Tennis vs. Golf - Lessons for the sport of fencing?

[oso97]

This article appeared on Slate.com today (link: http://www.slate.com/id/2126314/)

Perhaps some lessons our sport could learn from, in making the transition from "country club affectation" to "widely practiced pastime."

Your comments are invited .

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Golf vs. Tennis
How one country club sport defeated the other.
By Field Maloney
Posted Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005, at 9:01 AM PT

On Sunday evening, there was a palpable sense of relief in the TV commentators' voices as the sun went down over the U.S. Open championships. It had been a thrilling, hard-fought final. The matchup had storybook dimensions: tennis's most dominant player, Roger Federer, squaring off against its charismatic elder spokesman, Andre Agassi. Still, John McEnroe, Mary Carillo, and Dick Enberg, the CBS announcers, had reason to be nervous. Last year's finals drew the lowest television ratings in Open history. And this year, despite all the drama and unexpected excitement, there were still reminders that tennis is stuck in a decades-long slump, with the audience for the professional game and the number of Americans playing recreationally both shrinking.

The biggest slight was directed at Robby Ginepri, a doleful-eyed journeyman from Georgia, who suffered the indignity of having his fourth-round match against Richard Gasquet cut off in the middle of the third set so that USA Network could air Law & Order: SVU. For much of the last two weeks, until the epic Agassi-Blake quarterfinal last Thursday, Arthur Ashe Stadium rarely appeared more than two-thirds full. Agassi's comments after his match against Blake—"I wasn't the winner, tennis was"—hinted at how U.S. players feel the burden of keeping tennis alive. Would Allen Iverson ever proclaim in a postgame interview that the real victor that night was the game of basketball?

I spent some time this summer on the men's U.S. pro circuit, where a sense of bitterness about the state of tennis hangs over players' lounges and practice courts. You hear it from the coaches, administrators, and hangers-on, and it gets directed at different targets, but the basic substance is the same: What can make Americans pay attention to tennis? I remember one grizzled coach, a Polish émigré, spinning elaborate courtside conspiracy theories involving various tennis governing bodies and the TV networks, whom he considered nearly as bad as the Communist government he'd defected from. Justin Gimelstob, a smart, outspoken, 28-year-old tour veteran, calls the game—somewhat ruefully—"a niche sport."

Meanwhile, golf has exploded in popularity. This is a sore point in the American tennis community. "Golf is horrible for America," Gimelstob told me. "There are enough overweight out-of-shape people as it is, and you get guys spending five hours on the few days they have off away from their families playing golf, and then going out to eat and drink afterward. It's horrible." There's a Cain-and-Abel element at play here. Golf and tennis are essentially sibling rivals, both raised in white polo shirts, one wielding a 9-iron, the other a wooden racquet, who, during the leisure boom after World War II, left their stuffy country club to seek fame and fortune on a larger scale.

Golf's popularity originally surged in the late 1950s and '60s. You had a golf-nut president, Dwight Eisenhower, and a charismatic regular-guy star, Arnold Palmer, the son of a course superintendent. Public links were going up all over the country. As golf expanded, its core constituency shifted from the old-money WASP establishment to the new technocratic elite. Golf became the pastime of the American business class. Firmly rooted in the culture of the deal, golf found a bigger stage in the '80s and reached an apogee of media attention in the '90s with the arrival of Tiger Woods.

Yet, during the '70s and into the early '80s, tennis appeared poised to grab the limelight. Golf seemed too fusty and stiff for prime time, too male, too redolent of Republicans and retirees, less prepared to shed its exclusive aura. Tennis courts could be found in neighborhoods rich and poor, and the sport already had its Tiger Woods figure: Arthur Ashe, black, from a blue-collar background, tremendously eloquent, poised, and statesmanlike. But tennis's popularity, in terms of people playing, peaked in 1978 and has been dropping ever since. These days, the professional game has some clout abroad, but, in the States, tennis is on the cultural sidelines. The guy with the 9-iron has become an American everyman.

How did this come to pass? Every year brings a new crop of tennis-is-dying articles, with a familiar list of theories. Changes in racquet technology have made for a faster, duller game. Too few colorful personalities at the top of the game, and too few Americans. Poor TV coverage. These are more reductive than helpful. The rise of golf and the decline of tennis can be explained by the changing popular perceptions of the games. In the '50s and early '60s, tennis and golf were aspirational sports, part of the American upper-middle-class package: If you wanted to join, you played. Tennis, as it outgrew its country-club demographic in the late '60s and '70s, gradually became more of a sport than a lifestyle. Most tennis was no longer part of a day at the club and all the upturned-collar conversation that entailed. It was simply a couple of hours of hitting a green ball back and forth over a net.

The irony is that golf has thrived and tennis withered precisely because tennis has worked so hard to expand into a wider demographic. In the '70s and '80s, more public courts were built, more outreach programs were started, and racquets got cheaper and easier to use. Andre Agassi, in his younger, wilder years, played in black denim and lime-green Lycra in order to, as he said last week, "bring something to the game that would maybe impact those that don't normally watch it, maybe to draw interest to the game."

Golf has shed its clubby trappings much more slowly. Tiger Woods never plays tournaments in shorts, let alone black denim and Lycra. All three American majors this year were held at private clubs. For better or worse, golf has remained an aspirational sport in the American consciousness, an emblem of the road to success and prosperity. Golf's tent got bigger—and more meritocratic (even Tony Soprano plays golf)—but never lost its peaked shape. Tennis, by becoming a mere sport, plunged into an identity crisis, and was left out of the bounties of American aspiration.

The final insult is how, despite tennis's efforts to woo the people, the sport has never shaken its vestigial associations to the old WASP aristocracy. For evidence of this, you need go no further than the ever chameleonlike and opportunistic Bush clan, whose deep roots in both games co-exist with a knack for political self-presentation. So, while George H. W. Bush is a dedicated tennis fan and player and his eldest son was an avid player well into his 30s—part of W. and Laura's courtship was spent at a Texas tennis ranch—the president now seems to make a point of never being seen with a racquet. Tennis has become a political liability: effete, preppy, what high-schoolers call a "wussy sport." Whereas golf, no matter how fey the links attire or how pricey the greens fees, has become so solidly red-blooded and all-American that even our folksy president can embrace it.

[edew]

Marketing, marketing, marketing. Tennis faltered because it tried to be something that people didn't perceive them to be: elite. Golf is still there because it's still somewhat elite. I think Golf will go the same way as tennis in about 10 years because, frankly, watching golf on TV is about as interesting as watching paint dry. And people will get tired of having to wait hours for tee time and pay those ridiculous amounts for greens fees and such. When it's no longer exclusive (and certainly, the equipment ain't cheap), people will abandon it for something else.

Fencing should consider these two sports for its direction. We should keep the eliteness because it isn't going to disappear from the minds of the prospects if we say it's not elite. But we should also show more of the sweat and athleticism to get those who want a good workout. Fencing should be elite and snobby and a place where people can talk business (I have several fencers who are business people and they talk shop, make arrangements, etc), but is also a place for some good workout.

I'm OK if Bush is never seen in fencing whites holding an epee, though.

[ViewtifulMisho]

Originally Posted by edew

Fencing should be elite and snobby and a place where people can talk business (I have several fencers who are business people and they talk shop, make arrangements, etc), but is also a place for some good workout.

I'm OK if Bush is never seen in fencing whites holding an epee, though.

Well, you're right in hinting that Bush would fence epee. [/Inquartata]

Anyway, I don't like the elite attitude. Any sport is going to benefit you mentally (some more than others) -- that's just the nature of sport. We shouldn't pretend that fencing is special in this regard.

If there was someone actually handling marketing of the sport (wake up, oosfuh), they should push things like the intensity, the one-on-one direct competition (instead of a comparative competition like golf or gymnastics), the triumphant feeling of victory, the quickness, etc.

[glowstix]

Originally Posted by edew

I think Golf will go the same way as tennis in about 10 years because, frankly, watching golf on TV is about as interesting as watching paint dry.

the problem with golf will probably be the same with fencing: its just not that interesting to a non-golfer/non-fencer. you say that about golf because you don't play. you have to actually play to appreciate what you're seeing. on a major championship sunday, i'll be glued to the tv; its far from boring to me. i play, i know what's going through their heads and what they're dealing with. the same thing will hold for fencing. both sports are examples of sports that are just not viewer friendly.

[Black Jeebus]

I think the reason people are moving towards golf is simple. How much actual physical effort does it take John Doe to go out and shank 18 holes of golf? He hops in his little golf cart and every now and then stops to get out and hook/slice the ball 70 yards or play a round of grab-*** with the girl driving the beer cart. Seriously the good golf players devote a lot of energy and what not into their game but the locals playing in the clubs on the weekends don't devote anywhere near the amount of energy someone at least trying to fencer/play tennis will. It really is just a matter of being lazy.

Mr Highschool Football champ who hasn't actually worked out in over a decade can still go out and pretend to be an athlete because he is still pretty strong and can still knock the little white ball pretty far, but he doesn't have to do any real physical work.

EDIT: Really what I'm getting at here is that what we need is a hot girl driving a beer cart . And just as a caveat to the ladies you can have a young stud handing out warm towels or something.

[glowstix]

Originally Posted by Black Jeebus

I think the reason people are moving towards golf is simple. How much actual physical effort does it take John Doe to go out and shank 18 holes of golf? He hops in his little golf cart and every now and then stops to get out and hook/slice the ball 70 yards or play a round of grab-*** with the girl driving the beer cart. Seriously the good golf players devote a lot of energy and what not into their game but the locals playing in the clubs on the weekends don't devote anywhere near the amount of energy someone at least trying to fencer/play tennis will. It really is just a matter of being lazy.

if you want to play golf sensibly, there's no way you can be lazy and get away with that. if you walk a golf course instead of riding, its 3 miles long so you do get some physical benefit..its not a 3 mile run, but a walk with a bag of clubs on your shoulder on uneven terrain. still pretty good exercise for the average person.

[Black Jeebus]

I know a lot of golfers and I only actually know of one who tries to walk it. Understand my father is extremely addicted to golf and I more or less grew up on a golf course. I understand there is some physicality to it, but tell do you honestly think most of the people in America playing golf expend as much energy as someone just half-assed fencing on the club level?

Again I would like to re-iterate I am all in favor of the girl in the beer cart!

[Mr Epee]

Between Stars
Sports seem to lose popularity when a champion, like Pete Sampras, retires. Even though he wasn't the biggest personallity in the game, he was an awesome performer.

Federer who? He is obviously at the beginning of a career that could place him among the all time greats, but is fairly unknown outside of his sport. I watched a recent interview (Hotseat on ESPN I think) and the interviewer asked why he wasn't as famous, or getting the endorsement contracts, as other athletes, like Lance Armstrong. Federer's response was to point out how short a time he has been in the spotlight. He's right. Armstrong didn't get the huge attention until at least 4 years into his ride. Federer has been on top for only the past two years. If he keeps it up, who knows what could happen.

Lack of US Dominance
Despite 3 finalists in the US Open, US Tennis is really hurting for stars in the men's game. Agassi will not be around forever, and Roddick is getting a reputation for getting smacked in the bigger matches.

Racism?
MJ, Jackie, Arthur, and Tiger want to come over for dinner? Sure, no problem. Venus, Serena, and Richard Williams are the type of African Americans that make whites uncomfortable.

[sabreur]

Mr. Epee's comments strike me as pretty accurate.

I'd like to add something else--golf is a place, and has been a place for many years, where biz gets done. You talk, you socialize, and you cut deals (no, I don't play--I detest the game.) It gets a lot of corporate support in part because a lot of corporate folks play.

And somehow, beating someone in a round of golf isn't the same as beating them one on one, or two on two in a game of tennis--the course or their game beats them--you're not out there stroking the ball past them. Although it is my experience that the adage that you can tell more about someone after fencing them for ten minutes than you might learn in years of casual friendship generally applies to sports in general.

By the way, I think Roger Federer is an amazing tennis player--he seems to be able to raise his game a notch higher than anyone else playing right now.

MR

[Black Jeebus]

I would love to have a fencing country club type thing. A salle with a nice lounge above it or something where there's always someone available to fence! That would rock so much. Instead (like a lot of us I'm assuming) my club is stuck getting a few hours of floorspace a week from a local community center.

Just imagine it lots of permanent strips, nice locker rooms, a real weight room, and a nice lounge with a stocked bar. *sigh*

[edew]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

Between Stars
Sports seem to lose popularity when a champion, like Pete Sampras, retires. Even though he wasn't the biggest personallity in the game, he was an awesome performer.

Federer who? He is obviously at the beginning of a career that could place him among the all time greats, but is fairly unknown outside of his sport. I watched a recent interview (Hotseat on ESPN I think) and the interviewer asked why he wasn't as famous, or getting the endorsement contracts, as other athletes, like Lance Armstrong. Federer's response was to point out how short a time he has been in the spotlight. He's right. Armstrong didn't get the huge attention until at least 4 years into his ride. Federer has been on top for only the past two years. If he keeps it up, who knows what could happen.

Lack of US Dominance
Despite 3 finalists in the US Open, US Tennis is really hurting for stars in the men's game. Agassi will not be around forever, and Roddick is getting a reputation for getting smacked in the bigger matches.

Racism?
MJ, Jackie, Arthur, and Tiger want to come over for dinner? Sure, no problem. Venus, Serena, and Richard Williams are the type of African Americans that make whites uncomfortable.

Pete was part of the problem. While he was tremendously gifted, he was dull as drying paint. Agassi had notoriety. Chang, other than his French Open win, was always a tough performer who couldn't take the trophy (so there's some sympathy rooting going on). US women were non-existent until the Williams sisters brought that back to life. But then, since so many of the foreign women players train in the US, they were all sort of "US" in many ways. Seles, Navratilova, even Kournikova were all US players as far as the media was concerned.

As for golf's physical abilities...

Other than an occasional scan of TV broadcasts of golf tournaments, I've only had two opportunities to watch regular folks play golf. It's even more hideous than on TV. First off, unless you're sitting behind the golfer or directly at the pin, you can't see the ball at all. It goes whoosh and that's it. Second, their hits are so pathetic. Big swing, dribble roll (if you can follow the ball), or off it sails in some uncontrolled direction. Then they all get into their carts and drive to the ball.

Part of the reason they use carts is because they have cleats and they can't walk on the paved portion. Another part is because some courses have rather several up and down hills. Without the clubs, it's a good walk. With the clubs, it would be quite a chore. I think if they outlawed carts, golf would disappear from the face of this earth, or be reduced to only tough players who have caddies.

[Goofy]

Originally Posted by Black Jeebus

I would love to have a fencing country club type thing. A salle with a nice lounge above it or something where there's always someone available to fence! That would rock so much. Instead (like a lot of us I'm assuming) my club is stuck getting a few hours of floorspace a week from a local community center.

Just imagine it lots of permanent strips, nice locker rooms, a real weight room, and a nice lounge with a stocked bar. *sigh*

It's not that far out of reach. Have you considered allying your club with a local fitness center?

[Mr Epee]

Re: Chang

I loved those "Great Wall of China" commercials.

What a fighter.

[glowstix]

Originally Posted by edew

Pete was part of the problem. While he was tremendously gifted, he was dull as drying paint. Agassi had notoriety. Chang, other than his French Open win, was always a tough performer who couldn't take the trophy (so there's some sympathy rooting going on). US women were non-existent until the Williams sisters brought that back to life. But then, since so many of the foreign women players train in the US, they were all sort of "US" in many ways. Seles, Navratilova, even Kournikova were all US players as far as the media was concerned.

seles was 100% american.

[Mr Epee]

Originally Posted by glowstix

seles was 100% american.

Obviously, you haven't spent much time in Hungary.

Mónika Szeles

[glowstix]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

MJ, Jackie, Arthur, and Tiger want to come over for dinner? Sure, no problem. Venus, Serena, and Richard Williams are the type of African Americans that make whites uncomfortable.

could you explain that a bit more??

[glowstix]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

Obviously, you haven't spent much time in Hungary.

Mónika Szeles

no but i hear its lovely this time of year..