Why does my curve/slider travel faster than my straight pitch?
The reason that many people can throw a curve faster than a simple
straight pitch is because it creats less drag. When the holes are lined
as in a curve, riser, sinker, etc... there is only ~85% of the cross
sectional area. Some of the air will pass directly through the ball without
acting against the ball. Therefor, the ball will "cut" through the air
better.
Why does scuffing have more surface area?
The cuts and groves in the ball do add a little surface area, but mainly
it grips the air better, increasing drag, magnifying break and decreasing
the velocity.
Why can't I throw my riser into the wind? (for strikes)
When the wind is acting against the ball more lift is created. Any
pitches break will be magnified. For a riser, more lift will cause the
ball to rise more. Some of the ball energy is used to do this, so it will
slow down. The slower the ball travel, the more time the ball will be in
the air, which will give it more time to rise. This will continue untill
the ball is almost stoped and drops.
