Okay, so the other day I was watching some tennis, and I kept hearing the commentators talk about “Har-Tru” courts. I’m like, what the heck is that? I’ve played on grass, I’ve played on hard courts, but Har-Tru? That was new to me. So, I decided to do some digging.
My Investigation Begins
First, I hit up Google. You know, the usual. Just typed in “what is har tru tennis surface” and started scrolling through the results. It seemed pretty straightforward from the initial descriptions – a type of clay court, but not the red clay I was used to seeing at the French Open.
I found some articles, some forum posts, even a couple of videos. I started piecing things together. Apparently, Har-Tru is made from crushed green stone, which they find in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Who knew?
Getting Down to the Details
- It’s not like red clay: This stuff is apparently faster than the red clay you see in Europe.
- It’s green: Because of the crushed stone, duh.
- It’s easier on the body: Supposedly, it’s a bit more forgiving on the joints than hard courts, which is a big plus for us older players.
- It needs watering: Just like regular clay, you gotta keep it hydrated to keep it in good playing condition.
- It is popular used in USA.
Putting it All Together
So, after all my “research,” I feel like I have a pretty good handle on what Har-Tru is. It’s basically a specific type of clay court made from this special green * seems like a good compromise between the speed of a hard court and the softer feel of clay. I’m actually kind of interested in trying it out sometime. Maybe I’ll see if there are any Har-Tru courts near me. Who’s in?
