Baseball scouts are interested in the speed with which a pitcher throws a baseball. They generally require a specific minimum speed before they will attempt to recruit a pitcher. Scouts typically measure baseball speed with a radar gun, but you can also estimate it with equipment that you may have at home. This will require you to convert the speed of the baseball speed into miles per hour.
Step 1
Time the baseball's pitch with the stopwatch. This will be the time that elapses from when the pitcher throws the baseball to when the catcher catches it. The time of the baseball's pitch will be 0.45 seconds, for this example.
Step 2
Measure the distance of the baseball's pitch with the tape measure. The distance for this example will be 60.5 feet. This is the distance from the pitcher mound to the home plate of a major league baseball diamond.
Step 3
Divide the distance in feet by the time in seconds. This will provide the baseball's average speed in feet per second. If the distance is 60.5 feet and the time is 0.45 seconds, then the average speed of the baseball is 60.5 / 0.45 = 134 feet per second.
Step 4
Convert the baseball's speed to miles per hour. Multiply by 3,600 to convert seconds to hours and divide by 5,280 to convert feet to miles. This will provide a conversion ratio of 3,600 / 5,280 = 0.682. For example, a speed of 134 feet per second is equal to 134 x 0.682 = 91 miles per hour.
Step 5
Use the time to directly calculate the baseball's speed in miles per hour. This will require you to use the equation S = (D / T) * 0.682 where S is the speed in miles per hour, D is the distance in feet and T is the time in seconds. If the distance is 60.5 feet, then the speed is given by the equation, S = 41.3 / T.
Things You'll Need
- Stopwatch
- Measuring tape
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