UVA Clubs: Through the Lens with Richard Lindgren

All alumni, friends, and families were invited to join Through the Lens, a new virtual faculty lecture series brought to you by the UVA Clubs Global Network. In March, we'll be joined by Richard Lindgren, Professor Emeritus, Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics, Physics Education.
Just in time for March Madness, Richard discussed “The Physics of Basketball”
Talk description provided by Richard Lindgren:
Data analytics is a rapidly growing industry in professional and college sports. Studies are being used to improve individual and team performance and, of course, to gain a winning edge. Due to this growing interest, I created a new course at UVA entitled “Physics of Sports”. Although the course covers a broad range of topics in sports, today, in view of March Madness, I will emphasize one special topic: How can you improve your percentage in making “nothing but net” in shooting a basketball.
My talk will illustrate how the basketball trajectory for a free throw and 3-pointer changes when the effects of aerodynamic forces (spin and drag) are included compared to the effects of gravity. Various short videos highlighting the effects of spin and drag forces will be shown for falling beachballs and basketballs, kicked soccer balls, and thrown baseballs. Simulations will be given showing unique values of speed and angle that maximizes your error in making “nothing but net”.