The Science of Swing

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge steps up to bat. He locks eyes with the pitcher, who winds up and throws. Judge takes a monster swing; his bat connects with the speeding ball. CRACK! It’s a home run! 

Judge makes batting look easy. But hitting a baseball is one of the hardest things to do in pro sports, says physicist Daniel Russell. He studies baseball bats and other objects. “You’ve got to hit a very small, very fast object at just the right place and time.” 

How do hitters do it? It all comes down to a perfectly timed transfer of energy.

New York Yankees player Aaron Judge steps up to bat. He locks eyes with the pitcher. The pitcher winds up and throws. Judge takes a huge swing. His bat hits the fast-moving ball. CRACK! It’s a home run!

Judge makes batting look easy. But hitting a baseball is very difficult, says scientist Daniel Russell. He studies the physics of baseball. The ball is very small and fast. You have to hit it at “the right place and time,” he says.

How do hitters do it? The key is perfect timing. The bat must hit the ball at the right moment. Then energy moves from the bat to the ball.

Baseball pitchers have a major job: Get batters out. Pitchers might try to overpower hitters by throwing a ball extremely fast. Or they might throw it in a way that will fool hitters by getting the ball to curve or drop unexpectedly. Striking batters out is ideal. But getting batters to hit a ball that’s easy to field works too. 

To get batters out, pitches must be strong and accurate. That’s done through proper form, says Brian Cammarota, an athletic trainer and physical therapist. He describes pitching as a series of movements that pass energy from one stage to the next. “If one part breaks down, power and control are lost,” he says. 

Baseball pitchers have a major job: Get batters out. Pitchers might try to throw a ball very fast. They might also throw pitches that fool hitters. The ball might curve or drop suddenly.

Pitchers want to get batters out. They can strike them out. They can also do this by getting batters to hit a ball that is easy to catch.

To get batters out, pitches must be strong. They also need to be on target. Good form helps pitchers do this, says Brian Cammarota. He is a sports trainer. He says pitching moves energy from the body to the ball. If one movement goes wrong, the pitch loses power.

A catcher crouches behind home plate. He signals to the pitcher to throw a fastball. The pitcher releases the ball at more than 95 miles (153 kilometers) per hour! Catchers use protective gear and a special glove to play safely. 

Cammarota says the position of catcher comes down to one word: balance. It’s important for catchers to stay still while squatting to give pitchers a steady target. 

Catchers are the only players who have a view of the entire field in front of them. They try to throw out runners who try to steal bases. Plus, they try to catch foul balls to get batters out. Catchers have to be ready for anything! 

A catcher squats behind home plate. He gives a sign to the pitcher to throw a fastball. When the pitcher lets go of the ball, it’s going more than 95 miles per hour! Catchers use extra padding and a special glove to play safely.

Cammarota says one thing matters most for catchers: balance. It’s important for catchers to stay still while squatting. This gives pitchers a clear target.

Catchers can see everything happening on the field. Runners try to steal bases. Catchers throw them out. They also try to catch foul balls to get batters out. Catchers have to be ready for anything!