Court Surfaces and String Tension

On hard surfaces such as cement, which have very little flex as compared to even asphalt, the ball tends to move faster because less energy is absorbed from the ball by the court. To regain control of “fast” ball play, most players should consider raising their string tension 1-3 pounds (between 0.5 and 1.3 kilos)

However, on soft surfaces such as clay or Har-Tru the ball moves significantly slower. These slower surfaces give players more time to react and therefore more time to get balanced and hopefully gain more control over the ball. On slower surfaces, try dropping your string tension by 2-5 pounds if you are a player who wants to add more power and depth to their shots on those types of courts.