Also known as Zim Zam, Tether Tennis or Swingball, this simplest of concepts was a huge seller in its day.
Basically, just a tennis ball attached to a cord connected to a vertical pole with a coil on top, the game has been known since the early 1900s.
One of the earliest formal descriptions of the game appeared in Jessie H. Bancroft’s 1909 book, Games for the Playground, which detailed the rules for “Swingball”.
The modern iteration of Swingball was invented in 1967 in South Africa by Gavin Gormley. The game was introduced to the UK market in 1973, where it rapidly became a staple of backyard family activities.
In the 1970s and 80s, the game was marketed in the United States by Fonas under the name Zim Zam (or Zimm Zamm).
Totem Tennis became the standard branding in Australia and New Zealand.
The British company Mookie Toys has been the primary driver of the product’s development since the early 1990s.
You May Also Like
X-Ray Spex (Specs) X-Ray Spex came about in 1964 when Harold von Braunhut (the mastermind behind Sea Monkeys) repackaged…
Trouble Kohner's game of Trouble was introduced in 1965, and back then, a wooden die came in…
Candy and Andy In 1966, at the height of the popularity of his "Supermarionation" TV shows, Gerry Anderson developed…
Ant Farm In the mid-1950's, Milton Levine was enjoying Fourth of July festivities in Southern California's San Fernando…
Monopoly Can anyone agree on a set of rules for playing Monopoly? The game of capitalist supremacy celebrated…
Indy 800 Atari’s first racer, the little-known 1974 game Gran Track 10, wasn’t the hit that everyone had…
Wasteland The gameplay of Warlords (from Interplay) revealed the strong Dungeons & Dragons role-playing influence on the…
Billy Blastoff He may not have looked as space-ready as Major Matt Mason, but don't let Billy Blastoff's…
One of the earliest formal descriptions of the game appeared in Jessie H. Bancroft’s 1909 book, Games for the Playground, which detailed the rules for “Swingball”.
