They tend to play more from the backcourt. On faster courts, players with more compact, classical strokes usually have the advantage. They tend to go to the net much more, especially on grass. They also stand in closer to the baseline during rallies, often hitting the ball as it rises off the bounce. The footing is very different on the loose surface topping of clay courts, compared to grass or hardcourt.
Players learn to slide into many shots on clay because of the loose surface.
On hardcourt or grass the player can stop, and set up to hit in a relatively still position. See the section on our experiments at the USTA Player Development Center to see how we tried to answer these questions and what we found out. Inc. All Rights Reserved.