Do you know that in a four which is usually hit in cricket, the ball touches the boundary within a few seconds with a bang. Then the ball leaves the bat at a speed of 120 km per hour. If a stormy six is hit then the ball crosses the boundary at a speed of 140. These shots are fired at such a fast speed that everyone may be surprised as to how such speed is achieved and how such thunderous shots are fired. What is the science of these shots?
By the way, let us tell you that in cricket, the sixes and fours coming from the batsman’s bat are the result of an interesting physics. That means all this is not only a game but also a science. All these shots are created by the collision of bat and ball and then not only their speed increases but they also have power, projection motion and moment. If explaining this seems a bit complicated then let us understand it in simple words.
What is the science of bat-ball collision?
When the ball hits the bat, it is a different kind of collision. The ball is a bit uncomfortable at first. First it contracts a little and then expands, due to which some part of the energy is lost in heat and sound.
If the bat is stationary and the ball comes at a speed of 100 km/h, then it will bounce off the bat at a speed of 20 km/h but when the batsman swings the bat, the speed increases. The speed formula tells that if the ball is coming at 100 km/h and the speed of the bat is 60 km/h, then the speed at which it leaves the bat will be around 92 km per hour.
The best shot i.e. a fast shot with speed comes when the ball hits the middle part of the bat. When it hits the middle part, vibration is reduced and maximum energy is transferred.
What is the speed of shots?
For fours, the bat speed is 100-120 km per hour. The ball travels at a low height and in a straight line, which is enough to reach the boundary i.e. 60-70 meters.
For sixes, the speed of the bat should be 120-140 km/h or more. The average speed for the six is estimated at 130 km/h. Speeds up to 138 km per hour were seen in some big sixes.
Professional batsmen usually swing the bat at a speed of 70-90 kmph. Mahendra Singh Dhoni usually used to hit sixes at a speed of 134 km per hour. For a six, if the ball comes out of the bat with a turn of 30-40 degrees, then a six can definitely be hit. Due to gravity, the parabolic trajectory of the ball is formed, and with high speed + right angle it crosses the boundary.
A lot of research has been done in cricket regarding shots, speed of rotation of the bat and speed of the ball. Australian physicist Rod Cross conducted experiments on bat-ball collision, where he found that a ball with a speed of 100 hits a stationary bat and bounces at a speed of 20. When the ball hits the sweet spot, it leaves the bat at a higher speed.
Why do some batsmen hit sixes easily?
Good batsmen like Rohit Sharma or AB de Villiers swing the bat at high bat speed i.e. 80 kmph. They generate more power through body rotation and wrist flick.
– Then modern bats are lighter, have larger sweet spots and more willow, which increases energy transfer. Short handle-long blade designs are common in T20 cricket.
– Strength training strengthens the core muscles, which give more momentum. Research shows that increasing the bat speed by 1 km per hour gives 4-6 feet more distance to the ball.
– They read the line of the ball and choose the right angle, which results in more power with less effort. Nowadays, bigger bats and fitness have made sixes “easy”.
Did Vivian Richards hit the easiest sixes?
– Vivian Richards had a combination of amazing natural talent. Exceptional reflexes and eye-hand coordination. Imran Khan himself has said that what made Vivian different from everyone else was his reflexes, he used to read the length and line of the ball so quickly that he used to reach the perfect position in advance. Due to this, he did not have to work very hard to swing the bat.
– Vivian’s first thought was always to attack. He used to say, the first thing is to think aggressively. This mentality did not allow him to be defensive. He used to put pressure on the bowler.
– There was a unique mixture of timing and power in his shots. He used to generate so much power by the rotation of wrists and shoulders that the ball crossed the boundary without applying much force. His stance was like that of a boxer or a tennis player. This gave him complete access to the ball. He could also play pull on the front foot, which very few people could do.
– He had natural power. He used to lift the bat at the last moment, which provided both speed and control. His technique was so clean that sixes were hit without much effort.
Are there more sixes than making a trajectory by hitting it high in the air?
No, making the ball’s trajectory higher in the air does not result in more sixes, but in most cases it is less effective. To hit sixes, there is an optimal range of angle of departure of the ball from the bat, which if it is too high then the distance gets reduced.
What is the optimal launch angle for sixes in cricket?
– Between 30° to 40° is considered best.
– A study by Cricket Australia believes that the optimal angle for sixes is around 37°.
– If hit at a speed of 105 km per hour at 35°, the ball can easily clear the 65 meter boundary and become a six.
– If the angle is too high, the ball goes higher, but due to spending too much time in the air, it does not go far, falls in the middle and can be caught.
– If the angle is very low, below 20°, the ball goes further but can fall on the ground, that is, in such a situation a four can be made but not a six.
The big sixes of Rohit Sharma or Chris Gayle are often around 30-38°, they do not look flat and are also high in height.