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Marin Independent Journal – Thursday, August 26, 2004

More bounce to the step. State-of-the-art surface reduces impact, fatigue.

New and Improved: Ron Penzel (left) and Armando
Romano play a point on the new playing surface at Harbor
Point Tennis Club in Mill Valley. The club recently installed
a new surface which is softer than hard courts and thus
reduces stress on joints and alleviates injuries.

As the first club in the Bay Area to fully commit to state-of-the-art “Plexicusion 2000” courts, Harbor Point is taking what it believes to be the necessary steps to reduce injuries and keep its members playing longer.

“We’ve kept a lot of orthopedic surgeons in business,” Harbor Point director of tennis Gordon Smith said. “We’re trying to do everything possible to increase playing lives of our tennis members. These courts are easier on knees and joints.”

A week ago, four courts were completely resurfaced and two others are currently under renovation. The eight-layer construction provides a 3/8ths of an inch cushion that has been an immediate hit with club members.

“Good for the knees, good for the ankles,” 72-year-old Ron Penzel said in between ground-strokes from the baseline. “I have a friend who wears a knee brace and he doesn’t need to wear it when he plays here.”

A few noticeable differences are that balls hit with topspin tend to bounce a little higher, while balls hit with slice stay down a little lower. Smith claims that after a few washings and regular use, those differences will dissipate.

“The pace remains the same,” Smith said. “The cushion gives you a feeling of playing on a carpet.”

The courts also got a fresh coat of paint, changing from green to purple.

Smith points out the same color scheme can be seen on televised ATP Tennis Masters Series events, which use a version of the “Plexicushion” construction.

“From a television audience optical viewpoint, it’s supreme,” Gordon said. “And it doesn’t generate more heat.”

The verdict is still out on weather line calls will be easier to judge now that the courts are purple instead of green. Jane Markell says she’s already noticed an improvement among her regular group of players, while Penzel says he’s missed a few calls because he’s used to the green on green coloring of the past.

Aesthetics aside, Markell believes this is a change Harbor Point players will grow to love, especially since the other option was switching to clay.

“People are reticent about change,” Markell said. “It’s good for all ages and levels. Everyone seems to like them. It’s great to play on and you don’t have to empty your shoes at the end of the day.”

Smith had been an early proponent of classic clay courts, and the one he pushed to build at Harbor Point is considered his teaching court. But when many club members found it difficult to adjust to the sliding needed to master a clay-court game, Smith began to consider other options to reduce the number of potential injuries.

Last spring, Smith was introduced to “Plexicushion 2000” courts at Hillcrest Country Club in Culver City and became convinced that he had found the ideal hard court for his club members. The construction cost is estimated at $25,000 per court and is being handled by Vintage Contractors of San Francisco, which also installed the court used at the annual ATP stop in San Jose.

“It has some of the benefits of a soft surface but not an unstable surface,” Smith said. “This is still a hard court. It plays like a hard court. It’s the kind of surface that allows for an all-around game.”

The completion of the six-court project is perfectly timed for upcoming women’s fall leagues that start next week. Harbor Point will also hold a men’s tournament Oct. 2-7, which will draw top college and aspiring pro players. The winner is expected to receive a wild card spot in the qualifying tournament for the Tiburon Challenge Oct. 9-17 at the Tiburon Peninsula Club.