“I’ve got a lot of problems with you people, and now you’re gonna hear about it!”
Oh, how I love the Costanzas.
Festivus is upon us, and as promised, I’m here to air my tennis grievance. It’ll be tough, but I’m going to limit myself to one.
It really bugs me when opponents send balls willy-nilly to my side of the court when I’m not looking for the ball. I’ll be walking to the baseline to serve when a tennis ball will bounce past me, hitting the back curtain before rolling off somewhere I wasn’t headed.
Stop doing this, people! Just hold onto the ball until I turn around. Or, if you can’t wait those five seconds, call my name and I’ll turn around to catch the ball. When I have to spend time retrieving random balls, it interrupts my service rhythm and slows down the game for everyone.
Hey, getting that off my chest feels good! I think Mr. Costanza was onto something.
Got a bone to pick with your fellow tennis players–or perhaps with the pros? Of course you do! Have at it in the comments section! Fa la la la la…🎶😂
Happy Festivus, everyone! See you in 2019! (And thanks to everyone for reading this blog and sharing your own experiences with me. Blogging can be a lonely business, but seeing a comment or hearing feedback in person makes it worthwhile! 😊🎾)
My pet peeve is opponents who are serving, but don’t call the score out after each point. Given my short memory — and that of most of my age mates, this can only lead to misunderstandings.
So true!!
My pet peeve is negative self-talk. Example would be you have a partner who misses some shots (like we all do) and can’t stop saying things like, “I am sorry I am playing so poorly,” or
“my game stinks today” or, “I just can’t hit the ball today.” My response? “Yes you can if you think you can.”
Oh, I love that one. I’ve definitely been guilty of that in the past, but I’ve been trying to improve my mindset. That negativity doesn’t just compromise one’s own game–it interferes with your partner’s mindset as well. So counterproductive.
Such self-restraint to limit yourself to just one complaint! It’s a good one, for sure. Interrupting someone’s service mindset is just rude. But I agree that the self-deprecating player is annoying too. And, yes, the one who doesn’t say the score (or mumbles it). There are so many other annoyances — wasting time, talking too much, ridiculous pro-emulating grunts, being late, not providing a decent warm-up(!) and more. It’s a good thing that most people behave decently and that the game is so much fun! Sometimes, it is nice time go for a solitary jog. But I’ve met some wonderful people through tennis and made new friends. I truly enjoy and appreciate that.
Happy holidays! Looking forward to reading more in 2019.
What is this “most people behave decently” nonsense? This is not in the spirit of Festivus! Save that gratitude and positivity for the other 364 days of the year! LOL. It’s true–almost everyone I meet in this sport is wonderful, even the people who throw balls at me when I’m not looking. 😊 We are blessed.
Hmm….taking too long between serves; partners huddling/strategizing between EVERY point; and over-analysis of every mistake. I’m all for recognizing your errors – that’s how we improve – but do you really need to speculate and vocalize what went wrong (or might have gone wrong) on each missed shot?
Did I complain enough?