Qualities That Make Red Clay A One Of A Kind Tennis Court Type

By Darren Landis

If you play tennis, or even are just a spectator, you will be aware of that unique red playing service known as a clay court. This surfaces dates right back to the original game, and is particularly popular in the tennis playing countries around the Mediterranean.

There is no other surface quite like clay to have a game of tennis on. The strong red color is very attractive and literally makes tennis a whole different ball game!

Whether or not you have yet to experience playing on a red clay court, I have a few fascinating facts about this unique surface to share with you.

This surface lends itself more to those that play from the baseline, as opposed to those who serve and volley. A great clay court player must have impeccable ground strokes.

Those players who reign supreme on this difficult surface play most effectively from the baseline. They also rely on the strength in their ground strokes to win matches.

So why is the strategy for this game so different? Well, it is very simple, the clay is a thick and heavy surface which sticks to the ball and therefore slows it Down considerably.

So as where you are used to seeing a ball hit the surface then rise at great speed, you will be seeing the opposite happening on a clay court.

There have been some marathon tennis matches played on clay, and that has been because the ball has slowed as it hits the surface and given the player time to be able to reach it.

The rallies are obviously longer and shots easier to reach than they would be on the fast courts. A sure fire winner on grass is probably reachable on clay.

Speed is the key on clay, to reach the ball early while it is still on the rise and put it away thanks to a thumping ground stroke. - 31983

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