Yesterday was the day for the so called 2013 PPTA Paddlepalooza and the main goal is still the same as it was two years ago: “To was to raise the bar, become better teaching professionals and help the continue and amazing growth that platform tennis has had in the last few years.”
With the presence of many of the top instructors and players in the East coast the convention gathered more than 70 platform tennis professionals at the Indian Trail Club, the site of the 2013 Men’s and Women’s Nationals.
The day began with Lisa Rudloff, PPTA Board Member and two-time National Finalist, running a Cardio Paddle workshop that covered many drills that could be used with players of all levels. Rudloff was assisted by PPTA President Brad Easterbrook and Chris Cetateanu. Host pro Mike Gillespie stepped in and showed some of the his own cardio paddle drills too.
Next was the turn of a comprehensive court maintenance presentation by David Dodge of Total Platform Tennis. Court building and maintenance, tools used, how to fix some small common problems, and the proper ways to clear a court after a snow storm were some of the topics covered. As the questions started to poured, heaters, lights, skirting, screens and many questions in regards to budgeting opened up the field to new and useful information to take home.
Ben Porter, from Viking Athletics, presented their new equipment and announced Viking’s new website. Although it was not quite ready at the time, Porter showed some preliminary results of a test Viking performed in their Detroit lab that will show hard data about how powerful paddles really are. All results will be released soon.
As you are reading this article either in your computer, tablet or smart phone you could probably recall some of the many things we do online… and who better than Bob Considine, owner of Paddlepro.com and #1 retailer of Platform Tennis equipment in the entire country, to talk about paddles, balls and equipment? Considine explained some key differences between Viking and Wilson paddles such as the thickness on the face plate of the two manufacturers and the science behind making paddles these days versus a decade ago. He also provided everyone with a quick list of keys to sell platform tennis equipment and how to pick the perfect paddle.
Finally, APTA Executive Director Ann Sheedy gave a snapshot of the status of the game nationwide as well as a quick preview of the new APTA website that will be soon announced and how it will benefit players all over. She also spoke about APTA grants and how they help grow the game. As PPTA President Brad Easterbrook likes to say:
The future for Platform Tennis is certainly on the upswing”!
All participants received a newly designed PPTA Drill Book with new drills specifically tailored towards Cardio Paddle, Juniors and Adults, court equipment and a few gifts.
