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The Slider
In this example the lift on the wiffleball at 60 mph is estimated.
Given:
Velocity= 60mph= 88 ft/s
Pitching distance = 42 ft
Estimited break (visual)on pitch= 4 ft
Find: Lift created by wiffleball
First find the travel time of the ball:
(42 ft)/(88 ft/s)= .477 seconds
The ball is thrown with the holes on the right side of the ball
(for a righthanded pitcher) at an unknown arm angle.
First, find the acceleration needed to make the ball break 4 ft.
X=Xo+at^2, 42=a(.477s)^2
a=17.58 ft/s^2
This image shows the vector equilivents. The 32 (ft/s^2) down is gravity, The 17.58 (ft/s^2) to the left on the x direction is the observed
curve on the ball. And the red vector is the acceleration the the ball creates.
The math above shows that the acceleration created by the uneven pressures is
36.5 (ft/s^2) at angle of 28.79 degrees (Almost sidearm). The value of 36.5 (ft/s^2)
can now be used to estimate other pitches.
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