Soft touch: soft tennis has been an official sport in the Asian Games since 1994
Like regular tennis, soft tennis is a racquet sport played on a rectangular court divided by a net. It is played by individuals (singles) or pairs (doubles), and the object of the game is to hit the ball over the net, keeping it within the confines of the court, and preventing the opposing team from returning the ball. Today, more than 5 million men and women enjoy the game in Japan and it is popular all over Asia.
Although the rules and styles of play are similar to those of regular tennis, the softer rubber ball and lighter racquet allows for longer rallies, since it is much harder for a powerful individual to blow away an opponent with a single powerful stroke.
This allows for more equal play between men and women and mixed doubles have become popular. Indeed, soft tennis is more often played as doubles than as singles.
