Glow Tennis Supplies, Tips & Tricks for Black Light Tennis

How to host and play glow tennis

Table of Contents

Glow tennis is a blast and for good reason; it’s addictive and fun to play!

Here we’ll share tips and tricks for planning a glow tennis event, and the equipment and supplies you need to make your tennis event glow!

glow tennis event diy cosmic tennis supplies and tips

What do I need for glow tennis?

Many of the same supplies that are used for normal tennis can be retrofitted and used for glow tennis without much work.

Regular tennis supplies that are neon or fluorescent colored are ready to be used for glow tennis.

At a minimum you’ll need:

Glow tennis is also referred to as cosmic tennis or glow-in-the-dark tennis.

glow tennis with blacklights and fluorescent tape rent the equipment you need

How many blacklights do I need for glow tennis?

Not all blacklights are created equal. There are generally three different types of black lights based on how far they “throw” the glow lighting effect:

Short-throw blacklights (5ft – 20ft)
Medium-throw blacklights (20ft – 40ft)
Long-throw blacklights (40ft – 300ft)

High-power, long-throw, LED blacklights are recommended for glow tennis.

These lights are designed to “throw” the blacklight a long distance and have the power to make everything on and around the court glow.

high power long throw blacklight for rental

What type of tennis ball will glow?

Standard yellow/fluorescent green tennis balls will glow under blacklight. These balls contain pigment in them that makes them glow under blacklight. Balls that are not neon or fluorescent, that are simply orange, yellow, or green, will not glow as well or at all under black light.

These tennis balls will work with black light:

Wilson Extra Duty Yellow Tennis Balls
Penn Championship Yellow Tennis Balls

Tennis balls that are not standard fluorescent yellow/green might not glow under blacklight. These include old or worn tennis balls that have lost their brightness and the color is faded. If you aren’t sure, you can pickup a cheap blacklight flashlight and test it in the dark. It’s a great way to test items that will glow or not glow under blacklight.

wilson extra duty tennis balls blacklight glow

Penn championship yellow tennis balls glow under blacklight

How much glow tennis tape do I need ?

A standard 78ft x 36ft tennis court needs approximately 588ft of glow tennis tape to outline the court lines, net and net posts.

Unlike duct tape, our glow tennis tape is designed to stick during the event and not leave a residue or pull up the court surface when it is removed.

We recommend using one color for each court outline and the net. In a multi-court exhibition format this creates easy reference points for players (a yellow court, green court, pink court, etc.)

Each court requires two (4) 150ft rolls of 1in tape. 1/2in “detail” rolls also come in 150ft rolls and are more narrow. These thin rolls are great for wrapping paddles or covering shoes, hats and clothing.

glow neon sport court tape for pickleball, tennis, dodgeball, basketball, volleyball

Tennis Court Tape Colors

When planning court organization, we recommend outlining each individual court in the same color, which can be helpful for tournament play or large exhibition events. Players can be assigned to a certain color court, and it will make your event photos cohesive and stunning!

The best colored tennis tapes that are the most glow-reactive are:

Where do I put the blacklights?

Placing the blacklights at opposite corners of your tennis court will allow for the maximum amount of glow to reach the entire court setup.

Below, we’ve included sample setups for one (1) court and four (4) courts to show optimal placement of the blacklights.

glow tennis two courts how many black lights needed

How do I mount the blacklights?

Light stands allow you to attach and elevate the lights safely up above players’ heads for maximum coverage of the court area.

“Super clamps” are also a great choice to attach lights to objects 2in in diameter or less, like poles or railings that may already be in the court area.

Super viser clamps will clamp onto anything 6in in diameter or more, these are great for light poles and larger surfaces or pavilion roofs, concrete walls, etc.

One other option would be to use heavy duty zip ties to attach lights to chain link fencing.

Thinking about power outlets near the light locations and/or making sure you have enough extension cables is important. Make sure the outdoor power outlets work prior to your games!

Super Clamp

These mount lights to surfaces 2in diameter or less. Chain link fence posts work well with these clamps and keep stands out of play.

Tripod Light Stand

These stands make it easy to mount the lights to maximize coverage.

Glow tennis blacklight & tape calculator

Enter the number of courts you want to make glow and the calculator will tell you how many long-throw blacklights and rolls of neon tennis tape you’ll need.

Fun glow tennis supplies

What glow accessories will you bring to the glow tennis experience? The possibilities are endless! Have teams get creative in what they wear and tape. A contest for best dressed glow team can add an additional fun element to blacklight tennis events.

Get creative with glow supplies to make your tennis experience memorable. Think of all the glow items like:

Neon shirts
Neon hats / visers
White shirts drawn on with office highlighters
Glow makeup
Glow sticks / bracelets / necklaces
Glow nail polish
Glow drinks (tonic water)

Get the gear you need for glow tennis

High-power blacklights are expensive to purchase! Rent the blacklights you need to get the most out of your glow tennis event. It will turn a fun idea into a memorable in-demand annual event or fundraiser!

Reserve your date today and get the gear you need when you need it. Ask us about discounted long-term rentals, or if you are interested in purchasing lights, we can get a quote together for you on that, too.