What Is the Best Launch Angle To Hit a Home Run?

Abstract

Your students will proudly raise their hands and answer, “45 degrees!” They are, however, answering a different question. It is true that in the absence of air resistance, for a given initial speed, the launch angle that maximizes the range is 45°. For a real homer, there are many complicating factors that make the question far more challenging to answer. Here is a partial list: 1. The initial speed off the bat is not fixed. Garvey's law, “The harder you hit it, the further it goes” is definitely at play; 2. Air resistance is a substantial influence on the flight of the ball.1; 3. The backspin on a well-hit ball creates lift due to the Magnus effect.2; 4. Atmospheric conditions such as humidity, temperature, air density, and the wind affect the motion as well.3; 5. Baseball parks are unique in size and shape. So, a home run in one park may not be a home run in another.