Should I have been upset?

[Bluefan75]

So I play in a loosely organized doubles "league." I say that because basically we get an email a day or two before saying you're playing at this time. When you get there, the person organizing tells you who you are playing with/against that night.

Last night I'm paired with an older chap, against another older chap and a young guy younger than me. I've played the young guy in singles and beaten him. He can hit some great shots/serves, but he can also send a ton of them long. His partner, while older, moves around fairly well for his age. My partner, was likely close to 70, had a hard time reaching for the ball if it was sitting on the ground. Naturally his reflexes aren't that good either.

Young guy fires some really hard serves that blow by my partner. Fine, can't tell a guy not to serve. His partner, who can throw in a pretty hard serve, throws in dinks that barely make the service line for the second bounce, and my partner has a bit of a hard time getting up to it. I'm thinking, ok, if that's how we're going to play....

But what really got me going was when I was serving, my partner would be at the net, and the young guy, who can hit a rocket of a forehand if he gets everything right, drilled one at my partner, who somehow got it back, and then he drills another one right at him. There were a couple more later in the match as well.

Now, any of the stuff I mentioned, if I'm on the receiving end, fair play, I don't have any issue. But the drilling at him really pi**ed me off. The guy had some forehands on the baseline he missed completely that were much slower than that. So now you're going to fire rockets at him at the net?

Or is the fact a guy is 50 years older than you irrelevant if you step on the court?

 

[atp2015]

Absolutely, you should have been very upset that you had to play with such folks.
TBH, If I have to play someone who is beginner level(serve not reaching out side the box on second bounce), and I find it not fun to play for any reason and I will 'twist' my ankle and head home after my first service game if none of my serves come back. It's just mentally annoying and physically restraining to play bunch of guys who can barely move.

 

[Startzel]

Yeah that's pretty classless on their part for something that's casual doubles.

 

[Bluefan75]

Absolutely, you should have been very upset that you had to play with such folks.
TBH, If I have to play someone who is beginner level(serve not reaching out side the box on second bounce), and I find it not fun to play for any reason and I will 'twist' my ankle and head home after my first service game if none of my serves come back. It's just mentally annoying and physically restraining to play bunch of guys who can barely move.

Just to be clear, this guy is not a beginner. That serve was a tactic. He threw a couple of howitzers in my direction that gave me some fits.

The skill level was not what you are describing. If my partner could get to a ball, and he did get to a couple that surprised me, he could sometimes do something with it. And the other guys could keep the ball in play. There were some really good rallies at times as well. But the one guy was firing on an old fella....

 

[atp2015]

Just to be clear, this guy is not a beginner. That serve was a tactic. He threw a couple of howitzers in my direction that gave me some fits.

The skill level was not what you are describing. If my partner could get to a ball, and he did get to a couple that surprised me, he could sometimes do something with it. And the other guys could keep the ball in play. There were some really good rallies at times as well. But the one guy was firing on an old fella....

got it - the deliberate switch between beginner level serve and good fast/spinny serve. I find it extremely annoying and treat it as an unsportsman-like conduct. good enough reason for me to get upset and head home.

 

[wings56]

Do these scores go into the computer or no?

 

[atp2015]

Do these scores go into the computer or no?

loosely organized doubles "league." via email. scores don't matter I guess

 

[Bluefan75]

Do these scores go into the computer or no?

No, unlike our winter league, you don't even have a steady partner, so there are no standings. You just play tennis.

 

[Bluefan75]

got it - the deliberate switch between beginner level serve and good fast/spinny serve. I find it extremely annoying and treat it as an unsportsman-like conduct. good enough reason for me to get upset and head home.

I drive half an hour to get there(opposite end of my city), and usually have good matches. Plus I've been there when a guy flaked and you had to play australian. It's like hockey with no goalie. Really kind of sucks. So I wasn't about to make things worse by doing that.

 

[wings56]

No, unlike our winter league, you don't even have a steady partner, so there are no standings. You just play tennis.

Then I can understand you being upset. However, it would be a best practice to indicate to your opponents in the future that you would like to just have fun and not be so competitive. You can't necessarily blame them for doing what they thought gave them the best chance to win.

Do you know for certain that your partner did not like being "picked on"?

Many times when I play someone of a lower level, they find it insulting if I take it easy on them. They like to know that whatever games they get are because they earned it.

My perspective

 

[blakesq]

bluefan75, lendl famously said "I never invited my opponents to the net", after he would drill them with forhands. Thus, in your case, if your partner cannot handle rockets coming at him, he needs to play back. Is it a jerky thing to do? Maybe, it depends, if this is purely social, then it is jerky. But the fact that it is not mixed, and you are keeping score, means to me, that it is competitive, and all legal shots are OK, imho.

 

[Bluefan75]

Then I can understand you being upset. However, it would be a best practice to indicate to your opponents in the future that you would like to just have fun and not be so competitive. You can't necessarily blame them for doing what they thought gave them the best chance to win.

Do you know for certain that your partner did not like being "picked on"?

Many times when I play someone of a lower level, they find it insulting if I take it easy on them. They like to know that whatever games they get are because they earned it.

My perspective

Well if he wouldn't have been an older fellow that had had serves blasted past him, and swung through forehands, I wouldn't have cared. As I said, do that to me all you want. I just thought it a little off to be firing bullets at a guy that may not be able to protect himself.

 

[Bluefan75]

bluefan75, lendl famously said "I never invited my opponents to the net", after he would drill them with forhands. Thus, in your case, if your partner cannot handle rockets coming at him, he needs to play back. Is it a jerky thing to do? Maybe, it depends, if this is purely social, then it is jerky. But the fact that it is not mixed, and you are keeping score, means to me, that it is competitive, and all legal shots are OK, imho.

Lendl was also playing peers. Did he do that against 70 year olds?

 

[wings56]

Well if he wouldn't have been an older fellow that had had serves blasted past him, and swung through forehands, I wouldn't have cared. As I said, do that to me all you want. I just thought it a little off to be firing bullets at a guy that may not be able to protect himself.

Did your partner complain?

 

[Bluefan75]

Did your partner complain?

Shook his head a couple of times, but didn't say anything. You can tell when he was younger he could play some, which is why I think he wouldn't want to admit he's not quite as quick at the net anymore.

When I said to him late second set "I didn't care to start, but once he started firing on you, now I really want to beat these guys", he got a look on his face that appreciated what I had said.

 

[wings56]

Shook his head a couple of times, but didn't say anything. You can tell when he was younger he could play some, which is why I think he wouldn't want to admit he's not quite as quick at the net anymore.

When I said to him late second set "I didn't care to start, but once he started firing on you, now I really want to beat these guys", he got a look on his face that appreciated what I had said.

Interesting

 

[Deleted member 23235]

i used to be that young guy... had to prove how awesome my fh is (it sucked, but better than rec-park-3.5).
eventually i learned the difference between competition and social tennis... but not until i had been competing in leagues/tournaments alot (ie. figured out my place... did my sharing of crushing folks, but more often getting crushed).

if i were you, and had a partner that was getting drilled at the net - in league/tourney or rec, i'd ask him to move back... because clearly i'm not able to hit neutralizing groundies to prevent the opposing team from drilling my partner. any time my partner gets drilled, i take full responsibility for leaving a duck

if i were getting drilled at net... i'd welcome the challenge,... unless my partner asks me to move back (ie. he's missing returns, and needs a bigger court to hit into, making his returns more susceptible to poaching)

side note, i'd leave age out of it... because there are definitely some 70y olds that can handle big fh's - or know to turn away (ie. they are slow, but their anticipation from playing for decades is really good). this could be an issue with anyone (beginner) that can't handle getting drilled at the net

 

[OrangePower]

Depends on the level. If all the players are at the same level, then I think anything goes. Each player should be able to adjust if they have a weakness which is being exploited.

But if there is a disparity in levels, then I think you try take that into account, and not pick on the weaker player.

(Unless you are playing USTA Mixed, which we won't get into.)

 

[Traffic]

IDK. I play a fairly low level doubles matches and I've fired at older players at the net. I don't do it all the time. But I hit at least one rocket to the net man. Mind you, it's not a straight cannon but a hard hit topspin forehand that would land well inside the baseline if left alone. I apologize and I get a "hey, I moved up to the net, I need to deal with whatever comes at me".

I figure if they can get a point at net, they can lose a point at net.

 

[Dartagnan64]

I think my father would be terminally angry at me if I took it easy on him in men's doubles. He's 75.
I think if you sign up to play in a men's doubles league and can't take the heat, you should gracefully bow out.

That being said, I think the most douchy tactic against a low immobile player is to hit the dink serve. I'd have given them the "really?" look pretty quickly. Especially in a doubles match where wins don't matter. Try to execute good shots rather than play to take advantage of someone's handicap.

I also hate it when I'm playing deep and the other team lobs sky high balls at you to see what you'll do. In social dubs. Really dude? Is that what you are bringing to the game? Lobbing when we are still in a defensive posture? Albeit it's decent practice on overheads from the baseline but I truly hate vertical tennis.

 

[Traffic]

I think my father would be terminally angry at me if I took it easy on him in men's doubles. He's 75.
I think if you sign up to play in a men's doubles league and can't take the heat, you should gracefully bow out.

That being said, I think the most douchy tactic against a low immobile player is to hit the dink serve. I'd have given them the "really?" look pretty quickly. Especially in a doubles match where wins don't matter. Try to execute good shots rather than play to take advantage of someone's handicap.

I also hate it when I'm playing deep and the other team lobs sky high balls at you to see what you'll do. In social dubs. Really dude? Is that what you are bringing to the game? Lobbing when we are still in a defensive posture? Albeit it's decent practice on overheads from the baseline but I truly hate vertical tennis.

I agree that it could be rather insulting to play around a person because you perceive a handicap.
I have hit differently to folks that have known physical limitations. Like their hips or knees just won't let them actually run. I just won't go for drop shots when they are at baseline. If they are at net, topspin lobs are fair game since it's a counter attack. But I won't do a straight lob which an able bodied player could easily run back and return.

 

[Max G.]

Did you win?

 

[Traffic]

Did you win?

Once I figured out how to return his nasty backspin BH, yes. But I didn't lob him. I pretended there was no one at the net and hit a strong FH. He got his racquet on the ball but deflected it off the court.

 

[Ruark]

I kinda feel sorry for the older guy. He was simply out of his league, no pun intended, trying to mix it up with a bunch of young guys hitting cannonballs, and ended up spoiling things for everybody. Most people would be respectful enough to not say anything to him about it until the season's over, and then have a talk with the league captain about not putting him in your group next time, and why.

 

[tennis tom]

so, how did the old guy like the match?

 

[Max G.]

Once I figured out how to return his nasty backspin BH, yes. But I didn't lob him. I pretended there was no one at the net and hit a strong FH. He got his racquet on the ball but deflected it off the court.

Sounds like they didn't need to go easy on you or your partner then, since you guys were better anyway.

 

[ChaelAZ]

Reminds me of mixed doubles leagues.

 

[Bluefan75]

so, how did the old guy like the match?

Liked it just fine after I told him just serve down the middle, and I'll poach. We ended up "winning" as we were up a break in the third when our time ran out. Some poaching, the other guy started making errors, and we started making some shots.

 

[tennis tom]

I kinda feel sorry for the older guy. He was simply out of his league, no pun intended, trying to mix it up with a bunch of young guys hitting cannonballs, and ended up spoiling things for everybody. Most people would be respectful enough to not say anything to him about it until the season's over, and then have a talk with the league captain about not putting him in your group next time, and why.

No need to do that, THEY WON! Preventing him from playing tennis may put the last nail into his coffin. I know players who died after running out of Senior Age Group categories to play in--lost their mojo--their raison d'etre.

The old guy's been around, it's not the first time he's seen a heater at him. I play with dinosaurs who've been playing everyday of their lives for 70 years, and you CANNOT hit them no matter how hard you try--they are adept at getting out of the way of the ball--as it line-drives :"OUT!" With some communications, with a partner who can cover 2/3rds of the court for them, they can handle their side--otherwise they'd have been playing golf or croquet years ago. THEY WON!

 

[pabletion]

So I play in a loosely organized doubles "league." I say that because basically we get an email a day or two before saying you're playing at this time. When you get there, the person organizing tells you who you are playing with/against that night.

Last night I'm paired with an older chap, against another older chap and a young guy younger than me. I've played the young guy in singles and beaten him. He can hit some great shots/serves, but he can also send a ton of them long. His partner, while older, moves around fairly well for his age. My partner, was likely close to 70, had a hard time reaching for the ball if it was sitting on the ground. Naturally his reflexes aren't that good either.

Young guy fires some really hard serves that blow by my partner. Fine, can't tell a guy not to serve. His partner, who can throw in a pretty hard serve, throws in dinks that barely make the service line for the second bounce, and my partner has a bit of a hard time getting up to it. I'm thinking, ok, if that's how we're going to play....

But what really got me going was when I was serving, my partner would be at the net, and the young guy, who can hit a rocket of a forehand if he gets everything right, drilled one at my partner, who somehow got it back, and then he drills another one right at him. There were a couple more later in the match as well.

Now, any of the stuff I mentioned, if I'm on the receiving end, fair play, I don't have any issue. But the drilling at him really pi**ed me off. The guy had some forehands on the baseline he missed completely that were much slower than that. So now you're going to fire rockets at him at the net?

Or is the fact a guy is 50 years older than you irrelevant if you step on the court?

Yes. You should've been upset. Not cool. I would've picked up my stuff and sent that young guy to go f himself, maybe even offered him a beating.

P***ed me off just reading about it!

Tell him to F**k off from my part!

 

[Ruark]

No need to do that, THEY WON! Preventing him from playing tennis may put the last nail into his coffin. I know players who died after running out of Senior Age Group categories to play in--lost their mojo--their aison d'etre.

The old guy's been around, it's not the first time he's seen a heater at him. I play with dinosaurs who've been playing everyday of their lives for 70 years, and you CANNOT hit them no matter how hard you try--they are adept at getting out of the way of the ball--as it line-drives :"OUT!" With some communications, with a partner who can cover 2/3rds of the court for them, they can handle their side--otherwise they'd have been playing golf or croquet years ago. THEY WON!

Sorry, my mistake! I had the impression they didn't win, and the old guy was bogging everything down. So my hat's off to him!

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

I kinda feel sorry for the older guy. He was simply out of his league, no pun intended, trying to mix it up with a bunch of young guys hitting cannonballs, and ended up spoiling things for everybody. Most people would be respectful enough to not say anything to him about it until the season's over, and then have a talk with the league captain about not putting him in your group next time, and why.

On the other hand, if everyone was polite and bunted to him, he would be back next week, thinking he could hang.
How did old man react when he was getting blitzed?

 

[Powderwombat]

First of all, if he's being hammered at the net - why didn't he move back to the baseline? If the opponent gets a short ball, it's the net player's responsibility to take defensive action, as in move back maybe. This guy was probably just a statue at the net like nearly every rec doubles player. I don't understand it...if you're being targeted at the net and you can't handle it, just go back to the damn baseline...it's not hard to figure out.

 

[TenS_Ace]

First of all, if he's being hammered at the net - why didn't he move back to the baseline? If the opponent gets a short ball, it's the net player's responsibility to take defensive action, as in move back maybe. This guy was probably just a statue at the net like nearly every rec doubles player. I don't understand it...if you're being targeted at the net and you can't handle it, just go back to the damn baseline...it's not hard to figure out.

This is GOLD and should be applied to Mixed troubles..further more to the OP...perhaps a stronger well placed serve would take the heat off your geriatric partner (joking)

 

[LGQ7]

I think my father would be terminally angry at me if I took it easy on him in men's doubles. He's 75.
I think if you sign up to play in a men's doubles league and can't take the heat, you should gracefully bow out.

That being said, I think the most douchy tactic against a low immobile player is to hit the dink serve. I'd have given them the "really?" look pretty quickly. Especially in a doubles match where wins don't matter. Try to execute good shots rather than play to take advantage of someone's handicap.

I also hate it when I'm playing deep and the other team lobs sky high balls at you to see what you'll do. In social dubs. Really dude? Is that what you are bringing to the game? Lobbing when we are still in a defensive posture? Albeit it's decent practice on overheads from the baseline but I truly hate vertical tennis.

You are ********. You have to be able to deal with EVERYTHING. Far AND near. Low AND high. Left AND right. Space has THREE dimensions. In tennis, EVERYTHING is fair game, including hitting the ball AT your opponent. I go by the boxing rule "protect yourself at ALL times."

In MMA, the UFC, fighting, THAT is what they do, like serving a hard ball and then a dink. Low attacks set up high attacks, vice versa. Left attacks set up right attacks, vice versa. Long range attacks set up close quarters attacks, vice versa. Linear attacks set up round attacks, vice versa. Recent example: Holly Holm vs. Bethe Correia. Holly Holm feints a front kick into a round kick and KO Bethe Correia. At the moment of impact Bethe's arms were defending the front kick.

 

[LGQ7]

His partner, who can throw in a pretty hard serve, throws in dinks that barely make the service line for the second bounce, and my partner has a bit of a hard time getting up to it. I'm thinking, ok, if that's how we're going to play....

That is WHAT boxing is all about, near AND far.

 

[Bigfoot Fault]

You should probably be upset.

But the practical answer is the 70 year old shouldn't be in the game, and playing with people with such a varied skill set is always going to be an unpleasant experience if you're actually keeping score and people are trying to win.

 

[dgold44]

So I play in a loosely organized doubles "league." I say that because basically we get an email a day or two before saying you're playing at this time. When you get there, the person organizing tells you who you are playing with/against that night.

Last night I'm paired with an older chap, against another older chap and a young guy younger than me. I've played the young guy in singles and beaten him. He can hit some great shots/serves, but he can also send a ton of them long. His partner, while older, moves around fairly well for his age. My partner, was likely close to 70, had a hard time reaching for the ball if it was sitting on the ground. Naturally his reflexes aren't that good either.

Young guy fires some really hard serves that blow by my partner. Fine, can't tell a guy not to serve. His partner, who can throw in a pretty hard serve, throws in dinks that barely make the service line for the second bounce, and my partner has a bit of a hard time getting up to it. I'm thinking, ok, if that's how we're going to play....

But what really got me going was when I was serving, my partner would be at the net, and the young guy, who can hit a rocket of a forehand if he gets everything right, drilled one at my partner, who somehow got it back, and then he drills another one right at him. There were a couple more later in the match as well.

Now, any of the stuff I mentioned, if I'm on the receiving end, fair play, I don't have any issue. But the drilling at him really pi**ed me off. The guy had some forehands on the baseline he missed completely that were much slower than that. So now you're going to fire rockets at him at the net?

Or is the fact a guy is 50 years older than you irrelevant if you step on the court?

I would have drilled this creep back in the face with no problem
Disgusting behavior
I would be angry too

 

[Startzel]

You are ********. You have to be able to deal with EVERYTHING. Far AND near. Low AND high. Left AND right. Space has THREE dimensions. In tennis, EVERYTHING is fair game, including hitting the ball AT your opponent. I go by the boxing rule "protect yourself at ALL times."

In MMA, the UFC, fighting, THAT is what they do, like serving a hard ball and then a dink. Low attacks set up high attacks, vice versa. Left attacks set up right attacks, vice versa. Long range attacks set up close quarters attacks, vice versa. Linear attacks set up round attacks, vice versa. Recent example: Holly Holm vs. Bethe Correia. Holly Holm feints a front kick into a round kick and KO Bethe Correia. At the moment of impact Bethe's arms were defending the front kick.

Are you seriously comparing a recreational tennis match with mma?

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Are you seriously comparing a recreational tennis match with mma?

He is although not the physical contact part [his mention of hitting at someone seemed to be small part of an overall whole].

The analogy to MMA was the variance of strategy to accomplish a goal. I can see the relevance to tennis. I think you're taking it too literally.

 

[Dartagnan64]

You are ********. You have to be able to deal with EVERYTHING. Far AND near. Low AND high. Left AND right. Space has THREE dimensions. In tennis, EVERYTHING is fair game, including hitting the ball AT your opponent. I go by the boxing rule "protect yourself at ALL times."

In MMA, the UFC, fighting, THAT is what they do, like serving a hard ball and then a dink. Low attacks set up high attacks, vice versa. Left attacks set up right attacks, vice versa. Long range attacks set up close quarters attacks, vice versa. Linear attacks set up round attacks, vice versa. Recent example: Holly Holm vs. Bethe Correia. Holly Holm feints a front kick into a round kick and KO Bethe Correia. At the moment of impact Bethe's arms were defending the front kick.

I am not sure what my IQ has to do with anything, but I think it is a little bit higher than ******. Maybe idiot with a hope someday of being a moron.

But since recreational tennis is neither love nor war, where everything is fair game, going at someone's handicap is not very sportsmanlike even if it's in the rules. There's a difference between targeting a weakness and targeting a physical handicap.

I sometimes play against a woman who had facial reconstruction due to a major car accident. She screams and bails early if any ball comes whizzing towards her upper body. Does that mean firing at her face is a great strategy to get easy points? I can imagine how much fun you'd be at the club. Drop serving arthritic old men and firing at women's surgically repaired faces because as you stated, "EVERYTHING is fair game".

 

[Tennisplyr]

In my midsixties and while everything technically is fair game, I find it reprehensible when any "headhunting" is going on. I've walked off the court with that kind of behavior. The other day in a friendly game my opponent hits a rocket at me at the net on purpose, I was pissed as I just had cataract surgery. There's fair game and then there's fair game. I try to hit at people's feet.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

In my midsixties and while everything technically is fair game, I find it reprehensible when any "headhunting" is going on. I've walked off the court with that kind of behavior. The other day in a friendly game my opponent hits a rocket at me at the net on purpose, I was pissed as I just had cataract surgery. There's fair game and then there's fair game. I try to hit at people's feet.

just curious, how did you determine if they were actually head hunting?
ie. "I'm gonna knock your head off" vs. bad volleyer - is sometimes a fine line
but yeah, i agree i always attack the feet because at the very least it's a higher % play than head hunting.

also, if there's a sitter, and i see opponent winding up i either:
a) turn away and concede the point
b) hide behind my racquet

unless i'm actively challenging a shot (ie. racquet is down near the ground as that's where a high % aggressive volley usually goes)... so there's zero chance of ever getting hit in the face... so i typically welcome head hunters.

 

[LGQ7]

"EVERYTHING is fair game".

If you go see a baseball game, on the ticket it says "You can't sue if a baseball hits you." You assume the risk. When you walk on to a tennis court, you assume the risk. That's why they wear goggles in racquetball. If you want to protect your face, wear a hockey helmet. Is that so hard to comprehend?

 

[LGQ7]

Are you seriously comparing a recreational tennis match with mma?

Absolutely. If you look at tennis, it very martial. It is very reminiscent of swords and shields and arrows, boxing, and judo. I believe tennis is a descendant of sword fighting.

ALL sports are martial with a few exceptions like golf.

javelin. "The javelin hearkens back to the Peloponnesian War". I learned that in "Revenge of the Nerds".

50 yards dash, like in school. Why a "50 yards dash"? 50 yards is the effective killing range of arrows. You "raise shields" like Captain Kirk says and dash 50 yards to negate the effective range of arrows.

Polo with a dead goat as the ball in Rambo III, that's chess.

 

[Bluefan75]

just curious, how did you determine if they were actually head hunting?
ie. "I'm gonna knock your head off" vs. bad volleyer - is sometimes a fine line
but yeah, i agree i always attack the feet because at the very least it's a higher % play than head hunting.

also, if there's a sitter, and i see opponent winding up i either:
a) turn away and concede the point
b) hide behind my racquet

unless i'm actively challenging a shot (ie. racquet is down near the ground as that's where a high % aggressive volley usually goes)... so there's zero chance of ever getting hit in the face... so i typically welcome head hunters.

But that's easy to say when you're under 40. Not so much when you add 25 years....

Of course, I give it about five more posts before LGQ7 starts justifying taking scalps since, tennis is a sport, and all sports descend from war....

 

[Deleted member 23235]

But that's easy to say when you're under 40. Not so much when you add 25 years....

Of course, I give it about five more posts before LGQ7 starts justifying taking scalps since, tennis is a sport, and all sports descend from war....

but even at 70 it's zero effort to hold a racquet in front of my face and one hand on my shorts... IMO the whole head hunting thing is just an ego bruise that folks make a bigger deal out of...
that said it's best to avoid folks who actively try to hurt me, as much as i would avoid anyone who's negative.

 

[LGQ7]

But that's easy to say when you're under 40. Not so much when you add 25 years....

Of course, I give it about five more posts before LGQ7 starts justifying taking scalps since, tennis is a sport, and all sports descend from war....

TRY to understand. Allowing something is not encouraging something.

"and all sports descend from war". That is SO true. And you're stupid for saying it sarcastically. Boxing, probably the most war-like sport, if you can call it a sport, ironically, you learn to EVADE a TENNIS ball. Shouldn't TENNIS players learn to evade a tennis ball?

 

[LGQ7]

Some more boxing edjamacation.

 

[LGQ7]

Are you seriously comparing a recreational tennis match with mma?

Yes I am serious.