Hi BB,
Is there an optimal bat angle and swing plane for producing both most speed and spin?
so if you're bat angle is 45 degrees would the best swing plane be 45 degrees as well?
Cheers,
No! This is something they got right on the other forum.
It depends on what you want to do and the circumstances.
The most obvious thing is compensating for the incoming spin. The paddle can't be closed too much when returning chopped balls. The paddle can be closed more when looping balls off the bounce.
The player generates power and transfers the energy ( power x time ) to the paddle in the form of kinetic energy.
The impact with with the ball transfer a little of the paddle's energy to the ball but energy the ball gets is in two forms.
1 Rotational kinetic energy, spin.
2 Translational kinetic energy, speed.
The ratio of the two energies is dependent on whether you hit through the ball or are brushing the ball and that depends on the racket angle and where the paddle hits the ball. Sometimes you want a slow spinny loop that you can hit at an angle that lands near the edge and as close behind the net as you can. In this case brushing the ball skinny loop is required and you want more spin than spin.
When back from the table you will probably need more speed that spin.
The Magnus effect is basically proportional the spin x speed.
It is up to you to choose the right ratio of spin to speed for the given situation. The pros are very good at imparting a lot of energy to the ball very precisely and getting just the right spin to speed ratio for that particular shot. It is amazing what humans can do.
About throw and throw angle.
Some blades and rubbers will generate different ratios of spin to speed given the same impact speed and angle. All normal rubbers can generate the same spin to speed ratios but the impact speed and angle may need to be a little different.
I don't see where this is that difficult but it challenged the f__ls on mytt over 12 years ago.
Engineers think about where the energy comes from and goes.