Size of balls

Question
QUESTION: My 7-year-old plays in a league w/ 11-inch softballs (Dudley Thunder Heat). She's been practicing at home with 12-inch balls (Worth Dream Seam fast pitch).  

Which balls should travel the farthest when struck by a bat?  I'm curious to see if the distance she's hitting the bigger balls in practice will be what we can expect when she plays in the league with the smaller balls.
ANSWER: Hello Todd,

You need to look at the compression rating and the core size.  The larger core size and compression rating will go further when hit.  The compression rating is based on how much pressure it takes to compress a softball 1/4 of an inch.  If both balls have the same compression rating and core size, the smaller ball should go further.  

Coach Mike

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Coach Mike:

Thank you for the quick response!

The compression rating of the two balls are the same -- 375.  But the larger ball (12 inches) has a 47 core rating, while the smaller ball (11 inches) has a 44. So one has the 'advantage' of being smaller while the other has the advantage in larger core size.  Would it be safe to assume that these advantages would off-set each other and that these two balls would travel about the same distance when struck?


Answer
Hello again Todd,

Since I'm in no way an expert on balls and different compressions, I'll insert a quote I got from softballhitting.com which explains core and compression ratings.  To answer your question, I'd assume the distance is comparable, but I'll let you read what they had to say and you can be the judge.  Again, I apologize, but softball specifics aren't something I've done a lot of research on.  Here's the information:


I will try here to simplify a complex issue. We all know about the hype surrounding bats and their bannings etc., but what about balls? It's probably more confusion rather than hype. First whats more important Ball core or compression? Answer: compression.
CORE is simply the rate at which a ball will reflect back after being cast against an immovable object. So the higher the core the higher the reflectivity or the higher the bounce if you will. Core 47 has a higher bounce than a core 40. But core is not as important as compression, although if you could choose a core 47 with low compression (which would be the ultimate mush ball) this would be a good ball for a stiff walled bat like a stock techzilla to hit for example.

Unfortunately low compression balls (375lbs.) are many times paired up with 44 and 47 cor. making the ball that much softer. This is why it is important to separate the two. The compression is much more important and it's as simple as this : 375lb. comp balls are softer or "compress" more than 525 lb. balls. It takes 525lbs. of pressure per sq.inch to compress a 525lb. ball 1/4". It takes only 375lbs. of pressure to compress a 375lb. ball 1/4". So the higher the compression the harder the ball and the harder the ball the farther it will fly WITH THE RIGHT BAT. What is the right bat? Well lets look at a bit more.

If you could choose and I know many times you can't unless it's your own practice, but if you could the ultimate ball for lets say a Miken ultra or another high flex bat it would be high comp. 525lb.ball with 40 COR as opposed to 47 COR. Most times though 525's are paired up with 47 COR and most people think its the core 47 that is allowing the ball to fly farther, but it is in fact the compression not the core.

Lets look at a low comp ball 375lbs. and a bat with a lot of flex ie: ultra,rocket tech,synergy,pst,etc., Typically a low comp ball and a bat with a lot of flex is not a good combo especially over time(time being the more the ball is hit the mushier it gets). A better pairing is those above named bats and a hi comp 525lb. ball. Hard ball meets 'soft' bat = long hit. Simple.

OK, so what would a better bat be for the low comp 375lb. with core 44 and 47 balls? Something that dosen't flex as much and guess what, this is how the world record of 530 some feet was broken back in the 70's. A 'hard' bat (no flex) was used with what kind of ball? Answer: more like what the low comp balls are becoming. Back in the 70's the balls flexed incredibly and made of a type of 'Surilyn'. The flex on the ball was incredible and rivaled what a superball is like today. They quickly were outlawed and now the bats of today are the focus of bannings like the balls were in the 70's.

So now we as players, should find out what comp balls are being used in our leagues and tournaments so we can match a better bat to the ball we are using. In fact a better bat now for the low comp balls, which are becoming more prevelent may in fact be the bats of long ago that didn't flex as much. What new bats out there now don't flex as much? The original Techzilla comes to mind immediately. It flex's for the very hard hitter, but for the average hitter who can't flex it as much, it may be exactly the bat that the Dr. ordered for these low comp. balls, for even the average hitter.

The New Anderson CK(Composite Killer) line however, is the company to come out with a bat expressly made for hitting mush balls like no other. The new Rocket tech CK is a bat that is a must have is you play asa and hit mush balls. It is rated in the top ten of all bats of ALL TIME already, on bat review sites and it only hit the market in August of 04! It is the only ASA bat rated this high.



Now having said all of this what is the real difference in distance between a low comp and a high comp. ball? My experience has been around 25 ft. or so It may not sound like a lot, but for some it's the difference between hitting a HR and hitting a long fly out. Also different ball mfg's will make a difference in performance. There are too many to mention here, but suffice it to say, some companies put out pure junk while others even though they are low comp. still may fly pretty good.