Valley entrepreneur creates new sport

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – With the recent rise of pickleball, people are looking for creative ways to stay active.

Another new sport is coming to town… without as much of a racket.

While studying at the University of Mary Washington, Terrell Green invented Forehand Strike, a game that combines strategy and creativity using a portable net and textured glove.

Green picked up tennis in college but quickly realized that the steep learning curve, along with the price of equipment, often made the sport inaccessible. He sought to adapt tennis into a simpler game, one without a racket.

“Forehand Strike goes back to the days of underhand tennis but adds the new concept of a glove, which creates friction with the ball,” Green explained. “With the glove, you can get better spin.”

Like tennis, Forehand Strike games are played as two-out-of-three-set contests. Yet each set is only 17 points, making Forehand Strike faster than tennis.

“It’s a great equalizer because there’s less emphasis on speed and power, and more focus on creativity,” said Green.

In April, Green will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to grow Forehand Strike in the Valley and beyond.

“I would like to bring this sport to big-box retailers across the nation,” he said. “My goal is for Forehand Strike to be an Olympic sport.”

More information on Forehand Strike can be found here.

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