 Every
physical aspect of this originally gentle (and
genteel) lawn game has become shocking. The power
in tennis has expanded. Racquet technology has
advanced to the point where serves in excess of
125 miles per hour (over 200 kph) are commonplace.
Racquet manufacturers have invested millions of
dollars in technology that will dampen the shock
of racquet and ball contact. The tennis player is
given the opportunity to reward these companies
for their research when he decides what racquet to
buy.
Shocks to the feet, legs and hips, that come
from fast-charging moves on a non-forgiving court
surface have also received considerable financial
investment from the suppliers to the sport.
Footwear manufacturers apply technology to dampen
the body punishing vibrations of tennis in much
the same way the automobile industry applied shock
absorbers to the automobile. Specially engineered,
fashionable and heavily promoted tennis shoes take
the tennis player through a bewildering decision
making process when deciding what to buy to
protect his/her body from the damages of the
weekly tennis match.
The manufacturers' endless efforts to provide
players with equipment designed to protect the
human body, improve their game and keep them in
this shocking game "for a lifetime" are
magnificent, well intentioned and should continue.
But what about the
court?
It shouldn't come as a shock that
surface manufacturers have been doing their part
to dampen this shocking pastime. People familiar
with the DecoTurf Surfacing System cringe when
they hear the sports commentators at The U. S.
Open, The U.S. Hardcourt Championship, and many
other tournaments refer to this surface as
"hard" courts, the "concrete"
courts of Flushing Meadow, or similar misnomers.
As illustrated, Pro-DecoTurf is a 5 component,
fully cushioned surface. During the 22 years it
has been used at the U.S. Open it has been
steadily refined and engineered to provide the
ultimate shock absorbing cushion, while
maintaining consistent playability and durability.
Like racquet and shoe manufacturers, California
Products Corporation, manufacturer of the DecoTurf
Surfacing System, has applied state-of-the-art
acrylic and asphalt technologies to reduce the
shocking experiences in tennis. Did you ever
wonder if the automobile industry ever thought of
cushioning the highway?
Creating the Surface
of Champions
There is a fine line between cushioning
a court surface to dampen shock and affecting the
dynamics of the tennis ball. California Products
Corporation has steadily maintained a balance that
provides consistent play from major tournament to
major tournament and yet provides an adjustable
speed surface that allows recreational and club
players to play in comfort. The DecoTurf Surfacing
System line offers a variety of surfaces ranging
from the ultimate in cushion and durability (ProDecoTurf),
to the no-cushion DecoColor System. The cushion in
the fully cushioned Systems is applied in just
five coatings of proprietary rubber fortified
acrylic formulations. Whether DecoColor or
DecoTurf, each system uses the exact same quality
materials used at many prestigious worldwide
events that have selected DecoTurf as their
"surface of champions."
To compare the cost of cushioned surfaces with
the price range of racquets and shoes, consider
multiples. A lightly cushioned acrylic surface
costs about twice the amount of a good quality
color coating system, and a fully cushioned
DecoTurf surface runs about three times as much.
There are other types of cushioned surfaces and
they, like racquets and shoes, hammer the price
and pump up this multiple to six times. So the low
to high multiples are nearly identical to those of
racquets and shoes. Fortunately, and bucking the
trend of the most fashionable being the most
expensive, Pro-DecoTurf is a reasonably priced
surface. Now, that is a shock but a pleasant one.
The next time you are involved in the decision
of what court surface to sell, install, or play
on, remember that DecoTurf is absorbing some of
the shock by bringing chemical technology to the
world of tennis surfaces. California Products is
committed to be in this sport "for a
lifetime."
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