Early versions of Jeu de Paume racquets

Long, long and even longer before #Stadium seating and #Radar guns, it is thought by many historians that monks in #French monasteries were the first to play what they coined, jeu de paume; English translation: palm game. Using their hand and a wooden ball over a rope that divided a courtyard, text books agree that they would yell “Tenez” (translation: “take this!”) while serving the ball. And so the story goes, “Tenez” was born; as was the grunt.

As centuries passed, European nobility took a liking to the sport and the game received a few upgrades which included indoor venues, leather balls, and of course, a paddle!  And then centuries after that, “Tenez” became “#Tennis,” balls got fuzzy, and paddles were replaced with carbon fibre graphite racquets.  Of course, that’s not all that happened.

Read more at: https://www.tenniscanada.com/1000-years-in-the-making-the-evolution-of-tennis/

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