St Mary's Tennis Club, Isleworth, London

Why clay courts?

  1. The clay court looks so professional!
  1. the softer surface -
  • is kinder to knees, ankles and feet.
  • leads to fewer blisters (you could even play in bare feet on clay!)
  • makes the ball come through more slowly making it easier for beginners and giving more time to experienced players to get into the correct position to hit the ball, thus causing fewer injuries
  • makes the balls last longer (up to 10 times as long as on hard courts)
  • makes you less likely to injure yourself if you fall over (Boris Becker learned to dive volley on clay)
  1. Effects on the game:- Good surface for skills development for beginners and advanced players. There is far more variety of shot on clay as the surface is slower.
  1. Under a hot sun, clay is a lot cooler than a hard court
  1. Clay is the safest surface to play on. Clay courts are not slippery when wet. Indeed they have to be watered if it has not rained.
  1. Easy to see when the ball is out - clear line calls!
  1. There is more opportunity to develop tactics and strategy on clay. Brain counts more than brawn.
  1. Clay encourages mental stamina as rallies are longer.
  1. For many years most British players have learned to play on artificial grass.
  1. Meanwhile Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and most of the world's greatest players learned to play on clay.
  1. As Britain has so few clay courts one British player specifically moved to Spain as a child in order to learn to play on clay. His name Andy Murray.
  1. It’s the chosen court for major championships and community participation in Europe!

Clay courts at St Mary's tennis club