It’s the shot every squash player dreads and dreams of.
In the sport, players take turns hitting a squishy ball off four walls, trying to return it before it bounces twice. But when a perfect “nick shot” is executed, the ball strikes a sweet spot between the wall and floor. Instead of bouncing, it rolls back flat on the ground — making it impossible for the opponent to return.
The physics behind this killer shot all comes down to height, timing and the signature squashiness of the ball, researchers reported in May in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“What’s most impressive about professional athletes is that