UAlbany Experts Explain the Science of a Perfect Pass

Ask an expert

Curious about something — anything? Send us your question and we'll find an expert to answer. 

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 1, 2026) — What makes a football fly in a tight spiral? 

UAlbany quarterbacks coach Will Fiacchi '14, a former Great Danes record-setting passer, and physics Associate Professor Alexander Khmaladze break down the grip, the release and the science behind a perfect throw.

Will Fiacchi (how to throw):

Throwing a football properly starts with the grip. Whether you use one finger or two on the laces, leave a small pocket of space between your palm and the ball. Fully palming it leads to over-gripping, which kills your spin rate, so keep the hand relaxed and let the ball roll off naturally. True power doesn't come from the arm. It's generated from the ground up, with your weight over your back leg and your back foot directly under your hip so you can drive force forward.

From a balanced posture with your front shoulder pointed at the target, take a short step just outside your target line. This lets your hips open and transfers force from back hip to front hip, creating torque through your core. Keep the upper body calm and treat the arm as a whip that unleashes that force. As you uncoil, hold roughly a 90-degree arm angle, use your non-throwing arm for balance, and keep your shoulders level. The index finger is the last point of contact on release, creating a tight spiral, and momentum carries your arm through the follow-through.

Alexander Khmaladze (why it works): 

A football throw is perfect when the ball's direction of motion and its axis of spin coincide, which usually means the tip of the ball is tilted upward. A thrown ball's arc typically makes a parabola. If it weren't for the air, the football would still trace a parabola because of gravity, but its nose would point up the whole way instead of turning down.

Air rushing past the front of the ball tries to make it tumble. Just like a finger pushing on a spinning top, that air exerts a force on the ball's spin axis, and the ball responds as the top would. Instead of tumbling, it begins to precess around the trajectory, and its spin traces a cone shape.