August 2005 Volume 33 Number 8 $5.00 2005 GUIDE TO STRINGING MACHINES Q Exclusive selection chart Q Generate more revenue Q Get your string certification “Brand” your facility with logoed windscreens Capitalize on your shop’s “moments of truth” Vending machines can keep players happy French Open Player Equipment Log Q Profiling Your Members Q Orthotics for Your Players Q String Playtest Q Ask the Experts Q Tips and Techniques ContentsContents RSI A U G U S T 2 0 0 5 INDUSTRY NEWS 7 Tennis teaching pros to meet at TTC in NYC 7 USTA commits $1.5 million to “Tennis in the Parks” 8 Prince offers its first tennis ball 8 Wilson debuts Crossfire Two shoe 8 MassMutual gives $525,000 for college scholarships EXCLUSIVE! 9 Agenda set for USPTA World Conference GUIDE TO STRINGING 10 Prince introduces new O3 MACHINES Blue racquet 10 ATP picks Gerflor Taraflex surface 29 String of Successes Our exclusive guide will help you generate more 11 Penn introduces Pro Penn revenue from your stringing business. Encore ball 32 Passing the Test 11 Mary Pierce wins with Lejay apparel Display your expertise, and help your business, by becoming a Certified Stringer or MRT. 12 Gamma Sports teams 34 Stringing Machine Selection Guide 2005 with Slinghopper Use our chart to help you choose the right 12 Diadora acquires Kaelin stringing machine. apparel license 12 Prince launches new Quiktrac GT shoe 13 Wilson debuts new line of Tour bags DEPARTMENTS 4 Our Serve 26 Retailing Success 16 Focus on Footwear 40 French Open Equipment Log 18 Marketing Success 42 String Playtest: Head FXP 16 20 Customer Relations 44 Ask the Experts 22 Construction Trends 46 Tips and Techniques 24 Facility Management 48 Your Serve, by Marcia Frost August 2005 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3 Our Serve (Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry) You Gotta Have Heart! Publishers David Bone Jeff Williams t was vintage Jim Baugh—laser pointer in his right hand, Editor-in-Chief I slide projector clicker in his left, explaining the latest devel- Crawford Lindsey opment in tennis. All of Baugh’s excitement about the sport Editorial Director Peter Francesconi was there, as always, and he was thoroughly prepared, as Associate Editor usual. Greg Raven But rather than addressing the usual group of industry bigwigs, Baugh was talk- Design/Art Director ing to a group of tennis teaching professionals about something dear to his heart: Kristine Thom fitness and tennis. This was a free workshop for teaching pros about Cardio Ten- Assistant to the Publisher nis, a program that Baugh conceived and is bringing to fruition, together with the Cari Feliciano Tennis Industry Association (of which Baugh is president) and with support from Contributing Editors the USTA. Cynthia Cantrell I took part in this four-hour workshop, which was held at the USTA National Rod Cross Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., in June and, even though I’ve known the Kristen Daley Joe Dinoffer details of the program for many months, I was impressed and amazed. This was Liza Horan one of 21 workshops being held across the country from May to September to give Andrew Lavallee teaching pros an in-depth look at the program and to help them deliver Cardio Ten- James Martin nis to their players. If you haven’t been to one of these free workshops, you need Mark Mason Chris Nicholson to go. (There’s still time to sign up for workshops at Stanford, Los Angeles, Orlan- Mitch Rustad do, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, and Hilton Head. Visit Drew Sunderlin www.Partners.CardioTennis.com or call 866-686-3036.) Jonathan Whitbourne The workshops begin with a lively and informative hour and a half presentation, RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY then participants actually run through Cardio Tennis on court, wearing heart mon- Corporate Offices itors. Then it’s back in the classroom for a quick wrap-up. The excitement from the 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084 nearly 40 people in the workshop was great to see. They clearly understood the Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171 benefits for players, for their own businesses, and for the future of the sport. Email: [email protected] Website: www.racquetTECH.com The goal of Cardio Tennis is to get players moving, getting the heart rate into Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time the “Cardio Tennis Zone.” I was constantly on the move, and got an amazing work- out, burning, according to my heart monitor, more than 1,240 calories in just over Advertising Director an hour. And it was fun; I had a blast. Cardio Tennis lives up to the hype. John Hanna 770-650-1102, x.125 Key, of course, is the teaching pro, who needs to be able to keep the group mov- [email protected] ing and not stop to correct strokes or technique. Facilitating on court at my work- shop were Michele Krause, the TIA’s national Cardio Tennis business manager; Bill Apparel Advertising Mountford, the director of tennis at the NTC; Dr. Sophie Woorons, the director of Cynthia Sherman 203-263-5243 tennis at Performance Tennis at Brookstone Meadows in Anderson, S.C.; and for- [email protected] mer touring pro Katrina Adams. All were fantastic, keeping things moving while Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191- still taking time to explain various aspects of the program to the pros. 5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly January The program will roll out to consumers during the US Open, with fitness expert through August and combined issues in Septem- ber/October and November/December by Tennis and Cardio Tennis advocate Denise Austin taking part. And every week, more facil- Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084. ities are signing on to become Cardio sites. Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443 and addi- If you haven’t looked into offering Cardio Tennis to your players, you need to. tional mailing offices. August 2005, Volume 33, Num- ber 8 © 2005 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rights It’sIt s goodgood forfor y yourour p players,layers, andand that’lltha keep your business alive. reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x.125. Phone circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions $25 in the Peter Francesconi U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address Editorial Director changes to Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084. 4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY August 2005 RSI A U G U S T 2 0 0 5 INDUSTRYINDUSTRY NEWS NEWS INFORMATIONTOHELPYOURUNYOURBUSINESS USTA Commits Teaching Pros to Gather in NYC for 2005 TTC $1.5 Million to New ormer pro and perennial US Open favorite Todd Martin (below) will be the keynote “Tennis in the Parks” speaker at the 35th annual USA Tennis Teachers Conference, to be held Aug. 27 to F 30 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, just as the US Open gets under way. The USTA will invest $1.5 million in new The theme of this year’s TTC is “Can we play now?” and it’s designed funding to support public parks tennis to help teaching pros and coaches instruct people to play tennis, admin- facility improvements, renovations, and ister programs, and manage their businesses and careers. While technical new construction projects to provide instruction is an important part of learning tennis, simply "playing" the more and enhanced tennis venues for game is key, and that’s the focus of many of the presentations and semi- increased playing opportunities. The fund- nars at this year’s event. Seminars and on-court demonstrations will be presented by experi- ing of the “Tennis in the Parks” initiative Courtesy USA Tennis Florida follows the USTA's recent announcement enced teachers and coaches such as Eliot Teltscher, Greg Patton, Rodney of a $10 million “Grow the Game” fund Harmon, Wayne Bryan, Steve Bellamy, Donna Yuritic, Craig Tiley, and others. Some ses- created to develop new programs to sions, including a session on Cardio Tennis, will be held at the USTA National Tennis Cen- increase player participation and raise ter, site of the U SOpen, in nearby Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Free transportation between the profile of tennis in the U.S. the Grand Hyatt and the NTC is included. Register for the full three days by Aug. 9 for $200; after that date, it’s $255. Single-day The new initiative includes a local com- registration is also available, as are group rates. Also, attendees are eligible for discount- munity advocacy component, in which ed rates at the Grand Hyatt ($168 per night, not including taxes), access to US Open tick- USTA-provided grants will be matched on ets, welcome receptions sponsored by the USTA and PTR, and daily continental breakfast. the local level, with the total investment There also is a trade show during the conference. in the sport totaling $7.5 million in work- The TTC draws more than 700 tennis teachers and coaches from across the country ing dollars. This 20-fold increase in finan- and around the world. For more information, email [email protected] or call 914-696-7004. cial support from last year will impact To register online, visit www.usta.com/TTC. more than 1,000 outdoor and indoor public facilities and thousands of courts. ATP to Implement Changes in Pro Doubles More than 70 percent of recreational ten- tarting in September, ATP tournaments will feature changes to doubles that the ATP nis in the U.S.