Calico Court Calls
By
The Cal-Cap® Crew at Calico Racquet Courts, Inc.

To Roll or Not to Roll _____________________________________________________________________________________________

March Madness makes tennis court maintenance a major topic like no other time of year. The first sunny day after the chill of the winter months makes the rush to the court imperative. Players complain when they can't get on the court to play, and going to the hard courts is not an option. Crank up the roller, and while it's warming up, walk down the lines. Drains in a Cal-Cap® remain open while rolling the court; for other type clay courts, follow the manufacturer's instructions. The green stone (TCM or tennis court material) must be wet in order to be rolled, but not too wet. Too wet is when the TCM separates into layers when the roller is applied to the court. Never roll a dry or overly wet court.

AA 600 pound roller can be used to roll the court. Remove the net and net posts. Start at the opposite end of the Drain Box, if you have a Cal-Cap® court, otherwise follow the manufacturer's instructions for other type courts. Roll down and back (forward and then put the roller in reverse). Do not turn, particularly do not turn on the lines. Roll the doubles lines, the single lines, the base lines, the service lines, and the center line. Get off the roller; broom the court crosswise. Get on the roller; go crosswise and back. Get off the roller; broom lengthwise . Repeat until the court is firm, which may take 3-6 repetitions.

How does one determine that the courts need to be rolled? One of the first signs, is that the nails in the lines and also the lines have risen above the court surface. The moisture in the court freezes and pushes the solid nail out of the way; the nail rises, along with the line tape. Another sign is that the TCM will appear very green and fluffy. And the true test is when stepped upon, the court surface is not firm underneath. Running on the court at this stage will "kick out" divot-like chunks. (This is why your Pro is screaming!)

Why do courts have to be rolled after the freeze/thaw cycle? The TCM is a crushed metabasalt stone that turns a green color when wet (when not wet, it looks more gray). The metabasalt is especially nice for a tennis court surface because it dries quicker than the original red clay that we saw on courts at the first of the last century. The metabasalt also has sharp matrices that bind together nicely when wet. The freeze/thaw cycle separates the matrices, causing the fluffy appearance of the court. The matrices must be melded together again by rolling with a heavy roller in the correct manner before the surface can withstand play.

Cal-Cap® or other subsurface irrigated courts need no rolling except after the freeze/ thaw cycle. Courts in Florida, for instance, need no rolling after the initial rolling at construction time if proper care and maintenance is performed. The reason overhead irrigated courts need rolling on a regular basis is they go through a wet/dry cycle on a daily basis, almost on an hourly basis. The courts cannot be kept in a constant state of moisture because the water is administered periodically and not constantly, as in a subsurface irrigated court.

To roll or not to roll. No longer a question. .