April 2005 Volume 33 Number 4 $5.00 10 WAYS TO FIRE UP TENNIS! Ideas that can reinvigorate the pro game and increase the sport’s popularity Corporate Tennis Leagues Can Help Your Business Peter Burwash International: Still Serving at 30 Years Old Australian Open Player Equipment Log Q Customer Relations Q Retail Signage Q String Playtest Q Ask the Experts Q Tips and Techniques Q Science CCoonntteennttss RSI APRIL 2005 INDUSTRY NEWS 7 PTR Symposium honors members, facilities 7 Tennis Channel buys Scottsdale ATP stop 8 USRSA announces 3 new certification testers 8 Tail collection shines with Swarovski crystal 9 “Grommets Network” started by USRSA 9 K-Swiss fortifies 7.0 footwear line FEATURES 10 Wheelchair documentary to debut in April 27 10 Ways to Fire Up Tennis Award-winning tennis writer Paul Fein says that when enthralling rivalries and charismatic 11 New tennis collectibles on sale characters are in short supply, the popularity of tennis doesn’t have to plummet. 13 Vantage Sport offers custom-built 30 Corporate Dividends racquets Starting company tennis leagues in your area can be lucrative for your business, fun for employees, and beneficial for the corporations. 13 Wilson adds five to Speaker’s 32 Customer Tennis Bureau For 30 years, Peter Burwash and Peter Burwash International have been providing unrivaled service to players, vacationers, facilities, and their own employees. 14 In •Tenn releases 2nd DVD 14 Prince debuts new T10 shoe 36 Get Down to Business! These two racquet sports facilities take different paths, but both lead to increased profits. 14 Atlanta CTA honored by USTA 38 Australian Open 2005 14 Letter to the Editor: Bring tennis Let your customers check out the equipment their favorite players were using Down Under. to PGA Show DEPARTMENTS 24 Retailing Success 4 Our Serve 40 String Playtest: Volkl V-Rex 16 Customer Relations 42 Ask the Experts 18 Industry People 44 Tips and Techniques 20 Your Finances 46 Science 22 Marketing Success 48 Your Serve, by Scott Hanover April 2005 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3 Our Serve (Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry ) What's on Your Business Publishers David Bone Jeff Williams Learning Calendar? Editor-in-Chief Crawford Lindsey hat did you learn last week that will accelerate the con - Editorial Director Peter Francesconi W tinuous reinvention of yourself and your business in Associate Editor order to survive, compete, and prosper in today's and Greg Raven tomorrow's business environment? Approximately 800 PTR Design/Art Director Kristine Thom pros spent the last week in February at the annual PTR Inter - Assistant to the Publisher national Symposium attending on- and off-court seminars, Cari Feliciano networking, comparing best practices, and intermingling Contributing Editors Cynthia Cantrell with the brightest minds in the tennis community. I was also Rod Cross Kristen Daley lucky enough to attend and got to sit in on these sessions: Joe Dinoffer Liza Horan Q Five 3-hour USTA Sport Science Courses: Sports Psychology, Biomechanics, Sports Andrew Lavallee Medicine, Motor Learning, Physiology James Martin Q Keys to Mastering the Volley—Nick Saviano Mark Mason Q To Carb or Not to Carb?—Page Love Chris Nicholson Q Managing a Tennis Complex—Fernando Velasco Mitch Rustad Q Great Games for Teaching Strategy and Tactics—Ken DeHart Drew Sunderlin Q Nutrition in Action—Dr. Sally Parsonage Jonathan Whitbourne Q Resistance Training for Racquet Speed and Court Speed—Dr. Jeff Chandler Q How to Develop Young Kids into Champions—Robert Lansdorp RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY Q Physiology of the Older Player—Dr. Ben Kibler, Dr. Peter Jokl, John Powless Corporate Offices Q Recruiting and Hiring Tennis Pros—Greg Snow 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084 Q Games Galore and More!—Lisa Duncan Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171 Q From Tanking to Top Performance—Linda LeClaire Email: [email protected] Q How to Grow Your Tennis Business—Doug Cash Website: www.racquetTECH.com Q Coaching Through Storytelling—Dr. Jim Loehr Offic e Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time Q Playing Smart: With Mind, Not Just Muscle—Dr. Allen Fox Q Is Your Tennis Business Service Driven—Mark McMahon Advertising Director Q CardioTennis Extravaganza—TIA John Hanna Q Strategies for Winning On Court and Off—Dr. Allen Fox 770-650-1102, x.125 Q Where on the Racquet to Hit for Maximum Power and Minimum Errors—Dr. [email protected] Howard Brody Q Modern Tennis: Technical Solution for Tactical Problems—Brett Hobden Apparel Advertising Q The Calorie Counting Game—Dr. Bonita Marks Cynthia Sherman 203-263-5243 And, I missed many, many others, not being able to be everywhere at once! [email protected] Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191- If I were a teaching pro, retailer, club owner, stringer, etc., you would have to 5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly January through August and combined issues in Septem - compete against me. Do you feel just an inkling of competitive disadvantage, ber/October and November/December by Tennis inadequacy, or insecurity? No? Well how do you feel up against all those who Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084. have gone to every PTR Symposium, USPTA Conference, and many other edu - Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443 and addi - tional mailing offices. April 2005, Volume 33, Number cational conferences for the past 10 to 15 years? Have you ever wondered how 4 © 2005 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rights these folks can afford to take an entire week or more away from work every reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo are year? Hmmm, do you think there is a connection? 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 U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address Crawford Lindsey changes to Racquet Sports Industry , 330 Main St., Editor-in-Chief Vista, CA 92084. 4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTR Y April 2005 RSI APRIL 2005 IINNDDUUSSTTRRYY NNEEWWSS INFORMATION TO HELP YOU RUN YOUR BUSINESS Tennis Channel PTR Presents Annual Honors at Symposium he Professional Tennis Registry honored several of its members and two tennis facilities Buys Scottsdale during the annual Awards Banquet in February at the Crowne Plaza Resort on Hilton Head ATP Tour Stop T Island, S.C. The banquet was part of the annual PTR International Tennis Symposium and $25,000 Championships (see page 9). Honorees were recognized for service, commitment, and The Tennis Channel has bought the dedication to the PTR, their communities, and the sport. ATP tennis tournament based in Q Professional of the Year—Angel Lopez, San Diego Scottsdale, Ariz., for an undisclosed Q Clinician of the Year—Daniel Leal, Pike Road, Ala. amount. The tournament, which this Q Tester of the Year—Jose Luis Castillo, Cayey, Puerto Rico year was held Feb. 21 to 27, was Q Coach Verdieck Award–College Coach of the Year—Patty Fendick McCain, University of Wash - renamed the “Tennis Channel ington, Seattle Open.” Q Coach Verdieck Award–High School Coach of the Year—Susan Minchau, Johnstown, Pa. TTC purchased the event from Q Coach Verdieck Award–Touring Pro Coach of the Year—Tony Huber, Cypress, Texas Scottsdale Tournament productions, Q Humanitarian Award—Enrique Ninente, Hagatna, Guam whose managing partner is IMG, the Q Volunteer of the Year—Diana Seggie, Bluffton, S.C. world’s largest sports marketing and Q Newcomer of the Year—Beverly Bourguet, Albuquerque, N.M. management agency. IMG managed Q Wheelchair Pro of the Year—John Johnston, Gainesville, Fla. and operated this year’s event for Q Male Player of the Year—Raj Bonifacius, Reykjavik, Iceland the TTC, but starting with the 2006 Q Female Player of the Year—Patricia Rogulski, Rankweil, Austria tournament, the network will assume Q USTA Community Service Award—Lisa Duncan, Downingtown, Pa. Q TIA Commitment to the Industry Award—Wayne St. Peter, Westbrook, Maine all managerial and operational Q Public Facility of the Year—Plaza Tennis Center, Kansas City, Mo. responsibilities. Q Private Facility of the Year—Kiawah Island Resort, Charleston, S.C. “Owning the tournament will permit In addition, the following were honored as PTR state members of the year: Ken DeHart, Cal - the network to continue its aggres - ifornia; Luis Maria Brest, Florida; Pete Collins, Georgia; Enrique R. Ninete, Hawaii Pacific; Doug sive promotion of the sport by pre - Lintala, Illinois; Ajay Pant, Kansas; Alicia von Lossberg, Maryland; Wayne St. Peter, Maine; Henry senting it like no other,” says TTC Hostetler, North Carolina; Larry Dillon, New Jersey; Todd Miller, New York; Joey Eskridge, South President and Founder Steve Bellamy. Carolina; Curtis Holland, Tennessee; Dan Bonfigli, Vermont; John Raker, Virginia. The Tennis Channel has had pro - gramming rights to the tournament Sports InterActive Forms Online Tennis Mall since 2002, and this year telecast ports InterActive LLC, a new venture headed by former Prince executive Herb Sweren, has more than 40 hours of play, including established an internet “Tennis Shopping Mall” that consumers can access through par - singles and doubles quarterfinals, S ticipating tennis clubs, pro shops and specialty retailers. semifinals, and finals. “As part of the program, we will develop and implement a website for each club or retailer,” Founded in 1986, the Scottsdale ATP says Sweren. “The sites will be tailored for each client so that members/customers can schedule tour stop takes place at the Fairmont lessons, reserve court time, find matches, register for tennis camp and, of course, shop at the Scottsdale Princess hotel. The venue tennis mall.” Fromuth Tennis will provide inventory for the online tennis mall. has played host to a series of Grand According to Pat Shields, owner of Fromuth, shops must have an existing storefront and a Slam champions and tennis house - sales volume to justify the costs of going online.