Where is pitching speed calculated?

[T.J.]

The speed is a feet/second calculation that the radar gun computes which is converted to mph.

It basically measures the elapsed time the ball travels a certain distance. In order for the gun to measure this elapsed time & distance, the ball must be thrown toward the gun, which is why folks with radar guns sit behind the catcher. As the ball is thrown toward the gun, time and distance readings are being taken/measured and calculated. ....unless technology has advanced beyond my education & experience you cannot measure the speed with a radar gun standing in the dugout or on the sidelines.

So to answer your question...the speed is not measured at any one specific spot, rather in a range of travel. Theoreticaly the ball is decelerating right from the start. So the speed at release is fractionally faster than it is 5 feet away.

The effect the different types of spins and movements has is an interesting question but I personally think it might not have a big role in the final calculation. keep in mind, the entire pitch from start to the cathers mitt cannot be measured, unless the catcher is holding the gun (or you are standing behind the pitcher). Most guns are pointed toward the pitcher from behind the catcher & umpire, so at some point the ball will leave the field of vision the radar gun has.

The RevFire does the same thing; but it measures the entire traveled length from release to mitt. It measures the time the ball travels and the length it travels...it then compures the velocity (speed).

Same setup for a police radar trap...your car must be traveling towards or away from the radar gun...this is the only way it can measure the distance along with the time.

Hope this helps.

T

 

[darken]

If a rocket is launched utilizing thrust, isn't a pitcher's leg drive and arm whip a thrust? It seems to me, between leg drive, arm whip and proper utilization of spin, a ball can accelerate at some point between release and my glove when I am sitting on the bucket...otherwise, a rocket would never make it off the ground, let alone to space. I guess it's just an optical illusion.

Yes, leg drive and arm whip are providing force just like a rocket engine, but once the ball is released the force from the pitcher ends. With a rocket, the engine is always applying force.

So unless your DD can apply force to the ball with her mind like a Jedi, the ball's speed will slightly decrease on the way to the glove.

 

[T.J.]

If a rocket is launched utilizing thrust, isn't a pitcher's leg drive and arm whip a thrust? It seems to me, between leg drive, arm whip and proper utilization of spin, a ball can accelerate at some point between release and my glove when I am sitting on the bucket...otherwise, a rocket would never make it off the ground, let alone to space. I guess it's just an optical illusion.

Just like a sling shot or a bow and arrow...yes a force is applied to an object and where the object is accelerating...up to release. At that point friction and gravity take over resulting in deceleration to a point the ball or arrow will ultimately stop.

 

[JAD]

If a rocket is launched utilizing thrust, isn't a pitcher's leg drive and arm whip a thrust? It seems to me, between leg drive, arm whip and proper utilization of spin, a ball can accelerate at some point between release and my glove when I am sitting on the bucket...otherwise, a rocket would never make it off the ground, let alone to space. I guess it's just an optical illusion.

A pitch will be at its maximum velocity the instant it is released from the pitchers hand. The instant the pitch is released (thrust is removed), it will begin to decelerate (accelerate with a negative value) unless additional force is applied (think 80 MPH tail wind).

If you follow Goingdeeps advice and ask the dads at the concession stand, 82.5% of them will swear that their DD throws pitches that "accelerate at some point between release and the catchers glove".....this physics phenomenon can be proven by having your DD's grandfather "stab" the radar gun at the pitch as it approaches the catcher.......resulting in a 45MPH fastball being clocked at 60MPH....

 

[Bs61sdad]

Yes, leg drive and arm whip are providing force just like a rocket engine, but once the ball is released the force from the pitcher ends. With a rocket, the engine is always applying force.

So unless your DD can apply force to the ball with her mind like a Jedi, the ball's speed will slightly decrease on the way to the glove.

Her rise ball is pretty mean and it isn't because of her Jedi mind tricks. It's mean because of how the laces respond to the friction. There has to be a way for a ball's laces to catch the air and speed up the ball using thrust, if only briefly until friction makes it slow down even faster...but I'm going to go with her being Jedi mind master. Ha!

 

[T.J.]

Her rise ball is pretty mean and it isn't because of her Jedi mind tricks. It's mean because of how the laces respond to the friction. There has to be a way for a ball's laces to catch the air and speed up the ball using thrust, if only briefly until friction makes it slow down even faster...but I'm going to go with her being Jedi mind master. Ha!

Next time you're at the snack shack grab me a Philly Steak Grinder w/mushroon & onion (lol).

 

[JAD]

There has to be a way for a ball's laces to catch the air and speed up the ball using thrust, if only briefly until friction makes it slow down even faster...but I'm going to go with her being Jedi mind master. Ha!

I couldn't stop myself.....

 

[quincy]

Her rise ball is pretty mean and it isn't because of her Jedi mind tricks. It's mean because of how the laces respond to the friction. There has to be a way for a ball's laces to catch the air and speed up the ball using thrust, if only briefly until friction makes it slow down even faster...but I'm going to go with her being Jedi mind master. Ha!

It is really hard to get a rise ball to rise, congratulations to your DD for getting this pitch down,

 

[Bs61sdad]

I am not a physics expert, but if the spin thrusts a rise ball up, a drop ball down, and movement pitches horizontally, how can spin not briefly increase velocity causing a slight increase in time versus distance without using Jedi mind magic? All these laws defined to me seem to only apply to knuckle balls...I mean, yes, a rise ball will eventually hit the ground because of gravity, yet for a brief moment in time, it rises while on a horizontal plane. Rotation/spin/laces do not go against the laws of physics. They can be explained using the same physics that the hot dog stand dads like me are experts in.

 

[marriard]

Her rise ball is pretty mean and it isn't because of her Jedi mind tricks. It's mean because of how the laces respond to the friction. There has to be a way for a ball's laces to catch the air and speed up the ball using thrust, if only briefly until friction makes it slow down even faster...but I'm going to go with her being Jedi mind master. Ha!

I wont get into the whole rise ball rises or drops less than gravity would dictate argument in this thread...

But either way, there is no acceleration involved. No engine or source of force being applied to directly to the ball - no acceleration. Laces/etc may effect direction or break but it cannot effect acceleration positively - only negatively. Laces do not provide energy.