The Champions Program Partners with HEAD Penn Racquet Sports
COLLEGE PARK, MD -- The Junior Tennis Champions Center, a not-for-profit junior development program located in College Park MD, today announced an official partnership with sports equipment leader HEAD Penn Racquet Sports. The three-year agreement will see Penn become the official tennis ball of the Junior Tennis Champions Center, and HEAD Racquets become an official program
racquet sponsor.
"HEAD Penn has consistently been one of the top tennis racquet and equipment manufacturers over the past 30 years," said Martin Blackman, Director of the Champions Program, "Our players love HEAD racquets, and Penn is a great ball. A partnership with an industry leader like HEAD Penn brings us one step closer to our goal of establishing our program as the best in the world. Whether it is on the court or in the classroom, our program is all about excellence."
New Line Delivers "Hole" New Look and Makes Immediate Impact at Tour Level
Bordentown, NJ - May 29, 2008 - Tennis players are continuously faced with equipment choices. When it comes to their feet, the right shoes can lead to better footwork, which leads to more wins. Over the past few seasons, Prince has brought to market some of the sport's most popular, high-quality footwear and now has more models among the top 15 best-sellers than any other brand*. Now, after months of exhaustive design and validation trials among competitive players, Prince is launching O Series and in the process is taking footwear to a "hole" new level.
O Series builds on the success of the original M Series line by delivering improved Precision Tube technology which rounds the tubes for maximum energy return - providing quicker acceleration and improved footwork. This second generation Precision Tube technology also provides greater shock absorption for a smoother, more stable ride. O Series is available in two versions: the OV1 for a slightly firmer ride while optimizing ventilation and breathability and the OC1 with lighter gauge Precision Tubes for a softer, more cushiony ride.
"Prince continues to succeed in footwear by understanding what tennis players need," said John Embree, President of Prince Americas. "Today, more players around the world are walking into tennis shops or looking online for Prince footwear. We are excited to introduce O Series as we look to bring the best quality products to players and continue to grow our footwear category."
O Series saw immediate on court success when Nikolay Davydenko, who is extremely particular about his equipment, decided to lace up a pair of OV1's for the Sony Ericsson Open after trying many other brands. Davydenko went on to capture the biggest title of his career - making for quite an on-court debut for the new line. More recently, at the start of this year's French Open, approximately twenty ATP and WTA players took to the red clay of Roland Garros wearing O Series footwear.
Both the OV1 and the OC1, for men and women and the OC1 for juniors are now available in the United States wherever Prince tennis products are sold.
Pricing
- Men's and women's OV1 and OC1 - SRP: $110
- Junior OC1 - SRP: $60
"Players should be careful about what equipment they put on their feet since the right footwear can not only make the on-court experience more enjoyable, but can be the difference between winning and losing," said George Poulos, Senior Category Manager for Footwear at Prince. "Some players like to "feel the court" more than others. Some like a shoe with more ventilation. O Series provides options for players depending on personal preference. In the end, the shoe needs to fit perfectly, look great and enable players to achieve their best results." Check out Prince Footwear here
We're digging the Roland Garros Abilene women's yellow top. Contrasting black and white edging.Roland Garros printed on the front in black lettering. 100% cotton and a great cut.
Tennis Equipment Q & A - How to grip a tennis racket
Q. How do I grip a tennis racket? How do I hold a tennis racket?
A: There are 4 widely used types of tennis racket grips.
1. Eastern Forehand Grip: Most beginners are taught this basic, but classic, grip. Start by placing your palm on the side plane of the handle on a parallel plane to the strings and grip the racket. Keep your wrist straight but not stiff. Hold the racket out to your side, even with the hip, and notice that the face of the racket is vertical but ready to tilt (by rotating your wrist) for slicing the ball. With a classic swing style, the Eastern Forehand Grip works quite well for hitting topspin, lending versatility to this grip style. It should be noted, however, that the Western and Semi-Western grips have become more popular among pros.
2. Semi-Western Forehand Grip: This grip style is replacing the Eastern Forehand Grip on the pro tour thanks to its ability to create topspin and return balls with a high bounce. If slicing the ball is what you're after, you may find this grip to be a bit uncomfortable. The reason is that the plane of the strings assumes a natural down angle because you grip the racket handle on the lower slant 45-degree bevel. This forces you to hit the ball farther forward and more sharply upward in comparison with the Eastern Forehand Grip, resulting in natural topspin. Look closely the next time you view a pro match on TV and you'll notice how much topspin the players put on the ball.
3. Western Forehand Grip: Looking for a really big down angle to the racket face to create lots of topspin? Try the Western Forehand Grip. You actually grip the racket on the bottom plane of the racket handle so you are forced to swing upward in a fast, sharp manner, far out in front of your body as compared with the Eastern Forehand Grip. Some drawbacks to this grip are the inability to hit the slice and extreme difficulty to hit flat. Also, hitting low balls is tougher than hitting high ones with the Western Forehand Grip.
4. Continental Forehand Grip: The Continental Forehand Grip takes your palm to the upper, rather than lower, 45-degree bevel (basically the opposite of the Semi-Western Forehand Grip). Rather than tilt down, the racket face will tilt up, making it easier to slice the ball but difficult to place topspin on the ball. One drawback is that hitting the ball flat means you have to meet it farther back, putting you in a weaker position. Given the prominence of topspin in the modern game, the Continental Forehand Grip is less popular on the pro tour than it was when the US Open and Australian Open, in addition to Wimbledon, were played on grass - the ideal surface for the Continental grip.
Adidas is going to launch an apparel and accessories collection named after Indian tennis up-and-comer Sania Mirza - the aptly named "Sania Mirza collection" will come out under the 'adidas' brand. This is the first time that Adidas will globally roll out a dedicated merchandise line after a tennis star. The Sania Mirza line will include apparel, headgear, accessories, bags and sporting gear; and it will be targeted at consumers in the 15-27 years age group.
This could be a really big win for adidas is Sania continues to perform well I think.
Check out this Kia ad. If you're a sci-fi geek you'll notice the Voltron references big time. Apparently Kia is recalling it's ad for containing some innappropriate content. I don't see it. The content is weird but I don't see it as inappropriate. Then again I suppose Nadal shoving his foot up the a#$ of a mini Nadal midget while transforming into a anime style super robot was a little over the top...
At AndyRoddick.com, there is a blog post about his new Lacoste threads. Obviously written by a Lacost representative, or someone in Roddick's camp who doesn't understand how to communicate about clothing on the Web, there are no pictures. Yawn. Read the post
We joined last week and have been enjoying the conversations, connections and general tennis-goodness. Check it out, join today and get into the community. Click here for more
We'll let Tennis Served Fresh decide whether Karl Lagerfeld is trying to kill us with his carbon fiber racquet. All we know is that Chanel has no business making tennis racquets.
The French Open starts today (may have already kicked off), here are my picks:
Women: Jelena Jankovic
Men: Roger Federer (yes, you read it right I said Roger Federer...I believe the bear has been poked one too many times, and with the new coach he's still the best player in the world)
It wouldn't be a grand slam without the Nike/Sharapova fashion show. Here's her new dress - its very nice, clean lines, classic. We like it a lot. Looks like Sharapova was on a bender the night before this photo was taken, but we're not complaining...
05/23/08 - Kennelbach, Austria - HEAD announced that the company has re-signed an agreement with tennis star Andy Murray. The partnership will continue through end of 2011.
The contract signing took place on May 20th in London with Executive Director of Global Sales Jeremy Sherwood in attendance.
Murray, who plays with the MicroGEL Radical MP, holds a current ranking of No. 11 in the South African Airways ATP rankings.
"I've enjoyed tremendous success on the ATP tour with my HEAD racquet," said Murray. "I'm looking forward to playing with the Radical for years to come."
Murray added: "I trust my racquet. HEAD produces fantastic products and is the most used brand among the top 100 players on the ATP tour. HEAD's technical competence fulfils the needs of today's pros and I look forward to continuing this successful relationship."
"HEAD is one of the most well-known tennis brands in the world and has a long tradition of success with pros such as Arthur Ashe, Guillermo Vilas and Andre Agassi. We know Andy will continue this tradition," said Johan Eliasch. "Pros like Andy help us continue to develop innovative products and strengthen the brand."
A native of Dunblane, Scotland, Murray began playing tennis at the age of three. The 21-year-old has five ATP titles under his belt, including recent wins at the 2008 Doha and Marseille championships.
If you liked the new/old Nike Air Trainers I posted about recently, you'll love these - Nike Air Tech Challenge II Limited Edition in White / Tart - Clay Blue - Granite. They're expected to release in June.
This is a very cool ad for Lacoste. Still pushing its 75th anniversary, they're launching a new "Lacoste Future" website which juxtaposes the old (Rene Lacoste footage) with the video below of what tennis might be like in 2083.
New Pro Penn+ Features Encore Technology and LongPlay Felt
Penn introduces its new Pro Penn+ tennis ball, featuring new LongPlay® felt for 25% longer wear* and 19% greater visibility*. New Pro Penn+ also continues to feature Encore Technology™ for a 33% longer lasting core*, making the ball play like new longer. This new innovation takes this popular, tournament-quality ball and makes it even more technologically advanced and beneficial for tennis players.
LongPlay Felt is Pro Penn's new felt that lasts 25% longer* than original Pro Penn. It also has a stain-resistant property, keeping the ball cleaner longer. A key benefit to the new LongPlay felt is that it plays exactly the same as original Pro Penn felt, but just wears longer - therefore maintaining all the positive properties that have made this ball a top-performer from Penn - America's #1 selling ball. In addition, this ball still features brighter felt for ultimate visibility on-court. You can see from the chart details below how LongPlay felt is longer lasting than original Pro Penn.
This ball continues to include Encore Technology™ - Pro Penn's unique core compound that uses a proprietary blend of natural and man-made polymers to limit ball softening. The core stays fresher longer and therefore "plays like new" longer.
"Penn continues to lead the market in innovation with the introduction of new Pro Penn+. We now offer the complete package of a ball that lasts longer from the inside out - from core to felt. The clear benefit to tennis players is to have the ball they know and love last even that much longer - through the most rigorous of lessons, practice sessions or tournament matches," says Jennifer Parker, Business Manager for Penn Tennis Balls.
Pro Penn has been the official ball of the USPTA for over 35 years and is the longest running endorsement in tennis history. Pro Penn+ will be available in July 2008 and will be sold exclusively at pro/specialty shops around the country. Penn continues to be the only tennis ball Made in the USA.
Tennis Equipment Q & A - What string tension should I use?
Q. What string tension should I use?
A: Are you looking for more distance on your shots or more control over them? Generally, if you string at the lower end of your racquet's recommended tension range, the same stroke will make the ball fly farther. Adjust string tension according to desired effect. Low tension = deeper shots. High tension = shorter shots.
At any given swing speed, higher string tensions improve control. High tension = better control. Low tension = less control.
According to the National Sporting Goods Association, tennis participation in 2007 (as measured by playing at least once a year) is up 28.1% from 2003. In 2003 there were 9.6 million tennis participants, in 2007 there were 12.3 million.
I wore the originals back in the 80's, they looked a little different and weren't the most durable, but they were super comfortable and I loved the look. The next gen of these came out in 2004 and retailed for $110. These will be at $80 (nice) and it has Johnny Mac's face embroider on the tongue.
Prince PPI Program Crowns First World Team Champion
05/15/08 - Bordentown, NJ - The inaugural Prince Plugged In (PPI) World Team Championships have come and gone and the first academy name is now engraved on the World Championship team trophy. In four years, the ground-breaking PPI program has revolutionized junior competition, training, education and overall development, by connecting nearly fifty of the world's most elite high-performance tennis academies into one seamless network both on the courts and on-line. Last week, for the first time in the program's history, Prince brought together five of the world's most elite junior training academies to Rome for a week of competition, training, education and cultural exchanges - a way for academies to measure themselves against other parts of the world and to truly determine which academy deserves the title "best of the best".
Competing were:
• United States PPI Champion: T Bar M Academy, Dallas, Texas
• Spain PPI Champion: Tenis Val, Valencia, Spain
• Italy PPI Champion: Club Sant' Agnese, Rome, Italy
• United Kingdom PPI Champion: Totally Tennis, Basingstroke, England
• United States PPI Runner-Up: IMG/Bollettieri Academy, Bradenton, Florida
Self-Designed Black Knight Racquet and Ashaway String Help David Palmer to 4th British Open Crown
Ashaway, RI -- The fourth time was the sweetest for Squash great David Palmer. Confounding critics who said the 31-year-old Australian would no longer be able to compete for major titles, the fifth-seeded Palmer beat England's James Willstrop in an epic final to claim his fourth British Open men's squash title in Liverpool. The match proved to be one of the most dramatic in the 80-year history of the prestigious event and a major boost for the Lithgow, NSW, native, who had slipped from No. 2 to No. 6 in the world rankings after moving to the US with his young family.
Wilson Thanks Justine Henin for Her Dedication and Success
First adidas, now Wilson - Henin's top sponsors say their piece regarding the retiring champion:
Top Wilson athlete, Justine Henin announced her retirement from the game of tennis and went out on top as not many can-- #1 in the world. On Wednesday, as Henin's abrupt departure suprised the tennis world, it only left an appropriate moment to reflect on a player who has no doubt left a mark in the history of tennis. Henin leaves with an exceptional record including 493 wins in her 10 year professional career, and 41 titles. There have been 7 Grand Slam wins: Australian Open in 2004, French Open in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, and the US Open in 2003, 2007.
Lots of colors (White, Black, Navy, White with Black Side Stripes, White with Navy Side Stripes) and 100% micropoly. These short rock - I want a pair for adults!
May Monthly Roundup
Continue reading: 
