Customer Reviews

The Physics of Basketball

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Make no mistake about it, this is not an introductory book. This is for people who know basketball and a little physics or know physics and a little basketball. It tells basketball stories to illustrate physics and physics stories to illustrate basketball.
I would recommend this book to high school and college physics teachers to add interest to their discussions. It could even be used as text for a college course on physics of sports. Not only does sport interest students, they already know something about 'how it works' and with the help of this book, an instructor can use physics to introduce them to 'why it works'.
I found of the sequence of explanation of the four force model of the flight of the ball exceptionally well done. As with a good scienctist, he started with data. Then he took one force, gravity, explained how it works, what effect it will have on a shot ball and compared the effect to data. He showed how gravity was necessary but insufficient to explain the ball's motion. Through three more forces: buoynacy, drag (air resistance) and Magnus force, he methodically discussed the force, performed measurements, then added the force to the model. Now that he had the four force model, he used it to explain how a good shooter chooses his shot angle to make a shot 'softer' not, as one might expect, easier. Marvelous -- data, theory (or theories), model, prediction, repeat until it matches nature, and finally use the model to explain something not originally in the model. How much more accurate a view of the method of scientist than the "scientific method".
As the motion of the ball gets more complicated, following the physics does get a bit challenging. Through the discussion of deflections off the rim and backboard, I admit I read for a while and then let it sink in before I returned to it. I was however rewarded in discovering how correct I was in trying to use the board when close to the hoop -- only thirty years too late.
As with any good rock concert, one should be left wanting more, and I wished that the discussion of breaking the glass was given a bit more space. I think a figure or two more showing the effect of compression and tension and how this leads to an explosive break would have helped.
Finally, in addition to instructors, this book would be a good read for your scientist friend or science dabbler who would like good basketball stories along with some good stories of scientific inquiry.

Would you like some extra motivation to learn the laws of physics? John Fontanella really does the trick for you, with his great analysis of the physics world in the game of basketball! He covers aspects of how to shoot the "soft shot" and how the ball has its best rotation before falling into the hoop. He also covers the aspect of the buoyant force acting on the ball. That was something that really struck my interest, as it is something that I've never really thought about. Reading from this book helped me to appreciate the game of basketball even more. I even feel like I may naturally perform a little better in the future due to the realization of how things work. It makes sense now how the basketball can seem to float more than a solid object in the air, because of the air that is inside it causing a buoyant force from the air to act upon it.
Not only are some of these aspects of the game of basketball taught on, but Fontanella even breaks down the mechanics of how one receives "hang time" when going to slam the ball. He broke down the calculations to where due to the acceleration of gravity, 71% of a person's horizontal travel happens in the top half of flight. Also, because when one throws his or her arms up in the air, there is an opposing force which seems to lower the person's vertical height. If this person will raise his or her arms once he or she barely pushes off the ground, this appearance of being lowered in the air will not really occur. When this individual throws his arms down, especially in attempt to throw the basketball through the hoop, his body will appear to "lift" even though he is currently in the air. Due to all of this, it will appear as if the athlete is truly floating or hanging in air.
I really enjoyed this book. I wish that I had read it earlier as it would have caused an appreciation for the reality of physics. Just as knowing the fundamentals of basketball provide one with essential skills, I feel that understanding the physics that go into this game also increases one's skill. Sure, I'm not a Micheal Jordan athlete yet, but I do know how to better appear as if I'm floating in the air now when I attempt to take the ball to the hoop. Once again, I appreciate physics, and especially this book.

Over the years, I have found it fascinating to read books on the physics of baseball. Curve balls do curve, knuckle balls do knuckle and scientists have come to admit to the facts that the experimentalists (baseball players) have known for decades. In this book, Fontanella, a physics professor at the United States Naval Academy and a former college basketball player, analyzes the many ways a basketball can bounce. It is very detailed yet extremely entertaining. It is so specific that he points out how much less a basketball weighs as a consequence of air buoyancy. Even to the point where he compares the differences in the weights between the balls used in the women's game versus the men's game. While that part was not of great interest, the rest certainly was.
Like the baseball players, the basketball players have carried out a lot of empirical research. However, not to the extent that Fontanella has. He is very specific about the best angle for a shot, where the "sweet spot" is on the backboard when attempting a lay up and even to the distortion affects on a basketball when it is bounced. While the latter may not appear significant, it is critical for shooting percentages. As the author points out, very few shots are "nothing but net." Most make some contact with the rim and many bounce off the rim before going through the net. The manner in which the ball bounces off the rim is critical. If you have ever played, you know the difference between a soft shot and a "brick."
This is not a book where the author expresses his love for the game and then throws in a bit of physics. It is a serious treatise on basketball with enough formulas so that it could be used in a high school or college physics class. That part was impressive, many coaches would find an examination of this book time well spent.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission

Collin Grant
Physics 105
Book Review
The Physics of Basketball

This books name is the Physics of Basketball by John Joseph Fontanella. It was published by Johns Hopkins University Press. When first found and began reading this book, I was skeptical as to how accurate and how truly relative this would be to either basketball or to the principles of physics that I have learned this year. I was not sure if he would be very knowledgeable about basketball, and make his physics references very simple as to make it a children or teenagers book, or would it be very complicated application of physics and just a brief relation to basketball. I was however pleasantly surprised at how accurate and how basketball oriented it was! It was actually a fun read! I enjoyed to review the concepts that I have learned over the past semester in a format such as this because basketball is one of my favorite sports. He began with simpler concepts about momentum. He used references like Shaq and "Muggsy" Bouges. Shaq is over 7 feet and big, and Bouges is just over 5 feet and small.... Yeah there is a big difference since Shaq can actually get going pretty quick. Anyways, he then related momentum to other concepts in physics, and most all of the book, by the authors own statement, is related to the `shot' of the basketball into the hoop. Anyone who has played basketball knows that you cannot just throw directly at the rim and expect to get it in. You begin to `get a feel' for what must be done in order to get the ball to go into the hoop. I have known for a while that you must get it above the rim, coming down into it as soft as possible in order to get a `good shot' going. This is evidenced by the best shooters in the NBA and how even if they take an off balanced shot or some other crazy thing, the ball will often bounce around the rim and go in. This is called the `Shooters Touch'. I really enjoyed learning about a thing called Magnus Force, which is one component in this "Soft Shot" and also evidenced in the curving of a baseball. Overall, this author did an excellent job at explaining Physics in a fun, yet informative way.

Fontanella breaks down the game of basketball in a way I have never seen before. I have played basketball my whole life, but he was able to put a spin on it that I really enjoyed. Just like the title states, he discussed the physics of basketball. He broke down specific aspects of basketball, and the role of physics in these aspects. My favorite part of the book was learning about how players make it look like they are floating when they dunk it. When you watch Jordan dunk it, it seems as though he is really floating through the air. Fontanella did a good job of explaining the physics behind what is really happening as athletes "float" through the air. It gave me a different understanding to the game that I didnt have before. It was interesting to read about the different forces and physics involved in the game.

Fontanella does a pretty good job of making the physics in the book understandable, but there are sections that don't really make sense to me. People that are interested in basketball and physics will like the book. I am a big fan of basketball, but physics is not my best subject. So I enjoyed the book from the basketball standpoint, but I wasn't as interested in the physics. He did a pretty good job of making it interesting though. You can tell that he understands both the fundamentals of basketball, and also physics. I would recommend it to anyone that is interested in both physics and basketball. If you don't have much interest in one or the other, it may not be very appealing.

This book is exactly what it states it is. It is a book that looks at the physics of basketball. It includes what happens to the ball itself when it hits the basket or when it is spinning. It includes sections about what the angles that are best for a ball to go through a hoop, he analyzes foul shots and what speed they should be shot at, the appropriate angle and the best position for one after they have jumped or adjusted to the shot. He analyzes why taller players have a harder time shooting foul shots (using Shaquille O'neal as an example). But he shows how taller people can shoot well if they do the correct things (using Dirk Nowitski as an example). There is a section that covers the flight of a basketball and the forces and air resistance that act on the ball. We've all seen clips of players dunking a basketball and breaking the backboard. The author spends some time showing us the physics of what happens in these situations. He has a section that shows what spins are needed on a basketball when it hits the basket to give it the best opportunity to go in. My favorite section was at the very end when he talks about hang time. A lot of people think it is amazing that basketball players can jump really high, but it is interesting to see that they don't even spend one second in the air, even on the most amazing and acrobatic dunks (unless they hang to the rim of course).
John J. Fontanella is a great author for this book. He has spent most of his life and even played college basketball for Westminster College in Florida. This book is written by not only a physicist, but as someone who enjoys the game. It isn't a collection of complex formulas and hard physics, but physics that those with a little more than a basic understanding can comprehend. He also brings in many examples from athletes that we all know so that fans can enjoy the book as well. Some of these examples include Michael Jordan, Christian Laetner, Peja Stojakovic, Robert "Tractor" Traylor, and many others. Fontanella covers the basics of basketball including layups, jump shots, 3-pointers, and foul shots.
This book isn't written to someone who is wanting to learn the game of basketball, but rather to someone who understands the game and is trying to improve some aspects of it. One could take this book and see how they could improve their foul shooting. He uses appropriate graphics and tables to show the physics of what is done and has a great explanation of his results. I read this book for leisure and while I learned some stuff didn't find it difficult to continue reading.
For me the thought of sitting down and reading a book about physics isn't very exciting or a way that I would prefer to spend my time. Fontanella has written this book so that those of us who enjoy the game can sit down and understand some of the technical aspects a little more. With hidden humor and enough stories to keep us entertained it was fun light reading. Also at only 168 pages, it isn't too long or in depth that we put it down and give up before we ever get involved. I give this book a 4 star rating and was glad to see this aspect of basketball.

The Physics of Basketball is more than an enjoyable read for someone who has a love for both physics and basketball. I give this book 4 stars! John Fontanella writes the book in a casual, yet scientific manner. He brings up past basketball classics that let any reader reminiscence about some of the best games in basketball history. Yet, even though this book is for basketball lovers, it goes a step further to explain the basic physics of the game. A general college level understanding of physics makes the read more beneficial, but anyone with a desire to understand the reasoning behind basketball can stretch out for a good read.
Fontanella uses many personal experiences and experiments to explain concepts such as friction, forces, velocity, and other basic components of physics. He provides many pictures and graphs to reinforce what he is trying to teach. He restates the physics simply for those who may not be able to follow his calculations. Throughout the book, Fontanelle takes a simple concept then builds upon it throughout the chapter. Therefore, readers who want a primary understanding of the material can skip forward as he brings up more factors that may complicate the physics.
This book can help players and coaches alike. A majority of the first half of the book is concentrated on the physics of shooting. Fontanella explains how a shooter can improve his shooting percentage by adjusting his angle, height, and velocity of release. He even explains why certain areas of the court are "higher percentage shooting areas." The book details how a player can improve his free throw and lay up percentages.
Rarely can a book about physics make you laugh and smile, but there were multiple times I found myself laughing out loud as a read. I have one disclaimer though. I must admit, it is a slightly biased disclaimer. If you are a Duke Basketball fan, he does not do much to compliment them, but Fontanella definitely takes time to discuss their cross road rival, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and their more recent rival the University of Maryland. As a Duke fan, I noticed this much more than possibly another reader, but regardless Fontanella brings to light many of the shining moments in basketball history. One such moment, was the famous shot from freshman Michael Jordan at UNC. Jordan was left wide open, and he drained the 16 footer winning shot with 15 seconds left. This shot was the shot that put both Michael Jordan, and coaching legend, Dean Smith on the map. The result of this shot was Dean Smith's first national championship. Fontanella uses such stories to introduce the physics of getting "nothing but net."
If you are hoping to improve your game, suppress your sadness between basketball seasons, or just understand the physics of basketball, read this book. It is worth your time! The Physics of Basketball is a great gift to the basketball family.

The Physics of Basketball
By John Fontanella

I give this book a rating of 4 stars out of 5 based on its clarity in explaining the physics concepts, its ability to keep me interested throughout the read (a big part of this particular criteria were the figures used by Fontanella to illustrate his points), and the quality of writing (tone, language used, vocabulary, references cited). While some sections of the book are pleasant reading (more like a novel than a textbook), 75% of the text is nonetheless technical.
Fontanella begins his book with a brief review of his credentials. He grew up playing all kinds of sports, but his favorite was always basketball. He played on state title teams in high school and went on to play at Westminster College in Florida with the likes of Earl "the Pearl" Monroe. As a senior in 1967, John was a NAIA First Team All-American. He then earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship to Case Western Reserve where he earned his Ph.D. in Physics. Fontanella has been a physics professor at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis since 1971, and he is currently focusing his research on the naval applications of dielectrics. Dielectrics is the study of how an electric field behaves inside a material, specifically within an insulator.
The Physics of Basketball explained why the game of basketball is best played according to the laws of physics. The physics "Final Four", introduced as such by Fontanella in this book, are the four forces that act on a ball in flight. These forces are gravity, buoyancy, the magnus force, and the drag force (Figure 1). The "Final Four" are the forces on a falling, spinning ball near the surface of the earth, and they serve as the foundation upon which Fontanella makes a series of important observations regarding the physics of motion and collision in basketball. One area where the book might be lacking is in an assessment of how technological advances in basketball equipment, courts, hoops, etc, has affected the physics of basketball. For example, I would like to know if the balls used today are more bouncy or less bouncy than the ones used 30-40 years ago.
With respect to free throw shooting, for example, Fontanella explained that a 6 foot tall shooter would want to shoot the ball at an angle of 51 degrees and shoot it such that the ball reaches the basket at the slowest speed possible. This ensures that the ball will spend the most time around the basket as possible. Fontanella also explained the forces, magnitudes, and directions on a spinning, bouncing ball. When a ball bounces (and is spinning counter-clockwise) it has a downward velocity, an upward normal force exerted by the floor on the ball, and a frictional force exerted by a ball on the floor to the right. The spin is considered to be rotational velocity, and after the bounce this rotation results in a change in direction of the initial downward velocity. This is important for players to understand because the change in direction can affect who holds onto the ball and who tries to steal it away.
I think my favorite part of the book is Chapter Six, entitled "Hang Time", where the author uses basic kinematics equations (just like the ones we have learned in class!) to explain why we experience the illusion of hang time when a player jumps for a dunk or layup. After some basic math and an easy to follow explanation, Fontanella concludes that the reason a player appears to float when he jumps is because he actually only spends 29% of the total flight time in the bottom half of his total height reached, while spending the other 71% of the time in the top half of his total height reached. These percentages are also true for the horizontal distance covered (71% above, 29% below). In summary, if the player has a 40-inch vertical leap and he is off the ground for a total of three seconds, then he spends 2.13 seconds above 20 inches and only .87 seconds below 20 inches.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book. It provided an entertaining backdrop for explaining basic physics, and the examples came to life for me because I have experienced some of them myself. I would recommend the Physics of Basketball to anyone who enjoys sports, physics, or both!

One of the reasons that I really enjoyed this book is because I am a huge fan of basketball. I love the players, the teams, and anything that has to do with the Lakers winning championships. I felt that Fontanella was really able to connect with me because he writes about actual players and real life scenarios in basketball and how physics applies to them. This book helped me gain a greater understanding of how physics is something real. It is something that we need to understand because it impacts everything in our lives.
I loved that he broke down how Michael Jordan is able to use his acceleration to move around players, or how Kobe Bryant is able to put spin on a jump shot to allow it to fly through the air in a certain path. This book may not be as enjoyable for someone who isn't a fan of the NBA because it talks so much about the players and the teams. That is why I liked it so much. The book did lose me a couple times when it talked about subjects I haven't learned yet, such as drag or spin, but I feel that had I read this book after having learned those principles of physics, it would have made more sense to me. Overall, this is a great book for any basketball fan learning physics.

Wow! I wish my high school science teachers had used the information in this book to teach physics. I would have paid more attention and probably shot a higher field goal percentage as a player much sooner than I did. My coaches just bulled me into shooting with the correct arch, using the sweet spot, etc. when I shot. If I had really understood why these things were so important for shooting success, I would have complied much sooner!

To be honest, parts of the book are beyond me simply because I don't understand the physics. A couple of sections were tedious to get through.

But, for any basketball coach who wants more insight into the whys of why certain aspects of the game are the way they are, this book will provide that insight.

For physics teachers who would like to make their classes relate to the world of some of their students, it would not hurt to include some of the information in this book.

And for those basketball fans who love the obscure and arcane, this book is a must!

Kevin Sivils - author of Game Strategies and Tactics for Basketball: Bench Coaching for Success