Twenty years ago, sports engineering researchers struggled to attract funding due to a misguided image perception that such study did not contribute to athlete performance. So it is with the sport of polo, the image is of a game played by the royals and the elite and not a real sport. This work attempts to improve the image of the sport by highlighting the real-world achievable aspects that are seen in many other racket and ball sports.
This paper presents the second in a series of studies that are intended to investigate the sport of polo from an engineering perspective. This first study looks at the material properties and performance of the stick used in the game. The stick is similar in materials construction to the cricket bat in that it is primarily constructed of natural materials. The shaft is traditionally made from a cane, the handle and the head sculptured from hardwood and attached to the shaft. The handle is subsequently wrapped in a grip cloth tape. There is also a range of composite sticks with fibre composite shafts, hardwood heads and thermoplastic handles starting to gain acceptance.
This study looks at the data collected from static load tests done using a universal testing machine in several different planes. The planes are chosen to replicate the most common lines of action seen during match play.
The testing methodology is discussed and the outcomes considered with relation to player performance and the concepts of motion established in the previous study on shot characteristics.