There are, essentially, three types of tennis courts around Westport. Public courts, in which derelict weeds add an interesting and dangerous element to one's game. Country clubs, which come with a dining minimum and pesky expectations of propriety. And personal courts, which allow limitless playing time along with sartorial and behavioral liberties.
With such options, and mandatory mask rules, the increasing demand for home courts is as surprising as a seagull stealing french fries.
Today’s courts are different than the bituminous concrete slabs of the ‘80s and ‘90s. So, too, are their functionality. Tom Hinding of Hinding Tennis (HT), who has been creating courts since 1994, filled us in on what to consider in a home courtship.
First, not everyone in the family wants to play tennis. One can either ignore that individual or create a multi-purpose “sports court” to accommodate him/her. Says Tom, “People want courts they can also use for basketball, skating and pickleball. Pickleball is growing faster than any other sport I’ve seen in the past 25 years.” HT courts have even included shuffleboard courts and painted games such as Four Square, hopscotch, and kickball. It’s much easier to push a pack of screaming children outside when there are a number of options to occupy them.
Second, most public and club courts are hard. Of these courts, Medium.com writes, “It is one of the toughest surfaces that affects the body and many elderly people are not able to play on this surface anymore due to the strain it can cause on their body.” In response, HT specializes in “all-weather cushioned courts” to help prevent joint pain. The HT courts, “have not only improved the quality of the game but… our players feel less fatigue, have less injuries and can play longer when they play on one of our cushioned systems.”
Lastly, owning a tennis court should be a diversion from one’s busy life, not a labor-intensive, deteriorating plot of time consumption. Tom explains, “Because of the freeze and climate change we experience, ‘All-Weather Courts’ are the easiest to maintain and can be played on year round.”
Unfortunately, tennis court cracks are inevitable. Routine maintenance and crack repair will always be a part of court ownership. In 2007, Tom invented "Riteway Crack Repair (RCR)” which is, arguably, one of the best in the country. "We’re known globally for curing the cracking of asphalt courts,” Tom grins. He sells RCR to over 175 contractors and has installed it in six countries.
Fixing court cracks is actually how Tom got into the tennis racket. Truthfully, he’s never been much of a player. “Actually,” he shrugs, “I don’t even know how to keep score.”