It Started With A Glove!

 Imagine trying to hit a ball with your hand instead of a racket.  Along the way things changed to what we know today.

There is theory that tennis originated in the town of Tinnis in Egypt by the Nile.  The same theory states the word for racquet evolved from the Arab word for hand.

Unfortunately, there is no real evidence to support this particular theory.  The best evidence for tennis is that it began in French Monasteries. 

It started by bouncing a ball against a wall or over a string strung across part of the courtyard.  It gained the name of "game of the hand" or jeu de paumes because they used their hands to hit the ball.  Another theory is that the term Tennis came from the french word tenez which means "Take this!", the comment players are reputed to have yelled out before hitting the ball.

Originally the game was played with a bare hand but that was uncomfortable so people began using some sort of glove that either had webbing between the fingers or used a paddle.  This evolved into a crude racquet with webbing attached to a handle.  Balls were made of wool, hair, or cork, covered in string, or even cloth.  Over time, they became hand stitched and resembled the modern ball.

The monks taught the French Nobility and they loved it so much, it is said that there were over 1,800 courts in France.  The pope and the king both disapproved of it to the point they tried  to ban it but were unsuccessful.  The game migrated over to England where King Henry VIII loved it and promoted it.

The wooden frame racquet strung with sheeps gut became popular by 1500, along with the three ounce cork centered balls.  The tennis courts of this era were much narrower, with walls used by player to bounce balls off of.  The net was not the same height all the way across, instead, it was five feet tall at the ends with a center of only three feet.

Unfortunately over time, interest dwindled until there were few players left but it was the invention of rubber which renewed interest because tennis balls with a rubber core were much bouncier and moved better than previous ones.  In addition, the game moved from being played inside to outside which demanded a different set of rules.

In 1874, the first rules and pieces of equipment were patented for a game resembling modern tennis.  At about the same time, the first tennis court appeared in the United States and equipment had been sold across the world. However, the court and rules were critisized because the court was hour glass shaped and the rules hard to follow so both were changed by players. Within a few years, Wimbledon began with its annual competition.

The Wimbledon committee came up with the current shape and size of the court along with the rules all matches are played by today.  Wow, I never realized it had such a fascinating history.  This topic came out of one of my math books when we read a teaser on it and I wanted to learn more.

Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.