What You Need to Know about Tennis

Court SurfacesRachael Hesling

What You Need to Know about Tennis Court Surfaces Most people are aware that tennis is played on a variety of different

court surfaces, but not everyone realizes just how much the surface can impact a player’s game. In fact, surface type is one of the most important factors in a player’s performance; that’s because each court surface has different characteristics that greatly influence speed and style of play. This is why some professional tennis players lead the pack on one particular type of court, but rarely excel when playing on other surfaces. For example, despite his 14 Grand Slam titles, the legendary Pete Sampras never won a major tournament played on clay courts.

Today, there are four main types of tennis court surfaces: grass, clay, hard surface, and carpet or indoor surface. Read on for an overview of the details, pros, and cons of each type.

Grass The fact that the courts at Wimbledon, the home of

perhaps the most prestigious Grand Slam tournament, are grass courts gives a good idea of the status of this surface in the tennis world. Today, grass courts are associated almost exclusively with the professional circuit; because so much work is needed to keep grass surfaces in peak condition (reseeding, watering, mowing, etc.), it can be too difficult or costly for smaller establishments or clubs to maintain them. Grass courts are also not well suited to regions that get a lot of rain, as the grass can become too slippery and the ground too waterlogged for effective play.

Despite the upkeep required, grass courts are prized by strong players for the speed of play they facilitate. Grass is the fastest surface used in tennis because the grass lets the ball slide easily; moreover, the low bounce capacity of grass suits players with strong serve-and-volley skills who have the ability to get to the ball quickly. Grass also has the advantage of being easier on the knee joints due to the softness of the ground.

Clay Hit deep—Deep shots into the back of the

court are a key tactic in defeating the aggressive baseliner, as they will consistently hit winners if balls are delivered near the service line.

Vary your shots—Aggressive baseliners are at their strongest when they get a consistent rhythm of shots from their opponent. Prevent this by varying the height and spin of your balls. Mixing up high bouncing shots with lower, slicing shots will keep the aggressive baseliner on their toes and stop them from getting into a comfortable groove.

Bring them to the net—As aggressive baseliners don’t like to come to the net, forcing them to do just that is an important tactic. Mix in drop shots that give them no choice but to come forward and use their weaker volley.

Indoor courts The prestigious Grand Slam tournaments may

all be held outdoors, but indoor tennis lets amateur players enjoy the game year round. To accommodate indoor tennis, particularly at facilities that are used for other purposes and not exclusively for tennis, carpet surfaces are most commonly used.

“Carpet” in this case refers to any kind of removable surface material that is used on a court; for example, indoor arenas typically use a thick synthetic mat, backed with rubber, that can be easily rolled up and removed when the court is not in use for tennis. The shock-absorbing qualities of carpet surfaces reduce knee and ankle stress. The speed of the court generally depends on the type and combination of materials used in the covering surface.

Hard courts In widespread use at tennis clubs and sports centers

worldwide, as well as at the Australian Open and the US Open, the “hard courts” category covers a variety of surfaces made of different combinations of materials like asphalt, concrete, or acrylic. Hard courts are typically topped with a layer of padding and then covered with paint mixed with sand; the more sand, the slower the resulting surface. This type of court can be used for either indoor or outdoor play.

Hard courts are usually considered by players to be the most “democratic” of all court surfaces. They are not as fast as grass courts but not as slow as clay courts, and their flat, uniform surface removes much of the unpredictability associated with grass and clay. This neutrality makes hard courts a good choice for a broad range of player styles. Modern hard courts also have high shock absorption capacity, making them much less rough on the body than earlier versions of this court type.