Next up in the discussion of how to lose a point is throwing a racquet. The first image that springs to mind for me is a racquet abuse code violation, but this is an entirely different scenario.
The point is lost if:
j. The ball in play touches the racket when the player is not holding it.
USTA Friend at Court, ITF Rules of Tennis, Section 24
In my mind’s eye, there are two basic ways that this can occur. First the racquet could be accidentally dropped during the a point. For me, this usually involves a tumble to the court. My “fight or flight” reflex in that situation is to discard the racquet, so that both hands are available to cushion the impact.
I would lose the point if my opponent were to play a ball that contacts my racquet while it is lying on the court outside of my possession. That would be the case even if the ball miraculously bounced off my racquet back into my opponents court. There are a lot of places on the court where the ball could be hit to win the point. I think an opponent would be unlikely to aim such a ball at a racquet.
The second way that the racquet can contact the ball is by the player throwing the racquet at the ball. Per this rule, it doesn’t matter if this is intentional or not. Here is a fabulous clip of the umpire missing that call during one of the Bryan brothers matches. In the umpires defense, from his vantage point it would have been difficult to tell if the racquet was in Mike Bryan’s hand when the ball was contacted.
I have a training buddy/mixed doubles partner who is uncannily good at hitting the ball with a thrown racquets. I have seen him attempt and execute that shot a lot as one of our regular drill groups. He usually does so in jest. Even at our drill, it is a lost point.
One way to execute a thrown racquet shot is to release the racquet mid-swing to reach a ball that was just out of reach, which is what Mike Bryan did in the Wimbledon clip above. An alternate way is to basically toss the racquet straight up to reach a lob that was destined to clear a net player.
It is an odd trick shot. It is also kind of hard on your racquet frames. Don’t throw your racquets, people.
- United States Tennis Association (2020) Friend at Court. White Plains, NY
