Role of Physics in Sports

1194 Words3 Pages

The motions of throwing, batting, and fielding will be presented in physics terms and ideas. Physics plays a big role in sports. One particular sport is softball, where we will be seeing different motions represented.

First, we are going to look at the two different types of throwing. There is the regular over-hand throw and there is also the pitching style. When looking at the regular over-hand throw and the pitching style of throwing, many of the same concepts apply to both. In pitching, there are three main issues involved. One is travel speed, another is rotational spin, and the last issue is direction of the spin. Newton’s Third Law of Physics, which is with every action there is an opposite and equal reaction, applies to the speed the ball travels when it is pitched and also thrown. The power of a pitch comes when the leg muscles push into the ground and the ground returns that power like a spring. The key in this motion is that the body’s weight, the center of gravity, and balance must remain on or over the drive leg as it pivots and opens the body (Redmer). The pitching wind-up for a pitcher is called the sequential summation of movement. This movement is different for different people. Some girls have a wind up where they bring the ball down towards the ground and come back up in a fluid-like motion. Others have a wind-up where they hit their thigh of their pitching leg. Many people think that this is just to distract the batter and there are some pitchers who make a grunting noise, and some people say this is a distraction mechanism also. Two other aspects of throwing that are pretty important are grip and release point. Grip is very important because a softball has raised seams. When the ball is rotating through the ai...

... middle of paper ...

...to play. The ball steadily slows down until it is fielded because of the inertia. If the ball is hot in the air but bounces on the ground before the person fields it, then they would have to be sure to watch and calculate the projectile motion and how the ball spins on the ground. To be a good fielder, one has to be consciously aware of how the ball will move and to what direction it will be coming off the bat. They need to be able to calculate the speed the ball is coming and if it is going to bounce or curve.

As shown, many physics concepts can be related to sports. Batting is a perfect example of Newton’s 3rd Law, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Throwing represents torque and a lever arm. Fielding shows examples of Newton’s 1st Law, the law of inertia. There are many other concepts that can be related to softball; these are just a few.

Show More
Related

  • Softball Informative Speech

    929 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Physics of Baseball

    1526 Words  | 4 Pages

    A good batter will use almost all of these rotational and torque energies either before or durning contact with the ball. After contact your body is relaxed and its remaining motion is smooth, this extra motion is caused by the momentum of the bat pulling the arms up and through.Your follow through is also very important, even though the ball has already been hit it is ideal that you complete your swing so that you're not thrown off balance by that extra momentum when you start to run.

    Read More

  • Softball Is Harder Than Baseball Essay

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Baseball versus Softball

    341 Words  | 1 Pages

    The rules of baseball and softball are extremely complex, so only the basics are necessary to distinguish the sports. In both sports the primary rule is to advance the runner around the bases to home plate when the ball is hit. In baseball stealing the bases is another way to advance the runner, but this is not permitted in softball because the ball must be hit before a runner can leave the base. Baseball requires nine innings to complete a game, and softball only requires seven. The softball player is out if the last hit is a foul ball, while the baseball player stays at the plate until another strike is called or hits successfully. As one can see, a player that switches games must familiarize himself with the difference in the rules to succeed.

    Read More

  • The Softball Swing

    2506 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Book Report on Baseball: A History of America's Game by Benjamin G. Rader

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    Baseball has been of the longest living sports in our world today. The game started with the idea of a stick and ball and now has become one of the most complex sports known in our society. Several rules and regulations have been added to help enhance the game for everyone. Although baseball has endured several issues during its history and development of the game the game has still been a success throughout the world.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Essay On Softball

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    Baseballs require a coat of white leather stitched with red seams to cover the nine-inch circumference and 2.8 inch diameter. They are easy enough for a child to hold. Also, a baseball weighs only five ounces, which is like holding a deck of cards. Because a baseball is lighter and easier to hold, baseball players have better control of the ball. When I played little league baseball, I never witnessed any teammates suffer from being hit by a baseball. In that sense playing baseball does not create much of a risk of

    Read More

  • Physics of Baseball

    1477 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Baseball As A Mental Game: The Dangers Of Baseball

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    A dedicated baseball player shows up ready to play and succeed in whatever situation may arise. Baseball is a mental game, and concentration is key to keeping a player mentally prepared. Baseball is both a fast and slow sport, as it is slow between pitches, but very intense during them. During pitches, it is a players time to regroup and think of all the situations that could arise during the next pitch. During the play, everything happens fast, and there is no time to think about what to do, it is all instinct, so the ability to avoid mental errors is crucial.

    Read More

  • How To Pitch

    417 Words  | 1 Pages

    The most common off speed pitch is a curve ball because it has a lot of movement if it is thrown correctly. To throw this pitch you use the same wind up but when you get to the point of throwing the ball, instead of throwing it regularly you snap your wrist to make the ball spin. In order to get a lot of movement you have to throw the ball with a little bit less velocity. It is important to be able to throw a curve ball while pitching.

    Read More

  • How To Throw A Baseball Essay

    698 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Demonstration Speech: How to Play Baseball

    624 Words  | 2 Pages

    A team of players usually ranges from ten to forty players depending on how many people join the squad. The field consists of nine players on defense, as well as one batter at the plate playing offense. Of those nine players on the field, three play deep in the outfield (right, left, and center) who look to catch a ball hit in the air and get it back to the infield as quickly and efficiently as possible; if the ball drops then their goal is to hurry to the ball and get it back to the infield as quickly and efficiently as possible before the runner (after the ball is hit and the player gets on base because the ball wasn’t caught in the air, his title changes from a batter/hitter into a runner) advances to the next base.

    Read More

  • The Baseball Of Baseball : America 's Pastime

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Its America’s pastime. Since 1869, the MLB has been the sweetheart of American sports. A requisite to be a true American is to have a conceptual understanding of baseball; the seventh inning stretch, “Take Me Out To The Ball Game,” as well as hotdogs and warm summer nights at the ball park are all favorite memories of American pastime. However, what one might not realize is the extreme physics behind the game. The velocity of the pitch, and degree of the ball exiting the bat, the exit speed, and how an outfielder throws are entailed within the physics of baseball. It is important to understand the physics involved with baseball to grow in understanding and appreciation of the sport.

    Read More

  • Aluminum Bat vs. Wood Bat

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    The bat affects the bounce factor time and position of the bat at what the swing speed is at a maximum. the rotation of the ball is on an axis perpendicular to the direction of travel. You have a bigger probability of getting out hen you are to get a signal and an walk. but you have a better chance at getting a home run than a double in baseball it can compare it to the hitting of the ...

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Baseball And Softball

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    Baseball is a very well known sport and often known as “America’s pastime” and softball is highly similar, but with a few key differences. Many people just assume that the sport of baseball is more difficult than softball, but don’t actually know the specific parts of each of the two. Also, if you’ve never played one or the other sport, you shouldn’t be assuming anything at all in the first place. Although many assume one may be harder than the other, baseball and softball both have particular factors which make them both complex in their own way.

    Read More

More about Role of Physics in Sports

Open Document