My new tennis goal for the remainder of 2022

[Cuckoo4Coco]

I have decided to set a new tennis goal for the remaining months of 2022. This tennis goal has nothing to do with the techniques of my forehand, backhand or any of my strokes. It has nothing to do with my footwork, but I suppose it could have something to do with my mental game. I am talking about my grunting. After talking about it on here and watching videos some of which were suggested by some of you, I have come to realize that the grunting I do doesn't really add anything to my game at all. I always thought it might add more power into my ground strokes as I thought if I grunt I might be exerting more energy into the shots, but honestly my shots are not generating more power.

So I am starting in practice to become a quieter version of myself and it will transition into my match play as well. I expect to see no difference in my game play at all from doing this. When I mentioned this to my coach that I was going to do this he really didn't have any words about it either way other than saying he would have to take less Tylenol after practice from the headaches he got from all the grunting I would do.

[ponchi101]

Welcome to the ranks of the Silent Ones
Don't do that because of some of our opinions. Your game is your game. Experiment a little; drop some decibels, but make sure your breathing is normal and relaxed.
As long as you don't sound like this, there is no problem.

[Cuckoo4Coco]

Welcome to the ranks of the Silent Ones
Don't do that because of some of our opinions. Your game is your game. Experiment a little; drop some decibels, but make sure your breathing is normal and relaxed.
As long as you don't sound like this, there is no problem.

I am 100% sure my breathing is fine or my coach would have said something a very long time ago. The question I keep asking myself is grunting really a part of my game or just something I feel I have to do because I see some pro players doing it? In the beginning I really thought there was some benefit to grunting, but really there is not. That is the main reason now I don't feel it is necessary for me to do it.

If I for some odd reason go on a long losing match streak and it gets into my head it is because I am not grunting then I don't know what I will do. I doubt that will happen, because I am not that sort of player where things like that get to me, but I guess it could happen and I'd go back to grunting.

It's not like I am trying a one handed backhand after many years of a two handed backhand and then my game starts to fall apart. This is just grunting which really isn't that important to the game at all.

[dryrunguy]

As long as you don't sound like this, there is no problem.

Or this.

[Cuckoo4Coco]

As long as you don't sound like this, there is no problem.

Or this.

She sounds like she is howling.

[Cuckoo4Coco]

Update: My goal on becoming silent is going well. I still do the occasional fist pump and "Come On" after nice shots I have made, but other than that my routine ground strokes have become pretty much silent.

[ponchi101]

Randomize your "C'mons". "Vamos", "Allez", "das war ein toller Schuss!" can all become part of your vocabulary

[Cuckoo4Coco]

Randomize your "C'mons". "Vamos", "Allez", "das war ein toller Schuss!" can all become part of your vocabulary

I do say "Vamos" sometimes.

[Deuce]

Update: My goal on becoming silent is going well. I still do the occasional fist pump and "Come On" after nice shots I have made, but other than that my routine ground strokes have become pretty much silent.

But what do you say/yell when you miss a shot you know you should have made???

[Cuckoo4Coco]

Update: My goal on becoming silent is going well. I still do the occasional fist pump and "Come On" after nice shots I have made, but other than that my routine ground strokes have become pretty much silent.

But what do you say/yell when you miss a shot you know you should have made???

Well, I don't really yell. I do say a few choice words under my breath sometimes.