Passing...Passing is one of the most important elements in basketball. Passing is used to move the ball down the court when dribbling is not an option. It is also used to create open space and shot opportunities. The physics of passing a basketball is simple. The basketball is basically a projectile fired from one point to a destination point. While the path looks straight, it is actually a downward parabola because gravity acts on the ball over the entire range of the pass. For the ball to leave the player’s hand, the player must exert a force on the ball. Once the ball leaves the player’s hands it becomes a projectile, acted upon by two independent forces. The x-coordinate force is the force exerted on the ball by the player. The second force, the y-coordinate force, is the force due to gravity which is -9.8 . The player must throw the ball slightly higher than his target to compensate for the force of gravity. Another factor to consider is if the receiving player is stationary or moving. If the player is moving the ball must be thrown in front of the player to assure that it makes it to the player because the ball can only travel in a straight line once it leaves the players hands.
http://www.unc.edu/~msheetz/passing.html |