Why Beach Tennis Is All the Rage
Here’s a sport you may not have actually heard of before, but which is really taking off in the United States: beach tennis. Sometimes referred to as all-volley tennis, beach tennis is a game that combines the best of both tennis and beach volleyball. Like those two sports, beach tennis can be played just for recreation or as a competitive sport. All you need is a typical volleyball net, along with special paddles and depressurized tennis balls that make for an enjoyable experience.
What is Beach Tennis?
If you’ve played beach volleyball and tennis, you already know how to play beach tennis. It’s basically just tennis on a regulation beach volleyball court. You have two to four players on each team, and both sides are trying to hit the ball back and forth across the volleyball net without the ball bouncing, because it’s not likely to do a lot of bouncing on the sand. However, you only get one hit per team, unlike with volleyball – so make it count!
Why Beach Tennis?
You may be wondering why you’d opt for beach tennis over one sport or the other, but the fact is, tennis and volleyball can be a little rough on your body. On the tennis court, you’re playing with hard racquets and running on a hard surface. In volleyball, you’re hitting the ball with your wrists, which can really start to take its toll. Beach tennis offers a layer of sand to cushion the force of running on your knees and ankles, while the paddles remove the discomfort on your forearms and wrists.
More About Beach Tennis
There’s more to beach tennis than comfort, of course. It’s a highly versatile sport. You can play it on the sand, the grass, the hardwood floor, and even the snow. It’s a simple sport to learn, but as fun as regular tennis or badminton. Beach tennis is a great way to get your kids active, as it’s fun for both athletes and non-athletes of all ages. The sport is played as 2 on 2 for advanced players, 3 on 3 for intermediate players, or 4 on 4 for beginners and casual play. Beach tennis is not only appropriate for any surface, but also for any season. As you might expect the rules are a mix of beach volleyball and tennis.
Ultimately, if you want to learn an exciting new sport, give beach tennis a try. While the concept originated in the 20 th century in Italy, beach tennis was only formalized as a sport in 2005 by Marc Altheim, who discovered it on a trip to Aruba in 2003. While it has yet to get included in the Olympics, the International Tennis Federation is working to get it admitted within a few years. Who knows? Maybe you’ll have enough beach tennis practice by then to get on the U.S. Olympic team!