How to Play on Clay
- May 25th, 2016
- Camilla Chapman
The clay court season is in full swing, with the French Open having started at Roland Garros this week, in Paris. This is the only tennis major that is played on a clay surface, with Wimbledon and the grass court season starting when the tournament ends. Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal is often viewed as the king of clay, having won nine French Open titles, and surely will be one of the favourites to clinch the crown again this year.
On clay courts, the ball often moves slower than other surfaces and bounces higher, making it difficult to hit an outright winner. Here are our top tips to succeeding on the clay surface!
Give it a kick
By hitting deep shots with plenty of topspin, the ball will slow up and kick high into the air, forcing the opponent to deal with a higher ball. A slower bounce also allows for bigger back swings so you'll be able to generate more power, helping to finish off the point. Clay courts often favour those with good upper and lower body strength, as they'll be able to create more power to hit a slower ball. The kick serve is also an effective weapon on clay, kicking up higher than normal and therefore making it difficult for your opponent to handle.
Mix it up
Provide lots of variety on court, becoming unpredictable to your opponent and creating combinations to use on court to generate the point. Use shots such as the drop shot, angled slices and topspins, all of which move differently on clay compared to other surfaces such as grass and hard courts.
Slide to left, slide to right
It's important that your players learn how to slide effectively; on clay, sliding will help you reach shots you usually won't be able to on harder surfaces. Novak Djokovic is one example of player with superb agility and movement on court, which he utilises well on clay with sliding, making him able to reach balls most players would miss! Timing a slide is crucial to making and hitting the right shot, potentially keeping you in the game! Work on your movement in training and perfect your slide.
Have a lot of patience
Hitting blistering groundstrokes to win the point is all very well and good but this is something you won't be able to continuously do, with the ball slowing up. Teach your players to be patient, getting them to practice changing the depth and pace, so they can disrupt the rhythm of their opponent. By constructing the point with different shots and having plenty of control, the patience will pay off for your players when the opportunity arises to clinch the point!
Follow these top tips and get winning your matches on clay!