Tennis Industry Magazine

Product Intros
Racquet Tech
Teaching Tool
Racquets and strings BALL MACHINE

New USRSA
focus on COMFORT use will enhance
CERTIFICATION
your lessons
for sales and service AND CONTROL
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 / VOLUME 44 / NUMBER 10 / $5.00
Looking To a
Bright Future
Our Champions of Tennis
tell us their 2017 wishes to strengthen and
grow the games grassroots
DAVID LASOTA:
Continue to build
smaller courts for
youth, beginners and
seniors alike.
JULIAN LI:
Its time for the

industry to point out
the benefits of
multifilament strings.
JEFF RODEFELD:
We need a focus on
pro/specialty retail and
its importance to
brand awareness.
PHIL PARRISH:
More one-day
tournaments for entrylevel players throughout
high school.
CARRIE CIMINO:
Im looking forward
to seeing more products
that will help players
play better.
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TennisIndustry
www.tennisindustrymag.com
NOV/DEC 2016
DEPARTMENTS
4
Our Serve
Industry News
12 Letters
16 TIA News
18 Racquet Tech
20 Retailing Tip
32 String Playtest:
MSV Go Max 1.25
34 Your Serve, by Kevin Theos
INDUSTRY NEWS
7
USPTA, Wilson reunite

in multiyear agreement
Adams nominated to repeat

as USTA president
Adidas, USTA partner

for Lake Nona, leagues
Tennis pioneer Seena Hamilton

passes away
Playmate introduces iGenie

ball machine
p.28
FEATURES
22 Tech Support
Teaching pros should view technology not as

competition, but as a tool to help grow revenue.
10 Rome Tennis Center opens

60 courts
24 Wish List for the New Year
11 Wilson creates Serena Williams

autograph frame
11 USTA presents annual awards
in New York
We asked last years Champions of Tennis winners

what theyre looking for in 2017.
p.24
28 Comfort and Control
12 Sockwise debuts women's line

12 Peoplewatch
New technology emerges for racquets and strings.
13 Clijsters, Roddick, Braden,

Fink nominated for HOF
31 Smarten Up!
14 Short Sets
With cutting-edge technology, PlaySight

SmartCourts are helping players of all levels.
14 Legacy Building Solutions

designs OKC facility
PLUS
36 CEOs Message
p.35
COVER PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
38 Past Presidents Message

40 USPTA World Conference
48
Education,
Encouragement
are Career Keys
52
Setteo Supports
Grassroots Tennis
Business
56
The Advantages
of Serving
American Style
48 Beyond the Court

52 Endorsee News
56 Master Pro Corner
58 Career Development
60 Member News
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

2 TennisIndustry
TOC.indd 2
Nov/Dec 2016
10/11/16 11:16 AM
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OF THE CITI OPEN
TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Citi Open is a registered service mark of Citigroup Inc.
Our Serve
PUBLISHER
JEFF WILLIAMS
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
PETER FRANCESCONI
MANAGING EDITOR
SCOTT GRAMLING
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
IAN KNOWLES
SENIOR EDITOR
ED McGROGAN
Framing
Our Future
DURING THE US OPEN, THERE
are always a lot of meetings and presentations with members of the industry
and the USTA. These gatherings, while
perhaps not barn-burners, are interesting to me because they celebrate the
sport, look to increase business and
allow you to connect with others working to grow this industry.
During TIA meetings and at the
USTA Semiannual Meeting, Craig
Morris, the USTAs general manager of
Community Tennis and Youth Tennis,
made it a point to connect with as many
industry members as possible. Morris,
who came to the USTA last fall from
Tennis Australia, was looking to push
his important message of focusing on
the tennis customer to help grow this
sport at all levels. (See the September/
October issue for a Q&A with Morris.)
The TIA also sponsored an excellent roundtable with retail expert Dan
OConnor (see page 17). OConnor
covered a wealth of information, but
the crux of his message was that the
fundamentals of retail are shifting to
stay current with consumer habits.
Businesses and organizations, including the sport of tennis, must adapt
quickly to be able to survive and grow.
Adding to all this, at the TIA Tennis
Forum, was a message that Dr. Jack
Groppel is bringing to this industry: the
need to convey the health and fitness
benefits of tennis. Groppel, who has a
long history in the science of human
performancebut who admits tennis
is his first loveis now the health and
wellness advisor for the tennis industry (see page 16).
What does all this mean? We need
to re-examine how we go to market
4 TennisIndustry
Nov_Dec_OurServe.indd 2
Nov/Dec 2016
with this sport at every level. Across

the board, we need to find out what
approaches will make tennis appeal to
everyone in a sustainable way. As a top
sales consultant recently told me, its
not about making one saleits about
generating repeat business with that
same consumer.
The retail landscape is much different now than it was 10 years ago.
Consumer attitudes, habits and desires
have changed. And technology continues to change how we get information,
buy products and create experiences.
As an industry, we often talk a good
game when it comes to the future, but
we tend to be glacially slow in making
key changes and course adjustments
and, quite simply, in reading the signs.
Many of the issues and challenges that
were just now figuring out were
raised years ago.
The USTA National Campus and
the renovations at the National Tennis
Center seem to be well in hand. So
lets open up that throttle and focus on
the changes we need to makenowto increase participation of new and
existing players, sell more racquets, get
more courts built and reframe how we
market this sport.
Peter Francesconi
Editorial Director
Peter@TennisIndustryMag.com
ART DIRECTOR
CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ
PRODUCTION EDITOR
SAM CHASE
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
BOB PATTERSON
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
ROBIN BATEMAN, CYNTHIA CANTRELL,
PEG CONNOR, KENT OSWALD, CYNTHIA
SHERMAN, MARY HELEN SPRECHER
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
BOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS
WEBMASTER
GREG RAVEN
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
TIM McARTHUR
EDITORIAL DIRECTION
10TEN MEDIA
TENNIS INDUSTRY
48 W 21st St., New York, NY 10010

646-783-1450
info@tennisindustrymag.com
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
JOHN HANNA
770-650-1102, x.125
hanna@knowatlanta.com
APPAREL ADVERTISING
CYNTHIA SHERMAN
203-558-5911
cstennisindustry@gmail.com
Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year:
monthly, January through August with combined
issues in September/October and November/
December, by Tennis Media Company, 48 W 21st
St., New York, NY 10010. Periodical postage paid in
Duluth, GA and at additional mailing offices (USPS
#004-354). Nov/Dec 2016, Volume 44, Number
10 2016 by Tennis Media Company. All rights
reserved. Tennis Industry, TI and logo are trademarks
of Tennis Media Company. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone
advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation
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$25 in the U.S., $40+ elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send
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magazine of the USRSA, TIA and ASBA.
Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/Racquet
Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our website
at TennisIndustryMag.com for free digital versions.
10/3/16 1:09 PM
PLAYSIGHT GIVES USC

TENNIS A HUGE EDGE
Peter Smith
Head Coach, USC Mens Tennis

5-Time NCAA Champion
2-Time ITA Coach of the Year
CONNECTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ATHLETES
playsight.com
PS Tennis Industry-PETER SMITH-SEP2016.indd 1
2016-09-19 4:27 PM
A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR
COACHES & ORGANIZERS

Whether you are looking to promote your programs
and events, take a course or learn the latest coaching tips,
the USTA Resource Center has what youre looking for.
BRING USTA
JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS
TO YOUR COMMUNITY
usta.com/jtt
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COACHING & EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES MARKETING MATERIALS,

INCLUDING CUSTOMIZABLES VIDEOS TIPS COURSES DRILLS
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RESOURCES.USTA.COM
2016 United States Tennis Association. All rights reserved.
12315 CT Resource Site Promotional One-Pager.indd 1
9/20/16 12:04 PM
IndustryNews
Information to help you run your business
USPTA and Wilson Reunite

in Multiyear Agreement
he USPTA and Wilson Sporting

Goods have entered into a threeyear agreement in which Wilson
will become the official equipment supplier of the USPTA, providing racquets, balls,
strings, grips, bags, 10 and Under Tennis
equipment and stringing machines, along
with platform tennis paddles and balls for
USPTA members and programs.
We are excited to rejoin forces, says
Hans-Martin Reh, general manager of
Wilson. As a brand, our mission is to
become the undisputed champion in
tennis. We recognize a renewed focus on
grassroots tennis and deeper partnership

with teaching professionals are essential.
I was fortunate to be a part of the Wilson team 20-plus years ago when USPTA
and Wilson were partners, says USPTA
CEO John Embree. I feel like the USPTA
has returned home. I am excited about
what this endorsement will mean to our
membership and to the tennis industry.
Wilson equipment and signage will be
showcased at all official USPTA events.
Wilson will join seven other endorsees in
contributing to the USPTA Retirement
Gold+ program.
C O U RT E S Y U S P TA / F R E D M U L L A N E / C A M E R AW O R K U S A
Celebrating the USPTAWilson deal are (from left)

Mickey Maule, Wilson
commercial director for the
Americas; Hans-Martin Reh,
general manager for Wilson
Global Racquet Sports;
Tim Buwick, Wilson USA
promotions manager; and
John Embree, USPTA CEO.
Making
Tennis Matter
Released by
USTA Southern
Nov_Dec_TI_IndustryNews.indd 8
he USTA Southern Section has

released a 28-page online publication called Making Tennis Matter:
A USTA Southern Facility Toolkit, aimed
at supporting Community Tennis
Associations, facility owners and grassroots advocates as they work to build more
tennis courts in local communities. The
publication includes information on how
to make a case for building more courts
and includes case studies, tips and other
important resources.
We hope other sections will feel free
to customize this compilation of best
practices for their own use, says USTA
Southern Advocacy Subcommittee Chair
Robin Jones. To link to the tool, visit
southerntennis.com/makingtennismatter.
pdf or southern.usta.com.
Adams
Nominated
To Repeat as
USTA President
fter the US Open, USTA

First Vice President Andy
Andrews notified the USTA
Nominating Committee that, for
personal reasons, he was declining
the nomination for USTA president for the 2017-2018 term.
The Nominating Committee
determined it to be in the best
interest of the organization
to nominate Katrina Adams to
serve an unprecedented second
consecutive term as USTA President, according to Committee
Chair Charlotte Johnson.
The full slate nominated for the
2017-2018 term is:
President: Katrina Adams
(Eastern)
First VP: Patrick Galbraith
(Pacific Northwest)
VP: Joan Baker (Northern)
VP: Mark Ein (Mid-Atlantic)
Sec-Treas: Thomas Ho (Texas)
Directors at Large: Fabrizio
Alcobe-Fierro (Florida), Jeffrey
Baill (Northern), Laura Canfield
(Middle States), Dr. Brian
Hainline (Midwest), Michael
McNulty (Southern), Andrew
Valdez (Intermountain)
Elite Athletes: Lauren Barnikow
(Northern Calif.), Liezel Huber
(Texas), Brian Vahaly (MidAtlantic)
Nov/Dec 2016
TennisIndustry 7
10/3/16 1:53 PM
IndustryNews
n a new partnership, Adidas

will become an official sponsor
of the USTA National Campus,
USTA Player Development and USTA
League Tennis. In addition, Adidas
will become the exclusive presenting
sponsor of the USTA National Junior
Rankings and newly named USTA
Adidas Junior Championship Series,
comprised of junior tournaments that
will feature some of the top young
players in the country.
At the USTA National Campus in
Orlando, Fla., the Adidas Performance
Center will serve as home to the
USTAs Player Development division.
Adidas will also become the official
outfitter and apparel partner for
USTA PD.
The success of our sport depends
on the success of the international
tennis industry as a whole, says
USTA Player Development General
Manager Martin Blackman. We are
fortunate that our game is supported
by world-class brands that produce
tennis racquets, tennis balls, apparel
and footwear.
ITA Unveils
New Look
he Intercollegiate Tennis
Association has rolled out a
new logo and enhanced brand
colors. The ITA worked with PlanIt
Studios for the new design.
ITF Considers Changes

To Davis, Fed Cup Formats
The International Tennis Federation is
looking to change the Davis and Fed Cup
formats to make the appeal of tennis
broad and wide, says ITF President David
Haggerty. The ITF wants to select cities
to host the final in advance, rather than
waiting until the two contenders for the
championship emerge. The ITF hopes to
have this new hosting system in place
by 2018.
Other possible changes include reducing
the length of matches from best of five sets
to best of three, and expanding the top-tier
Fed Cup from eight nations to a 16-nation
field, similar to Davis Cup. The ITF membership will vote on the plans next August.
Seena Hamilton, Tennis

Pioneer, Passes Away
Tennis pioneer and Easter Bowl
founder Seena Hamilton (pictured
above with Arthur Ashe) passed away
on August 6 after a lengthy illness. She
was 92. Hamiltons commitment to
junior tennis helped generations of top
players make their initial mark in the
sport. The roster of Easter Bowl participants reads as a whos who of the
sport, and includes a 15-year-old Jimmy
Connors at the inaugural event in 1968.
Hamilton's career included stints as
a radio scriptwriter, record publicist,
radio show host and magazine editor.
She founded two marketing companies:
Seena Hamilton & Associates and
Creative Tennis Marketing. She is survived by her son, Bryan Fineberg.
Fromuth to Run Pro Shop

at USTA National Campus
Fromuth Tennis will operate the tennis
pro shop at the USTA National Campus in
Orlando, Fla., scheduled to open in January.
C O U RT E R S Y R O B E RT K E N A S
Adidas, USTA
Partner for
Nat'l Campus,
Leagues
10/3/16 1:53 PM
IndustryNews
Top-Selling Racquets at
Specialty Stores
January-June, 2016 vs. 2015
Units
2016
280,559
2015
306,092
% change vs. 15
-8%
Dollars 2016
$41,639,000
2015
$45,069,000
% change vs. 15
-8%
Price
2016
$148.42
2015
$147.24
% change vs. 15
1%
Operating the pro shop at the USTA

National Campus is a great fit for us as we
can help train interns and Professional Tennis Management students before they go
out into the tennis world and run pro shops,
stringing businesses and tennis clubs,
says Fromuth President Pat Shields. For a
company like ours thats been committed to
the tennis industry for over 40 years, this is a
huge opportunity to be on the forefront
of innovation.
Since 1972, Fromuth has been supplying
tennis pro shops, teams, coaches and stringers in all 50 states with a variety of tennis
brands, servicing thousands of tennis retailers a year. E.J. Crawford
Playmate Introduces iGenie

Ball Machine
Playmate Ball Machines has introduced iGenie, which the company says is
the easiest ball machine to use. Players
can choose a player level (easy, medium, hard) then select shots from
Top-Selling Racquets
at Specialty Stores
By year-to-date dollars,
January-June 2016
1. Babolat Pure Drive 2015 (MP)
2. Babolat Pure Aero (100) 2016 (MP)
3. Babolat Pure Aero Team 2016 (MP)
4. Babolat Pure Drive Lite 2015 (MP)
5. Wilson Pro Staff 97 (MP)
Hot New Racquets

(introduced in the past 12 months)
1. Babolat Pure Aero (100) 2016 (MP)
2. Babolat Pure Aero Team 2016 (MP)
3. Wilson Ultra 100 2016 (MP)
4. Babolat Pure Aero Lite 2016 (MP)
5. Head XT Radical MP (MP)
Top-Selling Tennis Shoes

at Specialty Stores
By year-to-date dollars,
Jan.-June 2016
1. Asics Gel Resolution 6
2. Prince T22
3. Nike Zoom Cage 2
4. Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour 2015
5. Asics Gel Solution Speed 3
Top-Selling Strings
at Specialty Stores
By year-to-date units, Jan.-June 2016
1. Babolat RPM Blast
2. Prince Synthetic Gut Duraex
3. Wilson NXT
4. Wilson Sensation
5. Luxilon Alu Power
(Source: TIA)
10/13/16 2:44 PM
IndustryNews
rally balls, to short balls, lobs, spins
and more. Or dont select anything, and
iGenie will start feeding an easy rally
ball straight ahead.
For teaching pros and coaches, Playmate says its easy to create drills. The
pro selects a player level based on the
users' skill and experience, then selects
shots in order. For example, for a two-line
group drill, the pro can hit Medium Player
level, and then High Short Ball two times
then Lob two times. On the picture of the
court, set directions for a two-line drill
by pressing the button left of center and
then the button right of center.
The iGenie also includes iPlaymate
Tennis for iPhone and iPad, so pros can
create and save drills, track workouts,
compare results with others and more.
Pros can also control the ball machine on
their iPhone and iPad.
Visit playmatetennis.com for more.
Industry Veteran Launches

Tennis Court Consult
Tennis industry veteran David Meharg has
pro-tecathletics.com
Rome Tennis Center

Opens 60 Courts
he Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in Rome, Ga., the nations largest
hard-court tennis facility, held its grand opening over the summer. It has a
total of 60 lighted courts, including six NCAA regulation courts, three center courts for tournament and collegiate play, and one exhibition court. There are
also eight permanent 36-foot courts, in addition to 10 courts with blended lines.
Contact us for
wholesale pricing!
Braces/Supports Massage Therapy Kinesiology Tape Hot/Cold Therapy
10 TennisIndustry
Nov/Dec 2016
800-779-3372 info@pro-tecathletics.com
10/3/16 1:53 PM
IndustryNews
launched a new company, Tennis Court
Consult (TCC) of Cornwall Bridge, Conn.,
to provide an independent, comprehensive and cost-effective approach to tennis
court and facility consulting. Meharg
brings more than 30 years of tennis business experience in all segments of the
industry to TCC.
All TCC services are also supported by a
network of technical tennis experts across
the country. Visit TennisCourtConsult.com
or contact david@tenniscourtconsult.com
(phone: 860-484-9016).
USTA Presents Annual Awards
Wilson Creates
Serena
Autograph
Racquet
C O U RT E R S Y R O M E T E N N I S C E N T E R ( PA G E 1 0 ) ; W I L S O N ( PA G E 1 1 )
ilson announced during

the US Open that it will
honor 20-year advisory
staff member Serena Williams
with an Autograph racquet. The
Blade Serena Williams (SW) 104
Autograph marks the 16th time in
the brands 102-year historyand
only the second time in the last 38
yearsthat it has celebrated an
athlete with an Autograph model.
Williams will play with the new
frame at the start of the 2017 season
in Australia.
The new Blade line of frames also
includes new technologies from
Wilson, including Countervail,
which places carbon fiber in locations throughout the racquet to
improve performance, and the X2
Ergo handle, to provide two-handed
backhand players with power, versatility and feel.
The USTA presented several annual

awards at its Semiannual Meeting held
in New York City during the US Open in
September.
* Eve Kraft Community Service Award:
Delaine Mast, Lancaster, Pa.
* CTA of the Year: Western Wake Tennis
Association, Cary, N.C.
* Adaptive Tennis Community Service
Award: Buddy Up Tennis Inc., New
Albany, Ohio
* Faculty Member of the Year: Todd
Dissly, Los Gatos, Calif.
* Janet Louer Junior Team Tennis
Organizer of the Year: Oliver Summers,
Fargo, N.D.
* NJTL Chapter of the Year: Gainesville
Area Community Tennis Association
Inc., Gainesville, Fla.
* Barbara Williams Service Award:
Barbara Fackel, Rock Island, Ill.
* Bill Talbert Junior Sportsmanship
Award: Lane Leschly, Atherton, Calif.,
and Tiffany Chen, Naperville, Ill.
* Featured Outstanding Facility Award:
The Candy Erickson Tennis Center at
the Park City Municipal Athletic
Recreation Center, Park City, Utah.
* League Volunteer Award: Pat Devoto,
Decatur, Ga.
* National Junior Scholar Athlete
Award: Alexis Milunovich, Greenwich
Academy, Conn., and David Horneffer,
Brookfield East High School, Wis.
* Presidents Award: Benjamin Woods
Sr., Silver Spring, Md.
USRSA Adds Two New

Certification Testers
Sharon Hall of Athens, Ga., and Mark
Tarentino of Fayetteville, N.C., are the newest certification testers for the USRSA. Hall
is the owner and operator of Red Racquet
Tennis in Athens and has been a Master
10/3/16 1:53 PM
IndustryNews
People
Watch
In September, Dr. Brian Hainline
received the Intercollegiate
Tennis Association's highest honor,
the 2016 ITA David A. Benjamin
Achievement Award.
ockwise Inc. has introduced U-Sox (u-sox.com), a new line of womens

lifestyle socks.
National Sales Manager Don Crusius says the new socks, which are made
in Italy, had a sponsorship arrangement with the Connecticut Open in August. All
the players received socks, and they gave us great feedback, he notes. There are 10
models in the current line and our plan is to introduce a new style every two weeks
until the end of the year.
Crusius says hes also looking to expand his network of national sales reps. For
more information, contact him at 214-460-7681 or vitalsox1@gmail.com
LETTERS
Focus on the
Customer
I enjoyed Peter Francesconis Our
Serve in the August issue, The Best
Part of Your Day. What tennis director
Adam Molda tells his coaches is very
important.
When I was regularly conducting
PTR certification workshops, I would
always mention to the coaches the
importance of what they do and that
they need to always give the best lesson
possible every time they step onto the
court. I would tell them that for many of
their students, being on the court with
you is the hour of the week that they
look forward to the most.
If you cant give your best in every
lesson you teach, then do yourself, your
students and the game of tennis a favor
and find something else to do for a
living. Thankfully, most tennis coaches
make a world of difference in their
students lives.
Dan Santorum
CEO, Professional Tennis Registry
12 TennisIndustry
Nov/Dec 2016
The Our Serve column in the August

issue was a wonderful reminder of what
really matters in our business (or any
business): The customers experience.
When a student feels that we actually
care about them, that were taking the
time to make an investment in their
enjoyment, its a game-changer to our
business.
For years Ive told my students,
Im just the hired help. While Id like
to believe they dont actually feel that
way, its been a great way to convey the
idea that, its not about me, its all
about them.
Thank you for recognizing where
the focus needs to be if we ever hope to
grow our sport. It cant be on the pros,
the facilities, or even on the USTAit
needs to be on the customer.
Mike Kolendo
Tennis Director
Tennis at Maple Ridge/Northampton
(Mass.) Recreation Department
Har-Tru has announced four

new hires. Andrew Frazier is the
sales rep for the Mid-Atlantic and
Canada; Kyle Utz is the sales rep
for the Midwest and West; Chris
Martin is now the companys credit
and collections manager; and Kita
Ashurst is the companys new
senior purchasing agent.
Kathy Woods has been named
Director of Tennis at the USTA
National Campus in Orlando, Fla.,
leading and overseeing all
programming and activities. Also
at the National Campus, Chris
Mick Michalowski has been
named director of Campus
Laboratory, USTA University.
Outgoing ATP Player Council
president and former Top 20
doubles player Eric Butorac has
been named to the new position
of director of Professional Tennis
Operations and Player Relations
for the USTA.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women's Collegiate Tennis
Hall of Fame will induct Alycia
Moulton, Gretchen Rush, Jane
Goodman and Virginia Brown in a
Nov. 12 event in Williamsburg, Va.
C O U RT E S Y S O C KW I S E I N C. ( PA G E 1 2 ) ; T O U R N A G R I P ( PA G E 1 3 )
Sockwise Introduces New

Womens Line
Daria Kasatkina, 19, has

renewed her contract with Tecnifibre, building on their five-year
partnership. The Russian-born
Kasatkina is currently ranked 29th
in the WTA world rankings.
Americans Ryan Harrison of the
San Diego Aviators and Nicole
Gibbs of the Orange County
Breakers won the 2016 Mylan
World TeamTennis MVP awards.
10/3/16 1:53 PM
FOR SALE
IndustryNews
Racquet Technician for more than 12 years.
Tarentino is the assistant director of the
Professional Tennis Management program
at Methodist University. An MRT, he is also
a Level 2 USPTA pro, a PTR certified pro, a
Cardio Tennis/TRX Cardio Tennis Authorized
Pro and is PPTA certified.
Clijsters, Roddick, Braden,

Flink Considered for HoF
Former world No. 1s Kim Clijsters and
Andy Roddick have been nominated for
induction into the International Tennis
Hall of Fame. Both are on the 2017 ballot
in the Recent Player Category. Monique
Kalkman, a Dutch wheelchair tennis
player during the 1990s and winner

of a Paralympic Gold Medal, is nominated in the Recent Player Category for
Wheelchair Tennis.
In the Contributor Category, the late
Vic Braden, who was among the first to
apply sports science to his instructional
tactics, has been nominated, along
with Steve Flink, a distinguished tennis
historian, broadcaster and journalist.
indcres t T ennis &

P ickleball C lub
USTA Foundation Awards

$408K in College Scholarships
USTA Foundation, the national charitable
foundation of the USTA, awarded 49 highschool students a variety of college
Located in San Antonio, Texas

6 lighted tennis courts
2 lighted pickleball courts
1 unlighted pickleball court
All courts recently resurfaced
New nets
USTA league teams
Cibulkova, Tourna Grip

Sign Multiyear Agreement
ourna Grip has entered into a multiyear deal with WTA pro Dominika
Cibulkova, who has used the grip for her entire career. Cibulkova, who has
reached as high as No. 10 in the world, joins Tournas roster of pro players
officially endorsing the brand and will be featured in advertisements, packaging
and promotional material. Tourna Grips trademark light blue color can be seen
on the racquets of hundreds of touring pros. Visit uniquesports.com for more.
1000 square foot club house,
stringing machine and a ball

machine.
Contact Ed Beyster at
210-326-6780 for additional
information.
10/3/16 1:53 PM
IndustryNews
Famers Cliff Swain and
Jacqueline Paraiso.
The U.S. will host

Switzerland in the 2017
Davis Cup World Group
First Round, which will be
held Feb. 3-5.
The Chicago Tribune
reported in September
that Wilson Sporting
Goods will move its headquarters from Chicagos
far northwest side to the
Prudential Plaza in the
citys Loop neighborhood.
The move, which will
affect about 400 employees, is set for December
2017. The company
reportedly signed a 12year lease for two oors of
the 41-story building.
Ashaway Racket Strings
has renewed its sponsorship agreements with
racquetball Hall-of-
Head Penn has

partnered with Greater
Midland (Mich.) Tennis
Center. Head will be
the official brand and
Penn the official ball of
the facility.
Tecnifibre was the
official stringer for the
ATP 500/WTA International Tier Citi Open
Tournament in Washington, D.C., in July
the companys first ATP
event inside the U.S.
More than 900 racquets
were strung during the
11-day event.
OnCourt OffCourt
has recently rebranded,
with a new logo and
new spelling.
Legacy Building Solutions, a pioneer in the

use of a rigid steel frame
for fabric structures,
is on the 2016 edition
of the Inc. 5000 list of
fastest growing private
companies in the U.S. The
rankings are determined
by the rate of revenue
growth over three years.
Visit legacybuildingsolutions.com for more info.
Golfsmith International, headquartered in
Houston, filed for bankruptcy on Sept. 15 as part
of a debt restructuring
plan. Golfsmith, which
also sells tennis equipment, is the largest specialty golf retailer in the
world and has 109 stores
in the United States
operating as Golfsmith
Golf & Tennis, and 55
stores in Canada.
Penn has been named
Legacy Designs, Builds

OKC Indoor Facility
hen the USTA named

the Oklahoma City
Tennis Center at Will
Rogers Park as an Outstanding
Tennis Facility, part of the credit
was due to the new six-court
indoor tennis facility constructed by Legacy Building Solutions.
The structure uses ameretardant fabric that reects the
LED lighting system for a bright,
even background. Designed for
year-round use, the buildings
roof and walls are fully insulated.
After working with the tennis
center staff, the custom-designed
building was installed by Legacy
in less than 30 days. For more
information, visit legacybuildingsolutions.com.
14 TennisIndustry
Nov/Dec 2016
the official ball of the

Ladies Professional
Racquetball Tour. The
multi-year deal includes
an extension of Head as
the official Tour Partner.
Since its purchase
by Sinclair Broadcast
Group in March,
Tennis Channel says it
has added 10 million
viewing households
and is now reaching 47
million households as of
this summer.
Sportsmens Tennis &
Enrichment Center in
Dorchester, Mass., has
received a three-year,
$150,000 grant from
Tufts Medical Center
for the Volley Against
Violence Police/Community Engagement
Initiative. Tufts has
supported Volley
Against Violence for the
past six years.
Peter Burwash
International (PBI) will
operate the tennis program at the Mandarin
Oriental, Kuala Lumpur
hotel. Angel Gyorgievski (above) will head the
new program. PBI will
direct the tennis program at The Buccaneer
resort on St. Croix in the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
TGA Premier Youth
Tennis recently
launched its first
international franchise
in Sault Ste. Marie,
Canada. In addition,
TGA has new franchises
in Nashville, Tenn., and
Fairfield County, Conn.
scholarships totaling $408,000.

Each year, the Foundation awards scholarships to deserving youth who have participated in USTA and other organized youth
tennis programs, such as an NJTL chapter,
have demonstrated high academic achievement and require financial assistance for
college. The scholarships range from $1,000
to $15,000.
USRSA Announces
New MRTs and CSs
Master Racquet Technicians
John CurrieLondon, England
Neil DennisLondon, England
David HallClacton by the Sea, England
Gary HomerSolihull, England
Rob LeahyCork, Ireland
Sorin MillerPortland, Ore.
Justin PattSan Luis Obispo, Calif.
Michael ThompsonBirmingham, England
William WertCharleston, S.C.
Ron WilliamsonMelton, England
Certified Stringers
Brooke FixKingman, Ariz.
Minchao WuFlushing, N.Y.
C O U RT E S Y P ET E R B U R WA S H I N T E R N AT I O N A L , L E G A C Y B U I L D I N G S O LU T I O N S
Short
Sets
10/3/16 1:54 PM
TI MAG AD pg.indd 2
5/26/16 12:53 PM
Human Performance Expert Dr. Jack

Groppel Named Health & Wellness
Advisor for the Tennis Industry
Dr. Jack Groppel,
an internationally recognized authority and pioneer in the

science of human performance, will become the Health & Wellness Advisor for the
Tennis Industry. As the representative and spokesperson for the Tennis Industry
Association (TIA) Board of Directors, Dr. Groppel will work with industry partners,
including the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA), Sports & Fitness Industry Association
(SFIA), International Health, Racquet, & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), and others,
on strategies to best convey the health and fitness messaging of tennis.
Dr. Groppel, who is the co-founder of the
Johnson & Johnson Human Performance
Institute, has a long history in tennis, including
16 years as chair of the National Sport Science
Committee for the USTA.
Im thrilled to be able to give back to the
game that has given me so much, Dr. Groppel
said. I look forward to working with the Tennis
Industry Association and all of the industry
partners in helping to highlight the health,
fitness and wellness benefits tennis can offer
people of all ages.
With Jacks background and expertise in
fitness performance and health, the entire tennis
industry will benefit from the strategic support
hell bring, said TIA President Jeff Williams.
Dr. Groppel is the co-chair of the Global
Alliance for Health & Performance and is
professor of Kinesiology & Community Health
at the University of Illinois. Hes addressed the
issue of worksite wellness and performance
at U.N. and U.S. Congress policy events, and
represented the worksite wellness industry
at the Surgeon Generals Call to Action on

Walking and Walkable Communities.
We are very fortunate in the tennis industry
to have someone of Dr. Groppels experience
and caliber helping to push all the great benefits
of tennis and reasons to play this sport, said
TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. No one
has published more articles and research on
the health benefits of tennis than he has.
In March, Dr. Groppel was a key presenter
at the TIA State of the Industry Forum during
the Miami Open, held in conjunction with the
third annual TIA Tennis Owners & Managers
Conference, on using the health and fitness
benefits of the sport to get more people active
and playing tennis.
In April, the tennis industry became the first
sports industry to endorse the new National
Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) and the CEO
Pledge for Physical Activity when the plan was
unveiled in Washington, D.C. The NPAP was
announced in a press conference at the National
Press Club, followed by a Congressional briefing
at the U.S. Capitol. During the announcement,

the sport of tennis was cited by Dr. Groppel as
the first of hopefully many entire sports to
endorse this pledge and this plan.
This past August, Dr. Groppel participated
in the annual TIA Tennis Forum in New York
City during the US Open. As the National
Spokesperson for the CEO Pledge for Physical
Activity (part of the National Coalition for
Promoting Physical Activity), Dr. Groppel
expanded the Pledge with the signing by
International Tennis Federation President David
Haggerty and USTA President Katrina Adams.
Along with his position with the Johnson
& Johnson Human Performance Institute,
Dr. Groppel is the co-chair of the Health
Enhancement Research Organization (HERO)
Health, Performance & Productivity Study
Committee. He wrote the book The Corporate
Athlete on achieving the pinnacle of corporate
performance, hes been featured in New York
Times, Fortune, Forbes, Shape, Fast Company
and Huffington Post, among other publications.
2017 T.O.M. Conference to be March 27-29 in Orlando

The fourth annual Tennis Owners & Managers (T.O.M.) Conference, presented by the TIA, will be March
27-29, 2017, at Rosen Shingle Creek, a 230-acre resort in Orlando, Fla.
The T.O.M. Conference will bring together leading experts in facility management, development,
programming, staffing, and other key areas to provide vital information that will address the needs of
all types of tennis facilitiespublic, commercial, private, country
ORLANDO 2017
clubs, resorts. The event also will focus on looking to the future
and to innovative business models that will help to increase tennis
engagement and growth at the facility and club level.
The 2017 conference in Orlando also will include a site tour
of the USTA National Campus at Lake Nonathe new Home of American Tenniswith its 102 courts.
For more information, visit TheTOMConference.com or contact info@tennisindustry.org or 866-686-3036.
16 TennisIndustry
Nov/Dec 2016
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org
TIA Tennis Forum Hears from

Global, U.S. Execs
s
Jeff William
Retail Expert Dan

OConnor Leads
Industry Roundtable
More than 300 attendees heard top U.S. and

international tennis executives present key industry
research, initiatives, issues and challenges at the
Katrina Adams
ninth annual TIA Tennis Forum, held on Aug. 29 in New
York City, the first day of play at the 2016 US Open.
Top retail expert Dan OConnor, the founder and CEO
Tennis Industry Association (TIA) President Jeff Williams
of RetailNet Group (RNG), spoke to tennis retailers,
welcomed attendees and introduced USTA Chairman, CEO &
manufacturers and others in the industry at a roundtable
President Katrina Adams, who spoke about the renovations
sponsored by the Tennis Industry Association (TIA) during the
at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center,
opening week of the US Open. RNG is a leading advisory and
including the new retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium,
insights firm that works with large-scale retailers and brand
along with important developments at the
leaders worldwide, including Walmart, Target, Best Buy and
USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.,
Home Depot, among others.
and other USTA initiatives.
The business question I get asked all the time is,
TIA Executive Director Jolyn de
Whats
next? OConnor said. The fundamentals of retail
Boer then presented industry research
are
shifting
in a way that Ive never experienced. Its all
on participation, equipment sales,
about
the
merchandise
and execution.
and more, and discussed issues the
Jim Baugh
OConnor
described
five
areas of change that are affecting
tennis industry is facing, including Humes , Polly Scott, A
nne
, Kirk And
retail:
societal
change,
such
as how people are interacting
er
son
a challenging retail and changing
,
el
with
stores,
experiences
and
lifestyles; technologic change,
consumer market. De Boer also
Dr. Gropp gerty
David Hag
which
includes
changing
processes
within companies and
introduced Dr. Jack Groppel, cochanging
how
consumers
experience
retail;
economic
change, such
founder of the Human Performance
as
factors
affecting
consumer
liquidity;
changes
within
the retail
Institute at Johnson & Johnson.
industry
itself
that
have
a
ripple
effect
up
and
down
the
chain;
and
Dr. Groppel is the global
political
change,
including
regulatory
changes
such
as
minimum-wage
spokesperson for the CEO Pledge
requirements.
for Physical Activity (in April, tennis
Were in a real time demand generation, not a 52-week
became the first sports industry to
calendar
when it comes to retailing, OConnor said. Content is
sign the CEO Pledge). After he spoke
the
most
important
thing in this modelcreating on-the-fly digital
about how tennis is the perfect activity
promotions.
Retailing
is moving from the demand generation
for health, fitness and wellness, the
team
to
fulfillment.
USTAs Adams and International Tennis
OConnor predicted, Wholesalers will come back. Retailers dont want to
Federation (ITF) President David Haggerty
hold
any inventory, so wholesalers will hold it for them. The prevailing thought
came up on stage and signed the CEO Pledge on behalf of
will
be,
Im going to sell it, but I cant own it, he says. The economics are going
their organizations.
to
really
change. Were moving out of this world of traditional retail.
Haggerty, a former USTA president who was elected ITF
OConnor
says consumer habits and behaviors are changing. The time to sell
president last fall, then addressed the crowd about important
has
gone
from
30 seconds to 16 seconds and is on its way to 8 seconds.
initiatives the ITF is involved with, then introduced Kurt
He
also
says
consumers are trying to limit how big work is in their life, which
Kamperman, the USTAs chief executive of Community Tennis
is
putting
a
lot
less
cash into their pockets. Theyre behaving as if they will have
and USTA National Campus. Kamperman teamed with the
30
jobs
in
their
lifetime,
not four or five. For the retailer, this says these arent
USTAs new general manager of Community Tennis & Youth
consumers
with
growing
purchasing
power, but theyll be buying to the need.
Tennis, Craig Morris, to help set an agenda for growth of the
Another
trait,
OConnor
noted,
is that in most merchandise categories,
sport through focusing on tennis consumers and youth.
consumers
are
spending
on
experiences,
rather than on owning something.
The Forum concluded by honoring the two 2016 inductees
Personalization
and
customization
is
a
growing trend among consumers, he
into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame: Eve Kraft and Gene
said.
This
includes
feedback
from
devices,
and also the way a retailer messages
Scott. Kraft, who passed away in 1999, was a visionary when
to
consumers.
Consumers
want
to
know
what
racquet they need, as fast as you
it came to bringing tennis into local communities and was
can
tell
them.
What
does
8
seconds
mean
to
your
product?
honored by longtime friends and colleagues Kirk Anderson
Accountability is becoming more important, OConnor noted, because the
and Anne Humes. Scott, who died in 2006, was the founder,
web makes everyone a fact-checker. People care about who the company is;
publisher and editor of Tennis Week magazine, and was
celebrated by longtime friend Jim Baugh, who presented a
reputation matters.
plaque to his widow, Polly Scott.
Health and wellness is important, too, he said, but people dont pay up for
For more information, please see the State of the Industry
health and wellness. Health and wellness has a perception where consumers
video at TennisIndustry.org or call the TIA at 866-686-3036.
have a very high willingness to pay, but the reality is the opposite.
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org
Nov/Dec 2016
TennisIndustry 17
Racquet Tech
was launched in 1986. In 1993, the Certified Racquet Technician program was
launched, later renamed the Master
Racquet Technician (MRT) program.
Over the decades, there have been
few changes to the CS program. Our
goal is to recognize individuals with
basic levels of stringing and racquetservice competence. While things
within the industry have certainly
changed over 30 years, those basic
skills and competencies remain the
benchmark. The MRT designation
was created to reward individuals who
demonstrate superior technical competence and product knowledge. Weve
made changes and updates to keep our
MRT tests current with the industry.
Now, after careful consideration and
input from veterans and others in the
industry, we are making some changes
that we feel will not only be a better
measure of the designations earned,
but also benefit our entire industry.
The new Professional Racquet

Advisor certification focuses on
selling and servicing racquets and
strings. By Bob Patterson,
Executive Director, USRSA
have every issue of U.S. Racquet

Stringers Association publications
dating back to the very beginning,
in 1975. I often look through old issues
for industry information of a historical
nature, but I also find myself looking
at the articles and advertisements and
marveling at just how much our
industry has changed through the
yearsand how much remains pretty
much the same.
Recently, I was leafing through the
issues for anything related to the start
of the USRSA Certification program,
which led me to the February 1986
edition of The Stringers Assistant. Jill
Workman [Fonte], then the executive
director, described how the program
came about:
18 TennisIndustry
Nov_Dec_RacquetTech.indd 18
The Tennis Manufacturers

Association held a meeting during
the January '85 Tennis Industry
show at which some manufacturers
expressed concern over improperly
strung demo frames and warranty
claims due to stringer negligence.
On three separate occasions after
that meeting, I was approached by a
manufacturer requesting some sort
of certification program for racquet
stringers. They wanted the USRSA to
insure a minimum level of competence among stringers.
Soon afterward, Jill assembled a
committee of industry veterans to
develop a test and standards for the
Certified Stringer (CS) program, which
Starting in January, we will offer a new

certification: Professional Racquet
Advisor (PRA). A PRA has everything to
do with servicing and selling racquets,
but the key difference is that for PRA
certification, there is no direct, or
hands-on, involvement with racquet
service like there is for a CS or MRT.
To become a PRA, applicants will
need to take a written exam administered by our worldwide certification
staff. One way to describe the PRA test
would be to think of the existing MRT
written exam, then remove any questions regarding the actual installation
of strings, grips or customization. The
PRA test focuses on how strings work,
the differences in construction and
what that means to players, frame technologies and how to fit a player with the
correct frame for their game.
Who Should Become a PRA?
As the title indicates, a Professional

Racquet Advisor will be able to advise
players with all things frames and
strings. Coaches and teaching professionals should consider the new PRA
certification. They may be able to teach
the techniques for a perfect cross-court
backhand, but if the student is using the
wrong frame or has the wrong string
PHOTO FOTOLIA
A New Level of Service
A New Certification
Nov/Dec 2016
10/3/16 1:20 PM
set-up for their game, they will never

hit that beautiful backhand as well as
they could.
Others who would benefit from
the PRA certification include retail
or pro-shop staff who are expected to
sell frames and racquet service and
help customers, but may not actually
perform the service themselves.
This new designation will also
affect MRTs. Because the PRA exam
is essentially a part of the MRT test,
PRA certification will now be a prerequisite for those seeking to become
an MRT. This will also mean that the
written portions of the MRT exam
will be abbreviated and contain only
the information directly related to
racquet service and customization.
We will, of course, continue to tweak
the content every year to make sure
the test is up to date.
Both the PRA and MRT will be
required to submit an annual update
test on current manufacturers
technologies to show that they are
staying abreast of the latest offerings.
With this new PRA certification,
well be able to bring a new level of
qualified, consistent service to players and customers. This is an exciting
time for our industry.
For more information about USRSA
certification programs, including the
new Professional Racquet Advisor
designation, visit www.usrsa.com.
Nov_Dec_RacquetTech.indd 19
10/3/16 1:20 PM
Retailing Tip
Sell the Experience!

Holiday retail can be fun and profitable if you offer
customers experiential gift options. By Jay Townley
Seeking Experiences
According to the National Retail Federations consumer holiday spending

survey of the 2015 season, about 22
percent of consumers planned to give
an experience-type gift, while 37 percent wanted to receive one. However,
those numbers jump significantly for
millennials (Americans born between
1981 and 1997): More than 35 percent
of these 18- to 34-year-olds planned to
give an experiential gift, and over 50
percent said they would like to receive
one. In addition, 43 percent of 35- to
44-year-olds indicated they would like
20 TennisIndustry
Nov_Dec_TI_Retailing_NEW.indd 20
to receive an experiential gift.

When we began examining the phenomenon of experiential purchasing
in which a retailer offers consumers
a chance to buy an experience rather
than just an object or servicewe were
fascinated to see just how widespread
the approach has become at retail, said
global research firm NPD about its 2015
year-end review.
Giving & Receiving
How does this affect your retail business? To the gift giverwho is your
consumeryou want to make sure
to deliver an extraordinary shopping
experience, with all the hallmarks that
make your store a tennis retail service
winner and keep customers returning.
For the recipient, who may not be a
customer, you want to offer memorable
gifts that can help lead them to your

shop. Be creative. If your shop is part of
a larger tennis facility with courts, link
purchases to on-court activities. If you
have a standalone retail shop, consider
partnering with a local facility, parks &
rec department or teaching pro to offer
on-court experiences.
American consumers go to brickand-mortar stores to do more than just
shop. This knowledge gives specialty
tennis retailers a huge opportunity to
create a great holiday gift-giving retail
environment and to craft memorable
tennis gift experiencesall while
increasing revenue and profitability,
and having some fun!
Jay Townley is a partner in the retail
consulting firm Gluskin Townley Group
(www.gluskintownleygroup.com).
PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK
y now you should have your holiday planning in placeincluding

stocking and replenishment,
displays, merchandising and marketing
outreach. And your holiday messaging (advertisements, email blasts, etc.)
should already be reaching out to your
market space and customer base. But
there is still time to generate added
revenueand have some real fun
selling experiential holiday gifts.
First, though, lets dispel the false
assumption that the internet and the
ability to shop anywhere, any time
means brick-and-mortar retail isnt
as important as it used to be. Nothing
could be further from the truth.
American consumers have made it
clear that they are buying much more
than stuff: They are purchasing experiences, enjoyment and relationships
with experts who can help them realize
their ideal tennis lifestyle.
Combine this desire to purchase
experiences with the bustling holiday
season, and you have a unique opportunity to package and sell tennis lifestyle
experience gifts such as tennis lessons,
a trip to a tennis resort or tickets to a
tennis event.
Nov/Dec 2016
10/4/16 5:10 PM
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Teaching Tools
Tech Support
hroughout the 43 years since I

first picked up a racquet when
I was 8, Ive noticed that lesson
programs at tennis clubs have not
changed much. In a private lesson,
the teaching pro still stands at the net,
feeding an easy ball, followed by some
hitting with the pro. Group lessons are
similar: The pro feeds multi-line drills,
yelling a bunch of clichs or continually
saying the same thing.
Ive talked to and worked with
hundreds of club players over the last
few years. They want to be cared for,
and they want to get better. But the way
weve been teaching them is not helping them get better. When that
happens, theres a good chance they
may leave the game.
This is a real concern, as overall
tennis participation has barely grown
over the last few years. Were having
trouble retaining playersfor all the
new players we get in, were losing just
as many existing ones.
As teaching pros, we have an obligation to help turn this around. But to
help our players get better, we have to
22 TennisIndustry
Nov_Dec_TI_TechTool.indd 18
Nov/Dec 2016
be creative and innovative. We have

to be willing to change and to accept
technology as a tool, not competition.
Heres how we can do it.
Stop Feeding From The Net!
When you feed from the net, youre

giving players a ball they never get in
a match. A player who is successful
in this environment rarely has solid
receiving or ball-recognition skills.
In clinics I give around the country,
we ask players many questions to better
understand what their tennis IQ is.
Out of 857 players, not one knew where
their preferred strike-zones were for
particular shots. How can a player best
function technically if they dont know
the desired zone in which they should
play the ball?
Continually feeding from the net is
the main contributor to this problem,
and it also contributes to the player
having only a one-dimensional groundstroke or volley. The club player rarely
understands how to add shape on the
ball or play a low volley because they are
micro-managed on a specific low to high
groundstroke, as well as a neutral volley.

Even if the pro is able to feed the
correct ball from the correct spot on
the court, he or she is concentrating
on the feed and cant focus on what the
student needs. The pro cant stand next
to the player to observe, analyze and
commentin short, the pro cant teach.
Using a ball machine in a private
lesson gives pros the ability to actually
teach and to help students improve.
The pro can be right next to the student,
demonstrating shots, offering advice or
recording strokes on video. Ball
machines can allow the pro to create
shot sequences. There are apps available to control the machine and save
data on phones and other devices.
Continual Assessment
If you work with a personal trainer at a

fitness club, the first thing they do is an
assessment and goal-setting process.
When a player books a tennis lesson, he
or she usually calls the club and makes
an appointment. Upon arriving, the
player generally begins rallying with
the pro, who then starts feeding balls.
COURTESY SHUTTERSTOCK (PAGE 22); PLAYMATE BALL MACHINES (23)
Teaching pros should view technology not as

competition, but as a tool that will grow revenue
and help players improve. By Stan Oley
9/29/16 1:50 PM
Using a ball machine

allows the pro see his
student's shots up
close, analyze them
and offer tips in a
short amount of time.
If a tennis program is going to remain

healthy, it needs to include assessment
and goal setting. The pro needs to find
out why the player is taking the lesson
and assess the players game. The player
needsand will appreciatea program
designed specifically for them. The
assessment and goal process should be
updated frequently to show progress.
A ball machine and video are great
tools to use as part of the assessment
process. The machine allows the pro to
quickly get through a number of different shots while recording the results.
Post-Lesson Curriculum
Golfers routinely go to the driving

range to work on shots or practice what
they learned in a lesson. And they have
plenty of company at the range; often
15 or 20 other golfers are there, too.
Tennis clubs, though, generally have
only one ball machine that is used by
beginners, or players who cant find a
match. Ball-machine use is typically
not encouraged as part of the post-lesson curriculum, as many pros view
it as competition.
Nov_Dec_TI_TechTool_NEW.indd 19
In reality, if the ball machine were

prescribed as part of the post-lesson
curriculum, the players learning
experience would be accelerated, and
theres a good chance that the player
would become motivated to become
even better. Today, some ball machines
have apps that allow the pro to share
post-lesson drills and allow students
to show the pro that they actually did
their homework. It helps augment the
previous lesson and paves the way for a
future visit.
What I find effective is that, if a
player takes one lesson a week, they
should hit off of the ball machine twice
in between lessons. If they take two
lessons a week, they should use the
machine once in between. When the
player gets better, everyone winsand
the pro makes more money!
Teaching Pro Health and
Injury Prevention
The average age of teaching pros in the
U.S. is around 50. Many of my teaching pro friends who are my age have
suffered major injuries due to constant
court time with their students over the

years. Many pros have created a lesson
culture where their students love to hit
with them, but dont like hitting off a
ball machine. But if those pros would
have originally focused on teaching
rather than hitting, their lesson culture
would probably be quite differentand
they may not be afflicted with so many
physical ailments.
I recently did a clinic for eight members of a club. Through my ball machine
app I was able to see that in one hour
we threw 901 balls of all types of shots.
I was able to stand on the same side of
the court with the players, demonstrating shots and giving them meaningful
corrections. When the clinic was over,
I realized that was 901 balls I did not
have to feed myself. If we extrapolate,
in an eight-hour day that would be
7,208 balls, or 36,040 balls a week, a
total of 1.8 million balls a year!
Some of the best testimonials about
using a ball machine have come from
teaching pros who were injured and
had to teach with the machine. They
noted how much better their students
got with a ball machine.
Its simple. We have to stop seeing
technology as competition, and instead
see it as a tool to improve the overall
lesson and player experience. For
this industry, your businessand you
personallyto succeed, we need to get
uncomfortable at times and try new
things. If our industry is going to turn
around, it will depend on teaching pros
embracing change and technology.
The result? More players stay in the
game, and tennis pros increase their
revenues! Thats a win-win.
Stan Oley is a USPTA Master
Professional and the 2016 USPTA
Florida Pro of the Year. He also is the
Product Marketing Specialist for
Playmate Ball Machines.
Nov/Dec 2016
TennisIndustry 23
10/4/16 4:54 PM
Future of Tennis
WISH LIST
FOR THE
NEW YEAR
We asked last years Champions of Tennis winners
what theyre looking forward to in the coming year.
Their answers point the way toward an agenda
to strengthen and grow our games grassroots.
Mike Woody
David LaSota
Bud Duksta
Julian Li
NATIONAL TENNIS DIRECTOR,

GENESIS HEALTH CLUBS
DW LASOTA ENGINEERING INC.
PRESIDENT, MARSHFIELD
TENNIS CLUB/PETER IGO PARK
PROFESSIONAL TOUR
RACQUET TECHNICIAN
Through programming,
we can make all our tennis
dreams come true. If we roll
up our sleeves, have passion
to make a difference and we
relentlessly work to program to all playersregardless of age, playing experience or level of fitnessI
believe we will grow beyond
our dreams.
Over the past 15 years we
have put to the test amazing
programs such as Play Tennis America, Cardio Tennis,
10 and Under Tennis and
Recreational Coaches Workshops. All have resulted in
growth. Lets knock the dust
off those programs and get
to worktogether.
With over 18,000 36-foot

and 60-foot tennis courts
being built over the past
eight years, I hope we continue to build smaller courts
for youth, beginners and seniors alike. With the growth
of other racquet sports on
smaller courts, it seems
obvious that our population
desires tennis, but not necessarily on a 78-foot court.
I hope to see improved
asphalt concrete design and
construction techniques. It
is vital that we build tennis
courts to last so that facilities
are attractive and playable. I
also want to see LED lighting
and play-analysis technology
become more affordable and
more prevalent.
Our wish is to form

additional partnerships
with organizations that will
help in our efforts to expand
adaptive tennis. Tennis has
a lot to give to the adaptive
community, and were so
pleased to do what we can.
But with key partnerships,
we know we can do even
more.
My wish is that the tennis industry and string

manufacturers develop and
promote more high-quality
multifilament strings.
Polyester strings are not
made for the general public.
What you end up with is a
string that creates tennis
elbow and other muscle and
joint damage.
After stringing at the Australian Open, the Olympics
and the Cincinnati Masters,
I noticed a shift from allpolyester string beds to
hybrids of poly and natural
gut or multifilaments. It's
time for the industry to
point out benefits of multifilament strings that will
keep our players playing.
2015 Person of the Year
24 TennisIndustry
Nov_Dec_Wishlist_SC.indd 1
Nov/Dec 2016
2015 Tennis Industry

Service Award
2015 Public Park of the Year
2015 Stringer of the Year
10/3/16 2:52 PM
Penny Maingot
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
CORPUS CHRISTI T.A.
2015 Community Tennis

Association of the Year
Choosing tennis play

opportunities over other
activities should fill the waking hours for adult, junior
and 10-and-under players.
The memory of once having
to use 13 different sites to
accommodate all the participants in a tournament
challenges us to have that
number of entries again.
We need our middle
schools to provide tennis
both semesters, and for our
middle school coaches to
have a passion for tennis
and be compensated fairly.
Finally, just imagine if tennis
balls would last longer during play, plus if the racquets
had bigger sweet spots!
Jeff Rodefeld
Rex Maynard
Mark Kovacs
Tim Blenkiron
DIRECTORRETAIL OPERATIONS,
INDIANAPOLIS RACQUET CLUB
VOLUNTEER,
PERFORMANCE PHYSIOLOGIST,
COACH, EDUCATOR, ITPA
CO-FOUNDER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NO
QUIT TRAINING ACADEMY
Im really excited about

the future of coaching
and teaching in the tennis
industry. So many great
opportunities are evolving
outside the traditional mold
for individuals who are
passionate and focused on
lifelong learning. The
advances in technology,
social media, analytics and
sport science allow tennis
coaches and teachers to
expand the types of work
they are doing to help
improve the quality of
service they provide to their
clients and athletes.
I had the opportunity to

work with Andre Agassi in
creating the Team Agassi
program to help at-risk
youth become high-level
student athletes. Since then
we have worked with Bob
and Mike Bryan to make
Team Bryan, a high-performance education and tennis
program. I have seen how
mentoring, academics and
high-performance tennis
can transform children's
lives and communities. I
would like to see this effort
grow to not only increase
the number of children who
receive tennis scholarships,
but also as a pathway to
professional tennis.
PHOTOS USTA
2015 Pro/Specialty
Retailer of the Year
For the USTA, Id like to see

continued and increased
emphasis on promoting
tennis at the grassroots,
creating greater awareness and opportunities for
play, and driving new and
younger players to the sport.
For manufacturers, we
need to see the development
of innovative products that
encourage participation; a
focus on the pro/specialty
retail channel and its importance to brand awareness,
product exposure and product trial; and the willingness
to customize purchase programs that are geared to the
retailers business model.
USTA SOUTHERN/NATIONAL
2015 Tennis
Advocate of the Year
I look forward to everyone

embracing the USTA Youth
Progression for tennis. We
need to engage many more
kids in our game. When
QuickStart tennis was introduced in 2010, USTA Southern was the only section to
require 60-foot courts and
orange balls for 10-andunder competition. This
resulted in positive benefits
for younger players.
After six years, its time to
move forward and introduce
78-foot green-ball tennis
to our more advanced 10U
players. And its even more
important to offer fun entrylevel competition for our
new players.
2015 PTR Member of the Year
2015 Grassroots Tennis

Champion of the Year
Nov/Dec 2016
TennisIndustry 25
10/3/16 2:52 PM
Future of Tennis
Linn Lower
Carrie Cimino
PRESIDENT,
LOWER BROS. CO. INC.
DISTRICT SALES MANAGER,

HEAD/PENN
2015 Builder/Contractor
of the Year
2015 Tennis Sales

Rep of the Year
Id like to see a continuation

of some encouraging things
Ive seen over the last few
years. One is the construction of larger, tournamentfriendly facilities in several
cities throughout our region
(the Southeast). Another is
the rebuilding of some older
tennis complexes, large and
small, because there is still
a high interest in play in the
community.
My third wish is to see
a grassroots parent-andteacher-driven movement
to build tennis facilities at
smaller schools. These new
and rebuilt facilities should
be used to teach youngsters
how much fun the game is.
We need more people playing tennis at all ages and

all levels, and then we need
to filter them into USTA
programs, especially Adult
Leagues and Junior Team
Tennis. When tennis players
are placed on a team, they
show up for more practices,
have more fun and create
team camaraderie.
Im fortunate to work for a
company that takes pride in
introducing innovative technology and products to help
players improve, and Im
looking forward to seeing
more products that will help
tennis players play better,
play more often and play for
the rest of their lives.
Phil Parrish
Laurie Stussie
David Colby
Paula Scheb
TENNIS DIRECTOR,
LONGFELLOW CLUB
CO-FOUNDER, SETS IN THE

CITY SOUTHWEST
DIRECTORJUNIOR DEVELOPMENT,
MANCHESTER ATHLETIC CLUB
DIRECTOR OF TENNIS,
BONITA BAY TENNIS CENTER
Id like to see more one-day

tournament formats for
entry-level players through
high school players. We need
to get them in our game and
keep them playing. Also, Id
love to see middle schools
offer a tennis program. In
our area, the courts are
idle all fall as both boys
and girls teams play in the
spring. We could use the
school courts for middleschool programs.
Also, I want to see more
college tennis showcases for
D-2 and D-3 schools that
may not have the resources
to go out and recruit and see
high-school players that are
appropriate for their school.
My wish is for the tennis

industry to embrace the
business case for millennial outreach programs like
Sets in the City. In addition
to each season bringing in
thousands of dollars in
revenue to a USTA District,
the new players have the
potential to bring in much
more over a lifetime. Millennials are looking for clinics
for themselves as well as
their young childrenthats
15 years with a family of
consistent customers!
And for manufacturers,
sponsorship of young adult
programs can result in irreplaceable brand loyalty from
an entirely new base.
Id like to see more kids out

there playing tennis on their
own. When I was growing up, we always made up
our own games, made up
tournaments, and had so
much fun devising different
ways to compete. I try to
encourage my own kids to
pick up the phone, call other
kids and get out there, make
a plan and play! Structured
practices and play days are
great, but it's better if kids
are the ones who are out
there, making things happen
on their own.
If we can assist people in

developing friendships
through tennis, we can
keep them in this game
for a long time. Our facility is a second home for
many of our members.
They want to establish
new connections, so our
programming is built with
this in mind.
We are re-launching
our PlaySight SmartCourt
technology by rewarding
members for getting the
mobile app or sending us
their doubles video. It is
critical we stay current
and relevant while, at the
same time, not letting
technology rule.
26 TennisIndustry
Nov/Dec 2016
2015 Adult Tennis

Provider of the Year
2015 Youth Tennis

Provider of the Year
2015 Private
Facility of the Year
PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK (PAGE 26); USTA (PAGE 27)
2015 Junior Tennis

10/3/16 2:52 PM
Randy Ortwein
Richard Zaino
Danise Brown
Jorge Capestany
USPTA PRO, GRAND SLAM

WINNER, HALL OF FAMER
PRESIDENT, ZAINO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
PORTLAND AFTER SCHOOL
TENNIS & EDUCATION
COACH, EDUCATOR, SPEAKER,

USPTA MASTER PROFESSIONAL
Our wish is that all our

scholar-athletes will
grow in mind, body and
spirit through year-round
programs. Given the right
opportunity and tutoring
resources, underserved children can and will meet their
grade-level benchmarks.
We encourage our
scholar-athletes to embrace
a blend of physical activity
outside of tennis, because
engaging in other activities
will help create a healthier
junior tennis player. Our
wish is that every community recognize the potential
of underserved childrenon
and off the tennis court.
I am most excited about

the new USTA University
initiative, where the goal is
to add many more Professional Tennis Management
programs across the country.
I know that the population
of tennis teaching professionals in our country is
aging and the pipeline is not
nearly full enough to replace
all the experienced and quality teaching pros who will be
retiring in coming years.
My goal is to help other
teaching pros through the
tennisdrills.tv website,
which supplies more than
1,700 tennis drills to make
their practices better and
their jobs easier.
2015 Wheelchair Tennis

As a fan, I would love to see

full seats at every professional tennis match. Other
sports find creative ways
to fill their stadiums; we
should too. I wish every
school had access to tennis
equipment and every child
could try tennis in PE or
after-school programs.
I wish more tennis people
would give back to tennis
in their local communities.
Players, parents, coaches
and organizers have so
much to offer and it doesn't
require a lot of time. Community Tennis Associations
are the heart and soul of our
sport and are always looking
for dedicated volunteers.
TENNIS COURTS INC.
2015 Youth Tennis Facility

Developer of the Year
I would love to see a breakout of American tennis

playersa new generation
of rising U.S. tennis stars.
We need an emerging U.S.
player who will take our
breath away. Thats what
will help grow this great
game at all levels.
On the construction front,
LED lighting continues to
grow in popularity; it is now
our go-to fixture in courts
we build. I feel confident
that LED lights are good for
court lighting and, although
still pricey, will only get
better. The benefits are
enormous, especially what it
comes to energy savings.
2015 NJTL of the Year
2015 USPTA
Member of the Year
Doug Booth
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
USTA FLORIDA
Nancy Horowitz
PRESIDENT, USTA FLORIDA
PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK (PAGE 26); USTA (PAGE 27)
2015 USTA Section of the Year
Were excited about the opening of the USTA National

Campus in Orlando and the impact of once again having a
research and development arm of USTA, like we did in the
1970s and 80s with Eve Kraft and Henry Talbert in Princeton, N.J. Some of our most influential programs and leaders
originated in Princeton.
The new National Campus will help us impact the growth
of tennis in many ways, and it will bring people from all
over to this one area for education and events. Doing so will
enhance the collaboration of tennis organizations.
With USTA Florida moving to new headquarters adjacent to the National Campus in Orlando, we hope to use the
campus as an example to improve public tennis facilities
and programs throughout Florida that will help grow our
sport. We look forward to the continued teamwork between
volunteers and staff to advance tennis for all, and increasing school participation on all levels to develop players for a
lifetime. Our industry is poised to have breakout growth!
Nov/Dec 2016
TennisIndustry 27
10/3/16 2:52 PM
New Introductions
COMFORT
AND
CONTROL
Technology evolves for new racquets and strings.
By Bob Patterson
28 TennisIndustry
Nov_Dec_TI_RacquetsStrings.indd 1
Nov/Dec 2016
of the less desirable side effects of a given quality,

and that is what we are seeing with many of the
new products coming out on the market. As new
technologies are introduced, expect to see this
story of comfort and control continue to evolve.
Most new products are introduced in the
spring, but we have several new strings and
frames that are being introduced for the fall and
holiday season.
PHOTO FOTOLIA
s the sport of tennis continues to evolve,

characteristics like control and comfort
seem to suffer. In an effort to offset this,
manufacturers are constantly researching and developing new materials, construction
techniques and engineering methods.
Is it possible to have it all? Probably not, since
one playing characteristic often counteracts
another. However, it is possible to mitigate some
10/3/16 2:24 PM
STRINGS
Diadem
Velociti
Tecnifibre
DIADEMSPORTS.COM
844-434-2336
RMSBOULDER.COM
800-525-2852
TECNIFIBRE.COM
8 8 8 - 3 0 1 - 7878
The company is releasing a new

gauge (18) for its popular Solstice
Power string, and launching a new
string: Elite XT, available in 15L, 16,
16L, 17 and 18 gauges.
While the product isnt new, Velociti

is presenting a new concept for its
synthetic strings by offering bulk
packaging: strings are offered in box
sets, with 50 sets of string along with
20 overgrips and a jar of 60 dampeners. Not only is the concept green by
saving packaging material, it saves the
dealer money, too.
The latest innovation from Tecnibre, Pro Red Code Wax is made by
injecting polyethylene wax directly
in the polyester during the manufacturing process. You can read more
details in our String Playtest from
the August issue. Pro Red Code Wax
is available in 16 (1.30 mm), 17 (1.25
mm) and 18 (1.20 mm) gauges.
Head
MSV
Genesis
HEAD.COM
8 0 0 - 2 8 9 - 73 6 6
RMSBOULDER.COM
800-525-2852
A L M S P O R T S G R O U P. C O M
8 6 6 - 787 - 4 6 4 4
Head introduces the Red Hawk

Touch string to coincide with the
new Graphene Touch racquets. The
string features Crystal Core Technology, a unique multi-stage heat
process designed to provide players
with touch and feel to aid in control.
This popular German brand has

a new U.S. distributor in Rocky
Mountain Sports of Boulder, Colo.
The company has an extensive line
of synthetic strings and accessories
manufactured in its own factory.
(See this months String Playtest on
page 32 for a free sample offer.)
Genesis (ALM Sports) introduces a

new hexagon-shaped string: Zona
Spin Hexa, available in 17 (1.27) and
16 (1.32) gauges.
10/4/16 4:59 PM
New Introductions
RACQUETS
30 TennisIndustry
Dunlop
Tecnifibre
D U N L O P. C O M 8 0 0 - 7 6 8 - 4 7 2 7
T E C N I F I B R E .C O M 8 8 8 - 3 0 1 - 7878
Dunlops new Precision line features

a hybrid cross section designed to
create the perfect combination of
precision, touch and feel, says the
company, allowing the player to
control the game. Also new is the
SRX shock reduction system in the
handle. SRX features a combination
of materials and construction to
help lter out heavy impacts and jarring, while still allowing all the good
sensations to come through. The
line includes four new frames: Precision 98 Tour, Precision 98, Precision
100 and Precision Tour 100.
Tecnibre has revamped its entire

T-Fight franchise with the introduction of the T-Fight DC line: T-Fight
280 DC, T-Fight 295 DC, T-Fight
300 DC, T-Fight 305 DC, T-Fight 315
DC and T-Fight 320 DC. The line
encompasses a number of variations, from weight and swingweight
to string patterns, to t a wide variety of player types. Tecnibre also
has expanded its squash line with
four new frames: Carboex Storm,
Dynergy AP 125, Dynergy AP 130
and Dynergy AP 135.
Head
Volkl
H E A D.C O M 8 0 0 - 2 8 9 - 73 6 6
V O L K LT E N N I S . C O M 8 6 6 - 5 5 4 - 7 8 7 2
Head introduces the latest generation of its Graphene technology with

Graphene Touch, which was
unveiled at the US Open with the
new Speed line: Graphene Touch
Speed Pro, Graphene Touch Speed
MP and Graphene Touch Speed S.
With Graphene Touch, the material has been re-engineered for
improved shock absorption upon
impact, says the company. Also new
is the Innegra hybrid-composite
structured frames, utilizing one the
lightest high-performance bers in
the IG Laser MP and IG Laser OS.
Volkl continues its tradition of having technologically advanced dampening frames with the introduction
of the V-Sense line, including the
V-Sense 2, V-Sense 4, V-Sense 6,
V-Sense 8 (285 grams), V-Sense 8
(300 grams), V-Sense 8 (315 grams),
V-Sense 9, V-Sense 10 (295 grams)
and V-Sense 10 (325 grams).
Pacific
Wilson
PA C I F I C .C O M 9 4 1 - 79 5 - 178 9
W I L S O N .C O M 8 0 0 - 272 - 6 0 6 0
For junior players who have

progressed beyond introductory
aluminum junior racquets, Pacic
introduces the X Fast Team 1.45, a
26-inch premium junior frame that
is a lighter, shorter version of the
companys adult frames.
Despite Roger Federers absence

at this years US Open, he was still
garnering attention with the new
Pro Staff line he co-designed with
Wilson. The line includes a variety
of congurations catered to many
player types: Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph, Pro Staff 97, Pro Staff 97 LS,
Pro Staff 97 S and Pro Staff 97 ULS.
Also new from Wilson are two gameimprovement frames, the Triad
Three and Triad Five.
Nov/Dec 2016
10/3/16 2:25 PM
Tennis Technology
Smarten Up!
With cutting-edge technology, PlaySight SmartCourts

are helping players of all levels improve their games.
Cameras placed around

the SmartCourt capture
what a player does
and help guide what
they should be doing.
PHOTO PLAYSIGHT
o matter where you

are in the world,
chances are you
wont be far from a PlaySight
SmartCourt. There are now
close to 500 SmartCourts
across the U.S., Europe and
Asiaincluding ones used
by top national federations
such as the USTA, Tennis
Canada, Tennis Australia,
and the German and French
tennis federations.
All four Grand Slam
venuesin New York, Paris,
London and Melbourne
have SmartCourts. Theyre
at the Indian Wells Tennis
Garden, top tennis training
academies and tennis clubs
of all sizes. PlaySight is also
working with top coaches
Paul Annacone and Darren
Cahill to ensure that SmartCourt users are getting the
best tennis advice.
SmartCourts are helping
players of all ages and abilitieswhether it is a rising
Nov_Dec_TI_Playsight.indd 18
junior, a USTA 3.0 league

player, a top college recruit
or an ATP or WTA professionalto both improve
faster and enjoy the sport
more, says Jeff Angus, PlaySights marketing manager.
PlaySight says its SmartCourts can be added to
any surface and any court
configuration. At its core,
a SmartCourt is a standard
tennis court with permanently installed analytic
cameras and a courtside
kiosk that are connected to
each other and the internet
which is what makes the
court smart. PlaySights
cameras use advanced 3D
visual image processing to
track everything that happens on court, from player
movement to individual
racquet strokes.
A standard SmartCourt
has five cameras: four corner
cameras that provide all
analytics and player and shot
tracking, and one overview

camera that provides a fifth
field of view and high-definition live streaming. A highperformance SmartCourt
can have up to 10 cameras,
with additional overview,
baseline and service line
views for added tactical
analysis and video angles for
instant replay and review. In
addition, PlaySight also
offers a one-court set-up
called LiveCourt, which
provides live streaming and
video analysis tools.
SmartCourt installation
typically costs $10,000 to
$12,500 per court, and there
is an associated monthly fee
to cover all maintenance,
hardware support and
software upgrades. PlaySight
is constantly adding new
features to improve the
on-court and off-court
experience (web- and mobile-based), and PlaySight
facilities receive regular up-
grades and updates as part of

the agreement.
Once a club or facility
decides to purchase SmartCourts, PlaySight consults
and assists throughout the
processfrom advising
on-court preparation for the
cameras and technology, to
the shipment of equipment,
as well as installation, testing and training. Installation
typically takes one to four
days, depending on volume.
To add SmartCourts, a
facility needs to have a
strong internet connection
(wired is preferred) and a
dedicated power source.
The site also needs to be
prepared in advance of the
PlaySight installation team.
For outdoor court use, each
kiosk comes with a screen
cover, and PlaySight recommends providing additional
sun and glare protection
with either an umbrella or
awning. The kiosk also needs
to be cleaned regularly.
PlaySight works with
facilities to ensure that players are aware of and excited
about the new technology.
We help with marketing,
promotions, and even lesson and hitting programs,
says Angus, so that our
club partners maximize the
revenue they earn with
the technology.
For more information, visit
www.PlaySight.com or email
info@playsight.com
Nov/Dec 2016
TennisIndustry 31
9/29/16 1:47 PM
String Playtest
periodone at five hours, two at nine
hours, and one each at 17, 67 and 78 hours.
Conclusion
SV Go Max is a monofilament
co-polyester engineered and
manufactured in Germany
by Mauve Sports in one of the worlds
most modern production facilities,
using high-quality ingredients with
newly developed additives. This
pedigree gives MSV Go Max a high elasticity index relative to competitors.
MSV tells us that Go Max is targeted
at tennis players with moderate to fast
swings who seek a performance string
with exceptional feel and a good balance between power and control.
Go Max is available in 1.20 mm (17
gauge) and 1.25 mm (16L) in black.
Dealer pricing is $6.44 for 40-foot
sets, and $44.50 for 656-foot reels,
with quantity price breaks. For more
information or to order, contact MSV at
843-816-1440, or visit rmsboulder.com.
Be sure to read the conclusion for more
information about getting a free set to
try for yourself.
In the Lab
We tested the Go Max 1.25 string. The coil
measured 40 feet, 3 inches. The diameter
32 TennisIndustry
Nov/Dec 2016
Nov_Dec_TI_StringPlaytestNEW.indd 36
measured 1.21 mm prior to stringing, and

1.20 mm after stringing. We recorded a
string-bed stiffness of 73 RDC units immediately after stringing at 60 pounds in a
Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern) on
a constant-pull machine.
After 24 hours (no playing), string-bed
stiffness measured 66 RDC units, representing a 10 percent tension loss. Our control string, Prince Synthetic Gut Original
Gold 16, measured 78 RDC units immediately after stringing and 71 RDC units after
24 hours, representing a 9 percent tension
loss. In lab testing, Prince Synthetic Gut
Original has a stiffness of 217 and a tension
loss of 11.67 pounds, while MSV Go Max
1.25 has a stiffness of 182 and a tension loss
of 18.81 pounds. Go Max 1.25 added 14.8
grams to the weight of our unstrung frame.
The string was tested for five weeks by
59 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings
from 3.5 to 6.0. These were blind tests,
with playtesters receiving unmarked
strings in unmarked packages. The average number of hours playtested was 26.
MSV Go Max was a typical poly to install,
so we experienced no issues during stringing. MSV does recommend a maximum
reference tension of 53 pounds, which we
recommended to our playtesters.
No playtester broke a sample during
stringing. Seven reported problems with
coil memory, two reported problems tying
knots, one reported friction burn and two
reported other problems.
Playtester Comments
Good string for people who want spin
and control. 4.5 male all-court player
using Babolat Pure Aero strung at 50
pounds CP (Babolat Origin 17)
For this kind of string, I liked the ease of
stringing. Plus, it held tension well. Would
use it in my own frame. 4.0 male all-court
player using Wilson Burn 100S strung at
55 pounds CP (Wilson Revolve 17)
Playtester Ratings:
Ease of Stringing
(compared to other strings)
Much easier: 1
Somewhat easier: 6
About as easy: 38
Not quite as easy: 13
Not nearly as easy: 0
Overall Playability
(compared to the string played most often)
Much better: 1
Somewhat better: 11
About as playable: 10
Not quite as playable: 31
Not nearly as playable: 6
Overall Durability
(compared to other strings of similar gauge)
Much better: 9
Somewhat better: 19
About as durable: 25
PHOTO COURTESY MAUVE SPORTS
MSV Go Max 1.25
MSV Go Max has a lot to recommend

about it, especially at its price point. When
installed at a low tension as advised by the
manufacturer, it offers power and comfort,
which might be just the ticket for players
who are better off with a multifilament but
want more durability and prefer not having
to straighten their strings all the time.
If you think MSV Go Max 1.25 might be
for you, fill out the coupon on the following
page to get a free set to try. Greg Raven
Not quite as durable: 6
On the Court
Not nearly as durable: 1
Our playtesters were most impressed by

MSV Go Maxs Durability, Resistance to
Movement, Control and Spin Potential,
rating it well above average in each of
those categories.
No playtester reported premature fraying
or peeling. Three reported buzzing and
eight reported notching. Six playtesters
broke the sample during the playtest
Rating Averages
From 1 to 5 (best)
Playability: 3.2
Durability: 4
Power: 3.1
Control: 3.6
Comfort: 3
Touch/Feel: 2.9
Spin Potential: 3.4
Holding Tension: 3.2
Resistance to Movement: 3.7
10/3/16 2:50 PM
I liked the response. It had a pretty solid

bite on the ball. For heavy string breakers
who like a polyester, it should work well.
5.0 male all-court player using Babolat
Pure Drive + strung at 42/42 pounds LO
(Luxilon ALU Power 16)
Good overall string. Not enough power
for my game, though. 3.5 male baseliner
with heavy spin using Wilson BLX Blade 98
strung at 55 pounds LO (Gamma Professional 17)
Felt good for a polyester string. Seemed
to bite quite well with good serve performance. 5.0 all-court player using Prince
Warrior strung at 55 pounds CP (Prince
Premier Power 17)
String felt very stiff. Great for serves and
ground strokes. Average power, but really
hits spin well. 4.5 male all-court player
using Prince Premier strung at 50/50
pounds CP (Gamma Ocho XP 16)
Nov_Dec_TI_StringPlaytestNEW.indd 37
I loved this string right away, but even by

the third time out on the court, the tension
was significantly less. 5.0 male all-court
player using Yonex Ezone Ai strung at
52/52 pounds CP (Head Hawk Touch 19)
Overall, for a polyester string, it was
average. It played well and easy on the
arm. Wish it had more pop. I should have
strung it five to 10 percent less. 5.0 male
all-court player using Head Prestige Graphene strung at 60 pounds LO (Head Sonic
Pro 16)
Started out OK and then began to fade
really fast at about the 20-hour mark. 4.0
male all-court player using Prince Warrior
107 Textreme strung at 50 pounds CP
(Prince Tour XP 17)
(Strings normally used by testers are in
parentheses. For the rest of the tester comments,visitwww.tennisindustrymag.com.)
FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM

Mauve Sports will send a free set of
MSV Go Max to the first 500 USRSA
members who cut out (or copy) this
coupon and send it to:
USRSA, Attn: MSV String Offer, 310
Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North,
Suite 400, Birmingham, AL 35203
or fax to 760-536-1171,
or email the info below to:
stringsample@racquettech.com.
Offer expires Nov. 15, 2016. Offer only
available to USRSA members in the U.S.
Name: __________________________
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If you print your email clearly, we will
notify you when your sample will be sent.
Nov/Dec 2016
TennisIndustry 33
10/3/16 3:27 PM
Your Serve
Leveling the Field
Grouping players by level, as the Universal Tennis

Rating System does, offers many advantages.
By Kevin Theos
Focusing on level makes

organized competition
possible in many more
communities.
ably close matches against one another.
There are significant advantages to
focusing on level. Most importantly, it
makes organized competition possible in many more communities. By
having juniors and adults, male and
female who are close in level competing
together, more communities would be
able to offer tournaments and leagues.
It would also significantly benefit
those who aspire to play college tennis. Players who cannot afford to play
tournaments outside their community
face long odds, because they play too
34 TennisIndustry
Nov_Dec_TI_YourServe.indd 40
Nov/Dec 2016
few events to get ranked high enough to

attract the attention of college coaches.
And coaches have a separate problem:
evaluating potential scholarship candidates located far from their schools.
Having an accurate way to measure
players skills could enable communities to host level-based events, allow
players to demonstrate their skills
closer to home, and assist coaches in
evaluating candidates.
Fortunately, such a tool is in use and
has been evolving for over a decade. It
is the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR)
system (www.universaltennis.com).
The UTR system captures results
from all sanctioned professional, college, adult open and junior events, as
well as from some high-school associations, and generates ratings for beginning level tournament players all the
way up to touring pros. By using UTR
as one tool to assess skill level, conduct

events and record scores, communities
can help players develop near home,
save money and enhance the likelihood
that college coaches will spot them.
Offering level-based competition in
each community may not be the whole
answer to the challenge of developing
and retaining players, but it is surely
part of the solution.
Kevin Theos is the
USTA Southern Section
TSR for Alabama. He
is a longtime USPTA
pro and is the former
executive director of the
Birmingham Area Tennis
Association.
PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK
n a cold and overcast Friday in

the mid-1980s, a young Chicago
tennis player headed to a suburban tournament. Having no car and
little money, he took two buses and a
train, then walked through snow to the
tennis club. There, in the first round,
he encountered a nationally ranked
juniorand lost decisively. Then he set
about the long trek home.
That player was me, and that was
only one of many such distant tournaments I played as a junior. Through
hard work and assistance, I became a
good player, but my experiences and
observations have shown me that players need more competitive opportunities close to home.
Most tennis organizers habitually
separate players by gender and age,
and only then by level, because that is
how it has always been done. A better
method is to first group players based
on level, or their ability to have reason-
We welcome your opinions. Please email

comments to info@tennisindustrymag.com
9/29/16 1:55 PM
Inside this issue

USPTA World Conference 40
Education, Encouragement Keys
to a Successful Career 48
The Advantages of Serving
American Style 56
Departments:
36
38
40
48
CEOs Message
Past Presidents Message
USPTA World Conference
Beyond the Court
52
56
58
60
Endorsee News
Master Pro Corner
Career Development
Member News
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

On the cover: Kirk Anderson of Portland, Ore., was honored with the 2016
Alex Gordon Award for the USPTA Professional of the Year.
CEOs Message
Home Run!
ctober is such a wonderful

time of the year if you are a
sports fan: college football is
in high gear, the NFL is rockin, professional basketball and hockey
are getting under way and the baseball
playoffs are at a fever pitch. Thus, using a baseball analogy to describe the
events of our recent World Conference
in Indian Wells is not out of line because
it was truly a home run.
Much of this issue is dedicated to the
wrap-up of the World Conference. But,
here is a recap from my perspective:
1) The PAID attendance numbers
were the second highest since 2008,
only surpassed by last year in New
Orleans, which was a huge hit.
2) Moving the Buying Show up to the
first social event of the week instead
of being at the tail end (as has been
customary) was fortuitous, increasing the traffic significantly more than
in years past. As a result, our vendor
community was very pleased. Witness the fact that we had 19 more
vendors present than last year, we
remain the only and certainly the
most viable tennis industry trade
show that exists during the year.
3) The Hall of Fame panel on Tuesday
with Rosie Casals, Pam Shriver and
Lindsay Davenport (with International Hall of Fame CEO Todd
Martin moderating), exceeded
everyones expectations. To hear
these all-time greats talk about their
coaches and the influence that they
had on their lives, both on and off
the court, was inspiring. The bar was
set awfully high for any such panel
at future World Conferences to surpass. And, this session was streamed
live to members of the International
Tennis Hall of Fame worldwide.
4) The Awards Luncheon on Tuesday
may well have been the highlight of
36 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com
by John Embree
the week. We scrambled at the last
minute to add 10 additional tables
to accommodate the more than 500
people who attended. To see six new
Master Professionals be recognized,
to understand the impact that the
USTA/USPTA Community Service
award winner (Aki Wolfson) and the
George Bacso Lifetime Achievement
Award Winner (Ben Press) had on
their respective communities, to
honor the lifetime of work that Kirk
Anderson has had in the industry
with the Alex Gordon Pro of the Year
award and to be awed by the 43-year
career that Peter Burwash, who was
inducted into the USPTA Hall of
Fame, made for a moving celebration.
To top things off, Todd Martin then
delivered a provocative key note address that gave perspective to all of us
as to why we are in this game.
5) Because our Masters tournament
was opened to all conference registrants, we had 65 unique players who
played. Hats off to Joe DAleo and
Jim Sciarro who worked extremely
hard behind the scenes to create an
outstanding event. The Indian Wells
Tennis Gardens proved to be a terrific facility and kudos goes to Director
Tom Fey and his team for assisting.
6) We introduced the Crowd Compass
app last year in New Orleans to
rave reviews. So, we expanded our
partnership with the vendor, CVent,
to include a paperless registration
process. It could not have gone
smoother and it demonstrated the
commitment that the USPTA has to
always improving and using technology to be cutting edge.
7) The Grand Hyatt Indian Wells proved
to be an awesome destination this
year. The food for all of our functions
was delectable and the staff went
out of their way to make us feel welcomed. To be able to host our event at
such a quality property at the room

rate that was negotiated was fantastic. I only wish the airline fares could
have been more reasonable, as they
kept many away from joining us because of heightened costs.
8) Congratulations to the Education
Committee for putting together a
wonderful roster of speakers. Particularly noteworthy was the leadership
track that offered a series of subjectmatter experts to impart their wisdom. It is too bad that so many people
had to leave before Thursday, thereby
missing our final key note speaker,
Gerry Faust, Ph.D. Engaging yet on
message, his talk about how one can
build their own business at a club or
facility was compelling.

9) Using our conference to launch two
new partnerships with both Wilson,
as the official equipment supplier
of the USPTA, and Setteo, the official tournament and club platform,
brought a level of energy and excitement not seen in several years.
There was a palpable buzz throughout the week as both of these companies embraced the opportunity
to support our professionals. I look
forward to working with them in the
years to come.
There is so much more on which I
could comment. But, I cannot finish
without recognizing the incredible commitment of the staff to put on a terrific
event. Months of preparation goes into
planning and execution and they do
so with little fanfare or appreciation. I
know what is required of this group and
I express my heartfelt thanks for a job
well done.
So, what do we do for an encore?
Come to Orlando next October to see
what we have in store for you at the
Home of American Tennis and our new
corporate offices. The 2017 World Conference should be a Grand Slam! h
Past Presidents Message
Industry Partnerships,
Professional Development
Help Grow Tennis Industry
by Tom McGraw
s I reflect back on the 2016

World Conference it amazes
me what a true extravaganza
of education it offered. The
various seminars help us stay sharp,
improve our skill set, and prepare us
for all of the hats that we wear each
and every day. Professional development is the cornerstone of the USPTA
and continues to be a priority. Thanks
to the national staff and the education
committee for making it all happen.
We have tremendous support and
representation from all of our industry
partners at the conference each year.
Tennis manufacturers, USTA and
CMAA are some that the USPTA collaborates with on many fronts to help
our members and the industry. As with
all team work there are certain expectations on what each partner brings to
the table. Tennis professionals share
a love of the game and benefit from
careers in tennis and have a personal
responsibility to do our part for the
long-term health of our sport. We need
to stay engaged and be supportive of
our allied associations and industry
partners more than ever.
Despite overall tennis participation numbers being flat, sales reports
from tennis manufacturers have been
significantly down. They need us to
have a better understanding of new
racquet and string technology and how
it benefits players games. Most of us
represent one of the companies as an
Advisory Staff Member. We become
their spokesperson to make the con-
nection with the consumer. They need

our assistance organizing demo days,
building brand loyalty, and promoting
sales in pro shops. This is critical for a
successful relationship and a win-win
for everyone involved.
to develop and expand. The CMAA has

a strong history of professional development and they recommend USPTA
members seek education that provides
a balanced approach between on court
and off court. Their members are usu-
The respect and the cooperation has never been stronger among our allied
associations and industry partners ... Working together will ensure that we
enjoy a healthy industry now and in the years to come.
USTA works with the USPTA to
elevate the standards of tennisteaching professionals and coaches.
We share a common belief that we
need more professionals who are well
trained in tennis to enter the work
force. Together we can market to high
school and college-age students that
working in the tennis industry is a viable career. Established pros should
embrace professional development as
well and be open to change on how we
deliver our sport to our consumers.
Never has there been a time where the
consumer has had so many options
on how to spend their disposable time
and income. Introduction of tennis to
juniors and adults should change with
the consumers needs and desires.
Better programming with easy access,
shorter formats, appropriate use of
graduated equipment for juniors, and
most of all, a positive first-time experience is key to growing our sport!
Without this, the consumer will look
elsewhere for another activity to fit
their lifestyle needs.
Our CMAA relationship continues
ally part of the hiring process of our

members. They typically look for directors of tennis that are business oriented. Their preferred skill set includes
budget experience, programming for
competitive and social play, problemsolving skills, service expertise, and
good communication skills. Playing
and teaching skills are important but
take a back seat to the above mentioned skills.
The respect and the cooperation
has never been stronger among our
allied associations and industry partners. Its clear that the industry has to
continue to work in unison to promote
tennis and attract a new wave of players into the game. A well-educated
tennis professional is one of the keys to
the equation. We deliver the sport all
across the country in our clubs, parks
and commercial facilities. The USPTAs
role is to provide you with educational
opportunities so you will have the tools
and skills to handle the job. Working
together will ensure that we enjoy a
healthy industry now and in the years
to come. h
Thats a Wrap
he boxes are unpacked, reports have been run, surveys

reviewed and another World
Conference is behind us. Indian Wells was a beautiful location and
the 2016 conference was one of our
highest attended in recent years with
840 registered attendees.
The self-check-in kiosks at registration were a huge success, for both staff
and conference attendees. It both sped
up and simplified the process, using
much less paper than in previous years.
The Hall of Fame panel discussion
was a hit, with the panelist discussing
topics such as junior tennis, playing at
the highest level, and more. On junior
tennis, Davenport had these c omments:

I believe in not putting kids in

too high until they learn how to
win and they learn how to lose, how
to win when theyre seeded No. 1
and when theyre unseeded, she
said. All of those things help you
handle pressure down the line.

Another well-received session was
Are You Paying Enough with David
Mul. One conference attendee said:
Great information. Relevant and

well delivered! I would love to see
more courses like this offered. It
was delivered in a simple way and
specific to most professionals who
are in managerial positions.
Several of the sessions were recorded and are available on demand on
tennisresources.com.
USPTA Master Professional Kirk
Anderson was named USPTAs Professional of the Year during the Awards
Luncheon. During his acceptance
speech, he shared the keys to his success: love, service and sacrifice.
In addition, Peter Burwash,
USPTA Master Professional, was inducted into the USPTA Hall of Fame,
and Ben Press was posthumously
honored with the George Bacso Lifetime Achievement Award, which was
accepted by his son Paul Press. Dur-
ing the general membership meeting,

several more awards were presented,
including the USPTA Presidents Paul
Waldman Award to USPTA Director
of Professional Development Fred
Viancos. Read about these and more
on page 44.
The Masters Invitational tournament, which was opened up to all
professional-level members in good
standing, had 70 participants this year.
Stefano Ianni of Miami won mens
open singles and Agata Cioroch of
Atlanta won womens open singles.
Other divisions played were mens
open doubles, mens singles and doubles in 35s, 45s and 55s, and womens
open doubles. Read about more results
on page 47.
The Silent Auction and other fundraising efforts brought in more than
$8,300 for the USPTA Foundation.
Winners walked away with prizes ranging from Disney tickets to court equipment. A special thank you goes out to
those who donated.
The 2017 World Conference is
scheduled for Oct. 10-15 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld. We hope
to see you there! h
www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 41
From Touring Pro to Teaching Coach
ormer professional tennis player

Mark Woodforde was one of
many USPTA members who attended this years World Conference. Hes best known as one half of The
Woodies in his doubles partnership with
Todd Woodbridge. Together they were
the ATP Doubles Team of the Year four
times and won 61 ATP doubles tournaments, with Woodforde winning a total of
67 in his career. Woodforde won 12 Grand
Slam doubles titles, including one French
Open, two Australian Opens, three US
Opens, and a record six Wimbledons.
Eleven of these victories came as a member of the Woodies, and the 1989 US
Open doubles with John McEnroe. In
November of 1992, he reached the World
No. 1 doubles ranking. Woodfordes other
career highlights included a gold medal
at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and a silver
medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Woodforde played for the Australian Davis Cup Team in three Davis Cup finals,
including teaming with Woodbridge to
clinch the 1999 win to give Australia its
first Davis Cup victory in 13 years.
Why did you want to attend this years
World Conference? Geographically it
made a lot of sense. With it being held
within 10 minutes from where I live it was
convenient. Im still involved in the sport
quite heavily, but it was my philosophy
when I was playing that a tennis player
never stops learning. As a youngster youre
taking on board and soaking up all this
information. Even when you get to various levels as a professional tennis player,
youre still taking on board more information. I think the next position that I aspire
to, Ill be a jack of all trades and do some
part-time coaching, and thats why I want
to keep educating myself and keep being
open to different styles, ways and beliefs
on how to go about playing the sport and
trying to improve. Ive been a member
since a couple of years after I retired from
playing, so why not tap into it?
What do you feel like youve gotten out of
it? I wasnt aware of the magnitude of the
conference and how extensive it is. This is
not a one- or two-day conference its a full

week, and to hear the number of members
that had signed up in advance surprised
me. Its interesting to arrive and go to the
different seminars and actually see the
spirit of the coaches. Its like tennis players,
some have very unique styles of playing
and Im sure there are very unique styles of
teaching tennis. Theres a strong connection with everyone. Were all really in the
same boat of wanting to educate ourselves
and pass that information on to other players, from youngsters, to social, to pro level.
Thats what I think Ive also gotten a kick
out of with some of the different seminars
Ive gone to. You have a mix of someone
coming from a player development side
and then someone else asking, so how
can I do that with a 4.0 level? You take out
what you can. For me its more for pro players and what I can learn and pass on.
Why do you feel professional development is so important, even for someone
of your status in the game? Coming here
for the first time, Ive made that first
step of looking up the information and
attending, and its not really a stop here.
If it encourages other players like myself
that come from a pro background, then
hopefully it helps them see that if I can
do it, then they can do it. Its not like you
come here once and think okay, thats it.
Its really just tweaking and continuing
to move forward with it. The big thing is
providing enjoyment for others to learn
about the game and to stick with it.
How has your transition from a pro player

to teaching been? I think its a natural assumption that if you get to a certain level
that you know it and can teach it, but its
very different. What Ive found, and Ill
admit to it, is that sometimes you say to the
players youre working with to just get it
in. I know myself how to get it in because
after years and years of playing, it is instinctual and automatic to just feel it and
know what to tweak for me. But to actually
explain it to someone else is different. So
thats key for me to watch how the presenters speak. The way that a coach spoke
to me was always important to me. We all
want to be told a certain way, but I want to
be able, when the time is right, to adjust the
intensity. Im very curious how the presenters are presenting, speaking and what their
keywords are. Sometimes less is more.
What has been your favorite seminar so
far and why? In my mind I always think
youll be locked indoors in a seminar or
stuck in a board room waiting to leave, but
the combination of seminars, on-court instruction and options makes the difference
for me. Some learn verbally and some more
visually, but you can get the variety and options here. Its not just catering to the pros.
I went to one course that was geared more
toward junior development, but I still got
something out of it. Its a real cross section
of who the USPTA is catering to. So short
answer, theyve all been excellent.
What would you say is the biggest benefit
of attending the World Conference? Being
educated by qualified teaching professionals. I know that as a player, I wanted
the coaches I aspired to work with to have
experience. I wanted that trust value, because under those pressure moments its
easy to doubt yourself, but I felt comfortable that if my coaches had been in those
situations or backed themselves up with
that knowledge, it gave me 100 percent
trust. If its product that youre after, the
trade show might have taken the cake
for me. It was terrific to meet the exhibitors who provided everything from video
analysis, court equipment, ball machines
and racquets. h
2016 Honorees
USPTA honored those who stand out and go above and beyond in all aspects of the tennis industry at the 2016 USPTA World
Conference. USPTA, the worlds oldest and largest association of tennis-teaching professionals, recognized tennis coaches,
industry leaders and volunteers during its annual national awards presentations at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa.
Peter Burwash (Carmel Valley, Calif.) joined the
ranks of only 18 others when he was inducted into
the USPTA Hall of Fame. The associations highest
honor recognizes excellence in the tennis profession
and commitment to USPTA.
Ronald Elizondo (Corpus Christi, Texas) received the

associations Diversity Award for his work to increase
diversity within the USPTA.
Kirk Anderson (Portland, Ore.) received the USPTA

Alex Gordon Professional of the Year Award, the
associations top annual member award.
Dion Crupi (Irving, Texas) is this years recipient of the

Tim Gullikson Touring Coach of the Year Award. His
coaching experience includes serving as a development and travel coach for juniors and professionals
at both national and international levels.
The George Bacso Lifetime Achievement Award

went to Ben Press (Coronado, Calif.), the second
time the award has been presented since 2008.
Dick Johnson (Albuquerque, N.M.) was named the

High School Coach of the Year. As the head boys
tennis coach at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, N.M., Johnson led his players to the state
championships in 2016, winning several state titles.

Fred Viancos (Lake Nona, Fla.) was honored with the
USPTA Paul Waldman Presidents Award. This award
is given by the USPTA President for lifetime achievement as a member of the association.
Aki Takayama-Wolfson (Flushing, N.Y.) received the

USTA/USPTA Community Service Award for her
contributions to her community through tennis, presented annually by the United States Tennis
Association as part of the USPTAs awards program.
In recognition of his business acumen and advancing the sport of tennis in his community, Jeff Bearup
(Duxbury, Mass.) received the USPTAs Industry Excellence Award.
Patrick LaSalle (Coventry, R.I.) was awarded the
USPTA Star Award for his efforts to bring tennis to
socioeconomically challenged communities as the
tennis program director with the Town of Coventry
Parks and Recreation.
Josh Jorgensen (San Diego, Calif.) was named the
Top Education Credit Earner for 2016 after earning
an outstanding number of education credits as part
of the USPTA Career Development Program.
Angelo and Ettore Rossetti (Hamden,

Conn.) are the recipients of the Lessons
for Life Award for their extensive contributions to their community. In 2015, they
helped raise more than $104,300 for
the Save the Children charity organization through tennis.
Kim Gidley (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was named

the Steve Wilkinson College Coach of the Year after
leading the Air Force Academys womens tennis
team to an 18-9 overall mark last season, its sixth
consecutive winning season.
J. Weston Reese (San Francisco, Calif.) was named
the George Bacso Tester of the Year. Reese is a
USPTA Elite Professional and has been a tester for
35 years, 33 of those as a head tester. He

administered the USPTA certification exam to 68
people over the last year.
Dan Miles (Bonita Springs, Fla.) was named the
Facility Manager of the Year. Miles has been the
general manager of the Bonita Bay Club in Bonita
Springs, Fla., for more than 25 years and has continually made the commitment to support tennis and
tennis-teaching professionals.
Ryan McDaniel (Evansville, Ind.) is the second recipient of the U30 Award, new to the awards program
in 2015. The U30 Award recognizes a USPTA Professional aged 30 or under for his or her contributions to tennis.

2016 Honorees
Master Professionals
Jack Foster, Paul Marcum, Michael Mercier, Larry Dupleich Pua,
Mark Rearden, Mark Savage (pictured from left to right)
Division Awards
Division of the Year Texas
Newsletter of the Year Midwest
Lessons for Life
Most money raised 1. Southern 2. Texas
Most money raised per capita 1. Southern 2. Texas
Specialist Degrees
USPTA Specialists in Competitive Player Development
Brandon Arradaza
Matias Marin

Michael Baugh
Brent Mazza
Dan Beedle Bond Minard
Branden Beets Tony Mule
Kenny Callender Todd Piker

Jeremy Carl
Ferdinand Redelijk
Scott Carson Gira Schofield
Chris Cuna Alex Shusis
Jeffrey Etterbeek Bryan Smith
Boris Fetbroyt A. Tyler Stephen
Tyler Fraser Eric Taino
Jeremy Jack Marianne Werdel
Stoyan Kirkov
USPTA Specialist in Sport Science

Feisal Hassan
USPTA Specialist in Facility Management

Eric Winn
Education Awards
Top education participants 2015

Josh Jorgensen Top credit earner

Levander Kelley
Michael Baugh
Angela Leong
Bill Riddle

Todd Upchurch

Eric Striesfeld

Brenton James

Stan Carter

Education merit award for 10 years of continuing education participation

Nelson Alapi
Doug Eng
Trish Faulkner
Mike Gennette

Marc Majdick
Ajay Pant
Patrik Segfeldt
Charlotte Wylie
Education merit award for 20 years of continuing education participation

Rosie Bareis
Bunny Bruning
Alan Cutler
Stan Oley
Anne Pamplin-Everson
Fred Viancos
The USPTA National Awards program is conducted annually. Nominations are submitted by the organizations 17 divisions and by individuals. Recipients in each
category are decided by the USPTA Awards Committee. 2016 Awards Committee: Diane Selke (chair), Craig Bell, Mark Faber, Terence Killen, Conan Lorenzo
Years of Service
30 Years
Gary Agardy
Brad Albert
Greg Amaya
Arthur Anastopoulo
Bill Arick
William Aronson
Steve Bailey
Chris Barbe
Rosie Bareis
John Barker
Doug Barthel
Lee Basey
Brett Beattie
Jim Bedilion
Viktoria Beggs
William Belser
Lindsay Benton
Michael Bergeron
Bradley Blume
Sergiu Boerica
Rick Bontrager
Doug Bradley
Jeff Brenner
Beverly Buckley
Bill Busiek
Mark Campanile
Walter Campbell
Jorge Capestany
Andres Castro
Bonita Clark
Jeff Cohen
Maryann Colville
Patti Crane
Randy Crawford
Lisa Culp
Barry Curley
Boris Damjanovic
Marty Devlin
Peter Dietrich
Jai DiLouie
Debbie Dotson
Swindoll
Ross Dubins
Tara Dunne
Raymond Durack
David Dvorak
David Earlewine
Brian Edwards
Doug Elsass
Claude England
Dale Eshelbrenner
Barbara Fain
Mickey Ferguson
Kevin Foster
Barbara Fowler
J. Howard Frazer
Peter Freischlag
Barry Friedman
Yoshio Fukuoka
Nicolaus Getz
David Glackin
Farrell Graves
Robert Greene
Bill Gregg
Tom Greider
Geoff Griffin
Frank Guengerich
Bernard Gusman
Michael Hancock
John Harden
Robin Harris
Tom Harrison
Masakiyo Hatamori
Tom Hawkins
Brett Hobden
Randy Houston
Keith Hubbard
Takeshi Ichikawa
Ali Ismail
Mike James
Richard Jimenez
Randall Jobson
Gordon Johnson
Rose Jones
Dawn Jupin
Masataka Kageyama
Larry Kahn
Lanny Kalpin
Larry Karageanes
Brad Karen
Masaki Kato
Kenji Kawamura
Ed Kelly
Catharine Kelly
Rajan Keswani
Bill Kirsch
Kathy Kolankiewicz
Urszula Krzyzowski
Chuck Kuhle
Shogo Kuroda
Claudette Laliberte
Nancy Lally
Michael Lanahan
Bob Langer
Toby Larson
John Lerch
Bradley Leu
Bruce Lipka
Brian Loomis
Judy Louie
Paul Lubbers
Jean Luetschwager
Patsy Lukas
Paul MacDonald
Sabita Maharaj
Reiny Maier
Roger Mark
David Markin
Yoshitaka Masuda
Rob Maxwell
Bill McCormick
Daniel McCormick
Liz McDonald
Kevin McGlynn
Bill McGrath
Mark McGuire
Connie McHugh
Dave McKinney
Jim McLennan
Luis Mediero
John Miglionico
Anni Miller
Jerry Morse-Karzen
Janice Mott
Albert Murata
Scott Murphy
Shinji Nagasawa
Yasuhiro Nakajima
Hans Neufeld
Brian Newhall
Judy Newman
Bryan Nibert
Cathleen Nicoloff
Cecil North
Guillermo Oropez
Jeanette Paddock
Kevin Page
John Panizzo
Steve Paper
Ron Parlman
Dan Patterson
Paul Pautsch
Scott Perlstein
Armor Persons
David Porter
Bruce Proctor
Mike Puc
Ann Quinn
Ralph Rabago
Frank Raddi
Felicia Raschiatore
Mario Rauch
Mike Richards
Kenny Ross
Todd Ruedisili
Doug Ruffin
Mark Russo
Edmond Sahag
Richard Saunders
Peggy Schick
Joseph Scholtens
Alan Schwimmer
James Scott
Daniel Shoop
Sue Shrader
Cheryl Shrum
Mark Sieving
Len Simard
Pravin Singh
Alan Smallwood
Ronnie Smith
David Smith
H.A. Smith
Elizabeth Sortland
Helle Sparre
Dan Stablein
David Steinbach
Don Stevens
Forrest Stewart
Eck Stone
York Strother
Kurt Thein
Harrell Thomas
Jack Thompson
Todd Trombetta
Masanori Uesugi
Toyohiko Ushiyama
Michael Van Dusen
John Van Handel
Steve Vaughan
Andrew Veal
Michael Velasco
Donnie Wallis
Steve Walters
Tom Wangelin
Glenn Williams
Scott Williams
Francisco Williams
Jeff Wood
Kaz Yamanoha
Bryden Yemm
Fumitoshi Yoshida
Glendale Zell
Leigh Zimmerman
Dan OConnell
Dennis Oricchio
Richard Palmer
BeckyPlowman-Hahn
David Ray
Weston Reese
Dave Schobel
Mike See
Bernard Sewell
John Shelander
Kirk Shoemaker
Dan Smithyman
Bob Spilman
Matt Stiltz
Barry Stout
Russ Tapper
Ross Walker
Paul Waltz
Marceil Whitney
Tim Wynne
35 Years
Ray Anders
Doug Atkinson
Scott Barr
Jerry Baskin
Ben Bishop
Philip Blackwelder
Carey Brading
Mark Brown
Frank Carleton
Steve Chapman
Tom Cuming
Curly Davis
Lee DeYoung
Ralph Drumheller
Mike Duncan
Christine Eddy
Roy Emerson
Bill Foreman
Steve Gallagher
Dick Gould
John Guevara
Dan Halvorsen
Jon Hardman
Sarah Hatgas
Doug Hofer
John Holladay
James Hunt
Arun Jetli
Andrew Johnston
Ted Kopren
Rod Laver
Mike Lewis
Larry Lewis
C.W. Lewis
Mike Lewitt
Lee Libby
Rodger Lolley
Omar Lopez
Gregg Manning
Brian McCoy
Ted Meyer
Peter Minarich
Cheryl Moore
40 Years
John Adams
Paul Adler
Jonathan Bailin
Dale Balun
Skip Bishop
Scott Buell
Patti Burns
Tim Butorac
Sandy Cadel
Gordon Collins
Art Cramp
Geoffrey Crawford
Jim Crouse
Joe Csandli
Jim Davis
Elizabeth Derry
Mike Dickens
Vicki England Patton
Brittin Feldhausen
Scott Ford
Roger Furman
Paul Gagon
Florin Giuglescu
Carlos Goffi
Dennis Grainger
Fernando Guarachi
Jake Hannas
Michael Hoctor
Norman Kalkhoff
Jeff Kefalos
George Kosloff
Tom Krukiel
Joseph McGurrin
Mark Medow
Andrew Moffat
Thomas Morlock
Peter Moss
Barbara Ann Mueller
Ted Murray
Karen Neuman
Carl Poske
Celeste Pregracke
Roy Riley
Phyllis Roach
Steven Sarver
Susan Selke
Raymond Smith
Tim Smith
Fred Stolle
Joseph Thompson
Michael Tiberg
Steve Tidball
Leo Vorwerk
John Waltz
Holly Weitendorf
Wayne Wookey
John Worley
45 Years
Lee Adams
Bob Bayliss
Stephanie Bird
Sydney Brass
Bob Ecuyer
Paul Fein
Joe Felice
David Fowler
Jay Gilliford
Bill Guilfoil
David Howell
Brad Humphreys
Dave Kozlowski
Hilary McGuire
Avis Murray
Boots OBrien
Chuck Pate
Andrea Rains
Lenny Schloss
Jeff Unger
John Verde
Charles Zimmerman
50 Years
John Bregin
Ed Foster
Ty Fuller
Edward Gordon
Don Henson
Robert Luedtke
John Rountree
55 Years
Joseph Pizzat
Frank Schuler
Dennis Van der Meer
60 Years
Carlton Buerger
Neil Chase
65 Years
Ted Withall
70 Years
Pancho Segura
Top Players Take Home Honors in

USPTAs $7,500 Masters Invitational
he best of the best were on dis SPTA Masplay last week at the U
ters Invitational, with several of
the USPTAs top Surface Championship winners taking home a portion
of the $7,500 prize money. The second
annual USPTA Masters Invitational was
held during the USPTA World Conference at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells
Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, Calif.
This tournament, which replaced
the International Championships, gave
USPTA-certified Professionals an added
opportunity to showcase their skills and
earn more prize money.
Stefano Ianni of Miami earned the
mens open singles division title after
defeating William Noblitt of Raleigh,
N.C., by a final score of 6-3, 6-3. The pair
partnered up later in the week to take
home the top prize in the mens open
doubles division.
Agata Cioroch of Atlanta, was the top
woman in the tournament after earning
the womens open singles division title
with a decisive victory over Ekaterina
Morozova-Pomier of Houston, 6-2, 6-3.
Floridians had a strong showing at
the tournament. Franco Mata of Naples,
Fla., won the mens 35 singles division
after a close match with last years title
winner Paulo Barros of Fort Myers, Fla.,
with a final score of 4-6, 7-5, 7-6.
Longtime tournament participant

Jeff Cohen of Boca Raton, Fla., won the
mens 45 singles division crown after
edging Frank Vermeer of Jacksonville,
Fla., 6-3, 1-0.
Rob Horsch of Laguna Niguel, Calif.,
and Kevin Gillette of Meridian, Miss.,
paired up to earn the mens 45 doubles
division title when Cohen and Vermeer
withdraw in the finals.
Mike Fedderly of Palm Desert,
Calif., went down to the wire with Kie
Foreman of Pebble Beach, Calif., but
came up victorious with a win 6-2, 6-0
for the mens 55 singles division title.
The USPTA Masters Invitational
featured the top point earners from the
four USPTA Surface Championships in
2015-16 who were selected to compete
based on their finish. After an early
registration period, registration was
opened up to all certified members in
good standing. Divisions included mens
open singles and doubles, mens 35 singles and doubles, mens 45 singles and
doubles, mens 55 singles and doubles,
and womens open singles and doubles.
The total prize money for the event was
$7,500.
For more information on the
USPTA Surface Championships and the
Masters Invitational, visit uspta.com/
tournaments. h
2016 USPTA Masters

Invitational Winners
Mens Open Singles Winner: Stefano
Ianni (Miami); Runner-up: William
Noblitt (Raleigh, N.C.)
Womens Open Singles Winner: Agata
Cioroch (Atlanta); Runner-up: Ekaterina
Morozova-Pomier (Houston)
Mens Open Doubles Winners: Stefano
Ianni (Miami)/William Noblitt (Raleigh,
N.C.); Runners-up: Franco Mata (Naples, Fla.)/Jicham Zaatini (Naples, Fla.)
Mens 35 Singles Winner: Franco Mata
(Naples, Fla.); Runner-up: Paulo Barros
(Fort Myers, Fla.)
Mens 45 Singles Winner: Jeff Cohen
(Boca Raton, Fla.); Runner-up: Frank
Vermeer (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Mens 45 Doubles Winners: Rob
Horsch (Laguna Niguel, Calif.)/Kevin
Gillette (Meridian, Miss.); Runners-up:
Jeff Cohen (Boca Raton, Fla.)/Frank
Vermeer (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Mens 55 Singles Winner: Mike Fedderly (Palm Desert, Calif.); Runner-up:
Kie Foreman (Pebble Beach, Calif.)
Mens 55 Doubles Winner: Craig
Koessler (Wilsonville, Ore.)/Sal Castillo
(San Antonio); Runner-up: Michael
Smith (Fair Oaks, Calif.)/Ken DeHart
(San Jose, Calif.)
Womens Open Doubles Winner:
Miranda Rodriguez (Skokie, Ill.)/
Ekaterina Morozova-Pomier (Houston)
Runner-up: Cari Buck (Manhattan
Beach, Calif.)/Sara Morse (San Diego)
From left, tournament director Joe DAleo, Mens Open Singles finalist William Noblitt,
Winner Stefano Ianni and tournament director Jim Sciarro.
Mens 35 Doubles Winner: Juan

artinez-Arraya (Old Greenwich,
M
Conn.)/ Patricio Misitrano (Darien,
Conn.) Runner-up: Juan Garcia (San
Diego)/Francois Castejon (San Diego)
Full results are available on setteo.com.
Beyond the Court
Education, Encouragement Keys

to a Successful Career
By Mark Rearden, USPTA Master Professional
n January of 2015, I wrote an article

that appeared in Tennis Industry
magazine titled 50 and Fired. The
article chronicled the travails of being
fired from a job I had held for more than
21 years. Some of the territory covered
was purely cathartic, but the bulk of the
article attempted to do what I have tried
to do my whole life, which is to teach
others what I have learned.
There were bits and pieces about handling the heartache of losing ones job, how
one can take a philosophical approach to
what an employer can actually take from
you, and some very practical advice about
how to financially prepare for a worst-case
scenario. I felt, however, that a follow-up
article might offer a bit more insight into
how a career tennis professional can arrive at some not-so-healthy attitudes
about how his industry actually works.
Lets start with what my professional
moniker has looked like for most of my
life. I have been what might be called a
full-service, blue-collar pro most of the
way. That is to say, I have spent most of
my career taking care of my members,
running tournaments or member events,
and helping to raise the next generation
of young tennis players. In most instances
I have been in a position of leadership at
the clubs where I have worked. I believe
this to be representative of many of the
tennis professionals in our industry. I have
always been proud of how conscientiously
I worked and that I was willing to stay at
work as long as it took to get the job done.
As a young professional, I was fortunate to land a job with an education
allowance and a general manager who encouraged me to continue to fine tune my
craft. I dutifully attended as many conferences and education seminars as the
schedule would allow. One of the things I
discovered was that many of the speakers
seemed to be on the clinicians circuit or
speaking at most of the medium to large
events. And many of these speakers were
working at some very impressive places.
Go out of your way to encourage a fellow pro.

Even as educators we still need for people to
believe in us as well.
Our industry and our

organization need the best
and brightest in leadership
roles. Make it your mission
to inspire someone to go
further than they would
have. Take the time to tell
someone they inspired YOU
and then pay it forward by
inspiring someone ELSE.
This is where my otherwise non-judgmental attitude began to go astray. I

reasoned that if these pros were really
as good as they thought themselves to
be, they would be spending more time at
their facility taking care of their membership. How could they have the audacity
to speak to a group of go-getters whose
programs were in some cases better than
theirs. The reality of this mindset was
that I was envious of the respect they
were getting for having the courage to get
up in front of their peers and share what
they had learned. At the time however, I
was too emotionally immature to understand that about myself. I reasoned that if
they were not doing it like me, they were
not doing it the right way.
For more years than I care to admit,

I attended many of these conferences
but rarely learned as much as I could
have, except on the occasion when I
would categorize one the speakers as
a good guy, you know, like me. It never
occurred to me that these hard-working
professionals were doing the same thing
for our industry that I was doing for my
club, teaching what they had learned.
My attitude from those days is embarrassing to even think about now. Thankfully, I was at least intuitive enough to
not speak those thoughts publicly.
Many years later I have righted the
ship and no longer look scornfully at those
professionals who are more driven than
I am or maybe are just driven differently
than I am. I regret not learning as much as
I should have, because I was fearful to ask
questions about things I thought I should
have already known. And so, rather than
soaking up as much as I could, I missed
out on some good conversations with
some of the best minds in our business.
The good news is if you are an educator, whether it is tennis or some other discipline, you can keep on learning and keep
on pushing your career forward. You just
have to be willing to open your mind to the
information being packaged differently
than you expect or prefer. As tennis pro-
fessionals, we are a cocky breed, and if you are guilty of selling bravado in place of
are waiting for the information to come
a better understanding of our industry.
from a once-in-a-lifetime humble source
The great news is the USPTA now has
type like John Wooden, you may miss out
an under 30 category where young pros
on some really good stuff.
have a safe place to learn and share ideas
About three or four years ago the
in an environment where they can be
facility where I worked hosted one of
themselves, offer up new ideas, and ask
the USTAs stops for the 12s Zonals. The questions without being fearful of being
coaches that show up for these events
judged by their older, sometimes more
are typically a great group of pros who
knowledgeable counterparts.
are fun to be around and are good at
Another is naively thinking that as
what they do.
long as you work hard, keep your nose
The first year we hosted the event I
clean, and take care of your patrons everything will be fine. That is certainly a
met a fellow USPTA Pro named Darryl
good starting point and should act as the
Lewis from Winston-Salem. Because of
his easygoing way with the kids, I
liked him right away. I had known
Accept learning opportunities
of Darryl by reputation, since he
from every source ... seek out
had spent quite a few years in
that knowledge from the best
Georgia, as had I.
and brightest in our industry
Running a Zonals event really
and then put it to work.
forces your hand, in that it makes
you get to know the coaches,
because there is a vast amount
of communication necessary in
order to do a good job. Darryl and
I hit it off right away and chatted
easily about family, careers and
the kids. One of the early questions he queried me with was,
Have you considered applying
to the Master Professional program? My answer was an easy
unapologetic no.
Why not? came his reply.
You know Mark, as long as you
foundation for your work life, but you
have been in the tennis industry and
need to do more. You have to continue
based on the different types of positions
educating yourself to the newest things
you have had, Ill bet you have done
going on in tennis and USE the resources
much of what is required to qualify.
the USPTA has made available to you.
After a bit more conversation I discovered that he was a Master Profession- Even if you land that perfect job,
al and counted it as one of the crowning
holding on tight is not enough. No matter how good your show is, it can be canachievements of his teaching career. He
celled right away if they get a new procontinued to offer encouragement, his
ducer. Maintaining your certification by
knowledge of the process, and a final,
completing the minimum requirements
Its a ton of work, but you will never regret trying.
is no longer enough. Do you want a doctor who does the minimum, a financial
So what is the take-away from many
adviser who has no acronyms after his
years on the court and now looking in
name, or any contractor who never atthe rear view mirror of a long teaching
tends any of his trade shows?
career? One thing is for sure. I could not
Accept learning opportunities from
begin to summarize it all here, but I do
every source. Do not limit yourself
want to share a few of the gleanings that
to like-minded instructors or people
are most obvious to me. In my opinion,
whose personalities you approve of. Our
many young tennis pros, like the younger version of myself, tend to be wired
industry is not like the forums in ancient Greece where one could sit at the
similarly in one regard. We tend to think
feet of Plato and Socrates where knowlwe know more than we do and often
edge and ideas flowed freely. We have to
dont learn as much as we should during
seek out that knowledge from the best
the early stages of our career. Instead we
and brightest in our industry and then

put it to work. The USPTA offers those
opportunities all over the country. And
if your travel opportunities are limited,
DVDs and webinars abound all tied to
education points, but more importantly
an opportunity to learn.
My third take away is this; dont
procrastinate. It doesnt matter what
it is. Just do it now. I never realized
how big a procrastinator I was until my
wife came to work with me and took
control of running the pro shop. She
called me out immediately. To my way
of thinking I thought I was doing a great
job of triage, taking care of the
important things first, secondary
items later, and blowing off the
things that were obviously too
far down the list to receive consideration. In reality, I was doing
the things I preferred and putting
off the things that took me out of
my comfort zone. When you do
something long enough you can
get pretty good at justifying your
position on most anything. Suffice to say, there is no time like
the present, particularly where
your career is concerned. Start
moving things forward today.
My final point here is that you
need to encourage someone, especially if someone has done that
for you. I know encouragement
is a large part of what each of us
does every day, but I am not talking
about students. Go out of your way to
encourage a fellow pro. Even as educators we still need for people to believe in
us as well. Not so long ago, a fellow pro
did that for me. And because he did, I
was fortunate to join the ranks of other
USPTA Master Professionals in Indian
Wells this September. I have made it my
mission to encourage other pros to keep
going with their careers. I hope you will
do the same. Our industry and our organization need the best and brightest in
leadership roles. Make it your mission to
inspire someone to go further than they
would have. Take the time to tell someone they inspired YOU and then pay it
forward by inspiring someone ELSE. h
Mark Rearden is a USPTA Master Professional who has spent his entire work
life in the Southern Division. He recently moved to the Midwest Division where
he serves as Racquet Sports Supervisor
at the H F Racquet and Fitness Club,
learning another facet of the tennis industry.
Endorsee News
Setteo Supports Grassroots

Tennis Business
echnology and digitization have

heavily impacted the professional tennis industry, but this
is smoke and mirrors. According
to a recent study from MIT, amateur
tennis is the second worse digitized
sport in the world. In other words, those
that really make tennis the clubs, the
coaches and the amateur players have
not benefitted from the millions generated by the TV rights of the great tennis
events. The grassroots of tennis have
been abandoned for years. It is time for
technology and digitization to come
to the rescue of tennis. It is time to finally bring the change that 650 million
racquet sports players, 500,000 clubs,
450,000 coaches, and 600,000 tournaments organizers are looking for.
Setteo, the racquet sports social network (www.setteo.com), is a very new
and good example of how technology
can support the grassroots tennis business. Here is an overview of five Setteo
features that can lead the transformation to Tennis 3.0, answering the key
challenges our industry faces: Interactivity, fun, mobility, club management
enhancement, and integration of new
emerging racquet sports.
1. A platform connecting all players,
coaches, clubs and associations
globally One of the main consequences of the lack of digitization
in tennis is the fragmentation of
the community. There are groups
of players organized randomly but
they are very small and not connected with each other. It is very
difficult to access these groups,
especially for newcomers, turning
clubs into very hermetic entities.
Now imagine a world where all the
racquet sports players, coaches and
clubs are connected in one single
platform. That is what Setteo is doing. Players cannot only find new
hitting buddies but also coaches or
clubs anytime, anywhere. Coaches
Setteo, the racquet sports social network, is a very new and good example of how
technology can support the grassroots tennis business.
can do their promotion exactly like

on LinkedIn with skill endorsements and recommendation. The
network is made of players and they
can also be booked online. Clubs
become more visible and members
finally have the opportunity to play
together again with ease.
2. New competition formats Playing
in competitions can end up being
expensive and time consuming. Losing early in a tournament can seem
like a waste of time and money, not
to mention very inflexible schedules
that dont really match with todays
lifestyles. See how Padel took over
tennis proposing new competition
formats: new types of ladders, local private circuits, etc. Most Padel
players dont have a national ranking
they have fun instead. Today, it is
estimated that there are 4.5 million
Padel players in Spain for just 2.5
million tennis players.
Of course everything from Padel
cannot be adapted to tennis and tennis must keep its essence, but Setteo
integrates free software solutions
that facilitate the creation of circuits

and competitions of all kind of formats. Anecdotally, the most popular
club competition format in Spain is
a type of ladder with mini groups of
four. The player ranked No. 1 in the
group moves into the higher group
while the player ranked No. 4 moves
in the lower group. Then a new
phase starts again.
3. Powerful and interactive tournament software Besides the competition format that is used, there
was also some kind of resistance in
using new tools to better manage
and broadcast tournaments. It is
now possible to abandon paper, pencil and maybe even phone calls, and
enhance participants experience at
the same time.
From the smallest clubs to the
National Tennis Cup, the biggest
amateur tennis competition with
more than 30,000 participants, organizers have started using the Setteo
software. The reasons are numerous: it saves a lot of time, it boosts
the overall player satisfaction, it
is fun to use, and it gives players a

platform to remark on matches. Last
but not least, players and organizers
can enjoy live scoring and beautiful interactive draws enhancing the
players social experience and generating far more engagement from the
community on social networks and
on Setteo. Monetization of the tournament through sponsoring and its
visibility are increased accordingly.
4. Cost effective management software for clubs and associations
Although they are not very well
spread in the tennis world, there is
no doubt that software can facilitate
a lot the work of club managers and
employees offering online management tools for memberships, court
bookings, lessons, competitions,
payments and finances. But this is
just one side of it. A concept like
Setteo that merges software solutions with a social network brings it
to a completely different level.
First, it is user friendly and it is as
easy to set up as creating a Facebook
account for a club. Benefits are im-
mediate for managers and members.

Secondly, it brings fun and satisfaction to the members. Players can
easily find partners from the club,
meet, keep track of their results, use
live scoring even for their training
matches, and share them live with
their friends on other social networks. They can organize their own
competitions and rankings and book
courts in a very interactive way.
Thirdly, in a time where there is
a huge offer in terms of leisure, marketing and communication must be
a focus for the club managers. Setteo
turns any member into an ambassador of the club. Playing matches,
booking courts, and participating
in tournaments generate posts that
clearly indicate the location of the
game. Communication with members
is simple and interactive. Clubs and
coaches SEO is easy and free, exactly
like searching your name on Google
will return your LinkedIn or Facebook page as a first choice. Websites
generate very little traffic and interaction versus Setteo pages. If you want
to be convinced, ask yourself why you
use Facebook in spite of a personal

blog. By the way, users spend 86 percent of their time on apps versus 14
percent on mobile browsers.
Last but not least, Setteo can
help clubs save money. The basic
version for clubs is free and the Premium membership is cost effective
compared to usual solutions. The
possibility of managing advertising banners will cover the cost or
even better, generate benefits, not
to mention that a Setteo profile can
replace a website.
5. A global, universal and unisex rating
system This is Setteos big dream
after connecting all the players. This
is not a reality yet, but the team is
working hard toward that goal with
the official launch in the United
States this year. The idea is that players can not only find hitting buddies
anytime, anywhere, but also play a
match that counts for an accurate
universal ranking and where men
and women compete together. As
per the tag line of Setteo, Make the
world play together. Game on! h
Master Pro Corner
The Advantages of Serving

American Style
By James R. Shaughnessy, USPTA Master Professional, CSCS
he sport and science of tennis

has been my passion from earliest youth as a competitive
player, a professional coach, an
adjunct university instructor of biomechanics and a tennis research scientist.
It is my experience that every tennis
professional, myself included, can benefit
from ongoing education. In 25 years of
gathering and analyzing the only 3D motion analysis library of the worlds highest
ranked professional tennis players in live
tournament play, I have discovered that
science can reveal hidden information
that cannot be detected with the naked
eye or with the slowest motion video.
Sometimes this quantitative data contradicts conventional schools of thought.
It has been my honor to share the
findings from my laboratory with universities, in private consultation with
some of the worlds greatest tennis
coaches, with professional athletes, and
at USPTA World Conferences and ITA
Release Stage from the start
stage until ball is released
Career Service Points Played and Won

Player
Won
Played
% Won
Style
Roddick
41561
58486
71.06
American
Sampras
46271
66629
69.45
American
Federer
67179
97018
69.24
Trophy
Nadal
44605
66479
67.10
American
Djokovic
42073
62727
67.07
American
conferences. By continually educating

ourselves, tennis professionals can consider adapting our practices to benefit
from quantifiable technique differences
and commonalities that cannot be revealed by our gut, our eyes or the slowest motion video.
Here is a study of a 134 mph ace from
Andy Roddick and a 130 mph ace from
Roger Federer from my lab that may benefit USPTA professionals in their coaching practices. The study indicates that
serving American Style generates a more
Loading Stage from the

release stage until maximum
knee flexion and the hitting
elbow has reached its lowest
vertical position
Cocking Stage from the end

of the loading stage until
maximal external shoulder
rotation coinciding with the
tip of the racquet head point
to the ground.
efficient use of the stretch reflex, creating

more ball speed and spin.
American Style vs. Trophy Style
The majority of the top-50 ranked

ATP players are Trophy Style servers.
American Style servers are rare. However, if we compare statistics of players
reaching the No. 1 ATP ranking since the
year 2000, based on their percentage of
career service points played and won, we
see that four of the top five players are
American Style servers (see chart above).
It is perhaps notable that Novak
Djokovic, traditionally a Trophy Style
server, changed his serve to the American Style in 2010. He did not reach the
No. 1 ranking until switching to American Style, and most recently, serving
American Style, his percentage of service points won is 71 percent.
How to recognize American Style
American Style servers, like Andy

Roddick, Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras
and Rafael Nadal, end the loading stage
and start the cocking stage with the
medial epicondyle of the hitting elbow
pointed at the ground (see arrow in
middle picture left). The medial epicondyle is a good marker for a coach to see
how far the humerus (upper arm) has
rotated. The medial epicondyle, a part
of the humerus bone, is the bump on the
inside of the elbow.
Release Stage
End of the Loading Stage and
End of the Cocking Stage
Unlike Trophy Style servers, in the
beginning of the Cocking Stage.
cocking stage of the service motion,
Note: The center image shows the medial epicondyle of the humerus (upper arm) is pointed at the
American Style servers rotate the humerground at the beginning of the Cocking Stage.
us through the trophy position without

stopping or slowing. This generates the
opportunity to build up angular velocity
of the humerus through an additional
90 degrees of external rotation of the
humerus (upper arm). The external
rotation stretches the internal rotator
muscles in the end on the cocking stage
(image to the far right previous page).
This is important because when
the internal rotator muscle fibers get
stretched rapidly enough and in a large
enough range of motion, the spindle
embedded in the internal rotator muscles triggers an automatic reflex action
that has been scientifically proven to
cause more potent and forceful contractions. This is called the stretch
reflex. The velocity and magnitude
of the stretch is best measured in live
match 3D analysis by maximum downward velocity of the racquet tip in the
cocking stage. Charles Dillman, Ph.D.,
has shown that this rotation of the
humerus is one of the most dynamic
movements in the human body. Powerful internal rotation of the humerus
is a key to large racquet velocities, side-
spin, topspin and forward ball speed.
How to recognize Trophy Style
Nick Bollettieri explains the Trophy

position as the ready to launch position. Paul Roetert, Ph.D., calls this the
preparatory or throwing position common to elite players.
Trophy Style servers end the loading
stage and start the cocking stage with
the medial epicondyle pointing in a
straight line to the side fence at an angle
parallel to the ground.
Trophy Style servers stop or slow
down at the end of the loading stage and/
or the beginning of the cocking stage.
At this point Trophy Style players have
already rotated their humerus 90 degrees externally. Therefore, Trophy Style
servers have 90 degrees less external
humerus rotation with which to build up
angular velocity to stretch the internal
rotator muscles. This is less efficient use
of the stretch reflex than American Style.
Here is what the study showed
Using the extra 90 degree of humerus rotation to stretch the muscle spin-
dles of the internal rotators more effectively contributes to key biomechanical

features of the serve that create more
ball speed, topspin and sidespin in serving. Additional studies at the SCiO 3D
Sports lab show the same trends with
other American Style servers, e.g., Pete
Sampras and Novak Djokovic when
compared to Roger Federer, the No. 1
Trophy Style server.
Players encouraged and trained to
develop the American Style will achieve
more ball speed and spin than Trophy
Style. To do so, USPTA Pros should observe whether the medial epicondyle of
the hitting humerus is pointed perpendicular to the ground when maximum
knee bend is reached and the point of the
hitting elbow is in its lowest position. h
James R. Shaughnessy is Director of Tennis at Oakwood Country Club in Enid,
Okla. He is an award-winning professional with 27 years of experience as a
speaker, researcher, analyst and consultant in sports biomechanics, specializing in the applied
science of tennis. He has a Bachelor of Science degree
in exercise science from Oklahoma Baptist University
and a masters degree in sports science from the United
States Sports Academy where he is a doctoral candidate.
Career Development
Exams, Upgrades Coach Youth
Conferences/
& PTCA I
Tennis Workshop Activities
(4 credits for PTCA I segment)
Nov. 11-12
Nov. 12
Nov. 12-13
Nov. 12-13
Nov. 12-13
Nov. 12-13
Nov. 13
Nov. 18-19
Nov. 18-19
Nov. 19-20
Nov. 28-29
Dec. 3-4
Dec. 4
Dec. 4
Dec. 5
Dec. 7
Dec. 8-9
Dec. 10-11
Dec. 10-11
Dec. 10-11
Dec. 10-11
Dec. 11
Dec. 16-17
Westwood, Kan.
Mequon, Wis.
Tallahassee, Fla.
Big Rapids, Mich.
Beaverton, Ore.
Rye, N.H.
Mobile, Ala.
Houston*
Westminster, Colo.
Tucson, Ariz.
San Francisco
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Nashville
Midlothian, Va.
Carlsbad, Calif.
Minneapolis
Port Washington, N.Y.
Atlanta
Dallas
Paradise Valley, Ariz.
Boca Raton, Fla.
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Houston*
(2 credits)
(Division Conferences 6 credits)
Nov. 6
Aurora, Ill.
Nov. 12
Beaverton, Ore.
Nov. 19
Freemont, Calif.
Nov. 4
Middle States Division Convention

Princeton, N.J.
Jan. 27
Southwest Division Convention

Phoenix
For more workshops, visit coachyouthtennis.com.
Cardio Tennis
Nov. 20
Cardio Tennis Training Course

Level 1
Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club,
Cherry Hill, N.J.
Nov. 20

Level 1
Methodist University, Fayetteville, N.C.
Dec. 10

Level 2
Midtown Athletic Club, Chicago
Please visit www.cardiotennistraining.com to register.
Webinars
(.5 credits)
Dec. 31
* This course is held at the USPTA World Headquarters.

Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days
prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an exam,
upgrade and PTCA I unless noted. Exam cancellations
must be received no later than 14 days before the
exam, or a cancellation fee will be charged accordingly.
USPTA Webinar Library
Watch all recorded webinars at tennisresources.com.

For more information visit uspta.com/Education.
Applicant: late cancellation fee $95; failure to cancel

application fee is forfeited. Certified members: late
cancellation fee $25; failure to cancel $25 plus the
upgrade fee is forfeited. Registration for another exam
will not be accepted until cancellation fees are paid.
Accredited
Professional Coach
Register your Accredited Professional Coach (APC)
and specialty course credits earned with the USPTA
SmartCode Education System. This uses your
smartphone to instantly register
your attendance to all seminars
and specialty courses earning APC.
To use the system at a seminar,
general session or specialty course,
you must scan two QR codes. One
QR code is on your conference badge. The second
QR code will be in your conference notebook and
cannot be scanned until the end of the session or
the beginning of the next session. If you do not have
a smartphone, you may use someone elses. Forms
are available upon request.
Education requirements
All USPTA-certified Professionals must earn 6 education credits in a three-year period
to remain current. Go to USPTA.com/Education for a partial list of eligible activities. Please send verification (email, letter, certificate, receipt, etc.) that shows you
attended the event/activity and submit it along with the date and agenda to education@uspta.org to receive your credit. (International members, Recreational Coaches
and those over the age of 65 are exempt.) Questions? Write to education@uspta.org
or call 800-877-8248, ext. 147.
Member News
USPTA Professionals Fred W. Layman, Chuck Gill and
Dick Stockton are pictured here in the BeyondTheCourt.US booth at the USPTA World Conference in
Indian Wells, Calif. Layman, a 23-year-member of the
USPTA, is the Founder and Chief Operations Officer
for BeyondTheCourt.US., the first digital fundraising
platform designed by a tennis pro for the tennis industry. By capitalizing on the Give and Save fundraising
methods of the past, BeyondTheCourt.US partnered
with coupon giant, Entertainment Group, to develop
the first tennis industry mobile fundraising app. This
platform offers deep discounts in 100 percent of the
top markets in the U.S. with a trademarked compound giving, passive, residual and renewal
income stream. BeyondThe Court.US is a revolutionary fundraising platform that has an ongoing
impact on the community and its Chain of Use Participants, says Stockton, Founder of Blue Sky
Foundation. Stockton comments further, By taking the tracking, financial responsibility and
inventory out of the hands of the players, parents, coaches and facility administrators, and placing it in an easy-to-manage web portal that acts as a social media sales machine, fundraising has
never been easier. Raise money and awareness day in and day out while giving your supporters
thousands in savings year around. Start your campaign today at www.BeyondTheCourt.US. In
order to get the app, text Tennis to 313131 or find it in the Apple or Google store.
Davis Cup Family Day was the beginning of an exciting week for Pacific Northwest tennis fans,
as more than 1,000 enthusiasts attended the July 11 event hosted by the USTA. Mothers,
fathers, daughters and sons participated by playing
games and hitting balls on six different courts alongside U.S. Davis Cup team members and top college
players. Court hosts included USTAs Recreation
Program, Tualatin Hills Tennis Center (host site),
NW Wheelchair Assn., Wilson, USPTA/PNW, and
Portland Tennis & Education, a local award-winning
program for disadvantaged youth. In addition to the
USPTA/PNW members and club players who staffed
the court, participants on the USPTA court got to hit
with Davis Cup player Jack Sock. Photo: Front Row L-R: Amy Leahy, USPTA; Jack Sock, USA
Davis Cup; Niren Lall, USPTA; Brian Board, USPTA; (N/A); Back Row L-R: Don Patch, USPTA;
Roger McKee, USPTA.
Don Hebert, 86, of Groveland, Mass., passed away peacefully on Friday, August 5, with his
family around him. Born in New Jersey, Hebert moved his growing family to Lynn, Mass.,
where he worked for General Electric for 33 years. He retired early and spent
time teaching tennis and skiing, each in its season. Hebert and Carol, his wife
of 66 years, raised six children. The family has grown and now includes seven
grandchildren and six great grandchildren. In 1975, he joined the USPTA
teaching tennis to GE workers after the normal work hours. He also joined the
Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) allowing him to start teaching
at the Bradford Ski Area which was close by for many years. Until his death,
he maintained memberships in both associations. For online guestbook and to learn more
about Heberts life, please visit www.driscollcares.com.
ADDvantage magazine editorial offices
USPTA World Headquarters
3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite 202
Houston, TX 77042
Phone 713-978-7782 / 800-USPTA-4U
Fax 713-358-7794
email magazine@uspta.org
Managing editor
Circulation
Kimberly Forrester
Kathy Buchanan
Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central time

ADDvantage is published monthly by the
United States Professional Tennis Association.
Elizabeth Bailey See, age 54, died

peacefully at her home in Beverly Farms,
Mass., surrounded
by her loving family. The cause of
death was complications following
Goodpastures Syndrome which she
had courageously
battled for two years. Born in Greenwich,
Conn., she was the daughter of Mrs. Samuel
Thorne and stepdaughter of Samuel (Spike)
Thorne of Bedford, Mass., and the daughter
of the late Alva B See, Jr, of Atlanta, and
stepdaughter of Nancy Quarles. See,
earned a bachelors degree from the Mass
College of Art and her masters degree in
education from Lesley College. She was a
tennis professional and a member of the
USPTA and PTR. She received the Al Rogers
Award for Education in 2015. For the past
seven years See ran the summer tennis program for the Town of Rockport. She taught
at the Indoor Court in Hamilton and taught
privately. A resident of Beverly Farms for
the past 20 years, she will be remembered
by her many friends for her joyful spirit,
her generous nature and her deep love of
and loyalty to her family and friends. She
was strong till the end. In addition to her
mother and step-father, she is survived by
four brothers and her nieces and nephews.
Information, directions, condolences at
www.campbellfuneral.com.
NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
First Vice
President
Chuck Gill
Gary Trost
Vice Presidents

Past President
CEO
Legal Counsel
Alan Cutler
Feisal Hassan
Ken McAllister
Jack Michalko
Diane Selke
TM
Tom McGraw
John Embree
George Parnell
The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are those of the

authors and not necessarily those of ADDvantage or the
USPTA.
Copyright United States Professional Tennis
Association, Inc. 2016. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not
permitted without written permission from USPTA.
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BUILD A COURT
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