What is harder softball for men, or baseball for men
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swamisez
dancinbear wrote:
Wrong, wrong, and wrong again.swamisez wrote: I find that baseball players struggle hitting softball because the timing mechanisms they use to hit actually hurt in softball.
Hitting a good fastpitch softball pitcher is guess work, you essentially have to shorten your stroke to the point it is hard to generate power. It becomes all hands no lower body.
That being said, you have to have extremely quick hands to hit. Most women don't this is why softball games seem to end up 1-0 when a good pitcher is on the mound. Great pitching in baseball still rarely yields 1-0 games.
The mound in fastpitch is probably a little too close for competition to occur at the highest levels. Its more like bowling with the pitcher hitting spots and the batter serving only to occasionally reach base via the walk or an error.
Softball hitting is currently EXACTLY like a baseball swing. Big colleges and smart high school or travel coaches are teaching it. Most use a system called Right View Pro and actually the baseball samples on there which are instructed by Don Mattingly are much more effective and clear. Simply put, the verbage and examples are better. So no, there is no longer shortening the stroke to hit the ball.
Most softball games yield fewer runs typically because of the 60 ft distance between bases, the MUCH SMALLER gaps between fielders, and shit I'd hate to give the pitchers any credit, but the pitching is becoming much more dominating. Even high school pitchers can't survive without at least 3 pitches. Speed/power will no longer get a pitcher anywhere. Without a change, decent drop, and a curve or rise, hitters dominate.
The mound is NOT too close for competition. Don't know where you've been the past few years, but I'm pretty sure people have been putting out info on how hitting a 60 mph softball is harder to hit than a 90 mph baseball....has something to do with science, math, and some distance/speed numbers. Also, hitting spots is actually harder than throwing a few halfway effective junk pitches into the mix.
I don't mean to imply that you're an idiot....but, don't attempt to speak on a subject that you clearly know nothing about outside of your ancient gym class round-robin tournaments.
I am not saying that softball is harder....what I am saying is that they are two completely different games. If a guy grows up his whole life playing baseball, YES, softball would be a somewhat difficult adjustment...at least becoming a pitcher. Strategy is a bit different, but doesn't exacly require a rocket scientist.
Thats enough of my rant for now, though I'm sure I've forgotten a few things.
Consider, hitting biometrics are identical in every way. A great hitter loads, lands, explodes. The swing paths aren't identical, but same principles apply. The major difference is that because baseball players have 60'6" to and softball players have 43" the softball swing mechanics MUST BE COMPLETED IN A MUCH QUICKER MOTION. The result is the need for a more compact swing. It is here that most softball batters have to negate a longer loading phase, hence the diminished power, and major differences in how the game is played.
With a negated loading phase, bat speed is diminished, and in conjunction with the shorter distance mound to plate, pitch recognition is very difficult. Together, these typically result in a pitching dominated environment. Of course you obviously disagree, and there isn't a real point to arguing such semantics, but I thought I would throw in my two cents as you did. -
dancinbear
Thanks for your input. How much batting instruction training have you had?swamisez wrote:dancinbear wrote:
Wrong, wrong, and wrong again.swamisez wrote: I find that baseball players struggle hitting softball because the timing mechanisms they use to hit actually hurt in softball.
Hitting a good fastpitch softball pitcher is guess work, you essentially have to shorten your stroke to the point it is hard to generate power. It becomes all hands no lower body.
That being said, you have to have extremely quick hands to hit. Most women don't this is why softball games seem to end up 1-0 when a good pitcher is on the mound. Great pitching in baseball still rarely yields 1-0 games.
The mound in fastpitch is probably a little too close for competition to occur at the highest levels. Its more like bowling with the pitcher hitting spots and the batter serving only to occasionally reach base via the walk or an error.
Softball hitting is currently EXACTLY like a baseball swing. Big colleges and smart high school or travel coaches are teaching it. Most use a system called Right View Pro and actually the baseball samples on there which are instructed by Don Mattingly are much more effective and clear. Simply put, the verbage and examples are better. So no, there is no longer shortening the stroke to hit the ball.
Most softball games yield fewer runs typically because of the 60 ft distance between bases, the MUCH SMALLER gaps between fielders, and shit I'd hate to give the pitchers any credit, but the pitching is becoming much more dominating. Even high school pitchers can't survive without at least 3 pitches. Speed/power will no longer get a pitcher anywhere. Without a change, decent drop, and a curve or rise, hitters dominate.
The mound is NOT too close for competition. Don't know where you've been the past few years, but I'm pretty sure people have been putting out info on how hitting a 60 mph softball is harder to hit than a 90 mph baseball....has something to do with science, math, and some distance/speed numbers. Also, hitting spots is actually harder than throwing a few halfway effective junk pitches into the mix.
I don't mean to imply that you're an idiot....but, don't attempt to speak on a subject that you clearly know nothing about outside of your ancient gym class round-robin tournaments.
I am not saying that softball is harder....what I am saying is that they are two completely different games. If a guy grows up his whole life playing baseball, YES, softball would be a somewhat difficult adjustment...at least becoming a pitcher. Strategy is a bit different, but doesn't exacly require a rocket scientist.
Thats enough of my rant for now, though I'm sure I've forgotten a few things.
Consider, hitting biometrics are identical in every way. A great hitter loads, lands, explodes. The swing paths aren't identical, but same principles apply. The major difference is that because baseball players have 60'6" to and softball players have 43" the softball swing mechanics MUST BE COMPLETED IN A MUCH QUICKER MOTION. The result is the need for a more compact swing. It is here that most softball batters have to negate a longer loading phase, hence the diminished power, and major differences in how the game is played.
With a negated loading phase, bat speed is diminished, and in conjunction with the shorter distance mound to plate, pitch recognition is very difficult. Together, these typically result in a pitching dominated environment. Of course you obviously disagree, and there isn't a real point to arguing such semantics, but I thought I would throw in my two cents as you did. -
Thunder70
Baseball and softball swings are two different beasts. You cannot convince me otherwise...