Tennis and golf seem so much different than almost all other sports. Baseball is the most intense with a pitcher throwing a ball towards you at over 100mph. NFL quarterbacks have to go to a silent count to snap the ball because they can’t hear the call. Basketball, Soccer (futball), Rugby, NFL, hockey, etc… all allow as much noise as you can make. Most teams will also encourage noise when the opponent has the ball. Why is tennis and golf an outlier?
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I think if the noise in golf was constant and ambient it wouldn’t be a big deal. It’s more the sudden loud noise from a quiet gallery that can throw an athlete off. I remember during COVID when the NBA arenas were mostly empty, the Suns played a game in Toronto. Devin Booker was about to shoot two game clinching free throws, and the mascot was out there trying to mess him up by screaming when he shot. Quiet to suddenly loud can break concentration. Officials made the mascot shut up, lol.
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