Determination of the coefficient of drag using a wind tunnel

Most of the previous studies of the aerodynamic properties of sports balls [1, 2] have dealt with golf balls [3, 4, 5, 6] and baseballs [7, 8, 9, 10]. In the case of golf, there have been several changes over the years regarding both surface and content of the balls, all as part of the constant effort to make the balls fly further. The research regarding baseball and cricket deals more with the understanding of the aerodynamic effects on the ball when thrown in different manners. In tennis, however, most of this work has been involved with the tennis racket and its interaction with the ball. Studies regarding aerodynamics are very limited, generally specific to a typical shot, such as the top spin lob [11]. This paper documents some preliminary investigations into the phenomena of the aerodynamics of tennis balls. The study has used a wind tunnel and three differing tennis balls to determine the coefficient of drag over a range of Reynolds number.