Optimizing tennis player equipment
In tennis, there are:
RACKET SIZES
TENNIS COURT DIMENSIONS FOR KIDS
COURT SURFACES CATEGORIES
TYPES OF SHOE INSOLES
CHOICE OF EQUIPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT: A DETERMINING FACTOR IN TENNIS PLAYER PERFORMANCE
At the M2S laboratory at Rennes 2 University, we investigate the effects of equipment and environment on tennis biomechanics. The equipment used by the tennis player (racket, strings, chair, balls, playing surface, shoes, etc.) plays a considerable role both in terms of performance and injury risk. For example, in children, the size of the court and the height of the net influence the performance and biomechanics of the serve. Finally, the type of surface has an influence on physiological demands (heart rate, oxygen consumption, lactatemia).
A partnership with Wilson
In 2019, at the M2S laboratory, we worked with the famous equipment manufacturer Wilson on optimizing the characteristics of tennis shoes to improve players’ movement performance and limit the risk of injury to the lower limbs.
A partnership with the Ille et Vilaine tennis committee
In 2021, we collaborated with Nicolas Cantin and the Ille et Vilaine tennis committee to analyze the influence of racket size, net height and court dimensions on the serve biomechanics of young competitors aged 8 to 12.
Results
Main results
Reducing serve distance and net height is an effective training strategy for optimizing young players’ serve biomechanics and performance (ball speed, trunk rotation and leg action) without overloading the joints.
Our results encourage coaches and parents not to increase the racket size of young tennis players (8 – 12 years, local competitors) too quickly.
The torsional stiffness of a tennis shoe has no effect on the duration of a player’s stance or speed of movement. On the other hand, stiffer shoes increase the maximum angle of ankle inversion during lateral forehand movements, and can increase the risk of ankle sprains.
Studies
Infographies
Studies
Publications
Le matériel du joueur de tennis
Martin C. « Le matériel du joueur de tennis », Tennis : Optimisation de la performance, De Boeck Supérieur, 2018
Effects of playing surface (hard and clay courts) on heart rate and blood lactate during tennis matches played by high-level players
Martin C, Thevenet D, Zouhal H, Mornet Y, Delès R, Crestel T, Ben Abderrahman A, Prioux J. « Effects of playing surface (hard and clay courts) on heart rate and blood lactate during tennis matches played by high-level players », Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 25(1):163-170, 2011.