Tennis has been around for a long time and has a storied history to go along with it.
The terminology is the strangest thing about tennis’s history – apart from those hairstyles of the 70s and 80s.
But instead of JUST telling you the strangest tennis terms in history, we’re going to have you play along.
We have 10 tennis terms with two fake answers and one real answer. Record your answers (scrap paper, Google doc, text message, ETC.) and see how well you did!
- Cannonball
The term cannonball in tennis means…
A: A player playing without a shirt on
B: A shot that hits or interrupts players on another court
C: A fast and flat serve
- Cyclops
In tennis, a cyclops is…
A: A player that makes the same shot again and again
B: A player that sustains an injury to their eye
C: A device that detected serves that landed out of play
- Dirtballer
A dirtballer is…
A: Someone who enjoys playing or performs well on clay courts
B: Someone that never has new, clean balls
C: Someone who does anything to win
- Lucky Loser
In tennis, a lucky loser is…
A: A player that loses a qualifying round but, due to outside reasons, qualifies
B: A player that loses a match very quickly against a superior player
C: A player that put up a very good match vs. a superior player but still loses
- Moonball
A moonball is…
A: A player that acts strangely without breaking any rules
B: A very high lob used to change the tempo of the game
C: Any shot that hits a player in the rear end
- Puddler
In tennis, a puddler is…
A: A shot that hits a dead spot or wet spot and doesn’t bounce
B: A player that can’t help but sweat a lot
C: A player that uses lots of chip and drop shots
- Stopper
In tennis, a stopper is a player…
A: A player unlikely to win a tournament but skilled enough to beat someone that could
B: A player with a usual style that others can’t help but watch
C: A player who frequently stops the game to complain, usually for unimportant reasons
- Tweener
The term tweener in tennis means…
A: A novice player that switches hands instead of using a backhand
B: A young player forced to play the game (and doesn’t want to)
C: A trick shot hit between the players’ legs
- Tree
In tennis, the term tree is used to describe…
A: A player with a long family history in tennis (roots in the game)
B: Someone who is playing much better than expected
C: Someone who doesn’t move much on the court
- Hit and Giggle
In tennis, the term hit and giggle is used to describe…
A: A shot that is so poor or unexpected that it makes players laugh
B: social, casual, or uncompetitve tennis
C: players, usually kids, that are having fun instead of listening
Answer Key:
1C, 2D, 3A, 4A, 5B, 6C, 7A, 8C, 9B, 10C.
These are just a few of the strange and bright terms used or have been used throughout tennis’s long and unique history.
Let us know you did! Sound off in the comments with your score and tell us what’s your favorite tennis term?
Kalindi Dinoffer is trained in multiple aspects of mindfulness in life and in sports, sharing on her blog MindfulKalindi.com. She is also certified to teach yoga, fitness, reiki, and MFR. Kalindi also serves as VP marketing at OnCourtOffCourt.com, a leading supplier of tennis, pickleball, fitness and yoga training aids and equipment and has been published in Tennis industry Magazine and Pickleball Magazine, and has conducted workshops at conferences around the world. In her spare time, Kalindi plays tennis, pickleball and table tennis and enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and biking and cross country skiing in the winter.
