tennis for fun.
“In 2016, we realized we
had a whole lot of fans who
loved to get together to hit,
but didn’t want to mess with
TennisLink or didn’t feel
they were good enough to
play leagues,” says Lance
Martin, Idaho Tennis
Association’s District
League coordinator.
“Competitive leagues just
didn’t appeal to them.”
So the district introduced
structured play under its
“Social Tennis” umbrella
that didn’t count toward
NTRP ratings. Soon, player
numbers started to rise.
“We began hosting free
tennis clinics for beginners
once a month during
winter,” says Bob Ewing,
Adult Programs coordinator
for Idaho. “Then we offered
group play once a week
outdoors for six-week
intervals at minimal cost.”
In the past two years,
Martin and Ewing estimate
more than 400 players have
participated in the social
programs, with at least a
third of them moving into
more competitive league
formats. —Wendy Anderson
www.tennisindustrymag.com
U S TA S O U T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A
Uncorking
New Leagues
USTA League Tennis is alive
and well in the Central
Coast wine country of
Southern California, thanks
to the vision and efforts of
USTA SoCal TSR Gina
Havelka and Central Coast
Area League Coordinator
Mari Taylor.
Taylor, who had recently
moved to the area, saw the
great success of the Central
Coast Women’s Tennis
League (CCWTL) and
wondered if USTA Leagues
could fill its off-season void.
With more than 90 players
on nine teams participating
in the inaugural SCTA
Tri-Level league, the answer
was a resounding yes.
Men’s and women’s USTA
League teams from the
Central Coast qualified for
sectionals—the 4.5-3.5 men
from Avila Bay Athletic Club
and the 4.0-3.0 women from
the Central Coast Ball Busters.
The SCTA Doubles League
also launched in the fall, with
120 players on 12 teams.
It’s great news for the
Central Coast, where league
tennis is serving up more
than just the area’s fabled
reds and whites.
—Cari Buck
TennisIndustry
U S TA C A R I B B E A N
A True Champion of Life
Gisele Alemañy is a living example of how to
overcome obstacles and use them as fuel to
achieve her goals—as well as those of her team.
Alemañy has been playing tennis for 15 years,
enjoying league play and making new friends who
have become an extended family and support
group. In a match last year in the USTA Caribbean
Sectional Championship on a 3.5 team from San
Juan, she started feeling a sharp pain in her neck
and pins and needles in her hands. She struggled
to finish the first set, then in the second set, she
lost balance and coordination.
As her team went on to win Sectionals, Alemañy
was rushed to the hospital, where it was deter-
mined she suffered from a vertebral artery
dissection and a cerebellar stroke. She was
advised not to play tennis for at least six months,
but with the support of her family and her team,
and the care of her doctors, she was back on court
in three months—fully recovered.
When hurricanes Irma and Maria hit Puerto
Rico, they threatened her team’s chance to go to
the National Championships in Fort Lauderdale.
But the team pulled together and, tied 2-2 in the
final, Alemañy won the deciding match, helping
her team become the 3.5 Women’s National
Champion. It was a winning celebration for her
team, and for Alemañy’s second chance in life.
—Blamilsa Corujo
February 2018 TennisIndustry 35
TennisIndustry

LEAGUE TENNIS

U S TA N O R T H E R N

Matching Players with Teams

“Looking for a good time? Call Matchline.” It’s
been Carol Thies’ motto for the last five years.
USTA Northern was looking for ways to help
new players interested in playing league tennis.
Enter Matchline, a service Thies runs for the
section that pairs individuals looking to play
League tennis with captains who need players to
fill out their rosters. Any new player looking for
more organized play opportunities can call Thies
and have her walk them through the process of
finding a team, self-rating (if needed), purchasing a
USTA membership and registering for that team.
Since 2012, Thies has placed more than 6,300
players on teams in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area,
including a record 827 in 2017. About 1,300 players
are new USTA members. During that same period,
she’s formed 140 new teams at all different age and
ability levels. In 2016, a team composed of all
Matchline players qualified for a National Champi-
onship at the 55 & Over 6.0 Women’s level.
A longtime League captain herself, Thies knows
how difficult it can be for a new player who is new
to the USTA system to find a team.
“It takes some effort up front, but once we find a
U S TA M I D -AT L A N T I C
team and get them on the court, they have such a
good time,” she says. “Seeing someone find Innovation Drives League
themselves in the game makes that extra work at
the beginning all worthwhile.” —Lisa Mushett
Growth in Mid-Atlantic
In the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, innovative formats
have helped to widen the appeal of USTA League Tennis
and build a pipeline of players. Working closely with local
league ambassadors, the section has introduced Singles,
Combo Mixed and Tri-Level leagues in broader ranges of

P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y U S TA N O RT H E R N, U S TA M I D - AT L A N T I C
levels, especially for beginners.
In both Maryland and the District of Columbia, leagues
have flourished. In 2017, Mixed leagues grew by more than
152 players and Tri-Level grew by more than 200 players.
Offering innovative formats has proven especially
impactful for invigorating small communities. There were
no adult leagues in the Western Tidewater area of Virginia,
but the section’s Adult League staff created a women’s Tri-
Level league (the format consistsof three doubles positions,
each at a different NTRP level). Tennis quickly caught on,
and soon beginner-level Singles, Combo and Combo Mixed
leagues were added, drawing new players to the courts.
Western Tidewater teams even advanced to the Tri-Level
Section Championship the last two years.
—Lauren Hoffmann

36 TennisIndustry February 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 monogut-zx-third-advert-image-update.pdf 1 06/07/2016 22:23

CM

MY

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CMY

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TennisIndustry
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Life’s Lessons from Tennis
For this business leader and former teaching pro,
pivotal lessons from the court have had
a profound impact on life’s journey.
By Douglas R. Conant
L
ike everyone, my
life has been a series
of ups and downs.
Fortunately, the ups
have outweighed the
downs, but at times,
the downs have been
devastating.
From a career perspective, I’ve
had poor performance reviews, been
fired abruptly and in many instances
endured mediocre-at-best corporate
management and leadership. As a
leader, I’ve made quite a few unpopular
decisions that were, in my opinion,
for the good of the enterprise. And at
38 TennisIndustry February 2018
YourServe
times, I’ve just plain screwed up, mak-
ing decisions I deeply regret. Person-
ally, I’ve dealt with difficult family
situations and serious medical issues
both for myself and my loved ones.
I’m blessed with an amazing wife
and family, wonderful friends and
colleagues, and I’ve been buoyed by a
steadfast faith that has helped me get
through rough patches. Now, I find
myself reflecting on lessons from my
youth that have helped guide me.
Interestingly, my experience with
tennis has had a remarkable impact on
my broader life journey.
I started earnestly playing the game
relatively late in my youth. I attended
Northwestern University on a tennis
scholarship, then stayed at Northwest-
C O U RT E S Y D O U G C O N A N T/ C O N A N T L E A D E R S H I P
ern to get my MBA. I was also an assis-
tant tennis coach and taught the sport
in and around Chicago. Through it all,
I practiced the game for thousands of
hours, played hundreds of matches and
have had the opportunity to teach ten-
nis to countless people.
Throughout this time, I learned a lot
about what it takes to be a competitive
player, an impactful coach and an effec-
tive teacher. But I also learned pivotal
lessons that became profoundly helpful
to my life journey.
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Throughout my time in tennis, I learned pivotal lessons
that became profoundly helpful to my life journey.
1/ Follow Your Passion
In the spring of 1966, I was cut during
tryouts from the freshman boys’ tennis
team, which meant that 20 kids were
chosen ahead of me. It would have been
easy to give up, but I spent hundreds of
hours practicing. The next year, I was
one of the better Midwest juniors.
Passionately pouring yourself into a
cause can yield substantial returns.
2/ Tolstoy Was Right
Happiness isn’t about outward things,
it’s about how one chooses to view
them. This comes from the novel Anna
Karenina. I could have chosen to be so
discouraged by the setback with the
boys’ team that I walked away from the
sport. Instead, I redoubled my efforts,
which led to a series of experiences that
have been life-shaping. Choose to make
the best of every situation.
3/ If It Is to Be, It Is Up to Me
I learned the lesson of these 10 two-
letter words time and again. I needed to
take responsibility and ownership over
my performance. When competing, I
discovered there was nowhere else to
turn but inward. When teaching, the
student was counting on me to provide
counsel. This became an incredibly
important lesson in my business career.
4/ Practice Makes Perfect
The level of success I achieved in com-
petition was directly proportional to
the intensity of my practice. It’s hard
to imagine achieving any enduring
success without intense practice and
hard work. Bring a fierce resolve and
sense of purpose to your work, knowing
that every day is “game day.”
5/ Better is Best
I view the art of playing and teaching
tennis as a craft, and I learned to think
of it in terms of working with a mastery
model. The key was to be mindful every
moment and to try to do a little better
every day. In that sense, this is a life
lesson that searches for continuous
www.tennisindustrymag.com
improvement, knowing you can always
do better. This has strongly influenced
my business philosophy, as well as the
leadership philosophy I advocate today.
6/ Play to Your Strengths
In tennis, human nature often points
people in the direction of wanting
to “fix” their weaknesses. But in my
experience, your greatest success lies
in getting maximum leverage of your
strengths while smartly managing
weaknesses. In business, successful
companies typically understand their
strengths and focus on leveraging them.
7/ Critical Thinking is Critical
When playing a match or teaching a
lesson, I constantly needed to analyze
the situation and make adjustments. In
many ways, this is a lesson of vigilance:
be hyper-alert to the world around you
in order to craft a winning point, a win-
ning lesson or a winning proposition.
8/ Civility Matters
Tennis promotes civility and the devel-
opment of good character while also
demanding competitive excellence. As
a teen, my temper could get away from
me. However, the game challenged me
to channel my energy into the next
shot, not to project it elsewhere.
9/ Character Matters and
Performance Counts
To excel in the sport over time, you
need to cultivate both your character
and your competence to be able to
break through. Only then does your
performance have the potential to be
meaningfully differentiating. The life of
Arthur Ashe is the incarnate example
of this. He worked tirelessly to cultivate
his character as well as his competence
in tennis, leading to exemplary perfor-
mance on the court, and well beyond it.
10/ Pressure Is a Privilege
These words come from the title of a
book by Billie Jean King. They speak
to the need for competitors to have a
TennisIndustry
mindset that delights in being “in the
arena” and having the opportunity
to do something special. In both my
tennis and work life, I talk about rising
to the challenge of the moment, and
finding a way to prevail with integrity.
Having the opportunity to perform
under pressure is indeed a privilege.
11/ How Can I Help?
This has probably been the most pro-
found lesson of my life journey. When
teaching tennis, I had a half hour to cre-
ate a special learning experience. Over
thousands of lessons, I learned that if I
genuinely approached each lesson with
a “how can I help?” mentality, every-
thing flowed in a natural and produc-
tive way. Now, I endeavor to bring that
mindset to every interaction.
12/ Seek First to Understand
I encountered the wisdom of this les-
son teaching tennis. To be truly helpful,
I must first listen to others’ perspec-
tives. If they feel fully heard, and I work
with them to achieve excellence in a
way that addresses their concerns, we
can move things forward in a meaning-
ful way. The more I give, the more I get.
13/ Have Fun
The people who have the most success
both on and off the court are those who
derive genuine joy from their journey.
You simply must find a way to enjoy the
ride; the demands are too great. If you
can’t enjoy the ride, pick another path.
Life is too short. •
Doug Conant is the founder
and CEO of ConantLeadership
(conantleadership.com), chairman
of the Kellogg Executive Leadership
Institute at Northwestern University,
and chairman of CECP—The CEO
Force for Good. A former CEO of
Campbell Soup Co. and former
chairman of Avon Products, he
will be speaking at the TIA’s TOM
Conference April 8-11 in Charleston,
S.C. (visit TheTOMConference.com).
February 2018 TennisIndustry 39
TennisIndustry
AskTheExperts
What’s the Big Idea?
Q: Do any of the frame or string manu-
facturers accept new product ideas and
suggestions from outside inventors? I
am an engineer, inventor and avid ten-
nis player. I have several tennis product
ideas and would like to present them
to companies that are open to licensing
new products.
A: As you might imagine, openness to
outside ideas varies greatly from com-
pany to company. Our experience has
been that even when dealing with com-
panies that will consider outside ideas,
you still need to be diligent to find the
correct person within that company.
If you haven’t done so already,
check out the manufacturer links on
RacquetTECH.com/top/links.php and
make some calls. Whether a company is
open to product ideas is completely up
to them, and the ideal contact person
could be just about anywhere in the
operational structure.
40 TennisIndustry February 2018
Another possible venue for your
ideas is the Tennis Industry Asso-
ciation’s Tennis Industry Innovation
Challenge. It invites visionaries with
new, innovative products and software
or services designed to grow the sport
and business of tennis to pitch their
ideas. The next Innovation Challenge
will be at the Fifth Annual Tennis Own-
ers & Managers Conference, April 8-11
in Charleston, S.C. For more informa-
tion, go to tennisindustry.org.
Head-To-Throat Crosses
Q: In your online video tutorial, you
show a racquet on which the crosses
can be strung throat-to-head with a
one-piece string job. How can I deter-
mine what other racquets I can string
the same way?
The reason I ask is that on racquets
with a 16x18 string bed, the mains often
end at the throat. When I string around
the world (ATW), the last main ends up
at 10H, but I have to go all the way up to
5H to tie off. Some of my clients request
stringing their racquets one-piece, even
though I recommend two-piece string-
ing when mains end at the throat.
A: First, you should consider getting
into the habit of stringing all rac-
quets two-piece, except for those rare
racquets where this is impossible. It
is usually faster, more consistent, and
generates less wear on the string.
Second, the Stringers Digest clearly
notes your stringing options for both
one-piece and two-piece stringing. If
there is a one-piece option, then it is
permissible to install the crosses from
the throat to the head on that frame.
Third, if you are worried about the
distance between the last string and
the tie-off hole when using your ATW
pattern, check out other ATW configu-
rations. With some of them, the last-
tensioned string is the top cross, which
is much closer to the tie-off hole.
Playtest Listing
Q: I love your string playtests—they are
the best in the business. In the tests,
you often refer to strings making a “top
20” in certain categories. Where can we
see the strings and how they rank in the
top 20 for all the categories in one list?
A: Thanks for your kind words about
our playtest reports. To answer your
question, USRSA members can view a
filterable, sortable listing of every one
of our published string playtests.
If you don’t have a membership,
you can check out this list—and lots of
other great stringing content—with a
one-month trial membership. Go to
RacquetTECH.com/store/
SHUTTERSTOCK
memberships/digital-trial.php.
We welcome your questions. Email them
to greg@racquettech.com.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 National Head Tester
Sid Newcomb

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 FROM THE CEO
We Have built it and they are coming...
John R. Embree, USPTA Chief Executive Officer
B y the time you read this issue of Tennis Industry, the
United States Professional Tennis Association will have
occupied our new high tech, eco-friendly headquarters for
a little over five months. Our new staff could not be more
engaged and could not be happier with the environment that
the new building provides. Members who have been able to
tour our complex and industry personnel who have dropped in
to see what we have constructed have shared their enthusiasm
for the vision that was created and the outcome.
People have asked me, if anything, what would I have done
differently now that we are fully operational. Candidly, there is
very little that I would change. From the planning stages to the
buildout, this structure has met all our expectations and much
more. We continue to tweak things and improve upon what
was constructed but the ongoing modifications are minor in
the grand scheme of things.
The only issue that we must address is the shading of our
windows. Because of our north/south orientation and
the floor to ceiling windows throughout, the morning
sun with the easterly exposure and the afternoon
sun with our westerly exposure can really heat up
the windows, thereby making it uncomfortable for
the staff who are stationed there. In addition, the
sun’s glare makes it a bit difficult to focus on our four
beautiful 55” TV screens in the training/classroom
during presentations. Had we known better, we would
have installed shades to minimize these issues.
No problem: we are addressing this concern and will
have ample shading in the space by the time you read
this column.
Meanwhile, one of the most unexpected and USPTA CEO John Embree gives a tour of the new offices in Lake Nona.
unintended consequences of our new digs happens to
be the size of our training room with its incredible flexibility.
As it turns out, we happen to have the only meeting space
available anywhere on the National Campus that can host
meetings, training sessions, receptions, etc. for more than
30 people. We have the capability to allow groups up to 70
people, either in schoolroom or theatre style, to enjoy the
surroundings. Additionally, the café area that bleeds into the
classroom is ideal for catering lunches, dinners, etc.
As a result, we have held multiple events in the space already at large can take incredible pride in what our new USPTA
with various departments at the USTA and USTA Florida.
In early December, our neighbors, USTA Florida, hosted a
two-day sales training for their entire staff of 45 people. That
following weekend, USTA Pro Circuits created a lovely dining
42 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine
ADDvantageFeb2018CORNELL.indd 42
experience for their tournament
directors and staff totaling 55 people
from all over the country who came
in for 2 + days of meetings. What a
spectacular event it was!
Two days later, USTA National then
held a negotiating seminar for 40
people followed by Fromuth Tennis
hosting their Christmas party the very next night. On the
schedule in the coming months, USTA Player Development
will hold two of their high-performance coaching seminars in
January and May, each for five days, while USTA Diversity &
Inclusion will conduct its two and one-half day session in mid-
January for 40 plus people. And there will be more to come!
I would never have imagined that we would have received
this kind of overwhelming response. If our environment was
not top drawer and first class, this would not be happening. We
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
are delighted to have these groups being exposed to the USPTA
and how we can work together to grow the game. This is true
collaboration in every sense of the word. This can only foster
a relationship with the governing body that is healthy and
positive.
I have no idea how many events we will bring to our
headquarters in 2018. But, what I can guarantee is that it will
be numerous. We will welcome them all and our membership
home offers. This would not have happened had we remained
in Houston. Had we stayed, it would have been the biggest
mistake in our association’s history: that I am convinced.
Yes, we have built it and they are coming… *
12/29/2017 11:05:31 AM
 17-2583_ADDvantage_USPTA_Black_Edition_Feb_Issue_Print_AD_RacketFamily_.pdf 1 12/19/17 4:04 PM

CM

MY

CY

CMY

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 FROM THE Board
Looking ahead
Feisal Hassan, USPTA First Vice President
I n the past two years, it has been an honor for me to co-chair
both the National Testing and Certification Committee and
the National Education Committee.
I would like to reflect on what these committees
accomplished in 2016-2017 to help meet USPTA’s mission
statement to elevate the standards of tennis-teaching
professionals and coaches.
The National Testing and Certification Committee entered
2016 with three goals. First and foremost, to bring a “personal
touch” back to the organization. We reached out to our members level attainable, a task force was created to research and review
to see how we were doing. While much of the feedback was
positive, some felt that the USPTA was only interested in getting significantly streamlined. Applicants still must be 22-years-old
membership dues
and that we lacked the
personal touch, or caring
of members after the
testing and certification
exam.
As a membership-
based trade association,
this was concerning. It
is imperative that we are
doing the best we can
to serve our members,
as they are the lifeblood
of the association. National Head Tester Sid Newcomb giving a lesson.
The first thing we did
was instill a paradigm
shift from “testing and certifying” to “educating and
evaluating.” We geared the Professional certification level to
on-court education and evaluation, and structured the Elite
Professional certification toward off-court training, growth,
and development. We also developed three education modules
for the Professional level. These education modules will help
applicants be better equipped to deliver high quality tennis
instruction in their professional setting.
Second, we sought to develop and maintain consistent
policies and procedures in both testing and training. This
goal was developed and implemented to ensure equity in the application requirements.
educating and evaluating of members. The implementation
was led by National Head Tester, Sid Newcomb, with
significant input from our regional head testers. Sid travels
the country and works closely with our head testers and the
National Testing and Certification Committee to provide a
certification training and testing process that is consistent
44 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine
ADDvantageFeb2018CORNELL.indd 44
and uniform from Pocatello, Idaho
to Brunswick, Georgia. The goal is to
provide a certification pathway that
is easily accessible from any location
in the country.
Finally, it had become apparent
that there were too many barriers
to a smooth transition from certified Professional to Elite
Professional. To make upgrading to the Elite classification
P
the upgrade process. Based on these findings, the process was
and have scored Elite Professional on all
aspects of stroke production, private,
and group lessons. Next, they must take
and pass the online Elite stroke analysis
exam. Third, the applicant must take
and pass the online written Elite exam.
Lastly, the certification requires taking
three online courses and a webinar
focusing on the business side of the
profession. All courses are available
online.
To improve tennis-teaching
professionals off-court development,
the National Education Committee
developed the Leadership Academy. This
two-and-a-half-day event is tailored
for tennis-teaching professionals looking to transition from
teaching on-court to off-court managerial roles like tennis
directors or general managers within a club or organization.
The Leadership Academy will provide in-depth training of
new concepts and trends such as supervision, management,
and leadership skills that will help tennis-teaching
professionals in their current and future positions. The
inaugural Leadership Academy will be at the USPTA National
Headquarters in Lake Nona in July 2018. Registration for
the Leadership Academy will be announced later along with
As I stated earlier, we are here for our membership. And we
continue to strive to make the USPTA the premiere tennis-
teaching certification association. But to improve, we need to
listen to our members. I thank every one of our members for
their support and commitment to the USPTA. Here’s to having
a great 2018 on and off the court. *
12/29/2017 11:05:32 AM
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45 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

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 MASTER PRO corner

Roger Federer photo courtesy of Wilson Sports

Timing the Serve of World’s top Players
Does the kinetic chain model benefit tennis-teaching technique?
by James R. Shaughnessy, USPTA Master Professional

T he sciences of kinesiology and biomechanics have long lauded the benefits of the kinetic chain model
and Duane Knudson, PHD explains that, in 1955 the term “kinetic chain” was modified from what was,
originally, an engineering term - the “kinematic chain.” “Despite the original major problem classifying
human movement in engineering terms, the ‘kinetic chain model’ is currently, a commonplace tool in
the top professional, fitness, allied health, and sports coaching realms. In their literature, both the
International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the United States Tennis Association High Performance
Coaching Program (USTAHPCP) have adopted the kinetic chain concept as a
crucial teaching construct. Roger Federer
By coaching players to obey the principles of the kinetic chain, it is thought
that, players will create the most effective tennis shot, with the most efficient
use of energy and a low chance for
injury. This article examines a
recent study quantifying the
frequency of use of the
kinetic chain model
by ATP World Tour#1 ranked players, and
examines ways the USPTA pro can
easily detect and employ three newly identified
paired technique events used by these #1 players.
As the kinetic chain is a purported guidepost to efficient
play, tennis professionals considering its usefulness in developing
and correcting tennis serving technique, naturally expect the world’s
#1 players to exhibit the characteristics of the kinetic chain. In the typical
representation of the model, kinetic chain force is transferred sequentially
from ground to legs to hips to trunk and back to shoulders then, to elbow to
wrist (shown in Figure 1.)
Research in the study showed however, there is a quantifiable time span of
less than one second for the observation of the summation of the forces in
the kinetic chain to occur. The naked eye, of even the most experienced
observer cannot quantitatively assess the multitude of essential data,
i.e.; the positions, the joint displacements, the joint angular velocities,
and the angular velocities of the many body parts responsible in
less than one second. In its attempt to aid coaches, the ITF and
the USTAHPCP recommends the use of slow motion video so that
coaches, well versed in kinetic chain theory, may more accurately
speculate to a player’s efficiency. Beyond speculation, however,
accurate, objective assessment requires viewing the serve, in multiple
planes simultaneously, with quantifiable velocities, preferably from
unfettered live tournament play.
Therefore, for corroboration of the use of the kinetic chain in
developing and correcting tennis serving technique and reducing injury
with accurately measured kinematics, a quantitative analysis was
performed on some of the world’s #1 ranked ATP players in live match
play using advanced technology.

46--USPTA
46 USPTAADDvantage
ADDvantageMagazine
Magazine

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Roger Federer photo courtesy of Wilson Sports
Figure 1
Figure 2
THE ANALYSIS
Four players with a #1 ranking on the ATP Tour were analyzed.
The players were Novak Djokovic (before and after changing
his serve), Roger Federer, Andy Murray (before and after back
surgery), and Andy Roddick.
Players’ data was captured from 2009-2014 at ATP Tour
1000 events during live match play. 10 strokes were selected
for analysis - seven ace serves of 127-134 mph and three second
serves of 97-104 mph.
ADDvantageFeb2018CORNELL.indd 47
Two methods of quantitative analysis were used
to check for evidence of use of the kinetic chain
model (shown Figure 1.) For example, does use of the
chain transfer force (dependent on linear velocity)
or muscle torque (dependent on rotational velocity?)
Are these forces blended in a certain sequence?
Therefore, linear velocity and rotational velocity was
measured both independently and blended using
advanced software and multiple highspeed video
cameras. (Ariel Performance Analysis System and
SCIO 3D Library of Live Match Play.)
RESULT #1
Djokovic, Federer, Murray, and Roddick break the
kinetic chain model. None of the 10 serves displayed
the perfect sequencing of segment rotations
demanded by the kinetic chain model.
Figure 2 displays the results of the average sequenc-
ing of serving events of Djokovic, Federer, Murray,
and Roddick.
RESULT #2
Surprisingly, the study also revealed three events
that occur simultaneously in the motion of all
the #1’s in the study, in all 10 serves. These three
identified events are easily seen by slow motion
video and might be used by tennis pros daily for
more easily assessing a players’ kinetic energy
transfer while serving. The serves of Djokovic,
Federer, Murray, and Roddick all sequence three
pairs of events which occur simultaneously:
a) The toss arm begins to drop (upper arm abduc-
tion) at the same moment the ball toss reaches its
peak.
b) The left toes leave the ground at the same instant
the racket reaches its lowest point in the power loop
or windmill position.
c) When the toss hand and forearm complete their dropping
or braking action, the hitting hand wrist reaches maximum
extension at the wrist (hand bent back.)
RESULT #3
For the most part the concept of a summation of forces via a
“kinetic chain” held true, although the sequence used by the
#1’s does not match the commonly taught kinetic chain model.
See Figure 2.
47 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine
12/29/2017 11:06:02 AM
 1 Ball not at peak
Toss at peak
HOW THE ANALYSIS CAN BE USED
Coaches can use the new knowledge and observation of
the three newly revealed sequenced pairs to:

1) Peak and Drop

Improve timing and maximize cartwheel motion of
the shoulders and upper trunk (which research shows,
is responsible for most of the momentum created by
the trunk motion.)
Arm
dropping
too soon Arm drop and 2) Toe Off Racket Down
shoulder Perfectly time the leg drive. Timing the left toe off
cartwheel
Incorrect too early correctly is an indication of efficient momentum
transfer from the legs to the trunk and back which is said
to be responsible for 54 percent of the force in serving
according to Dr. Ben Kibler. Additionally, Bruce Elliot

2 Incorrect
PhD states that, timing the leg correctly will efficiently
Correct transfer momentum into a maximum stretch on the
internal rotators of the humerus at the shoulder joint.

Racquet 3) Brake and Bend

at lowest Perfect the timing of maximum hand extension at the
point
wrist, to ensure an efficient stretch shortening cycle
of the muscles which are responsible for rotating the
Racquet not hand and racquet about the wrist into impact. (In this
at lowest study, Andy Roddick reached a maximum hand rotation
point
angular velocity of 2216° per second while Roger Federer
achieved 2397° per second.)

Toe off
CONCLUSION
Toe off The analysis of the serving technique data of Djokovic,
Federer, Murray, and Roddick to con-
firm their use of the kinetic chain mod-
3 Incorrect Correct el revealed that, they do not perfectly
conform to the classic model in every
way. Additionally, three pairs of cues
Arm has were discovered in every serve studied
not dropped regardless of player, stance, toss height,
Maximum
wrist or backswing style. With the use of
Maximum extension a simple camera phone these paired
wrist
extension technique points can easily be detect-
ed in any student’s serve and used to
Arm drop
complete contribute to maximal summation of
forces.*

James R. Shaughnessy MSS, CSCS, is a USPTA Master Pro specializing in the application of sports
biomechanics to elite tennis players at the USTA Regional Training Center, at Tucker Tennis Academy in
Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is an award-winning professional with 28 years of experience as a speaker, researcher,
analyst and consultant in sports biomechanics, 3D motion analysis and computerized exercise prescriptions.
He is the founder of SCiO 3D Sports.

48 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

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 inside coaching

Timing and the Contact Zone

By Scott Ford, USPTA Elite Professional

R andom House defines timing as: “selecting the best time for doing
something in order to achieve the desired effect.” In tennis, the
desired effect is the ball going over the net and into the court. Nowhere
in the definition of timing does it say that this desired effect needs to be
achieved through the performance of biomechanically sound stroking
techniques. It just says that you have to select the best time for doing
something to achieve the desired effect. The one thing you have to
do for the ball to go over the net and into the court is create a contact
event between the ball and your racquet. Timing then, is all about
selecting the best time to create the event of contact. So, how do you
select the best time to create contact?
(Fig. 1) Snapshot of the contact zone.

A Snapshot of the Contact Zone

Let’s look at timing relative to your contact zone by using two
imaginary windows as a visual representation of your contact zone.
Imagine one window spanning the court in front of you at a comfort-
able arm’s length and another imaginary window of the same dimen-
sions located right against your body. You then have two imaginary
windows; a front window representing the front side of your contact
zone, a middle area, and a back window representing the back side of
your contact zone.
Now you have a 3-D contact zone spanning the court in front of you 3-Depth
containing height, width, and depth, and if we assign numbers to the (Fig. 2) The front side of your contact zone is a 3-Depth.
different depths of your contact zone, you can start to measure the
relative timing of your own strokes. (Fig. 2, 3, 4)

Positive, Neutral, and Negative Timing

Every ball that enters your contact zone can be contacted at one of
these three depths and where you make contact gives you an objective
look at your timing relative to your contact zone. Contact at a 3-Depth
means that your stroke was in full control of the contact zone; the ball
never penetrated the contact zone. Contact occurred at the exact point
in space and time that the ball first entered your contact zone, the
3-Point. Contact at the 3-Point is positive timing. 2-Depth
If you make contact at a 2-Depth, then the ball controlled the (Fig. 3) The middle of your contact zone is a 2-Depth.
positive half of the contact zone and your stroke controlled the
negative half. Contact at the 2-Point is neutral timing.
Contact at a 1-Depth means that the ball was in complete control
of the contact zone while your stroke never entered into your own
contact zone. Contact at the 1-Point is negative timing.

Contact Point Awareness

Using this simple measuring system for your contact, you can start
observing and identifying the contact depth of each and every ball you
hit. Did contact occur at a 3-Depth, a 2-Depth, or a 1-Depth? A good
drill is to call your depth of contact; you made contact somewhere. Was 1-Depth
(Fig. 4) The back side of your contact zone is a 1-Depth.

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 inside coaching

Ball

OSITIVE)
3-Depth (P
Front Side EUTRAL)
2-Depth (N
Middle Contact Zone EGATIVE)
1-Depth (N
Back Side

The diagram above shows positive, neutral, and negative timing;

it a three, a two, or a one? Immediate verbal feedback on your
depth of contact.
You will find that identifying your depth of contact on every
ball is not as easy as it sounds. But with practice, you will soon
be able to observe and identify your contact depth every time
you hit the ball. You will also start to observe the areas of your
contact zone in which your timing is positive and the areas in
which your timing is neutral or negative.
If you watch professional tennis players from the
perspective of their contact zones, you will notice that the
majority of their contact occurs in the positive half of their
contact zone: at a 3-Depth or a 2-Depth. But when you watch
recreational players from the same perspective, you will notice
that the majority of their contact occurs in the negative half
of their contact zone: at a 2-Depth or a 1-Depth. You can also
take a look at your own game from the perspective of your own
contact zone, and find out whether you are making contact in
the positive or negative half of your contact zone.
Fixing Bad Timing
So how do you fix a student’s bad timing? If their timing
is negative, how do you make it positive? I have found that
using their contact zone as a standard of measurement makes
it not only possible to observe and objectively measure their
depth of contact, but it is also possible to make measurable
changes to improve their timing. For instance, if they are
making contact at a 1-Depth in the lower right quadrant of
their contact zone, you know their timing is negative in that
quadrant. Perhaps their timing is variable in their lower
left quadrant, meaning their timing varies in that quadrant;
they make contact at a 2-Depth one time, a 3-Depth the
next, and a 1-Depth after that. Variable timing is a common
problem with recreational players and is a root cause of many
of their technical errors. Solving the problem is a matter of
changing their variable timing into constant timing, and for
consistency in timing they can use the front window of their
contact zone (3-depth) as their timing constant.
Here’s a drill that gives your students a firsthand experience
of what constant positive timing feels like and what it can
do for their overall performance on the court. It is a timing
exercise and it involves concentrating only on making contact
at the 3-Depth.
Think of it this way: if all they had to do with the oncoming
ball was contact it at the front window of their contact zone;
that would not be a difficult task to complete. So that’s their
task. And it is their only task. Instuct them to use their
strokes to make contact with the oncoming ball at their front
imaginary window. Nothing more, nothing less. Say “yes” if
they are successful. Say “no” if they are not. Again, immediate
verbal feedback.
As your students begin to make consistent contact at the front
window of their contact zone not only will they be changing their
variable timing into constant positive timing, but they will also
see what positive timing can do for their game.*

Author, clinician, and performance specialist, Scott Ford has been a USPTA Professional since 1977. He is
the author of Design B: How To Play Tennis In the Zone (1984), Welcome To The Zone: Peak Performance
Redefined (2014), and Integral Consciousness and Sport: Unifying Body, Mind, and Spirit through Flow
(2016). Scott teaches peak performance in tennis at Rocky Mountain Tennis Center in Boulder, Colorado.

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 inside coaching
personality traits that make a great Director of Tennis?
by Boris Fetbroyt, USPTA Elite Professional
A s a director
of tennis, it is
important that you lead
by example. With that in
mind, here are 13 traits I
believe will make a for a
great director of tennis
for any organization.
Positivity
It’s important to
understand that
employees at all levels
make mistakes, it’s how
you as a director react
to those mistakes will
determine the success
of your employee. By
reacting with a positive
outlook and showing
some other possible
solutions that could
have taken place, you
as a director show that
you care about your
employee and in return
the employee would
try and make sure
they don’t repeat the
same mistake again. Creating positive
feedback will create a positive and
hardworking environment; negative
feedback will have a complete different
result.
Honesty
Honesty is a very important trait to have
and understand. It’s important a director
is honest with all his employees because
honesty will only provide growth for the
employee’s professional development.
In a tennis situation, be honest as a
director about some of the things that
you enjoyed about your staff’s lesson and
some of the things you would like to see
improved in their lesson plans. Honesty
ADDvantageFeb2018CORNELL.indd 55
shouldn’t be looked at as negative
feedback. The staff must understand
it’s a way for them to get better in their
development and all types of feedback
should be encouraged.
As a director, make sure to encourage
your employees to keep growing their
personal brand. Motivate them to
continue obtaining certifications and
professional development credits
through the USPTA Education Program.
By pushing them to better themselves,
you show that you care about your staff
and that you want what’s best for them. I
personally think a director should never
55 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine
let his staff settle with what they have.
Continuous education is a must in the
tennis industry.
Adaptablity
It’s important as a director to
understand how to deal with each staff
member in a certain way. What might
work for one staff member might not
work for the other. So as a director be
ready to adapt to each one of your staff
members; it’s important to understand
there are many different ways of getting
the message across to each individual.
A great example can be when giving a
lesson, you might breakdown a forehand
to a client one way, but the next client
won’t understand it as well, so you have
to find a different way to deliver your
message.
Open Mindedness
Even though directors run the program
and oversee staff, it’s very important a
director stays open-minded. I would
recommend having a meeting every 7-8
weeks with staff to discuss potential new
programs and have each staff member
present an idea. You never know what
your staff will come up with. Being a
close-minded director will limit your
tennis programs.
Passion
A director’s position requires a
passionate individual. As we know, a
tennis professionals job isn’t the normal
9 to 5, we put in 70-hour work weeks
between lessons, admin work, facility
management, stringing, events, and
committee meetings. It’s very important
that we enjoy what we do because we
spend the majority of our life at the club.
If you aren’t passionate about what you
do in life you should seriously reconsider
your career.
12/29/2017 11:06:15 AM
 inside coaching
Communication
In order to be an effective leader, one
must have clear communication skills
with staff and members. Some tips in
effective communicating are:
Prepare how you’ll communicate
• Simplify the goal.
• Anticipate the receiver’s viewpoint
and feelings.
• Plan wisely before sending out
messages or meeting in person.
Carry out the message
• Direct your meaning with
conviction.
• Relate the message to your
bigger goals.
• Identify the action to be taken.
• Confirm the other person
understands.
Receive the message
• Keep an open mind.
• Identify key points in the message.
• Value constructive feedback and use
it to grow.
• Confirm your understanding.
Creativity
It’s very important to keep your
tennis program creative. Members
will get bored and tired of the same
old programs every week. In order to
run a successful program and keep the
interest of members, we must continue
to be creative. Adding new programs
every eight weeks will keep your tennis
program fresh and can also potentially
gain the attention of new members.
Confidence
Employees like to work with leaders
who are confident. There is an expected
USPTA Elite Professional Boris Fetbroyt is the director of tennis at the Country Club of Fairfax and a USTA
High Performance Coach. He also serves on the USPTA Mid-Atlantic board of directors as the vice president
and is on the USPTA U30 National Committee.
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ADDvantageFeb2018CORNELL.indd 56
tendency to trust people more when
they appear self-assured. Dealing with a
confident person helps assure us that the
person is also experienced. Of course,
you could argue that someone could be
trusted, but not confident, or confident,
and not trusted. This could be the case
sometimes but it’s not typical.
Consistency
To be a great leader, it’s important to stay
consistent in your programming. I often
have seen situations where directors
implement a policy and don’t follow
through with it. An example could be
having a tennis staff meeting every other
Friday. Often, we start the program with
great intentions just to have it fade as
the months go by. Staying consistent in
staff policies and procedures will help
you achieve your long-term tennis goals.
Some examples where tennis programs
tend to fade in the private club industry
are women inter and intra club teams
along with USTA teams. There is usually
a lot of excitement during practices and
as the season comes to an end, players
tend to drop off. Be creative! Create an
offseason tennis clinic to prep ladies for
the upcoming season. Stay consistent
throughout the whole year and
remember to keep the momentum going
and build on it.
Vision
Every tennis program is different; some
clubs are super active, and some clubs
are low key. Every club has different
goals depending on what type of club
they are and what they are looking for
in their tennis program. As a director,
it’s your responsibility to make sure
your staff understands the vision
of the tennis program that you and
management share. Long and short-
term goals for the tennis program can
help staff understand what is wanted and
needed in the program. Often upcoming
clubs would love to fill up their courts
anyway they can just to gain interest
of members; sometimes a way of doing
that is by allowing non-members to
participate. Financially stable clubs
might have other plans. They might like
to leave the courts open so that members
have better access to them at any time
during the day. The need for revenue
isn’t as important in that particular case.
Commercial clubs rely on tennis revenue
whereas Country Clubs receive revenue
through membership dues. So the vision
factor plays an important role on what is
expected.
Care
A director must understand that life
happens and sometimes it can’t be
always about work. Great directors
tend to always care about what’s going
on in their staff’s lives. If there are any
personal issues that staff members need
to talk about, a director should always
have their door open. A director that
cares about their staff and not only about
work, will connect with staff members in
a greater way than a director that cares
about results and revenue.
Responsibility
It’s important to understand we all make
mistakes and we are just as human as
everyone else. To gain respect from
employees, it’s important we own up to
our mistakes and take responsibility.
Playing the blame game will only create a
distant and negative relationship among
employees, which could lead to negative
results at your club. The most positive and
beneficial thing that comes from personal
mistakes is the learning experience. *
12/29/2017 11:06:15 AM
 PADEL

International PADEL DAYS in Madrid, Spain

Industry leaders meet to dicuss the future of padel in the United States

U SPTA CEO John Embree and tennis industry leaders

from the United States were invited to attend the All
for Padel summit in Madrid, Spain in December. The four-
Services, Tavistock, Tennis Channel, TIA, USPTA, and the
USTA.
Attendees discussed the business aspects of padel, watched
day summit, known as International Padel Days, included the top eight men’s and women’s teams from around the world
tennis industry leaders from Cardio Tennis, California Sports participate in the Padel International Masters Championships,
and brainstormed
opportunities to promote
and develop padel into the
U.S.
Industry leaders also had
an opportunity to tour clubs
in Madrid to get a firsthand
look of the facilities, their
padel and their tennis
programs. By touring clubs
and organizations that
have integrated padel into
their program, leaders
from the U.S. were able to
envision how padel could be
introduced in North America
and outlining the next steps
for padel in the U.S.
The USPTA currently
offers tennis-teaching
professionals and coaches
the opportunity to be
certified in padel with
the padel certification.
Certification is intended
for those at least 18 years
old who derive or intend to
derive a major portion of
income from teaching Padel.
Applicants must pass an on-
court and written exam and
complete level 1 and level
2 certification conducted
by The United States Padel
Association (USPA) along
with Registro Profesional
de Padel (RPP). For more
information, contact the
USPTA Membership
Department at 800-877-
8248.

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 Member News

USPTA Member News

Susan Allen and Warren Rohmfeld of Kerrville, Texas will
family were honored assist TJ Hyman, former coach of ATP player
as the United States Leander Paes, to train the Indian Institute
Tennis Association of Technology Kharagpur tennis team.
Northern Section’s Rohmfeld is an Elite USPTA tennis-teaching
2017 Family of the professional with over 30 years of experience.
Year. The award is He is currently the senior tennis instructor
given to the family and personal trainer at the Dominion and Fair
that has been Oaks Country Club located in San Antonio, Texas.
outstanding in promoting tennis both on and off the court.
Allen is a board member of both USTA Northern and the Bobby Schlink joined the Lyme Shores
Shakopee Tennis Association. She has worked with people Tennis & Conditioning Center as the director
of all ages and ability levels and was a standout player at St. of junior tennis. Prior to joining Lyme Shores,
Cloud State. She serves as the head coach of the Shakopee he was the tennis director and head pro at
High School tennis teams and is currently spearheading Mystic Indoor sports, where he created new
efforts to build an indoor tennis facility in Shakopee tennis programs, camps, and leagues for
Minnesota. players of all ages.

Tyson McGuffin was featured in The Coeur David Minihan was named the director of
d’Alene Press sports article titled Happy tennis at the new Kickingbird Tennis Center
to Be in a Pickle. McGuffin was a 2x state in Edmond, Oklahoma. He recently was
high school champion in tennis for Lake the director of tennis at Westwood Tennis
Chelan High School and played two years of Center where he raised over $150,000 for
collegiate tennis at Scottsdale Community improvements to the tennis center and played
College and Spokane Falls Community a major role in getting a new pro shop built and
College. After college, he became a tennis the tennis center court expansion. Minihan
professional at Pine Forest Country Club in Houston, Texas is a Master Professional and earned his Bachelor’s of Business
for two years and then moved to Yakima, Washington to Administration in Management from Oklahoma.
become a head tennis professional. He is now the head tennis/
pickleball professional at Peak Health & Wellness Center in Claudette Laliberte
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. organized the inaugural
Happy Volleydays at Poco
Darrell Smith was inducted Diablo Resort in Sedona,
into the Illinois State Arizona. The event served as
University Hall of Fame. Smith a food drive for the Sedona
was a four-year letter winner Community Food Bank and
at No. 1 for singles/doubles saw 40 players play matches
competition and ranks in the of friendly mixed doubles tennis. Among the 40 tennis players at
top-five for career singles win the event was Master Professional Larry Lineberry. 150 pounds
at ISU. of food were donated from the event.

NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS ADDVANTAGE MAGAZINE ADDvantage is published monthly by the USPTA
Managing Editor ....................................................... John Cornell The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are
President.......................................................................Gary Trost Editor...................................................................DeVonte’ Martin those of the authors and not necessarily those
Layout/Design........................................................ Gustavo Reyes of ADDvantage or the United States Professional
First Vice President..................................................Feisal Hassan Editorial Assistance......................... Amy Buchanan, John Gerard
Vice Presidents...................Cari Buck, Mark Faber, Trish Faulkner Ramona Husaru, Ashley Walker Tennis Association.
Circulation............................................................. Trevor Trudelle
Bill Mountford, Richard Slivocka
Copyright© United States Professional Tennis
Immediate Past President..............................................Chuck Gill USPTA World Headquarters
11961 Performance Dr. Association, Inc. 2018. All rights reserved.
CEO........................................................................... John Embree
Orlando, FL 32827 Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not
Legal Counsel.........................................................George Parnell Ph: 407-634-3050 • Email: magazine@uspta.org • www.uspta.org permitted without written permission from USPTA.

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 2matchpoints@gmail.com

For more information:

www.uspta.com
800.877.8248
membership@uspta.org

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 USPTA CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Exams, Upgrades & PTCA I Cardio Tennis 2018 USPTA Division

4 Credits for PTCA I Segment Exams,
Upgrades & PTCA
Feb. 16 .........Cardio Tennis Training Course
Level 1
Conference Schedule
Feb. 8 - 9 ..............................Centennial, CO Rochester, NY Division Conferences - 6 Credits
Feb. 10 - 11 ............................... Atlanta, GA Apr. 8 ............Cardio Tennis Training Course February 5...................................... Hawaii
Feb. 10 - 11 .......................... Chapel Hill, NC Turtle Bay Resort
Level 1 Oahu, HI
Feb. 12 - 13 ............................... Orlando, FL Isle of Palms, SC
Feb. 17 - 18 ...............................Boston, MA Apr. 15 ..........Cardio Tennis Training Course February 10-11................... Intermountain
Feb. 17 - 18 ...............Huntington Beach, CA Level 1 Lifetime Fitness
Feb. 17 - 18.........................Nicholasville, KY Centennial, CO
Marlborough, MA
Feb. 18 ..................... Hilton Head Island, SC
May. 11 ........Cardio Tennis Training Course February 22-24.................. Missouri Valley
Feb. 22 ...............................Mission Hills, KS
Level 1 Kansas City Country Club
Feb. 24 .................................. Eau Claire, WI Mission Hills, KS
Midlothian, VA
Feb. 24 - 25 .................... Horseshoe Bay, TX
Sep. 8 ...........Cardio Tennis Training Course February 22-25................................. Texas
Mar. 2 – 3.......................................Boise, ID
Mar. 3 – 4 ....................................Rome, GA Level 1 Horseshoe Bay Resort
Marlborough, MA Horseshoe Bay, TX
Mar. 5 ........................................La Jolla, CA
Mar. 9 – 10 ...............................Camden, SC February 24-26............................ Midwest
Mar. 10 ..............................Nichols Hills, OK Columbus Marriott
Mar. 10 – 11 ........................ Boca Raton, FL Columbus, OH
Mar. 10 – 11 .............Huntington Beach, CA
March 1-4...............................Mid-Atlantic
Mar. 10 – 11 ........................... Portland, OR Army Navy Country Club
Mar. 15 ............................ Minneapolis, MN Arlington, VA
Mar. 16 – 17 .......................... Charlotte, NC
Mar. 18 ................................Columbus, OH March 4..................................... San Diego
La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club
Mar. 23 - 24 ............................Burbank, CA Visit www.cardiotennistraining.com to register. La Jolla, CA
Mar. 26 - 27 ....................San Francisco, CA

Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days

prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an
Platform Tennis April 28-29..................Southern California
SeaCliff Country Club
Feb. 25.............................. Garden City, NY Huntington Beach, CA
exam, upgrade. PTCA I is included in the two day
exam. Exam cancellations must be received no lat- Garden City Country Club
er than 14 days before the exam, or a cancellation Mar. 19-20...................................... Golf, IL May 4-6................... Eastern/New England
fee will be charged accordingly. National Tennis Center
Glenview Club Flushing, NY
Applicant: late cancellation fee – $95; failure to
cancel – application fee is forfeited. Certified
members: late cancellation fee – $25; failure to Webinars

Watch all recorded webinars at tennisre-
May 17-19...................................Southern
Atlanta Athletic Club
cancel – $25 plus the upgrade fee is forfeited. Johns Creek, GA
Registration for another exam will not be accepted sources.com More info: visit uspta.com/
until cancellation fees are paid. Education May 18-20................................ Southwest
La Camarilla Racquet, Swim & Fitness Club

USPTA
Phoenix, AZ
requires all certified members to earn 6 credits of
continuing education in a three-year period. (International May 30-June 3................................ Florida
members, recreational coaches and those 65 or older are exempt.) The time period coincides Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
with the date you completed the certification exam or reinstated your membership. Please Orlando, FL
login to My USPTA to check your Professional Development Program end date.
June 1-2..........................Pacific Northwest
If the requirement is not met, you will have your membership suspended. To help you Yakima Tennis Club
meet that goal, USPTA provides hundreds of hours of education every year in the form of Yakima, WA
conferences, workshops, webinars, DVDs and more. TennisResources.com is an excellent
resource for free education opportunities. In addition, the Coach Youth Tennis website offers August 22-23...... USPTA World Conference
Grand Hyatt
six free online courses that earn a 1/2 education credit each.
New York, NY
Upon completion of the sixth course, you will receive 3 bonus credits (one-time only),
bringing the total to 6 credits and completing the continuing education requirement. (you do November............................Middle States
not need to complete the online workshop unless you are completing your USPTA certification) TBD*
*Middle States is the last division to hold their
Go to coachyouthtennis.com for more information. conference every calendar year.

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ads.indd 1 4/29/16 12:43 PM