Year Round Paddle

JOHN NOBLE
NOVEMBER 2007

Or winter paddle for everyone who does not have winter weather?

Platform Tennis Magazine had much in its last issue around the topic of the paddle ball and I contend that we need to change the current approach of the ball and find a smarter path that has paddle's best interests.

Competition in the market place is wonderful and it validates an existence of a market, even as small a market as Paddle, but the in ability to play 6 months a year, not to mention a reasonable winter season for the folks south of the Mason/Dixon line, limits everyone's ability to grow the market in a healthy fashion.

Hypothesis:

If we developed a ball that could be used from March/April till October/November (55 degrees to 90 degrees) in all climates and altitudes, we would have a real opportunity to double the size of the sport in 5 years.

Challenges:

1. Temperate Climates are 10 to 12 months a year tennis/golf markets with little exposure to both the sport of paddle and climate to interest the common man/woman to play paddle.

2. Lack of education among Tennis pros who drive the significant development of tennis to the population

3. How to profit from paddle

4. Marry paddle's existence with tennis instruction & development (juniors & adults)

Investments Needed:

1. R&D for the ball

2. Development of the markets within cities and clubs

3. Education & Development of Pro's

My Ideas:

Colleges playing this sport or NCAA scholarships available and that fact, we need to expand on the current framework of a peaceful therefore unless people are planning to take on the effort to change existence with Tennis and the other racket sports.
that fact, we need to expand on the current framework of a peaceful existence with Tennis and the other racket sports.

With the reality of the point above then my thought is to grow the sport / grow the market for all things with a racket. Educate the masses on how one sport serves the other and that development within paddle can and will help juniors/adults excel in other racket sports. (Badminton, Racquetball, Squash, Pickle ball, Paddle ( California ), more importantly Tennis)

Start with the ball; in the 70's I heard the ball was as hard as a rock and was very different from today's rubber. It seems like this was a great change for Paddle. Squash did a similar change, from a dead ball to a ball that bounced (not sure on the feedback there).

My current idea on the ball is we could start with the non-pressurized tennis ball (Bancroft, I think was who made it) and leverage that manufacturing process with a different finish that might add a little weight and grip for spin. My memories are little with this ball in tennis, but thought its play was certainly different from the standard tennis ball and could be advantageous in the desired outcome for Paddle needs.