The effect of ball wear on ball aerodynamics: An investigation using hawk-eye data

CHOPPIN, Simon, ALBRECHT, Simon, SPURR, James and CAPEL-DAVIES, Jamie (2018). The effect of ball wear on ball aerodynamics: An investigation using hawk-eye data. Proceedings, 2 (6), p. 265.

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Official URL: http://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/2/6/265
Link to published version:: https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2060265

Abstract

The Hawk-Eye electronic line-calling system gives players the ability to challenge line-calling decisions. It also creates large datasets of ball and player movements during competitive play. In this paper we used a dataset taken from 5 years of the Davis and Fed Cup tournaments (comprising 71,019 points in total) to examine the effect of ball wear on aerodynamic performance. Balls were categorized as new or used depending on whether they were used in the first two games following a ball change (new) or the last two games before a ball change (used). Data falling into neither category was discarded. The coefficients of drag (Cd) of 9224 first serves from the Davis Cup were calculated by simulating their trajectories. New balls had a significantly lower average Cd of 0.579 compared to used balls’ 0.603 (p < 0.0001)—first serves made with new balls arrive 0.0074 s sooner than first serves made with used balls on average. Large sport datasets can be used to explore subtle effects despite a relative lack of precision.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Presented at the 12th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 26–28 March 2018.
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: Centre for Sports Engineering Research
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2060265
Page Range: p. 265
Depositing User: Jill Hazard
Date Deposited: 13 Mar 2018 09:42
Last Modified: 18 Mar 2021 15:21
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/18922

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