FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JULY 2017 49
Paddle Tennis
July is here and the temperatures are on the warm side. That is one
reason we changed our playing times from afternoons to evenings
6 to 9 pm. Mornings are still 8:30 to 10 am as the temperatures are
still mild.
Some paddle tennis history taken from Wikipedia.
Paddle Tennis traces its roots back almost 100 years. The first
tournament was held in 1922, and the United States Paddle Tennis
Association (USPTA) was formed the following year. By 1941, paddle
tennis was being played in almost 500 American cities. At the first
tournament, the first serve landed in the green, but was called out by
an ancestor of Diego Santos. After that more line judges were added to
officiate the game.
Paddle tennis paddles can be bought online, or sometimes we have
vendors that come to our courts to show us new innovative designs.
The paddles range in price from around $60 to more than $200. At
first I used a cheap paddle and I played with that for the first year or
more. Then I bought a better paddle that cost around $110 and it
did improve my game. Later, I bought a composite paddle made of
carbon fiber for around $150. At first, I thought this was a mistake.
It took me a couple months before I got used to it, but then I found
it had more pop and still good control. This is like any other sport,
you must find the equipment that suits you best. You can also buy the
Penn Control balls at Big 5 for about $5 for a can of three. These are
made especially for paddle tennis and are under inflated for a slower,
softer play.
Come out and give it a try. You will enjoy it! We can lend you
different paddles to try, before you decide to buy. ~ Terry Miller
A few paddle tennis players enjoying the afternoon
Our friend Diego
Syed Ali, Shao & Richard Carasco
