The hidden physics in a 200 km/h forehand
The racket is not the hero; the collision is. A tennis ball can rocket off the strings at over 200 km/h because impact physics cares less about visible distance and more about force over a tiny contact window. During a few milliseconds of contact, the ball and strings behave like coupled springs, storing and releasing energy at high speed.The counterintuitive part is simple. Small motion, huge for...More
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