Professionals

Our Head Professional is Tom Granville. He is ably supported by Jo Iddles,  who coaches and shares marking the matches and tournaments, and Nick Jury who is recuperating from serious injury have been knocked off his bicycle by a car over a year ago. Between them they not only provide the best in coaching, match organization, marking, court maintenance and restrings but also make the finest tennis balls in the world. Rates:
Coaching: Tom Granville Coaching: Jo Iddles Court Marking: Tom Granville Marking: Jo Iddles Full Restring	£18 per hour £18 per hour £8/hr singles, £5/hr doubles £18 per hour £14 per hour £28

The Real Tennis Professionals' Association was formed in 1975 to co-ordinate their activities and interests. The Association was ably headed by Peter Dawes for the first 25 years, and is now chaired by Jonathan Howell, the Head Professional at The Oratory School.

2002 was a big year for the professionals within the game as their representatives from America, Australia, Britain and France have come together, putting aside their real and imaginary differences, to form the International Real Tennis Professionals Association, the 'IRTPA'. Despite the efforts of the T&RA and equivalent bodies internationally, the game has struggled to attract and retain the quality of professional staff and players that the resurgence of the game demands. The Professionals concluded that the previous arrangement of separate national professional associations was inefficient and that much effort was duplicated and much left undone.

The Professionals from the playing countries met and decided to pool resources and form a single association to pursue their joint aims more effectively. The main issues confronting the IRTPA today are recruitment, training and expanding the game, all of which the Association will be addressing where Real Tennis is played now and in the future.

Susie Falkner