Pitch Speed Equivalence

Sorry but in this context the question makes no sense. Speed is speed. The reaction time of the hitter may vary depending on the distance but the speed out of hand doesn't vary with the distance. If you can only throw the ball 30 or 40 mph, which I doubt very much, into a net from 20 ft then you'll only throw the ball 30 to 40 mph from 60 ft.

BTW, 7 and 8yo just learning how to throw can throw the ball 30 to 40 mph.

You need:

1. normal pitch speed from this age group
Either use a gun or look it up here average pitch speed by age group.

Let's use 45mph

2. Your pitch speed (40-50 usually, or gun it)
Let's say we don't know

3. Normal plate distance (say 46 feet)

4. Distance of your L screen (say 20 feet)

Your pitch speed needs to be...
#4/#3 times #1, or, using my example numbers, 20ft/46ft*45mph=20mph (that's probably like a dart throw- or forearm only)

Most people need to use this formula...
[Let's assume reg dist is 60 ft (#3), dad throws 50mph(#2), and kids normally throw 85mph (#1).]
#2/#1 times #3, or 50mph/85mph*60ft= 35ft to the L screen.

Double check these numbers, please.

Sultan, Okay so if we are throwing 70 mph and want to simulate 95mph then we would throw from 44 - 45 feet?

70/95*60=44.21

Is that correct?

Totally sorry....I was in a rush and didn't state my question thoroughly enough. I am pitching to my sons in our mini basement batting cage. Because it's in a basement I'm only about 20 feet away. Obviously I can throw faster than 30-40 mph but since it's only twenty feet away, anything faster would be too fast. So...just trying to see what the equilavent speed that would be if the pitcher was 60 feet away.

cenpapete, sounds right. Make sure you are really throwing a steady 70 mph though. When you gun Dads and other old guys, they are usually throwing in the 50s. (Be sure to tell them 70 though)

3 times whatever you're throwing would be the equivalent speed from a reaction time standpoint. However, reaction time doesn't mean much. I promise you that most of those LL kids hitting 70 mph pitches shown as around 90 mph equivalent pitches at 46 ft. wouldn't be able to touch mid 80s thrown at 60'6".

The speed at which the ball approaches the batter is much more important. That's why your son's can hit the 120 mph equivalent pitches you are throwing to them in your basement. My recommendation is to work off of their reaction to the pitches. Throw mostly at whatever speed they handle well at that distance, throw some pitches at a speed they have trouble getting around on at that distance and throw some that they tend to be in front of at that distance.

Sultan,
I resemble that remark, however back when my son was at 46' I could still touch 70 mph and caused myself considerable pain during all-star practices trying to get the kids ready to see that speed. I think we only ran into one pitcher who hit those speeds during the tournament as we didn't play the team with the kid who hit 74 mph and ended up winning our district and our country.

My cage is not that long. From my Hack Attack to home plate is 44 feet. This is the formula I use to simulate what the speed would be from the high school distance

60.5x60=3630/44= 82.5

60 is the machine speed. 44 is the distance to home plate.

Just put your speed and distance in those two spots and you will get what would be the reaction time for the high school distance.