How do you deal with this kind of player

[grimmbomb21]

My friend hits with this guy every week that seems to have the most annoying gamesmanship tactics of all time.

He said he is pounding this guy 5-love, when the guy starts doing the following:

1) Yelling fault on first serves in to the net, as loud as possible. Then yelling double fault on serves nowhere near the service box.

2) Taking sixty to ninety seconds to adjust his strings, shoes, and just walk around. I know there is a time limit, but I'm not sure what it is. Plus, he is doing this on his serve and his opponents! I told him to step up and pop his serve and tell the guy he doesn't have that much time.

3) To make matters worse, his calls that are even close to the line are always out. Even inside the line.

So, what do you do? Has anyone played someone like this? Would you play someone like this if you didn't have to?

Oh, and the guy readily admitted that he was trying to "change the dynamics of the game". And he did. he won 7-6.

 

[westy]

the rule is the server has 20 seconds between the end of the last point to the start of the next. and that the returner has to be ready for the serve!!

 

[GrahamIsSuper]

If its any form of regulated competition, go call a line judge. I know, at least in USTA, there has to be some sort of an official on site for just this purpose. Any time an opponent is deliberately making play unfair, first tell them to quit doing whatever they are doing. If that doesnt work, go call a line judge. They will probably ask you what the problem is, just tell them to help come judge the line calls. They will also correct other things they see wrong.

If its just some guy you're hitting with outside of tournaments, don't play with him, you are wasting your time.

 

[Mattle]

Well that depends.. If I was training with a fellow like him, I would probably not train with him anymore! I want to enjoy playing tennis so i would only play with people that i like or whom are behaved. If it was at a tournament, just losen up, forget about his stupid behavior and have fun. If he's such a serious and aggressive player, he will be frightned when he sees you're not freaking out or sweating. Just be self confident. And in worst case, like the other say, call a line judge or parent

 

[Jon Hampton]

1) Yelling fault on first serves in to the net, as loud as possible. Then yelling double fault on serves nowhere near the service box.

My good friend was just telling me about a player that does this, only sightly more annoying. He'll yell "first fault" for the first fault and "first double fault" for a double fault...only if you keep doubling faulting he'll say, "third double fault" or "ninth double fault". I think that would get under my skin and make me want to throw my racket at his face or something

With players like this, you just have to roll with the punches. Besides, it's just a game! If you lost like 4-6, or 2-6, and you know you would have won if bad gamesmenship wasn't at fault, then YOU personally know that you've won the match, despite what the score says. And, when you playing tennis does matter (as in, it's your primary source of income), they have line judges and chair umpire to prevent this kind of disruptive behavior.

 

[munk3y]

what a nasty opponent to play. I've never played someone like this before...but ....hell...i dont know how to deal with them...

 

[thenewb]

well, i think there's two methods heres.

1) find a new hitting partner so bad habits formed just to beat this guy, such as constantly hitting short to ensure that the ball is CLEARLY in and thus not maximizing the court, don't happen.

2) just deal with it as this type of behavor is a good training exercise for concentration and mental strength.

 

[SageOfDeath]

If you play in a class I'm sure you can find a coach that can watch the match for a little while or just tell your coach about his unsportmanlike conduct and that you refuse to play with him.

If you are playing in a tournment, call a line judge or an official that can watch the match.

If he's just a hitting partner, get a new one.

 

[erik-the-red]

I like to yell 'fault' on serves that are "just" out, but never on serves that net.

I thought the time the server gets is 25 seconds? Returner has to play to the server's rhythm. The rule used to be 30, and as an example, Lendl used to time himself to do 28 seconds all the time. I played with a guy - who hated me - and he got pissy that I was taking around 20 seconds per serve. But, he has no right to complain; returner MUST play to server's rhythm, provided the server does it in under 25 seconds.

Calls are hard at the recreational level. You figure that at the ATP level they make some baaaaaad mistakes, you should be more flexible at the recreational level. If it REALLY looks out to you, and it's on your side, call it out. If it looks questionable, give it to your opponent. We don't have Shotspot or even Mac Cams for that matter. And we certainly don't have eleven line judges. It's two players playing a game and calling shots.

The same guy who got mad at my service routine went ballistic after I called a shot out that I was half a foot next to. He was about three feet behind the baseline on the opposite side when he smashed his racquet into the ground and started whining. Half a foot versus opposite side, who do you think has the better angle?

 

[grimmbomb21]

the rule is the server has 20 seconds between the end of the last point to the start of the next. and that the returner has to be ready for the serve!!

Yeah, I knew it was 20 something seconds. Like I said, if he is walking around messing with strings over a minute, I would just hit my serve. Or just pack up and leave.

 

[JaisBane]

the rule is the server has 20 seconds between the end of the last point to the start of the next. and that the returner has to be ready for the serve!!

It's actually 25 seconds and the returner has to be ready within 20 seconds. This is to prevent gamesmanship where a server will try to rush a returner and serve before he is ready, and it also prevents a returner from significantly disrupting a server's rhythm.

As for how to deal with this kind of player? The first step is not to let him get in your head. It's fine to do things like ask him to stop taking so long on his returns, but once you do something like serve without him at the box then he's got you. If he's taking forever to get ready, so should you. Walk around, adjust you strings, fix your shoelaces, use a towel, whatever; just don't stand around waiting for him. If you want to get a new hitting partner, fine, but wait till after the match to think about those things. If you want to win, then you need to focus only on playing your game and disrupting his game, anything else is going to weaken your competitive edge.

As for hooking, the method for dealing with this is simple: don't hit near the lines. Once you take that element away from him, then all you have to worry about is hitting the ball past him. There's nothing he can do about a winner that's a foot inside the baseline, or a well placed drop shot.

 

[SageOfDeath]

It's actually 25 seconds and the returner has to be ready within 20 seconds. This is to prevent gamesmanship where a server will try to rush a returner and serve before he is ready, and it also prevents a returner from significantly disrupting a server's rhythm.

As for how to deal with this kind of player? The first step is not to let him get in your head. It's fine to do things like ask him to stop taking so long on his returns, but once you do something like serve without him at the box then he's got you. If he's taking forever to get ready, so should you. Walk around, adjust you strings, fix your shoelaces, use a towel, whatever; just don't stand around waiting for him. If you want to get a new hitting partner, fine, but wait till after the match to think about those things. If you want to win, then you need to focus only on playing your game and disrupting his game, anything else is going to weaken your competitive edge.

As for hooking, the method for dealing with this is simple: don't hit near the lines. Once you take that element away from him, then all you have to worry about is hitting the ball past him. There's nothing he can do about a winner that's a foot inside the baseline, or a well placed drop shot.

Wait so does the ammount of time a server has to serve include the time it takes the returner to get ready? Like if a returner takes his full 20 seconds to get ready does that mean you only have 5 seconds to serve?

 

[grimmbomb21]

Wait so does the ammount of time a server has to serve include the time it takes the returner to get ready? Like if a returner takes his full 20 seconds to get ready does that mean you only have 5 seconds to serve?

I don't know about the returner getting 20 seconds to be ready. I've seen some Agassi matches where it looks like he takes less than 10 seconds to serve after a point ends.

 

[JaisBane]

Wait so does the ammount of time a server has to serve include the time it takes the returner to get ready? Like if a returner takes his full 20 seconds to get ready does that mean you only have 5 seconds to serve?

Yes

I don't know about the returner getting 20 seconds to be ready. I've seen some Agassi matches where it looks like he takes less than 10 seconds to serve after a point ends.

Agassi likes to speed things up when he gets in a pinch, and most of the time guys fall for it. However, that doesn't mean that they have to. Watch the 2005 Montreal Final between Agassi and Nadal, Agassi starts speeding things up in the 3rd set and Agassi gets pissed off because Nadal takes advantage his 20 seconds during returns. The chair umpire never calls Nadal on it, and PMac comments how the reciever has 20 seconds to prepare and commends Nadal for using his head and preventing Agassi from controlling the pace.

 

[Rickson]

My friend hits with this guy every week that seems to have the most annoying gamesmanship tactics of all time.

He said he is pounding this guy 5-love, when the guy starts doing the following:

1) Yelling fault on first serves in to the net, as loud as possible. Then yelling double fault on serves nowhere near the service box.

2) Taking sixty to ninety seconds to adjust his strings, shoes, and just walk around. I know there is a time limit, but I'm not sure what it is. Plus, he is doing this on his serve and his opponents! I told him to step up and pop his serve and tell the guy he doesn't have that much time.

3) To make matters worse, his calls that are even close to the line are always out. Even inside the line.

So, what do you do? Has anyone played someone like this? Would you play someone like this if you didn't have to?

Oh, and the guy readily admitted that he was trying to "change the dynamics of the game". And he did. he won 7-6.

Your friend plays tennis with Raul?

 

[tennis-n-sc]

At some interntional tournament events, the time limit betwen points is 20 seconds. All others, including all in the U.S., the time limit is 25 seconds. The time begins at the end of the last point and stops when the next first serve is struck. The receiver does not receive any specified time to get ready but must play to the reasonable pace of the server. Once the receiver becomes ready to receive, they cannot become unready umless there is outside interference. The time limit between points does not count if you have to chase a ball off court to retrieve it.

 

[equinox]

lol, i sometimes turn my back on players who attempt to upset my pace.

They make me wait, i'll make them wait..

I love it when i stand in the service position for 15 seconds, they nearly fall asleep, then i serve and they miss time there shot and whack the ball out.

 

[joe1987]

Ask him to **** off and just pack up and leave.

 

[arky-tennis]

I'm with Joe.

 

[DXS]

Ahh...

It's bad, but this is what I usually do.

I hit a short ball to the net and let them hit an approachshot. Then, I follow with a good heavy ball to the rib area. Repeat as necessary. I've never had this technique fail to get the person to act a little more respectfully. If they start to revert back to their previous form. Do it again.

David