Article Title

Vibrations Analysis on Tennis Racket String

Authors

Jenny Blackburne, South Dakota State University

Faculty Mentor

Shawn Duan

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to investigate and analyse the vibration of a tennis racket string when a ball is hit. This was done using concepts of mechanical vibrations and modelled using Microsoft Excel. The displacement of the tennis string over time was graphed for two different positions on the racket and two different relative speeds of the tennis ball. It was found that the position of the tennis ball on the racket has very little effect on the displacement of the strings. If the ball or racket is moving faster when the ball is hit, then the displacement of the strings is proportionally greater. There were a few factors in the modelling that were unlike the actual vibration of a tennis string. This model did not take in to account the fact that the tennis ball would deform when it is hit or the deflection of the tennis racket. The designed model will help compare different spring constants and ball speeds for different scenarios.

Recommended Citation

Blackburne, Jenny (2014) "Vibrations Analysis on Tennis Racket String," The Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 12, Article 9.
Available at: https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/jur/vol12/iss1/9