If you’ve ever wondered what the dark mesh wrapped around tennis court fences is, here is your answer: it’s called a windscreen. Windscreens serve multiple functions on a tennis court that affect all players, whether they’re competitive or casual. Below are three reasons why high-quality windscreens are essential to tennis.

Ball Visibility

Despite the name, the primary function of windscreens on a tennis court isn’t to keep an unwanted gust of wind from affecting play. The iconic dark green and black textile wrappings on tennis court fencing provide a dark background, allowing players to track the brightly colored ball as it moves at high speeds. Ball visibility plays a key factor in a player’s reaction time and aim, making windscreens essential for both training and competitive play.

Privacy and Focus

Adding a windscreen to a court’s fencing allows players to focus on the match and avoid distractions that come hand-in-hand with park or club courts that have plenty of foot traffic. Windscreens also help training players feel more secure by providing privacy and an enclosed space. Privacy increases for neighbors near the court as well, since they may not be inclined to watch frequent tennis matches in their backyard.

Decrease Fence Glare, Wind, and Debris

While it isn’t their main function, windscreens help decrease adverse effects that come in hand with playing outdoors. Wrapping over metallic fencing helps stop the glare from the sun interrupting or preventing play on the court and windscreens do stop some amount of wind from cutting through the court. In public areas, creating an enclosed space also prevents debris such as leaf litter and lawn trimmings from entering the court. This makes it easier to maintain and use constantly.

Ultimately, high-quality windscreens are essential to tennis as they provide a professional finish to both the court and the game that players will appreciate. Choosing the right windscreen for your court means knowing the proper material, height, and weight that will match your court’s needs, so let All Star Tennis Supply lend you their experience and help your court look and function its best.