Chicago IL Beach Tennis USA and the Chicago Sport and Social Club join up to bring Beach Tennis to the sand of Lake Michigan's North Avenue Beach. Will Shane and Matt Garavaglia lead the effort to begin in June. Covered by Whitney Harding of Northwestern News Network. Watch Video
Introducing the Hottest Sport on Sand: Beach Tennis!
Take the fun and fast-paced sport of tennis... combine it with the sun, sea and sand of the beach... and you have beach tennis, the most electrifying new sport to hit the U.S.
Beach tennis merges the worlds of tennis and beach volleyball into one exciting sport. It can be played both competitively and recreationally and because it’s so simple to play, it appeals to athletes and non-athletes of all ages.
So what exactly is beach tennis? It’s like regular tennis except it’s played on a regulation beach volleyball court. Using beach tennis paddles, two players on each team volley back and forth, hitting a slightly depressurized tennis ball directly over the net without letting it bounce... it’s hard to make the ball bounce on sand! One hit per team is all that’s allowed.
Your team scores a point each time your opponents hit the ball outside the lines or let it hit the sand.
What are the Rules?
The rules of beach tennis are similar to those of regular tennis:
- Scoring is 15-30-40 with no advantage; at 40-40 (deuce) next point wins
- In Mixed Doubles, men serve underhand
- Lets are in play
- Only one serve is allowed per point
- The ball can NOT hit the sand. If it does, the opposing team receives a point
- If the ball strikes the line in any way the shot is good
- No part of a player's body or his/her equipment may touch the net or cross the plane of the net (over or under). If it does, that player's team will lose the point being played
- The player serving must stay behind the base line while serving. If any part of a player's body touches the base line in his/her service motion before hitting the ball, it is considered a foot fault and the serving team will lose the point
- Only one hit is allowed to get the ball over the net; in doubles, you may not pass the ball to your partner
Can anyone play?
Yes, that’s the best part. Beach tennis has a very short learning curve. If you can hold a paddle, you can learn to play beach tennis very quickly. If you are already a tennis player, chances are you can play beach tennis competitively on the first day.
Can I use my Platform Tennis paddle?
Yes, however you will find Beach Tennis paddles to be a little longer, lighter and softer. Once you get hooked you will want to use official equipment.
What Kind of Ball is used?
A 50% pressurized tennis ball is the approved ball of Beach Tennis USA and the I.F.B.T. .
How Popular is Beach Tennis?
It is currently played in 57 countries, including major events in Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Argentina & Brazil. With over 2 million players worldwide this is a very rapidly growing sport. In the US, the AAU Junior Olympics has adopted Beach Tennis as an official event for 2010.
Can it be played without sand?
YES - Beach Tennis is also played on grass and indoors.
How does it compare to Platform Tennis?
Like Platform Tennis it is extremely easy to learn, any current paddle player will have no problem picking up this sport quickly.
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