A new racquet sport, padel, is gaining popularity and is taking the title of the US’s fastest-growing sport. It was invented by the Mexican industrialist Enrique Corcuera. Padel blends racket games with elements of tennis, racquetball, and squash.
There are over 25 million active padel players in over 170 countries.
(Photo by Christine Such/My Sun Day News)
Although padel has yet to be played here in Sun City, pop tennis is a close cousin.
Frank Eisler, Tall Oaks Tennis Club (TOTC) pop tennis coordinator, said, “Pop tennis rules and scoring are the same as tennis except that the players have one underhand serve. It is played on smaller courts and with solid perforated paddles. The balls used are slightly depressurized tennis balls.”
Parsla Gagainis, President of TOTC, said, “The sport of pop tennis was introduced here by a tennis player, John Sterling. He brought it back from Arizona. It’s quite popular in Europe, where there is a professional tour. It’s great fun, can be played quickly, and learned quickly by anyone, even with no tennis experience. The ball pops when it hits the paddle, hence the name.”
TOTC invites Sun City to try Pop tennis before the season starts. No membership in the club is required. Come out, try the sport, have fun, and meet new friends. It will be held at Northwestern Tennis Courts in Huntley. Dates reserved for the event are March 10 or April 21. The event will be from 3-5 p.m.
Contact Frank Eisler at fse@bluefrog.com or Sue Meyers at suemeyers60@gmail.com to sign up or for more information.
Sue Meyers, TOTC pop tennis coordinator, said, “If you enjoy playing any sport which uses a paddle, you’ll want to at least give this a go around!”
