60. GRASS!

No sooner has the French Open started and all of a sudden, it’s that time again……the grass season! It’s like that famous yeast extract spread – the players either love it or loath it – but luckily for those who loath it, it only lasts 5 weeks – so is hardly a ‘season’ – unlike the clay and hard court seasons which seem to go on forever!

For players who like all the surfaces, the transition from clay to grass has to be fast. There is little time to adjust. Players who fall in the first week of the French Open only have a few days to get onto the grass courts and try to get used to the low bounce and fast ball speed that this natural surface creates. The complete opposite to the high bounce, slow speed of the clay courts. Hence why some players hate it and find it hard to play on.

The sliding seen on the clay courts is much more difficult, if not impossible, on grass courts. Suddenly the players have to sprint, rather than slide to a ball and they have to adjust their reactions to cope with the speed at which the ball comes to them as it skids across the slippery surface. Playing on grass courts is exhausting. The rallies may be shorter but the stress on the body is intense, and the burn of the quads and glutes is something else! Just ask a player!

There is a myth on the tour that British players all practice on grass all year round. Many foreigners believe that the UK only has grass courts. In fact, grass courts are almost as scarce as true clay courts in the UK. There are lots of ‘synthetic’ grass courts AKA carpet or Astroturf, but true grass courts are limited to a handful of largely prestigious and historic clubs, which typically have a plethora of courts which are only used during the summer season and which play host to such tournaments as the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham, the Surbiton Trophy, and of course, the Championships at Wimbledon. These clubs typically have the resources to look after these grass facilities, which, like true clay courts, are notoriously expensive to maintain.

If your player is going to play the grass season, then be prepared to have to hunt high and low for grass court shoes. You would think that they can be easily bought in the Spring of each year but no, they are sometimes impossible to find. So if you do find a source, it is probably worth investing in a few pairs which can be stored away and brought out each summer. Some players have been know to try to play with clay or hard court shoes but these simply won’t work, and some clubs, like Wimbledon, will simply not permit you onto the courts without the correct foot-ware.

Contrary to popular belief, not all the grass court tournaments are held in the UK. The majority are but there are also grass court events in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain and Australia. The standard of the courts varies hugely. Of course, the Rolls Royce of grass courts has to be the lawns of the All England Club, Wimbledon, but there are also beautiful courts at Queens Club, Surbiton, Edgbaston Priory, Nottingham etc. Some clubs have fabulous grass courts but their practice courts can be far from perfect – more like ploughed fields than grass tennis courts! This can add that extra edge to practice with extraordinary bounces and uneven grass but no different to be honest to the quality of some of the clay courts experienced around the world. The players just have to adapt and it’s the same for all.

But having said all of this, there is something magical about the grass season. It may be short but it provides a welcome break from the grind on the clay. The grass season coincides with the start of summer (in Britain at least) and there is something special about playing on grass when the sun is shining and the sky is blue. Maybe it’s just the image it conjures up of strawberries and cream, ice cold Pimms, and lazy days spent outside. But don’t relax for too long as the grass season is over in a flash and the tour players return to their more typical courts and begin preparation for the hard court season in the autumn.

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