Used to enjoy watching tennis. Now, if I turn it on and one of the players is grunting loudly or, in some cases shrieking at the top of their lungs, I often turn it off. While grunting is a natural thing with a energetic return of the ball, the volume doesn't have to be to the volume which some players engage. It's artificial, and annoying, and I'm sure it's meant to be. If I do stay to watch a match with one player hooting at the top of their lungs, and the other is just playing tennis, you know who I'm rooting for.
2
Suppressing grunts would inhibit the strength of action. The grunt is an autonomic response to oxygen need that occurs across mammalian species. There is a reflex connection between the larynx and the intercostal muscles which leads to closure of the larynx under conditions of metabolic demand. For example, in galloping horses a grunt is emitted when the animal's forelegs hit the ground and the internal organs are thrust forward putting pressure on the constricted larynx. Rat pups isolated and cold emit ultrasonic grunts. Human infants show a sequence of grunts accompanying effort to those accompanying focused attention to those used to communicate. Chidren learn words rapidly after this point. This finding was first published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology in 1996, V110, pp27-37. See also 'How children learn to learn language'.
A percussive breath engages the diaphragm, which flexes and strengthens the core and increases the power going into the limbs. Several Pilates exercises ['the seal," "the hundreds" have a percussive breath incorporated at the peak of the contraction. In karate, there's a forcible "Hah!" at the moment of the kick that focuses the vector. Some Pilates instructors will omit the barks when they teach the seal, since it's kind of ridiculous and off-putting for novices -- but few I think doubt the value of that central contraction in supporting movement that comes from the center.
The horrible grunting/screaming in "Ladies" tennis has turned me off to watching them play. Sharapova is one of the worst. Unfortunately, she started a ridiculous grunting trend that other female players have followed. Recently, Simona Halep started grunting, after replacing her coach with Darren Cahill. Cahill should be ashamed of himself, if he's responsible for her new grunting/screaming. She used to be one of the best players to watch. No more.
BTW, the world's best tennis player, Roger Federer, almost never grunts. What does that tell us about the need to grunt?
5
Any woman who has done the labor of giving birth can attest to how grunts and other vocalizations are sources of strength and facilitate the summoning of the necessary effort.
1
The comments section left up for a week on, "tennis grunting," but the new Goldman Sachs CEO gets a mere few hours before it's taken down. Too many negative comments about bankers NYT?
Just as true with anything negative about Obama, Shumer, Pelosi or even Hillary. Is the NYT the paper of record or not? Someone reading the comments from Kansas would thing everyone in New York are a bunch of left wing ideologues.
I guess if Obama grunted when he was kite surfing, then we would all get an opportunity to comment on it.
2
This type of tactic (deliberate grunting) in competitive sports used to be called in the old days, cheating! I am really surprised that someone like Gretchen virtually advocates this type of thinking. There is no fun in this, it's little wonder, that the philosophy of win at all costs, leaves so many bereft of any feeling of joy or genuine happiness, knowing that they have not behaved in a decent manner. Shame on those who advocate or promote such strategies!
1
Grunting in tennis is cheating. Pure and simple. Maria Sharapova grunts because she knows that in almost any sport, sound is very important. The sound of the ball coming off the racket is very important to the opponent so blocking that sound gives one an advantage. Does she (and the others that do it) grunt when they practice? Of course not. Just in matches. Cheating. As an aside, I play golf and was wondering why those who are deaf do not play golf. Because sound in sport is very important to success.
1
I do it involuntarily when I am trying to really put some force behind it. I love hitting it hard and I know I don't it for any reason other than it just happens and I don't think it's loud enough to create a distraction but I will remember this article and may amp it up when I playing someone i don't really like . I also think as I get older the grunts come also from moving from a sedentary position to movement.
2
Just wondering: Does the grunt reinforce the timing of racquet to ball contact? I hope not, because I do hate the noise of it.
No. Watch the best tennis player in the world for proof. Federer almost never grunts.
1
I pass wind everytime i hit a forehand...the noisier and smellier the better to win the point, especially indoors.
I can understand that grunting may help physically. When I grunt during the climax of sex, I feel that it makes the orgasm stronger. When I don't (for fear of being to loud), the orgasms are more subdued (still good, obviously, but not as powerful as with grunting).
1
Certainly it helps in opening jars.
2
Almost forgot why I never watch this stuff.
5
When was the last time you heard Federer grunt? Grunters are the butt of jokes in my league. Usually gross jokes. Involving piggies. Nothing says "over-coached tennis idiot" like grunting.
8
It's considered good form for tennis spectators to be quiet during a match, but it's OK for tennis players to be noisy? Got it.
8
Just don't do it.
6
Or, like Tony Soprano on the tee box, make a lot of fish jokes. Because your skill at the game isn't what it's all about. Winning is everything. So playing dirty, even breaking the rules, is perfectly A-OK if you win.
Straight out of the republican playbook.
4
Disciplined professional athletes at the highest elite standards are very capable of controlling everything else about their shots. It is understandable when in heat of moment or peak exertion, a sound escapes. But the repeated grunting on every shot is as unsportsmanlike as doing a war dance after every winner. And especially in a sport where the sound coming off a racket provides a cue where shot is going, deliberately attempting to disguise it repeatedly is worse than unsportsmanlike. Martina Navratilova is right. Those who cannot play by the rules should not play.
9
No wonder Federer and Williams are the best ever, respectively, oh wait!
7
This obnoxious habit also assures that fans will turn off the TV when the screecher appears.
14
Just think how she is in bed .. hmmm .. turn off
3
Grunting is one thing, shrieking and screaming is another. A grunt is the result of a natural exhalation during exertion, and is perfectly normal and acceptable, even if it’s sometimes loud. However, the intentional, contrived unnatural shrieking from players like Sharapova is inexcusable. A player can get the benefit from exhaling forcefully and grunting without going to such contrived extremes. Evidence suggests it is used tactically as a distraction, and should be penalized.
19
I have pretty much stopped watching tennis between the grunting and non-stop commentary. It would be great if option to listen only to the sounds of the court ... except for the grunting.... In those matches with a grunter, especially if the non-grunter is losing, I always wish the other player would start grunting. And they should. A sort of grunting arms race.
13
The only people I played against that were grunters were inferior players that looked for a distracting advantage - almost uniformly to their disappointment.
3
Like watching the sport on TV but hate the grunting? Try the mute button. And add some music.
4
Really doesn't work for tennis, I've tried. It lessens my enjoyment. I just don't watch women's matches very often. The worst is a Shriekapova - Hooter (Vika Azarenka) match. Pure, unadulterated Hell.
I am a tennis player and instructor. Grunting, that is expelling breath forcefully, is a part of the stroke cycle. Is does not have to be audible or too loud to cause a distraction and for most players it is not. The high pitched shrieks by some of the women players is not necessary and is offensive to most players and fans. Pro players know how to shut it out, many fans do not. Too bad the WTA has allowed this practice to continue, but can understand the reluctance to deal with it.
8
Why do you think they don't deal with it? Is it like letting Sharapova return to the game after her illegal drug use admissions. It's all about money, eh?
Aside from the WTA's greed, the USTA's greed is 10 times worse. It's THE worst sports organization in the country, by far.
I'll go with all-time great Navratilova who claims it is a form of cheating, a way to annoy or confuse one's opponent. I am sitting here watching Muguruza play American, Vickery. On each stroke, Muguruza emits a huge noise which seems way over the top. I think it should be regarded as interference with the opponent and penalized, as such. In fact, now down 1-4, 0-30, Muguruza seems to have increased the volume of her scream grunts. Vickery is up 5-1, 30-15. Vickery wins!!! All that noise availed Muguruza nada, ultimately. However, there is a remedy to this "cheating." When asked about the noise she makes and why she continues to use the tactic, Maria Sharapova said "no one important enough has told me not to." Well, all that is needed is for someone at WTA to step up and say "no more cheating using noise to interfere with your opponent." The Great One, Roger Federer, is as quiet as a mouse. Watching RF is a joy. All of the noise produced by Sharapova, Muguruza, et al., makes me turn the sound down or not watch their matches. Advertisers may not want that!
17
I'm with you 100%. I've been an avid fan of tennis for 60 years and love the game. But I don't watch the "ladies" matches anymore. Their screaming is horrible.
3
Whatever the reason, grunting is really annoying. Should be a rule everybody must obey that grunting is a no no. Playing field is then level.
9
Martial arts people have known this for centuries. So have the military. By the way, tomorrow is March 11, aka 0311 in the Marines. Ooohrah!
1
No. Just no.
9
The fans, having put up with her and Azerenka, should shriek when both of them are trying to serve. Princess maria is already in Fla tuning up her vocal chords, right?
8
The grunting is just an extension of being ruthless. Gotta win the match using every tool possible.
2
Exhibit one: Roger Federer, arguably the greatest men's tennis player, who did not need to grunt his way to 20 major titles. Much of women's tennis is unwatchable, with the shrieking completely ruining the viewing experience. Ban the grunting and shrieking, with the chair having unlimited decision-making authority as to what is acceptable, forfeit a few matches, and all of a sudden tennis players will no longer find it necessary to grunt and shriek.
18
No! No! No! Ban grunting!
6
that is one of the reasond that I no longer watch tennis - the grunting is annoying
12
Haven't watched women's tennis for years because of the ridiculous grunting. Why this hasn't been banned is beyond me. Just watched a documentary on the great Althea Gibson. No grunting. Hope the WTA wakes up and realizes millions of us have stopped watching.
13
In the bio-mechanics of Chinese internal arts , these grunts are a waste of chi. They weaken you. If you are in a stop/start action, maybe this research would fit. But in a continuous, fluid activity, it doesn't. Karate consists of straight line, stop and go motions. In Chinese internal, one punch or push becomes another, becomes another. There is a splendid economy of uniting muscles to do more with less. Wu Wei, its guiding principle, gains spontaneity of action by avoiding extremes. Any sport or approach to a sport that emulates the circle needs to be ready to move again instantaneously. Plus these grunts reek of a false macho that perhaps is meant to convince the inner whimp.
3
Yes! One must perform with consideration of chi. It isn't striving for perfection to get there. I don't think the authors of this study have a good understanding of what you call Chinese internal. However, with that being said, not everyone who grunts on exertion is doing it as a sign of macho.
1
I’m surprised professional tennis continues to allow it. It is, after all, a spectator sports and dependent, therefore, on spectators to thrive. Nobody likes this behavior; why put up with it?
6
Professional sports is not exactly an essential occupation for society to function, so if anyone has the right to ruin the entertainment value of tennis or whatever, it's the athletes themselves. Grunt away and good luck to you!
3
This is why I'm a competitive swimmer. Nobody can hear grunts under water.
5
The writer fails to mention, that whilst men are not completely innocent of these abhorrent grunts, it is most apparent on the woman side of the game. Men hit the ball much harder, yet don't need to grunt as much. In fact the maestro, Rodger Federer, at the age of 37 is number one in the world and somehow has managed to accomplish this feat grunt free!!
6
The shrieking tennis players scare my dog. When I was an elite rowing athlete, our coach said that putting energy into facial contortion or sound was energy that could be going into power, whether lifting weights or pulling an oar. Regardless, a calm quiet athlete is more intimidating IMHO.
9
A commenter wrote that: "Sharapova grunts."
I respectfully disagree. Sharapova (and Azarenka) utter prolonged shrieks.
I cannot watch a match between those two, despite the fact they are both excellent players. However one characterizes their 'sound', the bottom line is it is simply terrible, and it no one likely enjoys being subjected to it.
12
So spot on, in describing Sharapova and Azarenka, not grunted but the prolonged shriek. Surely this benefits only the emitter by distracting, not only the opponent but the audience, as well.
8
The online Oxford Dictionary defines the word grunt as, "(of a person) [to] make a low inarticulate sound, typically to express effort or indicate assent." Note, "...a low inarticulate sound..."
The offensive noises that tennis players such as Sharapova, Azarenka, and the Williams sisters (usually when they are losing), are not grunts. They are screams that are intentionally made, and it seems to me that these screams had to have been practiced over a long period of time to perfect.
These screams are annoying and offensive to spectators, who have paid high ticket prices, or have paid high cable or satellite TV fees. They should be treated as hindrances for which a sliding scale of penalties could be imposed - first a warning, then a loss of a point, loss of match, suspension from future matches.
6
Depends on your sport. If you need a power drive to work out successfully, then grunt. It does not work for cycling, and I've never seen or heard someone do it on a sprint. Now, if you are falling or losing control of your machine, it certainly helps to talk yourself out of it or yell. I do that on a bike quite often. With our bad weather here in the northeast, I needed to clear out some fallen trees without owning a chainsaw. I had to choose between more cuts with a hand saw, or longer segments. I sure grunted in picking up the logs and shouldering them; the biggest log was probably 250 pounds of wet wood, for a distance of 50 feet. Maybe my sister's neighbor got tired of my grunting, because he went out today, on my rest day, and cut the tree trunks with his chainsaw. Totally ruined my fun and exercise.
3
Ever mountain bike?
1
Really good advice. Just what the world needs. Personally, I like swearing at my opponents and insulting their mothers. That really tends to "sneakily bedevil" them.
4
Great, just great. What's next, golfers "grunting" (screeching) as they hit their drives? We already have to put up with the clowns in the gallery who scream "go in the hole" or "you the man". We are going to hell in a handbasket.
10
I have been grunting while sabre fencing for years.
1
A tennis match sounds like pigs fitting and offends both of the people watching it!
8
"Tennis players are particularly famous for grunting." Well, they didn't used to be. Tennis used to be fun to watch; now it's insufferable. Who wants to listen to a person squealing or grunting like some sort of feral hog for two hours? It's disgusting and unnecessary and the single reason why I absolutely will not watch it anymore.
Will golfers start grunting? Will tennis player start spitting all over the place like football and baseball players? I'd love to see Tiger Woods step out of the Tee box four times to undo and re-do his gloves and spitting twice before teeing off. How about a nice squeal from Phil Mickelson as he blasts out of a sand trap? I know, I'm ranting. Sorry. Perhaps I'll go out on the porch and let out a few giant grants, adjust my crotch, and spit on the petunias. Maybe I'll feel better and increase the force of my typing fingers.
9
Since we are giving ourselves permission here to play in poor taste, why not add a frt to the grunt?
7
I believe Navratilova’s objection was that she couldn’t pick up the sound of the ball coming off the racket, a clue to how well the ball had been struck.
6
Grunt before you post. Works wonders.
6
And let's not forget that the Williams sisters where hoping to "out do" Monica Seles, Queen Shriek the First. No. Wait. That's the Bride of Frankenstein.
5
Let me simplify this from the point of view of a fan that loves tennis. I stopped watching the "grunters." I no longer enjoy watching tennis players that really do need duck tape on their mouth. Don't like it, no longer watch the screams anymore. Oh, yes, there are many that play and I watch them. I would never even accept a free ticket to watch the grunters of the WTA, not even if they played at one of the four majors.
7
I am a long time tennis fanatic. Over the decades I have near-obsessively followed the sport, I've found it telling that nearly all of the 'grunting has ruined the game' comments I've witnessed have referred - almost exclusively - to women's tennis. Seles grunted. Serena and Venus grunt. Sharapova grunts. Apparently, this has rendered the sport unwatchable. It is offensive. It is shameful. It is even obscene.
However, any number of high achieving professional male tennis players grunt, also. Connors grunted. Nadal grunts. Djokovic grunts. Wawrinka grunts. And on and on. Mysteriously, this has not ruined men's tennis.
Sure, one can find grunting annoying or distracting, but if men get a pass for precisely the same behavior for which the women are damned, grunting isn't actually the issue.
6
They don't do it to the same extent. That is the difference. Sharapova shrieks when producing a drop shot! I have heard Djokovic emit a noice but this is when he is being pushed to the limit - not on a routine forehand. You cannot compare the two.
6
Get a decibel meter out if you must, but I can trust my own ears: the male grunters aren't anywhere close to the worst females. Not "precisely the same behavior" at all. It is indeed the issue.
2
Objective listening to the grunting/screeching of men and women's pro tennis players tells me that the women make a lot more abrasive, annoying, intrusive. Nadal? The sound he makes pales in comparison to the stuff coming out of, e.g., Sharapova, Ostapenko, Muguruza. Halep has gotten into the act, too. Meanwhile, Roger Federer is monastically silent in doing nothing but win in his long, storied career. The RF model should be attractive to one and all.
3
This sounds like the sort of headline-generating, eye-catching study that wouldn't stand up to replication given the small number of participants. It's the power-pose all over again. I'm disappointed the NYT bit on this kind of study, it's this sort of click-bait that makes producing these frivolous, low-power studies so enticing for researchers.
2
Tennis has been all but ruined by the prevalence of grunting. I was an avid fan for decades. religiously watching all the majors. I almost never watch anymore b/c the grunting is so annoying.
The other thing that has made tennis so much less enjoyable than it used to be is the premium placed on power by the oversized rackets being used. A sport that once rewarded touch and finesse now values only power. Those rackets should be banned for the same reason that MLB does not allow aluminum bats.
These two baleful trends are related. The demand for more and more power encourages more and more grunting. And it limits participation in the sport to the largest and strongest players -- with rare exceptions like Federer. Greats of the past, like Laver, Rosewall, and McEnroe could never succeed today. A talented, hard-working player like Martina Hingis, with her masterly racket control and perfect ground strokes had to retire years ago from singles play simply b/c she was not big enough.
I think the sport has ruined itself.
4
Does no one remember when people jumped all over 15-year-old Monica Seles for this?
As a martial artist, I couldn't believe the fuss. I was genuinely surprised; I had no idea that the wider public was ignorant of the fact that forceful exhalation on a power move increases power.
3
I've decided that I'm going to start grunting loudly at key moments of interaction with competitors. I work in an office environment though so it's possible that this could backfire.
7
It is probably most useful when lifting heavy weights, and I will grunt if I do that. I play tennis every day, and I would never grunt. I don't play for money and while it may not be cheating. I think it's unsportsmanlike, for reasons made obvious by the article.
3
A forceful exhalation during certain athletic movements (manifestations vary from a soft grunt to a prolonged shriek) can have beneficial effects on biomechanics. First, it increases intraabdominal pressure which stabilizes the core muscles, in turn critical to creating power in sports. Second, it can help the mechanics of breathing during heavy exertion by maximizing the amount of air moving in and out of the lungs. Individual athletes may have discovered that making a loud noise with the forced exhalation has beneficial effects on their moment to moment psychological state (i.e. “focus”, “fear”, etc). Think of “war cries”, for example. And if the sound is upsetting to the opponent (or creates fear in the enemy), so much the better.
As an aside on the future of refereeing this sort of thing, I’m sure the hardware and software to automatically referee line judge calls and the loudness of grunts can be created. In the future will we hear a mechanical (male, or female?) voice “grunt violation, point awarded to X”?
2
I think you explained the role of the kiai in martial arts. Used in offensive moves, but also in falls in Judo, where it probably does help stabilize the core to absorb impact.
Imagine the words football players are grunting below the din of the crowd.
2
Once this gets out I guess golf courses will become a lot noisier. Should be interesting.
1
Both as a player, student of the sport's history, and spectator, I love the sport. Our culture has become coarse! Tennis hasn't escaped that. The grunting is not necessary, distractive, and awful!!!
3
grunting in tennis should be banned as it does not add to the sport, rather it takes away from the enjoyment of the spectators that paid good money to see
2
You should be kicked out for this annoying behavior. It has nothing to do with your tennis skill.
We should also ban Arizona State's "curtain of distraction", which although annoying does not seem to be very effective.
Having studied Tae Kwon Do for several years, there is a good reason for the grunt. A strong grunt tightens up your core muscles which transmits more of the energy of movement from your body to your arm or leg. It is not really necessary to grunt loudly, as long as the core muscles are tight. Certainly the obnoxious grunting in tennis should be banned.
2
Sharapova's been measured at 101 decibels -- similar to a jet taking off.
How loud is 100db? 16 times as loud as 70 dB. Jet take-off (at 305 meters), use of outboard motor, power lawn mower, motorcycle, farm tractor, jackhammer, garbage truck. Boeing 707 or DC-8 aircraft at one nautical mile (6080 ft) before landing (106 dB); jet flyover at 1000 feet (103 dB); Bell J-2A helicopter at 100 ft (100 dB).
https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/30/tennis/grunting-sharapova-tennis-science-...
4
Are you utterly and wholly serious that you'd dare to write a story about grunting without including Serena Williams? Like, for real? Gretchen, you have no shame. And, she was on the scene before Sharapova. It's also a psychological game changer. Just think this is incredibly interesting to attribute this to Sharapova, who has returned from a doping ban, is conventionally pretty, blonde, white and has made a lot of money off the court from being so, versus Serena, who is strong and beautiful, but has not been lifted up for the latter, but more of the former. You better give Serena her props and her coins.
4
Furthermore, Sharapova et al. have more of a scream or shriek than a grunt; it would be interesting to see if and how that helps, too.
1
Serena grunts on and off from exertion, which is a very different thing than Sharapova's ritual grunting. A lot of players make noise when they are tired, reaching or hitting a particularly difficult shot, Serena among them. But Maria, Victoria Azarenka and a few others grunt loudly every single time they hit the ball. Thanks to this story, we now know that as well as being a hinderance, the planned and intentional grunting is also performance enhancing.
1
It started with Monica Seles, well before Serena.
1
I think it's un-sportsman-like and unnecessary.
Or (for you NYT folks) un-sportperson-like. But still unnecessary.
Should be banned.
12
This is perhaps the most annoying trait tennis players have picked up over the years.
To perhaps equalize things, opposing players should loudly grunt just before grunting players are about to hit the tennis ball. This might distract the grunter and make them think twice about whether it is appropriate to loudly annoy everyone inside and outside the tennis stadium with 90 decibal horse guffaws in order to gain a slight advantage over the opposing player.
12
...one other solution tp players having an advantage for grunting loudly and distracting the opposing player's concentration and game. Replicate the sound the grunter is making so that both players, and not just one player, is on the receiving end of loud horse guffaws.
How to do this? Maybe have a 'grunt noise' machine installed at courtside, program it to receive and replicate the same grunt noise and volume being made by a grunting player, and have the machine sound out that grunt sound immediately after the non-grunting player hits/returns the tennis ball. That way, the non-grunting player is not bothered by the grunt during contact with the ball, but the grunter is receiving the same grunt that they made.
Surely there is technology out there that can do this. And tennis will become a little fairer too....
1
How about in the operating room?
5
Parry O'Brien, the great American shot putter, and multiple Olympic medal winner, was the first man to break 60 feet and was noted for his loud grunt/roar upon launching the shot.
As an athlete, you would absolutely do this. As a spectator, it may drive you insane. As a sponsor, who do you want to satisfy?
5
Organized tennis bodies failed to come down on Monica Seles with her noisemaking. In tennis, as in other back and forth sports, you are not supposed to do anything to distract your opponent. This is part of the courtesy and respect that sports, at their best, represent.
A short time ago, some tennis official body (don't recall which) said it was too late to outlaw the "move", but would encourage youth camps to teach the "old discipline".
But by not outlawing this behavior, what would stop players from making noise just prior to their opponents playing their shot while claiming that the noise primed them for a faster reaction to the shot?
6
What would stop them? The rules... and the officials, who would rule that despite the player's protestations, it is an intentional hindrance.
This really works well while swimming, especially when your head is in the water. All of those who recognize the obvious benefits of grunting during exercise should try this.
6
You apparently know nothing about swimming. When the swimmer’s head, or mouth actually, is underwater is exactly when the air in his lungs is forcefully expelled. Nothing would prevent a loud grunt.
I didn't realize I grunted at the gym until I took the earbuds out. Luckily, most everyone else at my gym has earbuds. Now I try to suppress the grunts so not to distract. But is my workout less effective?
2
Another reason to love the (quiet) elegance of Roger Federer.
9
I was in a hotel room with an escort ,who wasn't exactly Stormy Daniels but yes it helps ,a little.
1
Loud grunting is bush-league. Period. It's specifically designed to disrupt your opponent - under the guise of "that's just the way I play the game." Completely unsportsmanlike.
No way such low-class, undignified antics would've have been tolerated when I was young, either on the playground or in organized sports. The "grunter" would've quickly been given a good reason to grunt: a not-so-subtle elbow to the gut or a slam into the wall.
4
As the players get louder, perhaps the spectators should be allowed to also. Vuvuzelas at Wimbledon?
6
The worst thing to ever happen to professional tennis - that's for sure - I can't even watch it now and basketball is just as bad.
What's next? a big obnoxious grunt or scream every time some hack golfer try's to hit a tee shot? Wonderful!
7
I use this same technique in conversations after the period in every sentence. It makes people pay attention. Yaaa-AHHH!
10
I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m coming year , there would be another study warn us all that “grunting “ increase your chance of getting cancer or something . Anyway , I come from a third world country in a little village that almost everyone was a farmer. Grunting was part of doing hard things. Like cutting woods, lifting heavy things to carry on their heads ( for women ) and over their shoulders ( for men) and so on. I’m not sure about annoying your opponents thou since here is a way of life not competitions!
1
I never went further than Little League in organized ball but I loved to play. I was not an exceptional hitter but I could throw a baseball like nobody's business. As an adult I had a very accurate and strong arm... major league material. In fact, in the 90's I used to laugh at the Red Sox outfield as I could have out thrown 90% of them (yes, I live in Mass). When I needed to throw really hard, I'd let loose a loud grunt. I have no doubt that doing this gave me more strength and the ability to make an accurate and very strong throw. I don't know why it works but it really does.
1
Most of the “grunting” in tennis is not grunting at all, but is high-pitched shrieking, lasting far longer than it takes to strike the ball. True grunting, basically a forceful exhalation at the moment of impact, is fine with me. Shrieking should be banned.
23
WInning by distraction. Rule change!
3
In my study of karate it was the sudden, forceful but controlled, expulsion of air that added to a punch or kick. There was no mention, nor does there seem a reason, to add the noise. In fact, the noise portion would seem to indicate some resistance to expelling the air. All this then leaves is the annoyance. How about adding this factor to this faulty study?
1
With all due respect to Dr. Sinnett, additional study is required before determining "[i]t is unlikely, for instance, that grunting would be beneficial in long-distance running or walking[. . . .]" For all we know, grunting may also boost non-explosive muscular activity.
I say this because I'm a distance runner who grunts.
15K is my preferred distance. jMarathons require too much training at my performance level (7:30 miles). I love half marathons.
Usually with about 1/4 of a race left, I increase pace and during this period I get fairly noisy. Grunting is not quite the right word, as my vocalizations are rhythmic "moans" timed with every other breath (3rd stride). I've been told it sound like I'm saying "hi". Others have told me it sounds like vocalizations one might make during sex.
Either way, I am aware it can be distracting and you can bet I use that knowledge to psyche out competitors.
I haven't precisely measured whether grunting/moaning boosts my performance, but I do know I do it to maintain and increase pace. In my mind, I connect it with what my Karate sensei told all of us which is to kiai (きあい) when performing an attacking move.
I would not be surprised if the muscular action of intense distance running qualified in some sense as "explosive" muscular activity repeated many thousands of times over many miles.
I lift weights, and currently do dumbbell press with 95 lb. dumbbells. I am definitely able to lift more weight and/or perform more repetitions when I grunt. That said, Maria Sharapova does not grunt, she shrieks. She makes an extended high pitched noise, that is produced by a forceful "E" as opposed to an "AH" or "UH." That is the difference between grunting to enhance performance, and shrieking to annoy or disrupt you opponent.
7
Won't watch televised tennis anymore due to the screaming nonsense. Reminds me of the home crowd screaming in (American) football to obscure the opposing quarterback's called signals. In other words, cheating.
7
This advice should be taken with some caution. One wants to avoid airflow constriction while exerting as much as possible. Constricting airflow creates enormous pressure that can exacerbate damaged tissue (hernias for example). Slow blowing release through the mouth while exerting is really by far the most safe way of physical exertion.
I grunted and squealed emphatically for five days during a sailing race from Marion, MA to Bermuda. We finished third in our division on corrected time and the competition is still wondering how.
This is also why I wear earphones at the gym. Hearing other peoples' "personal" noises is almost as bad as smelling them.
1
I am a believer in making sounds to relieve the effort of sudden or stressful movements. It also helps to groan or shout when stunned by a fall or hitting one's funny bone (elbow) or or any painful event to one's body.
There was once a therapy called "primal scream" intended to relieve the pressure of emotional repression. While I cannot explain the value of these vocal protests, I know from my own experience that they so work.
Even so, it is probably best to restrict them when possible to private moments.
1
Anybody who follows Badminton competitions would agree that Carolina Marin is a case in point. She's a young Olympic gold and World Championship winner and nobody comes anywhere close to her in terms of unrestrained shouting skills (male players included). The key difference with tennis is that she's vocal only between rallies. The distracting and intimidating aspects seem very plausible. I do admire the professionalism and concentration of the players who play on neighbouring courts; even when the television cameras are focused on their court everybody knows who's playing next to them!
1
Regardless of any merit in performance, tennis is losing fans because of grunting, especially in the women's game which is tantamount to screaming on every shot. Just watch Roger Federer dismantle an opponent in silent precision and then turn to a match of screamers. It's unwatchable.
12
Tennis is losing fans, especially American because we've become lazier and more attuned to now exercising our thumbs! Additionally, we're not hungry! Look at the Slavs and Latins! They are hungry, and now ruling the sport, especially the women's game, outside of essentially, the Williams sisters!
1
Agreed. I’ve given up watching; I’m frankly embarrassed for the players.
What about the beneficial effect of distracting oneself? Expending energy "hurts" to a lesser or greater degree — more, the more energy is expended. Explosive bursts of power represent short moments of pain and yelling somehow helps distract us from that. It seems like knowing ahead of time that you're going to yell and distract yourself from the pain could give you encouragement to go ahead and make the move rather than hesitate, or make the move with more force.
Kind of like grunting or yelling while pushing to deliver a baby, only in quicker bursts.
Great, another excuse for people to act like jerks. I don't buy the "science" of this study for a lot of reasons. I also don't watch women's tennis anymore because of this nonsense (or if I do it's with the sound down), and this article will no doubt up the number of attention-seeking loud grunters that I'll have to encounter at the gym (there are some exhibiting this obnoxiously annoying behavior already, thanks for encouraging them). There is nothing wrong with an occasional involuntary grunt, but I have severe doubts about improved performance from sustained intentional grunting. What about the decrease in stamina caused by the extra effort in doing this?
6
Tennis has had big-hitting players long before the grunts and screams came to the game in the late 1980s. And frankly, I don't care if athletes grunt in basketball, football, rugby, soccer, and hockey, to name a few contact sports.
While I have been bored to tears with the all-power, baseline players in tennis, it has been the grunting, shouting and screaming when striking the ball that has me watching paint dry instead.
So where did all of this noise begin? At the Nick Bollateri Tennis Academy in Florida. Tennis phenom's, whose parents had buckets of money, were sent to boarding school tennis academies where they took school classes as well as tennis coaching. Many became stars in the pro tours. Some were lucky to teach tennis at private clubs after failing to qualify in satellite tours.
I have played this beautiful game since I was 6 years old, taught by my uncle who was a champion in California during the 1940s and early 50s. I have loved the game. At 73 with arthritis in my knees, I am relegated to observer status. While still playing very competitive tennis at public courts and a private club, I was tough to beat. But, if my opponent started grunting or shouting during the warmups, I bagged my racquets and left the court.
Grunting, squealing and screaming has turned an artful sport among ladies and gentlemen into a game for boors. Impolite hockey fans attending a tennis match may love the chaos but I miss the way it once was.
4
Twenty years of being a gym rat has proven to me that the people (really, only men) who grunt are generally no where near as strong as the guys who just bang out the reps unobtrusively. At least in the weight room, grunting is more of a "look at me and how much weight I am lifting" device than anything else.
My most favorite moments in the weight room have been when some clown is grunting, posturing and making a huge fuss about, for example, 250lbs on the leg press. Then, another guy comes, sets up right next to the first joker and loads on 500+lbs, and proceeds to press it up a dozen or so times in complete silence. Generally the grunter is shamed into silence after that.
5
Yes, it can! Because it covers the sound of the ball being hit, and thus deprives your opponent of valuable playing information. Definitely terrible sportsmanship! But if you LIKE to be someone who more or less cheats, welcome to the world of Donald Trump and his ild!
1
Federer doesn't grunt and he's the greatest male player of all time.
8
Why encourage this annoying practice that many fans of tennis, for example, find repulsive.
I no longer watch matches where one or more of the players howl, scream or grunt. Surely I'm not alone in wanting to watch excellence in athletic ability and skill without having to listen to the caterwauling as well. By all means howl on your own, but not at my expense.
6
Any word on a fingernails-on-chalkboard screech that's still going on after the ball gets back to the opponent?
Not mentioning any names....
3
"Their shouts with each serve and stroke can be so loud that some players, including Martina Navratilova, have declared that the noise is a form of cheating, ..."
Um ... I think a copy editor (do these still exist?) missed this one. (I don't think Martina N thinks making noise is cheating.)
1
The other day I was skiing down a mogul run (which I’ve done for XX years) trying to do my best and the snow was very heavy and I started grunting on my jump and kick turns to increase my effort. It works. Coincidental to see this article today.
I feel like the New York Times had a moral and ethical obligation not to report this in order to keep tennis watchable. Guess the editorial staff -~dropped the ball~-
Call it what you will, at nearly 60 years old, I’ve been grunting for years- carrying in the wood, walking up the stairs with bags of groceries, sometimes just getting out of bed in the morning, and it works. It’s fun. It helps. I’m all for it. And if it made me a few million dollars playing tennis - I’d surely be doing it. In fact - when I do play tennis - I’ve done well by make noises serving - at around 95 to 100 mph. (I’m still a hacker) but believe me I’m still asked to come to the game. It’s a game. Grow up opponents.
4
There are some true things that are not usefully published. For example, it is true that throwing up after meals will help you lose weight, but I don’t think that fact should receive the authority of the printed word. This article is in that category.
26
I always find myself grunting while doing housework, gardening, or doing an unfavorable physical task or I find my house mate looking at me, which then I quickly realize I'm not muted. Grunting makes me feel better, in some unexplained way and makes the task easier or more bearable. I do realize its probably not pleasant for anyone but myself to hear and I try to keep it at a minimum when I'm not alone.
1
There is grunting because one expends a great deal of effort, and there's grunting because it's become an annoying habit. If every stroke is a "grunt" stroke, it seems that grunting is a habit. If a player grunts when hitting particularly difficult shots or when hitting a ball particularly hard, it's probably a real grunt. But then, of course, one has to consider "strategic grunting." Should a player let out a mighty grunt, for example, while executing the most deft of drop shots?
Revelatory the study may be, but inane, the topic is, for sure.
7
partially right ONLY......
I have at least a 1st degree black belt in 3 different styles (tkd, hapkido and kul sul won) and advanced training in several others (traditional aikido, kendo and a couple japanese styles) so I have some background.
while we were ALWAYS taught to ki-yap or equivalent in when fighting in tournaments, it was with the idea of being able to deliver more power, esp when used with the 3rd technique in a combination or with a counter. there was never any mention by any instructor that distraction played any part.
the article makes little mention of the power of breath control in increasing ability to deliver power mainly by tightening your core so less of your power is dissipated internally. it also aides delivery by increasing ones focus on the target and punching or kicking *thru* the target and not simply striking the surface. for example, alot of my counter knockouts, usually with a spinning techniques (hook kick or spin side) were much easier that way. I've put 220# guys flat and almost never even felt the contact. it seriously felt like a light touch and no more.
plus you never mentioned breaking. as you progress from 1st to 3rd or 4th degrees and higher, breaking is a method of demonstrating power. noone will ever think you're intimidating the bricks by yelling. its simply for delivery of power thru breath control and increased focus.
10
And again one of those studies where you ask yourself, really, you needed to study this?
Grunting is a (n annoying) form of breathing. In martial arts fighters "grunt" when striking (Ki-Ai). It synchronizes muscle movement when done right. It also can intimidate the opponent, but I think that's not the most important part.
As for the grunting changing the perception of an incoming kick?
If a fighter has to wait until the kick comes to know that it is coming, he has already lost.
4
I guess the idea of sport as a game is old fashioned and winning is the only thing that matters. Really kind of trumpian. I make it a point to try to destroy the grunters, eeerers and oofers but they totally take the fun out of playing.
7
Thanks, just what the muni courts need, "c" level players shouting as they miss hit shot after shot.
17
I noticed one the shriekers cutting short her scream when she hit ball Into the net. No sense wasting energy trying to distract the opponent when the point was lost. Cheats.
19
Or like soccer, scream, fall and moan and groan from your "injury".
Strategy.
3
Perhaps with enough grunting to attract wild boar, tennis could be combined with hunting.
3
I have two words for the pro-grunters: Roger Federer
30
In racquetball deliberate shouting is considered a distraction and a penalty hinder, resulting in loss of the rally. In the confined space of the court it is not considered sportsmanlike to shout or scream or grunt loudly, as it can often cause the opponent to hold up a shot. I have played screamers and it is not acceptable.
23
Hitting a golf ball....
I have my wife doing it
Ball goes visibly farther.
1
Annoy your competitor and your audience as well.
I am always tempted to put the TV on mute during tennis matches. I can justify a grunt when propelling the ball with force. But most if the time it sounds like a murder is being committed on center court, or in some cases, a wild loon has slipped its cage.
It’s been taken to a ridiculous and unncessary extreme.
45
Works wonders in checkers!
24
Sunday crossword.
Regarding the martial arts experiment involving actual kicks and actual vocalizations: Since the subjects were required either to vocalize (a natural action during kicking in this sport), or not to vocalize (an unnatural action during kicking in this sport), the finding of less power when not vocalizing could be an artifact of the experiment. However, I see no way out of this confounding in the experimental design short of selecting subjects who either do or do not naturally vocalize, and comparing a very large number of such subjects. Even then, the results would be equivocal unless the statistical difference in results was very large.
I do it when I play chess. Definitely boosts strategic thinking.
20
Grunting ruined watching tennis, particularly women'e tennis. It used to be a relaxing enterprise, just hearing the thunk of the ball and the squeal of the shoes. Now it is like watching a boar hunt.
85
"A boar hunt ..."?
I hear women's tennis matches rather as bad porn films: sadly unwatchable.
Another form of cheating
27
@Marlu
"cheating"??
In what context do you claim this? What rule in Tennis says one must hit the ball in absolute silence?
Methinks you have other factors that cloud your views...
1
It sure seems to me that it's gotten to the point where some tennis players intentionally stretch the grunt out so that (whatever effect it has on force) it continues long after the ball has crossed the net - it's like two syllables: "Uh-heeee". Grunting should be against the rules. It's clearly not necessary to play good tennis, and it's a major distraction for the players and most fans, and rewards those who are brazen enough to get more and more distracting.
60
Grunting reduces the pain of moving with an arthritic skeleton. Gets attention too.
3
I used to be an avid tennis player, and had played on my high school tennis team. I don't consider myself to be highly advanced but probably intermediate level. I did not normally grunt when I hit the ball, but I do remember one time when I really hit a groundstroke with extra force, and I grunted involuntarily, because the extra effort forced air out of my lungs. So, based on personal experience, I believe that some of the top players are grunting because they are inadvertently expelling air as a result of putting maximum effort into their strokes.
4
All quite interesting! However, while we are on the topic of weight rooms at the gym, I'm convinced that some people grunt just for effect, and sometimes even just to draw attention to themselves!
33
The title of your article encourages the practice. It's is an annoying, selfish and antisocial strategy. Most of us engage in competitive sports as a social activity and for physical exercise, rather than for professional gain. Sure, an occasional hoot is part of the game. Excessive vocalizing, however, detracts from the shared sportsmanship. Do this, and you may not be invited to play next time.
46
In every professional team sport, the home crowd makes distracting noise. Still, in baseball, in particular there is a code of conduct -- no bat flipping, no extra slow home run trots, and no turning your head to read the catcher's signals. Tennis is similar to baseball in this regard. And grunting is bad form. There is nothing in the rules that prevent s grunting. But everyone know it is frowned upon. The informal rules of conduct are not meant to be ignored and if they are, some form of retaliation is perfectly appropriate.
21
When I lived in New York City during the 1970s I studied martial arts in Manhattan.
The martial art form was Go Ju, a Japanese style and our Sensei was a 10th Dan black belt. He had such a strong Ki-ah that often at times during the kumite or fight phase of the evening training the sound of his Ki-ah was powerful enough to actually freeze an opponent in his tracks.
We were also trained to let out air with each strike and at times to let out the Ki-ah to increase the power of the punch.
I was not surprised to read in this article that research has indicated that a punch or a kick is 10% more powerful when delivered under those conditions. I guess that’s something the Japanese knew over 5000 years ago.
We have much to learn.
12
I stopped watching most tennis years ago. Ridiculous, as it's not grunting, it's screaming. When I play, I mimic my oppponents, or the people in the other courts if they do this.
35
I no longer watch tennis because of the offensive grunting. Can't stand it.
69
Agree. Screaming is another form of cheating ~ how is the extent of one’s vocal chords a reflection of tennis skill? I understand grunting as a way to regulate breathing but the screaming / screeching during tennis matches?
15
Thanks, Marty. I agree with you 100 percent. And if not for Roger Federer and his all-court game, I refuse to watch the players who rarely leave the baseline. When I lived in Connecticut, I loved attending the U.S. Open. I watched Stephen Edberg play his last pro match. Great player, no grunting. Just magnificent strokes and intelligent tactics. I watched Arthur Ash, Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver, McEnroe, Borg and Connors over the years.
BTW, a couple years ago, I caught a tournament amongst veteran players including Mac', Courier, Chang, and Agassi. McEnroe, beat them all without a grunt. For the audience, he put on a faux tantrum for laughs. It was a great evening for great tennis.
1
Grunting, screaming, etc. is probably a consequence of natural selection and, as the article suggests, serves two purposes by helping both the person who grunts and the recipient of the grunt who is less likely to hang around. I think it is a chicken-or-egg phenomenon as to which benefit of grunting came first although anyone who lifts weight knows that a good grunt or scream helps you break through to higher lift limits.
4
If you were a little kid in the mid-1980s, you remember the Chicago Bears’ defense barking at opponents.
2
As an avid and competitive player, I have encountered a number of opponents who have this "habit". It is the most annoying thing ever. I have started to mimic opponents when they do it and it throws them off their game. Childish, I know, but I cannot help it with some of the more egregious grunters/screamers.
And I refuse to watch professionals who have this tic.
58
Robin Haase was actually penalized a few years ago when he did exactly that. It was crazy - somehow, his opponent was allowed to loudly grunt on every shot, but when he made the exact same noise on one shot (out of frustration, he imitated him), it was penalized, because it was "intentional." Completely ridiculous.
9
"They had generated about 10 percent more force with each kick while yelling." A Karate Dojo is a pretty loud place, and this is why. Martial artists don't "grunt". We use a very specific word: Kiai (気合); which has a very "explosive" force through the body. It doesn't work if you don't do it right.
7
It's not grunting though.
It's screaming.
24
Actual vocalization is not really necessary in the expulsion of air. It does not have to engage the vocal chords. A sharp consonant like a ch or k (with the accompanied expelled breath) works just as well as making a vocal sound in increasing power (a concept I agree with strongly). It can be produced by the tongue closing off the oral cavity and released in a sharp consonant sound, as mentioned above, far before it engages the vocal chords. The long, court-length screeches and hoots of Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka are clearly not entirely reflexive, as they can be brought to an abrupt halt when their ball goes into the net. If it was an integral part of their stroke production they would not be able to stop it. But obviously, they can control it. So, in my estimation, it is at least as much for effect as for increasing the force of the stroke.
7