The bounce of a tennis ball is not uniform. It depends almost exclusively upon the type of court material. These materials include clay, hard, grass and carpet, also called artificial turf. Tennis players routinely play on all four surfaces at different times of the year and therefore benefit from understanding their effects upon the ball.
Types
A clay court is made out of crushed shale, stone or brick. It's hard and generally plays slow, but it's not quite as rough as a hard court, which can be made from acrylic, asphalt or concrete. Famous hard courts include Melbourne Park, used for the Australian Open, and the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the U.S. Open. Roland Garros, home of the French Open, is known for its red clay surface.
Effects of Clay Courts
Clay courts may produce a slow ball speed, but they generally have the highest bounce by retaining more of the spin after the ball impacts the surface. This is because the clay has more "grab," which builds friction and pushes against the ball's horizontal path. Topspin is created in the process. The great angular momentum comes at the expense of the ball's linear momentum, and the ball bounces at a vertical angle.
Effects of Hard Courts
The hard court plays faster than the clay court, despite the rigid surface, but the ball has less bounce. This is because the surface creates a lot of speed and forward momentum. However, sand used in the top paint of the court may slow the ball. Altering the friction on the surface changes the rotation and magnifies the topspin, which creates a similar effect on the clay court.
Strategies
The clay court surface is generally the more difficult material to master because of its unusual properties. The slow speed removes the advantage of fast and powerful serves and unreturnable shots, but favors baseliners who are consistent and defensive. Hard courts, on the other hand, call for a more well-rounded strategy. Fast, low bounces keep rallies short, and hard-serving players have a slight advantage.
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