Wednesday 10 February 2010

Just for the class

If you walk into any badminton hall in this country, chances are you will witness badminton game played at a reasonable level. Yes, you do see some people going there just to hit the shuttlecock across the net or totally miss the shot altogether or just merely running around swinging the racquet while giggling.

Nevertheless, you will most probably be able to witness at some courts where proper technical badminton with smashes, drop shots, etc. are played, even if those are just casual games. Even if you are not a badminton enthusiast, you will somehow realise that there are quality in their games.

The same cannot be said about tennis though, at least to me…

I have been watching people playing tennis quite a bit in the last couple of months. No disrespect to tennis player out there but… really… I haven’t really seen a tennis game played the way tennis should be played, if you know what I mean.

Some, they played as though they were playing pinball. Some just sky the ball to get it over to the other side and the other player will sky the ball back to the original player. Some just keep hitting to each other regardless of whether the ball is in-court or out of court. Most just end up picking up balls more than hitting the balls. Basically, I just have not seen a proper tennis rally being executed.

I am not trying to belittle tennis or make fun of tennis players. I am sure there are people out there who can really play tennis. But the reason why I am writing is because I overheard a conversation between 2 “supposedly” tennis players where they claimed that they play tennis because it is of a “higher class” compared to badminton.

It is an undeniable fact that golf is a game for the rich and tennis tends to skew towards that as well. But to play a game simply just to be of a specific “class” where in actual fact, you can’t really play at all, it is unnecessary pride.

Are we humans so concern about status and class? Sigh… the perils of an affluent society…

Honestly, has anyone seen a proper casual tennis game being played before? As in with proper throw-service with rallies and volleys?


1 year ago…
Lost hope

3 years ago… Morons of the same brain park togetherRespect for Malaysian drivers

22 comments:

Ninja Coffee said...

to be seen in that specific "higher class" is a good motivation.

To be included in that "class" is an honour. It gives me the illusion that among the elite, that i'm above everyone else.

After all, how many ppl can climb up to that status? If i can't achieve, an illusion of it is good enough to feed my ego.

I could relate, coz I find myself in similiar situations sometimes.

NinjaCoffee

deus X machina said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
deus X machina said...

honestly, i still don't understand the rules of tennis, how to count the points etc.....football still the best sports i guess, erk888

I think Zewt, humans still concern about status and class, at least at certain place or situation....

seokthong said...

Tennis is much harder than badminton, at least for me. And no, i haven't seen any proper casual tennis game being played before.

If one plays golf just because he/she thinks is very high class and sucks at it, then he/she should really think twice before feeling high-class, because i think people will just laugh in front/behind of them..

Birthie said...

Nothing new really. There are people who drives Beemer and lives in a run down place.

Ven said...

I used to play a lot of tennis back in school. We did play proper proper tennis. The thing that you are seeing "casual" tennis around because it's not easy to find someone else who play tennis at the same level to allow a more competent casual game. There are more badminton players in Malaysia then tennis players!

Joanne Khoo said...

im currently living in melbourne. many if not most casual players here play very decent tennis - proper serves, volleys etc =)


Joanne

Cruel Angel said...

i think more 'RICH' peson play tennis and they do employ coacches..

eiling lim said...

badminton is an action-packed game and is highly intensive. Many people die on the courts due to stroke during the game. I think tennis is popular because the americans did a good job in promoting the sport.

~aSstHa~ said...

Hey Zewt,
It is possible to see quality tennis playing but unfortunately these will not take place at any public court as opposed to badminton. I guess it's true wat the two "supposedly" tennis player said but the really good ones train at the designated court, i can't remember where it was, i tink it was in mont kiara... i was 14 wen I picked up tat sport n failed horrendously... it's not as easy a game to master as opposed to badminton and you usually have to get a proper coach to teach you the right technique from the serve to the lob... n the cost is high as opposed to badminton... my two cents worth

Anonymous said...

haha just reminds me that people in suit are more high class than rest. little did they know some of them work as cab driver or delivery boy. :P

InjusticeSistem said...

"Are we humans so concern about status and class?"
Absofuckinglutely......
*wink2*

gracieq said...

I bypass tennis and went straight to squash. :P There's something bout the huge court in tennis that turns me off. As a friend puts it, "1 hr of tennis is divided into 2 parts - 15 minutes spent playing the game, 45 minutes spent picking up the balls"

uncle james said...

Dear Zewt,I dun play golf or tennis. And even if i do, i dun think it will elevates my "status" or "class".

"Class" is kinda in-born thingy...some ppl have it, some ppl won't have it even if they wear a "emperor's robe", if you get my drift....like in "cheok hei loong poe toke ng chee tai chee".

But then again, to each his own.

Gong Xi Fa Cai...may GOOD FORTUNE visits you & jules the whole year round.

ps: thanks for swinging by my blog...btw, i am NOT a doctor, and i dun wanna my son be a doctor. An accountant like you, maybe?

Jorji said...

World no. 1 badminton player is a malaysian. i am so proud of Lee Chong Wei.
i know how to play badminton, but not very good la. i dunno tennis and people who think that some sport belong to some standard people memang kesian.

Gong Xi Fatt Chai!

whoalse said...

I still prefer badminton to tennis due to the intensity (faster pace and longer rallies). Does that mean I have no class?

Hang on, what about squash? I like squash too...! LOL

Maybe there are a lot who prefer bedminton! ^_^

Monyet King said...

where do top spinning and kite flying fit in ?

TG said...

I think Federer plays great tennis, but I stopped watching tennis all together. I used to watch in the early nineties with Sampras, Agassi, Becker, Steffie Graf... at that time, tennis was huge. Now it's just boring. I'm also don't watch badminton, although it's fun to play. I rather watch ping pong and I love to play it :-)

missironic said...

I saw before real tennis games! Bcoz I was train in tennis last time. :P But nowadays, my skills getting rotten, after not much practice. Hahaha..

But I get ur point. People do seem to tink playing tennis is like being in the higher class, but i dun tink so at all. I'm not in higher class also but yet i played. Seriously, they shudnt have such perspective...

zewt said...

Ninja Coffee - but to reach there merely by playing a game? or should i say... think they are playing the game.

deud X machina - i think it's more an asian thinking.

seokthong - precisely... looking at those ppl play tennis... i will begin to think that tennis is all about picking balls.

Birthmark - hello there... hahaha... run down place beemer driver. havent seen such though.

Ven - absolutely, i do agree. but to say that tennis is of a higher class and playing it just to reach there is... ridiculous.

Joanne Khoo - hello there. well, melbourne is a different story altogether.

zewt said...

Cruel Angel - but what about those who are not rich but try to play to act rich?

eiling lim - it's all in the prize money. one grand slam prize money is more than all the badminton tournament's prizes put together. that speaks volume.

~aSstHa~ - i think one also needs to employ a ball boy to pick the balls. else, 45% of your time will be spent picking balls.

anon @ 11/2 11.13am - sounds like china haha!

InjusticeSistem - and big mansion!!!

gracieq - hahaha... damn right... damn right!

zewt said...

uncle james - i get what you mean. some ppl just have that aura in them. nah... dont let him be an accountant... bad choice :P

j or ji - kesian betul. moreover, those ppl who plays tennis... betul main tennis ke?

whoalse - squash... mid class... somewhere in the middle. bedminton... who doesnt? haha.

planet of the monyets - it's so low i cant even see them hahaha :P

MKL - table tennis player eh? hmmm... we can have a game too!

missironic - it's that hyped up image placed upon tennis i think. it's ok to play, just dont play it solely for the class.