I have deliberately chosen the term bat in preference to thug, risking condemnation from traditionalists as the latter nomenclature now has other connotations in everyday language.
When I first visited a club, I was amazed to discover the existence of a sport that was, and still is, almost exclusive to a relatively small proportion of the population. I have been told, rightly or wrongly, it originated on cruise liners, with the name of deck tennis, on reduced size courts, as space was at a premium. Apparently it was also introduced to public schools, however the game was quickly dropped to avoid any associations with naturism, which could potentially offend the sensitivities of fee paying parents!
Pistol-grip bat  |
Moving on from historical precedents, miniten is nevertheless an extremely popular sport, albeit within naturism, engendering a camaraderie among participants, both within clubs and at tournaments. Perhaps if the sport was commonplace across the general populace, some of the exclusiveness and rapport between participants would be lost? I suppose the only disadvantages of being a minority activity, is that tournament success is only acknowledged within naturist circles, without general public accolade and there is definitely no possibility of becoming professional! In the way of a slight digression, we noticed, on a recent visit to Montalivet, that they had completely reconstructed their two courts to a very high standard, to what appeared to be the correct size, including fences. Unfortunately the net height had also been scaled down to only about two feet! Many French players were frustrated because they were using beach bats, which, under the strain of hitting tennis balls frequently lost their handles. There were a few miniten bats available, however they were in a sorry state of disrepair. Over the years the subject of bat design, has accounted for thousands of hours of conversation and debate. AMinA regulations determine fundamental parameters, however within these limitations, there exists a plethora of designs, many of which have been created and constructed in garden sheds, garages and on kitchen tables up and down the country. One or two enterprising establishments have undertaken limited batch production, although we have not yet managed to attract Slazenger or Nike! |
In designer terms, we are really talking about a supreme exercise in ergonomics (otherwise known as the man-machine interface, or, the ways in which the human body relates top created products). Ergonomics is an established science, studied to masters degree levels and beyond, utilised extensively from the design of furniture to the cockpits of jet aircraft.
In simple terms we require an extension to the human arm, which conforms to AMinA rules and can hit a tennis ball, with the maximum velocity, under control. From these basic prerequisites arise two fundamental conflicts;
1. in order to achieve maximum control, the bat should be a rigid extension of the arm as ball direction emanates from bodily position, the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints, and
2. where maximum hitting speed can best be achieved by a non-rigid hand/bat link which permits a flailing action on impact with the ball. It would appear that most bats are either a compromise or an extreme between these disparate requirements. As it is not possible to achieve the two constraints in one single handle design, many have circumvented the problem by changing grip whilst playing. Others have chosen to rigidly support their hands and wrists with foam packing, some resembling small mattresses!
I prefer a sculpted plywood handle, designed by squeezing a lump of clay or plasticine to produce a form unique to my own hand. This 3-D template is then smoothed and stylised before being translated to wood and carved to shape; a design that always ensures the bat grip is unambiguous, producing a natural extension to the arm. Unfortunately, this version is also a compromise. The most comfortable, relaxed position of your hands grip-axis is at a forward sloping angle, similar to that found on saw handles and pistol grips with even greater control achieved by extending the handle to provide a rest for the index finger. This combination seems to engender maximum directional accuracy, at least in theory, however it does not always work when I am playing! The down side of this grip design is lower ball speed as the hand is not able to revolve around the handle, nor can a flailing action be produced as this would require a straight handle at the very bottom of the bat; a model which is increasing in popularity.
There are numerous other configurations, which include handles in line with the arm, as in table-tennis bats, rackets, etc., and perhaps, the most enigmatic; probably the original marque, where the grip is placed transversely between the bat faces, enabling the player to use either face as backhand or forehand, making shots extremely difficult to read by the opponent.
Shapes and sizes of bat-faces are also a subject of much debate. The original round faces are now less in evidence, although there are still quite a number around especially among the older players. Added weight and increased wind resistance has probably contributed to their demise, along with the fact that wider faces will cause the bat to twist in the hand if the ball is not struck centrally. A larger face does not imply you will hot more shots, proven by the fact that many top players use small bats. Face angles are also important design considerations. A narrowly tapering bat can scoop up balls very close to the ground, however this type of angled face makes backhand shots difficult, requiring a greater bending of the wrist. I could go on to talk about materials, weight distribution, use of composites, e.g. carbon fibre/epoxies, under the wooden face, stiffness, potential v. kinetic energy, adhesives and surface finishes, however I should perhaps leave something for another article.
At the end of the day it all boils down to being comfortable with your bat, although I must say that having taken into account all these design parameters it has improved performance, relatively speaking; although perhaps on many occasions not as much as I would wish!
Specially submitted by Rod Hall
It was at the 1964-5 Rally at Pineglades but it seems like only yesterday I said to Percy Cousins, "Why don't they play miniten here?" "Because it hasn't been introduced and taken up," he replied. "Oh .. . really?" Food for thought! Miniten was something we had taken for granted in England as part of the naturist scene. As newly immigrant Poms we had been warned - keep your mouth shut for two years! But . . . I discovered that they hadn't been playing correctly. Since the ground was rough and uneven they apparently tried to play a volleying game. Club members at the time were very keen on volley ball and tenniquoits and had recently put in a lot of hard work constructing concrete and asphalt courts. But wouldn't it be a nice change, I thought, to have a game where the ball hits the ground. I wrote to the Central Council for British Naturism asking for advice on miniten. My letter was referred by them to the secretary of the newly formed British Amateur Miniten Association who sent me a detailed reply including their official rules, court dimensions and specifications for the construction of thugs (bats). A set of four thugs was made and we started playing. |
Joyce Fleming's daughter
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I had previously mentioned in a letter to Doug Cousins that we were attempting to introduce the game. "For goodness sake," he replied, "don't try to introduce it into the rallies as we have enough trophies already."
At Pineglades, too, there was much resistance.
"We would give offence if we lowered the tenniquoit net, or perhaps we could mark out a court on the volley ball concrete?" I asked the committee.
"Don't you dare touch our new volley ball court or you will get shot!"
The net on the tenniquoit court went up and down like a yo-yo! Naturally the tenniqoit people resented our lowering of the net and persisted in raising the net whether anyone was using the court or not.
At the 1968 Rally at Pineglades we gave a demonstration of the game - on the tenniquoit court. Before long both hard courts were marked out for miniten. Both volley ball and tenniquoits are now played on grass.
No need to go on with this story.
Moral: always be willing to try something new.
P.S. In French naturists clubs they play Boules on the volley ball court. Have you tried Boules yet?
Published in New Zealand Naturist, No 143, December 1992
Reproduced by kind permission of the author and NZNF President, June 1998
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In the summer of 1973, just after we had returned from holiday at Montalivet in France, we had a telephone call from a French couple who were spending part of their honeymoon at Bristol Solarians and would like to spend the last week of the honeymoon with us at BDOC. And so it was that we first met Willy and Anne Poulain. They turned out to be surprisingly young, barely out of their teens, and they exuded happiness and friendliness to such an extent that they were soon everybody's friends. They surprised us all by their great enthusiasm for miniten. It turned out that they had also visited Diogenes, where they had been initiated into the game, so that by the time that they got to Bristol Solarians they were getting quite adept. At BDOC our 'miniten crowd' were surprised at the challenge they could present. |
Craven Walker |
This was of particular interest to us because, unknown to them, the year before we had a miniten court constructed at Montalivet and it was agreed that a second miniten court would be constructed during the winter. Coincidentally, it turned out that Willy and Anne had been holidaying at Montalivet when they met, so here was an ideal opportunity to get the French introduced to the game. Before they left us, we presented Willy and Anne with four miniten thugs, and told them jokingly that by the following summer, we expected to find all the French people playing miniten.
Now, by a further coincidence, Willy's father was the French National Rugby Coach, so when we did arrive at Montalivet the following summer, we were surprised at the skill of the French who were playing miniten. When the first court was built it seemed that they thought that it was a child's game, but it soon became apparent to them that this was not the case. BDOC decided to issue a challenge for the following summer to play both miniten and volley ball at Montalivet against Willy and Anne's club 'Clermont Ferrand'.
Consequently, the following summer we set off to a most enjoyable holiday at Montalivet where we beat Clermont Ferrand at miniten but were thrashed by their second team at volley ball, despite our having some above average players by British Naturist club standards.
The culmination of our visit to Montalivet that summer was a decision that we would hold a return match the following Whitsun at BDOC.
A party of 45 arrived by French coach, It was certainly a momentous Whitsun, although the results of the games were predictable. Once again, we beat then at miniten and they beat us at volley ball.
We had noticed that when they arrived that our French guests seemed to have rather a lot of luggage, but we were totally surprised when they informed us on the last day that they had brought with them food and wine delicacies from Clermont Ferrand - enough to feed well over 100 people - and that they would like to invite all who could come to a celebration supper that evening.
All those who came will long remember the treat we were given. Our guests had brought with them an enormous amount of meat, pates, cheeses and other delicacies, with barrels full of the most delicious local wines, and they persuaded us to finish the lot.
After the success of these visits it was decided that there should be an Annual International Miniten Competition at Montalivet. As Willy was one of the Sports Centre organisers, he was able to arrange that this would be an official event.
From a personal point of view, we got to know Willy and Anne very well. It was a devastating shock to us in the summer of 1984 when we went as usual to the bungalow of Willy's parents to ask after Willy and Anne and his father said, "Willy est mort". Willy couldn't have been more than about 30, and it appeared that he had collapsed with a brain haemorrhage whilst playing football.
Willy's death was a severe blow to all who know him, and not least to all the hundreds of youngsters who had been organised and encouraged by him year after year at Montalivet, where he was the official Youth Sports Co-ordinator. Moreover, he had done an enormous amount to promote miniten, and it was ironic that only the previous year he had told us that, although there had been several French, German and Dutch entrants in the International Miniten Competition that year, there had been, sadly no British.
At Montalivet last summer it seemed unbelievable that we would not be seeing Willy again and it occurred to us then that something should be done in remembrance of all he had done for sport in general. An obvious British contribution could be in the form of a Willy Poulain International Miniten Cup (or Cups) presented by the British Miniten Association. We mentioned the idea to several of Willy's and Anne's friends and to one or two of the Sports Officials and it seemed to us that they were quite enthusiastic.
Craven Walker, Bournemouth & District Outdoor Club.
Courtesy footnote: Craven Walker most generously financed the building of the miniten court at Montalivet.
Reproduced by kind permission of the late Craven Walker, June 1998.
From dawn to dusk, the distinctive sound of a tennis ball being hit by a wooden bat is commonplace at Sky Farm, a family-oriented nudist community in Basking Ridge, NJ, USA, where miniten has enjoyed a popularity which has lasted since it was first introduced into the US in 1937. Two members of Sky Farm, Harry and Elsa Unkles, were visiting England for the purpose of attending the coronation of King George VI when they had good fortune of seeing a strange paddle game being played at one of the many nudist clubs outside London. While the game was first introduced into the US at Sky Farm, it has found roots at other nudist clubs, primarily in the Midwest.
Until recently there was little or no contact between East and Midwest clubs so that miniten developed at each location without contact with the other. Much like a single species of animal being separated and allowed to evolve in geographic isolation, the game of miniten followed somewhat different evolutionary paths to the degree that they are still as being the same game but with some important differences, particularly in the area of scorekeeping. The important point to be made is that we are all trying to work out these differences so that we can establish a basis for national tournaments and hopefully move into the international arena.
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Outside of the ten or so clubs that play miniten in this country, most Americans have never heard of miniten. But in the United Kingdom where the sport was first developed in 1930, miniten has thrived in just about every one of the country's landed nudist clubs. Today, miniten is played in the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Those who were able to attend the 1998 Eastern Naturist Gathering at Eastover Resort in Lenox, Mass., saw and perhaps even played the game of miniten. Many had never heard the word let alone seen the game played. One reason for the widespread ignorance about this wonderful nudist sport is that until recently there was no organized effort to popularize it. With the formation of the Naturist Society's Miniten Special Interest Group (Miniten SIG) this will undoubtedly change because the SIG's primary goals are to generate a greater interest in the sport, provide a forum for the exchange of information, organize tournaments, and provide a means for miniten enthusiasts to meet both socially and competitively. |
Corey Smith |
It has already been pointed out that miniten is unknown to most people. Even in England where the game originated and where the game enjoys the greatest popularity, miniten is not in the vocabulary of the average non-nudist British citizen. Miniten has evolved substantially over time with regard to the rules of play, but the equipment has changed very little.
Essentially, the game is played on a miniature tennis court (actually about 1/3 the size) with wooden bats and a tennis ball. Since the sport is played exclusively by nudists (at this time, anyway), attire consists of tennis shoes and socks, though some hardy individuals in England play the sport without any foot protection whatsoever. Court surfaces can be made of grass, clay, asphalt, or cement. The rules are the same as those used in tennis, though most players will remark that it's much more fun to play doubles than singles. Since its origin in England in 1930, miniten has seen hills and valleys of popularity in that country but at no time has it been more popular than the present. Some years ago as competition between the clubs became widespread the Amateur Miniten Association of Great Britain (AMinA) was formed and to this day oversees the country's national tournaments and serves as the governing body by which rules are standardized and adopted. The UK's success in developing the sport to such a degree is remarkable and gives one cause to hope that such a goal can be attained in the US.
Miniten has several qualities which make playing it at nudist clubs ideal. They are actually the same qualities which would make it ideal for play by textiles as well, with the obvious disadvantage of wearing clothes excepted.
The smaller size of the court means it fits more easily into the often limited club acreage. Space permitting, three courts could be installed in the space required for one tennis court, thereby allowing participation by a larger number of players. The smaller court size brings players into closer proximity to each other and allows for more social interaction than that afforded by the larger tennis court. An easy camaraderie develops between all players regardless of which side of the net they are on and the playful banter becomes as lively as the game itself. Players who also have experience with tennis have often observed that the game is much easier to learn than tennis and can be less tiring since play is on a smaller court. The game can be played as fast or as slow as one desires and it can be played with finesse or with power. The equipment needed to play the game is very inexpensive and while tennis balls are easily obtained , bats are not.
Basically, the miniten bat consists of a handle secured between two 10 Ģinch diameter pieces of plywood. One face serves the forehand shot while the other face takes the backhand. The same physics which enable one to use topspin, backspin, and slices in tennis can be applied to miniten with very effective results. In fact, much of the strategy that makes the playing as well as the watching of tennis such a thrill can also be brought to the miniten court. In Great Britain, the wooden bat has been experiencing an evolution of design since its invention. While AMinA rules limit the size of the bat, there are no restrictions on shape. In the U.S., bats have varied little since their introduction 60 years ago. With closer ties to the AMinA being made, it is inevitable that this country will see changes in bat design before too long. Bats are not difficult to make and can be obtained from any club at which the game is played.
With this year's Eastern Naturist Gathering at Eastover Resort just around the corner, the Miniten SIG is expecting even more attendees to play than last year. Those that play will not only be assured of having a great time but will also take part in promoting a sport whose growth has not kept pace with the US nudist movement. It is our hope that all who play will return to their own clubs with all of the essential information they will need to start playing miniten there. These players will be the "Johnny Appleseeds" of US miniten.
American miniten is almost as old as the American nudist movement and as such is intertwined with our lifestyle's historical development. For all of the reasons described above, miniten deserves a court at every club in the US. But the main reason that miniten should be experienced by everyone is that the game is just plain fun.
It doesn't matter if one is 7 or 70, miniten is healthy exercise. Those who have found tennis to be easier to watch than to play soon realize that miniten is much easier to master. Regardless of age or athletic ability, it is truly a game for everyone. The game's universal appeal will ultimately be responsible for the growth of miniten's popularity in the US. As popular as tennis is in this country, one has but to emphasize miniten's differences to realize what makes the game so wonderful to play. This is the one fundamental difference that sets miniten apart from all other sports-miniten is the only sport played internationally which has its origin in nudism and is to this day played exclusively by nudists.
The Miniten SIG is always available to assist interested clubs get started by providing plans for making the bats or courts or holding free clinics to teach interested members the finer points of the game.
Individuals or clubs can contact the Miniten SIG by writing to Corey Smith, 23 Dogwood Drive, Chester, NJ 07930 or by e-mail to stormwynd@msn.com
A sign of the times is the existence of an international miniten website created by Roger Wright, deputy editor of British Naturism. A visit to this site at www.naturism.net is highly recommended for a complete listing of the rules of miniten as well as for bringing the global nature of the game into perspective.
Please acknowledge assistance provided by Roger Wright of British Naturism, and Wally and Barbara Spitzform of Cypress Cove. Photos provided by C. Smith and R. Wright.
An edited version of this article appeared in Nude & Natural, Autumn 1999.
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Following the introduction of miniten at the Naturist Societies Eastern Naturist Gathering at Eastover near Boston last year, Corey Smith, decided to savour miniten as delivered by the UK's most experienced players in England. So for the first time in his life he waved his wife and Uncle Sam good bye for an adventurous 10 day trip across the pond. However miniten was not this only adventure, for Corey had never experienced jet-lag, nor driven on the left. It all proved a very traumatic experience for him. With all the instructions in the world even the infamous M25 motorway beat him. I am still trying to assure Corey that loaning him our car in England -- insured of course -- was meant with the greatest of kindness! |
Photo: Roger Wright. |
After months of detailed planning rather than attempt a torturously-long drive for East Midlands Society he opted to attend the Eastern Region miniten tournament at Merryhill a mere 2 hours drive away. So armed with a complete set of camping equipment, food, maps, mobile phone and a kindly-intended two hour driving practice he set off on the two hour 4 junction route to Merryhill. But mysteriously this took Corey over 4 hours and he promises he only got lost once! From the moment he arrived at Merryhill he was not let down, quite the contrary, after thorough prior arrangements he was was swept off his feet with Merryhill's welcome and vibrance.
Corey's home-town club Sky Farm where miniten first arrived in the States in 1937 was now a world away and his quest to experience and critically compare how play had evolved over the last 60 years was baring fruit. Surprisingly in the 1930's miniten arrived in two different locations in the States and only in 1997 was it discovered that one was using volleyball scoring and the other tennis. Today neither will change their game!
After a weekend of miniten and Merryhill's renowned partying he was exhausted and eminently pleased with the experience. Four of his 10 days had passed, four more were for miniten at the Naturist Foundation SE of London, and as any born-and-bred American would declare sport first touring second and the remaining two days would be adequate to sight-see England! Well inevitably Corey only managed a bit of London and Greenwich!
The Naturist Foundation welcomed Corey and kindly offered him first-guest status in their new and privately owned accommodation unit, courtesy Christine Ashford. These 50 plus acre grounds sport over eight miniten courts - paradise for Corey as he was able to enter the Stanley Watkins miniten tournament in which he faired very well.
The opportunity to play with so many very experienced players has resulted in Corey producing a detailed account of his observations on the subtle differences the game has evolved.
Experienced tennis players have observed that miniten seems much easier to learn and can be less tiring, since play is on a smaller court, even so many players say it is more fun to play doubles than singles. The game is an all-age all-ability sport and can be played as fast or as slowly as one desires with an emphasis on recreational pleasure, finesse or power.
The miniten bat consists of a handle secured between two 10 inch diameter pieces of plywood. One face serves the forehand shot while the other face takes the backhand. The same physics which enable one to use topspin, backspin, and slices in tennis can be applied to miniten with very effective results. In the UK the original wooden bat design has evolved considerably since its invention. While AMinA rules limit the size of the bat, there are no restrictions on shape. However most other countries have hardly varied the basic 60 year-old design.
Today, miniten is played by naturists in Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA and France. As competition between the British clubs became widespread, the Amateur Miniten Association of Great Britain (AMinA) was formed. AMinA today oversees the country's national tournaments and serves as the governing body.
Miniten is just plain fun. It doesn't matter if one is 6 or 86, miniten is a healthy exercise. Those who have found tennis easier to watch than to play soon realize that miniten is a much easier game to master. Regardless of age or athletic ability, it is truly a sport with universal appeal.
Look-in at the international miniten web www.naturism.net for a complete listing of the rules, bat details, diagrams and information on the global nature of the game.
Roger Wright, British Naturism.
Specially produced forBritish Naturism.
A post script from Corey who still recalls his first experience of driving on the other side of the road and some busy roads at that: I enjoyed reading your account of my visit to the UK. It was pretty accurate but I want to go on the record as saying that while the drive around your countryside was to some degree traumatic it was an accomplishment which I am proud of, especially in light of the fact that I was able to return your car to you intact and without bodily injury to myself or anyone else. Naturally, Corey.July 2001.
Originated Sept 97. This update 26 Dec 2003.
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