clay courts

4 Ways to Prepare Your Facility for a Tournament or Big Event

September 29, 2017 by Fast-Dry Courts & 10-S Tennis Supply Leave a Comment

We know you want your facility to look its best for all of your tournaments and events. Here is a reminder of a few items you may want to consider investing in (or replacing) in time for the big event.

WINDSCREEN

The most obvious of choices in preparing for visitors and players at your facility is the windscreen on your fences. A must-have at all big clubs – windscreen helps with the overall aesthetics of your facility while also maintaining the functionality of your courts by blocking out wind and providing a backdrop with which to better see the tennis ball while in play. Add in your club or facility logo and you are sure to impress your guests! However, faded or tattered windscreen pieces will impress no one, so it is wise to check over your screens ahead of time to make sure they are still looking their best.

Please remember that custom windscreens – especially with logos – are not something you can get last minute. Be sure to plan ahead to avoid frustration!

NET LOGOS

Net logos are a perfect way to present your club or sponsor logo. A set of 4 windscreen panels made to fit perfectly on your tennis net, showcasing any name or logo you would like to display. Best yet, they are attached with windscreen tys – so if you do not need these logos to be a permanent fixture at your facility, they can be easily removed and stored until you need them again!

However, these net logos are custom made as well, so please order these with plenty of time before your tournament or event! (3 weeks to a month ahead of time is a good rule of thumb with logo products)

COURT WATER REMOVERS

As you have most likely experienced, (especially our friends in South Florida) overly-wet courts when you have one or more matches scheduled can be a panic-inducing problem. Having some court water removers on hand might help you to get your courts back to playing condition with the shortest possible delay. There are water-removal options for both hard and clay courts – making these a good staple to have at any facility. If you already have these units but need fresh replacement rollers or sponges, 10-S Tennis Supply can help you out!

Hard Court Water Removers

Clay Court Water Removers

COURT ACCESSORIES

Your court accessories can also make a strong impression on guests or players at your facility! Are your nets in good shape? Do you have plenty of benches for seating and a Court Caddy on every court so that players or guests have a place for their personal items and trash? Do you have the proper scorekeepers on each court for your upcoming matches? Replacing court accessories when they are worn out or broken will go a long way to ensuring a successful tournament or event. This might entail purchasing new units or replacement parts. But, these small details can make a big difference – particularly if you will be photographing the event.

For all of these products and more, please visit 10-S.com, or call 800-247-3907 to speak with a Customer Service Representative from 10-S Tennis Supply!

8 Maintenance Tools Every Clay Court Facility Needs

March 16, 2017 by Fast-Dry Courts & 10-S Tennis Supply Leave a Comment

We all know that clay court facilities – while worth the work – require a lot of maintenance to keep the courts in their best playing shape. And here at 10-S Tennis Supply, we often get asked the question of, “What tools do I need to maintain my clay court?” Well, here are the top 8 clay court maintenance tools you might want to have on hand for your court or facility.

LUTE/SCARIFIER

The Lute is an incredible tool to have in your arsenal for court maintenance. How better to break up hard-pan, scarify hard-to-reach areas, and spread new material? We recommend the 30” Standard Lute/Scarifier. This is our most popular Lute used by tennis maintenance professionals.

30” Standard Lute/Scarifer – Product Code: VL1052

DRAG BROOM

The Drag Broom is another great tool for clay courts – especially sprinkler-irrigated courts – and helps your courts to have that “freshly groomed” look. These brooms come in a hand model to be pulled manually, or in a tow model – which is an especially good option for multiple court facilities. The 7’ Aluminum Drag Broom is our pick for this category!

7’ Aluminum Drag Broom Hand Model (Shown) – Product Code: SL2002
7’ Aluminum Drag Broom Tow Model – Product Code: SL1002

LINE BROOM

No maintenance routine would be complete without a Line Broom to clear stray clay off of the lines and ensure your courts are in top-shape and ready for play! The 10-S Linesman fine bristle line sweeper is your easy-to-use tool for the task.

10-S Linesman Fine Bristle Unit – Product Code: WL2004

LINE SCRUBBER

If your clay court lines have stubborn spots of hardened material that your Linesman can’t touch, you might need to have a scrubber on hand to clean off the lines. The extra-stiff bristles on the Proline Line Scrubber can help you clear up those trouble spots and get you back on the court.

Proline Line Scrubber – Product Code: WL3002

COURT RAKE

Court Rakes are a necessity for HydroCourts, to keep the courts groomed, in shape, and properly scarified. However, on a sprinkler-irrigated Har-Tru court, a court rake can be a nice add-on, especially for the perimeters and un-played areas to keep algae from forming. For this category, we recommend the Classic Court Rake, as well as the Gator Rake (Standard or HydroCourt Model).

Classic Court Rake – Product Code: VW2002

Gator Rake HydroCourt Model – Product Code: VG1000HY

AUSSIE CLEAN SWEEP

If you find your court accumulates a lot of debris, such as leaves or pine needles, the Aussie Clean Sweep could help you out! This tool is pulled by hand, and with the 8’ length, can clean up your court in no time.

Aussie Clean Sweep 8’ – Product Code: SL9002

SPREADER

When it comes time in every maintenance routine to add new clay material or calcium to the court, you might find yourself wanting to save time and add the clay from a spreader, rather than by hand. This helps with even distribution of clay, and depending on the size that you prefer – these machines can hold multiple bags of material at once without reloading. The 42” Gandy Spreader (show below) can be found in a hand or tow model.

42” Gandy Spreader Hand Model – Product Code: TG1012

ROLLER

Rollers are mostly utilized on Har-Tru sprinkler-irrigated courts to groom after new material is added, and also to tamp down lines. They can be a nice addition on a HydroCourt, but are not as often needed or widely used on the sub-surface irrigated courts. There are different kinds to suit your court or facility’s needs – ranging from fully powered stand-alone units, to tow-behind rollers, to a hand-roller for the 1 or 2 court home or facility. One popular and recommended unit is the CourtPac 24” Roller (shown below).

CourtPac Roller 24” Model – Product Code: PL6024

Information about these or any other products can be found at 10-s.com, or by giving a call at 800-247-3907 to the friendly and capable staff at 10-S Tennis Supply!

Filed Under: clay courts, materials, tennis Tagged With: brush, clay courts, court rake, Har-Tru, line scrub, lute, maintenance, roller, scarifier, tools

Clay Courts – The Fast-Dry/Har-Tru Advantage

December 14, 2012 by Fast-Dry Courts & 10-S Tennis Supply 2 Comments

ADVANTAGES ABOUND

-More comfortable play

-Easier on the eye

-Complements any landscape

-Reduces chance of injury

-Longer rallies

-Less fatigue

-Fast drying

-Cooler play

-Kinder to joints and back

-Environmentally friendly

The playing characteristics and health benefits of Har-Tru tennis courts make them the #1 choice for court owners. Har-Tru courts promote the game for life, from early childhood into retirement.

In detail, here are some of the major reasons why Har-Tru courts are so popular:

Greater Health Benefits

Har-Tru granular surfaces act as a shock-absorbing cushion, allowing players to slide into their returns, preventing the joint jarring stops all too common on hard surfaces. A recent study revealed that one out of every two tennis players is likely to suffer an injury during a six month period. The study attributes injuries of the lower extremities, the back and the groin to two factors: court surface and shoes. Unique tennis surfaces that permit sliding, as a Har-Tru tennis court does, result in 85% fewer injuries than hard surfaces. Avid players find that Har-Tru courts allow them to play the game every day without soreness or pain.

Superior Playing Characteristics

Har-Tru courts, also known as clay courts, have several advantageous playing characteristics. A Har-Tru court provides a consistently slower ball bounce than other surfaces, resulting in longer rallies, a greater variety of strokes and a more controlled game. Playing tennis on a Har-Tru court requires the development of strategy and skill which promotes endurance and patience. The rise of the European and South American players on the men’s and women’s professional tours has been largely attributed to learning the game on clay courts. The United States Tennis Association is now encouraging its most promising players to train primarily on clay tennis courts by installing Har-Tru courts at all of its national training centers.

Fast-Drying, Cooler, Consistently Playable Surfaces

Har-Tru courts are ready for action in a matter of minutes after a rain shower. Water is absorbed through the surface and into the base. The slope of the court then allows excess moisture to run off. Since a Har-Tru court retains moisture and breathes during the hottest days of summer, the surface remains an average of 20% cooler than hard courts – a real advantage in Florida and the Sunbelt states.

CHOOSING A MATERIAL

Florida Blend Fast-Dry Material

Florida Blend Fast-Dry Material has been the preferred product for tennis court owners in Florida for over 20 years! Florida Blend is made from the same green metabasalt rock as Har-Tru. However, Florida Blend Fast-Dry has been specifically formulated to withstand the rigors of the Florida environment, including extensive rain, wind and year-round play. Florida Blend Fast-Dry is designed to stay on your court longer, promoting superior playability day and night. This is a great product for clay courts throughout the southeastern U.S. Available in 50 lb., 80 lb. or bulk bags.

Har-Tru Court Material

Har-Tru is the most popular clay court surfacing material in the U.S. Har-Tru is manufactured from an igneous metabasalt greenstone rock outside Charlottesville, Virginia. The greenstone rock is crushed in to many particle sizes and blended with gypsum binder to create Har-Tru, the best tennis surface on the planet! Har-Tru is designed for use on sprinkler-irrigated courts and is available in 50 lb., 80 lb. or bulk bags. 10-S Tennis Supply is the largest distributor of Har-Tru and can ship anywhere in the world.

HydroBlend Court Material

HydroBlend Court Material is specially formulated Har-Tru material that is used on subsurface irrigated Har-Tru courts (HydroCourts, HydroGrids and Cal-Cap) and is available in 50 lb., 80 lb. and bulk bags.

Coarse Blend Court Material

Coarse Blend Court Material is specially formulated Har-Tru material that is designed for use as a top dressing on subsurface irrigated courts (HydroCourts, HydroGrids and Cal-Cap) and is available in 80 lb. bags.

European Red

This rich red product leaves its mark in a way no other surface can. Not just on the clothes and the ball but in the heart of a tennis player. Our European Red is ideal for top-dressing existing real clay courts and covering red ClayTech (synthetic turf with clay in-fill) courts. It has also been used as a cap on top of existing Har-Tru courts to seal off the green and leave the fiery red/orange finish on display. The product is produced from crushed bricks and is imported in 55 lb. bags.

American Red

Har-Tru’s American Red Clay is composed of red stone and brick dust combined in a time-tested formula to produce exceptional playability and a beautiful deep burgundy red. While American Red Clay provides the rich color many people long for, it does so in a formula that behaves more like Har-Tru. This means simpler maintenance and very consistent playability. American Red is formulated specifically for installation with HydroCourt sub-surface irrigation. American Red typically has a greater amount of loose top dressing than a green Har-Tru court and consequently plays a bit slower.

Northeast Red

Red material is more popular than ever and Northeast features high-quality Red Fast Dry or Red without binder. A rich color infuses the stone, which ensures the color won’t drain away. Provides the top-notch playability you expect from Northeast with a wonderful, deep red color gives your court a European flair.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

We’re Here to Help!

Fast-Dry Courts, Inc. specializes in the construction, resurfacing and maintenance of Har-Tru (clay) tennis courts. Founded in 1987, we provide professional, high quality tennis court construction services to court owners throughout Florida. We are also the world’s largest builder of Har-Tru courts with our FDC HydroCourt subsurface irrigation system.

Fast-Dry Courts, Inc. provides its customers with a complete set of tennis court construction services, everything from initial design and consultation to new construction to resurfacing, repairs, lighting, and fencing. We also offer a complete line of tennis court supplies and accessories through our sister company, 10-S Tennis Supply (www.10-s.com). In short, we are here to support you for the life of your court. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have – 800-247-3907.