Describe the various types of tennis courts with a focus on the following;
Playing of tennis is done on different surfaces which has their own characteristics which affect the style of play of the game. There are four major types of courts depending on the used materials on the surface of the courts.
Clay courts
Clay courts slow down the ball and produce a high bounce in comparison to grass courts or hard courts. For this reason, the clay court takes away lot of advantage of big serves, which makes it hard for serve-based players to dominate on the surface. Clay courts are cheaper to construct than other types of tennis courts, but the maintenance costs of a clay surface are higher than those of hard courts. To preserve flatness, they need to be rolled. The clay’s water content must be balanced; green courts generally require the courts to be sloped to allow water run-off (Gifford, 2009).
Grass courts
According to Lees et al (2009), grass courts are the fastest type of courts and consist of grass grown on very hard-packed soil, which adds additional variables. The bounces depend on how healthy the grass is, how recently it has been mown, and the wear and tear of recent play. The grass courts tend to favor serve and volley tennis players. Additionally, the surface is less firm and more slippery than hard courts, causing the ball to slide and bounce lower, and so players must reach the ball faster.
Grass courts are now rare due to high maintenance costs, as they must be watered and mown often, and take a longer time to dry after rain than hard courts. The grass surface, however, is the most compatible with the human body because of its softness.
Hard courts
Hard courts are made of uniform rigid material, offering greater consistency of bounce than other outdoor surfaces. Hard courts can vary in speed, although they are faster than clay but not as fast as grass courts. The quantity of sand added to the paint can greatly affect the rate at which the ball slows down. Hard courts are generally more equalizing than clay or grass in terms of playing style, although they favor harder-hitting baseliners and all-court styles with the current equipment. The main difference between a synthetic hard court and a true hard court surface is the level of hardness (Adams, 2010).
When the ball bounces on this surface it is faster than all other surfaces if there is not much sand in the top paint. The amount of sand used in the top paint and the size of the sand also determines the speed – more sand means less speed and larger sand particles will slow the speed of play. The amount of friction can also be altered and more friction will produce a clay court effect. The extra grip and friction will resist the sliding effect of the ball and the resistance will force the ball to change its rotation.
Carpet courts
Carpet is a tennis term for any removable court covering. Indoor arenas store rolls of rubber-backed court surfacing and install it temporarily for tennis events, however they are not in use any more for professional events. Carpet is generally a fast surface more than hard court, with low bounce (Schultz, 2005).
Describe the various types of tennis rackets and balls in terms of material and properties, weight, size, shape and maintenance
Tennis rackets
Power tennis racquets
They help players to hit the ball with less effort and aggressively. Therefore, they are suitable for the beginners who have not yet developed the proper skill; technique and form to generate their own power. Moreover, power tennis rackets are also good for individuals who don’t have lots of strength and struggling to generate power. This racket has the following characteristics according to Gifford (2009);
- Large in length (27.5”)
- An oversized head(137 sq inches)
- Stiff frame
- Lighter construction mainly of graphite
The bigger head of the racket provides more power in addition to larger sweet spot and greater hitting surface. This allows for a higher margin of error. The length of the racket also has a big impact on the power of the racket. The longer the racket, the more leverage a player has when swinging. This allows a player to generate more power. The stiff frame of the racket allows the ball to quickly rebound, with greater speed and less effort. Lastly, the lighter construction helps make the racket easier to swing and less stressful in the arm.
Control tennis rackets
They are opposite of the power rackets. The player forgoes much of the generated power in exchange for control ad ability to accurately place the ball. The common characteristics of the racket according to Lees et al (2009) include:
- Shorter in length(21”-26”)
- A small head (85 sq inches)
- Flexible frame
- Heavier construction of composite materials
The smaller head provides less spring and consequently less power. Moreover, it has a smaller sweet spot and hitting surface. This results in a lower margin of error. The shorter length provides a player with less overall leverage when hitting the ball, but greater flexibility and control over the racquet head when swinging. Furthermore, its frames are tend to be less stiff and more flexible allowing the ball to sit on the racket a bit longer when hitting. This ultimately provides the player with a bit more control. Lastly, this type of racket tends to be a bit heavier than the rest. This helps the player to maintain a higher control level when hitting.
Tweener tennis rackets
They fall in between the control and power rackets. Therefore, these rackets tend to be great all round and provide a wide range of players with blend of control and power. The common characteristics include as observed by Adams (2010):
- Midsized head (95-105 sq inches)
- Semi stiff
- Midsized length, although tend to be longer
- Mid weight construction although tend to be lighter
Tennis balls
Tennis balls are categorized in 3types of felt, 4 speeds and 2 basic means of producing bounce.
Speed
Slow: same weight with larger diameter
Medium: the most common type and is best for most players in most situations
Fast: rarely used and good for players who prefer the soft footing of clay
High altitude: designed for easy control in thinner air of above 4000 feet (Schultz, 2005).
Felt
Is the covering of the ball and is designed with specific court surface
Regular duty: designed for most in door and clay courts. It is the finer felt designed not to excessively fluff. It quickly wears away on more abrasive hard courts
Extra duty: designed for hard courts. It is made of denser felt that can take heavy abrasion.
Grass courts felt: it is basically regular duty but treated to resist staining
Bounce production
Pressurized tennis balls: they are the most common type and perform better then the pressure less balls when still new. However, it quickly looses their bounce and therefore most players use them only for one match
Pressure less balls: they get their bounce from their rubber shell structure, which retains its elasticity. They are stiffer and less bouncy when new. The pressure less balls gets bouncier when their felt wears off and become lighter
Outline the tennis etiquette/unwritten code
- Do some Warm ups with your partner by placing the shots around the middle of the court to your opponent
- Players should keep tennis balls always in their pockets, hand or ball clip during match
- The server should keep score by announcing the set score before the start of each game and the game score before each point
- Close calls: if the player is not sure whether their opponents shot is in or out, it is in. a player should not also make calls on their shots that land on their opponents court
- Behavior and attitude: a player should refrain from shouting or looking dejected in a friendly match even they are playing badly.
- Tempo: play at the pace of the server and do not slow down the game. likewise the servers should not rush to stat after each point
- Neighbors: a player should stop the game and restart the points if a ball from another court rolls onto their court
- Enjoy the game: a player should not feel nervous or uncomfortable about playing tennis because they are unfamiliar
- with the codes of conduct
- Do not barge into court until you are allotted booking time and therefore wait for your turn
- To decide who will first serve, toss a coin or spin a racket
- Before you serve, make sure your opponent is ready to receive
- Do not walk across someone else’s court, behind another court during a point while they are in the middle of a game.
Shake hands and congratulate your partner after the match
References
Gifford, C. (2009). Tennis. Mankato, Minn: Sea-to-Sea Publications.
Lees, A., Cabello, D., & Torres, G. (2009). Science and racket sports IV. Milton Park, Abingdon: Routledge.
Adams, D. (2010). Tennis etiquette. New York, N.Y: Tennis Etiquette.
Schultz, N. (2005). Tennis for everyone. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.
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