Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
A clay tennis court is a stable, yet forgiving surface. It's not so soft that balls don't bounce properly, but it's also not so hard that it will hurt your feet and legs. Maintaining a clay tennis court prevents lumps, bumps and gouges from popping up in the surface.
Bocce, also known as lawn bowling, is a recreational sport in which players attempt to throw their weighted balls toward a small target ball; the player who finishes with the closest ball to the target ball scores points. While many recreational players simply play in their lawn, an official bocce match occurs on a bocce ball court, which features a low friction surface to roll the bocce balls along. Building a home bocce court allows you to play on a regulation surface in your own yard.
For most tennis enthusiasts, having a tennis court at home is a dream. You can make that dream into a reality by building your own clay court. You will need to have a wide expanse of flat property to build it on and large power tools. If you don't own this machinery, you can rent them from larger hardware and home repair stores. All of the necessary materials can be found in these stores as well. Do research into the best brands for your soil.
The soft surface of a clay tennis court affects how you move, where and how you hit the ball and your shot selection. Successful clay court tennis players have adjusted their style of play and have developed effective strategies. The clay surface of the court is less jarring for the body, causes the ball to bounce higher and slows down the game.
Clay tennis courts can provide players with almost year round play as long as they are properly maintained. Finding grass shoots on your clay tennis court may not be a regular occurrence, but grass and/or weeds can grow on parts of the court that get little traffic such as under the net and the inside perimeters. If not dealt with, grass can overrun your court and cause extensive damage. Incorporating these simple steps into your clay court maintenance routine will save you money from costly repairs and increase your clay court's playing life for many years.
Traditional clay courts are composed of natural or processed clay that is mixed, crushed, screened, and blended with sand and salt. A less expensive alternative is similar in texture, but is composed of natural stone, brick, or tile that is crushed, ground and screened. Both types of clay provide a softer playing surface than hard courts. Most recreational players, particularly those over the age of 50, prefer playing on clay. However, maintenance is much more time intensive and more expensive than hard courts. To maintain them, you must be diligent in following a regular schedule.
Clay tennis courts are popular in Europe and South America, though not as popular in the U.S. However, clay does offer some advantages to the recreational tennis player. Most notably, it is a softer surface, making the game much less taxing on the joints and muscles. However, clay does require some maintenance.
Playing tennis is not all fun and games. For the court owner, there is surface upkeep that must be completed. Much of this maintenance should be performed by a professional in the industry with a proven background in this type of court management. Working with a professional to resurface a clay court entails some detail, but it is very manageable.
Playing tennis on a clay court is significantly different from playing on a hard court or grass surface, and clay courts are considered by many to be the most difficult tennis surface. Here are a few steps that will improve your clay tennis game and help you prepare for your French Open dreams.
