Quick Answer / TL;DR: Wimbledon’s grass courts are mowed primarily with the Ransomes Certes 51, a professional pedestrian cylinder (reel) mower built by Ransomes Jacobsen in Ipswich, England. Tournament courts are cut daily to exactly 8mm, a height only achievable with the scissor-like precision of a cylinder mower — rotary mowers simply cannot deliver the clean cut required.
Expert Summary
- Official mower: Ransomes Certes 51 — a pedestrian cylinder (reel) mower manufactured in Ipswich, England.
- Cut height: A precise 8mm maintained throughout the tournament.
- Grass type: 100% perennial ryegrass, adopted after the 2001 switch from the 70/30 ryegrass/creeping red fescue blend.
- Mowing frequency: Daily during the tournament, typically early morning before play begins.
- Grounds team: Around 30 full-time staff manage 19 grass courts year-round, expanding heavily pre-tournament.
- Why it matters: Mower choice directly affects ball bounce consistency, player safety, and Wimbledon’s iconic striped aesthetic.
What You Need
If you want to replicate the Wimbledon standard on fine turf — whether a bowling green, croquet lawn, or prestige garden — here’s the professional setup:
- A cylinder (reel) mower — pedestrian models like the Ransomes Certes 51 for elite turf; high-quality consumer cylinder mowers for home lawns.
- Adjustable height-of-cut control — you’ll need to dial in heights down to 8mm or lower without scalping.
- A rear roller — essential for the classic light-and-dark stripe pattern and for smoothing the cutting plane.
- Sharpening kit or back-lapping compound — a cylinder mower’s cut quality depends entirely on blade-to-bedknife contact.
- Grass box or collection system — at 8mm, clippings must be removed to prevent thatch and disease.
- Soil moisture and temperature awareness — daily mowing on fine turf demands healthy, well-drained soil underneath.
Preparation: Clear the surface of debris, check the blade/bedknife adjustment before every session, and mow only when the grass is dry — wet fine turf tears and clogs the cylinder.
Step-by-Step Guide: How Wimbledon-Standard Mowing Works
Step 1: Understand Why Cylinder Mowers Are Non-Negotiable
The All England Lawn Tennis Club maintains one of the most demanding turf specifications in professional sport. A rotary mower tears and bruises grass blades rather than slicing them cleanly, which creates inconsistent ball bounce and raises disease risk. Only a cylinder (reel) mower delivers the clean, scissor-like cut that keeps each blade structurally intact, reduces moisture retention on the leaf, and produces the signature striped finish broadcast worldwide.
| Feature | Cylinder/Reel Mower | Rotary Mower |
|---|---|---|
| Cut quality | Scissor-clean slice | Tearing/bruising |
| Suitable cut height | 3mm–25mm | 25mm+ |
| Ball bounce consistency | High | Low |
| Stripe definition | Excellent | Poor |
| Best for | Fine lawns, sports turf, golf | General garden grass |
| Risk of disease | Lower | Higher |
Step 2: Identify the Primary Machine — the Ransomes Certes 51
The Ransomes Certes 51 is the headline mower at Wimbledon. It’s a pedestrian-operated cylinder mower built by Ransomes Jacobsen, a British manufacturer with roots in Ipswich, Suffolk, dating back to 1789 — one of the oldest names in grass-cutting machinery anywhere in the world.
This is professional-grade equipment, not a consumer retail machine. It’s specified by groundskeepers, golf superintendents, and sports turf managers who need repeatable, ultra-fine cutting results week after week.
Step 3: Set the Height of Cut to 8mm
AELTC standards require tournament courts to be held at exactly 8mm. Adjust the height-of-cut on a level, hard surface, verify it with a straightedge or cutting-height gauge at multiple points across the cylinder, and lock the setting. Never guess — a 2mm error at this scale changes ball behavior noticeably.
💡 Pro Tip: Check the setting with the roller sitting on the actual surface, not in the air. Suspension and roller wear can shift effective cutting height by a millimetre or more.
Step 4: Mow Daily, Early, and in Alternate Directions
During the tournament, courts are mowed every day, typically in the early morning before play. Varying or alternating the mowing direction on a rolling schedule keeps the sward upright, prevents grain build-up, and creates the alternating stripe pattern by bending blades in opposing directions.
⚠️ Warning: Never remove more than one-third of the leaf in a single cut. Dropping straight from a maintenance height to 8mm stresses the plant and invites disease — professional turf teams “walk” the height down over days.
Step 5: Sharpen, Back-Lap, and Maintain Relentlessly
At 8mm, a dull cylinder doesn’t cut — it rips. Grounds teams verify blade-to-bedknife contact before every use, back-lap regularly, and grind the cylinder on a schedule. The 30-person groundskeeping team at Wimbledon treats sharpening as a daily discipline, not an occasional chore.
💡 Pro Tip: Test sharpness with a sheet of paper: a correctly adjusted cylinder mower should slice it cleanly at working speed, like scissors.
Common Mistakes & Troubleshooting
- Trying to reach 8mm with a rotary mower. Even if a rotary can physically be set low, its tearing action bruises the leaf, causes browning at the tips, and produces inconsistent ball bounce. Fine turf heights demand a cylinder mower — full stop.
- Cutting wet grass. Wet blades tear instead of slicing, clippings clog the cylinder and grass box, and roller compaction on saturated soil damages root structure. Wait for the surface to dry.
- Skipping the daily blade check. At 8mm there is no margin for a worn bedknife contact. If the cut looks ragged or the lawn turns grey-brown a day after mowing, the cylinder/bedknife adjustment needs attention immediately.
- Scalping on uneven ground. Dropping the height without leveling the underlying surface leads to exposed soil and worn patches on high spots. Topdress and level the lawn before chasing lower heights.
- Removing clippings carelessly — or not at all. At 8mm, clippings left on the surface smother the sward and feed fungal disease. Always collect, even on small lawns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What mower does Wimbledon actually use?
Wimbledon’s primary machine is the Ransomes Certes 51, a pedestrian cylinder mower made by Ransomes Jacobsen in Ipswich, England. It’s a professional-grade unit used across the club’s 19 grass courts.
How short is Wimbledon grass cut?
Tournament courts are maintained at exactly 8mm — a height that only a cylinder mower can achieve cleanly. The courts are mowed to this height every single day during the Championships, usually early in the morning before play starts.
Why doesn’t Wimbledon just use a rotary mower?
Rotary mowers tear and bruise grass blades, which browning tips, uneven ball bounce, and higher disease pressure. Cylinder mowers cut with a scissor action that keeps each blade intact — essential for consistent playing surfaces and the crisp striped look.
What grass is used on Wimbledon courts?
Since 2001, the courts have been sown with 100% perennial ryegrass, replacing the older 70/30 ryegrass and creeping red fescue blend. Perennial ryegrass tolerates the heavy daily wear and ultra-low mowing heights the tournament demands.
Can I buy the Ransomes Certes 51 for my home lawn?
The Certes 51 is sold through professional turf-care channels rather than consumer retail, and its price puts it out of reach for most homeowners. If you want a Wimbledon-style finish at home, a quality consumer cylinder mower with a rear roller set at 10–15mm will get you the same clean cut and striping on a domestic lawn.
How many staff maintain Wimbledon’s grass courts?
Around 30 full-time grounds staff care for the 19 grass courts year-round, with the team expanding significantly in the build-up to the Championships to handle daily mowing, marking, rolling, and court preparation.
