Written by Thiroshan Chetty

The various types of tennis court surfaces – clay, hard or grass — requires the player to use a different ball for each. It is important that the player know which type of surface they will play in order to use the proper ball.

The first ball is made of regular-duty felt and it is designed primarily for clay courts. This felt on a regular-duty ball is designed not to fluff up too much on the court to gain a more true bounce.

The second ball uses extra-duty felt and designed primarily for hard courts. The felt is more durable, designed to take the heavy beating from the hard surface. On clay courts this ball will fluff up and be very difficult to hit.

Tennis balls differ depending on the type of court surface.

Players should get acclimated to the type of court surface they will play and make sure their tennis balls match for optimal performance. Now, how do you tell these tennis balls apart in the store? Well balls for clay courts will have the brand name printed in red while black print is used to identify hard court balls.

Ball categories include:

Championship – used for local games

Professional – used in tournaments like the U.S. Open and Wimbledon

Recreational – used as practice balls for camps, schools

Did you know that although the sport of tennis was started in 1870, it was not until 1972 when the International Tennis Federation introduced a yellow ball after research showed they are more visible to television viewers?

Golden Ocala Tennis courts.

The Har-Tru Hydro Grid tennis courts at Golden Ocala offer players the top clay playing surface. The Golden Ocala Tennis Club offers a variety of programs for youth and adults on all levels. Learn more by following our tennis blog or connecting with us on Facebook or Twitter.