Absorbing the Force

James Croll investigates how a revolutionary cushioned tennis surface is not only having an impact on performance at all sporting levels but is being particularly kind to the health and well-being of the older sporting community

In October 2021, Corinthian Park Tennis Club in Shelley, Western Australia completed the transition from its grass courts to all weather Laykold cushioned courts.

As one of Perth’s oldest and most prestigious clubs, the prospect of a move from traditional grass to a synthetic surface required much consultation with members and indepth research to ensure that the transition was going to be truly beneficial to all. Fortunately, the transition proved a huge success particularly amongst the older members who heralded the more joint-friendly all-weather courts as a revelation.

The decision-making process for the new surface was conducted by Corinthian Park Tennis Club President, Denzil Morrell, and his team. They completed a comprehensive feasibility study focusing on several different cushioned surface brands and because of their study, they ended up selecting APT’s Australian Made Laykold Masters Gel system. They saw the surface as the most durable and hard-wearing surface in comparison to the other products they had surveyed.

Morrell explained “based on our research, Laykold provided a cushioned surface that could withstand the test of time.

“A number of the other cushioned surfaces were simply not as durable. This was one of the main reasons we chose Laykold Masters Gel.”

While durability was key, Morrell and his team were also aware of the need to transition to a surface that would be

Corinthian Park Tennis Club’s court transformation. The old (above) and new (below).

kinder to their members. The old grass court surfaces had proved increasingly hard on the older members’ joints and injuries were becoming increasingly common. They were also attracted by the fact that the Laykold system was manufactured in Australia and to a large degree with renewable resources.

Their choice, the Laykold Masters Gel system is a revolutionary, technologically advanced, seamless cushioned court system manufactured using up to 60% renewable resources. It is an all-weather court surface which offers a wide variety of benefits to all ages and abilities including 17% force reduction which subsequently enhances player performance by reducing joint impact and body fatigue.

Once the decision had been made the club engaged local APT installation partner and Laykold expert, Mark Tucker of West Coast Sporting Surfaces, to manage the new Laykold courts installation. With 22 years’ experience in sports surface design and installation, Tucker is enthusiastic about the Laykold brand for many reasons.

Tucker states “with Western Australia being such a large state, we have an incredibly diverse range of climates from very hot up north to much cooler down south.

“And yet Laykold has proven to be able to hack the harshest of weather. What is more, since it is manufactured in Australia it means we can offer our customers reassurance that we can service and deliver on their needs.”

Corinthian Park Tennis Club’s new courts.

Tucker is finding that awareness of the Laykold Masters Gel system is spreading rapidly within the tennis community, noting “Laykold Masters Gel really is a cut above the rest. Until it came along there really had not been any major advancements in cushioned tennis surfaces for quite some time. Now clubs are prepared to wait to find additional funding, if need be, in order to secure the Laykold Masters Gel system for their club. It really is that good.”

Another important stakeholder who is impressed by the new Gel courts is Corinthian Park’s Head Coach, Laercio Lobo.

Originally from Brazil, Lobo joined the club in 2016 after years of studying and playing college tennis in USA. Since the Laykold system was introduced, he has not only found that his students and players love the feel of the new courts, but he has noticed that the older players with back and joint problems are not pulling up as sore after a game of tennis and are thus able to return to the courts quicker and play more frequently. He has also noticed the difference personally.

Lobo advises “I spend about 50 hours a week coaching, and with the old courts I was very tired and by the end of the week my body was sore. But I have noticed huge improvements since coaching on the Laykold Masters Gel. I am not nearly as sore.”

The Background Laykold is owned by Sport Group, the world’s largest business dedicated to sport surfaces. As a result, the product is part of a fully integrated supply chain, controlling all aspects of its production from laboratory testing to the selection of raw materials and warranties.

In Australia, Laykold is produced and engineered by the Sport Group’s manufacturing business - APT (Advanced Polymer Technology) Asia Pacific, the world’s leading manufacturer of polyurethane-based materials, acrylic coatings, and synthetic turf products for sporting and recreational applications.

Since its introduction in the 1940’s, millions of square meters of Laykold surface has been installed worldwide. It is an incredibly popular surface choice for tennis, netball, basketball and multipurpose applications, due to its range of systems available, colours, durability and all-weather performance. Furthermore, its superior performance qualities and environmental credentials were key reasons for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) selecting Laykold as the new surface of the US Open in 2020.

New courts (installed by Grassport QLD) at the Pimpama Sports Hub on the Gold Coast.

Jim Tritt, Chief Operations Officer for Sport Group Asia Pacific, states “from a performance perspective, Laykold’s reputation has been built on three key factors - non-slip, force reduction, and energy return.

“Whether they are community or elite, tennis players or netball players, people need these three key factors from a surface to remain healthy whilst achieving peak performance. In simple terms, your chosen surface does not only need to be non-slip, it also needs to absorb the force and return the energy to the athlete during competition or practice.”

Tritt goes on to explain that the Laykold system offers up to 75% energy restitution, a factor that is obviously critical to all players of all ages and abilities, adding “a cushioned system is like an elastic surface. This elasticity absorbs the vertical and horizontal force delivered by the athlete. Not only does the Laykold system absorb the force, but it returns that energy to the athlete, thereby reducing fatigue and strain on the joints and muscles which improves recovery time and performance. What is more, the improved coatings provide high slip-resistant properties which help prevent injuries from falls, slipping and jarring of joints.”

It is not surprising that there are a variety of Laykold systems catering for different applications, end users and budgets. The Premium Laykold systems include Laykold Masters Gel, which was installed at Corinthian Park Tennis Club. It is the most advanced court system in the world delivering 17% force reduction and made with 60% renewable resources. Its area elastic surface minimises the depth of ‘foot depression,’ which protects an athlete’s knees and ankles from injury during highvelocity, lateral changes of direction. Laykold Masters Gel doesn’t just absorb the force an athlete produces during competition, it returns that energy to the athlete thus reducing fatigue.

The Laykold Masters Float system meanwhile is the choice for revitalising tired facilities suffering from cracked or deteriorated court substrates, thus enticing players back with a superior experience and look. The system provides 21% force reduction and also delivers environmentally as it features a shock pad which includes recycled tennis balls (4,000 balls used in a single court). The topcoat is 50% renewable material by weight, and the adhesive and pore filler are also made with 40% renewable content.

Within the Standard Laykold systems range, customers can opt for the Laykold Cushion Plus system which is the tennis industry’s premier liquid cushioned hard court surface. The Cushion Plus court is comprised of multiple layers of rubber granules and rubber powder encapsulated within a highly flexible proprietary 100% acrylic binder.

Finally, Laykold Advantage is a high performance three to four coat acrylic system with a hard wearing and long-lasting, non-slip surface. The specially designed surface is also cooler and better to play on than bare asphalt. It does not include a cushioning layer.

From Cradle to Grave In an age where every industry is conscious and responsible for environmentally sustainable practices, it is probably APT’s sustainability initiative that is the most fascinating aspect of the Laykold system.

Over 325 million tennis balls are produced worldwide each year and are used for only a few minutes in professional matches to just a few games for recreational players. In the past, most of these tennis balls eventually ended up in landfills. However, Laykold and APT in conjunction with RecycledBalls are working to reverse this problem. In 2015 Laykold created the first cushion court with a shock pad made from recycled tennis balls. All shock pads used with Laykold cushioned court systems are made from 100% natural recycled tennis balls and other rubber.

More recently APT and Laykold partnered with the USTA and Wilson Tennis, to collect the balls used from the 2020 Western & Southern Open and US Open. These balls were crushed, then added to the base layer of the Grandstand Court at the 2021 Western & Southern Open, which was prepared and installed by Laykold.

It is a fascinating cradle to grave solution for the millions of tennis balls produced annually. James Croll manages partnerships for Australasian Leisure Management.