anyone heard of this?

muddlehead

muddlehead

Professional
league match last week. northern california hard courts. three courts side by side. middle court has no chairs or bench. two end ones do as there is a side fence a bench can be placed against. so, i bring 2 plastic chairs - cheap white lightweight ones you can get at kmart - up to the middle court where my partner and i are playing. pro, in a nice and friendly manner, says no chairs can be placed on court because they'll leave a mark. i said fine. no confrontation. all is good. now, i've only played this here game for about 52 years. i've never had anyone say a plastic chair leaves a mark on a hard court. have you?
 
BullDogTennis

BullDogTennis

Hall of Fame
it wouldn't hurt it...if so were in a really smart butt mood, you should have said someting about the other team hitting there racquets on the ground, and leaving marks, so they shoudl have to take there racquets off the court! but you handled it well...he just wanted to show his power...
 
polski

polski

Semi-Pro
Pretty much any plastic benches/chairs will leave marks on hard courts, even the ones specifically sold for tennis. However, they wash away after a good rain or two. I think the pro was being a bit protective of his courts...but that's his right.
 
beernutz

beernutz

Hall of Fame
What kind of facility that can afford a protective pro doesn't have seats for every court?

You handled it better than I would have, so good job for that.
 
T

tennis tom

Legend
That sucks! But we participate in a very genteel sport and must maintain it's decorum, Serena Williams comes to mind as someone who sets a sterling example. Maybe if you would have keeled over from heat prostration and bled all over the court that would have been preferable, blood's really difficult to get off a court.

At my club, the owner won't put up a shade awning because it "would block the view of the spectators"--of what?-- players keeling over from heat prostration!

What is a real bummer are hoity-toity country clubs in Palm Springs, that won't let one play bare-foot on the grass courts. It is truly one of tennis's great sensual pleasures to run around without abandon, hitting tennis balls on a grass court, bare-foot. Your body and anything that may ail it are cured after a week of it.

A couple of clubs that allow one to play bare-foot on the grass are Baker City, Oregon and South Cowichan on Vancouver Island.

At my "home" club--more like a half-way house for tennis poseurs--the club "pro" made me put my tennies on; it was a beautiful hot day and another moment of abandon stifled by the kill-joy of proper tennis decorum while Rome burns.



Sorry, hope I didn't hi-jack your thread too badly, I've been playing in the sun too long today, at ye' old club.

Cheers and don't let the *******s get you down.
 
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GetBetterer

GetBetterer

Hall of Fame
I have to be honest with you...this is the first time I have ever heard of this.

I've brought many things that could make a mark on the court.

Also, if a mark is made, that means either the object that made the mark, or the court wore away. It depends on which one had more energy, and is a tougher object. On a hard court, it would be the chair that suffers the damage though, unlike clay and grass.
 
P

pmerk34

Legend
muddlehead said:
league match last week. northern california hard courts. three courts side by side. middle court has no chairs or bench. two end ones do as there is a side fence a bench can be placed against. so, i bring 2 plastic chairs - cheap white lightweight ones you can get at kmart - up to the middle court where my partner and i are playing. pro, in a nice and friendly manner, says no chairs can be placed on court because they'll leave a mark. i said fine. no confrontation. all is good. now, i've only played this here game for about 52 years. i've never had anyone say a plastic chair leaves a mark on a hard court. have you?
Click to expand...

The guy sounds like a moron.
 
W

woodrow1029

Guest
It does happen.

Easy solution. Use the plastic tops from ball cans and put them under the chair legs
 
O

OrangeOne

Legend
woodrow1029 said:
It does happen.

Easy solution. Use the plastic tops from ball cans and put them under the chair legs
Click to expand...

Or go one step further and cut some old balls in half, and use them under (or snap them on to) the legs.

Hard to argue against a tennis ball being the only thing contacting the court!
 
Cindysphinx

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
There are two clubs here with hard courts that will not allow any sports beverages. Water only. Anything else will leave a stain if spilled.

I guess that's better than the county facility where I played today. We took the court and there was a blood splatter pattern near the service line that looked like someone needed a tourniquet. Ick.
 
T

tennisee

Rookie
^^ All true, but the converstion then becomes:
Pro:
"Hi, we have a no-chair rule here. I can see that your chairs will cause no damage, but in the past some folks who were not as thoughtful as you brought folding metal chairs that dug holes in the surface. We can't really go around checking all chairs, so we find it simplest to have a blanket no-chair rule. Sorry for the inconveniece, especially as if everyone was as thoughtful as you are then the rule would not be necessary."
 
O

OrangeOne

Legend
Cindysphinx said:
There are two clubs here with hard courts that will not allow any sports beverages. Water only. Anything else will leave a stain if spilled.

I guess that's better than the county facility where I played today. We took the court and there was a blood splatter pattern near the service line that looked like someone needed a tourniquet. Ick.
Click to expand...

I hope it never gets hot at those facilities, and equally that there are never any long matches.

They could be asking for one hell of a lawsuit....
 
Ronaldo

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
tennisee said:
^^ All true, but the converstion then becomes:
Pro:
"Hi, we have a no-chair rule here. I can see that your chairs will cause no damage, but in the past some folks who were not as thoughtful as you brought folding metal chairs that dug holes in the surface. We can't really go around checking all chairs, so we find it simplest to have a blanket no-chair rule. Sorry for the inconveniece, especially as if everyone was as thoughtful as you are then the rule would not be necessary."
Click to expand...

Seen the no-chair rule at clubs before and had other players complain about the clutter around the netposts. Most players use folding chairs at our club.
 
aceX

aceX

Hall of Fame
muddlehead said:
league match last week. northern california hard courts. three courts side by side. middle court has no chairs or bench. two end ones do as there is a side fence a bench can be placed against. so, i bring 2 plastic chairs - cheap white lightweight ones you can get at kmart - up to the middle court where my partner and i are playing. pro, in a nice and friendly manner, says no chairs can be placed on court because they'll leave a mark. i said fine. no confrontation. all is good. now, i've only played this here game for about 52 years. i've never had anyone say a plastic chair leaves a mark on a hard court. have you?
Click to expand...

Good on you for not causing a fuss. Obviously annoying, but I saw a good suggestion with cutting some tennis balls in half. You might be able to cover one chair foot with a quarter of a ball... one ball per seat. Glue them on and then no-one can say anything. If anyone argues with seats after the ball mod, then you have grounds for a good argument.
 
Last edited:
Ronaldo

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
aceX said:
Good on you for not causing a fuss. Obviously annoying, but I saw a good suggestion with cutting some tennis balls in half. You might be able to cover one chair foot with a quarter of a ball... one ball per seat. Glue them on and then no-one can say anything. If anyone argues with seats after the ball mod, then you have grounds for a good argument.
Click to expand...

Bring this chair to court. http://www.yatzer.com/assets/Image/2009/september/tennis/tennis-mania-Hugh-Hayden-yatzer_9.jpg
 
T

tennis tom

Legend
Yes, tennis balls on the feet of the chairs would be a very appropriate solution that would be difficult to argue with.

I've donated used tennis balls to Senior Centers to put on the legs of walkers, for better balance and to keep from scuffing the floors.
 
O

OrangeOne

Legend
Cindysphinx said:
They are indoor facilities, after all . . .
Click to expand...

a. I didn't know that...

b. I'm not familiar enough with indoor facilities worldwide to know what the deal is with heat, air-conditioning etc. I've only ever played indoor at 2 locations - at a club I was a member of in Dublin ('blow-up buildings' and it was never warm enough while I was there), and once in Melbourne (which was a cheapo warehouse job and thus got very, very hot from memory).

I'd have wanted to be drinking whatever I pleased at the Melbourne centre, and it wouldn't always have been water.

c. Indoors doesn't really change the length of a match, at least in an untimed match, though from what you've said you frequently play timed matches.

I think if I were running those centres, I'd have a "drinks only at the chairs" style rule. Keep things neat enough, but still allow for safe, appropriately-fueled play.
 
Cindysphinx

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
I guess you can always walk off the court and drink there.

I only drink water, so it's not a problem for me. I would eat a banana if I felt like I needed fuel.
 
O

OrangeOne

Legend
Cindysphinx said:
I guess you can always walk off the court and drink there.
Click to expand...

Fair call. It'd annoy me having to do it at each change of ends though.

I only drink water, so it's not a problem for me. I would eat a banana if I felt like I needed fuel.
Click to expand...

And that's allowed? Hmm, I'd think allowing food would be as or more dangerous (to the courts) than allowing non-water drinks!
 
Cindysphinx

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
Boy. I rarely sit down on changeovers. I am more likely to walk to the baseline with my water and pace back and forth.

Like a caged animal.
 
B

BethNJ

New User
I guess my indoor club is really strict:
No chairs on the courts
No drinks allowed, except for water
No dark- soled tennis shoes
 
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