Spec Tennis Update

Continued growth for Spec Tennis in the U.S. and Canada

Author

Rich Neher
December 31, 2024

SPEC TENNIS

Spec Tennis, developed by Nate Gross in 2016, is the latest, fast-growing racket sport. It’s played on tennis or pickleball courts and is less noisy than pickleball because it uses orange-dot low-compression tennis balls together with a special perforated paddle. Nate calls Spec Tennis an “effective bridge to or from tennis.”

It's been some time since our last update on Spec Tennis. With the rapid growth of racket sports like pickleball and padel dominating recent headlines, other emerging sports have taken a backseat in media coverage. However, we're excited to bring you the latest developments in Spec Tennis, as provided by Nate.

Spec Tennis, while not as widely publicized as its counterparts, has been steadily gaining traction among racket sports enthusiasts. This unique blend of tennis and paddle sports offers a fresh and exciting alternative for players of all skill levels. As we delve into Nate's update, we'll explore how Spec Tennis is carving out its own niche in the competitive world of racket sports.

Spec Tennis Basics

Spec Tennis has continued to grow around the U.S. and Canada. For those who aren’t familiar with Spec Tennis, it’s a specialized form of tennis that’s played on either pickleball courts or in the service boxes of tennis courts using 18” perforated spec tennis paddles & orange low-compression tennis balls. It’s very social, has a small learning curve, and is a very effective tool for tennis teaching pros

How to Learn Spec Tennis

Check out the video to quickly learn all you need to know to get started.

Recent Spec Tennis Accomplishments

  • Redesigned the website SpecTennis.com 

  • Released 5 new paddle designs

  • Created informational brochures for 1)PE Teachers, 2) Coaches, 3)Players

  • Created a new Promo Video & “How to Play” Video

  • Built a local junior tennis program from the ground up in Carson City, Nevada using Spec Tennis for all students

Teaching Pros Who Are Using Spec Tennis

Kids On The Ball (Vermont) has now shifted to using Spec Tennis paddles instead of tennis racquets: “Kids on the Ball is celebrating its twenty-fifth year serving and playing with kids in Vermont, a few other US cities, and Cuba. We have evolved from a scholarship non-profit into an in-school, after-school, and public parks program. We average 150-200 kids each day. We believe in the power of fun and games. Our program uses the parameters of Spec tennis, using red dot balls. Our biggest change this year is to play totally with Spec paddles. The improvement that we’ve witnessed in kids of all abilities is truly phenomenal. Kids are learning to control ball speed and are becoming more comfortable and calm in the hitting zone. The play and the fun that we experience on a daily basis is inspiring to us all.”- Jake Agna, Founder of Kids on the Ball.

Arif Hasan (Manheim, PA). In an effort to continue teaching tennis in the winter, he rented a small warehouse space, painted lines for Spec/pickle, and has taken his tennis students inside with Spec Tennis at the “Manheim Picklebarn”. So far, the results have been very encouraging.

Jesse Gotlib (Dartmouth, MA) Gotlib Tennis is a big believer in the value of Spec Tennis & has been using it with its tennis students for a few years now. In the winter, it also allows them to rent smaller indoor spaces (since a full-size tennis court is not needed).

Spec Tennis Testimonials

Peter Smith (Former USC Tennis Coach)

"Players have to hit through the ball, so it creates really good habits."

Dave Fish

Dave Fish (Former Harvard Tennis Coach)

I like all aspects of Spec Tennis and think that tennis needs something like this, especially at the entry level. I haven’t liked how the ROGY (Red, Orange, Green, Yellow) pathway has played out—because the racquets are too lively and kids just poke at the ball. With Spec Tennis, you use a paddle that teaches kids to hit through the ball, and you use the pickleball court, so real estate has already been created and is growing exponentially.

Here’s a recent article on Spec Tennis in the