Welcome to Racket Master: why we want more people playing
Hello, and welcome to Racket Master.
We started Racket Master with one simple goal: to get more people picking up a racket and playing. Not just watching, not just thinking about it, but actually walking onto a court and having a go.
If you've ever stood at the side of a tennis court, a padel cage or a table tennis table and thought "I'd love to try that, but I wouldn't know where to start", this is for you.
Why we made these guides
The hardest part of any racket sport isn't the forehand or the serve. It's the first session. Which racket do you buy? What do the lines mean? How on earth does the scoring work? Where are you supposed to stand? Most beginners don't get answers to these questions, so the first game feels confusing, and too many people never come back for a second.
We wanted to fix that. Each of our guides is written for someone who has never played before. They're clear, fully illustrated and free of jargon. They cover the things you need to know before your first game:
- choosing your first racket, balls and shoes without overspending;
- the rules and scoring, explained in plain English;
- court diagrams showing the lines, the zones and where to stand;
- step-by-step grips and basic strokes;
- simple drills you can practise straight away;
- court etiquette, so you feel comfortable from the moment you arrive.
There's one guide for each of six sports: tennis, padel, pickleball, badminton, squash and table tennis. Every guide follows the same structure, so once you've learned one sport, trying another feels familiar.
Why racket sports?
Racket sports are some of the most rewarding ways to stay active, and the research behind them is impressive.
Good for your heart and your health
A study by researchers at the University of Oxford and others followed more than 80,000 adults in the UK for around nine years. People who played racket sports had a 47% lower risk of dying from any cause during the study, and a 56% lower risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, compared with people who didn't play.
A separate Danish study followed around 8,600 adults for up to 25 years. Tennis players lived an estimated 9.7 years longer than people who didn't exercise, and badminton players 6.2 years longer. Those were the biggest gains of any activity in the study, ahead of cycling, swimming, jogging and the gym.
Studies like these show a link rather than proving cause and effect. Active people tend to have other healthy habits too. Even so, the pattern is striking. And a couple of games a week goes a long way towards the UK guideline of 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, every week.
Sharper coordination
Every shot asks your eyes, brain and body to work together: track the ball, judge its speed and spin, move your feet and time your swing, often in less than a second. That kind of hand-eye coordination improves with practice. A 2022 study of badminton players found that the longer they had been training, the better their hand-eye coordination, even after allowing for fitness.
Good coordination and balance help well beyond the court. They make everyday movement easier and help protect against falls as we get older.
A workout for your brain
Racket sports are what scientists call "open-skill" sports. The situation changes with every shot, so you're constantly reading your opponent, making quick decisions and adjusting. Researchers are actively studying whether this kind of play gives the brain an extra boost compared with more repetitive exercise. The early evidence is promising, though not yet conclusive.
Some findings are especially encouraging. In a small Japanese study, people with Parkinson's disease who played table tennis once a week for six months showed improvements in movement, speech and handwriting. More broadly, the NHS notes that regular physical activity is linked to up to a 30% lower risk of dementia.
Good for your mood, and better with friends
Regular exercise is linked to up to a 30% lower risk of depression. Racket sports add something many workouts don't: other people. You need a partner to play, doubles is hugely popular, and clubs are full of friendly faces. The researchers behind the Danish study suggested this social side may be one reason racket sports came out so far ahead.
And there's the simplest benefit of all: they're fun. When you enjoy something, you keep doing it.
Which sport is right for you?
- Tennis: the classic. Great all-round fitness, with courts in most parks.
- Padel: easy to pick up, always played in doubles, and very sociable.
- Pickleball: a smaller court and slower ball, so it's gentle on the joints and ideal at any age.
- Badminton: fast and fun, and easy to play indoors all year round.
- Squash: an intense workout packed into a short session.
- Table tennis: quick reactions and plenty of spin, and you can play almost anywhere.
Can't decide? Try two. Our Mix & Match offer gives you any two guides for £30, and the Complete Collection gives you all six.
Let's get you on court
You don't need to be sporty, young or fit to start. You just need to know the basics and feel confident enough to turn up. That's what our guides are for.
Pick a sport, learn the game, and book your first session. We'd love to hear how it goes, so drop us a line at contact@racketmaster.shop. And if you'd like free tips in your inbox, join our newsletter at the bottom of the homepage.
See you on court,
The Racket Master team
This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. If you're new to exercise, returning after a long break or have a health condition, check with your GP before you start.
Sources
Oja P et al. (2017). Associations of specific types of sports and exercise with all-cause and cardiovascular-disease mortality: a cohort study of 80,306 British adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Schnohr P et al. (2018). Various leisure-time physical activities associated with widely divergent life expectancies: the Copenhagen City Heart Study. Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Chen Y-L et al. (2022). Training-associated superior visuomotor integration performance in elite badminton players after adjusting for cardiovascular fitness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Heilmann F, Weinberg H, Wollny R (2022). The impact of practicing open- vs. closed-skill sports on executive functions: a meta-analytic and systematic review. Brain Sciences.
Inoue K et al. (2020). Ping-pong exercise for Parkinson's disease, presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting.
UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines (2019); NHS, Benefits of exercise.