Sports engineering

[1] One of the earliest instances of the application of scientific principles in sports context occurred in 1671 when English mathematician Isaac Newton wrote a letter to German theologian and natural philosopher Henry Oldenburg regarding a tennis ball’s flight mechanics.

[1] In the following centuries, German scientist Heinrich Gustav Magnus further examined Newton’s analysis and applied Newtonian theories to the spinning properties of balls.

[2] He created a much lighter design, with a bigger frame supporting off-center hits, and a grip that did not twist in players' hands.

Sports engineering in academics is more developed in the United Kingdom[9] with programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

[11] Nottingham Trent University offers a 3 year, full-time undergraduate program that is based on industry-oriented seminars and activities as well as on-campus research experiences like the Sports Engineering lab.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be used in sports engineering education to model flow in both air and water systems.

For example, CFD has been used to predict fluid patterns around a skier jumping through the air or a swimmer moving through the water, to reduce the drag acting on the athlete.

[1] Undergraduate and graduate level programs in sports engineering are more common in Europe as opposed to the United States.

[29] For instance, the abdomen and lower back areas of the suit were made tighter to improve core stability.

[29] The LZR Racer was able to reduce skin friction drag by 24% compared to Speedo’s previously most advanced suit.

[29] These engineering applications helped swimmers who wore Speedo’s LZR Racer to set 93 world records.