Facilities, Supplies, People - Do Clay Courts Foster Better Players?

Do Clay Courts Foster Better Players?

By Rod Heckelman

It’s that time of year when the tour takes on a full agenda of clay court tournaments, highlighted by the French Open. Call it dirt, red clay, har-tru, and there are probably a few more descriptions, but it all amounts to playing on a slower surface, giving players more time to set up and hit the ball. This surface requires a style of movement that includes learning how to start and stop in a manner different from what is commonly practiced on hard courts. But before taking on that topic, let’s quickly review the types of surfaces that are most common.

Red clay, common in most parts of the world, is a type of court primarily made of a base layer of crushed gravel, followed by layers of clinker (coal residue), crushed white limestone, and a thin top layer of crushed red brick. This construction gives the court its characteristic reddish hue and slow-playing characteristics. It requires watering daily in most cases, and then dragging the surface to smooth it out for a consistent ball bounce. Maintenance can be very costly.

Har-tru is a whole other animal, and the material for these courts can only be found in the state of Virginia. It is primarily made up of metabasalt, which is considered an organic material, the primary reason for watering. With these courts, the water can come from sprinklers, hoses, or underground hydration. Again, frequent hydration is needed, and there is again a lot of maintenance.

The fact that these courts need water to be maintained also creates the convenience of these courts drying very quickly after any rain, providing more coaching and playing time.

Now, for the benefits of these surfaces for every type of player. Start with the ease on a player's body. Most people recognize that the softness of the surface has less physical impact on a player. This quality is often most appreciated by senior players, but it is also very helpful for developing top young players. Because the surface is softer and easier on the body, there is less wear and tear, fewer injuries, which allows longer practice times. Having that extra hour a day to practice is extremely beneficial to learning any sport that requires repetition.

The more important aspects of playing on these surfaces are found in the movement required. Because the surface is a bit more slippery, players learn to both start more gracefully and, of course, slide in their positioning for striking the ball. The first player to capture the attention of this movement was Bjorn Borg. He was definitely not the first great player to come from this surface, but his rise to fame came at a time when tennis was more in the mainstream media and in turn, popular. He moved with such each on those courts, and maybe because of his background as an ice skater, he had an easier time transitioning to clay court conditions. Close analysis of an ice skater starting a race shows that the position of their back skate is planted for the purpose of getting a strong push. Their front skate has the point dug in under them, providing a stance that has their body learning forward. Having the upper body weight forward is often referred to as a gravity start and lends towards more effortless speed and coverage.

To accomplish this in tennis, the initial step of the foot closes in the direction a player wants to run must initially go back under the body for this weight transfer to occur. There is much less pivoting on the start, and definitely not a jab step towards the direction the player wants to move. This is not that natural a start for many players, but because clay, like ice, is slippery, this movement is much more likely to maintain balance and upper body weight transfer. This, along with sliding into a stroke, may be the most important benefit for players on soft surfaces. As for learning how to slide, that skill just requires a lot of situational practice. It is an art that will take most players a while to master.

The fact that Rafa Nadal made the red clay surface his home for the tour, 14 French Opens, is a clear example of how mastering clay court play provides a leg up in the development of footwork. But it also helped Rafa and many others develop a mindset early on of the importance of consistency. In fact, many clay court experts relish long, extended points, where winning is the result of endurance and patience. For any coach to instill this in a student early in their development is a great step towards becoming a player who, like in chess, wins by not making mistakes. In essence, designing a strategy of play that will give the opponent a greater opportunity to lose to them.

Finally, most tennis academies that are hoping to foster successful young players will put in and use clay courts. So why can’t all locations use clay courts? Hopefully, that answer was provided in the earlier description of how difficult it is to build and maintain soft courts. It’s a simple fact, the combination of the shortage of water, the high maintenance, and in some areas, environmental limits to underground watering, has been challenging. The good news, some companies are making great breakthroughs in alternative surfaces that play like the current common clay courts, so it is a matter of time. Even in areas like California, where fewer and fewer indoor facilities are available, you may see new academies popping up using new soft courts to contend with the wet winters. Maybe one day, it could happen where Michael Chang will not be the last male Californian, and Serena Williams, the last female player from that state to win the French Open.