The Anatomy of the Racquet
The fact that the Friend at Court actually attempts to constrain the hitting surface of the racquet falls in the “isn’t that cute” department for me.
Racquet Metrics
How the racquet might be a tiny ITF rebellion against one of the stipulations imposed when they assumed stewardship of “The Rules of Tennis.”
Making a Racket about the Racquet
I don’t want to admit that I am a pretentious tennis snob, but comes down to using “racquet” or the “racket” spelling, then there is really no contest. Sometimes you just have to be who you are.
Material Changes to the Ball
Today we come to the first of two places in the Friend at Court where material changes to the ball are covered. May a player cause a ball to become wet by using the ball to wipe perspiration from the player’s body?
Ball Markings and Stamps
Exploring the question of why red seems to be associated with regular duty or clay courts eventually leads to Penn.
2 responsesHow to Handle Busted Balls
Today I am exploring the possibility that I may have possibly once won a point due to a faulty rules interpretation from a USTA official.
2 responsesHow To Test Your Balls
My engineer brain took one look at the ITF ball specification table and all the “WTF” synapses simultaneously fired off. Fortunately, the ITF provides a very detailed description of the testing process.
The Great Babolat Ball Controversy of 2011
No discussion of the ITF rules and standards for the tennis ball can be complete without discussing the hubbub surrounding the controversial introduction of a new ball at the French Open in 2011.
How to Make a Tennis Ball
My engineer brain is fascinated with how things are made. The process for manufacturing tennis balls is complex to the point that I was astonishedRead More