Grunting - hindrance or help?

Taxvictim

Semi-Pro
I'm old enough to remember when players complained about grunting, especially when it first cropped up in the women's professional circuit. When Sharapova and Serena Williams met in Australia last month, it was a true gruntfest.

Now the men are doing it, too. Watching Nadal and Chela play a few weeks ago was like listening to a kung fu match.

What's the verdict? The Code clearly describes these loud grunts and yells as unsportsmanlike. One might claim a hindrance if his opponent does it too loud or too often.

On the other hand, all modern tennis instruction is about getting those core muscles into the action, and a strong grunt or shriek definitely tenses those muscle groups.

Is anyone seeing this at the club level? Any local rules about it? Anyone here willing to confess to being a grunter? If so, does it really help?
 
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SlapShot

Hall of Fame
I tend to make a little noise when I'm hitting hard - it's not something that I can really stop doing, either. I don't know if it counts as a loud grunt, but it is there.

If it's not overt, I don't know that there's too much ground to call a hinderance. If it seems like it's intentional, then I think that you have grounds for a hinderance.
 

Amone

Hall of Fame
A hinder can only be called if you're grunting interfere's with the other person's shot. If you grunt as you hit the ball, there's no interference, regardless of what miss Navratilova says about needing to hear the ball-- otherwise, vibration dampeners would also be illegal.
 

tennisproian

New User
No its not a "help", its just what happens when you're trying that hard physically and hitting at that pace. Its a release of energy and effort at a concentrated time. There's a name for it in martial arts, I can't remember it right now.

Anyway, I do it here and there. Pretty commonly on my serve, once in a while on other shots but not super often. Its never on purpose, thats just what happens when you try that hard at anything physical, heh.

I will say however that a great deal of the women have taken it way too far, and its obviously being done more often and louder than necessary. When its excessive and on purpose I think it can be quite annoying, but grunting in general serves a purpose.
 

Taxvictim

Semi-Pro
I know "The Code" is not part of the official rules, but it says:

Grunting - A player should avoid grunting and making other loud noises. Grunting and other loud noises may bother not only opponents but also players on adjacent courts. In an extreme case, an opponent or a player on an adjacent court may seek the assistance of the Referee or a Roving Umpire. The Referee or official may treat grunting and the making of loud noises as a hindrance. Depending upon the circumstance, this could result in a let or loss of point.

The rules of tennis say simply, "If a player is hindered in playing a point by a deliberate act of the opponent, the player shall win the point."
 

SlapShot

Hall of Fame
I know "The Code" is not part of the official rules, but it says:

Grunting - A player should avoid grunting and making other loud noises. Grunting and other loud noises may bother not only opponents but also players on adjacent courts. In an extreme case, an opponent or a player on an adjacent court may seek the assistance of the Referee or a Roving Umpire. The Referee or official may treat grunting and the making of loud noises as a hindrance. Depending upon the circumstance, this could result in a let or loss of point.

The rules of tennis say simply, "If a player is hindered in playing a point by a deliberate act of the opponent, the player shall win the point."

I think that that word is the focal point of the rule. When I am loading up on a serve, sometimes I'll let out a grunt. It's not to impede upon my opponent, but rather to pull my core muscles together.
 

Taxvictim

Semi-Pro
I think that that word is the focal point of the rule. When I am loading up on a serve, sometimes I'll let out a grunt. It's not to impede upon my opponent, but rather to pull my core muscles together.

That's my real question. You do it right before contact with the ball to add strength by tightening up your core? Just like a karate master yells right before he breaks the board.
 

SlapShot

Hall of Fame
It's mainly when I'm serving, and I've found that I can't help it, but it does pull my core a little bit more. It isn't after I hit the ball, and it's definitely not intended to affect my opponent at all. I actually think that if I had to remain quiet, it would hurt my serve - I wouldn't be able to load up the same way as I do right now.
 
I'm definately a screamer. It helps me get in the zone and pumped up. I also find it helps me add 'umph' on the ball, it's more of an exhale (just like exhaleing when lifting weights) than a yell though, until I get tired, then noise starts coming with the exhales.
 

mucat

Hall of Fame
IMO, it doesn't matter where the ball is, if you grunt so loud it starting to bother your opponent, it is a hinderance.
 

dennis1188

Semi-Pro
This weekend our norcal usta match, 3.5 doubles team opponents complained against our player (grunting) while hitting his (own) groundstrokes.
Other team demanded to stop and play 'lets' each and everytime (grunts). Our team was ahead in the set 3-0 but loses all games after our player stops grunting (he plays better grunting), he is a longtime usta player and has never had other complaints on grunting). Has there ever been a official usta grievance decision against 'grunting'?
 
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neomanxl

New User
I have tried grunting when i hit shots and i do not think it helps me.


Another clarification, in Karate the yell is called a kiai, and is used only to psyche you opponent out. When the you break the boards, trust me it hurts, even if you are a pro. The kiai helps get you in the mood to thrust your fist through inches (sometimes feet) of solid wood.
 

fuzz nation

G.O.A.T.
Grunting is bad if it makes you tense up when you do it. That abbreviated grunt that happens right before a breath hold and strained action like a heavy lift at the gym is counterproductive in a tennis stroke. Tension kills the fluid motion of a good swing, but that tension can be avoided in part by purposely exhaling through a stroke. If you take that exhaling too far, it can become a tensing grunt. I saw Jelena Docic a few years ago in a hard match and she made a deliberate "Shhhh" sound when she'd hit the ball - exhaling without grunting.

It's also frickin' annoying and nobody below around the 5.0 level has any business doing it routinely. Every now and then Maria switches off the shriek and I swear she plays better when she does... at least she's easier to watch.
 

tenis

Professional
Grunting is not 100% legal - see rules.
But not too many players is complaining against it, becouse:
1.-they don't know how (what code)
2.-they don't want be silly
3.-they grunt also
Grunting is nothing more, just bad habit! Like - I play hard, with full force, let's screeeeam...
It's out of control and is sick to hear decibels of Sharapova out of the stadium. BTW, I heard some of the coaches at Bolitiery academy actually teach the kids to scream. Where is the sportmanship???
 

Wtitanium

New User
It is not so much help for me, as it is natural. When I serve (first serve) I usually grunt, or when swinging at a short ball that I hardly got.
 

BiGGieStuFF

Hall of Fame
Sometimes I grunt. Especially when I'm either hitting the ball hard or I have to do it to remind myself to breath through the shot to stay relaxed.
 

Osteo UK

Rookie
It used to bother me when my opponents grunted until I noticed something ... when they grunt, you know that they're about to contact the ball! And sometimes they make a different sound with different strokes!

Listen to it, learn it, use it against them!
 
tenis: can you post the exact rules against 'grunting' while hitting the ball? I was under the imperssion that as long as it did not consitute a distraction it was legal?
 

shindemac

Hall of Fame
I think I good sigh out might be good for relieving your muscle tension, esp when serving. I don't know if grunting helps you add more power, and studies should be done. I usually don't grunt, but when I try to hit with more pace, sometimes I let out a grunt.
 

Hot Sauce

Hall of Fame
I don't really think its necessary, though occasionally I do let out the subtle James Blake Service Grunt. I haven't met anyone that grunts regularly, but if I do I'll ask them why they do it :p
 

Osteo UK

Rookie
I think I good sigh out might be good for relieving your muscle tension, esp when serving. I don't know if grunting helps you add more power, and studies should be done. I usually don't grunt, but when I try to hit with more pace, sometimes I let out a grunt.

Physiologically, breathing out comes after the "valsalva manouevre", i.e., when you push, you hold your breath and tighten up all of your diaphragms to create a stable body from where to generate a force. The grunt is just a noisy expiration of the air from holding your breath and there is nothing physiologically different from breathing out normally as opposed to making a grunt.

If it works in one's mind? Well that's a different story.
 

tenis

Professional
Well, there is a BIG difference between grunting (Blake-for example) and screaming (girls-Sharapova style). The screaming is hidrance for sure, instead of some just grunt ho,hu.......
 

kevhen

Hall of Fame
One of the top university female players here does it and she is even following through on her exhale when the ball has crossed the net, so I would call a hinderance if I were the opponent but they never do and the officials don't say anything to her. She is foreign and it sounds like she is speaking when she exhales like how some pros say 'Not me' after they hit the ball but it's more like 'Nyet ma'.
 

kevhen

Hall of Fame
I can't find any video examples, but I remember hearing players say "Not me" when they hit the ball meaning that they weren't the one going to make an error. I think it was Sharapova or Seles or Serena but I can't find any video footage so for now I am out in left field. Does anyone else know what I am talking about?
 

cghipp

Professional
I make some noise sometimes when I hit the ball, but it's purely from effort and not particularly loud. What Sharapova and Serena do is in another realm. I think it's not just intentional, but practiced as well.
 

SlapShot

Hall of Fame
Was it Gustavo Keurten that had a pretty noticeable grunt when rallying? Because that's the grunt that I have - it's more of a subtle "unh" when I hit the ball. I try and stay as quiet as possible.
 
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