For an investment of about $300, this article offers you an idea for in-house television programming that could earn you thousands of extra dollars a year. “What’s the catch?” There’s actually no catch at all. Although hotels and resorts use this form of advertising all the time, tennis clubs seldom do. Even airlines have gotten in the act. If you’ve ever flown an international flight and seen a video on duty-free on-board shopping, you know what I mean. It’s called “in-house” advertising and for tennis clubs it goes like this: Decide on three or four activities you want to promote to increase participation levels. Then, pick a few videos that would stimulate interest in each of those activities. Play them at intervals with a sign for each video near the television directing the viewer where to sign-up, and watch your participation levels grow! What’s the $300 for? Buying a television set with a built-in VCR and a few videos. Here are some examples and suggestions:
1. Doubles clinics – Let’s say your Monday and Wednesday morning drop-in doubles drills need a boost in participation. I have two picks for new videos to show in your pro shop, lounge, or snack bar. The first is “Successful Doubles” ($29.95) by Pete Collins, a 43-minute tape that is ideal to motivate recreational players to improve their doubles. And, for high school and college-level players, try Craig Tiley’s recent 36-minute release called “Fundamentals, Formations, and Tactics” ($29.95). Just put a sign by the television set promoting your activity or event, and let the video do the rest.
2. Ball machine rentals – For ball machines, many facilities are in a “Catch-22” situation. They want to buy a top-of-the-line machine, but have trouble justifying the expense. Since ball machines are arguably one of the best forms of practice, there is one video that is guaranteed to inspire more players to rent and practice with your ball machine, an important piece of tennis equipment that can boost your bottom line, if you know how to press the right buttons. My pick is “Millennium Tennis” ($24.95), produced by Playmate Ball Machines and Oncourt Offcourt. This 40-minute tape features dozens of fast-paced drills to get players more interested in ball machine use. It also contains a free booklet with every purchase, entitled “20 Ways to Make More Money with Ball Machines.”
3. Lessons on individual shots – Although there are many videos on technique and shot-making, one of the most recent releases happens to also be my pick for the best video to come out in years. To stimulate your players to want to learn the new style of forehands everyone sees on the pro tour, get a copy of “Killer Forehand” ($29.95) by Nick Bollettieri. This 30-minute tape is as entertaining as it is motivational. It also includes a comprehensive booklet for any member of the teaching staff who wants a handy review of the contents of the video. When “Killer Forehand” is showing, how about a sign next to the TV that reads: “The new ‘Killer Forehand’ is the weapon for the next Century. See one of our pros for some individualized instruction.”
4. Backboard tennis – It’s a real no-brainer to understand that the better your players become, the more successful every aspect of your program will become as well. How do players improve? Lessons, clinics, ball machine drilling, and social and competitive play are the most common answers we get. But, how about using backboards? Our informal surveys reveal that although hundreds of facilities have backboards, they are seldom used. At the same time, another informal survey of the top players in the world revealed that 75% of those top players believe that practicing on backboards played a significant part in their fun and training in tennis at an early age. If you buy into this argument and have a backboard at your facility, my video suggestion is the new 25-minute USTA tape called “Backboard Tennis” ($19.95), which features a wide selection of games and drills to make backboard tennis even more fun. Here’s a possible sign to place by the television: “75% of the top players in the world got better with backboards. You can, too. Give it a try. You’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain.”