These 3 Physics Concepts will Change the way you Play Tennis

In this blog post we're going to be discussing 3 physics concepts that can improve your tennis. You may be asking, "Why physics?" Here's the answer: An understanding of the following concepts will allow you to better recognize the rhythmic patterns of tennis and in turn make the game easier, more predictable, and more intuitive. So let's jump in.

Concept Number 1: Objects of unequal mass fall at the same rate.

All objects - a racket, a ball, and even your body - all follow the same constant rate of acceleration. This means that if you allow your racket to fall into the ball at the right time, you can coordinate a stroke with a minimum of interference from your muscles.

This only works if you're very relaxed. If you rely on muscular effort to time your stroke, you're going to always be struggling against the force of gravity and your own momentum. Instead, by learning how to allow the racket to freely fall, you get into a natural synchronicity with the bounce of the ball.

Concept Number 2: The linear velocity of an object does not impact the gravitational constant.

No matter how fast a ball travels across the tennis court, it's rate of rise and fall remains unchanged.

Essentially what it means is that the bounce of the ball is a far more effective means of coordinating your own movements than the general speed that the ball happens to be traveling. Whether you are playing mini-tennis, at the baseline, or anywhere between, it's the height of the ball that determines the ball's timing. Of course, both speed and height impact depth, but when it comes to timing, ball height is king. 

Concept Number 3: The pendulum constant states that any pendulum of a fixed length will take the same amount of time to complete one period length (one cycle forward and back) regardless of how high it's dropped.

If you are relaxed and allow gravity to initiate your swing, your arm and my shoulder naturally create a form of pendulum. 

Hence, as long you remain relaxed and rely on dynamic movements, you can use a smaller swing while maintaining the same basic rhythmic consistency and timing as you would from a larger one. This allows for a much more effective mini-tennis warm-up. If you're able to maintain a relaxed feel, you're able to maintain a consistency of technique, timing, and form as you gradually get a longer and faster with your strokes, moving progressively further back.

So that's it, the three physics concepts that might change the way that you approach the game. Learning to use three concepts to your advantage will give you the confidence you need to trust in being loose and relying on gravity for timing, control, and power. Excess muscle tension is for the Ludittes. 

Happy playing, and stay loose.