Screaming banned?

[Steve Huff]

I thought that the WTA was going to ban the screaming a few years ago--as soon as Sharipova retired. I still hear a lot of the WTA players with yells and screams when they hit the ball, some that last well into their opponents swing. Azarenka comes to mind first, but I've heard others that do it too. When will this "ban" go into effect (if ever)?

 

[Mr.Lob]

No ban. Sharapova #1

 

[10S-Junkie]

They need to enforce the hindrance rule on players like Sonego and Brooksby also!

 

[tex123]

It is an hindrance if the opponent lets out a long delayed grunt that carries on as the opponent is hitting his/her shot. Like Murray did to Tsitsipas. No one complained.

 

[Bartelby]

Nadal and half the male tour scream/grunt so it's nothing short of misogyny these days to pick out women as the main or only problem.

 

[10S-Junkie]

It is an hindrance if the opponent lets out a long delayed grunt that carries on as the opponent is hitting his/her shot. Like Murray did to Tsitsipas. No one complained.

Watch Brooksby's matches. He lets out long, extended random screams that could be called a hindrance if the chair umpires had the balls to do it. Sonego grunts after making contact with the ball. First time I watched Sonego I thought there was something wrong with my TV

 

[TimHenmanATG]

Nadal and half the male tour scream/grunt so it's nothing short of misogyny these days to pick out women as the main or only problem.

There may be some misogyny involved, but grunting can be a natural response to physically straining oneself.

Screaming or shrieking is just so ridiculous and unnatural, which is why it tends to receive more negative attention.

 

[Visionary]

I thought that the WTA was going to ban the screaming a few years ago--as soon as Sharipova retired. I still hear a lot of the WTA players with yells and screams when they hit the ball, some that last well into their opponents swing. Azarenka comes to mind first, but I've heard others that do it too. When will this "ban" go into effect (if ever)?

Don't you want to see the best tennis when players aren't restricted to rules affecting their extraordidary performances? If the noise of our stars when they are in action bothers you, either put your headphones on or do not watch the ones who trouble you so much.

 

[tex123]

Nadal and half the male tour scream/grunt so it's nothing short of misogyny these days to pick out women as the main or only problem.

I don't know if you can call that misogyny. It comes from our perception that men are physically stronger than women. So we tolerate grunts and associate that with masculinity.

That's why Sharapova screams seems so out of the ordinary. Secondly, we are not used to that pitch of the voice of a woman grunting. It is jarring.

I'm in the other camp. I like grunts. We're not sitting in a library after all. It is blood, sweat and tears on a tennis court after all.

 

[Visionary]

It's also what give edge to the tennis players, if females or males. It is natural. Hard to imagine stopping weight lifters scream but I know that's a different sport.

 

[TimHenmanATG]

It's also what give edge to the tennis players, if females or males. It is natural. Hard to imagine stopping weight lifters scream but I know that's a different sport.

If you watch matches from the last century, then players didn't scream, shriek, or inorganically grunt.

This kind of gamesmanship should never have been tolerated.

 

[Bartelby]

Grunting/screaming is a trained breathing technique to both regulate breathing through to contact, and also to add more aggression and power to the stroke.

Nothing natural about it, but there are some versions of it with very long audible tails.

There may be some misogyny involved, but grunting can be a natural response to physically straining oneself.

Screaming or shrieking is just so ridiculous and unnatural, which is why it tends to receive more negative attention.

 

[Bartelby]

If we tolerate one and not the other then misogyny has to be involved at some level.

I don't know if you can call that misogyny. It comes from our perception that men are physically stronger than women. So we tolerate grunts and associate that with masculinity.

That's why Sharapova screams seems so out of the ordinary. Secondly, we are not used to that pitch of the voice of a woman grunting. It is jarring.

I'm in the other camp. I like grunts. We're not sitting in a library after all. It is blood, sweat and tears on a tennis court after all.

 

[DSH]

Nadal and half the male tour scream/grunt so it's nothing short of misogyny these days to pick out women as the main or only problem.

Even Federer has grunted a few times.
Regarding women, Serena Williams has been the specialist in intimidating her opponents with her screams and gestures.

 

[TimHenmanATG]

Grunting/screaming is a trained breathing technique to both regulate breathing through to contact, and also to add more aggression and power to the stroke.

Nothing natural about it, but there are some versions of it with very long audible tails.

It expends energy to scream.

In no way, shape, or form is that an organic response to physical endeavour.

 

[Bartelby]

Your interpretation of what I said is completely wrong. It's a learnt breathing technique, and it's also controlled, and therefore does not diminish energy.

It expends energy to scream.

In no way, shape, or form is that an organic response to physical endeavour.

 

[TimHenmanATG]

Your interpretation of what I said is completely wrong. It's a learnt breathing technique, and it's also controlled, and therefore does not diminish energy.

It may be a learnt behaviour/breathing technique, but surely you're not seriously suggesting that as an explanation for the likes of Sharapova and Azarenka?

 

[Visionary]

If you watch matches from the last century, then players didn't scream, shriek, or inorganically grunt.

I'd like to go back to the last organic century as much as I want to see how much better our athletes can possibly perform in current conditions. Putting restrictions on our stars' natural behavior aside their toilet breaks length may actually bring us back a couple centuries. :WINK

 

[TimHenmanATG]

I'd like to go back to the last organic century as much as I want to see how much better our athletes can possibly perform in current conditions. Putting restrictions on our stars' natural behavior aside their toilet breaks length may actually bring us back a couple centuries. :WINK

It's quite a difficult issue to broach, because the margin between "natural" and "unnatural" noises can be rather nebulous.

Shrieking and screaming are pure gamesmanship.

It should have been clamped down upon earlier, as it's clearly used to psyche out one's opponent.

 

[Visionary]

clearly used to psyche out one's opponent

"Clearly" keep your TTW notion :LOL

 

[TimHenmanATG]

"Clearly" keep your TTW notion :LOL

Do you have an alternative explanation?

 

[Arak]

Grunting is natural and has been used in many sports and martial arts for a long time, like boxing, weight lifting…etc. Shrieking is not natural, and its purpose in Japanese martial arts is to startle the opponent. It may have a similar effect in tennis. It should be banned.

 

[Deleted member 771911]

It’s weird. When you are court side, you don’t care about it. Or I don’t. Partly because you are seeing the physical exertion a few feet away. It seems natural they grunt. Plus it gives the whole thing this urgency and intensity. But in tv, it’s annoying for me. So I just mute it. I watch a lot of tennis on mute anyway. As for the hindrance grunts. They are the worst but very little is ever done.

 

[Bartelby]

Nonsense.

I watched Nadal for a while paying attention only to his grunting. Points start quietly enough, but the grunting emerges to increase the tempo and power of his stroke,

Shrieking in women performs exactly the same function.

Grunting is natural and has been used in many sports and martial arts for a long time, like boxing, weight lifting…etc. Shrieking is not natural, and its purpose in Japanese martial arts is to startle the opponent. It may have a similar effect in tennis. It should be banned.

 

[Sudacafan]

The ATP might be forced to do something when players start to fart or burp after every shot.

 

[Arak]

Nonsense.

I watched Nadal for a while paying attention only to his grunting. Points start quietly enough, but the grunting emerges to increase the tempo and power of his stroke,

Shrieking in women performs exactly the same function.

As I said grunting helps with energy release and that works for both males and females. The shrieking is basically grunting vocally. It doesn’t add anything in that regard to grunting but it’s designed to **** off the opponent. Grunting is ok, shrieking is not ok.

 

[Bartelby]

They are the same phenomena. I can't see the difference aside from the implicit gender stereotyping.

As I said grunting helps with energy release and that works for both males and females. The shrieking is basically grunting vocally. It doesn’t add anything in that regard to grunting but it’s designed to **** off the opponent. Grunting is ok, shrieking is not ok.

 

[Arak]

They are the same phenomena. I can't see the difference aside from the implicit gender stereotyping.

Sometimes I have the feeling you have no idea what you’re talking about but you just want to argue for the sake of arguing.

 

[Bartelby]

I disagree with you on this issue and that causes your feeling.

Sometimes I have the feeling you have no idea what you’re talking about but you just want to argue for the sake of arguing.

 

[Steve Huff]

Don't you want to see the best tennis when players aren't restricted to rules affecting their extraordidary performances? If the noise of our stars when they are in action bothers you, either put your headphones on or do not watch the ones who trouble you so much.

I actually do turn off the sound when Azarenka plays.

 

[Visionary]

I actually do turn off the sound when Azarenka plays.

I guess it's more exciting when you are in the stadium where you cannot turn her off