Just thought I'd throw this out as another way of measuring a pitcher's speed accurately without using a radar gun (especially as most everybody's gun seems to calibrated differently).
This method is not perfect, in that pitches slow down as they cross the plate, and this measures the average speed of the pitch from hand to glove, not the speed at one point in space. It seems pretty accurate, though. What's really cool is taking video from a dad who swears he gunned his 12 yo at 59 mph and showing him with the chart that she's really throwing 49. Hard for them to argue at that point.
You could also use the chart below with a stopwatch, but that kind of timing is REALLY hard to do accurately.
Most pitchers use video to track progress and document motion, and most of those people (dads like me) have some kind of editing program on a computer. With those tools, the process is simple:
1. Make sure the pitcher is at a set distance.(40 or 43 ft)
2. Set editing program to frame by frame.
3. Count frames from release to catcher's glove contact (be sure to add distance if pitching distance is to the back of the plate and catcher is behind the plate)
4. Standard video runs at 30 frames/sec (actually 29.97, but, whatever)
5. Convert frames to seconds (15 frames =.5 sec.)
6. Check the chart
Pitch Miles Per Hour
time(sec) 46 feet 43 feet 40 feet 37 feet 34 feet
0.60 51.98 48.67 45.45 42.03 38.63
0.59 52.86 49.49 46.22 42.75 39.29
0.58 53.78 50.34 47.02 43.48 39.97
0.57 54.72 51.23 47.84 44.25 40.67
0.56 55.70 52.14 48.70 45.04 41.39
0.55 56.71 53.09 49.58 45.85 42.15
0.54 57.76 54.07 50.50 46.70 42.93
0.53 58.85 55.09 51.45 47.58 43.74
0.52 59.98 56.15 52.44 48.50 44.58
0.51 61.16 57.25 53.47 49.45 45.45
0.50 62.38 58.40 54.54 50.44 46.36
0.49 63.65 59.59 55.65 51.47 47.31
0.48 64.98 60.83 56.81 52.54 48.29
0.47 66.36 62.13 58.02 53.66 49.32
0.46 67.80 63.48 59.28 54.83 50.39
0.45 69.31 64.89 60.60 56.04 51.51
0.44 70.89 66.36 61.98 57.32 52.68
0.43 72.53 67.91 63.42 58.65 53.91
0.42 74.26 69.52 64.93 60.05 55.19
0.41 76.07 71.22 66.51 61.51 56.54
0.40 77.98 73.00 68.18 63.05 57.95
0.39 79.97 74.87 69.92 64.67 59.44
0.38 82.08 76.84 71.76 66.37 61.00
This method is not perfect, in that pitches slow down as they cross the plate, and this measures the average speed of the pitch from hand to glove, not the speed at one point in space. It seems pretty accurate, though. What's really cool is taking video from a dad who swears he gunned his 12 yo at 59 mph and showing him with the chart that she's really throwing 49. Hard for them to argue at that point.
You could also use the chart below with a stopwatch, but that kind of timing is REALLY hard to do accurately.
Most pitchers use video to track progress and document motion, and most of those people (dads like me) have some kind of editing program on a computer. With those tools, the process is simple:
1. Make sure the pitcher is at a set distance.(40 or 43 ft)
2. Set editing program to frame by frame.
3. Count frames from release to catcher's glove contact (be sure to add distance if pitching distance is to the back of the plate and catcher is behind the plate)
4. Standard video runs at 30 frames/sec (actually 29.97, but, whatever)
5. Convert frames to seconds (15 frames =.5 sec.)
6. Check the chart
Pitch Miles Per Hour
time(sec) 46 feet 43 feet 40 feet 37 feet 34 feet
0.60 51.98 48.67 45.45 42.03 38.63
0.59 52.86 49.49 46.22 42.75 39.29
0.58 53.78 50.34 47.02 43.48 39.97
0.57 54.72 51.23 47.84 44.25 40.67
0.56 55.70 52.14 48.70 45.04 41.39
0.55 56.71 53.09 49.58 45.85 42.15
0.54 57.76 54.07 50.50 46.70 42.93
0.53 58.85 55.09 51.45 47.58 43.74
0.52 59.98 56.15 52.44 48.50 44.58
0.51 61.16 57.25 53.47 49.45 45.45
0.50 62.38 58.40 54.54 50.44 46.36
0.49 63.65 59.59 55.65 51.47 47.31
0.48 64.98 60.83 56.81 52.54 48.29
0.47 66.36 62.13 58.02 53.66 49.32
0.46 67.80 63.48 59.28 54.83 50.39
0.45 69.31 64.89 60.60 56.04 51.51
0.44 70.89 66.36 61.98 57.32 52.68
0.43 72.53 67.91 63.42 58.65 53.91
0.42 74.26 69.52 64.93 60.05 55.19
0.41 76.07 71.22 66.51 61.51 56.54
0.40 77.98 73.00 68.18 63.05 57.95
0.39 79.97 74.87 69.92 64.67 59.44
0.38 82.08 76.84 71.76 66.37 61.00