all, i am not sure if this has been discussed in a prev thread. i am just wondering if anyone has theories out there regarding how the head frame breaks (or tends to break) during play, esp in doubles when rackets collide. i am wondering if the tendency is for the racket head that strikes the other racket head (faster hitting the slower) will break more often, or if it's the case where the slower head frame, that got struck, will break more often. i have been the recipient of 4 broken rackets and so far, every time my racket has been the one coming out broken, and the other racket always unscathed. any theories? any physics majors out there? i'd like to hear your opinions.
Bad luck on the 4 broken rackets - hope that changes for the better. As for how or why they break one way may have to do with the combined compression acting on the frame when it gets pushed out of shape. Consider 40+ string attachment points all pulling inwards at 20lbs - when the frame is flat the inwards force gets distributed as compression around the rim. If one part of the frame is pushed away from the flat plane of the frame then the inward force of the strings acting on the distorted section will cause torsion at its edges and the material fails. I guess that is what happens when rackets clash - the point of impact causes the frames to get out of shape enough for the force to do the damage.
thanks. i guess i am just looking for some theory/justification on why i seem to always be the recipient of the bad luck, that my racket is always the one breaks, while the other 4 (4 diff individuals) remain intact.
I broke three (expensive) rackets in clashes in the last half year. If there's a way to avoid this (apart from not playing with the rackets you want to save) I would like to know it.
if you are right handed, don't play with a left handed you're not used to play with. Otherwise you'll always will have some occasions were clashes are just not possible to avoid (smash defense)