Motivation Issues Against Cheaters

[TropicalFruit]

Hi guys,

Wondering if anyone else has this same experience. We all know there's a common kind of player who calls every ball that lands on the service line and/or the baseline OUT. When I play against this kind of player, I very quickly lose interest in the match.

The problem is, it's not really within my control. I just hate being out there, and kinda tank until the match is over. In a tournament setting, you can usually ask for an umpire, but in something like a USTA league setting, there isn't much recourse. I'm a very friendly player, always chatting with my opponent before the match, complimenting their nice shots or our great rallies, and calling every ball that I'm not sure about in.

When they don't show me the same respect... I don't have any motivation to compete with them. I just wanna get out of there.

Any of you have this same orientation? What do you do about it?

 

[Johnny505]

You'll always come across 1 or 2 jxxks in any sport settings. I lose interest when opponents play not to lose rather than play to win.

A particular opponent I played against last year between lock down in a competitive match was as so dull, all he did was float balls over the net so not to lose any points. I wanted to stop after the 1st set and report him to the governing body for violation of my human rights.

 

[TropicalFruit]

I've never minded pushers at all. It's basically just a forehand drill. It usually stays fun for about 10 games, and I have to mess around once it gets to like 6-0 4-0 to stay interested, but I do drop shots and forehand-only points and stuff to stay interested.

But for at least the first set I usually don't get bored just hitting forehand winners over and over.

 

[mikelikesgatorad]

You'll always come across 1 or 2 jxxks in any sport settings. I lose interest when opponents play not to lose rather than play to win.

A particular opponent I played against last year between lock down in a competitive match was as so dull, all he did was float balls over the net so not to lose any points. I wanted to stop after the 1st set and report him to the governing body for violation of my human rights.

I'm assuming you won every point that set

 

[nyta2]

Hi guys,

Wondering if anyone else has this same experience. We all know there's a common kind of player who calls every ball that lands on the service line and/or the baseline OUT. When I play against this kind of player, I very quickly lose interest in the match.

The problem is, it's not really within my control. I just hate being out there, and kinda tank until the match is over. In a tournament setting, you can usually ask for an umpire, but in something like a USTA league setting, there isn't much recourse. I'm a very friendly player, always chatting with my opponent before the match, complimenting their nice shots or our great rallies, and calling every ball that I'm not sure about in.

When they don't show me the same respect... I don't have any motivation to compete with them. I just wanna get out of there.

Any of you have this same orientation? What do you do about it?

if they truly are cheaters... i just walk off, default the match... if the match "matters" - eg. usta/tourney, etc... i call a line judge, or pause and complain to capts & tourney directors...
i played a club ladder match against a cheater... one example of many:
i was up 4-1, serving... he called my serve out.... (6in well inside both lines) but the way he called it out was even moronic: "i didn't see it, so i called it out..." so i stopped, defaulted, and told him he was too good. the tourney director asked me about it (ie. he was 3.5 and am a 4.5 - how/why did i default/lose), i told him the story, and turns out he was a "known cheater"... he later left the ladder, and the club altogether as he had a reputation, and ultimately no one to play with.

there's not enough time in my life to be spending with folks i don't want to spend time with... especially if i'm not making money doing it (ie. that can be invested back into the people/things that matter to me).

 

[nyta2]

You'll always come across 1 or 2 jxxks in any sport settings. I lose interest when opponents play not to lose rather than play to win.

A particular opponent I played against last year between lock down in a competitive match was as so dull, all he did was float balls over the net so not to lose any points. I wanted to stop after the 1st set and report him to the governing body for violation of my human rights.

lol, this is not the same as cheating...
you just are not good at handling no pace balls...
get better!

 

[5sets]

Hi guys,

Wondering if anyone else has this same experience. We all know there's a common kind of player who calls every ball that lands on the service line and/or the baseline OUT. When I play against this kind of player, I very quickly lose interest in the match.

The problem is, it's not really within my control. I just hate being out there, and kinda tank until the match is over. In a tournament setting, you can usually ask for an umpire, but in something like a USTA league setting, there isn't much recourse. I'm a very friendly player, always chatting with my opponent before the match, complimenting their nice shots or our great rallies, and calling every ball that I'm not sure about in.

When they don't show me the same respect... I don't have any motivation to compete with them. I just wanna get out of there.

Any of you have this same orientation? What do you do about it?

There’s not anything you can do about his/her actions but you can narrow your margins. Shrink the court. Much more difficult for the cheater to call a ball 3 feet inside the baseline than half a foot “OUT”.
If it’s a tourney or League setting after the second or third bad call you can give them an obvious bad call back i.e. one of their serves in the middle of the service boxes “OUT”. The cheater will usually wise up and play more fairly after that.

 

[WhiteOut]

Hi guys,

Wondering if anyone else has this same experience. We all know there's a common kind of player who calls every ball that lands on the service line and/or the baseline OUT. When I play against this kind of player, I very quickly lose interest in the match.

The problem is, it's not really within my control. I just hate being out there, and kinda tank until the match is over. In a tournament setting, you can usually ask for an umpire, but in something like a USTA league setting, there isn't much recourse. I'm a very friendly player, always chatting with my opponent before the match, complimenting their nice shots or our great rallies, and calling every ball that I'm not sure about in.

When they don't show me the same respect... I don't have any motivation to compete with them. I just wanna get out of there.

Any of you have this same orientation? What do you do about it?

you have to beat 'em anyway. I get the same way mentally when i play pushers, because i couldn't solve the riddle and just got bored. i still do, but i've come to realize it's on me to make it fun, and i've learned to change my tactics a bit -- a different but similar issue.

Your inquiry is about how to stay motivated to finish...don't let them take the game you enjoy away from you. just treat it like a practice match -- focus on hitting into bigger 'windows' on the court. use the oppty to work on different things, or set in-point goals (i.e no winner until two setup shots....basically take the lines away from him, and just kick his ass. if the line calls are bad enough, you can always just say man that's a bad call, but okaaay....if he keeps doing it, you can call the next shot out n matter where on the court it lands. I've never had to resort to that, but i've played with people who do...it seems to get the message across pretty clearly. if that doesnt work, and youve already paid for the court time you could always off this: "Hey let's just stop the match and practice/rep for a while, since lines dont seem to matter much to you."

 

[TropicalFruit]

I used to feel the same way about pushers, but I matured and got over that. The thing is though, the pusher isn't cheating. They're just playing to win. They still deserve your respect as a fellow tennis player. When I need to adjust my game to beat a pusher, that's just tennis. Part of the game.

I aim to good targets on my forehand. When I mishit the ball slightly, it usually hits the line, instead of going out. I don't want to alter this target because my opponent is cheating. That, unlike the pusher example, is NOT real tennis.

I guess that's why I don't have any desire to compete against the bad line calls. From what you guys have been saying, though, it looks like you're willing to just walk off and default a league match or just abandon an annoying practice partner, and maybe that's the answer.

 

[Johnny505]

lol, this is not the same as cheating...
you just are not good at handling no pace balls...
get better!

I left to get my XL KFC family bucket at the drive though, it was far more enjoyable

 

[nyta2]

I left to get my XL KFC family bucket at the drive though, it was far more enjoyable

that’s fair… consistent players are definitely painful to play…. I probably would rather share the kfc with you, too

 

[heninfan99]

Hi guys,

Wondering if anyone else has this same experience. We all know there's a common kind of player who calls every ball that lands on the service line and/or the baseline OUT. When I play against this kind of player, I very quickly lose interest in the match.

The problem is, it's not really within my control. I just hate being out there, and kinda tank until the match is over. In a tournament setting, you can usually ask for an umpire, but in something like a USTA league setting, there isn't much recourse. I'm a very friendly player, always chatting with my opponent before the match, complimenting their nice shots or our great rallies, and calling every ball that I'm not sure about in.

When they don't show me the same respect... I don't have any motivation to compete with them. I just wanna get out of there.

Any of you have this same orientation? What do you do about it?

I feel like that because what is the point if you play great and they steal the match from you anyway. It can also motivate you to play in beast mode

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

that’s fair… consistent players are definitely painful to play…. I probably would rather share the kfc with you, too

I the last time I went to KFC, it was still called Kentucky Fried Chicken.

 

[golden chicken]

I would try to make them run (suffer) as much as possible without going too near the lines. Work them side to side, drop shot, moonball, short angles, whatever.

I like to end points at the net, too. You have to be a real cheat to call a drop shot that bounces twice in the middle of the service box out.

 

[Jono123]

We all know and play these types of opponents. I tend to mirror my opponents. If its marginal and always out then so be it. I wouldn't resort to blatant cheating or let them get away with it either.

 

[Johnny505]

that’s fair… consistent players are definitely painful to play…. I probably would rather share the kfc with you, too

As long as you bring the beer. Followed by some McFlurry, day done

 

[Ferris]

there's not enough time in my life to be spending with folks i don't want to spend time with... especially if i'm not making money doing it (ie. that can be invested back into the people/things that matter to me).

100% this.

 

[am1899]

if they truly are cheaters... i just walk off, default the match... if the match "matters" - eg. usta/tourney, etc... i call a line judge, or pause and complain to capts & tourney directors...
i played a club ladder match against a cheater... one example of many:
i was up 4-1, serving... he called my serve out.... (6in well inside both lines) but the way he called it out was even moronic: "i didn't see it, so i called it out..." so i stopped, defaulted, and told him he was too good. the tourney director asked me about it (ie. he was 3.5 and am a 4.5 - how/why did i default/lose), i told him the story, and turns out he was a "known cheater"... he later left the ladder, and the club altogether as he had a reputation, and ultimately no one to play with.

there's not enough time in my life to be spending with folks i don't want to spend time with... especially if i'm not making money doing it (ie. that can be invested back into the people/things that matter to me).

When I was still in juniors, maybe 12-13 yrs old, my uncle (God rest his soul) asked me to play with him in a 4.0 doubles tournament. I accepted. We played these 2 dingleberries, who, from the beginning, were jerks. Eventually the score started to go against them and they started cheating. After a couple obvious hooks, which my uncle questioned loud and clear…they did it again. This is where a now infamous move came from my uncle. He sat down on the court and refused to play. When the two guys questioned why, he said something to the effect that he wasn’t going to continue playing “a couple babies who need to cheat to win.” They didn’t admit to making bad line calls. But eventually, they promised to call a fair game. My uncle stood up, and we played the match to completion with not one more bad call. My mom still talks about it all the time. To this day it’s of the most hilarious moves I’ve ever seen pulled in a tennis match.

 

[Tennisguy102]

Hi guys,

Wondering if anyone else has this same experience. We all know there's a common kind of player who calls every ball that lands on the service line and/or the baseline OUT. When I play against this kind of player, I very quickly lose interest in the match.

The problem is, it's not really within my control. I just hate being out there, and kinda tank until the match is over. In a tournament setting, you can usually ask for an umpire, but in something like a USTA league setting, there isn't much recourse. I'm a very friendly player, always chatting with my opponent before the match, complimenting their nice shots or our great rallies, and calling every ball that I'm not sure about in.

When they don't show me the same respect... I don't have any motivation to compete with them. I just wanna get out of there.

Any of you have this same orientation? What do you do about it?

For me, that's extra motivation to kick his butt. Nothing gets me fired up more than someone who sucks so badly that they need to cheat in order to win. I tend to take care of the issue by altering my play style rather than call a line judge. I start shrinking margins (not hitting near the lines) and exhausting them by running them ragged. And if they come to net, I try to hit the ball straight through their ribcage. If they are especially egregious with the cheating (even if called out on it by me), I tend to not shake their hand after the match is over.

 

[Deleted member 776614]

It inspires me to play better - which generally means picking smaller targets and going after them with more focus. Or if it's someone at a lower level then me, I just take my foot off the brake.

 

[J B]

They only learn when you make the same bad call. Followed by, you made some very questionable line calls but its your line... same here. Or DF them when you are at game point. Remember " looked out to me, its my line" check out tennis hooks on IG. These people never grow up and they need you to " take the high road" so they can continue using cheating as a strategy. Take that away give em a life lesson.

 

[Moon Shooter]

If possible video record the match. People can still make honest mistakes but video promotes honesty.