Got this idea watching some tennis match on TV yesterday, dude kept complaining about how slow the ball moved on clay. Thought huh, how much slower really? My local park has both court types, so figured why not test it myself this morning.
Gathering My Junk
Grabbed my old tennis gear first thing. Stuff used was basic:
- That same yellow practice ball can, maybe half dead already
- My trusty, kinda beat-up Wilson racket
- Stopwatch app on my phone
- Notebook and pen for scribbles
- Oh and water bottle, man it was getting hot quick
Called up the park guy. Yeah buddy Dave owes me one, he said go wild as long as nobody booked the courts. Sweet.
Hitting the Clay Court First
Dragged my stuff to the red clay court. Felt that loose grit under my sneakers right away, slippery. Dropped a ball from head height – thud. Barely bounced past my knees. Hit a flat serve? Felt like hitting into mud. That ball just died mid-air. Watched the spin slow down crazy fast. Clocked it with the stopwatch – ball seemed to just hang forever before landing. Notebook entry: Slow. Like… stupid slow. Ball skidded a bit too, kicked up dust. Forgot my towel, sweaty mess already.
Moving Over to the Hard Court
Walked over to the Drag court, that dark blue surface. Different sound straight off – ball bounced crack, loud and high, zoomed right up past my waist just from a drop. Hit another flat serve. Smack! Felt fast off the strings. Watched that baby just zip over the net. Noticeable zip. Stopped the watch way faster than on clay. Ball skidded quick after landing, kinda skated. Notebook scribble: Fast. Way faster feel. Easier to hit hard shots too.
Putting It All Together
Sat on the bench after, comparing my messy notes. Difference was obvious. Clay? Legit feels like trying to run in sand. Everything drags, slows down. Perfect if you like long rallies, tons of spin. Hard court? Ball flies. Way better for fast serves and flat hitters. Surface matters big time. Explains why some players hate one or love the other. Anyway, drank my water, packed up. Guess clay really IS slower. Dave waved as I left, said next time use the brooms.