|
I am actually using it as a reference for a study on the physics of softball. This book is great at explaining why things happen the way they do.
Robert Adair did a fantastic job writing The Physics of Baseball. I recommend this book to all players of the sport and definitely to all coaches of teams. I play baseball at Milton High School and this book not only helped me better understand the game of baseball but will also help me excel in the sport. Coaches always say that "the little things" win and lose ballgames.
I hope that Robert Adair will continue this "Series" and write a couple more books regarding the great sport of baseball. It may change the style of coaching but for the better by making the coach pay more attention to small things and winning games. The information is can be helpful but can also be interesting to the average person. I would also like to see other authors write similar novels about different sports, such as basketball and football. This book is great for anyone that just loves the game of baseball or any physics geek that is curious how things work in America's past time. I just read this book and loved it.
I also recommend this book to any people that do not play or coach anymore or have kids or grandkids playing anymore. This book was a GREAT BUY. The physical evidence resulting from the tests performed and the various charts and graphs made all of the information easy to understand. In the novel, "the little things", such as laying bunts down and many more are covered and can help teams win games.
If I ever see anyone at the Sox game with a protractor or a calculator, I will smash'em up.Physics has nothng to do with baseball, there is no physics in this.Steven Hawking can't even walk, let alone hit a baseball. I get the girls. Girls don't like physics and thats why nerds like physics and never get any. Wait a minute.is this for real. Think about it. Baseball is for men, physics and science and stuff like that is for weakling little sissy geeks. Why would anyone, except for total pencil neck nerds, want to study physics, and on top of that of baseball.This must be some sort of joke, right. I am real strong because I play sports.
In the book, Adair even leaves some technical notes at the end of each chapter for the more scientifically advanced people. Adair explains how vibration and softness relate to this idea. The book is really intended to be read by people interested in baseball, not physics. You will also understand the great impact outside factors have daily on the game. If you do have a good understanding of physics, then you will comprehend everything in the book without a problem. Baseball players really have to understand the concepts of the game and be very gifted to play baseball. Adair talks about the slider, screwball, and fastball in describing the scientific reasons for how they act. The Physics of Baseball is a great book that should be read by any baseball fan who wants to understand the reasons behind why certain things in the game happen as they do.
Scientifically, it seems quite improbable that a batter will successfully come in contact with a ball at such high speeds, but in reality the best major leaguers do it about a third of the time. In a windy stadium, your batted ball might land 30 feet shorter than its normal length. You can learn this distance and the reasons behind it in the book. Did you know that there is a specific limit to the distance that a batted ball can travel. Baseball players really know what they are doing when playing the sport. Robert Adair, a professor at Yale, informatively discusses nearly every aspect of the game through a scientific view. Adair uses models, graphs, and equations to further explain the content of the book. Adair also ties in some controversies of the day, such as the corked bat.
Adair discusses wooden vs. Have you ever wondered why coaches teach you to hit the ball on the "sweet spot" of the bat. Adair provides reasoning to what baseballs do in motion. Adair surprisingly explains why the corked bat is commonly misconceived and its actual effect on a baseball.
Did you know that the contact between the baseball and bat last about 1/1000th of a second. The book is an interesting read for anyone curious about the reasons for why things in the game act as they do and anyone looking for a fulfilling, quick read. You will learn the different swing motions that certain hitters use in order to hit a line-drive or home-run. The average person will probably not completely understand every detail about the physics of the game, but will grasp the general concepts with ease.
aluminum bats, judging fly balls, and running the bases. If you have always been absolutely puzzled on how a curveball curves, then you will find the answers in this book. After reading the book you come away with a greater appreciation for the game and its players. For example, a pitcher has to able to know how to make baseballs curve and change directions in certain ways.
Overall an interesting read. I know this book is about the "physics" of baseball, but for the average fan/baseball enthusiast, it is a little too heavy on the theory side of explaining the mechanics of baseball.
|
