How Do I Measure Baseball Pitch Speed? Check Out How To Measure Baseball Pitch Speed!)

Last Updated on October 23, 2023 by Alex PT

To measure baseball pitch speed, use a radar gun, often set up behind the home plate. It calculates the speed by capturing the time it takes for the ball to travel from the pitcher’s hand to the catcher’s mitt, typically in miles per hour (mph).

 For greater convenience, it is advised that you convert the “feet per second” value to “miles per hour”. Using a measuring tape, you will be able to measure the distance from the pitcher’s mound to home plate. For a major league baseball diamond, you should come up with a distance of about 60.5 feet. What you will do is time the baseball pitch from the time it was thrown from the pitcher’s hand till it got to the catcher’s glove. Take, for example, let’s say baseball has a travel time of 0.47 seconds. Get ready for little calculations! Now try to analyze the baseball’s average speed in feet per second, using the formula S = D / T. 

“S” stands for the baseball’s average speed, “D” stands for the distance at which the baseball travels, and “T” stands for the time of the baseball’s travel. So, if the time is 0.47 seconds and the distance is 60.5 feet, then the baseball’s speed will be 60.5/0.47, or 129 feet per second. To convert the speed to miles per hour (MPH), you’ll need to multiply the baseball’s speed in feet per second by 0.682. Take, for example, a speed of 129 feet per second is equal to 129 x 0.682 = 88 mph. Now, try to calculate the baseball’s speed directly using its travel time in seconds. The equation S = (60.5/T) * .682 = 41.3/T will provide the baseball’s speed in miles per hour, where “T” is the time in seconds. Let’s assume that 60.5 feet are the distance, a travel time of 0.47 seconds indicates a speed of 41.3/0.47 = 88 mph. 

The Table Below Contains The Abbreviation Of The Formula for calculating The Baseball Pitch Speed. 

Formula Terms	Meaning
S	Stands for the baseball’s average speed.
D	Stands for the distance at which the baseball travels
T	Stands for the time of the baseball’s travel.

Tips

The truth is there’s always a fraction of a second taken by pitches to reach home plate. To ensure accurate calculation and timing, make sure you measure the speed of several pitches.  

Warnings

If you’re calculating your pitching speed, make sure you’re properly warmed up to ensure you don’t sustain muscle pulls and strains. 

If you’re a fastpitch softball fanatic or if you play baseball often,  you’d have known the difficulty of hitting a well-thrown fastball. For a fastball to travel from the pitcher’s hand to the home plate, it’s only a matter of a second. This means you’ve got only that small time to react to the pitch. or fastpitch softball, you are all too familiar with the difficulty of hitting a well-thrown fastball. It takes less than a half-second for a fastball to travel from the pitcher’s hand to home plate. That is all the time you have to react to the pitch. The typical person’s response time is roughly 0.75 seconds. This implies you have to put up the swing before the pitcher releases the ball and also alter it after the ball has been thrown. As we said before, you can make use of a baseball radar gun to measure the speed of a pitcher’s fastball

You need to be in line with the ball’s path to make an accurate measurement. It’s either the pitch traveling away from you or coming directly at you.  

Pointers

The distance from the pitching rubber to home plate is frequently under the main league standard of sixty feet six inches in the youth leagues. For instance, in Little League, the distance is forty-six feet. Consult your local league of yours for the appropriate distance in case you wish to compute fastball response time for just a player in these leagues.

How to Calculate Baseball Pitch Speed

Calculating baseball pitch speed holds a crucial significance in the game of baseball. It provides a tangible measure of a pitcher’s capability and adds an intriguing aspect to player statistics. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to calculate baseball pitch speed:

1. Understand the Concept

The first step in calculating baseball pitch speed is comprehending the concept. Pitch speed refers to the velocity at which a pitcher throws the baseball from the mound to the home plate. Essentially, it is the rate of movement of the baseball along its path.

2. Familiarize with the Distance

The standard distance in Major League Baseball (MLB) from the pitcher’s mound to home plate is 60 feet and 6 inches. Knowing this distance is vital as speed is fundamentally the distance covered over time.

3. Using a Radar Gun

A Radar Gun is a common tool used to calculate the pitch speed. This device measures the baseball’s speed at the point it leaves the pitcher’s hand and just before it crosses the plate.

4. Using Stopwatches

In the absence of a radar gun, one can use a stopwatch to calculate baseball pitch speed. By timing how long the baseball takes from the moment it leaves the pitcher’s hand to the moment it crosses the home plate, you can calculate the speed using the formula:
Speed = Distance/Time.

5. Smartphone Apps

Modern technologies have made calculating baseball pitch speed more accessible. Many relevant apps have been crafted to measure pitch speed using specific algorithms. Apps such as Pitch Speed for baseball and softball and Radar Pitch Tracker allow you to calculate the pitch speed using your smartphone.

6. Professional Timing System

At a professional level, systems like PITCHf/x and TrackMan use multiple cameras or a Doppler radar to track the flight of the ball from the pitcher’s hand to home plate, providing a detailed pitching analysis.

Step	Method	Tools/Devices
1	Understand the Concept	None
2	Familiarize with the Distance	None
3	Radar Gun	Radar Gun
4	Calculate Using Time	Stopwatch
5	Smartphone Apps	Relevant Smartphone Apps
6	Professional Timing Systems	PITCHf/x, TrackMan

Calculating baseball pitch speed is imperative for players and coaches alike, as it provides vital data that can improve performances. By following this guide and with consistent practice, anyone can accurately calculate baseball pitch speed.

Where Can I Test My Pitching Speed?

Training Area. You need to measure the distance in your training area from the pitcher to the catcher to get an accurate MPH reading of your throw.

What Is A Good Pitching Speed?

The average speed of good pitching of a typical high school fastball should be between 75-85 mph. However, you’d expect the top varsity pitcher to see the upper 80s and low 90 range. 

Is There An App To Measure Pitching Speed?

Is the radar gun the only equipment used to measure pitching speed? No! Is there any other equipment that can measure the measuring pitching speed? Yes! Thanks to innovation and technology, there’s a new mobile app used it measure pitching speed. You can measure the speed of moving objects or people with your smartphone. Using the Speed Gun app on Android™ and Speedclock on iOS. This app is useful for sporting events like track and field, football, or baseball.  

How Fast Is A 70 Mph Fastball From 45 Feet?

You need to divide the longer distance by the shorter distance and then multiply the result by the MPH to compare the “ball travel time” of any two distances. Take, for example, if you divide 60’ by 46’  you’d get something around 1.30. You’ll then get 91 if you multiply 1.30 by 70 MPH. That’s what brings about the saying that 70 mph from 46 feet equals 91 mph from 60 feet.

Closing Thoughts – Wrapping It Up! 

The bottom line is that the speed of a baseball pitch can be measured with some homemade equipment. You can use this procedure to measure the average speed of the ball in feet per second as the baseball travels from the pitcher’s mound to home plate. We’ve come to the end of this informative article. We hope you were able to find resources in your quest to know how to measure baseball’s pitch speed. Please do not hesitate to contact us for questions or comments. Thanks!

References:

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/the-measure-of-a-fastball-has-changed-over-the-years/
https://www.sportsrec.com/4232986/how-to-calculate-baseball-pitch-speed