Spin Rate and Deflection Ratio of a Ping Pong Ball

Abstract

To investigate the effects of a spherical object’s spin rate on the curvature of its flight, Ping Pong balls, of varying spin rates, were hit horizontally and recorded from above with a high-speed camera. It was shown that there was a proportional relationship between the ball’s spin rate and deflection ratio. Additionally, using the results of the analyzed data, a coefficient of skin friction of the Ping Pong ball was found to be approximately 0.2 under the specific conditions of this investigation.

Keywords

• Ping Pong
• table tennis
• ball
• spin
• deflection
• skin friction