|
|
|
How to Break in a Baseball Glove
Baseball gloves are available in almost every size, color and material known to man. Traditional gloves are made from leather or faux-leather and more recently from buffalo and kangaroo hides. No matter what the material, baseball gloves need to be...
How to Buy World Series Tickets
How to Buy World Series Tickets Have you ever known someone who wanted so desperately to go to the Major League Baseball World Series that they were like a rabid dog? Well, I have…and it is not a pretty sight. I have been married for a few...
Modern Technology has Given us a Wonderful Range of Sports Sunglasses
Modern technology has given us a wonderful range of sports sunglasses frames and sports sunglasses lenses made to both enhance and stand up to the demands of the sports enthusiast with lightweight, flexible, durable materials, no-slip frames and a...
Mr Lear's Dream. Hopefully a Dream To Come True.
Mr Lear's Dream. Hopefully a Dream To Come True.
I have known L E Lear for over 40 years. At my high school reunion on October 8, 2005 I noticed he was missing from the event. He was working on his dream. I will get to that in a little while. I...
The Best Golf Exercises Are Very Simple
The best golf exercises are not complicated; you don’t need to be a member of a gym; and you don’t need thousands of dollars in equipment. Yes…there are new golf fitness machines coming out in the market that look respectable, but they want an...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
In baseball, how does a pitcher throw a curveball?
In baseball, how does a pitcher throw a curveball?
A successful major league batter gets a hit only 30 percent of the time he comes to bat. One of the ways pitchers lower these chances even further is by throwing a curveball. A curveball is a pitch that appears to be moving straight toward home plate but that is actually moving down and to the right or left by several inches. Obviously, a pitch that curves is going to be harder to hit than a fastball that is moving straight.
There are two basic factors involved in creating a curveball:
Proper grip
Air resistance
Any baseball pitch begins with how the pitcher grips the ball. To throw a curveball, a pitcher must hold the baseball between his thumb and his index and middle fingers, with the middle finger resting on the baseball seam. When the pitcher comes through his motion to throw the ball, he snaps his wrist downward as he releases the ball, which gives the ball topspin. If the pitcher throws properly, the back of the his hand will be facing the batter at the end of the motion. The ball will break down and away from a right-handed batter if thrown by a right-handed pitcher.
The spinning action created when the
pitcher releases the ball is the secret behind the curveball. This spinning causes air to flow differently over the top of the ball than it does under the ball. The top of the ball is spinning directly into air and the bottom of the ball is spinning with the air flow. The air under the ball is flowing faster than air on top of the ball creating less pressure, which forces the ball to move down or curve. This imbalance of force is called the Magnus Effect, named for physicist Gustav Magnus, who discovered in 1852 that a spinning object traveling through liquid is forced to move sideways.
Adding to the air pressure exerted on the ball are the 108 red stitches that hold the cover on the ball. Because they are raised, the stitches increase the amount of friction created as the air passes around the ball and places more air pressure on top of the ball. A well thrown curveball can move as much as 17 inches either way. If you've ever seen a batter jump out of the way of a baseball that ends up crossing over the plate, you've seen a good curveball.
About the author:
http://www.a1-baseball-4u.info/
|
|
|
|
|
|
