June 2005 Monthly Archive

Junior Achievements

A veteran tennis coach and youth center executive director says tennis pros need to serve juniors as they do adults. (Click here to read more...)

Looking to Remodel? You Can Benefit From a Number of Tax Breaks

Thinking about fixing up, remodeling or redecorating your facility or store? Naturally, you'll want to keep out-of-pocket expenditures to a minimum and recover as much of the funds spent as quickly as possible. Fortunately, retail shop and tennis facility... (Click here to read more...)

Moving the Dial?

The third annual Tennis Participation Study shows signs of improvement, and opportunities to boost your business. (Click here to read more...)

Smash Tennis Mag for Teens to Debut in July

The executives at Miller Publishing Group (the folks who publish Tennis magazine) seem to think so. The company recently announced the launch of Smash, a slightly oversized, highly innovative tennis magazine aimed at one the most coveted markets around... (Click here to read more...)

Protect Your Players From the Sun

Arm your players with the right sun protection to ensure that damaging rays don't cut short their time on court or compromise their health. Both UVA and UVB rays can lead to skin cancer, according to the Skin Cancer... (Click here to read more...)

Reaching Your Goals

The author of The Winner's Mind: A Competitor's Guide to Sports and Business Success reveals how champions in any activity clearly identify goals and set up game plans to achieve them. (Click here to read more...)

Testing the Waters

Drive racquet sales by developing the right demo program for your customers. (Click here to read more...)

'Tis the Season

For tennis fans in the U.S., it's like being a kid again, with Christmas fast approaching. We're coming into the Tennis Holiday Season. So many things are happening in June, July, and August — all culminating with the greatest... (Click here to read more...)

Photos and Posters Can Help You Promote Your Business

We all know the expression "a picture is worth a thousand words." Well, it is … sort of. While it is true that pictures are higher impact than the written or spoken word, it is also true that if... (Click here to read more...)

Playtest: Klip Screamer 17

Klip Screamer is one of Klip's "Pro Doubles" (hybrid) strings, this one combining natural gut with Klip Scorcher (see the playtest report for Klip Scorcher in the September 2003 issue of Racquet Tech). Klip Scorcher is a solid-core multiwrap... (Click here to read more...)

Industry News

Information to help you run your business. (Click here to read more...)

Fit Your Players to the Right Shoes

Tennis shoes are just as much a part of a player's "equipment" as is his or her tennis racquet. If a player's shoes don't fit properly, it doesn't matter how wonderful his racquet is or how clean his strokes... (Click here to read more...)

Create and Maintain a Customer Service Culture At Your Facility

The club's mission statement said all the right things. It was about "valuing our members" and "exceeding expectations" and "treating each other with respect." The young man working behind the front desk, however, didn't quite walk the talk. "Only... (Click here to read more...)

The Brick-and-Mortar 'E-Tennis' Has Built Up a Solid Base

From the beginning, master racquet technician John Gugel and former ATP touring pro Tobias Svantesson were determined to create a full-service tennis specialty shop uniquely in tune with customer needs. So while the first visitors to e-tennis inc. in... (Click here to read more...)

Creating the Menu

What's your recipe for choosing racquets for your shop? Some top retailers reveal what goes into the mix. (Click here to read more...)

Proper protection for your feet

The more time your customers and members spend pounding the ball on the court, the more their feet take a pounding, too. Adequate protection for your players' feet is a must, which means socks become a vital component in... (Click here to read more...)

Interrupted stringing

Q: Sometimes I get interrupted in the middle of string jobs, and I need to be able to stop and do something else. If you've mounted the frame properly in the stringing machine, why is it so important to finish... (Click here to read more...)

Tension adjustments

Q: Why are you supposed to adjust tensions when using aramid or polyester strings?... (Click here to read more...)

Two-piece stringing

Q: Why don't you have one-piece stringing instructions in the Digest for every racquet? Some only show two-piece instructions?... (Click here to read more...)

Installing Load Spreaders

I use the Prince load spreaders between the frame and the head and throat billiards on my stringing machine. I found that if I thread the two center mains first, then put the adapters in and tighten the billiards, I... (Click here to read more...)

Combining Tasks

When a customer asks for a new bumper and grommet strip to be fitted to the racquet, it is easy to fall into the normal habit of cutting and removing the strings, and then taking out the old bumper and... (Click here to read more...)

Adding Another Stringing Location

This tip works well for professional stringers working from a shop or from their home. You can increase your business by offering convenient drop-off and pick-up at multiple locations. To add a location, develop a partnership with an established business... (Click here to read more...)

String Breakage Failure Analysis

In the past I told customers to cut the strings in a racquet after a string breaks, to relieve stress on the frame. I even told them the proper method for cutting out the strings. However, not having the stringbed... (Click here to read more...)

Installing Tubing

It is often difficult to insert tubing through regular (that is, non-tie-off) grommet holes. Even after stretching it a little, as recommended in Racquet Service Techniques, it is still hard to push it through. I found that if I take... (Click here to read more...)