Decision-making device for choosing tennis racket strings according to the characteristics of the player and their equipment

Abstract

Decision-making device for choosing the string of a tennis racket according to the characteristics of the player and his equipment The invention relates to a device for choosing a string according to technical and mechanical parameters to correspond to the characteristics of the player. It consists of an information storage and management system (1) which makes it possible to carry out mathematical (5) and statistical (6) calculations from databases of the technical and mechanical parameters (4) of the tennis rackets (2) and the strings (3), as well as the individual data of the player (8). A secondary database (7) is thus constituted and calculation algorithms (9) make it possible to determine which string best corresponds (10) to the individual data of the player.The measured evolution (13) of the technical and mechanical parameters of the string (12) according to its use by the player also makes it possible to determine when this string must be redone (14) to regain the technical and mechanical parameters initially chosen. The device according to the invention is particularly intended for choosing the string for a tennis racket.

Description

Title of the invention: Decision-making device for choosing the stringing of a tennis racket according to the characteristics of the player and their equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a decision-making aid device for optimizing the stringing of a tennis racket based on the mechanical parameters of the equipment and the individual parameters of the player.

[0002] The choice of stringing parameters for a racket is usually determined by the player's feeling in action or by imitation of champions, which does not necessarily correspond to the needs of said player.

[0003] This empirical choice is the origin of pathologies specific to tennis (tennis elbow, etc.) and can also lead to a loss of performance in relation to the intrinsic and material capacities of the player.

[0004] The device according to the invention makes it possible to offer the best possible stringing of a tennis racket to a player according to his own parameters and his level of play. It takes into account the mechanical and technical characteristics of the tennis racket used and various individual parameters of the player. This first data set makes it possible to define a typical stringing profile corresponding to the player's needs. The style of play sought by the player and his level of performance may be part of this individual data. The device also uses a database of available tennis racket strings, having in particular determined their mechanical characteristics. This second data set makes it possible to select the stringing with the mechanical characteristics closest to the typical stringing profile corresponding to the player's needs.Algorithms allow for continuous improvement of string selection based on player feedback.

[0005] According to the particular embodiments:

[0006] - the technical parameters of the tennis racket include for example: materials, weight, size, deck dimension, string plan, etc.

[0007] - the mechanical parameters of the string include for example: tension (nominal, tension change and peak, tension loss), gauge, stretch, contact time, impact deflection, stiffness, energy return, spin potential, durability, abrasion resistance, etc. (some parameters can be tested or measured at various tensions, or according to impact repetition protocols for the durability or resistance of strings to various physical constraints). It should be noted that the mechanical parameters measured on standardized test protocols can differ significantly from the manufacturer's data for each string and also generate a increased knowledge of these strings according to the evolution of these parameters as they are used (which we will call “mechanical metadata”)

[0008] - the individual parameters of the player include for example: age, size, wingspan, weight, gender, training frequency and volume, level or ranking, playing style, preferred surface, etc. These parameters can therefore be quantitative (age, height, weight, etc.) or qualitative (playing style, preferred surface, etc.)

[0009] - the player's individual parameters can be enriched as and when use of equipment (training, matches, scores, etc.)

[0010] - several ropes may only have part of the characteristics me strings corresponding to the typical string profile corresponding to the player's needs: a weighting of the mechanical characteristics of the string can classify the strings in order of preference

[0011] - a search for correlation between the mechanical characteristics of the ropes and tennis rackets with the individual parameters of the player, quantitative and / or qualitative, can lead to defining which mechanical characteristics (of rackets and strings) are the most relevant to correspond to a style of play, a practice surface, a level of play, an age category, etc.)

[0012] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

[0013] [Fig. 1] represents the decision support device for optimizing the stringing of a tennis racket based on the technical and mechanical parameters of the equipment and the individual parameters of the player.

[0014] [Fig.2] represents the decision-making aid device for optimizing the stringing of a tennis racket based on the evolution of the technical and mechanical parameters of the equipment and / or the individual parameters of the player.

[0015] With reference to these drawings, the device comprises an information management system (1), computer type, capable of integrating and manipulating the technical and mechanical parameters of the tennis rackets (2) and the strings (3). These technical and mechanical parameters are stored in a primary database (4). The technical and mechanical parameters of the tennis rackets (2) may include (non-limiting list): the size of the racket, its point, the size of the head, the string pattern, the length of each string used (one or more possible), the material(s), etc.The technical and mechanical parameters of the strings (3) may include (non-limiting list): material(s), tension, gauge (or diameter), stretch at one or more given tensions, transverse force at impact, stiffness, energy return at impact, ball / string friction coefficient, string / coding (transverse) friction coefficient, tension loss after a series of ball impacts, etc. All of these technical and mechanical parameters may be tested in the laboratory (standardized protocols (5)) to establish . the evolution of the string profile over time (for a typical use, i.e., according to a given number of ball impacts over a given period). The technical and mechanical parameters of the strings can also be tested in the laboratory (standardized protocols (5)) for each type of tennis racket and according to different tensions and for different string plans. Material profiles (6) can also be established according to the technical and mechanical parameters chosen by the player (tension, gauge, etc.), such as "power play", "control play", "spin play", etc. All the technical and mechanical parameters of tennis rackets and strings tested for their evolution over time produce a secondary database (7) which makes it possible to anticipate the behavior of the equipment as it is used by the player. All the primary and secondary databases can be compared to the individual characteristics of a player (8) using statistical tools and artificial intelligence algorithms (such as neural networks, machine learning, deep learning, etc. (9)). The individual characteristics of the player may include (non-exhaustive list): sex, age, height, weight, ranking or level of practice, number of sessions and volume of training per week, style of play, preferred (or usual) practice surface, racket(s) used (brand(s) and reference(s)), etc.In the case where several rackets can be used, the player records each of them with its own technical and mechanical parameters. The correlations found between the technical and mechanical parameters of tennis rackets and strings (primary and / or secondary) and the individual characteristics of the player make it possible to propose a choice of strings and string parameters (type, tension, gauge, etc.) corresponding to him (10).

[0016] The device is also designed to provide decision support for optimizing the stringing of a tennis racket based on the evolution of the technical and mechanical parameters of the stringing (according to the mechanical metadata obtained integrated into the stringing database (3)) and / or the individual parameters of the player. The individual characteristics of a set of players constitute a database (11) defining typical profiles, according to the style of play, ranking or level of practice, etc. making it possible to classify rackets and strings corresponding to them most statistically. It is then useful to develop the individual characteristics of the player (8): 1- by regularly updating them (e.g. evolution of weight, ranking or level of practice, number of sessions and volume of training per week, style of play, preferred (or usual) practice surface, etc.non-exhaustive list), and 2- by integrating new data (e.g. monitoring of practice or training sessions, use of new rackets, etc. non-exhaustive list). A secondary database (12) enriched with new individual characteristics of the player is thus created. It allows the player to be advised on . strings and stringing parameters to be developed (e.g., racket restringing) based on the stringing evolution (tested and measured parameters from the database (3)) according to the level of use provided by the player. This level of use can be measured by algorithms (13) according to various parameters, including, for example, the level of practice, the number of sessions and the volume of training per week, the style of play, the practice surface, etc. (non-exhaustive list). From this, personalized advice (14) is derived for stringing or racket restringing to find the technical and mechanical stringing parameters corresponding to the individual characteristics of the player.

[0017] The device according to the invention is particularly intended to automatically determine the appropriate stringing for a tennis player's racket. It thus saves time when stringing a racket, optimizes the choice of stringing and corresponds to the player's needs. It also makes it possible to determine when a tennis racket string must be redone depending on its use.

Claims

Claims

1. Decision-making device for selecting the stringing of a tennis racket, characterized in that it comprises a computer-type information storage and management system (1), a database (4) of the technical and mechanical parameters of the tennis rackets (2) and the available strings (3), from which the stringing of a tennis racket corresponding to the needs of a player can be determined.

2. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the technical and mechanical parameters of the database (4) can be those of the manufacturers of the equipment and / or measured according to standardized protocols, including to determine the evolution of said parameters according to the level of use of the string. This makes it possible to determine which types of strings correspond to a style of play or a level of practice, using statistical tools (5) and calculation algorithms (6). If necessary, if the parameters measured according to these tests differ significantly from the manufacturer data, a secondary database (7) is constituted with all of these parameters.

3. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the parameters of the player (8) define a typical string profile corresponding to him.

4. Device according to claims 1 to 3 characterized in that when several strings have all or part of the technical and mechanical parameters corresponding to the expected typical string profile, weighting calculations (9) of said technical and mechanical parameters make it possible to classify the strings in a preferential order. This makes it possible to propose one or more strings corresponding to the player's profile (10).

5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims in that data providing the level of use of the string by a player (11) makes it possible to know the evolution of the technical and mechanical parameters of the string according to the data of the manufacturers and / or measured according to standardized protocols of the database (3). Statistical tools or calculation algorithms (13) make it possible to measure the deviation of these technical and mechanical parameters of the string (12).

6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims in that the evolution of the technical and mechanical parameters of the rope (12) allows you to determine when you should consider restringing the racket to find the parameters corresponding to the player's profile (14).

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