How Fast Is Your Reaction Time? *

Abstract

Many sports skills require quick reaction times: think of hitting a 95-mph fastball, returning a 100-mph tennis serve, or blocking a slapshot at the net in hockey. (The Experimental Procedure section below has one way to measure reaction time.) Is your right hand faster than your left? Can you improve your reaction time with practice? Do both hands improve if you only practice with one hand? Try relating your reaction time to real situations in your favorite sport. For example, calculate where the baseball is on its way to the plate when the batter has to make his decision to swing. In addition to reaction time, it takes between 150-190 milliseconds from initiating the swing to making contact with the ball. You'll also need to know the distance from the pitcher to home plate, and the speed of a pitched ball. (Wiese, 2002, pp. 6-8; Adair, 2002, Chapter 3; Brody, 1987, pp. 145-147.) See the Science Buddies project Think Fast! for a step-by-step procedure.

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Last edit date: 2017-07-28

Bibliography

• Adair, R.K., 2002. The Physics of Baseball: Third Edition, Revised, Updated and Expanded. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
• Brody, H, 1987. Tennis Science for Tennis Players. Philadelphia: The University of Pennsylvania Press.
• Wiese, J, 2002. Sports Science: 40 Goal-Scoring, High-Flying, Medal-Winning Experiments for Kids. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

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