In Rogowski and colleagues’ 2015 experiment with nine players, faster forehands increased vibration amplitude, damping time and signal energy at the racket and wrist. Mean ball speeds were approximately 102 and 120 km/h in the two conditions. When a player swings harder with a different demo racket, the resulting sensation reflects both equipment and hitting conditions.
The participants were seven male and two female right-handed competitive players, averaging 21 years of age. They hit flat crosscourt forehands from a ball machine on an indoor acrylic court. After establishing baseline speed with their own rackets, they used two prototypes classified by the manufacturer’s sensation testing as lightly and highly vibrating, each under a slower and a faster condition.
A three-axis accelerometer was attached to the racket throat and a single-axis sensor to the wrist. The researchers measured peak-to-peak amplitude and the time for which the signal stayed above a defined threshold. Vibration magnitude and duration were distinct outcomes, considered alongside how signal energy was distributed across frequencies.
The racket perceived as less vibrating had a smaller amplitude but longer damping time perpendicular to the racket face. Damping was shorter in the other measured racket directions and at the wrist, and a smaller proportion of energy occupied higher frequencies. Measurement direction and outcome therefore changed the description of the same racket’s behaviour.
The two rackets produced similar ball speeds within each pace condition: 28.3 m/s for the slower condition and 33.4 m/s for the faster one. The km/h figures here multiply those values by 3.6 and round them. The study found no significant speed-by-racket interaction and analysed the separate effects of each factor. Matching pace made the equipment comparison more interpretable.
Grip force and precise impact location were not measured, limiting attempts to attribute the vibration difference to a single material property. For a practical comparison, keep the balls, court, stroke and target consistent, and note the string and grip setup. Include whether one racket has new strings or produces more off-centre contacts in the record.
A demo exercise proposed here alternates ten shots per racket at a comfortable rally pace toward the same target. Record the feel of centred and mishit contacts separately, then note whether discomfort changes as effort rises. Evaluate repeatable depth and readiness for the next shot alongside the impression from a few fast balls. Seek professional medical assessment if pain persists.
