The motion characteristics of the forehand stroke on ball speed in tennins

The present study investigated the motion characteristics of the forehand stroke on ball speed in tennis. Participants were asked to hit a stopped ball straight ahead. We set three conditions: preferred, slow, and fast. In the preferred condition, the participants were instructed to hit the ball at a speed that was easy for the participant. In the slow and fast conditions, participants were instructed to hit the ball at their slowest possible speed and their fastest possible speed, respectively. The motion of each forehand stroke was recorded using three high-speed cameras, and ground reaction forces on the feet were measured separately using two force plates. Regardless of individual proficiency, all participants hit the ball while performing translational motion to the direction of the stroke. High skilled participants also hit the ball while performing rotational motion, whereas low skilled participants did not. Our results suggested that high skilled participants adjusted to the ball speed by changing the angular velocity of the trunk and by utilizing the ground reaction forces with kicking in the direction opposite of the stroke