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Rule of the Day
by Robin Dawson
There’s been a lot of
yelling and screaming at the tournament sites here in Augusta. And not all
of it is coming from those of you cheering on your teams from the
sidelines.
This leads us to the
questions of “What is a Voice Let? And when can it be called?”
A “Voice Let” falls under
the area of Hindrance Issues, or Talking during a point. While you’re on
the court you shouldn’t talk while the ball is moving toward your opponent’s
side of the court. If you do, and it interferes with your opponent’s
ability to play the ball, you lose the point!
If you’re going to call a
Voice Let, it’s important for you to do it right away. That will eliminate
the “two chances to win the point” option some players practice.
Once you choose to play the shot, you forfeit any right to claim the point.
If you call a Voice Let, or a let for any other reason, you need to stop
play and not attempt to hit the ball.
But here’s a word of
caution: Since talking to your partner during a point can be a common part
of doubles strategy, and more importantly an essential part of keeping him
or her safe at the net on short balls, making claims of voice hindrance
against your opponents won’t bring you too much popularity. You should only
call a Voice Let in extreme situations.
Also – when you’re playing
a match, try to keep your own chatter to a minimum when the ball is
traveling back toward your opponent.
Courtesy: Dennis Mallast
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