Why the courts matter
Five game-changing reasons the tennis surface you play on counts
Scott Windus is a senior tennis pro. As a player, he came up through the elite junior ranks of the Queensland tennis programme that produced some of the biggest names in the game from Rafter to Draper. Later moving into pro coaching, he was recognised by the ITF in 2019 with the prestigious ‘Services to the Game’ award. With over 40 years in high level tennis to his name, he now works within Laykold’s business development team across Asia Pacific and has overseen the installation of hundreds of courts.
We caught up with him to find out the real impact of those courts, starting with the sport’s biggest stage – The US Open.
What opened your eyes to the importance of the court?
To be honest, I had been standing on tennis courts for almost 40 years, and it was only when I moved to Laykold that I started understanding the profound impact the court has on the game. I bet most coaches and players are the same. We talk about the ball, the rackets, the shoes etc, but the court is taken as a given.
Now that I know more, I am very passionate about the importance of the court; tennis starts from the ground up and the value of a quality court goes beyond the lines; it impacts player welfare, shot development, fan excitement, broadcaster interest, ticket sales… almost every facet of the game.
It really is remarkable the difference a few millimetres can make.
I can summarise the impact in five key areas.
1. Pace precision
The consistency of pace across the whole court and the entire complex at a big tournament like the US Open, has a huge bearing on the quality of play. When the players can trust their stroke, they can execute at a higher level and more consistently. This is especially true of the top players who tend to then go deeper in the draw. This is a big plus for those players, but also provides a win for the tournament, fans, TV and sponsors who experience the best tennis at the closing stages of the world’s biggest tennis events.
When the player has full confidence in the court, they can vary their shot selection, not because they have to due to a bad bounce, but because they want to. This allows players to employ a variety of different strategies.
“With the faster Laykold courts of the US Open, players are not forced to overwork to generate their own pace. By using the pace that is coming off the court, players focus on shot selection and can look to play positive attacking tennis.”
If all the courts play at a consistent speed, the players find their timing, rhythm, and balance so much quicker. Straight away that equates to players seeing the ball better and hitting the ball bigger. If an event gets its pace precision right, the players can hone their individual tactics and game-style around one consistent court speed for the entire event.
At events like the US Open, we tailor all courts to within 0.5 of a point of each other. In comparison, the ITF’s industry standard pace ratings allow a 5-point difference between categories. This just isn’t suitable when balls are hit at over 100 miles per hour.
2. Development of the game
The courts promote the development of the game. Since the better players can execute more consistently and at a higher level, this forces the up-and-coming players to:
Develop the ability to build and construct points (instead of being passive and just putting the ball in play)
Ensure they are technically sound
Develop a weapon that they can trust on those pressure moments
An up-and-coming player that wishes to just get the ball back in play and wait for their opponent to make an error will struggle at the US Open. There will always be upsets, however, these upsets will come with great attacking tennis, the knowledge to develop a point and the ability to trust the court and execute at a high level when it matters most.
3. Faster courts provide a better game
With the faster Laykold courts of the US Open, players are not forced to overwork to generate their own pace. By using the pace that is coming off the court, players focus on shot selection and can look to play positive attacking tennis.
By not having to put as much energy into generating pace and executing their shots, the players are physically in better shape at the business end of the tournament. This means better matches, with the stronger players playing the best tennis.
The faster courts with pace precision consistency can promote quicker points and shorter matches but at a higher level. TV loves this, fans love this, sponsors love this and it is great for the tournaments and the game.
4. Non-slip surfaces create trust, efficiency and high impact tennis
The non-slip hardcourt surface of the Laykold courts at the US Open allow the players to trust their movement. A player that is confident in their movement, moves faster, plays more positively and delivers those moments we know the US Open is famous for. With no slipping or sliding on the surface, this means instant energy return for the player. Instant energy return means more efficient and faster movement for the player while expending less energy overall, which naturally leads to better tennis.
Often the court abrasion will affect the balls - as we have seen in at least one event this US Open Series. However, Laykold’s propriety sand blend has been developed in a way that the balls stay in a great condition, not fluffing up or being ripped apart and becoming bald. If the balls stay in better condition the players can play better tennis, and heavy fluffed balls add to player fatigue, which reduces performance and can cause injury.
5. Force reduction
Player welfare is a huge factor. Knee, lower back, hip and ankle injuries are prevalent amongst tennis players at all levels and most noticeably for players on the Pro Tour. A court that gives both force reduction, lessening the impact on player joints, and energy return – i.e. it is not so soft that it absorbs energy without returning it to the player – provides, what we call, the Sweet Spot Advantage.
Laykold’s Gel system provides the athlete with a 17% Force Reduction while maintaining the same footspeed found on a cement court, and the Laykold Float system provides 22% Force Reduction. This is more shock absorption than a synthetic grass tennis court, with the added benefit of the responsiveness you can only get out of a hardcourt surface.
This means less toll on players’ bodies, less retirements due to injury and longer careers. These benefits are transformational to the pro game, and at club level it means players can play more often, which is great for their game and health, and the health of the club.
In tennis we call out ‘new balls please’ but this only makes a very short-term impact to your game, whereas ‘new courts please’ will impact everything from shot development, to player welfare, to fan excitement, to tournament revenue, to club membership.
Find out more about the importance of the courts here.