Har-Tru Court Review and Question

[bbfifas]

Didn't know where to post this.

So I played on some Har-Tru courts in my neighborhood yesterday for the first time and have a question for anyone who has played on them before.

What I liked:

-I loved the lower impact surface compared to my usual hard courts. My knees thanked me. Court material felt moist. There was no crazy sliding like I see on the FO, but there was a little bit.
-Ball seemed to bounce higher (is that right?) or it could of been my hitting partner.
-Slower play compared to hard courts.

What I didn't like:

-Ball bounce was not as consistent as hard court (obviously), just take some getting used to.
-The tape lines was weird, they were nailed in the surface with flat head looking nail that were about the size of a dime and spaced every 4 inches along the tape. So when you hit a shot on the tape, it would bounce completely erratically. This got very annoying.

How are the taped lines at your Har-Tru courts you have played on??

Thanks, Brendon

 

[drakulie]

I have played on many har tru courts. Your experience is consistent with mine.

 

[Andres]

I have never played on har-tru, but the deal with the lines is the same with red clay. If you hit the lines, you get the most unpredictable bounce possible.

 

[bbfifas]

man that stinks about the lines, how do they do it at the French Open?

 

[Andres]

man that stinks about the lines, how do they do it at the French Open?

They deal with it. That's how red clay is, all around the world

French Open, or my club's claycourts... if it hits the line, BE PREPARED!

 

[bbfifas]

guess it keeps things interesting!

 

[JRstriker12]

The lines in our Hard-tru courts in Reston, VA are also nailed in.

Tehy do create interesting bounces on occasion, but it's not as much of a problem as you think. You just have to stay awake and adjust. Though, it's great when you hit a line on a serve - good luck returning one of those.

Our courts are well maintained so the bounce is pretty consistent. Plus, you should sweep the court before and after every use, which will also help create a truer bounce.

Overall, I like hard-tru. When I fisrt started playing on it, I didn't like it, but I've come to enjoy it more. Only problem is that clay dust can be a pain in the rear to clean. There' nothing like forgetting to take off your tennis shoes when you come into the house (even after bushing and stopping your shoes when coming off the court) and leaving a green clay trail on the rug or floors.

 

[iplaybetter]

i actually get more slide out of har-tru than red clay, and the nails at my club are small, i love the stuff, i can play on almost anything because of it, and for clay filled shoes just smack them with your racket during play

 

[Thomas Bird-Itch]

Welcome to the dirt. I love this surface against hard hitters and hate it against soft ballers. To combat the wierd bounces, get in position early. Also, stay OFF the lines as much as possible. That will be easy to remember when you bust your butt on them a few times changing directions, etc. Notice none of the pro's ever return serve while standing on them. You'll have zero grip.