Click below to read a summary of the Racquet sports project ideas for Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards; or to go back to project ideas click here .
Find out how different surfaces affect the bounce of a ball
Some tennis players seem to play better on certain surfaces. One reason is that different surfaces ‘react’ differently, for example a tennis ball might bounce higher on one surface than another. During this project you’ll carry out some tests to find out how bouncy different surfaces are.
Investigate the effect of using different-sized tennis balls
Tests are currently being carried out on tennis balls with a diameter 6% larger than usual. The balls are supposed to slow the game down. In this project you will carry out your own tests to see what effect bigger balls have on the game.
Investigate and test different tennis racquets, and produce a scientific explanation as to why people should choose certain racquets
A lot of people who play tennis in an amateur, knock-up-in-the-park kind of way don’t pay too much attention to things like grip size or string tension. But these sorts of factors make a lot of difference – not only to the way you hit the ball, but also as a way of preventing injury such as tennis elbow.For this project you will investigate various factors that can be changed on a tennis racquet. You should design tests, and discover the scientific theories behind your results.