Pitching Machine Speed Chart - Speed vs. Distance

When using a pitching machine, it seems like the ball is moving faster or slower depending on your distance from the machine. In fact, the ball's speed remains constant. If pitched at 60 mph, it travels at 60 mph. However, the machine's distance from home plate matters when it comes to batting. Consult the pitching machine speed chart to see how pitch speed and batter's distance create a comparative "reaction time speed."

Learn more about how players see a fastball.

Calculating Speed

Pitching machines always pitch at the set speed. For example, if the machine is set to 70 mph, the pitch travels at 70 mph at any distance. However, the same 70 mph appears to travel faster when hitting 30 feet, opposed to 60 feet, from home plate. Consequently, it is beneficial to consult a pitching machine speed chart or calculate the perceived speed. Plus, understanding the ball's travel time helps improve your game.

EQUATION

Longer Distance (feet) ÷ Shorter Distance (feet) × MPH

For the longer distance, enter the typical mound to plate distance. For example, enter 60.5 feet for a field that follows MLB guidelines. Next, the shorter distance (also in feet) represents the distance from the pitching machine to the plate. Lastly, multiply by the miles per hour (MPH) of the pitch.

EXAMPLE

A pitching machine is set at 70 mph. When the machine is placed 60 feet from home plate, the pitch appears to be traveling at 70 mph (it's actual speed) when it reaches the player. Now if the machine is moved half the distance home, so 30 feet away, the same pitch appears to travel at 140 mph. So, in the example above, the longer distance is 60 feet and the shorter distance is 30 feet. The MPH is 70. When we plug those numbers into the equations, we get:

(60÷30) × 70 MPH = 2 × 70 MPH = 140 MPH

To make it even easier to calculate, check the charts below to find how fast it feels like the ball is traveling based on your distance from home plate:

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Pitching Machine Speeds (compared to MLB 60.6 feet)
40 FEET VS. MLB 60.6 FEET		\|	46 FEET VS. MLB 60.6 FEET		\|	54 FEET VS. MLB 60.6 FEET
Pitching Machine Speed	Comparison Speed	\|	Pitching Machine Speed	Comparison Speed	\|	Pitching Machine Speed	Comparison Speed
30	45	\|	45	59	\|	50	56
31	47	\|	46	60	\|	51	57
32	48	\|	47	62	\|	52	58
33	50	\|	48	63	\|	53	59
34	51	\|	49	64	\|	54	61
35	53	\|	50	66	\|	55	62
36	54	\|	51	67	\|	56	63
37	56	\|	52	68	\|	57	64
38	57	\|	53	70	\|	58	65
39	59	\|	54	71	\|	59	66
40	60	\|	55	72	\|	60	67
41	62	\|	56	74	\|	61	68
42	64	\|	57	75	\|	62	69
43	65	\|	58	76	\|	63	71
44	67	\|	59	78	\|	64	72
45	68	\|	60	79	\|	65	73
46	70	\|	61	80	\|	66	74
47	71	\|	62	82	\|	67	75
48	73	\|	63	83	\|	68	76
49	74	\|	64	84	\|	69	77
50	76	\|	65	85	\|	70	78
51	77	\|	66	87	\|	71	80
52	79	\|	67	88	\|	72	81
53	80	\|	68	89	\|	73	82
54	82	\|	69	91	\|	74	83
55	83	\|	70	92	\|	75	84
56	85	\|	71	93	\|	76	85
57	86	\|	72	95	\|	77	86
58	88	\|	73	96	\|	78	87
59	89	\|	74	97	\|	79	89
60	91	\|	75	99	\|	80	90

Pitching Machine Speeds (compared to 46-54 feet)
40 FEET VS. 46 FEET		\|	40 FEET VS. 54 FEET		\|	46 FEET VS. 54 FEET
Pitching Machine Speed	Comparison Speed	\|	Pitching Machine Speed	Comparison Speed	\|	Pitching Machine Speed	Comparison Speed
30	34	\|	30	40	\|	45	53
31	36	\|	31	42	\|	46	54
32	37	\|	32	43	\|	47	55
33	38	\|	33	45	\|	48	56
34	39	\|	34	46	\|	49	58
35	40	\|	35	47	\|	50	59
36	41	\|	36	49	\|	51	60
37	43	\|	37	50	\|	52	61
38	44	\|	38	51	\|	53	62
39	45	\|	39	53	\|	54	63
40	46	\|	40	54	\|	55	65
41	47	\|	41	55	\|	56	66
42	48	\|	42	57	\|	57	67
43	49	\|	43	58	\|	58	68
44	51	\|	44	59	\|	59	69
45	52	\|	45	61	\|	60	70
46	53	\|	46	62	\|	61	72
47	54	\|	47	63	\|	62	73
48	55	\|	48	65	\|	63	74
49	56	\|	49	66	\|	64	75
50	57	\|	50	68	\|	65	76
51	59	\|	51	69	\|	66	77
52	60	\|	52	70	\|	67	79
53	61	\|	53	72	\|	68	80
54	62	\|	54	73	\|	69	81
55	63	\|	55	74	\|	70	82
56	64	\|	56	76	\|	71	83
57	66	\|	57	77	\|	72	85
58	67	\|	58	78	\|	73	86
59	68	\|	59	80	\|	74	87
60	69	\|	60	81	\|	75	88

Have questions? Contact us with any additional questions regarding pitching machines, projects, or to get started on a custom order today.

Pitching Machine Speed Chart - Speed vs. Distance

Calculating Speed

EQUATION

EXAMPLE

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