Paddle tennis has a lot of similarities with lawn tennis. One exception is the size of the court in paddle tennis is smaller than the lawn tennis dimensions and it is not divided into lanes for doubles. Paddle tennis uses a solid wooden paddle with perforations while the tennis racket uses strings. Since the court is smaller, paddle tennis entails player agility and quicker reflexes. The next paragraphs discuss the difference between the rules of both games.
The dimensions of a paddle tennis court are fifty feet lengthwise by twenty feet crosswise. The distance from one service line to the opposite is 44 feet, which gives a three feet space each for the service spots on both sides. The US Paddle Tennis Association has rules regarding the paddle. It should measure nine and a half inches wide by eighteen inches in length. The paddle is perforated with a number of holes. The net to be used is measured at twenty-two feet long by two point six feet wide. It should be set at thirty-one inches high from the court level and an extra length of eighteen inches from each sideline.
To start the game, a paddle is used as a pointer and spun; the ?chosen? player gets to pick the side of the court and who serves first. The serve is not done over the head but just about the level of the net, he can either hit the ball from the air or bounce it first unlike lawn tennis. Serving player who serves a foul ball not only loses a point but also the turn to serve. Faults in service are when the server misses to hit the ball or when the serve hits the net.
Crossing or stepping on the baseline is considered a foot fault and causes you to lose a point. A ball that touches the lines (line ball) is still considered ?in? or ?good? and still earns a point.
Score tally is the same as in lawn tennis, the 1st point garners the player fifteen, the 2nd point thirty, the 3rd point forty, and the 4th point lets him win the game. To win one set, a player should lead by two games against the opponent. The players change courts or sides, allowing sixty seconds of break after each odd game. Between the second and third set, ten-minute breaks are accorded. Tiebreakers are adjudged should the scores tie.
Platform tennis is a variant of the regular tennis game which can be enjoyed the whole year round regardless of the weather, well except during storms. This sport is played during winter months on a dais, raised from the ground leaving room for heating elements that melt the ice from the surface at the same time giving warmth to the players. Twelve-foot screens surround the court making them part of the game play. The following paragraphs discuss the dos and don'ts on playing the game.
The game is also called paddle tennis because the players use a flat wooden paddle that is eighteen inches in length with about 87 3/8" perforations. The balls being used are as big as a tennis ball but harder. The balls are changed repeatedly throughout the game because the wetness of melted snow weighs it down.
In order to settle on who gets to serve first, spin a paddle using the handle as a pointer. The player closest to where the handle end points gets to choose whether to serve first or to receive the service.
The serving player takes his position behind the baseline on the edge of the court. The object is to get the ball to a spot diagonally across to the opposing player's side without hitting the net, of course, within the bounds of the baseline.
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