Down comes a deluge of sonorous hail, Or prone-descending rain. Wide-rent, the clouds Pour a whole flood, and yet, its flame unquenched, Th’unconquerable lightning struggles through. Ragged and fierce, or in red whirling balls, And fires the mountains with redoubled rage. Black from the stroke, above, the smould’ring pine Stands a sad shattered trunk; and, stretched below, A lifeless group the blasted cattle lie. James Thompson, “The Seasons” (1727) have been investigating ball lightning for more than two decades. I published a ball lightning report in Nature in 1976 that received worldwide publicity and I consequently many people wrote to me with accounts of their own experiences. Within a very short time, I had accumulated about 200 firsthand accounts, and the file has continued to grow steadily since then. Several things impressed me. Few of those who wrote to me had any detailed foreknowledge of ball lightning at the time of their observation. Nonetheless, once reports of other phenomena such as St. Elmo’s fire had been eliminated, the remaining descriptions were remarkably consistent. Furthermore, nearly all who contacted me were keen to have an explanation of what they had seen and seemed entirely sincere.

Nicknamed “America’s Pastime,” baseball is a favorite sport for many people. With little leagues, school teams, community recreation clubs, farm teams, and Major League Baseball, it is no wonder the game is so popular. When Craig Barnes and his friends broke a window in their neighborhood as a result of their lively game of baseball, the group of youngsters invented miniature baseball. This breakthrough version of their favorite game could be played in a smaller space and utilized a ball that wouldn’t break any windows! Small Ball: The Blessings of Miniature Baseball introduces you to the game of miniature baseball and provides you with a complete set of rules and instructions for how to play the game. Unlike traditional baseball, the unique scoring system of miniature baseball allows you to play the game with as few as two people. And with handicaps for advanced players, both young and old rookies can enjoy playing alongside those with more experience, thus mentoring and sharing the love of baseball with all generations, including those who live with handicaps.

The intelligent sports analysis of a soccer ball (also known as football, football ball, or association football ball) requires accurately simulating its motion and finding the best design parameters. Employing classic mechanics, this book establishes a fundamental framework for the soccer ball multi-body dynamics modeling, virtual prototype simulation and optimization design. It presents 3D virtual prototypes to predict the soccer ball trajectory for soccer players and trainers. Five typical case studies have addressed in the kinematics and dynamics simulations of soccer ball projectile motion, free kick, and corner kick in the virtual environment. The research on multi-body dynamics models provides a useful method for engineers and scientists to investigate the spatial kinematics and dynamics performances of various balls, such as soccer ball, gulf ball, American football, etc. The book is significant to guide undergraduate and graduate students from multi-disciplines to study system dynamics and optimization design.

A unique series of Pilates strength-building exercises using the Swiss exercise ball, resistance bands, and weights • From the bestselling author of Pilates on the Ball and Abs on the Ball • Features specialized strength-training workouts for readers of all ages and fitness levels • Chapters include check points to help readers set realistic goals and tips for physical educators, coaches, and Pilates teachers In Strength Training on the Ball Colleen Craig shows readers of all fitness levels how to build strong bones, improve balance, and reduce body fat while toning and defining the body. Combining the unique functions of the exercise ball with the endurance- and flexibility-building benefits of strength training, Craig presents 75 ball exercises using weights, resistance bands, and the body's own resistance. Her exercise variations make strength training safe for beginners, children, teenagers, and seniors and challenging enough for the seasoned athlete. Strength Training on the Ball is modeled after Craig's groundbreaking and bestselling works Pilates on the Ball and Abs on the Ball. It contains step-by-step photographs for each of the exercises, check points to help readers set realistic yet motivating goals, and teaching tips for physical educators, coaches, and Pilates teachers. The book concludes with three specialized strength workouts: a therapeutic workout for those recovering from injuries, a basic workout for absolute beginners, and a challenging workout for athletes and gym enthusiasts.

Jon Hart is not a professional athlete. His one major sports victory is a world championship in roller basketball, which is basketball on in-line skates. More than ten years ago, he started pursuing his own bucket list and embarked on a hilarious and insightful journey into the furthest reaches of the sports world.

An experimental apparatus was designed and constructed at the NASA Lewis Research Center to study one aspect of spinning friction based on interfacial slip over the entire ball-race contact area. The apparatus is capable of measuring spinning moments of less than 0. Ol inch-pound at maximum Hertz contact stresses to over 400 000 psi, speeds to 3500 rpm, and under varying contact configurations and conditions. From the torque measurement, a coefficient of spinning friction can be calculated. The apparatus comprises a drive assembly, a dead-weight load assembly, a spherical upper test specimen, a cylindrically grooved lower test specimen of varying conformity, a lower test specimen housing assembly incorporating a hydrostatic air-bearing assembly, and a torque-measuring system. In operation, the upper test specimen is loaded against the lower test specimen through the drive shaft assembly by the dead- weight load assembly. As the drive assembly is rotated, the upper test specimen rotates against the stationary lower test specimen actuating the torque-measuring system. Preliminary tests were conducted under varying Hertz stress to 136 000-psi maximum Hertz stress at a spinning speed of 950 rpm, with a 51 percent ball-groove conformity using a polyphenyl ether (5P4E), a highly purified naphthenic mineral oil, and a di-2-ethylhexyl sebacate (MIL-7808). It was found that the coefficient of spinning friction decreased with increasing maximum Hertz stress to an intermediate stress level and had a minimum value of 0. 122, 0. 089, and 0. 050, respectively, for the lubricants listed previously.

A first of its kind book in the country on water polo, the legends of the sport, about players who have brought laurels to the State and the country, the Olympic Games and World championship stars, etc. It is about the tremendous popularity water polo enjoys in many nations and the need to promote it in others as well. It also has some stats and records about the sport at the highest levels to keep you occupied. Written and compiled by the immensely popular, accomplished and knowledgeable S. S. Shreekumar, a senior sports journalist, commentator and author. Indeed, the book holds a lot of water! Read on…

What's the difference between short leg and deep midwicket? When would you be thinking about bowling a yorker? What's so great about the sound of leather on willow? Cricket’s vocabulary is a mixture of jargon and cliché, poetry and prose, misty-eyed romanticism and old-gits’ cynicism. Arm-ball to Zooter is a witty guide to the peculiarities of the game, its history and major figures; cricket-lovers might find their own pet hates confirmed; cricket newcomers might be amazed at what cricket-lovers have been up to all these years.

“Match Play and the Spin of the Ball” is a vintage guide to tennis by William T. Tilden. William Tatem Tilden II (1893 – 1953), commonly known as "Big Bill", was an American tennis player who is often hailed as one of the greatest tennis players of all time With simple explanations and helpful diagrams, this fantastic guide is highly recommended for both new and experienced players alike, and it is not to be missed by collectors of vintage sporting literature. Contents include: “Our Greatest Player”, “Chapter I - The Spin Of The Ball”, “Chapter II – Grips”, “Chapter III - Footwork And Timing”, “Chapter IV - Attack And Defence”, “Chapter V - Singles And Doubles”, “Chapter VI - The All-Court Game”, “Chapter VII - The Value Of Intensive Practice”, “Chapter VIII - Youth To The Fore”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.