Where Do Female Tennis Players Keep The Ball?
When watching women’s tennis for the first time you will notice how they quickly tuck a spare ball under the hem of their skirt while they are serving and somehow the ball just stays there. When I saw this it made me wonder exactly how the ball could stay in place and not distract the player.
Tennis dresses and skirts are designed with built-in spandex undershorts that have an expandable pocket that can hold a tennis ball. Many players, however, choose to tuck the ball under the leg of the undershorts. Some skirts and dresses have pockets in the outer layer of fabric that can hold a ball.
Let’s take a closer look at how tennis dresses and skirts have been designed to make it possible to securely hold a ball in place without compromising the player’s comfort.
Where Do Female Tennis Players Keep The Ball?
Nearly all of the professional players on the female tennis circuit with tennis wear skirts or dresses where it is possible to store a spare tennis ball tucked into the spandex undershorts of that skirt or dress. The last time I saw a professional player wearing a tennis skirt where it was not possible to tuck a spare tennis ball into the spandex undershorts must have been somewhere during the 1980s. In other words between 30 and 40 years ago.
There are a few models of tennis skirts and dresses that have pockets in the outer layer of the tennis skirt that is able to hold a tennis ball. However, even in this case, many players choose to tuck the spare ball into the pants leg of the spandex undershorts simply cause a tennis ball flopping around in the outer fabric of a tennis skirt is somewhat uncomfortable and distracting.
How Do Tennis Skirts Hold Tennis Balls?
The way that tennis skirts are able to hold tennis balls is down to the design of the spandex undershorts that are sewn into the fabric of the tennis skirt. These spandex undershorts often have an expanding pocket into which a tennis ball can be placed. This is by far the most comfortable way to carry a tennis ball while playing a point. However, from a practical point of view, many professional players choose to just simply tuck the ball under the pants leg of the Spandex undershorts rather than fiddling around with a pocket.
There are some old-school styles of tennis skirts available that do not have spandex undershorts nor a pocket to be able to hold a tennis ball. These skirts are normally at a cheaper price point and are specifically targeted at new tennis players who don’t want to spend a lot when buying their first tennis outfit. In this instance, it is possible to purchase a plastic ball holder that can easily be clipped into the waistband of the tennis skirt and is usually placed at the back where it won’t be a hindrance to your swing on the forehand or backhand.
How Do Tennis Skirts Hold Spare Balls While They Are Not In Use?
When you watch female players on the professional tennis circuit It would seem as if they simply tuck a ball under their skirt and it magically stays there. What the players are in fact doing Is tucking the tennis ball under the pants leg of the spandex undershorts that are part of the design of their tennis skirt.
The spandex fabric of the undershirt is easily tight enough to be able to hold the ball in place and still be comfortable enough while running on a tennis court.
Do All Tennis Skirts Hold Balls?
Not old tennis skirts have the capacity to be able to hold tennis balls. Some cheaper models do not have spandex undershorts nor do they have pockets in the outer fabric of the skirt. In these instances, you are able to purchase a plastic ball holder that can be clipped onto the waistband of your skirt at the back. This plastic bullet holder can hold a ball really easily because the ball can be clipped into place and it is able to hold the ball securely.
However, when it comes to professional players, comfort on the tennis court is absolutely paramount so the vast majority of players prefer wearing a tennis skirt that has spandex undershorts to be able to tuck the tennis ball into the shorts. It is the quickest and easiest way to hold a spare ball and won’t distract them while playing.
Do Tennis Skirts Have Shorts Underneath?
All quality modern tennis skirts have shorts underneath. These shorts are made of spandex and they are designed to be able to allow the player to move about freely on the court, and when combined with a tennis skirt it makes a far more comfortable tennis outfit than the more restrictive clothing that players wore many decades ago.
In addition to the comfort levels afforded by the spandex undershorts they also give the player a greater feeling of security and should be safe coverage should the tennis skirt flip up during the course of playing a service or while running on the court. This is especially so when under the glare of television cameras.
Why Do Tennis Players Keep Extra Balls In Their Pockets
The reason why players tend to keep spare tennis balls in their pockets is very simple. When playing the service and if you make a fault on your first service, you need to have a ball at hand quickly to be able to play your second service. By having that ball in your pocket you are able to retrieve it quickly and be ready to play your second service without any waste of time.
