2018 Survey Results

607 Cincinnati platform tennis (PT) players were asked to participate in our 2018 Local PT Survey. 117 participated - 82% of respondents were male & 18% were female. Here are some results and observations:

PT is a $10 game, played on $90,000 courts, with a ...
$6 perishable ball, which 63% of players have apparently never purchased.
PT is "all-weather" but 68% of players would rather not play in rain.
PT is a fast, athletic sport played mostly by people who are no longer either - 52% are over 50.
Everybody agrees that "practice sucks," and 89% of the top players clearly don't need it.
Social, team and formality components are viewed as insignificant, while ...
47 percent of players polled proclaim producing competitively compatible pairings is paramount.

What is your age?

Under 30 - 7%
30 to 50 - 41%
Over 50 - 52%

What is your club/court access situation?

Golf club with PT courts - 49%
Non-golf club with PT courts - 22%
No club with PT courts - 29%

What is your share (1/4) of a 1.5 hour match worth to you?

$0 - 0%
$5 - 12%
$10 - 52%
$15 - 30%
$20 - 6%

In which weather conditions would you rather not play?

Rain - 68%
Cold (below 10 degrees) - 15%
Hot (over 80 degrees) - 26%
Sunny (behind court) - 15%
Would always rather play - 24%

Participated in the PT League before?

Yes - 80%
No - 20%

Was your PT League experience ...

Positive - 99%
Negative - 1%

Playing level of respondents:

Top 20% - 31%
21% to 79% - 64%
Bottom 20% - 5%

Prefer playing matches or doing drills:

Matches - 88%
Drills - 12%

Lessons taken lifetime:

less than 5 - 68%
5 to 50 - 25%
more than 50 - 7%

Took at least one lesson this year:

Yes - 33%
No - 67%

A new PT court costs $90,000+ to build. Here is how much players think a court costs:

$30,000 - 11%
$60,000 - 45%
$90,000 - 44%

The retail price of a PT ball is $6. Here is how much players think a ball costs:

$2 - 14%
$4 - 49%
$6 - 38%

How many times did you play this year?

Under 15 - 17%
15 to 30 - 33%
30+ - 50%

Was that more, less or the same as the previous year?

More - 28%
Less - 23%
The same - 49%

If PT was played indoors, would you be likely to play more often?

More - 18%
Less - 35%
The same - 47%

40% have played organized summer PT ...

Like summer PT more - 13%
Like winter PT more - 40%
Like both equally - 47%

PT-related injury forcing you to miss at least half of a winter season before:

Yes - 24%
No - 76%

League Feature Importance

Single most important feature:

Competitive compatibility - 47%
Guaranteed weekly play - 11%
Time flexibility - 11%
Variety of partners & opponents - 9%
Minimal travel - 7%
Substantial amount of play - 6%
Upward mobility - 4%
Formal record keeping - 2%
"Us" vs. "Them" component - 2%
Partner regularity - 0%
Gathering - social aspects - 0%

Single least important feature:

Partner regularity - 26%
Formal record keeping - 22%
Gathering - social aspects - 18%
"Us" vs. "Them" component - 15%
Minimal travel - 7%
Time flexibility - 3%
Upward mobility - 3%
Variety of partners & opponents - 2%
Guaranteed weekly play - 2%
Substantial amount of play - 1%
Competitive compatibility - 0%

Crosstab: "value of a match" & "club membership status."

Member at golf club w/ courts:

$5 - 16%
$10 - 42%
$15 - 35%
$20 - 7%

Member at non-golf club w/ courts:

$5 - 11%
$10 - 58%
$15 - 23%
$20 - 8%

Not a member of a club w/ courts:

$5 - 6%
$10 - 65%
$15 - 29%
$20 - 0%

Crosstabs: "playing level" with ...

Prefer playing matches to doing drills:

Top 20% - 89%
21% to 79% - 88%
Bottom 20% - 83%

Less than 5 lessons taken lifetime:

Top 20% - 89%
21% to 79% - 59%
Bottom 20% - 67%

Crosstabs: "estimated costs" with "value of a 1.5 hour match"

Court cost & value a match at $10 or less:

$30,000 - 85%
$60,000 - 58%
$90,000 - 64%

Ball cost & value a match at $10 or less:

$2 - 81%
$4 - 60%
$6 - 64%