Last weekend’s Unplugged post, When No One Says Anything, Nothing Gets Fixed, focused on a broad reality about public tennis courts. Problems that go unnoticed, unreported, or unaddressed tend to persist. While writing that piece, it occurred to me that I have never actually shared the contents of what might best be described as my personal court repair kit. It is high time to fix that oversight.
Anyone who plays regularly on public courts knows that small maintenance issues are part of the landscape. Windscreens come loose. Gates stop latching properly. Nets tear, sag, or separate from the cable. None of those problems is necessarily catastrophic, but each can degrade the playing experience. For that reason, I carry what I think of as a court repair kit in my car at all times.
Zip ties are extraordinarily useful for fixing the parts of the court that most frequently fail. Larger ties are ideal for securing flapping windscreens that have broken loose from the fence. Anyone who has tried to play in windy conditions with a loose windscreen billowing behind the baseline knows how disruptive that can be. I have also rigged multiple larger zip ties together to temporarily repair a broken gate latch. It was not elegant, but it was effective.
Smaller zip ties are best for repairing the net. They are excellent for patching holes that are large enough for a ball to pass through. They are also useful for cinching the net back onto the cable when sections begin to sag or detach.
I also carry several loops of white duct tape. This is particularly useful for repairing rips or tears in the net tape, where a darker color would be visually distracting. It is also effective for reinforcing or temporarily repairing a damaged center strap, one of those common failures that can noticeably affect net height and presentation.
Rather than carrying a full roll of tape, I store a practical working length wrapped around a clear water bottle. That keeps it compact and easy to access. The bottle itself serves a utilitarian purpose as well. It functions as a backup for those all-too-common occasions when someone forgets to bring water to the courts. The fact that my bottle is clear reflects a practical decision. It allows me to quickly see the zip ties stored inside, which prevents me from forgetting where I stashed them.
I also use that bottle to store a few secondary items. That includes additional cable-securing cords and extra pickle juice pops. I already keep pickle juice in my racquet bag at all times, but the bottle is a convenient place to stash backup supplies.
I do not routinely carry this repair kit onto the court with me, but rather it lives in the back of my car, which I regard as a rolling tennis locker room. Specifically, the bottle tucks neatly between my shoes atop a custom deck I built above my racquet bag. That setup keeps the gear organized, easy to access, and separate from the equipment I actually bring courtside. It also means the kit is almost always with me when needed, without adding unnecessary weight or clutter to the bag itself.
Having these items on hand simply makes sense. In the immediate term, they can turn a flawed or mildly frustrating court into one that is fully playable for your own session. But the benefit often extends beyond that moment. A secured windscreen, patched net, or functioning gate improves the experience for everyone who uses the facility afterward. In some cases, an improvised temporary repair may even draw attention to the issue and prompt the official court maintainers to implement a more permanent solution.
It is good practice to engage in small acts of stewardship whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Assorted Zip Ties (<- Sponsored Link)
White Duct Tape (<- Sponsored Link)
Nalgene Water Bottle (<- Sponsored Link)
Fiend At Court participates in the Amazon Associates program and receives a paid commission on any purchases made via the links in this article. Details on the disposition of proceeds are available on the “About Fiend at Court” page.
