NEWS
Platform Tennis is a racquet sport similar to tennis (from which it is derived) that was invented in the 1920s by Fessenden Blanchard and James Cogswell in New York who decided that they wanted an alternative to tennis that they could play in the winter.
Played on a raised platform that allows for heating equipment to be placed under the court, along with the presence of lighting it allows the sport to be played outdoors all year round.
Unlike Tennis which has both singles and doubles versions, the game is played solely as a doubles game. There is no world association for Platform Tennis but there are many national organisations across the globe such as the American Association.
The object of Platform Tennis is for one pair to defeat their opponents by winning two out of the three sets that make up a Platform Tennis match. As a game that is played in pairs, it requires a great deal of cooperation and understanding, especially as the game is played on an enclosed court that is a great deal smaller than a regular tennis court.
Because of the small size of the court and the fact that balls can be hit off the sides in a style akin to squash, it means that players need to have good levels of fitness to be competitive.
Platform Tennis is played in pairs on a court that measures 44 feet long by 20 feet wide, with markings that are exactly the same as a regular tennis court. A net goes across the middle of the court that is 34” in height and a 12-foot tall-galvanized fence surrounds the court.
Unlike tennis which uses a racquet, in Platform Tennis players use a paddle that is 18” in length and is made of graphite and titanium. With no strings, it has holes cut in the face that not only helps to manoeuvre the paddle but also helps to add bite when hitting the ball.
The balls used are in Platform Tennis are very similar to tennis balls and are usually made by Viking or Wilson. The only other recommended pieces of equipment for players of Platform Tennis are a good pair of tennis shoes.
Scoring in Platform Tennis is done exactly the same way as regular Tennis. When the ball is in play, a team loses a point if:
When points are won, they go up as follows: 15, 30, 40 and then game. If the score of the game becomes tied on 40-40, then deuce is called and the winner is the first team to score two points in a row.
To win a game of Platform Tennis, players need to work as a team to win as many games as they can. Winning six games in a set wins them the set, and doing this twice means that they have won the game.
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