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January 2009 Monthly Archive

Be a Tennis Champion

Early in November, I ran into the person who brought me into the tennis business. Alexander McNab was the editor of Tennis magazine in 1987, when he hired me as an associate editor. My tennis experience at that time... (Click here to read more...)

Industry News

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

Letters: Younger Talent, Yes, and Education is Key

To the Editor: I enjoyed very much the article “Generation Next” (November/December 2008). Although I agree that the industry needs young talent, it’s vitally important that this talent be educated in their field of endeavor. Low salaries and retainers... (Click here to read more...)

Letters: Clay Can Develop Skills for Any Surface

To the Editor: Jose Higueras has been in the news recently explaining how he, while growing up on the clay courts in Barcelona, learned all the necessary tools to become a world-class tennis player. And he hits the nail... (Click here to read more...)

Positive Reinforcement

Whether you’re a retailer, teaching pro or manager, using the same key mental strategies as top athletes can help you weather the economic storm. (Click here to read more...)

USRSA Members' Choice Awards 2009

Our exclusive rankings, based on responses by USRSA members, will help you pick the right strings for your shop. (Click here to read more...)

2008 Person of the Year: Dave Haggerty

Talk to Dave Haggerty about his career and all that he’s done in the tennis business, and he’ll tell you how “lucky” he’s been. Lucky that tennis was a part of his childhood. Lucky to have received a college... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Private Facility of the Year: Boar’s Head Sports Club

A main goal for the Boar’s Head Sports Club, says Club Manager James Neiderer, “is to create the best tennis experience for anyone who walks through the door — whether a spectator, beginner, intermediate, collegiate or professional player.” And... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Stringer of the Year: Nate Ferguson

After working in racquet customization for 12 years under Warren Bosworth, Nate Ferguson took what he learned and became Pete Sampras’ personal stringer. “I wanted to start my own company, Pete wanted someone who could both string his racquets... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Builder/Contractor of the Year: Boston Tennis Court Construction Co.

In the eight years we’ve named a Builder/Contractor of the Year, we’ve noticed certain phrases that keep coming up: “dedication,” “conscientious” and “quality workmanship.” Those words, and more, describe our 2008 Builder/Contractor of the Year — Boston Tennis Court... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Sales Rep of the Year: Jim Haneklau

To be a successful sales rep, you have to offer customers a kaleidoscope of attributes: expertise, reliability, professionalism, flexibility, persistence and drive to succeed. As a savvy sales veteran with 21 years of experience in the tennis industry, Jim... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Chain Retailer/Mass Merchant of the Year: Sport Chalet

With some 4,300 employees in more than 50 full-service locations throughout California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, and with more than 50 services for the serious sports enthusiast (kayaking lessons, anyone?), can a mass-merchant like Sport Chalet actually satisfy a... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Pro/Specialty Retailer of the Year: Tennis & Golf Co.

When you’ve been in business for more than 30 years, you must be doing something right. Starting in a 750-square-foot space, Tennis & Golf Co. in Royal Oak, Mich., now occupies nearly 20,000 square feet, and that contributes to... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Junior Development Champion of the Year: Chuck Kuhle

A former professional player who competed on the U.S. and Swiss satellite circuits, Chuck Kuhle of Decatur, Ill., has extensive experience practicing what he teaches as director of tennis at the Decatur Athletic Club. In this role since 1980,... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Grassroots Champion of the Year: Sue Jollensten

A sure sign of success for a community outreach program is when people call organizers for information on how to get involved, rather than organizers searching for volunteers. This is the situation Sue Jollensten of Albuquerque, N.M., now finds... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Municipal Facility of the Year: Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex

It’s a tennis oasis, and it’s been garnering praise from players and organizations alike. The Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in Surprise, Ariz., opened in 2007 to rave reviews. With its 25 courts, including a stadium court, along with... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Wheelchair Tennis Champion of the Year: Michael Mercier

Michael Mercier’s mission is strikingly similar to the USTA’s mission to “promote and develop the growth of tennis.” Mercier simply adds the word “wheelchair” to that statement. Mercier’s introduction to wheelchair tennis came 15 years ago, when he volunteered... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Public Park of the Year: Roswell Park & Rec

As a public facility, the mission of the Roswell Recreation and Parks Department in Roswell, Ga., is to offer recreation opportunities for all the city’s residents. From a tennis standpoint, every age group is covered. “The Roswell Recreation and... (Click here to read more...)

2008 Community Tennis Association of the Year: Lee County TA

The Lee County Community Tennis Association in the Fort Myers, Fla., area was established to provide tennis lessons to the community’s underserved youth. Since its founding in 1995, it has grown by leaps and bounds. “But our primary focus,”... (Click here to read more...)

2008 PTR Member of the Year: Jorge Andrew

Jorge Andrew is the ultimate tennis professional. The director of tennis operations for the Lexington County (S.C.) Recreation and Aging Commission, Andrew is a premier teacher of the game. He is a fixture at industry events as a presenter... (Click here to read more...)

2008 USPTA Member of the Year: Tom Sweitzer

In the 33 years Tom Sweitzer has been a full-time teaching pro, he has just about seen it all — from pros who are bored and show it, to overly technical instructors who won’t let players hit two shots... (Click here to read more...)

2008 High School Coach of the Year: Sue Bordainick

Ever since Sue Bordainick started coaching tennis at Ramapo High School in Spring Valley, N.Y., in 1973, she has not cut any player who’s tried out for the team. While numbers were modest when she first began coaching the... (Click here to read more...)

2008 USTA Section of the Year: Pacific Northwest

For the USTA Pacific Northwest Section, teamwork is key. Success in everything from tennis programming to improving tennis infrastructure across the section has been built through the cooperation of its members. “I think what sets the section apart is... (Click here to read more...)

How to Become the Perfect Manager

New economic challenges are putting managers to the test. Here are some of the characteristics they’ll need to acquire to meet these changing dynamics. (Click here to read more...)

Mature Outlook

Package tennis to meet all the needs of the over-50 player, and you’ll meet your bottom-line needs, too. (Click here to read more...)

Playtest: Wilson (K) Gut Pro 16

Wilson (K) Gut Pro is a premium multifilament made of high crystallinity xycro microfibers bonded together with polyurethane. Fluorocarbon (polytetrafluoroethylene) microfibers are interspersed among the xycro microfibers for enhanced performance. According to Wilson, (K) Gut Pro is engineered for... (Click here to read more...)

Acting Locally

The former TSR manager says drilling down into communities is the way to get more people playing tennis. (Click here to read more...)

Removing old head tape

Q: I have a frame that has several strips of Babolat head tape on it that I need to remove. Is there an easy way to pop them off? I don’t want to scratch or damage the frame.... (Click here to read more...)

Differential tensions

Q: Can you explain why some players lower the tension two to three pounds on the crosses and others are doing the same on the mains? Does it have an effect on the sweet spot, and is there any other... (Click here to read more...)

Mains and crosses revisited

Q: I read with interest the Ask The Experts answer that, according to Babolat, the main strings contribute durability and spin, while the cross strings contribute power and comfort. Would it make sense to say that main strings are also... (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 600 other strings your article refers to. I... (Click here to read more...)

O3 options

Q: I have a stringing machine that does not have an easily accessible turntable lock. Does that mean I have to use the boomerang tool? I have also heard that you have to string the racquet five pounds higher, for... (Click here to read more...)

Listing grommet kits in the Digest

Q: I just received my new Stringer’s Digest, you know, the one with the huge frame database with stringing instructions. Well, I have a suggestion for a new field. I think it would be most useful if there were a... (Click here to read more...)

Mark your machine set-up

I don’t have to move my machine very often, but I really like the way I have it set up. To help me restore it to the correct position each time, I put a band of electrical tape around the... (Click here to read more...)

Keep your tails short

When trimming the tails on knots, the tendency is to cut them relative to the edge of the racquet. That is, you angle your cutters so that the end of the tail will be slightly below the edge, which hopefully... (Click here to read more...)

Tether your awl

Stringing in the comfort of your home is nice, but things might change in a hurry if an awl happens to fall off the tray and land on your foot. I came very close twice: The awl just missed my... (Click here to read more...)

Slatwall for stringing

If you have Slatwall close to your stringing machine, use a long arm to store multiple reels of string. Here’s a bonus tip: When using string from the reel, simply leave the reel on the Slatwall arm, pulling off the... (Click here to read more...)

Tournament stringing speed

Although there are many skills a stringer needs to master before becoming a “tournament stringer,” my advice to hopeful tournament stringers is not to work faster than you can string. It sounds redundant, but I’ve seen stringers trying to work... (Click here to read more...)