Quote:
Originally Posted by sureshs
Then I had a revelation. It is not about whether a few more inches forward makes any difference on the serve. It is really about whether the server can cope with the additional pressure of having a footfault called on him.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OrangePower
1. The type of footfaults you describe (and most footfaults in fact) can be easily avoided by starting the service motion with the feet a few inches behind the line. So I don't think your strategy is going to work.
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I freely footfault in social matches. In the few tournaments I play, I footfault until the roaming ump calls it, then I step back a few inches as Orange says and everything is fine.
Last time I was call for a footfault in a tournament (on an ace), it actually affected my opponent. He seemed to feel "guilty". The ref kept watching me obviously expecting me to start complaining or something. When I didn't say anything, she came up to me on the changeover and explained to me how I was footfaulting, etc, to which I responded that I knew I was footfaulting and I wasn't bothered at all with her call.
I really can't tell you why I don't just always start a few more inches behind the service line and stop footfaulting altogether. Just habit I guess. But stepping back those few inches doesn't bother me at all.