The Science of Sports

From football to baseball to basketball and lacrosse, sports fans have long asked an important question: "How do they do that?" Whether you're watching a pitcher throw a 100-mph fastball or a batter knock it out of the ballpark; whether you're watching Michael Jordan hang in mid-air or Randy Moss land with both feet inbounds; you can't help but wonder about the secrets of the stars. But is there a science to sport?

On September 30, Fox Sports Network (FSN) aired the first episode of "SportScience", a TV show that uses the latest technology to measure impact, velocity, aerodynamics, and more.. The first episode, "Hang Time", examined how basketball players stay in the air while attempting a shot. Using cameras, computers, pressure sensors and accelerometers, "SportScience" identified a player's speed and center of gravity to determine how far the shooter could move and how long he could "hang". So do NBA players really defy gravity? You'll have to watch a re-run to find out.

Don't get FSN but have access to public television? Then you may be able to learn about the science of sports by watching "Exploratorium", a TV show produced by KQED in San Francisco. In one episode, "Exploratorium" analyzes the role of mass, torque, force, velocity, aerodynamics, friction and gravity in throwing a baseball. Want to know how a curveball works? A pitching coach discusses finger pressure, which causes a baseball to spin differently then a normal pitch. Then, scientists behind the scenes examine how a pitcher's movements along with the laws of physics make it all happen.

When pressure and friction are applied in a different way, a baseball breaks off or curves in the direction opposite to the finger that applies the pressure. So how much does the ball curve? It all depends on is the amount of pressure that is applied. Pressure causes the ball to spin with more force (and therefore velocity) on that side, making it curve.

What about a splitter? Why is it a pitch that truly tests a batter's mind? A splitter starts out with all the speed and precision of a fastball until it slows down - and then the bottom drops. Because the hitter has less than half a second to identify the pitch and decide whether to swing, a good splitter can send even the best batter back to the dugout.

Like pitching, hitting is a science. The movement of your hips with your shoulders and arms creates a powerful force which can be applied to the ball from the bat. The speed of your swing as a result of this movement is also an important consideration. Hey, if hitting was easy, baseball players wouldn't be paid millions to do it so well..

From across the fields to over the ice, amazing things are taking place in the world of sports. And with all of these feats, science tells the story. Biomechanics also helps coaches to breakdown athletic form, protecting athletes from injury while improving their game. Thanks to FSN and KQED, science-minded sports fans now have two shows that are truly "TV worth watching".

Resources

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/6841486

http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/view/397

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sauiU4ODGB4

"FSN is the perfect partner as BASE Productions continues to break new ground in our understanding of human performance. Our goals are to develop new insights, to generate stunning, never-before-seen images of athletes in motion, and of course, to further the great debate about the games that we play. That's what SportScience is all about: passion, precision and performance as we've never seen it before."

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