Top view is the side profile (distance vs. height), bottom strip is the
bird's-eye view (distance vs. lateral curve). The ball leaves the stick's
pocket under gravity, quadratic-ish drag, a crosswind, and the Magnus force
from its spin — a spinning ball drags air around with it, creating sideways
lift that curves the shot.
a = g + wind_accel − k·|v|·v + magnusK·vx (lateral)
magnusK ∝ spin (rev/s)
- Shot speed — ball speed leaving the stick pocket.
- Launch angle — elevation of the release.
- Spin — sidespin in revolutions per second; positive curves right, negative curves left via the Magnus effect.
- Crosswind — lateral wind pushing the ball off its straight-line path.
The same Magnus mechanism bends a curveball in baseball or a banana kick in football.