200509 Racquet Sports Industry

GUIDE TO STRINGSOur exclusive selectorwill help you customizethe stringbed for every player

Wilson’s “W” line forwomen leads the newframe offerings

New shoes your customerswill be asking about

The latest tenniswear forstyle and performance

The newest frames forracquetball and squash

� Telephone as Customer-Care Tool� Wimbledon Player Equipment Log� String Playtest� Ask the Experts� Tips and Techniques

September/October 2005Volume 33 Number 9 $5.00

DEPARTMENTS

R S I S E P / O C T 2 0 0 5Contents

September/October 2005 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 3

Contents

4 Our Serve

20 Customer Relations

48 Wimbledon Player Equipment Log

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Key racquet sales numbers are up

7 USTA debuts enhancementsto US Open, NTC

7 Wilson nCode winsindustrial design award

8 Head/Penn teams with Barbiefor new junior products

8 Color-coded teaching systemintroduced by Wilson

9 Vantage USA formed forcustom racquets

9 Grand Slam Gut debuts100% Natural Gut string

9 Prince introduces newShark DB frame

10 Welch offers clay-courtmaintenance seminars

11 ATP, Penn, Sports Authoritydistribute DVD

12 Sportwall unveils its“Next Generation”

13 North Carolina club choosesClassic Turf surface

16 “Fast Lane Tennis” serieson The Tennis Channel

18 Florida club adds PremierCourt to parking deck

SPECIAL SECTION:

50 String Playtest: Gosen Polylon SP

52 Ask the Experts

54 Tips and Techniques

56 Your Serve, by Paul Fein

PRODUCT INTROS

22 Introductory CoursesRacquets, shoes, string, apparel—we’ve got thenew stuff your customers want.

24 Gender SpecificWilson’s new “W” line of frames is designedspecifically for women players.

26 Frames for FallLine extensions and new technologies lead theway in new racquets for recreational players.

30 Foot SoldiersFrom big-name endorsements to grassrootsplayer appeal, tennis shoe manufacturers havethe kicks for your customers.

32 String Selector Map, 2005Our exclusive guide of all strings available willhelp you customize your stringbed for optimumperformance and feel.

40 Clothes EncountersThe latest lines from tenniswear companiespromise stylish performance for your customers.

44 Climbing the WallsFor racquetball and squash, increases inparticipation may be slow, but they appearto be steady.On the cover: Close-ups of string cross-sections.

ell, we did this a year ago, and we’re going to do it

again this year. We’re going to pat ourselves on the

back.We recently received word that Racquet Sports Industry magazine won a

2005 Apex Award for Publication Excellence. This is the second year in a row

that RSI has been honored with an Apex Award, and this year, it was especial-

ly nice to be recognized for overall excellence in the category “Magazines &

Journals—Printed Four-Color.”

There were nearly 5,000 entries in

109 different categories, covering

magazines, newspapers, special publi-

cations, video and electronic publica-

tions, annual reports, brochures,

newsletters, and more. RSI was one of

757 entries in the Magazine & Journals

category.

The awards are given out based on

excellence in graphic design, editorial

content, and “the success of the

entry—in the opinion of the judges—

in achieving overall communications effectiveness and excellence.” That’s par-

ticularly gratifying to us because effective communication is everything in this

business. It’s what we need to do for you, and it’s what you need to do for your

customers and players.

Our goal is to continue to communicate what you need to effectively run

your business, and to help you make a profit at it. And we’re committed to

communicating what it takes to make this sport grow at every level.

And while RSI now has another award to hang on the wall to indicate that

we seem to be on the right path, we know there’s still a lot of work we need to

do. And, with your continued help and support, we look forward to doing it.

Dave Bone Jeff WilliamsCo-Publisher Co-Publisher

Peter Francesconi Crawford LindseyEditorial Director Editor-in-Chief

Our ServeHonoring Our Commitment

(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

Editor-in-ChiefCrawford Lindsey

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Assistant to the PublisherCari Feliciano

Contributing EditorsCynthia Cantrell

Rod CrossKristen DaleyJoe DinofferLiza Horan

Andrew LavalleeJames MartinMark Mason

Chris NicholsonMitch RustadDrew Sunderlin

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRYCorporate Offices

330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171

Email: [email protected]: www.racquetTECH.com

Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time

Advertising DirectorJohn Hanna

770-650-1102, [email protected]

Apparel AdvertisingCynthia Sherman203-263-5243

[email protected]

Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly Januarythrough August and combined issues in Septem-ber/October and November/December by TennisIndustry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443 and addi-tional mailing offices. September/October 2005, Vol-ume 33, Number 9 © 2005 by USRSA and TennisIndustry. All rights reserved. Racquet Sports Industry,RSI and logo are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in theU.S.A. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x.125. Phonecirculation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly sub-scriptions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMAS-TER: Send address changes to Racquet Sports Industry,330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2005

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Jeff Williams

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSR S I S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 5

I N F O R M A T I O N T O H E L P Y O U R U N Y O U R B U S I N E S S

roduct design firm Design Concepts Inc. of Madison, Wis., and Wilson SportingGoods have been recognized with a Bronze 2005 Industrial Design ExcellenceAward (IDEA) for Wilson’s new nCode racquets.

Co-sponsored by the Industrial Designers Society of America and BusinessWeek, theinternational design competition is “a celebration of the best and hottest product designsof the year” and is “dedicated to fostering business and the public’s understanding of theimportance of industrial design excellence to the quality of life and the economy,”according to IDEA officials.

A jury of 17 world-renowned designers and critics considered more than1,380 entries from 40 countries before selecting 148 winners. Wilson’s framesfeature exclusive nano-technology nCode material combined with dramaticvisual appeal, superior shock and vibration reduction, more power, amore active string bed and a larger sweetspot, says the company.Serena Williams uses the n3 model on the pro tour and Tennismagazine named the n5 model an “Editor’s Choice.”

According to Brian Dillman, Wilson’s vice president ofGlobal Marketing for Racket Sports, “The new nCode rac-quets make all other racquets look obsolete. But in the end,the racquets have to perform on the court.”


here’s good news for the tennis industry: For the second straight year, racquetsales for the 12 months through June 2005 are strong, up 29 percent in units and18 percent in dollars, when compared to the same period that ended in June

2003. A year ago, in June 2004, sales had increased 16 percent in units and 8 percentin dollars.

This two-year upswing is fueling speculation that a number of things are comingtogether for the sport, including recent new player programs, such as the Tennis Wel-come Center initiative and the USTA’s Tennis in the Parks campaign, and positive con-sumer reaction to new technologies introduced by racquet companies.

“Unit sales growth the past two years shows that some of our new player programsare starting to work,” says Jim Baugh, the president of the Tennis Industry Association.“Along with the USTA, we’ve promoted Tennis Welcome Centers for two straight years,and the USTA has greatly expanded its Tennis in the Parks campaign.

“The growth in dollar sales, especially this year, shows that consumers are buyingmore premium, high-performance racquets as well,” Baugh adds. “In fact, the largestgrowth category this year is the super-premium category, up over 35 percent.”

The TIA also says the increases tie in with what dealers expected for sales in 2005.Based on a survey at the beginning of the year, 57 percent of dealers said they expectedconsumer sales to increase, while 10 percent predicted a decrease.

Ball sales, after growing in units in 2004, are down slightly in 2005, but the TIA saysit’s been having some difficulty tracking sales because a number of top retailers areimporting balls directly under their own brands, and they don’t report sales figures to theTIA. “We’re hoping to get these retailers to submit their sales to ball shipment censusreports” in the future, says Baugh.

But overall, Baugh’s happy with the direction things are taking. “We’re on the righttrack,” he says. “Industry sales are the most positive they’ve been in years, and theefforts to grow the game at the grassroots level have intensified. And we’re launchingCardio Tennis to consumers. We just need to keep our focus, work together, and keeppushing.”

USTA Debuts EnhancementsTo US Open, Tennis CenterThe USTA continues to change and improvethe US Open and its Flushing Meadows,N.Y., site. Some the innovations, attractions,and enhancements that fans will notice atthis year’s Open, from Aug. 29 to Sept. 11,include:

Blue courts: As reported in the July issue ofRSI, the USTA came up with a new courtcolor for the US Open and the run-up USOpen Series of tournaments. The new colorwas designed to provide a “signature look”to the Open Series and provide an identifi-able link to the Open itself. Also, it wasdesigned to enhance visibility of the ball forplayers and spectators.

Bellagio-style fountain: The vast SouthPlaza at the National Tennis Center will fea-ture a new fountain created by WET Enter-prises of California, the designers of thepopular fountains at the Bellagio Hotel inLas Vegas. Shooting water more than 20feet high, the fountain’s animation controlscan create water shows, movement, andsound.

Polo Ralph Lauren: Theapparel designer is step-ping up to tennis in a bigway, signing a four-yearpartnership with the USTAfor the US Open sponsor-ship. PRL will design theofficial US Open shirt and will outfit all on-court officials, line judges, and ballpersons.In addition, there will be a 3,500-sq.-ft. Polostore on-site.

Avenue of Aces: Fans can purchase per-sonalized pavers to support the USTA Tennis& Education Foundation and have a perma-nent link to the Open. The Avenue of Aceswill be between the East Gate entrance andArthur Ashe Stadium.

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Sales Figures Strong for Second Straight Year

Wilson nCode Wins Industrial Design Excellence Award

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 5IN

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Head/Penn Teams With Barbie For NewJunior Girls’ Line of Tennis Products

Head/Penn Racquet Sports and Mattel Inc. have developed a co-brand-ed set of tennis products for young girls called the Head Barbie Jun-ior Series. This new line combines Head’s racquet design expertise

with the fashion and appeal of the Barbie brand, says Head officials.Designed for girls ages 4 to 9 (or 40- to 55-inches-tall), the new Head Bar-bie Junior Series will be in stores for the 2005 holiday season.

“By aligning Head products with a brand as established and presti-gious as Barbie, we will gain instant recognition and credibility among

young girls at retail and on the courts,” says Greg Mason,director of sales and marketing for Head/Penn. “With

fun, colorful tennis equipment in their hands, younggirls will be inclined to play longer and more often.”

The new series includes three junior racquetsdesigned for a variety of heights and ages, a racquetsack, and a pro racquet bag that fits both racquets andequipment. Also available is the Head Barbie Junior

Pack, which includes a 25-inch racquet, pink two-tonepressureless tennis balls, and a water bottle.

“Barbie knows what girls of all ages like and is liter-ally everywhere a girl is—now on the tennis court aswell,” says Richard Dickson, senior v.p. of Mattel’sWorldwide Consumer Products division. “It is a strate-gic priority for us to partner with authentic brands out-side the traditional toy world.”

Wilson Introduces Color-CodedTeaching System for Beginners

Wilson Racquet Sports has developed a new lineof tennis instructional equipment as part of itsexpanding commitment to tennis education

programs throughout the country. The EZ Tennis line,designed for teaching pros running entry-level pro-grams, is a color-coded racquet system for beginnersthat Wilson says will make the fundamentals of ten-nis easier to comprehend.

Wilson’s EZ Tennis racquets and grips are color-coded red and yellow to simplify hand positioningand indicate which side of the racquet should beused during forehand and backhand strokes. EZTennis racquets are available in 17-, 19-, 21-, 23-and 25-inch lengths. The 17-inch frame, the firstWilson racquet made in that length, is ideal for chil-dren as young as ages 2 or 3, says the company.

“EZ Tennis is a comprehensive training systemthat allows even the youngest beginners to grasp thefundamentals of tennis in an engaging way,” saysJames Burda, Wilson’s manager of U.S. promotions.

In addition to the racquets, the line also includesSet-Up Targets, Dots, Court Lines, Multi-Use Cones,Tennis Nets, Foam Balls, and Transitional Play Balls.For more information, call 800-272-6060 or contactyour local Wilson rep.


Grand Slam Gut Debuts New100% Natural Gut String

Grand Slam Gut’s new 100 percent Natural Gut comes in avariety of sizes and textures for tennis, squash, racquet-ball, and badminton players. For tennis, the string is offered in 17, 16, and 15L

gauges, and it comes in coated and uncoated versions.GSC says that its college and 5.0 playtesters consider the string to be one of

the liveliest available. The company says it’s one of the roughest natural guts avail-able, which adds more spin to the ball, and that it is long on durability.

The company points to USRSA lab testing that measured GSG’s uncoated 17gauge to be the second best natural gut string on the market in holding tensionand its coated 15L as one of the top five softest natural gut strings on the market.Tests were done versus all the natural gut competitors.

The natural-color GSG is available in 40-foot (12.2 m) sets and half-sets of 21feet (6.5 m). Recommended tension for Grand Slam Gut is 50 to 60 lbs. For ten-nis, it is priced at $17 per set. For more information, contact 715-366-4333 oremail: [email protected].

Vantage USA Formed for Custom Racquets

RacquetMaxx of Birmingham, Ala., and Vantage Sport International of the UnitedKingdom have formed a new company, Vantage USA, which will specialize inbuilding custom tennis racquets for the U.S. market.

The new partnership will use the Custom Racquet System that Vantage Interna-tional developed to deliver fast and cost-effective service to players “looking for some-thing more unique than mass-produced fames,” according to a press release. And forVantage USA customers, the wide range of services offered by RacquetMaxx will beavailable on all Vantage racquet configurations. All orders can me made via the web-site or by calling RacquetMaxx directly for any information and assistance in choos-ing specifications and building a frame.

“Building racquets that perfectly suit the player is what we are all about” says PaulAngell, founder and head of Vantage Sport International. “Having an office in the USAwill further increase our level of customer service, and with RacquetMaxx as a part-ner, we are delighted to be able to offer even more choice of specifications.”

“Our company has been built on customizing mass-produced racquets to meet aplayer’s specific needs,” says Bob Patterson, founder and head of RacquetMaxx.“Vantage racquets are the ultimate customization, providing an avenue for the playerto work with a Master Racquet Technician to build their dream racquet.”

A Vantage USA website is under construction, but customers are still able to con-figure their ideal racquet at www.vantagetennis.com or by calling RacquetMaxxdirectly for further information and assistance at 800-824-4989.

I N D U S T R Y N E W S

Prince Sports Introduces Shark DB Frame

Prince Sports launched the newest racquet in the Shark family, the Shark DB, thissummer, designed for players looking for maximum com-fort in a powerful frame, especially for players with

shorter, more compact strokes, says the company.The Shark DB is the first ever power Double Bridge

(DB) racquet by Prince and is offered in an Oversize andMidplus headsize. Prince says the racquet’s patentedDouble Bridge technology provides frame and string vibra-tion reduction.

Prices range from $190 to $200. For more information, con-tact 800-283-6647 or visit www.princetennis.com.




Wilson Sales VeteranMoves to Marketing Team

Wilson Racquet Sports has promot-ed Cory Springer to the new roleof marketing manager for the

U.S. Springer has been with Wilson fornine years and has served as a territorymanager in southern Florida for thepast six years.

Springer will manage marketingexecution and sales programs in boththe accessory and footwear categoriesfor the U.S. market. He also will coor-dinate with Wilson’s Global MarketingDepartment for product developmentand serve as a marketing liaison to Wil-son’s U.S. sales team.

In other Wilson personnel news, thecompany hired Evan Garfinkle as a ter-ritory manager in the South Centralregion of the U.S. Garfinkle, an accom-plished stringer and certified MasterRacquet Technician, joins Wilson afterworking most recently as a sales repfor both Gamma/Fischer and Balle DeMatch.

Welch Offers Clay-CourtMaintenance Seminars

Welch Tennis is again offering itspopular clay-court maintenanceseminars, designed for anyone

who is involved in the business of main-taining clay (Har-Tru) tennis courts,whether traditional overhead-irrigatedfast-drying courts or subsurface-irrigatedHydroGrid or HydroCourt.

The seminars give participants aworking knowledge of Har-Tru courts,including an explanation and demon-stration of the latest procedures incourt maintenance.

Participants receive a Certificate ofCompletion, and USPTA members canearn three credits for continuing educa-tion for attending. Cost is $159 per per-son ($125 for each additional personfrom the same facility) and includes acontinental breakfast, lunch, refresh-ments, and a happy hour. Upcomingseminars are:

� Oct. 7 at the Ocean Club in DaytonaBeach, Fla.

� Oct. 14 at the Gulf Harbor Yacht andTennis Club in Fort Myers, Fla.

Call Deb Carlson at 800-282-4415.



ATP, Penn, Sports Authority Team Up to Distribute DVD

Tennis Masters Cup Uncovered II: Facing Federer, the ATP’s behind-the-scenes docu-mentary of the most recent Tennis Masters Cup, will be distributed to tennis fansin coming months through a promotion between the ATP, Head/Penn Racquet

Sports, and Sports Authority.Sports Authority stores nationwide will stock three-packs of Penn balls that also

contain a complimentary copy of the DVD. Priced at $7.99, the three-pack of PennATP Tennis Balls will remain on sale through November. It is the first time that ATPpartner Penn has featured a three-pack promotion with its ATP ball. Additionally, hol-iday packs—comprising an eight-pack of balls and complimentary copy of the DVD—will be sold at Sports Authority stores beginning in October for $19.99.

“We’re certain recreational players using Penn balls also will enjoy getting an up-close look at the best professional players in the game through this beautiful and fundocumentary,” says Kevin Kempin, vice president of Penn Racquet Sports Worldwide.

The DVD includes the one-hour documentary and bonus footage featuring RogerFederer, Marat Safin, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Tim Henman, Guillermo Coria,Carlos Moya, and Gaston Gaudio. It continues to be sold online at ATPtennis.com viaATP partner Tennis Warehouse.

P E O P L E W AT C H• David Kjeldsen, CEO of Viking Athletics

in Lindenhurst, N.Y., announced that Brian Mills willassume responsibility for all inside sales of Viking's platform ten-

nis line. Mills will work closely with Dave Ohlmuller at O2 Athletics ofLake Bluff, Ill., which represents Viking in the Midwest.

• Longtime tennis coach Larry Easley has given much to the game of tennis overthe years, but now he needs help from it. Easley is suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig’sdisease) and his friends are asking for help in providing support. A fund-raising golfevent was held Aug. 12 in Nevada, and there are plans to do more. For details, contactRon Drylie at 888-750-7587 or e-mail [email protected].

• Wayne Bryan, coach of the Sacramento Capitals, has been named 2005 WorldTeamTennis Coach of the Year. The charismatic Bryan earned his second consecutiveCoach of the Year award after leading Sacramento to a League best 11-3 record and aWestern Conference Championship. The WTT Finals weekend will be Sept. 16-17 at All-state Stadium at Sunrise MarketPlace, Citrus Heights, Calif.

• In other WTT news, Elena Likhovtseva and Mark Knowles, both of the Sacramento Cap-itals, were named 2005 Female and Male MVPs. Also, Katerina Bondarenko of the New-port Beach Breakers has been named 2005 Female Rookie of the Year, while theSpringfield Lasers' Rik de Voest has earned Male Rookie of the Year honors.

• Eight college players and two coaches went to Izmire, Turkey, Aug. 11-21 to representthe U.S. at the 2005 World University Games tennis competition. U.S. Men's Coach DavidRoditi selected John Isner (University of Georgia), Ryler DeHeart (University of Illinois),Scott Green (Ohio State), and Ross Wilson (Ohio State). U.S. Women's Coach Lori McNeilselected Amber Liu (Stanford), Jennifer Magley (University of Florida), and Catrina andChristian Thompson (Notre Dame).

• Longtime USTA marketing and communications specialist Randy Walker willjoin Leverage Sports Agency after the 2005 US Open. Walker, who workedwith the US Open, Olympics, and U.S. Davis Cup team and served as the

USTA’s senior publicity manager, will work on publicity, sponsor-ship, and new business development for the Charlotte/New

York-based agency and will focus on the tennisindustry.


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L E T T E R SThe Need for News Coverage

Great “Your Serve” in the July2005 issue of Racquet SportsIndustry by Mark Winters (“Some-thing to Write About”). He is righton the money! The declining cov-erage tennis receives in localmedia is a big problem, and weneed to improve 1000 percent onit immediately.We in the Florida section of the

USTA are putting more personneland resources behind this and arehaving some luck and makingsome progress. The larger citiesstill have their challenges withregard to their sportswriters andtennis. But many smaller commu-nities are eager for stories andcoverage with a local flavor if youtake the time to submit them.Bob PfaenderFlorida

We welcome your letters and comments.Please email them to [email protected] orfax them to 760-536-1171.

Sportwall Unveils Its “Next Generation”

Interactive tennis and fitness pioneer Sportwall International will unveil its Next Gen-eration platform at the USPTA World Conference in Marco Island, Fla., the week ofSept. 18.A leader in the emerging industry of “active interactive” products and programs

for sports, fitness, and education,Sportwall uses computer-game tech-nology to motivate and engage partic-ipation so that exercise and trainingbecome more fun, entertaining, andproductive. Targets, scores, sounds,and time clocks stimulate the user’seyes, ears, hands, feet, and balancesystems to improve performance in alive-training environment. Programsinclude the world’s first internet-basedtennis skills competition.

Sportwall’s Next Generationupgrade includes MP3-quality three-track sound, enhanced programs forgroup and cardio workouts, audiogame instructions, interchangeablecurriculum using smart cards, wirelessheadphone connection, pay for playoption, and more.

For info: visit www.sportwall.comor contact VP Sports Tom West at 800-695-5056, ext 125.



Bald Head Island Club ChoosesClassic Turf Court Surface

The four courts at the Bald HeadIsland Club (below) along the NorthCarolina coast were recently resur-

faced by the Classic Turf Co. of Wood-bury, Conn., using the company’s 6millimeter Classic Cushion, a cushionedsheet-goods product.

“The original asphalt compositecourts have many cracks in them,” saysClassic Turf President Tumer H. Eren.“Since our product is breathable, it pro-tects the subsurface from cracking,which is especially important in an envi-ronment where there is a lot of mois-ture, such as Bald Head Island’socean-side courts.”

Bald Head Island Club General Man-ager Tom Golden says Classic Turf’s abil-ity to allow moisture to evaporatethrough the surface was a big reasonthe club chose the product. The ClassicCushion, he says, “has done everythingit’s purported to do. All in all, if you’retrying to cover a hard court that’s in abad state of repair, it’s a very goodoption. We’ve been happy with it.”

Contact 800-246-795 or 203-263-0800, or visit www.classicturf.org.

Squash Star SignsWith Tourna-GripFormer world No. 1squash star Lee Beachillhas signed a three-yeardeal with overgrip suppli-er Tourna-Grip. The three-time British champion,and current world No. 2,has used Tourna-Grip throughout hiscareer. “Lee Beachill, Pete Sampras andmany other top players in the worldhave won, and continue to win, manychampionships using only Tourna-Grip,”says Mike Niksich of Unique SportsProducts Inc., owner and manufacturerof Tourna-Grip. Contact 800-554-3707 orvisit www.uniquesports.us.



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> Wilson athletes dominated Wimbledon this year, with Roger Federerwinning his third consecutive single’s title and Venus Williams defeatingLindsay Davenport in a dramatic all-Wilson women’s single final. Federer,Williams and Davenport all use racquets from Wilson’s nCode line.

> All four boys in the singles semifinals of the Wimbledon Junior eventplay with Head racquets and are members of Team Elite, as is TamiraPaszek, playing with an FXP Instinct, who reached the girls’ singles final.For the boys, Jeremy Chardy, playing with a Liquid Metal Instinct, emergedwith the title, defeating Head Team Elite members Robin Haase in the finaland Donald Young in the semis. Earlier, Haase beat Head player Tim Smy-czek in the other semi.

> Southern California-based apparel manufacturer Bälle de Mätch hashired veteran sales professional Ginna Foster to manage brand sales inFlorida. She’s been a sales representative for Danskin in Florida for 13 yearsand will continue to cover the entire state for the brand. A competitivetennis player since the age of 10, Foster still plays in leagues at her homeclub of Lake Cane Tennis Center in Orlando. New or current accounts cancontact Foster directly at 407-909-9091 or [email protected].

> Prince reports that pro players who have switched to the new O3 rac-quets have jumped in the rankings. Wimbledon doubles champ LiezelHuber switched to the O3 Tour at the beginning of the season andimproved her doubles ranking from No. 45 to No. 4. Paul Goldstein movedup from 147 to 96 after switching to the O3 Tour and Davide Sanguinettimoved from 103 to 57.

SHORT SETS> The USTA says the 2005 US Open purse will top $17.7 mil-lion, and will potentially exceed $20.6 million—representingthe highest annual purse in sports—as the top three men’s andwomen’s finishers in the US Open Series may earn up to anadditional $2.8 million in bonus prize money at the US Open.Both the men’s and women’s US Open singles champions willearn $1.1 million with the ability to earn up to $2.2 millionbased on their performances in the US Open Series.

> Head NV reports that for the six months ended on June 30,net revenues for 2005 were down 2.7 percent to $169.6 mil-lion, compared to the same period in 2004. Racquet Sports rev-enues for the first six months of 2005 decreased by $6.4million, or 6.6 percent, to $90.0 million from $96.4 million inthe comparable 2004 period. This decrease was mainly due tolower sales volumes in tennis racquets and balls as well as achange in product mix, the company says.

> Tennis equipment distributor ATS Sports has picked BrianGallager of Stratham, N.H., as the winner of a trip for two tothe US Open. ATS carries a full line of tennis supplies. For moreinfo, visit www.atssports.com or call 800-866-7071.

> USTA Magazine, the magazine for USTA members, recentlywon three 2005 Apex Awards for Publication Excellence—onefor special purpose writing, one for design and layout, and onefor overall custom-published magazines.


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Wilson Joins Effort to Host “World’s Largest Tennis Lesson”

In what was billed as the “Worlds’ Largest Tennis Lesson,” more than 300 kids showedup on July 22 in Chicago to drill and learn the game in a free lesson. Chicago-based Wil-son Sporting Goods joined the effort, which was led by Chicago area teaching profes-

sional Mark Miller and designed to promote tennis among youth.“Wilson is committed to growing the game of tennis among youth and what better

way to expose them to the sport then through Mark’s efforts to provide a free lesson forhundreds of kids,” says James Burda, manager of U.S. promotions for Wilson. “This rein-forces the message that youth everywhere can embrace tennis as a fun sport that is bothphysically and socially rewarding.”

Miller first dreamed up the idea of the world’s largest lesson when he hosted a similarevent years ago and has since developed instructional programs at local park districts andday camps throughout Illinois. For more information, visit www.munchkinprogram.com.

“Fast Lane Tennis”Series On The TennisChannel

Anew 10-show series on The Ten-nis Channel called “Fast LaneTennis,” produced by USPTA

and PTR Master Professional JoeDinoffer, chronicles the tennis devel-opment of Dinoffer’s daughter Kalin-di as she learns the sport over an18-month period.

The series, which is the first videoproject that has tracked a beginningjunior through 18 months of learn-ing tennis, also features footage withpro tour star Meghann Shaugh-nessey, as well as comic sequencesfrom Bijou thetennis clown,played byteaching proHenri Elkins.

The instruc-tional seriescontains quicktips, creativeprogressions, drills, and solutions tocommon problems that players of allages face. For airing times, visitwww.thetennischannel.com, and forinfo on the DVD version, contactOncourt Offcourt at 88-TENNIS-11 orvisit www.oncourtoffcourt.com.

Prince Sports has come out with a lim-ited-edition O3 Pink frame, the fifthmember of the O3-engineered family.Prince says the O3 line provides largersweetspots (expanded by up to 54 per-cent) in maneuverableand aerodynamicframes. The O3Pink, part ofthe Think Pinkline of prod-ucts fromPrince, isdesigned for playerslooking for maximum powerwho have shorter, slowerstrokes. Five percent of the whole-sale price will be donated to theSusan G. Komen Foundation to aid inthe fight against breast cancer. Formore information, call 800-283-6647or visit www.princetennis.com.


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Boca Club Adds Premier Courts to Parking Deck

When the Yacht and Racquet Club of Boca Raton, Fla., want-ed to convert the roof of its parking garage into six tenniscourts—to complement the six ground-level, subsurface

irrigated clay courts it already had—it turned to Welch TennisCourts Inc. of Sun City, Fla. Welch had built the original six twoyears ago, but the six on the roof presented a challenge.

Club members insisted on playing on a soft surface, but theweight-bearing capacity ofthe deck was not sufficient tosupport clay courts. WelchPresident George Todd Jr.suggested Premier Court,which has a weight load of 2pounds per square foot. Thecushioned Premier Courtalso provides a maintenance-free surface, says Chris Rossi of Premier Concepts. The recentlycompleted garage deck courts are receiving high praise fromYacht and Racquet Club management and members.

“There are many facilities with similar situations,” says Todd.“Premier Court could be the perfect solution because it is a cush-ioned surface without the heavier weight loads.” Rossi says Pre-mier offers warranties of up to 15 years. For more information,contact Welch at 800-282-4415 (www.welchtennis.com) or Pre-mier Concepts at 800-458-4675 (www.premiercourt.com).

Technical TennisDispels Time-Honored Myths

Have you ever wondered howmuch difference your equip-ment makes to your tennis

game? Tennis physicist Rod Crossand technology expert (and RSIpublisher and editor-in-chief) Craw-ford Lindsey answer all your questions and explode time-honored “truisms” in their new book, Technical Tennis:Racquets, Strings, Balls, Courts, Spin, and Bounce.

The 152-page paperback is a reader-friendly follow-up totheir widely acclaimed The Physics and Technology of Tennis,which they co-authored with Dr. Howard Brody (who wrotethe foreword to the new book). The four chapters cover Rac-quets, Strings, Balls and Bounce, and Spin and Trajectory,and answer equipment- and performance-related questionsthat have perennially plagued hackers and experts alike,allowing players to turn practice into a focused application ofprinciples affecting the impact, bounce, and flight of the ball.

Technical Tennis is available from Racquet Tech Publishingfor $12.95. To order visit:

www.racquettech.com/store/books_TOC.html or call 760-536-1177.

RELATIONScustomer

he telephone just might represent theultimate love/hate relationship. On onehand, it’s the lifeline of our business; onthe other, it’s the scourge of our busi-

ness day. (Can you say “telemar-keter”?) Likewise as it

relates to our customers,the telephone cancement the relation-ship or repel themforever.

We communicatevolumes to our cus-

tomers in how thephone is answered, how their

requests are handled, how their needs aremet, and how their calls are ended. Consid-er the following:

“Hello. This is Jeannie Anderson. May Ispeak with John, please?”

“He’s not here.”“Oh, when do you expect him in?”“I have no idea.”“Well, I’m calling to see if my racquet’s

ready. Can you help me with that?”“Nope. You have to speak with him.”“Would you please take my name and

ask him to call me?”“Yup. What is it again?”“Jeannie Anderson.”“OK. Bye.”“Wait! Would you also please give him

my phone number?”“Yup. What is it?”“555-1212”“OK. Bye.”It was the last straw. Jeannie never set

foot in that shop again. John was a goodstringer, and he was a nice enough guy. Butsome of the shop employees were obviouslyjust marking time to collect their paychecks.They were not concerned with how theycame across on the phone, and despiteJeannie’s longstanding relationship as a cus-tomer, she always felt that she was startingover with these people every time she calledthe shop. She didn’t feel acknowledged, letalone appreciated.

How much better might Jeannie have

felt if her call had gone more like this:“Hello. This is Jeannie Anderson. May I

speak with John please?”“I’m sorry Jeannie. John’s at lunch and

probably won’t be back for a half hour orso. This is Paul. May I take a message orhelp you with something myself?”

“I’m calling to see if my racquet’sready. Can you help me with that?”

“I don’t have your slip here at thecounter, which leads me to believe that it’snot finished yet. But, how about if I takeyour number and ask John to call you assoon as he returns?”

“OK. That would be great. It’s 555-1212.”

“OK, Jeannie. I’ll be sure John gets thismessage. Is there anything else I can helpyou with today?”

“No, I don’t think so.”“OK, then. Thanks for calling.”“Thank you, Paul. See you later.”Many managers never think to teach

proper telephone etiquette, but it can payoff handsomely in how a business is per-ceived. If you’ve not given it much thoughtand wouldn’t know where to begin, hereare a few pointers that can make a big dif-ference in how your employees conveycustomer care.

SMILE BEFORE YOU ANSWERIt’s amazing what a smile does for tone ofvoice. People who work in call centers(and therefore make their living on thetelephone) often have signs or smiley faceicons on their desks or telephones remind-ing them to “Smile!” This isn’t just an atti-tudinal pick-me-up. It’s a reminder forthem to smile before answering thephone. Try it yourself to see what a differ-ence a smile can make in your tone ofvoice.

USE THE CALLER’S NAMEAT THE BEGINNINGAND END OF THE CALLKeep a pad of paper by all the phones inyour facility and encourage your employ-

ees to writethe caller’sname as soonas they hear it.Customers wantto feel acknowledged andspecial. Using a customer’sname is a great way to con-nect with them and show themthey’re not just another anony-mous voice at the end of the line.

BITE YOUR TONGUEBEFORE SAYING“YOU’LL HAVETO…”No customer wants to be toldwhat he or she has to do.Instead, try using phrases like, “Youmight want to…” or “May I suggest thatyou….” They are gentler and much lessdirective.

ASK PERMISSIONTO PUT PEOPLE ON HOLDYou know how rude it feels to have yourcall slammed on hold. Let it be your cus-tomer’s choice whether to be placed onhold. “May I put you on hold while I trans-fer you to John?” is more polite and lessdirective than just saying, “Hold on.”

ASK IF THERE’S ANYOTHER WAY IN WHICHYOU MIGHT BE OF SERVICEMake sure all of the customer’s needs aremet before the call is ended. This simplequestion can make your customer feel thatyou have all day for them and their con-cerns. Most often, they won’t need moreof your time, but they’ll appreciate theoffer.

GIVE THE NAME OF THE PER-SON TO WHOM YOU’RETRANSFERRING THE CALLMake sure your customer knows where hiscall is going and with whom he is about tospeak. “Gee, I’m sorry. I can’t answer that


3

B Y J I L L F O N T E

T

Make Your Telephone the UltimateCustomer-Care Tool

question. May I transfer you to Jim Smith,our food and beverage manager?”

MAKE SURE ATRANSFERRED CALLGOES THROUGH“If Jim doesn’t answer and you want to getback to me, please press 0 and ask forextension 107.” This way, your customerdoesn’t feel that his call has been dumpedinto a black hole. We’re seeing more andmore voice mail, and we’ve all been frustrat-ed by the voice-mail maze. We’ve all cried,“Can’t I just speak with a live person?!” Payattention to how your customers are treatedif they enter the voice-mail fray at your club.

LET THE CALLEREND THE CALLCustomers do not want to feel rushed offthe phone. When you do get the occasionalchatterbox who wants to bend your earabout string tension or ladies’ league or herrivalry with so and so, politely say, “I’msorry. I’d love to talk more about this, but Imust let you go. I have customers in the

shop/I have another line ring-ing/the UPS man is

here”….etc.The telephone

can and should bea customer-care

tool. Talk withyour staffmembersabout how

you want thephones to be answered,

how you want calls transferred and howyou want the business portrayed over thephone. Being proactive in training your staffhelps ensure that your customers will receiveconsistently high service from your shop orclub, even on the phone.�


Jill Fonte is a speaker andtrainer specializing in man-agement and customer ser-vice. She is a frequentpresenter at tennis conven-tions and workshopsthroughout the U.S. An avid,

frequent tennis player, she is the currentchair of the USTA's National Tennis Innova-tion Committee. She has also recentlyjoined Dr. Jack Groppel and Dr. Jim Loehras a performance coach and keynotespeaker at the Human Performance Insti-tute in Orlando, Fla.

KristineThom

P R O D U C T I N T R O S

IntroductoryCoursesIntroductoryCoursesRacquets, shoes, string, apparel—we’ve got thenew stuff your customers want.


emember when most major

product introductions seemed

to happen at the Super Show in

February, when manufacturers put

on lavish shows to sell their wares

to retailers, who in turn signed

purchase agreements for upcom-

ing shipments, and everyone went

home happy and excited?

Well, times certainly have

changed. Product introductions

essentially happen throughout the

year, and no time is more packed

with neat, new stuff than when

the US Open rolls around in late

August. From breakthrough rac-

quets and shoes, to string for all

types of players, to stylish new

apparel, and even racquetball and

squash frames, the following

pages have the new products that

your customers will be asking

about.

R

hat do women want? Wilsonhopes it has the answer.This fall, the company is

releasing a group of racquets,called the W line, that aredesigned specifically for femaleplayers. Of course, you may beasking yourself, how do youmake frames for women withoutpatronizing them? “Women expect

to be respected as athletes first,” says Wil-son’s Jon Muir, “but they also appreciate style.”Wilson will be putting the emphasis on the lat-

ter. The W line is, on a certain level, a vanity prod-uct. It consists of three models (the 117 sq.-in. W2

117, the 107-sq.-in. W4, and the 97-sq.-in.W6) that are available in multiple col-ors and patterns. The super-over-size comes in three colors, theoversize in four, and the mid-plusin two, giving the consumer a totalof nine different cosmetics fromwhich to choose. They are rac-quets as objets d’art.But these aren’t the cliché col-

ors of pink and powder blue,which racquet companies haveused in the past to create the imageof a lady’s stick. Rather, Wilson

paints these frames with vibrant and dis-tinctive colors and gives them names thatsound like shades of lipstick: Blue Shadow,Spicy Ruby, Savage Sapphire, and Wild Crim-son, for example.“We did extensive research—five focus

groups around the world—and we learned thatthe cosmetics had to be bold and strong,” Muir

says. “There has to be a sense that theracquet’s cosmetic is an extensionof the player’s personality. That’swhy we’re offering so manyselections.”But to Muir’s other point,

about respecting women as ath-letes first, W racquets aren’t just

pretty frames. There’s substancebehind the style. They feature Wilson’s

nCode technology for stability and a solid feel.The heads of each frame are also unique—ovalinstead of the traditional round shape, in order to

increase the length of the main strings for morepower. Other features include shock-absorbinggrommets and softer grips for comfort. And theracquets are all fairly light and maneuverable.The W racquets will carry a premium price,

ranging from $199.99 to $269.99 suggestedretail. Will women pony up? It’ll be interesting tosee. The W line, which will feature a new “W”logo, is the first time a tennis manufacturer hasmarketed racquets with such an image-consciousstrategy. In other industries, this type of market-ing has worked wonders. Take Apple. It has suc-cessfully branched off its iPod with mini iPods,where the main appeal is that they come in dif-ferent colors yet still deliver the solid performanceof the original.Muir compares the W line to the Apple strate-

gy. The thinking is that female players will identi-fy with a particular W model as a way ofexpressing themselves on court.But you have to wonder whether the W line

will cannibalize Wilson’s nCode racquets. Thecompany’s top female players, Lindsay Daven-port, Justine Henin-Hardenne, and Venus and Ser-ena Williams, endorse different nCode models.Will the women’s-only frames simply siphon salesaway from nCode, or will they generate new cus-tomers and expand the size of Wilson’s pie?And despite all the talk about technology and

performance, will serious tennis players be turnedoff by racquets that put style ahead of substance?While Wilson awaits the answers to these ques-

tions, it’s putting marketing muscle behind itslaunch at this year’s US Open. The racquets willcome with attractive head cards, with a picture ofthe line’s spokeswoman, ex-WTA touring pro Bar-bara Schett, on them, along with other point-of-purchase materials. In addition to the frames, theW line will include accessories such as bags, over-grips, visors, caps, and trucker hats that corre-spond to the racquet cosmetics. And a portion ofthe proceeds from the sale of W merchandise willbe donated to breast cancer research.Distribution will also play a key role in Wilson’s

prospects. “We believe that the W line is not forevery retailer,” Muir says. “This is a franchiseproduct. We want accounts who believe in whatwe’re doing and can carry at least three to fourSKUs. You need that many to tell the story.”

800-272-6060; www.wilson.com


R A C Q U E T S

Gender SpecificGender SpecificWilson’s new “W” line of frames is designed for women players.

BY JAMES MART IN

W

W2 Spicy Ruby

W2 Black Whisper

W2 Blue Shadow

W4 Savage Saphire

W4 Savage Lime

W4 Red Fury

W4 Cobalt Storm

W6 Wild Crimson

W6 Blue Steel

PrinceThis year Prince launched its O3 line,which includes the O3 Red, Silver,Blue, and Tour. The frames havelarge, grommet-less string holes,called O Ports, that allow the stringsgreater freedom of movement onimpact. This, in turn, gives the stringbeda more forgiving, damp feel and a biggersweetspot.One success story of the O3 line that’s probably

gone unnoticed by most fans happened on the pro tour thisspring. In the heart of the clay-court season, Russia’s NikolayDavydenko was in a bit of a slump and decided a change wasin order. He ditched his old racquet for the O3 Tour, and thenwent on a tear, winning St. Poelten and reaching the semifinalsof Roland Garros. As of August, Davydenko was No. 6 in theworld, and he credits a big part of his success to his new stick.“It has been and it is a real great experience working with Niko-

lay and noticing the huge improvement of his game with the new racquet,”says Prince’s tour manager, Fabrizio Caldarone.

Building on its own success, Prince has introducedthree O3 racquet bags (one that holds six, one that

holds three, and a backpack). And it gives asubtle nod to the O3 line with the

Quiktrac GT shoe, where themesh vents are made toresemble the oval O Portsand the upper color-coordi-nates with the frames.800-283-6647www.princetennis.com

Frames for FallR A C Q U E T S

Frames for Fall

HeadHead will continue to promote

its new Flexpoint racquets. Newto the family: the Flexpoint 4, whichis a ’tweener frame that should havemass appeal for players rated NTRP 3.0to 4.5, and the Flexpoint Instinct, anadvanced player’s frame that offers excel-lent stability on off-center hits.800-289-7366www.head.com

FischerFischer has the mostinteresting new technol-ogy this fall—the Mag-netic Speed racquets.They use the repellingpower of equally alignedmagnets in the head tohelp return the frame (whichdeforms on impact) to its orig-inal position quicker. This, inturn, transfers more power intoyour shot, says the company. Fis-cher will offer the M Pro No. One98 and a more user-friendly ver-sion, the M Pro No. One 105, whichhas a bigger head, though both tipthe scales at over 11 ounces.800-333-0337www.fischertennisusa.com

VölklVölkl says it’s new tech-nology, DNX, is about a“fourth dimension of car-bon” and “high-strengthmicro-tube construction,”but what’s it really mean?It’s quite simple, really. Thenew Völkl DNX V1 featuresultra-stiff carbon nanotubes inthe head, at the 3 and 9o’clock positions for stabilityon off-center hits, and in thethroat to keep the frame frombending backward and there-fore transfer more energy intothe ball. The DNX V1 comes in102- and 110-sq.-in. models,with a weight of 10.5 ouncesstrung.800-264-4579www.volkl.com


BY JAMES MART INLine extensions and new technologies leadthe way for recreational players.


Racquet Head size Length Weight Balance Balance Flex Swing Wt. Pattern Power Price(Sq. Inches) (Inches) (Grams) (CMs) (Inches) (RDC) (RDC) (M x C) Level MSRP

AVERYM3 (72 Holes) 95 26.875 346 31.00 12.20 62 307 16x20 1786 $179BANCROFTACE Advantage 107 27.000 270 34.50 13.58 57 279 16x19 1702 $195ACE Tour 98 27.000 307 33.50 13.19 67 304 16x18 1996 $195ACE Tour + 98 27.000 323 33.75 13.29 70 319 16x18 2188 $195FISCHERM Pro No. One 105 105 27.000 335 32.00 12.60 58 318 16x19 1937 $190M Pro No. One 98 98 16x20 0 $190HEADFlexpoint 10 121 27.500 259 38.00 14.96 69 316 16x19 2770 $275Flexpoint 4 107 27.330 281 35.50 13.98 67 309 16x19 2288 $225Flexpoint Instinct 100 27.000 308 33.00 12.99 65 308 18x19 2002 $180PRINCEAir Vanquish Midplus 100 27.000 308 33.75 13.29 70 315 16x19 2205 $150Air Vanquish Oversize 110 27.000 285 35.00 13.78 73 295 16x19 2369 $150O3 Blue 110 27.500 281 34.25 13.48 65 295 16x19 2215 $280Shark DB Midplus 100 27.000 301 34.50 13.58 68 308 16x19 2094 $200Shark DB Oversize 110 27.500 290 34.50 13.58 71 299 16x19 2452 $200PRO KENNEXKi (Kinetic Ionic) 10 100 27.000 311 33.50 13.19 68 305 16x19 2074 $180Ki 10 PSE 100 27.000 323 33.00 12.99 62 311 16x19 1928 $180Ki 15 105 27.500 280 35.25 13.88 70 312 16x19 2408 $190Ki 15 PSE 105 27.250 325 32.75 12.89 71 317 16x19 2422 $190Ki 20 110 27.500 271 35.75 14.07 69 309 16x19 2463 $210Ki 30 117 27.375 270 35.00 13.78 73 299 16x19 2650 $250Ki 5 100 27.000 324 32.25 12.70 63 309 16x20 1947 $180Ki 5 PSE 100 27.125 370 32.00 12.60 67 335 16x20 2273 $180Ki 5x 100 27.625 335 34.00 13.39 68 349 16x20 2522 $180Kinetic Pro 15g Light 105 27.500 272 35.00 13.78 65 300 16x19 2150 $150Type C 98 98 27.000 354 31.75 12.50 58 323 18x20 1836 $160Type R 100 27.000 328 33.25 13.09 56 315 16x20 1764 $160Type SX 100 27.500 336 33.50 13.19 68 326 16x19 2328 $160VANTAGEVT001 90 27.000 338 32.50 12.80 63 321 16x18 1820 $221VT002 95 27.000 334 32.00 12.60 61 323 16x19 1872 $221VT003 100 27.250 306 34.75 13.68 61 324 16x19 2026 $221VOLKLDNX V1 MP 102 27.000 302 33.50 13.19 69 301 16x19 2118 $220DNX V1 OS 110 27.500 297 34.00 13.39 68 302 16x19 2372 $220WILSONW2 Black Whisper 117 27.500 273 37.75 14.86 66 326 16x18 2643 $270W2 Blue Shadow 117 27.500 270 37.75 14.86 65 318 16x18 2539 $270W2 Spicy Ruby 117 27.500 273 37.25 14.67 65 319 16x18 2547 $270W4 Cobalt Storm 107 27.250 267 36.50 14.37 66 304 16x18 2201 $230W4 Red Fury 107 27.250 272 36.25 14.27 67 307 16x18 2256 $230W4 Savage Lime 107 27.250 271 36.75 14.47 67 311 16x18 2285 $230W4 Savage Sapphire 107 27.250 272 36.25 14.27 67 305 16x18 2241 $230W6 Blue Steel 97 27.000 299 35.25 13.88 59 327 16x20 1871 $200W6 Wild Crimson 97 27.000 297 35.25 13.88 60 322 16x20 1874 $200YONEXNano Speed RQ 5 105 27.500 289 35.00 13.78 68 316 16x18 2369 $219Nano Speed RQ 7 100 27.500 300 33.00 12.99 66 303 16x18 2100 $259Nano Speed RQ 7 110 27.500 288 35.75 14.07 65 326 16x19 2447 $259Nano Speed RQ 8 110 27.500 272 37.00 14.57 74 313 16x20 2675 $279

AVERY 800-758-9467 • www.tomavery.com

BANCROFT 800-779-0807 • www.bancroftsports.com

FISCHER 800-333-0337 • www.fischertennisusa.com

HEAD 800-289-7366 • www.head.com

PRINCE 800-283-6647 • www.princetennis.com

PRO KENNEX 760-804-8322 • www.prokennex.com

VANTAGE 800-824-4989 • www.vantagetennis.com

VOLKL 800-264-4579 • www.volkl.com

WILSON 773-714-6400 • www.wilsonsports.com

YONEX 310-793-3800 • www.yonex.com

New Tennis Racquets for Summer/Fall 2005

FOOTWEAR

Foot SoldiersFoot SoldiersFrom big-name endorsements to grassroots player appeal,tennis shoe manufacturers have the kicks for your customers.

BY JAMES MART IN

AdidasThe new ClimaCool Ultimate II, for men andwomen, offers maximum ventilation foryour feet, says Adidas. To help get the mostout of its new shoes, the company also isencouraging consumers to purchase sports-specific socks to wick moisture away.800-448-1796www.adidas.com

BabolatBabolat knows how to pick ’em. The company signed up AndyRoddick to endorse the Pure Drive Team, which has becomethe biggest success story in racquets in years. And it got RafaelNadal to endorse the Aeropro Drive, and the kid goes and wins

the French Open this year. Now Babolat is going back to Rod-dick, hoping he can do for its shoes what he did for its signature stick.

This fall Babolat officially enters the U.S. footwear market with theTeam All Court, a stability-oriented shoe that comes with Miche-lin soles. Roddick will start wearing these shoes in January.877-316-9435www.babolat.com

NikeAnother shoe that has a big-name playerattached to it is the Nike Shox Glamour SWII. As you can tell by its initials, the Shox isendorsed by Serena Williams, and it’sdesigned for aggressive, serious players likeher. It features highly resilient polyurethanecolumns in the heel for shock absorption.But unlike the Shox in Nike’s popular run-ning shoes, these columns are much lowerto give players more side-to-side stability.800-344-6453www.nike.com


WilsonWilson puts its best foot forward with the Pro Staff Elite, which, like

its other Pro Staff models, delivers a winning combination ofcomfort, support, and durability. It’s the kind of shoe thatshould be quite popular with teaching pros and anyone elsewho spends a lot of time on the court.

800-272-6060www.wilson.com

New BalanceNew Balance has introduced theCT/WCT 653, a lightweight,comfortable shoe, withwidth sizes for menand women. Theshoe probablywill appeal mostto entry-levelplayers lookingfor a comfortableride but who don’tneed maximum stability.800-343-1395www.newbalance.com

KSwissA real “player’s” shoe, K-Swiss says its Defier RS, formen and women, is engineered to stand up to even themost intense on-court battles. The shoe features K-Swiss’s Shock Spring cushioning in the heel and forefootand a TecTuff toe wrap for durability.800-714-4477www.kswiss.com

DiadoraAre your competitive players looking for a stable,durable, and responsive performance shoe? Diado-ra says its new Attax DA 2, for both men andwomen, is just the ticket to help players get to theball in style.253-520-8868www.diadoraamerica.com



STR INGS

The String SelectorMap 2005The String SelectorMap 2005Customize your stringbed for optimum performance and feel.(Article adapted from the new book Technical Tennis: Racquets, Strings, Balls, Courts, Spin, and Bounce, by Rod Cross and Crawford Lindsey)

Customize your stringbed for optimum performance and feel.very choice concerning properties or features of string(except durability) comes down to how they will affect

stringbed stiffness. Material, construction, gauge, and tensionall influence string stiffness, which in turn affects stringbed stiff-ness, which affects power, control, and feel. The String SelectorMap helps you navigate the quagmire of over 400 strings tochoose what works and feels best for each player.

String StiffnessString stiffness is a combination of material, gauge (i.e., stringdiameter and, thus, amount of material), length, and tension.But it is not a single number that is the same all of the time suchthat you can say, “This stringhas a stiffness of such andsuch.” The stiffness of thestring changes depending onwhat the tension is beforeyou start stretching it. Astring at 50 pounds willstretch more for each poundof impact force compared toa string at 70 pounds. Inother words, the string isstiffer at higher tensions, notjust because of the tension,but also because of a changein the material property itself.This is a property of all com-mon string materials. A steelstring would not act that way.It would stretch lengthwise the same amount for each pound ofimpact force whether it were strung at 40, 60, or 80 pounds,and you could say that the steel string has a definite value forlengthwise stiffness. Fortunately, in the normal stringing rangeof 50-70 pounds, different stringmaterials don’t change stiffnessradically compared to each otheras tension is altered. So, if onestring is stiffer than another at 50pounds, it is, for all practical pur-poses, safe to say that it is stifferby about the same proportion at70 pounds. Each string will feelabout the same relative to theother at each tension. However,

they will each feel stiffer than they did at the lower tension. Theone exception is gut, which is stiffer at lower tensions comparedto nylon, but the stiffness stays relatively constant at the rangesof higher tensions caused by ball impact, and it is less stiff thanother strings at these tensions as a result.

As the String Selector shows, there are only four differentstring materials in common use. In order from softest to stiffestthey are: gut, nylon, polyester, and aramids, such as Kevlar.These groups have very little, if any, overlap in measured stiff-ness values from one group to another. There is beginning to bea tiny bit of overlap between nylon and polyester (but only fora very few strings), as new manufacturing processes have

allowed polyester to be soft-ened. Within each category,there is a range of variance,but nothing as significant asthe leap between separate cat-egories.

Tension LossThe Selector Map also plotstension loss. This is a propertyof the material and is relatedto stiffness because it deter-mines the consistency overtime of the stringbed stiffness.Every string loses tensionfrom the second it is installedand with every hit of a tennisball. The rate of tension loss

determines how much and how quickly the stiffness of yourstringbed will change and, with it, the performance and feel.The tension loss was measured by pulling the string to 62pounds, waiting 200 seconds, and then impacting the string five

times with a force comparable tohitting a 120 mph serve. The ten-sion loss is thus a combination ofstatic time tension loss and dynam-ic impact tension loss. Polyesterloses the most tension and gut theleast.

The rate of loss slows to a merecreep after a couple of days andremains “perceptually” about thesame for a few weeks. This means

Table 1Effect of Stringbed Features on Stringbed Stiffness

String Description Effect on Stringbed StiffnessLong/short strings Softer/stifferThin/thick gauge strings* Softer/stifferOpen/closed string pattern Softer/stifferLoose/tight string tension Softer/stifferSoft/stiff string material Softer/stifferBig/small grommet/string holes (support system) Softer/stiffer

* About half of all thin strings are stiffer than thick versions of the same string. The reason isthat the stress (tension per square inch) on the thin string is larger and that the stiffness ofmost strings increases quickly when the stress increases above a certain value. A thin stringwill generally stretch further than a thick string when it is strung at 60 pounds, but it oftenstretches less than a thick string when the tension rises above 60 pounds during a shot.

E

Table 2Effect of String Stiffness on Performance

Stringbed Shock & ReboundProperty Power Control Vibration Spin Angle

Soft More Less Less Same HigherStiff Less More More Same Lower

BY CRAWFORD L INDS EY

The Geography of “Feel”Finding Your “Feel Good” Location


� To find the string that goes with the dot, note thedot's coordinates and look them up in the table.

� Find your current string:• If you like it, dots in the neighborhood(i.e., close vertical axes to right or left) willlikely play similar (perhaps with betterdurability and cost).

• If you don't like it, move out of theneighborhood (i.e., vertical axes fartherto right or left).

• If you like the feel but it doesn't last,choose a string farther down on the sameaxis.

Test Procedure. All strings were tensioned to 62 pounds and allowed to sit for 200 seconds. Then the string was hit five times with aforce equivalent to hitting a 120 mph serve. The tension loss represents the total amount of the relaxation over both time and impact. The stiffnessvalue is a calculation derived from the amount of force created at impact to stretch the string. Lower values represent softer strings and lowerimpact forces. Higher values represent stiffer strings and higher impact forces.

different things to different players. If you are a typical recre-ational player, the feel you are looking for is the stabilized feel thatyou experience after a couple of days and then for weeks after. Ifyou are a pro, you need your racquets to feel exactly the sameevery day. That is why high level players restring so frequently.

String stiffness and tension loss are just two vari-ables in overall stringbed stiffness. Table 1 summarizesthe effect of additional variables that affect that stiff-ness, and Table 2 summarizes the resulting affect onperformance. �

� Stiffness (horizontal axis) is the MOST importantfactor in string “feel.”

� The amount of tension loss affects the consistencyof that feel.

� “Consistency” is relative and depends on playersensitivity, string durability, and amount and styleof play.

� Hard hitters lose more tension than light hitters.� Softer strings are to the left, stiffer strings to the right.� Strings that lose more tension are at the top; thosethat lose less are at the bottom.

� All strings on the same vertical line should feel aboutthe same, no matter the tension.

� All strings at different locations onthe same horizontal line will feeldifferent from each other.

� Stringbed power increases to the left.� Player supplied power increases tothe right.

� Stringbed control increases to theright.

� “Arm friendly” strings are to the left.� “Feedback” intensity (shock)increases to right.

� Feel consistency over time tends toincrease toward the bottom.

Hybrids: to look up a hybrid combination, you must look up each string separately. If it is a pre-packaged hybrid, most packaging indicates the name of each string.


Head RIP Feel 17 Polyolefin 1.28 136 15.14Pro Kennex IQ-Element Z 17 Zyex 1.21 137 14.38Iso-Speed Platinum 16 Polyolefin 1.27 138 16.62Head RIP Comfort 16 Polyolefin 1.31 140 15.77Pro Kennex IQ-Comfort 17 Polyolefin 1.27 142 14.75Head RIP Feel 16 Polyolefin 1.33 143 14.77Pro Kennex IQ-Element 2 16 Zyex 1.30 145 13.12Power Angle Duo-Color TNT Fat Core 17 Nylon 1.26 145 15.02Ashaway Dynamite 17 Zyex/nylon 1.24 147 13.72Isospeed Professional 17 Polyolefin 1.27 152 15.06Blue Star Stargut 17 Nylon 1.27 160 14.20Pro Kennex IQ-Element 2 15L Zyex 1.40 161 12.22Head RIP Protect 16 Polyolefine/Nylon 1.32 163 11.57Iso-Speed Platinum 16 Polyolefin/Nylon 1.32 165 12.46Wilson Reaction 18 Nylon 1.20 165 12.81Ashaway Dynamite WB 16 Zyex/nylon 1.37 165 13.21Gamma Live Wire Professional 17 Nylon/Zyex 1.29 168 12.37Pro Kennex IQ-Comfort 16 Polyolefin 1.37 168 14.90Gamma Live Wire Professional Nylon/Zyex 1.33 174 13.28Gamma Prodigy 17 Nylon 1.25 175 11.16Prince Premier w/softflex 17 Nylon 1.25 175 11.97Wilson Reaction 17 Nylon 1.27 175 12.00Volkl Fire Nylon 1.31 175 16.80Head Synthetic Gut PPS 18 Nylon 1.16 176 11.93Prince Premier w/Softflex 16 Nylon 1.31 176 11.97Head RIP Tour 17 Nylon/Polyolefin 1.30 177 10.87Head RIP Control 17 Nylon/Polyolefin 1.28 178 10.25Head RIP Power 16L Nylon/Polyolefin 1.32 178 10.91Pacific PowerTwist Nylon 1.35 179 11.78Iso-Speed Energetic Plus 16 Nylon/Polyolefin 1.32 180 10.41Head Perfect Power 16 Nylon 1.35 180 11.84Head FiberGel Power 17 Nylon 1.26 180 12.28Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 18 Nylon/Polyurethane 1.19 181 8.96Tecnifibre NRG2 18 Nylon/Polyurethane 1.17 181 9.86Wilson Reaction 16 Nylon 1.30 181 11.00Head RIP Tour 16 Nylon/Polyolefin 1.37 181 11.51Gamma Prodigy 16 Nylon 1.30 181 11.67Babolat Xcel Premium 17 Nylon 1.25 182 10.01Pacific FiberTwist 17 Nylon 1.25 182 11.71Gamma ESP 17 Nylon 1.28 182 12.68Tecnifibre 515 17 Nylon/Polyurethane 1.27 182 13.05Prince Sweet Perfection 17 Nylon 1.25 182 14.00Blue Star Laser 130 16 Nylon 1.31 183 10.94Head RIP Control 16 Nylon/Polyolefin 1.38 184 11.02Forten Tiegut 16 Nylon 1.32 184 12.08Alpha Firecable 16 Nylon/Polyester 1.31 184 14.73Pacific Graphite Braid TX 17 Nylon/graphite 1.30 184 15.75Head Perfect Control 16 Nylon 1.38 185 10.70Head RIP Ti.Fiber 16 Nylon 1.33 185 11.23Yonex Tough Brid 125 Nylon/Vectran 1.35 185 12.02Babolat Attraction Power 17 Nylon 1.26 186 9.84Babolat Syntronic Brio 17 Nylon 1.25 186 10.41Blue Star Fibergut XL 15L Nylon 1.39 186 11.71Volkl Power-Fiber II 17 Nylon 1.25 186 12.20Gamma ESP 16 Nylon 1.32 186 12.64Wilson Stamina Spin 16 Nylon 1.29 186 12.68Blue Star Stargut 16 Nylon 1.36 186 12.94Gamma Revelation 17 Nylon 1.26 186 13.08Babolat Xcel Premium 16 Nylon 1.31 187 10.12Alpha Gut 2000 Nylon 1.33 187 11.23Gamma Gut 2 Nylon 1.34 187 12.00Prince Sweet Perfection 16 Nylon 1.31 187 13.05Babolat Pro Hurricane 18 Nylon 1.21 187 22.29Prince Lightning XX w/ Powerfoil 16 Nylon/Polyester 1.32 188 10.96Silent Partner Filament Frenzy 16 Nylon 1.31 188 11.55Gamma Live Wire 17 Nylon/Zyex 1.24 188 13.74Volkl Power-Fiber II 18 Nylon 1.19 189 10.39Head RIP Ti.Fiber 17 Nylon/Polyolefin 1.23 189 10.56

Alpha Element 16 Nylon 1.32 189 10.89Wilson Reaction 15L Nylon 1.35 189 10.94Pacific Futura TXT 16L Nylon 1.29 189 11.16Head FiberGel Power 16 Nylon 1.31 189 11.62Tecnifibre NRG2 17 Nylon/Polyurethane 1.24 190 9.55Head Synthetic Gut PPS 17 Nylon 1.22 190 11.38Unique Tournafiber Irradiated 17 Nylon 1.27 190 11.62Klip Kicker 17 Nylon 1.24 190 11.68Gamma Live Wire XP 16 Nylon/Zyex 1.32 190 12.04Gamma Live Wire 16 Nylon/Zyex 1.31 190 12.87Ashaway Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.26 190 14.93Gamma TNT2 Rx 17 Nylon 1.26 191 10.96Gamma Live Wire XP 17 Nylon/Zyex 1.25 191 12.35Gamma TNT Fat Core 17 Nylon 1.27 191 13.36Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 1.30 Nylon/Polyurethane 1.31 192 10.08Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 1.24 Nylon/Polyurethane 1.28 192 10.12Prince Lightning XX w/ Powerfoil 17 Nylon/Polyester 1.24 192 10.94Gamma TNT2 Pro Plus 17L Nylon 1.25 192 12.74Kirschbaum Touch Multi-Fibre Nylon 1.31 192 14.07Tecnifibre TRC 17 Nylon/Polyurethane 1.25 193 11.20Gosen OG-Sheep Micro Super 17 Nylon 1.24 193 11.51Forten Omni Spin 15L Nylon 1.37 193 12.44Wilson NXT 17 Nylon 1.24 193 12.99Babolat FiberTour 16 Nylon 1.32 194 10.45Head FXP 17 Nylon/Polyester 1.25 194 10.59Prince LightningXX 16 Nylon 1.29 194 10.76Volkl Power-Fiber II 16 Nylon 1.30 194 11.20Prince Lightning Power w/ Powerfoil 17Nylon/Polyester 1.25 194 11.40Silent Partner Ultimatum 18 Nylon 1.19 194 12.04Forten Sweet 17 Nylon 1.27 194 12.62Gamma TNT Fat Core 16 Nylon 1.31 194 12.77Ashaway Liberty 16 Nylon 1.33 194 12.90Alpha Claycourt Plus 16 Nylon 1.32 194 13.80Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.27 194 13.96Volkl Power-Fiber 18 Nylon 1.19 195 9.57Unique Tournafiber SpinPlus 16 Nylon 1.32 195 11.14Klip Excellerator 16 Nylon 1.30 195 11.44Klip Excellerator 17 Nylon 1.30 195 11.66Gamma TNT2 Ruff 16 Nylon 1.52 195 11.95Gosen Super Tec AK Speed 17 Nylon 1.24 196 10.87Gamma TNT2 Pro Plus 16 Nylon 1.32 196 11.16Head Synthetic Gut PPS 16 Nylon 1.31 196 11.69Alpha Prodigy 16 Nylon 1.32 196 11.95Prince Perfection 17 Nylon 1.25 196 12.42Ashaway Liberty L15 Nylon 1.41 196 16.25Tecnifibre NRG2 16 Nylon/Polyurethane 1.31 197 8.05Babolat Syntronic Brio 16 Nylon 1.34 197 10.52Forten Spin Gear 15 Nylon 1.43 197 11.22Gamma Revelation 16 Nylon/Zyex 1.32 197 11.88Wilson Sensation 17 Nylon 1.25 197 11.91Wilson NXT 16 Nylon 1.30 198 10.69Head FiberGel 16 Nylon 1.34 198 11.97Ashaway Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.34 198 12.12Forten Dynamix 18 Nylon 1.21 198 13.01Blue Star Original 15L Nylon 1.43 198 13.92Wilson NXT OS 16L Nylon 1.32 199 10.43Tecnifibre 515 16 Nylon/Polyurethane 1.35 199 10.58Pro Kennex CS-Elite 16 Nylon/Polyurethane 1.29 199 11.42Dunlop Max Comfort 17 Nylon 1.23 199 11.78Yonex Tough Brid 130 Nylon/Vectran 1.40 199 11.90Gosen OG-Sheep Micro 17 Nylon 1.24 199 12.35Prince Tournament Nylon 15L Nylon 1.40 199 13.19Wilson Stamina 18 Nylon 1.22 200 9.81Babolat Xcel Premium 15L Nylon 1.39 200 10.17Dunlop Max Comfort 16 Nylon 1.32 200 11.07Bow Brand Micro Tournament 17 Nylon 1.24 200 12.50Blue Star Focus 130 16 Nylon 1.33 201 10.76Bow Brand t2000 15L Nylon 1.37 201 11.38

Stiff- Tension Stiff- TensionCompany String Material Gauge ness Loss Company String Material Gauge ness Loss

(lb/in.) (lbs) (lb/in.) (lbs)

Nylon, Zyex, & Polyolefin (Sorted by Stiffness)


Forten Dynamix 15L Nylon 1.33 201 11.82Wilson Staminia Spin 15L Nylon 1.38 201 12.15Silent Partner Ultimatum 17 Nylon 1.28 201 12.66Alpha Sensor Fibre 16 Nylon 1.35 202 11.02Gamma Challenger 17 Nylon 1.27 202 11.33Klip Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.25 202 12.87Pro Kennex CS-Qualifier 16 Nylon 1.31 202 12.96Pacific PremiumPower X 16 Nylon 1.33 202 13.67Gamma Synthetic Gut 17 w/Wearguard Nylon 1.26 203 9.15Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Weargurard 18 Nylon 1.21 203 9.68Gamma TNT2 Rx 16 Nylon 1.36 203 9.81Prince Lightning Power w/ Powerfoil 16Nylon/Polyester 1.31 203 9.95Prince Synthetic Gut 18 w/Duraflex Nylon 1.20 203 11.51Wilson NXT Tour 17 Nylon 1.27 203 12.46Klip Screamer Titanium Nylon/Titanium 1.30 203 12.54Gosen OG-Sheep Micro 16 Nylon 1.29 203 12.96Prince Perfection 16 Nylon 1.31 203 14.24Gamma Dura Spin 15L Nylon 1.37 204 9.63Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 w/Wearguard Nylon 1.31 204 10.03Gosen OG Sheep Micro Super 16 Nylon 1.30 204 11.29Unique Tournafiber Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.22 204 11.31Unique Tournafiber Irradiated 16 Nylon 1.33 204 11.44Forten Sweet 15 Nylon 1.36 204 11.55Pacific Syntec 16L Nylon 1.32 204 12.37Klip Excellerator 15L Nylon 1.34 204 12.68Silent Partner Head Spin 15L Nylon 1.38 204 13.18Silent Partner Titanium 16 Nylon 1.32 204 13.19Gamma Zo Plus 16L Nylon 1.32 204 13.56Wilson Extreme Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.28 205 10.30Dunlop Tour Performance 16 Nylon 1.34 205 10.85Wilson Supreme 17 Nylon 1.29 205 11.07Forten Dynamix 17 Nylon 1.26 205 11.14Blue Star Serve and Volley 16 Nylon 1.31 205 11.20Head Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.29 205 11.27Pacific Power Spin 16 Nylon 1.38 205 12.48Tecnifibre TRC 16 Nylon/Polyurethane 1.31 206 10.50Bow Brand Ballistic 15L Nylon 1.35 206 10.59Silent Partner Ultimatum 16 Nylon 1.33 206 12.81Klip Scorcher 17 Nylon 1.27 206 13.51Prince Lightning XX 17 Nylon 1.26 207 9.68Pacific Futura TXT 16 Nylon 1.39 207 11.51Silent Partner Original Syn 16 Nylon 1.33 207 13.89Wilson NXT Max 15L Nylon 1.35 208 9.88Wilson Supreme 16 Nylon 1.32 208 10.34Bow Brand Synthetic Gut XT 16 Nylon 1.33 208 10.85Forten Dynamix 16 Nylon 1.34 208 10.95Babolat Superfine Play 17 Nylon 1.25 208 11.49Klip Scorcher 16 Nylon 1.31 208 12.83Wilson NXT Tour 18 Nylon 1.24 209 9.53Wilson Stamina 17 Nylon 1.25 209 9.68Gamma TNT2 17 Nylon 1.27 209 9.85Prince Topspin Plus 16 Nylon 1.29 209 10.06Head FXP 16 Nylon/Polyester 1.34 209 10.83Prince Synthetic Gut 15L w/Duraflex Nylon 1.35 209 11.13Gamma Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.26 209 11.51Wilson Sensation 16 Nylon 1.32 209 11.55Prince Topspin 15L Nylon 1.30 209 11.92Klip Kicker 16 Nylon 1.32 209 12.55Gamma TNT2 16 Nylon 1.31 210 10.34Wilson Extreme Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.25 210 10.39Head Extreme Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.24 210 11.27Bow Brand Tournament 16L Nylon 1.32 210 11.97Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.34 210 12.70Babolat Superfine Play 16 Nylon 1.32 210 12.76Wilson NXT Max 16 Nylon 1.34 211 9.71Gosen Tecgut Super Tec AK Speed 16 Nylon 1.32 211 10.45Forten Competition Nylon 15L Nylon 1.41 211 10.89Gamma Marathon DPC 16 Nylon 1.32 211 11.51

Unique Tournafiber Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.34 211 12.76Babolat Powergy 16 Nylon 1.34 211 13.10Prince Synthetic Gut 17 w/Duraflex Nylon 1.26 212 10.69Forten Sweet 16 Nylon 1.33 212 10.78Gosen OG-Sheep Micro Super JC 16 Nylon 1.30 212 11.05Gosen Tecgut Super Tec Ak Pro 16 Nylon 1.34 212 11.64Alpha Viper 16 Nylon 1.29 212 12.35Prince Synthetic Gut 16 w/Duraflex Nylon 1.30 213 12.04Prince Synthetic Gut Original 17 Nylon 1.24 214 10.59Klip Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.33 214 10.98Gamma TNT2 18 Nylon 1.18 214 11.05Klip Synthetic Gut 15L Nylon 1.37 214 13.76Babolat Razor Spin 16 Nylon 1.30 214 13.76Gamma Synthetic Gut 15L w/Weargurad Nylon 1.38 215 11.18Gamma Ruff 16 Nylon 1.48 215 11.33Unique Tournafiber Nylon 16 Nylon 1.32 215 12.33Klip Twister 15L Nylon 1.43 215 12.53Dunlop Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.31 215 13.21Pacific Syntec 16 Nylon 1.37 216 12.15Alpha Sphere 16 Nylon 1.31 216 14.88Gamma Dura Spin w/ Wearguard 16 Nylon 1.37 217 8.95Gosen Nanocubic 16 Nylon 1.32 217 10.81Gamma Challenger 16 Nylon 1.32 217 10.95Prince Synthetic Gut Original 16 Nylon 1.30 217 11.67Babolat Conquest 16 Nylon 1.33 217 14.99Gamma Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.30 218 9.86Wilson Ultra Synthetic Gut 16 Nylon 1.32 218 10.28Gosen OG-Sheep Proform Tuff 15L Nylon 1.38 218 11.16Bow Brand Super Pro 15L Nylon 1.43 218 11.42Bow Brand Calibre 15L Nylon 1.36 218 12.28Babolat Conquest 17 Nylon 1.27 218 12.64Babolat Conquest Ti 16 Nylon 1.33 218 16.23Wilson NXT Tour 16 Nylon 1.31 219 8.98Dunlop Synthetic Gut 17 Nylon 1.24 219 10.04Wilson Stamina 16 Nylon 1.32 219 10.10Gamma Marathon DPC 15L Nylon 1.44 219 10.80Gamma XL 16 Nylon 1.29 219 11.40Head Master 15L Nylon 1.39 219 11.58Head Master 16L Nylon 1.31 221 9.57Gamma Synthetic Gut 18 Nylon 1.22 221 10.14Gosen Tecgut Power 16 Nylon 1.31 221 14.58Bow Brand Superspin Nylon 1.43 222 11.29Gamma Dura Spin 16 Nylon 1.39 223 8.93Gamma Synthetic Gut 15L Nylon 1.37 224 11.42Gamma Advantage 15L Nylon 1.39 227 9.90Gamma Marathon DPC 17 Nylon 1.27 228 9.42Gamma Dura Spin 15L Nylon 1.41 230 10.23



Nylon, Zyex, & Polyolefin (Sorted by Stiffness) Cont.


Gut (Sorted by Stiffness)

Pacific Prime Gut Imperial 17 Natural Gut 1.17 90 9.85Pacific Classic Gut 17 Natural Gut 1.22 92 8.9Pacific Classic Gut 17 Natural Gut 1.22 97 8.76Pro Kennex Heritage 16 Natural Gut 1.27 99 10.25Grand Slam Gut Grand Slam Gut 15L (coated) Natural Gut 1.36 100 8.58Wilson Natural 16 Natural Gut 1.31 102 8.43Babolat VS Team 17 Natural Gut 1.26 102 8.45Wilson Natural 17 Natural Gut 1.26 103 8.13Pacific Tour Gut 17 Natural Gut 1.24 104 9.13Grand Slam Gut Grand Slam Gut 17 (uncoated) Natural Gut 1.28 105 7.87Pacific Prime Gut 17 Natural Gut 1.22 105 8.45Pacific Classic Gut 16 Natural Gut 1.3 106 11.01Babolat VS Touch 16 Natural Gut 1.3 107 8.31

Wilson Natural 15L Natural Gut 1.34 110 9.28Pacific Prime Gut 17L Natural Gut 1.25 110 9.44Bow Brand Championship 16 Natural Gut 1.3 111 7.36Klip Legend 1.30 Natural Gut 1.28 113 8.77Grand Slam Gut Grand Slam Gut 16 (coated) Natural Gut 1.41 113 9.28Klip Legend 17 Natural Gut 1.27 113 9.31Babolat Tonic+ Ball Feel Natural Gut 1.35 114 8.84Bow Brand Championship 15L Natural Gut 1.34 116 8.53Babolat VS Touch 15L Natural Gut 1.35 118 8.68Unique Tourna Gut 16 Natural Gut 1.3 119 9.06Babolat Tonic+ Longevity Natural Gut 1.38 119 9.26Grand Slam Gut Grand Slam Gut 15L (uncoated) Natural Gut 1.48 129 11.22

Polyester (Sorted by Stiffness)Stiff- Tension Stiff- Tension

Company String Material Gauge ness Loss Company String Material Gauge ness Loss(lb/in.) (lbs) (lb/in.) (lbs)

Tecnifibre Promix 1.25 Polyester 1.27 199 13.72Tecnifibre Promix 1.30 Polyester 1.29 204 14.99Gosen Polylon SP 17 Polyester 1.25 215 20.70Kirschbaum Competition 1.20 Polyester 1.19 219 19.09Klip K-Boom 18 Polyester 1.19 223 18.88Wilson Enduro Pro 18 Polyester 1.21 224 17.02Gamma Zo True 18 Polyester 1.13 224 17.55Babolat Pro Hurricane Polyester 1.25 226 16.83Toalson Thermaxe 123 Polyester 1.23 226 17.97Silent Partner Roly Poly 17 Polyester 1.27 229 19.62Kirschbaum Turbo Touch 1.25 Polyester 1.25 229 21.41Unique Tourna Poly Big Hitter 17 Polyester 1.26 231 18.15Pacific Poly Soft 16 Polyester 1.29 231 19.16Luxilon Big Banger Ace 18 Polyester 1.16 232 17.05Yonex Tough Brid 1.25 Polyester 1.24 232 20.95Ashaway MonoGut 17 Polyester 1.22 233 20.20Klip K-Boom 17 Polyester 1.23 234 17.99Volkl V-Rex 16L Polyester 1.24 234 18.32Kirschbaum Competition 1.25 Polyester 1.28 235 19.07Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.20 Polyester 1.21 235 19.98Gosen Polylon SP 16 Polyester 1.29 235 21.06Wilson Enduro Tour 18 Polyester 1.20 236 21.89Wilson Enduro Tour 17 Polyester 1.24 236 23.68Gamma Zo Plus Polyester 1.25 238 17.42Forten Pro Select 17 Polyester 1.20 238 18.92Wilson Enduro Pro 17 Polyester 1.25 239 15.77Gamma Zo Power 16L Polyester 1.20 239 17.29Luxilon BB Alu Power Rough 16L Polyester 1.25 240 18.98Luxilon Monotec Zolo Rough 16L Polyester 1.25 240 19.56Wilson Enduro Tour 16 Polyester 1.30 240 24.52Babolat Pro Hurricne 16 Polyester 1.31 241 13.61Luxilon Big Banger TiMO 18 Polyester 1.15 241 16.91Unique Tourna Poly Big Hitter 16 Polyester 1.29 241 17.62Luxilon Monotec Zolo 18 Polyester 1.25 241 17.86Forten Poly-Blast 17 Polyester 1.23 241 18.41Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 16L Polyester 1.23 242 17.13Ashaway MonoGut 16L Polyester 1.27 242 19.40Klip Hardcore 17 Polyester 1.24 243 17.05Luxilon Monotec Zolo 16L Polyester 1.24 243 17.64Luxilon Big Banger XP 16L Polyester 1.25 243 17.78Babolat Ballistic Polymono 17 Polyester 1.25 244 20.89Alpha Vengence 16L Polyester 1.29 244 22.05Pacific PolySpin 16 Polyester 1.32 245 20.29Prince Polygut 16 Polyester 1.31 246 20.09Prince Polygut 17 Polyester 1.24 246 21.52Yonex Tough Brid 130 Polyester 1.30 247 22.42Luxilon Big Banger Original 16 Polyester 1.28 249 17.11Tecnifibre Polyspin 1.275 Polyester 1.27 249 19.87Prince Tour 17 Polyester 1.25 249 21.37Luxilon Monotec Supersense 16L Polyester 1.26 250 19.21Gamma Zo Life 16 Polyester 1.28 251 15.50Forten Flexion 16L Polyester 1.24 254 15.53Gosen Polylon 16 Polyester 1.30 254 21.23Klip K-Boom 16 Polyester 1.31 255 16.96

Head UltraTour 17 Polyester 1.22 255 19.29Forten Flexion 16 Polyester 1.28 256 16.76Forten Intimidator 16 Polyester 1.30 256 17.91Gosen Polylon Comfort 16 Polyester 1.30 256 19.65Prince Tour 16 Polyester 1.28 256 21.57Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky 1.25 Polyester 1.26 256 22.02Kirschbaum P2 Polyester 1.25 257 15.48Kirschbaum Super Smash 1.25 Polyester 1.25 257 19.55Babolat Ballistic Polymono 16 Polyester 1.30 257 20.31Alpha Polycable 16 Polyester 1.33 257 23.44Wilson Enduro Gold 16 Polyester 1.32 258 17.60Klip Hardcore 16 Polyester 1.27 258 19.42Volkl Fire Polyester 1.25 258 20.22Ashaway Monofire XL 17 Polyester 1.26 259 17.13Luxilon Big Banger LTS 16 Polyester 1.30 259 18.57Wilson Enduro Pro 16 Polyester 1.30 260 14.33Luxilon Big Banger TiMO 17 Polyester 1.23 261 16.29Luxilon Poly-Blast 16 Polyester 1.29 261 18.08Toalson Thermaxe 127 Polyester 1.27 261 18.99Pacific Force 17 Polyester 1.25 262 13.47Head UltraTour 16L Polyester 1.27 263 17.97Gamma Dura Blast 17 Polyester 1.26 264 16.82Pro Kennex CS-X 17 Polyester 1.23 265 18.43Luxilon Big Banger Original Rough 16 Polyester 1.28 266 19.21Gamma Zo True 17 Polyester 1.24 267 14.58Unique Tourna Poly Premium 18 Polyester 1.21 271 15.39Ashaway Monofire XL 16 Polyester 1.29 278 16.14Luxilon Monotec Super Poly 16 Polyester 1.25 288 17.28Luxilon Big Banger 5-Star 15L Polyester 1.37 290 17.94Pacific Poly Force 17 Polyester 1.24 294 13.41Prince Let R’ Rip 16 Polyester 1.33 299 16.71Gamma Dura Blast 16 Polyester 1.30 303 12.68Pacific Poly Force 16L Polyester 1.30 320 17.84



Ashaway Composite XL Pro 15 Kevlar 1.38 444 16.36Ashaway Composite XT Pro Vectran 1.30 470 14.34Forten New Age 18 Kevlar/Nylon 1.13 511 18.43Forten Aramid Composite 18 Kevlar/Nylon 1.11 516 15.04Prince Perfection Control 17 Nylon/Technora 1.24 530 11.71Prince Perfection Control 16 Nylon/Technora 1.28 530 13.72Forten Ultra Thin Blend 18 Kevlar 1.12 545 15.12Forten Thin Blend 18 Kevlar 1.15 557 14.33Wilson Hyperlast Spin Technora 1.21 562 13.72Head RIP Blend 17 Kevlar 1.24 574 15.73Dunlop Max Touch 17 Kevlar 1.22 586 15.08Forten Aramid Composite 17 Kevlar/Nylon 1.17 597 11.27Forten Aramid Gear 16L Kevlar 1.42 610 10.43Forten Aramid Composite 16 Kevlar/Nylon 1.28 619 9.55Silent Partner Gutsy Aramid 17 Kevlar 1.15 623 11.38Forten Aramid Gear 15 Kevlar 1.45 627 11.84

Pacific Gear 16 Kevlar 1.43 629 11.73Forten Sweet Aramid 16L Kevlar 1.27 632 11.60Gamma TNT2 Fusion Plus 19 Kevlar 1.23 640 17.33Gamma Infinity 18 Kevlar 1.17 641 17.00Gamma Infinity 17 Kevlar 1.24 641 20.57Ashaway Crossfire 18 Kevlar 1.08 671 27.21Gamma TNT2 Fusion Plus 16 Kevlar 1.28 674 16.36Gosen Arammix Pro 18 Kevlar 1.09 697 17.03Wilson Hyperlast 15 Technora 1.41 709 13.15Prince Problend 17 Kevlar 1.24 720 16.39Gamma Infinity 16 Kevlar 1.30 736 17.90Ashaway Crossfire 17 Kevlar 1.22 757 28.37Klip Atomic 16 Kevlar 1.29 758 28.36Forten Sweet Aramid 15L Kevlar 1.36 761 13.01Ashaway Crossfire II 16 Kevlar 1.29 764 26.68Prince Pro Blend 16 Kevlar 1.30 981 15.88

Kevlar/Technora/Vectran (Sorted by Stiffness)Stiff- Tension Stiff- Tension

Company String Material Gauge ness Loss Company String Material Gauge ness Loss(lb/in.) (lbs) (lb/in.) (lbs)

String Gauges Construction Materials Length (Feet) Color CostBabolatAttraction 16 Multifilament Polyamide & Polyurethane 40 Natural $9.00Attraction Power 17 Multifilament Polyamide & Polyurethane 40 Natural $9.00Conquest + 16,17 Solid Core single wrap Polyamide & Pearl 20 White & Black $2.50FORTENFlexion 16L, 16 Monofilament Polyester 44, 660 Natural $8.50Intimidator 16 Monofilament Polyester 44, 660 Yellow $4.75Pro Select 17 Monofilament Polyester 44, 660 Silver $8.50GAMMAZo Pro 16L/16 Hybrid Polyester/Nylon 22/20 Silver/Natural $18.50GOSENNanocubic 16 Solid Core multi wrap Fulleren 40 Bronze $6.50GRAND SLAM GUTGrand Slam Gut 15L, 16, 17 Multifilament Natural Gut 40 Natural $16.00HEADFXP 16,17 Solid Core multi wrap Polyamide, Polyester & Dupont 40 Natural $11.00KLIPDetonator 18/17, 17/16 Hybrid Polyester/Nylon 22/22 Silver/Natural $10.50Venom 16,17 Multifilament Nylon 40 Natl w/ Blk spiral $14.00PACIFICForce 16L, 17 Solid core double wrap Proprietary 41 Orange $16.00TECNIFIBREMultifeel 16 Multifilament Proprietary 40, 660 Natural $9/$12WILSONEnduro Pro 16,17,18 Monofilament Polyester 40, 660 Silver $8/$80Natural Duo 17/16 Hybrid Polyester/Natural Gut 20/20 Silver/Natural $25.00NXT Duo 17/16 Hybrid Polyester/Nylon & Polyurethane 20/20 Silver/Natural $9.00Sensation Duo 17/16 Hybrid Polyester/Nylon 20/20 Silver/Natural $12.00YONEXTough Brid 125 16L/16 Hybrid Polyester/Nylon 24/20 Amber/White $15.00Tough Brid 130 16/16L-15 Hybrid Polyester/Nylon & Vectran 24/20 Amber/White $15.00

New Strings for Fall 2005

BABOLAT 877-316-9435 • www.babolat.com

GOSEN 800-538-0026 • www.gosenamerica.com


GAMMA 800-333-0337 • www.gammasports.com

TECNIFIBRE 877-332-0825 • www.tecnifibre.com


YONEX 310-793-3800 • www.yonex.com

FORTEN 800-722-5588 • www.forten.com

GRAND SLAM GUT 715-366-4333

KLIP 866-554-7872 • www.klipstrings.com

PACIFIC 888-566-8966 • www.cpacsports.com



APPAREL

Bolle888-977-7272www.bolletenniswear.com

ClothesEncountersClothesEncountersThe latest lines from tenniswear companiespromise stylish performance for your customers.


Diadora253-520-8868www.diadoraamerica.com

Ellesse561-491-9000www.ellesse.com

LBH800-421-4474www.lbhgroup.com

Polo877-229-6341

K-Swiss800-714-4477www.kswiss.com


Tail800-678-8245www.tailinc.com

Lejay800-932-7535www.lejay.com


R A C Q U E T B A L L & S Q U A S H

Climbing the WallsClimbing the WallsFor racquetball and squash, increases in participation maybe slow, but they appear to be steady. BY M I T CH RUS TAD

Racquet Head size Length Weight Balance Balance Swing Wt. Pattern Price(Sq. Inches) (Inches) (Grams) (CMs) (Inches) (RDC) (M x C) MSRP

E-ForceBedlam Super-Mains 150 107 22 186 28.25 11.12 124 14x16 $180Bedlam Super-Mains 170 107 22 196 28.25 11.12 131 14x16 $170Bedlam Super-Mains 175 108 22 203 28.25 11.12 136 14x16 $160Super 30 DC 160 108 22 194 28.75 11.32 137 14x16 $250Super 30 DC 170 107 22 197 28.75 11.32 140 14x16 $220Super 30 DC 175 108 22 203 28.75 11.32 143 14x16 $220Super 30 DC 190 107 22 208 28.50 11.22 147 14x16 $200EktelonO3 Red 106 22 186 28.75 11.32 129 16x19 $300O3 Silver 106 22 213 26.25 10.33 130 16x19 $280Wilsonn170 107 22 192 30.00 11.81 141 14x18 $250n180 107 22 197 29.75 11.71 145 14x18 $225n190 107 22 204 29.75 11.71 152 14x18 $180nPro 107 22 181 32.00 12.60 145 14x18 $150nTour 107 22 190 30.00 11.81 141 14x18 $100HeadLiquidmetal IGS 165 106 22 179 30.25 11.91 132 16x16 $275Liquidmetal IGS 175 106 22 189 30.25 11.91 139 16x16 $235Liquidmetal IGS 185 106 22 195 29.75 11.71 139 16x16 $200Pro KennexCore 1 Platinum 165 108 22 190 28.50 11.22 130 14x17 $225Core 1 Platinum 175 108 22 197 28.50 11.22 136 14x17 $220




EKTELON 800-283-6647 • www.ektelon.com

E-FORCE 800-4 E FORCE • www.e-force.com

New Racquetball Racquets Fall 2005

hile recreational participation for racquetball and squashisn’t monitored nearly as closely as it is for tennis, officialsfor both court sports say the number of players appears to

be rising, along with construction of new facilities. That’s cer-tainly welcome news in the racquet sports business, wheresavvy retailers and stringers may be able to expand their offer-ings to include servicing racquetball and squash players.

Racquetball: A Bid to Recapture ’80s GlorySince the boom of the 1980s, racquetball has endured a steadydecline in participation, directly reflected by the membershiprolls of USA Racquetball (going from its peak of more than30,000 members in the ’80s to its current total of approxi-mately 17,000). Like tennis and squash, the sport has lost itsmarket share partly due to increased competition; myriadhealth and fitness options flooded the country in the ’90s,prompting many fitness facilities to convert racquetball courtsinto space for more popular fitness trends like aerobics andyoga.

But this unhappy trend has provided USAR with its currentmarketing strategy as well, according to Executive Director JimHiser. “Racquetball players are loyal and renew their member-ships over and over,” says Hiser, “so that’s what we now sell toclub owners. Racquetball isn’t just a fitness fad, and it’s also agreat cross-training sport.”USAR is already taking this message to the masses, with

each local state association doing the majority of the legworkand outreach to area clubs, high schools and colleges, saysHiser. Their work appears to be paying off, as Hiser points to an11 percent increase in membership in 2004, with about 4.5million recreational (sporadic) players now in the U.S.“We’re trying to infiltrate this recreational player base,” says

Hiser, “because we have all these players but a relative few aremembers of our association. They don’t play tournaments, theyjust play at a club. We’re trying to get that group more involvedto help convince the club owners to maintain the courts.”Hiser says that USAR is placing a special focus on forming

local youth clubs and teams in its promotional efforts.”

W

Though his focus is on the future, Hiser admits he’d like to alsotake a page from the past. “We’d like to be back where we werein the ’80s, when racquetball was the ‘in’ sport to play,” saysHiser. “It’s a very similar issue for tennis and the other racquetsports.”

Squash: Pro Game, Inner City ProgramsThough its bid to be included as an Olympic sport will have towait, squash is flourishing in the U.S. and worldwide, accordingto Kevin Klipstein, CEO of the U.S. Squash Racquets Associa-tion.“Overall, I’m still excited, because it’s going to happen,” says

Klipstein of the sport’s inclusion in the Olympic Games, which hefully expects to happen in 2016. For the 2012 Games, squash andkarate were officially selected (out of five new sports being con-sidered), but then failed to get the two-thirds majority to actuallyconfirm the addition, says Klipstein. “We’re right on the cusp.”Though USSRA doesn’t keep formal participation numbers,

the health of squash in the U.S. can be indirectly measured by thegrowth of the men’s and women’s pro tours. Though there are awhopping 125 member countries in the World Squash Federa-tion, currently 50 percent of all prize money in the world is paid


Racquet Head size Weight Balance Balance Flex Swing Wt. Pattern Price(Sq. Inches) (Grams) (CMs) (Inches) (RDC) (RDC) (M x C) MSRP

AshawayDestiny 490 76 164 36.00 14.17 55 190 14x19 $120Hornet 495 77 161 35.75 14.07 57 185 14x19 $100Liberty 495 77 161 36.00 14.17 44 189 14x19 $130Rad 475 74 157 36.00 14.17 53 183 14x19 $150Black KnightC2C Heat (60 Holes) 78 149 36.00 14.17 31 173 12x18 $180HarrowM-140 73 150 37.75 14.86 46 188 16x19 $195Stealth 73 140 39.00 15.35 49 183 14x19 $205Stealth The Prep 73 144 38.75 15.26 51 185 14x19 $205Super Winner R Squared 82 152 38.25 15.06 46 194 16x19 $195Super Winner True Blue 82 151 38.25 15.06 48 192 16x19 $195Headi.X140G Pro 75 153 38.50 15.16 54 194 14x16 $150i.x160 75 167 35.00 13.78 63 188 12x17 $135Liquidmetal 150 74 160 35.00 13.78 52 183 12x17 $190Liquidmetal 160 73 172 34.75 13.68 56 195 14x18 $180PrinceM+ Pro 70 151 38.00 14.96 57 191 16x16 $240O3 All Court not available at press time 12x17 $275O3 Silver not available at press time 12x17 $275Pro KennexC 160 Tour 80 178 37.25 14.67 47 216 14x21 $150P 120 Ki Sling 80 150 37.75 14.86 25 189 14x21 $180P 140 Ki Sling 80 161 37.25 14.67 33 198 14x21 $165Wilsonn120 76 153 39.25 15.45 57 203 12x18 $170n130 77 168 39.25 15.45 25 211 12x18 $200n140 77 171 38.75 15.26 30 212 12x18 $180n145 76 160 38.50 15.16 58 205 12x18 $150nRage 73 158 34.50 13.58 45 175 14x18 $130nTour 73 152 36.75 14.47 26 180 14x18 $140




New Squash Racquets Fall 2005

ASHAWAY 800-556-7260 • www.ashawayusa.com

BLACK KNIGHT 800-535-3300 • www.bksquash.com

HARROW 800-541-2905 • www.harrowsports.com

PRINCE 800-283-6647 • www.princetennis.com

out in the U.S., says Klipstein. “This is a real growth market forthe pro game. We’ve shown we can sustain these pro eventsand gain sponsorships.”Recreationally, the sport is also enjoying a commercial club-

building boom, especially in Southampton and Westchester,N.Y., Philadelphia, San Diego, and other major markets wherefitness clubs incorporating squash courts are on the rise.“There’s definitely court building going on,” says Klipstein.In Philadelphia, some 20 courts were built in 2004, a “sig-

nificant” number that also reflects the success of the urbanyouth enrichment programs being started across the country.“We’re using squash as a tool to advance these kids intellectu-ally and athletically,” says Klipstein, “It combines squashinstruction with tutoring and mentoring.”Youth programs such as Squashbusters

(www.squashbusters.org) built an eight-court facility specifical-ly for that program in Boston. In New York City, Streetsquashand Citysquash programs are also building new facilities.With the health of the pro game, burgeoning youth pro-

grams, and growth in the high school and college ranks, squashis looking towards a very bright future. “The sport is veryhealthy and showing real signs of growth,” says Klipstein. �

BCon

P L A Y E R E Q U I P M E N T L O G

MENRound Racquet Racquet String

Rank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand1 W Roger Federer SUI Wilson nSix-One Tour 90 Luxilon/Wilson2 S Lleyton Hewitt AUS Yonex RDX-500 90 Babolat/Luxilon3 2 Rafael Nadal ESP Babolat AeroPro Drive 100 Babolat4 F Andy Roddick USA Babolat Pure Drive Team + 100 Babolat5 3 Marat Safin RUS Head Liquidmetal Prestige Mid 93 Luxilon6 DNP Andre Agassi USA DID NOT PLAY7 2 Nikolay Davydendo RUS Prince O3 Tour 100 Polystar8 DNP Guillermo Canas ARG DID NOT PLAY9 S Thomas Johansson SWE Dunlop M-Fil 200 95 Luxilon/Babolat10 Q David Nalbandian ARG Yonex RDX-500 MP 98 Luxilon11 2 Tim Henman GBR Slazenger Pro X-1 95 Luxilon/Babolat12 1 Mariano Puerta ARG Babolat AeroPro Drive 100 Luxilon13 DNP Gaston Gaudio ARG DID NOT PLAY14 3 Joachim Johansson SWE Yonex RDX-500 90 Luxilon/Babolat15 4 Guillermo Coria ARG Prince O3 Tour 100 Luxilon16 1 Tommy Robredo ESP Dunlop M-Fil 300 98 Luxilon17 4 Richard Gasquet FRA Head Liquidmetal Instinct 100 Luxilon18 2 Radek Stepanek CZE Volkl Tour 10 Mid V-Engine 93 Pacific19 1 Ivan Ljubicic CRO Babolat Pure Drive Team + 100 Luxilon/Babolat20 1 David Ferrer ESP Prince Shark DB MP 100 Luxilon

WOMENRound Racquet Racquet String

Rank Reached Player Name Country Brand Racquet Model Headsize Brand1 F Lindsay Davenport USA Wilson nTour 95 Wilson2 S Maria Sharapova RUS Prince Turbo Shark MP 100 Babolat3 S Amelie Mauresmo FRA Dunlop 300G 98 Babolat4 Q Svetlana KuznetsovaRUS Head Flexpoint Instinct 100 Luxilon5 4 Elena Dementieva RUS Yonex RDX-500 MP 98 Luxilon6 3 Serena Williams USA Wilson n3 110 Wilson7 1 J Henin-Hardenne BEL Wilson nTour 95 Wilson8 W Venus Williams USA Wilson n4 110 Wilson9 Q Nadia Petrova RUS Babolat Pure Storm MP Team 103 Luxilon10 Q Anastasia Myskina RUS Head Flexpoint Instinct 100 Kirschbaum11 DNP Alicia Molik AUS DID NOT PLAY12 1 Patty Schnyder SUI Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP 98 Kirschbaum13 Q Mary Pierce FRA Yonex Ultimum RD Ti-80 98 Luxilon14 4 Kim Clijsters BEL Babolat Pure Drive Team 100 Babolat15 2 Vera Zvonareva RUS Fischer Pro No One FT 98 Kirschbaum16 4 Elena Likhovtseva RUS Wilson nSix-One 95 95 Wilson17 DNP Elena Bovina RUS DID NOT PLAY18 4 Nathalie Dechy FRA Head Liquidmetal Prestige MP 98 Babolat19 3 Jelena Jankovic SCG Yonex Nano Speed RQ-5 105 Luxilon20 3 Ana Ivanovic SCG Wilson nTour 95 Luxilon


oth Roger Federer and Venus Williams played brilliant tennis in claiming their third titles at the All Englandhampionships this year. Here’s a look at the equipment that these two champions, and their competitors, usedn the lawns of Wimbledon. Post these pages in your shop, so your customers can check out their favorites.

String String Footwear ClothingString Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model BrandBB Alu Power Rough/ Wilson Natural 16L 55/50.5 Nike VAPOR S2 NikeVS Team/Big Banger Alu Power 16L 56 Nike MAX Breathe FREE NikeTour Duralast 15L 53 Nike Air Max Breathe Free II NikePro Hurricane / VS Team 16 73 Reebok - LacosteAlu Power Rough 16L - Adidas Barricade II Adidas

Energy 16 55/53 Diadora - Diadora

Alu Power/VS Touch 16L/16 59.5 Adidas Barricade III AdidasBig Banger Original 16 64 Yonex SHT-304 YonexBig Banger TIMO / VS Team 18 51.6 Adidas Barricade II AdidasBig Banger Original 16 59.5 Babolat Team Clay Babolat

Big Banger Alu Power/VS Team 16L Yonex SHT-304 YonexBig Banger Original 16 52 Adidas Barricade II AdidasBig Banger Original 16 51 Sergio Tacchini - Sergio TacchiniBig Banger Alu Power 16L - - - LacosteTough Gut 17 61.5/57 - - -

1 Pro Hurricane / VS Team 16 57 Diadora Speedzone DA2 DiadoraBig Banger Original 16 Diadora Speedzone DA2 Diadora

String String Footwear ClothingString Model Gauge Tension Brand Footwear Model BrandWilson Natural 15L 63/64 Nike Air Zoom Thrive NikeVS Team 17 64 Nike VAPOR S2 NikeVS Touch 16 57.2 Reebok - ReebokBig Banger Alu Touch 16L 53/50.5 Fila X-Point FilaBig Banger Alu Power 16L 51/48.5 Yonex SHT-304 YonexWilson Natural 16 67 Nike - NikeWilson Natural 16 57.5 Adidas Barricade II W AdidasWilson Natural 16 65 Reebok VESW DMX ReebokMonotec Supersense 16L 61.5 Adidas Barricade II W AdidasSuper Smash Spiky 17 56/52 Nike - Nike

Touch Turbo 17 55/53 Adidas ClimaCool Feather W AdidasBig Banger TIMO 18 28 - - LeJayVS Touch 16 66 Fila X-Point FilaSuper Smash 16L 55/53 Adidas ClimaCool Feather W AdidasNXT 16 50.5/48.5 Wilson Crossfire SL Wilson

VS Touch Natural Gut 16 - ASICS Gel Enqvist LacosteBig Banger Alu Power 16L 24/23 - - -

2 Big Banger Alu Power 16L - Nike Air Zoom Vapor Speed Nike



fluke, rating a second place overallfor Tension Holding, and sixth place forResistance to Movement. The differencebetween the two gauges is that PolylonSP 17 also scored well above average forPlayability, Power, Control, and SpinPotential. As a result, each gauge’s overallscore is well above average.

Gosen Polylon SPstring PLAYTEST

Polylon SP (the SP stands for “supreme

playability”) builds on the successes of

Gosen’s Polylon and Polylon Comfort

strings. (See our playtest report of Poly-

lon Comfort in the June 2003 issue of

Racquet Tech magazine.) Unlike the

other two Polylon strings, however,

Polylon SP is a monofilament of specially

blended polyester.According to Gosen, Polylon SP is for

advanced players looking for more soft-ness and resilience in a polyester string,who don’t want to give up power ordurability.

Polylon SP is available in 16 and 17gauge (1.30 mm and 1.24 mm) in pearlwhite. It is priced from $4.50. For moreinformation or to order, contact Gosen at800-538-0026, or visitwww.gosenamerica.com. Be sure to readthe conclusion for more informationabout getting a free set to try for yourself.

IN THE LABWe tested both the 16- and 17-gaugePolylon SP. We recorded (see resultsbelow) stringbed stiffness immediatelyafter stringing at 60 pounds in a WilsonPro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern) on aconstant-pull machine, and then retestedafter 24 hours (no playing). Our controlstring, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold16, measured 78 RDC units immediately

after stringing and 71 RDC units after24 hours, representing a 9 percent ten-sion loss.

The string was tested for fiveweeks by USRSA playtesters, withNTRP ratings from 3.5 to 6.0. Theseare blind tests, with playtesters receivingunmarked strings in unmarked packages.

Playtesters were advised to increase ten-sion by 5 percent compared to normal for anylon string. Despite the seemingly minordifference in thickness between the two,the 17-gauge Polylon SP was much easierto work with than the 16-gauge, especiallywhen weaving the crosses. Polylon SP doesnot elongate much during tensioning, andcrosses are easy to pull, due to the smoothstring surface.

ON THE COURTAlthough our playtesters gave higher rat-ings to 17-gauge Polylon SP than to the 16-gauge, each scored very well, especially inDurability, Tension Holding, and Resistanceto Movement. Compared to other stringsof similar gauge, Polylon SP’s durabilityplaced very highly with our playtesters, andwhen compared to all strings, each gaugescored well above average of the 95 stringswe’ve playtested to date in Durability. Inaddition, 16-gauge Polylon SP gatheredfirst place in Tension Holding of all thestrings we’ve tested thus far and secondplace in Resistance to Movement. The 17-gauge Polylon SP’s scores show this was no

16 GAUGE 17 GAUGECoil measurements 42’ 5” 41’ 9”Diameter unstrung 1.25 mm 1.24 mmDiameter strung 1.22 mm 1.21 mmRDC stringbed stiffness new 73 71RDC stringbed stiffness after 24 hrs. 68 66Tension loss 5 lbs 5 lbsTension loss % 6.85 7.04String Weight 14.8 gms 13.95 gmsNumber of playtesters 30 35Broke during stringing 0 0Excess coil memory 14 9Difficulty tying knots 4 1Friction burn 3 1Average playtest duration 21.6 hrs. 28.81 hrs.Broke during play 6 4Break hours 2, 8.5, 12, 12, 18, 37 2, 9, 12, 28

EASE OF STRINGING 16 ga. 17 ga.(compared to other strings)Number of testers who said it was:much easier 0 2somewhat easier 2 10about as easy 10 16not quite as easy 11 6not nearly as easy 7 1

OVERALL PLAYABILITY(compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1 3somewhat better 6 3about as playable 8 13not quite as playable 10 13not nearly as playable 4 3

OVERALL DURABILITY(compared to other stringsof similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 7 7somewhat better 13 17about as durable 9 9not quite as durable 1 0not nearly as durable 0 1

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.1 3.5Durability 4.2 4.2Power 3.2 3.5Control 3.4 3.6Comfort 2.9 3.2Touch/Feel 2.8 3.2Spin Potential 3.1 3.3Holding Tension 3.9 3.8Resistance to Movement 4.1 4.0


“ Great string. I would recommend this to players needing durabilitywithout sacrificing feel. I was able to hit a harder ball with less effort, dueto the tightened rebound. I had great response to spin, too.”5.0 female baseliner with heavy spin using Head Liquidmetal 4 strung at58 pounds LO (Wilson Stamina 17)

“ I think this poly plays verywell. I feel it outperformsmost of the hybrids I havetried recently. I would recom-mend this string highly tobetter players.”5.5 male all-court playerusing Wilson nSix-One strungat 63 pounds CP (WilsonSensation 16)

“ An excellent soft synthet-ic string. Very comfortable onthe arm. The ball seems tohold on the strings a tadlonger due to theircomfort.”4.5 male all-court playerusing Völkl Catapult 3 Gen 2strung at 55/53 pounds CP(BDE Performance 17)

“ This is a stiff string with very little stretch, which is great for the con-trol/touch player. It maintains tension with very little string movement.Durable, with reliable and consistent stroke production.”4.5 male all-court player using Fischer Twin Tech 950 FT strung at 62pounds CP (Gamma Synthetic 17)

TESTERS TALK

“ This seems like a great overall string. Very easy to work withwhile stringing. Allows a nice “cinch” when tying knots. I was sur-prised by the fact that there was very little movement in the stringduring play.”3.5 female all-court player using Prince Air Launch B925 strung at 64

pounds CP (Wilson NXT 17)

“ This is one of my favorite test strings. Iam impressed by its overall versatility. Whilethe string does not stand out as being excel-lent in any given category, the product isclearly above average in every category. As aresult, I feel that this is an overall greatstring. I am most impressed by the power,comfort, and control. This string also offers anice, solid, crisp feel.”3.5 male all-court player using Wilson HyperPro Staff 6.1 strung at 60 pounds LO (WilsonSensation 16)

“ Strong coil memory during unwinding,strong snap-back energy during stringing,but there was no kinking. Crosses were easyto feed throughout except for the very lastcrosses on an ATW pattern. The tips held upduring stringing and the knots were easy tocinch up. According to my StringMeter, there

was little tension loss after 24 hours, and amazingly for such a soft-playing string, there was only about 5 percent tension loss after 17hours of play and 15 hours of teaching. This sample showed nonotching, and I experienced no movement during play.”4.5 male baseliner with heavy spin using Head Flexpoint Radical MPstrung at 63 pounds CP (Unique Tourna Poly Big Hitter 17)For the rest of the tester comments, USRSA members can visit RacquetTECH.com.

“I used to play withpoly strings, but switched to a

multi for more feel on my strokes. This string

really surprised me. It was easy to install, and

although it did feel harsh to begin with, after

the first hour of play it settled in for me and

now plays as well as any string I’ve used. I

have excellent control, durability is outstand-

ing, and the feel is above average. Get this

string on the market soon: I need to buy

some.”

4.0 male all-court player using Yonex RDX-500

MP strung at 66 pounds CP (Wilson Sensation 16)

(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in parentheses.)

CONCLUSIONGosen’s Polylon SP is more proof—as ifany is needed—that string manufacturersare making ever-better polyester strings.The thing to keep in mind is that multifil-ament nylon strings are getting better,too, and yet here again we see averageplayers appreciating what a well-designedpoly can do. Polylon SP also follows thetrend toward better and better playingpolys at more and more affordable prices.This combination should make it easierfor stringers to keep the parents of hard-hitting juniors happy.

If you think that Gosen Polylon SP 17might be for you, fill out the coupon toget a free set to try. —Greg Raven �

FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAMGosen has generously offered to send a free set of Polylon SP 17 to

USRSA members who request it.To get your free set, just cut out (or copy) this coupon and mail it to:

USRSA, Attn: Gosen Polylon SP17 String Offer,330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

or fax to 760-536-1171 Offer expires October 15th, 2005One set of free string per USRSA membership

Offer only available to USRSA members in the USFREE! Gosen Polylon SP 17!

Offer expires October 15th 2005Name:USRSA Member number:Phone:Email:

If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your sample will be sent.

the EXPERTSask

PUBLISHED RACQUETMEASUREMENTS

WHY DO PUBLISHED RACQUET mea-surements vary from source tosource?

THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES THATaffect the measurements you com-

monly see attributed to tennis racquets.First, the racquet can be measured strung

or unstrung. Obviously, stringing adds about15 grams to the weight of the bare frame,and dramatically increases the swingweight.Less obviously, a strung racquet will measureas being more flexible than an unstrungframe because the pull of the mains aug-ment the bending of the hoop that occursduring the measuring procedure.

Second, even though manufacturersstrive to have each racquet of a given modelbe identical, there are "tolerances" for eachracquet characteristic, which means that twovisually identical racquets can vary in weight,balance, swingweight, and even length, andbe considered "identical" as far as the man-

ufacturer of that racquet is concerned.Also, when measuring flex, it is not unusu-al for a racquet to have a different flex rat-ing on one side of the racquet comparedto the other, although side-to-side differ-ences are rarely more than one unit.

Third, while manufacturers may notchange the mold of a given racquetmodel, they can and do change the lay-up(an example of this is the Prince GraphiteClassic, which has gone through at leastfour “generations,” each of which mea-sures slightly differently than others, eventhough the racquet has remained basicallythe same). Granted, most racquets don't"live" long enough to go through thesekinds of changes, but it can and does hap-pen, especially if the company switchesmanufacturing locations during the pro-duction run of the racquet.

Fourth, the racquets being measuredmay not have had the same grip size.Then, in addition to whatever weight dif-ferences there are from having a largergrip as compared to a smaller one, some

racquet manufacturers sort frames byweight before attaching the grip “pallet,”assigning larger grip sizes to the heavierframes.

Fifth, the method used for measuringracquet specs must be calibrated, so thatmeasurements from different machinescan be directly compared.

Sixth, the machine used to measureracquet specs must be operated correctly,to ensure valid results, and the measure-ments must be accurately transcribed.

Thus, while published racquet mea-surements may be indicative of the specifi-cations of the typical retail version of thatracquet, if you are serious about matchingracquets, you should check the measure-ments for yourself, and play-test any rac-quet before buying it, rather than relyingon specifications alone.

USRSA RACQUETMEASUREMENTS

HOW DOES USRSA MEASURE rac-quets?

QA


Your Equipment Hotline

Q


USRSA REQUESTS THAT manufac-turers send one production sample

of each newly-introduced racquet. Typi-cally, these arrive with a 4-3/8 inch gripsize. If the racquet is unstrung, we stringit on a constant-pull machine, using 16-gauge string, to the middle of the ten-sion range before we take anymeasurements.

When taking measurements, USRSAuses calibrated instruments. Beforeweighing the racquet, we check the scaleusing a known 200-gram reference mass.For length we use a name-brand tapemeasure. For balance we use Alpha’sViper Balance Beam, which we havechecked to verify its accuracy. USRSA'sBabolat RDC machine, which is used tomeasure flex and swingweight, is alsocalibrated: flex using Babolat-suppliedcalibration springs (which also allow cali-bration of the stringbed stiffness mea-surements), and swingweight withspecially-weighted calibration racquets.Once properly set, the Babolat RDC does-n't normally lose calibration, but it canand does happen, so we check ours ocas-sionally.

After testing, some racquets arereturned to the manufacturer, but the

vast majority is stored in boxes, for easyreference should a question ever ariseabout a measurement or stringinginstructions.

NATURAL GUT TWISTI READ THE TIP SUBMITTED BY T.Perry Widener about keeping gutfrom unraveling, which appeared

in the June 2003 issue, but I don’t under-stand why it makes a difference whichway you make the loop when you’reweaving the crosses.

ONE WAY OF VISUALIZING WHYthe loop makes the difference it

does is to get a tie wrap. You could alsouse a leather belt, or anything else that isflexible enough to loop, yet has side-to-side stiffness.

Hold down one end of the tie wrap,and then loop the tie wrap and holddown the other end. You'll have some-thing that looks like the loop of a rollercoaster.

Now, still holding down the ends,slide the ends away from each other.You'll see (because of the cross-sectionand side-to-side stiffness of the tie wrap),that there is actually a twist in the tie

wrap, which only appears as a loop whenthere is enough slack. The trick is to getthis twist going in the same direction asthe lay of the gut. If the twist is counter-clockwise, it will tend to unravel the gut,which is what is happening when thestrands separate. Even if the twist is clock-wise, however, you don’t want to overdoit, because getting too much twist cancause kinking.

USRSA members can refer to the origi-nal tip at: http://www.racquettech.com/members/tips/tt2003_6_1.html

—Greg Raven �

We welcome your questions. Please send themto Racquet Sports Industry, 330 Main St., Vista,CA, 92084; fax: 760-536-1171; email:[email protected].

A

Q

A

and 4H) looks normal but when heldtogether with floating clamps there isactually nothing holding the clamp inposition except for the friction of thestring going around the outside of theframe. You can test this by pushing theclamp toward the throat. It will freelymove even while gripping the strings.5 sets of Wilson Stamina Spin 15L to:Kane Fasolo, Perth, Western Australia

Editor’s note: This can also be a problemwith any squash or racquetball frame that

you begin to wrap the handle and won’tleave any residue.5 sets of Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 1.30 to:Terry Boyle, Columbine Valley, CO

NO FAN OF FLOATING CLAMPS

Some people think it's okay to string all fan-patterned racquets with floating clamps, butit most definitely is not okay when there areshared holes in the throat (as there are on theHead i160 squash racquets, for example).Apart from the large gap that has to beclamped at 1H and 3H, the next clamping (3H

and TECHNIQUES

SHOEHORN FORSHRINK TUBESGetting one of those grip-enlarging shrinktubes onto a racquet handle can be diffi-cult, especially after it has shrunk a bitdue to age. I use a strong plastic shoe-horn to pry the end of the tube open andget it started over the butt cap.Forten Tournament Bag to:Bill Hughes, CS, The Colony, TX

BYO STICK-EMFor those over-wraps that do not havestarter tape, use a touch of glue from aglue stick. It will hold the grip in place as

Readers’ Know-How in Action


tips

The floating clamp appears to be holding the twomains properly.

When you push on the clamp, however, there’snothing holding it in place.


MARKETINGMARKETING WITHFLYING COLORSEach year before the start of the highschool tennis season, I make fliers promot-ing one of my special racquet stringing ser-vices—hybrid strings featuring each localhigh school’s school colors. With one colorfor the mains and another for the crosses, Ican usually find passable string colors forjust about any school. The big tip is to usestring that has vivid and deep color, assome of the strings on the market do notshow up well at all. Another tip is thatwhite looks great with any other color. Iusually try not to use two dark colors,although blue and red contrast beautifully.I use half the coil for one job and store theother half until needed. This does requiresome time to keep track and store half coilsof string, but it’s well worth the trouble.5 sets of Head FiberGEL Power 16 to:Doug Hofer, CS, Visalia, CA

—Greg Raven �

Tips and Techniques submitted since 2000 by USRSA mem-bers, and appearing in this column, have all been gatheredinto a single volume of the Stringer’s Digest—Racquet Ser-vice Techniques which is a benefit of USRSA membership.Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA92804; or email [email protected].

uses what they call “bypass” stringing,where adjacent mains are not sequentiallyinstalled. If your stringing machine hasswivel clamps, you should never run intothis problem, as it typically affects onlystringers with glide-bar clamps, such as theEktelon-type machines. Because theclamps on these machines don’t swivel toallow easy clamping of the fanned mains,it’s tempting to use floating clamps. Asthis tip illustrates, however, it is bettereven on Ektelon-type machines to use themachine clamps, even though it meanstweaking the string to get it through theclamp.

GROMMET PULLOUTWhen stringing a new racquet or onewhere the grommets and bumpers havebeen replaced, the outside mains have atendency to pull the grommets out of theframe, especially near the throat. Thisoften exposes the string to the frame andcan cause damage to the frame as well aspossible string breakage. In extreme situa-tions, it can move the grommet so far thatit has to be reseated. As a reminder thatthis can happen, I always put a couple ofcolored pieces of string in the problemgrommet holes at the throat, and only

remove them as I am threading the stringthrough.5 sets of Silent Partner Headspin 15L to:Kevin Murphy, Skokie, IL

STOPPING DROP-WEIGHTGUESSWORKI recently purchased a drop-weight machine,and became concerned regarding the sub-jectivity of when the weight rod was trulyhorizontal (and thus, pulling tension mostaccurately). It occurred to me that a line levelattached to the end of the weight rod wouldremove all doubt. I picked up a cheap (andlightweight) plastic line level at the localhardware store and attached it using twotie-wraps. I then leveled the base to be accu-rate and checked the system with a calibra-tor: Same result every time.5 sets of Klip K-Boom 18 to:Josh Gelman, New York, NY

Your ServeA Big Doubles Fault

After three decades of policy blunders, theATP stands on the brink of delivering thecoup de grace to the great event of

doubles and its talented stars. To try to enticeleading singles players to enter doubles events,ATP tournaments plan to use no-ad scoringand sets played to five games (instead of six)with a tiebreaker when games reach 4-4. Thisscoring system is not even approved by theInternational Tennis Federation, which governsthe rules of tennis.

These and other highly important ruleschanges were made without consulting the ITFand only a few present and past singles anddoubles standouts whose expertise, experi-ence, and ethics the ATP sorely needs. Thereforms will go into effect after the US Openunless the ATP either accepts how misguidedand damaging they are, or the ATP is pres-sured by the growing protest in the tennisworld to rescind them. Let’s examine theseradical changes from various angles.

What Does the ATP Really Want?—HorstKlosterkemper, ATP President Europe and Play-er Relations, says, “Singles players said theywould consider playing doubles on a moreconsistent basis if changes were made.” Butthat purported rationale isn’t the real reason.

“The ATP’s doubles enhancements are notenhancements at all, just the tournamentdirectors looking for cost savings,” rightlynotes Bill Oakes, former director of the ATP’stournament in Atlanta and now an analyst forthe “MatchPoint America” show on The Ten-nis Channel. “They should just admit it. I haveheard many tournament directors whineabout having to pay for doubles players’ hoteland food and even prize money.” Put differ-ently, the badly-intentioned goal is to drivedoubles standouts out and replace them indoubles draws with singles specialists.

What Do Top Singles Players ReallyWant?—Only two players ranked in the top20—teenagers Rafael Nadal and Richard Gas-quet—favor the reforms and say they intendto play doubles more often. Mark Knowles,former world No. 1 in doubles and currentvice president of the ATP Players Council, says,“All of the 10 or so singles players ranked in

the top 20 that I’ve talked to have stressedthat they won’t play any more doublesevents throughout the year, regardless ofany of these proposed rules changes. Theguys in the top 10 earn such hugeamounts of prize money and endorse-ments that it’s not worth it for them to riskinjury and exhaustion to sacrifice their sin-gles preparation for a minimal amount ofprize money and prestige in doubles. Also,some singles players aren’t very good indoubles and others simply don’t enjoydoubles.”

How Would Singles Players Fare in Dou-bles?—Based on past results, they’d faremediocre to poorly. The top 10 singlesplayers (none of whom serve and volleyoften) in the ATP Champions Race, as ofJune 12, 2005, compiled a dismal 180-196doubles record with 10 titles and no GrandSlam titles during the previous 2-1/2 years.In stunning contrast, during the same peri-od, the top 10 doubles players, as of June12, 2005, racked up a 1,224-488 recordwith 97 titles and 14 Grand Slam titles.Thus, singles standouts would not only failto revitalize doubles, but watching themflounder often in doubles would provemore of a letdown than a treat for theirdiehard fans.

How About the New ScoringSystem?—No-ad simply does not offer afair test of skill and will, a sine qua non ofany athletic competition. Under the tradi-tional scoring system, the odds are clearlygreater that the more skillful player andteam will eventually win a given game.Unquestionably, the no-ad method unfairlyboosts the chances of the underdog whoneeds only one point to win a game fromdeuce, because at 3-all, the fluke shot, badbounce, net cord or incorrect line callassumes an undue significance. No-ad alsounfairly helps the Wild Slugger against theSkill Player. At 3-all, the inferior Wild Slug-ger knows that he needs only one point towin the game and thus one great shot.Paradoxically, that can tighten up and pro-long—rather than shorten—matches.

How Flagrant Is the DiscriminationAgainst Doubles Players?—In 2004 the ATPadopted an entry ranking system with accep-tance in doubles draws based on a player’sATP Entry Ranking either in singles or dou-bles, whichever is higher. Beginning in 2008,only a new combined doubles ranking willbe used to determine entries in doubles,counting 50 percent of a player’s singlespoints and 50 percent of his doubles points.Also in 2008, only players in the main drawsingles will be allowed to enter doubles—with two exceptions. Tournaments can stillaward wild cards, and in 2008 and 2009,spots will be reserved for players with thebest combined ranking not playing in thesingles draw: two entries in a 16-team draw,four in a 24-team draw, and six for 24- and32-team ATP Masters Series draws.

That the ATP fills doubles draws andranks and seeds doubles players and teamsbased in part or virtually completely on theirsingles results is stupid, absurd, unethical,and unfair. The clear-cut discrimination—replacing doubles teams with legitimate,hard-earned and superior results with singlesplayers with inferior doubles results—mayalso violate the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The top doubles players, along with somesingles stars and tourney directors, havemobilized to preserve and improve doubles.“Doubles is too great a game to destroy,”says Mike Bryan, who reached three GrandSlam finals this year with his twin brotherBob. “With the help of the players, fans,officials, media, sponsors, and the rest of thetennis world this summer, we’ll stop theserule changes. We’ll save doubles.”

Doubles lovers of the world unite!�

We welcome your opinions. Please emailcomments to [email protected] or faxthem to 760-536-1171.

Paul Fein’s book, Tennis Confidential: Today’sGreatest Players, Matches, and Controversies,was listed No. 1 among tennis books by Ama-zon.com and BN.com. For information or toorder, visit www.tennisconfidential.com. His sec-ond book, You Can Quote Me on That: GreatestTennis Quips, Insights, and Zingers, was pub-lished by Potomac Books Inc. in February 2005.Visit www.tennisquotes.com.


An award-winning tennis writer says the ATP’s pro doubles“enhancements” are absurd, unethical, and unfair. B Y P A U L F E I N

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