How to Prepare for Clay-Court Tennis
by: Dave Winship @ On The Line

When you play outdoor clay-court tennis, one of the underrated factors is unpredictability. Clay courts are moody beasts. When it's warm and dry, you can be versatile in your choice of tactics, but if the weather changes and the court gets wet and the balls get heavy, it's as if someone has flicked the slow-motion switch and you've just got to grind the points out. Even on a dry day, it can be very disconcerting when a swirling wind gets up and blows the clay into your face. The most effective clay-court players are those who are mentally tough and ready to adapt promptly and positively to all the different challenges that get thrown at them.

But, in general terms, what can you expect?

You can expect the ball to bounce higher than on other surfaces. To take advantage of this, many clay-court specialists use relatively "closed" grips (e.g. semi-western or western forehand) and an open-stance base, allowing them to whip up through the hitting zone to produce high-rolling topspin drives. A kicking second serve is another very useful asset.

You can expect the points to last longer than on other surfaces. That doesn't mean aggressive players need not apply! Modern rackets have made aggressive tennis more productive, even on clay. But you need to build up your physical and mental stamina. Even if you attack the net in an attempt to shorten the points, you should be ready to play two or three volleys in a row, which is very demanding on your knees and thigh muscles.

You can expect movement to be difficult. As clay is not so firm underfoot as other courts, twisting and turning can present real problems. Make this work to your advantage by wrong-footing your opponent (i.e. playing the ball back behind him) and make judicious use of the drop-shot. Try to master the art of sliding into your shots.

Obviously, you need to invest a lot of practice time to hone these technical skills and build up your stamina. But extra patience, extra tactical awareness (and extra socks!) will help you plenty as you follow the Red Brick Road.

Regards.

Dave Winship