Physicists prove complaints about new basketball are valid

Physics Today Online: This year the National Basketball Association switched from leather to synthetic basketballs to cut down on the amount of variation in behavior between balls used on the court. Unlike leather balls, the new synthetic balls--made out of a durable micro-fiber composite--do not require conditioning before use on the court, nor do they pick up moisture (a leather ball can gain 10% of its weight from moisture by the end of a game). A synthetic basketball has a designed surface that is supposed to be easier to grip than its leather counterpart. However, the NBA players have all complained about the new basketballs saying that don’t react or feel as easy to use as the old leather balls. Now, Kaushik De and colleagues from the University of Texas, Austin Physics Department have proven that the players are correct. Tests carried out under laboratory conditions, show that the synthetic ball bounces 5 to 8 percent lower than a typical leather ball when dropped from 4 ft, and the new ball bounces 30 percent more erratically. Moreover, because the new balls do not absorb moisture, the surface of the basketball retains a thin layer of water, making them harder to grip by the end of the game. The physicists suggest some improvements to the design of the synthetic ball (making it able to absorb more water for example) while they continue carrying out their next set of tests, including aerodynamic drag experiments in a wind tunnel. MavBalls UT Arlington Physics Update 12/12/2006: According to a report on NPR the NBA has decided to scrap the new basketballs because of complaints and the research carried out by UT Austin.