Those tennis courts are not just there
for decoration!
Today tennis courts have different characteristics
and a lot depends on your style of play and mobility or lack thereof as to which
may be the best choice for you.
Hard
Courts
Some individuals like to play only
on hard courts. The advantage is that you get a true bounce of the ball with
sure footing. These courts can be made of concrete or asphalt.
One of the
disadvantages is that the individual needs to be able to catch up to the speed
of the ball that is
hit.
If you are particularly slow afoot this surface may not suit you.
The advantage of hard courts are
there accessibility and cost to use.
Where I live in South Florida,
most facilities are free, unless you play at some of the larger tennis centers.
Most communities even in smaller cities
have a public park with anywhere from two to five courts to be used on a first
come first serve basis. Also, this surface cannot be
played on when wet.
Clay Courts
Others will only play on clay courts or soft courts. The advantage to playing on
this surface is that the ball slows down after the bounce thus, making it easier
to get to the balls.
The surface is also easier on the joints particularly as individuals get older.
The downside in using this type of
tennis court is that there is usually a cost involved in playing which can
sometimes be tied to a club membership.
This can get quite expensive
depending on which one you choose.
These tennis courts come
in a variety of colors and textures all with the same basic advantages.
The
court while slower requires that you learn how to slide in order to get the most
out of your strokes.
Another advantage to this surface
is that it can tolerate moisture meaning that they wet the courts with some sort
of irrigation system.
The system can be with above ground or underground system.
Some shoe companies even have specific
shoes
designed for Clay court
use.
Were you looking for
clay court tennis balls?
Grass Courts
Not as common as either hard or
clay courts, these courts are very expensive to maintain and are usually located
in very exclusive country club settings.
The bounce on the traditional
grass courts is very low and the footing is not very sure. These tennis
courts cannot tolerate playing on when wet.
Indoor Courts
Here is South Florida where I play
and teach, to my knowledge there are no indoor courts. I have spoken to some
long time residents here and apparently at one time there was an indoor tennis
court in Palm Beach.
It would be nice I believe even
though we don't get cold many times a year to play indoors to be able to play
during the hot South Florida afternoons where temperatures and get above 95
degrees.
The true die-hards of tennis have
learned over the years at that time to get out early and be done with their
match play before 10 or 11 o'clock in the morning.
I remember years ago back in the
70's there was a Professional series that played in the Hollywood Sportatorium
and the matches were very competitive. It featured players like Virginia Wade
and Chris Evert, just to name a few.
An advantage that I can see with playing on indoor
courts is that the conditions are more or less perfect. Another thing about is
the sound. Tennis players like the sound that hitting indoors makes. It really
sounds like you are hitting the ball with authority.
This can be a disadvantage however
once you decide to play on outdoor tennis courts where you will be faced with wind, the sun and
the weather conditions.
You also don't have to be
concerned with looking up into the sun, particularly when
serving.
From my experience, I will take
the outdoor courts over the indoor courts because it to me is where tennis is
made to be played.
Get the right tennis shoes for the
surface that you play on.
Put in
an
address
to find
a tennis
facility
near you
Favorite Surface, Favorite
Courts
It's still a mystery to me to this
day why some players (myself included) play better at certain tennis court facilities and not
so well at others.
Players like Venus Williams seems to always play better at
Wimbledon while her sister Serena seems to play better at the Australian Open.
I can only imagine that maybe it
has to do with the timing of the events with the seasons or something.
Show off your favorite place to
play. Send in your photos to share it with others and make your place the most
popular place to play.
Have A Great Story About Your Tennis Facility or Club?
Do you have a great story about this? Share it!
Table
Of
Contents
Clubs
Where to join in your area.
Vacations
The place to go for a getaway.
Courts at Public Parks
Play nearby close to home.
Resorts
Where are the best places to visit.
Tournaments
Compete at any level
Tennis
Court Dimensions
Does knowing the size help your
game?
Partner Sites
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A Guide to Travel,
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A complete Guide to Majorca
(Mallorca), with all the latest Tourist and Travel Information, Hotels,
Apartments, car hire, weather, markets and other attractions and a comprehensive
guide to Living in Mallorca
Tennis Holidays
Tennis holidays and breaks for adults,
juniors, families, tennis clubs, ladies
groups, schools and organisations to the 5 star Vale do Lobo resort in the
Algarve, Portugal.
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