Replies:
The fuzz allows the ball to better interact with the air it is traveling in,
the playing surface, and the racquet. Think of the difference between
throwing (baseball) a fast ball and a curve ball. One would have to control
the seams of the ball so that it interacts with the air differently. Same
with a tennis ball. You can do a topspin or a slice or a side-spinning serve
and those will be easier to impart on the ball if it has fuzz.
NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.