Prediction of a Sweet Area on a Racket Face in a Tennis Impact : Restitution Coefficient, Rebound Power Coefficient and Ball Post-Impact Velocity

Abstract

The term sweet area is used in describing that region of a tennis racket where the ball should be hit for optimum results. There are several definitions of this term, each one based on different physical phenomenon, and also a number of unclarified points with the confusion. This paper predicts the racket performance in tennis in terms of the region on the racket face where the ball post impact velocity is above some arbitrary value, when a ball is struck by a player. It is based on the experimental identification and impact analysis of the ball-racket system, clarifying the mechanism of the ball post impact velocity in relation to restitution coefficient, rebound power coefficient, and racket head velocity.