The Psychology of Tanking

[beltsman]

Anyone who watches or plays tennis knows that tanking happens all the time. It can be tanking a point, a game, a set, or a match. What is the psychology behind it?

I think that part of it is to mentally stay "in control" of a match and assert some type of mental superiority. aka "yes you're beating me, but only because I've decided not to play." Some might view that as insulting. At rec level, it might also be dependent on the situation. For instance, if a much better player sandbagged his ranking and is crushing you, you might tank to say "screw you, no point of showing up anyways."

Tanking points/games/sets can often be a shrewd tactical move to help win a match. How and why? Is it morally acceptable? Are you a jerk if you don't run for balls one game, then chase everything down the next?

What does everyone else think? Clearly there is some fascinating mental element here that isn't necessarily present in other sports.

 

[zeekhoe]

clearly nadal VAMOS isn't tanking, he just sucks right now

 

[beltsman]

clearly nadal VAMOS isn't tanking, he just sucks right now

Nadal is one of the few players who I think never tanks. Does it hurt him?

 

[djokerer]

Anyone who watches or plays tennis knows that tanking happens all the time. It can be tanking a point, a game, a set, or a match. What is the psychology behind it?

I think that part of it is to mentally stay "in control" of a match and assert some type of mental superiority. aka "yes you're beating me, but only because I've decided not to play." Some might view that as insulting. At rec level, it might also be dependent on the situation. For instance, if a much better player sandbagged his ranking and is crushing you, you might tank to say "screw you, no point of showing up anyways."

Tanking points/games/sets can often be a shrewd tactical move to help win a match. How and why? Is it morally acceptable? Are you a jerk if you don't run for balls one game, then chase everything down the next?

What does everyone else think? Clearly there is some fascinating mental element here that isn't necessarily present in other sports.

Federer tanked a match as a teenager and got fined..
Coincidentally he is called mental midget..
You do the math

 

[Booger]

1. If I'm getting blown off the court, I might take a game or two off to give myself a mental break and prepare to take another shot in the first game of the next set.
2. I might "tank" a game by hitting ultra aggressive shots to break my opponent's rhythm.
3. If I'm steamrolling an outmatched opponent, I will tank a game to avoid handing out a bagel.
4. RARELY, if a much better player is intentionally toying with me, I may tank the match so as to avoid the humiliation of being around like a trained dog.

 

[beltsman]

Federer tanked a match as a teenager and got fined..
Coincidentally he is called mental midget..
You do the math

Hm?

 

[Blocker]

I do not believe that tanking within a match exists. Tanking a match exists but not tanking within a match. Tennis lends itself to being a sport about winning the big points, not every point. Someone like Commors may disagree, but if you're a double break down 0-5 in the set, you may want to hold serve to bring it to 1-5 and then hit out in the next game not caring if you win it because at least then you're serving first in the next set. To me that's a perfectly legitimate tactic. As long as your objective is to win the match, and as long as tennis is not keeping score of every single point played, then not trying on every single point is a tactic.

 

[beltsman]

I do not believe that tanking within a match exists. Tanking a match exists but not tanking within a match. Tennis lends itself to being a sport about winning the big points, not every point. Someone like Commors may disagree, but if you're a double break down 0-5 in the set, you may want to hold serve to bring it to 1-5 and then hit out in the next game not caring if you win it because at least then you're serving first in the next set. To me that's a perfectly legitimate tactic. As long as your objective is to win the match, and as long as tennis is not keeping score of every single point played, then not trying on every single point is a tactic.

I guess it's just semantics then. I do think that ballbashing a game like the scenario you described is tanking. But, you're right that maybe tanking isn't the right word.

 

[AnOctorokForDinner]

What is the definition of 'tanking'?
I would define it as not giving the full effort you're capable of at the moment.
It is ethically acceptable if you're doing this with the intention to avoid overexerting yourself which you believe may happen otherwise, then it is a tactic to buy yourself time and recover. Players may tank a point, a game or sometimes even a set, still meaning to win the match. Occasionally a match be tanked as well, if the player is ill or generally low on energy at the moment and would rather take time to recuperate before the next tournament then desperately try to win and in the end still likely run out of gas in a later match. I see no problem with it.

 

[Zoid]

https://www.facebook.com/mentallytough.tennis/posts/404790033061209:0

This post deals with it in some aspect