Tennis grunters

[Miss Chicken]

I have been reading about a study tennis players who grunt gain an advantage over their opponents

The study, which appeared in the Public Library of Science ONE journal, tested 33 students at the University of British Columbia in western Canada.
Hundreds of video clips were shown of a player hitting a ball to either the left or right. The students had to determine the direction quickly, but on some shots were subjected to noises simulating grunting.
Lead report author Scott Sinnett told the BBC: "The findings were unequivocal. Basically, when the video clips did have a grunt, the participants were not only slower to react but they had lower accuracy levels. So they were basically slower and could actually be wrong-footed, if you could extend that to a real-world tennis court."
The report said the grunt could also hamper a receiver who was trying to judge the spin and speed of a ball from the sound made off the racket.

Full story here



I played tennis in my teenage years and I never needed to grunt. There was a time when no professional tennis player grunted.

So I am asking people here - do you think grunting is a form of cheating?

 

[SmoothieX]

It's sort of annoying, but I bet I'm not the only guy here that gets somewhat turned on hearing the women grunt away.

 

[Jax]

It should be banned in terms of excessive use, you do not need to make the noise for every hit. Unless your doing a major powerful last ditch effort to save a point, it shouldn't happen.

 

[Jack Bauer]

It's sort of annoying, but I bet I'm not the only guy here that gets somewhat turned on hearing the women grunt away.

Probably. it's certainly much less annoying than when a guy does it.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I dislike it so much that I have stopped watching women's tennis. I know some of the men do it but not as many as the women who do it.

 

[Roger Wilco]

I always thought the main purpose of grunting in tennis was psychological; to drive your opponent so mad that he/she loses their concentration and makes unneccesary mistakes.

 

[The Badger]

There may be a physiological explanation. Many martial arts feature something called a kiai, a sudden exhalation during a strike. The mystical explanation is that it controls the flow of Chi energy, but there is some evidence to suggest that the tightening of abdominal muscles can make sudden exertions more efficient.

 

[JM1776]

Wait until you guys and gals get a loud ... er, a load of Michelle Larcher de Brito. She makes Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova sound demure.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Wait until you guys and gals get a loud ... er, a load of Michelle Larcher de Brito. She makes Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova sound demure.

I just checked Youtube and that's a unique sound. I wonder if in bed if she sounds like "Lassie" in the movie Porky's.

I think it all started with Monica Seles and her "Ah-HEE!", I kind of like that it fly's in the face of the refined image of tennis. Now if we can just start getting golfers to do it....

 

[Caligula]

...but I bet I'm not the only guy here that gets somewhat turned on hearing the women grunt away.

Especially when Victoria Azarenka does it....

 

[iguana_tonante]

There may be a physiological explanation. Many martial arts feature something called a kiai, a sudden exhalation during a strike. The mystical explanation is that it controls the flow of Chi energy, but there is some evidence to suggest that the tightening of abdominal muscles can make sudden exertions more efficient.

That's how I always saw it, a form of kiai, both for psychological and physiological reasons. And, as a practitioner of martial arts, I assure you: kiai indeed does make a difference. Personally I don't find it annoying at all, but on the other hand I don't watch a lot of tennis to start with.

 

[Shazam!]

When playing a grunter, the opposition should go "Waaa-haaay!" after everyone of their hits.

 

[SmoothieX]

...but I bet I'm not the only guy here that gets somewhat turned on hearing the women grunt away.

Especially when Victoria Azarenka does it....

I just looked her up...hubba hubba!

 

[JM1776]

I'm still waiting for someone who'll answer "Ah-HEE!" with "Shut UP!" every time until their opponent actually zips it. I mean, if someone's going to distract with what is essentially, on a certain level, gamesmanship, doesn't the opposition have the right to respond with some of their own?

I'd give more credence to the kiai theory applying to tennis if I hadn't seen players generate tremendous pace and power without the histrionics—especially since many of the ladies', most notably the Williams sisters, get louder on a more critical point. Sets off my bullshit detector every time.

Azarenka does nothing for me. Now Maria Kirilenko, on the other hand ... va va va voom!

 

[wwilson777]

I almost dislike such type of grunting,but players are grunting for putting 100% effort into each ball.

 

[cultcross]

It irritates me, I have to admit. Over a whole tennis match you just want to strangle them - it is a reason I've largely stopped watching women's tennis. I can't see the need for it on normal shots, and I'm sure it's intended as a distraction technique. You wouldn't get away with yelling at your opponent so why get away with distracting them like that?
I've seen Sharapova in particular get warnings for it on court at Wimbledon. That should continue to be the case, imho.

 

[Deckerd]

I think if another peer reviewed paper comes out supporting this research, the rules will change. One study won't make a difference but two would, I'm guessing. I have seen umpires telling players to tone it down in the past, and they complied.