There is always a risk of injury when we talk of physical sports and outdoor games. There often is discussion about which game poses the maximum health hazard. It is imperative to understand that we are not taking into account combat sports like boxing or UFC. In other sports like cricket and football, people use protective gear to take caution against an injury. According to a study, there is one game which poses the maximum risk of head injury and it is tennis. Researchers have admitted in their study that the chances of getting a head injury in the game of tennis are low, but not impossible. In a study published in the ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, this claim has been explained in detail.
Jin Lin Gao, a mechanical engineering professor and his student Yongqiang Li obtained the results using computer modelling. Researchers investigated the possible outcomes of hitting a human head with a tennis ball at various angles, speeds, and places. They discovered that while minor traumatic brain injuries or concussions are uncommon, they can happen when a tennis ball travels faster than 40 m/s. This is more rapid than a leopard’s sprint.
According to the study, the side of the head is more likely to be struck by the ball than the forehead or top of the head. It can be observed that the probability of injury increases with an angle of 90 degrees and decreases with an angle of 30 to 60 degrees.
There is not much of a chance that players in football or soccer will be hurt in a collision or tumble. In contrast, because players in games like cricket wear headgear, there is virtually little possibility that the ball would strike their head.
A tennis ball does not look that dangerous, but its impact can be very severe. Its injury can impair brain functions. Concussion is not a fatal injury, but it can affect the brain for weeks or months, causing headaches and difficulty in concentration.
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