The game of tennis has a long history and the sport has been played on many surfaces over hundreds of years. Even today, there are carpeted indoor courts, clay courts, grass courts and artificial turf. Most of us, however, are familiar with playing on a customary hard court.
Both the Australian and U.S. Open take place on hard courts, and this type of tennis surface is known for providing dependable ball bounce. Yet, there can be many inconsistencies in the quality, durability and performance of hard courts.
The process of choosing the right sports surface for the tennis courts at your facility requires careful consideration. Here’s a helpful breakdown from Knoveo Solutions, who has overseen many tennis court installations and resurfacing projects in Pakistan.
A Typical Tennis Court vs. a Professional Sports Surface
An ordinary hard court will have a very basic construction with little thought given to protecting the bodies of athletes competing on it.
Some companies will claim to offer “cushioned courts” because the acrylic paint contains rubberized granules, but that won’t do much to soften the surface. What sets premium courts, such as the Knoveo Polyurethane Sports Flooring, apart from typical tennis courts is a rubber pad that is installed in between the hard base and the topcoat. This extra layer provides beneficial point elastic properties.
The addition of shock absorption is where choosing a premium tennis court surface pays off for the athletes.
The Benefits of Shock Absorption
Hard courts are hard on athletes’ bodies, especially the knees. Tennis star Rafael Nadal criticized the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in 2013 for failing to consider the health of tennis players as the number of competitions taking place on hard courts has grown. He was worried about being able to remain physically active after retiring from professional tennis.
“I can’t imagine football players playing on cement, I can’t imagine any other sport involving aggressive movements such as tennis being played on such aggressive surfaces such as ours.” ~ Rafael Nadal
It is possible to improve hard courts to better protect athletes. That’s why Knoveo Polyurethane Sports Flooring offers a variety of shock absorption levels based on the thickness of the rubber pad used for cushioning.
Tennis surfaces from Knoveo Solutions are designed to meet specific international standards for point elastic athletic surfaces and offer several options when choosing the right tennis surface for any project or facility. It all depends on how much cushion the end users need, Casual tennis enthusiasts, coaches and student athletes will all feel a difference when using premium tennis courts with adequate shock absorption.
Consistent Playability
If you’re questioning whether adding cushioning to a tennis court can affect the way the ball responds to a tennis court’s surface, Extra shock absorption has no impact on ball response and there’s no difference in ball response between the thickness of the pads. Knoveo PU Sports Flooring doesn’t take anything off ball speed or response because we completely adhere our surface to the concrete or asphalt base underneath. So, there’s no dead spots or air voids, Dead spots on other types of tennis courts can occur with products in which adhesive is only applied around the perimeter. In these cases, when there is a fluctuation in temperature, air pockets can form. When the ball hits these areas, it doesn’t respond as expected.
In fact, the ball may not bounce at all! That’s what happened at the Australian Open in 2011 when tennis star Mari Sharapova noticed a dead spot during warmups.
The surface layer of the tennis court also contributes to playability and performance. Knoveo Solutions uses a seamless polyurethane coating for both the main area and the court lines. That means it provides the same amount friction no matter where the ball lands and it will not skip if it hits the court lines.
Another advantage of using a polyurethane coating rather than acrylic paint is slip resistance. With Knoveo PU Sports Flooring tennis surfaces, the top layer retains its slip resistance better in wet conditions, and athletes can get back to playing sooner after it rains.
Premium Tennis Courts Should be Built to Last
If you invest in top quality tennis court surfaces, you should expect durability. That’s certainly what you get with the Knoveo Polyurethane Sports Flooring surfaces. The polyurethane topcoat is designed to stand up to racket hits without chipping or scarring, unlike most traditional hard court coatings. Plus, you’ll find that Knoveo PU tennis surfaces retain their performance characteristics over time.
Knoveo Polyurethane Sports Flooring works well for both outdoor and indoor racket sport facilities.
It’s the perfect option for reconstructing older hard courts and can be quickly and economically resurfaced when the time comes.
Need more information about our sports flooring? contact Knoveo Solutions Pakistan at +92 300 8490698