Biggest Pet Peeve in Tennis?

[tennis tom]

Originally Posted by 10smonkey

....and then having the "tennis Pro" "teach"a clinic of 16-20 high school mindless ball bashers on on court next to me

..and then complain about me when i complain

Yes, it's a sad state of affairs today. Most pro's today (not all) only care about you if you are putting money into their wallets. They have abdicated their responsibility to be helpful to ALL their club's members. This is short-sighted on their part because I will never take a lesson from one of them if they walk by me for years and never bother to say hello or acknowledge my existence at their club. I blame this on equally mindless and disinterested management/ownership who obviously have more money then brains and don't value mine or yours. As for the pro on the court next to yours, he is turning out the future crop of thoughtless yahoo tennis players who will be driving me to croquette one of these days--maybe they should just turn ye' ol' club into a skate-board park/medicinal marijuana dispensary.

[AceKing]

2 of mine:

-When my opponent insists on warming up with mini-tennis
-When my opponent practices his return while I am taking serves, instead of just catching & serving back.

[jdubbs]

Originally Posted by AceKing

2 of mine:

-When my opponent insists on warming up with mini-tennis
-When my opponent practices his return while I am taking serves, instead of just catching & serving back.

Oops, I'm guilty of #1. Mini tennis just gets me in the groove of my strokes, without it my timing gets off.

[catfish]

As a Player: People who won't set up a doubles match or reciprocate for those who do set up matches. They just sit back and wait for someone else to do it.

As a player: People who dilly-dally (as someone else mentioned).

As a captain: Players who won't respond to emails, even when they are told that I don't have time to make individual phone calls. Invariably, they complain about their lack of playing time after the season.

As a league coordinator: Captains who refuse to read any rules or informational emails because they believe that the league coordinator is their personal 24/7 question answering service. And they expect their emails to be answered within 10 minutes no matter what. If they don't get a response in 30 minutes they start emailing the District.

As a league coordinator: Captains who send an email asking the LC a question but don't identify themselves, their league or level. Their email address has a first name only and they sign the email with initials. Do they really think that the LC knows 500 captains by their initials?

[Marcus2137]

I have no problem with net cords. Even if it were on purpose: good for you for being able to hit it when you want. If it's not on purpose, seems silly to apologize.

mine are:

-don't close the door
-don't call out score
-don't look at player across from them before feeding or serving a ball
-don't call out or give a sign on close bounces, which leaves me wondering what the score is
-when rallying, walk over and pick up one ball but leave the other 2 right next to it
-when rallying, they keep feeding ball after ball without giving me the chance so suddenly they are out of balls and I have pockets full that are pulling my shorts off
-stopping the rallying to go pick up balls even though I still have three in my hand and pocketfuls
-serving without getting 2 balls first
-interrupting me between first and second serve without a good reason (i.e. moving a ball posing a danger)
-questioning the score while I'm in the middle of my service motion, and then not giving me a let despite talking while I'm serving
-people in too much of a hurry to warm up and just want to immediately start a set
-dirty courts that make my tennis equipment filthy and wear out faster
-every questionable serve being played as a let
-people who hit my balls out of the court and then come back with some old, bald, flat ball instead

Ahhh, feels good to get it all out

[jdubbs]

Originally Posted by catfish

As a Player: People who won't set up a doubles match or reciprocate for those who do set up matches. They just sit back and wait for someone else to do it.

As a player: People who dilly-dally (as someone else mentioned).

As a captain: Players who won't respond to emails, even when they are told that I don't have time to make individual phone calls. Invariably, they complain about their lack of playing time after the season.

As a league coordinator: Captains who refuse to read any rules or informational emails because they believe that the league coordinator is their personal 24/7 question answering service. And they expect their emails to be answered within 10 minutes no matter what. If they don't get a response in 30 minutes they start emailing the District.

As a league coordinator: Captains who send an email asking the LC a question but don't identify themselves, their league or level. Their email address has a first name only and they sign the email with initials. Do they really think that the LC knows 500 captains by their initials?

On #3, I would set up a facebook group. Much easier to keep track of things and players can refer back to it. We did it and eliminated a lot of problems.

[catfish]

Originally Posted by jdubbs

On #3, I would set up a facebook group. Much easier to keep track of things and players can refer back to it. We did it and eliminated a lot of problems.

I don't use Facebook. Emails are very simple. All the players have to do is hit respond and give their availability.

I tried to use the Tennis Link Team Management tool, but half the players felt that creating a login and entering their availability was too complicated.

[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by AceKing

2 of mine:

-When my opponent insists on warming up with mini-tennis
-When my opponent practices his return while I am taking serves, instead of just catching & serving back.

I used to play with a guy that did this and it drove me nuts. Made the warm up into a 30 minute project.

I haven't played him in months and won't again unless I am desperate for a match.

[jswinf]

Originally Posted by r2473

Are you people savages?!?

http://www.tealaden.com/teaweb/etiquette.htm

How to Properly Drink your Tea

First and foremost never hold your cup with your pinkie finger extended. This is improper and in most social settings is considered rude. Place your index finger into the handle of the cup up to the knuckle while placing your thumb on the top of the handle to secure the cup. The bottom of the handle should then rest on your third finger. The fourth and fifth fingers should curve back towards your wrist.

I guess I'm a savage. Maybe I can mask it by never drinking tea. And with this level of complexity, you should really post it in Tips/Instruction.

Originally Posted by Angle Queen

As for the game itself, my biggest peeve is folks who dilly-dally.

How about if they just lollygag?

Originally Posted by tennis_ocd

When serving, what's with the returners who insist on holding onto the third ball; providing it to me when they desire??

When I'm serving I don't want the third ball, I'd just as soon the opponent has it in a pocket and gives it to me when needed. Now, the ones that forget it's in their pocket...that is peevish.

[CMSlam]

Originally Posted by SOY78

My pet peeve is I always have one ball in the pocket even when returning serve, because some of my opponents are like Sampras and have only one ball when serving 1st serve and when it is a fault they just stand there waiting for the ghost ball ball girl to give them the ball. That really ****es me off sometimes.

When I serve I only use one ball and do not keep another ball in my pocket. It is on purpose and is not a tactic to stall or harass my opponent.

The reason I do this is I tend to rush my second serve if I don't. If I take the time to go retrieve a ball from the fence or the net, I actually come back to the line with a "fresh" mindset. It basically allows me to refocus.

That being said... I do not stall with this tactic. On my serve I am pretty meticulous about making sure the rest of the balls are next to the backstop/fence as close to me as possible.

Get the ball. Step right up to the line. Glance to make sure opponent is ready. 3-bounce then toss and serve.

It's just easier for me to refocus by taking a 5 second trip than to stand in the same spot in the batter's box.

And since I am nowhere near taking long enough for a time violation, I haven't had a single complaint.

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by Marcus2137

-when rallying, walk over and pick up one ball but leave the other 2 right next to it
-when rallying, they keep feeding ball after ball without giving me the chance so suddenly they are out of balls and I have pockets full that are pulling my shorts off
-stopping the rallying to go pick up balls even though I still have three in my hand and pocketfuls

Boy, we would have a hard time rallying!

If we are rallying and I run up to the net or to the side fence, I will pick up whatever balls are near me, even if you have three in your pocket. I'm right there, why not?

If we are rallying and you need to clear a ball, I will also clear a ball if I can do so in the time it will take you to clear one. This seems to annoy my practice partner no end.

I may stop rallying when you have three in your pockets. I cannot always clearly discern what you have in your pockets. I will know if you will hurry up and pull one out and feed it.

I do sometimes feed a ball before my practice partner is ready. What I can't figure is why she isn't ready. Do we need to do all of the self-flagellation because she missed a shot? How am I supposed to know you're not ready because you need to fix your wedgie?

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by CMSlam

When I serve I only use one ball and do not keep another ball in my pocket. It is on purpose and is not a tactic to stall or harass my opponent.

The reason I do this is I tend to rush my second serve if I don't. If I take the time to go retrieve a ball from the fence or the net, I actually come back to the line with a "fresh" mindset. It basically allows me to refocus.

That being said... I do not stall with this tactic. On my serve I am pretty meticulous about making sure the rest of the balls are next to the backstop/fence as close to me as possible.

Get the ball. Step right up to the line. Glance to make sure opponent is ready. 3-bounce then toss and serve.

It's just easier for me to refocus by taking a 5 second trip than to stand in the same spot in the batter's box.

And since I am nowhere near taking long enough for a time violation, I haven't had a single complaint.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the rule said the server had to serve the second serve "promptly."

I think having my opponent step up to serve without a second ball in her pocket would drive me insane. I mean, say your serve goes long and I let it go to the fence behind me. You don't have a ball. You mean I have to send a ball to you so you can hit your second serve?

Man, that is a huge cumulative dilly-dally, and I think it would cause a lot of people to freak completely out.

[hard2explain]

Originally Posted by CMSlam

When I serve I only use one ball and do not keep another ball in my pocket. It is on purpose and is not a tactic to stall or harass my opponent.

The reason I do this is I tend to rush my second serve if I don't. If I take the time to go retrieve a ball from the fence or the net, I actually come back to the line with a "fresh" mindset. It basically allows me to refocus.

That being said... I do not stall with this tactic. On my serve I am pretty meticulous about making sure the rest of the balls are next to the backstop/fence as close to me as possible.

Get the ball. Step right up to the line. Glance to make sure opponent is ready. 3-bounce then toss and serve.

It's just easier for me to refocus by taking a 5 second trip than to stand in the same spot in the batter's box.

And since I am nowhere near taking long enough for a time violation, I haven't had a single complaint.

It's good that you're considerate, it's the ones who take a long time between their first and second serves that annoys me,
also people running to collect a ball and hit it back to my side of the court between my 1st and 2nd serve.

Less specifically and probably not a pet peeve, is the huge amount of variables surrounding the technology;
ball types, surfaces, 100s of strings at indiscriminate tensions, HYBRIDS ffs, head sizes, LEAD TAPE, beam thicknesses, stiffnesses to name a few,
all playing on your mind after a loss etc.

[CMSlam]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the rule said the server had to serve the second serve "promptly."

I think having my opponent step up to serve without a second ball in her pocket would drive me insane. I mean, say your serve goes long and I let it go to the fence behind me. You don't have a ball. You mean I have to send a ball to you so you can hit your second serve?

Man, that is a huge cumulative dilly-dally, and I think it would cause a lot of people to freak completely out.

Not at all. If I serve long, I go grab another ball from behind me.
Its not the same as have a ball/ not have a ball.
It's have a ball in my pocket, or have it five steps away sitting on the ground.

What if I hit the net on that serve and it stays on my side. Usually the ball rests in the middle of my court when this happens? If that happens, I usually clear my side by getting that one and using it again. Same fives steps. So the definition of "promptly" in the rules would have to incorporate that situation.

And the cumulative dilly-dally works both ways. I play punctual on everything. So I guess my opponent doesn't feel like I'm trying to slow down the tempo. If I had to say anything, I almost always am ready before my opponents.

And I would have to say that if an opponent really complained about it I would probably shrug and pocket the second ball. I just haven't had a single complaint yet.

[CMSlam]

Originally Posted by CMSlam

What if I hit the net on that serve and it stays on my side. Usually the ball rests in the middle of my court when this happens?

Sorry for the misuse of proper punctuation. Question mark should be after the "it stays on my side?" not the "when this happens."

[g4driver]

***** GroupMe app for iPhone ******

Works great for our team. Guys can mute or get all messages via Push vs SMS.

Our team uses it to check availability for tennis, bars, concerts and for about half the team, yes strip clubs. No wives, no girlfriends, and no one knows about it. Like FightClub, dont talk about it just use it.

Oh, a pet peeve, people who leave their trash on the court and benches. Use the trash can folks.

[OrangePower]

^^^^^^
Pet peeve: People who assume that everyone else has an iPhone

[r2473]

Originally Posted by g4driver

Oh, a pet peeve, people who leave there trash on the court and benches. Use the trash can folks.

This is my other major pet peeve.

I usually spend the first few minutes picking up old balls someone "generously" left on the court, ball cans, always pick up several ball can metal lids, and normally several drink bottles and snack wrappers.

I often "secretly" pick up my partners trash too.

I'm really not annoyed by this anymore. It's just part of my routine. It only takes a minute or so and it's worth it to me to play on a trash free court instead of having it blow around while I'm playing.

[tennis-player]

my biggest pet peeve is related to a local ladder. Both players suppose to bring unopened can of balls and split the cost of court reservation (if played at busy times and reservation is a must); play with one can of balls, and winner takes home the other. I hate when people act "dumb" after they loose the match, and instead of running to club house to get a can of balls (because they "forgot" to bring), they just say "well, i guess i owe you a can of balls"....

[tennis-player]

Originally Posted by g4driver

Oh, a pet peeve, people who leave there trash on the court and benches. Use the trash can folks.

I hate that too...