In the book the physics of basketball, the author, john fantanella, explains the magnus effect, the backspin which gives the ball a little bit of. Drain three pointers, slam dunk easily, and sink that buzzer beater from half court with the help of simple science. This book explains everything there is about baseball physics. John fontanella in the first chapter of his book the physics of basketball paid link claims to have identified the final four. As you read, relive some of the great moments in the gamethis time with a scientist and diehard basketball fan as your color analyst. A ball coming in without spin that hits the front of the rim and bounces will continue on at high speed and hit the backboard at high speed, and most likely bounce back out over the front of the rim, with no chance to fall through a brick. The term used by most basketball connoisseurs to describe the trajectory at which the basketball flies through the air is arch.
Fontanella talked about how the physics of kinesthetic memory, putting a spin on the ball, and hang time all contribute to a perfect jump shot. Other fastballs, such as the twoseam and cutter, are thrown with spin, but are moving too fast for the magnus effect to change their position drastically. The physics of basketball essay 1832 words 8 pages. Oct 03, 20 there isnt one correct way to shoot a basketball, but there are certain elements of a basketball shooting form common to all good basketball shooters that may be identified, tarkanian, 2012. More from coach fisher john fontanellas groundbreaking book, the physics of basketball, changed my thinking. There will be an ideal rotation rate in radians per second on a jump shot from the free throw line that correlates to a greater accuracy on an individual basis. A ball with backspin distorts the airflow and causes the air pressure below the. This is useful for players who bounce the ball off the backboard, or the back of the net. Jan 01, 1990 the physics of baseball third edition is a well thought out and tested book. Nathana department of physics, university of illinois, urbana, illinois 61801. Jul 17, 2015 a video showing how the magnus effect is applied to a basketball with backspin has gone viral with more than 5. Well, thats a whole different story, as you can see in the latest. That means that a shot hitting the front bit of the rim with spin comes off a little more slowly than it otherwise wouldve.
Its a playground where you can apply physics principles to try and get some added insight to the game. The loft angle is the angle between the club head face and the vertical plane, and the driving distance is the distance the ball travels through the. An excellent physics paper on the physics of backspin, layups, and other fun stuff. The goal of this project is to determine if the balls starting position for shooting a basketball affects a players shooting percentage. My kids are in high school and middle school, and each want to read backspin disclosure. I believe that anyone who reads backspin will enjoy it too. This book is the authoritative reference on the physics of basketball its a clearly explained and. Most people who study the physics of basketball get deep into the art of shooting, passing, and dribbling instead of actually playing the sport. While a normal hit bounces well forward as well as up, backspin shots bounce higher and less forward. The anatomy of the free throw basketball games often come down to a maddening exchange of free throws.
But what happens if you give it a little backspin before you let go. Kinematic differences between set and jumpshot motions. Bouncing ball physics is an interesting subject of analysis, demonstrating several interesting dynamics principles related to acceleration, momentum, and energy. Consequently, the phenomenon is important in the study of the physics of many ball sports. Pete has worked with both of them at his basketball skills academy, the scoring factory. It would be simple to say that pete strobls book, backspin, describes his experiences as a college basketball player at niagara university and nine years playing professional basketball in europe. Backspin did you know that basketball players are trained to shoot from their fingertips, not from their palms. Two north carolina state university engineers have figured out the best way to shoot a free throw a frequently underappreciated skill that.
Could the physics of free throws have won the cavs the finals. Lets play a little game called what happens when you drop a basketball off the top of a 126. Its the big drive that leads off almost every hole. This suggest that while taking a shot putting spins on the ball is. Youve got the interplay of projectile motion and collisions, energy and momentum, and so on. Science has calculated the perfect basketball shot. The difference between getting a friendly bounce on the rim and the ball clanking off for a miss could often be the amount of backspin you put on the basketball when you shoot it. Backspin on the ball helps the ball bounce forward into the net after coming in contact with the rim or backboard. The physics of freethrow shooting november 3, 2009 mick kulikowski pay attention, shaq. Apr 01, 2010 most of us would think that this type of book would be quite boring, but i found it to be quite the opposite. So, a player who can jump 4 feet vertically will have a hang time of around a second, with half a second spent in the high part of the jump. This is the magnus effect, where the descending, spinning basketball drags air around it, forming areas of lower pressure and high pressure, causing it to swerve away.
As a huge basketball fan, i had always been interested in science behind basketball. Fisher teaches a physicsbased methodology, which allows you to find your best shot. When an object is spinning and bounces off something, it will have a tendency to bounce in the direction of the spin. The 94fifty basketball sensor was used to obtain the kinematic parameters of the jump. At some point the upward vector strike will cause more friction than the friction seen with. Drain three pointers, slam dunk easily, and sink that buzz. Jul 15, 2015 backspin basketball flies off dam veritasium.
As i wrote last summer, it has to do with the bounce of the ball. The magnus effect is an observable phenomenon that is commonly associated with a spinning. Basketball physics play free basketball physics games online. The video clip from science video maker veritasium features efforts by the australian trick basketball team how ridiculous to make a basket by dropping a ball off the gordon dam. A backspin shot is also useful for defensive shots because a backspin shot takes longer to travel to the opponent, giving the defender more time to get back into position. The physics of basketball introduction any child can pick up a basketball, bounce it a few times, and throw it at the hoop without realizing the complex physics he is involving himself in. Here youll find current best sellers in books, new releases in books, deals in books, kindle ebooks, audible audiobooks, and so much more.
The engineers used a mens basketball for the study. A video showing how the magnus effect is applied to a basketball with backspin has gone viral with more than 5. Backspin produces an upwards force that prolongs the flight of a moving ball. The books homepage helps you explore earths biggest bookstore without ever leaving the comfort of your couch. Everywhere from running, fielding, bat physics, hitting, and most interestingly, pitching. Backspin creates something physicists know as the magnus effect. In the book the physics of basketball, the author, john fantanella, explains the magnus effect, the backspin which gives the ball a little bit of lift. According to the book the physics of basketball, the author john fontanella pointed out that the backspin one puts on the ball while releasing it. Eighteen male basketball players 7 guards, 8 forwards, 3 centers from six serbian senior teams were tested. Aug 31, 2017 putting a bit of backspin on a jump shot gives it a better chance of going in, thanks to physics.
Physics of basketball backspin backspin is used by players to improve their chances of getting the basketball into the net. In a way, a game like basketball is a physics geeks delight. With photographs and simple high school formulas, physics professor fontanellawho played in college against pittsburgh and syracusereveals the key pieces of physics that underscore basketball. Physics is something heavy to deal with, even more when a ball and a basket come in the mix, so you better put on your baller clothes, step right onto the field and throw that ball in the air until you score. Altogether, it was hard to put down until i was finished reading. This explains why a basketball player appears to hang during the jump. As the subhead on the cover states, backspin is one players journey from the u. Basketball is a game of trajectories, which means theres a formula for the perfect free throw. Almost everybody, at some point in their lives, has bounced a rubber ball. Problem b abstractaccurately predicting the trajectory of a spinning basketball through air and as it interacts with a rim.
In the book the physics of basketball, the author, john fantanella, explains the magnus effect, the backspin which gives the ball a little bit of lift allowing for the slowest possible speed and a. A brief explanation of the physics behind the backspin that basketball players are taught to put on their shots, with some assistance from a. Jul 09, 2014 backspin is a highly entertaining memoir of basketball player pete strobl a scholarship athlete turned professional, playing for several european leagues between the years 2000 and 2008. So, what is the reason for backspin on a basketball shot.
The physics of a three point shot the university physics. But that would be a very limited description of a book that is part autobiography, part motivational text. This direction of spin imparts an upward force that lifts the ball see magnus effect. And that has another advantage because when a ball with back spin hits. The physics of kicking a soccer ball mathematics shed. The physics of kicking a soccer ball shael brown grade 8. Fontanella, shows how you can improve your game if you take advice from isaac newton. Fontanella has identified the four forces that affect the trajectory of a basketball. The backspin points the magnus force up, causing the ball to fall slower than other pitches, imparting the illusion that the ball is rising. Late last summer, i did a post about backspin on basketball shots, and. Jul 12, 2018 the resultthe perfect free throw, according to physicswas to release the ball 7 feet above the ground, at a launch angle of 52 degrees, with 3 hertz of backspin about three and a half total. According to the book the physics of basketball, the author john fontanella pointed out that the backspin one puts on the ball while releasing it allows the ball to travel the slowest possible speed in the air and a. Could the physics of free throws have won the cavs the. Also, because backspin shots tend to bounce less far forward once they reach the opposite court, they may be more difficult to attack.
The science of the perfect golf shot popular mechanics. Which was reprinted from american journal of physics 49, 356365 1981. They also assumed that the basketball player doing the shooting was 6 feet 6 inches tall, and that he released the ball 6 inches above his head. According to darrick flores, there are two types of shots. The reason for that is that if you release a ball from your fingertips, it will automatically have backspin. I refer directly to the article physics of basketball by peter j. Mar 25, 2014 in the book the physics of basketball, the author, john fantanella, explains the magnus effect, the backspin which gives the ball a little bit of lift allowing for the slowest possible speed and a. Its more than just a clever reference for fans of college basketball in the us. Jumping for the ball, or leaping for a slam dunk, the human body follows the same laws of projectile motion as do other objects. Dec, 2012 a good jump shot typically has a good amount of backspin so that if the ball were to ricochet off the backboard it would come off at a downward angle into the hoop. Most basketball players shoot with some backspin, but sometimes not enough. Science has calculated the perfect basketball shot gizmodo. Why is putting rotation on a basketball when you shoot. The physics of basketball basketball isn t as easy as people depict it to be.
Why is putting rotation on a basketball when you shoot good. There are many aspects to the physics of basketball. Shooting a basketball with backspin has proved to be a reliable method. Problem b abstractaccurately predicting the trajectory of a spinning basketball through air and as it interacts with a rim and a backboard, poses several interesting problems.
Can studying the laws of physics help you be a better basketball player. The physics of golf optimal loft angle of golf club head it is an interesting physics problem to determine the optimal loft angle of a golf club head in order to maximize the driving distance. This will cause the ball to rise and travel farther. Dissecting the physics of basketball bank shots wired. Oct 01, 2014 unless a golfer strikes the golf ball with a tangent vector in an upward direction that somehow supersedes the physics inherent in the backspin equation. In the book the physics of basketball, author john fantanella, explains that the magnus effect is when backspin gives the ball a little lift allowing for the slowest possible speed, creating a dip in elevation and a less violent rebound off the backboard or rim. Fontanella used physics to calculate the exact launch angle for players of different height. The physics of basketball the johns hopkins university press 2006 this book is the authoritative reference on the physics of basketball its a clearly explained and delightfully empirically zealous take on the subject. If you put backspin on a ball, the air will go faster over the ball with more pressure underneath. Putting a bit of backspin on a jump shot gives it a better chance of going. The most common area of basketball to which physics is applied is the act of shooting a basketball.
In this book we get to see many of the nbas best players at work and find out the physics of the sport as we go. At some point the upward vector strike will cause more friction than the friction seen with the ball riding the face and thus top spin could be a reality. Sep, 2015 according to the book the physics of basketball, the author john fontanella pointed out that the backspin one puts on the ball while releasing it allows the ball to travel the slowest possible speed in the air and a less violent rebound when it hits the board or the rim. How it works, and found that to be of high interest as well. Unless a golfer strikes the golf ball with a tangent vector in an upward direction that somehow supersedes the physics inherent in the backspin equation. Backspin, by pete strobl, is a fascinating book that is part basketball, part memoir, and part motivational. In racquet sports and golf, backspin also known in racket sports as slice or underspin, is a shot such that the ball rotates backwards as though rolling back towards the player after it is hit. The physics of baseball third edition is a well thought out and tested book. Backspin definition is a backward rotary motion of a ball. The anatomy of the free throw ncaa basketball march madness.
Your number one goal is to move the ball as far as you possibly can and in the straightest direction. The backspin of a basketball is also argued to be important as a teaching element to reproduce the same shot through muscle memory. It is very descriptive and should be in the hands of baseball players everywhere. Basketball physics is a funaddicting, one button, 2 player basketball game by. The fundamentals of many sports are the accumulated wisdom of experience. Nov 19, 2006 youll even learn how to shatter the backboard, if thats something youve always dreamed of doing. We asked the experts how to get the mechanics and angles for a. Strobls passion for the sport and his gift for writing make the book a great read for all audiences, though the experiences strobl shares about playing as a college athlete and his journey after. Basketball tips portable basketball hoop tips basketball. Published on jun 7, 2018 a brief explanation of the physics behind the backspin that basketball players are taught to put on their shots, with some assistance from a couple of union college players.