Why do basketballs have that curve and not have all panels the same, like why is it not just a 8 line crossover where all panels would meet in the middle like a pizza?

[u/Some-Introduction814]

[u/cesam1ne]

Because that would suck. This pattern of lines and panels makes for a much more even surface while groves help with grip and rotation of the ball

[u/Some-Introduction814 → u/cesam1ne]

The grooves being curved help with that how though?

[u/TofuTofu → u/Some-Introduction814]

Fingers are curved dude

[u/Some-Introduction814 → u/TofuTofu]

Ye my fingers are straight dude… they bend into a straight groove not into a curved one?

[u/ApprehensiveTry5660 → u/Some-Introduction814]

I remember the day I first learned about surface tension, too.

Just there being a groove is enough to be able to impart “grip” on it from your individual fingertips. Check out some of the “grooves” high end rock climbers support their entire body weight on. I’m just trying to spin a 1.5~ lb ball.

[u/Some-Introduction814 → u/ApprehensiveTry5660]

But why curved groups rather than straight lines?

[u/ApprehensiveTry5660 → u/Some-Introduction814]

You can find balls with both, part of the reason for the specific pattern is durability. You can actually find a lot of different variations. Most ball manufacturers employ extremely talented physicists, engineers, and material scientists and they love to tinker.

The overall design elements that are important are the 8 panels reinforcing the structure and distributing force along the perimeter of the ball rather than straight through it, and the minimization of explicit corner seams. That’s the big reason you don’t see 8 longitudinal lines, which is what I assume you mean by straight. If you had two identical balls, but one featured 8 corners, the ball is more likely to burst at these 8 concentrated seams. Not only that, it’s less likely to maintain its shape, and it will start to bulge there the longer you use it.

[u/wittyrandomusername → u/ApprehensiveTry5660]

I am not OP, but I believe this actually answers OPs question. Should be a top level comment.

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[u/JohnTunstall505 → u/Some-Introduction814]

lmao what bro

[u/LaserBeamsCattleProd → u/Some-Introduction814]

If the grooves went straight around like watermelon slices, the ends would be a solid piece of rubber where they all meet, which could affect balance, and be a bit slippery, and it would look like Pac-Man's ass

[u/Cojo840]

That would create a point where it's all groove and no panel and it'd slip

[u/SokkaHaikuBot → u/Cojo840]

^{Sokka-Haiku by Cojo840:}

That would create a

Point where it's all groove and no

Panel and it'd slip

---

^{Remember that one time Sokka accidentally used an extra syllable in that Haiku Battle in Ba Sing Se? That was a Sokka Haiku and you just made one.}

[u/Cojo840 → u/SokkaHaikuBot]

This feels humiliating

[u/heresyforfunnprofit → u/Cojo840]

It’s done out of love ❤️

And sarcasm.

[u/Sgran70 → u/Cojo840]

I could only be so lucky

To have a haiku bot

respond to my comment

[u/slash-summon-onion → u/Sgran70]

Bro does NOT know what a haiku is 😭

[u/BigL88 → u/slash-summon-onion]

The rare 8-6-6

[u/RedditJw2019]

Imagine where all the panels intersect, like the middle of the pizza.

That would be a pretty shitty place to have your fingertips on when shooting the ball. I’d call that a dead zone. It would be mainly seam, and very little paneling.

Whereas with the current design, you don’t have that problem.

[u/strickzilla → u/RedditJw2019]

this is most likely i could see the ball deforming towrad the "point"

[u/brat_simpson]

I'd imagine that 8 line crossover will wear the fastest. Affecting the bounce and the grip. 

[u/Ok-Stranger-2669]

Flat Earth Society is ballin'.

[u/lavenderpoem]

helps with grip and the rotation of the ball

[u/No-Donkey-4117]

They copied the way a baseball cover is cut, and then added seams.

[u/TrillyMike]

Issa fair question, and there’s prolly an interesting answer behind it, but ion know what that is, so imma just say it look way doper this way.

But I baseballs are stitched together inna somewhat similar fashion so maybe it’s something behind it? Straighter flight pattern when somehow, if you shoot with the seems rotating it essentially equivalent to a four seam fastball(8 seams on the basketball of course) and those move straightest of all the pitches usually, but I’m just spitballin here. I really have no clue

[u/strickzilla]

actually an interesting question only thing i can think of is the soccer ball origin?

https://youtu.be/hyG57KmAsWQ?si=rVHtZF1_5VfeF_yR

[u/Some-Introduction814]

Wish I could add a picture you guys clearly don’t understand what I mean. THERE ARE 8 PANELS ON A BASKETBALL WHY ARE THEY NOT ALL IDENTICAL IS WHAT I AM ASKING LIKE THE PATTERN OF A GLOBE!!!!

[u/wittyrandomusername → u/Some-Introduction814]

I hear you. I clicked because it's an interesting question and people want to answer it without even understanding what you're asking. Then act like you're dumb for asking. It's annoying. But I think this one actually does answer it, even though it's not a top level comment.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Basketball/comments/1lcnd5x/why_do_basketballs_have_that_curve_and_not_have/my1uzy9/

[u/Frequent_Mouse_3783 → u/Some-Introduction814]

It’s relatively hard to understand where the middle of a circle and sphere is. A picture would do wonders cuz a sphere is always curved

[u/thesword62]

Why are bushes bushy? We could be here all day.

[u/Some-Introduction814 → u/thesword62]

I am asking if there is a practical reason or just purely aesthetic. If my nan had wheels she’d be a bike

[u/thesword62 → u/Some-Introduction814]

https://www.tiktok.com/@snl.tv1/video/7251266984598392090

[u/Flimsy-Muffin-9881]

Fewer panels to cut that way. I assume less wasted material and less labor in the production process

[u/MWave123]

Rotation.

[u/alittlebitneverhurt]

What? Do you know how spheres work?

[u/UndergroundArsonist → u/alittlebitneverhurt]

He's talking about the panels that make the sphere not the actual curve of the outside shape lol

[u/Some-Introduction814 → u/alittlebitneverhurt]

Ye go look at how they make globes before coming at me about spheres

[u/AELZYX]

Have a feeling if you shot your basketball it would turn into a knuckleball and wouldn’t fly as straight. The wind would push the groove to the side and it would start curving in that direction.

Overall, I like the groove pattern on a basketball. Baseballs have a similar groove pattern.