Tennis court design. Tennis equipment Repair and restoration of courts
Tennis net
This net is popular all over the world due to its longevity on thousands of courts. Suitable for competitions of any level. Used in many WTA and ATP tournaments throughout Europe. Thread thickness 3.4 mm. Double weaving of 5 top rows. Reinforced, extra-durable PVC top. Steel rope.
Round tennis posts
Made of round aluminum profile, diameter 83mm, crossbar tension mechanism, provides quick and convenient fastening and tensioning of the mesh. The kit includes aluminum cups and all installation material.
Square tennis posts
Made from square aluminum profile 80X80mm, crossbar mechanism
tension, provides quick and convenient fastening and tensioning of the mesh. The kit includes aluminum cups and all installation material._____________________________________________________________________________________
Windproof backgrounds
They serve to create a favorable background against which the player can better see the ball when playing, as well as protection from sunlight, wind and prying eyes.
Size 3x16m, colors - dark green and light green, with eyelets for hanging, stitched edge.
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Portable tennis gun
Feed speed - from 16 km/h to 128 km/h
Feed periods - 2-10 seconds
Number of balls - 150
Power source - rechargeable battery
Working time - 4-6 hours
Ball rotation - forward and reverse
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Portable tennis gun
Three types of ball throws:
Chaotic release of balls horizontally and vertically.
- Throwing balls out like a fan
Capacity: 150 balls
Shot speed: 140 km/h - 30 km/h
Interval between shots: 3,6,12 seconds.
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Anchors for fixing the center line of the grid
Easy to install - driven into the ground.
Anchor for attaching the center line of the grid.
Installed in concrete.
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Central lines
PVC center line, height adjustable.
High quality nylon center line with height adjustment.
Center line with fastener to fix the height of the mesh.
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Supports for the mesh
Mesh supports, aluminum, powder coated.
Colours: white, green, pure aluminum.
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Dividing mesh
Made from special, extra-strong polyethylene, thread thickness 2.4 mm, mesh size. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor tennis courts. Equipped with a steel cable, cable thickness 4 mm, length 38 m, 1 tension lock and steel cable weighing 200 g/m.
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Supports for dividing mesh
Support for dividing mesh, for one mesh 40 m long, 3 pieces are needed.
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Ball basket DeLuxe
Made from chrome plated steel rods. Suitable for
collecting and transporting balls, convenient to use on
training. Rigid construction reinforced with a leg lock. Capacity: 60 balls.
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Bench Berlin
Length 200 cm, extra durable plastic, 3 reinforced legs, foldable. White and green.
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Bench Olympia
Seat 150 cm plastic slats, base made of plastic coated steel tubes,
Collapsible. White color.
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Bench Freiburg
A practical and comfortable bench for resting players and equipment for clubs, locker rooms, etc. Collapsible, plastic, length 150 cm, 2 “legs”.
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Referee tower
Made of aluminum profile, especially stable design, steps with a special corrugated anti-slip surface, red seat resistant to UV radiation, folding design - takes up little space during storage and transportation.
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Scoreboard
Designed for mounting on a judge's tower. Image from both sides. Fasteners included. Letters: English or Russian - please check before ordering.
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Clay court marking lines
The most popular lines on clay courts in Europe. Easy to install, perforation and grooved coating prevents slipping. Good rebound of the ball, The set consists of plastic pieces 1.5 m long and 4 cm wide (90 pcs) and 5 cm wide (10 pcs), as well as connectors.
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Training wall-mesh
It is a metal frame on which an elastic mesh is stretched. It is possible to adjust the tension of the net - the result is a different type of ball bounce.
Collapsible. Size 2.85 x 2.23 m.
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Urn in the form of a ball
At the moment, there are 4 main types of tennis court surfaces, which have quite different characteristics, primarily in terms of height and speed of ball rebound, which seriously affects the nature of the game.
It should be noted that at the moment the most common coating is “hard”, which can be “indoor” or “outdoor”, i.e. indoors and outdoors. “Soil” (or “clay”) lags significantly behind it in terms of prevalence, and grass cover is even less common. The rarest type of court at the moment is “carpet” (synthetic carpet), it is not currently used in the ATP series, and is occasionally found in tournaments of lower categories.
Now let’s look at each type of surface separately and determine what requirements it places on tennis players and who will have an advantage on it.
Carpets
Let's start with the rarest type of covering at the moment - “carpet”. The most controversial type, since the rebound of the ball depends entirely on what synthetic material is used, but in general it is considered the “slowest” available. It is good for its safety - it spares the joints, ligaments and spine of a tennis player, injuries do not happen often here.
A fairly universal surface that does not provide any special advantages to any of the main styles of tennis players; the only ones for whom such a “slowness” of the rebound is useful are protective-style clays, but it still does not provide any special advantages.
Grass surface
Tournaments on grass are held for just over a month in a row - two weeks of Wimbledon, and three weeks before it. The coating is very expensive to maintain, so it is used less and less. The fastest type of surface, which is characterized by a low and fast rebound of the ball, is therefore considered optimal for it - a powerful serve with access to the net. It is quite difficult to play on the back line, because the clay players have little success here.
Federer demonstrates a style that is well suited to such a surface, but after Boris Becker (a famous master of the hit-and-run style) began collaborating with Djokovic, the Swiss had to make room.
It is traditionally believed that the English and Australians play best on grass, but in fact, over the past 20 years this statement has been justified only twice - in 2002 (Lleyto Hewitt) and in 2013 (Andy Murray, the first Wimbledon for Great Britain since 1936).
Priming
The slowest type of covering, like carpet, is quite safe. It is demanding, but inexpensive to maintain, which is why there are quite a few such courts. It is distinguished by a slow and high rebound of the ball, which, however, is sometimes difficult to predict. Representatives of the “Spanish” school of tennis “grow” on such surfaces, for example, Nadal, Robredo, etc.
One of the features of the ground is that it is low - after hitting the court, the ball slows down significantly and bounces high enough to make it easy for almost any opponent to take it. However, a feed speed exceeding 200 km per hour still remains dangerous.
Although there are many "defensive" style clay players whose main goal is to return the ball to the opponent's court, they rarely achieve serious success, clay requires powerful aggressive play and good stamina. In this case, however, it is enough for a tennis player to have one “well-placed” hit, since the slow rebound makes it possible to “run” under a comfortable hand. This, by the way, is an additional requirement - the ability to move correctly and even slide on a clay court.
A striking example of a strong clay player is Nadal. Without having a particularly powerful serve, he is distinguished by good movement around the court and powerful “piercing” shots, which opponents simply cannot keep up with.
When betting on matches on clay, you should take into account that stronger players often win here (i.e., sensations are rare here), and against tired tennis players you can safely take even a fairly large handicap, since there is not much difference between serve and return. But it makes no sense to take large plus handicaps, again due to the low value of the serve.
Hard
The most common coating at the moment, which is used both outdoors and in halls. At the same time, the concept of “hard” is a collective one; in fact, according to its classification, there are 5 types, each of which differs in height and rebound speed. Also, whether the match is played “under a roof” has a big impact.
The fact is that an “indoor hard court” is an almost ideal place to play - there is no wind, the sun does not shine in your eyes, etc. Therefore, any tennis player can show his best game. But in the open air, not every serving specialist will be able to “unfold” at full strength - in a strong wind, those tennis players who serve with strong rotation (such a ball is more “stable”) get a significant advantage, but those who like “flat” shots have to tight - the ball can simply be “blown away” by the wind.
In general, open hard court is the most traumatic surface; many famous tennis players complained that even during one match, the characteristics of the surface gradually changed. In addition, most of these tournaments take place in hot weather, so it is also a test of endurance.
In general, hard is the most demanding of players' versatility. Here you need a powerful serve, a good technique, and the ability to hit equally hard with both hands. For example, if an athlete has enough of a polished forehand to play on clay, then on hard court he will be easily outplayed by simply serving the ball under the backhand. Without a powerful serve, it is generally extremely difficult to succeed on hard - this factor alone makes it easy to hold on to “your” games. No less important is an aggressive reception on the second, weaker serve - this is the only opportunity for the receiver to win a point.
When betting on matches on this surface, you should avoid large negative handicaps as it is not very common to make more than 2-3 breaks here, and the most typical score is 6-4 6-4. So, instead of a big handicap, it’s better to bet on the set score 2-0.
But if a big plus handicap is given to a specialist in his serve (or Isner, for example), then this often turns out to be a very interesting bet. Taking away their serve is a “disastrous task” even for the leaders of the rating, unless, of course, such “servers” are exhausted to the last minute in previous matches.
They initially built grass cats, but due to the hot Mediterranean climate the lawns deteriorated much faster than in the UK, so the Renshaws decided to modify them. Nearby there was a pottery center - Vallori (local clay deposits were used by the Gauls and Romans). William and Ernest began to sprinkle dust on their courts, a by-product of ceramic production. Gradually, such courts began to gain popularity.
In 1909, the British company “EN TOUT CAS” was the first to make the top (surface) layer from a mixture of clay and tile chips in the construction of clay courts. Tile chips significantly improved the passage of water through the surface. The company gave its innovation the name “Fast-Dry Court”.
In 1927, Charles Bouhama proposed the use of a limestone underlayment to improve overall drainage and improve anchorage and softening of the overlay. The courts at Roland Garros were built using this technology in 1928.
The left photo shows the laying of layers of soil covering the Roland Garros courts (fine gravel can be used instead of slag).
The thicker the coating layer, the finer its fraction and the more moist it is, the slower the ball’s rebound. This feature is often used by the host team at the Davis Cup and Fed Cup when their team is weaker than the opponent, because slow coverage does not make it possible to win balls with one or two strong attacking shots.
Unlike artificial surfaces (except artificial ground), the ground allows the player to slide over the surface when braking (Slip Resistance) - the player seems to drive up to the ball, preparing to hit.
Currently, clay courts come in red and green colors. The most common is red soil ( Clay Court or Continental Clay), which we usually call “tennisitis”.
"Tennisit" has the ability to quickly pass excess water through itself (during rain) and at the same time maintain the necessary humidity for up to 2-2.5 hours. The composition of "tennisite" includes crushed (powdered) red clay, brick (tile) chips, slaked lime and special additives. To make crumbs, semi-dry pressing bricks should be used, the distinctive feature of which is the absence of sharp solid particles (the main difference between semi-dry pressing and plastic pressing is that the raw materials are dried before firing, then crushed into powder followed by pressing under higher pressure).
It is “tennis” that is used at Roland Garros (the unofficial World Championship on clay courts). Despite the fact that the covering layer is quite thin, about 850 kg of tennisite are used every year to fill each court of the Roland Garros tennis stadium.
Courts covered with "tennis" are most popular in post-Soviet countries, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France. There is a court surface - drainage, where there is no clay, among other components. This type of court surface prevails mainly in Sweden and Germany. In Mexico, sifted crushed volcanic rock is used as crumbs ( Tepetate), and in Crimea, due to its cheapness, pink marble sand.
The main feature of such courts is a soft surface and a slow rebound of the ball. It allows, unlike other coatings, to reduce the load on the joints and ligaments of the legs. The slow rebound speed of the ball characteristic of clay (Surface Pace tests) makes it possible to better control the ball when preparing to hit and keep it in play longer. By saturating clay courts with water to varying degrees, you can control the speed of the ball's bounce.
According to experts, the temperature on the soil surface of a tennis court in hot weather is 20% lower than on asphalt or concrete surfaces. A comfortable microclimate is created above the clay court due to the constant moistening of the surface.
The disadvantages of clay courts include the ball’s not always even bounce ( Author's note – How and with what markings are made on clay courts).
Green soil(actually it is gray with a green tint) “Har-Tru” ( Har-Tru) or “American soil” ( American Clay) is similar to classic red, but due to the very fine fraction of crumbs (almost dust) it is denser, and therefore faster, than red. Instead of brick chips, it uses green basalt mineral (diabase - volcanic rock), developed in the Blue Ridge quarry (Virginia), which is not processed and is only crushed into a small fraction.
The coating does not retain water, the top layer does not soften, and does not rise under the influence of negative temperatures. Thus, “Har-Tru” allows you to extend the season by 2-3 months. It can be used for both outdoor courts and indoor courts. Moreover, in the latter case, its use is justified by the fact that it does not create dust and mist, which are inevitable when playing tennis.
This coating can be laid over asphalt or concrete. It has an unlimited period of use. The more green courts are used, the more even the rebound becomes. “Har-Tru” dries quickly and is easy to maintain. When actively using the court for 6 months, no more than 400 kg of bedding is required (for red soil - 1.5-2 tons). For example, to service 12 courts made of green soil, 1 worker is enough (for red soil - at least 4 people).
Courts based on “Har-Tru”, as a rule, have a slope for water drainage.
More than 30 thousand Har-Tru courts have been built in 24 countries around the world. They are even available at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ( Author's note: 8 green clay courts, 19 grass courts, 7 hard courts, of which 5 are indoor). Most popular in the southeastern United States. In 2004, the ITF allowed Davis Cup matches to be played on the Har Tru surface.
In the right photo, the new courts (four courts) on the roof of the National Tennis Center of Canada in Montreal were tested in August 2011 by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
In 2012, the owner of the Mutua Madrid Open, Romanian Ion Tiriac, covered the courts with blue soil so that the color of the coating would harmonize with the color of the title sponsor of the tournament, the insurance company Mutua Madrilena ( more details).
Currently, the ground cover layer (of all colors) is sprinkled with rubber or plastic crumbs on top, which can also be used in a clay-crumb mixture (“tennisite”).
Characteristics of clay courts
| Characteristics | ITF recommendations in % |
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Ball bounce speed (Surface Pace tests) |
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Slip Resistance |
60 - short; 110 - high |
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Traction |
0,6 - slippery; 1,8 – high degree of setting |
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Shlock Absorption |
5–12 – low; 13–20 – average; 21–30 – high |
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The ability of the surface to provide the required ball rebound (Vertical Ball Rebound) |
80 – low impact; 100 – preferred level; 110 – high return |
The advantage of the soil is: durability, ease of repair and surface renewal.
Flaws:
- mandatory watering of the court in the summer season;
- inability to operate for several hours after a downpour or prolonged rain;
- at sub-zero temperatures, the moisture in the limestone layer freezes and the coating swells, protruding plastic marking lines;
- spring rolling of the court with a 400-500 kg roller;
- most expensive service.
Grass
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The first tennis courts were grass, and the game was originally called lawn tennis (“lawn” from English - lawn, lawn). At the beginning of the 19th century, grass courts were mainly built in Great Britain, the USA, Canada, and Australia. At one time, three of the four majors (except Roland Garros) were played on grass (Wimbledon since 1877; US Open 1887-1974; Australian Open 1905-1987). Today, grass court tournaments are held at Wimbledon (ITF), Halle (Germany, ATP), Queens (just as Wimbledon is a suburb of London, ATP), Eastbourne (England, ATP, WTA), 's-Hertogenbosch (Holland) , APAC, WTA), Birmingham (England, WTA), Newport (USA, APAC), Stuttgart (Germany, ATP)
. And since 2017 in Antalya (Türkiye, Asia-Pacific).
Grass is the fastest surface used in major competitions. Faster than grass, only some types of artificial turf for halls. The rebound is very low, and if you can change the rebound speed of the ball on other surfaces by adding various components to their composition, then you can change the rebound speed from the grass only by the direction of growing the grass blades and their height. For example, on the courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Wimbledon), the grass is cut short - 8 mm (since 1995). But, nevertheless, the tournament organizers managed to reduce CPR, which allowed the “king of clay” Rafael Nadal to win it twice (2008, 2010).
The following video shows an interesting observation of the change in speed and height of the ball after a bounce, which transformed over the 5 years (2003-2008) when Roger Federer single-handedly dominated Wimbledon.
To prevent the ball from rebounding even lower, the soil is kept dry throughout the game day (the grass is not watered).
On grass, the likelihood of an incorrect rebound is slightly higher than on other surfaces. This happens when the ball hits either a hummock, or a large bush, or a crushed or trampled area.
The main disadvantage of turf is that its playing quality depends on the condition of the grass. For example, by the end of the Wimbledon tournament, the courts lose half their grass cover.
7-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras spoke quite accurately about grass courts: “ Wimbledon are two completely different tournaments. And it is played on the grass, only the first of them”.
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Removing old turf |
The grass is grown in well-fertilized and granular (sandy) soil. In terms of variety, based on research carried out by the Yorkshire Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club courts use hard-wearing, long-lasting Perennial Ryegrass. The removal of the grass is carried out using a special technology (see video below), which is kept secret. When the British are asked how to make a real grass court, they answer: “ It's very simple. You need to take a special type of grass and sow it on a leveled area. After some time, fill the area with a small layer of soil and re-sow the grass. And so on several times. As soon as the grass grows, it needs to be cut and watered every day for... 100 years. Then you will have a real court”.
During the Wimbledon tournament, after the end of each day of play (approximately 21.30), the courts are watered and covered with a waterproof translucent cover ( translucent - to allow daylight to penetrate). Cover it so that in hot weather the moisture from the soil does not evaporate, and in rainy weather the turf does not get wet. The cover on the central and first courts, where the largest covering area is, weighs about 1 ton.
Watering for each court is individual and is determined by the condition of the turf, tested by STRI specialists who take daily measurements throughout the tournament. In addition, at Wimbledon, the first Sunday is a day off for participants. On this non-matching day, the courts are flooded with plenty of water so that the grass can last until the end of the tournament. The approach is also individual - it all depends on the weather forecast for the next week. The volume of watering can be 3-10 times higher than daily. In general, up to 160 tons of water will be consumed over the two weeks of the championship.
The center court has an irrigation system of retractable sprinkler nozzles, controlled remotely. Other courts are watered by hand.
On each tournament morning, the grass is cut and rolled ( roller weight 200 or 250 kg depending on turf moisture content) and updating the markup.
To mark the court (paint the lines), a special marking machine and paint based on acrylic polymer with a natural filler and the addition of titanium dioxide (to increase durability) are used ( Author's note: Previously, chalk or slaked lime was used).
There is no grass in the halls, although the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club has a retractable roof over the central court ( It is planned to build a retractable roof over court No. 1 by 2018).
It is quite traumatic. Any awkward movement can lead to a fall. When you watch Wimbledon, you notice how many players, sliding on the grass, lose control of their movements ( Author's note – Some players, such as Novak Djokovic, often use sliding in the pre-shot phase, others, like Roger Federer, approach the ball in a similar way to playing on a hard court). The real danger occurs when the legs involuntarily pull apart in opposite directions (as in a split), causing increased stress on the knee and ankle joints and their ligaments. Grass is especially dangerous if it is wet. Therefore, in order for it to dry quickly, there must be a good drainage system (author’s note. There was a case when, to prepare a wet court for the finals of the US Open 1969, it was dried by helicopter ( video).
Due to the need for special care (constant watering and trimming, fertilization, protection from diseases), low wear resistance and regenerability, the limited life span of grass, as well as the need to constantly update marking lines, grass courts are currently practically not built. True, with regard to restoreability, as practice has shown, the courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club after Wimbledon 2012 were prepared for the 2012 Olympic Games in twenty days.
The English daily newspaper "Daily Mail" quotes (07/21/2018) the statements of the former first racket of Great Britain, and now a member of the Wimbledon Management Committee, Tim Henman: " Ideally, we would play four matches a day on Center Court and on Court No. 1. But we must not forget that this is a natural surface, grass. It must withstand 13 game days, and if you “kill” it in the first week, then serious problems will arise later.
Now the Wimbledon tournament is investing a lot of money in creating a hybrid version - partly with artificial grass. This is used in football and rugby. We need to understand what percentage of artificial grass will make tennis courts look and function properly.
Several tennis generations ago in America, Australia, India there were a lot of grass courts, but they “died out” due to the need for serious maintenance, because of the financial costs of this, and because of the requirements for their quality".
Hard
This is the general name for a type of sports artificial surfaces, uniting a number of surfaces produced in different countries and having very significant differences (in functional properties, quality, prices). And the Hard tennis surface is a system of arranging acrylic layers to create certain technical characteristics of the court surface. Therefore, the professional term for this type of sports surface used in tennis is: “Hard surface system.”
It consists of:
- the base layer, which is an asphalt (asphalt concrete) base for outdoor courts, and concrete for indoor courts. It can be poured onto floor coverings made from Regupol or Kraiburg Relastec (these are coverings made from crushed rubber crumbs), and even onto a wooden base. In these cases, a special reinforcing mesh is used;
- self-leveling layer (Acrylic Resurfacer) black;
- one or more self-leveling softening color layers (Unirubber Cushioned Color);
- finishing layer (Precoat) with marking lines (Tex Line).
Self-leveling layers are made from rubber or rubber granules in a combination of various fractions, and the binder material is acrylic or other polyurethane emulsion. Softening layers can also be made from self-leveling rubber or seamless adjustable carpet (a fairly common option). The composition of the top layer includes melted and polished quartz sand.
The technology for applying self-leveling layers provides for minimal deviations of the court plane from a perfectly flat surface. This is achieved through the base leveling system and the method of layer-by-layer coating by “pouring” in perpendicular directions.
There are two main types of Hard:
- "Clean Hard" is a "Classic" system with 3 layers (without softening layers): a leveling layer (Acrylic Resurfacer) (for filling cracks, creating a load-bearing layer) and two functional color finishing layers (Acrylic Precoat). Used in professional tennis.
- "Hard Cushion" - systems: "Comfort" with 6 layers (3 softening) and "Premium" with 9 layers (6 softening). As additional layers, bulk rubber (Acrylic Cushion) or a combination of different fractions of rubber granules is used. It is more comfortable for the legs, significantly reduces the load on the ligaments and joints of the legs, and reduces the risk of injury.
"Clean Hard" may have a different number of softening layers. There are also coatings with 8 softening layers.
The total thickness of the self-leveling layers is 3.5-5.5 mm.
The multi-layer coating in combination with the system of functional purpose of each layer makes it possible to eliminate the influence of the heterogeneity of the base layer on the characteristics of the coating.
The number of layers, in principle, does not affect the speed characteristics of the court, the speed and height of the rebound; it is determined by the amount of sand in the mixture of the top layer. The less sand, the faster it is.
Hard system surfaces, based on the speed and height of the ball's rebound, are classified according to "ITF CS 01/01" (ITF Surface Pace Rating) into the following categories: "Medium" or "3" - average; Medium-Fast (“4”) – medium-fast; Fast (“5”) – fast ( category determination methodology).
The fastest system is considered to be "Deco Turf", which is used by the participants of the US Open. This hard system from the American manufacturer California Products Corporation was installed on the courts of the new US Tennis Association National Tennis Center. Billie Jean King in 1978 ( Author's note – This center is often called “Flushing Meadows” - after the name of the neighborhood in New York in which it is located).
In 1988, with the opening of the Melbourne Park National Tennis Center in Melbourne, the Australian Open began to be played on the Rebound Ace system, which is slightly slower than Deco Turf. This is evidenced by the significantly higher number of long matches compared to similar statistics for the courts at the US National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
Rebound Ace is a purely Austrian invention. It uses not acrylic, but polyurethane, fiberglass and crumbs from car tire recycling. This is how Boris Becker described this coating: “ Under the hot sun, such a court becomes either slippery like ice or sticky like a swamp. It's like playing in hell" But experts claim that the legs were “stuck” due to the thickness of the substrate being 8 mm, then they began to make it 4 mm.
Since 2007, the courts at Melbourne Park have been installed with Plexicushion, manufactured by California Products Corporation. The courts of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells (USA), where the BNP Paribas Open is held, are also covered with a similar “Plexipave IW IN” system. These coatings are even slower, but more heat resistant. The base of its top layer consists of latex with plastic particles ( Author's note – It is interesting that California Products Corporation in 2013. acquired a patent for the manufacture of the "Rebound Ace" system. So it’s not that bad, and it’s also cheap.).
The courts at tournaments such as the ATP Finals at the O2 Arena in London, the Paris Masters in Paris, the Swiss Indoors in Basel and the Olympic Tennis Stadium in Rio de Janeiro use the GreenSet system.
Hard systems with a rough surface belong to the category of “non-slip” coatings. Such surfaces are characterized by a slightly different (from classical) footwork technique when approaching the ball.
Advantages:
- sufficiently high absorption of shock loads (Schlock Absorption);
- ball rebound stability;
- when installing, a large number of softening options;
- preservation of properties in a wide temperature range from +50C° to - 40C°,
- wide range of colors;
- matte coating, eliminating light reflections;
- unpretentious in maintenance and does not require special care;
- high resistance to abrasion, fading, and durability (the first restoration of the top layer is required only after 7-10 years of operation).
Flaws:
- the most traumatic surface (that’s why tennis shoe manufacturers are constantly improving their models for playing on hard courts);
- does not allow moisture to pass through;
- at high temperatures a strong unpleasant odor occurs;
- durability depends on the quality of the base layer, which is associated with a rather complex installation technology and the influence of weather conditions when applied outdoors.
Recently, hard has become most widespread in the world.
Teraflex
It is a synthetic multilayer roll coating, which includes:
- base made of concrete, asphalt, wooden floor;
- a soft backing made of closed-cell foam or PVC foam, the thickness and properties of which affect the speed of the ball's rebound (pace of play);
- Compacted top layer of 2mm thick textured vinyl.
The top layer is covered with polyurethane, which ensures ease of maintenance and protects against various marks, thereby extending the life of the coating. If the top layer is not treated with polyurethane, then special tennis shoes that do not leave marks are required.
To prevent the foot from getting stuck in the place it presses, which can lead to damage to the ankle joint if the body turns sharply, the top layer is reinforced with a fiberglass mesh.
The total thickness of the coating is 6.0-7.0 mm.
The teraflex structure promotes greater “spin” of the ball after its rebound and evenly distributes the point load over the entire area. This surface is similar to a clay court in terms of the ball's rebound speed.
Two installation options are possible: permanent, with gluing to the base and welding, and temporary, with attachment to the base with double-sided tape.
The most common brands of this coating are: Tarafleks ATP, Tennis, Sport B. Of these, Tarafleks ATP has the highest coefficient of friction, which means a slower rebound of the ball. An analogue of the coating is granoflex (Graboflex).
Advantages:
- absorption of energy (cushioning) of impacts, ensuring comfortable playing;
- ease of maintenance;
- no shoe marks remain.
Flaws:
- intended only for indoor spaces with positive temperatures;
- Precipitation and direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation are not allowed.
TO carpet covering (Carpet)
It is a synthetic carpet (tennis carpet) laid on a flat hard surface (asphalt, concrete, wood). It can be supplied in rolls or in modules. The seams are glued with a special technical device.
To “speed up” the court, as well as to allow the feet to slide when approaching the ball, carpet courts are covered with rubber granules. The use of backfill gives the surface a playful imitation of a clay court.
The bounce characteristics of the ball may vary depending on the thickness, texture and material from which the carpet is made. Since the surface is softer than that of hard courts, the speed of play on them is somewhat lower. Such courts are usually built indoors. For example, tournaments were held on carpet: “Paris Masters”, “US Pro Indoor”, “Kremlin Cup”. Since 2009, the ATP and WTA have stopped holding their tournaments on carpet. However, it is permitted during competitions under the auspices of the ITF, including the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup.
Advantages:
- predictable and optimal ball rebound in terms of height and speed;
- good grip on shoes, while also allowing for rotation of the foot;
- small loads on the musculoskeletal system of tennis players.
Flaws:
- high cost;
- influence of temperature conditions (as the temperature rises, the coating becomes softer);
- susceptible to damage and may collapse (see video).
Artificial Grass (Synthetic Grass Tennis, Super Grass, Artificial Grass)
It is a type of carpet laid on an asphalt or concrete base. It is produced using the “tufting method” technology: voluminous fibers imitating grass stems are woven into a highly elastic base, which is then covered with latex. The pile is made of polypropylene, polyethylene or a combination of both, which determines the durability and cost of the coating.
The differences lie in the type of fiber imitating grass and, as a result, in the service life, height and density of the pile (number of stitches per square meter), as well as the amount of backfill with quartz sand or rubber (rubber) granules. The latter allow you to avoid skin burns when falling on the lawn. The purpose of the backfill is to stabilize the pile in a vertical position and optimize uniform bounce across the entire surface of the court. Depending on the thickness of the backfill, the height of the pile and the density of the coating are adjusted, which allows you to vary the speed of the ball's rebound over a wide range: from slow to very fast. In addition, the hardness of the coating (the speed of the ball's rebound) depends on the degree of humidity of the backfill, for which this coating must be equipped with a water irrigation system.
Depending on the backfill, grass coverings are classified as:
- backfill, with a pile height of 18-22 mm;
- semi-fill, with a pile height of 12-18 mm and greater density;
- non-fill, with a pile height of 8-12 mm.
Semi-fill and non-fill coatings require more demanding base construction.
Playing on infill or semi-infill grass is closest in its characteristics to playing on natural grass or dirt.
The markings are integrated into the coating directly at the manufacturer's factory, thereby reducing the number of coating joints.
After the first winter, the sand settles, after which leaves and other contaminants can be blown off or swept away without any problems.
Advantages:
- good sliding and turning capabilities, which ensures comfortable and safe play;
- light loads on the spine, joints and ligaments of the legs;
- hygroscopicity (the drainage system of artificial grass allows games to be played 20 minutes after rain);
- all-weather and frost resistance (allows you to play at any time of the year);
- durability (wear resistance);
- not demanding in care and maintenance, which means it does not require large expenses;
- quick installation (2-3 days).
The disadvantage is its high cost.
Synthetic Ground
It is a monolithic coating that has playing characteristics corresponding to natural red soil.
Comprises:
- concrete or asphalt base;
- an intermediate (shock-absorbing) polyurethane layer, which foams when applied;
- covering layer in the form of polyurethane granules.
Variation in the speed of ball rebound, sliding and shock absorption is carried out by modifying the intermediate layer.
Advantages:
- ease of care and restoration;
- no need for watering (compared to natural soil);
- high resistance to atmospheric influences (moisture, ultraviolet radiation, temperature fluctuations over a wide range);
- sufficiently high return energy of the coating, combined with reasonable absorption of impact energy;
- comfort of the game;
- the ability to set the desired ball rebound speed during installation.
Modular Covering
It is made of impact-resistant polystyrene (PP) and, thanks to the strictly organized dense structure of its surface, the coating ensures the correct rebound of the ball. The structure of the module has a mesh shape and its perforated surface does not retain water and dirt. The modular surface combines the qualities of grass and clay courts, but in terms of a set of properties (general dynamics of the game, contact of sports shoes with the surface, ball rebound) it is closer to clay ones.
The covering is assembled from separate modules and joined together with self-jamming fastening elements without the use of glue or other auxiliary materials. It can be easily mounted on any hard, flat surface - concrete, asphalt, old worn out hard courts (even if they have cracks). Installation on compacted sand without a solid base is possible. When the coating is immersed in it, the sand fills and wedges each cell of the structural lattice. This installation method is more complex and requires additional equipment. But at the same time, overall costs are significantly reduced.
Module (tile) size: 333×333×16 mm.
The main advantages of modular coverings:
- increased strength and wear resistance;
- noise absorption;
- ease of installation and dismantling;
- does not require maintenance.
Disadvantage - used for amateur players.
(Author's note – In the history of tennis, there have also been “exotic” surfaces. So in 1963 The Indian team, as part of the Davis Cup, hosted the Americans in Bombay on the courts of the Cricket Club of India, which were made from cow dung. However, the specific smell did not prevent the US team from winning with a score of 5:0).
Maintaining and developing the body through sports is becoming increasingly important in our lives. Its popularization in cinema and television played a role, and was partly influenced by a change in social paradigms. Tennis found its niche back in the seventies of the twentieth century. Since then, people have enjoyed training and improving their skills in this sport.
Today, tennis players around the world have many options to choose from: what surface to play on, what accessories to use. Most tennis players have their own specialization, adapting to a specific type of surface. Each of them influences the overall style of play and the formation of specific skills. At the same time, “all-round athletes” who can play on different courts without losing the quality of their game are incredibly valued.
Classifications of tennis courts
First of all, tennis courts are divided according to their location: outdoors or indoors. Each has its pros and cons, which we will discuss further.Outdoor courts
This type of tennis courts is not equipped with a roof, but is located in the open air on a piece of land. It is impossible to say for sure which type of sports court has greater advantages - outdoor or indoor. Both have their fans and detractors. After all, many particularly important tennis tournaments are held on open courts: Roland Garosse, Australian Open and others.
- playing in nature increases a person’s overall tone and saturates the blood with oxygen;
- the cost of arranging the court will be much lower;
- renting an open area is cheaper;
- professional athletes learn to adapt to weather vagaries that can interfere with important competitions;
- wide selection of coating types;
- Beginners can practice on clay courts, whose arrangement in indoor halls is undesirable.
- the property is clearly seasonal – it will be very difficult to play in winter;
- players are exposed to atmospheric influences: strong wind, bright sunlight, cold rain;
- It is more difficult to maintain such sites, since they are affected not only by the aggressiveness of the athletes’ play, but also by the vagaries of the weather: the wind sweeps the soil layer towards the fence, it is necessary to remove debris flying from trees and bushes; Weeds also appear in natural surfaces, such as grass and soil; they are carefully weeded out or treated with herbicides.
These are specialized premises that are most often built in sports complexes. The previous type of court is more popular among private cottage owners for the improvement of various boarding houses, hotels and entertainment centers for country holidays. Closed premises provide the opportunity for professional athletes to have access to the training base around the clock, regardless of any situation.
Pros:
- you can play at any time - there is no attachment to the warm season;
- there is no influence of weather anomalies that could create a problem in an open type of sports facility;
- high-quality constant lighting;
- a well-thought-out ventilation and climate control system - this allows you not to suffer from overheating during the hot season; in the open version there are no such amenities.
- the amounts spent on the construction of such a court are much higher than for the construction of an open one;
- some types of coating are not appropriate in an enclosed area;
- high rental costs;
- multiple building permits required;
- an athlete who trained indoors will not be able to quickly adapt on an outdoor court - there are too many weather factors (even the rebound of the ball in the wind will be different from the rebound in calm weather);
- complex communication systems are needed - light, ventilation, heating, sewerage.
Differences in court types and surface features
As we noted earlier, existing tennis surfaces vary greatly in performance. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Tennis experts have in the past divided professional players according to their playing style, which was shaped by court surface preferences. For example, the Australians and the British were considered lovers of grass courts, which determined the “netting style” of the athletes (serving and quickly moving to the net). Due to the high speed and low rebound, playing on the back line practically does not bring positive results. Spanish tennis players, such as, for example, Robredo, are classified as “ground players.” A high and slow rebound makes the game stretch out over time, and also initiates the development of endurance and aggressiveness in the playing “ground players”.Let's analyze each type of coating in detail to understand all the positive and negative aspects of each of them.
Ground coatings (Clay)
They were created in 1880, as a replacement for grass courts, in Cannes, France, by the English brothers Renshaw. They noticed that the grass types of surfaces loved by the British are not suitable for the hot Mediterranean climate of the country - they dry out very quickly, despite sufficient care, and quickly lose their desired properties. Trying to solve this difficult problem, they found an inventive way: sprinkle clay dust on their sites. Fortunately, there was plenty of raw material for sprinkling - nearby was the village of Vallauris, famous back in Roman times. It was located on deposits of red clay, actively used for pottery production.The idea was not only approved by the local tennis community, but also gained extraordinary popularity. And twenty-nine years later, the UK company “En tout cas” introduced the so-called “quick-drying” coatings to the sports world. They were made from several layers of stone, and covered with the same clay tile chips that were first used by the Renshaw brothers. This allowed water to penetrate through the voids of the material into the drains, thereby speeding up the drying of the court floor after rain or watering.
In 1927, Charles Buhama made a technical proposal to improve tennis court surfaces. He suggested using crushed limestone between the crushed stone and clay chips, thereby adding to the coating's ability to dry quickly. This also affected the overall depreciation during the match. This innovation was used to create the Roland Garossa competition grounds the following year - 1928.
Today, this type of tennis court surface is actively used at various top-level tournaments. Moreover, if you know some of the features of a clay court, you can add points to yourself in the competition.
Everyone knows that clay courts must be moistened frequently to maintain them in good condition. And the wetter the surface, the slower the ball will bounce. Accordingly, if two players who are not equal in strength enter the field, then the chances of the weaker athlete increase - he has more time to react. And a strong player cannot end the match with a couple of successful serves.
At the same time, the specificity of a clay court is the player’s sliding while moving towards the ball. It’s as if he’s “rolling up” to him.
There are currently two types of clay courts:
- Red soil (tennisite, Continental Clay), which consists of alternating layers of coarse crushed stone, fine crushed stone, a lime layer, and is topped with a special mixture (also called “tennisite”) of broken brick, powdered clay and lime.
- But many countries use the minerals that they have on hand as the top layer: volcanic crushed stone, marble chips, and, finally, tennisite without clay.
- Green soil (American Clay, Har-Tru) - its general composition is similar to its counterpart, but in the upper layer the clay is replaced by the green mineral diabase, which is mined in an American volcanic quarry; it is practically not processed, only finely, finely, almost into dust, crushed.
An important feature of this coating option is that it can also be used indoors: unlike tennisite, it does not generate dust and does not harden under the roof.
Grass
This type of coating is rightly considered the most ancient. Tennis developed there as a world sport. From the late 19th to early 20th centuries, most major competitions were held on grass courts. Today it is relevant at the Wimbledon, Gaul, Eastbourne, Stungard tournaments, and also recently at the tournament in Antalya, Turkey.A special feature of a grass court is its hardness, which means a fast, low rebound, which requires a special style of play. At the same time, changing the height of the rebound is extremely difficult; this is done only by adjusting the height of the grass cover, and takes a significant period of time.
To create grass surfaces, the British use a special variety of grass, which was bred by breeders for this purpose. The coating is carefully maintained: promptly cleaned, fertilized and watered.
Interestingly, the daily duty of the organizers of the Wimbledon tournament is to cover the entire field after matches with a huge transparent cover - this is necessary in order to protect the grass from excessive heat and accumulate evaporating moisture, while at the same time protecting the upper layers from rain. The weight of such a case is more than a ton.
In addition, the surface is trimmed and rolled with a special roller, and the plastic marking lines are updated with a laying machine. It should be noted that most grass courts are located in the open air, this is due to the fact that experts do not recommend the use of this type of surface in indoor courts.
Grass, as a covering for courts, is the most traumatic and hard material that requires a certain amount of caution. Tennis players remain especially vigilant on wet grass: their legs can treacherously move apart during movement, disrupting their balance. Damage to the ankle or hip joints is possible.
Hard
This is the most common coating option in the world of tennis. Its high technical performance and reasonable price have made it possible for people to play tennis in places where laying traditional surfaces is impossible.At the moment, there are more than forty different modifications of Hard.
Its main layers are:
- basic concrete or asphalt;
- general leveling;
- softening (from one to nine);
- finishing, which has a color chosen by the customer, as well as markings.
Hard is divided into two independent groups according to the degree of rigidity of the final model:
- Clean Hard is the most popular on professional courts, as it is considered a hard surface that is not gentle on the players’ joints. At the same time, it ensures the fastest possible gameplay. Consists of three layers: base, leveling layer and colored topcoat. There are no softening layers.
- Hard Cushion (soft Hard) - can be with either six or nine softening layers that carefully support the bones and ligaments of tennis players. This number of additional shock-absorbing layers reduces the rebound, but to a greater extent the quality of the rebound depends on the percentage of sand in the top acrylic layer - the less it is, the better the rebound itself.
Teraflex
This type of coating belongs to the group of synthetic materials used on sports courts. It is not the most commonly used coating; moreover, it can only be laid in enclosed spaces - it does not tolerate moisture.Consists of several layers, refers to soft types of sports surfaces:
- Initially, a concrete, asphalt or wooden base is laid;
- thick foam is placed on top, the dimensions of which regulate the rebound;
- The finishing layer is vinyl with a pronounced surface texture.
It can be used as a stationary coating - in which case it is glued or welded to the base, or used as a temporary coating - in this case it is secured with double-sided tape.
Carpet
This is also an option designed for indoor spaces. It is a synthetic material that is placed on a solid base - concrete, asphalt, wooden panels. The seams between the joints of the rolls are glued, and then the surface is carefully sprinkled with rubber granules, this allows Carpet to acquire the properties of soil.The surface turns out to be quite soft, has good shock absorption, and therefore does not burden the legs of tennis players. Sometimes incidents happen when, due to a sudden movement of an athlete during a game, the covering comes off and moves. The high cost of such carpet will also be important.
Artificial Grass (Synthetic Grass Tennis, Super Grass, Artificial Grass)
This type of tennis surface was first patented by the American T. Frederick. Due to its frost resistance and hygroscopicity, Artificial Grass can be used in open areas. Moreover, you can play within twenty to thirty minutes after a heavy downpour. It is easy to install and provides high-quality cushioning for the feet and legs of tennis players.This type of covering can be classified as a carpet modification, but the production technology is different: the artificial grass pile is made using the tufting method. It imitates the stems of real grass, which are woven into the base and then covered with latex. The pile material can be different, which gives different physical properties and levels of wear resistance to the product as a whole.
The surface is carefully covered with rubber granules or fine quartz sand. This minimizes the possibility of a tennis player’s skin being burned in case of an accidental fall. Also, timely backfilling helps maintain the desired amount of ball rebound - the better the grass stems are fixed in a vertical position with sand, the higher the rebound will be.
Located on a standard solid concrete base, Super Grass is divided into three subtypes according to the level of filling:
- non-fill (short pile from 8 to 12 millimeters);
- semi-fill (average pile from 12 to 18 millimeters);
- backfill (long thick pile from 18 to 22 millimeters).
Synthetic Ground
This dense three-layer coating is laid out on a durable base, onto which foamed polyurethane is applied, and dense polyurethane particles are poured on top. This material was made as an analogue of natural red primer, so all its technical characteristics are close to the original.One of the advantages is ease of maintenance: there is no need to water, which means buying a lot of equipment for this. Weather resistance makes it possible to install Synthetic Ground on both outdoor and indoor courts. It does not generate dust, and it is quite easy to repair.
Modular Covering
This synthetic type of covering consists of squares of durable polystyrene, fastened together like a puzzle. Gives a high-quality high rebound due to the density and uniformity of the structure. Since the surface is plastic covered with a through pattern, water does not linger on it. Dirt is also easily washed off into the drainage system.The quality of the game is close to grass and clay courts, and more expresses the properties of a clay court.
Has many advantages, such as:
- no need to use glue or special fixatives on the surface;
- easy installation and maintenance;
- possibility of installation on any hard surface, including old damaged coatings, such as Hard;
- it is permissible to install on dense sand, without a concrete or asphalt base;
- wear-resistant;
- isolates noise well.
- This type of coverage is intended only for amateur players; professional tennis players do not play on Modular Covering.