CAN GRUNTING HELP YOUR TENNIS GAME? A study by a University of Hawaii psychologist provides some support for the proposition that if a tennis player grunts when hitting a shot, the grunt makes it harder for the opponent to “read” where the shot is going. In the test, the participants were to indicate as rapidly as possible which side of the court the ball was going. If the player grunted, the reaction was a little slower and less accurate. A squib in the Wall Street Journal says that the average delay related to the grunting was 27 milliseconds. The researcher suggests that the grunt may mask the sound of the ball hitting the racket. (It occurs to me that the results of the study might be different for high level players.)
A fraction of a second delay–even 27 milliseconds—could be very significant. Some tennis experts believe that the difference in high level players is how quickly they start moving to return a shot. The good ones start well before the opponent hits a shot. An advantage of a two-handed backhand is said to be that it is harder to read. Back in the day, Virginia Wade was said to be easier to read than other players. I have always known that the best way I could improve my game would be to learn to start moving before my opponent’s shot crossed the net.