So Wimbledon starts again and all we can hear is the gentle nuk! nuk! of tennis balls flying across gardens all over the UK. So what is so special about the ball itself? Tennis balls are made of two pieces of rubber cemented together. They are then covered with fabric, usually wool or synthetic felt. The seams between the two pieces are exposed but are covered with elastic sealant.
When players inspect a ball prior to serving they are looking at the fabric to see whether it is showing any signs of wear and tear. If it has become worn and fluffed up that will slow the ball down. Aha! So that is why they inspect it so closely.
For more on the science of tennis
In the meantime if you want to discover the secrets of the tennis serve then click here.
Maybe football is more your thing. And there’s plenty of it about! The World Cup allows us to see the world’s greatest football players in action. Good footballers must have something in their genes. Scientists have discovered a link between the length of a footballer's ring finger and their ability as a player. They measured the difference in length between the ring and index fingers of top players. Players whose ring fingers were longer compared to their index fingers were more likely to be elite players. Some of the players found to have long ring fingers are Bryan Robson, Glenn Hoddle, Sir Stanley Matthews and Gazza. Maybe it’s just coincidence? More science please!
The science of football.
Some players can make footballs turn corners. From a free kick they send the ball around the edge of a defenders' wall and into the goal. But how do they do it? Find out ‘How to bend it like Beckham’.
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