As you move through communities, you may have noticed more and more people playing a new type of game that appears to be part tennis and part pickleball.
While it draws inspiration from both, Pop Tennis is a completely different game that has people excited to hit the courts again.
Issues with Regular Tennis
The original game of tennis is a beautiful and artistic sport that requires years of constant practice to master. Unfortunately, many residents here are not yet masters and don’t really want to devote that kind of time to learning a new hobby. They just want something fun to occupy their time in a social and active way.
Additionally, tennis at its highest levels requires more explosive movements than many of our residents are interested in. Getting out onto the courts definitely loses some of its appeal if you are too sore to get out of bed the following day.
The Simple Solution: Pop Tennis
So, if we are looking for a way to make the game of tennis more accessible for beginners and a little easier on the range of motion for experts, how exactly would we go about doing that? It turns out that Pop Tennis is the perfect adaptation to solve both of those problems.
This “new” sport is actually just a re-branding of the sport of paddle tennis, which has been around for years. Most people had never heard of paddle tennis, or wrongly assumed it was referring to ping pong, so the sport has been re-branded and is now spreading like wildfire.
Pop Tennis is played on regular tennis courts where the baseline is taped off to be 9 feet shorter on both sides, which makes for much less ground to cover. It is played with shorter, wooden racquets and lower compression tennis balls, but features the exact same rules as standard tennis with one exception.
That one exception is a key for beginners. Rather than having to take the time to master an overhand serve, serving in Pop Tennis is underhand, and you only get one chance, so you don’t have to worry about double faulting.
Who Plays Pop Tennis?
With shorter courts, shorter racquets, and lower compression tennis balls, it is a lot easier to maintain long rallies in Pop Tennis than it is in the standard version. This makes it a perfect alternative for anyone looking to play more as a social activity, as opposed to a serious competition.
Of course, there are also people who enjoy that serious competition but simply can’t cover the same ground that they used to. Pop Tennis is also a great option for them as it requires mostly the same skills as traditional tennis, but will end up being a whole lot easier on the knees and ankles.
Where Can I Find More Information About Pop Tennis?
If you are just looking for more information about the sport, the official Pop Tennis website is www.poptennis.com and it’s the best place to start. They have a lot of articles, pictures, and videos that explain the sport in more detail, as well as links to order the right equipment if you find yourself interested.
For those who are looking to try out the sport right here at the Villages of Citrus Hill, asking around at the Activity Center is the best place to start.
The next time you are looking for a fun and competitive game that can occupy a few afternoon hours among friends without playing havoc on your lower back and knees, make sure you remember to give Pop Tennis a chance!
