Dimples have been used in the design of some modern tennis shoe outsoles to enhance sliding ability on hard courts. Experiments were performed with bespoke rubber samples possessing various numbers of holes, which served to simulate dimples in tennis shoe treads, the aim being to assess the effect of contact area on sliding friction. It was found that as the ratio of holes to solid rubber increases, a critical ratio is reached whereby the static friction coefficient drops by more than 11% for tread-to-court pressures comparable to real tennis play. Though experiments reported here concern bespoke rubber samples, shoe manufacturers should be interested in the appearance of a critical dimple ratio that could aid them in the creation of tennis shoes suited for sliding on hard courts.
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