Episode #34 Momentum

05/12/23 • 9 min

Master Professional Saul Mendoza answers the question, “Can you tell my why the laws of momentum aren’t discussed more? All I ever hear about is acceleration, and I’m not convinced it is even a factor. I mean, if my racquet is traveling at 20 mph, it is going to exert a force on the tennis ball, and if the velocity of the racquet head is 40 mph, it will exert more force. Can you help me understand this?”

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Episode #33 A lighter racquet is not necessarily better

Several members of my club believe that achieving high-level performance in tennis requires using a lighter racquet and a smaller grip. I am aware that there has been extensive discussion on this topic (including a partial mention in one of your recent columns), but could you kindly provide further insight into this specific matter?"

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Episode #35 The laws of motion can either facilitate or impede tennis gameplay

Saul Mendoza, Master Professional, answers the question, “I’ve heard you discuss the biomechanics of tennis and going back to basics. With that in mind, would it be possible in your column to give a brief synopsis of the laws of motion and provide a couple of examples of how they work in our sport?”