The Science of Softball

Back in 1937, baseball legend Babe Ruth went to bat against a pitcher named John “Cannonball” Baker. But instead of hurling baseballs at the batter, Baker used a larger softball. After swinging and missing several times, Ruth finally told the catcher to switch places with him. “If you’re catching those, you might as well catch them in front of the plate because I can’t hit them,” he said.

Why is it so hard for baseball players to hit a softball pitch? The secret is in how the ball is thrown. While baseball pitchers throw the ball overhand, softball pitchers throw underhand. When pitched underhand, a ball moves differently, making it almost impossible to hit without years of practice.

Softball was invented in the 1880s as a form of indoor baseball to be played in winter. But people liked the game so much, they started playing it outdoors too. Softball has been a spring and summer sport ever since. At first, it was played by both men and women, but because girls weren’t allowed to play baseball, softball was important for female athletes.

A softball is larger than a baseball, so it can’t be thrown as quickly. But the distance between the pitcher and batter is shorter, so the ball doesn’t have to travel as far (see Softball vs. Baseball). As a result, a 70 mph softball pitch reaches home plate in less than 0.4 seconds. That’s slightly faster than a 100 mph pitch reaches a batter in baseball!

Throwing the ball underhand also allows softball pitchers to do things that baseball pitchers can’t, such as making the ball curve up at the end. This is called a “rise ball.” When a ball is thrown overhand, the ball starts high,  moving downward on its path to home plate. But with underhand throwing, the ball starts low and travels upward. 

Experienced softball batters often have a hard time hitting rise balls. So it isn’t surprising that baseball players—even Hall of Famers like Babe Ruth—would struggle. Expecting them to hit home runs would be like expecting a violinist to play the guitar just because both of the instruments have strings.

Today there are many places to see softball played at a high level. It’s also a popular high school and college sport. Next year, softball—along with baseball—will return to the Summer Olympics!

Babe Ruth was a baseball legend. In 1937, he went to bat against a pitcher named John “Cannonball” Baker. But Baker didn’t throw baseballs. Instead, he pitched a softball, which is larger. Ruth swung and missed the ball several times. Finally, Ruth told the catcher to switch places with him. “If you’re catching those, you might as well catch them in front of the plate because I can’t hit them,” he said.

Why is it so hard for baseball players to hit softball pitches? The secret is in how the ball is thrown. Baseball pitchers throw the ball overhand. But softball pitchers throw underhand. A ball pitched underhand moves differently. That makes it almost impossible to hit without years of practice.

Softball was invented in the 1880s. Athletes originally played it indoors in winter, when it was too cold out to use the baseball field. But people liked softball so much, they started playing it outdoors also. Softball has been a spring and summer sport ever since. Both men and women play softball. But it became particularly important for female athletes. That’s because girls weren’t originally allowed to play baseball.

A softball is larger and heavier than a baseball. That means pitchers can’t throw it as quickly. But the distance between the pitcher and batter is shorter in softball (see Softball vs. Baseball). The ball doesn’t have to travel as far. As a result, a softball pitched at 70 mph reaches home plate in less than 0.4 seconds. That’s slightly faster than a pitch at 100 mph reaches a batter in baseball!

Throwing the ball underhand also lets softball pitchers do things that baseball pitchers can’t. For example, a softball pitcher can make the ball curve upward as it reaches home plate. This is called a “rise ball.” When a ball is thrown overhand, the ball starts high. It moves downward on its path to home plate. But an underhand throw means the ball starts low and rises upward as it flies.

Experienced softball batters often have a hard time hitting rise balls. It’s even harder for baseball players—even Hall of Famers like Babe Ruth. They’re used to a completely different pitching style. Expecting them to hit home runs in softball would be like expecting a violinist to play the guitar just because both instruments have strings.

Today there are many places to see talented softball players. It’s a popular high school and college sport. And next year, athletes will compete in softball—along with baseball—at the Summer Olympics!