Racket Sports: English Vocabulary List

a sport in which two or four players use rackets to hit a small ball backward and forward over a net

"She plays tennis every Sunday."

"We watched a tennis match on television."

a sport played by two or four players who hit a lightweight object called a shuttle back and forth over a tall net using rackets

"They played badminton in the backyard."

"The badminton birdie flew over the net and landed just inside the line for a point."

a game played on a table by two or four players who bounce a small ball on the table over a net using special rackets

"Table tennis is fast and fun."

"Table tennis is a fast sport that requires quick reflexes and good hand eye coordination to play well."

a historical indoor racket sport played in an enclosed court with various walls and openings, using a complex set of rules and scoring

"Real tennis is old."

"Real tennis was played on an asymmetrical indoor court with sloping roofs and walls in play."

a stroke in racket sports such as tennis or table tennis where the player hits the ball with forward spin

"Topspin makes it curve."

"The tennis player used heavy topspin to make the ball kick high after bouncing."

a softly hit shot in sports like tennis or badminton, aimed to land just over the net and close to the opponent's side

"He used a drop shot."

"The badminton player surprised his opponent with a delicate drop shot that barely cleared the net."

a delicate stroke played close to the net to gently drop the shuttlecock over

"The net shot dropped."

"The badminton player executed a delicate net shot that barely cleared the tape and dropped sharply."

the way a player holds the racket to hit a backhand stroke

"Correct backhand grip is essential."

"She adjusted her backhand grip by rotating the racquet slightly in her hand."

a stroke in racket sports where the player hits the ball with the back of their dominant hand facing the direction of the shot

"He hit a backhand shot."

"The tennis player's one handed backhand shot was her most reliable weapon."

a way of holding the racket to hit the ball or shuttlecock with the front side of the hand facing forward

"Use a forehand grip."

"He placed his hand on the racquet using the eastern forehand grip for more power."

a stroke in racket sports like squash where the player hits the ball on their dominant side with a forward swing motion

"She hit a forehand drive."

"The table tennis player's forehand drive was fast and accurate down the line."

a stroke in racket sports like tennis and squash where the player hits the ball on their dominant side with a forward swing motion

"He made a forehand shot."

"The squash player's powerful forehand shot kept his opponent deep in the back corner."

a way of holding the paddle in table tennis similar to shaking hands, with the thumb and index finger around the handle

"Try the shakehand grip."

"The shakehand grip resembled shaking hands with the racket and was the most common style."

a stroke in racket sports like badminton and tennis where the player hits the ball on their non-dominant side with a forward swing motion

"He played a backhand drive."

"Her backhand drive was a flat powerful shot along the opposite sideline."

a powerful strike with the dominant hand's racket side in racket sports

"She hit a forehand smash."

"The player leaped and crushed a forehand smash that his opponent could not return."

(racket sports) the rotational spin applied to the ball, causing it to curve or swerve sideways during flight

"The ball had sidespin."

"The server added sidespin to curve the ball away from the receiver's forehand."

(table tennis) a regulation that speeds up play by requiring a point to be awarded if a rally lasts longer than a specified time limit

"The expedite rule was used."

"The expedite rule was applied when the table tennis match lasted too long without a winner."

a fault that occurs when a player's foot touches or crosses the boundary line during a serve in a racket sport

"He committed a foot fault."

"The server was called for a foot fault when her foot touched the baseline before contact."

a stroke in racket sports where the ball or shuttlecock is hit with the racket's frame instead of the strings

"He hit a wood shot."

"He made a terrible wood shot, completely missing the strings of his racket."

(racket sports) a serve that does not count because of a small problem, like the ball hitting the net or a distraction, and is played again

"It was a let serve."

"The serve was a let because the ball touched the net before landing in the service box."

a topspin stroke executed with a backhand motion, typically in table tennis or badminton

"She hit a backhand loop."

"The table tennis player's backhand loop was heavily spun and difficult to block."

a racket sport played on a smaller court surrounded by walls

"They played paddle tennis."

"Paddle tennis used a spongy solid paddle and was played on a smaller court."

a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, played on a smaller court

"We played pickleball."

"Pickleball combined elements of tennis badminton and ping pong on a small court with paddles and a plastic ball."

a racket sport played on a raised platform enclosed by wire fencing

"They play platform tennis."

"Platform tennis was played on a raised platform surrounded by wire mesh that kept the ball in play."

a racket sport played on an enclosed court smaller than a tennis court

"He plays padel."

"Padel was played on an enclosed court about one third the size of a tennis court with solid rackets."

a sport similar to badminton that is played with specially designed rackets and a shuttlecock

"They play crossminton."

"Crossminton was a racket sport similar to badminton but without a net and using a speeder instead of a shuttlecock."

a racket sport, typically played on a court similar to squash or racquetball

"Qianball is a racket sport."

"Qianball was a Chinese racket sport played on a small court with a short handled paddle."

a sport that combines table tennis, badminton, squash, and tennis into a single match

"Racketlon combines four sports."

"Racketlon combined four racket sports where players competed in table tennis badminton squash and tennis in one match."

a racket sport played with a rubber ball and rackets on a three-walled court, similar to squash and handball

"Frontenis uses a rubber ball."

"Frontenis was a Mexican racket sport played with tennis rackets and a rubber ball on a fronton court."

a fast-paced racket sport originating in the Basque region, played in a three-walled court using a curved basket to fling a ball against the front wall

"Jai alai uses a basket."

"Jai alai players used a curved wicker basket called a cesta to hurl a ball against a wall at great speed."

a Brazilian beach sport played with wooden rackets and a small rubber ball

"Frescobol is a beach sport."

"Frescobol was a Brazilian beach game where players hit a rubber ball back and forth using solid wooden paddles."

a sport played on a small court with a low net and wooden paddles, primarily in Barbados

"Road tennis originated in Barbados."

"Road tennis originated in Barbados and was played on a hard court with a paddle and a low compression ball."

an indoor racket and ball game that combines elements of lawn tennis and real tennis

"They played sticke indoors."

"Sticke is a fast-paced indoor game that requires quick reflexes and precise racket control."

a traditional Basque racket sport played with a ball and a wooden racket

"He plays xare."

"Xare is a Basque sport where players use a wooden cesta to strike a hard ball."