Why would a lack of any spin on a ball cause it to move so erratically at speed? And which forces are said ball reacting to when they move so?
I am, obviously, referring to a spherical football.
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This may get torn apart by proper physics experts, but this is my understanding:
When a ball is spinning after being thrown/hit, it creates pockets of low pressure and high pressure based on the direction it’s spinning as it moves through the air. If a ball has topspin (so the front of the ball is rotating down as it moves), the lower pressure is beneath the ball and higher pressure above. If you change the direction of the rotation, the pressure pockets move accordingly. This creates a bit of a path for the ball to follow through the air (as a path of low pressure air is constantly created near the bottom of the ball).
When a ball has no rotation, it doesn’t create the consistent pressure pockets that give it a particular path through the air. Instead, the ball moves at the whim of the random changes in air pressure and wind as it moves along. These small variations move the ball in different directions, causing the ball to take a slightly wobbly path as it goes towards its target.
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