The ball leaves the stick's pocket under gravity, quadratic air drag, a
crosswind, and the Magnus force from its spin — a spinning ball dragged air
around with it, creating sideways lift that curves the shot.
a = g + wind_accel − (Cd·ρ·A/2m)·|v|·v + (S·ω × v)
S = Magnus lift coefficient, ω = spin (rad/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 — lacrosse shooters use wrist snap to add spin deliberately to bend around a goalie.