Re: The sport no longer exists
- From: "bob" <stein100@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:57:28 -0400
"UC" <uraniumcommittee@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:e078588b-f6cc-4585-8915-eeeb98b01ccb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The purpose of this post is to express concerns about the currentstate of the game we call “tennis”. I began watching tennis in the
early 1970’s, and began playing in 1975. To state the obvious, the pro
game has changed in those 34 years, and, for the most part, not for
the better.
What had been a game of marvelous grace and thrilling spectacle has
become a boring slugfest of service aces and slogging from the
baseline. The clever development of points, always fascinating to
watch, has become almost non-existent. Net play has diminished to
almost nothing. To be blunt, the pro game has lost me as a spectator.
I don’t watch pro matches anymore, not even the grand slams, and what
is more, I don’t care about them. And I’m not alone. Most of my tennis-
playing compatriots have essentially the same attitude. Some still
watch out of habit, but you can tell the enthusiasm isn’t there.
If we examine what has brought about this change, we must admit that
even though today’s pro tennis players are on average fitter, taller,
and stronger than in the past, it is the racquet that has undergone
the most sweeping changes, and it is the factor most responsible for
the current situation in the game. The racquets now in use permit even
the smallest of players to hit winners from the baseline and to serve
ace after ace: something that was almost unheard of 30 years ago.
Others have called attention to these developments, and have proposed
various solutions, including altering the length or shape of the
service box as well as moving the position for serving to a point
farther behind the baseline. To me, these proposals, however well-
intentioned, are unworkable, and I oppose them. Every tennis court in
the world is the same, and to alter them all would be a task that no
one wants to undertake. Other proposals include requiring the server
to keep both feet anchored to the ground, which is also a rather
unworkable solution. The current foot-fault rules are, I believe,
adequate.
The only remaining alternative, as I see it, which can restore the
game to its former character is to require the use of the smaller
wooden racquet that was the standard for a century. This presents
certain difficulties at the present time, inasmuch as no wooden frames
are currently manufactured. It is also likely that any proposal to
return to wood frames would meet resistance from racquet manufacturers
and touring pros alike. But it must be done! It would have been far
better had the “powers that be” in tennis banned the larger frames
when they first appeared.
It turns out that tradition alone was not sufficient to prevent the
introduction of higher-power, larger frames in tennis. Once the breach
was made, though, the pros believed they had to keep themselves on
equal footing with any rival who had decided to adopt them. A “weapons
race” therefore ensued, continuing to the present. A glance at any
major racquet manufacturer’s ad will quickly reveal that the pitch is
power, power, power.
There is, I believe, sufficient precedent for such a rule. The
American game of baseball long ago mandated the use of wooden bats
exclusively in the major leagues, even though bats made of other
materials have been available for decades. Not only is the wooden bat
traditional, it is prescribed by rule. As a result, the basic
character of Major League Baseball has remained largely unaltered
despite the widespread use of aluminum bats in youth play. To be sure,
I can imagine the batter swinging an oversized titanium or aluminum
bat even in the majors. But what would the result be? A home run every
other swing? What would that accomplish for the game or for the fans?
Limiting the power of racquets would mean that strength and
athleticism alone would not be sufficient to win a match, for tennis
in the past was virtually unique among sports in requiring mental
prowess in addition to physical skill, strength, and endurance.
not a bad post. i preferred watching skill to power.
bob
.
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