Effect of Player Size in Distance Hitting Baseball

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Jimbo Hammock
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the effect of player size on the distance a batted baseball travels, considering various factors such as physics, strength, and biomechanics. Participants explore the implications of player size on bat speed and ball velocity, as well as the role of air resistance in real-life scenarios.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant argues that if Player B is 10% larger than Player A, they could swing a proportionately larger bat at the same speed, resulting in a 10% increase in energy transferred to the baseball, leading to a 10% increase in distance traveled, assuming all other factors are equal.
  • Another participant challenges the assumption that larger size directly correlates with strength, citing examples from weightlifting that illustrate how central nervous system factors influence strength output beyond mere muscle size.
  • A participant raises questions about the effects of wind-drag and air resistance on the distance traveled by the baseball, asking whether these factors would affect both balls equally or if the faster-moving ball would experience greater deceleration.
  • One participant references the square-cube law to discuss the relationship between size and strength, suggesting that increases in size do not translate linearly to increases in strength.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between player size and strength, as well as the impact of air resistance on ball flight. There is no consensus on these points, and the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge various assumptions, such as the equal performance of players under controlled conditions and the complexities of strength beyond size. The discussion also highlights the need for further exploration of factors influencing ball speed and distance.

Jimbo Hammock
An argument arose in our office today concerning the effect that player size has on the distance that a batted ball travels before hitting the ground.

Assuming all factors being equal (humidity, altitude, launch angle, ratio of player muscle/fat/bone/etc, player coordination, etc.), my belief is that if Player B is 10% larger (10% taller, 10% heavier, and therefore 10% stronger) than Player A, Player B would be able to swing a bat that is proportionately 10% larger (10% longer, 10% heavier, and therefore contains 10% more mass) at the exact same speed as Player A swings his smaller bat, and therefore 10% more energy would be transferred into the baseball by Player B, the ball would have a 10% higher velocity, and the ball would fly 10% further, if the experiment were performed in a vacuum.

Is this belief correct, based on the laws of physics?

And, if performed in a real-life setting at the ballpark, would wind-drag/air-resistance be the only additional factor which would slow the baseball and reduce it's flight distance? Would the wind-drag/air resistance slow both balls equally, or would it slow the faster moving ball more, and if so, by how much more?

Thanks for your answers!
 
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Looking at it other than from a physics perspective, a larger human does not mean a stronger human even if the size difference is purely muscle mass. An example would be Jesse Norris deadlifting 800 pounds while weighing 198 pounds, whereas many 300 pound powerlifters with much higher muscle mass cannot deadlift that. The CNS plays a huge role in strength output, not just the size of the muscles.
 
DS2C said:
Looking at it other than from a physics perspective, a larger human does not mean a stronger human even if the size difference is purely muscle mass. An example would be Jesse Norris deadlifting 800 pounds while weighing 198 pounds, whereas many 300 pound powerlifters with much higher muscle mass cannot deadlift that. The CNS plays a huge role in strength output, not just the size of the muscles.

Thanks, but "other than a physics (scientific?)" perspective, that is a useful reply. Smaller animals (mouse) tens to react (CNS) more quickly than larger animals (elephant)...

Physics pros, why is this so?
 
Jimbo Hammock said:
And, if performed in a real-life setting at the ballpark, would wind-drag/air-resistance be the only additional factor which would slow the baseball and reduce it's flight distance? Would the wind-drag/air resistance slow both balls equally, or would it slow the faster moving ball more, and if so, by how much more?
A lot more goes into ball speed coming off the bat. This Popular Science article hits several of the highlights.
 
Jimbo Hammock said:
10% taller, 10% heavier, and therefore 10% stronger
10% taller (and 10% thicker) is approximately 33% heavier.
10% bigger muscle diameter is approximately 21% stronger.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square–cube_law
 

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