How much does grunting bother you?

[Cindysphinx]

One of my partners is a grunter. She grunts on every shot. She is pretty loud as she hits, although her grunting does not continue after she makes her shot. She is also pretty darn aggressive with overheads, volleys, and finishing shots, which is one reason I like partnering with her.

Well, she and I were playing a doubles match and we won the first set. As we took the lead in the second set, these ladies started complaining about the grunting. They said that it was unnerving to have my partner about to blast an overhead or other aggressive shot while she is also grunting loudly. They said they thought she was grunting specifically to intimidate when she was hitting aggressive shots.

After we won, they threatened to file a grievance but ultimately did not.

I have to mention that I also grunt. I do not grunt on every shot. I grunt on shots where I am trying to transfer my weight into the ball for a put-away, moments of extreme exertion, and reaction volleys. No one has complained.

Still, I have played a whole lot of matches. I have never once noticed whether an opponent is grunting. It just doesn't bother me.

Has an opponent's grunting ever bothered you? Did you say something, and did it help?

 

[Fuji]

I care on a scale or 0-10, 0. Grunting means so little to me, it's not even worth thinking about.

That being said, I do grunt a lot of my shots now. Especially on serves on bigger ground strokes. I used to not grunt at all, but it's slowly developed as I put more into my shots. :razz:

-Fuji

 

[Tanas]

I find grunting so super annoying in person and even more on tv. I don't get it. I dont think hitting a tennis ball is an extreme physical exertion which requires grunting. The golf swing is like a tennis stroke in many aspects - do you hear golfers grunting?

 

[johndagolfer]

I find grunting so super annoying in person and even more on tv. I don't get it. I dont think hitting a tennis ball is an extreme physical exertion which requires grunting. The golf swing is like a tennis stroke in many aspects - do you hear golfers grunting?

Bad analogy. You take minutes between golf shots and you don't have to sprint to your golf ball before you hit it.

The act of hitting a tennis ball may not take much physical exertion. But the act of continuously moving, especially during a long rally, can be very taxing. I have actually found that if I breath hard when running for balls during a rally and releasing a heavy breath during contact that I don't get as tired and can last during a rally longer(I actually picked this up watching college players play).

That being said there are levels of grunting, ranging from Sharapova/AZ type shrieking, to just letting out a heavy breath. All in all unless I am hitting a shot while they are still grunting I probably wouldn't have a problem with it.

 

[dcdoorknob]

I would have dismissed their complaint as being completely without merit and then not given it a 2nd thought.

 

[asusundevils1971]

One of my partners is a grunter. She grunts on every shot. She is pretty loud as she hits, although her grunting does not continue after she makes her shot. She is also pretty darn aggressive with overheads, volleys, and finishing shots, which is one reason I like partnering with her.

Well, she and I were playing a doubles match and we won the first set. As we took the lead in the second set, these ladies started complaining about the grunting. They said that it was unnerving to have my partner about to blast an overhead or other aggressive shot while she is also grunting loudly. They said they thought she was grunting specifically to intimidate when she was hitting aggressive shots.

After we won, they threatened to file a grievance but ultimately did not.

I have to mention that I also grunt. I do not grunt on every shot. I grunt on shots where I am trying to transfer my weight into the ball for a put-away, moments of extreme exertion, and reaction volleys. No one has complained.

Still, I have played a whole lot of matches. I have never once noticed whether an opponent is grunting. It just doesn't bother me.

Has an opponent's grunting ever bothered you? Did you say something, and did it help?

They don't call grunting in the pro game, so why should it called in rec/league play?. I only notice grunting when watching on tv and it annoys me. There is nothing worse than hearing grunting in 6.1 surround. I am more concerned of watching the ball when playing matches.

 

[BounceHitBounceHit]

It doesn't bother me at all...................BHBH

 

[v-verb]

Don't really hear grunting in our leagues strangely enough. That said there was a loud a-hole tonight who shouted on his first serves and was just obnoxious.

I do fins Azarenka's grunting pretty vile. Sharapova doesn't bother me at all

 

[OrangePower]

It's strange... When I'm playing, my opponent's grunting doesn't bother me at all. In fact I hardly notice whether they are grunting or not.

But when I am watching, whether a pro match live or on TV, or just watching people at the club play, excessive grunting really irritates me. To the extent that I can't bear to watch players like Sharapova.

There is a player at my club that has the exact same shriek as Sharapova, and is just as irritating. And it's a guy :shock:

 

[S&V Specialist]

Grunting only bothers me when it is done inconsistently (i.e. grunting at random times).

Side note: grunting is absolutely horrible for your vocal cords.

 

[TomT]

One of my partners is a grunter. She grunts on every shot. She is pretty loud as she hits, although her grunting does not continue after she makes her shot. She is also pretty darn aggressive with overheads, volleys, and finishing shots, which is one reason I like partnering with her.

Well, she and I were playing a doubles match and we won the first set. As we took the lead in the second set, these ladies started complaining about the grunting. They said that it was unnerving to have my partner about to blast an overhead or other aggressive shot while she is also grunting loudly. They said they thought she was grunting specifically to intimidate when she was hitting aggressive shots.

After we won, they threatened to file a grievance but ultimately did not.

I have to mention that I also grunt. I do not grunt on every shot. I grunt on shots where I am trying to transfer my weight into the ball for a put-away, moments of extreme exertion, and reaction volleys. No one has complained.

Still, I have played a whole lot of matches. I have never once noticed whether an opponent is grunting. It just doesn't bother me.

Has an opponent's grunting ever bothered you? Did you say something, and did it help?

I've only encountered one serious grunter in head to head competition, and yeah, it was sort of annoying, but then again not really. Not sure why that grunting (of an opponent) doesn't bother me as much as, say, Sharapova's grunting when I've attempted to watch her on TV. The only other times I've been annoyed by tennis grunting is once when an older guy (not as old as me, but getting there) on an adjacent court kept emitting a really loud plaintive whine that he held for, imo, way too long. I remember wondering how that guy could be unaware of how annoying that was. Unless he was doing it on purpose, as some sort of gaming ploy. And then there's the WTA grunter-screamers (Sharapova, etc.) who I just can't watch because of their annoying auditory emissions.

Bottom line imho, regular and loud grunting is totally unnecessary. It's either deliberate low level gamesmanship, or just an avoidable bad habit that detracts from the inherent (and mainly visual) beauty of the game.

 

[tennisbuck]

It doesn't bother me. I have noticed that I will start to grunt if my opponent is

 

[tennytive]

If you're grunting from the effort needed to hit your shot like you say you do at times, that wouldn't bother me.

I hit with one guy who grunts as loud as he can on serves and balls he thinks he can put away. While playing I can ignore it, but if I were watching, it would get on my nerves, because it's all for show and doesn't make his shots any better than when he doesn't grunt.

Sadly, as I get older I catch myself grunting on some shots too, but it's nowhere near a yell or screech that would hinder my opponent.
More like an "oooomph" than an "eeeeeeeeeyaahhhhhhh!!!!!"

 

[NLBwell]

not at all.

Some of the guys in my regular block time complain about a guy on the next court to us. I have never noticed it and still don't have any idea of who they are talking about.

 

[roman40]

It bothers me, but I can tune it out during a match. However, it's one of the reasons I don't like to watch women's tennis for very long, I just look at match highlights. For men, it's actually funny when someone is grunting like crazy, while hitting weak shots. If you're going to grunt, at least make sure you've got something to show for it.

 

[mightyrick]

Almost none of the men grunts bother me. They are usually too low in volume, tone, and length to be bothersome.

However, the loud "grunting" (which is actually more akin to shrieking and screaming) by women has been the craze for awhile. Not only in women's tennis, but also in sports like fencing, volleyball, soccer and others. In all of these sports, it is ridiculous.

In tennis, most of the grunting I hear doesn't bother me. But there are a couple of them that are downright annoying and make me angry.

I was in one tournament one time where the grunting from a lady on the adjacent court was so distracting, I asked the USTA official to intercede. But he actually wouldn't do it. The official told me that I had to do it myself, and then if she didn't stop, he would make a final ruling. Completely ridiculous.

So rather than doing that, I just started grunting during rallies on every shot, just as loud as she did. It got so ridiculous that everyone on all the courts were laughing. I kept that up for about 10 minutes.

She didn't completely stop, but she did quiet down after that.

 

[Turbo-87]

There is a guy at the club with gastric problems, so he farts on almost every stroke because of the exertion. It kind of sounds like a grunt but it doesn't bother me at all. It is better to play against him than with him though.

 

[Relinquis]

i don't get how anyone would be intimidated by grunting (ok, maybe small girls). annoyed, i can understand, but intimidated? i'd just ask them to grow a pair (or just say "sharapova" as a polite alternative).

i don't mind opponent's who are consistent grunters. But whenever i play someone who grunts as gamesmanship (inconsistent grunting, mistimed grunting, multi-note grunting, etc...) then i'll take it as a sign that they are crumbling mentally. some coaches are teaching grunting as a tactic...

a lot of people, like rafa, are unaware that they grunt. don't take it too seriously and focus on your game.

 

[tennis tom]

Yah, grunting, screaming, shrieking, belching, farting, queefing, it's all good especially if they're cute. Just displays they're earthy and athletic--if they look like a witch, then not so good.

 

[TTMR]

Grunting/shrieking, that is using your vocal cords (not just breathing loudly or hard), is completely unnecessary for any kind of shotmaking at the rec level, and is simply embarrassing.

It's just another pitiable example of people on the court fantasizing that they are pros, much like the guy who has to have Federer/Nadal's exact racquet with identical strings, specs and weight, clothing, gear and accessories and mimic their tennis form (usually poorly).

 

[breezybee]

It doesn't seem very common with the people I play with - in the 30's, 40's, 50's, except for the occasional grunt when they are hitting a very difficult shot. That never bothers me. I have noticed a big increase in the number of juniors that do it with every single shot though. I once left a court because the 10 year old hitting with his dad on the court beside me was so loud with his "ehhhhh" on every stroke that I found myself distracted from my own match. I can only imagine that they are trying to emulate their tennis idols - Nadal, Sharapova etc.

 

[mightyrick]

I once left a court because the 10 year old hitting with his dad on the court beside me was so loud with his "ehhhhh" on every stroke that I found myself distracted from my own match. I can only imagine that they are trying to emulate their tennis idols - Nadal, Sharapova etc.

Many coaches still teach the vocal grunt as a device for the student to get instant confirmation that they are exhaling on every stroke. Unfortunately, once the muscle memory sets in, they have trouble stopping once they get older.

 

[tennis tom]

Many coaches still teach the vocal grunt as a device for the student to get instant confirmation that they are exhaling on every stroke. Unfortunately, once the muscle memory sets in, they have trouble stopping once they get older.

Yep, it's being taught, unfortunately for the neighbors. When The club's only jr was practicing, one of the neighbor's came out her window to complain about her vlouminous grunting. The jr told her: "If you don't like it, shut your window!"--a class act all the way.

 

[Maui19]

I've never played anyone who grunts--at least I've never noticed it--so I guess it doesn't bother me when playing.

I definitely notice it when someone is grunting on an adjacent court. It doesn't effect play on my court, but everyone notices and comments on changeovers. I find grunting to be super obnoxious.

I was at States one year watching some women play. There was one women who would sometimes shriek when she would hit, particularly on putaways. The crowd was completely against her. She missed one easy putaway with the huge shriek and the whole place erupted with applause when she missed.

You may find some people who think grunting is okay, but IME it is universally despised.

 

[kelkat]

Many coaches still teach the vocal grunt as a device for the student to get instant confirmation that they are exhaling on every stroke. Unfortunately, once the muscle memory sets in, they have trouble stopping once they get older.

Interestingly, at the Sony Open, we watched Sharapova warm up on the practices court. She DOES NOT grunt during training, but sure does in a match. Go figure.

 

[max]

Is this something more usual for women than men?

I've played grunters in the past, and some loud ones were annoying, the others I just thought of as a nuisance thing, but tolerable. I don't know. Perhaps in some way it should make you feel better, like you're really giving them a good working over to make them blow out like that.

 

[mightyrick]

Is this something more usual for women than men?

It really isn't more usual for one over the other. The problem is that when most women engage their vocal chords in a grunt such as in tennis or other sports... the result can be shrill and absolutely ear splitting.

Their tone is just too high.

I'd actually say that probably just as many (if not more) men grunt. Their vocal sound is just so low-pitched that most don't even notice it. There are probably only a few annoying male grunters -- Rafa/Ferrer/Djokovic among them.

But you could easily name (at least) 10 female grunters that are highly annoying.

 

[eidolonshinobi]

Interesting..I've noticed that I've been grunting (not loudly) the more I play with other grunters. I'm ok with audible grunts, but the SUPER LOUD excessive grunts are just absurd.

 

[OHBH]

If somebody is an obnoxious grunter all you need to do is start making fart noises whenever you hit the ball. They will either be more annoyed at you than you are at them and you will gain the mental edge or they will realize how stupid they look and quit doing it altogether. Works every time.

 

[Relinquis]

[...]
But you could easily name (at least) 10 female grunters that are highly annoying.

Most people find it difficult to name 10 WTAs (this is tennis, an individual sport, not football with a 10s of players every match)... but let's do a quick survey from the top 25 of women's tennis...

Premier league of Screamers:

• Sharapova, no comment.
• Azarenka, no comment.
• Errani, horrible noise.
• Serena Williams used to scream big time, but has toned it down. Silent on most points now unless physically straining. When she's exerting effort she grunts.
• Venus Williams used to scream a lot, toned it down a bit, but not as quiet as her sister. Remember this against sharapova? Even the crowd was laughing at how ridiculous their grunting was http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hqbrLz0jdLw#t=13s

The not quite quiet

• Petrova, short tight little grunting noise. Not bad actually. ATP style.
• Cibulkova, lets out the occasional grunt. Also ATP style.

So, 4 of the top 10 make a horrible racket (apologies for the pun, well, not really...), and at least 7 of the top 25 are noisy. Yeah, it's an issue as you only need one of them to be on court for the match to be noisy.

Prize Screamer
If there was any doubt that WTA grunting is horrible and is a reason people don't take it seriously, than the following young woman has put it to rest:
Michelle Larcher de Brito (you may want to take not of how long each scream is): http://youtu.be/7-7WLIqa2M0

 

[Overdrive]

Prize Screamer[/B]
If there was any doubt that WTA grunting is horrible and is a reason people don't take it seriously, than the following young woman has put it to rest:
Michelle Larcher de Brito (you may want to take not of how long each scream is): http://youtu.be/7-7WLIqa2M0

'Everytime she hits the ball, it sounds like a little girl fell off a cliff'

:lol:

The main problem for me is inconsistent grunting. Why be silent on one shot & wail on the next?

 

[Cindysphinx]

Geez, can we get away from what pros do? I was kind of interested in grunting from league and tournament players. You know, like us.

Regarding inconsistent grunting, it makes perfect sense to me (especially since I am an inconsistent grunter). Grunting occurs naturally when you are putting a lot of effort into something. If a weightlifter picks up a 5 pound weight, he will not grunt. If he picks up 150 pounds of weight, he might grunt.

For tennis, I grunt when I am giving a shot everything I have. That would be overheads, put-away volleys, finishing shots. I am also more likely to grunt when I am tired -- again, increased effort means increased grunting.

Why folks would assume you should make the same grunt for a touch drop shot 1 foot from the net compared to an overhead from NML is something I don't understand.

 

[Overdrive]

Geez, can we get away from what pros do? I was kind of interested in grunting from league and tournament players. You know, like us.

Regarding inconsistent grunting, it makes perfect sense to me (especially since I am an inconsistent grunter). Grunting occurs naturally when you are putting a lot of effort into something. If a weightlifter picks up a 5 pound weight, he will not grunt. If he picks up 150 pounds of weight, he might grunt.

For tennis, I grunt when I am giving a shot everything I have. That would be overheads, put-away volleys, finishing shots. I am also more likely to grunt when I am tired -- again, increased effort means increased grunting.

Why folks would assume you should make the same grunt for a touch drop shot 1 foot from the net compared to an overhead from NML is something I don't
understand.

Once again, you missed the point. Maybe I should have been more clearer.
Sure, I've seen players don't grunt during drop shots, some slice forehands/backhands or lobs, but hitting a forehand without a grunt and then hitting another forehand with a banshee wail just shows that some of these 'grunters' do it just to emulate others or to look more attentive.

 

[Relinquis]

Geez, can we get away from what pros do? I was kind of interested in grunting from league and tournament players. You know, like us. [...]

my bad, i replied to the poster who asked to name annoying grunters and got carried away.

i can understand grunting due to effort exertion, but what i've seen in actual matchplay seems more like gamesmanship than anything else; trying to intimidate and such. doesn't bother me.

i don't grunt. i prefer to play in silence, apart from a "C'mon" after winning a tough set... more federer-esque than hewitt or williams. however, i do sob noisily in the shower after a painful loss... only when no one else is at home though, otherwise i weep silently into a towel...

 

[SwankPeRFection]

Boo hoo, they lost and are trying to blame it on something. Big deal. Had your partner not grunted, they probably would have complained that she was hitting the ball to hard for the level of play you're involved with.

BTW, we all know you like partnering with her because she carries you.

 

[SpitFire]

I once left a court because the 10 year old hitting with his dad on the court beside me was so loud with his "ehhhhh" on every stroke that I found myself distracted from my own match.

I've been in tournaments where I've seen Jr's kids making that same "ehhhhh" sound. Thank God I was just scouting at the time, otherwise it would have seriously distracted me. I doubt I'd do anything about it (all bark and no bite), but yeah…grunting does distract me. Not enough to do anything about it though…


Also, I thought this was appropriate for the thread.

 

[Mauvaise]

One of my partners is a grunter. She grunts on every shot. <snip>

As we took the lead in the second set, these ladies started complaining about the grunting. They said that it was unnerving to have my partner about to blast an overhead or other aggressive shot while she is also grunting loudly. They said they thought she was grunting specifically to intimidate when she was hitting aggressive shots.

If she was grunting on every shot, then your opponents are full of crap because anything that's that consistent is not done "specifically to intimidate". Tell your partner to grunt away!

Has an opponent's grunting ever bothered you? Did you say something, and did it help?

Not much that an opponent does bothers me. I'm good at tuning out outside distractions. I think it comes from working in an open cube farm. Which is helpful when I'm playing next to the dog park

For what it's worth, I think I've run into an occasional grunter only once or twice.

I do fins Azarenka's grunting pretty vile. Sharapova doesn't bother me at all

Azarenka does not "grunt". The noise that comes out of her can in no way be described as a "deep, guttural sound." What she does can only be described as a a very long, loud, and high-pitched trill. I can't stand watching her play.

Sharapova doesn't grunt either, she screams or shrieks. I can, at least, watch her play, however.

 

[DaveInBradenton]

Tennis is a strange sport. The fans are supposed to be quiet before and during the point, and only the the players can grunt, squawk and screech.

Try telling NBA, NFL, MLBB, and soccer fans to be quiet.

Personally, the loudness, tone, and duration of grunting/screeching determines the irritation level. At a certain point, it becomes gamesmanship, simply poor sportsmanship.

Perhaps pro tennis should provide decibel meters at all 250, 500, and majors with set limits on sound levels. Offending players could be provided with some sort of headgear "muffler" to bring them in to compliance.

On the other hand, if tennis fans were loud like other sports fans, nobody would be annoyed by the grunt-screech.

Have fun,
Dave

 

[The Isomotion31]

Doesn't bother me at all.

 

[volleygirl]

If somebody is an obnoxious grunter all you need to do is start making fart noises whenever you hit the ball. They will either be more annoyed at you than you are at them and you will gain the mental edge or they will realize how stupid they look and quit doing it altogether. Works every time.

HAHA I wish someone would do this when playing either Azarenka or Kuznetsova. The grunting or screeching has gotten ridiculous. You watch 70s and 80s matches and no one does it so todays players acting like they must do it is a joke.

 

[JRstriker12]

I don't think I've ever played anyone who grunted loud enough to annoy me.

 

[sovertennis]

Leaving the question of professionals (eg Vika, Maria, Serena, et al) aside, at the rec level "grunting" (or whatever we want to call the very loud exhortations some players make) is the epitome of tennis narcissism. I cannot believe any player gains an advantage (and please, spare me the drivel about how it may enhance the effort of making a shot) from it; to me it's nothing more than intentional, rehearsed arrogance.

 

[Govnor]

Why do you think 95% of grunters are women?

 

[dcdoorknob]

Leaving the question of professionals (eg Vika, Maria, Serena, et al) aside, at the rec level "grunting" (or whatever we want to call the very loud exhortations some players make) is the epitome of tennis narcissism. I cannot believe any player gains an advantage (and please, spare me the drivel about how it may enhance the effort of making a shot) from it; to me it's nothing more than intentional, rehearsed arrogance.

I agree. Those arrogant grunters, sheesh. We non-grunters are sooo much better than them!

 

[OHBH]

HAHA I wish someone would do this when playing either Azarenka or Kuznetsova. The grunting or screeching has gotten ridiculous. You watch 70s and 80s matches and no one does it so todays players acting like they must do it is a joke.

If one of the few non grunting wta players used my method in a televised grand slam match as a protest I bet the governing bodies would finally do something to stop the madness

 

[sovertennis]

I agree. Those arrogant grunters, sheesh. We non-grunters are sooo much better than them!

If not, we're sure quieter and more considerate.

 

[TennisCJC]

I do grunt on occasion but in general, I don't think it is too loud. No one has ever complained.

I have never complained about an opponent grunting, but if it were excessive, I would consider asking them to keep it reasonable.

Played a guy a few weeks ago in mixed playoff match. We were winning handily and this guys starts grunting but it is kind of disconnected from his stroke. Like he hits the ball and then grunts really loudly rather than grunts as he hits the ball. My partner and I talked after the match and both felt he was intentionally trying to distract us. He also hit the net on a volley and did not call it on himself until I said "I think I heard a click because your racket hit the net strap on your follow through. Did you hit the net?" He stare at me indignantly. I repeated the question because it was obvious to the other 3 players on court, he had hit the net. Finally, he says "take the point" which I did.

 

[eastbayliz]

I find grunting so super annoying in person and even more on tv. I don't get it. I dont think hitting a tennis ball is an extreme physical exertion which requires grunting. The golf swing is like a tennis stroke in many aspects - do you hear golfers grunting?

The way some people play competitive tennis (or even recreational tennis) hitting a tennis ball (especially from a dead sprint) can be quite exerting. Tennis, depending on how you play it, demands serious fitness and guts. Golf uses hand/eye coordination like tennis does but beyond that I don't think your example holds true. When I was a junior player (a pretty decent one) I literally tried to destroy the ball when I went for a big forehand winner. Grunting can be obnoxious when it is taken to an extreme-for anyone pro or not. But other then that who the heck cares? IMO that is.

 

[jrs]

Agree 100%

Leaving the question of professionals (eg Vika, Maria, Serena, et al) aside, at the rec level "grunting" (or whatever we want to call the very loud exhortations some players make) is the epitome of tennis narcissism. I cannot believe any player gains an advantage (and please, spare me the drivel about how it may enhance the effort of making a shot) from it; to me it's nothing more than intentional, rehearsed arrogance.

Very well said.
People have been hitting winners and put aways long before Bolleteri (sp?) and the gang showed up on the scene.

Yes, I find people grunting annoying. Actually, it's worse when people on the nearby courts do it - since it's unpredictable and usually interferes with play on adjacent courts.

It should also be noted these pros who grunt are not playing next other courts -they have a court all to themselves. SO HAVE A LITTLE CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS!

 

[Fintft]

You know when shrieking bothers me most?

When opponents, don't grunt due to effort, but shriek in a prolonged manner (like an intimidation shout), trying to "accompany" the ball for a winner.

Ever seen this one?

It has happened so much during my last "ladder" match, this past Sat, that after the match I've mentioned it to the girl (I know her), like the "thing that was most difficult about her". And I've asked her if she accompanies even softer swings (to short balls), with shrieks, like encouraging her shots to be winners? And she admitted it lol
Oh well, I won the TB, barely.
I’ve complimented her beautiful 2H BH afterwards, etc.