How the timing test works
- Pick your level and the speed of the pitching you face. The level sets the distance: 46 ft for ages 9 to 12, 50 ft for 50/70, 60 ft 6 in from 13 up, and 35, 40 or 43 ft in fastpitch softball.
- Tap Start. The pitcher comes set for a moment, then the ball comes in at the real time for that speed and distance. Tap the instant it crosses the line at the front of the plate. The ball freezes where it was when you tapped, so you can see early or late.
- After ten pitches you get your average miss, early or late, the spread from your earliest to your latest, and how far the ball travels in that time.
What a few milliseconds mean
At 55 mph a pitch covers about an inch every millisecond. A swing 20 ms late meets a ball that is already close to 20 inches deeper than where the hitter was timing it, and a swing 20 ms early is out in front by the same amount.
| Level | Distance | Speed | Ball travel in 10 ms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 9 to 12 | 46 ft | 55 mph | 10 inches |
| 50/70 | 50 ft | 60 mph | 11 inches |
| 13 and up | 60 ft 6 in | 72 mph | 13 inches |
| Softball 10U | 35 ft | 38 mph | 7 inches |
| Softball 12U | 40 ft | 42 mph | 7 inches |
| Softball 14U and up | 43 ft | 50 mph | 9 inches |
What this test measures
Researchers call it coincidence-anticipation timing: seeing something move, predicting when it will reach a spot, and acting at that instant. It is the part of hand-eye coordination a hitter uses on every pitch.
In a 2018 study from Seoul National University, 21 Korean professional and college hitters swung a bat to meet a light racing down a track. Players from the top professional league were more accurate and more consistent than minor league and college players, and the difference in accuracy showed up at the faster speeds, not the slowest one.
Why your phone reads a little late
A screen draws the ball a moment after it moves, and a touchscreen counts a tap a moment after your finger lands. Both delays add to every pitch the same way, so they push your average later without changing your spread. Read the average on the same phone over time, and treat the spread as the number that is all yours.
Drills that build timing
There is no one right way to fix timing, and what works depends on the hitter. Mostly early? Drills that mix speeds make you wait. Mostly late? Rhythm work helps a hitter get started on time. Four from our drill library:
- Change-Up Front Toss
Medium to fast front toss with a slow change-up every couple of tosses. The hitter cannot start the swing before the change-up gets there.
- 3 Plate Hitting Drill
Three plates at different distances from the pitcher, who calls which one before each pitch, so the timing changes every swing.
- 1-2-3 Rhythm Tee
Tee work with a walk-up: cross over, step into the stance and swing on a three count, to build rhythm and timing.
- Ball-Hit Front Toss
The hitter says "ball" on first seeing it in the coach's hand and "hit" at contact, tracking it from hand to bat.
Hand-eye coordination test FAQ
Is the hand-eye coordination test free?
Yes. There is no account and nothing to download. It runs in the browser on a phone, a tablet or a computer.
Why does it say I am late when I felt on time?
Every phone shows the ball a moment after it moves and counts the tap a moment after you make it, and the amount differs from one device to the next. That delay adds to every pitch the same way, so it shifts your average later but does not change your spread. Compare scores on the same device.
What is a good score?
There is no published standard for a phone test like this one. The useful comparison is you against yourself on the same device: an average that moves toward on time and a spread that gets tighter.
Will this make me a better hitter?
It is a timing game, not batting practice. Research shows better hitters time a moving target more accurately and more consistently, which is why it is worth measuring, but the timing that wins at-bats is built against real pitching.
Does it work for softball?
Yes. Pick Softball 10U, 12U or 14U and up, and the pitches come from 35, 40 or 43 ft at the speed you set.
Sources
- Lee JH, Kim SJ, Kim SJ. Effects of baseball expertise and stimulus speeds on coincidence-anticipation timing accuracy of batting. Korean Journal of Sport Science, 2018;29(1):76-86. DOI