So his father, Bill Gibson, figured there’s got to be a better way. Coming from a construction background, the 1983 Temple High School graduate designed and built a big, green portable practice wall with a net and painted-on stripes that resemble a tennis court. It also tilts to simulate an opponent’s return shots.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. That’s the son warming up for a tournament, swinging his racket with a weighted cover.
Again, the senior Gibson called on his creative juices. A player can’t hit the ball with that bulky cover on the racket head. You might as well be swatting flies. Next invention - the WinSock.
At seven ounces, and looking like one of those canned beverage holders called a Koozie, the WinSock fits snugly on the shaft. It works like those weighted lead doughnuts baseball players slip on their bats for warming up. And unlike the racket head cover, a player can volley with the WinSock attached.
“You don’t want it too heavy, because you’re taking full strokes with this,” Gibson said. “You’re not just loosening up. You’re actually hitting the ball the way you usually do.”
The editor at The Daily Racquet, a tennis blog that evaluates tennis gear, tried the WinSock and said the product was an ace.
“Because you can actually hit with the WinSock trainer on your racquet, you are able to use it during warm-ups and training to both loosen up your arm and build strength, which helps you reach maximum performance levels quicker,” editor Cheryl Shrum wrote.
Experimenting in his garage, Gibson fashioned the first WinSock out of a sweaty old arm bandage.
“It was just an old worn-out thing, made of neoprene because I knew it had to fit snug,” Gibson said. “I developed that first one just by using rudimentary materials, kind of makeshifting it together.”
From there, Gibson ordered more neoprene - the same stuff used in making wet suits for divers. He then sketched the logo on paper and took his prototype to Garments to Go, a Bastrop company that specializes sewing aprons for restaurants.
Displaying the WinSock on his Web site, Gibson said he’s sold about 150, shipping them to New York and Argentina. Local folks can buy them direct.
Regarding the 8-by-16 foot backboard, Gibson has an agreement with Materials Transportation Co. in Temple to manufacture them. No sales yet. They start at about $3,000.
And in an ironic twist, son Tyler, now 16, switched sports and plays varsity soccer at Temple High School. But somewhere in the process the father, inventor and salesman for Johnnie’s Office Systems, got hooked on tennis. He plays in a league at Wildflower Country Club in Temple, and in U.S. Tennis Association tournaments.
More on the Web at www.ptwinsock.com
