Other Racquet Sports

A racquet sport is a sport played with rackets – a handled frame with a tight interlaced network of strings, or a paddle – and a ball, usually with two or four players. The racket is used to strike the ball in games such as tennis, squash, paddleball and pickleball. Collectively, these are called racquet sports.

The paddleball is played by hitting a small rubber ball against a single wall using paddles. The general rule is that the ball must hit the wall without touching the court floor more than once for it to be a valid rally. The game is usually played outdoors where weather conditions allow game play.

Squash, on the other hand, is a game played indoors. Players are inside a closed wall court, similar to that of a box. The players take turns in hitting the ball against the wall until one player is unable to hit back his opponent’s shot. It is a high-impact exercise and an excellent cardio-vascular workout. But this sport is not suitable for individuals with heart diseases as the strenuous activity may cause fatal heart attacks.

In contrast, pickleball is a sport wherein its small court allows players of different levels of mobility to participate more efficiently than larger tennis courts sometimes prevent. It is usually played in schools, camps and recreational facilities. It is a combination of tennis, badminton and ping pong. Its rules and strategies are simplified combinations of tennis regulations. Pickleball is a common high school sport and is popular among teenagers as well as seniors.

Other racquet sports include real tennis which is the original racket sport from which modern day tennis, or lawn tennis, descended. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was a sport for the royalties. It is called real to distinguish it from the then recently invented game of lawn tennis. Rules are similar to that of lawn tennis, but its court is enclosed on all sides. Platform tennis is unique from other racquet sports, as it is the only racquet sport played outdoors in cold weather. The game is done on an elevated aluminum deck, about one-fourth the size of a regular tennis court. As with other racquet sports such as squash and real tennis, the court walls are enclosed which are made out of chicken wire.

Jai-alai is also one of the other racquet sports that were used as a gambling alternative to racing sports. A cesta – a scoop-shaped wicker basket worn over the hand – is used to catch and throw the ball at play.

There are other racquet sports that may catch your fancy. Discover each and every one of them and see which ones you can enjoy the best.