January 21, 200422 yr do pitches tend to have more or less movement in the cold? my logic says they should have less, but since today when i was throwing, i've never had so much consistant movement on the slurve and fastball it's made me wonder... i'd hate to think i'm actually getting better when i'm not...
January 21, 200422 yr I'm no physicist but I would think the opposite would be true. The colder the air the more atoms per cubic inch, therefore the more resistance. The more resistance the more pressure on the ball's spin. The more pressure the more break. An example would be Colorado where the air is thin. Fastballs don't move and curveballs don't curve.
January 21, 200422 yr Author but cold air also has less gaseous molecules in it, and even though the molecules are closer together, wouldn't there still be less of them to move against?
January 21, 200422 yr if all other factors are constant (e.g. humidity, pressure [altitude], wind), lower temperatures mean higher air density, which means more drag--which is just what marlins2003 said. in case you're curious: more temperature means less drag more humidity means less drag (surprising huh?) more pressure means more drag (so, high altitude = less pressure = less drag) so, more temp = faster balls more humidity = faster balls (very, very small effect) more altitude = faster balls (big effect) by far, pressure (altitude) has the greatest effect. drag's effect is to passively oppose any movement by working in the opposite direction to that movement. however, drag force does not directly cause a ball to spin. the ball spins because of the force your hand imparts on it and because of the force of lift (which is affected by air resistance and the speed you throw the ball). the more the resistance, the more the spin, though i can't equate that into terms of drag forces and lift forces. since i'm a little shaky on the cause-and-effect when it comes to velocity, resistance, and lift, i'll just tell you what i know: more spin force by your hand = more curve more velocity = less curve more temp = less curve more altitude = less curve (big effect) more humidity = i would think less curve, but i'm not positive so to answer your question, yes, your ball can curve slightly better in lower temperatures, though i don't think a difference of 20 degrees F would be enough to make it noticeable. and about altitude: though a ball curves better in cold temperature, the effect of altitude (e.g. coors) is much greater than the effect of temperature, so the net effect is that the ball would curve less in a high place like colorado. colorado's cold temperature is basically its only redeeming factor, albeit slight.
January 21, 200422 yr Author thank you. that's the exact answer i'm looking for. so i guess that means i'm getting better and have found the release point on those pitches.
January 21, 200422 yr thank you. that's the exact answer i'm looking for. so i guess that means i'm getting better and have found the release point on those pitches. Admin Beinfest wants your phone number :w00t
January 21, 200422 yr but cold air also has less gaseous molecules in it, and even though the molecules are closer together, wouldn't there still be less of them to move against? outside, a quantity of cold air actually contains more gaseous molecules than the same quantity of warm air at atmospheric pressure.
January 21, 200422 yr Author but cold air also has less gaseous molecules in it, and even though the molecules are closer together, wouldn't there still be less of them to move against? outside, a quantity of cold air actually contains more gaseous molecules than the same quantity of warm air. so it works like water then?
January 21, 200422 yr but cold air also has less gaseous molecules in it, and even though the molecules are closer together, wouldn't there still be less of them to move against? outside, a quantity of cold air actually contains more gaseous molecules than the same quantity of warm air. so it works like water then? you could think of it that way, i guess. air is full of tons of different types of molecules. the higher the temperature is, the greater the kinetic energy on the molecules. with more kinetic energy, the molecules start moving around and bouncing off of each other more rapidly, which means they are forced to spread out more if they are to maintain the same pressure.
January 21, 200422 yr thank you. that's the exact answer i'm looking for. so i guess that means i'm getting better and have found the release point on those pitches. Doesnt that meen that ur balls are breaking more becuase of denser air?? that meends its jsut the cold..
January 21, 200422 yr Author not entirely. like alkazoid said above, the cold won't effect it a whole lot, and this is visually measurable improvement. it means i may be onto something with the release point.
January 22, 200422 yr not entirely. like alkazoid said above, the cold won't effect it a whole lot, and this is visually measurable improvement. it means i may be onto something with the release point. eh, i didnt realize you live in ohio. the weather in miami doesn't change a whole lot, so a 20 degree drop in temperature (miami in dead of winter) shouldnt really be noticeable. i don't know how cold it is in ohio, but i doubt the weather is as constant as miami weather. anyways, since you got me obsessed with figuring out just how much weather affects a pitch, i went and found a very cool site that lets you play with the physics involved in pitching. check it out: http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/foil2b.html as a fun little experiment, i plugged some numbers into it: using an 80mph pitch and 1500rpm of spin at atmospheric pressure and 0% humidity, i plugged different values for temperature... at 100 degrees F, the ball curves 66 inches from center at 90 degrees F, the ball curves 67 inches from center.... 80 deg = 68 in 70 deg = 70 in 60 deg = 71 in 50 deg = 72 in 40 deg = 74 in 30 deg = 76 in 20 deg = 77 in 10 deg = 79 in 0 deg = 81 in in other words, if you pitched last month in 50 degree weather and you now throw the exact same pitch in 20 degree weather with the same air pressure, that pitch that curved 72 inches last month will now curve 77 inches. that is roughly a boost of 7% of curve, which might be slightly noticeable. so if you landed that ball 6 inches from center a month ago, you would now land it about 6.42 inches from center if your mechanics are identical and the air pressure doesn't change (it will). interstingly enough, if you went from the normal 29.92 inHg of air pressure to 24.642 inHg (denver) and kept temperature constant, that 72 inch curve will only curve 59 inches--a drop of 18% of curve, which is probably noticeable. so your 6 inch curve will curve only 4.92 inches in denver if your mechanics are identical and temperature is the same (it won't be). wow, i enjoyed that exercise wayyyyy too much.
January 22, 200422 yr Author it's usually 10-20degrees when i throw...tomorrow it will be 40, and i suppose that'll be the real test...
January 22, 200422 yr I think it would be less. Pitchers Fingers get very numb and they can barely feel the ball.
January 22, 200422 yr Author I think it would be less. Pitchers Fingers get very numb and they can barely feel the ball. actually i don't have that problem, which is surpising considering i have poor circulation in my hands.
January 22, 200422 yr Well i had my tryouts @ hialeah high and it was 60 degrees and i could barely pitch my arm hurt when i threw the first pitch,and i couldn't make the team,now im'a play in miami lakes optimist i think,lol,or in some place called"Liga De Recuerdo",i got practice @ 6 today i guess im'a keep on training till next year.
January 23, 200422 yr It really does not matter if it is hot or cold. It matter on the altitude above sea level which you play on, thats why in Coors breaking pitches just dont break. I have played baseball my whole life and have not seen that a pitch moves less or more due to the weather conditions.
January 23, 200422 yr Author It really does not matter if it is hot or cold. It matter on the altitude above sea level which you play on, thats why in Coors breaking pitches just dont break. I have played baseball my whole life and have not seen that a pitch moves less or more due to the weather conditions. so have i...andi doubt you've ever played on a 35 degree day. i'd already know the answer to the question if i'd actually faced pitchers who's release point didn't have all the consistnacy of jello. alkazoid has proven, via the laws of physics, that temperature does make a difference, just not enough to usually matter.
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