Tennis can be played indoors or outdoors. In many parts of the world, indoor tennis is played in late fall and winter as the temperature is too cold to play outside.

The grand slams tournaments now have roofs on show courts. If there is rain, they just close the roof and continue play. Before these tournaments installed the roof, they had to deal with hours of rain delay and backlogged matches.

Difference between indoor and outdoor courts

Speed

Indoor courts are faster than outdoor courts. So it helps big servers and players who hit through the ball with power.

Weather

Outdoor courts are exposed to the elements – the wind, the heat, and even awkward shadows on the court. On the other hand, indoor courts are temperature-controlled and have consistent air currents.

On indoor courts, players don’t have to deal with the sun while serving or when hitting overheads. Indoor courts also have consistent lighting.

Fatigue Factor

Since outdoor courts are exposed to the sun, players tend to get tired quicker compared to indoor courts. Temperature-controlled indoor courts are ideal for long hours of play.

Consistency

When you play outdoors, the weather varies a lot. One day, it is cloudy and moist, other days are very warm. On indoor courts, your playing conditions will be the same every day.

Which court is better? Indoors or Outdoors?

Most indoor courts are hard courts. The indoor hard court surface has the same surface as outdoor hard courts. So whether you practice indoors or outdoors, you are practicing on the same surface. But as mentioned above, indoor courts provide different playing conditions due to their temperature-controlled environment.

Ideally, you should practice both on indoor and outdoor courts. This will allow you to practice adapting your game based on the court you are playing.

Indoor courts are very useful on rainy days or in the winter when playing outdoors is not an option.

The net is an important part of a tennis court. It divides the court into two and challenges you to hit the ball above the net. When I was a beginner, my only goal on the tennis court was to hit the ball above the net.

Having the correct height is key for a tennis net. Imagine practicing for hours on a court that had the wrong net height and then playing a competitive match on a court with the correct net height? Your shots will consistently miss the mark because you practiced with the net at the wrong height.

Who sets the rules for tennis nets?

The specifications of the net are set by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

What are tennis nets made of?

Tennis nets usually are made of Polyvinylchloride (PVC) or Polyvinylethylene (PVE).

What is the height of a tennis net?

The tennis net has a height of 42 inches (107 cm) at the posts (ends) and a height of 36 inches (91.4 cm) at the center.

A metal cable or cord at the top – connects the net to the side posts, which have a height of 42 inches (107 cm). The metal cable or cord is covered with a white band.

The net is connected at the center (bottom) with a white strap. At the center, the height of the net is 36 inches (91.4 cm). The strap should not be wider than 2 inches (5 cm).

As you can tell, the height of the net is not uniform between the side posts. Near the side posts, it’s 42 inches (107 cm) but it is only 36 inches (91.4 cm) at the center.

Special rules for nets in doubles courts

There are special net rules for doubles courts. Doubles courts are wider than the singles court because it includes the doubles alley on either side. Singles court is 324 inches (823 cm) wide and the doubles court is 432 inches (1097 cm) wide.

The center of the net posts should be 3 ft (91.4cm) outside the doubles court on either side. The net used in doubles must be supported by two single sticks – at the height of 42 inches (107 cm). The centers of each stick must tbe 36 inches outside the singles court on either side. The sticks and the net posts should not be larger than 3 inches and 6 inches respectively and must not be more than 1 inch over the top of the net cord.

Crosscourt shots vs Down-the-line shots

Since the height of the net is lower at the center, it is easier to hit the ball down the center. In other words, your crosscourt shots are easier to hit than down-the-line shots.