Calculating baseball pitch speed

In summary, The conversation discusses a simplified formula for calculating pitch speed using variables such as distance traveled and time, but acknowledges that there will be a large margin of error. The speaker also mentions the need to take air resistance into account in the equation. They also mention a website and phone app that could potentially assist in calculating pitch speed. It is unclear if the speed measured by a radar gun is the maximum or average speed.
  • #1
Brett Barnett
3
0
My brothers and I want to calculate our pitch speed. We have a simplified formula: M = (D/T) x (3,600/5,280). This will obviously have a large margin of error, but we'll try our best to accommodate. I need to know how to calculate air resistance into the equation. Thanks!
 
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  • #2
State what your variables are and their units.
 
  • #3
M = Miles Per Hour
D = Distance Traveled
T = Time for ball to reach home plate
3,600 = seconds in an hour
5,280 = feet in a mile
Conversion ratio: 0.682
For example: (60.6 (feet)/0.50 (time to home plate)) x (3,600 (seconds per hour)/5,280 (feet per mile)) x (121.2 (feet per second)/0.682) = 82.65 miles per hour
 
  • #4
Well if you are measuring both of these then you have air resistance and everything else in your equation already.
 
  • #5
I took the OP to mean that, given how the velocity will decrease during flight, his pitch-to-catch-distance over flight-time will give him an underestimate of the speed when it left the pitcher's hand. So, taking into account the air drag would give him a better estimate.

Brett, have you seen this site? https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/balldrag.html
 
  • #6
Brett Barnett said:
My brothers and I want to calculate our pitch speed. We have a simplified formula: M = (D/T) x (3,600/5,280). This will obviously have a large margin of error, but we'll try our best to accommodate. I need to know how to calculate air resistance into the equation. Thanks!

There's an App for that! :smile:

http://appadvice.com/appguides/show/baseball-radar-gun-apps

.
 
  • #7
Thank you for the information! I will get to work as soon as the semester concludes. And berkeman, haha, I have seen those apps, but I would suspect those to have little accuracy - even less accuracy than doing it manually, even with my undoubtedly high margin of error! Haha!
 
  • #8
Does anybody know (I couldn't find it quickly with Google) -- When you get a speed number out of a baseball radar gun, is it the max or average speed? I'd guess it's the max...
 

1. How is baseball pitch speed calculated?

The speed of a baseball pitch is calculated by measuring the amount of time it takes for the ball to travel from the pitcher's hand to the home plate. This is typically done using a radar gun, which uses Doppler radar technology to measure the velocity of the ball.

2. What units are used to measure pitch speed?

The speed of a baseball pitch is typically measured in miles per hour (mph) or kilometers per hour (km/h). Some radar guns may also display the speed in feet per second (ft/s) or meters per second (m/s).

3. Does the type of pitch affect the speed?

Yes, the type of pitch can affect the speed. For example, a fastball will typically have a higher speed than a curveball or a changeup. This is because the grip and release of the ball can impact the amount of force and velocity behind the pitch.

4. Is pitch speed the same as pitch velocity?

Yes, pitch speed and pitch velocity are essentially the same thing. They both refer to the measurement of how fast the ball is traveling when it leaves the pitcher's hand.

5. Can pitch speed be affected by external factors?

Yes, pitch speed can be affected by external factors such as wind, temperature, and altitude. These factors can impact the air resistance and density, which can affect the speed of the ball as it travels through the air.

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