A tennis player tries to hit the ball on the “sweet spot” on the racquet, where the vibration and impact are minimized and the ball is able to be given more velocity. A smooth motion results in the maximizing of the velocity of the ball after impact and reduces sports injuries such as tennis elbow. The location of the impact of the tennis ball on the racquet is also important, as is the part of the stroke during which the impact occurs. This conclusion also holds true for other sports-a lightweight bat (such as a softball bat) cannot hit a hardball very far. So, a heavier tennis racquet will have the advantage over a lighter one. Recall that in a collision, it is momentum and not force that is important.
In this collision, examined in (Figure), the potential energy of a compressed spring is released during the collision and is converted to internal kinetic energy.Ĭollisions are particularly important in sports and the sporting and leisure industry utilizes elastic and inelastic collisions. An air track is nearly frictionless, so that momentum is conserved.
