How to Calculate Pitching Speed Without Radar

One pitching measurement that is often scrutinized is pitch speed. Scouts often sit behind home plate recording the speed of every pitch thrown. Fans watch stadium radar recordings to see how fast their favorite pitchers can throw. While a radar gun is typically the easiest method to determine pitching speed, not everyone has access to radar equipment. Anyone who wants to know how fast they can pitch can calculate the speed with the help of a stopwatch, a friend and some simple measurements.

Things You'll Need

  • Baseball
  • Teammate
  • Stopwatch
  • Tape measure
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the distance between the point where the pitch is being released to where it is crossing the plate or being caught. This is a standard measurement depending on the league you play in. In Little League, it is 46 feet from a pitching mound to home plate. In high school, college and professional leagues, the distance is 60 feet, 6 inches. If you are unsure, use a tape measure to determine the distance.

    • 2

      Position a friend or teammate with a stopwatch somewhere near home plate. He must be able to see when the pitch is released and when it crosses the plate.

    • 3

      Release the pitch. The teammate should start the stopwatch upon release and stop the clock when the ball crosses the plate or reaches its destination.

    • 4

      Record the time. The information you have gives you a pitching speed in feet per second.

    • 5

      Convert feet per second to miles per hour. For example, if the pitch took half a second to travel 60.5 feet, you have a pitching speed of 121 feet per second. To get the appropriate units, multiply the number of feet per second by 3,600 (the number of seconds per hour) and divide by 5,280 (the number of feet per mile). So, 121 feet per second times 3,600 seconds, divided by 5,280 feet equals a pitch speed of 82.5 mph.