Goodwill, Simon Richard (2002) The dynamics of tennis ball impacts on tennis rackets. PhD thesis, University of Sheffield.
Abstract
A model of a tennis ball impact on a tennis racket has been developed in this study. An
experimental investigation was conducted to detennine the dynamic properties of several different
tennis balls. The balls were propelled at a piezoelectric force platform and the force acting on the
ball was sampled, along with the ball rebound velocity. A visco-elastic model of this impact was
developed and a set of model parameters were determined empirically for each ball type. The
values of these parameters were independent of the ball impact velocity.
The next stage of the study involved an experimental investigation of a ball impact on a head
clamped tennis racket. In this experiment, tennis balls were propelled at the geometric string centre
of a tennis racket. High speed cinematography was used to determine the ball and stringbed
deformation during impact, and speed gates were used to measure the ball rebound velocity. A
visco-elastic model of this impact was developed. The ball component of this model was identical
to that for a model of a ball impact on a rigid force platform. The model parameter for the
stringbed component was obtained from a simple quasi-static compression of the stringbed in
which the applied force and resulting deformation were measured.
The final stage of this study involved an investigation of the impact between a tennis ball and a
freely supported tennis racket (this support method has been shown to be equivalent to a player
gripping the tennis racket). In these experiments, the ball, stringbed and racket deformation were
measured during impact, along with the velocity of the ball and racket after impact. A model was
developed to simulate this impact in which it was assumed that the racket acted as a onedimensional
flexible beam.
The models which have been developed in this study are advancements of those which have been
used in previously published literature. Experimental data was used to assess the accuracy of the
results which were calculated by the models. An excellent correlation was found between the data
calculated by the model and that measured experimentally.
Metadata
Awarding institution: | University of Sheffield |
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Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Mechanical Engineering (Sheffield) |
Identification Number/EthosID: | uk.bl.ethos.560470 |
Depositing User: | EThOS Import Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 02 Jun 2016 13:23 |
Last Modified: | 02 Jun 2016 13:23 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:etheses.whiterose.ac.uk:12877 |
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