Soft Tennis is a form of regular lawn tennis game that can be played on indoor as well as outdoor courts. Soft and light rubber balls and more flexible racquets are used in this sport which is what makes it different from regular tennis. The sport is said to allow longer rallies because of the soft ball which makes it harder for the players to dominate the game with single powerhouse stroke.
The sport was originated in Japan at the end of the 19th century when the regular game of Tennis was introduced by a Western missionary and was later revised and named as “Soft Tennis”. The sport is a part of the Asian Games since 1994. The global governing body of Soft Tennis is the International Soft Tennis Federation which was established in 1973.
To hit the ball over the net into the opponent’s court in such a way that the opponent can’t play a valid return.
Soft tennis was invented in nineteenth-century Japan. The International Soft Tennis Federation was founded in 1973. The first world championships followed in 1975, and they are now held every four years.
The sport of soft tennis, later on, became an official Asian Games sport at the 1994 Asian games in Hiroshima, Japan.
Singles
Men’s Singles or Women’s Singles events
Doubles
Men’s Doubles or Women’s Doubles events.
Mixed Doubles
Pair of one male and one female player each side.
Soft Tennis is played by either two players (one player per side) or by four players as a game of doubles (two players per side).
Serve
It is the starting stroke of a point. The server must hit the ball into the diagonally opposite service court. The most common serve is made by tossing the ball in the air and then hitting it.
There are four main serves in soft tennis:
- flat serve
- kick serve
- slice serve
- Underhand serve.
Forehand
It is the most used shot in soft tennis as it is the most natural one in which the stroke begins on the dominant side of the body (like on the right side for a right-handed player).
Backhand
It is a difficult shot to master than a forehand shot as it is played from the non-dominant side of the body in which the back side of the hand is shown to the opponent.
Grip
It is a way of holding the racquet to play the shots.
The main types of grip are:
- Eastern grip
- Continental grip
- Western
- Semi-western grips
- Two-handed grip.
Volley
It is a stroke made before the ball touches the ground. This shot cuts the time for the opponent to react. It is usually made close to the net but can be made from any part of the court.
Smash
It is a powerful overhead shot generally made in response to a lob that has failed to clear the player’s head. A smash shot is usually hit with great force to end the point.
The playing area for soft tennis is same as in tennis.
The officials in soft tennis are same as those in regular Tennis.
