How much is too windy for playing outdoors?

Faris

Professional
MPH wise. I wanted to know how much wind is too much wind? For me, forecast shows 12 mph and I'm trying to figure out if that will be okay for a lowly 4.0 to go out and hit. I know that I could not play in 17mph winds (my phone was showing) last time it was windy.

What is your optimal wind speeds for playing outdoors?
 

Mongolmike

Hall of Fame
Don't know what exact speed is detrimental, but for rec play, it sure is fun and a big challenge to play outside in windy conditions. Lobs and service ball tosses are an adventure! And if the wind is blowing cross court... angle spin shots are awesome.
 
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Deleted member 23235

Guest
Don't know what exact speed is detrimental, but for rec play, it sure is fun and a big challenge to play outside in windy conditions. Lobs and service ball tosses are an adventure! And if the wind is blowing cross court... angle spin shots are awesome.
For practice, i often will torture myself, and play in the wind.
It is an amazing footwork workout.
1hr of hitting easily feels like 2h.
 

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
OMG, I just posted this in tennis tips ....!
We currently have winds gusting to 35mph during the match I just finished.
Had a tournament a few months ago with winds to 60mph.

According to USTA tournament rules (which they looked up for that tourney) matches can be called for precipitation of any kind, threat of tornado but not for wind. The rational is that players must be able to adjust!
 

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
In terms of pleasure ... under 15 mph I don't consider it wind. That is simply a breeze. Over 20 if its steady not gusty I can usually hang okay. Over 25 mph disaster.
 

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
Interesting rule for ITA collegiate play .... they are calling matches for inclement weather that seems pretty decent to me:

13. Inclement weather. Collegiate tennis is an outdoor sport. All matches shall be played outdoors unless weather or court conditions threaten the health and safety of student athletes or if contracted otherwise for winter month competition. In the event of inclement weather, a team match shall be continued indoors if varsity quality tennis facilities are available. (See II.C.1. for a definition of varsity quality tennis facility).
a. Definition of inclement weather
i. the projected weather forecast for a four-hour time period from the start of the match, according to www.weather.com shall be:
• a high of less than 50°; or • sustained winds of 20 miles per hour or more.
ii. if the outdoor conditions have changed by the end of the doubles play, it is understood that both coaches and the referee may agree to move the match indoors.
iii. when no indoor back-up is available, the match must be played outdoors unless weather conditions are hazardous.
 

esgee48

G.O.A.T.
Sustained winds > 20 MPH is bad. That's when any ball hit down the middle is pushed wide or you hit the ball as hard as you can into the wind and it barely makes it to past the service line or you touch the ball and it is out by at least 3 '. I prefer to play when the wind is < 5 MPH.
 

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
Sustained winds > 20 MPH is bad. That's when any ball hit down the middle is pushed wide or you hit the ball as hard as you can into the wind and it barely makes it to past the service line or you touch the ball and it is out by at least 3 '. I prefer to play when the wind is < 5 MPH.

Although I also prefer no wind ... in sustained 20 mph it really isn't that bad, down the middle will reach within 3 feet of singles sideline at worst ... don't aim for corners ever!
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
I hate wind. But I believe I deal with it better than most opponents: I try very hard to not make excuses and to adjust as best as I can, knowing my opponent is going through the same thing. As a result, I think I end up doing better in wind, relatively speaking.

I still hate wind, though.
 

NTRPolice

Hall of Fame
I've played in winds so bad that no one could even use their first serve because the toss was drifting around so bad. People were using their second serves as first serves and their second serve was really slow. Suffice to say, it was a match of breaks and not holds. A rare case in which you'd rather be returning than serving, haha. The returns were going faster than the serves.

Top spin shots were drifting side to side as much as extreme slices. I'm talking like 3 ft. of drift. The crazy thing is that top spin lobs were diving down hard, but trying to lob without the ball drifting wide was like it's own mini game. Someone slice lobbed a return and I swear the ball went from about the doubles alley to the center of the court.

It was awful. It didnt even feel like tennis.
 

lstewart

Semi-Pro
I hate playing in strong winds. I am a member of two clubs, and one has indoor bubbles over the courts for 4 months or so. I am indoors so long during that period that I get very spoiled. It is pretty windy where I live, so I always HATE having to go to outdoor tennis in the spring. 12mph wind here would be a very average day, so it is much worse than that a lot of the time. We have days from one end you can swing as hard as you want and can't hit it out, while from the other end you can only hit very easy chips. When the wind is cross court, it looks like a circus trick shot exhibition. We have some city courts high on a hill in a totally open field, and no wind screens. Trying to hit out there in the spring is completely unplayable. Long ago back in college tennis with no indoor courts, we used to practice and play in some crazy wind. Probably had some of my best wins then, due to me dealing with the problem better than my opponent. But now playing so much indoor tennis, I HATE dealing with it. But I don't cancel workouts because of it.
 

lstewart

Semi-Pro
By the way, I just checked our local weather, and the wind is 25mph right now. That's more what we deal with in the spring.
 

lstewart

Semi-Pro
Yeah, I played a college match in snow flurries in early March in Shreveport against Centenary. I think the 50 degree rule mostly deals with teams that have both indoor and outdoor courts, and they are expected to play outdoors if the temp is 50 or above.
 

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
so, I have a tournament first round match tonight.

Forecast is for winds sustained at 35 mph from the north, gusting to 50 mph. No precipitation, so likely no chance of cancellation either.

Oh joy. Why can't it be played right now, when it is incredibly calm outside?
 

time_fly

Hall of Fame
Yeah, I played a college match in snow flurries in early March in Shreveport against Centenary. I think the 50 degree rule mostly deals with teams that have both indoor and outdoor courts, and they are expected to play outdoors if the temp is 50 or above.

I'm a "third" on this one. I played a HS tennis match in flurries.
 

coloskier

Legend
I love playing in the wind. If my opponents hit any slice, I am attacking the net at every opportunity because no one can control their slice in a wind, especially if the wind is anywhere but in their face. No floating service returns, they have to attack the return or give up easy volleys.
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
so, I have a tournament first round match tonight.

Forecast is for winds sustained at 35 mph from the north, gusting to 50 mph. No precipitation, so likely no chance of cancellation either.

Oh joy. Why can't it be played right now, when it is incredibly calm outside?

You could use the wind as an opportunity to be more mentally tough and persistent. Not saying it won't affect you but it's bothering your opponent also.
 

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
You could use the wind as an opportunity to be more mentally tough and persistent. Not saying it won't affect you but it's bothering your opponent also.

You are right ... and I need some mental toughness work .... but that tourney got rescheduled ... winds were not as calm as I described ... by 4pm gusts recorded as high as 84 mph. Lots of damage throughout the area.

I have another chance at that toughness training this weekend. I have 3 matches (one tourney, 2 league) on Saturday with sustained winds at 20-25 mph
 

norcal

Legend
I HATE playing in the wind. Unless you have a good wind block, anything over 10 mph just sucks. If I'm playing for fun I'll just reschedule. I've played league matches in 20 mph winds with little wind block and it's not even fun, it hardly even resembles tennis.

And this from someone who plays well in the wind and wins most windy matches. Still sucks.
 

M Pillai

Semi-Pro
optimal -> no wind :)

But as long as the wind is on both sides of the net, I don't mind any MPH (knowing that my opponent hates wind as much as I do).
 

dr325i

G.O.A.T.
In TX, there is no such thing as no wind in the summer.
So, we are used to playing with 15mph winds. I prefer playing into the wind. Problem is when its gusty and at 90 degrees to the court. In the spring (now), it is usually gusty (up to 30 mph) and swirly.
Only reason we play indoors is rain/snow and below 45F.
 
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HRB

Hall of Fame
Certain elements are part of the game, they don't cancel tourney's for wind, so learn to embrace it. It's not fun to try and practice in wind, so on windy days we just play wacky windy sets.
 

HRB

Hall of Fame
optimal -> no wind :)

But as long as the wind is on both sides of the net, I don't mind any MPH (knowing that my opponent hates wind as much as I do).
True, but I try to do what Agassi did to opponents..pretend you love the wind..they'll be mentally owned!
 

MathGeek

Hall of Fame
I've played enough in the wind I can predict the effects on the ball from different directions. A tailwind is the hardest, because everything wants to sail long. I can use either a headwind or a side wind to my advantage.

It's not perfect, but I usually have an advantage in windy conditions, because I am making very intentional shots factoring in wind effects, and my opponent is usually just wishing it was calmer.

I really love serving with a stiff side wind. I can hit serves that look like they will be out while the returner just watches flatfooted in amazement as the wind blows it in for an easy ace.
 
Safety first, if it's so windy that there's a danger of the light-poles falling on you, it may be time to retreat to the bar, unless you are very agile and can out run them, also tall dead trees bordering the courts, listen for that cracking sound from the widow makers.
 
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Attila_the_gorilla

Guest
My serve is one of my strengths, so I get majorly frustrated when it's windy. How much is too much? Well, anything that affects my ball toss I regard as too much.
 

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
After yesterday's matches, I now know for certain what my cut off is in terms of being okay with the wind and fighting it. Up to 25 mph okay. Morning match had winds according to weather channel sustained at 25. I was fine. Afternoon match had winds sustained at 30 mph, I was less than fine.

today I am looking forward to winds at only 10 mph. It will be lovely.
 

joe sch

Legend
The elements are part of the game.
If you want to be a better player, you need to deal with them.
Usually the players that dont like wind, will lose windy matches, and
often because they dont have good footwork and racket preparation.
I agree, not fun, but good practice, both mental and physical !!
 
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