Science Has Calculated the Perfect Basketball Shot [Sports]
Shooting a basketball is one of those things we attribute to years of practice and some ineffable god-given talent. But what if you could become a great, or at least much better, shooter just by learning some mechanical science? Larry Silverberg, a mechanical engineer at North Carolina State University, analyzed "millions of trajectories based on shots by the best free-throw shooters," and he's pinpointed the best method: The magic formula: a launch angle of 52 degrees, three revolutions per second of backspin, and aiming for a spot 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) back from the center of the basket, toward the back of the rim. "With backspin, if the ball hits the rim or backboard, the contact deadens the ball," said Silverberg. "That means it comes off slower, stays closer to the basket and is more likely to fall in." Aiming behind the center of the basket, instead of a dead-on shot, is better because it allows the shooter to miss the mark in either direct...