How to Play Totem Tennis

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Totem Tennis is a self-contained garden hitting game in which a ball on a cord is attached to a tall wooden or plastic pole spiked into the ground. One or two players use paddles to strike the ball, each trying to wind the cord around the pole in their own direction until no cord remains. The game needs almost no setup, stops and starts easily between rallies, and works on any flat grassy surface.

Its appeal is straightforward: it rewards quick reactions and controlled striking over raw power, meaning an eight-year-old can genuinely challenge an adult. Because the cord limits how far the ball travels, it is also practical in gardens where space is tight. Most families keep a set outdoors for months at a time and return to it again and again precisely because a game takes only a few minutes.

A little history

The exact origins of pole-and-cord ball games are unclear. Variants of the concept appear in accounts of outdoor recreation from the early twentieth century, and the general format was well established in the United Kingdom by the mid-twentieth century as a staple of garden and seaside play. The name Totem Tennis refers to the tall central pole that resembles, loosely, a totem stake. No single inventor or date of invention is widely documented.

Setting up

1. Choose a flat area of lawn or firm ground clear of obstacles for at least one metre in every direction around the pole.
2. Push the spike firmly into the ground so the pole stands upright and does not rock when the ball is struck.
3. Unwind the cord so the ball hangs freely near the mid-point of the pole. Check the cord is not tangled.
4. If two players are competing, decide who will hit clockwise and who will hit anti-clockwise. A coin toss is the standard method.
5. Each player stands on their own side of the pole, roughly opposite each other, at a comfortable striking distance.

How to play

1. One player strikes the ball with their paddle to set it in motion, wrapping the cord around the pole in their chosen direction.
2. The opposing player strikes the ball back in the opposite direction, unwinding the cord and beginning to wrap it in their own direction.
3. Players continue to hit the ball alternately, each trying to wind the cord further around the pole in their direction on every successful strike.
4. A player may only strike the ball when it travels toward them or is within comfortable reach. Players must not grab, hold, or obstruct the cord.
5. Players must not touch the pole during play. Stepping around the pole to reach the ball is permitted provided the player does not grip or move the pole.
6. If a player misses the ball, the opponent's momentum is unchanged and they continue to let the ball wrap until it swings back to them or they choose to strike again.
7. Play continues without a set number of turns. There is no serve rotation; each player simply hits the ball whenever it comes to their side.
8. The game ends the moment the cord is fully wound around the pole in one direction and the ball reaches the pole itself.

Winning and scoring

The player who fully winds the cord around the pole in their own direction wins the game. There is no point system in the standard version: the result is a straight win or loss determined by which direction the cord ends up fully wrapped. Best-of-three or best-of-five sets are the common formats used to decide an overall match between two players. In solo play, the aim is simply to keep a controlled rally going for as many consecutive strikes as possible and to beat your own record.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns whether a player has touched the pole. The standard ruling is that any contact with the pole by a player's body or paddle during a rally concedes that rally to the opponent, who may restart with the cord at whatever position it was in when the foul occurred. If both players cannot agree, the cord is unwound to the neutral mid-point and the rally restarts. Accidental contact caused by the ball or cord swinging into a player's stationary body is not penalised.

A second regular argument arises when the cord wraps over itself on the pole rather than lying flat. This is not a foul and does not end the game early: the ball is still live. However, if the cord jams so completely that the ball cannot move, play should be paused, the cord straightened to the nearest fair position both players can agree on, and the rally resumed. Players are well advised to agree this ruling before starting rather than mid-game.

How to win more often

• Hit with control rather than power. A wild swing often sends the ball too high or at an awkward angle, giving your opponent an easy return that gains them several wraps.
• Aim to strike the ball at roughly the same height each time. Keeping the ball at waist to chest height makes your wraps tight and close together, which is harder for your opponent to unwind quickly.
• Watch the cord length, not just the ball. As the cord shortens on your side, the ball moves faster, so shorten your swing accordingly to maintain accuracy.
• Use angle as well as direction. Hitting the ball slightly downward as it comes to you keeps it low on the pole and makes the resulting wraps sit low, which can be awkward for taller opponents.
• In a close game, let the ball come fully to your side before striking rather than lunging early. A controlled strike from the right position gains more wraps per hit than a stretched, off-balance swing.

Variations

Solo Challenge

With one player, the aim is not to win but to accumulate the highest number of clean, alternating strikes before the cord fully winds in either direction. The player winds the cord part-way in one direction, then tries to reverse it using only controlled single hits, counting every successful strike. This is a useful way to practise accuracy and is suitable for younger children playing alone.

Handicap Play

To balance a game between a stronger and a weaker player, start the cord already wound a set number of turns in the weaker player's favour before play begins. Three to five pre-wound turns is a common starting handicap. This keeps games competitive without changing any other rule.

Points Match

Rather than playing first-to-win-one-rally, players agree to a set number of rallies (typically five or ten) and score one point for each rally won. The player with the most points at the end of all rallies wins the match. This format suits older children and adults who want a longer, more structured game.

Non-Dominant Hand

Each player must hit using their non-dominant hand only. This levels the playing field considerably between mismatched players and is a surprisingly effective way to extend the useful life of the game for those who find the standard version too easy. All other rules remain unchanged.

Totem Tennis: frequently asked questions