www.ersa-stringers.

com
ISSUE 10 - 2019

NEW PRODUCTS
NEW HEAD PRESTIGE
STRINGLAB NEW MACHINE

ERSA ATW
INDUSTRY NEWS
Davis Cup 2020
HEAD Sportswear TE
Spin Tennis App
News Shorts

ERSA WORKSHOPS
STRING TESTS
HEAD EXPERIMENTAL 125

BABOLAT RPM POWER 125

PRO STRINGER MAGAZINE IS FREE FOR ALL ERSA MEMBERS

1 ERSA PRO
DISTRIBUTION STRINGERARE
OR RESELLING // NOT
ISSUE 7-2019
ALLOWED
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ISSUE
10-2019

CONTENTS
04 My Serve
06 New Products
10 Industry News
16 Hybrid Stringing
17 ERSA ATW
19 String Test - HEAD Experimental
21 String Test - BABOLAT RPM POWER

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PRO STRINGER MAGAZINE

European Racquet Stringers Association
ERSA Australia - Noel Dodds

My Serve
ERSA Benelux
Dimitri Kaijser - Richard Musters

ERSA Brazil - ERSA Int. Headquarters

ERSA China - Roger Luo Welcome to the last issue of Pro Stringer for 2019.
ERSA Czech Republic & Slovakia ERSA Wishes all of you the best for the Holiday
Vaclav Smat Season and a Healthy and Happy New Year!

ERSA Germany, Austria, Switzerland It has been a busy month for ERSA with many
Mark Maslowski
workshops around the world. We have given
ERSA Indochina - Nguyen Hong Thuyet (Thierry) certification tests in tennis, badminton and squash
the last 2 months of the year in Asia, South America
ERSA Italy - Marco Rossani and many countries in Europe.
ERSA Ireland - Rob Leahy
I returned from Brazil 1 week ago after a great five
ERSA Korea - Taikki Lee day mini-Symposum in Ribeirão Preto. We have
after the workshops over 100 more people signed up
ERSA Spain / France- Richard Parnell
for 2020 in Brazil to learn stringing and tuning.
ERSA Taiwan - Bernie Chen - Michael Dan
Next month I will be in Dusseldorf, Germany for 2
ERSA Turkey - Emre Tekmir months and offering several workshops in
ERSA UK stringing and tuning along wih certification starting
Paul Skipp, Huw Phillips the second week of January. I will send a
newsletter out with the dates and more information.
ERSA Ukraine - Sergey Konovolenko Venue is set at Rochusclub in Dusseldorf where we
FOUNDING MEMBERS
have given several workshops and part of our
Ashaway Babolat Symposium workshops a few years ago. Beautiful
Head Isospeed club, good food, great bar and hotels close by.
Kirschbaum Luxilon Hoping to see many of you there. We already have a
Pacific Wilson
several stringers signed up from Austria, Swizerland,
CORPORATE MEMBERS Germany and Sweden.
Ashaway Head Babolat
Prince Isospeed Yonex We will send out a Newsletter in January including
Gosen Tecnifibre MSV
information on the 2020 Symposium in September
STRING SUPLIER MEMBERS along with several news releases concerning ERSA.
Apollo Leisure Pro-t-One
Krischbaum Signum Pro The next issue of Pro
Stringlab Sergetti Stringing
Stringer will be pubished
ASOCIATION MEMBER February 1 and will be a
PTR Europe TIA UK printed and electronic issue.
Tennis Europe
Best wishes and hope to
TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS
Rod Cross - Australia - Physics see all of you in 2020!!!!!
Gabriele Medri- Italy - Technical Adviser
Mark Maslowski
European Racquet Stringers Association
Spinciceva 33 A, 2100 Split, Croatia
Phone/Fax: +49 (0)15122637266
www.ersa-stringers.com

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ERSA Pro Certified Stringers

ERSA now offers tennis, badminton and squash certification for different levels of stringers, from beginners to the top
professional stringers in the world. The first level is ERSA Stringer is for new stringers to show they have completed a
stringing course and learned to string correctly. ERSA Professional Stringer is for stringing services, such as coaches, club
stringers, shop stringers, after passing a day of practical and written tests. Master Professional Stringer Level 1 is for
shop stringers and owners who can tune rackets, string at a high level and have a broad knowledge of products for their
customers. MPS Level 2 is for shop owners and managers. Pro Tour Stringer certification is for minimum MPS Level1 who
are stringing at ATP and WTA tournaments. There are 3 levels for this certification, Level 1, Level 2 and Master Pro Tour
Stringer.

Professional Stringer - Badminton - Derek Poon , Australia - Chien-Huan Wang, Taiwan -

Pi-Yen Shih, Taiwan - Hsu Rott, Taiwan
Professional Stringer - Squash - Hsien Chi Liao, Taiwan - Chin-Hei Tsang, Hong Kong
Professional Stringer - Tennis - Damiano Peterbroers, Netherlands, Jeroen Wijnker, Netherlands
Master Professional Stringer Level 1 - Tennis - Björn Andersson, Sweden
Master Professional Stringer Level 1 - Badminton - Wen-Yan Chen, Taiwan -
Yi-Hsiu Chung, Taiwan -
Pro Tour Stringer Level 1 -Tennis - Björn Andersson, Sweden - Sergio Assis,
Brazil - Diego Deckmann, Brazil - Hsien Chi Liao, Taiwan
Pro Tour Stringer Level 1 - Badminton - Pui-Fung Siu - Hong Kong
Pro Tour Stringer Level 2 -Tennis - Marcelo Ferreira, Brazil

STRINGS
MADE IN GERMANY
SINCE 1985
 www.ersa-stringers.com
NEW PRODUCTS

DESIGNED FOR DEADLY ACCURACY: HEAD

INTRODUCES NEW PRESTIGE GRAPHENE
360+RACQUET SERIES

This one is right on point: with the new PRESTIGE GRAPHENE 360+ racquet series HEAD launches
its most precise racquet yet. With a unique combination of innovative technologies, the series is
engineered for the technical player who needs a racquet that provides dependable accuracy.

Recommended by ATP player Marin Cilic, the PRESTIGE GRAPHENE 360+ racquet series
features the new Graphene 360+ technology, a combination of Graphene 360’s energy transfer
and innovative spiralfibers for an enhanced flex and clean impact feel. In addition to the unique
box beam construction for maximum control, the series also features its own elongated shaft for a
classic flex and feel.

The new series is also right on point when it comes to its design: the silo’s new reduced look features
an asymmetric design identity with a combination of red, burgundy und radiant orange.

Available in five different models (MID, PRO, MP, TOUR, S) for different playing types, the new
PRESTIGE GRAPHENE 360+ racquet series is available as of January 16, 2020 at selected retailers
and head.com.

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NEW PRODUCTS

The legendary PRESTIGE MP comes with the new Graphene 360+ technology, a new
mold, and a new design identity for the experienced player seeking absolute precision. The
PRESTIGE MP provides the perfect precision to the experienced player who wants extra control
in their long and fast swings. It features the new Graphene 360+ technology, a combination of
Graphene 360’s energy transfer and innovative spiralfibers for an enhanced flex and clean impact
feel. While it is further enhanced by the MP’s new and slightly bigger head, the 18/20 string pat-
tern gives you the ultimate control that makes you hit every ball right to the point. Just like the rest
of the silo, the racquet features a new reduced, asymmetric design identity. The Prestige Series is
endorsed by Marin Cilic.

Prestige TOUR The edgy performer looking for precision will love the PRESTIGE
TOUR with the new Graphene 360+ technology and new design identity. The faster you go, the
more the PRESTIGE TOUR delivers on the precision the silo is known for. With its larger head and
bigger sweetspot, it is the perfect racquet for aggressive players whose style of play is right to the
point. It features the new Graphene 360+ technology, a combination of Graphene 360’s energy
transfer and innovative spiralfibers for an enhanced flex and clean impact feel as well as the silo’s
new reduced, asymmetric design identity. The Prestige Series is endorsed by Marin Cilic.

Prestige Pro Featuring the new Graphene 360+ technology and a new design identity, the
PRESTIGE PRO is all about precision for the technical tour player. The PRESTIGE PRO is made
for the technical tour player who needs a precise racquet that is right to the point. The PRESTIGE
PRO features the new Graphene 360+ technology, a combination of Graphene 360’s energy
transfer and innovative spiralfibers for an enhanced flex and clean impact feel as well as an open,
dynamic 16/19 string pattern. The racquet also features the silo’s new reduced, asymmetric design
identity that is just as on point as your game. The Prestige Series is endorsed by Marin Cilic.

Prestige MID Recommended by Marin Cilic, the PRESTIGE MID delivers the new
Graphene 360+ technology and a new design to the experienced tournament player who is looking
for ultimate precision. Recommended by Marin Cilic, the PRESTIGE MID has a smaller head
which leads to even more precision than what the silo is famous for. It features the new Graphene
360+ technology, a combination of Graphene 360’s energy transfer and innovative spiralfibers
for an enhanced flex and clean impact feel. With its new reduced, asymmetric design identity, the
racquet is perfect for the experienced tournament player who loves ultimate precision and control.

Prestige S With its enhanced impact feel thanks to a new headsize, the PRESTIGE S
with the new Graphene 360+ technology gives the most precision to ambitious players. The
PRESTIGE S is made for the ambitious player who needs the perfect combination of precision and
power. It features the new Graphene 360+ technology, a combination of Graphene 360’s energy
transfer and innovative spiralfibers for an enhanced flex and clean impact feel. The lightest model
of the Prestige series now features a larger head size as well as the silo’s new reduced, asymmet-
ric design identity. The Prestige Series is endorsed by Marin Cilic.

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NEW PRODUCTS

ENTDECKE Die Int. Plattform für alle

DIE WELT
DER
Trainer und Coaches
die professionell
unterrichten

WE MAKE
A WORLD OF INFO: PTR European Headquarters

DIFFERENCE Leichtergasse 28 - 39012 MERAN

Fon: +39 0473 230097 - www.ptrtennis.de - info@ptrtennis.de

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NEW PRODUCTS

Stringlab
SL 9200Evo
The new stringing machine
Stringlab introduced their new stringing machine in this month. Priced at 2359€ it is a very low
price for all the options offered on the machine. Here are some of the features:
1. Prestretch at 10/15/20/25 %
2. Three Speeds
3. Knot Function
4. Constant Linear Pull
5. Calibration
6. Possible to use as tabletop without stand
7.Optional Stringlab turntable brake
8. Kilos and pounds
9. Tool Kit
10. Free reel of string
11. Free shipping in Italy

www.stringlab.it

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INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS SHORTS
Slinger Bag Announces Completion Of Name Change, Ticker Symbol Change
The Slinger Bag company says its name change from Lazex Inc. to Slinger Bag and the change
of ticker symbol to “SLBG” has been reviewed and processed by the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The name and ticker symbol change have been effective as of the
opening of trading on November 21, 2019.

Dominic Thiem’s loss in the final of the ATP Finals earned Servus TV its highest ever
audience, with over 1 million viewers at one point following the action on the Austrian free-to-air
channel . Eurosport has secured exclusive rights to broadcast the ATP Tour in four new markets
. The deals com-mence in Romania and Hungary in 2020 and in Czech Republic and Slovakia in
2021 .
NEW ATP HEAD - Former player Andrea Gaudenzi will replace Chris Kermode as
Chairman of the ATP on January 1st .

Europe will have three new WTA Tour events in 2020 . Germany
will host two new grass court events in Berlin (Premier) and Bad Homburg (International) before
Wimbledon, while Lyon in France will host a new hard court event .

The 2020 Tennis Europe Annual General Meeting will be hosted by the Hellenic Tennis
Federation in Crete, Greece, from 26-28 March . Member nations are reminded that invitations
have been sent, and that the deadlines for entries, election nominations and motions is January
27th . For further information, please contact Nadja Koran:

Wilson has replaced Babolat as the official ball provider of Roland Garros.

Nordea is the new main sponsor of the Swedish Open in Bastad, which will be known as the
Nordea Open from 2020 .

HEAD has extended its cooperation with the Rolex Paris Masters ATP 1000 event, where the
manufacturer is the tournament’s Official Racquet & Ball .

Players to announce their retirements at the end of the 2019 season included
Dominika Cibulkova, Anna-Lena Groenefeld, Tomas Berdych,
Marcin Matkowski and Janko Tipsarevic .

Carla Suarez Navarro and Bob & Mike Bryan have announced that 2020 will be their
final seasons on-tour, while former world #1Caroline Wozniacki has revealed that she will
retire after competing in the Australian Open one last time .

Roger Federer fans crashed the website of Swiss-mint after it was announced that
100,000 limited edition 20 Swiss Franc coins would be minted featuring the tennis player’s image
. A further run of the coins is expected to be produced in the new year.
10 ERSA PRO STRINGER // ISSUE 10-2019
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INDUSTRY NEWS

DAVIS CUP - 2020 Davis Cup by Rakuten Qualifiers during the weekend of 6-7 March .
The draw is as follows (host nations listed first): Croatia vs . India, Hungary vs . Belgium, Colombia
vs . Ar-gentina, USA vs . Uzbekistan, Australia vs . Brazil, Italy vs . Republic of Korea, Germany vs
. Belarus, Kazakhstan vs . Netherlands, Slovakia vs . Czech republic, Austria vs .Uruguay, Japan
vs . Ecuador, Sweden vs . Chile .A further 11 nations will take part in the World Group I play-offs
during the same weekend: Ukraine vs . Chi-nese Taipei, Slovenia vs . Pakistan, Bolivia vs .
Domin-ican Republic, Turkey vs . Israel, Bosnia & Herzegovi-na vs . South Africa, Mexico vs .
Finland, Lebanon vs . Thailand, Venezuela vs . New Zealand, Peru vs . Swit-zerland, Norway vs .
Barbados, Lithuania vs . Portugal, Romania vs . China . The winning nations from these
Play-offs will com-pete in World Group I ties in September 2020 along with the losing nations from
the Qualifiers . The losing nations from the World Group I Play-offs will compete in World Group II
ties in September 2020, along with the winning nations from the World Group II Play-offs .

ITF President nominated for IOC Membership

International Tennis Federation (ITF) President, David Haggerty, has been nominated as a
candidate by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to become an IOC member as an
International Federation representative. The elections are due to take place on 10 January 2020 in
Lausanne, Switzerland.
Haggerty’s nomination is a major recognition of the global growth of tennis under the ITF 2024
strategic initiative. He has been at the ITF's helm since 2015. Re-elected to the ITF Presidency at
the 2019 AGM held in Lisbon on September 27, Haggerty has worked closely with the ITF Board
and Committees, as well as the ITF's 210 member nations and regional associations to fulfil the
ITF’s fundamental mission of developing tennis for future generations.
David Haggerty said, "I am truly honoured to be nominated for IOC membership. If I am elected, I
will work with all other members to drive the Olympic Agenda 2020 and uphold the Olympic values.
There are 87 million people on this planet who play tennis, watch the sport and follow their tennis
heroes. This is an acknowledgement of the ITF Board, Committees and staff who work tirelessly
to grow the game. As we enter an Olympic and Paralympic year, we are excited to bring the world
tennis community together in celebration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo
next summer.”

ITF announces 2020-21 Committees and Commissions

The ITF has announced the composition of its Committees and Commissions for 2020-21. A total
of over 190 representatives from over 70 nations have been invited to serve on a range of ITF
Committees, Commissions and Taskforces that assist the ITF and its Board of Directors across
key areas of the sport.
Committee members include representatives of the ITF Board, member nations and other indi-
viduals with specific areas of expertise, all of whom give their time on a voluntary basis. The an-
nouncement is made on International Volunteer Day as a reflection of how many people give their
time for the benefit of tennis worldwide.
In line with the ITF2024 strategy, the 2020-21 appointments reflect the ITF’s drive for gender
equality, inclusion and cooperation. Female representation has increased to 33% but remains an
area that the ITF will continue to prioritise through its Advantage All programme.
ITF President David Haggerty said: “Tennis can be proud of its achievements in providing equal
opportunities on court, but we recognise that this is not yet reflected in leadership roles at the
highest levels. In addition to increasing the number of women on our own committees, we en-
courage our national and regional associations to continue to increase diversity on their boards
and committees so that our future pool of talented leaders have the opportunity to develop and
assume senior positions in our sport.”

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www.ersa-stringers.com
INDUSTRY NEWS

Tennis
Tennis Racquet
Europe andPerformance
HEAD Sportswear join forces
at Specialty Stores - USA
HEAD Sportswear
January-June, 2019hasvs.become
2018 the Official Sportswear andTop-Selling
Footwear Provider of the European
Tennis Shoes
Tennis Federation.
Top-Selling Racquets The two-year agreement brings the apparel wing of the
at Specialty Stores leading tennis equip-
ment
at manufacturer
Specialty Stores alongside the comprehensive partnership Bybetween
year-to-dateTennis Europe
dollars, and HEAD
Jan.-June 2019
Racquetsports
Jan.-June 2019 that began in 2007. 1. K-Swiss Hypercourt Express
•From
Best2020,
Sellersthe partnership will see the provision of exclusive sportswear
2. Nike Zoom Vaporand footwear
X 2018 packages
forWilson
1. all Tennis Europe
Clash Junior(MP)
100 2019 Tour players and tournaments, 3. asNike
well as
Zoom all 50 European
Cage 3 member
federations.
2. Babolat Pure Aero 2019 (MP) 4. Asics Gel Resolution 7
Tennis Europe CEO Thomas
3. Babolat Pure Drive 2018 (MP) Hammerl said, “HEAD is a part
5.of the Zoom
Nike TennisVapor
Europe family, and
X 2019
we are delighted to now
4. Wilson Clash 100 Tour (MP) also be working with HEAD’s Sportswear division. 2020 promises to be
a landmark
5. Wilson Ultrayear100for CV
Tennis
2017 Europe
(MP) and the Junior Tour, andTop-Selling
we are looking forward to offering
Strings
branded Tour merchandise and other premium apparel to our 20,000 players
at Specialty Storesand over 400 tourna-
ments for the first
• “Hot New Racquets” time.” By year-to-date units, Jan.-June 2019
Roman Stepek, Vice President
(introduced in the past 12 months) of HEAD Sportswear commented, “Youth
1. Babolat RPM sports
Blastare an important
part of our corporate
1. Wilson Clash 100 2019 (MP)philosophy at HEAD Sportswear. We are therefore very pleased to be able
to Babolat
2. support thePureremarkable
Aero 2019work (MP)that Tennis Europe does in 2. this field. ItNXT
Wilson is essential to support the
grassroots
3. level 100
Wilson Clash and Tour
by partnering
(MP) with Tennis Europe we can make aSensation
3. Wilson difference in supporting
young tennis talents.
4. Head Graphene 360 Speed MPWe strongly respect the work Tennis Europe
4. Luxilon Alufor
does players, coaches and
Power
national
5. Babolat federations
Pure AeroinTeam Europe, and
2019 are proud to be their partner.”
(MP) 5. Head Synthetic Gut PPS
(Source: Tennis Industry Association)
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INDUSTRY NEWS

Spin Tennis App wins Tennis Innovation Award

A mobile app that helps find tennis partners is the 2019 winner of the TIA UK’s Innovation Awards.
Announced at the annual Tennis Industry Christmas Lunch held at the Queen’s Club and pre-
sented by TIA UK President Ian Peacock, OBE and Paul Johnson of Tennis Threads magazine,
Spin Tennis App scored high marks by the judging panel in the biennial competition that spotlights
products aimed to improve the tennis experience.

The Spin Tennis App is a free mobile app that helps find tennis partners nearby, based on skill,
location and availability criteria. The app also finds courts and runs social tennis leagues and tour-
naments directly on it. Focussed initially around London the company is now expanding its reach
following excellent feedback from some 2000 users in the past year.

Entries were assessed on the creative idea and how it changes the way people engage in tennis;
the execution of the idea and the effectiveness of its communication to the target market.

Ganesh Rao, developer of Spin Tennis App said "It was an absolute honour for Spin Tennis App to
receive the Tennis Industry Association Innovation Award for 2019.

Spin started as just an app to help you find tennis partners nearby but has evolved into a platform
that also helps tennis clubs retain their members and we look forward to working with more clubs
next year.

For further information on the app see https://www.spintennisapp.com

Wilson President Michael Dowse Named USTA Executive Director and CEO

The USTA announced that Michael Dowse, President of Wilson Sporting Goods Co., has been
named Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the United States Tennis Association.
The announcement was made by Patrick Galbraith, USTA Chairman of the Board and President,
who led the search for current CEO Gordon Smith’s replacement.

As CEO and Executive Director, Dowse will be charged with leading the USTA’s overall vision
and its strategy for the growth of tennis participation with juniors and adults at all levels, while
also ensuring diversity throughout the sport. He will provide direction and support and collaborate
with USTA sections, districts, Community Tennis Associations, and national committees for all of
the USTA’s grassroots efforts. Additionally, he will set the strategic direction and lead the USTA’s
involvement in professional tennis in the U.S. and throughout the world, developing strategies to
further promote the health and viability of professional tennis in the United States.

Dowse has served as President of Wilson since 2013. He was responsible for the company’s
global strategy, corporate operations and manufacturing across more than 160 countries. He
oversaw the company’s growth and productivity initiatives, including innovation, digital transforma-
tion, product development, the formation of new business and partnerships, and the expansion of
Wilson’s footprint in racquet sports, team sports, baseball, softball and golf.

Starting January 1, 2020, Dowse, 53, will be based at the USTA National Campus in the Lake
Nona neighborhood of Orlando, Florida.

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HYBRIDS

HYBRID BASICS
As more and more professional players are using hybrids, many shop customers are asking to try
hybrids in their racquet. Our members are often asking what strings to use, what tension and what
are the advantages of using a hybrid for their customers.

First of all, what is a hybrid. It is using two different strings in the mains and crosses. This includes
materials, such as gut and poly or two different gauges of the same string which is becoming more
and more popular. Also, we have seen a trend in players using a stiff poly and a softer poly.

Today, in the major tournaments we have seen more than 30% hybrids being used. Almost all the
hybrids used by professional players are polyester and natural gut, either with the natural gut in
the crosses or in the mains. Years ago most of the players using hybrids would put the stiffer poly
in the mains. Today there are more and more professionals using the natural gut in the mains.
The mains are often called the motor of the racquet and this is where you get the power and most
of the playability of the strings. Changing the poly from the cross to the main changes completely
how the racquet plays. With the poly in the main the string bed stiffness is much higher than with
the natural gut in the mains. Tension has to be adjusted.

Basically, the advantage you get from using a hybrid is to get certain playing characteristics your
customer is looking for from two different strings. The pros use natural gut for the power, touch
and comfort they get and the poly for more control, spin and durability. Most club players will find
this combination too expensive and can try poly with nylon strings in the combination.
Disadvantage is that different materials have different rates of tension loss and playability. We
have had some poly/nylon combinations that play great when new, but start giving problems to the
players as the strings get older.

When a player wants more spin and a little more comfort but does not want a hybrid with gut or
multi, we have been successful recommending a thicker poly with a thinner poly which is a little
softer and allows more snapback.

I used a hybrid with Aramid (Kevlar trade name) mains and natural gut or nylon crosses since the
1990s. Now Aramid fibers are out of fashion and rare to find as they were replaced by polyesters.
I now use a natural gut main and a thin polyester cross and find this combination for my game the
best. It took a long time of trial and error to find the right strings and tension.

This is your job to find the perfect combination for your customers.
Ask the questions necessary from the player or talk to their coach. Why do you want to change,
what are you lookng for in the hybrid, what is your budget, how long do you play with a string job,
etc.
As most of our members are players and coaches or ex-coaches try and see how the customer
plays. I do this with pros and tournament players trying different combinations.

There are many hybrid sets recommended by the manufacturers that are popular, such as
Federer’s set-up or less expensive in a poly/ multifeel combination.
You can mix any strings and gauges to get thousands of combinations. Some combinations work
great together on certain racquets and not on others. Experiment and increase your knowledge.

Mark Maslowski

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 Designed for Pro‘s. This monofile polyester string offers ultimate control
combined with high ball speed. Now released!

Diese Monofile Polyestersaite wurde speziell für die Anforderungen auf der Profitour entwickelt. Volle Kontrolle bei
hoher Beschleunigung. Jetzt released nach erfolgreichem Einsatz auf der Tour!

www.isospeed.com
 www.ersa-stringers.com
ERSA ATW

ERSA BRAZIL testers Marcelo Ferreiro, Priscilla Mendes and Igor Assis organized a
mini-Symposium in Ribeirao Preto. The event took place December 4-8 with over 20 stringers from
all over Brazil.

Day 1 offered product and technology presentations from many brands including Babolat, Head,
Yonex and Wilson. Then everyone headed to the tennis courts to test all the newest racquets from
all the brands. Luckily we had 2 covered clay courts as it started raining just after leaving the hotel.

Day 2 was an all day tuning workshop with everyone learning everything about customizing
racquets then getting hands on practice in the afternoon.

Days 3 & 4 were stringing workshops covering everything from basics to tournament stringing.
Also at the end of the day was certification preparation for the half of the participants taking tests
of day 5.

Day 5 the group was divided into which tests they were taking. We had 1 person taking PTS Level
2, 2 stringers taking PTS Level1 with all three passing their tests.
The rest of the group took the PS and MPS Level 1 certification tests. Results coming in the next
issue.

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ERSA ATW

Björn Andersson
of Sweden passed his
ERSA Master Professional Stringer Level 1
and Pro Tour Stringer Level 1 last month in
the UK. Paul Skipp, ERSA UK manager and
tester administered the certification tests.
Björn has his own shop, Groundstroke
Sports, for the last 5 years and has strung
in 2018 at the ATP Stockholm Open as a
Member of the Official Stringing Team.

ERSA Benelux
organized a workshop in Vlissingen, Netherlands in November. Dimitri Kaijser and Richard
Musters, ERSA co-managers were on hand going over workshop organization and certification
testing with Mark Maslowski.
Three well prepared stringers all easily passed their certification tests after a 1 day preparation
workshop.
Damiano Peterbroers, ERSA member and Master Professional Stringer Level 1, passed his Pro
Tour Stringer Level 1 certification test.
Dustin Verheijen, Rojoracketsports Hilversum passed his Professional Stringer certification along
with Jeroen Wijnker of JW Bespanservice.

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STRING TEST

HEAD EXPERIMENTAL TOUR 1.25mm - EXCLUSIVE TESTING REVIEW

HEAD’s string portfolio is one of the more complete and offers al lot of possibilities going from soft to medium-soft to tough and
very hard string. This new EXPERIMENTAL octagonal string tested in 1.25mm gauge and champagne color is the new string to
come into the 2020 line in January as Lynx Tour.

The string looks very fine, elegant and with a smooth silky finish that let us assume a very good spin potential due to an
enhanced "snap-back" action.

The static stiffness is quite high (1.00kg/mm), typical of high level tournament strings and is very constant for the whole string
range, showing it is a consistent material very good for a durable string.

We can expect a dynamic string life going from 8 to 12 hours with no strong string changes and very good string stability, data
also confirmed by static tension maintenance and dynamic string stability.

HEAD EXPERIMENTAL TOUR’s dynamic stiffness if high but the finish helps to give the string a good feeling, good spin
potential (due to the lateral deflectional stiffness) and a appreciable feeling with the ball.

Obviously this string is not the ideal choice for juniors, for seniors or for recreational players looking for comfort and arm
protection.

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STRING TEST

The EXPERIMENTAL TOUR’s personality is very well defined, and describe a tournament oriented string with high control, spin
and durability properties. The co-polyester string is the optimal choice for a good tournament player, for a professional or for a
competitive intermediate looking for good control.

The new HEAD string is the optimal choice for traditional hybrids with multifilaments or synt-guts for classic style players, or with
mono-mono combination with thinner round section gauges on crosses (head hawk 1.20 for example) for heavy hitters or
topspin counterpuncher players.

A very interesting new string that could also fit in the HAWK line with a very interesting personality.

Ing. Gabriele Medri

pro-t-one tech lab

data and test provided by pro-t-one & www.stringingpedia.com

        

20 ERSA PRO STRINGER // ISSUE 10-2019

 www.ersa-stringers.com
STRING TEST

BABOLAT RPM POWER 1.25mm - EXCLUSIVE TESTING REVIEW

BABOLAT is upgrading their string line for the next year and comes out with a completely new string called RPM POWER; we
tested in the demo preview version in 1.25 gauge and brown metallic finish, a strange but beautiful color for a brand new string
from the French brand.

Starting from the name I was expecting to find something soft, a new version of the RPM with soft feeling and low static
stifness, but…. my assumptions were completely wrong because RPM POWER is not a soft poly but a rigid monofilament string
with 1.10-1.15kg/mm of static stiffness index, very close to the highest level designed for the top tournament racing strings on
the market.

This string is very linear and the instrumental response is very good, describing it as a tough material with a constant and very
consistent reaction to pulling action. Considering the high stiffness, we would advise to string at low or medium-low tension if
you want to have good access to power and spin even if you're not a pro-player with 1200W shots.

A good tension range on 98"-100" rackets could go from 18 to 22kg with no prestrech required, also considering the tough
nature of the material.

Durability is very good and the string doesn't change much with the passing of the playing hours but always consider it's a
tournament oriented string with 8-12 hours of dynamic life…. so better change it if you don't break it!

The string is very good looking and with a unique color; the finish is "different" and the string requires attention during stringing
procedures and weaving; the sensation is different because you're stringing a polyester monofilament who seems to be a
polyamide mono structure with an external rigid coating….. I'm very curious to know more about the raw material, the external
coating and more "secrets" about this string!

21 ERSA PRO STRINGER // ISSUE 10-2019

 STRING TEST

String manual stabilization and accurate alignment is required to have a perfect string-job.

Dynamic stiffness if medium-high but not so high to give the string a metallic or uncomfortable felling; the comfort level is quite
good considering we're talking about a tournament string good for medium to advanced players.

Talking about string response on the racquet we can describe RPM POWER like a tournament oriented string with very good
power and spin combined with a high control level due to the stiffness level and pocketing effect but going deeply we can
assure that BABOLAT RPM POWER 1.25 is an all-round tournament string with a complete response and a very versatile
response you can use in a lot of ways varying tensions and combinations.

The static tension maintenance and dynamic tension stability are very good considering the string category; you can use low
tension with no problems and feeling the ball entering the string plane with a very good sensation of ball contact.

In the near future it could be interesting testing the definitive version in hybrid combination with mono-mono solutions or with an
high level multifilament or gut.

Ing. Gabriele Medri

pro-t-one tech lab

data and test provided by pro-t-one & www.stringingpedia.com

        

22 ERSA PRO STRINGER // ISSUE 10-2019

HEAD PRO PLAYERS MAY PLAY WITH DIFFERENT RACQUETS FROM THE MODEL SHOWN.

ENDORSED BY MARIN CILIC

R I G H T O N P O INT
THE NEW PRESTIGE SERIES
A DISTINCTIVE NEW FRAME, SHAPED FOR PRECISION, MADE FROM GRAPHENE 360+ WITH UNIQUE SPIRALFIBERS
FOR A CLEAN IMPACT FEEL - AND ALL TO PROVE ONE SIMPLE POINT. YOU DON’T MISS.

.COM