Global Sports: Keys To Success When Tennis On Clay Tennis Surfaces

Monday, July 18, 2011

Keys To Success When Tennis On Clay Tennis Surfaces

By Amy Schwenk


One of the more prestigious surfaces in the world of tennis is that of red clay. It's right up there with grass when it comes to tradition and history, and it's commonly used throughout Europe and South America today.

Few things beat the experience of playing on this court style, as it's truly unique as far as game play is concerned, and a genuinely beautiful sight to behold.

I thought it would be useful to throw together a quick guide for people playing tennis on clay courts, pointing out the areas of strength and weakness that arise on this surface.

The biggest thing you should know about clay courts is that someone who hits ground strokes from the baseline is most likely to succeed in a match. When you look at the tennis greats who've won multiple French Opens, this is how they got there.

If you're a serve and volleyer or a net player, the impact of your game will most likely take a hit. Unfortunately, players with this strategy don't seem to fare as well on clay.

Why is this the case? Well, it all has to do with the surface that the matches are being played on. You see, clay is a thick surface and one that slows the ball down as a result.

Unlike hard courts, you'll seldom see the ball skipping off the surface and bouncing up at an increased speed. In fact, you'll see just the opposite.

On clay, your opponent will have more time to get to each shot that you hit. This is why the points and matches are generally longer on clay than they are in other settings.

If you've ever watched the French Open, you've probably noticed that the points are much longer here than at other tournaments, and this is why. While it's fun to watch, as a player you'll need some great endurance in order to succeed.

As a result, anyone who moves quickly during the course of a match will definitely have an edge.




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