A Detailed Guide to the Right Racket Sports

Which of these four popular racket sports do you prefer?

Racket sports are a lot of fun and a great way to keep fit. There are many racket sports to chose from and all have their own advantages.

People all over the world, ranging from children to veterans, play racket sports. They have also become a great way to meet new people and socialise.

While there are many racket sports to choose from, let us take a deeper look at Badminton, Tennis, Squash and a relatively new sport i.e Paddle Tennis.

Also read: Tennis VS Badminton

BADMINTON:

Badminton is a said to be the fastest racket sport out there. It is a very quick game and requires you to be alert and have good judgment.

Equipment needed:

1.Racket: For beginners, there are plenty of rackets and companies to choose from. Depending on what level you are at, you should pick a racket for your requirement. There are even smaller sizes for kids who are just starting out.

2. Shoes: Gum sole shoes are a must as they grip the court the best and cause less slipping. There are lighter than normal shoes too. Running shoes won’t work.

3. Attire: Generally the attire is shorts and a cotton or dry-fit jersey. Women wear skirts too. Jeans and pants, however, are not considered to be attire for badminton.

4. Shuttle: The ones made of feathers are the more popular type of shuttle as it gives greater flight and depth. People do use plastic shuttles too, as they last much longer. While they last longer, they are difficult to control and do not produce the same outcome as feathered shuttles

Venue of play:

Badminton is not an outdoor sport even though many play in their backyard.

It is an indoor sport and requires a wooden flooring. In present-day competitive Badminton, a synthetic mat is laid over the floor.

Badminton is played in an indoor court where there is no wind as the windows remain shut. The walls are generally green or blue so as to easily sight the shuttle while playing.

Court Dimensions:

How to play:

Facts:

1. Considered the fastest racket sport
2. One match is of 21 points
3. Best of 3 matches are played to determine the winner.
4. The fastest shot hit was a smash at 493kmph (not in a match)

SQUASH:

Squash is an indoor game played with a racket and small ball in an enclosed area. It is played only on a wooden surface. It is quite a quick sport and one has to be ready and reactive.

Equipment Required:

1.Racket: The rackets available for squash vary in different things like weight, grip, frame and power. Choosing a racket is a personal decision but if you are just starting out you do not need to buy the professional rackets as they are quite expensive.

2.Ball: You need to purchase a ball that is suitable for the level you play at. balls have different colour dots on it to indicate what level it should be used at.

The blue dot ball is aimed at beginners and juniors, the red dot ball is for recreational players, the single yellow dot ball is the competitive ball, but used for intermediate level player and the double yellow ball is used by advanced and professional players.

3. Shoes: Squash shoes are similar to badminton shoes as they both are indoor sports and hence the specific non marking indoor shoes are required. Casual or running shoes are not considered appropriate.

4 Attire: Sports shorts with sportswear jerseys or t-shirts are considered appropriate.

5.Protective eyewear: Protective eyewear is compulsory for people who compete in squash tournaments. They are considered necessary as they reduce the risk of the fast balls damaging the eyes.

Venue of play:

Squash is played indoors. The squash court is made up of four walls. The front wall, the two side walls and the back wall.

Court Dimensions:

The length of the court is 9.75m, the width is 6.4m and the height is 5.64m the diagonal is 11.65m

How to play:

Squash is a fun exciting game that needs more recognition in India. To pick up squash is a great idea. It is quite a lot of fun and is a great workout.

Check this link to get a good idea how to play.

Facts:

1. Squash may be included in the 2024 Olympics
2. An hour of squash can burn 600-1000 calories
3. In 2003, Forbes rated squash as the number one healthiest sport to play

PADEL TENNIS:

Padel tennis is a game that has been adapted from tennis and is said to be a variation of tennis. The court is smaller and the net is lower and there are no double lines. The smaller court makes the game faster and a quicker version.

Equipment:

1.Racket: Paddle tennis rackets are smaller than tennis rackets but bigger than table tennis rackets. Unlike tennis rackets, paddle tennis rackets do not have guts/strings. They have holes all over the racket.

2.Shoes: Outdoor shoes like the ones used in tennis are considered appropriate footwear.

3. Attire: Any sporting wear will work. Casual wear would not be correct.

4. Ball: A similar ball is used in paddle tennis like how it is in tennis, but the only major difference is that the ball is depressurised. They vary in size but it is a very small difference.

Venue of play:

The paddle tennis courts are made of the same materials that are used to making tennis courts. Even existing tennis courts can be converted to paddle tennis courts.

The paddle tennis court can also be laid down on a beach that has hard sand.

Court dimensions:

According to the rules laid down by the US Paddle Tennis Association, the court should be 50 feet in length and 20 feet in width.

The court is 1/3rd the size of a tennis court and is enclosed with glass walls

Facts:

1. Paddle tennis is always played in doubles format.
2. It is a very social sport and a great way to meet people.
3. It is a combination of tennis and squash.
4. The server can only serve once after he makes a foul

How to play:

Here is a video that will help you learn more about paddle tennis:

A glimpse into what a paddle tennis competitive game looks like:

TENNIS:

Tennis is a very popular and competitive sport. This highly emblematic sport is known and recognised all over the world. People like the William sisters and other names like Roger Federer are common among most people who do not even follow the sport.

Tennis is played on 3 types of courts: Hard, Clay and Grass

Equipment Required:

1.Racket: Tennis rackets come for all kinds of players, i.e beginners, intermediate and advanced. There are a few things to consider while buying a tennis racket that one should keep in mind to compliment their game. One is the size of the racket head, second is the weight distribution and the last is the grip size.

Women tend to choose smaller grip sizes and lighter rackets

2. Shoes: It is very important you choose the right pair of tennis shoes as tennis is played on various surfaces and the shoes should be bought in accordance.

3. Attire: Sporting t-shirts and shorts are the correct attire to wear on the court. Since it is an outdoor sport, a cap may be necessary to be worn.

4. Ball: Choosing a tennis ball is so important that it can make or break your game. To a beginner, all tennis balls may look and feel the same, but there are various types of tennis balls out there to suit a particular kind of game.

You get pressurised and pressureless tennis balls. The former is used by professionals and the latter by beginners and recreational players.

Venue of play:

Tennis is played outdoors. There are three different surfaces that tennis is played on; hard, grass and clay.

Grass courts are the fastest to play on as they are slippery in nature. Hard courts are most commonly used as they are easy to maintain and clay courts are quite dynamic in nature.

Here are the three types of courts:

Court Dimensions:

The court is 78 feet long. Its width for a singles match is 27 feet and 36 feet for a doubles match. The service line sits 21 feet away from the net.

How to play:

Tennis is a fun and unique racket sport that consists of many factors in order to be successful. All these factors need to be perfected to be able to play good tennis. These factors consist of technique, strategy, footwork and even fitness.

This video will guide you:

Facts:

1. The maximum number of sets in a match for men is 5 and for women is 3.
2. The scoring system is unique in tennis as there are 0-4 points to be won, i.e it starts with ‘love’, 15, 30,40 and game
3. There was a grand slam that ended in just 34 minutes
4. Wimbledon is the only major tournament that is played on grass today

Conclusion:

Based on this short glimpse of 4 different racket sports, which one is for you?