Finite Element Analysis of Impact of a Ball on a Tennis Racket(Analysis of Impact of a Ball on Clamped Strings).

Abstract

Theoretical analyses of impact phenomena in a ball-racket system in tennis are performed using a ball-string system modeled by a spring mass system with few d. o. f., the spring constants of which are identified from the experiment. It is impossible for such a simple model to express exactly the complex behaviour of the impact between ball and racket. Therefore, finite element analysis using a realistic model is desired and we intend to establish the technique for this analysis. In the present paper a finite element analysis system was developed in order to analyse the impact behaviour between the ball and the strings of a clamped racket head. The results obtained using the developed system are compared with experimental data and good agreement is observed. Moreover, through these investigations, it is found that the coefficient of restitution of a ball rebounding from clamped strings depends on the initial string tension and the incident velocity.