Elite tennis player sensitivity to changes in string tension and the effect on resulting ball dynamics

Bower, R; Cross, RC

Elite tennis player sensitivity to changes in string tension and the effect on resulting ball dynamics

Bower, R

Cross, RC

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Publisher:: University of Sheffield
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Sports Engineering, 2008, 11 (1), pp. 31 - 36
Issue Date:: 2008-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Bower, R https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9695-0411	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Cross, RC	en_US
dc.date.issued	2008-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Sports Engineering, 2008, 11 (1), pp. 31 - 36	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1369-7072	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/9781
dc.description.abstract	Eighteen elite male tennis players were tested to determine their ability to identify string tension differences between rackets strung from 210 N (47 lb) to 285 N (64 lb). Each player impacted four tennis balls projected from a ball machine before changing rackets and repeating the test. Eleven participants (61%) could not correctly detect a 75 N (17 lb) difference between rackets. Only two participants (11%) could correctly detect a 25 N (6 lb) difference. To establish whether varying string tensions affected ball rebound dynamics, the ball's rebound speed and landing position were analysed. The mean rebound ball speed was 117 km h-1, with only the trials from the 210 N racket producing significantly lower (P < 0.05) rebound speeds than the 235 N and 260 N rackets. This is contrary to previous laboratory-based tests where higher rebound speeds are typically associated with low-string tensions. The anomaly may be attributable to lower swing speeds from participants as they were not familiar with such a low string tension. Ball placement did not appear related to string tension, with the exception of more long errors for the 235 N racket and fewer long errors for the 285 N racket. It was concluded that elite male tennis players display limited ability to detect changes in string tension, impact the ball approximately 6% faster than advanced recreational tennis players during a typical rallying stroke, and that ball placement is predominantly unrelated to string tension for elite performers.	en_US
dc.publisher	University of Sheffield	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Sports Engineering	en_US
dc.title	Elite tennis player sensitivity to changes in string tension and the effect on resulting ball dynamics	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	11	en_US
utslib.for	110601 Biomechanics	en_US
utslib.for	1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering	en_US
utslib.for	0913 Mechanical Engineering	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Sports and Exercise Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.consider-herdc	true	en_US
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	11	en_US

Abstract:

Eighteen elite male tennis players were tested to determine their ability to identify string tension differences between rackets strung from 210 N (47 lb) to 285 N (64 lb). Each player impacted four tennis balls projected from a ball machine before changing rackets and repeating the test. Eleven participants (61%) could not correctly detect a 75 N (17 lb) difference between rackets. Only two participants (11%) could correctly detect a 25 N (6 lb) difference. To establish whether varying string tensions affected ball rebound dynamics, the ball's rebound speed and landing position were analysed. The mean rebound ball speed was 117 km h-1, with only the trials from the 210 N racket producing significantly lower (P < 0.05) rebound speeds than the 235 N and 260 N rackets. This is contrary to previous laboratory-based tests where higher rebound speeds are typically associated with low-string tensions. The anomaly may be attributable to lower swing speeds from participants as they were not familiar with such a low string tension. Ball placement did not appear related to string tension, with the exception of more long errors for the 235 N racket and fewer long errors for the 285 N racket. It was concluded that elite male tennis players display limited ability to detect changes in string tension, impact the ball approximately 6% faster than advanced recreational tennis players during a typical rallying stroke, and that ball placement is predominantly unrelated to string tension for elite performers.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/9781