By Brian Heil, PPTA Elite Professional
One of the benefits at Elysium is that all members can enjoy the great sport of platform tennis at no additional charge! If you haven’t gotten out there, grab a few friends and reserve a court, bring some beverages, hang out in the warming hut and play!  
Platform tennis may look a little different with the raised court surrounded by chicken wire, but it’s a fantastic social game that’s been around for nearly 100 years! A couple of guys in Scarsdale, New York, who are passionate about tennis, wanted to play outside during the winter. So they created a new environment, made a few rules changes, and voila, they invented platform tennis!
Here are a few tips and things you should know as you try this new tennis dimension:
  • Scoring is the same as tennis. However, you only get one serve. You lose a point if the ball goes outside the court area (out of bounds or over the screens).
  • The court is smaller, about ⅓ the size of a regular tennis court. The more condensed space keeps you on your toes and engaged the entire time.
  • The court is surrounded by what they call “screens”  to keep the ball in play and off the snow. You get to play off the screens, bringing a whole new dimension and a lot of excitement to the game. But remember, it does need to land in the tennis court BEFORE it hits a screen!
  • Platform tennis is primarily a doubles game, so grab some friends and make this a social gathering. We even have a warming hut to hang out in between sets! Food and beverages are encouraged, so this truly is a social game!
  • When you are the serving team, the most basic strategy is to play an entire point where you don’t let the ball bounce on your side of the court. That means you have to serve and volley! 
  • When you are the return team, it is best to play both players behind the baseline.
Call the front desk at 614-873-8749 to reserve a court today. Remember, these courts are FREE to members! Elysium also has four certified platform tennis professionals on staff if you want a lesson or clinic! See you on the courts!