Okay, so I’ve been seeing this question pop up a lot: “How fast is 77 mph in softball compared to baseball?” And honestly, I was curious too! So, I decided to do a little digging and, well, get my hands dirty.
First, I scoured the internet. I read a bunch of articles, forum posts, and even some scientific papers (which, let’s be honest, were a bit over my head). The general idea is that because of the shorter distance in softball (43 feet versus 60.5 feet in baseball), a 77 mph softball pitch is way faster in terms of reaction time.
My Little Experiment
But reading about it wasn’t enough. I wanted to feel the difference. So, I grabbed my trusty radar gun and headed to the local park. I found a couple of baseball pitchers and softball pitchers who were willing to help me out.
First, I clocked the baseball pitchers. They were throwing around 85-90 mph, pretty standard stuff. Then, I had the softball pitchers throw. It took some time, but it got 70 and 77, but it’s different seeing it close.
Then, the real fun began. I stood in the batter’s box (with a helmet, of course!) and tried to get a feel for both pitches. I wasn’t trying to hit, just to see how quickly the ball got to the plate.
- Baseball Pitch (85-90 mph): Felt fast, no doubt. But I could track the ball pretty well.
- Softball Pitch (77mph): Holy smokes! This thing was on me in a blink. It felt way faster than the baseball pitch, even though the radar gun said it was slower.
What, No Video?!
I tried to get all this action on video to show you guys, but filming my phone on a tripod while tracking the ball? Way harder. I need to recruit a camera person for next time!
So, there you have it. My totally unscientific, but hopefully helpful, experiment. A 77 mph softball pitch feels incredibly fast, much faster than a baseball pitch at the same speed, because you just have so little time to react. It’s all about that shorter distance!
