WEBVTT - In baseball, how does a pitcher throw a curveball?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff from how stuff marks dot com

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<v Speaker 1>where smart Happens. Hi, I'm Marshall Brain with today's question

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<v Speaker 1>in baseball, how does a picture throw a curve ball?

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<v Speaker 1>A successful major league batter it gets a hit only

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<v Speaker 1>about thirty percent of the time he comes to bat.

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<v Speaker 1>But one of the ways pitchers lowered these chances even

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<v Speaker 1>further is by throwing a curveball. A curveball is a

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<v Speaker 1>pitch that appears to be moving straight toward the plate,

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<v Speaker 1>but that is actually moving down and to the right

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<v Speaker 1>or left by several inches. Obviously, a pitch that curves

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<v Speaker 1>is going to be harder to hit than a fastball

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<v Speaker 1>that's moving straight. There are two basic factors involved in

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<v Speaker 1>creating a curveball. First is proper grip, and second is

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<v Speaker 1>air resistance. Any baseball pitch begins with how the picture

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<v Speaker 1>grips the ball. To throw a curveball, a picture hold

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<v Speaker 1>the baseball between his thumb and his index and middle fingers,

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<v Speaker 1>with the middle finger resting on the baseball seam. When

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<v Speaker 1>the picture comes through his motion to throw the ball,

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<v Speaker 1>he snaps his wrists downward as he releases the ball,

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<v Speaker 1>which gives the ball top spin. If the picture throws properly,

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<v Speaker 1>the back of his hand will be facing the batter.

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<v Speaker 1>At the end of the motion, the ball will break

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<v Speaker 1>down and away from a right handed batter. If thrown

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<v Speaker 1>by a right handed pitcher, The spinning action created when

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<v Speaker 1>the pitcher releases the ball is the secret behind the

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<v Speaker 1>curve ball. This spinning causes air to flow differently over

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<v Speaker 1>the top of the ball than it does under the ball.

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<v Speaker 1>The top of the ball is spinning directly into the

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<v Speaker 1>air and the bottom of the ball is spinning with

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<v Speaker 1>the air flow. The air under the ball is flowing

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<v Speaker 1>faster than the air on top of the ball, creating

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<v Speaker 1>less pressure, which forces the ball to move down or curve.

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<v Speaker 1>This imbalance of forces called the Agnus effect, named after

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<v Speaker 1>physicist Gustav Magnus, who discovered in eighteen fifty two that

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<v Speaker 1>is spinning object traveling through liquid is forced to move sideways.

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<v Speaker 1>Adding to the air pressure exerted on the ball. Are

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<v Speaker 1>the hundred and eight red stitches that hold the cover

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<v Speaker 1>on the ball. Because they're raised, the stitches increase the

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<v Speaker 1>amount of friction created as the air passes around the

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<v Speaker 1>ball and places more air pressure on top of the ball.

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<v Speaker 1>A well thrown curveball can move as much as seventeen

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<v Speaker 1>inches either way. If you've ever seen a batter jump

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<v Speaker 1>out of the way of a baseball that ends up

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<v Speaker 1>crossing over the plate, you've seen a great curveball. Be

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