Paddle Tennis is similar to ordinary tennis, but is played on a court about one third the size of a tennis court, with a lower net, a de-pressurized tennis ball and a solid paddle.
Paddle Tennis is a fast paced, rapidly growing game that the whole family can enjoy. It is easily picked up by athletes of other sports, children and adults of all ages, sizes and shapes.
Paddle Tennis is popular at all levels of competition, and some say contagious. Even at the lowerlevels, play is exciting due to the small court and depressurized ball permitting longer rallies. While doubles play is predominant, singles is also played and is a favorite of many tennis players.
What are the dimensions of a Paddle Court?
The playing area is 20 ft. by 50 ft. There is a service line extending across the width of the court 3 ft. in from each end line. The center line extends from service line to service line down the middle of the court. West of the Mississippi, there is a restraint line which extends the width of the court 12 ft. from the net.
Paddle Tennis net posts are 31" high. The net is strung taught so that it is a constant 31" across the width of the court. The post are set 18" outside of each sideline.
The United States Paddle Tennis Association recommends 15 ft. of backspace behind each baseline plus 10 ft. of clearance on each side.
Paddle Tennis can be played either as singles or doubles. Unlike tennis, both singles and doubles are played on the same size court, a twenty by fifty foot rectangular court. Ideally, fences are placed 15 feet behind the baselines and ten feet from the sidelines. Above is a diagram of a typical Paddle Tennis court for playing the West Coast versions of the game. Courts for the East Coast version are identical, except that they do not have the restraint lines.
The net is 31 inches high over its entire length and extends 18 inches beyond each side line.
The ball used in Paddle Tennis is a regulation tennis ball which has been punctured with a needle or pin so that when dropped from a height of six feet the ball will bounce back to a height between 31 and 33 inches.
The paddle is made of a solid material or materials, such as, hard woods, plywood, fiberglass or graphite. The paddle may be textured or perforated and may have a metal rim or not but it cannot have strings. The size of the paddles cannot exceed 18 1/2 inches by nine and a half inches.
I hope that this introduction to the game of Paddle Tennis will arouse your curiosity and your desire to try the game. It is a wonderful sport for young and old and everyone in between. See you on the courts. |
