Out of all American Sports, I've noticed that Softball and Baseball tend get the most talk about which one is harder. These sports are both very popular men and women sports that seem to be very similar, yet very different.
Of course, Baseball is the sport most men will agree to say is harder than softball. These reasons may include a smaller ball to hit, wider bases making it hard for runners to steal, and a super steap backstop for the catcher. Also, a baseball is definetly not as bright and big as a softball, making it sometimes hard to see and read. The men who play baseball are with out a doubt stronger, bigger, and faster which can lead to a hard and fast tempo of the game. Not to mention there are 9 innings in a game instead of 7, requiring more indurance and stamina from players. Also, the actual diamond is way bigger than a softball diamond, which can actually be a disadvantage to baseball players. For example, big fields mean big gaps for hitters to hit through, making the outfielders job harder. Although, baseball bases are 90 ft apart, and softball bases are 60 ft apart, making it difficult for runners to steal. So yes, size can definetly play a big role in this debate between baseball and softball.
Again, softball is a sport where most women will agree to say is harder than baseball. First off, though the tempo of baseball can be fast, due to the close distance of softball bases and the field, softball requires a faster tempo and reaction time. For example, a softball pitcher is only 43 ft away from home plate, and has a low to high motion, meaning the hitter will need a faster reaction time. Although, a baseball player has a high to low pitching motion, giving the batter more time to react. To be more specific, a softball player has .350 seconds to react and decide if they even want to swing, where as a baseball will reach the plate at .38 seconds. Also, in softball, left-handed batters may have the ability to slap hit, making it harder for an infielder to field and throw her out, considering softball players already have 50% less of a reaction time than baseball players, who actually have around 4.3 seconds to react and throw the batter out. Even though I talked about the disadvantages of a big baseball field, which is around 16,700 square ft, it actually does give baseball players more time to react.
Really, I can see both sides of the debate when it comes to which sport is harder. They all have tons of advantages and disadvantages, especially when coming to size. Although, what do think? Is baseball the harder sport, or is softball to baseball as tennis is to ping-pong?
“Baseball Is Harder than Softball.” Bartleby, www.bartleby.com/essay/Baseball-Is-Harder-Than-Softball-FJSRN9UYXV#google_vignette. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.
Is Softball Harder than Baseball? - Southwestern Oklahoma State University, dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1321&context=sayre_student_anthology. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.
Which sport do you think is harder?
Replies
Love the topic and great summary Camryn! I di think you could have replied back a few more times.
I personally think that both softball and baseball are very hard to do. I personally have not played baseball so I can not form an accurate opinion on which one I think is easier or harder to play. I think that both sports are very similar, yet are opposites in different ways as well.
I think that both sports are hard to do but I feel like baseball is harder than softball becuase baseball uses a smaller ball than softball does. And baseball has more things to learn and more things to do while they are playing. Also the fields and different sized to.
I think that both sports are different enough that they're not really comparable. There are so many situations in both sports and so many differences in the rules, setup, and gameplay that there will never be a situation where there is a clear comparison where there is a simple determination.
I can definetly see where you're coming from. Softball and baseball are very similar, yet very different at the same time. This will for sure have an impact on opinions for which sport people think is harder. Like you said, it is hard to get a clear comparison between the two sports.
I think that softballs are more harder than a baseball. The pitcher in softball uses their fingertips and its speed can be faster than a baseball. In a baseball the pitcher throws a high to low formation; therefore causing the batter to hit more quickly.
I think that baseball is harder than softball. Baseballs are smaller than softball which makes them faster and harder to hit. Even with the size difference of the balls, I don't think that either sport is significantly harder than the other.
I think they have a lot of similarities but baseball is going to be harder. The pitches are much faster so your reaction time has to be better which makes it harder to hit. the balls are smaller which also makes it harder. and the fields are Much bigger in baseball.
I think they are both very similar. I think baseball is harder due to the long distance between bases and the small ball. Comapred to softball with a shorter base distance and bigger ball. I also thnk softball can be harder because of the reaction time.
I think they are equally harder but softball does have to have a faster reaction time and have to run faster to get to the base.
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