SCIENCE INVADES THE REALM OF SPORT
Mechanical Devices Are The New Mode The Electric Eye GRAPHICCOLE HUGE PRICE PAID
And Numerous Clever Inventions
"Kill the Umpire!" That colourful cry is going to lose its place in the language of baseball fans be- fore long, writes a correspondent. There wouldn't be much satisfaction in yelling, "Kill the electric eye." But that's what you'd have to say, because, on .many of the diamonds in America, the electric eye has been tried out on the job of calling strikes. Beams of light intersect at the correct height over the home plate.. When a pitched ball cuts both beams, the electric eyes signal a strike.
And that's just a good starter on records are broken. For instance, what's happening in every sport. 7 feet have been added to the Selence has invaded the playing. | discus-throwing mark made in fields.
Stick to baseball for a minute: Byron Moser of St. Louis has de- veloped a "machine gun" that pitches four balls a minute at the practicing batter.
the first Olympic games, That's partly due to the research at New York University, where they tore a leaf from the book of aviation, The discus, once made with the grain running vertically through the thickness of the wood, is now The Cleveland ludians even
made with the grain running have a portable machine that auto-horizontally along Its face.
The matically measures how fast the result is greater speed and dis- ball travels. The pitcher hurls tance. ball into a tunnel, photo-electric cells actuate a "speedometer." Bob. Feller can throw a ball at a speed of 75 miles an hour...
To train the pitcher, some of the clubs have been trying out a robot catcher. The pitcher hurts the ball at a robot catcher. The pitcher burls the ball at a target, the spent ball drops into a hop per, and a mechanical arm snaps it back to the pitcher.
No Place For Slackers
Now take American football: An ingenious invention for the train- ing of husky linemen is a sledlike mechanism, fitted with padded ains and springs. Against this, the players charge. A scule shows the coach just what pressure each lineman is exerting. Dartmouth has a charging sled fitted with, a huge, clock-like dial which re- gisters the total pressure being applied by all the linemen.
Study Of Ballistics
High jumpers have profited from the study of ballistics, for it. has been found that the body in motion follows the same natural low as a projectile fired from a gun. In fact, science has revealed that it is theoretically possible for a jumper to go over the bùr, while his centre of gravity passes be- neath!
In track, the now widely used starting blocks raise the runner instead of requiring him to start from a hole. The result is a tenth of a second speed-up on sprints.
Harry Hillman, track coach at 'Dartmouth, has taken some of the hazard out of hurdling by invent- a safety hurdle that will tip over at a pressure of less than pound on the top bar.
I
one
The scientists have not forgot- ten your golf game, either. A pro- fessional has invented a startling A revolutionary device for the club. Swing it the way you're sup- training of boxers consists of two posed to, and the club behaves as gloved fists, driven by compress-any good club should. But make ed air and controlled by the in-an awkward swing, and that crazy structor. They permit complete ac- club jumps out of joint. Another curacy and they pack a mean wal-new club flashes a red light when lop.
you swing it wrong. What will Year after year, track and fleld'they be thinking up next?
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ARM AND WRIST
'ACTION IN THE HITTING ZONE
fTORKARD COURSE
OR HANDS LOTONING HERE AS W21414 SPEED CLUBHEAD THROUGH
IMPACT ACTION
BY BEST BALL
Hand and wrist action in the hitting zone takes place so rapidly that it is difficult for the player to follow it. High speed photography, however, has enlightened this particular phase of the stroke no little. Above, for example, is the lightning like stroke of long hitting Jimmy Thomson. In the large figure above he is just entering the hitting area, the wrists are about to start un- cocking and the hands have but a short distance to traverse before they must cease mo- mentarily their forward mo- tion to allow the wrists and hands to shap the clubhead through. Compared to the dis- tance the hands have to travel the clubhead, are to the ball looms large, indéed at this point yet it is the flexible wrist action, so important in a good stroke, which makes this pos- sible.
The wrists have already
have started uncocking in the smal- ler upper panel while the hands have reached the correct impact position. Their position is the same in the lower panel while impact is taking place.
Next Article: Playing Position.
CHALLENDON BEST UNITED STATES HORSE
By a vote of 84 to 34, writers of horse racing all over the United States chose Mr. W. L. Brann's great thoroughbred, Chal- ledon, as the "Horse of the
secutive year. Year," for the second con-
Mr. Charles S. Howard's Sea- biscuit got the 34 votes for second place.
Challedon was only beaten twice but of seven races he ran in, but in both defeats he was forced to give away...” áight pounds to two of the best horkes on the turf-Eight Thirty and Hash.
Wins $70,625
Challedon won $70,625 during 1940, which does not look so good beside the $90,850 which Seabis“. buit picked up, but Seabiscuit won most of that sum sum in winning the $100,000 Santa Anita Handi- cap, which made him the leading money-winning horse of all time. He was retired to stud after run- ing in only four races this year- --Colonel D2R÷Bradley's÷Bine- lech was voted the best three- year-old of the year despite his defeat in the Kentucky by and hir hoof Injury, which!- his, cutpaign:R
FOR
BASEBALLER
THE BROOKLYN DODGERS of the National League, who finished in second place last baseball season and who are determined to win the League
·Pennant and the World Series in 1941, are continu- ing their fabulous spending in order to make their team invincible.
Their latest purchase is the coveted catcher, Mickey Owen.
John Pintar, and a
Owen Famous
whom they bought from the St. The Dodgers had previously Louis Cardinals in exchange for bought Pitcher Kirby Highe from catcher Gue Mancuso, pitcher the impoverished Philadelphia "large Philies for $100,000, and last sea- amount" of money, variously esson they considerably strengthen- timated at between $65,000 "anded their side by buying Joe Med- $75,000.
wick, famous outfielder; from the Cardinals.
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds, present world champions, gave up their 30-year-old shortstop, Billy Myers to the Chicago Cubs, in exchange for outfielder Jim Glec- son, shortstop Bobby Mattick and an additional player to be named later. No cash was involved:
These exchanges occurred at the 39th Annual Convention of the Minor Leagues.
National League's best, catchers Owen is regarded as one of the and several clubs had been after
hima
It was also announced that James Thompson "Doc". Prothro had been signed to manage the Philadelphia Phillies for another year.-Reuter.
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