Most sporting activities involve a ball. In comparison to the impacting device (bat, club, racket, paddle, etc) the ball is consumable and tends to receive relatively little attention. Yet the ball is complex, inelastic, highly non-linear, and is an integral part of determining equipment performance. This presentation will consider mechanisms where the ball contributes to equipment performance, how these properties are measured and used to control performance, and the effectiveness of current regulating practices. Ball aerodynamic behavior, for instance, is important in many sports, but is often not regulated or measured. Measuring ball aerodynamic response is complicated by the effect of spin on both lift and drag, while laboratory methodologies to achieve spin often interfere with its free flight flow behavior.
About Prof. Lloyd Smith
Lloyd Smith is a Professor and Deputy Director in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University. He has been the Director of the Sports Science Laboratory since 2003. The laboratory is primarily concerned with amateur baseball and softball bat certification. He and has been active in Sports Engineering since 1997, was the Sports Engineering Editor in Chief from 2013-19, is the current President of the International Society of Sports Engineering (ISEA) and is a fellow of the ASME and ISEA. Much of his work concerns the impact response and aerodynamics of sport equipment. He uses numerical models to study impact behavior, its influence on the athlete, and advises numerous amateur and professional sporting organizations.
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