Serve back at them from even higher than they do and see if they say anything. Serve from above net height if you have to Make them bring up the subject of the rules, but make sure you have a printed copy of the rules in your bag to settle the argument.
For me, if it's "friendly", I don't worry about it and after the game mention the serve is high. If it's a tourney, if the serve is benefitting the opponent, I always smile and gesture that the serve is illegal. I wait to see how the opponent responds and act accordingly. So far, every time, they apologize and change their serve to be legal. I think the key is how you present it. If you are smiling/lighthearted and cordial, most opponents will say "Sorry." Heck, so far, every opponent has said sorry and even offered to replay the point.
i have teh same problem...but with a lot more side-issue's. a: I'm a youngster(16) playering along with older folks(the "veteran" sort..) so it feels akward to point them to teh rules...wich they mostly don't know.. b: People don't take it lightly..see point a c: My partner in competition class serves as wrong as it gets..so i'm doing more harm then good with mentioning it. about my partner: he's 6'4''. and when he serves he bends over. hard to see but it definatly above teh waist. His racket shaft si pointed horizontal. he does a variabel number of practise-swing (spasms?) before he hits it....
Those spasm/twirly racket antics before a serve really leave me wondering sometimes. I'm very interested to hear what the thought processes are of the player who serve in this manner. I'm used to seeing players concentrating on getting the serve as low and tight to the net as possible, and get ready for a net kill after ... The twirly servers though ... leaves me scratching my head. -dave
same here, i thinks it's pretty mindless. "OK, let's serve..wait 5 secs, just to annoy him" or he's doing it on purpose to see if they jump on it to early.. it's probably just a random movement while he's thinking...
I have seen some old folks who intentionally serve before the opponents are ready. They even ignore the request to re-serve and assume the point was won!!! Yep - know them well. Soon as twig upon this, I keep my head down until I'm ready to receive. (learned that from some else) "Make it bloody obvious that they shouldn't be serving." Then again when they go to the other court, thinking they had an ace and I growl "where the #-----# you think you're going?" tends to get the point across. Then I go head hunting. (If I'm really in a foul state of mind - which is very seldom anymore)
Well, I guess our players are more friendly. If you say the serve was illegal, most of them accept it as a fault or offer to re-serve.
Yes just play on or re-serve at the most, even in our league matches. In tournaments though, I expect it would just be an outright fault - I wouldn't know though, never played in one
