You have less than a second to decide, which isn’t much time

Published September 30, 2024

It’s been a long time since I tried to hit a baseball thrown by a pitcher who can make it travel 96 mph. I didn’t have many chances, but I remember that I didn’t fare well.

Strikeout. Strikeout. Strikeout. Strikeout.

That was the worst game. The others weren’t much better.

Baseball announcers say a lot of silly things, but when they describe what happens if you are expecting an offspeed pitch and get the heat, they speak the truth. By the time you decide whether to swing, the ball is already past you. In the glove.

Stee-rike.

You have less than a full second to decide. The consensus seems to be it’s between 0.1 and 0.2 seconds. Sometimes the pitch comes even faster than 96 mph.

Good luck.

Photo to Mike Flippo via Shutterstock.