Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify effects of differences in string tension of soft tennis rackets on hitting velocity and hitting control. The subjects were thirteen female high school soft tennis players. In the experiment, a temporary tennis court and a target area were set up, and a hitting test was conducted. In the test, the same racket with three string tensions was used to hit the ball from near the baseline to the target area with forehand strokes. As a result, 12 out of 13 players recorded the highest hitting velocity at low string tension. Some players showed an increase in velocity of more than 10%. In addition, the results suggest that high string tension may increase net and short balls. Conversely, low string tension was associated with better ball flight and potentially more long balls. In summary, differences in string tension may affect the hitting velocity and hitting control.
