RETAIL COURT CONSTRUCTION PARTICIPATION

How limiting Converting to LED Showcase the sport

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May 2018 / Volume 46 / Number 5 / $5.00

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 www.tennisindustrymag.com
TennisIndustry

Contents May 2018

DEPARTMENTS FEATURES
4 Our Serve 22 Inspiring Future Players
7 Industry News
Throughout the country, Net Generation is
14 Retail Tip
16 Play Tennis Month
providing a unified umbrella to grow tennis.
17 Facility Management
18 TIA News
20 Court Construction
38 Ask the Experts
40 Your Serve, by Mike
Kolendo

INDUSTRY NEWS
7 Snauwaert re-enters U.S.
market with racquets, strings
7 Tennis Teachers Conference
set for August in New York
7 USTA Florida names Laura
Bowen executive director
8 Vulcan introduces USTA and FEATURES
Net Generation overgrips 28 How Synthetic Strings Are Made
8 Oracle, Universal Tennis Tecnifibre’s factory in France spins out string 36 Three of a Kind
team up to grow UTR to suit players from beginners to the pros. When it comes to
8 Rodney Harmon tapped award-winning
as new PTR president
8 USTA National Campus,
clay-court projects,
PlaySight expand deal Florida continues
10 People Watch to be fertile ground.
10 USRSA launches monthly
e-newsletter for members
11 Short Sets 32 Selecting the
12 Unique introduces new
"Cube" stringing machine
Perfect Frame
12 USTA Foundation raises Our exclusive Racquet
record $9 million in 2017 Selector will help your
12 Agassi, Roddick face off
on pickleball court
players re-evaluate
12 PTR Masters of Tennis their playing choices
13 Top-sellling racquets, shoes, and find the right
strings at specialty stores frame for their game.

PLUS
p.41 43 From the CEO
45 Vice President’s Message
47 Master Pro Corner
43 47 52 57
Is Your What Does 7 Takeaways A Culture of 51 Inside Coaching

Pro USPTA 120 MPH from Halep’s Collaboration 55 Beyond the Court
Certified? Really Mean? Rise to No. 1 in Action 57 Sid’s Corner
59 Member News
60 USPTA Career Development
Visit ADDvantageUSPTA.com for more articles and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

2 TennisIndustry May 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
m en t- qu al it y sp or t su rf ac in g
To ur na

sportmaster.net
 TennisIndustry

OurServe PUBLISHER
JEFF WILLIAMS

EDITOR
PETER FRANCESCONI
EDITOR'S NOTE

Get Out and Play! MANAGING EDITOR

SCOTT GRAMLING

Play Tennis Month is a national CREATIVE DIRECTOR

IAN KNOWLES

platform to grow the sport with a SENIOR EDITOR

ED McGROGAN

decidedly local impact. ART DIRECTOR

CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ

PRODUCTION EDITOR
SAM CHASE

I 
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
BOB PATTERSON

’ve long felt tennis lost an
important rallying point when
we let National Tennis Month
fizzle out about 10 years ago,
and I’ve advocated bringing it
back as a much-needed celebration of
this sport and a natural platform for
getting more people to play the game.
The Play Tennis Month promotion
will help do just that. Among the goals
for the month of May are for Americans
to burn a combined 10 million calories
on the court in Play Tennis Month
activities. (In late April, leading up
to Play Tennis Month, a large Cardio
Tennis session was planned for the
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
CYNTHIA CANTRELL, PEG CONNOR,
DAVID LASOTA, KENT OSWALD, NATE PAGEL,
CYNTHIA SHERMAN, MARY HELEN SPRECHER
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
BOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
TIM McARTHUR

As some of you may remember, Na-
tional Tennis Month took place during
the month of May, and for a while, it was
heavily promoted by the USTA.
There is good news: We are bring-
ing back a month-long celebration of
tennis, as well as a platform for promo-
tion. Again held in May, it is called Play
USTA Nat-ional Campus in Orlando, EDITORIAL DIRECTION
Fla., where participants were to burn a 10TEN MEDIA
combined 1 million calories.) It doesn’t
TENNIS INDUSTRY
hurt, either, that May is also National 250 Park Avenue, Ste 825, NY NY 10017
Physical Fitness & Sports Month and 646-381-8735
PHIT America Month. info@tennisindustrymag.com
How can you both help out this
national promotion, and also help your ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Tennis Month. business? First, tie into Play Tennis

Play Tennis Month is designed to
showcase the sport, but also to promote
the many great health benefits tennis
can bring—something we as an industry
continually undersell.
To tie into Play Tennis Month,
go to RallyTheIndustry.org
to make sure your
location and programs
are registered—all for free.
Over the years, our industry has been
unable to coalesce around key health
and fitness messaging to attract poten-
tial new players. It’s odd, because as ten-
nis players and advocates, we all know
how great this sport is for getting fit and
keeping people of all ages healthy. Yet
we just haven’t been able to push a uni-
fied message of health and fitness that
can drive tennis participation.
Month by going to RallyTheIndustry.
org and making sure your location and
programs are registered—all for free—
so consumers can find you.
Next, schedule Play Tennis Month
events—ideally free or low-cost pro-
grams, clinics and other events. The
RallyTheIndustry.org site has suggested
program formats that emphasize fun,
fitness and the social side of tennis,
but you can do whatever you think will
bring people to your courts—especially
players who are new to the game.
This is the first year for this industry-
wide promotion, and there is a lot of
groundwork to do to make sure Play
Tennis Month grows in years to come.
But let’s rally around this national and
natural platform to promote this sport.
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). May 2018, Volume 46,
Number 5 © 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 May 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 LET’S SHAPE THE FUTURE OF TENNIS
Net Generation, powered by the USTA, makes it
easier and more fun to get kids and teens into tennis.
We provide the tools and training to empower coaches,
teachers, parents, volunteers, NJTL networks and
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 IndustryNews Information to help you run your business
MANUFACTURERS
Snauwaert Re-Enters U.S. Market
With Racquets, Strings, Bags
S
nauwaert has returned to
the U.S. tennis market, with
a new business model that
it says “departs from, and
disrupts, current category
conventions.” In a press release in
March, Snauwaert says it will deliver
C O U RT E S Y S N A U WA E RT, U S TA F L O R I DA
“direct-to-consumer” products while
developing a “full-service brand
ambassador network of coaches.”
The company says it will bypass
traditional retail and sell its newly de-
signed range of performance and youth
racquets, strings, grips and bags through
its website, snauwaert.com, directly to
consumers. Snauwaert also says it will
develop a network of coaches—“brand
ambassadors”—who will receive a
www.tennisindustrymag.com
commission and be compensated for
their promotional activities.
CEO and owner Roberto Gazzara,
former head of research and design for
Prince Sports, will be based out of the
company’s Italian headquarters. He
will be joined by V.P. of Sales and
Marketing Ken Merritt, a grassroots
and promotional marketing expert. A
third-party operator will oversee logis-
tics, customer service and warehousing
out of its Louisville, Colo., facility.
“Our mission is simple. We are here
to serve tennis and finally take a truly
active role in helping the player,” says
Gazzara. The company says it currently
has more than 50 ambassadors in the
United States.
Tennis Teachers Conference
Set for Aug. 24-27 in NYC
The Tennis Teachers Conference is back!
Presented by the USTA and USPTA, the
2018 event will be held Aug. 24-27 at the
Grand Hyatt in New York City, just as the
US Open begins.
More than 1,000 tennis profession-
als and industry leaders are expected to
gather for the TTC, which will feature over
30 classroom and on-court educational
sessions. The on-court sessions will take
place at SportTime Randall’s Island Tennis
Center on Saturday, Aug. 25.
Conference attendees will have the
opportunity to attend opening day at the
US Open and be among the first tennis
fans to watch matches in the brand-new
Louis Armstrong Stadium. Stay tuned for
registration information.
USTA Florida Names Laura Bowen
Executive Director
Laura Bowen
Laura Bowen is the new executive director
of the USTA Florida section, replacing Doug
Booth, who retired as E.D. in December
after 29 years with the organization. Bowen
joined USTA Florida in 2011 as the director of
marketing, membership and sponsorship.
In her time with USTA Florida, Bowen has
implemented some of the section’s most
innovative programs and services. Internally,
she spearheaded a digital virtual community
for staff and volunteer communications,
a state-of-the-art customer relation
management system, and a revised digi-
tal platform and website. Externally, she
May 2018 TennisIndustry 7
IndustryNews

launched Tenis para Todos, a Hispanic

tennis initiative and website adapted
nationally by the USTA, and has overseen
the launch of USTA Florida’s Tennis Man-
agement Division to assist struggling
tennis facilities across the state.

Oracle, Universal Tennis

Team Up to Grow UTR
Universal Tennis and Oracle have
formed a partnership to develop and
grow Universal Tennis Rating (UTR),
an algorithm-based, big-data rating
system and digital platform for tennis
players of all levels.
Under the agreement, Universal
Tennis will leverage Oracle’s cloud
technology to enhance UTR and
further improve and unify the tennis
experience for all players. Oracle
PARTNERSHIPS
will partner with Universal Tennis on

USTA National Campus, strategic marketing initiatives and

support UTR Powered Events around

PlaySight Expand Deal the world.

“We’re thrilled to partner with

P
Oracle as we continue to develop UTR
to provide tennis players across age,
laySight and the USTA National Campus have extended their partnership geography, gender and economics
with a new seven-year agreement that will further incorporate PlaySight with a common language and stan-
and its latest technology throughout the facility. dard,” said Universal Tennis Chairman
The new partnership includes high school and collegiate tournaments, and CEO Mark Leschly. Currently, UTR
the piloting of PlayFair video line-calling technology and the addition of PlaySight’s leverages data from more than 6.5
new SmartCourt Play to the existing Pro and Live courts. million match results, providing
The USTA is currently constructing an Innovation Lab inside the Welcome accurate, real-time ratings for 700,000
Center that will enable all campus guests to learn about the wealth of cutting-edge players from over 200 countries.
technology at the campus, including PlaySight. In related news, Universal Tennis
and World TeamTennis announced a
strategic partnership in which WTT
ACCESSORIES will adopt UTR as the league's official
rating system, and WTT match results
Vulcan Introduces will now count toward player UTRs.

New USTA Grips Harmon Named PTR President;

DeHart, Mast, Waite Join Board
C O U RT E S Y P L AY S I G H T, V U L C A N S P O RT I N G G O O D S

Former ATP Tour player and USTA

Vulcan Sporting Goods, the official overgrip Director of Men’s Tennis Rodney Harmon
maker for the USTA and Net Generation, has has been named the new PTR president,
introduced new overgrips, distributed through taking over from Roy Barth, whose term
NetKnacks. The overgrips are Vulcan Max Tour ended this year. In addition, Ken DeHart,
style, designed for a light tack, light cushion feel. Delaine Mast and Jack Waite were named
The USTA overgrip is available to all retailers, to the PTR Board of Directors during
including those with special wholesale pricing. the organization’s General Membership
To order, contact sales@netknacks.com or 800- Meeting held in February during the PTR
374-6152. The Net Generation overgrip is not yet Symposium on Hilton Head Island, S.C.
available to industry retailers—it is expressly for “We are thrilled to have someone as
USTA Net Generation organizers, professionals respected, talented and experienced as
and participants. For info on Vulcan, call 1-800- Rodney to serve as PTR’s new president,”
826-6373 or visit Vulcansportinggoods.com. says PTR CEO Dan Santorum. “Rodney is

8 TennisIndustry May 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

ads.indd 1 4/29/16 12:43 PM
IndustryNews
People
Watch
Industry veteran Peg Connor is the new
executive director of the USTA Wyoming
district. Connor, a former collegiate
player and coach, has been an event
manager for ATP, WTA and WTT profes-
sional events, managed player promo-
tions and marketing at Prince Global
Sports and has most recently been work-
ing with the Tennis Industry Association,
Tennis Industry magazine, USTA Middle
States School Tennis Development and
the International POP Tennis Association.
USTA Foundation chairman and
former pro player James Blake will be
at Sportsmen’s Tennis & Enrichment
Center in Dorchester, Mass., on May 10
to help run adult and junior clinics, play
10 TennisIndustry May 2018
in an exhibition and take part in a Q&A.
Dunlop Tour Team member Kevin
Anderson won the inaugural New York
Open in February, five months after the
South African ran to the final of the US
Open. Anderson plays with the Dunlop
Srixon CX 2.0 Tour LE racquet.
Carol Schneider, a longtime member
of the Southern California Tennis
Association Board of Directors who was
instrumental in the development of the
tennis ranking system, passed away
March 3. Schneider, a former chairman
of the USTA Nominating Committee,
among other appointments, received
many honors in her decades of service.
the first African-American male to become
president of a major tennis organization in
Rodney Harmon Ken DeHart
Delaine Mast Jack Waite
the U.S., and he will further solidify PTR’s
commitment to diversity in tennis.”
Originally from Richmond, Va.,
Harmon grew up as a protégé of Arthur
Ashe. He played at Tennessee (teaming
with Mel Purcell to win the 1980 NCAA
doubles title) then at SMU. While still at
SMU, Harmon advanced to the quarter-
finals at the 1982 US Open. He reached a
career-high ATP ranking of No. 56.
Serving three-year terms on the board
are directors-at-large DeHart of San Jose,
Calif., Mast of Lancaster, Pa., and board
secretary Waite of Riverside, Conn.
DeHart is director of player development
at Alameda Valley Athletic Club. Among
Mast’s many roles in the industry, she is
the executive director of Tennis Central,
an NJTL chapter. Waite is the director of
racquet sports at Burning Tree Country
Club in Greenwich, Conn.
USRSA Launches Monthly
E-Newsletter for Members
The USRSA will launch a new monthly
e-newsletter for all members. Called
The Stringer’s Assistant, it will be
emailed worldwide to USRSA mem-
bers starting with the May issue.
“Our members have wanted a
monthly newsletter directed specifi-
cally to stringers and technicians for
a long time,” says USRSA Executive
Director Bob Patterson. “We used to
mail members a hard-copy version of
our original newsletter, also called The
Stringer’s Assistant, but that ended 20
C O U RT E S Y P T R
years ago. We’re pleased to be able
to bring it back, as another benefit of
USRSA membership.”
The editor for The Stringer’s Assistant
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Short
Sets
Motivational speaker, leadership
consultant and tennis professional
Rusty Komori holds the U.S. record for
the longest winning streak in any school
sport—22 consecutive state champion-
ships captured by his tennis teams at
Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Komori shared his secrets for success in
life and leadership in Beyond the Lines:
Creating a Leadership Culture to Achieve
Extraordinary Results, newly released
by Legacy Isle Publishing. Visit
bookshawaii.net or call 808-587-7766 or
866-900-BOOK for more information.
France will host the United States at the
Aréna du Pays d’Aix in Aix-en-Provence
on an indoor clay court in the Fed Cup
GET A FREE DEMO!
Half Page Ad-Rev4.indd 1
www.tennisindustrymag.com
World Group Semifinal, April 21-22. The
U.S. is 11-2 all-time against France in Fed
Cup competition in a rivalry dating back
to 1966. Earlier this year, the U.S. topped
the Netherlands, 3-1, in the World Group
First Round in Asheville, N.C.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association
and Tennis Recruiting Network have
extended a partnership in which TRN
(TennisRecruiting.net) will continue to
serve as the Official Junior Tennis
Information Source of the ITA.
PlaySight has been named by Fast
Company as one of the Top 10 Most
Innovative Companies in Sports for
the second consecutive year, in the
IndustryNews
magazine’s March-April issue. Compa-
nies joining PlaySight on the prestigious
list this year include the NBA, UFC and
the NFL Players Association.
Olla LLC, the parent company of Pickle-
ballCentral.com, has acquired Pickle-
ballTournaments.com, an online leader
in tournament software, operations
management, training and consulting.
Five-time Grand Slam champion
Maria Sharapova, who launched her
candy company, Sugarpova, in 2012, is
partnering with the National Association
of Women Business Owners to mentor
female entrepreneurs. To apply for the
program, visit nawbo.org.
iGENIE
TM
The Official Ball Machine of the USPTA
NEED DRILLS? Go to:
playmatetennis.com
(800) 776-6770
11/13/17 8:22 PM
May 2018 TennisIndustry 11
IndustryNews

will be USRSA Associate Director Nate

Pagel, a Master Racquet Technician
who joined the association in January.
Pagel is a graduate of the PTM Program
at Ferris State University. If you have
suggestions or article ideas, contact
Pagel at nate@racquettech.com or call
760-536-1177 ext. 23.

USTA Foundation Raises

Record $9 Million in 2017
The USTA Foundation, the national
charitable arm of the USTA, raised a
record $9 million in 2017 through a variety
of fundraising efforts. The funds will be
used to support National Junior Tennis
and Learning (NJTL) programs nationwide.
In 2017, hundreds of tennis and education
programs and students were awarded
more than $3.3 million in grants and
scholarships.

STRINGING Agassi, Roddick Face Off

On Pickleball Court
Unique Introduces New
‘Cube’ Stringing Machine

U
 
nique Sports Products introduced the new Tourna Cube computer-
ized stringing machine for tennis, racquetball, squash and badminton
frames. The unit is hand-brushed in stainless steel, with a soft-lit cube On March 10, tennis champions Andre
for a visually stunning piece that’s loaded with features. Agassi and Andy Roddick traded their
A linear diablo tensioner and auto-start string gripper allow for a fast stringing racquets for pickleball paddles, as they
technique even on delicate strings. The gravity-assisted base clamp release unlocks each captained teams in a pickleball
the base clamp with the simple lift of the string clamp or the push of a button. The match for charity in Austin, Texas.
digital control panel has six adjustable pull speeds, eight memory settings, four Joining Agassi and Roddick were top
levels of pre-stretch and a precision constant-pull tension control. pickleball players Marcin Rozpedski,
Reels can be stored below the turntable and tools stored on the side of the cube. Tyson McGuffin, Corrine Carr and Irina
The unit’s height can be adjusted easily, and there’s even a USB port to charge your Tereschenko. The private event raised
phone while stringing. Visit uniquesports.us for more information. (We will have a money for the Andre Agassi Early Child-
full review of the Tourna Cube in an upcoming issue.) hood Neuroscience Foundation and the
Andy Roddick Foundation. A link to a
video of the event is at usapa.org.

USRSA Names MRTs and CS

Master Racquet Technician
C O U RT E S Y U N I Q U E S P O RT S P R O D U CT S

• Babbette Leddy, Franklin, Tenn.

• Terry See, Fort Myers, Fla.
Certified Stringer
• Taylor Wrede, Atlanta, Ga.

PTR Awards Masters of Tennis

MOT–Performance:
• Andy Dowsett, Essex, England
• Karsten Weigelt, Berlin, Germany
MOT–Adult Development:
• Greg Fowler, Manhattan Beach, Calif.

12 TennisIndustry May 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 LOVE LOVE
Club members and students will LOVE facing
off against the phenom. You will LOVE
Top-Selling Racquets
at Specialty Stores offering the added advantage.
January-December 2017 vs. 2016
Units 2017 599,780
®
2016 619,317
% change vs. ’16 -3% follow lobste
t rsports on
te play more. win more.®

Dollars 2017 $94,464,000

For more information, please call 888.380.9460 or visit www.lobstersports.com
2016 $92,493,000
% change vs. ’16 2%
Price 2017 $157.50
2016 $149.35
% change vs. ’16 5%

Top-Selling Racquets
at Specialty Stores
By year-to-date dollars,
Jan.-Dec. 2017
• Best Sellers
1. Babolat Pure Aero (100) 2016 (MP)
2. Babolat Pure Drive 2015 (MP)
3. Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Auto 2017
(MP)
4. Wilson Blade 98 (16x19) CV (MP)
5. Babolat Pure Drive 2018 (MP)

• “Hot New Racquets”

(introduced in the past 12 months)
1. Babolat Pure Drive 2018 (MP)
2. Head MXG 5 (OS)
3. Wilson Ultra 100 CV 2017 (MP)
4. Head G.Touch Instinct MP (MP)
5. Head MXG 3 (MP)

Top-Selling Tennis Shoes

at Specialty Stores
By year-to-date dollars,
Jan.-Dec. 2017
1. Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour 2015
2. Asics Gel Resolution 7
3. K-Swiss Hypercourt Express
4. Asics Gel Solution Speed 3
5. Nike Zoom Cage 2

Top-Selling Strings
at Specialty Stores
By year-to-date units,
Jan.-Dec. 2017
1. Babolat RPM Blast
2. Wilson NXT
3. Wilson Sensation
4. Luxilon Alu Power
5. Luxilon 4G

(Source: Tennis Industry Association)

www.tennisindustrymag.com May 2018 TennisIndustry 13

TennisIndustry
TREND WATCH
Less is More
When it comes to retail, research is
showing that consumers are looking for
a limited, curated selection.
By Jay Townley
F
or decades, tennis pro
and specialty shops have
struggled with the notion
advanced by suppliers that
the more variety and inven-
tory they stock, the better. But finally,
we have a research report that identi-
fies the consumer trend toward limiting
selections of merchandise, and how it
can be a significant differentiator for
specialty retailers.
According to retail tech firm Hubba,
less selection and higher quality have
emerged as differentiators in a retail
market that has many consumers seek-
ing a curated product offering that cuts
through all the choices. Consumers
want an enjoyable purchasing experi-
ence from retailers that make it easy
to buy. Hubba calls its research report,
14 TennisIndustry May 2018
RetailingTip
“The Curated Future: Why Less Selec-
tion, Not More, Will Be the Defining
Retail Trend in 2018.”
Importantly, this trend also appears
to apply to online shopping, where con-
sumers often feel they have too many
choices. Purchasers seek easy-to-under-
stand differences so they can judge the
value they receive for the price they pay.
Specialty retailers have often told me
that their sales reps have assured them
consumers want the largest selection of
merchandise possible. The more SKUs
a tennis shop stocks, the more it has to
display in store, the more information
it needs to impart to sales associates
about products, the more it needs to
sell, reorder, and manage.
In 2007, I was part of a research pre-
sentation for a specialty retail
Large retail selections can
confuse sales associates and
consumers, often causing
shoppers to leave the store
without buying anything.
channel that had a very large selection
of merchandise. Brands and wholesal-
ers wanted to know what consumers re-
ally wanted. What the research showed
was that the merchandise selections
were so large that they confused both
shoppers and sales associates, and
caused some shoppers to leave stores
without making a purchasing decision.
Since then, I’ve been persuading spe-
cialty retailers to use GMROI—gross
margin return on inventory—as the key
performance indicator in making deci-
sions on their merchandise selections
and purchasing.
Tennis retailers need to adopt a
“good, better, best” policy—also called
a “curated merchandise selection.”
Good, better, best is an internal retail
procedure that advocates three price
points, with logical step-ups in value.
This means features and retail price
spreads are easy for sales associates and
shoppers to understand. Curated mer-
chandise selection is exactly the same,
except that it is crafted for the public.
Because a curated selection is easier
to understand and sell, it also makes it
easy for consumers to do business with
your shop. It builds trust in you, your
staff and your shop’s brand.
If your suppliers and manufacturer
reps raise objections to you trimming
your merchandise selection—which
to them means you will be buying
less—you can point to Hubba’s research
showing that consumers actually want
fewer choices, not more. And there’s
this: Manufacturers stand to gain from
careful curation, because your store
will sell more of the smaller number
of SKUs, more often, so your close rate
and total sales will increase. And, as
P H O T O A N I TA A G U I L A R
your GMROI increases, so will your
suppliers’ profits. •
Jay Townley is a partner in the retail
consulting firm Gluskin Townley Group
(gluskintownleygroup.com).
www.tennisindustrymag.com
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TennisIndustry
BENEFITS OF TENNIS
May is Play Tennis Month!
Take part in a national promotion that
aims to get more people on the courts,
and keep them coming back.
T
ennis industry partners
are working together to
promote May as “Play
Tennis Month” to help
showcase the sport of
tennis and its health benefits. Thou-
sands of tennis programs and events
will be held around the country, with
the goal of helping to get people moving
—and playing tennis.
At least 1,500 tennis facilities around
the U.S. are expected to participate
in Play Tennis Month. The goal for
the entire month of May is for Ameri-
cans to burn a combined 10 million
calories in on-court activities. Play
Tennis Month also helps to support
16 TennisIndustry May 2018
Participation
PHIT America. To support Play Ten-
nis Month, tennis providers should
register their facility or courts as a
participating site, so consumers can
find nearby locations and programs.
This can be done online, for free, at Ral-
lyTheIndustry.org.
“The website RallyTheIndustry.org
also has suggested program formats
that emphasize not only the fitness
aspect of tennis, but also how fun and
social it is,” says TIA Executive Director
Jolyn de Boer.
Among the suggested formats are
Cardio Tennis sessions, Try Tennis
Free and PlayTennisFast programming,
and POP Tennis on 60-foot courts.
Industry partners are
promoting May as Play Tennis
Month to help showcase the
health benefits of tennis and
get more people playing.
“But providers can offer any pro-
grams they’d like as part of Play Tennis
Month,” de Boer adds.
The lead-up to Play Tennis Month
included a “Million Calorie Burn” in
late April, where the goal was for par-
ticipants to burn a combined 1 million
calories with a focus on Cardio Tennis
and other programming at the USTA
National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
Play Tennis Month provider webi-
nars were offered in the months leading
up to May and are available to view at
RallyTheIndustry.org. The webinars
discuss formats, programming, promo-
tions and follow-up.
In addition, May 5 will be National
Cardio Tennis Day, with participating
facilities offering Cardio Tennis chal-
lenges, sessions and programming.
Play Tennis Month events will
include fundraisers to benefit PHIT
America GO! Grants, which provide
funds for physical education in schools,
including supporting equipment and
curriculum for the new Net Generation
youth tennis initiative. PHIT America,
which was founded by former TIA
President Jim Baugh, is also looking to
pass the PHIT Act, which is designed
to get more people active and moving,
including through tennis. For more
information, visit phitamerica.org.
Play Tennis Month ties in with PHIT
America Month, also slated for May,
which reaches out to the entire sports
and fitness industry to encourage
C O U RT E S Y T E N N I S I N D U S T RY A S S O C I AT I O N
Americans to get active.
“Companies in the sports and fitness
industry know we just can’t sit back and
wait for people to start a life of physical
activity,” Baugh says. “They know that
we must work together.”
PHIT America Month has more than
30 sponsor companies and organiza-
tions, including the TIA and the USTA.
For more information on Play Tennis
Month and to register, visit PlayTennis-
Month.com or RallyTheIndustry.org. •
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Facility Management
FIRST AID
Called Into Action
Make sure your staff and members
know what to do in case of an
on-court emergency.
By Holly Chomyn
E
very tennis club has
probably had to react
to a medical emergency
at some point. Our
club, which has more
than 400 active tennis
members, has had its fair share of them.
Over the years, we’ve made adjust-
ments in our emergency responses
and training due to the lessons we've
learned. Today, we feel we are well
prepared for most emergencies.
Our facility has 911 call boxes on
SHUTTERSTOCK
every four courts. These emergency
phones automatically dial 911 and have
the facility address on the call box. If
the call is made from one of these emer-
www.tennisindustrymag.com
gency phones, an alert goes out to all
our facility phones so staff immediately
is aware that someone has made a 911
call, and can react accordingly.
We know players also use their cell
phones to call 911 when they are on
the court. In a true emergency, call-
ers may forget the facility address.
To assist them, we have signs under
every club gazebo that gives the street
address, court number and where our
AED (automated external defibrillator)
machine is located.
We have two AED machines at our
club—one inside the pro shop and one
outside by the courts. The outside AED
is more available to the back courts,
TennisIndustry
It’s important that you have
an emergency action
plan in place, which can be
activated in the event of any
type of emergency
or accident.
so that someone does not have to run
through the courts to get back to the
pro shop. It is also accessible when
the pro shop is closed.
In addition, we offer CPR/AED
training free to our members. Given
twice a year, this course is always full
with players who want to learn CPR,
or those who want a refresher. This
course has been extremely beneficial,
as members not only want to help in
an emergency, but it also relieves some
anxiety about how to handle a medical
emergency.
Everyone on our staff is trained in
first aid, CPR and on the AED machine.
Just about every week, we physically
practice CPR and using the AED
machine on a dummy in our staff meet-
ings, with everyone taking a turn.
It’s important to have an emergency
action plan in place, which can be acti-
vated in the event of any type of emer-
gency or accident. You may want to
post this plan so all can see it. If it’s not
posted, it needs to be kept on file where
all employees know where to find it.
In an emergency, we want to make
sure our staff can calmly perform what-
ever procedure is necessary to save a
life—because every moment counts. 
Holly Chomyn is a Master Professional
with the USPTA and Master Racquet
Technician with the USRSA. She has
more than 27 years of teaching and
coaching experience.
May 2018 TennisIndustry 17
Are You Ready for Play Tennis Month?
May is To showcase the sport and
its health benefits, industry
PlayTennisMonth.com or RallyTheIndustry.org. (The websites
also have free promotional material available to download.)
PLAY TENNIS! partners are promoting May
as “Play Tennis Month.” At
Providers can offer any programs they’d like as part of Play
Tennis Month, but both websites also offer some suggested formats
M NTH supporting least 1,500 tennis facilities
are expected to participate,
emphasizing the fitness aspect of tennis, and how fun and social the
sport is. In addition, May 5 will be National Cardio Tennis Day, with
offering thousands of tennis programs and events—all with a goal participating facilities offering Cardio Tennis challenges, sessions and
of helping to get people moving and playing tennis. In fact, for the programming.
entire month, the goal is for Americans to burn a combined 10 million Play Tennis Month events will include many fund-raisers to benefit
calories in Play Tennis Month activities. PHIT America GO! Grants, which provide funds for physical education
To support Play Tennis Month, providers should register their facility in schools, including supporting equipment and curriculum for the new
and programs for free, so consumers can find them. Go to either Net Generation youth tennis initiative.

2017
Youth Tennis and TE
NNIS
PART INDUSTRY
ICIPA
TION ASSOCIATIO
REPO
RT
N

Cardio Tennis
Show Gains EXECUTIVE
METH
TENN
PLAY
TENN
PLAYING
ODOL
IS PART
FREQUENC
IS PART

SPENDING
VENU
SUMM
OGY
ICIPAT
Y
ICIPANT
E
ARY

ION TREN

PROFILE
DS

Among the bright spots in the most recent annual

DO YOU
CONS
TENN IDER YOUR
IS PLAY SELF TO
FITNE ERS AND
SS/HE LATEN BE A
FANDOM ALTH T DEMA TENNIS PLAY
ND ER?
INTER
EST
TENN
IS CROS
S PART
ICIPAT
ION

tennis participation study by the Physical Activity In partn

ership
with the
Physical
Activity
Council

Council (PAC) is a 1.0 percent increase in youth tennis

players to 4.57 million and a 4.5 percent increase in Cardio Tennis
players to 2.22 million over the past year.
The increase in youngsters between ages 6 and 17 taking to the
courts in 2017 was driven by the youngest players, ages 6 to 12, “Despite tennis participation remaining fairly constant over the
which were up 1.3 percent, while ages 13 to 17 increased 0.6 percent. past seven years, the sport is experiencing its challenges,” de Boer
Within the total number of young players, however, “core” youth adds. “’Core’ tennis participants—those who play 10 or more times a
players, those who play at least 10 times a year, decreased by 0.9 year and who account for 90 percent of the money spent in the ‘tennis
percent to 2.65 million. economy’—declined 3.5 percent in the past year to 9.52 million. This
Cardio Tennis, with 2.22 million players in the U.S., has seen a 167 slip in core players is in line with a trend toward more casual play for
percent increase since first being measured in 2008. Of the sports sports overall, rising inactivity levels, aging baby-boomers, and new
and activities measured by the PAC study, Cardio Tennis remains the generations who are ‘samplers’ of multiple sports and activities.”
fastest growing sport over the previous three years. “We’re pleased Since core players also account for 93 percent of all tennis play
with the increases for Cardio Tennis and youth tennis,” says Jolyn de occasions, it’s no surprise that overall play occasions also declined
Boer, the executive director of the TIA, which manages Cardio Tennis year over year, down 6.6 percent to 396.9 million for 2017. Some of
in the U.S. and worldwide. “Overall, though, total tennis participation this decline may be attributed to extreme weather throughout the
for year-end 2017 decreased slightly, bringing the total number of country in 2017, including floods, droughts, wildfires and hurricanes.
tennis players in the U.S. to 17.68 million.” On a positive note, latent demand increased, with nearly 14 million
PAC data shows total U.S. people who consider themselves a tennis player but did not play in
participation fell 2.2 percent the last year, and another nearly 16 million who are interested in and
HEART PUMPING FITNESS from 2016 to 2017. The sport’s aspire to play tennis.
five-year average growth is up
0.8 percent and the total number of participants continues to stay The full TIA 2017 Tennis Participation Report produced in partnership
above 2007 numbers. But along with the decrease in overall tennis with PAC is available to purchase. For more information, contact the
participation, “core” participation also declined in 2017, falling 3.5 TIA at research@tennisindustry.org or call 843-686-3036.
percent to 9.52 million players.

18 TennisIndustry May 2018

May is
TENNIS!
PLAY
M NTH suppor
ting
This May, join tennis facilities and providers across the country in a national campaign
designed to bring more people into the lifetime sport of tennis!
Research shows that 65% of players
who begin tennis in an introductory
program stick with the sport. When it
comes to getting people hooked on
tennis, “trying” it is half the battle!
Play Tennis Month will help you get
consumers onto your courts. Join your
industry this May for this tremendous
opportunity to grow the player base and
create more frequent tennis players.
Go to RallyTheIndustry.org for more information
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!
GET YOUR PROGRAMS READY!
HELP GET AMERICA MOVING!
Support PHIT America!
Sign up now at RallyTheIndustry.org
Offer Cardio Tennis
at your location!
Now through the end
of May, join the Cardio
Tennis Instructor Network
for only $100! (You
will receive first-year
membership for half
price.) See all the benefits,
resources including
banner, videos, manuals,
discounts and more at
CardioTennis.com.
Play Tennis Month Includes:
• Industry-supported messaging to get consumers to try tennis.
• Introductory lessons, clinics and programs with certified teaching
professionals to help get new players into the game
and bring back lapsed players.
• Programs designed to increase player retention
Sig
Tod n Up
and plug the “leaky bucket” of partici[pation.
• Support from both the PTR and USPTA for
messaging the Play Tennis Month promotion to
their membership bases of teaching professionals.
ay!
TennisIndustry

CourtConstruction

LED fixtures can transform

your facility's look and
reduce costs. But without
a proper assessment,
owners may not fully
realize the benefits.

up to reflect light off the ceiling. LED

fixtures that are designed to aim down
should not be inverted up, as this could
alter the thermal management of the
fixture and possibly reduce the life
of the LED fixture, or cause it to fail
prematurely.
Indirect LED fixtures should be test-
ed and certified in the indirect orienta-
tion. Lighting suppliers should be able
to provide you the DLC (DesignLights
Consortium) certification as well as the
UL, ETL or CSA safety certification that
should specifically say “indirect.”

What is the operating temperature

INDOOR COURT LIGHTING
range of the LED fixture?

Seeing the Light The product information for the fixture

should be reviewed to determine the
To ensure reliable LED operation range at which the fixture should oper-
ate. Keep in mind that the ambient
at your indoor facility, you need air temperature will be hotter closer
to the ceiling of an indoor tennis
to do your homework. building than it is at court level. If the
air temperature exceeds the operating P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y B R I T E C O U RT S P O RT S L I G H T I N G

By Gary Fowler and David LaSota temperature of the fixture, reduced

fixture life or premature fixture failure
can occur. Try to look for maximum
operating ranges of 122 degrees F (50

W
ith advances in When purchasing LED lighting for an
LED lighting indoor tennis facility, several issues
technology hitting should be considered to ensure reliable
the market, more operation and long fixture life.
indoor tennis
facilities are converting their older Is the fixture designed and manufac-
metal halide lighting systems to LED tured for its intended use?
for energy savings, dimming capabili- A popular trend at many indoor tennis
ties and better lighting characteristics. facilities is indirect LED lighting aimed
degreec C) or higher to maximize the
life of the LED fixture electronics.
How does the fixture maintain suitable
operating temperatures?
Some LED fixtures rely on small fans
to keep the drivers and electronics at
reasonable operating temperatures.
Be sure to select LED fixtures that can
passively dissipate heat without fans or
other moving parts.

20 TennisIndustry May 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 TennisIndustry

Most LED fixtures have an expected life of approximately

50,000 to 100,000 hours.
For a busy tennis center, this could be 10 to 20 years.

How easy is it to clean an LED fixture?
All LED lights should be cleaned
periodically. Not only does dirt buildup
reduce the light output, but dirt can
also insulate the fixture components,
which can increase the operating tem-
perature and could damage the fixture.
Simply make sure the fixture can be
cleaned (LEDs and drivers) without
dismantling the fixture.
What is the life expectancy of an
LED fixture?
Most LED fixtures have an expected
life of approximately 50,000 to 100,000
hours. For a busy tennis center, this
could be 10 to 20 years. When an LED
fixture fails, more often the failure is
a result of a faulty driver and not the
diodes. Consideration should be given
to the serviceability of the fixture in
place, or that the fixture can be easily
replaced with a new fixture. Having a
field-serviceable fixture will maintain
the aesthetics of your facility and will
mitigate the risk of replacing individual
failed fixtures later.
Consider the manufacturer.
As with any product, you need to con-
sider the company that manufactures
the product. How long have they been
in business, and will they be in busi-
ness throughout the expected life of the
lighting system? You want to be
assured that the company will be
around through the warranty period.
Is the fixture warranty for a reason-
able period of time, does the warranty
specify “indirect,” and does the manu-
facturer provide sufficient detail on its
warranty process? The warranty pro-
cess should be clearly detailed so that
claims will be addressed with minimal
disruption of facility operations. (Some
manufacturers will provide spare
LED components.) Check references
at other facilities that have used the
same LED fixture. Be sure the product
operates well and the manufacturer is
responsive to problems that may arise.
Warranty and/or servicing an offshore
manufactured fixture can be a very
complicated process.
Take your time in selecting an LED
fixture. Due diligence will pay off in the
long run—for your facility, your bottom
line and your players. •
Gary Fowler is co-founder at Alternative
LED (Brite Court Sports Lighting) and
has been designing tennis lighting for
16 years. His innovations include tiered
direct-indirect tennis lighting, by combin-
ing direct and indirect sytems for unique
hybrid lighting designs. Contributing
Editor David LaSota is a longtime tennis
facility designer and construction consul-
tant to the USTA.

www.tennisindustrymag.com May 2018 TennisIndustry 21

TennisIndustry

T E N N I S PA R T I C I PAT I O N
COURT CONSTRUCTION
N E T G E N E R AT I O N

Inspiring Future Players

Around the country, the USTA’s Net Generation
brand is providing a unified umbrella to grow this sport
through youth participation.

O C U RT E S Y U S TA , U S TA F L O R I DA , U S TA N O RT H E R N C A L I FO R N I A , U S TA N O RT H E R N

T
For kids, Net
he USTA’s new youth tennis brand—Net Generation—continues to connect Generation is
with tennis providers throughout the country. Designed to bring more young about learning the
players into the sport through a variety of programs, teaching tools and sport, having fun,
improving skills
learning opportunities, Net Generation is bringing together a national and meeting new
community of parents, coaches, players, teachers and volunteers. friends.
Providers who are listed on NetGeneration.com have access to a variety
of resources and tools and can be included in a free searchable directory, so parents can
find local programs and places to play. Importantly, to register for Net Generation, tennis
providers will need to complete a complimentary background check.
“There are incredible things going on around the country to grow tennis,” says Craig
Morris, the USTA’s chief executive of Community Tennis. “We want Net Generation to be
the movement that unites all these great things and is a point for the customer to connect
with local programs.” To help inspire the future of this sport, sign up at NetGeneration.com.

22 TennisIndustry May 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com


Net Generation is bringing together a national community of
parents, coaches, players, teachers and volunteers.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Bringing in Kids
at the Grassroots
Scott McCulloch, vice
president of operations at
F LO R I DA Cliff Drysdale Management,
was sold on Net Generation
Connecting Schools, from the beginning, and all
Facilities and Pros 31 of his clubs are now
registered in the program.
“Net Generation is a
Youth tennis initiatives are not new. But no initiative so winner,” McCulloch says. “It
far has connected schools with local tennis facilities, gives free tools and resourc-
required a Safe Play verification for coaches and created a es to schools and providers
website and app that includes curriculum, resources, to expose kids to tennis at
education and marketing support. the grassroots level, and it
At least, not until Net Generation. provides schools and
“It’s fantastic,” says USTA Florida Net Generation community tennis providers
ambassador and board member Scott Colebourne. with training, curriculum,
“As a new parent, I’m familiar with the fears of trusting age-appropriate equipment
others with your children, so for me, I love the back- and necessary resources.”
ground-check element.” McCulloch is also excited
In Florida, local pros are partnering with schools to that Net Generation bridges
provide Net Generation’s cutting-edge curriculum. the gap between schools and
“It has all the programming needed online or printed partners. “It makes it
to get more children playing tennis in physical education effortless for schools to
classes and in after-school programs,” notes USTA provide tennis in phys ed
Florida Net Generation ambassador and tennis director classes. Each school has a
Joe D’Aleo. “With all the resources, it’s a one-stop partner dedicated to them,
shop.”—Rick Vach allowing PE teachers to
teach tennis to kids in a fun
and easy way,” he notes.
“We’ve reached schools
before, but Net Generation
allows us to expose new kids
to tennis in such a positive
and fun way, and that’s the
message.”
www.tennisindustrymag.com
TennisIndustry
NORTHERN
Consistent and
Comprehensive
Net Generation ambassador
Felicia Raschiatore has been
in tennis a long time, first as
a Top 100 player and now as
a 32-year teaching pro at
Williston Tennis Center in
Minnetonka, Minn. Over the
years, she’s seen many
tennis programs that hoped
to increase youth engage-
ment, but she firmly believes
that Net Generation is
finally the ace the industry
has been seeking.
“The USTA has spent a lot
of time researching and
talking to successful tennis
professionals in compiling a
comprehensive, easy-to-
understand program for
anyone to promote and grow
the game,” she says, adding
that what helps set Net
Generation apart is the free
coaching app.
The app includes lesson
plans, competencies and
assessments for red, orange
and green ball levels—allow-
ing all coaches to have that
information and videos at
their fingertips. It also
creates a consistent level of
instruction and advance-
ment. —Lisa Mushett
May 2018 TennisIndustry 23
TennisIndustry

T E N N I S PA R T I C I PAT I O N

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Pied Piper of
Junior Tennis

C O U RT E S Y U S TA M I D - AT L A N T I C, U S TA S O U T H E R N CA L I FO R N I A , U S TA I N T E R M O U N TA I N, U S TA S O U T H E R N, U S TA H AWA I I - PA C I F I C
Sue Pendo, tennis director at
M I D -AT L A N T I C
Braemar Country Club in
A Positive and Fun Environment Tarzana, Calif., is a driving
force behind youth tennis.
As a Net Generation
“You have nothing to lose and everything to gain,” says The Lobs & Lessons staff ambassador, Pendo was
uses Net Generation
Rachel Rhoney about joining USTA’s Net Generation. lesson plans to recently awarded SCTA’s
Rhoney is a PTR-certified coach and assistant director challenge youngsters Net Generation Service
of the Mary and Frances Youth Center at the Virginia on the court. Award for growing and
Commonwealth University campus in Richmond, Va. promoting youth tennis.
She oversees Lobs & Lessons, a state, regional and Pendo has her fingers on
national award-winning NJTL program. Each year, the the pulse of SoCal youth
program serves more than 250 youngsters in afterschool tennis, from Junior Team
programs, 220 in special events and 280 through Tennis to Youth Progression
summer camps. to Early Development
“Whether you are a seasoned professional or just Camps. She’s excited that
starting your coaching journey, Net Generation has all Net Generation puts tennis
the tools you need, from lesson plans to marketing for ages 5 to 18 “under one
materials,” she says. umbrella” and provides
The Lobs & Lessons staff has found Net Generation excellent resources.
easy to navigate and implement. “We especially appreci- “For pros, there are plenty
ate how easy it is to find lesson plans and even create of coaching resources,” she
your own plans through the app. We love being able to says, “plus plenty of infor-
use it to challenge our youth in real time with skills mation to educate and give
assessments,” Rhoney adds. marketing support, all to
“We became a Net Generation community provider help us get better at the job
because we believe in creating a positive and fun we do. It connects the tennis
environment for kids to learn tennis and life skills.” community of certified
—Lauren Hoffmann coaches, schoolteachers,
parents and volunteers. And
it connects tennis programs,
school programs, playing
opportunities—the list goes
on and on.” —Cari Buck

24 TennisIndustry May 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com


“As tennis pros, we have to continue to raise the bar
on our own development. It’s not enough to just go out
there and feed balls all day.”
SOUTHERN
‘The Tennis
World for Kids’
“When I explain what Net
I N T E R M O U N TA I N
Generation is to coaches,
Cutting Through the Clutter parents and kids, I highlight
what it’s all about,” says
Brenton James, a USTA
Kendall Chitambar, director of tennis and player devel- faculty coach for the section,
opment at Rocky Mountain Tennis Center in Boulder, working out of the Peachtree
Colo., was invited to become the Net Generation ambas- City (Ga.) Tennis Center.
sador for USTA Intermountain about a year ago. “It's the tennis world for
“I immediately liked the idea of bringing tennis for kids, and a way to grow your
youth under one big umbrella,” says Chitambar, a former tennis programming with
professional player with more than 22 years of coaching your community.”
experience. “I’ve always felt there were too many James has made presenta-
versions of tennis in the U.S., especially for juniors.” tions to the USTA Southern
One of the main benefits Chitambar sees in Net Tennis Professional Com-
Generation is its comprehensive approach. “The USTA mittee, USTA Atlanta and to
has created a teaching system you can follow as much as other volunteers and tennis
or as little as you want,” he explains. “If you follow the staff. He tells coaches to use
curriculum to the letter, you will have amazing players as much or as little of the
coming out of your programs. If you just use bits and curriculum as they need.
pieces of the curriculum, you are still following a great “I’ve also had the opportu-
pathway of progression. nity to set up Early Develop-
“As tennis pros, we have to continue to raise the bar on ment Camps,” he says. “The
our own development. It’s not enough to just go out there energy at these events is a
and feed balls all day. Net Generation, with its standard of reminder of the great work
excellence and Safe Play background checks, is phenom- players, parents and coaches
enal. As pros, we should not be done learning. We need to have done to elevate tennis.
embrace this.” —Wendy Anderson The kids—whether begin-
ners or experienced—are
always looking for ways to
improve. As a youth tennis
coach, my goal is always to
make sure the kids under-
stand it’s their sport.”
www.tennisindustrymag.com
TennisIndustry
HAWAII-PACIFIC
Smooth
Moves
Tennis pro Sheldon Kennell
has seen many families
move between Hawaii and
the U.S. mainland. That’s
why he adopted Net
Generation—to provide
consistency and continuity
to junior players, regardless
of where they live.
A 20-year coach, Kennell
was recruited two years ago
to lead the tennis program
at the prestigious Oahu
Club. He first heard about
Net Generation last year and
quickly became an early
adopter because of its
streamlined curriculum.
“A lot of players come and
go, but as long as they find a
Net Generation facility, it
will make sense because
everybody is on the same
page,” Kennell explains.
And as Net Generation
grows, families in transition
will gravitate toward a
familiar program.
“The USTA put its heart
and soul into Net Genera-
tion,” Kennell says. “I want
my kids to be successful and
happy, and this is the vehicle
to do that.” —Christine Nip
May 2018 TennisIndustry 25
TennisIndustry
T E N N I S PA R T I C I PAT I O N
M I D D L E S TAT E S
Collaborating
with Schools
As an English teacher for 35
years, Debbie Pickens knows
NEW ENGLAND
what students need. So when
A Flexible, Free Resource she had a chance to bring her
passion for tennis to schools,
it was a no-brainer.
Net Generation ambassadors Dave Colby and Kendra Pickens is president of the
Becker embody the spirit of junior tennis every day, and Wheeling Ogelbay Tennis
they go out of their way to ensure kids are enjoying the Club in Wheeling, W.Va.,
sport. Both were early adopters of Net Generation. and she’s been connecting
“There are many useful parts of Net Generation, and her programs with local
this flexibility is a huge asset,” says Becker, who is the schools for years. The
director of junior tennis at Intensity in Norwalk, Conn. collaboration through USTA
“Some days, I use the curriculum, some days I use the has helped train dozens of
assessments, and every day I teach, I’m keeping the teachers, while putting
competencies in mind for all levels.” racquets into the hands of
“I’m excited to be a promoter of Net Generation,” adds hundreds of students.
Colby, the director of junior tennis at the Manchester Now, through Net
Athletic Club in Manchester, Mass. “This is something Generation, the school
that is a free resource for teaching professionals, so it is collaboration has meant
easy to promote. It is important for coaches to be more free equipment, lesson
watching drills and others’ approaches to teaching the plans and giveaways for the
game. The Net Generation content has been mined from schools. Through her
coaches across the country, and it is free to use.” community volunteers,
—James Maimonis Pickens is introducing the
sport of tennis to hundreds
of kids of all ages.
“Working with the schools
and introducing the game of
tennis to kids just makes
sense,” she says. “And
bringing them together and
showing them ways to play
outside of school is very
important to us.”
26 TennisIndustry May 2018
CARIBBEAN
A Unified
Experience
For Net Generation trainer
and ambassador Daniel
Caballero Valcárcel of
Puerto Rico, it’s important
to have trainers, parents
and children work together
to develop young players in
a structured, safe and fun
environment.
As a head coach, Valcárcel
likes that Net Generation
provides curriculum for his
staff, and requires that they
are verified by Safe Play. “We
C O U RT E S Y U S TA N E W E N G L A N D, U S TA M I D D L E S TAT E S, U S TA C A R I B B E A N
have access to plenty of tools
to present consistent lesson
plans for ages 5 to 18,” he
says. “Parents can also get
involved in this platform.”
Valcárcel uses the phone
app to find curriculum,
assessments, drills and other
information, along with
videos, games, conditioning
tips and exercises. Net
Generation also has provider
webinars, including instruc-
tion in Spanish.
“I’m looking forward to
delivering on- and off-court
workshops for coaches so we
can continue to grow this
sport,” he says. “It’s great
that Net Generation brings
everything together.”
www.tennisindustrymag.com
TennisIndustry

D I S T I N G U I S H E D F A CSI LT IRTI Y-
N GOSF - T H E -Y E A R A W A R D S

CBOEUHRITN DC OTNHSET RS UC EC NT IEOSN

How Synthetic Strings Are Made

Tecnifibre’s factory in France spins out
string to suit players from beginners to pros.
By Bob Patterson

T
o the untrained eye,
strings may look quite
similar to one another.
But the materials with-
in each set of strings are
quite varied, as is the
manner in which they are produced.
Strings can be a single material ext-
ruded into a shaped monofilament, or
complex constructions of thousands of
fibers twisted and glued together. String
cross-sections can be circular, oblong,
triangular—or virtually any other shape.
It was striking to see this in practice
when I recently toured the Tecnifibre
manufacturing and testing facilities in
France. To watch the multi-step pro-
cesses used to produce coils of both poly
string and multifilament nylon string,
right through to being ready to ship to
your shop, is something that any eye can
appreciate. Here’s how it happens.
Polyester/Co-Polyester String
Poly string starts out as tiny pebbles
of material (Photo 1), each made with
its own unique chemical recipe. The
material enters a machine that puts it
through a series of extreme heating and
cooling processes to meet the exacting
specifications for that particular string
model. Just as the initial chemical com-
pound varies depending on the string,
so do the heating and cooling tempera-
tures and times.
After the initial formation, the string
is pulled into another machine (Photo 2)
that will again stretch, heat and cool it
(Photo 3). Each time the string emerges,

1 2 3

28 TennisIndustry May 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 To watch the multi-step processes used to produce coils of both
poly string and multifilament nylon string, right through to being ready
to ship to your shop, is something that any eye can appreciate.

it is a bit thinner. Along the way, there
are devices measuring and inspecting
the string, as well technicians who mon-
itor each step. As the string emerges at
the end of the line, about 100 feet later,
it is pulled and wound onto large spools,
where it will be transported to a build-
ing next door for final inspection and
packaging. More about that later.
Multifilament Nylon String
The process of making Tecnifibre’s
multifilament strings begins much the
same way, but it gets more complex. To
start, the nylon material, which is much
more like dust, goes into a towering
machine that turns the dust into fibers
(Photo 4). Once in the large machine,
the material is heated and spun, and
eventually emerges at the top of the
machine as a tiny fiber, much smaller in
diameter than a human hair. The fiber
is fed back down the machine, where
they are wound onto spools. Several
different fibers are used for Tecnifibre’s
multifilament strings, so each spool is
carefully labeled and stored.
For the next phase of production, the
spools of fibers are combined to make
the string. Each machine can accom-
modate up to eight spools (Photo 5).
The fibers of each spool are fed to the
center of the machine, where they are
twisted together while being immersed
and sprayed with a special polyurethane
liquid as they are pulled upward. As the
finished string emerges at the top, it is
carefully monitored and measured by
machine devices and technicians.
As the string exits, it is then fed down-
ward, where each is wound onto a large
reel. These reels then head to a final
inspection before packaging.
Even though this is a fully automated
process, it is not quick. To ensure that
the ratio of material and coatings are
precise and have adequate time to dry
and cure, the fibers and polyurethane
process cannot be rushed. Each ma-
chine produces three sets of string per
hour. Tecnifibre has 100 of these ma-
chines on the floor (Photo 6), running
24 hours a day.
Final Inspection and Packaging
Whether poly or nylon, large reels of
string are stored until they make their
way to packaging and shipping. Every
day, string samples are randomly pulled
from finished products and tested to
ensure that quality and performance
levels for each string are consistent and
meet Tecnifibre’s standards.
From each large reel, string is fed into
a line of machinery that winds it onto
final packaging: either reels of 660 feet,
or sets of 40 feet. During this process,
each string is carefully measured for
gauge and flaws both by machine and
technicians (Photo 7).
Next, the reels are stacked and
boxed for shipping. The sets are coiled,
banded and packaged in individual
packaging, then into cartons of 12 sets.
Finally, they go into shipping boxes.
USRSA members can see
more about the tour of the
Tecnifibre factory, including
more photos and descriptions
of the step-by-step process,
in The Stringer’s Assistant,
the USRSA's monthly
e-newsletter that will
debut in May.

4 5 6
P H O T O S BY B O B PAT T E R S O N

www.tennisindustrymag.com May 2018 TennisIndustry 29

TennisIndustry

D I S T I N G U I S H E D F A CSI LT IRTI Y-
N GOSF - T H E -Y E A R A W A R D S

CBOEUHRITN DC OTNHSET RS UC EC NT IEOSN

The final tests are done by the “human machine”— former ATP tour
player Patrice Kuchna, who hits balls hard and with plenty of topspin,
counting each stroke until a string pops.

Research & Development
and Testing Ensure Quality
Tecnifibre carefully analyzes the
marketplace to create string that meets
the needs of discerning players. Devel-
oping a string concept is the easy part;
creating the chemistry and construc-
tion that will accomplish their goal is
the greater challenge.
Since Tecnifibre does its own
manufacturing, creating prototypes
for lab testing is fairly straightforward.
Tecnifibre also puts its string into
racquets for testing, mounting the
frame by the handle in a vise and using
a machine to fire balls at it (Photo 8).
(Since the machine never misses, only
the center five or six mains and crosses
are installed.) The strings are tested for
a variety of characteristics, including
spin and durability.
The final tests are done by the
“human machine,” former ATP tour
player Patrice Kuchna, who has been
part of Tecnifibre’s R&D team for more
than 20 years. Using an oversize racquet
with a fairly open string pattern, Kuch-
na hits balls, counting each stroke until
a string pops (Photo 9). Each racquet is
precisely strung to the same tension by
his father, Stan Kuchna, always on the
same machine to eliminate any vari-
ables. Tecnifibre also tests its competi-
tors’ string to see how they measure up.
Stan also serves as the feeder,
striking each ball hard and with plenty
of topspin to simulate modern playing
conditions. His feeds are precise and
accurate to minimize the movements
his son has to make. Stan feeds alternat-
ing backhands and forehands to ensure
an equal amount of wear to each side of
the stringbed.
In addition to durability, Patrice
provides feedback on characteristics,
such as how the impact feels and how
much spin and depth is generated,
which is especially important when
testing a prototype. Father and son do
this for hours at a time.
All information derived from the
R&D and testing phases goes into fine-
tuning the prototypes, so Tecnifibre can
spin out string to enhance the game of
players from beginners to pros. •
Tecnifibre puts its string
through the wringer in lab
testing, but also uses human
tester Patrice Kuchna to hit
with each string. Balls are
struck with maximum force
and heavy topspin, and
Kuchna counts each stroke
until the string breaks.

7 8 9

P H O T O S BY B O B PAT T E R S O N

30 TennisIndustry May 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

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TennisIndustry

S E LRL EI N
TAG I LF IRNAGM E S

2 0 1 87 R A C Q U E T S E L E C T O R

Selecting the Perfect Frame

Our exclusive chart will help your
players re-evaluate their choices to find
the right racquet for their game.
By Bob Patterson
Executive Director, USRSA

S
elling racquets in today’s
market is a tough busi-
ness. Although tennis
participation is fairly
steady, according to the
TIA and other industry
sources, racquet sales
have not been growing.
I talk to dealers almost daily and hear
their assessments of the market. Some
are barely hanging on, while some say
their business is thriving. Others say
it’s a struggle, but sales are OK. We have
even seen some new shops opening up
in recent months.
Many players, it seems, are using
racquets that are at least five years old.
Are today’s racquets just made too well,
so players are choosing to stick with
them? Are players no longer impressed
with new technology that is not vis-
ible in the frame, and for most players
cannot be determined to improve the
performance of the racquet?
Realistically, racquets are no more
dealers and manufacturer reps, there
are a variety of opinions.
We could point to the fact that
few innovations in racquet design or
materials means there is really noth-
ing to compel a player to buy a new
racquet. That’s certainly contributing
to the trend, but I think there is more
to it than that.
Players don’t really see the connect
between their equipment and their
on-court performance. They may think
about it when they are shopping for a
racquet, but once they find a frame, it
seems that fades from their thoughts.
Thus, they neglect getting the racquet
restrung or regripped in a timely man-
ner. They don’t consider that over time,
their game and body may have changed,
and that the racquet that worked for
them two years ago may not be doing
such a good job now.
As I’ve advocated frequently, it’s up
to all of us—manufacturers, racquet
dealers, stringers, teaching profession-
right racquet and string set-up for each
player. We must continue to educate
that the racquet needs to be regularly
tuned up. We must continue to stress
that a racquet choice needs to be
reevaluated every two to three years
to make sure it still fits. This is the first
step in making your business successful
and to making sure players continue to
enjoy the game.
We all know there are a variety of
factors that contribute to whether any
business is successful, but how can you
sell more racquets in today’s market?
Inventory Selection
After educating your clients about the
importance of the having the right rac-
quet, you need to have a good selection
to meet your customers’ needs. This
doesn’t necessarily mean you have to
stock every frame in every grip size, but
it does mean buying smart and manag-
ing your inventory.
Whether your racquet wall has 60
SHUTTERSTOCK

durable or long-lasting than in previous als and everyone dealing with players— models or only six, you need to buy
decades, so why are players hanging to educate players. We cannot become with a plan and purpose. If your busi-
onto their sticks for so long and not complacent. We must all continue to ness has the demand for 60 models, you
embracing something new? As I talk to stress the importance of having the will likely have some overlap and can

32 TennisIndustry May 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com


Regardless of how many models you stock,
your inventory should cover a wide range of needs
and be tailored to your clientele.
offer more choices, but if your busi-
ness is closer to the six-model side of
the equation, it doesn’t necessarily put
you at a disadvantage. You just need to
make sure all six models are turning.
Regardless of how many models you
stock, your inventory should cover a
wide range of needs and be tailored
to your clientele. For instance, if your
shop is at a facility that caters mostly to
advanced juniors, it doesn’t make sense
to have half your inventory tied up with
game-improvement frames; your
inventory should reflect the demand.
But don’t go overboard—if you only
stock frames for the advanced junior
crowd, you’ll never be able to expand
your market to other segments. It’s
important to have a variety and consis-
tently monitor not only what frames
are selling, but also what is in demand.
POS & Inventory-Management Systems
No matter your size, you need a solid
way to track sales. The cost of point-of-
sale (POS) and inventory-management
systems vary widely, depending on the
features you want or need. But even
the smallest shops can benefit from a
www.tennisindustrymag.com
simple, inexpensive point-of-sale
program like Square.
The key is to accurately track what is
selling each week or month and what
is not selling. By knowing this, you
can plan your inventory better, buy
smarter, and increase sales and profits.
Demo, Demo, Demo
Don’t try to compete with internet
giants by lowering prices and having an
unusually large inventory. You’ll never
be able to match them. Instead, think
of ways you can have an advantage.
For racquet sales, your first advan-
tage is a good demo program. While
many internet dealers have demo
programs, they will take time to ship
racquets. You have the advantage of
discussing the needs with the client and
handing them demos on the spot.
Also, think of an internet dealer with
a massive array of demo frames. Are
they all freshly strung? Do they have
fresh overgrips? Is it even a model
that the client needs to try? These are
advantages retail shops have.
Set up your demo program so
customers have incentives to buy from
TennisIndustry
you, rather than using your demos and
then buying elsewhere.
USRSA Tools
USRSA members can use the Racquet
Selector on RacquetTech.com to plan an
inventory that covers your needs and
ensures your inventory is diverse and
will meet the needs of your clients.
Many USRSA members publish the
specs of the racquets in their inventory.
This helps their clients sort through
the differences from frame to frame,
and can serve as a cheat sheet for staff
members to help players compare and
choose what racquets to demo.
In the chart on the following pages,
we have included all the frames cur-
rently on the market, with the newest
frames highlighted in blue. USRSA
members always have access to this
information on our website.
Our database has more than 11,000
racquets and members can use various
tools (such as the Racquet Customizer,
Racquet Optimizer, Racquet Selector
and Racquet Specs & Map) to not only
see the specs we measure in our lab, but
also compare or customize frames. •
May 2018 TennisIndustry 33
TennisIndustry

R A C Q U E T S C U R R E N T LY O N T H E M A R K E T
Head Swing Head Swing
Racquet size Length Weight Weight Balance Flex weight Power Retail Racquet size Length Weight Weight Balance Flex weight Power Retail
(in2) (in) (gm) (oz) (cm) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price (in2) (in) (gm) (oz) (cm) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price
cm2) cm2)

Avery Graphene Touch Speed Adaptive (16x16) 100 26.8 301 10.6 33.5 53 315 1636 235
M3 Control 95 27 346 12.2 31 62 307 1808 17 Graphene Touch Speed Adaptive (16x19) 100 26.8 301 10.6 33.5 53 315 1636 235
M3 Power 95 27 355 12.5 32.25 68 331 2138 179.95 Graphene Touch Speed MP 100 27 316 11.1 33.4 63 308 1940 210
M5 110 27 349 12.3 31.25 59 323 2096 179 179 Graphene Touch Speed Pro 100 27 328 11.6 32.5 62 311 1928 220
Babolat Graphene Touch Speed PWR 115 27.4 276 9.7 35.7 63 309 2328 225
Boost A 102 27 266 9.4 35.5 64 276 1802 109 Graphene Touch Speed S 100 27 298 10.5 33.5 66 296 1954 200
Boost D 105 27 274 9.7 35.5 63 290 1918 99 Graphene XT Extreme Pro 100 27 334 11.8 32.8 68 327 2224 190
Boost S 102 27 292 10.3 33.7 65 289 1916 99 IG Laser MP 102 27 265 9.3 36 69 289 2034 120
Drive G 115 (2018) 115 27.5 260 9.2 36.9 59 317 2258 159 IG Laser OS 110 27 266 9.4 36.9 68 306 2289 120
Drive G Lite (2018) 102 27 274 9.7 34.4 62 295 1866 139 MXG 3 100 27 310.5 11.0 33.4 71 304 2158 230
Pure Aero 100 27 319 11.3 33 70 320 2240 219 MXG 5 105 27.25 294.5 10.4 34.8 68 312 2283 230
Pure Aero + 100 27.5 319 11.3 32.9 68 329 2349 219 Pacific
Pure Aero Lite 100 27 286 10.1 34 68 304 2067 195 Nexus BXT 118 27.5 245 8.6 37.8 66 300 2453 239.95
Pure Aero Team 100 27 309 10.9 32.7 68 314 2135 199 Raptor BXT 102 27 303 10.7 33.8 69 302 2125 179.95
Pure Aero Tour 100 27 335 11.8 32.5 68 324 2203 209 X Fast LT BXT 100 27.35 302 10.7 33.5 64 304 2014 189.95
Pure Aero VS Tour 98 27 341 12.0 32.8 68 328 2186 209 X Fast Pro BXT 100 27 315 11.1 33.4 69 313 2160 209.95
Pure Drive (FSI) 2018 100 27 313 11.0 33 69 319 2201 199 X Fast ULT BXT 100 27 276 9.7 35.2 61 300 1830 169.95
Pure Drive 107 (2018) 107 27 298 10.5 33.5 66 298 2104 199 X Force BXT 98 27 310 10.9 33 65 307 1956 179.95
Pure Drive Lite (2018) 100 27 284 10.0 33.9 67 285 1910 199 X Force LT BXT 98 27 278 9.8 35.4 58 302 1717 149.95
Pure Drive Team (2018) 100 27 296 10.4 32.9 67 292 1956 195 X Force PRO BXT 98 27 335 11.8 32.2 65 314 2000 179.95
Pure Drive Tour (2018) 100 27 329 11.6 32.4 69 311 2146 199 X Force PRO No.1 98 27 317 11.2 32.8 63 301 1858 179.95
Pure Drive Tour + (2018) 100 27.5 329 11.6 32.7 70 320 2352 199 X Tour Pro 97 BXT 97 27 327 11.5 32.8 66 301 1927 229
Pure Strike 100 (White) 100 27 314 11.1 32.7 67 306 2050 210 PowerAngle
Pure Strike 16x19 (White) 98 27 314 11.1 33.1 67 315 2068 200 Ace of Diamonds 98 27 345 12.2 32.9 65 313 1994 199
Pure Strike Team (White) 100 27 295 10.4 33.5 67 288 1930 200 Centric 102 27 291 10.3 36 75 333 2547 209
Battistone Grand 115 27 258 9.1 37.3 78 301 2700 219
Diamond 105 27.5 331 11.7 31.5 0 220 Pro 98 27 327 11.5 33.5 69 325 2198 199
Freestyle 105 27.5 0 220 Prince
Blackburne Lightning 100 100 27 304 10.7 34.9 72 316 2275 159
Double Strung 107 107 27 292 10.3 36.75 68 341 2481 199 Lightning 105 105 27.25 297 10.5 35.4 71 320 2445 139
Bolt Lightning 110 110 27.5 287 10.1 34.8 73 304 2563 119
B 100 Light 100 27.125 286 10.1 32.8 62 293 1839 215 Premier 105 (Textreme in throat) 105 27.25 292 10.3 34.5 68 319 2335 199
B 98 Light 98 27 317 11.2 33.2 63 332 2050 215 Tour 100 L (Textreme in throat) 100 27 281 9.9 34.3 61 303 1848 200
Bolt 100 100 27 326 11.5 32.6 72 325 2340 215 Tour 100 P (Textreme in throat) 100 27 327 11.5 32.3 59 328 1935 200
Bolt 98 98 27 343 12.1 34 74 362 2625 215 Tour 100 T (Textreme in throat) 100 27 303 10.7 33 59 308 1817 200
Dunlop (Srixon) Tour 95 (Textreme in throat) 95 27 333 11.7 31.5 61 313 1814 220
Revo CV 3.0 100 27 318 11.2 33.1 65 312 2028 199 Warrior 100 (Textreme in throat) 100 27 313 11.0 33 67 312 2090 219
Revo CV 3.0 F 100 27 315 11.1 32.5 66 304 2006 199 Warrior 100 L (Textreme in throat) 100 27 269 9.5 36.1 66 307 2026 199
Revo CV 3.0 F LS 100 27 301 10.6 33.4 68 297 2020 199 Warrior 100 T (Textreme in throat) 100 27 293 10.3 34 64 306 1958 219
Revo CV 3.0 F Tour 100 27 318 11.2 33.8 68 326 2217 199 Warrior 107 (Textreme in throat) 107 27 318 11.2 31.7 65 310 2156 210
Revo CV 5.0 102 27 297 10.5 34.6 65 317 2102 199 Warrior 107 L (Textreme in throat) 107 27 285 10.1 34.8 65 308 2142 200
Revo CV 5.0 OS 105 27.25 292 10.3 35 62 318 2122 199 Warrior 107 T (Textreme in throat) 107 27 297 10.5 33.5 69 306 2259 200
Revo CX 2.0 98 27 319 11.3 32.9 66 324 2096 219 Pro Supex
Revo CX 2.0 LS 98 27 306 10.8 33.2 65 309 1968 219 Nano Energy 95 27 346 12.2 33.5 65 347 2143 99.95
Revo CX 2.0 Tour 95 27 324 11.4 31.5 61 299 1733 219 Solinco
Revo CX 4.0 98 27 301 10.6 33.9 72 313 2209 219 Pro 10 98 27 344 12.1 33 72 353 2491 179
Revo CZ 100 S 100 27 293 10.3 33.1 70 297 2079 219 Pro 10 Xtend 98 27.25 343 12.1 33.1 70 334 2349 179
Revo CZ 98D 98 27 299 10.5 33.1 69 302 2042 219 Pro 7 98 27 300 10.6 34.15 70 307 2106 179
Gamma Pro 8 98 27 317 11.2 32.7 69 311 2103 179
RZR Bubba 117 117 27.25 262 9.2 36.4 60 310 2231 214.95 Protocol 285 100 27 306 10.8 32.4 67 311 2084 179.99
RZR Bubba 137 137 29 297 10.5 38.9 64 405 4261 219.99 Protocol 300 100 27 313 11.0 31.4 66 303 2000 179.99
Genesis Protocol 325 100 27 335 11.8 31.1 72 310 2232 179.99
Intrepid 100 27 329 11.6 32.9 72 309 2225 169.9 Tour 10 98 27 342 12.1 31.6 72 310 2187 189
Thunder Power XL 100 27.5 319 11.3 32.7 68 328 2342 189.99 Tour 10 xtend 98 27.5 338 11.9 32 66 340 2309 179.99
Head Tour 7 98 27 300 10.6 32.2 70 290 1989 189
Graphene Touch Instinct Adaptive (16x16) 100 26.8 305 10.8 33.5 65 299 1905 225 Tour 8 98 27 327 11.5 31 67 297 1950 189
Graphene Touch Instinct Adaptive (16x19) 100 26.8 306 10.8 33.5 65 300 1911 225 Pro Supex
Graphene Touch Instinct Lite 107 27.2 280 9.9 34.9 61 297 1977 210 Nano Energy 95 27 346 12.2 33.5 65 347 2143 99.95
Graphene Touch Instinct MP 100 27 311 11.0 33.2 70 306 2142 225 Tecnifibre
Graphene Touch Instinct PWR 115 27.4 255 9.0 37.7 70 313 2620 200 T Fight 280 DC 100 27 288 10.2 33.2 64 285 1824 209
Graphene Touch Instinct S 100 27 297 10.5 33.3 65 296 1924 210 T Fight 295 DC 100 27 311 11.0 32.8 68 303 2060 209
Graphene Touch Prestige MP 95 27 326 11.5 32 62 316 1861 225 T Fight 300 DC 98 27 316 11.1 32.8 70 310 2127 219
Graphene Touch Prestige Pro 95 27 329 11.6 32.5 61 319 1849 225 T Fight 305 DC 98 27 318 11.2 33.3 64 318 1994 219
Graphene Touch Prestige Tour 99 27 321 11.3 33.2 63 324 2021 225 T Fight 315 DC 98 27 329 11.6 32.2 68 319 2126 219
Graphene Touch Radical MP 98 27 310 10.9 33.5 65 322 2051 210 T Fight 320 DC 98 27 336 11.9 32 68 316 2106 219
Graphene Touch Radical Pro 98 27 325 11.5 32.8 66 325 2102 210 T Flash 270 Power Stab 100 27 282 9.9 34.6 67 283 1896 219
Graphene Touch Radical PWR (14x19) 110 27.4 276 9.7 36 64 316 2314 225 T Flash 285 Power Stab 100 27 297 10.5 33.9 67 293 1963 219
Graphene Touch Radical PWR (16x19) 110 27.4 277 9.8 36 64 317 2321 225 T Flash 300 Power Stab 100 27 311 11.0 33 68 302 2054 219
Graphene Touch Radical S 102 27 291 10.3 33.2 60 297 1818 210 T.Rebound Tempo 260 Power Lite 105 26.5 272 9.6 34 61 270 1643 219

34 TennisIndustry May 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 TennisIndustry

New racquets
on the market

Head Swing Head Swing

Racquet size Length Weight Weight Balance Flex weight Power Retail Racquet size Length Weight Weight Balance Flex weight Power Retail
(in2) (in) (gm) (oz) (cm) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price (in2) (in) (gm) (oz) (cm) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price
cm2) cm2)

T.Rebound Tempo 270 Pro Lite 100 26.5 283 10.0 33.7 66 282 1768 219 Pro Staff 97 LS Black (2017) 97 27 308 10.9 33.2 70 299 2030 220
T.Rebound Tempo 290 Tour Lite 100 26.5 305 10.8 32.5 63 285 1706 219 Pro Staff 97 RF Atgrph (2017) 97 27 352 12.4 31.9 68 326 2150 250
Topspin Pro Staff 97L (Countervail) 97 27 305 10.8 33.6 69 311 2082 220
F 100 Pure 100 27.5 280 9.9 35.4 68 302 2156 119 Pro Staff 97S (2017) 97 27 322 11.4 33.3 68 313 2065 220
X 95 Pure 95 27.5 298 10.5 36.3 68 334 2266 119 Triad Five 103 27.5 281 9.9 36.5 33 315 1124 200
Volkl Triad Three 113 27.7 273 9.6 37.5 32 318 1230 200
C10 Pro (Black with Yellow tip) 98 27 346 12.2 32.3 62 331 2011 199 Triad XP 3 113 27.5 278 9.8 36.1 35 313 1300 250
Team Speed 102 27 275 9.7 33.5 64 278 1815 130 Triad XP 5 103 27.25 286 10.1 36 47 322 1598 240
V Feel 4 105 27.5 287 10.1 34 67 298 2201 270 Ultra 100 (Countervail) 100 27 320 11.3 33.4 74 320 2368 229
V Feel 6 100 27 286 10.1 32.8 67 291 1950 260 Ultra 105 S (Countervail) 105 27.25 306 10.8 33.7 68 320 2342 229
V Feel 8 (285g) 100 27 296 10.4 33.8 68 304 2067 260 Ultra 110 (V 2.0) 110 27.3 288 10.2 35.1 68 319 2458 229
V Feel 8 (300g) 100 27 312 11.0 32.7 66 308 2033 260 Ultra Tour (Version 2.0) 97 27 322 11.4 32.6 60 320 1862 229
V Feel 8 (315g) 100 27 324 11.4 32.2 64 302 1933 260 Ultra XP 100 LS 100 27.25 296 10.4 36.5 73 337 2522 299
V Feel 9 100 27 317 11.2 33.5 71 312 2215 260 Ultra XP 100 S 100 27.25 285 10.1 35.7 70 317 2274 299
V-Sense 1 115 27.75 277 9.8 36.5 73 309 2789 300 Ultra XP 110 S 110 27.5 278 9.8 36.2 73 318 2681 299
V-Sense 10 (295 gm) 98 27 299 10.5 33.5 66 295 1908 220 Ultra XP 125 125 27.5 284 10.0 35 72 310 2930 299
V-Sense 10 (325 gm) 96 27 329 11.6 31.5 62 303 1803 220 XP 1 110 110 27.5 281 9.9 36.2 75 320 2772 250
V-Sense 10 Mid 96 27 326 11.5 32.8 66 318 2015 230 Yonex
V-Sense 10 Tour 98 27 325 11.5 33 67 320 2101 230 Astrel 105 105 27 284 10.2 34 66 300 2079 249
V-Sense 2 115 27.6 284 10.0 35.1 67 305 2491 240 Astrel 115 115 27.25 275 9.7 35.8 64 311 2346 249
V-Sense 3 110 27.8 280 9.9 35.4 67 312 2483 220 Ezaone Feel 102 27 266 9.4 36.1 67 297 2030 159
V-Sense 5 100 27 272 9.6 33.3 67 269 1802 195 Ezone 100 Hyper MG (G) 100 27 314 11.1 32.9 68 307 2088 209
V-Sense 7 (290) 104 27.3 308 10.9 34.3 70 326 2444 240 Ezone 100 Hyper MG (LG) 100 27 302 10.7 33.2 66 295 1947 209
V-Sense V1 MP 102 27 300 10.6 33.3 65 294 1949 250 Ezone 108 Hyper MG (G) 108 27.25 273 9.6 34.7 65 297 2137 179
V-Sense V1 OS 110 27.6 294 10.4 33.9 66 301 2316 250 Ezone 98 Hyper MG (LG) 98 27 300 10.6 33.9 63 305 1883 209
V-Sense V1 Pro 99.5 27 312 11.0 33.4 67 311 2073 250 Ezone 98 Hyper-MG (G) 98 27 321 11.3 32.5 64 308 1932 209
V1 Classic 102 27 313 11.0 33.5 68 320 2220 190 Ezone DR 100 (Blue) (G) 100 27 317 11.2 32.8 66 316 2086 199
Vortex Ezone DR 100+ (Blue) (G) 100 27 311 11.0 34 69 335 2427 199
ES 100 100 27.5 300 10.6 33.6 68 308 2199 199 Ezone DR 98 (Blue) (G) 98 27 323 11.4 32.2 61 317 1895 199
ES 108 108 27 323 11.4 32 68 312 2291 209 Ezone DR 98+ (Blue) (G) 98 27.5 324 11.4 33.2 60 342 2112 199
ES 116 115 27.75 267 9.4 37.5 68 310 2606 219 Ezone Lite (Hyper MG) 100 27 283 10.0 33.7 63 295 1859 199
ES 133 133 28.5 275 9.7 37.5 68 330 3432 229 Vcore Duel G 100 (G) 100 27 313 11.0 33.2 63 311 1959 239
Weed Vcore Duel G 100 (LG) 100 27 297 10.5 34.2 64 307 1965 239
125-EX 125 27.5 269 9.5 36.25 69 311 2816 209 VCore Duel G 97 (G) 97 27 327 11.5 31.6 66 312 1997 209
EXT 125 Tour 125 28.5 265 9.3 36 64 331 3045 250 VCore Duel G 97 (HG) 97 27 347 12.2 31.9 66 338 2164 209
EXT 135 Blue 135 28.25 280 9.9 37 64 338 3285 250 Vcore Pro 100 (G) 100 27 312 11.0 33 64 306 1958 219
EXT Tour 135 28.25 263 9.3 37 60 322 2934 250 Vcore Pro 100 (LG) 100 27 290 10.2 34.1 64 298 1907 219
Open 135 Tour 135 27.75 265 9.3 36.2 60 305 2656 250 Vcore Pro 97 (G) 97 27 321 11.3 32 62 313 1882 219
Wilson VCore Pro 97 (HG) 97 27 348 12.3 32.2 64 327 2030 219
Blade 104 104 27.5 312 11.0 33.3 65 314 2229 200 Vcore Pro 97 (LG) 97 27 303 10.7 33.1 61 309 1828 219
Blade 98 16x19 (Countervail) 98 27 319 11.3 33.6 66 312 2018 220 Vcore SV 100 (G) 100 27 319 11.3 32.7 68 321 2183 179
Blade 98 18x20 (Countervail) 98 27 323 11.4 33.7 64 326 2045 220 Vcore SV 100 (LG) 100 27 297 10.5 34 68 322 2190 179
Blade 98L 98 27 301 10.6 33.5 66 300 1940 200 Vcore SV 100 S 100 26.5 288 10.2 34.1 68 295 1906 179
Blade 98S (Countervail) 98 27 310 10.9 34.1 65 309 1968 220 Vcore SV 100+ 100 27.5 315 11.1 33.9 68 338 2413 179
Burn 100 (Countervail) 100 27 316 11.1 33 68 304 2067 199 Vcore SV 105 105 27 290 10.2 35 67 318 2237 179
Burn 100 LS (Countervail) 100 27 297 10.5 33.9 67 301 2017 199 Vcore SV 95 95 27 329 11.6 32.2 63 320 1915 179
Burn 100 S (Countervail) 100 27 314 11.1 33 67 297 1990 199 Vcore SV 98 (G) 98 27 323 11.4 32.7 64 329 2063 170
Burn 100 ULS 100 27 277 9.8 34 62 278 1724 199 Vcore SV 98 (LG) 98 27 301 10.6 33.4 65 308 1962 170
Burn 95 (Countervail) 95 27.25 326 11.5 33.8 68 327 2165 229 Vcore SV 98+ 98 27.5 319 11.3 33.3 65 336 2060 179
Pro Staff 97 (2017) 97 27 333 11.7 32.3 66 321 2055 220 Vcore SV Team 98 27 300 10.6 34.6 67 315 2068 179
Pro Staff 97 (Countervail) 97 27 329 11.6 32.1 62 306 1840 220

1. Headsize: Square-inch measurement of hit- Center (RDC).

Understanding ting surface (the strung area).
The Specs 2. Length: Length of the frame from the butt of
the handle to the top of the hoop.
3. Weight: Overall weight of the strung racquet,
listed in both ounces and grams.
4. Balance: Measurement from the butt end of
racquet to the “balance point,” listed in inches
and centimeters.
5. Flex: A measurement of the racquet’s stiff-
ness using the Babolat Racquet Diagnostic
6. Swingweight: The dynamic inertia of the
racquet measuring the distribution of mass
along the length of the racquet in kg x cm2.
7. Power Formula: Determined by an algorithm
in the USRSA Database using key specs that
contribute to the power of the racquet: Length,
Head Size, Flex and Swing Weight.

www.tennisindustrymag.com May 2018 TennisIndustry 35

TennisIndustry

D
D II SS TT II N
NGGU
U II SS H
H EE D
D FF A
A CC II LL II TT Y
Y- O F - T H E -Y
Y EE A
ARR A
AWWA
ARRD
D SS
City of Palm Beach
Gardens Tennis Center
COURT CONSTRUCTION
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Nominated By: Fast-Dry Courts Inc.

Three of a Kind No. of Courts: 5

Architect/Engineer/Contractor: Fast-Dry
Courts Inc.
Florida continues to be fertile ground Surface: Har-Tru

for winning soft-court projects. Fencing: Fast-Dry Courts Inc.

Windscreens: Aer-Flo
Court Accessories: Fast-Dry Courts Inc. & 10-S

A S B A / FA S T- D RY C O U RT S I N C. / W E L C H T E N N I S C O U RT S I N C.

T
Tennis Supply
ASBA Certified Builder: John Sonner

hirteen outdoor
tennis venues took
“Distinguished” hon-
ors in the 2017 Tennis
Industry/American
Sports Builders
Association’s Facility
of the Year Awards. But only three of
those projects are soft-court facilities—
and all three are located in Florida.
Two of these projects are multi-court
facilities and the third is a residential
court. All three projects involved new
construction and took advantage of
subsurface irrigation to keep the courts
playable while conserving water. In
addition, all three projects benefitted
from the expertise of a Certified Tennis
Court Builder.
The five new HydroCourts at the
City of Palm Beach Gardens Tennis
Center also included a stadium court.
Construction required extensive site
work for drainage, per city regulations,
which included placing 2,100 linear
feet of silt fence and designing sloped
swale areas. Special considerations
were made for water retention areas,
underground conduit for lighting,
ADA requirements for concrete
work and coordination with city
employees and technicians. The con-
tractor had to maintain an extremely
safe environment, as the tennis facility
remained open for play during con-
struction of the five new courts.
In contrast to the Palm Beach Gar-
dens project, the five new Hydrogrid
courts at Winding Cypress in Naples

36 TennisIndustry May 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 TennisIndustry

All three projects involved new construction and took advantage

of subsurface irrigation to keep the courts playable while conserving water.

^ ^

Pinecrest Winding
Residence Cypress
Pinecrest, Fla. Naples, Fla.

Nominated By: Fast-Dry Courts Inc Nominated By: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.
Architect/Engineer/Contractor: Fast-Dry Courts Inc. No. of Courts: 5
Surface: Har-Tru Sports Surface: Har-Tru Sports
Fencing: Tennclosure Windscreen: Putterman
Lighting: LSI Lighting: LSI Courtsider XL
Court Accessories: Fast-Dry Courts Inc. ASBA Certified Builder: George Todd Jr.
ASBA Certified Builder: John Sonner
Silver Award Winner

were, according to the contractor, a
“straightforward project, with no major
issues.” The project included fencing,
lights, windscreens, cabanas at the
courts for player comfort and spectator
viewing areas. The contractor also
upgraded the landscaping, incorporat-
ing new sodding, shrubs and native
palm trees throughout.
The private court at the Pinecrest
Residence features a HydroCourt with
a European red clay surface over a base
of Hydroblend material, making use of
both conventional and subsurface
irrigation. The court, with cut corners
for a softer look, has LED lighting and
incorporates a PlaySight game analy-
sis/linecalling system, which was inte-
grated into the fence for a clean look.
The lighting, which was added to the
project after the court was built, had to
be specially designed to keep light spill-
age at the property line to a minimum.
The Pinecrest project also was honored
as a Residential Court Silver Award
winner by the ASBA. •
The deadline for the 2018 Outstanding
Facility of the Year Awards is June 1,
and awards will be presented at the 2018
ASBA Technical Meeting, to be held in
Scottsdale, Ariz., Nov. 30-Dec. 4.
For details, contact the ASBA at 866-
501-ASBA or info@sportsbuilders.org,
or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.

www.tennisindustrymag.com May 2018 TennisIndustry 37

TennisIndustry
AskTheExperts
New String
Diameters
Q: I noticed that the diameters
(gauges) have changed on some
string packages. Did these strings
really become thinner?
A: Many string manufacturers have
converted to listing the “strung”
diameters of their products. This
change has made a difference in the
advertising specifications for badmin-
ton and tennis strings, while less so for
squash and racquetball.
Before this change, strings were
38 TennisIndustry May 2018
often measured as you would find them
after taking them out of the package.
Now, more manufacturers are measur-
ing the string diameter after tensioning
the string to 55 pounds.
On an elastic string, the diameter of a
tensioned string might be 0.05 millime-
ters less than the diameter of the string
with no tension. On a stiffer string such
as a polyester, the difference could be
0.01 millimeter or less, if there is any
measurable difference at all.
The Case of the
Missing Racquets
Q: I have come across three racquets in
the last few months that are not listed
in the Stringers Digest, either in the
printed version or online. This seems
odd as I am not a large-volume stringer,
just a home stringer.
Fortunately, I can read the frame
grommets to figure out the specifi-
cations, but shouldn’t the Stringers
Digest list these frames for USRSA
members so they can best serve their
customers?
A: The reason the racquets you noted
don’t appear in the Stringers Digest
is due to the USRSA’s long-standing
policy of not listing racquets that retail
for less than $100. While the Stringers
Digest does contain some racquets that
retail for less than $100, they are the
exception, not the rule.
There are a few reasons for this
cut-off point.
First, there have been many lower
price-point frames produced over the
years, and keeping track of them would
have required an extraordinary effort.
Even our manufacturer contacts—who
normally deal with the higher-end
racquets—sometimes don’t have any
knowledge of these frames. In many
cases, the manufacturing and stringing
of these low-priced frames are done
overseas, away from a manufacturer’s
U.S. headquarters.
Second, these racquets often come
and go from the market, with no notice
either way. We frequently aren’t aware
of which of these types of frames are
currently being distributed in the U.S.
Third, the names of these racquets
are sometimes applied to different
frames with different configurations—
and thus different stringing instruc-
tions. This is difficult enough to desig-
nate in the Stringers Digest for normal
retail frames, but when dealing with
the less expensive frames and SMUs
(Special Mark-Ups), it quickly becomes
very labor intensive.
Last but not least, given the paucity
of information available from manufac-
turers on some of these less expensive
frames, it would seem that even the
manufacturer doesn’t expect that they
will be restrung.
We are glad you were able to figure
out your frames. But if you run into one
that stumps you, don’t hesitate to call
SHUTTERSTOCK
USRSA tech support for assistance. 
We welcome your questions. Email them
to greg@racquettech.com.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
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TennisIndustry
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION
Proper Credentials
Why get certified? For this tennis
provider, it’s about building a stronger
community of qualified professionals.
By Mike Kolendo
W
hen I first became
a certified USPTA
tennis profes-
sional, it was for
one simple reason:
liability insurance. I had recently
been hired as tennis director for the
Northampton (Mass.) Recreation
Department, and carrying my own
insurance policy was a condition of
employment. I could have purchased it
on my own, but for me, getting certified
was a better solution because it showed
my employer, any potential future em-
ployer, my colleagues and my students
that I was a qualified professional.
Of course, there are many other ben-
efits of certification with the USPTA or
PTR. The one that has had the greatest
impact on my career is the networking
opportunities. Almost every chance
for career growth that I’ve had can be
directly linked to networking at a tennis
conference or event. Early on, I met
40 TennisIndustry May 2018
YourServe
the executive director of USTA New
England. That led to becoming a section
schools clinician, which led to becoming
part of the USTA National Workshop
Faculty for Schools, Recreational Coach-
ing, and 10-and-Under Workshops. I
also met the Western Massachusetts
State Association president, then joined
the USTA Western Mass. board. This
led to a seat on the USTA New England
board and my work on national com-
mittees. My position with the Western
Mass. State Association also led to my
current tennis director position.
Without my certification, attendance
at conferences and willingness to say
“yes” when asked, I would have missed
out on all of these experiences. Without
it, I wonder what I’d be doing for a living.
With that being said, there are many
uncertified tennis providers in the
industry. Why is that? I’ve asked several
people why they aren’t certified, and
some of their answers are:
• It’s too expensive, with an annual fee,
travel, hotel, testing fees, etc.
• It’s not convenient.
• I have to give up my weekend, which is
when I make the most money.
• My club or facility won’t give me time
off to do it.
• It won’t make me a better teacher.
• My employer doesn’t require it.
To address these barriers, Wayne
Turner and his team of USPTA New
England Testers started a new USPTA
initiative called Pop-Up Certification.
These are mobile certification courses
and exams tailored to the needs of a fac-
ility. A head pro, tennis director or club
owner simply contacts USPTA National
to register and pays for the course and
exams. Wayne and his team then de-
velop a course specifically for them—at
their facility and at a convenient time.
Almost every chance for
career growth that I’ve had
can be directly linked to
networking at a conference
or event.
At least four pros must register for
the course. The facility must donate the
court time and provide a room for class-
room education. The six-hour course
can be over either one or two days. It’s as
convenient as it gets.
This is a win-win-win. Facilities get
certified professionals. Pros get liability
insurance, education resources and
networking opportunities. And we
build a stronger community of qualified
professionals who inspire students and
keep them enjoying this sport. 
Mike Kolendo has served as director
of tennis for the Northampton
(Mass.) Recreation Department
for the past 22 years. A member
of the USTA New England board of
SHUTTERSTOCK
directors, he’s a former president of
USTA Western Massachusetts.
We welcome your opinions. Please email
comments to info@tennisindustrymag.com.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 MAY 2018

USPTA Master Professional Jorge

Capestany and students take a
team photo during the filming of a
TennisResources.com training video.

41 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

ADDvantageMay2018GUS.indd 41 3/28/2018 11:41:33 AM

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42 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

18-0306_US_ADDvantage_March_April_TE_Ad_Tech_FNL.indd
ADDvantageMay2018GUS.indd 42 1 2/16/18
3/28/2018 4:35
11:41:33 AMPM
 FROM THE CEO
Is your pro USPTA certified?
by John R. Embree, USPTA Chief Executive Officer
I f you watched any of the Delray Beach Open in February,
you may have seen several USPTA produced commercials
that promoted our association. At the end of each spot, we
served up a question that was targeted for consumers: is your
pro USPTA certified? The intent was to encourage those who
seek instruction or who work with a tennis instructor to find a
qualified USPTA professional.
Considering that this section of Tennis Industry Magazine
is dedicated to messaging USPTA professionals, you might
think it is silly of me to be posing this question again. Yet, there
are likely a lot of tennis professionals who are not certified
who read this monthly magazine. A similar question should be
asked of them: why are you not certified by the USPTA?
Then of course, there are general managers of country clubs
who might take a glance at this, the only industry publication
for our sport, and read my message. To them, I offer this
hypothesis: if your club has a golf program, would you ever
consider hiring a golf professional that was not PGA certified?
Clearly the answer is “no way!” Why should tennis be any
different? Don’t the tennis members at your club deserve the
same topflight instruction that your golf members receive?
For commercial club owners, municipal facilities, HOA’s,
or schools, the question remains consistent with the
others above: are you serving your clientele to their level
of expectation by not having qualified, USPTA certified
professionals staffing your complex? By just hiring “ball-
feeders” or friends of influential clients who do not have the
training or the knowledge to conduct programs, or do not
aspire to learn more about their trade through continuing
education, etc., you are doing a disservice to those dues-
generating members or to the customers who pay your bills to
keep the lights on.
As a reminder, here are the reasons why only USPTA
professionals should be considered when hiring choices are
being made: they are subject to the most rigorous certification
standards in the market today. Prospective members must
possess prior teaching experience before applying. They must
also complete numerous hours of online education followed by
a written and grip exam.
Applicants are then evaluated while conducting a live
private lesson and group lesson. They must demonstrate
proper stroke technique and feeding skills, as well as possess
an ability to communicate with their students and have
a likable on-court presence. Finally, they must also have
extensive knowledge about all aspects of the business, not just
be a specialist in one limited segment of tennis-teaching.
4:35 PM ADDvantageMay2018GUS.indd 43
After certification, USPTA
professionals are required to amass
continuing education credits to ensure
they are providing the most up to date
information to their clients. Once
certified, USPTA professionals are part
of an extensive network of like-minded
colleagues which enables them to easily
share resources and information to elevate their teaching and
strengthen your program.
Maybe most important of all, USPTA professionals are held to
a strict code of ethics that requires them to conduct themselves in
the most professional manner possible. And to safe guard children
who are learning the game or advancing their skills, USPTA
professionals are strongly encouraged to get a background check
to ease the minds of parents of the next generation of players.
The USPTA offers its professionals in good standing a host
of wide ranging benefits to help them throughout their careers.
On-court liability insurance to protect your club or facility in case
of an unforeseen accident is foremost. Why would any facility not
want to have this protection? Discounted equipment packages
from Wilson and Nike (through Fromuth Tennis) and other
court suppliers, a Supplemental Savings program to assist with
retirement planning, free access to US Open series events in the
summer, travel discounts with hotels and rental cars, the ability to
purchase auto, home and life insurance products, a prescription
drug card that provides 35-70 percent discount at any major
pharmacy across the country, and many other benefits that are
the most extensive offerings in the industry.
USPTA professionals also have access to TennisResources.
com, the largest collection of online tips, drills and educational
content available. And, they are encouraged to attend any
number of educational workshops or seminars conducted
throughout the year, either locally or nationally to elevate their
teaching standards.
In total, USPTA professionals expect value for their
membership and it is our job to deliver it!
So next time your tennis department has an opening, don’t
hire someone off the street or who may be the friend of a
member. Make sure you fill that position with a qualified teaching
professional who is USPTA certified. Believe me, your members
will thank you.
Thus, the question at hand is not just rhetorical but rather
fundamental to any tennis facility in the country: is your
professional USPTA certified? If not, they should be. Ask
the questions. *
43 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine
3/28/2018 11:41:34 AM
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 Vice President Message

Moving Forward
DYNAMIC COMFORT
by Trish Faulkner, USPTA Vice President

H i Everyone! I hope you are all having a great spring season

wherever you are located. I am very excited that I was
from some incredible pros, that it is an
arduous process to select winners in
selected to be a new national board member for the USPTA. As a each category
former president of the Florida Division, I have a strong feeling For our Diversity Committee, our
for what the organization needs in the future and I also knew we goals are fairly simple but sometimes
already had a very strong, experienced and diverse board that is hard to achieve very quickly. We feel
going to lead us through some interesting yet challenging times. the USPTA has come a long way with
Gary Trost, our new president, has assigned all of the board regards to diversity, but we are still
members different committees and tasks for 2018. I have been very low in our number of women members at 20 percent.
put in charge of heading up both the Awards and the Diversity The number of women who participate in our national
and Inclusion Committees. Having served on both of these tournaments and who attend conventions and division
committees previously, I understand the importance of conferences is even smaller. We encourage each division to
picking strong and dedicated hold a Women’s Meeting or
committee members as well social get together so that they
as those professionals with have a platform to discuss their
diverse ethnic backgrounds issues. We also encourage all
and more importantly, from divisions to ensure that our
different divisions in the presenters at all conferences are
organization. a diverse group.
Our goal for the Awards All our national committees
Committee is to first increase must have at least one U30
the number of professionals member participating. John
nominated in each category. Embree, Gary Trost, Fred
Second, with the help of Viancos and I are also reaching
staff in the national office, out to the other women’s
we have streamlined the coaching organizations so that
nominating procedures and they know we support them
the committee selection and their commitment to
process. We have also tennis. Each division has a D&I
2017 George Bacso Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Fernando Velasco.
highlighted the fact that liaison and I want to make sure
the Alex Gordan Professional of the Year Award starting with they are checking their membership to ensure that they are
the 2017 nominations was to be selected for only his or her doing as much as they can to create a welcoming environment
activities and achievement during that previous calendar year. for all new applicants, many of whom are women and of
This then elevates the status of the George Bacso Lifetime diverse cultures.
Achievement Award to the standard it deserved which was to The other part of our D&I goal is to make sure our
salute a professional who has contributed greatly to the USPTA professionals are reaching out in their own communities to
and tennis throughout their career. We are also happy that we bring tennis to various multicultural groups and lower income
can acknowledge the U30 group, as we on the board feel very families who may not have access to the sport. We currently
strongly that these professionals will be our future leaders. We are doing a good job in many divisions with the Special
are encouraging them to participate in various USPTA activities Olympics, Aces for Autism, First Serve- Pal and many other
both nationally and in their divisions. special needs programs.
The Awards Committee members meet on conference calls I welcome any comments and suggestions for both
to review all the nominations for each award. Then, we meet committees and our goals for the upcoming year. I look
for two days to make our final decisions in each category. I wish forward to meeting all of you at division conferences and the
to thank all the previous Awards Committee members as this Tennis Teachers Conference in New York which is our World
is not an easy task. We receive so many bios and nominations Conference for 2018.*

45 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

ADDvantageMay2018GUS.indd 45 3/28/2018 11:41:35 AM

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 Master Pro Corner

What does 120 MPH really mean?

by USPTA Master Professional Alan Cutler and USPTA Elite Professional Jose Pastrello

A s tennis players watch matches on TV, most

commentators tell us how fast balls are hit -- serves
going 120 mph, backhands going 100 mph. We can even see
addressed later in this article. But just moving in the air
without a bounce and assuming speed is constant.
So, what do all these numbers really mean? At 55 mph,
the ball speed display on TV and use it to judge the quality of the speed for a common recreational ground stroke, the ball
the hit. But is speed travels 78 feet in just
the only good way under one second. That
of describing a shot, simply means that from
or is the duration of one contact to the next,
time between shots the player has just under
that the ball is in the a second to get ready
air a more useful and hit the ball. If we
piece of information? look at a ball that is hit at
Everyone talks about 105 mph, the player has
how fast a tennis ball just over half a second
is moving and 120 to hit the ball. This time
mph sounds fast. But between the opposing
what does that mean player’s initial contact of
to the average player the ball and the returning
and how do we explain player’s contact with the
that importance to our ball, is what we refer to as
students? duration.
Even our least
skilled students talk
about how fast the pros hit and make it their goal to hit hard There are many things that affect duration, and the
and fast. Speed is only part of the story and sometimes we following is just a short list:
miss the opportunity to continue with an explanation. Most
mph numbers are just that -- a descriptive number, but Depth of shot, or where the ball bounces The farther from the
what does it really relate to? As coaches, it is our job to find baseline or service line the ball bounces, the more speed is lost
different ways to communicate information that may be more and the duration increases.
practical for our students.
Our lower level students, our serious recreational, and Court surface The friction of the ball contacting the court
even the high-performance tennis athletes all want to hit the surface affects how much speed is lost. Grass courts are the
ball hard like the pros, but have we, as coaches, explored and fastest; hard courts lose more speed; and clay really slows down
explained to them the reasons why we ought to pay attention the speed and increases duration.
to speed?
With the new racket designs being developed to allow Trajectory of shot The arc of the ball also can affect duration.
players to hit the ball harder & faster and strings are High trajectory takes the longest; mid-trajectory is slightly less;
becoming better designed to match power, more recreational low line drive is the quickest.
players are now able to hit the ball at substantially faster
speeds than in past generations of players. We all have Spin A flat spin tends to have a flatter trajectory; topspin tends
students who are 3.5 – 4.0 that can hit 100 mph on their serve. to arc taking slightly longer; and a slice can be hit at many
Consumers are demanding that racquets allow for more trajectories.
powerful and faster strokes, and it does not seem that this
trend will change in the near future. Temperature and humidity Dry and hot conditions allow the
The following chart is ball speed; distance traveled over ball to move faster in the air; high humidity might slow down
one second. This is assuming no extra factors that will be the speed.

47 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

4:32 PM ADDvantageMay2018GUS.indd 47 3/28/2018 11:41:36 AM

 MASTER PRO corner
Reducing the distance can also affect the duration. This is
probably the most overlooked way to affect duration. If your
student moves off the baseline (78 feet) and hits near the
service line (61 feet), this cuts the distance that ball needs
to travel by 20 percent. Moving forward while the ball is
coming to you shortens the duration quicker because of the
combined effect. It takes time away from both players, but
the double effect is controlled by the player hitting the ball.
Forward movement combined with shortened distance is
a killer.
Explain to your student that if they’re able to affect
duration, shot selection can be altered. If a shot requires
more footwork but the duration does not allow for it, this
may cause issues. Taking a tenth of a second away from the
player can cause all kinds of issues, including making it
harder to properly prepare and making good contact with
the ball.
Using the example of a 55-mph groundstroke having
about one second to prepare, if you can take 2 tenths of a
second (.20) off the duration that a player has, this is a huge
advantage. This equates to a 20 percent reduction in time,
meaning 20 percent less time for the player to react. If the
goal is to make the opponent feel rushed or pressured, taking
20 percent off their prep time is a great way to do it. If one
player is at the net, shortening the distance, the ability of the
opponent to move quick enough is reduced by just short of
50 percent. Placement is all that it would take to terminate
a point.
It is also important to explain how far a player can move
in the amount of time given. A world class sprinter runs 100
meters in just under 10 seconds. Very few of our students will
have that kind of speed. Most of our students are recreational
players who will move at a lesser pace. How far can an
average recreational player move in a half a second or even in
one second? From my experience, not very far. In a second,
maybe an average player can run five steps or less. In a half a
second, less than three steps for sure. One of the things that
Ce
most recreational players try to do is use a boundary such as
the sideline or baseline as a target. When they understand
of
duration, it becomes clear the baseline or sideline target do st
not have as much to do with the ball. Even if the opponent on
gets to the first ball, they are unlikely to get to a second one.
Another very important factor with regards to ball speed 9
and duration is the time between shots. Assuming that a
player has hit a tennis ball at 55 mph or higher, and the
opponent returns the ball back at a similar speed, there
will be very little time (only two seconds total) in between
shots that a single player can hit. Coaches must explain to
the players why recovery after a shot is important. With a
maximum time of two seconds in between shots, the player
must realize that time is not on their side, and every fraction
of a second is important.
Whether playing singles or doubles, a player must
understand how to recover after a shot to minimize the
number of steps to be taken in the next shot. As previously N
mentioned, a player can take just a few steps in one second.
If the player is off position when his opponent hits the ball
because he was not able to return to the neutral position,
now the player will be forced to run more steps which will
effect his shot. Recovery is a huge part of tennis that has a
direct relation with balance. In a club level, how a player uses
the first second after he or she hits a ball becomes even more
important because as bodies age, the response time of the
feet become a little slower.
As coaches, we maybe need to look for clearer ways to
explain mph, why it is useful and why it is important. It
is our job to find ways to get people to understand tennis
and being a good coach means being a good communicator.
Looking at mph, explaining and relating that information N
to duration between shots is another way to communicate
what the speed of the ball really translates to and how we
can use that information. Most tennis athletes know that
their performance declines when they are rushed. It’s always
better when it is the opponent who feels rushed.*

Alan Cutler is the general manager for Playtennisforlife.info. He is one of the only dual master
professionals (USPTA and RPT) that holds two specialist degrees in computer and competitive player.
He taught tennis in municipalities, leased facilities, resorts, and HOA’s and has held many levels of
positions from teaching professional to general manager.

N
Born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Jose Pastrello attended Florida Gulf Coast University, where he
was part of the tennis team and graduated with a degree in Business Management. After college, Jose
worked in the software business as a data analyst. A USPTA elite professional, he is the director of
sports at Collier’s Reserve Country Club where he is responsible for tennis, fitness, pickleball, bocce,
and aquatics.

48 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

ADDvantageMay2018GUS.indd 48 3/28/2018 11:41:38 AM

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 inside coaching

Why A Lesson Plan Is Needed!

by Denny Schackter, USPTA Elite Professional

R 5
ecently one of my good buds was hired as Based on a previous match or
a part-time tennis-teaching professional tournament, the content of high level
at a nearby facility. His first assignment was to drill and play classes are pretty much
team teach with one other pro with a class of spelled out. However, having game situations
beginning adults. He arrived a half hour early and drills ready in the event the students do
and waited for his fellow pro to arrive. Two not provide the input, or the pro does not know
minutes before the class was to begin, his what happened in the previous competitive
partner arrived, introduced himself, and out situations is always a good practice.

on the court they went.
The senior pro did not introduce my bud
to the class, but instead started to chat about
the first segment of the lesson. My friend did his best to
follow the leader’s steps, but was very lost and looked foolish to
the students. What a bad way to start a new gig!
6
During the lesson or drill, be sure the lead
pro is asking for input from the second pro
on points being made. I have been the lead
and neglected to ask the associate pro for his or her opinion
and I am sure I have been the recipient of neglect as well. This
is a definite no-no.

7
What should the process be?

1
If you are a director or a head pro, you should have a “best
practices” protocol in a “Pro’s Manual” to be followed by
your staff when working with others.
Another good practice is for the director or head pro to
periodically visit the courts being taught by their staff.
The director is not there to intimidate, but to observe or
maybe join in for a bit, and offer support for the younger pro or

2
Again, if you are the director or head pro, you should
introduce(with resume and/or qualifications) all new
staff to existing staff, preferably in person, but for sure
via email or inter-club communications. If the club has a
pros as they conduct their session. There is a business axiom,
“management by walking around” which addresses bosses who
never leave their offices and rarely interact with employees
while working. The director who stays away from his staff’s
work is not a good leader.

8
newsletter, announcing that person is always a good practice.

3
A core curriculum for beginners and advanced beginners
should be given to each pro. A sub or an additional pro
required is now in the loop on what has been done up to
that point, what is to be done presently and perhaps, what will
be done in subsequent lessons.
After each class, I like to pull the class together for one
minute to review the day’s work. I ask what the students
thought of the time spent and ask them what would be
a good thing to work on in the future. One of my good tennis
buds, Don Paitrick of Charlottesville, Virginia, likes to bring the
group together to have coaches discuss two positive reminders

4
that can be taken by the students for their next match.

It’s best when discussing a drill to actually demonstrate
it. By doing so, you emphasize key aspects of what’s to
be accomplished. It’s a great exercise for the second pro
because they see the flow of the drill that’s to be conducted. Be
sure the class is gathered together and shouting instructions
over several courts is eliminated.
9
Finally, it would be ideal if the lead or more experienced
pro would take the time to meet once a week or so and
review the progress of the classes taught and the progress
of the new staff. Having a type of “buddy” or mentoring system
is always another good habit to develop.*

Denny Schackter is a veteran tennis pro residing in Palatine, Illinois. He has been a college coach, industry
rep, avid USTA volunteer and currently owns a business, Tennis Priorities, which attempts to recruit young
people to the tennis-teaching industry. Understanding the need for promoting the profession of teaching
tennis, Denny places the best tennis coaches at tennis clubs in Chicago, Indiana, Indianapolis, Milwaukee,
and the Greater Wisconsin region. While also serving as an ambassador in support of tennis careers, Denny
remains active in tennis associations at the local, regional, and national level.

51 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

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 inside coaching
Seven Takeaways from Halep’s Ascension to World No. 1
by Ramona Husaru, USPTA Education and Multimedia Manager
S imona Halep’s rise to the WTA world No. 1 ranking
(March 2018) has been a long journey that saw the
Romanian constantly improve her game as she climbed
her way up the rankings. The long road to the top is no
easy mission considering the amount of hard work,
commitment and mental toughness it takes to achieve
those heights. As a result of her continuous efforts and
determination, Halep has had a consistent and steady
climb over the past few years. She first broke into the
world’s top 50 at the end of 2011. Later, in August 2013,
she broke into the top 20 before she cracked the top 10
in January 2014. She then went on to capture the No. 1
spot in October 2017 and held that position until her loss
to Caroline Wozniacki in the final of the 2018 Australian
Open.
However, Halep regained the world No. 1 ranking in
February 2018. For anyone following her for the past six
years, there are several key aspects in her game that have
improved significantly over time and brought her where
she is today.
52 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine
ADDvantageMay2018GUS.indd 52
#1 Fitness and movement
For someone who is only 5-foot-6, Halep does an excellent
job covering the court both laterally as well as up and back, making
the opponent feel like there is no weaker side. Being one of the
smaller players on the tour, she competes against opponents
who surpass her in size and power, but what she lacks in size she
compensates with speed and overall athleticism. She is fit, flexible,
fast and able to easily handle extended powerful rallies. She gets to
most balls in good balance and her recovery skills are efficient as
well. She is able to play both defense and offense solidly and has an
answer to almost every question her opponents send across the net.
#2 Placement and ability to open up the court
Halep plays an intelligent game where she keeps the
opponent on the run, pulling them out of their comfort zone. She has
excellent shot placement, maximizing her strengths by using deep
and wide shots to move her opponent, open up the court and finish
the point inside the baseline. Although she has a solid backhand, she
covers over 60 percent of the baseline with the forehand and tends to
finish points with it.
#3 Changing the direction of the ball
Although changing the direction of the ball is the cause
of many unforced errors, Halep is one of those players who makes
it look so easy. She can change from crosscourt to down the line
and vice versa so easily and accurately that many of her opponents
are wrong-footed and easily deceived. Because she is such an
excellent mover, she gets to the ball on balance, which increases her
percentage of success when changing the direction of the ball.
#4 Variety
Halep has good shot versatility, which enables her to build
points and adjust her game plan according to the opponent. She
mixes up her groundstrokes, especially on the forehand side where
she draws the opponent off the court either deep or wide, but she can
easily drive the ball for a winner as well. Her backhand is consistent
3/28/2018 11:41:39 AM
 inside coaching

and surprises opponents with short cross angles or winners.
Halep uses effective slice on both forehand and backhand,
especially when running wide on defense, and she is not hesitant
to come in to the net and finish with a volley when the balls are
short. She has a well-rounded set of tools which allow her to
customize her patterns depending on the opponent.
Sharapova in 2014 and against Jelena Ostapenko in 2017, as
well as the 2017 Wimbledon quarterfinal loss to Johanna
Konta, to name a few. These losses have been rough lessons for
Halep to learn, but in recent months we have seen a significant
improvement in the way she handles the pressure of big
matches. At the 2018 Australian Open tournament, she showed
a mature approach that saw her displaying a more positive

#5 Turning defense into offense

Although Halep is an effective counterpuncher with
an excellent defense, she has become more and more aggressive
over the years. Being such a solid athlete, she is able to retrieve
and respond with high quality shots from impossible positions,
such as far wide or deep behind the baseline to neutralize the
point or put the opponent on the defense. She then works her
way up close to or inside the baseline to control and dictate
the points. The mindset and confidence of staying closer to the
baseline and trying to dictate the points has been a huge addition
to her game in the past year or so, making her much more
aggressive.
attitude in terms of composure, getting over unforced errors,
fighting for every point regardless of the score, and simply
having a “leaving it all out” attitude as she battled through the
long matches. She saved three match points against American
player Lauren Davis and managed to win 15-13 in an epic third
set after a 3-hour and 44-minute match. She then saved another
two match points against Germany’s Angelique Kerber and
won 9-7 in the third to reach the final. Although she lost the
final against Wozniacki after a dramatic 2-hour and 49-minute
battle, Halep put up a good fight and showed a driven positive
attitude throughout the match. Her coach, Australian Darren
Cahill, played a huge role in this aspect, working with Halep to
eliminate the negative self talk, have more confidence, play in

#6 The use of an open stance backhand

While the open stance is very common on the forehand
side, we’re seeing it used more and more on the backhand side as
well. With the speed of the game constantly increasing, players
are benefiting from the open stance, as they are able to disguise
their shots as well as shorten the recovery distance and time. The
open stance backhand has been an important addition to Halep’s
game.
the moment without the fear of the outcome and simply enjoy
the high level of tennis in which she was competing. This new
approach allows her to play more relaxed and bring out the
quality game she is capable of producing when she is positive
and focused. The mental side has been Halep’s most challenging
opponent over the years, and she seems to be on the right track
of overcoming this hurdle.
Halep is the first Romanian female player in history to reach
No. 1 in the world, and while this is an unbelievable achievement

#7 Mental toughness
The last but most important piece of the puzzle in
Halep’s game has been the mental aspect. Halep’s biggest and
most challenging fight has been against herself and the habit of
allowing her emotions to negatively impact her performance.
Nerves have hampered her success in numerous key matches,
including each of her two Roland Garros finals against Maria
already, her journey toward winning a Grand Slam title
continues. The first Romanian player to win a Grand Slam title
was Virginia Ruzici in 1978 when she defeated Mima Jaušovec of
former Yugoslavia. With continuous hard work, discipline and a
positive mindset, it could be a just a matter of time until Halep
follows Ruzici’s steps and becomes the second Romanian
female to win a Grand Slam.*

Ramona Husaru is USPTA’s education and multimedia manager. In her role, Ramona is in charge of
overseeing the continuing education program and expanding its resources, including: online education
via TennisResources.com, conferences and other education events. She is a USPTA tester and part of the
USPTA Under 30 initiative, developing opportunities through education and leadership for fellow young
professionals. Ramona is a former WTA-ranked player and a two-time NCAA Division II National Team
Champion with BYU-Hawaii. She is a native of Romania.

53 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

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 USPTA NEWS

USPTA Receives Provisional Accreditation from USTA

T he United States Professional Tennis
Association (USPTA) received
provisional accreditation from the
United States Tennis Association (USTA)
making the association the first tennis-
teaching certification organization to be
accepted into the program.
According to the USTA, the goal of
the new accreditation program is to set
uniform standards for the development
of those new to the profession and it will
also include on-going coaching education
for all certified professionals who are
members of accredited organizations.
“We are pleased that USPTA has been
awarded Provisional Accreditation and
look forward to working collaboratively
to deliver a certification program that
will elevate and enhance coaching
standards in the U.S.,” said Scott Schultz,
Managing Director, USTA-U. “The aim
is to develop a best-in-class program
that will attract a new generation of
tennis professionals and further support
current professionals in our industry.”
is a great development for our certified
professionals.”
With the association’s online education
In 2017, the USPTA conducted over system, the USPTA’s ability to track
170 education events and activities, and manage participation in events and
along with 126 activities, track the amount
certifications exams
“Our mission is to of time a user spends in an
throughout the U.S.
elevate the standards online course or video, and
With the provisional
of tennis-teaching utilize current technology to
accreditation, the
professionals and tracks attendance at seminars
USTA has recognized
coaches” and courses electronically was
the extent of the certification and instrumental in the application process.
education programs the USPTA has to “We are excited to receive provisional
offer tennis-teaching professionals and accreditation from the USTA
coaches. Accreditation,” said Fred Viancos,
“Our mission is to elevate the USPTA Chief Operating Officer. “As the
standards of tennis-teaching premier tennis-teaching certification
professionals and coaches,” said John organization, this accreditation
Embree, USPTA CEO. “Working from USTA reaffirms our unique and
hand in hand with the USTA on unparalleled ability to deliver and
coaching education can only make our track the education to tennis-teaching
professionals better at what they do. This professionals and coaches.”*

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 Beyond the court

My Five fantastic phrases as a tennis coach

by Doug Kegerreis, USPTA Professional

W hat are your “go to” phrases as a tennis teacher?

Everyone can reflect and come up with phrases
they call out frequently to their students when they are
familiar with this
cue, I often shorten
it to just “show me”.
on the court teaching; those important reinforcing words Specifically, what I
that trigger the successful execution of a tennis stroke, really want to see is
or strategy. I’ve enjoyed reflecting on my 34 year career, your shoulder blade.
and determining mine. It was also interesting for me to For a right handed
determine the criteria for my choices. I’ve included what player, this would be
I’ve used most often & included what, upon reflection, has your left shoulder
been most helpful. As I put my list together; I also recognized blade for a forehand,
that I had phrases that were used more often for lower level serve, and overhead.
players, and others for more advanced players. Since most of Then, your right
my teaching has been more grassroots through the years, I shoulder blade for
limited my phrases to that level. a backhand.The
concept of coiling
Phrase #1: “Tip Down” your body, and
This phrase refers uncoiling as you hit is a critical concept in stroke production.
to the backswing of “Show me your back” has been integral in teaching this
the forehand and concept to my students.
backhand. I swear
by this phrase, but Phrase #3:
have never heard it “Let it Drop”
used by anyone else. With this phrase,
I certainly did not I move on from
use it when I first stroke production
began teaching. I to forehand and
believe “tip down” backhand ball
reinforces several judgement. I
very important have always been
fundamentals. intrigued by how
First, it keeps the my students would
backswing short. Big try to judge the ball
backswings, in my in the early stages
opinion, are a part of many stroke production problems. It is of learning. If my
going to encourage a lifting racket path. I have found lifting students had little
to be a critical fundamental in teaching the forehand and “ball-tracking”
backhand. It helps control the swing speed and it creates a experience,
building block for adding topspin at some point, as well as a generally they would run directly to the ball. They had no
loop backswing. (Tip down representing the bottom of your understanding of the concept of moving “in relationship to the
loop). ball.” Usually running directly to the ball would lead to contact
significantly above their “strike zone” which is approximately
Phrase #2: “Show me your back” waist level. Consequently, getting my students to wait on the
This has been my “get sideways” phrase for the last 20 years. ball, and “let it drop” to waist level for my beginning students
“Get sideways” never got the results I was looking for. My was an important phrase to impart. On a side-note, practicing
students just never seemed to get sideways enough. If you hitting balls on the second bounce; I’ve found to be an
“show me your back”, you are sideways! Once students get effective activity to promote the skill of “letting it drop”.

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 Beyond the court
Phrase #4:
“Step, step,
step, hold”
This continues
with the ball
judgement
theme, but
also adds the
concept of
balance. I teach
that the skill
of reacting
with your feet,
regardless
of where the
ball is hit,
is essential,
in learning proper footwork, ball judgement, and
consequently, balance. “Step-step-step” is my reminder
to react with your feet. It specifically refers to footwork
as you get close to the ball, and small steps are required.
The multiple little steps allow you to judge the ball
properly and help time the hit by not planting your feet to
early. The “hold” cue refers to being still and balanced on
contact. “Hold” replaces the cue “step”, which I probably
(along with many of you) started out using when I first
started teaching. In regards to forehands and backhands, I
currently never reinforce the concept of stepping into the
shot. I’m not saying it is wrong, I just believe that stressing
being relatively still and balanced and twisting (uncoiling)
your body is more important!
Phrase #5: “Follow the Ball”
I finish my fantastic five with a doubles strategy phrase.
After my students are introduced to the four starting
positions on the doubles court, my next step is to teach the
net players how to “follow the ball”. This is a phrase that I
can honestly say has been one of my “go to’s” throughout
my career. Yes, it is part of teaching doubles to beginners.
However, I have been a high school coach for many years,
and I am amazed how few high school players understand
the concept of “following the ball”. Following the ball
refers specifically to the serving partner and receivers
partner in a one-up, one-back position, the prevailing
position in most doubles play these days. When the ball
is on the receivers side of the net, the servers partner
should move up and either to the left or right, depending
on the position of the ball. This places the player in the
best position to cover the angles of returns. If the player
remembers to “follow the direction of the ball”, this will
also take them to this position. On this same play, when
the servers partner moves up, the receiving partner will
follow the ball by moving back and either to the left or
to the right depending on the path of the ball. Both net
players will continue to “follow the ball” whenever it is
hit adjusting both up-and-back, and left-to-right, always
stopping movements whenever the ball is about to be hit. I
have spent many hours on the court leading doubles teams
through one-up, one-back rallies calling out “follow the
ball”, “follow the ball”.
And those are my fantastic five phrases based on 34
years of teaching. My initial brainstorming list was 10.
Those that made the list but not the final five included,
“highest point” (volley), “turn on it”, “high net clearance,
back it up” (ball judgement), “arms-up, step, step, step”
(overhead), and “tap the dog.” (bottom of your loop on
forehands and backhands.) I suggest you try to write down
your “fantastic five”. I’m sure you’ll find it an interesting
reflection activity.*

Doug Kegerreis has been a USPTA professional for 35 years, and lives in Fairfax, Virginia. He owns
and manages a tennis management company, Chantilly International Tennis, which provides tennis
programs and services in Northern Virginia. He is also an elementary physical education teacher at
Oakton Elementary School in Oakton, Virginia. He can be reached at www.cittennis.com.

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 Sid’s Corner

A Culture of Collaboration
by Sid Newcomb, USPTA National Head Tester

R ecently, I received a text message from my friend

USPTA Professional Jose Rincon, who is a director of
tennis in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He says, “hey I’m here at
the USTA National Campus”. So, I head over to see Jose at
the campus and after 25 years we get together and laugh
about our days as rookie coaches at the Nick Bollettieri
Tennis Academy. Our memories take us to an era long gone
and we reflect together how amazing it is that we are still in
the game.
After our walk down memory lane, I ask him what’s up,
what’s he doing in Lake Nona on campus? He explains
that he’s attending a USTA National Jr Team Camp with
his 13-year-old student Violeta Martinez who is ranked in
the top 5 among the 14 and unders in the state of Florida.
What? Why are you here? Jose explained that they invited
him, funded his trip and that he is working with them to
help his student.
If you have worked in the private sector for any amount USPTA Professional Jose Rincon.

of time that sounds a bit implausible. Collaboration

between USTA Player Development and USPTA coaches
from the private sector? I had heard, with a certain amount
of personal historical skepticism, Martin Blackman
(General Manager of USTA Player Development) talk
about this a few months ago in some form or another. Now
my buddy is here so I decided to check it out first hand and
see what’s going on.
Sid: While waiting to speak with you, I did take note that
Coach Richard (Richard Ashby USTA National Coach) was
working individually with Violeta. He often would look
over to you and say, “Jose, is that what you’re looking
for?” He appeared very cooperative.
JR: Absolutely. It was complete cooperation in every
aspect.

Sid: What is your impression of the camp?
JR: I absolutely love the camp. I give it an 11 out of 10
points. For me, the camp is the equivalent of being a kid at
Toys R Us. Sharing ideas with all the coaches and learning
from the strongest minds in the business. I am learning so
much and just love it. I’m very happy to be here.
Sid: How is the interaction with the USTA national
coaches been with you as the primary coach of your
player?
JR: The interaction has been fantastic. I just love the
way they reach out and ask for my help. It’s a whole new
culture here. It’s my first camp and they make me feel like
I belong here. I have nothing but the utmost respect for
these coaches here.
They are extremely receptive to listening to my input. A
prime example is that I had a question about Violeta’s
grip and I explained what I was looking for and they
helped me come up with a solution.
After hearing the positive things about the USTA
National Jr Team Camp and the cooperation between
Jose and USTA national coaches, I decided to reach out
to Richard Ashby and Jean Desdunes, who both work for
USTA Player Development and get their insight about the
collaboration between USPTA coaches and USTA Player
Development.
Sid: Could you discuss the coaching culture both now and
in your past experiences and have you seen a shift or a
change?
JD: I know that we have done a lot to try and change the
coaching culture. When Kent Kinnear, Director of Player
Identification and Development first started, he wanted to
make sure he reached out to the private sector, our former
players and welcomed them into the fold. He started with
the RTC’s (Regional Training Centers) with the idea in
mind as far as reaching out to existing programs and
coaches and working with them, along with having the

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 Sid’s Corner

USTA National Coach Richard Ashby with Violeta Martinez and USPTA Professional Jose Rincon.

camps there and of course national
camps to invite the players. But I
believe that’s where we have lived the
last few years and we feel that it’s
probably the most important thing we
do. Their success is our success and
that’s the way we look at it. I know
Martin always talks about us being a
resource which we are. I’m passionate
about them understanding that we are
a resource and nothing more.
Sid: Now along that line, let me ask you
this Richard. I noticed when you were
working with Violeta, you would ask
Jose questions and the dialogue I saw…
it seemed like you were inviting him in
on the process and asking for feedback
both from the player and the coach?
RA: Yes, that is correct. Our number
one goal is for the player to get better.
Whatever people may feel about the
USTA, all we want is for players to
improve and to be successful. Whoever
gets the credit doesn’t really matter
as long as the player is getting better.
As Jean also mentioned, the person
that is doing the most work with
the players (especially when they’re
young) are the private coaches. So, our
interaction with them is how do we
together get the player better? Maybe
we can provide something that the
private coach can’t do? When a player
gets older, the private coach…unless
they are willing to coach that player
full time, can’t travel three weeks
at a time. And so, as they get older,
the USTA can provide services and
assitance if we know what they were
working on.
There is great energy and as I talk
with all these coaches, I see it in action.
I feel it when I speak with my fellow
coaches. The collaboration is real and
tangible, not just words. Professionals
are honest and open, both about
current challenges and past mistakes.
This cultural shift has been a work
in progress for over a decade and the
fruits are coming to fruition now
and in the near future. The mission
statements of “grow the game” and
“elevating the standards of tennis-
teaching professionals and coaches’
will continue to live on.*

Sid Newcomb is the national head tester for the USPTA. Before joining USPTA’s national staff, Newcomb
was the director of tennis at Peninsula Community Center (PCC) in Redwood City, California since 1996.
After a year and a half stint on the ATP Satellite Tour, he joined the coaching ranks at the Nick Bollettieri
Tennis Academy where he was the european academy director for seven years. He launched Bollettieri
Academies in Belgium, Germany, France and England before leaving Europe for Northern California.

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 Member News

USPTA Member News

Peg Connor was named the executive Todd Rubinstein reached his 400th
director of USTA Wyoming in the USTA career high school victory as a head
Intermountain Section. Connor, a former tennis coach at Alonzo and Tracy
collegiate player and coach, has been Mourning Senior High in Miami,
an event manager for ATP/WTA/WTT Florida. His team defeated Miami
professional events, managed player Central High Boy’s and Girl’s Teams
promotions and marketing at Prince Global both in a 7-0 sweep. Over the past 20+
Sports and has most recently been working years, Todd has worked on and off-court
with the Tennis Industry Association, Tennis Industry with diverse players of all levels and abilities, including
Magazine, USTA Middle States School Tennis Development numerous ATP, WTA, ITF, USTA, NCAA and FHSAA
and the International POP Tennis Association. players.

Bill Tym was inducted into the University Mike Woody received the 2018 USPTA
of Tennessee at Chattanooga Hall of Missouri Valley Facility Manager of the
Fame. This marks the seventh Hall of Year Award. He became a full-time tennis
Fame to honor Bill with induction. A pro in 1985 because he wanted to make
former USPTA president, Tym was named tennis a career and make a difference in
International Tennis Hall of Fame Tennis people’s lives. Mike was a Class B singles
Educational Merit Award in 1981 along champion in 1982 and played for Western
with the USPTA Professional of the Year Michigan University, where he received
in 1982, College Coach of the Year in 1989 and Touring a student-planned bachelor’s degree. He is No. 3 on
Coach of the Year in 1997 and 2002. He also earned the WMU’s all-time career winners list and a four-time Mid-
George Bacso Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. American Conference Champion.

Ron Woods and Gerry Maingot were given

the USPTA Texas Lifetime Achievement
Award and USPTA Texas Facility Manager
of the Year Award. Woods worked as the
director of tennis for the Corpus Christi
Country Club for more than 30 years
and served on various tennis boards and
associations across Texas. Maingot has
served as the director of tennis and swim at Corpus Christi
Country Club for 17 years and is a board member of the USPTA Testers visit the National Headquarters to get
Corpus Christi Tennis Association and helps coordinate local acquainted with their brand new tablets and learn more
adult leagues. about the new USPTA on-court digital testing platform.

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 those of the authors and not necessarily those
Editor......................................................................DeVonte’ Martin
First Vice President................................................Feisal Hassan of ADDvantage or the United States Professional
Layout/Design........................................................... Gustavo Reyes
Vice Presidents................Cari Buck, Mark Faber, Trish Faulkner Tennis Association.
Bill Mountford, Richard Slivocka Editorial Assistance.......................... Risa Epstein, Ramona Husaru,
Ashley Walker, Ellen Weatherford
Immediate Past President...........................................Chuck Gill Copyright© United States Professional Tennis
Circulation................................................................ Trevor Trudelle Association, Inc. 2018. All rights reserved.
CEO.........................................................................John Embree
USPTA World Headquarters Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not
Legal Counsel......................................................George Parnell 11961 Performance Dr.
Orlando, FL 32827 permitted without written permission from USPTA.

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 USPTA CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Exams, Upgrades & PTCA Wheelchair Certification
4 Credits for PTCA I Segment Exams,
Upgrades & PTCA
May 4 ....................................Flushing, NY
May 5 – 6 ........................... Baltimore, MD
May 5 – 6 .............................Las Vegas, NV
May 6 .....................................Conway, AR
May 11 – 12 .............................. Austin, TX
May 12 – 13 ........................Big Rapids, MI
May 12 ............................. Chula Vista, CA
May 17 – 18 ........................ Scottsdale, AZ
May 18 ............................Nichols Hills, OK
May 19 ..............................Des Moines, IA
May 19 ............................... Eau Claire, WI
May 19 – 20 ........................Columbus, GA
May 20 ............................. Brentwood, TN
May 20 ................................ St. Louis, MO
May 25 ............................ Kansas City, MO
May 31 -June 1 ...................... Yakima, WA
June 2 - 3 ...................................Aurora, IL
June 2 - 3 ......................... San Antonio, TX
June 3 ...............................Hilton Head, SC
June 4 ................................... Carlsbad, CA
June 9 ............................... Portsmouth, RI
June 9 – 10 ............................. Atlanta, GA
June 11 – 12 ................... San Francisco, CA
June 14 ................................ St. Louis, MO
June 15 – 16 ............................ Raleigh, NC
June 18 - 19................... Fleming Island, FL
June 22 – 23 ...........................Wexford, PA
June 23 – 24 .............................. Rome, GA
June 25 – 26 ........................ Fairmont, WV
Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days
prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an
exam, upgrade. PTCA I is included in the two day
exam. Exam cancellations must be received no lat-
er than 14 days before the exam, or a cancellation
fee will be charged accordingly.
Applicant: late cancellation fee – $95; failure to
cancel – application fee is forfeited. Certified
members: late cancellation fee – $25; failure to
cancel – $25 plus the upgrade fee is forfeited.
Registration for another exam will not be accepted
until cancellation fees are paid.
2018 USPTA Division
May 5-6................................. New York, NY
USPTA Eastern/ New England Conference
Conference Schedule
Division Conferences - 6 Credits
June 28-29.................................. Salem, OR
USPTA Certification in conjunction with
USTA “Train the Trainer”
May 5-6...................... Eastern/New England
National Tennis Center, Flushing, NY
August 23-24............................. Lincoln, NE
USPTA Certification in conjunction with May 17-19......................................Southern
USTA “Train the Trainer” Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, GA
October 18-19.......................... Orlando, FL May 18-20................................... Southwest
USPTA Certification in conjunction with La Camarilla Racquet, Swim & Fitness Club, Phoenix, AZ
USTA “Train the Trainer”
May 30-June 3................................... Florida
November 7-8.........................Lafayette, IN
USPTA Certification in conjunction with Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress , Orlando, FL
USTA “Train the Trainer”
June 1-2.............................Pacific Northwest
Yakima Tennis Club, Yakima, WA
Online education
Watch webinars, seminars, On Court with
August 22-23 ........ USPTA World Conference
Grand Hyatt, New York, NY
USPTA episodes, specialty courses and
much more on TennisResources.com to November........................Middle States TBD
earn your education credits.
Spanish Tennis
Teaching System
At Academia Sanchez-Casal
USPTA professionals can earn 10
Education Credits by participating in the
Level 1 or Level 2 course of the Spanish
Tennis Teaching System hosted by the
International Coaches Institute.
May. 25 – 27.............................. Naples, FL
Competitive Coaching Course - Level 1
May. 27 – 29.............................. Naples, FL
Pro Coaching Course Level 2
Oct. 24 – 26............................... Naples, FL
Competitive Coaching Course Level 1
Oct. 26 – 28............................... Naples, FL
Pro Coaching Course Level 2

USPTA requires all certified members to earn 6 credits of

continuing education in a three-year period. (International
members, recreational coaches and those 65 or older are exempt.) The time period coincides
Cardio Tennis
May 11 .................... Level 1 Training Course
ACAC-Midlothian; Midlothian, VA
with the date you completed the certification exam or reinstated your membership. Please May 18 .................... Level 1 Training Course
login to My USPTA to check your Professional Development Program end date. Life Time Athletic; St. Louis Park, MN
If the requirement is not met, you will have your membership suspended. To help you May 19 .................... Level 1 Training Course
meet that goal, USPTA provides hundreds of hours of education every year in the form of Four Seasons Racquet Club; Wilton, CT
conferences, workshops, webinars, DVDs and more. TennisResources.com is an excellent June 3 ...................... Level 1 Training Course
Mercy Health; Cincinnati, OH
resource for free education opportunities. In addition, the Coach Youth Tennis website offers
June 3 ...................... Level 1 Training Course
six free online courses that earn a 1/2 education credit each.
Wakonda Club; Des Moines, IA
Upon completion of the sixth course, you will receive 3 bonus credits (one-time only),
Aug 19 ..................... Level 1 Training Course
bringing the total to 6 credits and completing the continuing education requirement. (you do Meadow Creek Tennis Club; Lakewood, CO
not need to complete the online workshop unless you are completing your USPTA certification) Sep 8 ....................... Level 1 Training Course
Go to coachyouthtennis.com for more information. Preakness Hills Country Club; Wayne, NJ

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