Let’s begin with highlights from a recent seminar on racquet customization by tennis racquet "guru" Warren Bosworth. He explained that the main issues to easily address in customizing a racquet are weight and balance. Typically a player will switch to a new racquet frame but express concern about how different it feels compared to their other racquet. Since they are accustomed to a previous weight and balance, the art lies in reconstructing the comparable weight and balance they were accustomed to. Then they get the best of both worlds. The attributes of the new frame plus the feel and playability they are already used to hitting with.
He further relayed a story that was told to him by a tennis director at a major facility in the U.S. That person commented that one of his extremely active tennis playing members developed tennis elbow and had taken up golf. That same player is now playing golf several times a week and even if he gets back to tennis will not be playing as often as he did previously. Warren pointed out that, frequently, early onset tennis elbow problems can be remedied by making a couple of simple adjustments in the weight and the balance of the racquet as well as the grip size. Here they are:
- By adding more weight to the head of the racquet—try a little lead tape at both 3 and 9 o’clock—the stress on the elbow can be severely reduced by increasing the mass in the racquet head.
- A slightly increased grip size is another quick fix that might reduce the strain in the elbow. Although a larger grip will reduce the potential of wrist action on serves and overheads, it encourages a more stabile racquet head on groundstrokes and therefore eases the pressure and strain on the arm due to shock reduction.
Therefore, if we are concerned with retaining players, he stressed that one has to see the direct and critical significance of racquet customization. He also emphasized that servicing customers through racquet customization is also a vehicle for generating increased income.
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Now let’s present a tremendous marketing idea by Northern California USPTA veteran Jim McLennan for effectively selling more tennis shoes while improving the services offered your members. McLennan says that by simply incorporating footwork and movement drills as a part of lessons, pros will naturally gravitate towards talking about shoes. At the same time he recommends that pros gradually begin to accumulate a list of all the members and their brand of shoes and shoe size. Once this list is developed, just establish an inventory with those sizes based on your members annual needs and you can increase your shoe sales ten-fold each year. All they have to do is stop into your shop to pick up their next pair of shoes without having to worry about searching for their favorite brand by driving to many different stores. The process is simple: Even if the style of the shoe changes slightly from year to year they can be made to understand that their size has in fact remained the same since it will be the same brand they are purchasing. After all, people do not demo shoes as they like to demo tennis racquets. The result is that the members are provided an improved service, it generates considerable additional revenue and profits, and can even be accomplished when there is physically no pro shop at a facility. All that would be required is a storage area.
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The final section for this issue comes from Fernando Velasco, former USPTA National pro of the year who is the Director of Tennis at The Landings Club in Savannah, Georgia. Here are several quick ideas which we would like to share from one of his recent presentations:
- Don’t charge in advance for re-stringing in case the owner of the racquet may need new grommet strips. Occasionally the stringer may even find a crack in the frame. This would allow the pro shop staff to telephone the customer and advise them if there is any additional expense that may be incurred.
- During lessons, Fernando advised that the pro should use the students’ racquets to demonstrate and then during and after the lesson, the pro would have the opportunity to comment on whether or not the person might need a new string job or a new grip.
- He also suggested having monthly ball machine clinics which would promote and educate members about the use of ball machines. He also stressed the importance of good balls for ball machine use and to put ball machine drills in the club newsletter and on the bulletin board.
- He also suggested designating a high-visibility ball machine court. Ideally, it should be a court that can be viewed from the office of the tennis director or head professional. This would allow the pro to get out on the court with the member if they are having any problems using the machine or if the pro might have some suggestions on how they could use it better. This will stimulate additional ball machine rentals, make new friends, and often generate more lessons.