Welcome to the first edition of our new e-newsletter, the Stringer's Assistant! Ever since we merged with Tennis Industry magazine, we have had members ask for a more personal publication dedicated specifically towards our members. This is our response; a new monthly e-newsletter with a title that goes back to the beginning of the USRSA and our very first edition of what is now the Stringer's Digest. We welcome any and all feedback, so please don't hesitate to contact us with ideas for or comments regarding this new publication. We are committed to you, our members, and want to serve you the best way that we can, and we hope that you enjoy the first Stringer's Assistant.
New Member Benefit!
USRSA Members to Qualify for 20% Commission Opportunity from Newly Re-Launched Snauwaert Brand!
As a member of the tennis community, you have probably heard that the legendary brand, Snauwaert, is poised to make its triumphant return to the US market!
Known for its innovative design, Snauwaert will now deliver sales channel innovation as well, in the form of a first-of-its-kind consumer-direct approach. Snauwaert offers a “white glove” concierge service that delivers a customized, on-court racquet-fitting session for players of all levels. This business model allows the customer a highly personalized experience by placing the most appropriate racquet in their hands and the teaching pro the opportunity to sell directly, instantly on court.
To celebrate the brand's return, USRSA members will now have the opportunity to become a Snauwaert Ambassador as well. By filling out a simple, online application at www.teamsnauwaert.com our members can receive a territory that corresponds to their current stringing business and the opportunity to receive a 20% commission for all retail sales. In addition, all USRSA members will have special access to the best Pro Level pricing for personal purchases on the entire Snauwaert line on the Team Snauwaert website.
All applications will be sent to Snauwaert for review and processing at the appropriate Ambassador level.
How to Access the Form:
Click the drop-down menu and select “USRSA APPLICATION”
“We are interested in taking care of players on the court. Ambassadors/Influencers are closest to the broad population of players and are crucial in the equipment selection process. Whether a stringer or a teaching pro, Ambassadors know their clients’ strengths and needs better than anyone else. We couldn’t be happier to reward our Ambassadors with the opportunity to realize healthy commissions for their work," said Ken Merritt, Snauwaert Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
In order to help market Snauwaert, we ask that every approved Ambassador submit a short bio and resume. Snauwaert will place these bios on the “Find an Expert” section of its global website, www.snauwaert.com. We are confident this will be a win-win endeavor for all. Bob Patterson, USRSA Executive Director, commented, “We are proud to add this member-benefit for our USRSA members. Snauwaert is making it easy for our members to provide added value to their clients and receive a significant monetary reward in return.”
New MRTs
Michael Cable — Michael played Division 3 tennis at Bridgewater College, and coached with Blue Chip Sports Management before moving to Arizona and beginning his work for Tennis Cabana and SMASH Tennis Academy. This May he will actually be returning to a full-time position with Blue Chip Sports Management in Alexandria Virginia. He has been stringing since he was 14 years old, so about 11 years.
Jonathan Chan — Currently residing in Chandler, Arizona, Jon is a Department Senior Electrical Engineering Lead (Launch Vehicles), a Chief Technical Officer, and a Founder for several corporate and entrepreneurial ventures. For enjoyment, he has filmed an episode on HGTV House Hunters and proudly works as Head Tennis Stringer at the Village Health Clubs in Arizona. His background includes a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Health Informatics. Jon recently received his Master Racquet Technician (MRT) from USRSA, stating that this is his “by far his greatest accomplishment yet!”. “After being a tennis stringer for over 14 years, it’s humbling to be associated among the world’s elite tennis stringers!”
Zach Leal — Zach is an MRT located in Corpus Christi Texas. He began stringing when he was in high school and developed a love for all the different options available for customizing racquets. His philosophy is to give great service to every client along with quality work for improving their game every step of the way. He plans to continue learning and growing throughout his time in the USRSA.
Meredith Nixon — Meredith has worked in sports retail for 15 years. She learned to string racquets in 2007 and was first certified as CS in 2015 when asked to manage the stringing at the Rogers Cup in Toronto. She managed stringing at Rogers in Toronto for three years; 2015, 2016, and 2017. She upgraded from CS to MRT this past winter. Presently, she manages the retail store and stringing at RacquetGuys, serving the GTA and surrounding areas.
Babs Leddy — Babs fell in love with tennis at age 13. She played high school and college tennis and coached both boys and girls HS teams as she was a teacher for 27 years. She also coached NAIA women’s team at the University of St Francis in Fort Wayne, IN from 2000-2004. She then moved to TN in 2011. In 2015 she quit teaching and bought a tennis store. She learned to string on an oldie in college and string for a local racquet club. She's married to Edward Leddy and has 3 stepchildren and one daughter of her own who graduated May 8th with a doctorate of Pharmacy at Auburn University.
Joseph Ocampo — Joseph fell in love with tennis from the age of 7 and competed casually in junior tournaments. He's a big Federer fan but appreciates all the different styles of the game and different players. Yes, he has a single backhand.
Dave Carroll — Dave lives in Saint Charles, Illinois. He has been involved in tennis for many years. He first became interested in tennis technology when his youngest daughter started to play. Coaches were not focused on rackets, strings, or tensions and didn’t share any info, so he started to learn what he could on his own with the resources around him. He is very passionate about making sure junior players are in the right equipment so they can experience the joy of the game and have success along the way. He is currently the resident expert on all things equipment related at the Eola Tennis Academy in Aurora Illinois. He is extremely proud to be part of such an elite group as an MRT! It gives people the credibility they need to help people have success and enjoyment in the sport of tennis.
Other MRTs
Terry See, Fort Myers, FL
Wes Ing, Markham, ON, Canada
Marek Nehasil, Regina, SK, Canada
Gregory Goodin, Dallas, TX
New CSs and PRAs
Taylor Wrede, CS — I have been a teaching pro for about seven years, five in Atlanta. Currently working at Glenlake Tennis Center in the City of Decatur. I love my job and Atlanta.
Boris Ruizgoubert, CS — Boris Ruizgoubert is a Certified Stringer with 30 plus years of experience playing tennis and tournaments for the USTA and WTT. Boris was captain of the Courtraiders tennis teams in the USTA and WTT. In addition to playing experience, Boris has many years of experience in the art of stringing supplemented by the USRSA Certification.
Randy Orebaugh — Randy Orebaugh is a full-time civil servant and a military veteran. Having transitioned to a desk job more than 16 years ago, he took up racquet stringing as a way to reconnect with his technical past. Today, he owns and operates Center Court Stringing LLC, providing racquet services to local players, high school teams, and clubs near the Annapolis, MD area. Randy is studying to be a Master Racquet Technician so that he can retire from the government and string alongside fellow MRTs at major tournaments around the world.
Leo Ricotti — Leo Ricotti is an Ohio native and tennis enthusiast working in Akron as a materials engineer. He has recently made time to develop the skills necessary to understand the art and science behind tennis equipment in a spirit of lifelong learning to be able to grow, share, and connect these aspects with his background and to others.
Other CSs
Aaron Cheung, Eugene, OR
New Tester — David Hall
David Hall has played tennis from being a teenager and has been involved in Racket Stringing since the mid-1980’s, and is a home, and tournament stringer. He has a vast experience across all racket sports and owns a successful sports and stringing shop at Frinton Lawn Tennis Club in Essex, UK which hosts several LTA Tournaments each year.
David is a USRSA Master Racket Technician and one of only 5 USRSA Specialist Tournament Stringers.
David is at the forefront of UK Racquet Stringing Association (UKRSA) developments being a UKRSA tutor and is always keen to ensure that we offer the best possible technical support to all UKRSA members and to all tournament players and coaches.
David either individually or in association with the UK Racquet Stringing Association has provided a tournament stringing service for local, regional, national or international tournaments.
He was an attendee at the first USRSA World Conference in 2017 and before that was a regular attendee at IART Symposiums.
How Synthetic Strings are Made
We all know the importance of strings and their contribution to how a racquet performs, and in turn, how the player using the racquet performs. If you are a racquet technician or even a player, you should already be aware that the life of a tennis (or any racquet sport) string is a fleeting one. From the moment the strings are installed in the racquet, their decline begins. Time and use dictate just how long they can do their job well enough before they need to be replaced and the racquet is reborn.
Strings are in general very similar. A long, somewhat cylindrical shaped material woven into a frame to make a tennis racquet. I stress “general” with the previous statement because the materials and how they are put together is quite varied. From a single material extruded into a shaped monofilament to complex constructions of thousands of various fibers twisted and glued together. The shape can be circular, oblong, triangular, or any geometric shape that the mind can conjure up.
So, how are these strings made? Last summer, I had the privilege of touring the Tecnifibre manufacturing and testing facilities in France to see just how the magic happens. Tecnifibre has been a worldwide leader in the industry for decades and manufactures all their string in their own factories near Paris. The facilities are truly impressive. I watched strings begin as almost dust and then go through the multi-step process and come out as a coil of string, packaged and ready to ship to your shop.
Polyester and Co-Polyester String
I start with the polyester manufacturing process since it is the most simple, but still a fascinating process from beginning to end.
The string starts out with the tiny pebbles of material shown in the photo [Photo 1]. Each string has its own chemical recipe that begins the manufacturing process in this simple form. The material enters the machinery like this on one end and travels through the machines before exiting about 100 feet or so away as a completed string wound on large reels.
The material goes through a series of extreme heating and cooling processes to meet the exacting specifications for that particular string model. Just as the initial chemical compound varies, so does the process. Some are heated at different temperatures or for longer spans according to the design. One machine was opened during the tour as shown in the photo to show how the extreme heat is applied [Photo 2].
After the initial formation, the string emerges and is visible as it is pulled along its path into the next machine that will again stretch, heat and cool. Each time the string emerges and is visible, it is a bit thinner and closer to looking like its finished product [Photos 3 and 4]. Along the way, there are also devices measuring and inspecting the string, as well as technicians who are monitoring each step of the process. [Photo 5] As the string emerges at the end of the line, it is pulled and wound onto large spools [Photo 6] where it will be transported to the building next-door for final inspection and packaging. More about that later.
Multifilament Nylon String
While I would normally have described the manufacturing line of the polyester strings as a multi-step and complex process, it really is quite simple when compared the process of making Tecnifibre’s famous lines of multifilament strings, which is nothing short of mind-boggling.
The strings begin life in much the same way as the polyester, although the raw materials are better described as dust compared to the tiny pebbles of polyester [Photo 7].
The first step is a towering machine [Photo 8] that turns the dust into fibers. Once the material is dumped into the large machine, it is heated and spun and eventually emerges at the top of the machine as a very tiny fiber much smaller in diameter than even a human hair. As the string emerges at the top it then is fed back down the machine where the fibers are then wound by the machine onto spools [Photo 9]. For Tecnifibre’s multifilament strings, there are several different materials used and each spool is carefully labeled and stored to be used in the next phase of production [Photo 10].
The spools of fibers now make their way to the next phase of production where the spools of various fibers are combined to make the string [Photo 11]. As you can see in the accompanying photos, each machine can accommodate up to eight of the spools. The fibers of each spool are then fed to the center of the machine where the fibers are twisted together while being immersed and sprayed with a special polyurethane liquid as they are pulled up toward the ceiling [Photo 12]. As the finished string emerges at the top it is carefully monitored and measured by devices on each machine as well as by technicians that are roaming through the machines to make sure there are no failures or problems with the process. As the string exits at the top, it is then fed downward [Photo 13] where each is wound onto a large reel [Photo 14] similar to the monofilament polyester strings. These spools will then head to final inspection and packaging.
It is important to note that even though it is a fully automated process, it is not fast. The fibers and polyurethane process cannot be rushed to ensure that the ratio of material and coatings are precise and have adequate time to dry and cure during the heating process. Each machine can only produce 3 sets of string per hour. For this reason, there are a total of 100 of these machines [Photo 14] on the floor and are running 24 hours a day under the careful observation of plant technicians.
Final Inspection and Packaging
The large reels of string are stored until they make their way to the final step to be packaged and shipped. Once again, it is a blend of humans and machinery to get the job done [Photo 15].
From each large reel the string is fed into a line of machinery [Photo 16] that either winds it back onto final packaging of either reels of 660 feet (200 meters) or 40 feet (12.2 m) sets. During this process, each string is carefully measured for gauge and flaws both by machine and humans to ensure the best quality.
From here the reels are stacked and boxed for shipping. The sets are coiled, banded and packaged in individual packaging and then cartons of 12 sets and then into shipping boxes.
Research & Development and Testing Ensure Quality
All the high-tech manufacturing processes would be for naught, if not for the thorough process of testing and research that goes into making the string before, during and after the manufacturing.
Like most R & D of any product, Technibre carefully analyzes the marketplace and seeks to create products to meet the needs of discerning players. For string, the easy part is developing the string concept. Coming up the with the chemistry and construction that will accomplish the goal is the first step, but then you need to make sure the goal is met and for this Tecnifibre goes above and beyond. Since Tecnifibre does their own manufacturing, creating prototypes is fairly straightforward. Once the prototype string is created it heads to the lab to undergo a battery of tests and measurements. These run the gamut of similar test equipment that we use in our USRSA lab to test elongation, stiffness and tension loss. I must mention that these same tests are also used daily on strings being manufactured.
Samples are randomly pulled from the finished products and tested to ensure that quality and performance levels for each string is consistent and meets the standards.
Tecnifibre goes beyond the standard lab measurements of the string and also tests the string actually in a frame. For this, the string is installed in a frame. The frame is then mounted in a vice that holds the racquet by the handle while a ball machine fires balls at it. [Photo 17] You will notice in the photo that only the six center mains and crosses are installed since the machine never mishits! In this station, strings are tested for a variety of things including spin with the racquet positioned in various angles and for durability – how many balls before the string breaks. This appears to be quite comprehensive but it doesn’t stop there.
Human Machine Testing
The final and most unique testing is done by the “Human Machine,” otherwise known as Patrice Kuchna, a former ATP Tour player who has been an integral part of Tecnifibre’s R & D for more than 20 years. [Photo 18]
Kuchna is an incredible athlete. He is known as the “Human Machine” because of his ability to strike the tennis ball so hard and so consistently. After first doing some consultation and on-court testing for Tecnifibre, the relationship soon evolved into an ongoing and integral part of Tecnifibre’s R & D and product testing processes. Using an oversize racquet with a fairly open string pattern, Kuchna hits balls, counting each stroke until a string pops. The number of hits is then recorded and he moves on to the next one. Each racquet is precisely strung at the same tension by his father, Stan Kuchna, always on the same machine to eliminate any variables. Each frame is labeled with the string being tested. Tecnifibre not only tests its own string but also that of competitors to see how they measure up.
Stan also serves as the feeder [Photo 19]. His feeds are not your typical country club lesson feed. He strikes each ball hard and with a lot of topspin to simulate playing conditions. His feeds are precise and accurate to minimize the movement his son has to make to strike each ball as hard as he can. This is important since these two can go for hours doing this.
After a brief warm-up hitting balls with a non-test racquet, Patrice will pick up the first test racquet of the day and the counting begins. His father feeds the balls with precision. One backhand [Photo 20] and then a forehand [Photo 21]. This ensures an equal amount of wear to each side of the stringbed. Each ball is struck with maximum force with a heavy topspin stroke. If Patrice begins to feel fatigued he will give his Dad a nod to stop feeding and each will take a moment to regroup and catch their breath and then begin again. Patrice explains this is why they count strokes and not time. It is important that he hits every ball as close to the same as possible. I was completely exhausted watching him hit for 5 minutes! On the day I visited, he went through 5 test racquets in about an hour and a half. Each one lasted from about 100 strikes to more than 200 strikes before breaking.
While the durability aspect is a crucial part of this on-court testing, Kuchna also provides valuable feedback on other things such as how the impact feels, how much spin and depth is generated among other things. This is especially important when testing a new prototype. All this information is used in the development of new products, but the existing product is continually tested to ensure ongoing quality in both the testing procedure and the product.
US Racquet Stringers Association | 310 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N Suite 400, Birmingham, AL 35203
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