Typti, Chris Pine-backed racket sport, makes debut in Singapore - quietly

SINGAPORE – The pickleball craze in Singapore shows no sign of slowing down, but another racket sport could soon rival it – as a quieter version.

Enter typti, a combination of tennis and badminton played on a standard pickleball court.

The main difference: It is played with a foam ball and a racket smaller than that used in tennis, eliminating the noise made by pickleball paddles and plastic balls during rallies, which has raised the hackles of residents in some areas.

In February, American news outlet CBS News hailed typti as “a new racket sport that could solve pickleball’s noise problem”.

Singaporean

Man Yong Le, 29

, chanced upon a video of typti on social media earlier this year and thought it could be a hit here given its gameplay and the presence of pickleball courts across Singapore.

He has since kickstarted a three-month programme of introductory typti sessions, with the first held at a building in Upper Paya Lebar with

eight people on Sept 4

The Los Angeles Times, in a report on Jan 22, noted typti’s low entry barrier, saying: “A mixture of badminton and tennis, the sport makes practically no noise and is easy on the body, with low shock at impact and no overhead serve. It’s easy for beginners and like chess for pros.”

Man, who also plays tennis and badminton, concurred, saying: “My mum is a sports beginner but she could still rally and play decent points with me.

“The strokes are fundamentally more similar to tennis, but it’s easier to pick up.

“I was worried about whether it would be fun, but most people have been saying good things about it so that reassured me.”

Typti was launched in California in January by Tennis Channel founder Steve Bellamy who conceived the idea 30 years ago.

He wanted to create a game in which players could still generate spin and swing hard but on smaller courts, for more efficient use of space.

His venture is backed by several high-profile celebrities including Star Trek actor Chris Pine, Hollywood director J.J. Abrams, former NFL star Drew Brees, and tennis players Nick Kyrgios and Milos Raonic.

In typti, singles players or doubles pairs score points by winning three points in a row to earn one game. The first to win five games takes the set. Matches usually adopt a best-of-three or best-of-five set format.

The 56cm carbon-fibre rackets used weigh about 300g, while the ball has a diameter of 88-89mm and weighs around 30g. In comparison, an adult’s tennis racket typically measures about 68-73cm and weighs 255g-340g. A tennis ball is about 65-69mm in diameter, and weighs about 56-59g.

‘Nice sweet spot’

Freelance graphic designer Vanessa Koh, 29, who attended Man’s introductory session on Sept 4, noted one of typti’s key attractions: “You don’t need a lot of strength to hit the ball over the net because it’s not hard like a tennis ball and the court is smaller.”

Entrepreneur Jourdain Ng, who is also learning to play tennis, found typti’s difficulty level to be in a “nice sweet spot”.

The 33-year-old said: “It’s not as easy as pickleball, it is challenging enough but not as much as tennis. That’s a great selling point.”

For avid badminton player Koh, the most intriguing part is being allowed to save the ball with any part of your body when it hits the net and before it bounces twice.

She said: “Normally no body contact is allowed, so that was very interesting to me.

“I enjoyed the game. It’s quite collaborative because your partner at the net has to anticipate whether the ball is going to hit the net and act fast.”

Man, who used to work in the media industry, has so far sunk $10,000 in his bid to introduce the sport to as many people as possible.

He hopes to continue raising the profile of the sport here and is seeking to have his company, Dipper Sports Corporation, recognised by the typti global body, which has launched a professional tour in the US.

Sign-ups for Man’s weekly typti lessons are open on the company’s website, with hourly lessons costing $30 per person, and equipment provided.

Laura Chia is a journalist covering breaking news and current affairs, with an interest in sports.