ABSTRACT
Racquet games tend to be played either on a divided court area (over a net) or on a shared court (against a wall). Tennis and badminton are the most popular of the former whilst squash and racquetball are examples of the latter. The games vary in terms of size of the playing area, type of racquet used and the type of missile and each has its own set of rules for competitive play. A common link between the games is that each entails intermittent exercise with vigorous involvement of both lower and upper body musculature during bouts of activity. Engagement of upper limb muscle groups is largely unilateral, except when the two-handed backhand stroke is used in tennis. All the sports call for fast reactions, quick acceleration, fast arm, leg and whole-body movements and an ability to change direction quickly.
