An age old question

serve and Justin · May 30, 2009

Does noise bother you?

I can understand if I Noonand (Caddyshack reference) someone when they were serving...but if not and just noise was present...does it bother you?

I started thinking about this while I was reading the "Ban Shapapova" thread...

I play during busy hours at parks around the city of Chicago (not quiet)...I personally never notice the noise...Baseball games, kids playing, other courts make tons of noise, personally I always thought that part of sport was being able to block out distractions...

If someone hit a bullhorn everytime I served maybe it would throw me off...but other than that not much gets to me...when I played hockey for my college people would ask if I heard their cheers and my honest answer would be no...I block out interference when I compete...

how does it affect you and your game?

Wilson6-1 · May 30, 2009

Noise has never bothered me, and most of the time, the other teams don't seem to mind. Had a few complain about someone hitting against the wall on a court near ours, but not that it was a big deal.

10sfreak · May 30, 2009

YES!!! Absolutely! I hate any kind of noise when I'm playing...I don't even like to hear "yours!" or "switch!" during a point. Even just a motorcycle riding by bothers me. (I know I'm a little too sensitive about noise, but I can't seem to help it...)

subaru3169 · May 30, 2009

i don't mind noise if it's expected.. but if it's out of the ordinary, it'll throw me off

mtommer · May 30, 2009

Nope. In fact, I'm pretty vocal on the court as I play. For example, as I'm hitting a ball and I know it's going to be out or not where I intend I'll yell "OUT" or "hit the line already" - something along this line.

mikeler · May 30, 2009

Noise only bothers me when I'm losing.

spaceman_spiff · Jun 1, 2009

The courts at my club are directly under the flight path and less than a mile from the nearby airport, so planes are always flying just a couple hundred feet above us.

At first, it's difficult getting used to serving without being to hear anything due to the EasyJet plane flying right above you, but you eventually get used to it.

Most opponents from other clubs won't serve until after the plane has passed.

Kemitak · Jun 1, 2009

Are you comparing playing tennis in a park in Chicago with playing at a the highest level in the world? It matters much more to pros if they can hear the ball come off the strings than it does to the rest of us. But players at different levels get used to different things. A pro probably couldn't handle playing on a public court in a park, and we probably couldn't handle playing in a stadium with thousands of people watching and cheering.

JavierLW · Jun 1, 2009

serve and Justin said:
Does noise bother you?

I can understand if I Noonand (Caddyshack reference) someone when they were serving...but if not and just noise was present...does it bother you?

I started thinking about this while I was reading the "Ban Shapapova" thread...

I play during busy hours at parks around the city of Chicago (not quiet)...I personally never notice the noise...Baseball games, kids playing, other courts make tons of noise, personally I always thought that part of sport was being able to block out distractions...

If someone hit a bullhorn everytime I served maybe it would throw me off...but other than that not much gets to me...when I played hockey for my college people would ask if I heard their cheers and my honest answer would be no...I block out interference when I compete...

how does it affect you and your game?

Our home courts are next to a freeway, so it's constantly noisy.

I think anything that happens outside of the court can be tuned out for the most part, especially if it's one long constant noise.

The trouble with players who grunt loudly or yell "ARGGH or OUT!!!" after they hit the ball (the yelling part is certainly Hindrance btw), is that it's happening right as you are about to hit the ball.

So that can get a little distracting. Especially if it's a big moment and players are not consistently doing it every time.

NickH87 · Jun 1, 2009

I can deal with noise, I cant deal with the little kid on the next court over whining like a little girl everytime the balls goes into my court and he goes chasing it during my rally...even if we ask for him to wait...does no good.

Cindysphinx · Jun 1, 2009

Noise doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I'm rather noisy myself, at least when I'm playing well. When I'm losing, I don't make a sound.

I'm trying to tone down the noise, but it's really hard. I do it on volleys more than groundstrokes, which is just plain weird.

I wish my partners would talk more during points. I have been known to speak actual sentences. Like a ball goes up the middle and I am expecting my partner to take it. I might say, "You! Never mind, I've got it, stay where you are!"

Oh, well. Too much communication is way better than not enough . . . .

ezylman · Jun 1, 2009

I personally get more distracted by visuals than by sound. A moving net person or a jogger going by as I am playing distract me the most. I try to zone it out, but it often doesn't work. My ex-wife used to say I had the attention span of a cat.

serve and Justin · Jun 1, 2009

Kemitak said:
Are you comparing playing tennis in a park in Chicago with playing at a the highest level in the world? It matters much more to pros if they can hear the ball come off the strings than it does to the rest of us. But players at different levels get used to different things. A pro probably couldn't handle playing on a public court in a park, and we probably couldn't handle playing in a stadium with thousands of people watching and cheering.

no I wasn't trying to make that comparison...just trying to gauge the average players feelings...oh and I would play better in front of thousands of people...I LOVED the huge crowds at our hockey games in college...

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