I'm pretty sure I can hear my sister and her boyfriend practising tennis late into the night, with the amount of loud grunting I hear from her bedroom.

For those who aren't aware, the decibel scale is logarithmic. 100 dB is significantly louder than 90.

Freedom to grunt. Freedom to be silent. No freedom to intentionally distract an opponent.

Actually, the really terrible thing about grunting is not just the noise but the implied force of hitting the ball. Players like Seles were masters at grunting loudly while hitting the ball softly and all shades in between. It was this trait that really used to piss me off as a spectator as the grunts were clearly used for distraction.

The power of 'BWEH' is a force one cannot explain...

The new delayed grunt some young players do is unacceptable though. They’re basically screaming their lungs off right as the opponent is supposed to hit the ball

It’s pure gamesmanship. Navratilova has said hearing the noise your opponent’s racquet makes on hitting the ball tells you a lot about how cleanly they have hit it and what kind of return you can anticipate. The screaming and shrieking effectively masks this which is unsportsmanlike at best blatant cheating at worst.

Grunting has definitely diminished in todays game so there is clearly an effort to bring the noise down and I think that is improving popularity for fans. I just watched an excellent US Open women's final where both the young ladies involved were not shrieking or screaming.

I really think it's just a matter of degree. The Sharapovas and Azarenkas of the world drive me nuts when they play, but lower pitch/volume, shorter grunts that sound normal for accompanying an intense muscular effort have never bothered me at all.

This guy could literally talk about paint drying and it would still be interesting

As someone who plays tennis, ive only ever grunted when i was tired. It helped me stay focused and not give up plus i felt like i was exerting more power when i was swinging

The occasional grunt when hitting a hard ball is totally fine but repeatedy hearing the same tone grunt (regardless of the loudness) just annoys the heck out of me.

I think Grunting is not the issue but screaming like a Tarzan is and some players; exclusively female players are exploiting the "grunt" acceptance to an insane level. I have seen Sabalenka, Azarekna and Sharapova screaming like WW1 emergency siren waaay after hitting the ball and right before the opponent is about to return. There is no way a player needs to scream like that before (and till) his/her opponent is about to return. It just dismisses the logic of grunting. These players can also be found screaming the batshit out of their throat even while doing a drop shot or a slice. No amount of logic will make it legit.

I love "BWEH!"

It is used as a distraction tool too. Remember when Sharapova was scolded for grunting fraction of a second after hitting the ball? Well, I played a match like that and nothing distracted me more than this.

If Fed, Pete, Martina & Steffi didn't need to do it, I struggle to understand why it's necessary.

There's grunting at the point of exhaling when hitting the ball, and then there's deliberate noise making just before the opponent is about to hit the ball. That's cheating and there are a number of ATP players who cheat. Must be banned.

I swear to god I've never seen such marvellous editing in my life, the fact that it's done only by one person is crazy. Gladly it's getting the appreciation it deserves! Another great video/topic, you never cease to amaze us my friend! ❤️

as annoying as it is i will never forget when me and my friend decieded to grunt as loud as we could for a game and played of the best tennis of that night. however even forcing ourselves we were never even close to what some of the current players do

Having played abit myself, I can definitely vouch for the fact that the mild can definitely increase your performance but the excessive grunting is nothing but a distraction tactic

you should have also mentioned lorenzo sonego's grunts here. he literally makes sex noises on court and grunts almost when the ball has reached other side of court.

BWEH still the only grunt I'm not annoyed of.

I was in a sport that required a LOT of quick, explosive reaction. Both myself and others were not there screaming like an ali-express opera signer during tournaments. When we got around to playing tennis (as we did for physical training) we'd typically play against the local tennis club the difference was staggering, they were over the other side screaming like they had been shot while we're on the other side with very minimal noise. I then went and played a couple years at their club (I was 16 at the time) and I was told off many times for being 'too quiet' and that "I'm telling you its so I can hear how you control your breath" but then in my 2nd year I was told "Yeah nah, its a lie really. We want to throw off the opposition." When it came to playing games I would listen to scream-o 'metal' and just blurred out the death sounds from the other side and not make them myself, at the level I played it was 100% for the scummy tactic for distraction and nothing else.

OMG Your editing level is SO out of this world!! and the research you do and your understanding of everything, WOW man you are the GOAT Thank you for that !

i still remember the days when i used to watch sharapova games at silent mode on my tv so that my parents in other room do not get disturbed.

I think Gustavo Kuerten’s grunt was the only that actually sounded like a breath exhaling technique

I was never taught to grunt but I started doing it *quietly* after I was playing longer matches because I began to get out of breath and needed the extra power to keep up. It was definitely way less than screaming but sometimes my teammate could hear me that's about it

After first insisting that the Umpire made sure all spectators were perfectly silent before serving, I considered the consistent bombardment of loud yelling as a form of "Noise-Attack" on the opponent designed to throw them off their game.

As a tennis coach (I am 50 now) I have lived through this phenomena, clearly its designed to hide the sound of the ball off the racquet, which gives you a large amount of information about what the ball is doing... like velocity and spin. In my opinion its a cheat.

Cult Tennis is the Summoning Salt of Tennis

Let’s be real, when you exhale is so loud and lasts long enough for the ball to be returned before you’re done. It’s excessive lol There is a grunt and a scream, the two are not the same.

I've been a fan of tennis for as long as I can remember and your content really adds to my love for the sport. Awesome editing and content, keep it up!

These are awesome videos. Historical, scientific, and analytical. Great work!

I trained at IMG academy for 5 years and graduated last year and they never told us to specifically grunt, yell, be obnoxious or scream, but I was taught and told to exhale on every hit and not to be shy of being loud. Many others are also very loud and competitive there so that could be why too. I think I had a coach tell me once or twice that he needs to hear my exhales so he knows I am breathing properly too tho

damn this editing is spectacular! really appreciating the time you take with motion graphics and thoughtful scripting

It’s a shame this practice has become so pervasive throughout tennis. It really makes the offenders’ matches far less enjoyable to watch. (Not to mention the distraction it causes for their opponent) I almost feel compelled to watch on mute if a match involves a player doing this particularly egregiously. This is one of the (many) reasons I always enjoyed Federer matches so much and miss him not playing on the tour right now. He played almost entirely silent and also quickly in between points, so you could just sit back and enjoy the beautiful and amazing tennis on display. No long pauses and disruptive noises to diminish the experience. Of course…Nadal supplied enough of those for the both of them when they faced off! ;)

I’ve noticed that most portayals of tennis on tv shows are doubles, yet singles is actually much more popular in real life Edit: thanks for telling me in the replies, I have rarely ever played doubles

Most of my male tennis friends refuse to watch women's tennis because of the grunting. Viewership of women's tennis may have increased, but it would be even higher without the grunting. To see how much it's hated, all you have to do is read the comments on any Sabalenka match. At least half of them will be rants about her grunting. And I don't buy the "it's necessary to exhale" crap. Some of these women continue screaming (not grunting, SCREAMING) long after the ball has been hit. Some of the best players in the world, including #1 Ash Barty, are totally silent. So the "screaming is necessary" argument is bullsh*t. I once saw a woman lose a point because she screamed after hitting a ball. The umpire called Hindrance. The ironic part is, her opponent screamed EVERY time she hit the ball, and this woman only screamed the one time. She called penalized for one scream, her opponent didn't get penalized for her hundreds of screams. How wrong is that?

Amazing vid! Well done! Only thing missing was talking about delayed grunting where players grunt long after they've hit the ball just before their opponent is trying to hit. The worst.

The production quality on this is just * chef's kiss *

Ok, the breathing, the science, the coach who wants to hear the pupil’s breath... but let’s not pretend they do it JUST for that reason. The fact that it annoys the opponent is not just a happy coincidence.

The production value on these are insane

I remember when Maria Sharapova and Michelle Larcher de Brito played each other at Wimbledon. It was the loudest match in tennis history.

this is actually crazy. great video - good work

Don't call yourself a loser You're awesome CT ❤️

Jesus, Larcher de Brito took it to another level. Her shriek was simply diabolical, and she was no where good enough to be able to get away with it. At the end of the day, you can't stop players from grunting unless it's inconsistent and deliberate and clearly falls on the side of hindrance.

I never knew this was an issue, in tennis! Very informative video. The whole situation actually reminds me of a similar issue in fencing, at least here in Greece. When players score a point, they will often shout into the air. Ive heard its alternatively to relieve tension and to convince the referee to give them the point during controversial "phases"(?) (Basically whenever its uncertain who had right of way in a bout) I was at a tourney, recently, and one of the schools' participant were being EXTREMELY loud whenever they scored...! It was qyite distracting, actually. Admittedly, thats not the sort of thing that happens during gameplay, so its ptobably more of a psychological/intimidation factor, there.

Bro your videos are so high quality , easy to understand and fun to watch

So doctor here just wanna add something to the discussion. So muscle cells have these proteins called actin and myosin. To cause muscle shortening, these two have to get closer together and to relax (which takes ATP aka the universal energy source of the body). This is why when people die, they are stiff as a board. There is no more energy to promote muscle relaxation. Anyways back to the grunting..... The thing is to prevent excessive shortening, the body leaves about 10-15% of non interacting space between the proteins. Think of it as a fail safe. However in true fight or flight response, your own life is way more important than slightly damaging some muscles. To overcome this purposeful suboptimal muscle contraction, you can have acess to that 10-15% unused muscle contraction by grunting. This is called the golgi tendon body reflex/golgi tendon organ reflex. Think if how you grunt when you dead lift/bench or pick up a heavy box when you move. It's the same thing. Though I don't think there's a correlation to scream that loud and unlocking new levels of power (unless you live it n the dragon ball universe)

When I lived in halls at university, I used to have to walk past the indoor tennis court every day, and even outside you could hear over-the-top grunting. The sports stars of today are setting a bad example for those of tomorrow.

Great video, thanks. Even though coaches might want to hear the ‘breath’, they definitely know that with the minimal advantage it gives their ‘grunter/screamer’ it becomes a much bigger disadvantage for their opponent. 2 ft in tennis is huge. Serena’s screams often seemed like that to me. Instead of being loudest when she was winning, as you would expect if it was an advantage, she got louder the worse she was playing and the further she got behind. Seles changing something so major in her game for a slam final was actually a pretty dumb move, no wonder she regrets it, that’s something for the off-season. Most players wouldn’t even change their shoe laces at that point.

The amount of info is INSANE! Thank you ✨❤️

I came very close to leaving a Sharapova centre court Wimbledon Match it was so gawd darn annoying. Its absolutely unnecessary when it's screeching

Very Analytical & Scientific! Your topics & presentations are unique from the rest Keep growing!

Awesome video! One thing not addressed is the mental effort required to perform well in this game. Grunting is often a consequence of not only digging deep physically but is also a battle cry of the soul, so to speak, as players put everything they got into each shot.

been loving your stuff, so much so that i'm getting back into tennis :) would love to see a video on Gael Monfils' story at some point!

My issue is more for how long some of them maintain the scream, it can carry till their opponent is making contact with the ball.

I personally don't watch any Tennis because I just didn't really find anyone that really blew me away as a newbie. The grunting was one of the parts that pushed me away from it.I know now why it makes sense so it's a little better that in the past. I still watched all of your videos because their so well done and very interesting. You explain everything very understandably and clear for people like me,who don't know much about Tennis in general. So cheers to you!!

“The kid who grunted and then died” graphic at 7:36 made me laugh way too hard. Props

I was just about to say, some guys must have forgot how loud Monica Seles was! Heck, people exhale differently and make different noises when playing. Add that to fact microphones on court make the grunts sound louder(believe me, I saw Rafa playing in person in Rome, his grunts are not a loud as you'd think satching on TV). Where I draw the line on grunting/screaming/shrieking it's when it's done disproportionately with the intensity of the shot, or when it's done way later after the shot is complete(sometimes even when the ball bounces on your opponent's side). That's when it's straight up hindrance.

I can agree with the being taught to grunt part. When I joined an international academy they taught us to go “huh” when the ball bounced and “ehhh” when we hit so that we relaxed when hitting the shot. I noticeably play better when doing it but try to not be too loud

9:05 Wow, that was savage.

Grunting in weightlifting and power lifting actually 8s unintentional. it's air escaping the intensity of the velsalva movement under extreme duress, but they do not scream or drag it out. In fact it's in their best interest to fight to keep it under wraps as that stored air is vital to stability and muscular tension and thus prevents injury. I find it hard to believed the prolonged howling in some of these examples is at all necessary, it's not like we see golfers screaming after a long drive as a part of their follow through - and they are assuredly delivering equal if not exceeding amounts of effort in order to move the ball in their sport.

Martial artists do this. In Korean arts it is known as a "Kiyap", a cry performed during a strike to help focus the attack, startle the opponent, and add commitment to the follow through. It is extremely effective when done correctly.

Excessuve grunting is player interference, which is sanctioned in the Rules, thus it should not be allowed. One main reason it is allowed is money: imagine banning Sharapova because of her grunting. Would her $ponsors and the WTA allow that? Imagine the lost money. Yes, the sport is being corrupted and that can be a very sad thing.

The next gen of loud grunters will defenitely come from Rafael Nadal Academy.

Great video, thanks!

Hey Man! What editing software are you using? Your videos are really slick! Thanks

and then there's Sonego

This channel is pure gold. The novelty of topics, the research, the editing, subtle jokes, occasional memes make the videos of this channel worth watching. This channel deserves more subscribers.

I'm not even a tennis fan and some how i have been here ALL DAY LONG!!!! Great work man!

I feel like grunting just adds a sense of power to the swing and even listening to it feels very satisfying to me

I tried this "grunting improves performance" theory on my wife when we made love. She wasn't impressed, i still only lasted 3 seconds, so no improvement from grunting.

I am just so glad that the new girls like Emma and Laylah are not grunters. They did take out many loud grunters on their way to the final.

Just like tennis, there are some martial art styles that grunt when they strike. I didn’t understand grunting before, until I started to serve much harder. Then I found out I’ll grunt naturally when I try to hit extra hard. It helps me concentrate power into the strike. I think grunting is mainly a habit that helps the player, more so than a distraction tactics. Distraction is typically deployed at a critical moment, like a fake shot, not on every stroke.

Excellent research

For me as (quiet) hobby tennis player, grunting is used by my opponents for preventing me to hear the contact sound, ie, the type of shots they are performing. And for psychological reasons of looking strength in some particular point.

your videos are of such a high standard, it's incredible! Very analytical and well designed, interesting animations and cuts. Keep up the great work :)

I was halfway expecting this video to cover stomping in table tennis, particularly when serving. The stomp provides an auditory mask over paddle/ball contact, which can be used as a pretty significant indicator of how much spin/power is imparted on the ball when paired with the visual movement. In table tennis you can telegraph a big hit while actually hitting softly and vice versa; the sound of the paddle hit can quickly tell you what's happening UNLESS the hit itself is muffled with a well-timed foot stomp. I'm wondering if a similar effect is occurring during a tennis racket hit&grunt on top of the physiological tightening of the core muscles

Having just learned the game recently in my old age, I appreciate the skill of these young players on the court. They do not get enough credit . The grunting does not bother me when watching an intense game. The games appear to be more and more intense these days, it is not the same polite game of 50 years ago, it has become a chess tournament with ball and racquet.

They do it also to distract the opponent. Sharapova rarely grunted during practice, but would kill her vocal cords screaming. Same with Azarenka, and more than half of the Spaniard players (both men and women), as well as the South Americans. If it's not prohibited, then players will do it.

This channels quality in editing and overall watchability is excellent. Top notch and very impressive.

I’m 31, I started playing tennis 3 months ago but had boxed my entire life. The grunt sound to me is a thing of comfort. Letting out jabs and power punches just feels better. I feel the same way about tennis.

I played for a small club in Sweden, and we were thought how to grunt in order to control breathing and generate more power....but also as a distraction/a way to get into your opponents head and make yourself more intimidating

This channel always makes my day better!

@Cult Tennis Can you please do an analysis of Sonego's grunts? Why does his audible grunt come so much later after he has hit the ball? That seems more of a distraction than to tighten the core muscles as explained in the video

actually this grunting phenomenon can also be seen in martial arts, especially karate. they call this "kiai" karate practitioners will often shout before or during a strike, not to distract opponents but to amplify their power. they also do this a lot when breaking boards and cinder blocks in demonstrations. Bruce Lee also makes extensive use of this shouting/grunting.

My guy, this is an amazing video. I found you today due to an unexpected set of events. Where I work there are many sports teams. As I was leaving and headed to my car I walked past the tennis team warming up. I asked myself, "why are they grunting in such a fashion?" Here we are. You answered so many questions and I hope that people watch this video in its entirety. However, I still feel some of the way the grunt is formulated is completely excessive. I would rather hear true primal screams rather than those accentuated full inhale and exhale grunts, i.e. turbo spool and blow off valve with turbo flutter 😜

Nadal: “imma pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Great vids. Love your channel. As a tennis player, I find your vids very informative and detailed. Keep up the good work!

A tennis video makes the martial art 'kiai' make so much sense. It strengthen the core and delays the opponent reaction.

The problem is, there's a difference between grunting and the screeching we hear in women's tennis. At some point it's just simply unreasonable.

Two other things I think are worth noting: 1) Some players say they grunt because, as kids, their coaches said they weren't hitting the ball as hard as they could. So they effectively trained themselves to grunt loudly at a young age to show they're hitting as hard as they can. I think it was Sharapova who said this once. 2) The advantage of exhaling sharply to tighten muscles isn't a strong argument in favor of grunting. You can achieve the same effect at a much quieter level. Anyone who has done Taekwondo knows this - you're taught to exhale sharply making a kind of "huttt" breath sound. It's not loud at all but is just as effective as audible grunting.

Haha Svitolina started screeching like a beast in the middle of the match today because Leylah was putting a whooping on her. Too bad it wasn't enough and LEYLAH STILL WON!!!! that noise is horribly annoying. Azarenka is another person that has a horrible shriek... normal grunts aren't bad or annoying but some people way overdo it and sometimes I get a little suspicious that some players do it to throw their opponent off... like today im convinced that's why Svitolina randomly started doing it in the middle of the match when she was losing.

as a young tennis player on the rise i grunt with every stroke personally it helps me focus even more its my way of telling myself "c'mon keep it in" without actually saying it grunting has become a part of my game now

Really cool channel. Does anybody know of any equivalent in basketball ? Thanks in advance

Funny I deliberately kept myself from making noise on hits and in my early 20s a coach noticed I was seriously hindering myself by breathing less and tensed me up. So I greatly improved my results by having that exhale and my noise level did depend on how much power I'd put in a shot. Men's game definitely has waaaaay less dubious grunting beyond exhale.

I give this an overall "HUH...UGH" This is a very needed video

In Thailand here, many coaches taught their kids to grunt. My son happens to play some of them, sometimes they grunt when my son is hitting the ball. So much for increasing performance :D

I didn't know i needed a grunt video until this.