High-speed measurement of grip force and swing mechanics during forehand strokes in soft tennis

Abstract

Performance in racket sports depends on the coordination of motion and force; however, the temporal characteristics of grip force during high-speed strokes are difficult to capture using conventional measurement systems. This study examined whether a high-speed grip force measurement system can capture temporal features of grip force during forehand strokes in soft tennis. Four participants (two experts and two novices) performed forehand returns under controlled conditions. Grip force was measured using a custom sensor integrated into the racket handle, while racket kinematics were recorded using synchronized stereo high-speed cameras. Within the present sample, expert players tended to exhibit grip force peaks prior to ball impact, followed by a stable post-impact phase, whereas novice players showed delayed grip force peaks occurring after impact. In addition, differences were observed in the temporal coordination of leading- and trailing-side grip forces relative to racket-head acceleration between expert and novice players, which may reflect differences in swing control strategies. These results suggest that the proposed measurement system can capture temporal characteristics of grip force and may provide a useful experimental tool for evaluating swing execution in racket sports.