Why do professional players moan when hitting the ball?

Shiro · Jun 12, 2016

I often see players like Dimitij Ovtcharov or Jun Mizutani sort of moan or grunt when hitting the ball. What is the purpose of this? Is it to distract their opponent or help them with their breathing when they are in a rally?

Boogar · Jun 12, 2016

I would say its to synchronise their movement with their breathing.
Its the same like boxers who push out air while punching to get maximum output and good rythm.

UpSideDownCarl · Jun 12, 2016

Or tennis players. Or in martial arts you vocalize on a strike. It gives you more power to have your exhale timed to your contact. A forced exhale or a vocalized exhale both give more power to your stroke because a forced or vocalized exhale helps more muscles, especially the muscles of the core, to engage.

Do a hard forced exhale and make a sound like "huh" and watch what happens to your abdomen. The harder you exhale the more you will see your core kick in. But the exhale also makes all other muscles able to engage more fully.

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ttmonster · Jun 12, 2016

This is what Carl is trying to say ... just thought the video will help illustrate it better ...

UpSideDownCarl said:
Or tennis players. Or in martial arts you vocalize on a strike. It gives you more power to have your exhale timed to your contact. A forced exhale or a vocalized exhale both give more power to your stroke because a forced or vocalized exhale helps more muscles, especially the muscles of the core, to engage.

Do a hard forced exhale and make a sound like "huh" and watch what happens to your abdomen. The harder you exhale the more you will see your core kick in. But the exhale also makes all other muscles able to engage more fully.

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UpSideDownCarl · Jun 12, 2016

But try my exercise and watch your abdomen while you say "huh" as strongly as you can.

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Cornel · Jun 12, 2016

Shiro said:
I often see players like Dimitij Ovtcharov or Jun Mizutani sort of moan or grunt when hitting the ball. What is the purpose of this? Is it to distract their opponent or help them with their breathing when they are in a rally?

It certainly helps a lot for breathing, and this is a thing many people underestimate. If you hold your breath during the shot, you will get tired much faster than if you push the air from your lungs, you can notice this easily during multiball sessions.

Shiro · Jun 12, 2016

Oh i see now.

TT_Rogue · Jun 12, 2016

i think your overthinking the whole thing. at a very hard shot yes you do a sound. but for example primorac is also doing that when he is just moving his little finger. it's most of the time just a tick. you can be sure that every chinese would do that already for years if there would be a higher meaning in it.

ttmonster · Jun 12, 2016

Why is Dima doing it during practice and only in matches where it gets into big rallies ? I think you are right about the other part , not about the Chinese. I guess for them its a matter of culture ...

TT_Rogue said:
i think your overthinking the whole thing. at a very hard shot yes you do a sound. but for example primorac is also doing that when he is just moving his little finger. it's most of the time just a tick. you can be sure that every chinese would do that already for years if there would be a higher meaning in it.

Baal · Jun 13, 2016

Cornel said:
It certainly helps a lot for breathing, and this is a thing many people underestimate. If you hold your breath during the shot, you will get tired much faster than if you push the air from your lungs, you can notice this easily during multiball sessions.

Was just going to write this. Also, of course, it helps with timing.

Boogar · Jun 13, 2016

TT_Rogue said:
i think your overthinking the whole thing. at a very hard shot yes you do a sound. but for example primorac is also doing that when he is just moving his little finger. it's most of the time just a tick. you can be sure that every chinese would do that already for years if there would be a higher meaning in it.

It does not have to be a loud sound. Most of the time its just a rhytmic breath. And i guess almost all of the top chinese do this.

laistrogian · Jun 13, 2016

ttmonster said:
Why is Dima doing it during practice and only in matches where it gets into big rallies ? I think you are right about the other part , not about the Chinese. I guess for them its a matter of culture ...

It's indeed part of a culture. For the chinese, grunting might be seen as a disturbance and impolite. Japanese on the other hand has this passion when they're excited. You can see how Japanese team are amongst the loudest teams when they cheer for their teammates.

mquevedof · Jun 13, 2016

My own personal view... when you are in the preparation phase of any stroke, getting in position to execute the stroke, swinging back, you are recoiling all your muscles.

Then you start to unleash all that potential energy, and starts becoming dynamic energy, tough you are still controlling the timing to contact the ball...

When you finally contact the ball, then you really unleash all the potential energy still in your muscles, and accelerate as fast as you can... Is is right at the time of contact when the huh sound comes into play...

I hope this adds another angle to what already has been described by others...

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Ilia Minkin · Jun 13, 2016

TT_Rogue said:
i think your overthinking the whole thing. at a very hard shot yes you do a sound. but for example primorac is also doing that when he is just moving his little finger. it's most of the time just a tick. you can be sure that every chinese would do that already for years if there would be a higher meaning in it.

Yeah, Primo grunts even when he is blocking: [video]http://coub.com/view/cx5kg[/video].

Interestingly, I like to grunt myself when I'm kind of "stretched" in the game or even practice. And I even cannot say why I'm doing this, it somehow makes me more comfortable and confident.

dio_hgw · Jun 13, 2016

I think some players grunt or moan to stay focused, show determination and keep the rythm. Their moan works like the coxswain in rowing. If it had an important physical effect everybody would do that. I think the effect is mental and only.

Tom TTD · Jun 13, 2016

Shiro said:
I often see players like Dimitij Ovtcharov or Jun Mizutani sort of moan or grunt when hitting the ball. What is the purpose of this? Is it to distract their opponent or help them with their breathing when they are in a rally?

A lot of players use it as a technique to maintain rhythm in training alongside their breathing patterns , this allows shot timing to improve which helps in exercises, a lot of players use it in training but less in matches .

NextLevel · Jun 13, 2016

To hide the sound of their contact and throw off the opponent. Grunting should be banned, IMO.

laistrogian · Jun 13, 2016

NextLevel said:
To hide the sound of their contact and throw off the opponent. Grunting should be banned, IMO.

People who does that or any kind of tricks just to win a match shouldn't even play sports in the first place. Those type of people disgusts me to no end.

Ilia Minkin · Jun 13, 2016

NextLevel said:
To hide the sound of their contact and throw off the opponent.

Even in practice?

NextLevel · Jun 13, 2016

Ilia Minkin said:
Even in practice?

Practice makes perfect.

Why do professional players moan when hitting the ball?

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