THE COMPLETE BOOK OF PLATFORM TENNIS

Platform tennis is not tennis played on platform shoes, but rather a combination of tennis and squash played on a platform. A sponge rubber ball and a solid wooden paddle with drilled holes in the center are the basic equipment used in this -- an exclusively doubles game. A 60' x 30' court whose playing surface is surrounded by screening adds another dimension to the sport -- the wire shot. A derivative of playground paddle tennis, this hybrid form came into being in 1928 in Scarsdale, N.Y. A rather exclusive country-clubbish activity until recently, there are now upwards of 100,000 devotees and 2500-3000 courts in existence. Unlike tennis, where stamina is such an important factor, ""paddle"" relies more on racquet work and reflexes. Moreover, it's an ideal family game which can be played outside the year round. The articles assembled here (all written by experts) treat every phase of the game, including net play and blitzing, the lob as offensive shot and strategy. The racqueteers may not be raconteurs -- however they do explain their game dearly enough to make this a suitable instructional guide.