THE SWEET SPOT OF A BAT OR RACQUET

Abstract

The sweet spot of a bat or racquet is sometimes identified as a vibration node, sometimes as the centre of percussion (COP) and sometimes as the impad point where the ball rebounds with maximum speed. The batter or player is more likely to identify the sweet spot as the impact point that results in minimum shock and vibration, and therefore as the point that feels best. Theoretical and experimental results described in this paper indicate that the sweet spot is a narrow zone, located between the fundamental vibration node and the COP, where the energy transferred to the handle is minimised.