Is it wrong to cool tennis balls before a match?

TTMR

TTMR

Hall of Fame
I'm just wondering, would you object if your opponent put a fresh can of tennis balls in the freezer for 12-24 hours before your rec or league match? There are no grass courts within 3000 miles of where I live, and this is the only way I can think of to replicate the low bounce of grass courts.

Plus, I grew up poor and had to play with dead balls until I was in late high school, so I've come to prefer them. The etiquette is to bring a fresh new can of balls to each match--I've never heard it's against etiquette to refrigerate or freeze the balls in the can before playing.

What would you do?
 
onehandbh

onehandbh

G.O.A.T.
TTMR said:
I'm just wondering, would you object if your opponent put a fresh can of tennis balls in the freezer for 12-24 hours before your rec or league match? There are no grass courts within 3000 miles of where I live, and this is the only way I can think of to replicate the low bounce of grass courts.

Plus, I grew up poor and had to play with dead balls until I was in late high school, so I've come to prefer them. The etiquette is to bring a fresh new can of balls to each match--I've never heard it's against etiquette to refrigerate or freeze the balls in the can before playing.

What would you do?
Click to expand...
You can do this instead.

The next time you cut your lawn, collect all the grass and save it. Can also ask your neighbors to do the same. Then spread it on the tennis court you will be playing at.

OR

Wear high heels when you play. Then the balls will feel like they are not bouncing as high because you will be taller.
 
TTMR

TTMR

Hall of Fame
Keep in mind, the Colorado Rockies place all baseballs in home games in humidors to counteract the lower resistance of high altitude air. Otherwise, everything's flying out of the park. What I'm doing is no different.
 
atatu

atatu

Legend
There was a legendary college in Texas who used to open the balls the night before a match. They played a little less lively the next day and that was a benefit for his guys, many of them were clay courters from Latin America.
 
esgee48

esgee48

G.O.A.T.
Probably would notice the cold can. If I open the can and don’t hear that customary pop, I would test the rebound of the ball. Rule says at least 50% bounce height. If balls don’t meet that requirement, I would probably open another can.

If you like low bouncing balls, buy Dunlop Championship balls. My playing buddies don’t like them.
 
S

stapletonj

Hall of Fame
1. Only would affect the balls for about 1 minute.
2. Only would affect play if pulled out right after warmup AND you win the toss and elect to serve.
3. What opponent in his right mind would allow this?

The INSTANT he sees the frost on the can, he is going to smell the gamesmanship.
IF it were me, I'd instantly stop and pop my own unfrozen fresh can and simply say "We're playing these"
I would probably immediately call for a line judge if it were a tourney, although I have yet to come to a tourney where one side is allowed to bring and use their own balls...
 
TTMR

TTMR

Hall of Fame
I guess a tight string tension would have the same effect, but freezing the balls is a lot cheaper.
 
P

ponzicrash

New User
There is a local player who is notorious for showing up to a match with "a fresh can of balls", but no one has ever seen him open the can and they don't bounce/spin at all.

Unsurprisingly he hits extremely flat ground strokes. Unclear what he does to these balls.

And yes I'd consider freezing or sanding off ball fuzz or even purposefully lying about old balls being new for a competitive match cheating.
 
FuzzyYellowBalls

FuzzyYellowBalls

Legend
TTMR said:
I'm just wondering, would you object if your opponent put a fresh can of tennis balls in the freezer for 12-24 hours before your rec or league match? There are no grass courts within 3000 miles of where I live, and this is the only way I can think of to replicate the low bounce of grass courts.

Plus, I grew up poor and had to play with dead balls until I was in late high school, so I've come to prefer them. The etiquette is to bring a fresh new can of balls to each match--I've never heard it's against etiquette to refrigerate or freeze the balls in the can before playing.

What would you do?
Click to expand...
That would not replicate grass bounces/skids very well.
 
Airspun

Airspun

Professional
TTMR said:
I'm just wondering, would you object if your opponent put a fresh can of tennis balls in the freezer for 12-24 hours before your rec or league match? There are no grass courts within 3000 miles of where I live, and this is the only way I can think of to replicate the low bounce of grass courts.

Plus, I grew up poor and had to play with dead balls until I was in late high school, so I've come to prefer them. The etiquette is to bring a fresh new can of balls to each match--I've never heard it's against etiquette to refrigerate or freeze the balls in the can before playing.

What would you do?
Click to expand...

My son forgot to cool my balls, so I kicked him out and told him to get a real job and that I'm not longer supporting him!
 
Johnny505

Johnny505

Semi-Pro
We used to take several large cans of pressurised butane gas those with press down release dispenser to the club and cool balls in their cans about an hour before we play. All worked fine until on one occasion some dumb axx hit the light switch in the changing room and caused an explosion. The club never found out what happened to this date and we never owned up.
 
onehandbh

onehandbh

G.O.A.T.
silverwyvern4 said:
What do you do if you think your opponent is intentionally shaking balls deep into the forest in the 2nd set, in order to force you to open a new can and benefit from fresh balls?
Click to expand...
Is "shaking the balls deep into the forest" a euphemism for something NSFW?
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
I remember that in Davis Cup competition back in the 70s and 80s, Argentinian team members, while playing on clay at home, used to moisten the balls with whatever means possible like their own sweat to make them heavier when playing against countries with predominantly fast court players.
 
TTMR

TTMR

Hall of Fame
socallefty said:
If your opponent does these kind of high jinks with balls, just hit a couple way out of the court in the first ten minutes. Unlikely they have two cans treated that way and they will have to let you open your own can.
Click to expand...

I make them go get it, or get it myself. I also keep a cooler and ice pack for my water, and also throw the balls in there so I don't have to carry two bags.

Check mate.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
TTMR said:
I'm just wondering, would you object if your opponent put a fresh can of tennis balls in the freezer for 12-24 hours before your rec or league match? There are no grass courts within 3000 miles of where I live, and this is the only way I can think of to replicate the low bounce of grass courts.

Plus, I grew up poor and had to play with dead balls until I was in late high school, so I've come to prefer them. The etiquette is to bring a fresh new can of balls to each match--I've never heard it's against etiquette to refrigerate or freeze the balls in the can before playing.

What would you do?
Click to expand...
Why don't you just sit on the balls for a while to reduce their pressure? By wiggling your butt, you can also get a nice massage that way.
 
silverwyvern4

silverwyvern4

Semi-Pro
TTMR said:
I make them go get it, or get it myself. I also keep a cooler and ice pack for my water, and also throw the balls in there so I don't have to carry two bags.

Check mate.
Click to expand...
If they hit the balls into the swimming pool, would you still make them get it and use those wet balls?
 
tennis4me

tennis4me

Hall of Fame
Replicate low-bouncing grass court? Several ways.
Find a public court with extremely worn surface, it'll skid like grass and have very low bouncing balls. I know and stopped going to those courts long time ago. :D

Also, those courts next to baseball field with sands blown away from the baseball tend to skid.

When you play after the court is wet from drizzles, the ball will also skid with low bounce, but you'll ruin your string.

Some parts of the world where it rains a lot, have fake grass courts with fine sands on the surface. They bounce low and you kinda have to slide when running for balls.
 
J

jz000

Semi-Pro
This is why people play pickleball.
Come on, don't ruin this great sport that's already short on players.
 
S

stapletonj

Hall of Fame
ttmr - assuming that is your phot in the avatar, that appears to be the only possible reason you could have to bring said hair dryer.

(I know it's not, just having fun, like the rest of this thread)
 
Purestriker

Purestriker

Legend
TTMR said:
I'm just wondering, would you object if your opponent put a fresh can of tennis balls in the freezer for 12-24 hours before your rec or league match? There are no grass courts within 3000 miles of where I live, and this is the only way I can think of to replicate the low bounce of grass courts.

Plus, I grew up poor and had to play with dead balls until I was in late high school, so I've come to prefer them. The etiquette is to bring a fresh new can of balls to each match--I've never heard it's against etiquette to refrigerate or freeze the balls in the can before playing.

What would you do?
Click to expand...
Yes,I would object.
 
Radicalized

Radicalized

Professional
I thought you had a lot of property. Build yourself a court like the farmer in Iowa, a guy in Colorado, and like President Harry S. Truman built to gain the affection of the girl he liked who eventually, much later, became his wife. By the way, when he built the court for her and planned a party, she didn't show up.
 
S

struggle

Legend
Unacceptable on any level.

Played a cold november tourney (USTA league, no less) where the TD left the balls in her trunk overnight.

They were worthless.

If an opponent did this to me intentionally he/she would be considered and called out as a cheater.
 
TTMR

TTMR

Hall of Fame
struggle said:
Unacceptable on any level.

Played a cold november tourney (USTA league, no less) where the TD left the balls in her trunk overnight.

They were worthless.

If an opponent did this to me intentionally he/she would be considered and called out as a cheater.
Click to expand...

I personally would consider an opponent that consistently brought just opened high-flying ultra bouncy Wilson US Opens a cheater. To each their own, I guess.
 
S

struggle

Legend
TTMR said:
I personally would consider an opponent that consistently brought just opened high-flying ultra bouncy Wilson US Opens a cheater. To each their own, I guess.
Click to expand...

You didn’t claim to be a real tennis player.

Sounds like squash or pickleball is your game.
 
TTMR

TTMR

Hall of Fame
Radicalized said:
I thought you had a lot of property. Build yourself a court like the farmer in Iowa, a guy in Colorado, and like President Harry S. Truman built to gain the affection of the girl he liked who eventually, much later, became his wife. By the way, when he built the court for her and planned a party, she didn't show up.
Click to expand...

I don't have a lot of liquidity, and the bank doesn't look too keen on funding my court of dreams. I guess I don't have the folksy good looks of Kevin Costner.
 
TTMR

TTMR

Hall of Fame
I wasn't too thrilled the other day. A guy I met off classified site took one bounce of one of my chilled balls and said "I'm not playing with these", then grabbed some US Opens from his bag. I kept my mouth shut but I regret it.

Where do some people get off?
 
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