The Physics of Basketball

Book excerpt: Drain three pointers, slam dunk easily, and sink that buzzer beater from half court with the help of simple science. Your coach, physicist John J. Fontanella, shows how you can improve your game if you take advice from Isaac Newton. As you read, relive some of the great moments in the game—this time with a scientist and diehard basketball fan as your color analyst. Find out why you ought to put spin on the ball. Get tips on how to improve your free throw and increase your percentage from the charity stripe. You’ll even learn how to shatter the backboard, if that’s something you’ve always dreamed of doing. With photographs and simple high school formulas, physics professor Fontanella—who played in college against Pittsburgh and Syracuse—reveals the key pieces of physics that underscore basketball. He covers almost every aspect of the game, weaving in stories from games he’s played and games he’s seen, and tales from basketball history and folklore. Physics comes alive as you see how Kobe Bryant, Wilt “the Stilt” Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Becky Hammon, and J. J. Reddick do naturally the things that Isaac Newton says they should.