Difference Between Acrylic and Clay Tennis Court
Sports
April 13, 2022
Tennis courts usually consist of several types of courts. Starting from a grass court, a court with acrylic or a clay court. In Indonesia, the most commonly used are acrylic courts and clay courts. So what are the differences between these two types of courts?
CLAY COURT
Clay courts are made of various pieces such as stone, or bricks. This type of court is more commonly used in Europe and Latin America than in North America or Asia. Cost-wise, clay courts are cheaper to build than other types of courts, but more expensive to maintain. Because many factors such as moisture content must be balanced, then the surface must always be made level by adding or removing layers of clay consistently every time.
Playing clay courts produce a higher ball bounce than other types of courts. Also because of the clay surface, the game usually runs slower and not as fast on acrylic courts. In addition, players who have high endurance and stamina will greatly benefit from this court compared to players who rely on fast service and play. In terms of Grand Slam tournaments to date, only the French Open uses clay courts. One of the players who is very famous as the king of the clay court is Rafael Nadal.
ACRYLIC court
Acrylic tennis courts are very popular in America as well as in Asia. In Indonesia, the majority of tennis courts use acrylic as the main court material. In terms of cost, this court is arguably slightly more expensive than clay, but in terms of maintenance it is relatively easier and also easier to renovate if there is damage.
In terms of character, this court is a hard court type or hard surface court. This type of game is relatively faster than on clay. Players who like games with fast smashes and big serves will benefit greatly on this court. In addition, this court can usually use more diverse colors than clay courts which are usually only red in color. Acrylic courts usually use green or blue as the main choice.
The Datra team has a lot of experience in building this acrylic type tennis court. Our main product is Datra Court. This court has a bright color, is durable and resistant to weather changes, making it suitable for outdoor use, such as courts in residential areas, apartments or schools.
It is recommended to use asphalt as a sub-base in order to produce an even court, which is then installed with a filler course in the form of acrylic material and silica sand as the initial layer. Followed by a texture course to create a uniform court texture, then coated with a finishing course layer whose job is to provide color that is durable and resistant to weather changes. After that, you can add court lines as needed with acrylic latex paint.
