* If you're Manny Ramirez, sometimes you don't

January 23, 2010

This TV news piece from FOX asks the scientific question: How does an outfielder catch a fly ball?

The three main theories:

1. Trajectory prediction. The fielder perceives the initial conditions of the ball’s motion and compute its trajectory to predict where it will land.

2. Linear acceleration cancellation. The fielder runs so as to keep the apparent trajectory of the ball linear, such that it appears to move in a constant direction relative to the horizontal.

3. Optical acceleration cancellation. The fielder runs toward and away from the ball to cancel the perception of vertical acceleration.

Instead of predicting the ball’s likely landing point, a successful outfielder’s eyes continuously track the ball as its visual velocity increases or decreases. Then he runs backward or forward to compensate. Mays’ classic catch is famous precisely because fielders rarely turn their backs on the ball.

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Tagged as: defense, TV news

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