Tennis court sweepers come in a wide variety of designs. Some are only useful for the groundskeeper, while others are used to sweep the tennis court surface after each match.
Nowadays, a squeegee is usually made of two aluminum profiles into which four 50 cm long brush sections are inserted. This is why it is often called a frame squeegee. This results in the standard working width of 2 meters.
The profiles are then assembled and fastened using screws. In most cases, the handle bracket is screwed onto the broom inserts, and the handle is then attached to it.
The different types of bristles and their areas of application
PVC / Spring and tennis court maintenance
The stiff plastic bristles, usually made of red PVC, are ideal for the first few weeks of the season when tennis courts are still soft and small holes frequently appear during play. PVC bristles remove more clay dust from the court surface than other types of bristles, thus creating a leveling effect as small holes are filled with sand.
Depending on the weather, however, these bristles will remove too much clay dust from the surface of tennis courts in warmer weather and on drier surfaces. To avoid an overly sandy, granular surface, other types of bristles or a drag net are then used.
The red broom remains important for the daily maintenance of tennis courts by the groundskeeper, as sweeping the courts daily, right up to the edges, prevents moss growth and easily removes minor imperfections. Clubs struggling with moss and other plant growth should consider having all courts thoroughly swept with the red broom every day. If this practice is consistently followed throughout the season, moss will no longer be a major issue.
Arena / Rest of the season
In the warmer months, the use of softer arenga bristles is recommended. These do not roughen the tennis court surface, but simply distribute the existing grit across it. This has an effect similar to a drag net. A disadvantage of arenga bristles is their use on damp courts, as they tend to clump together and then become unusable. In such cases, a drag net with a heavier weave has the advantage.
Furthermore, there are also variants of brooms with arena bristles, which are used for carpeted halls with rubber granules.
Steel wire / Tennis court maintenance
The steel wire broom is purely a work tool for the groundskeeper. Its purpose is to roughen up heavily compacted areas, mostly around sprinklers, and to prevent moss growth.
Steel wire brooms consist of bristles made of steel wire, which are naturally much harder than plastic bristles and can therefore roughen the tennis court surface more significantly. Tennis courts struggling with heavy moss growth should have their perimeter areas, leading up to the playing field, cleaned with a steel wire broom once or twice a week, starting early in the season. Once these areas are hard and compacted, preventing moss growth becomes extremely difficult.
For a greater effect, it has proven effective to weigh down the broom with a pipe or stones. In that case, investing in a small tractor to pull the broom might also be worthwhile.
Granule broom / tennis hall
A special broom for indoor tennis courts with carpet and rubber granulate infill is usually weighted to prevent it from jumping and bouncing while sweeping. This is the main reason why you shouldn't just use a regular arena sweeper.
The Granutop, for example, has angled corners that support smooth running and ensure good distribution of the granules, especially when turning.
Quartz sand broom
The quartz sand broom is the best choice for artificial turf pitches filled with quartz sand. Its yellow bristles are stiffer and penetrate the surface of the artificial turf to loosen and distribute the quartz sand. An indispensable tool for artificial turf maintenance.
In a special version for padel courts, the broom is only 1.50 m wide to allow for better maneuvering on the smaller playing field.