The Science of Sports

The Science of Sports — page 1

The Science of Sports — page 2 — CHAPTER ONE MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE It's the World Series the bottom of the ninth inning The team at bat is down by one run and there are two outs The count is one ball and two strikes The pitcher winds up and delivers a pitch As he releases the ball he flicks his wrist to spin it During the ball’s flight toward the plate the laces disturb the air This creates high pressure on top of the ball and low pressure below it The ball starts to drop Then Pitchers use the laws of aerodynamics to throw pitches that are difficult for batters to hit 5

The Science of Sports — page 3 — it drops even more The batter takes a swing and misses Strike three The game is over Science has helped the pitcher throw the perfect pitch All sports including baseball depend on the laws of science Athletes are experts at using the laws of science to their advantage even if they do not know they are The sports we love involve more than aerodynamics or how things move through the air They involve many other IN THE REAL WORLD The Physicist Who Studied Tennis Howard Brody was a University of Pennsylvania physicist who loved tennis When oversized rackets were introduced in the 1970s Brody tested them He found the percussion center or sweet spot was closer to the center on larger rackets This made them easier for players to use Brody also proved it was better for rackets to be stiffer and for their strings to be looser than previously thought This created a greater transfer of energy between the racket and the ball The strings stretch more on impact This allows more of the energy to return to the ball 6

The Science of Sports — page 4 — Science can help athletes establish good habits that help them during competition aspects of physics as well as biology chemistry and psychology Chemical Makeup It may seem obvious that biology plays a big role in sports After all biology is the study of living things and athletes are living things That makes their training medical treatment and nutrition all part of the game People who study the biology of sports 7

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