Playing on Different Tennis Surfaces and the Beset Clay Court Tennis Shoes

Players involved in the sport of tennis are most familiar with the hard court: a surface based with concrete and asphalt layered over by acrylic.  Hard courts, while being the most popular, are only one of many different tennis surfaces.  

Playing tennis on grass and clay does not necessarily have to be part of a routine, but every tennis player should get a chance to try it at least once.  Some players will play exclusively on the clay surface, becoming defensive specialists and world class sliders.  Different intricacies of these surfaces make tennis a more interesting and diverse sport.  While it can be fun to experiment with other surfaces, careful attention should be paid to the proper equipment for each different surface.

Preparing for and Playing on Clay Tennis Courts

Clay courts are incredibly unique surfaces for two reasons.  First, and most obvious, the way the ball responds to the consistency of the loose dirt.  Balls will slow down considerably, while shooting up higher than normal.  The friction on the ball causes this effect and makes the ball sit up high in the air.  This can be problematic when hitting a normal shot that would normally be low enough, but instead floats up into your opponents strike zone.  On the other hand, utilizing topspin will increase the effect and produce a ball that climbs into the opponents shoulders, making it very difficult to hit back.

The other interesting effect that the clay court has is on a player’s movement around the court.  Tennis requires quick direction changes from side to side and the clay can really inhibit this.  The main problem is that the friction is considerably reduced by the loose material on the courts surface.  Lack of friction causes the players to slide rather than being able to make a full and complete stop.  

This sliding action can absolutely wreak havoc on an inexperienced player’s game.  Taking this into account, hitting behind an opponent becomes an amazingly effective strategy.  When you hit behind an opponent, they need to successfully change directions twice, once to recover towards the middle, then again to cover the shot.

Equipment for Playing on Clay Tennis Courts

The most important factor when gearing up for a game of tennis on the clay is your footwear.  Special clay court tennis shoes are designed to provide the most resistance on the clay surface.  Using a normal hard court shoe is possible, but not advisable.  The drawback to not having these shoes is less control in your movement, along with a heavier and bulkier shoe.  

Shoes designed specifically for the clay will be lighter performance based shoes.  This is because the reduced friction of the clay court will allow a lighter and less durable shoe more leeway.  Not taking advantage of these two factors when choosing footwear for a clay court is just giving up a huge advantage.  Movement is the key when playing on clay, having more controlled motion coupled with faster direction changes can make the difference in any match.