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Player sensitivity to changes in string tension in a tennis racket.

R Bower1, R Cross

  • 1School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism, University of Technology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
|June 13, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Advanced tennis players struggle to detect racket string tension differences. Even with significant variations, most players could not accurately identify changes, suggesting a need for further research into sensory perception in sports.

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Area of Science:

  • Sports Science
  • Biomechanics
  • Human Sensory Perception

Background:

  • Tennis racket string tension is a critical equipment variable.
  • Player perception of string tension may influence performance and feel.
  • Limited research exists on recreational players' ability to discern tension variations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess advanced recreational tennis players' sensitivity to tennis racket string tension differences.
  • To investigate the role of auditory cues in discriminating string tension.

Main Methods:

  • Forty-one advanced recreational tennis players participated.
  • Players compared pairs of rackets with varying string tensions (up to 98 N/10 kg).
  • A subset of 26 players repeated the test with earplugs to isolate auditory input.

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Main Results:

  • Only 27% of players could detect a tension difference of 5 kg (11 lb) or less.
  • 37% of players could not identify a 10 kg (22 lb) tension difference.
  • With earplugs, only 23% of participants successfully identified tension differences.

Conclusions:

  • Advanced recreational tennis players exhibit a limited capacity to discern subtle differences in racket string tension.
  • Auditory feedback (the sound of the ball impact) plays a significant role in players' ability to detect tension variations.
  • The findings suggest that sensory feedback beyond tactile sensation is crucial for players' perception of string tension.