Home – TYPES OF SURFACES – ACRYLIC VS CLAY & GRASS SURFACES

ACRYLIC VS CLAY
& GRASS SURFACES

There are three main types of tennis court surfaces.  Acrylic Hard Court Surfaces, Clay, & Grass.
The main three categories are widely used across the world on tennis courts. 
The largest tennis tournaments in the world (Grand Slams) also use a variety of these surface types:

– US Open = Hard tennis court surfaces (Acrylic)

– Australian Open = Hard tennis court surfaces (Acrylic)

– French Open = Clay tennis court surfaces

– Wimbledon = Grass tennis court surfaces

HARD COURT SURFACES

ACRYLIC

Hard courts are the most common and widely used tennis court surfaces throughout the world, and especially in South Africa. 
Hard courts are constructed from asphalt or concrete bases, and usually coated with 100% acrylic colour coating systems. 
PROS

– Very low maintenance

– Large variety of surface colour options

– Cleaner to play on, in comparison with other surfaces

– Very customizable surface pace, from slow to fast play

– Best for multi-sport courts

– Also available in cushioned options (Cushioned Hard Courts) for softer surfaces

– Good for both indoor and outdoor courts, in all climates.  Semi-permeable to allow vapor transmission in areas with high water tables or poor drainage

– Drain and dry off quickly after rain

CONS

– Can be a little harder on the body and joints in comparison with clay and grass courts

– Still need to maintain on occasion (crack filling, general cleaning, resurfacing, etc.)

CLAY TENNIS COURT SURFACES

NATURAL CLAY & FAST DRY COURTS

Clay courts, like grass and synthetic turf, are classified under the “soft court” category.  There are a few varieties from natural clay to fast dry court surfaces.  Natural clay is a blend of sand and silt, and fast dry courts are made from crushed stone or brick and some form of binder.  Both surfaces are installed over a compacted stone base & sub-grade.  Clay court surfaces require watering, rolling, and brooming for ideal playing conditions, so they are normally shut down during freezing winter conditions.  There are sub-irrigated systems available, as well as the original surface-watered courts.  Clay tennis court surfaces play slow with a higher bounce to produce longer rallies. 

PROS

– Softer playing surface

– Ability to slide during play

– Fast dry courts drain quickly after a rain, to resume play (natural clay drains slow)

CONS

– High maintenance with water, rolling & brooming

– Annual top-dressing is recommended

– Watering (and maintenance) can be costly & time consuming

– Clay materials can be messy on shoes, clothes, and around courts

– Limited colors available

– Not able to play in all weather conditions (winter)

– Only able to achieve slow playing conditions

GRASS TENNIS COURT SURFACES

NATURAL GRASS & SYNTHETIC TURF

The third main category of tennis court surfaces is grass.  There are two sub-categories, natural grass and infilled synthetic turf.  Infilled synthetic turf is artificial grass that is usually filled with sand. This helps to stand the blades of grass up and provide a solid surface to rebound the ball.  Natural grass has a medium dry time, after rain, and synthetic grass dries fast.  Both types of grass tennis court surfaces exhibit fast playing conditions with softer playing surfaces under foot.  When it comes to grass courts, there is still quite a bit of planning and maintenance required.  Natural grass courts need correct soil conditions, water, and the right grass species for the regional environment.  Here are some pros and cons when considering grass tennis court surfaces:

PROS

– Soft playing surface & allows sliding during play

– Cooler surface in hot weather conditions

CONS

– High maintenance: watering, mowing, fertilizing, top dressing, striping

– Need to be careful with “overplaying” – Alternate play to prevent wear

– Only green color available for natural grass

– Synthetic grass requires brooming and addition of sand.  Can also have issues with mold.

– Grass courts play fast with low ball bounce.