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. I have done quite a bit of independent research in both areas. See more ideas about basketball, physics and sports. As the subhead on the cover states, backspin is one players journey from the u. Nov 19, 2006 youll even learn how to shatter the backboard, if thats something youve always dreamed of doing. The engineers used a mens basketball for the study. Nov 03, 2009 a little bit of physics and a lot of practice can make everyone a better shooter from the freethrow line. 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. 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. Shop for books at and browse categories like young adult books, childrens books, mystery books, adult coloring books and cook books. In classical mechanics books, bouncing ball physics problems are often modeled as being elastic. Fontanella, shows how you can improve your game if you take advice from isaac newton. Shoot basketballs out of your cannon as you try to get at least one ball into each basket.
Basketball is a game of trajectories, which means theres a formula for the perfect free throw. Shooting hoops is great fun, and a basketball game can be very exciting. It seems they have corrected the excessive backspin with the long irons. The fundamentals of many sports are the accumulated wisdom of experience. The theory and science of basketball health education, physical education, and recreation series. Ball spin in flight when a ball is hit in tennis, spin is often imparted on it to affect its trajectory and bounce.
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. 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. Dissecting the physics of basketball bank shots wired. It turns out that interesting physical concepts come to light by looking closely at aspects of the game such as shooting mechanics, the use of backspin, or spinning with the ball close to your body. When a player jumps in the air they can appear to be suspended in midair during the high point of the jump. This suggest that while taking a shot putting spins on the ball is. The physics of a three point shot the university physics. 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. Jumping for the ball, or leaping for a slam dunk, the human body follows the same laws of projectile motion as do other objects. Basketball games on tv always include slowmotion clips of the ball spinning backwards as it flies toward the rim, but why is that spin important. Why is putting rotation on a basketball when you shoot. This will cause the ball to rise and travel farther. The physics of basketball essay 1950 words bartleby. Two north carolina state university engineers have figured out the best way to shoot a free throw a frequently underappreciated skill that.
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. Aug 31, 2017 putting a bit of backspin on a jump shot gives it a better chance of going in, thanks to physics. The physics of passing a basketball by ashley aeschliman on prezi. The physics of kicking a soccer ball shael brown grade 8. 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. The different masses of the balls effects the weight of the pass, because of the gravity and the different masses. Thanks to the magnus effect, this basketball does something. Gravity, drag force, magnus force, and buoyant force. The anatomy of the free throw basketball games often come down to a maddening exchange of free throws. Shooting a basketball underhand gives your shot far better arc and spin. 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.
Eighteen male basketball players 7 guards, 8 forwards, 3 centers from six serbian senior teams were tested. A video showing how the magnus effect is applied to a basketball with backspin has gone viral with more than 5. It has a rate at which it is spinning backwards called backspin, and it has. Drop a basketball from a height, youve got a few flights of stairs to descend to retrieve it and you might even owe an apology to an angry passerby. Why is putting rotation on a basketball when you shoot good. I refer directly to the article physics of basketball by peter j. It landed, and then proceeded to spin back between 20 and 25 feet. But youre not going to use a math book in the middle of a game, nerd. Putting a bit of backspin on a jump shot gives it a better chance of going. 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. I am also heavily involved with several areas of practical interest to the game.
In this project, youll measure shooting percentage when players shoot baskets from chest height, chin height, and over the head. A basketball computer program simulates millions of trajectories in. Shooting a basketball with backspin has proved to be a. The main contributors are shibakuwa 1975, brancazio 1981, tan and miller 1981. Newtons 2nd law citations friction wmg and fma there are two different size balls. The term used by most basketball connoisseurs to describe the trajectory at which the basketball flies through the air is arch.
The 94fifty basketball sensor was used to obtain the kinematic parameters of the jump. In sports, there are many different motions that have are related to physics. Basketball physics play free basketball physics games online. Shooting a basketball is one of those things we attribute to years of practice. The main contributors are shibakuwa 1975, brancazio 1981, tan. 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. 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. Several aspects of a bouncing balls behaviour serve as an introduction to mechanics in high school or undergraduate level physics courses.
The physics of basketball essay 1832 words 8 pages. 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. Drain three pointers, slam dunk easily, and sink that buzz. The physics of a bouncing ball concerns the physical behaviour of bouncing balls, particularly its motion before, during, and after impact against the surface of another body. Could the physics of free throws have won the cavs the. Altogether, it was hard to put down until i was finished reading. The physics of kicking a soccer ball mathematics shed. 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. Backspin on the ball helps the ball bounce forward into the net after coming in contact with the rim or backboard. Shooting a basketball with backspin has proved to be a reliable method. This site intends to bring to you basic explanations of the physics involved in basketball.
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. Putting a bit of backspin on a jump shot gives it a better chance of going in, thanks to physics. In other words, it is assumed that the kinetic energy of the ball is conserved before and after the bounce. 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. A ball the strikes the rim and then stops has good backspin. Fontanella has identified the four forces that affect the trajectory of a basketball. The physics of freethrow shooting november 3, 2009 mick kulikowski pay attention, shaq. 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. Forces acting on a basketball in flight there are four main forces acting upon a basketball in flight. Dec 12, 20 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. According to darrick flores, there are two types of shots. At best, a ball can only be nearly elastic, such as a superball.
Its more than just a clever reference for fans of college basketball in the us. The three most common ways to hit a tennis ball are flat no spin, with topspin, or sliced hit with underspin backspin. When an object is spinning and bounces off something, it will have a tendency to bounce in the direction of the spin. The theory and science of basketball health education, physical education, and recreation series cooper, john miller on. This book is the authoritative reference on the physics of basketball its a clearly explained and.
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. Jul 17, 2015 a video showing how the magnus effect is applied to a basketball with backspin has gone viral with more than 5. John fontanella in the first chapter of his book the physics of basketball paid link claims to have identified the final four. An excellent physics paper on the physics of backspin, layups, and other fun stuff. Most people who study the physics of basketball get deep into the art of shooting, passing, and dribbling instead of actually playing the sport. Which was reprinted from american journal of physics 49, 356365 1981. Kinematic differences between set and jumpshot motions. Nathana department of physics, university of illinois, urbana, illinois 61801.
With backspin, if the ball hits the rim or backboard, the contact deadens. Pete has worked with both of them at his basketball skills academy, the scoring factory. Bouncing the ball on the ground, passing to your teammate, and shooting at the goal all depend on physics, math and the laws of motion. For example, jumping, running, and kicking all contain a different part of physics. If you put backspin on a ball, the air will go faster over the ball with more pressure underneath.
Jun 07, 2018 basketball games on tv always include slowmotion clips of the ball spinning backwards as it flies toward the rim, but why is that spin important. 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 a way, a game like basketball is a physics geeks delight. Drain three pointers, slam dunk easily, and sink that buzzer beater from half court with the help of simple science. Can studying the laws of physics help you be a better basketball player. Also, because backspin shots tend to bounce less far forward once they reach the opposite court, they may be more difficult to attack. My kids are in high school and middle school, and each want to read backspin disclosure. 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. A brief explanation of the physics behind the backspin that basketball players are taught to put on their shots, with some assistance from a.
But that would be a very limited description of a book that is part autobiography, part motivational text, and entirely entertaining and enjoyable. Nov 08, 2009 a little bit of physics and a lot of practice can make everyone a better shooter from the freethrow line. Forces acting on a basketball in flight physics of. Physics of basketball backspin backspin is used by players to improve their chances of getting the basketball into the net. It is a force that acts always vertically on the basketball, as the earth pulls it. As you read, relive some of the great moments in the gamethis time with a scientist and diehard basketball fan as your color analyst. The most dominant force acting on a basketball in flight is gravity. 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. Backspin creates something physicists know as the magnus effect.
There are many aspects to the physics of basketball. Science has calculated the perfect basketball shot. Previous simulation studies of the basketball shot considered trajectories launched from general locations on the court, as well as from the free throw line, while apparently no detailed studies of the bank shot have been conducted. Welcome to my site devoted to research on the physics of baseball. Basketball physics is a funaddicting, one button, 2 player basketball game by. Backspin definition is a backward rotary motion of a ball.
Here are 5 things you didnt know about the physics of basketball. At some point the upward vector strike will cause more friction than the friction seen with. The anatomy of the free throw ncaa basketball march madness. Did you know that basketball players are trained to shoot from their fingertips, not from their palms. Naval academy and author of the physics of basketball, explains the role of physics in basketball, from foul shots to sidearm passes.
The physics of basketball basketball isn t as easy as people depict it to be. And that has another advantage because when a ball with back spin hits. In basketball, projectile motion and backspin are different parts of physics. 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. We asked the experts how to get the mechanics and angles for a.
The backspin of a basketball is also argued to be important as a teaching element to reproduce the same shot through muscle memory. Backspin, by pete strobl, is a fascinating book that is part basketball, part memoir, and part motivational. Problem b abstractaccurately predicting the trajectory of a spinning basketball through air and as it interacts with a rim. Brown physics textbooks introductory physics i and ii a lecture note style textbook series intended to support the teaching of introductory physics, with calculus, at a. The goal of this project is to determine if the balls starting position for shooting a basketball affects a players shooting percentage. The most common area of basketball to which physics is applied is the act of shooting a basketball. Nathana department of physics, university of illinois, urbana, illinois 61801 received 27 june 2007. 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.
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