November 2007 Monthly Archive

Finding the 'Best of the Best'

Is your facility a leader in delivering tennis programs and providing service to promote the sport? The TIA and the USTA, together with RSI, are once again looking for the "Top 50 Tennis Welcome Centers" in the U.S. These... (Click here to read more...)

Industry News

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

Winning Merchandise

Justine Henin and Roger Federer brought their best to the Open this year, and so did tennis manufacturers. (Click here to read more...)

RSI Industry Resource Guide 2007

Listing by company 10-S Tennis Supply 1400 NW 13th Avenue Pompano Beach, FL 33069 P800-247-3907 561-547-1772 F954-969-5451 email: sales@10-s.com web: www.10-s.com Alpha Sports 7208 McNeil Drive, #207 Austin, TX 78729 P800-922-9024 512-250-1499 F512-279-9454 email: info@alphatennis.com web: www.alphatennis.com ASBA (American Sports... (Click here to read more...)

Isospeed Professional Classic 17

Isospeed Professional Classic is a coreless multifilament, where the filaments are Isospeed's trademarked polyolefin ribbons. Isospeed tells us that Professional Classic is designed for players looking for gut-like performance in terms of speed and arm protection. Professional Classic is... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Person of the Year: George Napier

For George Napier, it's all about the team. When he talks about the recent success of Prince Sports, you rarely hear him use the word "I." In fact, Napier, the CEO of the Bordentown, N.J., company, often seems uncomfortable when... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Private facility of the year: Meadow Creek Tennis and Fitness

When Adam and Debra Kahn took over Meadow Creek Tennis & Fitness Club three years ago, they were already well known in the Lakewood, Colo., tennis community as players, team captains and, in Adam's case, a USPTA-certified pro. As the... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Stringer of the year: Tim Strawn

When it comes to getting a racquet strung, "People can go many places," says Dave Malinowski, Wilson Racquet Sports' territory manager for the mid-Atlantic region. "But once Tim gets his hands on someone's racquet for the first time, they won't... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Builder/contractor of the year: Sportsline

Talk to customers and suppliers about Rob Werner, the founder and president of Sportsline Inc., and certain phrases keep coming up — things like "professionalism," "attention to detail" and "takes pride in his work." "Rob is amazing," says Tina Tharp,... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Sales rep of the year: Hunter Hines

Return phone calls. Fill out orders. Answer your emails. Smile. Repeat often. This simple list adequately describes the job requirements of a successful sales rep, right? Well, not exactly. "It's not hard to be a good rep," says Greg Mason,... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Chain retailer/mass merchant of the year: The Sports Authority

Skiing to scooters. Paintball to basketball. In today's highly competitive (and overly saturated) sporting-goods market, a tennis player could be forgiven for feeling a little lost in the shuffle. But don't tell that to the execs at The Sports Authority,... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Pro/specialty retailer of the year: Michael Lynne's Tennis

Michael Lynne and his wife, Mimzy, moved back to Minnesota in 1990 after spending several years in Arizona, where he had a small tennis shop for five years. When the Lynnes returned to Minneapolis, Michael scoped out places for another... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Junior development champion of the year: Craig Jones

Craig Jones' commitment to growing the game is evident by his long list of awards, distinctions and volunteerism. A popular speaker and accomplished USTA High Performance coach, he has also become one of the country's foremost advocates of the USTA's... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Grassroots champion of the year: Dan Vonk

Dan Vonk has no problem being the local "tennis guy" — so long as it means he's helping bring more players to the courts in Camden County, Ga. When Vonk began as coach of the Camden County High School boys'... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Municipal facility of the year: Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education

Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education, as current head Tina Tharp says, is "not just about hitting tennis balls. We are here to develop young men and young women." With public and private funding, AAYTE annually serves more than 11,000... (Click here to read more...)

Build your own bone yard

From time to time it is necessary to discard a cracked racquet. Before you throw it out, though, remove everything from the racquet that could be useful to you in the future. This includes the dampener, butt cap, trim tape... (Click here to read more...)

Prevent stencil slip

To make my stenciling easier I use two identical stencils and a pair of ratchet clamps from Sears. I simply align the stencils, and clamp them in place in one easy operation. 5 sets of Wilson Enduro Mono 16L to:... (Click here to read more...)

Another ATW method

After reading Liam Nolan's around-the-world (ATW) stringing method, I'd like to pass along mine, which also eliminates misweaves, counting crosses, and skipping multiple crosses. I also find my method a bit faster. For frames that are candidates for ATW (that... (Click here to read more...)

Rubber grip stand

I have found the perfect rubber grip display. I found an ice stick tray (top photo) at Wal-Mart, flipped it over, and put it to better use (bottom photo). 5 sets of Yonex Tough Brid 130 to: Carter Green, Virginia... (Click here to read more...)

Measuring the short side

I know you've published numerous ways to measure string, but here's how I measure the short side. I bought a 5-foot fabric tape measure for $1. They now come in vinyl, too, but I got mine 30 years ago. Most... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Wheelchair tennis champion of the year: Jason Harnett

For nearly a decade, Jason Harnett has been a mentor for wheelchair tennis players both on and off the court. Each year, Harnett, a USTA national coach, spends six to eight weeks training and traveling with the country's elite wheelchair... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Public park of the year: Fort Lauderdale Park and Rec

Named in honor of Chris Evert's father, who was tennis director for 49 years, the Jimmy Evert Tennis Center is the centerpiece of the City of Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Department. However, the center is just one of nine... (Click here to read more...)

2007 Community tennis association of the year: Grants Pass CTA

For the Grants Pass Community Tennis Association in Grants Pass, Ore., tennis is more than a sport. The CTA, now in its 17th year, has made junior player development a priority, with programs now serving 70 children, some of whom... (Click here to read more...)

2007 PTR member of the year: Luke Jensen

Passion, expertise, and enthusiasm in promoting the PTR are just a few of the qualities that PTR executives say make Luke Jensen a very special member. Jensen joined the PTR two years ago, and since that time, he has actively... (Click here to read more...)

2007 USPTA member of the year: Mike Van Zutphen

With 30 years of experience in instructional tennis program management, USPTA Master Pro Mike Van Zutphen of Mesa, Ariz., has a résumé that fills four pages. Among his qualification highlights, however, one stands out: "I know which ladies take cream... (Click here to read more...)

2007 High school coach of the year: Marian DeWane

For Marian DeWane, more is certainly merrier. In Boise, Idaho, DeWane has led the Centennial High School team for two decades, and the program adopted the no-cut concept at its inception. Each year, DeWane and her assistants, both paid and... (Click here to read more...)

2007 USTA Section of the Year: Florida

The USTA Florida Section has taken to heart USTA President Jane Brown Grimes' call to "bring tennis to where the kids are." The section's goal is to introduce tennis to both the physical education curriculum and after-school programming in at... (Click here to read more...)

Mains and crosses

Q: Has anyone ever determined what the different roles are of the mains and crosses? I want to start playtesting some different combinations of strings and tensions, and it would be nice to know what to look for so I... (Click here to read more...)

Too many polys

Q: I was reading one of your playtest reports the other day, and it said that the string was a “polyamide.” The playtest made the string sound interesting — especially the comfort rating — but I don’t want to recommend... (Click here to read more...)

Pre-stretch -- manual vs. machine

Q: After I upgraded from my old lockout machine to my new electronic stringing machine, I started using the built-in machine pre-stretch function (set at 5 percent) because I thought it would help recover some of the clamp drawback, and... (Click here to read more...)

Racquet Customization

A longtime racquet technician says manufacturers should push recreational players to have their frames customized. (Click here to read more...)