Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Baseball outfielders maintain a linear optical trajectory when tracking uncatchable fly balls.

Dennis M Shaffer1, Michael K McBeath

  • 1Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University West, Phoenix, 85069-7100, USA. Dennis.Shaffer@asu.edu

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance
|May 10, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Fielders prioritize maintaining a linear optical trajectory (LOT) over optical acceleration cancellation (OAC) when chasing uncatchable fly balls. This suggests LOT is the primary strategy for side-directed balls, regardless of catchability.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The wham-womb sound symbolic effect: English-speaking children and adults link phonemes with arousal.

Cognition·2026
Same author

U.S. English-Speaking Children and Adults Exhibit a "Gleam-Glum" Sound Symbolic Effect Linking Phonemic Vowel Sounds With Emotional Valence.

Cognitive science·2026
Same author

Things are looking (farther) up: Upward gaze orientation is overestimated.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2026
Same author

When right side up is upside down: Vertical attention bias tracks interactive feature regularities in upright and inverted images.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2025
Same author

Angle of regard influences slant perception independent of distance.

Perception·2025
Same author

Vertical attention bias for tops of objects and bottoms of scenes.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2023

Area of Science:

  • Sports Science
  • Biomechanics
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Fielders use visual strategies like linear optical trajectory (LOT) and optical acceleration cancellation (OAC) to catch balls.
  • Previous research indicates both LOT and OAC are employed for catchable balls moving laterally.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if fielders' behavior with uncatchable fly balls favors LOT or OAC.
  • To investigate the primary visual strategy used in pursuit of non-catchable, laterally moving balls.

Main Methods:

  • Observational study of fielders' pursuit of uncatchable fly balls.
  • Analysis of movement patterns to assess adherence to LOT and OAC strategies.

Main Results:

  • Fielders more frequently and for longer durations maintained the linear optical trajectory (LOT) strategy.

Related Experiment Videos

  • The optical acceleration cancellation (OAC) strategy was less consistently maintained.

    • Conclusions:

    • The linear optical trajectory (LOT) strategy appears to be the dominant visual guidance strategy for fielders pursuing balls moving to the side.
    • This preference for LOT holds true even when the ball is deemed uncatchable, suggesting a robust underlying motor control mechanism.