Paddle Tennis

Paddle Tennis is making a comeback. This interesting variation on tennis is a winter sport, played outside in a court enclosed by a mesh fence which is incorporated into the play.

While you can certainly pick up a paddle and start playing, you'll get far more out of the sport if you invest in a few lessons with a pro. Racquet sports require economy of motion and follow through of stroke, and both abilities develop better under the watchful eye of an experienced instructor.

An important tip for beginners: As in all racquet sports, there is always the danger of tennis elbow, an uncomfortable condition which is actually an overuse syndrome involving continued stress to the elbow and/or forearm. This syndrome usually comes about not from hitting the ball too hard or too often (as you might think), but from not following through with your stroke, so that the elbow and forearm take the full force of the ball. Take the time to learn the difference and it will pay off in hours of painless enjoyment of this sport.

As with all racquet sports, you need to pay particular attention to the rotator cuff, four small muscles that hold the shoulder in place. The shoulder is a joint built for maximum flexibility and minimum stability, and is easily injured when repetitive overhead or swinging motions are performed. Anyone performing racquet sports should always include rotator cuff exercises in their conditioning program.

One basic rotator cuff exercise is performed as follows: Lie on your side, with your arm bent at 90 degrees and your elbow resting on your hip. (If you insert a towel under your armpit, it's even better). Now grab a light weight--no more than five pounds--with the bent arm, and slowly rotate your arm up till it's pointing as close to the ceiling as it will comfortably go while your elbow remains resting on your hip. Do not force this, and do not try to lift more weight. The idea is to strengthen some very small muscles, and therefore you may not be able to lift a lot of weight or do a lot of reps.

Paddle tennis, like all outdoor sports, requires constant hydration, so remember to bring lots of fresh water and refuel frequently. Safety factors are minor in this sport, and it's an activity that you can enjoy even when you're a beginner. Hint: Include some sprints in your off-court conditioning program for added power when short bursts of speed are required on the court.