Addvantage 1988 August

Who says you cant buy confidence?

Introducing the ne w Prince Response!M The racquet with the best "feel" is normally the one that makes you feel like you can win . It's called confidence. It's also called the Response - the newest racquet from Prince.

Appropriately named, because when players asked for more controlled power with a comfortable feel, we had a Response.

The Advance Response System includes the exclusive technology of a " Bimodulus Flared Throat" area-made ofKevlar and fiberglassthat allows the racquet to actually flex upon contact with the ball. This creates a cupping effect which absorbs the ball's impact, cushions the hit, and provides the feeling of a ball exploding off a racquet.

The design of the Response also dissipates power-stroke vibrations before they travel down to the handle.

Response is more than just our newest racquet. It's a symbol of what we stand for: answering the needs of all players..Tested more than any other racquet in our history, the responses were overwhelming. We think you'll agree.

And the best time to pick up a Prince Response? Preferably before your opponent does .

TM

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PIIRCB® LET THE GAMES BEGIN™ Prince is the exclusively endorsed racquet, shoe, apparel , ball machine and stringing machine of the United States Profess ional Tennis Association.

The Trade Magazine of Tennis Teaching ProfessionalsT•

Volume 1 2 -

Issue 4

August 1988

On the cover . . .

USPTA booth represents the membership during th e 1988 Super Show in Atlanta, Georgia. USPTA exhibits this booth at five ind ustry tra de shows throughout th e year.

NATI ONAL BOARD OF OFFICERS Jim Reffkin President Rod Dulaney First Vice President Jack Justice Vice President Gordon Collins Vice President

CONTENTS

Spike Gurney Treasurer Dave Sivertson Secretary Pau l Waldman Legal Cou ~sel Mike Eikenberry Past President NATIONAL OFFICE (813) 973-3777 Tim Heckler Executive Director

2 Letters . ................................................. 3 President Jim Reffkin's Message ......................

Announcements .......................................

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Tennis: Teaching Professionals Need to Constantly Improve the Product by Walter St. Goar •••• • •••••••••••••••

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Save Money with Penn's Quarterly Discount Program ......................................

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Rich Fan ning Assistant to the Executive Director Elaine Sroka Office and Membership Coordinator Bill Gordon Communications Coordinator Dana Stull Marketing Coordinator Becky Senseney Public Relations/Magazine Coordinator Renee Heckler Financial Manager Christl Neumann Coordinator of Corporate Services Kathy Buchanan Computer Services Donna Woodstead Membership Processing Laraine Reid General Secretary Anne Lepkoske Membership Assistant

Adjusting the Variables in Stroke Technique

10 USPTA Newest Publication ......................... . 12

by Fred Earle ........................................... .

Denise Littlefield Member Services

Progressions: Your Key to Success

Stephanie Hulbert

by Bill Tym ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Accounti ng Assistant

George Bacso Director of Certification and Academies

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Are You Specifically Conditioned for Tennis?

Advertising / Marketing Information Phone(813)973-3777 "ADDvantage " is publ ished bi-monthly by the United States Professional Tennis Association. For information , write USPTA National Headquarters at Saddlebrook , The Golf and Tennis Resort, P.O. Box 7077, Wesley Chapel, Florida 34249, or phone (813) 973-3777.

Office Hours : 9:00- 5:30 EDT Copyright© United States Professional Tennis Association , Inc . 1988. Al l rig hts reserved .

Reproduction of any portion of this magazine is not perm itted without written permission from the publisher.

18 Industry Action ................................... . . . 21

by Marty Devlin ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Division News .......................... . ... .. .. . .... .

22

Executive Director Tim Heckler's Message ........ .

24

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

by Jim Reffkin, USPI'A President

Ev~rt

I t looks as if Chris will play on the United States Olympic Team this coming fall. This is good news for the teaching professional and tennis industry since the television coverage of such a strong role model will only enhance the image of our sport.

Tennis is just like any other commodity presented to the American consumer. The more attractive it is perceived, the more likely the consumer will try it. Chris Evert is an attractive personality we want the public to view, and will certainly help promote and stimulate growth in tennis. In essence, the more we have American tennis professionals appear on network television, the more it will benefit the industry.

From a business standpoint, I always look forward to Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

During the months of June, July and September, the amount of network television coverage of these tournaments is plentiful.

With this exposure, the teaching professional gains the opportunity to market tennis instruction, programs and activities to the consumer. Have you ever noticed how much more activity occurs at your club during these months of the year? I certainly have. I see a direct correlation between the amount of television coverage of tennis throughout these headlining events , and the increase in lessons and court activity. The television coverage of Wimbledon serves as a great kick-off for both summer camps and adult clinics. What a welcome relief to receive that kind of national media attention.

After Wimbledon comes our own U.S. Open which hits the viewing screens the same time college football season begins.

Th is is a reminder for your club members to

2

quit sitting on the couch and start running on the tennis court. Without this annual of prime time tennis on television, our market share of the recreation dollar would be weak. It is very clear to me at my own facility that the number of new students who sign up for lessons during this time of year is directly contingent upon the quality of television coverage of these two tournaments.

The power of television is tremendous.

Look what happened after the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. Roone Arledge, the president of ABC News, suggested that the two political parties should change the format of the conventions to make them more appealing to the American people. "The ratings have been in a continuous decline," says Arledge. "We have a dinosaur on our hands. " Television was trying to tell the political leaders how to market their parties Speaking about the visual media, isn 't it unfortunate for us that the motion picture industry has used baseball as a background for new films and not tennis? Ever since Robert Redford starred in "The Natural," Hollywood has discovered the appeal of baseball and will be producing a number of major motion pictures using our national pastime as a setting for romance and adventure. " Bull Durham " is a box office hit at the present time and others are expected to follow. Charlie Sheen and Tom Berringer are presently filming "Major League" at the baseball park next to my tennis center. What an incredibl e amount of interest this generates in the sport of baseball. Everyone relates to what they see on television or the movie scree n. Look for a tremendous

increase in all levels of baseball viewing, attendance and participation.

The message is loud and clear. Visual media exposure is essential for the expansion of product or service. Not only should national associations such as USTA and USPTA be concerned with the effort to maximize our visual exposure, but we, the local teaching professionals, should be as well .

We must continuously make an effort to contact television stations, as well as newspapers, to promote tennis in our respective clubs, centers and resorts. Let us listen to the marketing professionals. A picture is worth a thousand words.

H

Letters Changing 'nut Rules In response to Jim Reffkin 's editorial , "Can We Really Change the Rules?"

(May/June ADDvantage) The development of the big serve has been , and is, a popular, exciting part of the game at Wimbledon. Edberg 's ability to overcome it and , indeed , blunt the big score by raising the level of his returns was anything but boring . It was a brilliant display of our game that has been, and still is , evolving.

As for the other 7 rules in Jim's articleadd an eighth (8) .Changethe name of the game to BlAH! Sheldon Caldwell St. Louis Society For Crippled Children

In response to the letter above: The one serve rule is Philippe Chatrier's idea,not mine. His suggestion was at the very bottom of my list of rule changes .

However, my other sugg estions are based on 25 years of experience with the broad mainstream of the tennis playing public, not on the traditional rich country club set. Common sense tells me tradition doesn1 pay the rent for struggling commercial quality .

Dear Jim: I read your commentary on Changing The Rules (May/June ADDvantage) with interest. Some of the ideas you suggest for recreational players are really good .

Actually, some would be good for the game as a whole. I would love to share in this process . I do have a few questions and comments .

• You state you would have the industry leaders establish a rules committee for recreational tennis . Who would serve on that committee? How would they interact with the "assoc iations and federations "?

• Most players , whether 2.5 or 5.0, want to play real tennis -2 out of 3 sets! Players of all ages , at least who I have taught , do not like pro-sets, shortened sets , or big tennis balls! However, they did

•

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like oversized racquets. Have you had any players at your facility experiment with playing in a league in this manner? It would be interesting to see if they would prefer a format of only two sets followed by a tiebreaker.

It would be ideal for the USTA National Tennis Center to be involved in any experimentation .

I'm also certain some of the sections would share in the experimentation .

In the future , please refer to the League Program by its proper name. Contractually, we should be calling it what it is , the USTA/ Volvo Tennis League. It seems inappropriate to me in the trade magazine of tennis teac hing professionals that a USTA program be called "2.5 Volvo League or National Volvo Championships ."

We should give credit to both the USTA and the sponsor.

by-item mirror image of tennis stroking to baseball swinging. His (Ted Williams') corrections stressed such technical ideas as "hips before hands." Let us not forget that tennis players are moving to a tennis ball, constantly striding . Therefore, we are not motionless or in a batter's box, like a baseball player who then takes but one stride before contact. "Hips before hands" applies to our serve where we are motionless at first, but does not apply to any other tennis stroke.

Tennis players are in active dynamic balance, a baseball player is static. Transfer of weight for active balance players is done with a linear motion , unlike static players (golf & baseball} who use a rotational motion. We would never ask either Ted Williams or Jack Nicklaus to run to their ball before contact, and we should always expect tennis players to stop, stand still, and rotate against the ground for power. This point of power into-the-ball is the most major difference between our sports. Let us distinguish between the two.

Markos Papas Van Nuys, California

David E. Schobel United States Tennis Association

In response to the letter above: I'm glad to hear that you agree with the general intent of what I wrote . To answer yourquestion ,yes ,we use the tie-break for the third set rule . lt does what it's suppose to do . lt makes it easier to schedule, saves th e ill-conditioned from exhaustion and creates exciting conclusions to matches. I agree with your other comments and suggestions. Please remember, the most important point of the article is that there are two games being played out there, and the rules of the professional game are not appropriate for the recreational game.

Now is the time to look at change .

Baseball and Tennis I enjoyed the recent May/June issue of NewsJournal, most especially the article, "Baseball and Tennis: parallels in hitting techniques, " by Ronald Rebhuhn . However, Mr. Rebhuhn addressed certain hitting parallels and did not intend to propose an item-

Your Day In Court Dear Mr. Heckler:

City Sports Magazine's tennis event, Your Day in Court,was a big success. This was due,largely in fact,to the support and assistance we received from USPTA. All of the tenn is professionals that helped us with our tennis event were outstanding . Many of the participants from all of the four areas, New York, Boston , San Francisco, and Los Angeles were very pleased with the instruction that they received .

We really appreciate all of the support we have received from USPTA. Your assistance helped to make the promotion of tennis in the four public communities that much easier.

Thank you again for your support and participation . We look forward to working with USPTA in the future on our next tennis event.

Paul Rosenbaum City Sports Magazine

3

ANNOUNCEMENTS UPCOMING EVENTS Northwest Division Tournament - August 26-27, 1988 - Minneapolis, MN California Division Pro/Am Tournament August 26-28, 1988 - South Coast Plaza Hotel - Costa Mesa, CA Intermountain Division Tournament- August 26-28, 1988 - Cherry Hills Country Club -Denver, CO United States Tennis Association Tennis Teachers Conference - August 31-September 2, 1988 - Sheraton Centre Hotel - New York City, NY

United States Professional Tennis Association National Convention 'The New Age o1 Tennis" - September 1 7-25, 1988 Marriott's Rancho Las Palmas - Palm Springs, CA

ATTENTION CONVENTION

ATTENDEES For those members interested in attending the National Convention who reside in Colorado, the in-state, toll free telephone number of Great Escape Travel has not been publicized. This number is (800) 4459855. Outside residents call (800) 5253402. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused our Colorado attendees.

USPTA Gin SHOPPE NEW LOCATION The USPTA Gift Shoppe has moved from its location in Delray Beach, Florida. Please direct all current and future merchandise orders to our new address: USPTA Gift Shoppe P.O. Box 7077 Wesley Chapel, FL 34249 If you have already placed an order to the old location , there is no need to be concerned as it will be forwarded to our new address. Look for our new order forms which are currently being placed in our publications .

r---------------, USTA Senior Tennis Directory Get into the game today!

I

Name

~~~

I City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State Zip I Please enclose $6.50 (includes postage and handling) for each I copy of the USTA Senior Tennis Directory. Mail to: Publications Department USTA Center for Education and Recreational Tennis

4

I I I I I I I I

Tennis: Teaching Professionals Need to Constantly Improve the Product

by Dr. Walter St. Goar

I

recently attended an interesting discussion at the annual USTA meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida about the importance of skil lful tennis "marketing." A group of highly intelligent people concentrated on ways in which the game could be made attractive to a larger number of people who might look to the game for different benefits - primarily health and recreational , but also for competitive and financial in some cases.

As a physician who is quite naive about marketing, I was impressed by some of the concepts which were discussed. However, the main focus of the meeting might have centered more appropriately on the nature of the "product" that was being marketed.

For some time , the public's perception of tennis has been of great concern . Jack Barnaby, a renowed former coach of Harvard College, recently said in a letter, "The advent of big money always weakens ethics, and tennis is no exception." The changes in attitude and behavior that we have seen over the past 30 years are largely due to the unhealthy influence of financial gain among young competitors, as well as more recently to the unprofessional behavior of a few unworthy, but highly talented role models.

The game which once had class and was considered a bastion of good behavior is now characterized by the questioning of line calls, arguing with officials and making conscious efforts to upset one's opponents.

"Winning at any cost" has become the byword of many competitors while courteous cond uct, se lf-discipline, thoughtfulness of others and even honesty have become hallmarks of the past. These are obviously dangerous generalizations and do not necessarily apply to all tennis players. However, the behavior prevalent among a large percentage of young competitors and the public's opinon of the game fits th is tawdry description.

A thoughtful parent of several athletic chi ldren recently said to me, "I really don't want my youngsters to get involved in the game of tennis. Its influence on young people 's behavior seems very negative. I think team sports are healthier."

The influence of team verses individual competitions is another important and complicated factor involving the role of selfishness. The responsibility for good behavior is

certainly greater in an individual sport. This has a potentially positive benefit if standards are high as opposed to the negative effect when standards are low. Golf is another good example of an individual sport. In this sport, the standards of behavior remain high despite the availability of considerable financial gain to successful competitors. The competition in golf, in medal play at least, is somewhat less interpersonal and geared more toward earning a good score. However, the individual golfer seems to show a greater responsibility for his actions than the average tennis player.

What can be done to create conditions where individuals learn to take more responsibility for their actions on the tennis court?

Let me quote further from Jack Barnaby's letter: " I think the time has come for us to put our desire for higher standards of behavior into concrete form. How should we do it?" " Back in the '60's, the N.E. lntercolle-

Dr . Walter St. Goar currently serves as the president of the You th Tenn is Foundation of New England, a position he has held since retiring from practicing medicine a few years ago.

A USPTA member since 1986, St. Goar has been teaching tennis for forty years. Recently he has been teach ing at the Sportsmen's Tenn is Club in Dorchester.

Last year, St. Goar was a refer ee of both the National Father and Son Grass Court Championships and of the Roger's Bowl for Sen ior Players.

giates were a mess. Foot faulting was rampant. Temperamental display was fashionable. The newly popular phrase, 'Nice guys lose' seemed to be the new ethic."

"One year, the coaches met the night before the N.E.Intercollegiate tournament to make the draw, etc. There was much concern about behavior. I offered a suggestion: 'Let's appoint a committee of three {leave me out since it's my idea) who will have the power to warn once, then disqualify any misbehaving player. Let us all agree that we will support this committee even if our own player is involved.' This was voted and the committee was formed . All players were told before they took the court for Round 1."

Jack continues, "The second seeded player threw his racket in disgust in his first match. A committee member walked out onto the court and said, 'You've got your warning . Once more and you can pack your bag and go home.' For the rest of that event and the next two years, behavior was immaculate at the New England lntercollegiates." " Players form their habits, good or bad , as juniors. Why shouldn 't we persuade some competent volunteers {one per event) to do exactly what we did? Empower them, back them up, make it stick. There would be perhaps one or two incidents, then it would all stop just as it did with the college boys. Do it at every junior event. Moreover, the kids wil l like it especially when a second seeded player {a famous prima donna) gets told off. They want impartial discipline," Jack concludes.

This " Barnaby Plan " of discipline applied more strictly during competitive play has been implemented successfully at a number of junior tournaments in New England.

Laury Hammel, director of USTA Boys' 16 National Championships held annually at the Longfellow Club, wears an Army General 's metal helmet and supervises competitors' conduct with strict demands, but with good humor. As a result, the players' behavior is usual ly good. I would like to see Jack Barnaby's simple suggestion conducted countrywide. It seems to be a constructive and obvious approach to our current problem with attitudes and behavior.

Even before you ngsters are exposed to the added stress of competition , much can be

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done to help them develop habits of good behavior. As a member of USPTA, I believe that tennis teaching professionals are in an excel lent position to show real leadership in prophylaxis against the current plague of misbehavior among young competitors. Although parents should assume ultimate responsibi lity for their youngster's behavior, they sometimes seem to close to the problem which often makes it more difficult to detect. Seminars for parents on the subject of behavior in competition are becoming more widely available. The teaching professional, however, is in a unique position having less emotional involvement. By setting a personal example in teaching practices, the professional may be well-suited to act as a role model and to administer authority by " laying down the law."

What can we ask the teaching professional to do specifically, to exert his greatest influence on the individual pupil and the game of tennis? How can the teaching pro-

fessional help to achieve the nebulous, illdefined goal of " improved attitudes and behavior"?

1. The professional can repeatedly remind his/her pupils thatthey are playing tennis for fun, exercise and good health- not primarily for winning the game. This becomes more difficult as the youngsters become better competitors, and the dollar sign inevitably becomes a more compelling influence for winning. Financial gain must be down-played in comparison to such values as health, character and preparation for life.

2. The professional should be a model of se lf-control and self-discipline in dealing with his/her pupils. The professional should make it clear that he/she expects the same brand of control and discipline from them .

3. The professional should depict a healthy work-ethic and indicate to the

pupils that hard work is the essential element for improvement in playing the game-more important than athletic ability.

4. He/she should directly tackle the subject of honesty and fair play- urging his/her pupils to take pride in living up to these attributes.

5. The professional can be a model of thoughtfulness to his/her pupils by: • Encouraging them and expecting no more than reasonable results.

• Praising them for jobs well done.

• Arranging games and competitive exercises for them .

• Helping them set up short and long term goals for improvement in their game.

Before we consider sophisticated ways of marketing tennis, let's make some important improvements in the product itself. If we can improve the product, better marketing should become a natural corollary. n

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Michael Caven Northwest Nazarene College Men's Varsity Tennis Coach

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Adjusting the Variables

by Fred A. Earle, Jr.

There

Fred Earle started playing tennis 1n 1908 and was declared a professional in 1926. He teaches tennis at Modesto Racquet Club which he, his wife, Lois, and son.

Fritz built in 1956.

He was born in San Francisco on August 14, 1901 and later graduated from Illinois Coach ing School. Earle went on to coach Modesto Juni or College tennis team , which was undefeated for fourteen years and also started various men 's and women's state clinics. Inducted to the Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame , Earle is credited as a co-inventor of the first oscillation ball mach ine.

Fred has been a member of USPTA since 1976 and earned a Master Professional rating in 1984 .

10

are many variables in stroking a tennis ball. Below is a partial list of these variables not necessarily in order of their importance.

1. Arc or plane of the swing.

2. Slant or setting of the racquet face .

3. Momentum or force of the swing .

4. Facing of the racquet and the direction of the swing.

5. The amount of grip pressure of the last three fingers that adds to support the racquet against force of the oncoming shot I contend that the facing , the arc of the swing and the momentum of the racquet have to be adjusted on practically every shot in order to maintain consistent depth .

This came to my attention by Bill Tilden in 1923. I took a job at the Skokie Country Club, north of Chicago, as court keeper in order to be near Bill Hinchliff of Yale. Bill Tilden came into the pro shop with the Armour gut man to have 1 2 racquets strung .

I stayed up all night hand-stringing these to Bill 's tune . We became friends and practiced three to four hours per day before the "Illinois State" in '23 and '24.

One day, Bill said to me, " Fred , why don 't you learn to hit the ball differently to produce variations in stroking, like I do?" As usual, when I played with Bill I found the ball was bouncing a little lower, higher, slower, faster, right or left, which made concentration paramount to accomplish good timing.

Today you hear much of "swing up 20 degrees with a flat racquet face " (flat meaning perpendicular to the court surface) . This is an excellent way to produce topspin . This became the fashion when Borg ruled the world of tennis, as the continental became popular after Rene Lacoste and Fred Perry reached the top . The Eastern grip became popular with Tilden , Budge and others. Let's face it, if you always swing up 20 degrees

with a vertical racquet face and with the same momentum, your ball will land at different places with the ball hitting at knee, waist and shoulder height I contend that you have to make some minor adjustments to make the ball go the same distances for these three heights.

I purchased a great Swiss Camera years ago which took 16mm pictures at 72 frames per second . With a Bell and Howell-Time and Motion projector, I could show frame by frame pictures without burning the film. The first serious pictures I took were of Ely Vines who came to Modesto Junior College to give a tennis clinic to my Varsity in 1934. Vines told my players that he rolled over the ball on his backhand drive. My pictures showed that the setting of the racquet and face at contact, as near as I could figure, was either straight up and down , or, one or two degrees open or closed at contact The ball had already left his strings before the roll had started. I drew out a set of pictures and sent them to Vines.

The next pictures I took were of champions Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver . On Rosewall 's great undercut backhand , I found that his racquet face was open about three degrees at contact, althouqh it was wide open at the

It w ould certainly be boring if there were only one style of hitting a tennis ball. top of his backswing. Laver's pictures showed several with his racquet face closed about two degrees at contact In the earl y 70 's, my friend , Chet Murphy, and I discussed this subject at length. Chet said , "I think that adjusting the variables is a special skill the superstars have that the rest of us don 't have ." Admittedly, it is only as little

in Stroke Technique

Forehand Velocity

Arc of Center Swing

39.43 36.05 37.26 27.40 27.40

30 degrees 5 degrees 25 degrees 15 degrees 5 degrees

Backhand Velocity

Direction of Swing

35.52 41.70 28.54 21 .04 17.80

25 degrees 10 degrees 50 degrees 15 degrees 40 degrees

BORG CONNORS ORANTES EVERT GOOLAGONG

BORG CONNORS ORANTES EVERT GOOLAGONG

as three or four degrees. As I say so often , the ball 's flight is the result of the forces acting on it at contact.

My friend , Wataru Tsukagoshi , one of the great photographers in tennis. calculated the stroke, ball velocity, speed of the swing and the direction of the swi ng from high speed cameras. His studies appeared in the 1982 edition of Japan 's Tennis Journal as shown above .

We know these players were able to keep the ball deep even with the different racquet velocities, so we can assume they all made adjustments to achieve that depth. Most of the adjustments came in the arc or plane of the swing, changing the horizontal component of force to the shot.

Some of the players have a forehand shot where they come up, over and down as they hit the ball. Since they have hit the shot thousands of times. they are able to have the arc of the swing , the slant of the racquet and

momentum to produce a great shot most of the time . In my opinion , the trouble with a shot like this is that the contact zone of the setting of the racquet face is so short you cannot miss time the shot a half inch, and get the ball to go exactly where you want it to go.

Since the ball is only on the strings 3.8 milliseconds, I think a more constant slant of the racquet face through the hitting arc would increase one's percentages for consistency. You could miss time it a little and still keep it on the court.

Now let's talk about a few other factors which can affect each stroke to some degree - the ball itself, the racquet and the strings. Other varying factors to be considered are temperature and humidity, as the spin and the trajectory can vary. The speed of the approaching ball varies as the individual strength of the hitter varies.

The older I get, the more important the horizontal of force becomes. I started play-

ing in 1908 and was named a Pro in 1926 for signing a contract to teach varsity tennis in high school. I have lived long enough to see how every champion has influenced the world with their style. It would certainly be boring if there were only one style of hitting a tennis ball. However, in all styles there are certain fundamentals of form that are common.

On one of Vic Braden 's tapes he recommends that on a halfvolleyyou should close the racquet face slightly (an adjustment).

My contention is, that if you are not taught to make these small adjustments in the "variables" you will learn them yourself; if you play long enough . Now, what I like to do is position the pupils and have them hit at a designated target. Then , I feed balls to them at varying heights, spins and speeds which require them to make the adjustments necessary to hit the target. When Steffi Graf plays, many times we see her making an adjustment with the slant of her racquet by raising her right elbow as she hits the shot.

Through the years, experienced players learn to appreciate the tremendous value of consistency. I support and firmly believe that keeping a constant angle of the racquet face through the zone of contact during the stroke achieves consistency. This slant

. . . keeping a constant angle of the racquet face through the zone of contact during the stroke achieves consis tency might vary a few degrees open or close (I am mainly speaking for some degree of topspin or backspin) . The racquet setting and the arc of swing have to be adjusted for each swing . This is what I call adjusting the variables. n 11

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Another quality publication from the United States Professional Tennis Association

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THE USPTA SPORT SCIENCE AND SPORTS MEDICINE GUIDE

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G

An Educational Guide .•. this manual will help you understand the various sports medicine

aspects researched and developed by top experts in tennis. It will keep you on the leading edge of the innovative issues as they relate to teaching and coaching the game.

A Reference Tool ••• the manual is designed to answer the numerous questions posed by students who are concerned with the development of their game.

A Directory for Continuing Education • . . each comprehensive chapter contains suggested readings which offer the teaching professional and coach further insight and knowledge on the issue discussed within the chapter.

Chapters Contained in the USYfA SPORT SCIENCE AND SPORTS MEDICINE GUIDE • Sport Science, Sports Medicine and Tennis • Biomechanical Aspects of Player Development and Sports Medicine in Tennis • Orthopedic Concerns for the Tennis Professional • Rehabilitation Concerns Following Injury or Surgery • Supplemental Exercises for the Tennis Player • Weight Training and the Tennis Player • Conditioning and Training for Tennis • Nutrition for the Tennis Player and Professional

• Ergogenic Aids: Can They Benefit the Tennis Player • Preventing and Treating Injuries of the Foot • Environmental Concerns for the Tennis Professional • Psychological Aspects of Teaching and Coaching Tennis • Sex Differences and Skill Acquisition in Tennis • Competitive Stress and Junior Tennis

The USPTA Sport Science and Sports Medicine Guide will be introduced at the 1988 USTA Tennis Teachers Conference, and once again at the USPTA National Convention, September 17-25, 1988.

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•

ess1ons:

by Bill Tym

W h e n working with a student who is eager to learn, it is essential not only to imprint the necessary knowledge to produce a sound skill, but also set goals that will be realistic, yet challenging . Only by creating a situation which allows your student to be successful can you build his/her confidence, as well as your own. Confidence is the result of success, ¡and success can be defined as the progressive realization of goals that are meaningful to the student.

One of the keys to being a successful coach is the abi lily to set appropriate goals for each student. Also, you must be willing and ready to adjust these goals up or down, depending on the success or failure of the student. If your student is having a difficult and frustrating time developing the proper technique on a particular stroke while playing against a certain style of player, it is necessary for the coach to take the appropriate progressive steps that would allow his/her student to be successful. In other words, it is sometimes necessary to take one step backward before you are able to go two steps forward .

These progressions are analogous to climbing a ladder - the ladder of success.

The way to reach the highest rung on the ladder is to progress upward one step at a time. However, when climbing this ladder, the student can sometimes move upward too rapidly and become apprehensive or fearful. In order to regain his/her confidence and reduce or eliminate the (imaginary) fears produced by the initial exposure to new challenges, the student must move back down the ladder, one rung at a time, until he/she reaches a comfortable , yet confident level. The successful coach needs to be a sensitive monitor of the student who is climbing this ladder. The sensitive coach is aware of the increasing apprehension and loss of confidence as the student is chal lenged by higher goals. The coach also knows when and how to systematically take the student back down the ladder to a more suitable level - rebuilding that confidence and then carefully and positively encouraging the student to move upward toward a

14

more difficult task, until he/she becomes comfortable and confident at the higher level. Success breeds success and it is difficult, if not impossible, to build a student's confidence on a foundation of failure.

1. Demonstrating the Stroke - This is the first rung on the ladder of success. The professional demonstrates and explains the stroke in part and as a whole . It is also effective to set up a VCR to demonstrate other examples of the stroke. Once the student has a picture of the proper stroke in mind, he/she is more likely to be successful when attempting to mimic the stroke. Certain parts of the stroke might be emphasized verbally during the demonstration.

Bill Tym is one of the most influential and respected educators in tennis today. For more than 33 years he has been active in the game as a player, coach and administrator.

Bill has served as both president and executive director of USPTA, and in 1982 he was named the Association's Professional of the Year.

Bill is USPTA's national academy director, conducting one of the newest educational programs offered by USPTA - the one-week Tennis Teachers' Courses held nationwide and around the world throughout the year.

He presently serves as the head tennis coach at Vanderbilt University.

2. Shadowing the Stroke - During the shadowing stage , the profe ssional should emphasize certain biomechanically sound elements with which the student must become familiar and confident. These include the ready position , continental grip, backswing, point of impact, follow-through and footwork pattern. By shadowing the stroke, without having to worry about hitting a ball over the net and inside the lines, the student is able to be successful almost immediately. When the student repeats the stroke and footwork in front of a mirror or a VCR, he/she can also gain a positive image of himself/herself stroking properly. This provides a very confident feeling of the stroke to go along with the picture. The professional might ask the student to repeat th~ stroke, imagining that he/she is hitting it at various heights.

Once the student has become familiar and comfortable with the stroke by shadowing it repeatedly, it is time to raise the challenge and move up to the next rung of the success ladder.

3. Making Contact with the Ball While Utilizing the Proper Techniques - Although it is usually best for the student to drop the ball and hit it by himself/herself, the student may, at first, have difficulty with this dual activity and become flustered . The coach should either drop the ball for the student, or use a small battery operated ball thrower wh ich tosses the ball easily. The objective is to make solid contact with the ball and maintain the proper techiques emphasized during the preceeding progression. When the ball is introduced, the student may initially suffer a loss or deterioration of technique; i.e., grips may change, follow-throughs become inconsistent, etc.

The job of the coach is to give immediate and constructive feedback in order¡ to help the student recognize that he/she is compromising the proper technique. It may be necessary to return to the first rung and have the student shadow sev-

Your Key to Success eral times prior to actually hitting the ball.

At this stage, the student should be concerned with making solid contact and maintaining correct technique; hence, the professional will actually have him/ her hitting balls into the back fence or wind screen, rather than in the court area. Only when the student demonstrates proficiency¡ with the technique and makes solid contact repeatedly will he/she be given a specific target at which to aim relating to a target over the net.

4. Hitting Balls That Are Fed - Now that the student is proficient and comfortable hitting the ball when dropped, it is time to move quickly to the next level and feed the ball to the student, again , either by the professional, another student or perhaps a ball machine. Balls should be fed softly, perhaps by hand initially, and should bounce within the vicinity of a comfortable hitting zone. The distance the ball is fed from the velocity of the ball should be determined by the hand-eye coordination success of the student, closer and softer for the student who has difficulty making contact. Once again, the primary objective of the coach is to offer immediate and appropriate feedback in a positive manner and readjust the progression upward or downward depending on the student's success or failure. The student must not compromise proper technique in order to accomplish hitting the ball. If so, it would be necessary to return to the shadowing stage. The addition of targets over the net and inside the lines will be added as the student's proficiency increases. Positive reinforcement must be constantly made for both technique and accuracy of shots. At this stage, the student should have a sound knowledge of what proper technique includes and a feeling of confidence that he/she is able to perform the stroke successfully. The student should also be able to recognize mistakes and analyze the shortcoming in the technique.

5. Learning How to Drill - In the next phase of development, the student is taught how to drill a specific stroke with other players, or perhaps with another coach . If the coach is working on the backhand groundstroke, then he/she will create a backhand drill with the objective of hitting the ball consistently back and forth (backhand only) five times in a row.

Prior to this level, the coach has concentrated primarily on proper technique .

Now that the student has developed the knowledge, feeling and habit of the proper technique , he/she is ready to make a very important transition . The coach now moves from techniques to tactics. In earlier progressions, concentrating on proper technique was an end in itself. Now the student and coach have a greater goal and consistency, so technique is a means to an end rather than an end in itself. However. it is imperative that the student still maintain proper technique while striving for consistency. At this level of development, it is very tempting for the average student to do what is expedient to accomplish consistency and accuracy. Reinforcement of proper technique with positive feedback and close attention to detail by the coach and student is very important at this stage.

Consistency should relate to a specific number of consecutive shots; i.e., five consecutive forehands, 10 consecutive forehands, etc. Accuracy should also be clearly defined. If the student is trying to hit 10 consecutive forehands, are these shots to be crosscourt or down the line, deep or short. Make sure the target is clear to the student drilling the shot. The earlier techniques are constantly reinforced , but at this stage, the coach is adding the technique of efficient, effective footwork and returning to optimum tactical position before the opponent returns the next ball.

Drills can be created for every zone on the court and are usually the most efficient method of practicing a shot since

they provide the greatest degree of repetition for a specific shot in a minimum amount of time. Goal-oriented drills also create a situation that forces the student to develop concentration in a very real sense.

6. Creating Point Play Situation - Moving up the ladder shifts the emphasis progressively and emphatically from the technique concept to more sophisticated tactics. The next rung will consist of creating point play situations based on some of the drills the student has been practicing. The objective of drill play is to solidify mechanical habit patterns and improve the consistency and accuracy of specific shots. The primary objective of point play is to win the point utilizing those specific techniques the student was drilling. With some players, basic techniques will deteriorate significantly when put under the pressure of point or match play situations. They will also begin to replace the concept of consistency and accuracy with an irresistable and frequently uncontrollable desire to overpower their opponent, and compound the problem by hitting too close to the lines. Therefore , the ultimate objective in the point play situation is to win the point with consistency and accuracy of a particular stroke pattern and maintain sound techniques while doing so.

7. Actual Match Play- Once the student has progressed to the level where he/ she is able to demonstrate consistency and control of his/her shots by advancing up the ladder of success one rung at a time, he/she is finally ready for the ultimate challenge or test - actual match play. n

Editor's Note: This article was excerpted from the USPTA Junior Development Manual.

15

The 3rd Annual USPTA Golf Tournament is Set Surrounded by swaying palm trees and gorgeous mountain tops is 27 championship holes at Marriott's Rancho Las Palmas Country Club. A beautiful setting for the Third Annual USPTA Golf Tournament. Undulating tree-lined fairways and strategically placed sand traps and ponds make every hole an interesting challenge.

Date:

Tuesday, September 20

Time:

12:00 Noon to 5:00p.m.

Registration Deadline:

September 9, 1988

Entry Fee:

$39.00 (includes green fee, cart fee, tournament preparation, scoring and prizes) $18.00 per set

Golf Club Rental:

GOLF TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION FORM

Name

---------------------------------------------------------

Division ____ Member Number ____ Handicap ___ Average Score _ _ Do You Need Rental Golf Clubs?

- - - - -Yes

- - - ·No

NOTE: In order to sign up for this event, you must be registered for the USPTA Convention. For your convenience, please refer to the USPTA Convention Registration Form (Page 11 in this issue). Please make your check payable to USPTA. Please complete and return this form along with your payment to: • USPTA National Headquarters

• P.O. Box 7077

• Wesley Chapel, FL 34249

I!Deadline: September 9, 1988!1

Call Today& Take Advantage of Us!

Toll Free: 1800237-7519

InFL 1 800 282-4654 or(813) 973-1111

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~~rJrJJ~~tfl[!~ 100 Saddlebrook Way, Wesley Chapel, Florida 34249

Are You Specifically Conditioned for Tennis?

by M a rty Devlin

What has happened to American tennis? Why aren't top American players developing as professionals the way Europeans are? How can Americans become better players?

These are the questions that are being asked and one of the reasons could be attributed to a lack of cardiovascular fitness. Tenn is players, regardless of ability, should realize that there are three different energy systems in the human body that can be conditioned . And , the more specific one's training is to a particular sport the better condition they will be in to compete.

The first is the aerobic system . Aerobics is any activity that is continuous for more than two minutes at a high heart beat rate. Jogging, cross country skiing and bicycling are examples of activities that fall into this category.

The anaerobic or ATP system develops energy, stores it in the muscle tissue and is used for activities that require bu rsts of energy followed by a period of inactivity. Tennis, squash , football and sprinting are examples in this category. A ball machine is the perfect partner for developing this system.

A combination of aerobics and anaerobics is used in sports such as soccer, basketball and ice hockey. Continuous activity interspersed with occasional bursts require this combination of energy systems.

A closer look at the formula used for the anaerobic activity of tennis will help tennis players improve their cardiovascular fitness.

P rince is offering a super physical fitness program designed specifically for ten nis players at every level. It can be used in the schools for testing purposes, in the tennis clubs for making money, and in the private and professional sector for keeping in shape. The fitness program uti lizes the correct energy system for tennis players.

Superbly conditioned tennis players have a predominance of a product in the muscle tissue called ATP (Adenonsime Triphosphate) . They show a predominance of white fibrous tissue (void of oxygen) and both of th ese are deve loped in the muscle by using "burstee" conditioning programs followed by rest intervals.

Table 1

200 190

1J4 186

180

182 176

170 Marty Devlin is the national mangaer of tennis c lin ics for Prince Manufacturing and the author of Prince Fitness and Ball Machine Drill Programs. He is a frequent speaker at USPTA national and regional conventions, USTA national conventions and at major universities such as Harvard and Yale. He is also a member of the Govern or's Council of Physical Fitness in the State of New Jersey.

A former professional baseball player and manager with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, Marty began playing ten nis at the age of 36 and became the No. 1 ranked player in the United States in the 45 and ove r division of the USTA. He is currently ranked th ird in the 50's and seventh in the 45's.

80% 160

r-HO 169

171

I_L

165

f--160 158 160

159

70% 150

-L150-l--150 15s f-150

60% 140

110

147 146 I 145 141 r -14o-t-141 I 140 136 132 1 1r 132 ' 116 1 ~2 135 130 I 128 I 1l7 122 124 1r 123 1 119 1~5 119 111 11 4

100

1~7 ..

130 120

Age in Years- 20

18

Maxi mal Attainable Heart Rate

1

1

I

I

153

I

1

25

30

40

50

55

60

65

70

75

Target Zone

80

The tennis fitness program should be administered for 20 minutes every other day at a prescribed heart beat rate. It can be administered in four 5-minute sets, three 7 -minute sets or two 10-minute sets. The work load should consist of 30 second bouts followed by a short rest period of five to fifteen seconds. The pulse should be monitored during and after every third workout. Measuring the three and five minute pulse rates results at the end of the 20 minute workout is most critical in measuring one 's physical fitness improvement.

Measurable improvement in one 's physical fitness indicates that the participant is to seek the next higher program for four more weeks and for as long as they wish to improve their fitness. Two interesting highlights - E.L. Fox has found and written in a medical journal: 1) A Once a Week maintenance workout will sustain that level of fitness for a sixteen week period providing the maintenance workout was the same as, or identical to, that used during the last week of regular training . 2) No significant gain can be realized if a person works out seven days a week.

The shaded area in Table 1 represents the target zone (the area where the pulse should be kept for the 20 minutes of vigorous activity). The numbers in the shaded area represent pulse rates, the numbers on the bottom of the chart represent age in years and the percents located to the left of the chart represent where you estimate you r degree of fitness.

How to select your pulse - look at the bottom of the chart and put your finger on the number which represents how old you are. Slide your finger up the vertical line until you reach the shaded area where you wish to begin the program. Keep your pulse there for 20 minutes not including the warm up time .

Physical ntness Conditioning Tennis Program 1) Check the pulse rate (walking around the court).

Using the chart (Table 1). select the prescription pulse rate for your age and current state of fitness.

2) Allow the participant five minutes of warm up and Range of Motion exercises.

3) Allow the participant five minutes of machine warm up to determine the program and to raise the pulse rate to the prescription level.

4) Select the program (Table 2): a) Beginner 1, 2, 3 b) Intermediate 4, 5, 6 c) Advanced 7, 8, 9 5) Begin the workout:

a) 30 seconds on the machine. b) X number of seconds off the machine (15, 10 or 5). c) Check the pulse rate at the e"nd of 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes. d) Time the rest period as indicated in the beginners, intermediate and advanced programs. (Rest period after 5, 7 or 10 minute workout.) e) Check pulse rate at the end of the workout. At the end of the 20 minutes of activity, an individual's pulse rate should return to 110-120 beats per minute. After three minutes of rest, the pulse rate should return to within 10 beats of an individual's pulse at the beginning ofthe program . Record the resu lts on a physical fitness progress chart.

H

Table 2

Progressive Tennis Physical ntness Programs Beginners: four 5-minute sets.

Work Period

Rest lnvervals

Rest After 5 Min.

1) 2) 3)

15 sec.

10 sec.

5 sec.

45 sec.

30 sec.

15 sec.

15 sec.

10 sec .

5 sec.

45 sec.

30 sec.

15 sec.

15 sec.

10 sec.

5 sec.

45 sec .

30 sec.

15 sec.

30 sec.

30 sec.

30 sec.

Intermediate: three 7 -minute sets.

4) 5)

6)

30 sec.

30 sec.

30 sec.

Advanced: two 10-minute sets.

7) 8) 9)

30 sec.

30 sec.

30 sec.

19

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Business Card Holder/Address Book with Blue/Gold Emblem Telephone/Address Book, Laser Engraved Walnut Business Card Holder, Laser Engraved Oak Pencil Organizer, Laser Engraved Oak Single Pen Desk Set, Laser Engraved Oak Desk Name Plate, Cast Bronze on Walnut (Custom Made) Men's Quartz Watch, (USPTA Emblem) (Longines-Wittnauer)

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Oassic Black Ball Pen and Pencil Set

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--INDUSTRY ACTION DATES THAT RATE

IN MEMORIAM

The following dates and sites have been scheduled for US PTA educational events in 1988. For further information, contact the Education Department at the USPTA National Headquarters, (813) 973-3777 .

Joseph Dorzweiler,a dedicated teaching professional for over thirty years in the Missouri Valley region ,died June 1, 1988.

He was inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame and was a lifetime member of USPTA and USTA. A graduate of the University of Missouri, Joseph taught tennis at many schools in Des Moines and the Kansas City area. He was achairumpireatthe U.S .

Open Tennis tournament both at Forest Hills and Flushing Meadows during the 1970's. For the last several years, he wrote tennis articles for a local Kansas City Newspaper and was working on an instructional tennis book until his death .

His presence in the tenn is community will be greatly missed.

Tennis Teachers' Workshops August 20 Denver, CO August 21 Houston, TX September 11 Dallas, TX September 24 Palm Springs, CA September 26 Chicago, IL October 22 Hilton Head, SC November 5 Milwaukee, WI November 20 .Los Gatos, CA December 17 Tampa, FL Tennis Teachers' Courses August 17-1 9 Denver, CO October 19-21 Hilton Head, SC November 17-19 Los Gatos, CA December 14-16 Tampa, FL Tests/UPgrades August 20-21 Denver, CO August 21-22 Houston, TX Carmichael, CA August 22 Boca Raton , FL August 27-28 Dallas, TX September 11-12 Fairfield, AR September 15-16 Minneapolis, MN September 16-1 7 Palm Springs,CA September 24-25 Chicago, IL September 26-27 Ft. Washington, PA October 8-9 Tiburon , CA October 10 Flushing, NY October 13 October 17 Palm Springs, CA Hilton Head, SC October 22-23 Detroit, Ml October 23 October 30-31 Salt Lake City, UT Portland, OR November 4-5 Milwaukee, WI November 5-6 LaJolla, CA November 7 Flushing, NY November 10 November 13 Cincinnati, OH Houston, TX November 13-14 Baton Rouge , LA November 13-14 Woodland Hills, CA November 14 Farmington, CT November 19-20 November 20-21 Los Gatos, CA November 26 Bradenton, FL

Specialty Education Courses September 17-20 September 25-26

Palm Springs, CA Palm Springs, CA

PROPINNAD WINS CLIO AWARD PHOENIX, AZ- Penn Athletic Products is swallowing the competition. Penn was the only sporting product honored with a Clio Award , and was finalist in five Clio categories before capturing the Best National Print honors. Fallon McElligott, the Minneapolis ad agency responsible for Penn Athletic Products ,won the award for a Pro Penn tennis ball print ad (see page 8). The entry boasted the ball 's durability with a picture of a snake that supposedly swallowed one, and the caption : "It isnt easy to kill a Pro Penn." Billed as advertising's Oscars , the Clio named 37 print awards, 11 to Fallon McElligott . It marked the fourth consecutive year the agency grabbed the most print Clios .

Penn Athletic Products, based in Phoenix, is the world 's largest manufacturer of tennis balls and racquetballs . Incidentally, the snake in the ad was not alive.

XANTHOS NAMED JUNIOR COLLEGE COACH OF YEAR Paul Xanthos of Pierce College has been selected national junior college coach of the year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association . He received notification of his selection Wednesday .

Xanthos, 67, recently concluded his 41st season of coaching tennis -his 23rd at Pierce. The Brahmas were 18-2-1 this season and ranked fourth in the state.

Xanthos is the first coach from California to win the award . He will be honored December 1 7 at the ITCA's annual convention in Fort Myers , FL. This marks the third time Xanthos has received a national award . In 1974, he received the United States Tennis Association's Award of Merit, and, in 1984, he was the United States Professional Tennis Association 's Coach of the Year.

"I am really pleased ," said Xanthos, a physical education instructor who also was Pierce's professor of the month for May,"but sometimes I think maybe they're trying to close me out."

NEW PRINCE TRICOMP TENNIS RACQIJET PRINCETON, NJ - Demonstrating its advanced materials technology that benefit tennis players, Prince Manufacturing, Inc. is introducing an innovative tennis racq uet that combines Graphite, Fiberglass and Kevlar to create a top performance racquet with leading edge design . The new Prince TriComp features a sleek, aerodynamically shaped higher cross section , medium flex frame and a forgiving feel .

Prince has selected the finest carbon graphite fibers to stiffen and reinforce the TriComp frame . This graphite material provides needed firmness at a desirable strengthto-weight ratio. Fiberglass is utilized to reinforce primary stress areas in the racquet, and for its proven ability to enhance impact strength, racquet flex and durability. Kevlar, known for its extreme toughness, enhances the TriComp racquet's over all feel. Strategically placed in the shoulders and shaft of the racquet, Kevlar reduces vibration and increases overall frame strength.

The new aerodynamic shape of the TriComp offers excellent maneuverability for players. Its medium flex absorbs the ball impact, resulting in a more forgiving racquet with excellent feel. The Prince TriComp is available in 90 and 110 head sizes and has a full length cover with an open mesh vent at the handle.

The TriComp will be available in September.

21

TV TENNIS TIPS SUFFOLK - Jan Grover of Virginia is gaining publicity from her new cable television series.

Grover, a US PTA professional and graduate of Old Dominion University, filmed a series of tennis instructional lessons and tennis tips from her home tennis court in Suffolk.

The show, entitled, 'The Tennis Doctor,"

offers lessons which are primarily aimed at beginning players. If the series is wellreceived , Grover plans to do more in-depth sessions to include teach ing more elaborated shots next season.

"I'm trying to promote junior development," said USPTA member Grover. " I want tennis to grow in the Suffolk area."

"The Tennis Doctor" can be seen on City Cable 13 on the Falcon Cable Service, or on the Municipal Access Channel.

SUMMER LEAGUE PROGRAM A SUCCESS IN DADE COUNTY The USTA/ National Junior Tennis League has expanded its summer league program to include junior tennis clinics at se lected public park sites in Dade County. Jim McDonald, president of USPTA's Dade

USPTA professional, Jan Grover (center) is shown giving a tennis lesson while Mike Matovich (left). cable coordinator for Suffolk, Vi rginia, catches every moment on fi lm for her series.

"The Tennis Doctor."

22

County District, has done an outstanding job of organizing and staffing the five motivational clinics with local US PTA professionals and ranked junior players. His enthusiasm on the court set the tone for the rest of the professionals and youngsters. Approxi mately 75 to 100 youngsters attended each clinic.

USTA/NJTL is excited to have USPTA's involvement in the Miami NJTL program.

McDonald's leadership has strengthened USPTA in this area and provided a strong bond of cooperative effort between the two groups.

He is also actively involved in supporting the USTA Schools Program under the direction of Barbara Braunstein. Hundreds of future tennis players are the beneficiaries of this cooperative effort among USPTA, USTA/ NJTL and the Schools Program .

McDonald is an excellent role model for locally involved tennis professionals who donate their time to promote tennis in their community.

Burger King and Hawaiian Punch sponsored the USTA/ NJTL summer league program.

JUDY JEANETTE

NAMED TENNIS DIRECTOR

TONY FERNANDEZ

NAMED n.ORIDA PRO OF THE YEAR Tony Fernandez of Sabal Point Country Club in Longwood has been named,by USPTA, Florida's tennis Professional of the Year.

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AT OAK VILLAGE TENNIS Judy Jeanette of Brooksville, Florida has been named the tenn is director at Oak Village Bath and Racquet Club in Sugarmill Woods.

Jeanette, 33, has been at Oak Village since March. She is also the owner and manager of a local pro shop, Strings and Thi ngs.

A member of USPTA, Jeanette chairs the Flori da Divisio n Membershi p Committee and is district president for parts of Hernando, Pasco and Citrus counti es. She is also director of tennis at Brooksville Golf and Country Club and tennis coordi nator for Hernando County Recreation Division .

"Se lecting Jeanette was an easy choice ," said David Costenbader. Oak Village Club

Fernandez's efforts in promoting tennis at all levels was recognized at the recent Florida Division Convention at Marco Island .

Fernandez currently serves as tennis director at Sabal Point and also heads his own company, Tennis Technologies Management Company.

In addition , Fernandez is the district director of USPTA's Central Florida Confederation Advisory Committee,and serves on the National Teaching Professional Advisory Staff for Prince Manufacturing.

Over 800 Florida professionals were considered for the award.

manager. "In addition to her ability to deal with all ages and abilities of players, she is a very good playing professional as well. We are very happy to have her join our team. "

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Finding the Right Job How USPTA Can Help

by Tim Heckler, Executive Diredor, USPTA

I

t always stirs a note of curiosity when the question is asked, "How do I hire a tennis teaching professional?" Is there so much difference in the mechanics of filling this position as opposed to that of any other department head or executive assistant?

Obviously there is because directors of tennis facilities continue to ask for a systematic step-by-step procedure to accomplish this objective.

Due to the efforts of USPTA Vice President, Jack Justice, and the National Office Staff, we have expanded the scope of USPTA's Club Relations Program to make an extensive employment assistance booklet available to officials and owners of private and public tennis clubs and facilities.

Its objective is to assist these individuals in hiring the right professional to meet their particular demands.

The booklet is based on a continuing study of the needs of this country's tennis establishments. It was designated to help employers develop a systematic selection process whi le, at the same time, provide USPTA professionals with important guidelines for their employment campaigns.

The most important element in the success of any tennis facility, be it private , commercial or public , is the development of an accomplished Professional Management Team . A well-organized coalition between owner, manager and teaching professional will always constitute greater profits for the facility, in addition to better programs and happier members. This booklet will undoubtedly assist in this endeavor.

we have expanded the scope of USPTA's Club Relations Program to make an extensive employment assistance booklet available The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) was founded in 1927 and, as the world's oldest and largest trade association of tennis teaching professionals ,

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has acknowledged its responsibility to the tennis industry.

This aspect of our Club Relations Program is without question one of the most important activities USPTA has ever undertaken. It is a natural by-product of the Association's continuing program to train its members to be more professional in all phases of their work. Extensive experience and training is acquired by USPTA members as they work their way through our membership preparatory courses, sponsorship programs, certification examinations, continuing specialty modules and conventions . USPTA professionals are highly capable in the business aspects of professionalism, as well as in teaching , merchandising, equipment, program planning, public relations - and playing. In the past decade, these educational programs, plus member programs for upgrade certification, workshops, seminars and divisional education , have meaningfully elevated the standards of the USPTA Club Professional Clearly, it is now time to put these facts before the people who influence our employment and I am convinced that this outstanding booklet will do exactly that

How To Hire A Tennis Professional has been produced to offer those who hire USPTA professionals all of the tools for making correct and long-lasting decisions. It is presented in a simple, but detailed manner and includes an assortment of worksheets and exhibits which may be used to make the selection process easier. It also contains a detailed employment agreement which can serve as a guideline for both professionals and employers. In addition, the exhibits, which include a job description, job information worksheet, tennis professional operational expenses, sample letters of employment, interview procedures and evaluations, and performance appraisal worksheets, will serve as an excellent employment preparatory guide for our members.

A well-organized coalition between owner, manager and teaching professional will always constitute greater profits for the facility, in addi tion to better programs and happier members.

The booklet is now complete and will be available in the very near future . It will be distributed to members free of charge as an incentive for their participation in a member profile survey. USPTA members will be asked to complete a questionnaire which will arrive by mail, and return it to the National Office . Participating in this marketing survey will not only provide you with a copy of USPTA's new booklet, but will also assist the Association in its efforts to compile critical data related to our membership demographics. Your contribution to this important research survey will be greatly appreciated.

In addition to all the benefits US PTA has to offer, we know that this booklet will become one more excellent reason for yo ur o membership in the Association .

See Order Form

ilUJSPlrA. UNITED STATES PROFESSIONAL TENNIS ASSOCIATION, INC.

at Saddlebrook, The Golf and Tennis Resort Wesley Chapel, FL 34249

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