Certainly not. Rule 16, on how the service is delivered, says nothing about how many balls you can hold in your hand, as long as you’re only tossing one of them.
Two for One
Is there a rule against holding two tennis balls in your hand when serving? I’ve always done so, but in a league match, an opponent asked me to only hold one at a time. I did as he asked, but is this a rule? —Peachie Elsas, Jacksonville, FL
Certainly not. Rule 16, on how the service is delivered, says nothing about how many balls you can hold in your hand, as long as you’re only tossing one of them. Your opponent may have been confused by The Code, #36, which says, in part, “a deliberate hindrance occurs when the receiver asks the server to stop discarding the second ball after serving, and the server continues” to do so. So long as you keep a grip on that second ball, you’re OK.
Breaking It Down
Esta historia es de la edición July/August 2019 de Tennis.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición July/August 2019 de Tennis.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Tennis Conversation: Jenson Brooksby, a piano man
Billy Joel may be a New York City icon, but the fans in Queens should start getting to know this piano man
The Five-Step Sit-Down Plan
Don’t neglect the value of a smart changeover routine
MAKING THE TURN
Six years after saying goodbye to the protour grind, Mardy Fish may be more active than ever—on the court, on the course, and helping combat a struggle anyone can encounter
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Queens is known for its gastronomy as much as its tennis. Daniil Medvedev, equal parts sugar and spice, hopes to add a unique flavor to the borough as he vies for his first major
SUMMER IN THE CITIES
Broadway may not re-open until mid September, but tennis offers its own brand of live theatre in the preceding months
REOPEN SEASON
The pandemic halted tennis as an up-close experience— but is now giving way to pandemonium among crowds. As the pro game reopens this summer and fans gather again, we’re realizing what we’ve been missing for so long
Court of Appeals
Resolving Your Rules Questions&Quarrels
An Open Mind: New York's Slam has no shortage of history, but it always evolves
In the last decade, Arthur Ashe Stadium got a roof, and a new Grandstand and Louis Armstrong Stadium debuted.
Those Fall Feels
The end of summer may be bittersweet, but getting lost amid the backroads of NEW ENGLAND adds a silver—and golden—lining to the season change. Pack a few sweaters along with your tennis kit and prepare for leaf-peeping, scenic drives and delicious autumnal ingredients to pair with your forehands
Court of Appeals
Resolving Your Rules Questions & Quarrels
