I will almost definitely be playing in a tournament (ladies 3.5 singles) that's a little less than three months from now, and I just learned it's on clay. I have never played on clay, ever. I tried Har Tru once just for fun (and learned after posting here that it's just an approximation of clay and clay is different.) Advice? I am located in So Cal and not sure where there even are clay courts around, but maybe find some and see if there's a clinic or class? See if there are court rentals and get someone to play with me? With this time frame what would you advise? Anyone familiar with courts that could work for this? I am not-terrible driving distance from San Diego, Orange County, and the Palm Springs desert. For LA County and surroundings, it's a bit more of a drive. Thank you!
How to prep for clay court tournament?
- Thread starter DailyG&T
- Start date
Vox Rationis
Professional
FYI I believe when it says clay, it almost 100% means Har-Tru which you've already experienced before. Have you confirmed the location is using actual red clay and not just Har-Tru?
Vox Rationis
Professional
Yep that's definitely Har-Tru. Usta just labels it as clay on tournament websites because it's just our version of red clay.
tennis tom
Legend
Your white socks are safe! "Clay" should be changed to blue as Tiriac attempted at Madrid a few years back--it was beautiful!--the issues were NOT caused by the color--there's a reason almost all courts today are BLUE!
tennis tom
Legend
Played a clay tournament at Irvine once at a clay club, maybe it's Irvine RC? Shorecliff at Pismo Beach has two red clays--not much clay left on top but the slate below gives a good bounce.
In the desert, Mission Hills (private but has clinics) had some of the best har-tru a year or two ago, Shadow Mt, has a couple of Har-Trus, Morningside (very private) has a couple too. There may be more, I've forgotten more then I know. "SEARCH" clay here and you will find more from past clay/har-tru topics, it's been discussed before, techniques, sliding, and clubs. Don't worry about it too much, just play as you would on any other surface--at 3.5 there will be a lot of other fundamentals that will be higher priorities--like serve and ROS.
g'luck!
OnTheLine
Hall of Fame
That sounds like it should be a fun tournament in an interesting place!
In my experience having never played on clay, and then played a lot on Har-tru but for only a week ... it wasn't a huge adaptation.
Going in having never seen or played on it before I was a lot nervous, thought it would be a huge difference. It wasn't at all. Minor mental change in how my footing "felt" ... took about 20 minutes before I stopped thinking and just moved (ran, split stepped, etc.) and it just wasn't an issue.
The ball can have different bounces, watch them and be ready to adjust your footwork in prep, Biggest thing was adapting to the game being so much slower.
Here is a link to my thread from last year .... you can see how nervous I was, got great feedback ... a lot of which told me to relax already. They were right!!
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...o-play-somewhere-completely-different.619472/
Will you be in the area for a day or two prior to the tournament? If so, worry not, play there in the days before, you will adapt with no issues. Take a clinic or some such where you have to move a lot to get used to the feel .... the rest, it is just tennis, and you know how to do that.
You may not master the art of sliding, but from playing with 3.5 and 4.0 local ladies down there last year ... neither did they.
Now if you can adapt to the humidity levels of FL compared to the lovely high desert of SoCal that is a different problem likely more challenging.
In my experience having never played on clay, and then played a lot on Har-tru but for only a week ... it wasn't a huge adaptation.
Going in having never seen or played on it before I was a lot nervous, thought it would be a huge difference. It wasn't at all. Minor mental change in how my footing "felt" ... took about 20 minutes before I stopped thinking and just moved (ran, split stepped, etc.) and it just wasn't an issue.
The ball can have different bounces, watch them and be ready to adjust your footwork in prep, Biggest thing was adapting to the game being so much slower.
Here is a link to my thread from last year .... you can see how nervous I was, got great feedback ... a lot of which told me to relax already. They were right!!
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...o-play-somewhere-completely-different.619472/
Will you be in the area for a day or two prior to the tournament? If so, worry not, play there in the days before, you will adapt with no issues. Take a clinic or some such where you have to move a lot to get used to the feel .... the rest, it is just tennis, and you know how to do that.
You may not master the art of sliding, but from playing with 3.5 and 4.0 local ladies down there last year ... neither did they.Now if you can adapt to the humidity levels of FL compared to the lovely high desert of SoCal that is a different problem likely more challenging.
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Vox Rationis
Professional
So you've already figured out most of what you should do:
Gaining experience on the surface is the best preparation you can do. Other than that the thread @OnTheLine links has good insight onto how to approach footwork and other things to expect. The main thing I'd say is to be patient. The ball will bounce a bit slower and higher so you'll have to wait a beat or two more for it to get into your strike zone. Sometimes you'll have to adjust after the bounce so keep your feet as active as possible. Good luck and relax! Clay courts are a really fun time and easier on the body.
tennis tom
Legend
No, but it makes sense, the particles picked up by the balls can act like sandpaper to abrade the strings--strings are cheap though--look on the positive side--your shoes are getting less worn out by the softer surface--and if you play barefoot, you can grind off those nasty plantar's warts saving a bundle not having to go to the podiatrist or Dr. Scholls.
anybody ever noticed any abrasion to the racquets hoop paint from the embedded clay particles??? just wondering.
Big Ed
tennis tom
Legend
Nope, it's my POG is made out of graphite, probably less wear and tear throwing it around on clay then scraping it on hard courts. If the paint on my dark green POG starts looking shabby, I take out my Sharpie and touch it up. It's a well made stick--should last me 'til I die or take up croquet--and, players keep digging them out of their closets, giving them to me for free!--recently got an OS, brand new with the paper ad thingy in the center, and the wrapper on the leather Fairway grip, will hang onto the OS's for my old-age when I need a bigger head like Fed does. Sticks are cheap compared to golf or race cars.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
Clay for singles is a lot different than clay for doubles.
Clay compared to HC: higher bounce, more speed loss after bounce, more wonky bounces. More difficulty changing directions or getting started running.
With those differences here is my advice:
1) Plan on having to hit more shots than you normally do in a rally
2) Stand a bit further back than you normally do to give yourself more time to react to wonky bounces
3) Leave those hard court flat shots behind. They work considerably less well on clay where topspin and underspin/slice cause more issues with the bounce.
4) Run after things even if you think you can't get to it. You'd be surprised how much time the speed loss and high bounce give you to get to a ball. Makes up for the slower starts on clay.
5) Beware the change in direction. You can't stick your leg out for a sudden stop and go on clay like you can on HC. Good way to pull your groin. Get your feet under you first or slide then reverse direction.
Clay compared to HC: higher bounce, more speed loss after bounce, more wonky bounces. More difficulty changing directions or getting started running.
With those differences here is my advice:
1) Plan on having to hit more shots than you normally do in a rally
2) Stand a bit further back than you normally do to give yourself more time to react to wonky bounces
3) Leave those hard court flat shots behind. They work considerably less well on clay where topspin and underspin/slice cause more issues with the bounce.
4) Run after things even if you think you can't get to it. You'd be surprised how much time the speed loss and high bounce give you to get to a ball. Makes up for the slower starts on clay.
5) Beware the change in direction. You can't stick your leg out for a sudden stop and go on clay like you can on HC. Good way to pull your groin. Get your feet under you first or slide then reverse direction.
OnTheLine
Hall of Fame
Agree with @Dartagnan64 on all points
@DailyG&T what you may find is the most challenging (at least it was for me) is the difference between hitting at altitude and dry air and hitting at sea level and humidity. I really had to swing out and I normally hit a pretty hard deep ball .... I was not. It was depressing at first ..... felt like the ball was so heavy and dead ... took some real adjustment.
Hope you have a great time.
@DailyG&T what you may find is the most challenging (at least it was for me) is the difference between hitting at altitude and dry air and hitting at sea level and humidity. I really had to swing out and I normally hit a pretty hard deep ball .... I was not. It was depressing at first ..... felt like the ball was so heavy and dead ... took some real adjustment.
Hope you have a great time.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
I play in the Pacific Northwest. I have your reverse problem. I go to warm dry climates and have to totally recalibrate for the big bounces and lighter feeling ball. My semiwestern grip moves more to the Western than Eastern side of things. I hit more low to high to get better topspin to keep the ball in. That's as much an adjustment as surface differences. I actually feel like superman down in the desert.
OnTheLine
Hall of Fame
Oh no doubt elevation and humidity make a huge difference .... what is sad is that after only playing 1 week at sea level, I came back and everything was a line drive straight into the fence for the first day, and serves were so long!
I would focus on jogging twice a week along with leg exercises in the gym .
Clay is more about endurance
