My name is Gavin and I've played tennis for more than 30 years and love to share my knowledge about the sport. Rollers, brushes, lutes and scarifiers, and other maintenance equipment are available in our store. Aside from the material used, its very similar to building other types of tennis courts. When the clay is slightly moist to touch, then its the ideal time to start rolling the surface. The reconditioning process includes four segments: cleaning, leveling, top dressing, and laying lines. Murraywood Swim & Racquet Club2050 Cedarbrook Drive, Columbia 29212Mailing Address: PO Box 334, Irmo SC 29063, Pay Anne Reynolds for Private Lessons or Clinics, Cost Analysis: Court Fees for Non-Member Lessons, Guidelines for USTA League Play at Murraywood, League Play Request for Ratio or Fee Waiver. ClayTech maintenance is incredibly simple: Brush and water as desired. 2022 - all rights reserved So before you play you've got to nurse it a little. You should level, brush, water and roll again. Once all the new clay has been added, you should level everything again. The traction on clay can remain adequate for as much as half an hour in light precipitation; the lines become slippery, but they're narrow and visible enough to be reasonably easy to avoid. May 4, 2014 Updated May 6, 2014. This means making special purchases specifically for keeping your court looking good and functioning well. I grew up with clay and I love it. This high-maintenance material can be impacted by wind and often . A picture is worth 1,000 words: Or, how about a video: Upcoming Events There are no upcoming events. Clay courts. There are number of layers that make up a clay tennis court, but it also depends what type of clay court you want to build. Cut off any excess tape so every line and corner is smooth. Z Pereira Lopes: It is much harder to finish points quickly on clay, whether its with the serve or ground strokes. 7-10 In centimeters, the thickness of the limestone layer under the red clay. Brushing a Har-Tru court redistributes the loose top dressing material and smooths it out after play. Har-Tru and Clay Court Daily Maintenance Brushing: Brushing the court is imperative to keeping a smooth surface after a tennis game. Washington D.C.'s Clervie Ngounoue defeated Brooklyn Olson 6-3, 6-0 to . This means that you will need to remove all of the topsoil and debris from the site. Clay tennis courts can cost anywhere between $30,000 and $75,000. Every time you finish playing, the 'clay' must be levelled out over the court (ideal coverage is 2 mm, or the thickness of a 2p coin) so that it completely covers the carpet underneath. Har Tru can recommend local installation professionals to provide the best services. Only allow proper shoes for court sports. The material is added to the court and leveled according to specifications. Hard tennis court resurfacing and installing takes a few steps. WATCH THIS MOVIEof how to brush the court after use. Red dirt is slower, which makes for a brand of tennis which is less direct and more tactical a veritable game of chess, where a certain shot can lead to a conclusion four or five "moves" later. Be sure to compact the material as you go. The Aussie tennis court sweeper is maintenance-free and comes with a three-year warranty. You might want to apply an algaecide to the surface to prevent any mold or algae building up over time. Its best to water after brushing, and only for short periods so the clay can absorb the moisture. This will ensure you get more longevity from the playing surface before you have to replace the clay altogether. Clay Tech is a high tech clay court that is a cost effective way of owning a Clay Tennis Court. Over summer it can get very hot here ( Australia) and the court requires a lot of water. Keep in mind that different types of clay courts may have different needs. Use nails to mark down the spots where the lines will go down. Leveling Scrape down high areas (such as where the lines were) and patch low areas. In this article, lets take a look at how to make a clay tennis court, including setting up solid foundations and drainage underneath, to installing the right surface and ensuring its properly maintained. During cold and wet winters it is also difficult as the clay can main damp and gluggy and can also accumulTe mold.That said it is very nice to play on when maintained ( tho the customer has no idea how much maintenance I am doing to keep it like that) I am very proud of my court and feel it plays much better than the en-tout-cas and conipur clays that are in my area. Minor cracking, bird baths, and other imperfections can typically be addressed at this time. Patching cracks or other damaged areas may be performed if safety is an issue. Z Pereira Lopes: Grip is everything when trying to stand up on a slippery clay court. The middle layer is coal. The exception is at Roland Garros where they use a special paint which is applied quite thickly into the surface. JavaScript is disabled. Check out our tips for keeping your court in top condition: Maintaining a clay court involves brushing, rolling, and watering the surface. Here in San Diego there are just two in the entire county that are open to the public and they cost $25 per hour. Laying Lines Install new line tapes. For HAR-TRU tennis courts, found in the US (which look and play very similar to clay courts in Europe) there are only 3 layers; a bottom layer of stones for drainage, a thinner layer of smaller stones for screenings and a one inch layer of HAR-TRU on top. Aussie Clean Sweeps are in use throughout the world by court owners who are thrilled with the results. Composition of a clay court at Roland-Garros 1- Red brick dust: 1 - 2 mm 2- Crushed white limestone: 6 - 7 cm 3- Clinker (coal residue): 7 - 8 cm 4- Crushed gravel: at least 30 cm 5- Drain A different floor makes for a different game than the one played on grass or synthetic surfaces. A court with a sub surface irrigation system will last longer than one which is watered with a sprinkler system. 2. If you play singles, it is 27 ft. When wet, brushing will help lift more of the loose top dressing out of the fibers and dry the court out. Courts 1 and 2 are side-by-side. Periodic maintenance on a Har-Tru court addresses court changes that occur over time. Watch Har-Tru president Pat Hanssen demonstrate how to use the Gator Rake line of grooming tools: A few simple daily routines will keep your court looking and playing great for years to come. The accompanying chart shows the path followed which attempts to minimize the distance traveled. Not sure where to post this question. We recommend keeping the court filled to the top of the membrane to prevent accelerated wear. Then brush over the whole surface, water sufficiently, and roll over the surface. Youll also become fitter due the longer rallies, so your overall stamina and endurance will improve. Maximum 1500psi equipment only. Clay has the benefit of a lower-speed bounce which can be great for slower gameplay and those who don't want the high speeds of hard surfaces like concrete. how to sweep a clay tennis court best way fastest quickest most efficient har tru court tennis hack - YouTube ***more Tennis Hacks***1) How to never pay for tennis string make your. There are a number of reasons why clay is a great surface for tennis. Product successfully added to your Shopping Cart, Everything you need for any court you maintain, Download the Har-Tru MantenanceManual here, Download the Indoor Har-Tru Maintenance Manual Here, Several types of tools are available on this site. Wimbledon organisers and the LTA could be set to reverse the ban on players from Russia and Belarus. This should be a two-inch layer of crushed brick, stone, or shale. :) How much water should one spray on, surely it mustn't be soaking. But now I really like it. The recommended size of a standard tennis court is 60 x 120. Set the nozzle to a medium-fine spray and gently water the courts. The clay tennis court maintenance equipment to have on hand includes: A lute to break up hard-pan areas and spread new material A drag broom to give a finished look A line broom for clearing clay off the lines A line scrubber for stubborn clay A court rake for the perimeter to stop algae formation This version is 8 feet in width. US Open chiefs have joined Indian Wells and Miami organisasers by making a public call for Djokovic to be allowed to play in America. This will reveal the quality of the sub base and whether there are any roots or organic material underneath. You can find these dimensions online or in a tennis court construction guide. 8 The number of people needed to prepare a court. In German it's just called sand, and if the courts aren't well maintained they do play like beach-tennis. 80 In centimeters, the total thickness of the 5 layers which make up the various strata of a clay court at Roland-Garros. Sweep each half of the court, including the back (between baseline and fence), using the clay drag-mat in the following pattern: Use this brush to sweep the lines clear. Invented by us in 1989, it is constructed from quality UV stabilized materials and is highly durable. If the court is too dry then rolling wont have much of an effect. Ensure that the clay tennis court line tape is clean and completely visible. How to slide on clay, by Jim Courier, Justine Henin and Jim Courier. It is far easier to be born and bred on red dirt and learn your trade on it as a youngster those who manage to turn themselves into dirtballers are certainly a rare breed. Rolling: ClayTech courts do not need to be rolled. I don't know anyone over the age of 40 that wouldn't prefer to play on clay - but there aren't a lot of clay (or har-tru) courts out there anymore. Until you presented some statistical and scientific data on injuries related to the type of court, it is all anecdotal. Dunno where you play, but we play on "redneck courts" which dont have any wc nor dressing rooms etc bu clay is simply perfect You just have to level it with "plank" after play around baseline and smooth by dragging net Clay is the real deal. Clay tennis courts are meant to be slightly wet when played on, so they should be fine to play on in the rain. Always do a small test area first to avoid discoloration of the surface. Its slower, rallies are longer and the ball kicks up a lot more. . At 46 I still play 3 hours per day on hard court in July and on clay in August. First, we lay the foundation - asphalt or concrete. If you're under 35 and play 10 hours a week (which is still a lot), playing on hard courts isn't a big deal - your joints and tendons are still like lubed-up rubber bands at that age. The French Open Grand Slam, for example, is played on red clay courts. But points on clay are nice and slow and long but easy on the body if you learn to not fight against it. Synthetic grass ,Clay or Loam surfaces (4-6 x RAPID APPLICATION). You may also want to consider adding a court lighting system for playing at night. Daniil Medvedev has now won 14 matches in a row on the tour and moves to 19-2 for the season. They offer more bounce than other surfaces, but they also require more maintenance. How to brush a clay tennis court You should brush clay court should before or after every match. Read our Guide to Having a Tennis Court Installed in Your Backyard. For clay courts which have to be watered above ground, youll really need to roll 1-3 times a week. The iconic clay courts of the French Open Championships are renowned for their distinctive red hue. I do have evidence. Clean up any spills immediately using a soft bristle brush and mild detergent solution. Playing on clay is also great for your body, as youre less likely to pick up injuries than on grass or hard courts. The price of playing on this wonderful surface means a 3-minute sweep after every match a price worth paying. I do believe the good folks at the HarTru Corporation have some pretty good data they use to support switching to their clay products from hard. Large structural cracks, distorted planarity, or more severe issues may require additional reconstruction. For algae growth pressure washing may be used in conjunction with a bleach solution approved by the EPA for outdoor use. Periodic maintenance on a ClayTech court addresses court changes that occur over time. At Roland Garros, there are 5 layers! This type of court is known for its slower playing surface, which is caused by a few factors. 3) then it is watered. The most satisfying job in the world? Recoating with a new Har Tru Sports Coatings system is recommended every 4-7 years depending on use and environment. After this initial phase, you want to scarify the tennis court to rough up and loosen the clay so you can redistribute some of it around the playing surface. VAMOS Rafa Redhill Tennis Club Look for the zigzag pattern on the sole of the shoe as that offers the best grip available., Tennis365: Should you still try to get to the net on clay? If you want any underground irrigation for your tennis court, you should install this before the stone screening. I simply cant move on the damn courts and peeling out or stopping is problematic. There are two main types of sweepers; one for doing the main clay surface, and a line sweeper to go over the lines. Clay courts cannot be maintained with your standard cleaning and maintenance tools. Blow debris and dust from surface of hard courts. Clay has always favoured certain countries France obviously, but also Spain, Italy and the Mediterranean in general. If it rains too much though, playing on them can often damage the courts quite badly, so your club may encourage you to . Then you should remove lines from the surface, pulling up the tape and all the nails holding it in place. You must log in or register to reply here. I love being able to slide into my shots and recover quicker on the clay. These should include repair of divots and low spots, inspection of tapes for areas where the lines are high or the edges are curled, elimination of growth around the perimeter of the court, scarification of any hard or slippery spots, and clearing drainage channels. Rolling a court will make it firmer and faster. Quad-Citian shares clay tennis court. The brushing that does take place is most effective when using aggressive grooming tools such as the Gator Rake or the Steel Bristle Drag Brush. The type of tennis court surface that you play on can have a major influence on how the game is played as well as on the effects of Tennis on your body. For a recreational court, the minimum recommended size is 114 x 60, but as the ball bounces higher on clay, youd be better off conforming to the minimum international specifications which is 120 x 60. This video covers the proper. For ease of mixing, here is an example of the tennis court cleaning solution: 10 gallons of bleach in a 55-gallon drum. They require more maintenance than other surfaces, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. Clay tennis court construction. It's important you stay on top of this from the get go and treat the area with a bleach and water mix every so often. Avoid sharp turns and take special care when going over the lines. Two players walk on the court and have an even chance of attaining victory.