How the reaction time 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 the box to start. After a random wait, the lights come on. Tap the instant you see them. A tap before the lights, or a guess right as they come on, does not count.
- After five tries you get your middle time and how much of the pitch it used up: the share of the ball's trip to the plate that was gone before you moved.
How long a pitch takes to reach the plate
Time to the plate is distance divided by speed. Each row uses a typical speed for the level. The pitch speed converter does the same math for any speed.
| Level | Distance | Speed | To the plate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 9 to 12 | 46 ft | 55 mph | 0.57 s |
| 50/70 | 50 ft | 60 mph | 0.57 s |
| 13 and up | 60 ft 6 in | 72 mph | 0.57 s |
| Softball 10U | 35 ft | 38 mph | 0.63 s |
| Softball 12U | 40 ft | 42 mph | 0.65 s |
| Softball 14U and up | 43 ft | 50 mph | 0.59 s |
These times use the full distance from the rubber to the plate at the radar speed. The real trip is a little shorter, because the pitcher lets go a stride in front of the rubber, and a little slower, because the ball loses speed on the way. Read them as a fair comparison between levels rather than an exact clock.
What is a good reaction time for baseball?
In a 2015 University of Tokyo study of youth baseball players reacting to a light with a button press, 11-year-olds averaged 0.216 seconds and high school players, around 17, averaged 0.181 seconds. Reaction time gets faster through the school years as kids grow, so a 10-year-old and a 16-year-old should not expect the same number.
Those times come from a lab light and a button, which add almost no delay. A phone adds its own, so most players will see a slower number here than the lab averages. The comparison that means something is you against yourself on the same phone, over a season.
Can you train reaction time?
Simple reaction time, one light and one tap like this test, barely moves with practice. A study that followed 94 high school players through two years of batting practice found their simple reaction time did not improve. What did improve was their go or no-go reaction: responding to one signal and holding back on another, which is a hitter deciding to swing or take.
So treat this test as a benchmark, and a way to see how much of the pitch is already gone before a hitter starts deciding. The part that grows with reps is the decision, and the usual way coaches build it is real pitches: live at-bats, standing in on bullpens and calling each pitch, and batting practice that mixes speeds instead of grooving the same one.
Reaction time test FAQ
Is the reaction time 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 is my time slower on my phone?
Every touchscreen and display adds a little delay between the lights changing and the tap being counted, and the amount differs from one device to the next. That is why a time is only worth comparing with another time from the same phone.
Why does it use the middle of five tries?
One try where you looked away, or one lucky guess, should not decide your score. The middle time of five (the median) ignores both, so it moves only when your reactions really do.
Does a faster reaction time make a better hitter?
Not by itself. In a study of 94 high school players, two years of batting practice made their swing-or-hold decisions faster but did not change their simple reaction time. Hitting depends more on picking up the pitch early and deciding than on how fast a finger moves.
Does it work for softball?
Yes. Pick Softball 10U, 12U or 14U and up, and the test uses 35, 40 or 43 ft from the circle to the plate.
Sources
- Shinya M, Komuro L, Kobayashi H, Obata H, Nakazawa K. Batting and button-press reaction time in primary, junior high and high school baseball players. 33rd International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports, 2015. Paper
- Kida N, Oda S, Matsumura M. Intensive baseball practice improves the Go/Nogo reaction time, but not the simple reaction time. Cognitive Brain Research, 2005;22:257-264. DOI