Podcasts about racquets

Welcome to Season 14 Episode 16 of the ParentingAces Podcast! In this week's episode, Coach Jim Harp is back to discuss not only his philosophy of junior tennis development but also his latest passion project, Roots to Racquets.Jim Harp is a highly accomplished tennis coach and the founder of Harp Performance Tennis Inc., established in 2004 in Cumming, Georgia, where he continues to reside with his wife, daughter, and a variety of pets. Renowned for his expertise and dedication to the sport, Jim holds prestigious certifications as a PTR Master Coach and an ITPA Certified Performance Specialist. He is also a graduate of the USTA's High Performance Program and is recognized as a USPTA Elite Coach. As a coach developer for both the PTR and USTA, Jim is committed to training the next generation of tennis coaches, sharing his extensive knowledge and experience in the sport. His coaching journey began in earnest in 2001, and he quickly made a name for himself as a 1994 NJCAA All-American player from Dekalb College.Jim founded Roots to Racquets in 2024 to create an affordable healthy living initiative for all families through the lessons of sport performance, nutrition, education and lifestyle.Its goal is to create a new age health and wellness environment where the entire family comes to learn and play together.In addition to world class tennis instruction, information on nutrition, exercise and sport performance will be available both online and in person! By providing access to these programs for the entire family, the Roots to Racquets program will provide better opportunity for success in the classroom, at work, in sports and most importantly at home for every member of the family.If you are interested in making a tax-deductible donation to Roots to Racquets, click https://www.rootstoracquets.org/donate/.To reach Jim directly:jim@harptennis.comwww.harptennis.comhttps://www.instagram.com/harptennis/404-213-9282If you're so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo'd merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop.CREDITSIntro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNEAudio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

How did an international trade and finance student from Mexico come to head up Red Bank New Jersey's Navesink Country Club's Racquet Program? It's a long and winding road, but one that is full of insights into the private members club industry. Victor Vidal knew he was not suited to work behind a desk. As Navesink's Director of Racquets, Vidal runs a year-round program boasting tennis, platform tennis and pickleball. With a team of 5 certified professionals and four collegiate players along with a retail manager, Victor is on the courts, but as his staff grows, his time behind that desk grows also. Victor started his career at the famed Belle Haven Yacht Club in Greenwich, CT. Belle Haven has one of the most active tennis programs in the country. Born in Mexico, he soon realized that yacht clubs can be a misnomer with racquets, rather than sailing, the main source of revenue after food and beverage. Racquets usually provides one of the biggest revenue streams at a yacht club – not always so at a country club, where racquets tends to be an add on, or an amenity, says Vidal. Family Time Imposing Itself On Summer Activities Either way, whether its golf, sailing or racquets, family time is shortening the activity or experience at private members clubs. “One o'clock is pushing it…” says Vidal when holding a tournament. “Folks like to start at 8.30am and be done by 1pm and move on to family activities.” The era of weekend-long tournaments on the tennis courts at least, might be over. Programming follows the same suit. Live Ball has become Victor's most popular clinic program. It's an hour and a half, non-stop tennis, which gets the member to hit “a ton of balls” in a short amount of time, fitting into their weekend schedule. And “105” will be the new focal point for the upcoming summer. With lights on the court, Victor has more social-focused clinic programming in the evenings with adult beverages to follow. Although he doesn't always enjoy his time behind the desk, Victor is limiting his hours on the court. He still relishes his time on the court. He enjoys mentoring his staff when he is off the court. He tends to look for those who want to stay in the industry as possible candidates. “I want them to move up and spread their wings,” says Victor. That's how we make our industry better.

Desperation? Inability to find guests? The height of narcissism? No, we have some excellent episodes coming your way. But I wanted to give myself a Monday morning challenge and do a solo podcast talking about some recent tennis news, but also getting into pro player gear and upcoming reviews. If you don't mind a solo pod from time to time, let me know on socials. Also, if you hate it.

We might be booking our juniors for summer sleep away camp this March, but have we ever thought that a summer camp is really a private members club for kids? From the red clay tennis courts, and all the maintenance they entail, through to the enormous food and beverage operation and the hiring of chefs and servers, a summer camp is similar to an elite private club. Ramsey Hoehn, who returned in 2020 to his family's business, brought his many years as a Head Tennis Professional and Director of Racquets to Windridge Tennis and Sports Camp in Roxbury, Vermont. His return marked a new era for the iconic camp, which caters to juniors from around the world. Ramsey's experience at Nantucket Yacht Club and The Westmoor Club both on Nantucket, down to Jupiter Island Club in Hobe Sound, Florida helped him immensely as he took over the reigns of the junior sports camp. Ramsey left the private members club industry after ten years as Director of Racquets at the famed Hay Harbor Club on Fishers Island. He moved to Vermont to take over the reigns of the family business only to find that Windridge is in fact a club for kids. Offering soccer, tennis, golf and equestrian activities, Windridge is known around the world as a leading sports camp.

Was it all hype?! Or are we all genuinely gushing over the new Yonex EZONES?! Better listen to find out what we really think about the 100, 98, 98 + , 98 Tour and 98 +! Have you tried a new Yonex EZONE yet? Let us know what you think!   If you have any further questions or want to continue the conversation?! Email us at podcast@tennis-warehouse.com   Shop with us for all your TENNIS needs all over the WORLD:

Demo racquets for sale

Join host Jennifer Gelhaus on this episode of Vida Tennis as she sits down with Mariaan de Swardt, Director of Racquets at Westwood Country Club and former professional tennis player. Marianne shares her journey from a career high ranking of 28 in singles and 11 in doubles, to winning the 1999 Australian Open and 2000 French Open mixed doubles. Learn how she transitioned from professional sports to coaching, her experiences at Georgia Tech, and her current role in hosting the ATX Open. Discover her passion for teaching tennis at all levels, insights into coaching methods, and the importance of continually improving in the sport we love! Get ready to hear from one of the best out there, only here at Vida Tennis! Created and hosted by Jennifer Gelhaus Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in this podcast by the guest do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the show, its host, any of the companies they represent or any affiliated organizations. The content provided should not be considered professional advice in any field. Listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate expert counsel for specific concerns. By listening to this podcast, you agree that the host is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. All rights reserved. Vida Tennis: www.vidatennispodcast.com Ig @vidatennispodcast Fb @vidatennis Contact us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidatennispodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/people/Vida-Tennis/100092214093468/ https://www.instagram.com/vidatennispodcast

Tune in as host Jennifer Gelhaus sits down with Chris Gale, a powerhouse in racquet sports leadership! Chris, about to take on the role of Director of Racquets at Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas, shares his incredible journey from a tennis-obsessed kid in Australia to becoming a leader and respected figure in the industry. Gain insights into leading successful racquet programs at prestigious clubs! Chris discusses the importance of creating a positive team culture, staff development, and program rejuvenation. He also shares his involvement with the Directors Club of America, a rapidly growing organization he co-founded to support leaders in the private club industry. Get ready to hear from one of the best out there, only here at Vida Tennis! Created and hosted by Jennifer Gelhaus Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in this podcast by the guest do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the show, its host, any of the companies they represent or any affiliated organizations. The content provided should not be considered professional advice in any field. Listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate expert counsel for specific concerns. By listening to this podcast, you agree that the host is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. All rights reserved. Vida Tennis: www.vidatennispodcast.com Ig @vidatennispodcast Fb @vidatennis Contact us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidatennispodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/people/Vida-Tennis/100092214093468/ https://www.instagram.com/vidatennispodcast

In this episode of the Vida Tennis Podcast, host Jennifer Gelhaus welcomes the dynamic Jarrett Chirico, a trailblazer in the world of racquets! From his early days as a top junior player to his current role as Director of Racquets at Royal Oaks Country Club and founder of the Directors Club of America, Jarrett shares his inspiring journey of resilience, reinvention, and leadership. He reveals how he transformed Royal Oaks' racquets program into a multimillion-dollar success and built a culture of collaboration among his staff. The conversation dives into hot topics like the evolving role of tennis directors, the importance of empowering staff, and why transparency and networking are key to industry growth. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Directors Club of America, Jarrett's groundbreaking initiative that unites tennis directors nationwide to share ideas, elevate standards, and create new opportunities. With candid insights, bold ideas, and a passion for pushing boundaries, Jarrett offers a fresh perspective on what it takes to thrive in the racquets industry. Get ready to hear from one of the best out there, only here at Vida Tennis! Created and hosted by Jennifer Gelhaus Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in this podcast by the guest do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the show, its host, any of the companies they represent or any affiliated organizations. The content provided should not be considered professional advice in any field. Listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate expert counsel for specific concerns. By listening to this podcast, you agree that the host is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. All rights reserved. Vida Tennis: www.vidatennispodcast.com Ig @vidatennispodcast Fb @vidatennis Contact us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠vidatennispodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/people/Vida-Tennis/100092214093468/ https://www.instagram.com/vidatennispodcast

by Ed Shanaphy There's always that guy. The guy that is on the sidelines of every tournament, from a WTA qualifier to an ATP Masters to a Grand Slam. The guy who amazes onlookers through his building of a network. The guy who continues to work, even after retirement and sleeps in the back of a Suburban on the way to the next event. The guy who finally creates such volumes of great work, it brings him to the top of his profession from roots deep in the industry. The guy that becomes a legend and works with legends. On the tennis tour, that guy is Gary Kitchell. Kitchell, or Kitch as he is called by his hundreds - if not thousands - of colleagues and friends, is known around the world as one of the leading physiotherapists who graced tournament tennis courts across the globe. From the hallowed lawn of Centre Court at Wimbledon and the hard cement of Louis Armstrong Court at the US Open to the back courts at the 1990s Volvo ATP Tour stop in New Haven, Kitchell has worked with some of the greatest tennis players of all time. From the era of Borg and McEnroe, to the following upstarts Sampras and Agassi, to Federer and through to today's Tommy Paul, Reilly Opelka and Maria Sakkari, Kitch has treated injuries, reduced stress on the body and helped strength train numerous number one players to new heights. Gary loves tennis. It's always been a part of his life. His early days saw him teaching the indoor season in his native New Jersey. Soon after, he followed the sun as most instructors do and playing in semi-professional tournaments and was noticed at a small club in Vero Beach, Sea Oaks, at which he started his road along the highways and byways of the professional tours. His views of the professional tennis tours are from an interesting objective - a viewpoint from outside the employ of either the men's or women's tour but from within the fires that comprise the professional game and the travel demanded of today's tennis stars. He sees the challenges that the professional tour faces today as the Davis Cup limps along while the Laver Cup becomes a global phenomenon. He also sees the difficulty private members clubs may have using the professional game as a catalyst to new members as the tour lengthens its season and the tournaments are diluted by so much television and streamed coverage. An understanding of the professional game helps Gary to see where tennis may be headed on the amateur level at tennis and country clubs across the country. A commitment to building a community and social network at any club needs to be a priority to continue the sport's growth as it faces challenges from pickleball and padel. As a member of several private members clubs, Gary has some sage advice for club managers and directors in the club management arena. Join Gary on the BeyondTheBaselines.com podcast.

Are you using the right tennis racquet? What about strings? Jonas from Tennisnerd is one of the world's leading experts in tennis racquets and strings, having reviewed 1000s of racquets and consulted for ATP & WTA tour pros.I first met Jonas in Austria at the Head headquarters on a trip with Tennis Warehouse to test out the new Gravity. Recently, we went to SLO California to test more gear with the TW team. I've learned a ton from Jonas and wanted to have him on so you can too. In this conversation, Jonas and I discuss the following.Some of the best tennis racquets on the market today for certain player types.The head size most club-level doubles players should be looking for.What gives a racquet more power, control, spin, etc.Why you and the professionals do not (and should not) use the same racquets - even though they look the same.How to start experimenting with your strings, including specific recommendations.and more...Follow Tennisnerd on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Get a racquet or string consultation from Jonas here.Shop tennis racquets at Tennis Warehouse.Shop strings at Tennis Warehouse.-----**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players** New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.Learn More & Sign Up Here**Other Free Doubles Content**Serve Strategy CheatsheetReturn Strategy CheatsheetServe Strategy 101 - Video Course

You will surely recognize today's guest: Jonas the TENNIS NERD! He is with us in studio at Tennis Warehouse to talk about all things tennis and nerd out with us on equipment!  From current favorite racquet and string setups, to pro stock info and upcoming gear we are excited about, we cover a bunch of hot topics in the tennis world!  If you have any further questions or want to continue the conversation?! Email us at podcast@tennis-warehouse.com   Shop with us for all your TENNIS needs all over the WORLD:

Claire Fahey is an extraordinary trailblazer in the world of real tennis and rackets. With over 40 Open singles titles, six Grand Slam completions, and a record seven Ladies World Championships, her impact on the sport is really unique. In 2017, she became the first player—male or female—to achieve the remarkable feat of winning all four singles Opens, all four Doubles Opens, and both the Ladies singles and doubles World Championships in a single calendar year. She is also known as the first woman to compete in three Men's Open main draws and to reach a semi-final. Currently, Claire has taken up the Head of Racquets and Games coach position and re-energized the club at The Oratory School in Berkshire, which is one of four schools in the United Kingdom with a real tennis court, and that hosts championships and international tournaments. In this episode of Martial Attitude Voice, world champion real tennis player Claire Fahey opens up about the relentless drive, pressures, and confidence that have defined her career. Claire shares how her journey has been a balance of short-term goals, intense training, and respect for the unpredictability of real tennis. From reigning titles to her preparation for the Ladies Real Tennis World Championships in 2025, she reveals her relationship with pressure and how embracing it has become both a responsibility and honour. Dive into a compelling conversation about resilience, mental strength, and the intricate dynamics of a life dedicated to high-performance sport, where every challenge on the court reflects lessons in life beyond it.If you are visually impaired or blind, or if you know someone who is, and would like to take part to the series of Martial Attitude Voice podcast interviews exploring touch, confidence and blindness or if you would like to join in the Martial Attitude Training workshops now running in London every Sunday, please do keep in touch via Instagram or according to your communication preferences, all available  HERE.     Sincerely, Mathias Alberton Founder CEO at Martial Attitude C.I.C. BPS trainee Sport Psychologist  MSc in Applied Sport Psychology at St. Mary's University, Twickenham, London, UK.

Beckett Chung is one of the founders of Tenncom Media, where he reviews gear and creates video content with his business partner Simon Cuell. Check out Tenncom on YouTube for a taste of their refreshing and engaging style. Beckett knows a lot about racquets and strings, so we delve into that. Before this recording, we spent a week with Tennis Warehouse, testing some exciting gear for 2025, so we also look ahead at next year.

We kick off our 10th season with our annual technology special featuring Roman Prokes of RPNY. We discussed his involvement helping Andre Agassi find a racquet that he likes, the cosmetic change that Frances Tiafoe went thru, including the difference in the dimensions of the Yonex handle, and the pros and cons of the new Federer racquets. Roman talked about the 18/19 trend in string patterns, as well as the trend toward lighter racquets. He explained what happens when he does a racquet consultation. It was a phenomenal chat. Recorded and Released 9.23The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Diadora and sponsored by The Golden Ticket Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a brand-new series on Baslinjen.com, where we take a comprehensive look at college tennis. The series is titled "College Tennis: A Path to Follow?". Throughout the fall, we will be talking with a variety of individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and roles, all centered around the same focus—college tennis. Our aim is to explore the advantages and disadvantages of choosing this pathway to further one's tennis career. All parts of the series will be published on http://www.baslinjen.com. Some episodes will be in podcast format, others as videos, and some as written reports. We kick off the series by talking with Alex Gruskin, the driving force behind Cracked Racquets. Gruskin is one of the foremost experts on college tennis, closely following everything related to the sport. In this episode he provides us with all the latest information on recent and upcoming rule changes, explains the different divisions and leagues, discusses the pros and cons of being higher or lower in a line-up, and shares stories of players who have transitioned to professional careers. This is a jam-packed episode you won't want to miss!   If you wanna see this episode thru video that is possible if you watch it on Spotify.   https://crackedracquets.com/ Thanks to my podcastpartner Zenniz – The Smart Tennis Solution: http//www.zenniz.com http://www.originalbrothy.com http://www.houseofbontin.se Intromusik: Mr Smith, Cool Running (Free Music Archive) (CC BY) Outromusik: Mr Smith, The New West (Free Music Archive) (CC BY)

We are so excited to talk beyond the playtest about the new Wilson RF 01 Collection! We talk about everything from our experiences with the racquets, our favorite string set ups, who each racquet is for and more! We also are taking your questions LIVE and compare the racquets to other ones you might be more familiar with. Don't miss when we explain the bags and accessories as well!  Questions answered in this episode:  - is this a Pro Staff? - how does it compare to the RF97? - which RF 01 should you try? - how is the quality control? - was Roger involved?! - and beyond! What do you want to hear us gab about next?! Let us know and we will do our best to include your questions and topics in our next episode!  Don't miss the video episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tenniswarehouse If you have any further questions or want to continue the conversation?! Email us at podcast@tennis-warehouse.com   Shop with us for all your TENNIS needs all over the WORLD:

Global business manager Dennis Fabian and Global product manager, Maximilian Bauer from HEAD join me to discuss the new HEAD Extreme racquets, their upcoming releases, and much more. I hope you enjoy the podcast. There was a lag when recording this remote podcast, I hope it doesn't affect your listening experience too much. Thanks, as always, for listening.

On this episode of Charlie and Steve Watch Stuff, hosts Charlie Peppers and Steve Selnick take to the hard surface with their favorite throuple partner Ian Carlos Crawford to discuss the new film "Challengers" starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor. The boys discuss the film's plot in sequential order, covering major developments and diving deep into the juicy stuff... or lack thereof. Before heading out, they give their rating out of 5 Racquets to frame their overall feelings on the movie. Be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, follow the show on Instagram, and let us know what you thought of Challengers with your own Racquet ratings! 

On this episode of the Club + Resort Talks podcast, Editor-in-Chief Rob Thomas speaks with Jarrett Chirico, Director of Racquets at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, Texas and Founder/President of The Directors Club. In addition to the importance of certifications (he has many (DCA, CRSE, PTR, PPR, PCR, PPTR, SCR, USPTA, PPTA)), Chirico discusses the vision behind The Directors Club and the booming racquets industry as it enjoys its Golden Age. He also looks into his crystal ball and shares what the industry may look like in 5-10 years. Phil Keren, Senior Editor of Club + Resort Business, joined the podcast to discuss the latest news from across the industry, such as a pair of stories related to the 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. There are 21 PGA of America Professionals from clubs in states across the country playing in the tournament. The Corebridge Financial Team includes Ben Polland, Director of Golf at Shooting Star in Jackson Hole, Wyo., — the winner of the 2024 PGA Professional Championship — and Michael Block, PGA Golf Professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, Calif. Block was one of the biggest stories in golf last year when he finished tied for 15th place at the 2023 PGA Championship. Rob and Phil also talked about a special career-exploration event called PGA WORKS Beyond the Green that took place near the 17th hole at Valhalla Golf Club. At this program, students had the chance to hear industry leaders discuss the wide range of employment opportunities available within the game of golf. In addition, Phil and Rob highlighted the completion of a $10 million renovation project at The Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, Calif. These improvements encompassed a revamp of the clubhouse, pool areas, and the addition of a new outdoor activity center to replace a temporary one established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nikola Aracic from Intuitive Tennis returns to the podcast to talk about the remaining GOATs (Rafa and Novak), why heavy racquets can be bad for you, why underarm serves are disrespectful and much more. Time stamps 00:00 Intro 00:35 Rafa's last rumble, Novak's superpower and the player's right to  emotions 34:05 Bublik and disrespectful and pointless shots like the underarm serve. Highlights culture on TennisTV. 58:16 The viewability of tennis, bad angles, shadows, lack of options 1:14:00 What is the white racquet? Nikola's hunt for strings from the 90s and how his racquet preferences affect his game 1:32:19 Heavy racquets are not for everyone, but for some. Strings and more…

Go BEYOND the playtest of the new Babolat Pure Strike Tennis Racquets for 2024! Our playtesters answer all the questions you had ad explain the different models including going into depth about the newest frames in the family! The Babolat Pure Strike series offers more control and feel than the Pure Drive and Aero franchises. These racquets also offer impressive stability for the weight along with FSI Technology, which optimizes string spacing to enhance spin and power.   Shop Pure Strikes: https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Babolat_Pure_Strike_Racquets/catpage-PURESTRIKE.html   If you have any further questions or want to continue the conversation?! Email us at podcast@tennis-warehouse.com   Shop with us for all your TENNIS needs all over the WORLD:

Dennis Fabian is the Global Business Manager at HEAD, where he works on tennis and pickleball. In this episode, he talks about new strings and racquets, gives tips on how to avoid tennis elbow, categorizes the different racquet lines, and much more.

She's an absolute tennis legend and icon! Kim Clijsters is here (and Michelle might be freaking out)! With 4 Grand Slams, former number 1 WTA and the face of the Babolat Pure Drive, she is here to help celebrate 30 years of an iconic racquet! And in this episode, we have all the models she has used throughout her career in front of her! You will get to hear about her memories and all the nostalgia and stories that seeing each one brings up! She also gives us words of wisdom, fun stories and more as we talking through 30 years of our favorite blue tennis racquet from Babolat!  In this episode you can expect:  - pure awesomeness from a tennis legend, Kim Clijsters!  - Iconic Pure Drive stories - Clijsters' string set up, now and then - what makes the Pure Drive so special?! - what Kim is up to today in the world of tennis & if she might start coaching?! - and more! If you have any further questions or want to continue the conversation?! Email us at podcast@tennis-warehouse.com   Shop with us for all your TENNIS needs all over the WORLD:

Allen is an Australian tennis enthusiast and the creator of the YouTube channel AC Tennis. His channel focuses on in-depth racquet reviews and comparisons. He's been playing tennis since he was 5 years old and loves everything related to tennis gear. Time stamps 00:00 Intro 00:45 The Happy Slam 07:25 Allen's tennis schedule 11:16 How did you improve? 15:43 The racquet review process 19:51 How good is the new Blade V9? 34:23 Match racquets 56:19 Swing weights and quality control 1:05:50 Blade V9 vs the World of 98s 1:13:09 Racquet brands, updates and cosmetics 1:20:42 Tennis ball problems 1:26:43 The weirdness of pro racquets 1:36:24 The one-hander and the future of tennis

The 9th version of the Wilson Blade is here! The SHARPEST Blade yet! Some of the thinnest and most flexible beams in Wilson's racquet line, the Blade family is revered for its pinpoint precision and outstanding ball feedback and we talk Beyond our Playtest!  Troy and Chris join Michelle to chat all about this updated line -- including what changed, what stood out, what to compare these too and more! We answer all your questions and are live while doing it so interact in real time to you guys!  And leave us a question to answer for the next time we record a podcast!  Check out all the models of WILSON Blades: https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Wilson_Blade_Tennis_Racquets/catpage-BLXRACQUETS.html If you have any further questions or want to continue the conversation?! Email us at podcast@tennis-warehouse.com   Shop with us for all your TENNIS needs all over the WORLD:

What's more important to a player, the racquet or the string? Should kids be using polyester strings? What's the best way to test racquets? These are some of the questions we asked racquet specialist, and Head of USA Marketing for Tecnifibre, Philippe Oudshoorn. Philippe is an incredible resource to have because his knowledge of these things is directly from the player and coach's perspective. Before joining Tecnifibre, Philippe played collegiate tennis at the University of Virginia, then professional tennis, coached collegiately at George Washington and UCF, and finally as a National Coach for USTA Played Development. There's no better person to talk to then Philippe when it comes to equipment. Tecnifibre provides Grand Slam winners (Daniil Medvedev, Iga Swiatek, Joe Salisbury), many top professionals, and top juniors with the best equipment in the world. Hope you enjoy the podcast and check out www.aubonetennis.com for more!

Today, it is something for you gearheads. Beckett Chung is a fellow tennis nerd reviewing racquets and talking about gear-related topics on his channel Tenncom. He is very knowledgeable, so check it out! Time stamps 00:00 Intro 01:27 Tennis in Canada 03:00 Beckett's gear journey 08:50 The quality control conundrum 13:43 Our spec range and racquets 21:01 Testing products you don't enjoy 29:21 Grail racquets and Federer's personal frame 35:30 Talking to the racquet brands 42:50 Older racquets vs new 50:34 What racquet feels the best right now? 55:14 The right racquet for the right style 1:02:06 Understanding your specs 1:09:30 Next-level nerdiness 1:15:25 The curse of being a play-tester 1:18:56 Surprising racquets 1:24:09 A Tennisnerd signature racquet

When our special guest John swapped his familiar surroundings for the sunny disposition of Florida, little did he know tennis would be his ace for connection and community. This episode serves up a delightful narrative as John recounts his evolution from casual pop tennis enthusiast to becoming an integral part of a thriving tennis fellowship. His tale isn't just one of backhands and forehands; it's a volley of experiences that underscore the pivotal role of sports in creating friendships and a sense of belonging.Laugh along with us as John shares the secret sauce to a marriage going strong for 40 years: humor and shared experiences. Whether it's about finding love in the unexpected corridors of nursing school or switching careers under the subtle guidance of a father's influence, John's journey is a heartwarming reminder of the serendipitous turns life can take. As we navigate through his anecdotes, we uncover the richness of relationships forged on and off the tennis courts, and the life lessons served along the way.And because love knows no season, we wrap things up with a nod to Valentine's Day, not just as a day of romance but as a continuous celebration of deep connections. John opens up about emotional milestones, from the pride of walking his daughter down the aisle to the eager anticipation of grandparenthood. If you're looking to ignite or reignite that spark in your relationship, or just enjoy a touching reflection on love's journey, let this episode be your match point.

This could be the best conference in our industry. It may be the biggest. It was the largest, according to the organizers, in over twenty years. The PGA Merchandise Show reached new heights this last week of January, 2024 with more vendors, more club managers and more industry leaders. And, we at BeyondTheBaselines.com were there to cover it all: the conference, the speakers, and the vendors. From new releases on the golf, tennis, pickleball, and the retail fashion side, the conference offers those in the club management and private members club industry a chance to meet, greet and learn from each other in ways that were probably unimaginable twenty years ago. With educational seminars, social gatherings both inside and outside Orlando's Orange County Convention Center, and vendors lining up to sell to the industry's buyers, the PGA Show is second to none in the industry. We sat down with Jennifer Gelhaus, the newly appointed Director of Racquets at the famed Oyster Harbors Club in Osterville, MA and discussed just how the golf and tennis industries are similar but, also, quite different in respect to marketing, communication and retail. Join us as we have a coffee in the lounge just outside the enormous exhibition halls which had hundreds of rows and thousands of vendors. Where will this growth in fashion and retail, pushing the booths of the tools of golf and the nine irons to the side, leave the industry? Live at The PGA Merchandise Show - we have it, and you, covered.

We know the Australian Open has already started and we've spent some sleepless nights watching all the tennis! In this episode, we talk about some of the gear changes (from racquets, to shoes to apparel, coaches and more!) on the WTA Tour and go through the draw. Yes, it was recorded before the tournament started but YES you will still enjoy the chatter and stories we have regarding the pro ladies playing down under!   Stay tuned, the ATP episode will be coming soon...   If you have any further questions or want to continue the conversation?! Email us at podcast@tennis-warehouse.com   Shop with us for all your TENNIS needs all over the WORLD:

Nikola Aracic is one the most popular online tennis coaches in the world with his brand Intuitive Tennis. He is refreshingly honest and straightforward and has become one of my favorite people in the world to talk about tennis with. This is his third time on the podcast and we get into various topics as highlighted in the timestamps below. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:46 What it requires to improve in tennis 19:05 Mental vs Technical skills 31:14 Coming to the court with different racquets 38:30 Racquets, racquets, racquets 1:14:11 Rafa's return and sports legend's desire to compete 1:29:16 Australian Open predictions 1:40:04 Technical improvements on the pro tour 1:54:19 Intuitive Tennis in 2024 2:01:00 Weird Swedish forehands 2:04:31 Kyrgios and lack of respect for the past 2:13:45 Is tennis in danger? How can we better market the sport?

Happy New Year— RSJHappy 2024, dear readers! We hope 2023 was good for all of you. If it wasn't, we are glad that it's behind you. We didn't have too bad a 2023 ourselves. This newsletter went along swimmingly (or so we think) and we had our book ‘Missing in Action: Why You Should Care About Public Policy' published on 23 January 2023. Why haven't you bought it yet? Anyway, it seems to be doing well based on the modest expectations we had of it. I'm yet to see the pirated versions of it peddled at traffic signals. Heh, that will be the day. But then I see it on shelves of all decent bookstores and that's quite reassuring. That apart, Pranay had another book (one productive chap, I tell you), When The Chips Are Down on semiconductor geopolitics which is an area that's going to get more interesting and contentious in this decade. All in all, we ended up writing 44 editions during the year totaling up to over a hundred thousand words. A good year, I guess.On to 2024 then. Like in the past, we will indulge ourselves a bit in the first edition of the year. First, looking back at our predictions for 2023 and seeing how badly off we were and then next week, I will be doing a bit of crystal ball gazing for 2024.Before I bore you with that, let me share with you this wonderful excerpt from a paper I read recently. Titled ‘Enlightenment Ideals and Belief in Progress in the Run-up to the Industrial Revolution: A Textual Analysis', it covers an area of eternal fascination for me - Enlightenment and its impact on Western Europe. Interesting conclusions and a must-read:“The role of cultural attitudes—specifically, of Enlightenment ideals that had a progress oriented view of scientific and industrial pursuits—in Britain's economic takeoff and industrialization has been emphasized by leading economic historians. Foremost amongst them is Joel Mokyr (2016), who states that the progress-oriented view of science promoted by great Enlightenment thinkers, such as Francis Bacon and Isaac Newton, among many others, was central to what would become the “Industrial Enlightenment,” and ultimately Britain's Industrial Revolution. In this paper, we test these claims using quantitative data from 173,031 works printed in England in English between 1500 and 1900. A textual analysis resulted in three salient findings. First, there is little overlap in scientific and religious works in the period under study. This indicates that the “secularization” of science was entrenched from the beginning of the Enlightenment. Second, while scientific works did become more progress-oriented during the Enlightenment, this sentiment was mainly concentrated in the nexus of science and political economy. We interpret this to mean that it was the more pragmatic works of science—those that spoke to a broader political and economic audience, especially those literate artisans and craftsmen at the heart of Britain's industrialization—that contained the cultural values cited as important for Britain's economic rise. Third, while volumes at the science-political economy nexus were progress-oriented for the entire time period, this was especially true of volumes related to industrialization. Thus, we have unearthed some inaugural quantitative support for the idea that a cultural evolution in the attitudes towards the potential of science accounts in some part for the British Industrial Revolution and its economic takeoff.”2023 Predictions ScorecardI had 8 predictions across the global economy, Indian economy and Indian social and political order. So, this is how does the 2023 report card looks like.Global EconomyThis is what I had written:#1 The trend of securing your supply chain for critical products will get stronger.….but it is clear to most large economies that on issues that concern national security, it will be foolhardy to not plan for worst-case scenarios any longer. And national security could mean anything, really, but I can see on energy and key technology, nations will opt for more secure supply chains with watertight bilateral partnerships than be at the mercy of distributed, multilateral chains. I won't go as far as calling it ‘de-globalisation' yet, but this ‘gated globalisation' is a trend that's here to stay.This is playing out but a bit slower than what I expected. Disentangling and building domestic capabilities isn't easy. And it is costly. But through the year we had increasing curbs on what hi-tech (GPU chips, AI research) and defence companies domiciled in the West could export to China. At home, we continued the push on PLI on electronics and tech equipment with debates on how much value-added manufacturing is really coming through in these schemes. Also, interestingly, we are continuing down the path of decoupling from global ‘default platforms' especially in financial services. The Rupay platform is continuing to get bigger with a specific push from the government to derisk payment infrastructure from global networks like Visa and Mastercard. Also, in a recent statement, the central bank has suggested building a homegrown Cloud Computing infrastructure that will be used on regulated entities in India so that they aren't tied into global Cloud service providers. #2 The fears of elevated inflation and a recession in the US in 2023 are overblown. The recession is due, but it will come a bit laterMy view is that as supply chain issues ease up with China opening up, energy demand going up and the US continuing to be at almost full employment, we might have a 2023 where for the most part, the US inflation will be higher than target, Fed will continue to remain hawkish, and the growth will hold up. This will mean the real risk of recession will be more toward the end of the year than now.Turns out I was accurate. In fact, the US economy has held up even better than I expected. And the Fed almost softened their tone by their last meeting of the year.#3 Big Tech will continue to be under the coshI half expect India to gradually move all payment and eCommerce arms of Big Tech into a structure that's domestically controlled and owned in 2023. Third, FTC, with Hina Khan at the helm, will accelerate antitrust and competition law changes to reduce the dominance of Big Tech.I think I got this right in a big way. Through the year, fintechs have offloaded ‘troublesome' shareholders (read Chinese investors) and there is a real trend of what's called ‘reverse flipping' where unicorns that were domiciled outside of India for tax and regulatory reasons are coming back home. Reason? Well, if you ask them they will tell you because they believe in the India story. That's very convenient. The real reason is domestic regulators are making it difficult for a non-domiciled company to get a full bite of the Indian apple. From data security and storage requirements to tax and fund transfer regulations, the entities that are essentially Indian but are registered outside India to avoid ‘regulatory inconvenience' are now facing business inconvenience in following that model. Here's more on this. Indian EconomyI think I wrote more about the Indian economy in 2023 than any previous year. Much of it was about my surprise, in a positive way, on how much better it was doing than my expectations. Now as I read what I had written at the start of 2023, I think I had somewhat forgotten during the year that I was quite optimistic about the economy at the start of the year. Here's what I had written:#1 Greater optimismI am a bit more optimistic about the broader numbers than most, and I will explain why. I think GDP growth will come in around 6.5 per cent for FY24, and inflation will be around 5 per cent. We might see a couple of rate hikes in the next few months, taking the repo rate to 6.75 per cent, but that will be it. I see domestic consumption to remain strong and exports, in the light of the shift away from China, to be good for manufacturers, and how much ever I might struggle to get behind the PLI scheme, it will yield some short-term benefits. IT exports might be a dampener, but on balance, I see more upside to these predictions.Couldn't have gotten it more right. I think the growth for FY 24 might come in at 7 per cent. Repo ended up at 6.5 per cent and domestic consumption and manufacturing have stayed strong while IT exports have gone worse over the year. #2 Digitalisation: Wave 2There will be a significant push on digitalisation in lending and eCommerce. The UPI infrastructure has revolutionised payments and, along with GST, has accelerated the formalisation of the economy..... Also, as I mentioned in an earlier point, doing this will also mean shifting the balance of power from Big Tech-owned entities to an open platform or domestically controlled entities. I sense a strong push in this direction in 2023.This was a no-brainer, really. I expected a bit more traction on platforms like OCEN and ONDC which haven't taken off yet. The digitisation of the financial services sector has made low-value credit much easier for people to access. And UPI and digital KYC have enabled that to an extent that unsecured individual lending saw its biggest year ever in 2023. In fact, by the end of the year, we saw the central bank intervening to increase risk weights on these advances for banks and NBFCs and trying to bring down growth rates. The risk of an asset bubble because of faster and easier access to credit seems to become real based on the data they were reading. #3 The expected capex cycle push from the government will not come.There are a couple of reasons for it. First, this government has always been careful about fiscal deficit, and it is particular about the risk of the fiscal space. The government has committed to a 4.5 per cent target for the union government deficit in the next 3 years from the current levels, that's expected to be 6.4 per cent. I see a tightening in the fiscal stance during the year with a gradual reduction in some of the pandemic-related subsidies and better targeting of the benefits improving distribution efficiency. The other reason for a muted capex spend is the likely belief that the private sector credit capex cycle seems to be picking up. Got it mostly right except for the private sector capex cycle bit. That didn't show up in 2023 as I was expecting. Government capex actually slowed as it kept its glide path to a 4 per cent union deficit by 2026. The efficiency improvement in tax collections and subsidy disbursement also helped in broadly sticking to the fiscal plan for the year. And as I expected, this government doesn't need to loosen its purse strings in an election year. It has multiple other tools in its armoury to swing people's opinion in favour of it.  India: Political and SocialI had generally anticipated a more-of-the-same year despite some of the noise surrounding opposition efforts at the start of 2023. BJP with PM Modi at the helm, is possibly the most formidable political force in the world and it can turn its missteps too into its advantage. We saw this during the pandemic when its response was poor and too late. But that's all water under the bridge now. It is also helped by a coincidence of circumstances where China has gone off-track and India is able to play its ‘swing power' role to its fullest advantage in global geopolitics. All of this has meant it has a compelling domestic narrative to offer to the people of India rising in global prominence. This has tremendous capital at least among the middle class and the Hindi heartland. Back to what I wrote at the start of the year:#1 More of the sameThe expected consolidation of opposition forces to counter the BJP isn't going to happen early enough for it to mount a credible challenge in 2024. There are eight state elections in 2023, and I suspect BJP will see reverses or very close fights in a couple of them where it is the incumbent (MP and Karnataka)....But it is hard to see opposition consolidation or a credible case that they can make to counter the electoral juggernaut of the BJP at this time. Congress, the other national party, isn't capable of moving the masses either with its agenda or its leadership. The vacuum in national politics looks set to stay.Ho hum. BJP lost Karnataka like I thought they would. MP was a surprise and it only shows how poorly Congress has performed through the year. Everything else is, as they say, same same.#2 More Exit, Less VoiceI have made the point in the past about social fault lines tripping us up while we magically have a growth window that's opened up for us again. This holds true. The space for opposition or dissent has shrunk; more importantly, even the fight for protecting or broadening that space has gone out....The state would be dependent on citizens if they value their loyalty and would then pursue a policy that listens to their voice. However, if the state doesn't value it and the citizens know their voice won't matter, the only option is to exit. For certain sections of our citizenry, they are possibly at this stage of engagement with the state. This scenario might not hurt the majority today, but we would do well to remember it has never been a good idea for the state to not value the loyalty of its citizenry in the long run. Nothing has changed on this. I guess this macro trend has only exacerbated in 2023.So there I am with my report card. Not too bad, I guess though Pranay may again complain that these were quite generic and unless we make very specific predictions, it all seems to come true at the end of the year. Well, I will try to do that next week with my 2024 predictions. But don't hold your breath on that, Pranay.  A Framework A Week: Four Components of an Economic StrategyTools for thinking about public policy— Pranay KotasthaneMontek Singh Ahluwalia writes that any economic strategy has four components: slogans, targets, programmes, and policies. Slogans refer to rhetoric employed by the government. Ahluwalia calls it the “front end” of economic strategy. Rhetoric is necessary in a representative democracy for communicating the government's position on an issue in a simple, catchy form without going into the details of the accompanying policy measures. Think Garibi Hataao, Shining India, Inclusive Growth, Sabka Saath Sabkaa Vikaas, and Minimum Government and Maximum Governance. Targets are specific, measurable goals of an economic strategy. An example is the articulation that India will become a developed country by 2047. The World Bank comes up with a GDP per capita threshold for classifying an economy as a high-income one. So the target becomes a guiding light for policies and programmes and also serves as a tool for holding the government accountable.Programmes refer to government-led measures involving public expenditure. Policies are government directives that allow or disallow specific economic activities. The difference can be understood using another popular three-fold classification which says that all governments do only three things — produce, finance, and regulate. This means programmes are government actions that involve producing or financing, while policies are about regulating. For example, bank recapitalisation is a programme where the government is financing public sector banks. In contrast, the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 lays down the rules that govern all exports and imports. This four-fold classification is useful for policy analysts for two reasons. One, it doesn't look at slogans cynically. Economic narratives are important. Slogans are often launchpads for powerful narratives.Secondly, differentiating policies from programmes is crucial. The default government tendency is often to bat for government-run programmes. Think Production-linked Incentives (PLI) and export subsidies. There are enough and more programmes from the past to tinker with and regurgitate them into a new programme to “solve” the economic problems of the day. However, chronic economic problems might need a fundamental change in policies that cannot be fixed by programmes alone. India's manufacturing underperformance is one such example. Though there have been many a programme for overcoming this challenge, the solution lies in changing trade, tax, labour, and doing business policies. Another example comes from the 1991 economic reforms. At the time, many politicians thought that India only needed a debt restructuring programme. However, the reformers successfully argued that India needed a change in tax, business, and investment policies; a new programme alone wasn't good enough. For an illustration of this framework, check this article by Montek Singh Ahluwalia on the problem with India's public sector banks.PolicyWTF: Screws are Strategic This section looks at egregious public policies. Policies that make you go: WTF, Did that really happen?— Pranay KotasthaneThe Department to Ground Foreign Trade, or less accurately, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), is a gift that keeps giving. Their latest policy move is to restrict the import of cheap screws so that India can become a self-reliant vishwaguru of screws. A screwpower, maybe? In a notification issued on 3rd Jan, the DGFT banned the imports of screws priced lower than ₹129/kg. Indian manufacturers used to import these from France, China, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, and Belgium.So, the government wants to do an import substitution of a humble product that costs ₹129 per kg and already has a diversified supply chain. If this isn't ridiculous enough, think about the impact on Indian manufacturers who relied on these imports. They are the ones getting screwed here because they will end up paying more for the same product. Long-time readers might experience déjà vu as there was a similar policy restricting the imports of mosquito electronic racquets in 2020, to which RSJ had paid proper obeisance in edition #129. In other news, one of the issues blocking the India-UK FTA is that Indian EV car manufacturers don't want the high import duties to be dropped. Currently, electric cars priced above $40000 are slapped with a 100 per cent import duty, while those below $40000 are levied a 70 per cent duty. Domestic manufacturers argue that a reduction in import duty will stall the sunrise industry. These two stories in recent months illustrate the slippery slope of industrial policy in low state capacity conditions. A domestic subsidy for manufacturers can still be justified because every other country is doing that. It's become an entry pass of sorts to play the manufacturing game. But to couple domestic production subsidies with import restrictions makes these policies scarily close to the import substitution regime in the pre-1991 era. Every government makes mistakes. However, low state capacity results in governments repeating the mistakes of the past as there is no institutional memory. We seem to be reaching that point with India's industrial policies. This observation also stands empirically. Check out the New Industrial Policy Observatory (NIPO) released by the IMF (hat-tip to Niranjan Rajadhyaksha for sharing the accompanying paper on X). The database classifies industrial policy actions over the last few years into eight categories: export barriers, import barriers, domestic subsidies, export incentives, FDI measures, Public procurement measures, Localisation content measures, and miscellaneous. This is by far the most detailed database of industrial policy measures I've seen—a fantastic tool for scholars working in economic policy.Now here's my initial analysis looking at the data for India in NIPO. Of the 195 industrial policy measures that India has taken, 55 are distortionary trade measures, illustrating that we are repeating import substitution ideas of the past. There's more to this. In the database, one can also classify industrial policies sectorwise. Here again, we see that import tariffs feature across most sectors. Such mindless import substitution will lead to export contraction, as Indian companies become uncompetitive and bow out of international competition. We have seen this movie before.P.S.: Look at this chart of trade as a per cent of GDP for the world's five largest economies. Trade is a higher proportion of India's GDP than is the case for Japan and China. It's been that way for the last ten years. Trade is far more important to India than we realise. HomeWorkReading and listening recommendations on public policy matters* [Book] Vivekananda: The Philosopher of Freedom is a thoroughly enjoyable, myth-busting biography. * [Blogpost] This post has a mind map of market failures and corresponding government interventions. A boon for anyone interested in public policy.* [Podcast] Listen in to a Puliyabaazi with economist Rohit Lamba on India's future economic trajectories. This is a fun episode. * [Paper] A useful take on Foreign Trade Policy 2023 in Economic and Political Weekly. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit publicpolicy.substack.com

We're launching this episode early so you can hear all about the 2024 PURE STRIKE LINE UP racquets!  Listen up to find out:  What has changed in these racquets? What was the demand from the strike players for this update how the new flax materials feel What do the updates provide for the player -- what will be noticeably different? What racquets are in the family? Who is the Pure Strike player & how they differ from Pure Drive or Aero hitters Blacked out playtest at TW & our experience with the prototypes How do you go from so many hitter samples to picking the right one Design inspo? Working with Cam Norrie & Dominic Thiem Who are the future STRIKE players?! Best string set up for each racquet in the family  and more! If you have any further questions or want to continue the conversation?! Email us at podcast@tennis-warehouse.com   Shop with us for all your TENNIS needs all over the WORLD:

Episode #63 discusses "whats wrong with people", do people living in remote locations care about the state of our country, and more gibberish. Also, how do you want your partner to talk to you when you go to a dark place, do you warm up differently in a lesson than a match, and sometimes we need to let a plan work before changing it. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-ficks06/message

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Ryan Burbary is the founder and owner of Velociti Tennis. Velociti tennis is a new tennis brand with a one of their products being the first bio-degradable tennis string in the world. It is called Catalyst and after testing the string I had to reach out to Ryan and talk about it. Ryan grew up in tennis stores and strung his first racquet when he was 12. A true tennis nerd! You can try the Velociti Catalyst here: https://velocititennis.com/ Use the code TENNISNERD to get a discount. Time stamps 00:00 Intro 00:40 Growing up inside a tennis store 02:17 How did the Velociti journey start? 09:24 Gauges and colors 14:50 Online vs Pro Shop when it comes to gear 21:48 String packaging 27:07 Sustainable tennis balls 36:51 Does being from Colorado influence you more towards nature and the environment? 42:16 Growing up in a tennis shop 53:54 Racquets are getting better 1:13:33 It's a mental sport 1:18:52 Choosing the right racquet for your game 1:36:30 The future for Velociti and Ryan

In this 2 part episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale speak with Len Simard, Search and Consulting Executive with Kopplin, Kuebler, and Wallace. Len annually manages the searches for hundreds of leadership positions and clubs around the US, specializing in Directors of Racquet Sports searches, so he knows what it takes to succeed in the role. He shares information about the evolution of search firms in the country club industry, some secrets to hiring and consulting for racquet sports departments, and leadership and staffing, and more.00:16 - The evolution of search firms in the country club industry2:42 - Hiring and consulting for racquet sports departments5:18 - Racquet sports club director roles and responsibilities10:02- Becoming a Director of Racquets at a private member equity club12:41 - Leadership development and staffing for country clubs14:44 - Transitioning to a Director of Racquets role20:48: Leadership and skills for club managersLooking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a PTR- or USPTA-Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

Join Sandy and Tom as they reflect on the success of their first-ever padel holiday at The Racquets Club, La Manga, which saw a group of 16 players undergo significant transformations in their gameplay over three-days of intensive training.Sandy and Tom are excited to organise more padel holidays, with a couple in the works for 2024... Stay tuned!You can find all our other podcast episodes at: podcasts.thepadelschool.com Website: www.thepadelschool.com Instagram: @thepadelschool Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepadelschool LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-padel-schoolTikTok: @thepadelschool

We're back with our BEYOND THE PLAYTEST episode with our playtest team and today we are talking all about the Yonex Percepts!  We talk all about what this new minty green new family of racquets from Yonex and go deeper into the specs. We discuss how they differ from other Yonex families, like the EZONES, VCORE Pros, VCORES and how they are similar to other racquets, like the Head Speeds, the Wilson Blades and the more.  We also discuss which was our favorite model, what strings work best and what modifications we might be making as we play more often with these racquets.  If you have any further questions or want to continue the conversation?! Email us at podcast@tennis-warehouse.com   Shop with us for all your TENNIS needs all over the WORLD:

There have been SO many new products in the tennis world for 2023! And we have playtested a bunch of them! In this episode, we talk through several of the "big" racquet and shoe launches and let you know what we thought beyond the playtest!  From the Babolat Rafa Origin Pure Aero to all the white Tecnifibre frames and the new Nike Vapors (Pro 2 and 11)! If you have any further questions or want to continue the conversation?! Email us at podcast@tennis-warehouse.com   Shop with us for all your TENNIS needs all over the WORLD:

The host of The EMAzing Tennis Podcast, Ema Burgic, talks about her time spent working with Curt Stefan, owner of Custom Tennis Rackets, in this episode of the podcast. Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, Patrick Rafter, Andy Murray, Casper Ruud, Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles, Mary Jo Fernandez, and Jessica Pegula are just some of the well-known tennis players that Curt has collaborated with during his career. In order to increase performance, Burgic highlights the significance of good racket care as well as an understanding of the elements that contribute to damage. In addition to this, Curt talks about the history of the market for tennis as well as the evolution of poly and synthetic strings. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ema-burgic-bucko/support

The SHIFT Racquets are almost here (launching July 14th to be exact!)! Wilson has developed their newest family of tennis racquets with extensive feedback from top coaches and elite players from around the world, including some of you! In this episode, Michael Schaeffer, the Global Product Director for Racquet Sports at WILSON joins us to talk about the process of creating a new franchise of racquets!  In this episode we cover:  - How Wilson began working on the prototypes and how long it has taken to go from initial concepts to full production as well as their GLOBAL playtest (think: SHIFT origin story) - What sets Shift apart from other racquets & what is the most significant technology - Where the SHIFT racquets fit in the Wilson lineup and who these racquets are for - How important player feedback was in the development - Best string set up for SHIFT  - Success stories from concept to creation - What do they feel like?! A Blade? or an Ultra?! or a Clash?! - and more! 0:00:01 intro, Michael Schaeffer, Global Product Director at WILSON Racquet Sports 0:01:00 Clash and lessons learned to create Shift 0:01:28 SHIFT concept to creation & where it fits in the Wilson Lineup 0:02:20 Wilson playtesting 0:03:47 feedback from playtesting and the next steps 0:08:00 making the prototype play even better 0:09:29 Innovation at Wilson & bending technologies 0:10:05 changing the way racquets bend! flexible & stable = vertical bending 0:12:16 definition of VERTICAL BENDING 0:14:05 Question, "Wilson says how plush and soft these racquets are but the spec says the racquet's stiffness rating is high -- EXPLAIN!" 0:16:10 explain the feel of what SHIFT is like in your hands 0:18:50 Shift 99 Pro 0:21:14 "Are we going to see this technology in more Wilson racquets?" & Wilson family segments 0:22:46 Pros testing the Shift racquets and who the pro influence (and yes, I meant Madison Brengle, not Lauren!) 0:25:10 Prototype vs. Final cosmetic & consumer feedback 0:28:30 WHEN WILL GROMMETS BE AVAILABLE?!?!? 0:29:10 What is the best string set up for the SHIFT racquets?! 0:31:10 What players are you targeting for the Shift racquets? Who should be using Shift?! 0:33:00 Michelle's playtest feedback 0:34:15 How the prototype changed due to feedback and what the racquet now offers 0:35:00 "Will more versions of the SHIFT racquets come out in 2023?" 0:37:10 Any fun stories to share from the journey of SHIFT?! & how many prototypes were there?! 0:41:20 "blind" playtesting 0:43:30 Why you should try SHIFT no matter what :) Thank you for listening! If you have any further questions or want to continue the conversation?! Email us at podcast@tennis-warehouse.com   Shop with us for all your TENNIS needs all over the WORLD:

In the final episode of Racquet Fuel Season 1, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale continue the conversation with Chris Gale for the second part of the Gale brothers story. They discuss various broad topics such Prince Woodie, Ash Barty's cricket game and first jobs. They delve into the definition of leadership and the responsibilities that come with it, highlighting the importance of work-life balance. The conversation explores the differences between being a professional player and being a leader, strategies for attracting and retaining top talent, and the future of racquet sports and the role of a Director of Racquets. The secret sauce to success is revealed, and the episode concludes with a reflection on the blending of business and personal life in the tennis world.Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

In its June issue, Club + Resort Business released its annual rankings of the top racquet facilities. The racquet facilities at The Philadelphia Cricket Club in Philadelphia, Pa. earned the No. 1 ranking in C+RB's recognition program. In this episode of Club + Resort Talks, C+RB Senior Editor Phil Keren spoke with Boris Fetbroyt, the club's Director of Racquets, Rich Wade, the club's Director of Squash and Padel, and Lila Smith, the club's Director of Communications, to learn more about The Philadelphia Cricket Club. The trio discussed what it meant to them to receive the honor, how important the member experience is to the club, and what they do to keep members engaged and interacting with one another. In addition to an informative discussion with Fetbroyt, Wade and Smith, Phil also spoke with Club + Resort Business Editor Rob Thomas about some of the latest news stories happening in the industry. Phil and Rob discussed the story which grabbed headlines throughout the world this week: the PGA Tour, LIV Golf Tour and DP World Tour are planning to join forces in a partnership under a separate commercial entity. Phil and Rob shared their thoughts about this new deal and touched on how it might affect the club industry. They also talked about C+RB's recently completed Ideas issue, which can now be viewed at clubandresortbusiness.com and is now available in print. Some of the stories in the 17th Annual Ideas Issue include: Champions Run in Omaha, Neb. hosting a variety of games and activities at its pool every day under the title “The Show”; and employees at the Club at Admirals Cove in Jupiter, Fla. performing service projects such as a beach clean-up, school supply drive and food sorting at a food bank.

We talk the founder of the Cracked Racquets empire - Dalton Thieneman. Dalton grew up in southern Indiana and won a Kentucky HS team title while at St. Xavier. After college, Dalton saw a need for tennis media coverage below the ATP/WTA levels so started a blog and podcast to highlight those players. Today Cracked Racquests is changing the tennis media landscape, led by Dalton's vision and hustle.

In this episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale speak with Craig Morris, the USTA's Chief Executive for Community Tennis. Morris provides updates and insights into the USTA's plans and initiatives for addressing challenges in the recruitment and hiring of leaders in the racquets industry. He also shares his personal journey from tennis player to coach and leadership development and offers mentorship advice for aspiring industry leaders. Kim and Simon discuss Morris's strategies for developing leadership competencies, career opportunities for young tennis professionals, growth and retention strategies for the sport, and the USTA's role in complementary sports. Morris highlights the shortage of coaches in the tennis industry and the potential industry leaders who can help fill that gap, while discussing the USTA's support for local game development.Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a PTR- or USPTA-Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

Max is the Director of Racquets at the Boathouse & Field Club in Martha's Vineyard! Max has been directing programs for the last 14 years at clubs like the Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, NY, Aspetuck Valley Country Club in Wesport CT, and the Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT.  Max has also taught at some amazing clubs like the Breakers in Palm Beach, The Jupiter Island Club and The Westmoor Club in Nantucket.He is a professional platform tennis player with dozens of titles and he has held a ranking as high as number 3 in the country. Max is also the owner of L'Academie Elite Paddle Camps. We talked about his career path, paddle, and we had a candid conversation about the compensation system in the tennis teaching industry, how to handle difficult situations, and how important it is to set BOUNDARIES! Learn from one of the best out there, only here at Vida Tennis! Please remember to show us some love by rating/reviewing our show, and subscribing so you won't miss our weekly episodes! SUPPORT VIDA TENNIS/ Leave a voicemail: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jennifer-gelhaus MERCH: https://vida-tennis-pop-up-store.printify.me/products/1 WEBSITE: www.vidatennispodcast.com EMAIL: ⁠⁠vidatennispodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠ SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.facebook.com/people/Vida-Tennis/100092214093468/ https://www.instagram.com/vidatennispodcast --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jennifer-gelhaus/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jennifer-gelhaus/support

On Episode 277 of The Tennis Files Podcast, Mehrban and Tennis Express playtester and content writer Sam Jones will talk about the 8 racquets I'm testing to choose my next stick. Sam has always been fascinated by new racquet and string technologies and how they can help players improve their games and avoid injury. This passion led him to a position at one of the largest online tennis retailers in the world, Tennis Express, as a content writer and playtester. This is Sam's third appearance on the podcast, as I previously interviewed him on Episode 103 and Episode 222. Sam was also certified as a Master Racquet Technician in 2011. He was a 4 year member of The Southwestern University Men's Tennis Team (2001-2005), and served as a team captain during his junior and senior seasons. Sam achieved All-SCAC (southern collegiate athletic conference) status his senior year, and then began a 10+ year coaching career. On the show, you'll learn the top 8 racquets that Sam and I picked for me to playtest, the unveiling of my racquet bracket, our initial impressions about each racquet, our predictions for which racquets will make it the farthest in the bracket, and much more! I hope you enjoy my interview with Sam! Let us know what you think about this episode in the comments below! And be sure to subscribe to Tennis Files to receive the latest tennis content to improve your game straight to your inbox! Tennis Express Tennis Files YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices