Want to improve? Find a compulsive groaner to play against.

[penpal]

A guy in my club has a sort of odd quirk - he often groans loudly after he hits his shot, despite the fact that more often than not the shot lands in. Evidently, his groan bemoans his feeling that he didn't hit the shot as well as he would have liked.

His groans are more than just annoying, they are distracting -- but I've also found they have helped me to improve my game.

Because most players in our club only groan loudly when they have hit a shot that is obviously going out (I would imagine this is true universally, but I don't want to assume anything), most of us have developed a sort of Pavlovian response to an opponent's groan -- we tend to let up and watch the ball sail. When I play this guy I have had to adjust my mindset and reteach myself to react to the ball and not the groans, consequently I find that my focus and reaction to the ball have improved in all of my matches.

Just passing this along in case my strange finding helps anyone else. I would also be interested to hear if anyone else has a similar type of story re: insight gained as a result of an annoying/distracting habit exhibited by your opponent.

[Camilio Pascual]

His groans are more than just annoying, they are distracting -- but I've also found they have helped me to improve my game.

Then call a hindrance. Problem solved.

[Ripper]

Complusive groaner, lol. There's something about tennis that atracts wierdos... Or he could be doing this as a tactic... In any case, it's wierd...

[kevhen]

He probably thinks the ball is going out or is too short and a sitter and then groans even though some of these do land in. Plus it may work for him to win points as opponents hear the groan and are distracted and let up.

You could call him for a hindrance until he unconditions himself, but that is probably not the sporting thing to do. Rarely do people call opponents for hindrances when they yell 'watch out' to their partner when they hit a floater.

[ask1ed]

HOw about the guy who plays returns on obviously out balls, while your body shuts down, and you let up, and then he wins the point easily.

[BillyBee]

Or how about this: there's a guy at my club who will smack back a serve of mine as if the serve was good --- only it was just out but he's assuming that I KNOW it's just out, except that it was so damn close that I can't assume anything, so I chase down his ball and hit it back, thinking that this point is in play, only to look up and see him standing there with his finger up in the air, signaling: hey, your serve was out the whole time.

Very annoying. He could have just called out right away. He does this repeatedly.

But nothing beats your groaner guy for annoying. Listening to that would get old quick.

[kevhen]

If your serves were obviously out then stop the point and ask your opponent if he didn't think it was out as well (give him the point if he says he couldn't tell), otherwise play every ball that your opponent plays and don't let up.

Tell the guy to yell "out" on long serves right away otherwise you will assume they are in and will take the point if you hear nothing.

[BillyBee]

Good call, Kevhen. I'm pretty much doing what you suggest in terms of playing hard till I hear it's out. I haven't been assertive enough yet to tell him to let me know verbally on the close serves. I'm a bit intimidated by this guy, but I'll get over it.

[penpal]

Then call a hindrance. Problem solved.

I just knew someone would say this :D

I honestly don't have a problem with the guy. In fact, he is one the nicest guys in the club and very enjoyable to play. His groaning can be a distraction, yes, but a distraction that I'm more than willing to live with. I just found it interesting that, even better than having to learn to live with it, I found that it actually helped me to improve my game.

[Nuke]

I had a run in with a groaner in a ladder match this past summer. When I was on the side facing into the sun, twice he did the groan/sigh thing on close shots. Because of the sun, visibility was bad and I assumed these shots were going out because of the groans, and eased up, only to see the balls drop in.

I didn't say anything during the game, and let him take the points, but during the next changover, I tried to be diplomatic and explained that, while I thought he probably wasn't doing it on purpose, it was a hindrance and I wish ed he'd stop groaning after his shots. He claimed to be unfamiliar with the term "hindrance." He got his back up over it and seemed to take the position that I was being a dick. From that point on, he stopped calling balls out on his side or anouncing the score on his serve, making me keep asking him for the score.

Bad feelings on both sides of the net. I was happy to gt out of that one with a victory, and neither of us ever challenged the other in a match again.

So, perhaps it might have been better if I had just shut up and learned quickly to ignore his groans. He thinks I'm a dick. I think he's an a**hole. And now we don't play each other.