What is racketlon?

Racketlon is a relatively new sport phenomenon, which originally started in Scandinavia in the mid 80s. It involves playing your opponent at four different racket sports: table tennis, badminton, squash and tennis (from the smallest to the largest racket).

A racketlon match contains four sets one in each sport, usually up to 21 points. The player with the most number of points after all four sports is declared the winner of the match.

Players can either compete individually or as a doubles partnership.
 

Why play racketlon?

Racketlon is a fun and diverse sport to get into, which combines typical racket sport skills such as timing, good foot work, movement and hand to eye co-ordination, together with mental strength. A huge attraction is the opportunity to compete at multiple racket sports at the same time. Most players are usually strong in one or two of the racket sports, therefore being an all-rounder and competing at a good level in all sports becomes an exciting challenge.

The benefits of racketlon are improved fitness given that players on average play four matches at each event. This equates to four games of table tennis, badminton, squash and tennis, with each match lasting typically over 1 hour. It is also a very sociable sport enabling people to make new acquaintances. The international events are very popular with players from all over Europe and Asia. A large number of players participate regularly in events in England, Wales, Scotland and continental Europe.

How do I start racketlon?

To find a training partner, you can use the Find a Sport Partner section on Totally Sporty. Simply put in your postcode to find table tennis, badminton, squash and tennis players in your area.

There are good table tennis, badminton, squash and tennis venues all across London - use the Find a Sport Club/ Venue directory on Totally Sporty to find  your nearest sport facility.
 

How can I improve at racketlon?

It is really helpful if you can identify your strengths and weaknesses. Most racket sport players tend to be "good" at one or two sports rather than all four. The best way to become a good racketlon player is to focus on improving in any weaker sports by training regularly and playing against stronger players.

If you would like to play tennis/ squash/ badminton/ table tennis regularly, there is a friendly group that meet every Thursday at Esporta in Croydon from 19:30- 21:30 for games and training. Cost is £12 which covers court hire and use of all facilities, including an indoor swimming pool. All levels and non-members welcome.

Any questions, just email Rakesh: GuptaSolutions@aol.com

Participating in racketlon events provides a great opportunity for players to improve in all racket sport areas, meet a range of different playing styles and develop their tactical play. To find your next event, visit www.englishracketlon.org/events.html

What clothing and equipment do I need?

Like most racket sports, good indoor and outdoor sport shoes are essential for comfort and avoiding any potential injuries.
 

Further information?

The English Racketlon Association provide lots of useful information on racketlon, including British and European events which are taking place. The body provides players with British and International rankings.

- www.englishracketlon.org