{Poll} have you ever been hit in the eye?
- Thread starter formula16
- Start date
Leoboomanu
Rookie
your eyelids close before it reaches your eye... so no...:???:
and no that hasn't happened to me before, closed eyes or open...
and no that hasn't happened to me before, closed eyes or open...
PimpMyGame
Hall of Fame
I have never framed a ball into my eye because I hit perfect shots every time
I've been hit in the eye, not by framing a ball but rather by misjudging an incoming ball's sidespin. I let it bounce and was preparing to hit a topspin backhand...next thing I knew, the ball hit my eye.
Couldn't see properly for the next 3-4 hours....was scared as hell.
Eye is OK now.
Couldn't see properly for the next 3-4 hours....was scared as hell.
Eye is OK now.
circusmouse
Rookie
Yes, in a league doubles match. It was a pretty hard hit ball that deflected off the side of my racquet. It messed up my depth perception for a while and caused us to lose our lead, but we still won the match 4 and 3 because our opponents weren't that great.
charliefedererer
Legend
I have never been hit in the eye. But I do play with shatterproof polycarbonate glasses or sunglasses, just in case.
Yes, during the finals of my first C tourney.
Opponent smacked the ball at me between points, while I wasn't looking. I was looking at the ball I was picking up at the net. Blood vessels in right eye swelled up and turned red, causing blurry vision and some pain. Took over a month before the irratation went away, but bloodshot forever.
That was in 1977.
Opponent smacked the ball at me between points, while I wasn't looking. I was looking at the ball I was picking up at the net. Blood vessels in right eye swelled up and turned red, causing blurry vision and some pain. Took over a month before the irratation went away, but bloodshot forever.
That was in 1977.
your eyelids close before it reaches your eye... so no...:???:
and no that hasn't happened to me before, closed eyes or open...
True that eyelids will close before ball impacts, but I think getting hit on a closed eyelid=getting hit in the eye. Also true that reflexes will act to guard against eye impact, often if a ball is headed toward an eye the player will duck and get hit in the brow, temple, forehead...or if they're a good enough ducker not get hit at all! Probably lose the point, though...
LameTennisPlayer
Professional
no but when i was a kid practising serving, and my mother was picking up the balls, she was near the back fence with her back facing towards me, no way near where i served it and the ball somehow wacked her in the eye given her a huge black eye.... it was pretty funny
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
In 35+ years of playing, I have been hit in the eyes 3 times (actually, all incidents have happened since the mid-90s). None happened during actual play. Have considerable amount of visual degradation in my right (dominant) eye as a result. The 1st two incidents happened while teaching -- hit by one student while working with another.
In each of those cases, I spotted an incoming ball with my peripheral vision but did not turn to look at the ball. Instead, I stayed focused on the student that I was working with and just stuck my racquet out to deflect the incoming ball -- only to have the ball hit the upper edge of the frame and hit me squarely on the eyeball -- no black eye, but quite a bit of pain since the eyeball itself took the full brunt of the impact. The right eye impact was so bad that it was 4 hours before the pain subsided enough so that I could open that eye (for any more than 1/2 second).
The last incident happened this past Fall. I was picking up a stray ball at the net when I detected some motion out of the corner of my eye. Not knowing that it was an incoming ball, I turned to see what it was. It was a wild ball hit by someone else on my side of the court. This impact came in at an angle (to my "bad" right eye) and caused less eye damage than the other 2 incidents, but resulted in quite a shiner. The "black eye" persisted for more than 1 month.
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In each of those cases, I spotted an incoming ball with my peripheral vision but did not turn to look at the ball. Instead, I stayed focused on the student that I was working with and just stuck my racquet out to deflect the incoming ball -- only to have the ball hit the upper edge of the frame and hit me squarely on the eyeball -- no black eye, but quite a bit of pain since the eyeball itself took the full brunt of the impact. The right eye impact was so bad that it was 4 hours before the pain subsided enough so that I could open that eye (for any more than 1/2 second).
The last incident happened this past Fall. I was picking up a stray ball at the net when I detected some motion out of the corner of my eye. Not knowing that it was an incoming ball, I turned to see what it was. It was a wild ball hit by someone else on my side of the court. This impact came in at an angle (to my "bad" right eye) and caused less eye damage than the other 2 incidents, but resulted in quite a shiner. The "black eye" persisted for more than 1 month.
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I got hit in the eye a few days ago, at san pablo park, while hitting the wall. I shanked one over the fence, and turned to my bag to get another ball, turned around, and smack in the eye. Layne hit the ball blindly, about from 1.5 courts, over the wall, without any warning, and it hit me in the eye going about 60 mph. Hurt bad. I walked to the other side, and said, "You hit me in the eye."
He said, "We said heads up.", which was a lie. Nothing like a green streak smashing you in the eye ball, with no warning at all. Really ****ty thing to do, and my vision was blurry for a day. Eye turned red as hell. I had no chance at all, zip, to avoid it. Felt like ***** slapping the little piece of ****. Eyelid had no chance to close at all, so the bare eyeball took it.
He said, "We said heads up.", which was a lie. Nothing like a green streak smashing you in the eye ball, with no warning at all. Really ****ty thing to do, and my vision was blurry for a day. Eye turned red as hell. I had no chance at all, zip, to avoid it. Felt like ***** slapping the little piece of ****. Eyelid had no chance to close at all, so the bare eyeball took it.
origmarm
Hall of Fame
Seriously that guy must have been DQed for that...
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Not sure that my eyelid closed in the 1st of my 3 eye impacts. I had somewhat nasty abrasions on the cornea on that one. Also partially detached the retina on that one as well as on the 2nd incident.
The partial detachment manifested itself as random flashes of circular light. I found out a couple of days after the 1st accident that theses amazing light flashes would occur whenever I turned my head quickly. Sometimes I would be driving at night on the freeway and think that there was car headlights coming up on the side of me, only to discover that the light was generated by my own eyes & brain.
Now, nearly 15 yrs later, I still get light flashes every once in a while. It is no longer nearly a full circle of light tho' - now I only get a short arc or a small sliver of light.
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SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Looks like it been around 1/3 for a while. But I'm sure that this is not really an accurate sampling of the tennis population as a whole. Most people that have never been hit in the eye, would probably not be tempted to vote at all. Same thing would happen if you asked "do you play left-handed?". You would undoubtedly get a higher % of of the actual left-handers to respond than right-handers.
formula16
Rookie
DownTheLine
Hall of Fame
I haven't framed a ball into my eye. But I have kicked a ball after missing an easy forehand at the wheel of a tennis ball cart and it rolled up the wheel and hit me right in the eye... Didn't feel the best.
lichihhsiao
New User
I have been hit in the eye twice. The first time I was trying to smash a lob but the ball landed on my eye. The second time was being hit by my racquet because I was volleying, and the ball hit my racquet, and then the racquet bounced at my eye. I was fine.
lichihhsiao
New User
I have played 4 years and I'm 20.
I've never been hit playing tennis but i did get hit playing racquetball last year. I wasn't wearing safety goggles (I was dumb enough to think my glasses would serve the same purpose). The blow caused a 85% hyphema and it took me over 2 months for my eyesight to be restored in that eye. (to make things worse that was my good eye, I have Keratoconus in my other eye)
Ever since...I wear safety goggles when I play tennis as well. And I never plan to play racquetball again! That was my first and LAST time in a racquetball court.
My brother criticizes me and calls me paranoid for wearing goggles in tennis saying "this isn't racquetball" but after reading all the stories of people being hit in this thread...my goggles are on forever.
P.S.
To the person that said the eyelid closes before the impact: the eyelid will protect you from dust, not from a ball traveling at 30-40 mph. I don't know if my eyelid closed but either way, it wasn't going to stop the ball.
Ever since...I wear safety goggles when I play tennis as well. And I never plan to play racquetball again! That was my first and LAST time in a racquetball court.
My brother criticizes me and calls me paranoid for wearing goggles in tennis saying "this isn't racquetball" but after reading all the stories of people being hit in this thread...my goggles are on forever.
P.S.
To the person that said the eyelid closes before the impact: the eyelid will protect you from dust, not from a ball traveling at 30-40 mph. I don't know if my eyelid closed but either way, it wasn't going to stop the ball.
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fireice
New User
Never framed a ball into my eye.
However, when I was maybe 6, I was in a group class and I got an "overhead smash" from the teacher in that class. I swung and missed, and the ball hit me in the eye.
I left the class for that day and couldn't keep my open for more than a second for the next 2 hours.
However, when I was maybe 6, I was in a group class and I got an "overhead smash" from the teacher in that class. I swung and missed, and the ball hit me in the eye.
I left the class for that day and couldn't keep my open for more than a second for the next 2 hours.
formula16
Rookie
killerzombie163
New User
Ive been on the head, ear, leg, thigh, arm, but not in the eye luckily. though the ear isn't very lucky either...
formula16
Rookie
may i ask, how did the head and ear occur?
doctor dennis
Semi-Pro
Twice actually. Once reacting to a volley from my opponent the ball came back off the corner of the frame into my eye. That one wasnt nice.
Second one i was doing keep ups and backheeled the ball square into my eye. I fell down like i had been shot and my mate who i was playing actually cried with laughter. Felt like a right numpty and couldnt open my eyes for a good ten minutes. I suppose thats what ya get for showing off. lol.
Second one i was doing keep ups and backheeled the ball square into my eye. I fell down like i had been shot and my mate who i was playing actually cried with laughter. Felt like a right numpty and couldnt open my eyes for a good ten minutes. I suppose thats what ya get for showing off. lol.
Davis937
Professional
Hey Lee ... that was a scary story ... especially for me ... I just had retinal surgery today (spent the afternoon recovering/recuperating ... I've got his huge eye patch over my left eye) ... also been spending some time on the TW forum ... was bored after I got up from my four hour "recovery nap" ... anyway, I was looking forward to getting out on the courts, but I'm getting a little gun ... hmmm ... "ball" shy now ... I've never been hit in the eye before (been playing off and on now for decades) ... but I'm beginning to feel awfully self conscious about my eye now k... maybe I'll ease back into the game by drilling ... and ... playing strictly singles for awhile ... I play doubles with a 3.5 gang and things get pretty hairy at the net ...
formula16
Rookie
formula16
Rookie
may i ask how long is that?
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
You don't seem to be certain about this. Is it possible that you suffered from a concussion from getting hit in the head with a tennis ball and don't remember?
I was playing at the rose garden against wasp johnny, and I came up to net, to destroy a bh oh, and slipped, and rotated myself backwards, with a lot of torque and speed, and landed on the back of my skull, so hard, I thought I had cracked my head open. Knocked myself out. Woke up, with a concussion, and finished off set, winning 7-6. I can still hear the sound, "Crackkkkkkkkkkkkkk!", of my skull on the red asphalt, in front of the redwoods, on the middle court. Think blind side football hit, lawrence taylor, on Phil's leg. Made me sick to my stomach, and could not see straight, but I did not like that guy, as he never would pick up balls on his side of the court, and acted like a prima donna. Gutted it out with hacker, short slices, with blurry vision, and aching neck and bleeding skull. Sometimes, you just hate a guy you play with so much, you will half kill yourself to beat him.
SalvadorVeiga
Rookie
YES!
I have to say very badly actually. None of my fault.
I was doing that exercise where there are 3 players at each side of the court, where 2 players are at the service line and the other one is at the center right on the net.
On the other side the placement of the 3 players is the same.
The players at the net volley crosscourt to the opposing players standing at the service line. I was one of the players at the net.
The other guy on the other side at the net at one ball didn't control it, and it hit me right in the eye... since we were like just 5-6 feet apart the ball hit pretty hard and i couldn't open my eye for a few hours...
I have to say very badly actually. None of my fault.
I was doing that exercise where there are 3 players at each side of the court, where 2 players are at the service line and the other one is at the center right on the net.
On the other side the placement of the 3 players is the same.
The players at the net volley crosscourt to the opposing players standing at the service line. I was one of the players at the net.
The other guy on the other side at the net at one ball didn't control it, and it hit me right in the eye... since we were like just 5-6 feet apart the ball hit pretty hard and i couldn't open my eye for a few hours...
