History Rackets (sport)

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boys hitting outside harrow old school (ca late 1700s)



a toff playing rabble in prison



rackets being played @ prison—where game developed

historians assert rackets began 18th-century pastime in london s king s bench , fleet debtors prisons. prisoners modified game of fives using tennis rackets speed action. played against prison wall, @ corner add sidewall game. rackets became popular outside prison, played in alleys behind pubs. spread schools, first using school walls, , later proper four-wall courts being specially constructed game. lithograph @ right late 1700s shows school boys hitting outside harrow school old school buildings.

eglinton castle in scotland, largely demolished, had racket hall first shown on 1860 os map, estate records show built shortly after 1839, first recorded match being in 1846. floor of large granite slabs, hidden wooden floor. first covered racket court , oldest surviving court in world, being oldest indoor sports building in scotland. has been restored racket hall, used exhibition area. private clubs built courts. along real tennis , badminton, rackets used inspiration game of lawn tennis, invented in 1873 walter clopton wingfield. vacant rackets court built university of chicago s stagg field served location of first artificial nuclear chain reaction on december 2, 1942. stagg field court mistakenly identified having been squash rackets court. rackets part of 1908 summer olympics program , played @ prince s club in london.

after second world war rackets saw drop in popularity resulting in closure of courts , others suffering lack of maintenance. dick bridgeman, advocate sport (and later british doubles champion) established dick bridgeman tennis , rackets foundation. foundation sought donations support young professionals thereby ensuring future of game. known tennis , racquets foundation, continues raise money young professionals raising profile of rackets worldwide.

the book of racquets published j. r. atkins in 1872. reprinted commemorate 1981 world rackets challenge match between w. j. c. surtees , j. a. n. prenn limited edition of 250 copies.