Which do you think is harder to hit, a pro fastpitch softball or a pro baseball pitch?

Question

People say that the hardest thing to do in sports is hit an MLB pitch. I say horsecraop-hitting a fast-pitch softball is harder. Your thoughts??

Actually Go Cubs, the softball pitch is faster and you can do some things with it that you can't really do with a baseball, like a riser.

Also, go to a pro fastpitch game. I bet atleast one of the pitchers flirts with a no-no. It's for a reason. There are some GIRLS who can throw a fast pitch over 70 MPH from 43 feet. With the step toward the plate, it is more like 40 feet, an equivelent of a 90+ MPH baseball-that's a girl.
Barry Bonds tried to hit Jennie Finch and couldn't touch it-she struck out most MLB players she has faced-again-this is a girl. In fast pitch you have to swing 4 or 5 inches above or below the ball, if you swing at the ball, you will strike out every time. Men have been clocked at over 100MPH. You can count MLB pitchers that can do that on one hand.

Miamiman- a riser is completely possible. Eddie Feigner once pitched in a 2 inning exhibition in 1967 and struck out Willie Mays, Harmon Killebrew,Willie McCovey,Brooks Robinson, and Robrto Clemente. Also, the Jennie Finch thing was more than one pitch.

And another thing, you can throw a riser that isn't even fast. Where do you come up with this 4500 RPM gibberish. You slow.

Answer 1

a baseball is by far the harder of the two. the baseball is considerably smaller and moving at a greater velocity. also, the way that a baseball is thrown can cause the ball to move in unpredictable manners. there are numerous variables when a baseball is thrown. with a softball, there are only a few.

Answer 2

Hitting - across the board - is generally considered to be the most difficult skill an ANY sport. The Major league part of your question likely comes from the fact that it is mainstream with no softball equivolent.

First, a 70MPH pitch, from the shortened distance, is the equivolent of a fastball at just over 90 from the major league distance. Also (I am told) that most fast pitch pitchers have 4-5 different pitches in their arsenal, with exceptional pitchers having as many as seven and the truly elite being capable of 9.

They had an exhibition deal with some Major leaguers trying to hit some college softball pitchers a couple of years ago We're talking A-Rod level players. They didn't have much success.

The answer is the softball pitch is more difficult

Answer 3

While I don't think I would have much success hitting either, I'm sticking with the baseball. Many people will refer to the velocity of a pitched baseball. A softball is actually slightly faster based on the shorter distance to home plate. I'm sticking with the baseball pitch because:

1. A baseball is smaller (9" vs 12" in circumference)

2. The bat. Baseball bats are somewhat longer, but they are tapered from the head of the bat to handle. Softball bats are the same circumference until you reach the handle. This gives you a larger area to cleanly connect with the ball.

3. The mound. Baseball pitchers throw from a raised mound. This gives them an advantage over hitters. Softball pitchers throw from the same level as the batter.

Both tasks are incredibly difficult, but I'm sticking with the baseball.

Answer 4

You can't say that a softball is harder to hit by putting professionals who have only ever hit baseballs in their life before. That's stupid because they aren't used to it. Professionals baseball players are a freak of nature. Give them several days of batting practice with softballs and they'd be killing it in no time.

Answer 5

you can't compare the two so don't even try .. a baseball is smaller and thrown from farther away .. but a softball is thrown any slower than a baseball pitch .. thats a myth .. when you compare the two velocities from the distance they are thrown at .. the ratio is the same .. and the pitches are different .. in baseball you can't throw a rise .. but in softball you can't throw a splitter .. they both have changeups and fastballs and a drop (sinker) and a curveball .. there are reasons why baseball players can't hit a softball .. because the swing is different .. when swinging up at a ball that is thrown underhand you're just gonna hit a pop up .. and a softball player has trouble hitting a baseball because we have to swing down on a softball so when hitting a baseball coming overhand we drive it into the ground .. so you can't compare them

Answer 6

This has been debated for years. The reaction time for a pro fastpitch softball is almost non existent. A MLB fastball allows the batter a second of reaction time (which is why most pitching coaches look for taller pitchers that have a release point closer to the plate). For softball you must start your swing on the release point whereas MLB you start your body to lead your hands through the zone.
The 2 swings are significantly different which is why Jennie Finch struck out so many pro players, they all take their stride at release and the start of their swing is almost always late as the pitch is on them when their weight is still centered as opposed to on the back like normal timing - the ball gets there about 15 feet too soon. Pro players also have a longer swing and hold their hands back. Softball players hold their hands forward and have more wrist in the swing to get to contact quicker while still accelerating to generate bat speed. On the opposite side, if you put a pro softball player against a MLB pitcher you may have the same issue that timing is off and if they use their short swing they will either fowl the ball off or never hit it out of the infield.
A hitter like Rod Carew or most Charlie Lau desciples will crush a softball because of the quiet lower body and quick hands.

I have played against both and hit both but they have their challenges. The one issue that makes it difficult to judge is that MLB pitchers in general have the better skill of placement, side to side movement and speed. But make no mistake, hitting is about timing and a pro player can hit any ball if he knows where it will be and when it will be there. Good luck, they are both tough.

Answer 7

I don't really think you can prove which one is harder unless you have someone who can hit considerably well in both situations. I mean, yeah, I can hit a softball pretty well but I probably couldn't hit a baseball at all. This doesn't make either one more or less difficult, it just means I have been trained to hit a ball coming at a different angle and distance. Hitting in general, baseball or softball, is hard to do. But I do think that it's easier to see a ball coming underhand rather than overhand.

Answer 8

Lets look at the balls. Baseball smaller Softball considerably larger, base ball bat smaller, softball bat bigger. Im gonna go on an educated guess and say that hitting a smaller ball with a smaller bat is more difficult then hitting a larger ball with a bigger bat. IMO

Answer 9

I'm a college umpire in baseball and softball,let me tell you something those gals can play some ball.But I gotta say hitting a 95 mph fastball is harder.If a pro baseball hitter seen softball pitching for 100 games they would murder it

Answer 10

The only thing I can see that might make a fast-pitched softball harder to hit is there is less distance between the batter and the softball pitcher than the hardball pitcher. However the speed of the larger softball thrown with the underarm pitch is nowhere near the speed of a MLB pitch. What MLB pitchers have you faced that make you so certain of this???

Answer 11

Im not sure but I would think that a baseball is harder but I have never hit a softball.