Why does a tennis player throw the original ball away after a 1st serve fault?
David H asked:
In a tennis match, if the player serving makes a fault by hitting the net and the ball bounces back to him, he tends to throw it away to the ball boy rather than use that ball again for the second serve. Why is that? Does he have to use another ball for the second serve?
Duncan
In a tennis match, if the player serving makes a fault by hitting the net and the ball bounces back to him, he tends to throw it away to the ball boy rather than use that ball again for the second serve. Why is that? Does he have to use another ball for the second serve?
Duncan
- Other Helpful Info
- Employing GPS Map Software For Your Benefit
Are you addicted to watching films that include high-tech computer gadgetry that can locate wherever you are just like in the film "Enemy of...
April 3rd, 2009 at 1:47 am
Edelmira
I think that its superstition.
If the ball caused the fault, they don’t want it to happen again.
April 4th, 2009 at 5:52 am
Ian
They blame the ball’s imperfections for their screw up.. or at least they want to be sure it isn’t the ball that caused the fault.
April 4th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Joey
You don’t have to use a different ball. It’s just a strange thing we do. I mean, clearly it’s the ball’s fault that we double fault, not our own.
Though you do occasionally see players use the same one. Usually either means they are frustrated or purely indifferent.
April 5th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Ariel
Their strings are a lot tighter than the ones that us mere mortals hit with, and they hit with so much top spin or slice, that the balls wear out pretty quickly. That’s why they change them every 9 games.
So the balls don’t get hit that often during the course of the 9 games, and the players want to keep them all similar and hit the fluffiest ones. (Their slice, spin, etc works better on fluffy, newer balls.)
So, they’re evening out the wear and tear on the balls. One that’s just been hit is going to be a little flatter than one that hasn’t just been hit.
If someone hitting in their local competition on a Saturday does this, they are just a wanker. But when a pro does it, it’s because they play the game at a different level. That’s why they are pros after all.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:44 am
Hayley
They don’t HAVE to use another ball, they choose to use another ball. They don’t want half the balls almost new, and the other half fairly warn out. But its up to them, some of them reuse it, others just grab the other out of their pocket. Its upto them what they do and what they don’t do with the ball..
April 7th, 2009 at 2:22 am
Wendolyn
They don’t have to use it. They already have another ball in their pocket so it does not make sense to serve your second serve with a ball in your pocket. Women who don’t keep an extra ball in their spandex shorts or ball holder might use that ball from the fault originally. Almost all men keep a second ball in their pocket so they will throw it away if it came back to them.
However if they serve and it’s a let and the opponent hits it back to them, then they might use that ball since they still have another go at the serve.
April 7th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Jayme
Mental= I think they do that to focus themselves- it gives that little extra few seconds.
April 8th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Bettina
Tennis balls need to be refreshed for a little white straight after they are being used. If you reuse it straight away, chances are that the ball may be a little distorted as soon as you serve.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Aracelis
There is no rule suggesting players must use different balls for first and second serve. It’s just superstitious act of the players. Some of they think that if the ball ‘wouldn’t allow’ him to successfully make the first serve, than it just wouldn’t in the next; some many other thoughts are there in players’ mind too, just to name one example. The ball boys just wouldn’t want to bother themselves to get a new ball and give it to the player. Even if there are ball boys who do it, it would waste time.. It’s their mental..
April 10th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Tuan
They feel pride for being professional players.
April 11th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Kathryne
there’s no reason really. when someone returns a ball back to me after a fault, i’ll usually use it unless i already have a ball in my hand.
April 12th, 2009 at 3:55 am
Adelaide
because you already have a second ball ready for the second serve-why play with an extra ball in your skirt if you don’t have to? Now if the serve was a let I pick it back up.
also, it’s easier to throw it away bc picking it up looks dumb and is out of my ritual.
No one has to, it’s just a habit by most players.