How does a Knuckleball Work? The Science of the Knuckleball

How does a knuckleball work, and what is a knuckleball? In this video I'll be explaining the science behind the knuckleball, a shot utilised by baseball players and footballing greats such as Ronaldo and Bale, and how this shot can possiblly work in the first place.
Sources:
mentalfloss.com/article/31005/...
thatsmaths.com/2015/11/26/lif...
iopscience.iop.org/article/10...
I Don't See the Branches, I See the Leaves by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: chriszabriskie.com/dtv/
Artist: chriszabriskie.com/
The knuckleball is a shot that has confused goalkeepers and batters alike for decades, and the underlying science of the knuckleball is really quite amazing. But how does a knuckleball work, and what is a knuckleball in soccer, or football?
One of the earlier theories that tried to explain how a knuckleball works was based on the fact that the balls used in baseball are covered in seams, and so the knuckleball effect would arise due to the turbulence that these seams created. This fails to explain how a knuckleball works in table tennis and football, as these sports use much smoother balls.
How does a knuckleball work without seams on the ball? The answer to this is down to the boundary layer theory, and the fact that a knuckleball effect is observed at a velocity known as the drag crisis. The drag crisis occurs when the air flow past the ball goes from laminar to turbulent, and it's this that gives the desired knuckleball effect. The boundary layer detaches from the ball intermittently on one side, causing a side to have turbulent flow behind it, and can then reattach and detach on the other side. This random process gives rise to a ball that can swerve randomly through the air, which is a knuckleball.
The science behind the knuckleball can be very complicated, but I hope that in this video, I can simplify this phenomenon and deliver an explanation as to how a knuckleball works in more simplified terms.

Пікірлер: 90

  • @Bork23476
    @Bork234763 жыл бұрын

    Amazing that you can go a whole video talking about knuckleballs and never show a clip of one.

  • @janinesalina5891

    @janinesalina5891

    2 жыл бұрын

    he doesn’t need too. if u came here u most likely already know what it is and looks like he jus needed to explain the science

  • @Da-op8wv

    @Da-op8wv

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@@janinesalina5891 "aight so today we are going to talk about the science behind a horse jump, so here are a bunch of clips of volcanoes... yall already know horses and jumps"

  • @grumblemcgee190

    @grumblemcgee190

    9 ай бұрын

    @@janinesalina5891there is a recommended tab you mong

  • @GlennHanna8

    @GlennHanna8

    8 ай бұрын

    He tried and tried though. I was hoping maybe he'd save his one knuckleball kick for the very end. The dot animation was a decent substitute.

  • @antonsonnerhed8228
    @antonsonnerhed82284 жыл бұрын

    How is he not more famous

  • @mirokahkonen

    @mirokahkonen

    4 жыл бұрын

    I was wondering that too

  • @sebastiansanchez2239
    @sebastiansanchez22393 жыл бұрын

    Oh my god that’s what I’ve been looking for this whole time. Now I can finally perfect my craft as I found that a knuckle ball is usually 20-25m/s. I’ve been hitting it way too hard this whole time... I can hit a pretty decent knuckle ball but... I guess it’s always been too fast but now.. NOW... I will be the king of knuckleballs

  • @mohammaddalloul9891

    @mohammaddalloul9891

    Жыл бұрын

    Lol

  • @raouldukeGonzo

    @raouldukeGonzo

    Жыл бұрын

    You’re kind of some kind of balls that’s for sure.

  • @pablolloyd1450

    @pablolloyd1450

    Жыл бұрын

    same dude

  • @neymar6715
    @neymar67152 жыл бұрын

    I came in expected to learn how the knuckball works so I can learn to do but came out with a degree with fluid dynamics

  • @debendragurung3033
    @debendragurung30332 жыл бұрын

    So in spin kick, the kicker knows where the ball is supposed to go. When the goalee doesnt know. In knuckleball neither of them knows.

  • @peshemak7

    @peshemak7

    2 жыл бұрын

    True.

  • @JASHIMSKILLS
    @JASHIMSKILLS4 жыл бұрын

    That's great bro!

  • @Da9el9colai
    @Da9el9colai4 жыл бұрын

    Great video!!! Why have I never seen this video! Absolutly great science! I have got the knuckleballs a few times when playing football, but it is certainly a hard shooting technice! I get suprised each time I make one! hahaha

  • @000khalil000
    @000khalil0002 жыл бұрын

    That was an amazing explanation! Thank you!

  • @Yaya28070
    @Yaya280702 жыл бұрын

    thank you! im doing a school project on knuckle balls and this helped me a lot!

  • @micheledejana7849
    @micheledejana78493 жыл бұрын

    I've been looking for this for so loooong.... Thank you

  • @ollienash4124

    @ollienash4124

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, I'm glad it helped!

  • @IvanIvanov-ve6ti
    @IvanIvanov-ve6ti4 жыл бұрын

    Excellent job! But one remark. I believe that the turbulent flow is applying higher pressure, since laminar flow has higher speed ---> higher dynamic pressure ---> lower static pressure from the Bernoulli formula. I tried to check the internet for a specific content about that but I was unable to find any. I am opened to discussions. Either way the ball would have moved just the way you described meaning that we would have no idea of it's trajectory since we don't know all the variables in the turbulent flow. An impossible shot to predict indeed! :)

  • @nyzcreation7006
    @nyzcreation70063 жыл бұрын

    great video ! Liked How you Presnted it

  • @mschecter0078
    @mschecter0078 Жыл бұрын

    Yeah abusing this type of shot and mastering the technique can give you a huge advantage over your opponent. I think that you can kind of control which way the knuckleball breaks based on your follow through after you kick the ball. I noticed in a couple of those clips, those players would quickly shift their kicking foot to the side and that would cause some sort of break, which is fucking insane. I believe that the knuckleball is the rocket king of all shots since it is usually the fastest type of shot you can kick in soccer.

  • @suryakarla8628
    @suryakarla86284 жыл бұрын

    Amazing insight

  • @chamestb6632
    @chamestb66323 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much for that video!!

  • @irwanahmed001
    @irwanahmed0012 жыл бұрын

    Great video man

  • @hollowwbreed
    @hollowwbreed4 жыл бұрын

    Good ol radio voice; keep at it!

  • @uwe1969
    @uwe19697 ай бұрын

    Super. I am an engineer with good knowlege in Fluid dynamics. I know how to teach my boys now. There are 2 main factors for this phenomen

  • @augustus158
    @augustus1582 жыл бұрын

    Just loved it man

  • @antonsonnerhed8228
    @antonsonnerhed82284 жыл бұрын

    Real Nice vid bro

  • @DM-er9fd
    @DM-er9fd4 жыл бұрын

    This is great!

  • @yisun8524
    @yisun85244 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video. I am currently writing a science article on this topic!

  • @ollienash4124

    @ollienash4124

    4 жыл бұрын

    Sounds great, I hope this helped! Here's the link to the paper I used for this video (the link in the descripton doesn't seem to work), but there are many out there on google scholar. iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1367-2630/18/7/073027/meta

  • @AleABest
    @AleABest3 жыл бұрын

    One of the best videos on KZread. #facts

  • @belaththegamer3353
    @belaththegamer33534 жыл бұрын

    The reason why he couldn’t do it was that he did not stay on his toes

  • @heatplayz8242

    @heatplayz8242

    4 жыл бұрын

    Follow through also and body posture

  • @n0nenone

    @n0nenone

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@heatplayz8242 then basically everything lol .. fair enough lol..

  • @heatplayz8242

    @heatplayz8242

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@n0nenone lol yes. After many years of practice i can shoot knuckleball

  • @heatplayz8242

    @heatplayz8242

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@n0nenone very fuckìn thing is important

  • @antonsonnerhed8228
    @antonsonnerhed82284 жыл бұрын

    Nice quality

  • @bjoe385
    @bjoe3852 жыл бұрын

    5:36 I was genuinely him expecting a Skillshare plug.

  • @precisionwresonance
    @precisionwresonance3 жыл бұрын

    this is a great video

  • @LordMd-wy2he
    @LordMd-wy2he3 жыл бұрын

    I officially love you and you need more damm attention !

  • @pablolloyd1450
    @pablolloyd14503 жыл бұрын

    so satisfying when you hit it right in football

  • @jeffreytackett3922
    @jeffreytackett39224 жыл бұрын

    Apparently, I'm a moron. I've watched this twice, and I still don't completely understand it.

  • @thenujansandramohan4525

    @thenujansandramohan4525

    4 жыл бұрын

    Jeffrey Tackett i have watched more than 5 times and i also haven’t understood it

  • @phinoy666

    @phinoy666

    3 жыл бұрын

    windturbulence change randomly from side to side.. thats why it sways... i think

  • @n0nenone

    @n0nenone

    3 жыл бұрын

    Um.. .. if you wanna apply just hit with a predetermined speed & with no spin.. at those speeds, flow of air will change randomly hence giving you the result.. BUT.. some of the times I've seen players seem like controlling the direction itself which makes me wonder if each of those goals are fluke lol

  • @yannik246
    @yannik2464 жыл бұрын

    I always thought it is beacuse the ball gets deformed when hitting it with your foot.

  • @football_editzz9008
    @football_editzz90083 жыл бұрын

    I am the 500th subscriber

  • @Gautam-tk8tf
    @Gautam-tk8tf4 жыл бұрын

    I know how to do a kunkleball but I don't now the science

  • @ares6054
    @ares60544 жыл бұрын

    I love your voice

  • @atharvapatil7797
    @atharvapatil7797 Жыл бұрын

    And here am I who matsered knuceball ball in 10 days

  • @tanmaymehta314
    @tanmaymehta3144 жыл бұрын

    Why only 31 subscribers

  • @mikefernando9890
    @mikefernando989010 ай бұрын

    "Being a physicist has its own drawbacks"

  • @matejnikolov1575
    @matejnikolov15752 жыл бұрын

    👍👍👍

  • @yossiallen3316
    @yossiallen33162 жыл бұрын

    That's what Cristiano Ronaldo does well

  • @georgelelandturner
    @georgelelandturner8 ай бұрын

    timmy wakefield baby, wicked pissah guy

  • @jonathanbetz1240
    @jonathanbetz12403 жыл бұрын

    So could one build a knuckel flying plane?

  • @ollienash4124

    @ollienash4124

    3 жыл бұрын

    Not sure about that, but there have been planes constructed using the Magnus effect instead of conventional wings to provide lift, called Flettner planes.

  • @samnicholls4836
    @samnicholls48362 жыл бұрын

    that didn't even explain what the title said it would

  • @johnsilva9139
    @johnsilva91392 жыл бұрын

    I believe in baseball a knuckle ball is actually thrown by holding the ball with your finger tips, not your knuckles. It's called a "knuckle" ball because the flight of the ball knuckles in the air on the way to the plate.

  • @stephentucker6608

    @stephentucker6608

    Жыл бұрын

    The modern knuckle ball is thrown from finger tips. The original knuckle ball was thrown from the knuckles.

  • @liamliu9723
    @liamliu97232 жыл бұрын

    stay more in a straight line to the ball

  • @BozoseCompany
    @BozoseCompany Жыл бұрын

    a plymouth duster eh, now thats dusty . i see what you did there ;j

  • @revanthsurapaneni6258
    @revanthsurapaneni62584 жыл бұрын

    I can't believe this guy is not having more subscribers. Is he stealing content?

  • @marshalldadzie8199
    @marshalldadzie81994 жыл бұрын

    Who is still confused

  • @tahaoz7994
    @tahaoz79943 жыл бұрын

    frozen 2 trailer

  • @reynaldoperez5293
    @reynaldoperez52933 жыл бұрын

    jocelyn flores

  • @user-zp8lu7cd7e
    @user-zp8lu7cd7e4 жыл бұрын

  • @joshualawley4274
    @joshualawley4274 Жыл бұрын

    Science😂😂😂

  • @chxrlzchucky7509
    @chxrlzchucky75093 жыл бұрын

    Don't think wat you are doing is actually the knuckle ball More like a curler

  • @andreluismauad44

    @andreluismauad44

    3 жыл бұрын

    Exactly he was hitting it with spin. You got to hit it with your laces right through the middle then that shit is just swerving in the air

  • @jholid6y
    @jholid6y3 жыл бұрын

    Please... knuckleball is standard shot in most amateur golfer lol

  • @TheDarkRodent
    @TheDarkRodent4 жыл бұрын

    A knuckleball in soccer? Really?

  • @EstebanMenchacaGamboa

    @EstebanMenchacaGamboa

    4 жыл бұрын

    It is a big deal

  • @EstebanMenchacaGamboa

    @EstebanMenchacaGamboa

    4 жыл бұрын

    check the knuckle ball twins on KZread

  • @TheDarkRodent

    @TheDarkRodent

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@EstebanMenchacaGamboa I'ts not a knuckleball unless there are knuckles involved. knucklehead

  • @leonreynolds9321

    @leonreynolds9321

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@TheDarkRodent are u acc stupid? Or joking

  • @megabolls

    @megabolls

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@leonreynolds9321 dude what else do you expect from a guy who calls football 'soccer'

  • @rizike6948
    @rizike69484 жыл бұрын

    He said it might take months or years to do the knuckleball.... I did in just 30 mins

  • @kamoddevi9577
    @kamoddevi95774 жыл бұрын

    This is not a knuckle ball this is curve ball

  • @jeffreytackett3922

    @jeffreytackett3922

    4 жыл бұрын

    Odd, given that #1, he titled it "knuckleball", #2, he references knuckleballs multiple times, and #3, he explains how force can alter a non-spinning ball from side to side, causing a ball to move randomly from one side to the other, unlike a curveball, which breaks in only one direction at a time, and spins from the point of release. Good call though. Bleh.

  • @moneymakinmitch8130

    @moneymakinmitch8130

    4 жыл бұрын

    Jeffrey Tackett he’s talking about the guys shot, he’s curving it not knuckling it

  • @themexicansensation2698

    @themexicansensation2698

    4 жыл бұрын

    MoneyMakinMitch yup those shot were curls not knuckle balls. To hit a nuckle ball you also have to hit it with the side of your foot

  • @souvanikmajhi2945

    @souvanikmajhi2945

    3 жыл бұрын

    Idiot 🤣🤣🤣

  • @megabolls

    @megabolls

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@themexicansensation2698 not necessarily , check the cr7 version

  • @tmass1
    @tmass13 жыл бұрын

    knuckleball is not used in tennis. wtf are you even talking about

  • @ok-nw1sc
    @ok-nw1sc Жыл бұрын

    Man. Whosoever attends his classes will sleep 💤💤😴😴