Peggy Albrecht
POP tennis takes all the best bits of tennis and combines them with a court and equipment that makes the game easier to play. The result is a social sport that’s as laidback or competitive as you want to make it, and the best part is that absolutely anyone can play.
How we got so POPular
In 2015 Ken Lindner took over as president of the United States Paddle Tennis Association (USPTA). Ken’s tireless efforts promoting the sport resulted in many positives, including the name change/rebranding to POP tennis with Ken as POP founder, national media exposure, and, most importantly, the USPTA developed relationships with the Tennis Industry Association and the United States Tennis Association.
In late 2016 the board of the USPTA voted to rename the association the International POP Tennis Association (IPTA) and elected Jerry Pham president. Jerry led the charge through the end of 2017, creating momentum overseeing POP appearances at industry events and organizing promo demos across the U.S. In early 2018 Mitch Kutner was elected president and continued the plans and visions of the IPTA for exponential growth. Mitch plays an active role today, growing the sport not only in the USA but across the globe.
In POP tennis the court is a little smaller, the ball a little slower, the racquet a little shorter—the combination of which adds up to a lot of fun!
POP tennis is a great starter sport for beginners of all ages, an easy way for social tennis players to switch up their routine, or for competitors to find new ways to win. POP tennis is most frequently played in a doubles format, although popularity in singles play is increasing, so grab a mate and try the sport soon to sweep the globe.
Serving
• The server is allowed only one serve per point.
• That serve must be an underarm serve.
• The server serves from the baseline, alternating between deuce court and ad court (right and left).
• The serve must land in the diagonally opposite service box.
Scoring
• Just like traditional tennis, you can play tie-break sets, with advantage scoring within each game, e.g., 15, 30, 40, Ad-Game.
Paddles
• POP tennis paddles swap the strings for a hole-filled strike zone made of fiberglass or carbon fiber.
• The POP ball is 75% the compression of a normal tennis ball for lower bounces and longer rallies.
POP tennis drop-in happens on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2 to 4 p.m. on courts 1, 2, 3, and 4 at the SaddleBrooke One Tennis Center. We supply the paddles and balls. Please wear supportive tennis or court shoes. POP tennis volunteers will be there to assist you with scoring and play.
Come out and see what all the talk about POP tennis is about. Don’t be shy—join the fun!