Posted by: Mark H. () on Sun Dec 16 10:19:14 2001

darts anyone?
>
> i call it "geometrized swing" and it's too long and i want to watch football (steeler's WILL rule, ruin, raze, and wreck the raven's) so i'll divide it in parts.
>
> geometrized swing.
> Part I: pitch-hit angles.
>
> if:
>
> -only plane geometry considered (not solid).
> -overhead view of baseball diamond with home plate at bottom of view and pitching plate at top.
> -average size rh pitcher with 3/4 delivery.
> -average size rh batter using 34 inch bat.
> -sweet spot of bat is 6 inches in from end of barrel and grip shall be established as the point located between hands, 4 inches from end of knob.
> -pitched fastball with no movement.
> -coordinates of pitcher's release point is 5 feet closer toward home plate from home plate side of pitching plate and 2 feet left of center from a line drawn from center-line of pitching plate to center-line of home plate.
> -an extreme outside pitch will be considered a pitch that intersects the center point of the ball with the point formed by the front and outside edges of home plate. inside pitch directly opposite.
>
> then(using sine tables and the knowledge that the home plate edge of the pitching rubber is 60 feet 6 inches to the apex occurring at the rear of home plate and that the plate is 17 inches wide and 17 inches deep):
>
> -a pitch pitched to the center of home plate creates an angle of approximately 88 degrees formed between the path of the pitch and the front edge of home plate.
> -a pitch to the extreme outside corner forms an angle of 87 degrees.
> -a pitch to the inside corner forms an angle of 89 degrees.
>
> maximum impact between ball and bat occurs when sweet spot of bat impacts sweet spot of ball (a bat impacting ball perpendicular to the path of the ball. for now, only considering a flat plane and not dimensional. elevations not considered).
> a hit, using this maxim, would have the bat strike the ball in such a way as to send it directly opposite from whence it came.
> therefore, a pitch to the center of the plate, would require a bat positioned (at contact) to form an angle of 2 degrees with the front edge of the plate. this would send the ball 2 degrees to the left field side of straight-away center field.
> a pitch to the outside corner would be hit 3 degrees to the left field side of center field, and an inside pitch only 1 degree to the left field side.
>
> amazing. THIS WOULD SEEM TO SUGGEST THAT WE PULL (albeit, ever so slightly) AN OUTSIDE PITCH MORE THAN AN INSIDE PITCH.
>
> AND:
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> a CURVEBALL on the outside corner would create an angle of even less degree.
>
> dart's please!
>
> next up. Part II: hand position.
>
> ray porco
>
>

Ray,

Interesting excercize. Don't forget what the human body has to do to get the sweet spot on the ball for an inside pitch. As to the outside pitch, I think you make an excellent point that dovetails well with Jack's observations about what some MLB hitters are doing with the outside pitch.

Mark H.

P.S. I'm guessing it's too cold to go outside and play baseball where you live? :)