Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Applications of physics in sports
Importance of exercise essay for kids
Applications of physics in sports
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Whether it is the angle needed to swing the bat, the force needed to kick the ball, or the speed needed to run, physics is present in every aspect of every sport. Players become aware at a young age that physics will be a part of their lives for as long as they play a sport, even if they are not aware of it. From the moment a child starts a sport, the many different methods used to improve revolve around physics. Softball is a prime example of this. Physics plays a role in softball because every aspect of this sport requires a certain momentum and force. Players must aim to achieve the skill to be able to use the physics behind the sport to their advantage. Through the use of hitting, catching, and throwing a softball, there is the need to …show more content…
One of the first skills a future softball player learns is how to properly hold a bat. Though they are young and cannot follow much direction, this is the time when their skills first begin. The type of hit that results is dependent on the angle and amount of force the player uses. The softball will pop up high, and sometimes far, when the bat swings in an upward motion. Swinging the bat very straight, along with using a great deal of force, creates what is known as a “line drive” hit. Learning how to swing the bat is only a portion of the skills a player learns at a young age. Having the proper stance is a necessary tool in having an appropriate amount of power for the softball player to hit the ball. Even though it is the player’s arms that hold the bat, it is the player’s legs that allow her to push the ball far. Another important factor is the batter’s grip. The batter must understand how hard to hold onto her bat as she swings, especially when considering the different possibilities of the pitches that can come. If her grip is too strong and her wrist too locked, it will be very difficult for the batter to swing the bat at a hard, swift angle. The bat will be uncomfortable in her hands, and will cause the batter to almost chop at the ball, as if she were holding an ax. Because of this, the player will not have any strength in her swing and, in turn, she will not have any strength in her hit. The …show more content…
The player must have the ability to move with the ball, as the softball moves through the air. She must also be aware of her surroundings, while knowing where to place her hands. Newton’s third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This law applies greatly to a softball player’s catching methods. As the ball sails towards her, the softball player must be prepared to move her glove to meet with the ball. It is her job to try to meet the ball at an increased speed, which allows the amount of force meeting her glove to decrease. She must know how to hold her glove, as well. If the player holds her glove too stiff, the ball can, in turn, hurt her hand. On the opposite side of the spectrum, a player having her hand too relaxed when she catches the ball can also be harmful. The player could injure herself because the impact from the ball could actually hit her glove hard enough to hit herself, as a result. Having knowledge of how to hold the glove and how to properly catch, prevents the player from sustaining major
The big question for people who don’t play this question is really, what is softball? Softball is a little bit more modified version of baseball but softball is played on a smaller field,with a larger ball, played with 7 innings instead of 9 and with underarm pitch in a circular motion. Now that we know what the basic part of softball is let’s talk about the equipment. The equipment used to play softball is a bat about waist level give or
The Physics of the Curve Ball Dad said that one of these days I would figure it out, but to this day I am still clueless. I have always been able to throw a decent curve ball; you don’t just throw 6 one hit games in your high school career without one. I have always wondered why and how the ball curves through the air, and it wasn’t until now that I have really had the chance to research a topic that has puzzled me for so long. I would bet that even pitchers in the “Big show” don’t know how or why, but they obviously have the talent and ability. I don’t know when the first curveball was thrown or who threw it, but there is a lot of controversy out there about whether or not the curveball really exists.
Torque is another key ingredient to a good power hitter, or even a good hitter. Torque is the result of two forces being applied to an object in opposite directions. In this case the two forces are being applied from the hands and wrists onto the bat. As you start your swing, instead of moving your hands directly at the ball, you want your hands to start a rotation. The top hand begins to move backwards while the lead arm drives the end of the bat towards the ball. The torque invloved is created around the point of the bat that lies between your hands. This torque greatly accelerates the head of the bat which will have act with a greater force when (or if ) it comes into contact with the ball.
Texas Tech has proven that hitting a softball is way harder to hit than a baseball. A softball pitcher is very close to you at the pitcher's mound. If you are in the batter's box it feels like they are right on top of you especially since most softball pitchers can be up to about 6 feet in height. It is scientifically proven that a softball player has less time to react to the ball because of the distance and speed of the pitch. Also, softball pitchers not only throw hard, but they also throw tricky pitches to hit. The pitch that rises upwards is called a rise ball. When this pitch comes in, most coaches will say just let it go instead of risking this pitch. Baseball players throw breaking balls, but unlike in softball they don't suddenly leap up right as you're going to swing at it. Pitchers in softball can also throw a curve ball that curves away from the batter but still in the strike zone. A screw ball moves closer to the batter. Same as a curve ball it is still in the strike zone just right on the edge of it. Softball players throw many more change ups than in baseball. Change ups catch the player off guard causing them to swing and become frustrated with themselves. As you can tell softball pitchers don't mess around using every inch of the plate to pitch the ball and strike the batter
While some people prefer the slower action of softball, others prefer the faster action of baseball. The game of baseball is male dominated because many males prefer the faster, harder baseball since it makes the game more of a challenge. On the other hand, both males and females play softball which uses a larger ball, that is slower pitched and, therefore, easier to hit. Many players feel that softball is safer than baseball because it does not involve a hardball travelling at high speeds at the batter.
The researcher has chosen to write this paper on hitting because she has played softball for twelve years and the perfect softball swing has always eluded her. The softball swing is one of the most difficult softball skills to achieve greatness in. There are a number of great hitters all with different batting stances and styles, each one comfortable to them. There are many different tactics and coaching ideas out there to help improve hitting. In fact, there are several videos now on the market to help the softball player perform better. Coaches often teach hitting drills to improve batting techniques and ability. Confidence is an important factor in hitting. If the player lacks confidence then she will not be a good hitter. Softball is not only a physical game but a mental game.
It’s a Sunday afternoon and the whole family is over at grandmother’s house playing a fun game of pickup baseball until they realize they do not know how to hit a baseball. Luckily it is a rather simple process that can easily be taught and learned.
Baseball is a fascinating sport that is exceptionally fun to play. This assignment is all about understanding the physics of a few key aspects of this sport. One might ask what physics could have to do with baseball? Like most sports baseball involves physical motion. Baseball encompasses all three planes of motion through throwing, hitting, and fielding. All of the classical laws of mechanics can be applied to understand the physics of this game.
Now if you're anything like me, you know that when you start a sport for the first time. You have questions like my first question, “what in the world is softball”. Well now that I am a”softball”player I can tell you all there is to know about softball. Softball is a game between two teams with two sections to the field in field and outfield. There is the pitcher, the catcher, 1st,2nd,and3rd baseman, shortstop, and left,right,and center field.
Throwing a baseball is a lot like throwing any other object. Children grow up throwing things around the house, and it very similar to how you throw a baseball. From a young age, I grew up throwing objects around the house. My father was smart enough to recognize this trend and sign me up for baseball later on when I was much older. To throw a baseball you first need to understand the shape of the object. The baseball has seams around the circumference which are placed around the outer edges of the baseball for added grip. Before we get into the types of pitches and grips, we need to understand the arm and body movement. The movement of your body and arms happens in many steps that follow a fluid form to increase accuracy
The importance of softball in my life goes unnoticed by others, but I owe everything I am to this sport. I am an organized, cooperative woman who does not let failures affect my work ethic. Although my friends and family do not give my softball career much credit, I am confident that the lessons I’ve taken away from this sport have proficiently prepared me to step up to the plate and score a successful
First off, the knuckle ball. It is called the hardest pitch to hit. A pitch that seemingly floats like a butterfly and then magically drops into the strike zone, dumbfounding the batter and almost always resulting in a strike out. But how is this pitch actually thrown? The name of the pitch essentially entails how the pitch is thrown, the pitcher curls his fingers into his hand, placing the knuckles of his fingers on the ball, and releasing the ball in this manner and fashion. But why does this work? It comes down to the position of the laces. By throwing the ball off the pitcher’s knuckles, the ball exhibits no spin throughout the entire duration of the pitch. This allows different lift forces within the air is passes to exert themselves upon the ball. By doing this, the ball is subject to different planar movements as a result of different lift forces manifesting themselves upon the baseball that is thrown. In a simplistic explanation, this is why a knuckle ball “knuckles” as it is thrown.
I had played softball in P.E. enough to know the basics…or so I thought. I stood there leaning against my bat listening to Coach McGownd talk. As he talked I began absorbing everything he said. Gone were the days of simply stepping up to the plate to hit. Now, each at bat had a purpose and guidelines to follow in order to maximize the batters chance of successfully hitting the ball. There was so much information—proper stance, proper mechanics, how to set up in the batters box based on what you wanted to do (i.e. bunt, pull the ball, hit opposite, slap hit), and so much more. When Coach McGownd finished giving us our instructions, we shuffled off to our assigned station and began doing our assigned drills. I happily watched as the older, more experienced players took their swings. The sweet pinging of the metal bats against the balls and laughter blanketed the field. I patiently waited as the older players took their turns. When my turn came I picked up my bat, stepped up to the tee and followed along as my brain got its clipboard out and started checking off each step I had just learned. I took my swing and was awarded with a nice popping sound as I made contact with the ball. I knew then, that this sound of the bat making contact with a ball would become one of my favorite sounds. I continued to rotate through the drills enjoying the repetitiveness of the task. Time passed by quickly as I got lost in the
A bat can bend in different ways. For example, if you were to place each end of a bat on a brick and stand on the bat in the middle, then the bat would bend in the middle. That bend in the middle hi where the ball should be hit.
There is aspects of physics in almost every aspect of volleyball. Volleyball also follows the three laws of motion provided from Sir Isaac Newton.