Batting Practice Distance Calculator
Find exactly where to stand so your batting practice feels like game speed
Tell it how hard you throw and the speed you want to simulate. Reaction-time matched for any league mound.
Quick reference: where to stand (feet)
| Your speed | 60 mph @ 46 ft | 70 mph @ 50 ft | 80 mph @ 60.5 ft | 90 mph @ 60.5 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 mph | 30.7 | 28.6 | 30.3 | 26.9 |
| 45 mph | 34.5 | 32.1 | 34.0 | 30.3 |
| 50 mph | 38.3 | 35.7 | 37.8 | 33.6 |
| 55 mph | 42.2 | 39.3 | 41.6 | 37.0 |
| 60 mph | 46.0 | 42.9 | 45.4 | 40.3 |
Distances under 30 ft are very close to the hitter. Use an L-screen and adjust effort as needed.
How it works
A hitter's difficulty comes from reaction time, the fraction of a second the ball is in the air, not the number on the radar gun. The ball covers less ground from a shorter distance, so a slower throw can give the hitter the same reaction window as a faster game pitch. To match them, scale your distance by the ratio of your speed to the game speed:
Example: you throw 45 mph and want it to feel like a 70 mph pitch from the 46 ft Little League mound. That is (45 / 70) x 46, which is about 29.6 ft. From there, your 45 mph throw reaches the hitter in the same time a 70 mph pitch would from the mound.
What is perceived velocity?
Perceived velocity is how fast a pitch feels to the hitter, set by the reaction window rather than the raw speed. The same concept drives pro and college training facilities, where pitchers and BP throwers move up to make a moderate arm play like high velocity. Move closer and the perceived speed climbs; move back and it drops.
Switch this tool to What does my BP feel like? to go the other direction: enter your speed and how far you stand, and it tells you the perceived game speed at the mound. It is a quick way to know whether your batting practice is challenging hitters at the level they actually play.
Pitching machine distance from home plate
For game-speed reps, set a pitching machine at the regulation mound distance for your level:
- Tee ball / coach pitch40 ft
- Little League (Majors)46 ft
- Intermediate 50/7050 ft
- Pony / Babe Ruth54 ft
- High school, college, MLB60 ft 6 in
- 10U / 12U / 14U softball35 / 40 / 43 ft
If your machine tops out below game speed, move it closer using the calculator above to keep the hitter's timing honest. A machine set to 50 mph at 36 ft, for instance, plays close to a 65 mph pitch from the Little League mound.
Frequently asked questions
How close should I stand to throw batting practice?
Match the reaction time, not the radar speed. Divide your throwing speed by the game speed you want to simulate, then multiply by the game mound distance. For example, throwing 45 mph to mimic a 70 mph pitch from a 46 ft Little League mound means standing at (45 / 70) x 46, about 29.6 ft. Always throw from behind an L-screen.
What is perceived velocity?
Perceived velocity is how fast a pitch feels to the hitter based on how much time they have to react, not the number on the radar gun. A pitch thrown from a shorter distance reaches the plate sooner, so it plays faster than its actual speed. Throwing 50 mph from 40 ft feels like roughly 75 mph from 60 ft because the reaction window is the same.
How far should a pitching machine be from home plate?
Use the regulation mound distance for game-speed reps: 46 ft for Little League, 50 ft for 50/70 Intermediate, 54 ft for Pony and Babe Ruth, and 60.5 ft for high school, college, and pro. To make a slower machine play like a faster pitch, move it closer using the same reaction-time formula.
Does throwing BP closer actually make hitters better?
It can, when used on purpose. Throwing from a shorter distance compresses the hitter's decision time so they train to a faster perceived speed, which is useful for timing and pitch recognition. Keep it safe with an L-screen and do not crowd the plate so close that the hitter cannot track the ball.
Is this the same as the pitch speed converter?
The math is related, but the goal is different. The Pitch Speed Converter compares one speed across mound distances to answer "how good is this number." This tool answers "where do I stand" so a coach or parent can set up batting practice that feels like game speed.