public park time etiquette

[topdog123]

I often take tennis lessons and then I want to go and practice on my ball machine for a couple of hours.

Today I was playing and a couple walked up and was wanting to play. I had been playing about 45 minutes, but I needed to practice about another 45 minutes to an hour to get all of the reps I have to get in after taking the tennis lesson.

How much time should I have taken to continue playing in that situation? (I should probably note, that I offered them directions to other courts that were pretty close, if they didn't want to wait).

What if someone walks up and I'm playing doubles or singles?

Thanks!

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by topdog123

What if someone walks up and I'm playing doubles or singles?

Savvy players will immediately revert to a 1-1 score in the first set without blinking an eye or getting confused about the next to serve, etc. Of course, someone honest in the group like me will loudly point out that it is 5-4 in the second set, and get hate glances.

[goran_ace]

Public courts around here have a similar sign posted - if someone is waiting for a court limit play to one hour for singles or 90 minutes for doubles. So by that guideline you should have played for 15 more minutes and then given up the court. That said, there's no one there to enforce it; it's based on courtesy.

[Fuji]

Originally Posted by goran_ace

Public courts around here have a similar sign posted - if someone is waiting for a court limit play to one hour for singles or 90 minutes for doubles. So by that guideline you should have played for 15 more minutes and then given up the court. That said, there's no one there to enforce it; it's based on courtesy.

Same rules here in the Great White North!

-Fuji

[Mike Y]

Originally Posted by topdog123

I often take tennis lessons and then I want to go and practice on my ball machine for a couple of hours.

Today I was playing and a couple walked up and was wanting to play. I had been playing about 45 minutes, but I needed to practice about another 45 minutes to an hour to get all of the reps I have to get in after taking the tennis lesson.

How much time should I have taken to continue playing in that situation? (I should probably note, that I offered them directions to other courts that were pretty close, if they didn't want to wait).

What if someone walks up and I'm playing doubles or singles?

Thanks!

In my opinion, it is bad form and rude to use a ball machine by yourself while people are waiting to play on a public court. You should have let them play, or play with them if they needed an extra person.

Not to mention, if there are no barriers, you shouldn't use a ball machine when people are playing next to you. Your balls are probably spraying everywhere.

[Cindysphinx]

In my world, the signs say that courts must be vacated on the hour if someone is waiting. So if you took the court a 2:15, then you must give it to the people who are waiting at 3:00. But if you took the court at 2:00, then you can make them wait until 3:00.

That said, I would finish the balls in the machine and then surrender the court if I had already put in 45 minutes.

I practice by myself a lot. I use a hopper. I make efforts to keep balls away from people who are playing, even if it means I can't do everything I'd like to practice. So you should be careful with your ball machine to avoid bothering others.

[omega4]

Originally Posted by sureshs

Savvy players will immediately revert to a 1-1 score in the first set without blinking an eye or getting confused about the next to serve, etc. Of course, someone honest in the group like me will loudly point out that it is 5-4 in the second set, and get hate glances.

One person's savvy player is another person's dishonest, selfish player.

Just sayin'.

[NLBwell]

As one person, you can not hold a court if two people are waiting - EVER. Everyone used to abide by this rule of tennis etiquette, but now people are selfish and any sense of what it means to be a good person is gone.

You weren't playing singles or doubles, if you were, there are usually posted rules but local custom usually overrides those. Some places people usually invite the others to play doubles. Some places it is expected that you play as long as you want, while the people waiting know that once they get a court, they can play as long as they want. Some places the posted rules are followed and people waiting will time you and get in your face if you stay too long.

[OHBH]

Depends on where you are really. Here in NJ, it is first come first served for the most part, and I prefer it that way. Though we have plenty of courts relative to the amount of people that play over here. In places like Florida and California where tennis players abound I can see the need for such rules.

[Alchemy-Z]

I try to practice in off peak hours on public courts if I am going to be by myself.
Like week nights 4-8pm it is hard to get a court....but show up at 8:30 and you just about get the place to yourself.

Thing that bothers me the most are the tennis snobs...like the other day I was playing singles with a friend and the court next to us was 2 guys and 1 girl they had blue jeans on...one was wearing flip flops that had some walmart racquets and the were obviously new...or just doing it for fun dinking shots back and forth.(high school kids making good use of the nice weather)

then a group of 4 ladies show up...NIKE head to tow matching tennis bags and tell the girl that they need to get off court so they can play "real tennis"

My friend was closest and said "Ladies the wait time is 1 hour and they started 5 min after us and we have been here for 30min so you can wait for us for 30min...or 35 for them

Lady says "fine but I am calling the parks department"

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by NLBwell

As one person, you can not hold a court if two people are waiting - EVER. Everyone used to abide by this rule of tennis etiquette, but now people are selfish and any sense of what it means to be a good person is gone.

I think this may be a local thing. I simply do not see that around here. It seems that so long as a person is actively using the court to "play tennis," they have every right to use the court.

I don't doubt what you are saying for where you live, but I think things have changed around here. Two people cannot bump one person, and four people cannot bump two -- around here, anyway.

That said, I do think it is kind to be as considerate as you can regardless of the rules.

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Fortunately in my immediate area there are more than enough courts to go around. If you show up and and the courts are full, you can drive 3 minutes down the road to some other courts.

Because of the plethora of courts, we generally do not have time limits imposed.

However, at my regular place ... if someone was using a court alone while others were waiting, something would definitely be said. And I can almost guarantee that solo person would pack it up, or end up being included with those that were waiting.

[tennis_ocd]

Originally Posted by topdog123

I often take tennis lessons and then I want to go and practice on my ball machine for a couple of hours.

Today I was playing and a couple walked up and was wanting to play. I had been playing about 45 minutes, but I needed to practice about another 45 minutes to an hour to get all of the reps I have to get in after taking the tennis lesson.

How much time should I have taken to continue playing in that situation? (I should probably note, that I offered them directions to other courts that were pretty close, if they didn't want to wait).

What if someone walks up and I'm playing doubles or singles?

Thanks!

Just one court? I don't know if there is a right/wrong answer. Everyone has the "right" to court time with first come being most important criteria. I'd have probably told them I'd be off in 15 minutes and given them directions to other courts - hoping they'd leave. If they stayed I'd have gritted my teeth and packed up after the hopper was done.... I couldn't hit by myself with others waiting.

[librarysteg]

Here in central IL tennis as a hobby doesn't seem very popular. We have countless courts in our small-sized town so it's never, ever a problem to find a court. They're not maintained so they're not much fun to play on, but we've never had to wait for a court, and we've never had anyone waiting for us to finish. The only drama we've ever had was the night some kids turned the lights off on us. It was pitch black and or course takes forever for the lights to turn on again.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by omega4

One person's savvy player is another person's dishonest, selfish player.

Just sayin'.

Yeah that is why I am not one of them

[omega4]

Originally Posted by sureshs

Yeah that is why I am not one of them

Hi Sureshs,
I didn't think you were (I'm not one of them either) and my apologies if my post gave you that impression.

[NLBwell]

Originally Posted by Alchemy-Z

I try to practice in off peak hours on public courts if I am going to be by myself.
Like week nights 4-8pm it is hard to get a court....but show up at 8:30 and you just about get the place to yourself.

Thing that bothers me the most are the tennis snobs...like the other day I was playing singles with a friend and the court next to us was 2 guys and 1 girl they had blue jeans on...one was wearing flip flops that had some walmart racquets and the were obviously new...or just doing it for fun dinking shots back and forth.(high school kids making good use of the nice weather)

then a group of 4 ladies show up...NIKE head to tow matching tennis bags and tell the girl that they need to get off court so they can play "real tennis"

My friend was closest and said "Ladies the wait time is 1 hour and they started 5 min after us and we have been here for 30min so you can wait for us for 30min...or 35 for them

Lady says "fine but I am calling the parks department"

Good for you! Everyone has the right to play tennis equally. There is no judgement on how well they play.

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

I think this may be a local thing. I simply do not see that around here. It seems that so long as a person is actively using the court to "play tennis," they have every right to use the court.

I don't doubt what you are saying for where you live, but I think things have changed around here. Two people cannot bump one person, and four people cannot bump two -- around here, anyway.

That said, I do think it is kind to be as considerate as you can regardless of the rules.

Didn't used to be that way in Northern Virginia. No one would have thought of being that selfish with a scarce commodity. It is because society has changed and being selfish is no longer thought to be out of the norm. Besides, we would have harassed the person to leave if they didn't leave. If they were cooperative, we would have helped them pick up the balls and, if somewhere close in tennis-level, might have invited the person to hit with us a little during the warm-up.
Never seen 4 people try to bump two, though. Might have led to a knife-fight or gunfight at some of the courts we used to play at.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by Alchemy-Z

I try to practice in off peak hours on public courts if I am going to be by myself.
Like week nights 4-8pm it is hard to get a court....but show up at 8:30 and you just about get the place to yourself.

Thing that bothers me the most are the tennis snobs...like the other day I was playing singles with a friend and the court next to us was 2 guys and 1 girl they had blue jeans on...one was wearing flip flops that had some walmart racquets and the were obviously new...or just doing it for fun dinking shots back and forth.(high school kids making good use of the nice weather)

then a group of 4 ladies show up...NIKE head to tow matching tennis bags and tell the girl that they need to get off court so they can play "real tennis"

My friend was closest and said "Ladies the wait time is 1 hour and they started 5 min after us and we have been here for 30min so you can wait for us for 30min...or 35 for them

Lady says "fine but I am calling the parks department"

Then what happened?

[dman72]

The only issue here on LI tends to be the courts with lights, which are few and far between.

During the day time there are courts at every high school in addition to public parks, so it's not hard to find a free one, especially since no one plays tennis anymore.

My favorite place to play is a local high school that just had all of its courts resurfaced (they used to be awful) almost no one knows about this so there are 9 courts and no one is ever there during the summer.

I only bring my ball machine out early in the morning to avoid bothering people on adjacent courts.

[Alchemy-Z]

Originally Posted by sureshs

Then what happened?

They walked off in a huff and started asking other courts if they were done and eventually got one