Seminars

Each year the seminars and activities offered at the symposium are carefully considered. New seminars are added and existing presentations are modified based on leader input and feedback from previous attendees. The goal is to provide a unique experience for all involved and to insure that everyone has a great experience. Here’s a look at what to expect from the 2010 seminars.

“Patterns & Techniques” is new for 2010 and will be conducted by Ron Rocchi of Wilson Racquet Sports and Grant Morgan. This is an in depth and highly interactive 4 hour seminar that will explore various stringing patterns and techniques used by many of the best stringers in the industry today. The low student to teacher ratio (3 to 1) ensures that each person will be challenged at their given skill level. All participants will be using their own Wilson BAIARDO stringing machine and will receive personal attention and instruction from Ron & Grant during the session.

Racquet customization is a subject of interest to many racquet technicians but one that presents a variety of challenges. In 2010 we have completely changed the way racquet customization will be presented. Divided into two parts, diagnostic equipment and handle modification, each topic will be covered more in depth and focus on the specific elements required to get the job done.We’ve also added two expanded and much more intense 4 hour customization sessions to be held on Wednesday for those who want to expand their customizing skills further.  

“Diagnostic Equipment” will be led by John Gugel and will zero in on various pieces of equipment like the Babolat RDC and other apparatus used to take various measurements. In addition to learning how to properly use the equipment John will also show you how to take the data gathered and apply it to everyday situations as they pertain to working with your players.

“Handle Modification” is a new presentation for 2010 conducted by Bob Patterson. This class will focus on learning all aspects of grip/handle modification from simple grip re-sizing using heat shrink sleeves to covering the more advanced techniques such as creating custom shapes. One of the topics most often asked about in handle modification deals with custom molding so in this session Bob will also have a discussion and show some slides on the custom molding process. This will be an informal session where each participant will be given the opportunity to have some hands-on time to test their skills.

“Natural Gut” will be presented by Tim Strawn and Dave Bone. Handling and installing this string has proven to be a challenge for many technicians. When asked how many actually string natural gut in their shops at a previous symposium very few hands were raised. When asked why the answer was that the technicians were uncomfortable working with it. The goal of this class is to give stringers a whole new perspective and confidence in working with natural gut.

“Machine Repair & Maintenance” is very important for any technician looking to produce consistent results with their equipment. Mark Gonzalez of Alpha Racquet Sports and J.C. Carpentier of Tennis Machines, the official service center for Prince, will be conducting this presentation. Stringing machine calibration, clamp adjustments, general cleaning, adjusting manual spring type tension heads, linear gripper maintenance, warranty issues, self repair vs manufacturer repair and much more will be covered.

Using the “USRSA Online Resources” is presented by Dave Bone, USRSA Executive Director. This is a class that is specifically geared towards teaching you how to use the interactive online tools provided on the USRSA’s web site. Attendees will learn how to use the racquet selector, string selector, racquet customizer, and racquet optimizer tools, and how to effectively use the digest search feature.

“The Science of Strings” with John Gugel takes you on a journey into the manufacturing world of racquet strings. Understanding your product is vital to knowing exactly what string will work best in any situation and this class will give you the knowledge to do that. Learn what strings to pick and why for a particular application. Understanding the composite make-up of strings can give you a decided advantage when dealing with various player types and styles.

“Customer Service” is the key to success for any business but it’s become a lost art in today’s fast paced consumer society.  This creates an opening that can be very beneficial to your business and GSS owner & symposium founder Tim Strawn will show you how you can improve your customer service in ways you never thought imaginable. If your competitors provide terrible customer service here’s your opportunity to learn how to take advantage of that while at the same time improving your own bottom line.

“Hybrid Stringing” With an unlimited amount of options to choose from is it any wonder stringers are confused about exactly what strings work best in hybrid combinations? Hybrid stringing has become more and more popular in recent years at all levels including the professional tour. With top players using hybrids it’s no surprise that more recreational players are asking more questions about hybrids. This seminar led by John Elliot is designed to help the stringer become more proficient at combining strings for custom hybrids to better serve their players.

“Marketing to New Profits” is a new class that was first presented in 2009 by Bob Patterson . Whether you operate a home stringing business, a large full-service tennis store or something in-between, Bob will show you how to increase your revenue flow through creative marketing. Bob presents basic marketing principles and shows participants how to adapt and apply them to specific business models. The tennis business is a niche market and requires a unique marketing approach to be successful. New and existing businesses will both benefit from this insightful seminar.

“The Basics of Stringing” will be led by Tim Strawn & John Gugel and is a must for anyone who is learning to string. Tim & John will cover a wide variety of topics designed to give you the confidence needed to produce a great string job from start to finish. Everything you need to know from inspecting the racquet and proper machine set-up to the finished product–this is a “must attend” class if you seek to improve your basic skills as a stringer.

In 2009 Prince sponsored the first ever symposium “Speed Stringing Contest”. With a total of 8 competitors the speed stringing contest was without a doubt one of the most popular events at the 2009 symposium. Eventual winner Vasiliy Guryanov won a prize package from Prince that included: 1 racqet of his choice (he chose the EXO3 Ignite Team), 1 pair of shoes (T22), 6 sets of Premier 16 string, EXO3 Backpack, and he was also given the racqet that he strung in the final round of competition. Vasiliy strung a Prince frame with an 18 x 20 pattern using all polyester string in under 14 minutes to claim first prize. Runner-up in the speed stringing contest was Adam Hunter.

“USRSA Certification” is offered at the GSS symposium for those who wish to certify as an MRT (Master Racquet Technician) or CS (Certified Stringer). Participants can also do upgrades of existing certifications. The certification sessions are held on Wednesday which allows attendees the opportunity to attend any and all symposium seminars Sunday through Tuesday in an effort to sharpen and learn new skills before testing.

“Round Table Discussions” was something that was widely requested and added in 2009. In 2010 we have added even more sessions with one on Sunday, another on Monday, and a wrap-up discussion on Tuesday night. We’ve also added an open forum discussion with USRSA Director Dave Bone during the day on Monday.

Is it time to restring? “Racquet Tracker Software” is the most complete software program ever devised for the racquet technician. Developed by MRT John Gugel this program has email capabilities that can notify your customers when it’s time to restring or tell them when their racquet is done and ready for pickup-whatever your needs this program does it all. Keep accurate records on all the work you do for individual customers and recall previous string jobs with the click of a mouse. RT has fields to input data from many popular devices such as the Babolat RDC and the Beers ERT units that will provide you with important information at your fingertips.

“Business Planning 1 & 2″ is a new presentation in the 2010 lineup. Presented in two parts, this is an important class for anyone who runs and manages their own business. Led by a professional financial planner from Ameriprise Financial and a certified public accountant, all your business questions will be answered in this comprehensive 3 hour presentation.

“Next Generation Polyester” Is poly right for you? How about the players you string for? While polyester seems to be the choice of many touring pros these days Dave Malinowski of Prince Sports will teach you the important facts you need to know about co-polymer strings. Various ways of stringing polyester, how the string is made, the different materials used and how to work with this string will be covered as well.

“Garage to the Storefront” will take you on an insightful view of how to start your busines no matter what your aspirations are. Whether you desire a home based business or a brick and mortar storefront this class covers it all. Bob Patterson will cover topics such as how to evaluate your business, develop goals for expansion, design a business plan, and planning for future growth.

“Open Stringing” is a new addition at the 2010 symposium. Past attendees asked for more time to string and we listened so this year we added special sessions just for that purpose. Machines will be available during this time and seminar leaders and manufacturer reps will be available to assist and answer questions. This is not a structured format but rather, an “open” stringing time. This time is provided to give you an opportunity to string on a variety of machines that you wouldn’t normally get to use plus it’s a great time to get together with your peers to share and exchange stringing ideas and techniques.