Watch the slow-motion spectacle of a soccer ball to the face
What happens when you film a water-filled soccer ball bumping into someone's face? The Slow Mo Guys are glad you asked.
The slow-motion punch is a trope often seen in boxing movies. Time recedes as a fist comes arcing through the air, making contact with the other fighter's face. Sweat sprays off and the boxer's mug deforms. The Slow Mo Guys on YouTube turned in their own version of this footage on Sunday with an extremely slowed-down look at a soccer ball (football for you UK folks) impacting a face.
The Slow Mo Guys first tackled this sort of stunt in a 2010 video, but the newest version uses the latest camera technology and comes in at a much slower speed, giving us an even more visceral look at the impact. Co-host Daniel Gruchy is the semi-willing recipient of the ball, which is delivered to his noggin by fellow slow-mo guy Gavin Free.
The Slow Mo Guys fill the ball with water to exaggerate the impact. We get to see the stunt in ever-slower motion, finally witnessing the event at the incredible speed of 1,120 times slower than real time. The ball squishes. Gruchy's face squishes. You can't look away.
Despite sacrificing his face for YouTube views, Gruchy appears to be fine. We are also left with a deep appreciation for the use of air-filled balls in games, rather than water-filled ones.