Essay about The Physics of Pitching

Besides the velocity of the ball coming off of the bat there is also the reaction time to look at. “Baseball Rules Committee believe that a collegiate pitcher needs approximately .4 seconds to react and move to avoid being struck…a pitcher is between 51 and 52 feet away from the point of impact between the bat and ball at the time of impact” (3). Dempsey also states that “at 94 mph the ball will travel 52 feet in approximately .371 seconds… with high power aluminum bats speeds well in excess of 100 mph the ball will

When the NCAA approved the use of aluminum bats by college baseball, team batting averages increased by 20% and home runs close to doubled. In 2009, the statistics of college baseball showed that runs batted in (RBIs) increased by 14% and the home run rate increased by 38% when using aluminum bats. When a ball is hit with a wood bat it compresses to nearly half of its original diameter and loses up to 75% of its initial energy. However, when an aluminum bat strikes a ball it essentially has the opposite effect. The energy is stored inside the barrel of the aluminum bat and is then

the type and condition of the ball, the speed of the pitch, swing speed, type of bat, and air

Newton's Law of Inertia ties in with baseball by the ball is going toward the home plate and the ball stays in motion until the bat hits it after the bat hits the ball the ball starts flying the other way and it starts slowing down by the wind. Newton’s law of Acceleration ties in with baseball by the ball accelerates when it is going toward the home plate and after the ball hits the bat the ball starts accelerating the other way. The way that Newton’s law of Action vs. Reaction ties in with baseball is when the bat hit the ball it makes the ball go the other way and the bat continue to move in the same way. The bat just slows down when it makes contact with the ball.

When the pitcher pitches the ball it travels on the path until the batter hits the ball. The softball travels through the air due to the seams (Bauer & Westfall, Motion of a Softball, 2010). The seams cause high and low pressure fronts while the grip determines how the ball will rotate. Gravity, wind, air drag, velocity, spin, and Magnus are all forces acting upon the softball when it is

There are two outs in the bottom of the ninth of the World Series; the team in the field is up by one and the best hitter is coming up the plate. The pitcher takes a deep breath and realizes what had to be done. Three strikes and the game was over, but that seemed an eternity away with the overwhelming pressure mounting. How could the pitcher move past the pressure and get the last out? The answer would more than likely surprise most people. It is common knowledge that the pitcher must physically be in the right positions to throw a strike, but it is quite the opposite for the mental side of pitching. The mental aspect plays a much larger factor than most people would presume and in reality, it is just as important

Baseball 101 (Introduction) Baseball is more than what people actually think it may be. Some think it’s just all about hitting and catching the ball. The types of data I want to gather is basically just wanting know what knowledge people know about baseball. You need to be able to be mentally focused in order to play the game of baseball.

Thesis: The Fundamentals of baseball can result in a successful pitcher is proper mechanics, good arm motion to hit your target and lots of flexibility/mobility that can result in high velocity meaning speed.

After having gained all the materials needed and having the proper instruction, you can now begin learning to throw different pitches. However, you must first know what each pitch does, what the pitch is used to do, and how the pitch is most effective for you. The three main pitches are the fastball, change-up, and curveball. To start, the fastball is a pitch that has the most speed out of any other pitch. While the pitch is called a fastball, there are two different types of fastballs: the two-seam and the four-seam. The two-seam fastball is relatively similar to the four-seam, however the two-seam will move into a right handed batter and away from a left handed batter. The fastball is used to get a strike on the batter, set the batter nup for an offspeed pitch, and often, it is used after an offspeed pitch to disrupt the hitter’s timing. Now, the curveball is often the pitch with the lowest velocity. A curveball also has the most movement among all pitches.

Out of all the vast variety of sports there are, baseball is the most challenging and difficult sport to play. No other sport compares to the degree of difficulty that you have to deal with, like you do in playing the game of baseball. There are so many different elements that make this game the most difficult. Three major elements stick out in my mind as to why this wonderful sport is the toughest of all. The three main factors in my mind are the increased physical and hand eye coordination component, the mental aspect of this game, and the human interdependence between umpires, which are a vital part in every play.

The pitcher tries to put me out of his mind, but he can’t because I’m 60 feet away. He may have the mound to his advantage, but nothing will stop me from achieving this goal. I assess the field. There are runners on all the bases, the outfielders are playing back to prevent any extra base hits, and we’re down by 2 runs. I smooth out the dirt where my foot land, I make it smooth and the perfect landing spot for my foot, and step into the box. Everything must be perfect. I take a deep breath. I must stay calm. In...out. I sway my bat towards him and back into my pre-pitch position. My hands are relaxed but ready to unleash the violence of a baseball swing.

Baseball players have less than 0.40 seconds to defend themselves from a whirling 100 mph ball hit by a 200lbs beast. And take into consideration that if the fielder takes more than 4.5 seconds to field and throw the ball to first base, then it becomes impossible for them to throw the runner out. The motor, cognitive, and visual skills needed to succeed in baseball may explain why many believe baseball is harder than softball.

As the pitcher scrutinizes the catcher’s signals, the angst of the moment can only escalate; a one way road with no ceasing in sight. He starts his motion, with a fierce confidence, knowing the game is controlled by him. I begin to perceive seconds as hours, realizing the risks that every millisecond emits. The baseball bat prepared above my shoulders gains a million pounds as the ball leaves the hand of my adversary. Thoughts of confusion, possibilities, and worry are quickly overwhelmed by speculation. “Is this traveling fast? Will it be in the strike zone? What if I miss my swing? Is it changing direction? Will it hit me? Can I dodge it?”. THWACK!

Shocked by the home run, the pitcher found it hard to keep his surprising emotions inside his mind.

The law of Inertia; is involved in Baseball by it being to do an unbalanced force causing whatever is moving to stop. In Baseball the ball is thrown and the unbalanced force (catcher) will of course catch the ball cause it to stop. The Law of Acceleration; is when a force acts on mass, like the ball and the bat; The ball is the object being acceleration, and the bat is the object being the greater amount of mass it will take to acceleration the ball.