Do you play better tennis with or without spectators?

Do you play better tennis with or without spectators?

  • Yes, I love it when people watch me play and I perform better under such circumstance.

    Votes: 36 48.6%

  • Yes, I love it when people watch me play but I perform poorly for some reason.

    Votes: 7 9.5%

  • No, I hate spectators, they just distract me.

    Votes: 11 14.9%

  • I don't care either way, spectators don't really affect my play.

    Votes: 20 27.0%
  • Total voters
    74
Z

Zachol82

Professional
Just a general question out of curiosity. Spectators can be just anyone watching your match. I'm not giving you a choice of "well, it depends..." You're either excited when people come around to watch or you're not :P

Choices:

Yes, I love it when people watch me play and I perform better under such circumstance.

Yes, I love it when people watch me play but I perform poorly for some reason.

No, I hate spectators, they just distract me.

I don't care either way, spectators don't really affect my play.

ALSO, please let me know what kind of play-style you have along with your choice.

For example, I love it when people watch me play and I perform better when people are watching me. I'm an aggressive net-player.

Play-styles can vary from something as broad as "I'm an aggressive player" to something specific as "I'm a *** ***** ******** ************* pusher that loves to ***** your ***** ****** up." :]
 
yeah ... when my buds are watching I focus a little harder and play better ... always need to impress the boyz ... a little showing off never hurt anybody ... the only time my game heads south with an audience is when there's an especially attractive lady in the crowd ... I tend to take my eyes off the ball ...
 
IDK, I tend to try to block other people out, and focus solely on the game, but it's always good motivation to have a fan or two :)
 
You can't block people out. Most players enjoys an audience and try to impress them/ or shut them up in some cases. Scientific researches have shown that Asians have an even more drastic change in behavior when there are other present, which I think is def right with me :)
 
it depends..i mean if there aren't many spectators but a bunch of matches going on around me i really step up my level so i would look better than the guy next to me who is also battling it out on court

and if i have family watching me play i tend to play badly...i mean its hard to focus, but if a friend it doesn't matter
 
Totally depends on whether I"m playing well, my opponent is playing well, my comfort zone, my confidence level, my concentration level, and my focus.
It shouldn't matter, but it does.
I've raced supercrosses in front of 35,000, and did poorly. But the other one, I did well.
I've surfed in front of over 5,000, but did just OK.
Never played tennis to more than 200, so don't know.
Windsurfed in front of 10,000, but did poorly not due to crowd.
Waterskied in front of 200, but did OK.
Maybe makes no difference in the long run. How I do is more important than who watches and how many yawned.
 
ManuGinobili said:
You can't block people out.
Click to expand...

I assure you, one can. It's rare and requires truly not caring what other people think (it's not rare for people to claim they don't but very rare for people who really don't care).

Anyway, to answer the OP, I don't care if people are there or not. I don't have a particular style of play as I'm still trying to perfect hitting the ball.
 
I'm with Davis937 - the only thing worse than attractive spectators in terms of encouraging my "eye off the ball" syndrome is an attractive opponent in a mixed doub's match.

I definitely try to be all I can be when there are lovelies in the crowd... and I'm not sorry!!!
 
LeeD said:
Totally depends on whether I"m playing well, my opponent is playing well, my comfort zone, my confidence level, my concentration level, and my focus.
It shouldn't matter, but it does.
I've raced supercrosses in front of 35,000, and did poorly. But the other one, I did well.
I've surfed in front of over 5,000, but did just OK.
Never played tennis to more than 200, so don't know.
Windsurfed in front of 10,000, but did poorly not due to crowd.
Waterskied in front of 200, but did OK.
Maybe makes no difference in the long run. How I do is more important than who watches and how many yawned.
Click to expand...

rambo, is this you? :)
 
ManuGinobili said:
Well, when there are spectators, are you aware of them? Well then they are in your mind!
Click to expand...

Not always. However, just because they were in your mind at one point doesn't mean they are in your mind at all times or even close to all times. You can also be aware of people in the same that you're aware there's a tree on the side of the court. Does being "aware" of a tree make you play differently?
 
I don't think it makes a difference to me, I have played well and poorly alone and with people watching.

Maybe I am just so self absorbed that I only care what I think, and what I am doing, and so nobody watching changes my view of myself?

For the record I am an aggressive all-court (some would say baseliner) topspin and power player.

J
 
I block people out...so much so that I couldn't even tell you if I've played on front of people or not. For all I know I'm an ATP professional and all my matches are in front of 1000's in person and millions on TV. I just don't notice at all. :-P
 
Wait...I just checked my checkbook and I don't see any ATP check deposits. Actually, I've only played tennis in front of a few people once in a while. I think I play better, it probably makes me focus a bit more b/c I guess my inner egotistical self actually does care what people think and I want to impress them to the extent possible. I think that's been true for all the sports I've played over the years, I play better in front of people. I would probably not want to admit this in person however. :wink:

After-all isn't sport performance? Why do we care if we win? We are performing for at least the player on the other side and getting some satisfaction out of beating them, yes? We all may want to win to different degrees, and give different effort towards that goal, but its a rare person that does NOT want to win.

Now put me on a truly big stage and I might get nervous I suppose. Hard to say, what size crowd crosses the line from pushing one to play better or causing nerves. Also maybe sport specific, big football crowd for example much different that big tennis crowd I think. Bigger factor may be simply confidence in one's skill from sport to sport.
 
athiker said:
I block people out...so much so that I couldn't even tell you if I've played on front of people or not. For all I know I'm an ATP professional and all my matches are in front of 1000's in person and millions on TV. I just don't notice at all. :-P
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I also block out the paycheck lol.

J
 
I absolutely love it, and feel great when theres spectators.
Theres no greater feeling than winning a great point and have people outside watching it and clapping your effort.
 
Well since I am an attention ***** I love it when people watch my matches. The only time I hate it when the thought goes thru my mind "You'll look better if you put a little more pace on the ball" or something stupid like that, that takes me out of match thinking.
 
For me the only person I mind watching me is my Dad. Not a huge problem cause he does not watch to many of my matches, but when he does I just get nervous.
 
I play better when I'm well rested, had a good warm-up and I had some good practice sessions before the match I'm playing.
Spectators don't matter, it's not like I'm playing on the Wimbledon center court anyway, there will be a few spectators at some of the amateur tournaments I play in ... but nothing to get "goose bumps" about...
Now ... if there are some young and pretty twin sisters in the crowd ...that might affect me. Not really sure if it would be in a positive or a negative way, I haven't seen them in the crowd yet :D.
 
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