An introduction to Stické Tennis

Played by the military, Government servants overseas and by a distinct set of the then moneyed gentry in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the game of Stické Tennis somehow lost it's appeal by comparison with other racquet sports at the beginning of the 20th Century and could have been lost completely.

But it has survived and today, everyone introduced to it and not exclusively wedded to the arcane scoring of Real Tennis, with which the Courts bear a cursory resemblance, the speed of Rackets or the ubiquity of Lawn Tennis, enjoys every moment of playing.

The experience of playing Stické Tennis, and the satisfaction that there is to be derived from it must be the same today as was the case in the past. It is a game characterised by a sense of discovery, ' I didn't know that it would do that!', friendly competitiveness; once you start you want to continue to improve and, judging by the one thing that every game shares, the sound of laughter and the occasional shout of exasperation; a huge sense of fun.

It is pre-dominantly a doubles game, which can lead to some pretty competitive pairings, and also means that it does not necessarily require the athleticism of some of its sister games.

It is very definitely a game for everyone, as it was at it's inception, attracting both women and men players, and racquet skills are not a pre-requisite for getting enormous enjoyment from playing.

The rules may sound complicated when they are written down, but it really only takes five minutes playing to get hold of the principles and you will quickly discover that you want to improve and explore the many idiosyncratic curiosities of the court, the game and unique competition.