How to Choose a Tennis Net
The type of net you choose depends on frequency of use, the length of your playing season and the type of court surface. Courts with heavy usage and/or long playing seasons need a net that will last and look good over extended periods of time.
Once you choose the right net for your court, check out our step-by-step instructions for installing your tennis net.
What are Tennis Nets Made of?
The best tennis nets are made of braided net cord material and typically have double the mesh at the top 6 rows, side pockets for fiberglass dowels (that help hold the net taut) and vinyl-coated steel cables.
Choosing a Tennis Net - Braiding and Headbands
Braided nets are better than twisted because they're stronger and absorb more energy. When a ball hits the net it drops closer to the net instead of rebounding off it. Polyethylene and polyester make good net materials because they are resistant to fading from UV radiation and weather well. The type of court surface as well as personal preference dictates which headband is appropriate. Headbands are usually vinyl or polyester duck, often with double layers and 4 rows of lock stitching to hold the layers together. Nets with polyester duck headbands are better for hard courts than for soft courts, where surface material can easily stick to and stain the fabric. Vinyl headbands are more common on soft courts because they're easier to clean and more dirt resistant. However, balls can tend to skid wildly off vinyl headbands, which is less likely with a duck headband because the duck material absorbs the ball's energy and doesn't speed up the ball.
Choosing a Tennis Net - Quality
Reading through tennis net suppliers’ literature can be very confusing. It seems that very few net specs really match up, and so it is impossible to compare apples to apples. People usually try to compare the diameter or thickness of the yarn used (2.8mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, or 4mm). But even this comparison is difficult at best and misleading at worst since there is no accepted industry standard for measuring yarn diameter, and trying to actually measure each brand yields many different diameters. Therefore, you simply cannot come up with an apples-to-apples comparison. But there are other elements that are inherent in a quality net. For example, an important consideration when talking about the diameter of net yarn is whether it is a solid core yarn or a non-core yarn. Solid core yarns are stronger and stretch less than non-core yarns, making them look and wear better over time.
Choosing a Tennis Net - Durability
Durability translates into better-looking nets and superior tennis courts. Double braided tennis nets are double stitched at the top six rows of the tennis net. Double stitched tennis nets are ideal for courts with a high usage of play like a tennis club, school tennis teams and busy public courts. Single braided tennis nets are more ideal for a home court or a home owner's association tennis court where there is not necessarily a high usage of play. Generally, nets with thicker cord yarn will last longer. The most common sizes are 3mm, 3.5mm and 4mm braided mesh with the 4.0mm size lasting the longest. As the braided mesh becomes thicker, the price point will increase also, so you will need to decided what the courts' needs are balanced with the price point you are looking to spend on the net.
When you are ready to buy a tennis court net, Do It Tennis offers several Tennis Nets from which to choose. You will find a larger selection of similar items in our Tennis Court Equipment category.
