Tennis GUT – modelling the game

From the point of view of the ball (i.e. ignoring human factors), the game of tennis consists of three mechanisms; interaction with a racket, flight through the air and the bounce on the court surface. The most advanced model in each of these areas was used to create a combined software package which could predict the whole of a tennis short from one player's racket to the other's. The emphasis was on ease of use and in particular allowing the effect of small changes in racket, ball or surface properties to be propagated through the shot. It could be used by manufacturers to improve their products, or by governing bodies to assess the impact of new or potential products. For example, if a racket or string was developed that generated significantly more speed and spin, the effect on the time and speed of the ball at the receiver's end of the court could be determined.