A discussion of this topic is beyond the scope of this paper, and the reader is directed to the book by Brodyet for a complete review of this broad topic. However, there is no doubt that modern racquets have enabled the ball to be hit with a higher speed than was possible with previous designs. Lighter racquets with larger ‘‘areas of percussion’’ and new string designs have all affected modern technique and are the primary reason for a number of changes to stroke production
discussed below.