Free Tool
Pitch Speed Calculator
Free pitch speed calculator for baseball and softball: the equivalent speed from another pitching distance, and the batter's reaction time.
How it works
A pitch is only as fast as it feels from the batter's box, and that depends on how far it travels. The calculator takes the distance from the rubber to the plate less about 5Ā½ feet, where the pitcher lets go of the ball, and divides it by the pitch speed to get the batter's reaction time. It then asks what speed would take the same time from the distance you compare with. A 60 mph pitch from 46 feet gives the batter the time of an 81 mph pitch from 60 feet 6 inches. It is a guide to how a pitch plays, not a radar reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an equivalent pitch speed?
The speed a pitch would need from another distance to reach the plate in the same time. It lets a coach compare a 12U pitcher at 50 feet with a high school pitcher at 60 feet 6 inches, or a softball pitcher at 43 feet with a baseball pitcher.
How fast does a softball pitch feel?
Faster than the radar says. A 60 mph softball pitch from 43 feet reaches the plate in about the time of an 88 mph baseball pitch from 60 feet 6 inches. Choose softball and compare it with 60 feet 6 inches to see it.
What are the pitching distances by age?
Baseball: 46 feet at 9Uā10U, 50 feet at 11Uā12U, 54 feet at 13U, and 60 feet 6 inches from 14U up in most leagues. Softball: 35 feet at 10U and under, 40 feet at 12U, 43 feet at 14U and up. Your league's rulebook has the last word.
How is the batter's reaction time figured?
Distance travelled divided by speed. The ball is released about 5Ā½ feet in front of the rubber, so a 60 ft 6 in pitch travels about 55 feet. At 60 mph, which is 88 feet a second, that takes 0.625 seconds.
Does the pitch slow down on the way to the plate?
A little, by about 8ā10% over 55 feet. The calculator uses the speed you enter for the whole flight, which is fine for comparing distances because every pitch loses speed the same way.
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