November 2008 Monthly Archive

Advocacy: The Biggest Issue of All?

Amid all the excitement surrounding the US Open, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed about something. What bothered me was just a tiny blip on tennis’s radar screen — and that, I feel, is the... (Click here to read more...)

Industry News

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

Careers in Tennis Generation Next?

With the “graying” of industry personnel, leaders are worried that the tennis business isn’t attracting enough young talent. (Click here to read more...)

Major Players

As overall economic uncertainty continues, increasing tennis participation may be the bright spot that sees this industry through the hard times. (Click here to read more...)

Unstable Building?

Spiraling costs mean that suppliers, contractors and clients can expect to feel the pinch. (Click here to read more...)

Hitting The Numbers

As costs to produce racquets continue to rise, expect to see retail prices head higher, too. (Click here to read more...)

Playing Ball

With materials, labor and shipping all undergoing dramatic cost increases, are we looking at rising tennis ball prices? (Click here to read more...)

A Softening Market?

While soft-goods dealers are optimistic, uncertain times are forcing some changes in how they do business. (Click here to read more...)

Playtest: Pacific Power Hybrid

Pacific Power Hybrid 16L is a combination of two top-performing Pacific strings: Poly Force 17 (1.24 mm) and Power Line 16L (1.28 mm). According to Pacific, Poly Force is an exclusive German-made high-modulus co-polyester string, and is Pacific’s number... (Click here to read more...)

Changing Our Game

With challenges and changes looming, the USTA’s executive director says the organization must be disciplined, lean and in it for the common good. (Click here to read more...)

Digest legibility

Q: Sometimes I have difficulty reading the Stringer’s Digest, as you can see below. Any suggestions?... (Click here to read more...)

How often to change racquets

Q: Do you have a recommendation as to how often a 4.0-5.0 player who plays three or four time a week should change racquets?... (Click here to read more...)

Constant pull vs. lockout

Q: I am in the market for a stringing machine and am having difficulty making sense of a couple of issues. One of them is constant-pull versus lockout. I have read on the web that lockout machines do not offer... (Click here to read more...)

String Stiffness

Q: Is there a specific string stiffness that is considered as a limit? For example, if the stiffness of the string is above that number it is considered a stiff string, while if the stiffness is below that number, it... (Click here to read more...)

Looking up String Stiffness

Q: I read your “Guide To Strings” article on pages 38-39 in your September/October 2008 edition of Racquet Sports Industry magazine. I want to look up the “stiffness/tension loss” specs for the remainder of the 600 more strings your article... (Click here to read more...)

Grip-wrapping for lefties

Normally when installing a replacement grip, you use the existing tapered end to start out, but when the racquet is for a left-handed player, this leaves a sharper angled beveled seam in the finished wrap. It is much easier to... (Click here to read more...)

No pokey knot ends

After I tie a knot, and before I trim off the excess, I adjust the string end and knot so that when I trim it, the end will lay flat and neat up against the frame. 5 sets of Wilson... (Click here to read more...)

Slippage check

To make sure my clamps are not slipping during a string job I simply monitor the string identification printed on the string as it sits behind the clamp. As I tension and then clamp the string I watch to see... (Click here to read more...)

Time is of the essence

When stringing at home or at tournaments, I like to have a clock at hand to know the time. This little clock has a self-sticking back, allowing it to mount anywhere. The outer bezel can be set to remind you... (Click here to read more...)

The Trouble With Tie-Offs!

I recently took in a racquet for stringing with a hybrid. After installing the mains I noticed that this particular racquet didn’t have anywhere to tie off the crosses at the throat, despite the Digest listing that showed two-piece instructions,... (Click here to read more...)

This tip is a croc

Some of you may already use an anti-fatigue mat around your stringing machine to save your legs and back. Another way to get the same effect is to invest in a pair of those trendy, colorful slip-on shoes (e.g. Crocs,... (Click here to read more...)