An investigation into the power point in tennis

This paper investigates the nature of the power point in tennis. A series of static racket impacts and a polynomial fit were used to simulate four different racket shots with increasing amounts of angular velocity—identifying the true ‘power point’ for each shot. A rigid body model was used to define the ‘ideal point’ for each shot—the impact point which theoretically yields maximum outbound ball velocity. Comparing theory with experiment revealed that the ‘ideal point’ is most accurate for impacts around the racket’s node point (the rigid body model does not account for frame vibration). Previous research has shown that tennis players aim to strike the node point of the racket. The concept of the ideal point has potential in tuning the weight distribution of a racket to a player’s shot type. If the ‘ideal point’ exists at the racket node point for a player’s typical forehand shot, then outbound ball velocities can be maximised.