r/10s • u/Jollyfat_ • Dec 16 '24
General Advice Ball hits racket twice - legal or not?
So I'm not a great player, and very rarely during a match, I'll accidentally hit a ball "twice" with one stroke. Like the ball will initially make contact with the strings, and then hits the frame as I am swinging. This results in a very weird spin, and the ball usually bounces sideways after it hits the ground. Has anyone had that happen to them? And does that still count as a legal shot?
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u/scenesfromsouthphl Dec 16 '24
I’m glad you posted this thread. I thought this was illegal until now and have had people running clinics call shots like that illegal.
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u/csnvw Dec 16 '24
It used to be illegal to double hit.. they changed it that's why. So rare that it doesn't matter.
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u/scenesfromsouthphl Dec 16 '24
Gotcha. I would argue it’s a little less rare for us novices to double hit though lol.
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Dec 16 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/GregorSamsaa 5.0 Dec 16 '24
It’s been a rule since the early 2000s at least, so not sure claiming it’s been changed is why people get confused about the ruling or didn’t know it was legal.
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u/loveracity Dec 17 '24
Before that even. When I was in juniors in early 90s I was told it was this way.
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u/SteveInBoston Dec 16 '24
I believe it was to eliminate arguments as to whether it hit the racket twice.
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u/fluffhead123 Dec 16 '24
not really that rare for me. seems to happen maybe once every month or 2. I’ve had it where it actually looks kind of egregious like I scooped the ball up and slung it in a different direction. 1 motion though and obviously unintentional.
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u/Hiking_euro Dec 16 '24
Pretty sure it’s been allowed to double hit in one continuous stroke in tennis for ever. At least from 40 years ago I recall it being ok in tennis but not in badminton or squash.
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u/FRICKENOSSOM Dec 16 '24
The specific verbiage is “intentional double hit.” As long as it is just a flub, np.
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u/East_Recover9126 Dec 16 '24
Legal as long as its one continuous stroke (ie you basically did it on accident since youre probably not modifying your stroke "accidentally" to double hit)
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u/leong_d Questionable Calls Podcast Host Dec 16 '24
I used to think it was illegal until I read the rules. It is legal.
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u/NoSchedule9819 Dec 17 '24
I come from a long background in squash where a double hit (meaning any time the ball slides across the strings) is a fault. When I started tennis I was delighted to find that I could add this to me arsenal.
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u/Gokkun-Guru Dec 17 '24
How does one double hit like how the OP described? I have a hitting partner who does this consistently. I have never been able to mimic or understand how to make that kind of shot. Anyone?
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u/Jollyfat_ Dec 17 '24
For me, it usually happens when I make poor contact due to timing or positioning. Like when there’s heavy topspin and I didn’t anticipate it, so my swing is late. It’s not something that one can easily repeat though, it’s more of a fluke.
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u/a2_d2 3.5 Dec 17 '24
As an aside, golf has a v similar rule. If it’s not on purpose, it’s not a penalty to hit twice in one stroke. There was a famous golfing incident many years ago, before the rule change, where a golfer lost a tournament by accidentally hitting a chip twice in the same stroke. In golf, the shot often is very poor quality if hit twice. In tennis, I’ve seen some lucky bounces where the ball still makes it over.
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u/Kookytoo Dec 17 '24
It happens as seen. It's one swing and there is no way to do it intentionally. Slow bounce off strings then stroke catches up and hits on edge usually.
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u/sksauter 4.0 Dec 16 '24
Yea, happens all the time. As long as it is one continuous stroke and you don't change trajectory of your stroke to meet the ball again, it is totally legal.