If the court is soft, energy will be lost deforming the court surface. The harder the court, the higher the ball will bounce. The magnitude of the upward force, known as the “ground reaction force,” is determined by the vertical incident speed of the ball and the relative hardness of the court and the ball. These two forces have far-reaching consequences, with effects that may seem contrary to intuition and experience. When a ball hits the court, a vertical force pushes the ball up and a horizontal force acts to slow the ball and change its spin. And these in turn dictate what kind of strokes and strategy a player adopts as he or she learns the game. During that five one-thousandths of a second, the ball’s speed, spin, direction, height, and angle are changed. That five-millisecond bounce dictates everything, including shot selection, tactics, strategy, stroke mechanics, grips, and training. And for good reason - the bounce of the ball is completely different on each surface, and it is the bounce that determines the game. The events, flow, and look of the game are completely different. Watching tennis played on the red clay of Roland Garros at the French Open and on the Centre Court grass at Wimbledon can seem like watching two different sports. Understanding how the ball bounces can help you and your students pick and read shots. Home » TI magazine » Science » Follow the Bouncing Ball Follow the Bouncing Ball
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |