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Matkot: Israel's Unofficial National Sport (Beach Paddleball)

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What's all the fuss about matkot?

Matkot (pronounced mahtcoat) is Israeli beach tennis without the court, rules, or net. It's awesome in it's simplicity, but very challenging. The point of the game is to keep a rally going as long as possible without the ball touching the ground. Matkot paddleball is usually played on the beach, but can be played in places with wide open spaces, like your backyard. (The game is also known outside of Israel as "Pro Kadima" or "Smashball", but those racquet brands are not direct translations of "matkot".)

Photo: Joe Shlabotnik
Important!

How to Play Matkot

1. Make sure that no sunbathers or dangerous objects are close by.
2. Stand at least a few meters apart on the beach or in your backyard.
3. Serve the ball
4. Try to get a rally going
5. Have fun and enjoy the great outdoors!

How to Play Matkot Video

These guys play matkot on the beach in Haifa, Israel

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Matkot at Sunset

Thanks to gustav* on flickr (click on the photo to see his photostream)

Photobucket

Matkot Equipment on Amazon

Affordable, wide diameter wooden racquets

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Matkot Equipment on eBay

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Talking Hands

Photo Credit: Meir Ben Ari (Mirovarda42 on flickr - Click on the photo to see his photostream.)

maktot

A short video about professional matkot in Israel

Some top players hit the ball over 100 miles per hour!

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“Did you know that matkot is popular in Brazil? They call it "frescobol", a.k.a. "frescoball"”

An Awesome Matkot Rally Caught on Video

I nominate these guys for the Olympics

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More matkot links on the web

Fitness article about beach paddleball
Some people think that matkot is a great way to keep in shape!
Find players near you on Facebook
If you're a member of Facebook, log in and search for groups under the keywords "matkot", "smashball", etc.
You'll find a few of these groups and who knows - maybe some fellow players. (Last time I checked, there was an active group in Nantucket, MA!)

Three Ways to Make the Game More Challenging

1. Hit the ball harder
2. Increase the distance between players
3. Play left-handed :-)

Your opinion is needed

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Important!

It's all about having fun

There are no winners or losers in this game!

Maccabi & Friends

Photo Credit: Gilad Benari on flickr (click on the photo to see his photostream)

matkot

Matkot Photos

Photo credits (left-right):
Justin Marshall, Shawn Zamechek, Shannon Holman, Joe Shlabotnik, Meir Ben Ari (talking hands & walk like an egyptian), Haim a.k.a. "Brazilero"

Smashball King by marshallfam
Down the shore w/ Kadima by shawnzam
paddleball by shnnn
Paddleball by Joe Shlabotnik
curated content from Flickr

Repository of Essential Matkot Facts & Rumors

* There's a matkot scene in Adam Sandler's movie "Don't Mess with the Zohan".

* Matkot doubles as an Israeli pickup method. During a rally, the ball "accidentally" lands next to an attractive female sunbather. This gives the suave matkot player an easy excuse to start a conversation.

* There's a matkot museum in Tel Aviv. I haven't been there yet, but I plan on going soon, taking photos, and posting them to this site. It contains the sport's biggest racquet, which is rumored to be at least 2 meters in diameter!

Please leave your comments here

I want to hear what you think!

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  • Reply
    sherioz Oct 13, 2011 @ 12:51 pm | delete
    Oi, I love this game. Much more fun to get tanned while playing than while just lying on the sand.
  • Reply
    Antwon Sep 28, 2011 @ 11:12 am | delete
    How do you make it an official National Sport?
  • Reply
    Antwon - East Hampton, NY USA - 20 years old Sep 28, 2011 @ 10:56 am | delete
    My friend and I are in the process of creating a game that involves this game but I believe its a little bit better then trying to see how many hits we can put together in 3 minutes. We thought it was boring so we added different aspects; like using two balls or switching the paddle in each hand alternating after each hit, or both sometimes. Out of that we created a game, possible a future sport. But when our game gets big, I will be sure to contact you and possible talk about business oppurtunities
  • Reply
    PleasantValley Sep 28, 2011 @ 1:33 pm | delete
    Hey Antwon, thanks for your comments! I like your advanced modifications of this game, even though I think matkot is hard enough with just one small ball. If you watch the YouTube video above, you'll see that the most talented players whack the ball at tremendous speeds, which makes the game even harder. If I remember correctly, one of the competition benchmarks is to see which two-person team can have the most rallies in a specific amount of time. (Hitting faster back and forth will obviously increase the number of rallies possible in a set time.) It would be really cool if your version takes off and becomes popular, so let me know how it goes!
  • Reply
    Antwon Oct 1, 2011 @ 6:48 am | delete
    I will thank you for the encouragement!
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PleasantValley

I used to play matkot as a kid, but now I miss the game. Last week I saw two people playing and decided to dedicate a lens to this simple & fun pastim... more »

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