Gyro ball
The gyroball is a throwing technique used by a pitcher in baseball . It is thrown with a twist , the axis of rotation of which runs in the direction of flight, which virtually negates the Magnus effect . The gyroball is considered to be one of the most unusual throws in baseball.
background
At the beginning of the millennium, two Japanese scientists named Ryutaro Himeno and Kazushi Tezuka speculated that a baseball could be thrown so that the spin axis was exactly in the direction of flight, i.e. H. like a bullet or a football fly. The gyroball has a high speed, but neither descends like a fastball (which has a slight backward spin ) nor like a curveball or a slider (both forward and sideways spin). Video analysis showed that several Japanese pitchers threw the gyro ball unconsciously ( Shunsuke Watanabe of the Chiba Lotte Marines thought he was using a curveball), but so far there are few pitchers in professional sports who consciously use the gyro ball.
Web links
- Searching for baseball's Bigfoot
- Unwinding the Gyroball ( June 10, 2011 memento on the Internet Archive ), ESPN.com
- The Japanese Gyroball Mystery , New York Times