Two weeks ago was the “Hall of Fame Championship” in Newport, Rhode Island. I have no idea why the International Tennis Hall of Fame is there, but hey, it has to be somewhere, right?
You never see the professionals play their tennis barefoot, but what else are you to do when you are inducted and your footwear sucks?
One of the inductees was Martina Hingis. At one point she was invited to play some tennis, but her footwear just wasn’t right.
Martina Hingis, Newport, R. I.
So, why not play barefoot?
Barefoot Volley
That looks particularly inviting since Newport has grass courts.
Martina Hingis
In fact, I’m somewhat surprised that we don’t see the occasional professional play barefooted at, let’s say, Wimbledon. Considering what they do to their feet in their sports shoes, it might be a pleasant relief.
For instance, Andy Murray had trouble at the Australian Open earlier this year because of blisters.
Andy Murray Blistered
In fact, if you are ever watching tennis and see a player’s feet being attended to, they are always a mass of bandages and special cushions. Of course, in the professional environment, sometimes one really does need specialized equipment to excel at that level, but one really has to wonder about specialized equipment that does such damage.
I do wonder what would happen if a pro conditioned their feet and tried to play. Would the constant, day-after-day, playing wear down their feet too quickly?
On the other hand, you’d think that the grass of a place of Wimbledon would be ideal.
Barefoot Agility
I get a plenty-good grip on hard-surface courts while barefooted. However, I’ve never played on grass, so I don’t know if it is slipperier and if a knobbier sole would make the difference for pro players. I do know that, way back in the history of Wimbledon, some players did play barefooted. According to “Tennis Confidential”, by Paul Fein and Bud Collins,
Only grass can seduce the senses with its visual beauty, pleasant smell, soothing footing, and the hush of the green-stained ball. Some Wimbledon contestants of yesteryear have even competed barefoot so they could feel the soft, sensual blades of grass.
Maybe, just maybe, some day during a tournament a player with blister problems will have the realization that taking off the shoes for a grass court might help them out.
But in the meantime, this is about all we’ll see.
Yes You Can
One sport that may be even more conducive to being barefoot and competitive at the professional ranks is golf. In golf, there are no real concerns about maybe needing extra traction while making sharp cuts or turns, and if you do slip while swinging the club barefoot, it’s very much an indication that the swing didn’t have good tempo and you’re overswinging. Of course the big impediment to barefoot golfing is pretty much entirely cultural — while I think golf is a wonderful game and sport, it’s most unappealing trait in its culture is the glorification of displays of wealth and a tendency towards snobbery at any appearance or suggestion of poverty or non-conformity to social expectations.
Playing the game barefoot has been a real eye-opener to me. I get to experience a multitude of textures and I’m pretty sure that I get to read the conditions and breaks of the greens better than my shod playing partners. When I stepped on the second green yesterday afternoon, I could feel just how much the grass had grown upon the green. A person could still see it visually, but in shoes, they wouldn’t get to feel it and develop the inventory I am of how a green feels and how much roll the putts will have.
It’s rather sad to think how much of an experience the golfers of today are missing, always playing their rounds in shoes. Sports writers on golf often like to write about the visual appeal of some golf courses, but I don’t know if anyone has ever really written anything substantial about the beauty and appeal of the tactile feeling that person gets if they golf a course barefoot.
Plus bare feet are a great way to sometimes find a few extra balls during a round if you take some strolls through the tall grass areas.
Her feet look really pale. The opposite of me, with my tanned feet and relatively paler legs. I know that’s normal, but it sure looks weird to me.
As for playing on grass, it would depend on the grass. I’ve walked on lovely lush grass, but the grass at the park is scraggly and muddy and rooty, from compressed soil and much foot traffic.
I just played golf barefoot this morning and it was wonderful. It was not a particularly posh club, so no one gave me any trouble. But one woman passing by on the course told me to watch out for ticks.
Last year I played croquet barefoot at a 4th of July picnic with a group of kids who like me, had no idea how to play the game. I had fun and learning to play croquet wasn’t that hard. I was the only one playing the game in barefeet. I wouldn’t mind playing tennis barefoot one day and I’m sure I would move around better without any shoes on.