The explanation behind this baseball GIF will make your brain hurt

Look at this GIF and tell me if you can figure out what’s going on.

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There’s no use trying to set this up, so just look at this GIF and tell me if you can figure out what’s going on. 

“That thing does not obey the laws of physics at all.” pic.twitter.com/XyXLdfnbLU

— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) May 10, 2016

This shouldn’t happen, right? Right? I’ve honestly watched it about 30 times and I’m no closer to a reasonable explanation. 

How does he kick the helmet backwards when he’s 12 feet from the base and have it hit him when he’s past the bag? 

Here are two explanations that may make sense if you did well in high school physics.

It appears to go backward when we see it relative to his movement. But it in fact goes forward relative to the base! https://t.co/WxVUUq8Qca

— Hank Green (@hankgreen) May 10, 2016

Ah, yes. Forward relative to the base. I feel like I’m in high school again. 

I’ve reached out to astrophysicist/Twitter #wellactually-er Neil deGrasse Tyson for comment. 

@MLBGIFs Explain this, @neiltyson.

— Dan Gartland (@Dan_Gartland) May 10, 2016

We’ll update if he gets back to us. 

- Dan Gartland