History
Frank P. Beal created paddle tennis in 1898 as a way of teaching tennis to children in Albion, Michigan. Beal, who was a youngster himself, simply cut the dimensions of the tennis court in half, replacing the tennis ball with a sponge rubber ball and the tennis racket with a wooden paddle.
The game was confined to Albion until 1921, when Beal became a minister in New York City, where paddle tennis quickly became popular among children, who played informal games in the streets as well as on the special courts that were set up in playgrounds.
A city-wide tournament was held in 1922 and the American Paddle Tennis Association (now the U. S. Paddle Tennis Association) was founded the following year to supervise the sport.
More and more adults began playing paddle tennis during the 1930s. As a result, in 1937 the size of the court was increased from 39 by 18 feet to 44 by 20 feet for grown-ups, though the older dimensions were retained for children.
In 1959, a punctured tennis ball replaced the sponge rubber ball, the overhead serve was banned, and the size of the court was increased to 50 by 20 feet for adults. The same size was adopted for children's play in 1963.
Paddle tennis was popular only in the New York metropolitan area until after World War II, when it spread to California. A second governing body, the Western U. S. Paddle Tennis Association, was organized to govern the sport there.
The two organizations feuded over rules for many years, but they merged in 1970. The first national championships were played in 1978.
Although the sport is still concentrated in New York and California, there are also clubs in Florida, South Carolina, and Minnesota.
How It's Played
The paddle tennis court is now 50 by 20 feet for adults and children. There are four service areas, each 22 by 10, so the baselines are only 3 feet behind the service lines.
The striking surface of the paddle has to be made of wood, but metal is allowed on the edging, grip, and throat. Maximum size is 17 1/2 inches long and 8 1/2 inches wide. The surface may be solid or perforated, but most players use a perforated paddle, since it imparts greater spin.
The rules of paddle tennis are essentially same as those of lawn tennis, except for a few special provisions related to the serve:
- Only one serve is allowed (younger children are sometimes allowed two serves).
- A serve must be struck at a point no higher than 31 inches above the court surface.
- The server must not hit the return of service until it has bounced. (This prevents rushing the net immediately after the serve.)
- The server may toss the ball or bounce it once before striking it. But, once a method of service has been adopted, it must be used for the entire set.