9781422274750

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CHAPTER

THROWING The Science behind Pitching There is a whole lot more to throwing a baseball than just . . . well, throwing the ball. Physics and aerodynamics are part of every pitch. Through these two

scientific concepts, the ball is moved effectively over the 60 feet and 6 inches that stretch between the pitcher’s mound and home plate. During that journey— or any journey for that matter—the forces of lift , drag , and gravity affect the ball. Gravity is a pretty simple concept because it is always bullying the

Pitchers use a windup to get as much velocity on the ball as possible.

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