Are you one of those lucky people who has their own tennis court at home?
Not only do you have magnificent tennis court, but a large, versatile, levelled, outdoor area which can also be ideal for many other outdoor activities, including other sports, exercising, games and entertaining.
Keeping your home tennis court in the best condition possible is always a good idea, so that whenever you decide that you want to play a game, little if any preparation is required equating to more time actually playing. This means keeping leaves and debris regularly cleared, and whatever treatments are required for the specific surface type performed, so, grass is mowed, artificial turf and clay are swept, and hard courts are free of any stains, such as food /drink /plant animal droppings. There are numerous products available to assist with this clean-up should it be required so it’s always worth having some on hand.
It also means keeping accessories such as the net in good working order, ensuring your tennis racquet is strung and covered when not in use, and having nice fresh balls ready to rock. But do you know what else can you do to shift the balance of time spent playing versus all the other little chores associated with the game in your favour?
Ball Collectors
While many of us don’t have our own ball boy or girl to run and collect loose balls and return them to us for the next point. Perhaps in the future we can look to a robot collector which can roll around and collect balls for us, so unless you have several hundred balls on hand and hope that they don’t roll back onto the court, or you could look at a ball collector. Commonly these are a long tube-like device that allows you to capture balls easily without needing to bend over and pick them up.
Ball machines
If you want to practice your return technique and don’t have your own personal training partner, a ball machine can be the ideal way to get around this issue. With the ability on most of these machines to adjust pitch spin and speed you can get great preparation for your next match. Just keep in mind that if you work through dozens of shots that will mean dozens of balls needing to be collected, so a ball collector might make an ideal accompaniment.
Viewing Benches
While it’s unlikely that you’ll require a full bleachers setup for a huge spectator crowd (or maybe you do) but a few nice benches for people to watch or wait for their turn between games is crucial. This can also give you somewhere to store your other on person belongings such as your phone, keys or even your warmup clothes. There are many durable types of seating arrangements available, so find something that fits in with the style of your home and to your personal taste. It’s also not a bad idea to have an umpire’s chair. The raised height of this seat gives great visibility of the court and can help with a judgement call when two competitive players are in a nail-biter of a match!
Awnings and Sun shades
If you do have outdoor seating, lack of shade in the Australian Sun can be strenuous to anyone watching the match. By installing retractable awnings or cleverly positioned sun shades you might be able to prevent excessive heat or sunburn from direct exposure. This will also make the court more versatile when using it for entertaining. These shade products come in a vast array of colours and patterns and can usually be customised. You can also install these types of products as wind breakers around the court to prevent any strange ball movements which may occur on a windy day.
Score board
The age old question, who’s keeping score. Invest in either a modern digital scoreboard or an old fashioned hand turned device, so that no one has to ever loose count again. Some modern scoreboards even have smartphone integration so that updates can be done through voice commands, removing the need to ever have sweaty hands let go over their racquet.
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