Over the years, tennis has gained popularity far and wide. Some of the developments in the tennis world are that it can now be played on different surfaces. The tennis court can either be clay, synthetic, or even carpet. All of these surfaces have their pros and cons. However, what remains common is that they all require proper maintenance to last long.
For instance, clay courts need long term maintenance to remain in good condition. Someone must continuously monitor the water balance and roll the court from time to time. Clay courts are particularly popular since they are quite cheap to install.
Recommended Daily Maintenance Activities
There are quite a number of things you can do to ensure that your Har-Tru or hydro court is well maintained. Let’s look at a few.
Brushing
Brushing your clay court is essential. It ensures that any topdressing material is evenly distributed throughout the court. Besides, brushing also ensures that your court remains smooth even after a rough game. For best results, brush your tennis court right before watering.
Watering
Just enough water on your clay-court goes a long way in ensuring that the court remains compact. Most people prefer watering their courts overnight. However, you can choose a different routine and stick to it. However, whatever time interval you want, the water must be enough to sustain the court till the next cycle. You can even water it somewhere in the middle of the day.
Rolling
Rolling your court will see it remain firmer for a longer time. Rolling prevents a build-up of the top dressing material on your court. Rolling your tennis court is especially important just after the winter season due to the rampant freeze environment.
However, you can roll the court even when winter is over. For best results also, roll your court in the morning while your court is still moist.
Periodic Maintenance Activities
Some of these activities include adding some coarse blend to prevent your court from becoming too slippery. Clearing the court’s drainage system is also essential.
Annual Activities
Some activities, on the other hand, can be done once a year. These include installing new line tapes, scraping off high areas on the court, and cleaning it.
Rolling Your Clay Court: What you Need to Know
Many people know that rolling tennis courts important. However, some don’t know how to go about it. How long do you have to wait, when is the best time, and much more. Read through to have all these questions answered.
To start with, for new, refurbished, and winterized courts, more attention is required. During the first three to five weeks, you need to roll every day. The time of the day you choose has no significant impact on the results. However, morning hours are the best since it’s more likely to find the tennis court empty.
Also, it is easier to maneuver around with the clay court rollers since the clay court is relatively moist.
On the other hand, for more used courts, for instance, those that have been in use for a year, you can reduce the rolling frequency. To determine how often you need to roll it, consider facts such as what your members prefer. For instance, if they like quite loose clay courts, then you have to wait longer. If they prefer a compact ground, then get your clay court rollers ready since you’ll need them more.
As opposed to what many people perceive, rolling is not exclusively for tightening clay courts. Another fundamental reason for rolling is moisture retention. Properly rolled courts are more likely to retain moisture, compared to loose ones. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you roll your court during summer.
Here is an important tip: every time you are rolling your court, move your clay court rollers perpendicularly. Moving the clay court rollers sideways can lead to building up of materials. For a smooth sail, take down the tennis nets and work on the entire area without any hindrance. Also, ensure that you keep tennis court rollers off the lines to prevent altering them.
In conclusion, you decide how often you want to roll your court, depending on how loose or compact you want it to be.
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