Here - IRT Tour

INTERNATIONAL
RACQUETBALL TOUR
ISSUE 1 | YEAR 2010
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11.
Waselenchuk Goes Undefeated in 2009-2010 IRT Season
2009-2010 Season Ending Rankings
2010 Mexico Open
2010-2011 IRT Schedule
Interviews with Ben Croft and Chris Crowther
All About Strings & Stringing - Racquetball Warehouse
IRT Board of Directors
Shari Coplen Accepts Position as IRT's Director of Community and Player Relations
Tecnifibre Becomes Official String of the IRT
Championship Racquetball with Fran Davis
IRT Rule Changes for 2010-2011 Season
WASELENCHUK GOES UNDEFEATED IN 2009-2010 IRT SEASON
By Evan Pritchard
Kane Waselenchuk continued
to amaze the racquetball world
in the 2009-2010 International
Racquetball Tour (IRT) season,
becoming the first men's
professional in racquetball
history to have an undefeated
season. In accomplishing the
feat, he lost only three games,
while winning 102, and never
had to play a tie-breaker to win
a match. Those numbers are
mind-blowing.
And when you look at his career
numbers, it only gets more
amazing. Waselenchuk's now
been the IRT season end #1
five times, tying him with Sudsy
Monchik and Mike Yellen. Only
Cliff Swain has more year
ending #1 titles with six.
Waselenchuk's 40 career titles
put him 4th on the IRT career
victories list behind Swain (71),
Marty Hogan (60) and Monchik
(43), but he's done it in only 80
tournaments! (Waselenchuk's
o n l y 3 0 t h i n I RT c a r e e r
appearances).
Yes, you're reading that
correctly: Waselenchuk's won
half of the IRT events he's
entered: 50% winning
percentage! Only Hogan is
even close to that with 39.5%
(60 wins in 152 appearances).
Monchik's at 31.4% (43/137),
with Swain at 26.5% (71/268) and
Jack Huczek at 24.6% (28/114).
Given his current form,
Waselenchuk's percentage could
well go higher.
Waselenchuk's season was
highlighted by his record setting
5th U.S. Open title, breaking the
tie he had with Monchik, and in
doing so, he didn't lose a game.
Called by some the King of
Memphis, the U.S. Open host
city, Waselenchuk hasn't lost a
match there since 2002. He'll look
carry that success to
Minneapolis, where the U.S.
Open will be in October 2010.
Only illness kept Waselenchuk
from completing running the
table, as he missed one IRT event
- the Kentucky Open - due to the
flu. Kentucky was won by Jason
Mannino, who defeated IRT #2
Jack Huczek in a final match
performance that must be ranked
as one of Mannino's best, as he
suffered a left calf injury during
the third game and looked to be
done. But in the style that has
epitomized his career, Mannino
forced himself back on the court,
and found a way to win.
It's a style that won't be seen on
court next year, as Mannino
retires from regular tournament
play to focus his energy on the
position of IRT President that he
took over from Dave Negrete in
November 2009. Negrete
accomplished much during his
eight year tenure as
Commissioner, bringing stability
to the IRT and establishing a solid
base for growth. Mannino's task
is to move the IRT forward from
that base.
If Mannino has a fraction of the
success as president that he had
as a player, then the IRT will be
well served. Mannino won 22 IRT
events in a career that spanned
15 seasons. He's one of four
players (with Monchik, Swain and
Waselenchuk) to win the U.S.
Open twice, doing so in 1999 and
2006. Mannino was the #1 IRT
player in 2003. All in all it's a pretty
good record for someone who
was in a life threatening car
accident at age 18.
Two other players who made a
mark in '09-10 were Ben Croft
and Jose Rojas. Croft had a late
start to the season due to a
suspension for unsporting
conduct at the last event of the
'08-09 season, but he quickly
made up for it by reaching the
semi-finals of the U.S. Open for
the first time and ending the
season with his first career final
appearance at the Mexico Open.
Rojas established himself as a
top 10 player in '09-10, and he
won the 18 & under World Junior
title for the 2nd time in 2009. That
feat is significant, as 3 of the 4
players who have multiple 18 &
under titles (Monchik, Huczek &
Rocky Carson) have been the #1
IRT player. Croft is the fourth
player, so Rojas and Croft are
arguably the two youngest
players with the brightest
racquetball futures.
Honorable mentions to Juan
Herrera, who stepped up his
game this season to make the
quarter finals in three different
tournaments, Chris Crowther,
who made the quarters in every
event and then in the last event of
season went one better and
reached the semi-finals for the
first time in his career, and Alvaro
Beltran, who got to the
semi-finals at the Mexico Open in
his first appearance on tour after
suffering a severe knee injury.
Those performances all bode
well for the 2010-2011 IRT
season, but it's more excellence
from Waselenchuk that we
should be looking forward to,
because quality like that doesn't
come along very often.
It's like lightning in a bottle, and
everyone should try to see the
brilliance while they can.
2009 2010 SEASON
ENDING RANKINGS
Rank
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15
#16
#17
#18
#19
#20
Player
Kane Waselenchuk
Jack Huczek
Rocky Carson
Jason Mannino
Shane Vanderson
Ben Croft
Chris Crowther
Mitch Williams
Andy Hawthorne
Jose Rojas
Charlie Pratt
Kris Odegard
Juan Herrera
Javier Moreno
Alejandro Landa
Anthony Herrera
Cliff Swain
Hiroshi Shimizu
Alejandro Herrera
Travis Woodbury
Points
3668
2554
2370
2269
1890
1758
1748
1511
1309
976
930
926
855
766
725
663
636
623
570
563
Waselenchuk is the first player to
go undefeated in a men's
professional racquetball season.
Previously, one match loss was
the best anyone had done.
Waselenchuk did that last
season, as he only lost to Alvaro
Beltran at the California Open in
January 2009. Marty Hogan had
back to back one loss seasons in
1977-78 and 1978-79, and Brett
Harnett only lost once in the
shortened season of 1988-89.
Waselenchuk now has 40 IRT
wins, which is an astonishing
50% of the IRT events he has
entered. Forty wins puts him in
4th all time in career IRT wins
behind Cliff Swain with 71, Marty
Hogan at 60, and Sudsy Monchik
at 43.
Waselenchuk's impressive play
over the past two seasons has
many people debating whether
he's the best ever. Such debates
are unresolvable, of course, but
his record and performances
certainly deserve consideration
with the likes of Hogan, Swain,
and Monchik.
2010 MEXICO OPEN
Kane Waselenchuk finished the
2009-2010 International
Racquetball Tour (IRT) season
unbeaten over the 8 tournaments
that he played. His victory against
Ben Croft in the final match of the
Mexico Open held April 15-18 in
Tijuana, Mexico was in
convincing fashion, 11-2, 11-3,
11-1. In fact, Waselenchuk only
lost three games over the entire
season for an incredible 102-3
(97%) game W-L record.
anterior cruciate ligament in his
right knee last August. His
performance was impressive, as
he defeated Jason Mannino and
Mitch Williams to reach the
semi-finals, where he lost to
Croft. Beltran's return to match
fitness gives Mexico back its best
player heading into the
International Racquetball
Federation (IRF) World
Championships this August.
Beltran won that competition in
2000.
Waselenchuk was not the only
player to achieve a first down in
Tijuana, as both Ben Croft and
Chris Crowther established new
personal bests in Mexico. Croft
appeared in an IRT final for the
first time in his young career, and
Crowther made the semi-finals
for the first time. These are
performances they will certainly
want to build on over the summer
in preparing for next season.
Alvaro Beltran also had a first in
Tijuana, as he played his first
tournament since injuring his
Amid all these firsts there was
also a last in Tijuana, Jason
Mannino played his last IRT
match, as he's retiring to focus on
being the IRT President, a
position he was appointed to in
November. That position has left
Mannino unable to train as much
as he normally would, but as the
only player other than
Waselenchuk to win a
tournament this season, he's
clearly retiring as one of the top
players - and will go down as one
of the best of all time.
Mannino's exit was somewhat
surprising in its timing though, as
he lost in the Round of 16, which
was the only time he'd lost out in
the 16s this season, having
reached 5 semi-finals, 2 quarter
finals and that win at the
Kentucky Open in Bowling
Green. But in Mexico Mannino
was a victim of Beltran's return,
as Beltran qualified to face
Mannino in the 16s. It was a close
match, but Mannino came out on
the short end, losing 11-8, 10-12,
12-10, 11-8.
So, adios Señor Mannino! If all
you do as president is pass along
your playing intensity and work
ethic to the rest of the players,
then the IRT will be in good
shape.
The IRT thanks all the sponsors
of the 2010 Mexico Open,
including the first class "Grand
Hotel Tijuana", Farmacias Roma,
Femco, IMDET, Gob BC, IRT
Partners - Gearbox, E Force, Pro
Kennex, Ektelon, Head/Penn,
Tecnifibre, IRT Network, and
Racquetball Warehouse.
The IRT would also like to thank
Jorge Ramos Jr., the event host
for his generous hospitality
throughout the week. Tijuana
Mayor Jorge Ramos Sr., an avid
racquetball player and owner of
the club was on hand to watch
many of the pro matches. We
Mexico Open, Tijuana
April 15-18, 2010
Final
Kane Waselenchuk d. Ben Croft, 11-2, 11-3, 11-1
Semi finals
Kane Waselenchuk d. Chris Crowther, 11-7, 11-4, 11-2
Ben Croft d. Alvaro Beltran, 13-11, 11-4, 11-4
Quarter finals
Kane Waselenchuk d. Andy Hawthorne, 11-3, 11-1, 11-5
Chris Crowther d. Shane Vanderson, 11-1, 11-5, 5-11, 11-8
Alvaro Beltran d. Mitch Williams, 11-13, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7, 4-4 injury forfeit
Ben Croft d. Rocky Carson, 11-1, 4-11, 11-9, 4-11, 12-10
Round of 16
Kane Waselenchuk d. Cliff, 11-0, 11-2, 11-2
Andy Hawthorne d. Kris Odegard, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-5
Chris Crowther d. Juan Herrera, 11-1, 11-1, 9-11, 11-9
Shane Vanderson d. Hiroshi Shimizu, 11-7, 11-1, 11-4
Alvaro Beltran d. Jason Mannino, 11-8, 10-12, 12-10, 11-8
Mitch Williams d. Charlie Pratt, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4
Ben Croft d. Javier Moreno, 11-5, 11-1, 11-2
Rocky Carson d. Anthony Herrera, 11-2, 11-4, 11-3
appreciate the efforts of the
Ramos family to grow racquetball
in Mexico. Their facility "Club Rio
Racquetball" is gorgeous,
boasting 9 glass courts - and the
entire front of the club is glass,
giving it an extremely authentic
feel. Special thanks to Frank and
Sinuhe for their efforts in running
the event.
Matches from the 2010 Mexico
Open and all the IRT events this
season can be viewed at the IRT
Network web site:
International Racquetball Tour
2010-2011 Schedule
SEPTEMBER 9-12
SEPTEMBER 15-19
SEPTEMBER 30-OCT 3
OCTOBER 1-3
OCTOBER 8-10
OCTOBER 8-10
OCTOBER 8-10
OCTOBER 15-17
OCTOBER 20-24
OCTOBER 29-31
NOVEMBER 4-7
NOVEMBER 5-7
NOVEMBER 5-7
NOVEMBER 5-7
NOVEMBER 11-14
NOVEMBER 15-20
NOVEMBER18-21
NOVEMBER 20-22
DECEMBER 3-6
DECEMBER 3-6
DECEMBER 9-12
JANUARY 6-9
JANUARY 13-16
JANUARY 20-23
JANUARY 21-23
JANUARY 21-23
JANUARY 27-30
JANUARY 27-30
FEBRUARY 4-6
FEBRUARY 11-13
FEBRUARY 9-13
FEBRUARY 17-20
FEBRUARY 17-20
FEBRUARY 24- 27
MARCH 3-5
MARCH 3-5
MARCH 10-13
MARCH 17-19
MARCH 18-20
MARCH 24-27
MARCH 25-27
APRIL 7-10
APRIL14-17
APRIL 21-24
APRIL 21-24
MAY 6-8
MAY 19-22
MAY 25-29
JUNE 10-12
JULY 22-24
GHOST OF GEORGETOWN - KANSAS CITY, KS (T1)
CALI COLUMBIA GRAND SLAM - CALI, COLUMBIA (GS)
SAN DIEGO RACQUET HOUSE IRT Pro/Am - SAN DIEGO, CA (T1)
KITCHENER CLASSIC - KITCHENER, CANADA (T4)
AUBURN VW OPEN - KENT, WA (T4)
KENTUCKY OPEN - BOWLING GREEN, KY (T2)
LOU BRADLEY MEMORIAL - MADISON, WI (T2)
WEST MICHIGAN OPEN - GRAND RAPIDS, MI (T4)
U.S. OPEN - MINNEAPOLIS, MN (GS)
NEW MEXICO Pro/Am - ALBUQUERQUE, NM (T3)
CANADIAN RACQUETBALL CLASSIC (T1)
POMONA VALLEY OPEN - POMONA, CA (T4)
LONG ISLAND OPEN - LONG ISLAND, NY (T4)
68 INSIDE SPORTS OPEN - KANSAS CITY, KS (T3)
ROSE CITY Pro/Am - PORTLAND, OR (T1)
22nd WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS - LOS ANGELES, CA (IRF)
CORONA OPEN - CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO (T1)
PUGET SOUND OPEN - OLYMPIA, WA (T4)
18th ANNUAL TURKEY SHOOT - GARDEN CITY, KS (T2)
ST. NICK SPLAT - MILLERSVILLE, MD (T3)
MARKET AMERICA Pro/Am - GREENSBORO, NC (T1)
COAST TO COAST CALIFORNIA OPEN - LOS ANGLES, CA (T1)
NEW YORK CITY Pro/Am - LONG ISLAND, NY (T1)
LAWLER SPORTS Pro/Am - TERRE HAUTE, IN (T1)
NEW JERSEY OPEN - FAIRFIELD, NJ (T4)
CONCORD OPEN - CONCORD, CA (T4)
WICHITA OPEN - WICHITA, KS (T4)
LEWIS DRUG Pro/Am - SIOUX FALLS, SD (T2)
CINCINNATI OPEN - CINCINNATI, OH (T4)
KEYSTONE CLASSIC - WINNIPEG, CANADA (T4)
U.S. NATIONAL DOUBLES - PHOENIX, AZ (USAR)
SEATTLE OPEN - SEATTLE, WA (T1)
TORNADO ALLEY OPEN - WICHITA FALLS, TX (T4)
SAN DIEGO OPEN - SAN DIEGO, CA (T1)
CARL MYERS MEMORIAL - GARDEN CITY, KS (T2)
LEAMINGTON OPEN - LEAMINGTON, CANADA (T4)
FLORIDA SPRING BREAK Pro/Am - FL (T1)
SALT LAKE CITY Pro/Am - SALT LAKE CITY, UT (T1)
NORTHWEST OPEN - BELLINGHAM, WA (T4)
ST. LOUIS OPEN - ST. LOUIS, MO (T1)
TOPEKA OPEN - TOPEKA, KS (T4)
ALISO VIEJO Pro/Am - ALISO VIEJO, CA (T1)
MEXICO OPEN - TIJUANA, MEXICO (T1)
BOSTON Pro/Am - BOSTON, MA (T1)
SOUTH CAROLINA OPEN (T4)
CINCO DE MAYO SHOOTOUT - PUEBLO, CO (T4)
COSTA RICA OPEN - SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (T4)
IRT PRO NATIONALS/USAR FINALS - LOCATION TBD (GS)
MARYLAND OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS - LAUREL, MD (T4)
TAMPA OPEN - TAMPA, FL (T3)
Dates subject to change. Check http://irt-tour.com for the latest updates.
AN INTERVIEW WITH BEN CROFT
By John Scott
John - You've had one of the
most interesting seasons anyone
has had in recent memory. Looking back a year ago, would you
have ever thought that you would
have a season like the one you
just had?
Ben - I fell that I was punished
based off of an unfortunate reaction that I had. I basically went
most of the year with no pay, for
saying something that I wish I
never had said, and certainly
didn't mean. I did make several
attempts to make it right, even
before I knew I would get suspended, but I still got the 3
events, plus suspended pay.
Overall thought it made me focus
even harder. I regret that I said
what I did, and won't do it again,
but I think the entire thing made
me a better player.
John - So you made it to the US
Open, beat Rocky, go to the
quarters, and you made nothing
for it.
Ben - No, looking back I didn't
even know that I was going to get
a suspension for so many tournaments, much less have some
of the wins I've had.
John - Speaking of the suspension, from what we understand
you basically had an outburst
and it turns out that it cost you.
How did you find out about the
suspension?
Ben - I knew the board was
going to have a vote. Eric Muller
called and said I was going to get
six events. I couldn't believe it. I
thought then that my career was
over. I appealed the suspension,
and it was changed to 3 events,
with a 3 game pay suspension.
John - Do you think it was a fair
suspension?
Ben - Yeah, it would've been a
nice pay day.
John - Let's talk about that. Is it
fair to say you've had the best
year of your career?
Ben - Yes, by far! At the start of
the season, I didn't know for sure
how it would go, or if I would play.
I'm very proud of the way I was
able to play this season. I had
some great wins. I couldn't have
done it without help from several
unnamed sponsors and Gear
Box.
John - Is there one person that
you would say went above and
beyond to help you this season?
Ben - Yeah, Jason Mannino
really helped. He was on the
phone with me, even before he
was the commish. He would
listen to me, and give me feedback that was very encouraging.
I don't think I would've been able
to have the season that I've had
without him picking me up.
John - What are you doing this
off season to have an even better
season next year?
Ben - Going to play the big
outdoor tournament in July.
That's a cool event and a great
cross training sport. I'm hitting
the gym hard. Not going to give
away what specifically that I'll be
doing, but it will be pushing hard.
I have to in order to shoot for that
number one spot!
John - So you are saying next
season you have the top spot in
mind?
Ben - Put it this way...I wish the
season would start tomorrow!
AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS CROWTHER
By John Scott
John - Emotionally you were
much more focused. Didn't really
lose your cool on the court at all.
Had you noticed this year you
had your head on much better?
the issue. I think the board made
a good decision. But look at what
it did to Ben. He came back and
had a great year. I think it definitely motivated him.
Chris - My attitude and focus
has been on and off for the past
few years. This year with support
from E-Force it really put me in a
new place. It really did help me
focus and my desire to perform
was at a high level.
John - What a season you've
had. Your first semi, made it to all
the quarters. What changed?
Chris - Yeah, this season was
great. I was able to have a great
performance and stay focused
all season. The draw helped
because I was playing the one in
the quarter spot versus earlier. It
was a wonderful year.
John - You ended last year in a
tournament that saw Ben get
suspended due to an outburst he
had in a game against you. What
are your thoughts on his suspension?
Chris - I think it was fair if that's
what you're asking. It was an
experience for everyone. I knew
he was getting unraveled, and I
Chris - Taking some weeks to
rest, then on to squash. Going to
stick with the same routine that I
did last year. Lots of squash and
run hills to build stronger legs.
John - Anything you are going to
work on regarding mechanics?
Chris - Not really, I do have
some small things to work on, on
the backhand side, but other
than that I'm feeling good.
John - What was the turning
point?
Chris - Not really sure, just took
me longer than I wanted it to. I
just focused and kept grinding.
My schedule of workouts, training, playing ball...just the grind.
It was able to push through and
have a nice breakthrough. One
of the biggest things I'd say that
helped is cross training with
squash.
John - Off season plans?
was just trying to play my game,
while pushing him. Whatever he
said off the court to Negrete was
ALL ABOUT STRINGS & STRINGING
By Kyle Merritt, Racquetball Warehouse
“Strings are the Soul of a Racquet”
Strings may be the soul of
racquet, but to many players
they are just an afterthought.
Players will spend 6 months
demoing racquets and 6 minutes
choosing a string. Fortunately,
synthetic string technology has
improved dramatically over the
last 20 years and there are very
few "bad" strings. However, not
all strings (and string tensions)
are right for all players. Every
player has different needs and
preferences. Here are a few
guidelines to make your string
and tension selection easier.
Playability
It’s very difficult to obtain consensus on what makes a string playable. Some players like a crisp,
firm playing string while others
equate playability with softness
and comfort. Generally, a playable string is resilient, which
means it snaps back quickly
upon ball impact. The material,
construction, and thickness of a
string will all affect its playability.
Durability
As budget-minded consumers,
most of us want a string that
offers everything. Unfortunately,
increased durability in strings is
usually at the expense of playability. Thicker gauges and abrasion resistant materials will be
more durable, but they are less
elastic and resilient than their
thinner, nylon-based counterparts. (See gauge table below.) If
a player is breaking a 17-gauge
multifilament string, we might
suggest they switch to a
16-gauge multifilament version
of that same string, if available,
for more durability. Otherwise,
the next step would be a monofilament string which will offer
increased durability but have
less playability characteristics.
String Gauge
Generally speaking, thinner
strings offer improved playability
while thicker strings offer
enhanced durability. Racquetball
string gauges range from 16
(thickest) to 18 (thinnest). Thinner strings also provide more
spin potential by allowing the
strings to embed into the ball
more.
String Gauges and Diameters
(millimeters)
15
15L
16
16L
17
17L
18
19
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
1.41-1.49 mm
1.34-1.40 mm
1.26-1.33 mm
1.22-1.26 mm
1.20-1.24 mm
1.16-1.20 mm
1.10-1.16 mm
1.00-1.10 mm
Materials
Nylon - synthetic gut or nylon?
Truth be told, synthetic gut is
nylon. In fact, most of today’s
"performance synthetics" are
constructed of nylon, albeit a
higher grade than basic nylon
string. Today’s manufacturing
processes produce nylon strings
(or synthetic gut, if you insist)
that provide a good combination
of playability and durability.
Zyex - Mainly found in Ashaway
string, this filament has ideal
properties for racquetball including minimal tension loss after
stringing and the ability to hold
optimal tension for exceptionally
long periods. Current #2 IRT pro
Jack Huczek is currently using
Ashaways newest offering, the
Ultrakill string which consists of a
Zyex multifilament core with a
braided surface to maximize
control.
Kevlar - The most durable string
available. Kevlar is very stiff and
strings up very tight. Therefore, it
is usually combined with nylon to
reduce the string bed stiffness
(Kevlar main strings, nylon cross
strings). Still, Kevlar hybrids are
the least powerful and least comfortable strings currently available. Players trying kevlar
hybrids for the first time (from
nylon strings) are recommended
to reduce tension by 10% to
compensate for the added stiffness. Not recommended for
beginners or players with arm
injuries.
String Construction
Here’s a list of string constructions, general descriptions of
their associated performance
benefits and examples of each:
Solid Core with One
Outer Wrap
Most popular nylon string construction - majority of "synthetic
gut" strings are solid core/single
wrap. Main benefits are tension
maintenance and crisp feel.
Quality of nylon center core, as
well as size and orientation of
outer wraps can influence feel
and comfort.
strings. With the exception of
Kevlar and Zyex, multifilament
strings are generally classified
as "soft" strings.
features of each material. For
simplicity, strings combining
different grades of nylon, which
are theoretically also composite
strings, aren't included in our list.
Multicore with Wraps
Monofilament Polyester
Solid Core with Multi Wraps
Smaller multifilament core with
one or more outer multifilament
wraps. Offers similar comfort
benefits to multifilament strings
with added durability.
Provides additional
and cushioning.
durability
Textured
Multifilament (no wraps)
Bundles of micro synthetic fibers
are twisted together, similar to
natural gut. Nylon multifilaments
are typically more comfortable
than solid core strings due to the
cushioning effect of hundreds or
even thousands of micro fibers.
Resultant effect is a soft and
comfortable
string,
recommended for players suffering
from arm problems who don't
want to pay the high price for
natural gut. Normal use causes
multifilament strings to fray, like
gut, which can be alarming to
players switching from solid core
Designed to offer enhanced spin
potential by wrapping an extra
filament around the outer wraps
or incorporating larger filaments
into the outer wrap.
Composites
A combination of different materials blended together in an
attempt to bring out the best
Durability-oriented monofilament
string. All currently available
monofilament strings are polyester. Good alternative to Kevlar
hybrids because it’s less stiff but
it has a dead feel and high initial
tension loss. Recommended for
frequent string breakers who
don't want to resort to Kevlar
hybrids. String 3-5 lbs. higher
than nylon to compensate for
tension loss.
Tension
String tension is the final piece in
the racquet-string-tension triad.
It’s also the least understood by
most recreational players. Let’s
start with the basics - lower
tensions provide more power,
tighter tensions provide more
control. This is a very general
rule of thumb and assumes a
certain level of player ability
(especially the control part). A
beginning player may need more
control but tighter string tensions
aren't the solution. This player
needs a soft, forgiving stringbed
that lower tensions provide due
to the frequency of off-center
hits. Advanced players who
swing fast and hit hard usually
need more control and will,
therefore, benefit from tighter
tensions. There are, of course,
always exceptions but these
generalizations apply to the
majority of players.
Each racquet has a recommended tension range determined by the manufacturer as a
result of extensive playtesting by
real players. If a player doesn't
have a specific need (more
power, arm problems, etc.), he
should start at mid-range and
make any adjustments from
there.
Here are some specific guidelines for selecting a string tension:
be able to reduce the depth of
their shots without changing their
swing. It is also generally
accepted that spin potential is
enhanced with higher tensions.
Arm Injuries - lower tensions
result in a softer stringbed and a
larger sweet spot, reducing the
amount of shock and vibration
transmitted to the hand and
elbow. Some experts feel that
higher
tensions
result
in
increased vibration and shock,
usually increasing arm fatigue.
Some feel that with tighter
tensions, there is less movement
in the strings causing less vibration. We will leave it up to you to
decide.
Power - As we stated above, if a
player is seeking more power
from his racquet, he should try
dropping tension a few pounds.
The stringbed will deflect more
(and the ball less), returning
greater energy to the ball. There
is a point of diminishing returns
where the stringbed turns into a
butterfly net, but it’s well below
any racquet’s recommended
tension range.
Switching Racquets - too many
players are stuck on a tension ("I
always string my racquet at 40
pounds") and don't make allowances when changing racquets.
Whether changing racquet head
sizes, brands, or weight, a player
will need to make the corresponding tension change. If 40
pounds was mid-range on his old
racquet and the new racquet’s
tension range is 30-40 pounds
he should start at 35 pounds with
the new racquet.
Control - a tighter stringbed
deflects less and deforms the
ball more, providing less energy
than looser strings. This means
the ball won't fly as far when you
hit it. Beginners who are shanking the ball in every direction
won't gain any advantage by
increasing tension, but intermediate and advanced players who
are hitting a lot of long balls will
Switching Strings - if a player
changes from a standard nylon
or synthetic gut string to a kevlar
composite or hybrid, we suggest
he reduce tension to compensate for the added material stiffness. If you are switching to a
thinner gauge string, you should
increase your tension by a few
pounds to account for the
increased elasticity to acquire
your desired stringbed stiffness.
It is important to know about the
strings you are putting in your
racquet, but you must also take
into account the sport that you
are playing. Many of the strings
available on the market today
were designed for tennis, as the
overall participation is much
larger. Why should you care?
They're all made of the same
stuff in the same way.
Wrong! Tennis racquets are
designed to be strung between
50 & 70 lbs while racquetball
racquets are strung between 25
& 40 lbs. Tecnifibre is one of the
few string manufacturers that
designs a string specifically for
low tensions and specifically for
racquetball - the Tecnifibre 505
series of string.
Here are a few of the things that
make up Tecnifibre’s 505 string:
- Multifilament construction for
the best response.
- 400% elasticity for the best
comfort and dynamic performance.
- Highest percentage of Polyurethane (45%) for optimal performance at low tensions.
Tecnifibre is one of our best selling strings for a reason, but don't
take our word for it. Take the time
to educate yourself on string
materials, constructions and
tensions.
For more information on this and
many other interesting topics,
please click the link below:
http://blog.racquetballwarehouse.com/
Here are some things our customers have said about Tecnifibre 505:
"This stuff is awesome. Very
impressed with the durability. A
great investment for your
racquet." - Steve, OH
"The 505 Biphase is by far the
best string for a racquetball
racquet period. I have used the
others: Ektelon, Head, Ashaway,
Babolat but this holds up the best
of any of the other brands." Brad, TX
"This was my first time using Tecnifibre and I noticed a difference
instantly. Typically I'm a stringbreaker, but these have really
held up without a noticeable loss
of my power game. I highly
recommend!” - Chris, AZ
T e c n i f i b r e
(www.tecnifibreusa.com) is the
Official String of the International
Racquetball Tour.
Receive a 10% discount on all
racquetball products by going to
Racquetball Warehouse and
using referral code "IRT" upon
checkout. This promotion is
going on through the month of
June.
IRT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jason Mannino
President of the IRT
Jason is the former #1 player in
the world and two time U.S.
Open Champion. Jason is a
long-time partner of Fran Davis
in running a series of racquetball
camps across the U.S. In addition, Jason is a partner in
Throwdown Elite Training
Center, a mixed martial arts
training facility based in San
Diego, CA.
Eric Muller
Chairman of the Board
Eric is a former professional
player and U.S. National Team
member. As a Managing Director at Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
Eric helps oversee $100 billion
of private equity capital managed on behalf of the firm and
its clients.
Mark Cotterman
Director of Marketing
Mark is the President and CEO
of Axiom, a consulting firm
specializing in enhancing the
selling and marketing effectiveness of its clients through skill
development, market research
and strategic consulting.
Chris Conrad
Director of I.T.
Chris is the Vice President of
SIMS Software, the leading
provider of software for the U.S.
government and defense contractors to track their classified
materials and personnel.
Rich Donnelly
Advisory Director
Rich has been a Major League
Baseball coach for over 25
years, having worked with the
Dodgers, Pirates, Rangers and
Brewers.
Dr. James Hiser
Advisory Director
Jim is the Executive Director of
USA Racquetball and a former
Commissioner of the Men’s
professional tour.
John Scott
Advisory Director
John is the owner and operator
of IRTNetwork.
Kane Waselenchuk
Player Representative
Kane is the #1 ranked player in
the world.
Jack Huczek
Player Representative
Jack is the #2 ranked player in
the world.
Mitch Williams
Player Representative
Mitch is the #7 ranked player in
the world and the elected player
representative to the board.
SHARI COPLEN ACCEPTS POSITION AS IRT’S
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND PLAYER RELATIONS
June 16th, 2010 - Shari Coplen has been named Director of Community and Player Relations effective
immediately. With more than 20 years in the health care field, Shari ended her corporate career as Director
of Business Development for a large healthcare company in 2006. She served as Missouri Racquetball
Association President from 1999-2004, and is the engineer of the Missouri Racquetball Hall of Fame.
"One of the country’s most outstanding event directors, numerous state, U.S. Open, and senior titles, and
a 20+ year tenure in the sport, Shari is one of racquetball’s hidden gems. We are very lucky to have her,"
says IRT President Jason Mannino.
"I am excited about this unique opportunity to work with the IRT, event directors, and players to enhance
an already exhilarating product," Shari Coplen said.
Shari’s role has been created to improve the quality of IRT Tier One events by working with players and
directors throughout the country to assess their needs, support community activities, standardize promotion set-up, and add overall value to each event.
TECNIFIBRE BECOMES OFFICIAL STRING OF THE
INTERNATIONAL RACQUETBALL TOUR
May 1st, 2010 - Tecnifibre has been named the Official String of the International Racquetball Tour effective immediately.
"Tecnifibre, garnering multiple number 1 ratings for performance and comfort as a synthetic string by the
United States Racquet Stringers Association, with partners such as ATP, WTA and PSA is a great partner
for IRT. We look forward to working together with Tecnifibre in our relentless pursuit of the elevation of
racquetball throughout the world," says IRT President Jason Mannino.
"The opportunity of this partnership allows Tecnifibre to support the efforts of the IRT," says Paul Kid Tecnifibre USA General Manager. "It is about growing the participation and recognition of Racquetball and we
are proud to be a partner with the IRT. Tecnifibre, as a premium synthetic string manufacturer, will work
closely with the players to further develop products that meet their needs while addressing future technologies that can contribute to racquetball."
Tecnifibre (www.tecnifibre.com) is a cutting edge racquet string manufacturer, specializing in the sale of
racquet sports related products, and is among the largest companies of its kind.
CHAMPIONSHIP RACQUETBALL
... TIPS FROM THE COACH!
By Fran Davis
Hall of Fame 2004
Racquetball Woman of the Year 2009
Coach #1 Women’s Pro Player, Paola Longoria
Coach #4 IRT’s Pro Player, Jason Mannino
Master Professional Instructor/Coach USAR-IP
In the coming newsletters I will
bring you coaching tips to help
you master the game style you
will want to adopt: Championship
Racquetball.
I am happy to report Human
Kinetics, a publishing company,
has contracted Jason Mannino
and I to write a book for the
Intermediate/Advanced player to
be released early 2011. We are
so excited to bring to you our 65+
years of experience, knowledge
and expertise using BOTH a
coaches and player’s perspective all wrapped into one. This
will be the MOST comprehensive
book in the market place as it will
not only include the core techniques of the game, but it will
cover ALL the elements it takes
to have a Championship Racquetball game from advanced
racquetball skills to mental
toughness to being a conditioned
athlete who is well nourished.
We have collaborated with
Sports
Psychologist,
Diana
McNab, and a Fitness Expert,
Dan Obremski, to bring you
cutting edge skills and strategies
to assist you in helping you
become a champion. I will be
sharing excerpts from the book
in the coming months to offer you
a preview of what’s to come.
We presently conduct the most
comprehensive and longest
running camp series in the industry, since 1989, called "Building
Your Racquetball Dream House".
Our over 5,000 satisfied customers kept requesting a video
because they couldn't remember
all the information we were
teaching them. To answer their
requests we developed a state of
the art DVD called, "Building
Your Racquetball Dream House"
that has 3 very unique components which includes instruction
from me, demonstration of all the
skills by Jason Mannino and
Sudsy Monchik (two of the
MOST decorated amateur and
professionals to ever play the
game) as well as voice overs of
live tournament play of Jason
and Sudsy using the systems we
teach. Now we are writing a book
to share with you an even more
in-depth look at the game of how
to become a champion using the
SAME methods and philosophies that Jason and Sudsy used
to become champions in their
own right, capturing numerous
US Open and Pro National titles
as well as finishing six seasons
as the #1 Pro Player in the world.
For years we have been helping
you Build YOUR Racquetball
Dream House, your game, from
the ground up. We have always
advocated how important it is to
be fundamentally sound and
NEVER want to lose sight of that.
We pride ourselves on this type
of thinking and method of teaching. Now we are going to add to
that solid foundation and give
you even more tools to take your
game to the next level - a Championship Level.
Unfortunately most players are
ONLY one dimensional and
ONLY focus on one thing, which
is their racquetball skills, yet they
expect to be a champion. You will
learn soon enough that this kind
of thinking is the furthest from the
truth and having ONLY great
racquetball skills is not nearly
enough, and ONLY part of the
equation. Jason and I believe in
the "Sports Triangle Theory"
(developed by Diana McNab, our
Sports Psychologist). Simply
explained there are three sides
to a triangle and you NEED all
three sides to complete the
triangle and without one side it is
NOT a complete shape. Each
side of the triangle represents a
component - the base of the
triangle is your Racquetball
Skills, the left side is your Mental
Toughness Skills and the right
side is your Conditioning / Nutritional Skills. In order to move
through the ranks from beginner,
to intermediate and then to
advanced you will need to start
to master these skills one at a
time
and
become
multidimensional on your road to
playing "Championship Racquetball".
Next issue I will be covering all
the elements in the "Sports
Triangle" in detail. I will start
building your Championship
Racquetball Dream House one
level at a time so be ready to
become the champion you
always dreamed of, but now you
will have the tools to do it and
make it a reality.
For details on more personalized
instruction, a weekend camp,
instructional DVD’s, "Championship Racquetball" new book to
be released early 2011 and more
please visit:
www.frandavisracquetball.com
IRT RULE CHANGES FOR 2010 2011 SEASON
The following rule changes take effect at the start of the 2010-2011 IRT season:
I.
Two Serve Rule - Player has two (2) chances to get the serve in play.
II.
Ten Second Rule - Player has ten (10) seconds to put the ball in play after the referee calls the
score. Referee is to call the score at the end of the last rally. If the court is wet, referee to call the score
immediately following the court being in safe condition.
III.
Arguing Skips, Double Bounce, Short or Foot Faults - At no time may a player question or argue
skips, double bounce, short or foot fault calls.
IV.
Hitting After the Rally - No player shall hit the ball after the rally has ended.
IRT National Sponsorship Program
Sponsorship opportunities are available to those looking to host, advertise, or support IRT events throughout the year. Ever think
about speaking one-on-one with professional racquetball players? Want to sit court side at IRT events? Sponsorship opportunities
include these, and other amenities to fit any budget. If you are interested in supporting the IRT National Sponsorship Program
please e-mail us at sponsor@irt-tour.com.
Help support the IRT by supporting our partners. You can purchase IRT partner gear at www.RacquetballWarehouse.com.