/
Article

How Would a Physicist Design a Tennis Racket?

MAR 01, 1995
Physics, anyone? Contemplating the analytical mechanics of tennis rackets may improve your game—but it’s no substitute for practice.
Howard Brody

Tennis players dream of finding Lhe perfect racket that will immediately transform them into champions. While that may be wishful thinking, it is generally agreed that today’s rackets are much better than those of 20 years ago. Though they may not turn you into an instant Wimbledon winner (after all, your opponent has one too), they will clearly improve your game. There is still hope among inventors, racket manufacturers and players that a perfect racket will come along someday. If and when such a racket is developed, what will its properties be and how will it affect the game of tennis?

This article is only available in PDF format

References

  1. 1. H. Brody, Tennis Science for Tennis Players, U. Penn. P., Philadelphia (1987) p. 12.
    Several articles by the author are reprinted in The Physics of Sports, A. Armenti ed., AIP, New York (1992).

  2. 2. H. Brody, USRSA Stringer’s Assistant 13(3), 6 (1989).

  3. 3. H. Brody, Int. J. Sports Biomech. 3, 293 (1987).

  4. 4. H. Brody, Int. J. Sports Biomech. 5, 451 (1989).

  5. 5. H. Brody, The Tennis Pro 6(2), 8 (1986).

  6. 6. H. Hatze, Int. J. Sports Biomech. 10, 34 (1994).

  7. 7. H. Brody, Phys. Teach. 23, 213 (1985).https://doi.org/PHTEAH

More about the authors

Howard Brody, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Related content
/
Article
Since 2008, more than 100 colleges and universities in the US have stopped offering an undergraduate physics major. What happened?
/
Article
The thermodynamic and quantum mechanical properties of topological insulators provide a path toward scalable energy storage in information-based batteries.
/
Article
At the end of the turbulent 1960s, the postwar funding boom in US physics came to a crashing halt. The lessons learned then may be helpful to today’s physicists.
/
Article
Interviews with 22 successful early-career physical scientists and engineers reveal that networking has been one of the most critical ways to nurture their careers.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1995_03.jpeg

Volume 48, Number 3

Get PT newsletters in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.