Singles sticks on US courts?

[KluddKalle]

Hi!

Don't really know where this question fits in, but I have to ask. In all the videos of tennis posted here on TT (recorded by TT-members of themselves playing) I never ever see the singles sticks holding up the net. TW doesn't have them on their court either. Could someone explain why this is? Is it a US-thing? Here in Sweden the sticks are always there and everyone is pretty quick to put them back if there have been a doubles match. I mean, if the posts are not there, the net will be lower? Isin't that to your disadvantage when later on playing a match and the sticks are there? I know of a drill that does the opposite and that is to un-hook that hook at the bottom of the center of the net. That way it gets higher and you'll adjust your shots to have better net clearance.

Just curious...

 

[KluddKalle]

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

^ I have seen built-in sticks (metal poles) at some of the courts at Sanford University but not seen them anywhere else. If they were added to public courts, I suspect that many of them would be vandalized or destroyed by kids.

.

 

[heninfan99]

You can't have anything on public courts in most of the US cities that is easily removable. We are lucky the street toughs don't steal our nets. No joke.

Country/private club yes.

 

[KluddKalle]

Thanks!

Ok, that makes sense. Here in sweden the public courts are a complete mess, in other words not that playable (just asphalt with painted lines and lots of weeds growing). And we have really few, everyone plays at clubs. And come to think of it, our public courts don't have singles sticks either.

Is public courts so common that playing without singles sticks is the norm? I ask this since the TW court (and other seemingly private courts I've seen on Youtube) don't have the sticks.

 

[LeeD]

I spent my first 3 years of tennis never having played on a court with singles sticks.
Then first tournament, a C level, they put those sticks in and my serve just suffered, especially flat and out wide serves. Didn't seem to affect my groundies or net play whatsoever.
Later that year, in 5 Open level tournies, only 3 had singles sticks in the first 3 rounds, but all the finals had singles sticks installed.

 

[osutennis24]

none of the clubs/courts I have ever played on have single sticks

 

[goran_ace]

There was a post on here where someone asked about the difference in height at the sideline with singles sticks vs without, and it was only like an inch and a half. So it really shouldn't affect play at all realistically. What iI like about singles sticks is that visually it frames the singles court a little better and gives you a tighter/straighter net cord.

 

[mikeler]

I played with them for the first time in USTA league play in 2013. It didn't really effect me at all.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

i first saw these at junior USTA tournaments, usued pretty regular
but in local clubs its more of a hassel and an after tough
my club has them and can be requested by members, you would be in charge of putting them on and returning them, so no one asks for them,, ever, haha