How often do you have spectators and does it help or hurt you?

[time_fly]

This is a spin off of the "outburst" thread that got sidetracked onto husbands watching. How often do you have friends and family show up to watch your matches? Do you want more or fewer spectators? Does it help or hurt your performance?

I have non-playing teammates and hitting partners watch my matches sometimes, but my wife and kids have never been at any of my matches, not even in Districts or Sectionals. They laugh at the idea. I admit it kind of bugs me sometimes, given that I've probably watched over 2,000 hours of youth baseball in the past 5 years. I fell like having spectators can give me more energy.

 

[TennisCJC]

When younger, my wife came to a few league matches. Now, unless it is city finals for league; only teammates watch. At city finals, there are a number of wives, kids, husbands and friends watching.

 

[OnTheLine]

My daughter has always hated it if we watched any of her sports.
I don't mind if teammates or club members are watching, but if my family is watching I somehow fall apart. Head case.

On my teams, no family members come to watch with the exception of districts and then only a few.

 

[Mongolmike]

Doesn't bother me either way. Family, friends, enemies... don't care. I will have brief comments with people I know when I am walking back to get a ball or something, easy to refocus. I don't mind cheers for good shots, don't mind being at another club where everyone else is rooting for the other guy, or for me to fail.

I was at league state level play and didn't notice it at first but heard a clinking sound during my serve. Just during my serve. Turns out one of the opponent's friends/family? was clinking two beer bottles lightly together trying to disrupt. I just laughed to myself, but did alert the roving official during a change over. She heard it the next time I served and told him to knock it off.

Other times I've played tourneys and people ask (most of the time) if a wife or girlfriend can sit courtside (inside courts). I always say sure. No problem. I know they will be cheering/clapping for the other person...no big deal.

The one thing I don't like anyone doing is cheering errors for the opponent. Cheer for effort, cheer for good shots, cheer for long rallies, etc... don't be a jerk and cheer for errors tho. I don't like that at any level, even the pro level.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I used to not like it. Now I feed off of it, even [perhaps especially] if everyone's cheering for my opponent.

 

[OnTheLine]

Other times I've played tourneys and people ask (most of the time) if a wife or girlfriend can sit courtside (inside courts). I always say sure. No problem. I know they will be cheering/clapping for the other person...no big deal.

I am impressed ... this would bother the heck out of me. Hopefully I will have your confidence level some day.

I will add, my sister came to a match a while back ... sat in stands and talked non stop to the person next to her. Loudly. At a changeover I needed to explain to her some spectator etiquette.

 

[Zlatni]

I love having a crowd. My biggest problem is that sometimes I mentally check out during play. Crowd prevents this - especially if they are friends and family - it pumps me up


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[SavvyStringer]

My wife claims that I can't win when she's watching. Granted she only comes to tournament finals and state championship tournaments.

 

[Turbo-87]

Almost never but it does hurt me. I'd like to appear better than I really am to spectators because I want to appear "good" to them. It's a flaw of mine really. I have always been good at every sport I played and was one of the best on every team. Unfortunately, this is not the case with tennis and I'll never be as good as I'd like to be. I started too late in life, never had a lesson, I could go on. I always make my best shots when no one is looking.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Almost never but it does hurt me. I'd like to appear better than I really am to spectators because I want to appear "good" to them. It's a flaw of mine really.

Trust me, this flaw is not limited to you.

That's one nice thing about team sports: you have a built-in cheering section.

 

[Mongolmike]

I am impressed ... this would bother the heck out of me. Hopefully I will have your confidence level some day.

I will add, my sister came to a match a while back ... sat in stands and talked non stop to the person next to her. Loudly. At a changeover I needed to explain to her some spectator etiquette.

Like they say, focus on the shot. Plus, nobody watching most of us is expecting pro level play. They want to see effort and sportsman/woman ship and some good points occasionally. It's what I always try to do, so I guess people watching doesn't change my approach.

I also have a good friend who is very loud. Very loud. He jokes and laughs on the sidelines usually about nothing to do with tennis or the match he is courtside to and opponents turn and stare at him... he just doesn't notice it. Super friendly person, but on occasion I have had to tell him to keep it down a little. He will, but 10 minutes later....his default is just about at 11 (Spinal Tap reference don-cha-know).

 

[Turbo-87]

Like they say, focus on the shot. Plus, nobody watching most of us is expecting pro level play. They want to see effort and sportsman/woman ship and some good points occasionally. It's what I always try to do, so I guess people watching doesn't change my approach.

I also have a good friend who is very loud. Very loud. He jokes and laughs on the sidelines usually about nothing to do with tennis or the match he is courtside to and opponents turn and stare at him... he just doesn't notice it. Super friendly person, but on occasion I have had to tell him to keep it down a little. He will, but 10 minutes later....his default is just about at 11 (Spinal Tap reference don-cha-know).

Great scene.

I think I have to remember that people aren't expecting pro level play. I just don't want people wondering how a goof like me is on court 1. Sometimes I really do play very well but those moments in time are fleeting.

 

[Dartagnan64]

I rarely have spectators. And when I do it rarely bothers me. Only time I got nervous with spectators was at the Old Course in St Andrews. Lots of the old guys from town gather round the first tee, to watch and comment. That was a bit intimidating since the shot required a 3 wood off the tee, which was one of my worst shots. Much better with a driver.

But during tennis there is too much match stuff going on to get affected by spectators.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

watching me play tennis is punishment to my family

 

[Tennisplyr]

Having people watch doesn't bother me because I'm a great player.....and incredibly humble ;-)

 

[MathGeek]

I can focus. When a point is in play, there is only the action on the court. Likewise in other sports, only the action in play. Focus. Focus. Focus.

Spectators neither help nor hurt. Nor do birds or passers by or car alarms or sirens in the distance.

It does help when they drive opponents nuts.

 

[Cindysphinx]

I have non-playing teammates and hitting partners watch my matches sometimes, but my wife and kids have never been at any of my matches, not even in Districts or Sectionals. They laugh at the idea. I admit it kind of bugs me sometimes, given that I've probably watched over 2,000 hours of youth baseball in the past 5 years. I fell like having spectators can give me more energy.

Hey, I can relate to this.

My husband has come to a few of my matches -- when there is a viewing area and good wifi. He clearly isn't interested, but still I appreciate the company (we're empty nesters).

It did bug me when my teens never wanted to see my play. Not once in 13 years have they come to one of my matches. I know it is nothing to look at -- league tennis is more fun to do than to watch -- but not once?

It's too late for me, as my kids are grown people with jobs and such. But have you ever thought of just telling them how much it would mean to you if they would come to a match? You could say, "If you let me die before you see me play tennis, I will haunt you for the rest of your life."

 

[MathGeek]

Hey, I can relate to this.

My husband has come to a few of my matches -- when there is a viewing area and good wifi. He clearly isn't interested, but still I appreciate the company (we're empty nesters).

It did bug me when my teens never wanted to see my play. Not once in 13 years have they come to one of my matches. I know it is nothing to look at -- league tennis is more fun to do than to watch -- but not once?

I go to all my wife's matches, and either my wife or I (sometimes both) are at every one of our son's matches. I also go to nearly all the home basketball games of the school where I've been doing a bit of guest teaching this year and a number of other events where friends or family are competing.

If they care about it, then I care about it.

 

[Bluefan75]

I rarely have spectators. And when I do it rarely bothers me. Only time I got nervous with spectators was at the Old Course in St Andrews. Lots of the old guys from town gather round the first tee, to watch and comment. That was a bit intimidating since the shot required a 3 wood off the tee, which was one of my worst shots. Much better with a driver.

But during tennis there is too much match stuff going on to get affected by spectators.

It had been a long time since I was as nervous before an inconsequential round as I was at the Old Course. I hit a hybrid as far left as I could, and caught it clean, and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Of course, the second shot was one where I really had to make sure not to hit into the burn, and I succeeded. I hit about 8 inches behind the ball and moved it about 20 yards forward!!

 

[SouthernCourts]

I think I have the kind of ego-inflated brain where I always subconsciously imagine in the back of my mind that any match I'm playing is monumentally important to thousands of people, so when someone is actually watching with a rooting interest, for or against, I love it and always play better. Like someone said above, it gives me energy and purpose and I don't lose focus.

 

[TenS_Ace]

It can be tiresome at times when they show up..Getting bagelled and then have to sign so many autographs, takes toll on me

 

[Ruark]

I'm not completely used to somebody watching me. My playing usually goes down a couple of notches. Like if I see, out of the corner of my eye, one of the club pros I know standing behind the fence watching me, I tend to fall apart.

 

[Enga]

I like to have spectators, but whether I can say this makes me play better or worse is up for debate. I just like the idea of having spectators, but it has never distracted me once the game gets going. It just makes me slightly more nervous than usual before the match.

 

[Nacho]

Except at districts and sectionals I have maybe had 2/3 people watch a match. If never bugs me either way, almost like they aren't there. At districts once I was the last court on and both teams were watching along with a few women's teams that had finished up and were curious and in the same area as us, so about 30 people; all boozing it up and being rowdy. It got a little vocal, but it was more fun than anything. Besides that group, its usually a quiet family member or significant other sitting there bored....My wife will watch if its a finals match or some important event, but doesn't regularly make it out.

I really don't care, or I'll tune it out, unless there is obnoxious behavior like constant conversing, coaching, or cheering for errors, that will actually make me want to play harder.

 

[r2473]

Anyone who's willing to buy a ticket is allowed to watch me play.

 

[gmatheis]

I pretty much forget about anyone watching as soon as the ball is in play. (as long as they aren't talking right next to the court while I'm playing )

 

[kevrol]

My wife comes to watch me play occasionally. Don't think I play any differently. She however hates it when I come watch her play.

 

[Nashvegas]

I can get tentative with shots and lazy with footwork, which is ugly tennis to watch. So when a friend or pro is watching I move better and go for more shots. I don’t want to show off, I just want to look like I have half a clue and make the match more enjoyable for the spectators who somehow had nothing better to do than tune in.

 

[FedLIKEnot]

We have a pretty notorious rowdy club in our local area. I loved when I played there and when I play against there. Almost feels slightly Davis Cup like. There is a deck platform along the back of the courts and an elevated deck that looks out over the courts as well. And I have coming from playing basketball most of my life enjoyed a crowd and even some slight angst so to speak between opponent and myself. Don’t get me wrong I don’t talk trash and generally I am very calm and mild mannered but the gamesmanship others do is funny to me and can help me re focus. Just my two cents.

As far as family my wife has been too like 5 matches total in the 2.5 years I’ve played league and I don’t even blame her. The tennis can suck and we have two little ones. Haha.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

the gamesmanship others do is funny to me and can help me re focus.

Agree. When I catch myself getting annoyed about an opponent's childish behavior, I laugh inside and think if he's getting that desperate, my game must be getting to him and that it's time to step on the gas.

It doesn't always work out that way in reality but it's a good goal to have.

 

[Morch Us]

Totally love having spectators. It gives me a feel of importance (even if everyone is just being there and but looking at their phone). Also gives me a confidence to go full on my shots, since I feel more confident that my opponent will call a ball out only if it is clearly out (since everyone is watching), and anything I hit really close to the line is going to be on my favor. I am always very forgiving on my calls, and so it is not going to give my opponent any similar extra advantage because of spectators. Also I love having some folks to be there appreciating my winners, giving me extra inspiration to win every point (immediately I feel like I am having something to prove on every point, irrespective of the score). I am also aware that most folks don't really know or care the score as much, and so allows me to be in the "current point" and perform well just in that point (and forget about past and future).

having spectators can give me more energy.