quote:
Originally posted by algae:
Is it really possible to have a fastball rise?According to several studies it is impossible for the fast ball to rise. It would defy the laws of physics
There was a time in the late 30's that scientists thought they had proven that a curve ball was an optical illusion also.
Think about a hard slider, with late movement. The actual break on the ball occurs late because of a high rate of spin and the fact that it's thrown hard.
If you have a high rate of spin on a fastball, launched at a downward angle of 7-8 degrees, the "lift" generated by the tight spin would not not take effect until the ball had significantly decreased in velocity (degrades at 1 MPH/7 feet of travel). That may cause a sudden shift in the downward degree of travel to 2-3 degrees for a moment, giving an appearance of a "hop" or "lift" on the ball. It's still moving down, but the tight spin does have an effect because of the Mangus effect.