Lon Federwitz
POP tennis is the rebranding of the 100-year-old paddle tennis that is being played across the USA and around the world. POP tennis is a scaled-down version of regular tennis, only played on shorter tennis courts with shorter, solid racquets and lower compression tennis balls. POP tennis has the same scoring and rules as tennis, with the exception of serving (POP tennis players are allowed one underhand serve).
POP tennis is a fun, social activity and is very easy to learn. Simply grab a racquet and a ball and start playing.
Reverend Frank Peter Beal created the sport of paddle tennis in 1898. He saw paddle tennis as an activity for children and as a means for them to learn to play tennis. His initial paddle tennis court was 18×39 feet, one-half the size of a regulation tennis court. Players used a sponge-rubber ball and a wooden paddle. The much smaller court and the short-handled paddle allowed children to pick up the game quickly, and as a result, they enjoyed playing and it prepared them to play tennis.
In 1921 the first paddle tennis tournament was held. In the late 1920s and early 1930s paddle tennis grew in popularity and spread to other cities, such as Los Angeles.
By the late 1950s the game’s popularity had grown, and in 1961 the official paddle tennis court was lengthened by three feet on each end. The sponge-rubber ball was replaced with a decompressed tennis ball, the net was lowered, and the overhand serve was also eliminated, and only one underhand serve was allowed. These changes were accepted by both the East and West Coast Paddle Tennis Associations and are still in effect today.
While the popularity of the game progressed, confusion with the name arose. The term “paddle” tennis differed drastically per geographic region and has since been confused with sports other than the original game, i.e., ping pong, platform paddle tennis, paddle ball, beach tennis, etc. The need for a new name to set the game apart was necessary.
In 2015 an integral group of trailblazers coined the unique name POP tennis. The spirit, popularity, and sound of our sport is portrayed through its namesake and rebrand. Everything about our sport POPs!
In 2016 POP tennis was adapted by the United States Tennis Association. POP tennis is sweeping the nation. The national tour has grown to multiple cities and is sponsored by leading sports manufacturers. There are more than 30,000 current POP tennis courts in the United States alone.
If you’d like to get into the sport, you can try it out at our POP Drop-In. We have Drop-In on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at SaddleBrooke One courts 1 through 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. Paddles and balls are furnished, and volunteers are there to help with game play, scoring, and instruction. Please show up and enjoy the relaxed environment with the players and get some exercise.
We look forward to seeing you and putting some POP in your life!