tennis tom
Legend
The one furthest away from the problem.
Things That Make Ya Go "Hmmmmm"
- Thread starter Cindysphinx
- Start date
The one furthest away from the problem.
ttwarrior1
Hall of Fame
But im not a liberal, then again, who cares, trolls
Say Chi Sin Lo
G.O.A.T.
Here's mine:
1) People downing a banana during the first change-over after the first game. Most of the time (unless it was a long 1st game), I don't even drink water after one game. If you're low on potassium after one game, you've got bigger issues to worry about.
2) People employing the "Sharapova point reset" - After each point, turn your back on the opponent, meditate for half a minute, and start the next point.
3) Server demanding the returner to get ALL the balls, even though the server already has two. Once the server has all 3 balls, swats one of them away so the cycle can start again for the next point. Oh, and guess what happens on a net-1st serve? -.-
4) People blaming a loss or even a bakery shop on the equipment. Then, why do you have a bag full of the SAME STUFF?
That's all I can think of at the moment.
1) People downing a banana during the first change-over after the first game. Most of the time (unless it was a long 1st game), I don't even drink water after one game. If you're low on potassium after one game, you've got bigger issues to worry about.
2) People employing the "Sharapova point reset" - After each point, turn your back on the opponent, meditate for half a minute, and start the next point.
3) Server demanding the returner to get ALL the balls, even though the server already has two. Once the server has all 3 balls, swats one of them away so the cycle can start again for the next point. Oh, and guess what happens on a net-1st serve? -.-
4) People blaming a loss or even a bakery shop on the equipment. Then, why do you have a bag full of the SAME STUFF?
That's all I can think of at the moment.
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Relinquis
Hall of Fame
players who like to have 5-6 tennis balls on court, half of which are dead, during a match:
a- why play with 2-3 dead balls when we have 3 nice fresh(ish) ones?
b- why risk having a million balls all over the court while we play?
Hmmmmmmmmm...
players who end matches before the end of the 2nd set or during the third set because they get a call. not an emergency, they just have to be somewhere else.
Why play tennis if you can't commit to an hour an half that it takes to play 3 sets? why warm up for 45 minutes if you know you don't have time to play a full match?
Hmmmmmm...
a- why play with 2-3 dead balls when we have 3 nice fresh(ish) ones?
b- why risk having a million balls all over the court while we play?
Hmmmmmmmmm...
players who end matches before the end of the 2nd set or during the third set because they get a call. not an emergency, they just have to be somewhere else.
Why play tennis if you can't commit to an hour an half that it takes to play 3 sets? why warm up for 45 minutes if you know you don't have time to play a full match?
Hmmmmmm...
Say Chi Sin Lo
G.O.A.T.
I'm going to add to my list :
5) Piggy-backing off of what Relinquis was saying, people who refuse to play a full 3rd set but bailing themselves out with a super tiebreaker. The last I check, there's a fitness component to the sport of tennis. Go play golf or something.
6) People talking about all kind of technique/tactic, but refuse to play matches. They only rally.
7) People announcing x body parts are injured, or other miscellaneous illnesses prior to a match. Then don't play if you ain't right, no one forced you to play. It's not like it's a career and your livelihood depends on playing. It's a built-in excuse in case the player lose. And if they win, they get to gloat.
:5) Piggy-backing off of what Relinquis was saying, people who refuse to play a full 3rd set but bailing themselves out with a super tiebreaker. The last I check, there's a fitness component to the sport of tennis. Go play golf or something.
6) People talking about all kind of technique/tactic, but refuse to play matches. They only rally.
7) People announcing x body parts are injured, or other miscellaneous illnesses prior to a match. Then don't play if you ain't right, no one forced you to play. It's not like it's a career and your livelihood depends on playing. It's a built-in excuse in case the player lose. And if they win, they get to gloat.
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Overdrive
Legend
Say Chi Sin Lo
G.O.A.T.
People thinking they can hit a 1hander by swinging downward and they finish at their hips... Da Fuq?
Bdarb
Hall of Fame
Can you provide some examples?
Honestly words dont do a justice. One kid in particular would hold the racquet and ball tight to his chest and while rocking back and forth squat down in an almost lunge and simultaneously twist his core rotation 2-3 times then throws a toss about six inches and swats it, the entire motion literally serves NO function and isn't even really connected to the last part where he hits it. Did this on first and second and the second was like t ball. It was confusing as hell, looked like a bizzare dance plyometrics routine.
On another note, just remembered this gem. Does anyone remember the staples ad campaign 'that was easy' with the easy buttons that would say 'that was easy' when you push it. Well after the match is done if there's time or courts well have kids play jv matches. One kid we played had that button in his pocket so everytime he hit a ball his pocket would go off "that was easy!" while my guy tried to hit it. One rally went on for five or six exchanges and I'm listening like what the hell? And I'm watching this little kid hammering around the court fh-bh-fh-fh-drop shot "that was easy! That was easy! That was easy! That was easy! I asked him to cut it out after the point but I couldn't not laugh, it was hilarious. Props to the kid.
OK, I have one for this thread. Yesterday was our first USTA match of the season. We played at 8 and another match was coming on after us at 10:30. So we're finishing up our last court while the other match is warming up and doing lineups and whatnot. All of a sudden, one of the guys comes charging off the court chased by the (acting) captain for their team. He gets in his car, revs the engine (it' a Camry or something, LOL), and screeches backwards. The captain guy catches up with his car at this point, he rolls down the window and yells, "well, you can tell him to go f-ck himself", rolls up the window and takes off as fast as a Camry can go out of the parking lot. I was standing there with the opposing captain in our match watching our final court finish up and we were like wow, wtf.
It turns out this guy showed up but wasn't registered yet. The (acting) captain told him he had to be registered on the team to play and even offered his cell phone to register on the spot with the USTA app so he could play, but apparently, he didn't agree that actually being registered for a team should be a prerequisite for playing in a match. LOL. The team ended up forfeiting a court because of that.
It turns out this guy showed up but wasn't registered yet. The (acting) captain told him he had to be registered on the team to play and even offered his cell phone to register on the spot with the USTA app so he could play, but apparently, he didn't agree that actually being registered for a team should be a prerequisite for playing in a match. LOL. The team ended up forfeiting a court because of that.
Cindysphinx
G.O.A.T.
He probably didn't have a credit card that would work so he could register. He was hoping to play for free.
That's my guess.
That's my guess.
I don't know. Anyting is possible. It was just really strange. It's not like he was some hothead kid who didn't understand the system.
TomT
Hall of Fame
In one of the many tennis vids that I've put on my YouTube channel and linked to here at the TT forum, I emit about a 10 second fart as I'm preparing to serve. Does that qualify?
The person on the adjacent court, who was only about 15 feet away retrieving a ball, looked at me with an expression that might be called a visual hmmmmm, but probably more closely resembled a ...|_|_
('o')_/ WTF!?
\~/
Bdarb
Hall of Fame
If I thought you made a bad call I wouldn't say 'that was in', I'd say 'are you sure?' not expecting you to change it. That's just how I let you know I disagree. Thought this was common?
tennis_ocd
Hall of Fame
It's become so common in junior tourneys with some players that it's become virtually laughingly meaningless. If I were a kid playing some of these guys/girls I think I'd just adjust my standard "OUT" calls to "OUT... I'm Sure"
What I haven't yet determined is whether these girls (and it is predominantly girls that do this) really see what they want to see or if it's some type of subtle intimidation. I used to think the latter but then I see them continue with the agitated "are you sure?" challenges even after calling over an official who must keep a straight face at the six inch out balls. Not unusual for the parents to get involved until order is restored.
Funny in that I used to immediately hear this stuff brewing a court over and think someone is getting hooked. Now I hear it and know someone is losing and ticked over accurate calls.
I've heard that they removed the "Are you sure" provision from the code this year. I haven't bothered to actually check but I have always liked it being there. Personally we play mostly doubles and I prefer to ask the Partner of the person who called it out if they are sure. Maybe they don't have the stones to overrule their partner on that one, but maybe they will on a subsequent call.
Cindysphinx
G.O.A.T.
I worked one day as a roving umpire at a junior tournament. OMG, you are so right. I would be standing there at the net strap, observing. Over and over, the players ask me to verify obviously correct calls. The irony is that I saw hardly any bad calls. I do wonder if this is a tactic coaches or parents are encouraging.
It seems that few understand the rule that roving officials are not to reverse a line call based on player appeal. If you appeal every call a nanosecond after it happens, then the roving official won't do the overrule. If you give it a second before you make a big stink, maybe she will.
It was the boys who were doing it more than the girls. My sample size is small, though.
And yes, it is hard to keep a straight face.
The hardest thing, though, was not getting the call wrong. You know, it's hot, it's a little boring, the mind starts to wander. A ball lands six inches out and the player looks at me for an overrule. I almost signaled in when I meant out one time. After that, the only signal I would give was a reassuring nod meant to indicate "Everything's fine." This seemed to work pretty well.
I think some league players are using the "Challenge early and often" technique. I had a lady make a huge fuss over the first out call we made. The ball had to have been a foot out. I guess she was putting us "On Notice."
Cindysphinx
G.O.A.T.
Yes, they have removed the "Are you sure?" provision, which used to say that that was the only way you could challenge a line call in an unofficiated match.
Now you are free to have full-on tantrum, I suppose. I kind of liked the old rule. I think the provision was useful to help players stand by their calls. You knew that if you said you were sure that was supposed to be the end of it. Now, the argument can go on as long as the opponent wanted it to.
Had my first USTA singles match this weekend since coming back... Opponent wasn't there on time and the captain explained this complicated story about her having car trouble but not to worry, she would be there within 15 minutes! She did make it 14 minutes late so was still allowed to play and gave me the same story about car trouble. Fine, whatever, no problem!
Until I logged onto the usta site afterward to check out her rating and history...sure enough she had had an 8am match that day for her other team the other side of town which is I'm SURE what made her late to our 9:30 match. Beyond how rude that is to her team (and I guess me too), I just can't believe anyone would be dumb enough to try that!
Until I logged onto the usta site afterward to check out her rating and history...sure enough she had had an 8am match that day for her other team the other side of town which is I'm SURE what made her late to our 9:30 match. Beyond how rude that is to her team (and I guess me too), I just can't believe anyone would be dumb enough to try that!
Doubles
Legend
You're really good at making stories that sound completely unrealistic.
tennis tom
Legend
In my estimation tennis players are generally more intelligent then the general population, can you imagine how dumb that makes everybody else?
At least he didn't have a couple kids carrying his 400lb ass off the court this time.
Doubles
Legend
This is true.
Relinquis
Hall of Fame
Playing doubles (i know, asking for it)... Our match point at 6-5 in the third, I serve, opponent returns weak, my doubles partner poaches for a winner between the two opponents... Massive argument!
my doubles partner and returner spend 5 minutes arguing whether or not my doubles partner had crossed the net to make contact with the ball... they're both* obviously enjoying the arguing more than the actual match... both smiling feeling clever an satisfied with themselves to be in this argument... and when i suggest to reply the point they just suggest we call it off and rally, the fourth player is ok with this...
hmmmmmmmmmm...
* ex-football players (not the USA kind)
my doubles partner and returner spend 5 minutes arguing whether or not my doubles partner had crossed the net to make contact with the ball... they're both* obviously enjoying the arguing more than the actual match... both smiling feeling clever an satisfied with themselves to be in this argument... and when i suggest to reply the point they just suggest we call it off and rally, the fourth player is ok with this...
hmmmmmmmmmm...
* ex-football players (not the USA kind)
Sakkijarvi
Semi-Pro
"Why post it to a message board?"
ROTFLMAO ...
Other applicable questions, why not --
Why post on the internet?
Why Tweet?
Why Facebook?
Why ... why ... why.
Why not? The lady is surely loved by TW ... she creates content on one of the best message boards in the tennis hobby. If you can't see the humor in posting on the internet asking someone why they post on the internet you might want to click over a thread and discuss 'exploiting the weakness' of a pregnant woman :0 Laugh, Bubba!
ROTFLMAO ...
Other applicable questions, why not --
Why post on the internet?
Why Tweet?
Why Facebook?
Why ... why ... why.
Why not? The lady is surely loved by TW ... she creates content on one of the best message boards in the tennis hobby. If you can't see the humor in posting on the internet asking someone why they post on the internet you might want to click over a thread and discuss 'exploiting the weakness' of a pregnant woman :0 Laugh, Bubba!
Say Chi Sin Lo
G.O.A.T.
Asian guys going "VAMOS!" but don't speak a lick of Spanish...
WTF?
WTF?
The Isomotion31
Semi-Pro
The serve works very well against mentally deficient pros...Against the pros ranked 300 and up they destroy his gimmicky serve...they step in an hammer it up the line...gimmicks can only get one so far....
can anyone name a top 100 player--or a player that is in the red 75k for the year and up that wins using gimmicks?
it's awesome to watch-I saw it a few months ago in vegas...but you can't buy a benz off it.
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