Own the Zone launches EcoGrip® – World’s First Biodegradable Sports Grips for Tennis, Badminton, Squash and Racketball EcoGrip®

September 30, 2013 Mentor, Ohio – Own the Zone launches EcoGrip® – World’s First Biodegradable Sports Grips for Tennis, Badminton, Squash and Racketball EcoGrip®

Own the Zone Sporting Goods announced today that it is selling EcoGrip® the world’s first biodegradable overgrip for the tennis, badminton, squash and racketball markets.

“We developed EcoGrip® with two goals in mind,” said David Marcus, Co-President of Own the Zone. “First, the grip had to play just as well as the best overgrips on the market. Second, when the grip was replaced and discarded it had to biodegrade and break down naturally in the environment within one year or less. We wanted to address an environmental problem. Every year hundreds of millions of discarded tennis and badminton overgrips are being thrown into garbage dumps and landfills around our planet. These grips are made out of polyurethane, the same material used to make heart valves, foam cushions and skateboard wheels. Just like heart valves the grips are made to last, resist erosion and not break down in the environment. They are not bio-degradable.”

“EcoGrip® utilizes new technology in polymer chemistry to enable EcoGrip to be the first eco-friendly sports grip products on the market,” said Julius Stockfish Co-President, Own the Zone. “Not only does EcoGrip feel and play like the very best overgrips on the market, but when replaced and discarded it breaks down rapidly in the ecosystem. No other hard wearing, abrasion resistant polyurethane material has ever done that. In fact, the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) in Australia has performed independent tests on EcoGrip which fully support our biodegradability results.”

Players in 10 different countries play-tested the regular (smooth) and tacky (perforated) EcoGrip. Every player said that EcoGrip plays excellent and just as good as the best selling overgrips on the market. These players include CiCi Bellis, 14, winner USTA 16s Clay Court Championships, Andrew Burgess, Representative Coach at USTA New England, Lynne Rolley, Director of Tennis, Berkeley Tennis Club, and Kris Gray, Head Coach, LTA Level 5, Glasgow Performance Tennis Center in Scotland.

In fact, some players and coaches said that EcoGrip® plays better, tackier and longer than any grips on the market. Peter Krueger, coach and owner of a tennis shop in Switzerland said, “After testing your overgrips, I can admit that yours are the best ones I ever used.”

Nancy Levin, the 2012 USTA Women’s 3.5 Senior Nationals Doubles Champion said,“These grips are great! I played for more than 10 hours with the tacky grip. Where can I buy them?”

EcoGrip® is currently being sold online at www.otzsports.com and at select tennis and racket sports shops. For more information about EcoGrip® please see our web site atwww.otzsports.com/ecogrip.htm . For sales inquiries please go to sales@otzsports.comor call 1-866-802-5550.

Play with EcoGrip® and keep our environment clean.
You’ve tried the rest … now Get a Grip!
EcoGrip® from Own the Zone and Eco Sports LLC.