Tennis nets are used for dividing the tennis court into equal halves. The International Tennis Federation or the ITF, which is authorized to regulate the sport at international level, has set the standard for nets to be used on tennis courts. Tennis nets should be long enough to cover the space between two net posts. The height of tennis net at the posts can be 3.50 feet, while in the middle it has to be 3 feet. The net should extend to ground.
According to the ITF, tennis nets should be suspended by a cord. Metal cable can also be used for the purpose. In the middle, a strap is used for holding the net down. The cord or the cable used in the tennis nets should be covered with a band. The ITF has decided the color of the band and the strap to be white. The dimensions of the cord, strap and band used in tennis nets are also specified by the organization. The meshwork of the tennis nets should be done in such a way that ball cannot move through it during the match.
There are a number of companies around the world, which specialize in manufacturing tennis nets as per the standard set by the ITF. Braided polyethylene is widely used as the material of tennis nets. The band and straps are made from cloth, canvas or vinyl. Edwards , Gamma and Champion Sports are three companies, which have been manufacturing tennis nets for a long time. Various types of tennis nets , which are available in market, are—
- Edwards 30 LS Tennis Net
- Edwards 40 LS Tennis Net
- Gamma Championship Net
- Gamma Premium Net
- Gamma Premium Tuff Net
- Gamma Pro Tennis Net
- Gamma Super Tuff Tapered Net
- Gamma Tuff Net
- Champion Sports 3.8 mm Tennis Net
- Champion Sports 3.6 mm Tennis Net
- Champion Sports 2.8 mm Tennis Net
- Champion Sports 2.5 mm Tennis Net
