I do it when rallying and practicing, not often when practicing serves. My coach told me once its illegal anyway.
Illegal - You can't be serious!!!
Everyone used to do this in the 60's and 70's and probably before. Look at old photos of stan smith, even billie jean king held 2 balls when serving. Nearly everyone had a 1 handed backhand.
You need both hands to hit proper forehand and backhand, even if both are one-handed stroke. To hold a ball while hitting handicaps you (assuming you have decent game) and is extremely rude, unless you're the coach and/or a couple of levels above the hitting partner.
Why is it (EXTREMELY) rude?
Because you are depriving your hitting partner of a decent hit?
I do it when I am playing tournaments win, loose, does not matter, it is how I play.
It might be a age gap deal but it is how I play.
I assure you,
a lot of average players, good players and even some great players from back in the day did it and probably practiced like they played.
I do realise that the game has evolved over the years, so I can't be certain of what was or was not practiced in distant past. I personally find it hard to believe that pro's competed while holding a ball in non-dominant hand. I would welcome you to prove me wrong by posting a video where a touring pro holds a ball while playing a point in a professional match.
I would welcome you to prove me wrong by posting a video where a touring pro holds a ball while playing a point in a professional match.
Like this one:
http://www.sixtiescity.com/Events/Images/EVE166.jpg
To clear one thing up, it is LEGAL.
Rod Laver, in 1975:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcRNZeo70P4
Steffi Graf won 11 GS titles playing with the 2nd ball in her hand. When she switched coaches in 1992, she stopped doing that. I also play with the other ball in my hand.
Check 0:22: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c-iia2oT5k
Steffi Graf won 11 GS titles playing with the 2nd ball in her hand. When she switched coaches in 1992, she stopped doing that. I also play with the other ball in my hand.
Check 0:22: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c-iia2oT5k
The quality of the video is too poor to really tell what's going on there. If anything, it shows to me that Laver is NOT holding a ball in his hand while playing points. Is there a particular frame you wish to point out that shows otherwise?
How about seconds 1 through 4? If you can't see Laver holding one ball and bouncing another one, then holding both balls again, I don't know what to say.
But, if you reject that one, here's Guillermo Vilas-- a little blurry, but the other ball is again quite visible (at 43 seconds, for example). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4pPc9YesFc.
Or, Ken Rosewall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh76_gnh5sA. Around 7:15-7:20 the two-ball service toss is unmistakably clear.
So to sum up, world-class players can (and did) compete while holding a ball in the non-dominant hand, and there's zero reason to take offense if your hitting partner does the same.
So instead of admitting you were wrong, blabla
blabla
No big deal, we have all been wrong before.
Did you write this?
"I would welcome you to prove me wrong by posting a video where a touring pro holds a ball while playing a point in a professional match."
Rod Laver? Are you serious?
Show some respect to one of the greatest players of all time.
I have nothing but respect for Laver and his great skill at playing the sport that was popular at his time.
Then why say things like this?
“I know that pre-modern tennis was a joke"
I see your point now – you cherry-picked the word “wrong” from my figure of speech and are holding onto it as a drowning man might hold onto a straw. Well, what I was basically saying was: “I know that pre-modern tennis was a joke, but I find it hard to believe that it was farcical to the extent where players held balls in their hands while playing tour points. Please prove me wrong” . Now that I’ve been proven “wrong”, it is clear as day that whatever game those people in the pictures (or “videos”, as you might call them) you posted, were playing, is of no relation to the great game of tennis that we know and love today. Thanks again for your contributions.
SoBad are you just joking around or are you telling us you are really some kind of fool? You talk about manners and rudeness (holding a ball in your hand while practicing or playing is rude??) then you display massive shamelessness in your attitude to the tennis legacy and tradition and history.
So which is it - just pulling our legs or the other?