How Math Can Actually Help Your Fielding

math numbers fielding infielder infield bases runners

Numbers aren’t for everyone, but looking inside the numbers can often make us better softball players.

Let me show you just exactly how.

I wasn’t one for math when I was in school – mainly because it was hard for me to find a good use for it. But what if I told you it can actually help you be a better infielder? OK, for those of you not mathematically inclined, bear with me, but I think I’ll have you convinced pretty quick.

Let’s look at some numbers. The bases are 60 feet apart, right? And, whether you know it or not, the average 16 to 18 year old runs that 60 feet in 3 seconds. OK, nothing so earth shattering yet.

But let’s look deeper inside those numbers to see what they can tell us about our fielding skills. If you take 60 feet (basepath) and divide it by 3 (time it takes to run that far) you end up with 20. Right? Actually, it’s 20 feet. This means that same runner runs 20 feet in 1 second. That seems pretty far in only 1 second, doesn’t it?!

Well, if we look a little further inside these numbers then we’ll find that runner runs 2 feet in 1/10 of a second – which, might not seem important until you think about how many close plays at 1^st base are out or safe based on 2 feet! A lot, right?!?

So, think about how many more outs you could make throwing to 1^st base if you could get 1/10^th of a second faster either fielding or throwing (getting rid of) the ball!

And Math – that’s what helped you figure it out.

Now if you’re a younger player, then the numbers go like this:

4 seconds to run from home to 1^st
60 feet is distance from home to 1^st
Which means the runner runs 18 inches (1.5 feet) in that same 1/10^th of a second!

Pretty cool, huh?!

For more help with your fielding, check out the following: