Busting Baseball Myths: Scientist Throws Big Curveballs

[Tavish]

Good read!

A lot of people could learn a thing or two from reading that article.....hint....no such thing as a rising fastball when thrown overhand.

They (they being the scientific community) used to say the "a curveball is an optical illusion". I remember letting loose some throws from the OF in my high school days that certainly seemed to take off and rise.

[RynMan]

I thought these points were already known.....stupid scientist.

[Mookie4ever]

Because of its straight trajectory, many hitters have an easier time hitting a four-seam, 100-mph fastball than a lively curveball.

Billy Koch says damn visual psychophysics and damn you Ken Fuld, baseball enthusiast and visual psychophysicist, damn you to hell.

[Madison]

Good read!

A lot of people could learn a thing or two from reading that article.....hint....no such thing as a rising fastball when thrown overhand.

They (they being the scientific community) used to say the "a curveball is an optical illusion". I remember letting loose some throws from the OF in my high school days that certainly seemed to take off and rise.

Yeah, I threw a few from the outfield that rose as well, but we're talking pitching on this one.

[hybrid]

Thanks for the post knap, an interesting read indeed.

[Lofunzo]

A buddy of mine throws a rising pitch playing whiffle ball (w/ tape on the ball...). it comes in about 6" off the ground and rises up a bit to clip the bottom of the lawn chair we use for the strike zone. It's wicked to hit. Somebody else had been pitching and he switched over to pitch and it was pretty much 'check out time' for our bats.

Tell your buddy to keep practicing because you don't need tape. Balls that have been scuffed move a lot more but all that I do is throw it sidearm with the solid half facing up. If you throw the ball properly without turning your wrist over, it should always break the direction that the solid part is facing.

Good read.

[Red Stripe]

What?? No mention of the gyroball?

The concept of the gyroball is awesome. I've never actually seen anybody throw a good one although I'd want to. I've tried to throw it and first off it takes some time to actually throw it the right way because if you've pitched before, muscle memory tells your arm to go towards your body. Secondly, I think you have to throw the ball pretty hard(even though it doesn't have that much velocity once it leaves your hand) to make it break far enough. Those brainy asians think of the coolest things.

[KPucks]

Good read!

A lot of people could learn a thing or two from reading that article.....hint....no such thing as a rising fastball when thrown overhand.

They (they being the scientific community) used to say the "a curveball is an optical illusion". I remember letting loose some throws from the OF in my high school days that certainly seemed to take off and rise.

Asuming you were throwing overhand, that just means you let the ball go before your throwing arm was perpendicular with the ground. It would be impossible in any case to have the ball rise once your arm has passed that point.

[AcidRock23]

Tell your buddy to keep practicing because you don't need tape. Balls that have been scuffed move a lot more but all that I do is throw it sidearm with the solid half facing up. If you throw the ball properly without turning your wrist over, it should always break the direction that the solid part is facing.

Good read.

The tape is actually so that it flies farther when we hit it. This is a highly organized yet chaotic home run derby sort of thing that we do at big BBQ parties while swilling beer, usually aiming the way the wind blows so that we can hit it farther. We also used the pressurized Mark McGwire bat. No baserunning or anything complicated like that, pitching and hitting and occasional spectacular catches.

I will have to try the sidearm thing though, the next time we play!! Thanks for the tip!!

[Lofunzo]

Tell your buddy to keep practicing because you don't need tape. Balls that have been scuffed move a lot more but all that I do is throw it sidearm with the solid half facing up. If you throw the ball properly without turning your wrist over, it should always break the direction that the solid part is facing.

Good read.

The tape is actually so that it flies farther when we hit it. This is a highly organized yet chaotic home run derby sort of thing that we do at big BBQ parties while swilling beer, usually aiming the way the wind blows so that we can hit it farther. We also used the pressurized Mark McGwire bat. No baserunning or anything complicated like that, pitching and hitting and occasional spectacular catches.

I will have to try the sidearm thing though, the next time we play!! Thanks for the tip!!

No problem. Just straddle the center line of the ball with your pointer and middle fingers and keep the center line of the ball parallel with the ground. Throw it completely sidearm. Don't try to guide it. Never tried it with tape, though. Keep that same principle in mind for other pitches. It makes for a great slider and sinker. Throw the sinker the same way but with the solid part facing down. For the slider, just have it facing left (for RHP) and throw it striaght over the top. I give you these tips because I highly doubt that I will ever face you in a game.

We have a bunch of BBQ's. We play wiffleball until it gets dark. At that time, usually well flushed with fluids, we whip out a few spotlights and play until 2-3 A.M. The neighbors just love us.