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“I couldn’t follow the ball with that wild, twisting design my opponent had on the face of the paddle”. Thus a new excuse for losing a match has been provided to our players but maybe this excuse has some validity. Once again, the rules making, governing body of our sport, the American Platform Tennis Association (APTA), has not taken a firm stand. This time it is with the manufacturers of our paddle. The manufacturer, before offering their paddle for sale, is supposed to get an approval from the APTA. At one time, they were required to submit to the Rules and Equipment Committee of the APTA, a sample of every paddle to be sold. Only then was the racquet able to be marketed with an “APTA Approved” indication. Only paddles with that approval were permitted to be used in APTA sanctioned tournaments. I know this was a very important responsibility of the committee in years gone by. How much is paid attention to it now is anyone’s guess. Now there are so many manufacturers and so many models that it has become a huge task for a couple of volunteer Directors. For this article I am not even discussing the materials used in the construction of the paddle. That’s another whole concern. The only subject for the moment is the flashy design that is on the face of the paddle. About fifteen years ago, an additional restriction was added to the design on the face of the paddle in the regulation specifications. It was decreed that it could not contain the color “yellow”. It was felt that with the yellow ball, a yellow paddle would be a distracting element and, therefore, it was banned. That restriction is still in effect but the paddle makers have gone in a different direction with design and created a different distraction. I suggest that it is time for the Rules and Equipment Committee of the APTA to step up and become more active in reviewing the designs on the paddles. Some, I believe, have gone over the edge and should not be given an “APTA Approval” seal of approval.
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