Articals - San Diego Tennis Network

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Tennis Etiquette

Running the Network Mixers for the San Diego Tennis Network is a real pleasure, since all players are very nice people andthey are getting along with one another very well. Bravo! The only reason why we think there is a place for Tennis Etiquette is that we are growing! Many players of all sorts of levels will join us and we are not closing our doors to advanced beginners or C players. Here are just a few suggestions that'll help us all have more fun on the court: Smile and have fun! I guarantee you'll play better when you have fun. Makes your partner feel good, too, seeing how nice, friendly, and confident you are. When you have to play a round with a player below your level, don't frown. Make that player feel good. Encourage him or her. Give them little tips, tell them (friendly) to move up closer to the net. You were a beginner once, right? Take on the task of playing with a beginner as a challenge. "How can I win this set with his help?" Can I maybe up my level a little, too? I know when I was a beginner I always appreciated a partner who gave me pointers and treated me nicely. Always call lines generously. When a ball is too close to call, call it IN! Remember, if only one percent of the ball touches the line, it's in! And that goes for ALL lines, including the service boxes! If you treat your opponent well, it'll come back to you. And if you see an opponent giving you bad calls, don't reciprocate! It'll aggravate the situation. Since you are a good player, aim a little more inside the lines with your shots. This appeal goes to the Pros in our group, too. You can afford to be generous. We'll love to play with you so much more! Don't interrupt your opponent when she's serving. Nobody likes an opponent who clowns around just to distract one's serve. Bad habit. Not nice enough for us at SDTN. We POLITELY return a serve and put the volley away, ok? The tennis court is no place for telling war stories or exchanging recipes. We all need to speed things up sometimes. We get on the court, play a friendly round of tennis, and then vacate the court expeditiously. Don't make others wait because you need to tell the "Blond Joke to End All Blond Jokes", which takes 5 minutes to tell. Besides, we all want to hear that joke. So: tell us in group meeting or outside the courts. Thank you! If you are an advanced player and happen to come across a beginner on your opponent's side, be a gentleman. If you hit balls at this person at speeds exceeding 90 mph, we'll have to escort you off the courts and you'll have to sit out for a long time.... Pay attention to where balls are, do not slow down play or allow hazards to exist (nobody needs to twist an ankle by unsuspectingly stepping on a ball). Warn other players when a ball may pose a hazard. When serving, please make sure you have two balls. Other players, please expedite play by getting the balls to the server when needed. When not needed, hold onto the ball or get it to the server's partner. Deliver balls in a timely and courteous manner without firing them at the server or fence, requiring them to chase the ball. We try to play with three balls, no more, no less. This makes keeping track of all balls easy, with less guesswork as to how many the server may have. There is no need to chase down balls or deliver them to the other side, further holding up play when the server already has two, and is getting ready to serve. So, when you pick up a ball on your side and it's your opponents' serve: Hold it up and check if the server needs it or if his/her partner wants it. Make eye contact with them. If they don't react, pocket the ball until the point is over. Thanks for your cooperation! Sue and Jerry