Dateline: 10/27/99

Below are the averages of the ratings you submitted for these commentators. I follow with a few comments.

1 = poor ................ 5 = excellent

Tracy Austin

Analysis of stroke production: 3.2
Analysis of strategy: 2.8
Analysis of psychological factors: 2.8
Depth of observation: 2.8
Knowledge of individual players: 2.8
Instructive value of comments: 2.8
Tone and attitude: 2.8
Knowing when to be quiet: 3.0

John McEnroe

Analysis of stroke production: 4.0
Analysis of strategy: 4.4
Analysis of psychological factors: 4.1
Depth of observation: 4.1
Knowledge of individual players: 4.1
Instructive value of comments: 3.8
Tone and attitude: 4.1
Knowing when to be quiet: 3.2

Billie Jean King

Analysis of stroke production: 3.7
Analysis of strategy: 3.8
Analysis of psychological factors: 4.0
Depth of observation: 3.6
Knowledge of individual players: 3.6
Instructive value of comments: 3.6
Tone and attitude: 3.0
Knowing when to be quiet: 3.0

Chris Evert

Analysis of stroke production: 3.4
Analysis of strategy: 2.9
Analysis of psychological factors: 3.0
Depth of observation: 3.0
Knowledge of individual players: 3.3
Instructive value of comments: 3.2
Tone and attitude: 3.1
Knowing when to be quiet: 3.0

John Lloyd

Analysis of stroke production: 3.6
Analysis of strategy: 3.3
Analysis of psychological factors: 3.1
Depth of observation: 3.3
Knowledge of individual players: 3.7
Instructive value of comments: 3.6
Tone and attitude: 3.4
Knowing when to be quiet: 3.6

Patrick McEnroe

Analysis of stroke production: 3.2
Analysis of strategy: 3.4
Analysis of psychological factors: 3.1
Depth of observation: 3.7
Knowledge of individual players: 3.8
Instructive value of comments: 3.3
Tone and attitude: 3.8
Knowing when to be quiet: 3.3

Mary Carillo

Analysis of stroke production: 3.6
Analysis of strategy: 3.6
Analysis of psychological factors: 3.7
Depth of observation: 3.5
Knowledge of individual players: 3.9
Instructive value of comments: 3.4
Tone and attitude: 3.9
Knowing when to be quiet: 3.5

Tony Trabert

Analysis of stroke production: 3.8
Analysis of strategy: 4.2
Analysis of psychological factors: 3.6
Depth of observation: 3.4
Knowledge of individual players: 2.6
Instructive value of comments: 3.4
Tone and attitude: 3.8
Knowing when to be quiet: 4.0

Martina Navratilova

Analysis of stroke production: 3.6
Analysis of strategy: 3.7
Analysis of psychological factors: 3.3
Depth of observation: 3.1
Knowledge of individual players: 3.3
Instructive value of comments: 2.9
Tone and attitude: 3.0
Knowing when to be quiet: 3.0

Cliff Drysdale

Analysis of stroke production: 3.2
Analysis of strategy: 3.1
Analysis of psychological factors: 2.6
Depth of observation: 2.7
Knowledge of individual players: 3.1
Instructive value of comments: 2.5
Tone and attitude: 2.8
Knowing when to be quiet: 2.3

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Now that I see who you like and don't like, I'm curious to know how much the quality of commentary on TV matters to you. Please let me know by taking this very quick new poll.

For me, the commentary is very important. The worst commentator has actually driven me to turn the sound off. The best is almost always able to make even the dullest match interesting. Before I name the worst and best, let's see if you can guess whom I'm thinking of based upon the following 'Top Three' lists:

Three Worst Habits of Tennis Commentary:

1. Repeatedly stating the obvious.
If a player misses an ultra-easy volley four feet from the net, we don't need to be told, "You don't want to miss shots like that in the finals of the French Open."

2. Repeatedly predicting the outcome of a match.
If a player has lost the first two sets in a five-set match, we don't need to be reminded once or twice per game that it's likely he'll lose. A prediction that he'll win would be interesting, especially if backed up by a special insight, but this is rarely what we hear. Similarly, in a close match, an occasional prediction based upon real insight is great, but when each change in momentum in a match spawns several repeated predictions of the final outcome, it's a major irritation.

3. Winging it on stroke analysis.
Some commentators get hired mostly because they were great players. They had to pass little, if any scrutiny as to how well they understand the full range of elements in today's game. The most common errors I note in the TV tennis commentary result when the speaker starts discussing strokes he never used as a player. The western styles in particular seem to trip the commentators up. The commentators can't assume that having been a great player eliminates the need to keep studying the game. The game is complex and ever evolving, and knowing how you play or played does not mean you'll automatically understand how others play. If you don't know something, learn it. Don't give inaccurate information or use a vague, catch-all explanation such as, "He looked tight there."

Three Best Habits of Tennis Commentary:

1. Explaining cause and effect.
If a player hits a ball into the net because she swung a little late, note this briefly, then at an opportune time explain how the mechanics of the swing create the correlation between lateness and hitting the ball lower than intended. If she's often swinging late, explain why. Among the many thousands, if not millions, of TV viewers listening, a significant percentage were probably out that same day hitting balls into the net without fully understanding why. Maybe it wasn't lateness. It might have been their racquet angle or failing to get the low point of the swing low enough, but a good commentator will see the pros making each of these mistakes at some point, and she can do a great service to her listeners by analyzing these errors in a way that the audience can absorb and take onto the court with them.

2. Maintaining a constructive tone.
If a player is getting smoked, don't go on and on about how outclassed she is. It's appropriate to note that a player is outclassed, but this is often all that the commentators can think of to say. Instead, talk more about what she's doing well and how, specifically, she needs to improve. A lot of kids are watching and listening, and when commentators dismiss or, worse, sneer at the player losing a match, this increases the fear and anxiety kids attach to not performing well on the court. Instead, send the message that losing isn't shameful, it's a way to discover how much you have yet to learn.

3. Knowing your stuff.
Take the time to study strokes that you never used or barely even existed when you were playing. If you played with a Continental grip, the western grips and corresponding strokes could not be more foreign. It's not just western styles. There's plenty to keep up with since your playing days - racquet technology, mid-court swinging volleys, and extreme conditioning - to name a few examples. Good commentary is based upon thorough knowledge.

Have you guessed who, in my view, most closely fits each of the two descriptions above? Listen carefully to John McEnroe next time he's commenting on a match and judge for yourself how often he shows the three worst habits above. Now that HBO has dropped its Wimbledon coverage, I don't know how much chance we'll get to hear Billie Jean King, but if you do get the chance, I think you'll see how well she employs the three best habits. I imagine some of you Mac fans will want to take issue with my criticism. Stop by the forum to let us know.