Tennis Racquet: Stiffness
Stiffness is a common term used to determine the performance of a Tennis Racquet. This factor plays a major role in a player’s performance. Let’s discuss how!
Before we find out how it affects your performance, it is important to understand some basic concepts and phenomena that are involved.
When a ball comes in contact with the string bed the impact of it pushes the strings as well as the stick making the stick bend to a degree. When a stick is tagged to be flexible, it bends more when compared to stiff racquets. But that’s not all. The bent stick springs back delivering energy to the ball which is propelled away from the face of the racquet.
Remember that the stiffer the stick, faster it springs back – this translates into more power. Nowadays, manufacturers make racquets purposefully stiff. But you can always choose a flexible one if you prefer.
Understanding Vibration
Imagine a rubber band tightly strung between two hooks. Tap slightly at the center. The band moves down on impact (in the direction of impact), and then moves upwards (in the opposite direction) and continues to move that way, to and fro, until it comes to rest in its original (neutral) position. This phenomena is Vibration.
In a similar fashion, a racquet on impact from the ball vibrates until it comes to rest. Stiff ones vibrate faster and come to the neutral position quickly. This is beneficial because the vibration stops quicker doesn’t affect your next shot. Whereas, flexible ones tend to vibrate slower, taking their time to return the stick to its neutral position.
It is important to note that the vibration is difficult to observe through a naked eye. Anyway, while you are playing tennis, you will seldom look at your racquet, right?
Stiff tennis racquets tend to deliver more power than their flexible counterparts. But this comes at a cost. Flexible ones are good at absorbing shock, but stiff ones aren’t. So, if you have a tennis elbow, steer clear from the stiffness.
Now you have a better understanding of this otherwise confusing subject. Hope it helps you choose the racquet with the right stiffness.
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