Posted by: () on Sat Jun 9 20:30:13 2001

There are dozens of good scientific studies to indicate that "backspin" is a desirable thing. As a layperson I can only chew so much of this. It does appear that there are two effects that need to be considered. First, we know that backspin will not only cause the ball to stay longer in the air, therefore increasing the distance that it will travel, but at the same time backspin also increases air drag...causing the flight distance of the ball to decrease. There are too many variables and the effect of each is not really know with a 100% certainty. Until we are able to scientifically understand the effects of each accurately, we are not going to be able to determine what the magnitude of the backspin effect is. At the moment I am inclined to believe that backspin is desirable. How well a hitter, if at all possible, can "duplicate" the favorable conditions to create backspin is another matter.
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> > I do think it's dangerous to point to some successful ballplayer and deduct significant conclusions about hitting in general terms. This kind of generalizing leads to prejudicial thinking and conclusions. You can find exceptions to everything. Imagine someone discoverying baseball for the first time and decided to study the mechanics of hitting...he then chooses Pete Gray(one-arm major leaguer) as his study "model"...what conclusions would he reached based on his exception. Thank you all for the feedback.
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> >mr. hernandez........(1)..."There are dozens of good scientific studies to indicate that "backspin" is a desirable thing.".......i was aware only of the one study by bahill & watts....i would appreciate it if you could cite the sources of some of the other studies you are aware of...it would be helpful to me....... (2)"How well a hitter, if at all possible, can "duplicate" the favorable conditions to create backspin is another matter."....i think it's pretty straight forward how to make this duplication: hit the ball about 1/2 inch below center.......of course i understand that for a beginner just hitting the ball at all is the challenge, but it may well very be that at the more advanced levels what seperates some from others is the ability to contact the ball slightly below center.....i think it's an idea that has not been given enough attention.....and the irony of this is that with all due respect to top hand torque proponents,rotationists, weathervaners, et al, the concept of backspin is more amenable to scientific analysis.....respectfully, grc.......


GRC...I was responding to the fellow Melvin who feels there is no merit to backspin. With regards to the different studies I meant there are many books that have discussed the desirability of backspin in scientific terms. I do remember reading a paper a few years ago in a scientific journal on the advantage of backspin. I cannot remember the actual journal. Of course there are books like "the Physics of Baseball" by Robert K. Adair, Sterling professor of Physics at Yale University. Since I am not a Physicist I am not in a position to know if backspin is "more amanable to scientific analysis", as you stated. It seems that even Physicist have questions about the theory of backspin. As a layperson this does not concern me although I am interested and fascinated by the different theories.

With regards to the "how" a hitter under all conditions hit with backspin in actual practice I am refering to the average Joe. The fact that a handful can successfully do it does nothing for the millions that play this game. Surely you just can't say how simple this is because the exceptional can do it consistently. For all the hundreds of millions that have played the game of baseball, less than 8,000 have made it to the majors in it's over 100 year history!

Even the best have difficulty with the application of backspin. This past spring training I had the opportunity to talk with guys like Willie Randolph (with whom I played ball with before he made the Majors), El Duquecito(who I interviewed for a magazine article) and other ballplayers who were in Florida that recently arrived from Cuba, and they themselves expressed how difficult it is applying some of what is discussed in theory has "god-send".

But you and I are in agreement with at least the theoretical principal of backspin. I do appreciate your input. If I come across any other study in this area I will make a note to forward it to you. My interest is simply for "fun"...I am just coaching 8 and 9 year olds. I'll leave the "heavy" stuff to you guys on this great website. Take care!