They say and truthfully I have no idea who they are, though I am sure someone must have studied the issue using some version of AWS or other A.I. generated analytics, that the hardest thing in sport to do is hit a baseball. The ball which is about 2.86 inches traveling at speeds around 100 mph must be hit with a round bat measuring 2.61 inches at its fattest part. Seems pretty hard. Some might argue catching or even stopping a puck traveling at approximately 105 mph might rival it but that would just be splitting hairs. No matter, trying to accomplish either of these two feats seems remarkable. Then add that they usually don’t travel in a straight line and the task seems impossible.
In a lovely (that might be the first time I have used that word) movie entitled Bend it Like Beckham a young girl, Jess, learns how to play soccer all the while trying to emulate David Bekham. Like many young athletes, there is a pro who can do something spectacular and they imagine being able to do it. In this case Jess is amazed by David Bekham’s ability to kick the ball in such a way that it has a curve to it. This skill is best utilized on free kicks when there is a line of opponents standing between him and the goal. To be able to “bend” the trajectory obviously is remarkable.
The ability to make the puck, or the ball do something that seems to defy physics adds to the excitement of any sport in which there is a puck or a ball involved. I am amazed by the ability of the golfer who can hit the ball (yes, that is amazing enough in and of itself) 200 yards and have the ball not just stop on a dime but actually have the ball roll backwards to within inches of the hole. This backspin is sometimes called putting a little English on the ball. In fact, that is how throwing free throws in basketball is often taught. By placing your hands in the correct position in gripping the basketball, the ball will have a slight reverse rotation while it is in the air. (I remind you this blog is not an instructional video – just an observational description. For instruction, please see a professional coach.) This gives the player greater control in coxing the ball into the hoop. It is done purposefully.
This is not unlike the pitcher who will put a spin on a pitch, directing the ball to curve in his desired direction. Major league pitchers have the ability by contorting their arms in varied ways producing a variety of what are called off speed pitches. That is the reason why little leagues do not permit these sorts of pitches. Not because it would make the sport too difficult for kids. It is in order to protect the pitchers from hurting themselves. (For more on this subject please see my blog on protective equipment and injuries.) This will confuse the batter who is looking for a specific trajectory. Pitches such as curveballs, sliders, splitters, changeup, knuckleballs and screwballs all add to the difficulty of making contact with the ball. I am particularly fond of the announcers who, so amazed by a specific pitch, will remark, “now that was a nasty four seam split finger curveball.” It is the use of the word nasty that adds such a great tone to the complexity of trying to hit that particular ball. I also love when the ball seems to just disappear like in a well thrown sinker. Even better is that today we can watch these pitches in super slow motion and see these amazing contortions of the ball.
As I mentioned earlier, baseball is not the only sport in which making the puck or the ball do crazy things is wonderful to watch. I am incredulous when a puck traveling at 100 mph is tipped right in front the goalie and it changes the trajectory slightly and just enough to rise above or below the keeper’s glove or stick. I am equally blown away by the tennis player who serves the ball with such a spin that it leaves his/her opponent swinging in the air forcing their arms and body to go in two different directions. I can’t believe how a tennis player can use topspin to land a lob in one foot from the baseline when it clearly looks like it is going out. The top tennis players will use topspin on nearly every shot that will cause the ball to rotate. While the average speed for a forehand from Jannik Sinner is 78 mph, about 5mph than his average opponent. However, that is not where the danger comes from. It comes from its topspin which can get as high as 3,413 rotations per minute.
This is all very exciting to watch,however when you are on the receiving end it can be exasperating. Sometimes the opponent simply has to clap their hands at it and throw up their hands gesturing to the crowd, there was nothing I could do about it. It was just too good. Some players will applaud, others will smash their rackets, bats or sticks (interesting fact, Rafael Nadal has never broken a racket).
This is true of life and that is why the cliche, “When life throws you curveballs, hit them out of the park!”, is motivational. It reminds us that when life is hard, and it will happen, you have to adjust. We can’t always predict what is going to come at us, but we can adjust and change our approach. It also reminds us that sometimes we are just going to get beat. Then we must. If possible just laugh, then regroup and ready ourselves for the next shot or next serve. It is in our ability to learn and move on that we really learn the art of living.
You may have heard the phrase man plans and God laughs. It is simple yiddishism that means so many good plans never come to fruition because life has other plans or as John Lenon made famous in an absolutely wonderful song and made even more famous as the title song for the movie starring Richard Dreyfus “Beautiful Boy.” “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.” But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan. It just means you may have to alter them and in some cases start over. You may be a person who clings to the idea of fate or destiny in the sense that we can’t participate in our own future just that we understand that not everything is in our own hands or you may not.
Things happen and we adjust. Whether we realize it at the time or not, we make singular decisions and life can take on an entirely new trajectory. And then we must recalibrate.
We can either set forth a course and step by step move towards that imagined life or we can spend our days responding to the varied and unexpected twists and turns. And yet we all know life is a combination of the two. The important thing is getting back on track.
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