- Jun 18, 2010
- 2,613
- 38
[video]http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12926694[/video]
New softball sports science.
- Thread starter knightsb
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- Jun 18, 2010
- 2,613
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Awesome! Thanks for the link!
redhotcoach
Out on good behavior
- May 8, 2009
- 4,694
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A lot of midwest excitement on social networks about "#2"'s coverage in the video. Good stuff!
I love watching these so much. Can never get enough of when they compare baseball to softball and people get to realize how tough our sport really is. Thanks for the post.
- Feb 7, 2013
- 3,186
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The problem with this "science" is that it's a fallacy that its just as difficult (or more difficult) to hit a softball in fastpitch than a baseball in MLB:
- a softball is much easier to hit (make solid contact) because its 70% larger than a baseball;
- fastpitch hitters use composite bats, not wood bats. Let's see how how many extra base hits we would see at the NCAA super regionals if the players used wood?
- a baseball can spin 1,000 rpm faster than a softball and because of the longer baseball pitching distance, the movement pitches have much more break than a softball (making hitting a baseball more difficult);
- baseball pitchers pitch from an elevated mound, which is from a more difficult angle for hitters to hit. Why do you think baseball has elevated mounds (if you answered to give the pitcher an advantage, you are correct)?
So, why I think these sports science clips are interesting, you need to look below the surface to get the real story...
- a softball is much easier to hit (make solid contact) because its 70% larger than a baseball;
- fastpitch hitters use composite bats, not wood bats. Let's see how how many extra base hits we would see at the NCAA super regionals if the players used wood?
- a baseball can spin 1,000 rpm faster than a softball and because of the longer baseball pitching distance, the movement pitches have much more break than a softball (making hitting a baseball more difficult);
- baseball pitchers pitch from an elevated mound, which is from a more difficult angle for hitters to hit. Why do you think baseball has elevated mounds (if you answered to give the pitcher an advantage, you are correct)?
So, why I think these sports science clips are interesting, you need to look below the surface to get the real story...
- Jun 18, 2010
- 2,613
- 38
- Jun 18, 2010
- 2,613
- 38
Last edited:
You always hear that hitting a baseball/softball is the hardest thing you can do in sports, but I've always maintained that scoring a goal in hockey is the most difficult thing you can do in sports.
While wearing heavily padded gloves and using a skinny stick with a flat offset end, you have to hit a round disk of rubber past a minimum of one well-padded opponent(s) into a 6'x4' goal while balancing on thin strips of metal strapped to your feet that will be sliding on ice. To top it off, during all of this, someone is mugging you.
While wearing heavily padded gloves and using a skinny stick with a flat offset end, you have to hit a round disk of rubber past a minimum of one well-padded opponent(s) into a 6'x4' goal while balancing on thin strips of metal strapped to your feet that will be sliding on ice. To top it off, during all of this, someone is mugging you.
