What You Need to Know About Tennis Net Posts

May 2nd, 2012

When installing a tennis court, many people consider the net, fences, court surface, even the drawn on lines, but the tennis net post is the most crucial aspect of putting together a tennis court.

Without a sturdy base and even alignment, the net can sag or be pulled too tight, changing the dynamics of a court to be unplayable.

Unless you’re playing at Wimbledon, the net post is usually constructed of extremely durable steel, since it will have forces applied to it constantly. Be sure that the steel is thick enough; otherwise over time the tension from the net will warp the posts and cause them to move inwards.

Tennis net posts come available in two shapes; round and square, the difference being aesthetics.

Just be sure that if you purchase round sleeves, you also get round posts, because otherwise you’re putting a square peg into a round hole. The sleeves are the hollowed out inserts that you put into the ground to allow for easy installation and removal of net posts. Depending on the soil and the freezing/thawing of your region, the depth that the posts must reach may vary. The sleeves also become useful for multipurpose courts, where easy installation/removal can be very helpful. If you choose to dig your posts in without sleeves, court resurfacing and removing the posts can be very difficult.

Now that your posts are in the ground, how do you get the net up?

Well, there are two different winding systems available for your posts; internal and external. Internal means that the spool is on the inside of the net post, and is the more popular of the two kinds because it looks better and keeps the parts from rusting out in damp climates. The external crank is on the outside of the post, and is effective as well as cheaper and easier to repair because the system can be removed from the post, but is not as pleasing on the eyes.

If you are wondering what company makes a good tennis net post, Courtmaster supplies excellent round and square models. Gamma and Edwards are two other companies that make net posts, cranks, sleeves, and all the other necessary equipment.

So when you are installing your tennis court, make sure you take into account all of the different options that come along with the tennis net posts.

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