Raquet sports are portable, practical and fun. Aside from providing hours of active play, they help to enhance motor skills, physical endurance and agility. They can be enjoyed by school-aged kids, and the skills they develop can be used for more "grown up" raquet games all their lives.

Raquet games come under the heading of multiple sprint sports, taxing all of the energy systems and requiring a combination of skill, stamina, strength, power and reaction time. These are sports one should 'get fit to play, rather than play to get fit.'

A base of aerobic fitness is best acquired through running, rowing, stepping or sliding. Stretching and strength work should also be part of the preparation to play any raquet sport. A raquet sports coach will also teach on-court drills that improve fitness and/or skill, and can be practised alone.

Where can you do it?

To start playing raquet sports, it's necessary to learn the skills of the game, the rules of the game, and also to find a partner. For this reason joining a club and booking in for lessons is a good introduction to the sport. Most clubs have coaches who will teach the basics of the game to beginners of all ages and will also coach players of all standards. Clubs have rankings, leagues and ladders, so that each player can find others of a similar standard to play against.