What are Platform Tennis Courts and Equipment Like?

A financial executive specializing in real estate and investment banking, Jerry Cain serves as the managing director of Slate Asset Management, a Chicago, Illinois-based global alternative investment platform that focuses on real estate. In his leisure time, Jerry Cain engages in outdoor activities such as golf, tennis, and platform tennis.

In terms of rules, platform tennis is essentially synonymous with tennis. The main distinctions between the two are in the court arrangement and equipment used. A platform tennis court is outlined by a taut wire fence which is 12 feet high. The purpose of the fence is to keep the ball in play. Platform tennis also uses a much smaller court — roughly one-third of the area of a traditional tennis court. A standard platform tennis court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long. It is also elevated by an aluminum platform, with heaters installed underneath. The heaters remove the restriction of extreme cold, enabling people to play all year round.

Alongside, platform tennis does not use stringed rackets. Instead, players strike the ball with a paddle made of titanium and graphite. There are perforations in the paddle to allow for airflow. The balls are more dense than regular tennis balls as well, with a spongy texture that lets them bounce off the wire walls.