New balls vs. old balls

How much more pop does a game ball have than the average ball in a coach's bucket?

It's not the most urgent question in the sport, but I am surprised I can't easily find info on the subject.

How much further/faster are balls traveling on game day than in practice?

I don't think they are like tennis balls and go dead over time as the inside of a softball is not air. Any difference in balls is due to a) brands that may have different internal designs, or b) balls that have been affected by water, extreme temp or hit so hard they lose shape. I would think that a dream seam made in 2005 and not water logged would behave the same as a 2015 dream seam provided the manufacturing process is the same,

There was a study done before with baseballs from 1960 something vs modern balls and no real difference was found.

All I know is the old one is heavier. I have one in the bucket, right now. I should weigh it.

I think the Rockies would offer a big difference on the changing of balls over time. Thus the implementation of the humidor. The climate the balls sit in plays a big role in the amount of moisture that they hold, and thus the weight. Heavier ball, doesn't fly as far. The ball can be brand new, but if it's been sitting in a dry climate for a long time, it will be a bit harder and a bit lighter, and then home run alley.

RookKev said:

I think the Rockies would offer a big difference on the changing of balls over time. Thus the implementation of the humidor. The climate the balls sit in plays a big role in the amount of moisture that they hold, and thus the weight. Heavier ball, doesn't fly as far. The ball can be brand new, but if it's been sitting in a dry climate for a long time, it will be a bit harder and a bit lighter, and then home run alley.

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Forgot about the humidor. Good point.

I realize that softballs, if treated well (ie, not water-logged or scuffed) will live a long life. But it sure seems to me that shiny balls right out of the box are a little livelier than the bucket of 25 balls I've well-kept for a year or so.

High-frame rate video of the bat-ball collision in slow motion shows just how remarkably the ball deforms. The cumulative effects of repeated bat-ball interaction significantly and progressively reduces the ball's compression. A ball is never hotter or travels further when well struck than when it is new. It's all down hill from there. Obviously, this effect is most notable with older, stronger hitters, heavier bats, and faster swing speeds. The "mush" ball effect is much more common in slow pitch v. fast pitch because in slow pitch there's no good excuse to hit every ball on the screws. In conclusion, and to answer the OP's question, the average old ball in the average coach's average ball bucket travels an average of 17.6 feet less than the average new ball, on average. YMMV.

When you hit me in the head repeatedly...I forgot what I was going to say.

I have probably 50 balls right now, all probably 2 years old or newer. I was pitching to just my dd last week and OMG a few of them felt like bowling balls, then I'd pick up a pretty new one and it felt like a wiffle. 2 rounds of pitching all of my balls and I would definately say it was a pattern of newer balls past the fence.
I did dump a couple of the really heavy ones in the trash at the park. Interested me how they got to be weighing so much more.

redhotcoach said:

I have probably 50 balls right now, all probably 2 years old or newer. I was pitching to just my dd last week and OMG a few of them felt like bowling balls, then I'd pick up a pretty new one and it felt like a wiffle. 2 rounds of pitching all of my balls and I would definately say it was a pattern of newer balls past the fence.
I did dump a couple of the really heavy ones in the trash at the park. Interested me how they got to be weighing so much more.

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DD and I will have batting practice on wet muddy fields that a team wouldn't/couldn't play a game on. Leave in bucket until next time. I like the 'heavier' balls our version of 'cheap TCB'.

That made me think of this RDB. Well actually it didn't but anytime I can post a hot college girl in spanx, I will.