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This relatively new sport has become one of the most popular racquet games in Spain and the craze is spreading across Europe. A paddle (pádel' in Spanish) court is smaller than a tennis court, with simpler line markings. It has high surrounding walls of glass and/or solid construction. It has been described as a squash court in the sun and is the perfect sport for Andalucía's fantastic climate. The scoring is similar to tennis and it can also be played in either singles or doubles. A game is the best of three sets. Where it differs most from conventional tennis is in the use of what resembles a giant table tennis bat, instead of a strung racquet, and the service is under rather than overhand.
It has often been described as easier to get to grips with and more instantly gratifying than tennis. It is a game for all ages, which allows the whole family to join in. The meteoric rise in its popularity over the past few years is proof of how enjoyable it is. As you will see from the history notes below, paddle tennis had a fairly elitist following when it was first introduced into Spain - in Marbella in the mid-1970s.
The origins of paddle tennis are not entirely clear. It has been suggested that the game was devised many years ago on British cruise ships to keep the passengers amused. Then around the mid-1920s an American called Frank Beal brought what he called 'paddle tennis' into the parks of New York City. A decade later saw changes to the courts, adding wooden floors and high surrounding fences to avoid losing the ball in the winter snow. This became known as 'platform tennis' and is possibly the basis for the design of the courts today.
However, many people believe that it comes from Mexico. It is said that Enrique Corcuera, who lived in Acapulco, did not have enough space around his home to build a tennis court, so with an area of 200 square metres he constructed a 20x10m court, enclosing it with walls three and four metres high. Instead of a tennis racquet, the game was played with a short handled wooden bat. In 1974, when his friend Alfonso de Hohenlohe, travelled from Spain to visit Corcuera in Acapulco, Hohenlohe enjoyed this new game so much that he brought the idea back to Marbella.
After much study and deliberation over the correct design of the court and rules of the game, the first two paddle tennis courts were built at the Marbella Club. Alfonso Hohenlohe was then delighted to share his new found passion for pádel with the Marbella jet set. It soon caught on and since then has gone from strength to strength along the coast and across Spain.