Patent ID: 6868619

Claim:
A self-measuring tennis net center strap that quickly sets and secures the top of the center of a tennis net at a certain (regulation) playing height (currently 36 inches) above the playing surface comprising: a strap of non- or minimally stretching material fastened to the center anchor in the surface of a tennis court by means of a single-ended snap clip with a slot through which the strap can slide, with a cam buckle sewn to one end of the strap and a metal tab affixed to the other, so that the tab end can be pulled up one side of the net, brought over the top of the net, and inserted through said cam buckle until a primary measuring mark crossing the strap near the tab end of the strap appears at a certain place in said cam buckle; and with a back-up measuring mark for checking proper height of net crossing the strap at such a distance that with the cam buckle closed the mark is level with the top of the net when the strap is rotated through the snap clip until the tab end of the strap just touches the playing surface; and preferably with a second, shorter strap that acts as a backup security fastening system when attached to the underside of the cam buckle—this secondary strap which is brought upwards to be secured with matching hook and loop materials against the underside of the main strap heading down into the closed cam buckle; and preferably with a third security fastening system made of mating swatches of hook and loop material placed equidistant from the backup measuring mark but on the underside of the main strap so that they are opposite and facing one another with the net strap properly installed and which are fastened to one another through the holes in the net to further secure net strap from slippage and, importantly, to maintain the strap in such a place as to keep the primary and secondary measuring marks clearly visible to those wanting to immediately know proper net height has been maintained.