On Which Side Do You Err?

[TimothyO]

When calling close shots on your side of the court do you err on the side of generosity or stinginess?

I've noticed that some players, when not 100% certain of a shot, will unhesitatingly call their opponent's shot in. (That's me.)

Others, even when hemming and hawing as to whether or not a shot was in, will call the shot out.

I ask this because last night while practicing with my team there were a number of close shots as usual. I noticed that a few of us consistently called close shots in favor of an opponent and, if uncertain in any way, immediately called the shot in favor of an opponent. One woman (mixed doubles), after a long pause, finally said of one shot, "I guess it was out". Another said of a close shot, "On Sunday I would have called that out".

So, on which side do you err when not certain of a shot?

[ARON]

By default, the ball is in unless you see it otherwise. I go by this rule. Sometimes, if it's close, but out by a very small margin, I call it good anyways.

[spaceman_spiff]

I'm pretty generous. I even call some of my own shots out when I've got a better view than my opponent (DTL shots and such).

Funnily enough, I once got accused of hooking by Captain Hook himself (a guy from another club who makes tons of dodgy calls) on a ball that was about to set me up with an easy overhead. As if I need to hook someone when the ball is just going to sit up a few feet from the net for an easy smash.

[AR15]

I'm too generous. After matches, if there are any spectators, they will often tell me that I gave away points from not calling balls that were out, "out".

[Maui19]

I call it like I see it. If I don't see it, I call it in. If it is too close to be sure, it is in.

That said, I think I do a crappy job of calling the baseline sometimes.

[gmatheis]

Originally Posted by TimothyO

When calling close shots on your side of the court do you err on the side of generosity or stinginess?

I've noticed that some players, when not 100% certain of a shot, will unhesitatingly call their opponent's shot in. (That's me.)

Others, even when hemming and hawing as to whether or not a shot was in, will call the shot out.

I ask this because last night while practicing with my team there were a number of close shots as usual. I noticed that a few of us consistently called close shots in favor of an opponent and, if uncertain in any way, immediately called the shot in favor of an opponent. One woman (mixed doubles), after a long pause, finally said of one shot, "I guess it was out". Another said of a close shot, "On Sunday I would have called that out".

So, on which side do you err when not certain of a shot?

This statement expresses doubt and the ball should be considered good.

Personally I call any ball i see clearly out as out even if it was only by a little ... the key word there though is "clearly" if its close and has enough pace that I couldnt "clearly" see it i just play it as if it were in. This is how the rules state you are supposed to play.

"An official impartially resolves a problem involving a call, whereas a player is guided by the principle that any doubt must be resolved in favor of an opponent. A player in attempting to be scrupulously honest on line calls frequently will keep a ball in play that might have been out or that the player discovers too late was out. Even so, the game is much better played this way."

[NJ1]

I'm always generous. Also, the rules clearly state to give the benefit of the doubt to the opponent if unsure.

[beernutz]

Originally Posted by AR15

I'm too generous. After matches, if there are any spectators, they will often tell me that I gave away points from not calling balls that were out, "out".

Quoted for truth.

The last social doubles match I played we got into a beef with a player on the other team when I played a ball on the back corner of the baseline that I thought was a couple of inches out but my partner clearly saw it out. It was a tight match and I didn't want it decided by a close call so I played the ball even though I was 100% sure it was out.

However when my partner saw and called it out, I didn't want to cause a disagreement with him so I said that I too saw it out but was going play it anyway because it was so close. We were on har-tru and I could clearly see the ball mark which was beyond the baseline.

One player on the other team who was serving on that point then started making sarcastic comments and exhibited body language as if I had just changed my opinion of the shot to match what my partner saw and was hooking them. No good deed goes unpunished.

[Alchemy-Z]

3 seasons 2 tournaments and I have had only one complaint about a call.

and honestly I think the guy was more upset at himself for missing an easy overhead smash than he was unsure about the quality of my call.

[Nuke]

I always start generous, and I'm sure I give away a few points on out balls. But if my opponent is calling out line balls, I'll start calling them closer.

[tennisjon]

Originally Posted by Nuke

I always start generous, and I'm sure I give away a few points on out balls. But if my opponent is calling out line balls, I'll start calling them closer.

I agree. I do the same. It makes the opponent think that you are a generous line caller. If they don't make good calls, well, then those out balls that I may have just played a game or two ago won't be good any more.

I noticed from playing on clay how many serves that I would think are in are actually out. It means I must be playing a lot more out serves that I realize.

I don't intentionally hook players. If I played a return of serve off a close serve that I wasn't sure of and the opponent obviously didn't play off my shot, then we redo the point.

[LuckyR]

There are three issues that surround line calls and different players have problems with different ones, hence the opther player often misunderstands why calls are made the way they are made.

First of course are cheaters, ie they know the rules, they know the ball is out (or at least not in) and yet call it out. Luckily rare.

Second are those who are shakey on the information that if you can't see the ball out, then you have to call it in. This is a knowledge deficit and is (theoretically) correctable.

Lastly are those who know what to do but have poor eyesight. Don't laugh, it'll hit you sooner or later. We all have an opinion on where the ball is going to land before it does. Occasionally we are suprised. Occasionally we truly don't have a clear view due to pace and after the ball has left our field of view we get an afterimage (in our memory) of where the ball was.

[TimothyO]

Originally Posted by LuckyR

There are three issues that surround line calls and different players have problems with different ones, hence the opther player often misunderstands why calls are made the way they are made.

First of course are cheaters, ie they know the rules, they know the ball is out (or at least not in) and yet call it out. Luckily rare.

Second are those who are shakey on the information that if you can't see the ball out, then you have to call it in. This is a knowledge deficit and is (theoretically) correctable.

Lastly are those who know what to do but have poor eyesight. Don't laugh, it'll hit you sooner or later. We all have an opinion on where the ball is going to land before it does. Occasionally we are suprised. Occasionally we truly don't have a clear view due to pace and after the ball has left our field of view we get an afterimage (in our memory) of where the ball was.

I would add that level of play also matters.

It's usually easier to judge balls with two low level rec players hitting floaters.

Trying to judge a rocket hit by a 4.0 while keeping your eye on the ball is nearly impossible at times. The focus is on the ball and not the line and it's moving uber fast.

[LuckyR]

Originally Posted by TimothyO

I would add that level of play also matters.

It's usually easier to judge balls with two low level rec players hitting floaters.

Trying to judge a rocket hit by a 4.0 while keeping your eye on the ball is nearly impossible at times. The focus is on the ball and not the line and it's moving uber fast.

I addressed the pace of the ball in the third case (eyesight issues).

[Fuji]

I call it as I see it, if I can't call it definitely out then it is in!

-Fuji

[dennis10is]

Everybody will tell you that they are honest and will call a ball out only when they are sure that the ball is out.

If you watch league matches, you will come to the conclusion that many players must need stronger prescription.

[HunterST]

A lot of people I play with try to call the lines honestly based on their best guess, but that's not good enough. They will be pretty confident it was out, but not 100% and call it out. Even when I'm pretty sure a ball was out, I call it in when I didn't actually see it land out.

There have been occasions, though, when I call a ball out with 100% confidence, then have doubts and don't back out. I don't feel too bad about it, though.

[TimothyO]

Here's a related question: if faced with a stingy opponent do you change your placement and hit away from the lines, especially on serve?

[Nuke]

^ Absolutely. No sense in going for the lines if you know it will be called out.

[ArliHawk]

Definitely err on the side of calling it in. After all, it's just club play.