Rituals

[Bazile]

Rafael Nadal . before he serves , hits the racquet against his feet

When I used to play squash I often did the same

What other rituals can you think of by any sports people ?

[Rosie29]

I thought hitting the racquet did have a reason - to get the clay dust off. (Apart from all his other routines!)

[Chinajan]

Gary Player always wearing black

Tiger Woods wearing red on final day of championships

[Spicerack]

The sign of the cross. (mainly boxers, I think)

[THECORBYLOON]

If that were the only ritual he had, matches would be much shorter.

[Spicerack]

Frankie Dettori and his flying dismount (if that's a ritual)

[retrocop]

Tha Haka by the All Blacks.

[Bazile]

I remember Cliff Thorburn walking around the table two dozen times looking at the balls , before finally getting down and playing a shot

[aelmpvw]

^ he was still quicker than terry griffiths

[Ken4155]

Trainer Jack Berry always wore a red shirt.
Certain footballers have rituals regarding in what order they don their strips. Also in what order they queue to run onto the pitch.

[Ken4155]

Spice, quite a few football players (mainly foreign imports) do the 'up, down, left and right thingummyjig before kissing an imaginary cross, on their arrival from the touchline.

[Cloverjo]

Maria Sharapova doing little baby steps to avoid stepping on the lines between points. Drove me nutty.

[Cloverjo]

Oh and Nadal’s pants-pulling thing.

[Cloverjo]

In fact, all of Nadal’s things. Ears, hair, nose, pants and repeat...