# Disruptive patterns as a competitive advantage for performance tennis. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 20, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disruptive-patterns-as-a-competitive-advantage-for-performance-tennis/710406 "2015-01-20T20:05:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blueslipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@blueslipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blueslipper)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disruptive-patterns-as-a-competitive-advantage-for-performance-tennis/710406/1 "2015-01-20T20:05:39Z")
“The spring 2015 Nike Tennis collection was conceived to utilize striking color choices and disruptive patterns as a competitive advantage for performance tennis.” [http://news.nike.com/news/masterful-in-melbourne-nike-tennis-showcases-elite-athlete-looks-for-down-under](http://news.nike.com/news/masterful-in-melbourne-nike-tennis-showcases-elite-athlete-looks-for-down-under) Wait, what? Although this may not technically break the rules, isn’t that cheating? > **[Australian Open stars don the brightest fluoro shades](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2917587/Are-trying-camouflage-ball-fluoro-just-year-Australian-Open-stars-kitted-extremely-loud-colours-including-tennis-ball-yellow.html)** > > The world’s top players are making the most of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park's relaxed dress regulations and donning bright yellow, greens, oranges, pinks and purples on the court. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disruptive-patterns-as-a-competitive-advantage-for-performance-tennis/710406/2 "2015-01-20T20:18:36Z")
If it’s not against the rules, it’s not cheating. It’s not like you can get away with no one noticing. And it’s available to everyone. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disruptive-patterns-as-a-competitive-advantage-for-performance-tennis/710406/3 "2015-01-21T02:06:25Z")
It would be illegal at Wimbledon. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disruptive-patterns-as-a-competitive-advantage-for-performance-tennis/710406/4 "2015-01-21T14:09:30Z")
In addition to agreeing with the two replies so far, I note a distinct absence of actual evidence that this helps at all. If it does, the effect must be minuscule. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disruptive-patterns-as-a-competitive-advantage-for-performance-tennis/710406/5 "2015-01-24T23:50:08Z")
It doesn’t do anything. It is marketing and nothing more. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disruptive-patterns-as-a-competitive-advantage-for-performance-tennis/710406/6 "2015-02-01T15:41:40Z")
At our club in Pakistan from 1981-1986 (when I played there) the club rules forbade yellow or green wristbands, headbands and hats. Supposedly because the moving colors were distracting to the opponent tracking the ball. So this is not new. Shirts, trousers, socks and shoes had to be white of course. And your socks had to be up at least halfway up your calf. Your shirt had to have a collar, your shorts had to have a proper waistband with a button fly. No newfangled zippers, TYVM. Ironically, the club used white balls until around the time I started playing. They soon changed to “optic yellow”. Somehow no one was concerned that the white clothes would distract from tracking the white ball. I always regarded this as a bunch of hooey.