Welcome back for another fun installment of History of Tennis Courts. In this weeks blog post, I will be discussing the hard tennis court surface, which is the most common type of tennis court found in modern day United States. You can find them from public and private country clubs, all the way to middle schools, high schools, and colleges. These courts date all the way back to the same time as the grass tennis courts, however, they were not made of the same type of material as they are today.
Many of the Grand Slam tournaments are played on hard courts across the world due to the high popularity of the area. One of the biggest Grand Slams of all, the U.S. Open, are played on hard tennis courts. Located in Queens, New York, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is home to over 30 hard tennis courts and three different stadiums for the tournament every year and has been the location of the U.S. Open ever since it opened back in the late seventies.
When playing on a hard court, it is important to stretch before and after due to the texture of the court and the pressure it causes on peoples’ joints. It is one of the toughest surfaces that effects the body and many elderly people are not able to play on this surface anymore due to the strain it can cause on their body. That is why many people of that age tend to strictly play on clay courts due to the softness of the court.
As far as the surface itself, it is typically made of of either four inches of asphalt or concrete which is then set to dry over a period of a few days. Once the surface has cured, a layer of surface primer is applied to make sure that the final acrylic layer adheres to the concrete/asphalt itself. The very top layer of the court is the part that is the most customizable. Once the court is completed very little to no maintenance is required for the court. That is another reason these courts are so popular as well. Every six to eight years it is recommended that the court be resurfaced, however, the process is very simple compared to other court surfaces. If it is a private court at someones house, then there are no limits for the color they can choose from, however, if it is at a public facility or private country club, the colors tend to be blue and green, to match the hard courts at the U.S. Open. That is considered the standard now a days.
The pace of a hard court is very similar to grass courts. The ball tends to have a lot of speed and not as much top spin because of the surface. One of the only differences between grass and hard court is how high the ball bounces. On a grass court the ball does not really bounce that high which is why it is important to close into the net and finish the point as soon as possible. However, on hard courts the ball bounces normally, and the player is able to have longer rallies during points. Most of the time it comes down to either who can outhit the other player or who can keep the ball in play the longest without making any unforced errors. These types of courts are also one of my favorites because of how it compliments my playing style. The fast pace play allows me to have longer rallies and wait for the right time to finish the point. It also gives me more control on the court as well.
Thanks for tuning in again this week and I can not wait for nexts weeks post on carpet tennis courts. I hope this gives you a lot of insight on the sport and maybe encourages you to pick of a racquet and a can of balls to get out there and play!