PNAS Science Sessions1 Sep 2025

Unpacking the unreturnable squash nick shot

The physics of the squash nick shot

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

In this episode, Roberto Zenit explains the physics behind the unanswerable nick shot in the game of squash.

In this episode, we cover:
•[00:00] Introduction.
•[00:56] Engineer Roberto Zenit introduces the game of squash, including his participation in the sport, and introduces the nick shot.
•[02:11] He talks about the background and methods of the study.
•[04:50] Zenit describes the mechanics of a nick shot.
•[06:01] He talks about the implications of the study for squash players and for other applications.
•[08:52] Zenit recounts the caveats and limitations of the study.
•[09:41] Conclusion.

About Our Guests:

Roberto Zenit
Professor
Brown University

View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2505715122

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