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Which is harder to do.....
Posted on 4/29/13 at 10:39 am
Posted on 4/29/13 at 10:39 am
return a professional tennis serve or hit a proffesional pitch? (putting both in play, not just making contact)
Some friends and I got into this debate over the weekend. In my opinion, returning a serve is harder because the ball is coming faster (up to 140ish mph) and you have a MUCH larger area to defend/cover.
Their main arguments were that the distance is shorter for a pitch (60ft vs tennis' 78ft), and a bat is much smaller than a racquet.
What say you?
Some friends and I got into this debate over the weekend. In my opinion, returning a serve is harder because the ball is coming faster (up to 140ish mph) and you have a MUCH larger area to defend/cover.
Their main arguments were that the distance is shorter for a pitch (60ft vs tennis' 78ft), and a bat is much smaller than a racquet.
What say you?
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Posted on 4/29/13 at 10:41 am to ColoradoAg03
I think it takes more control to return the serve but I would think a tennis ball easier to hit than a 90 mph baseball.
Posted on 4/29/13 at 10:41 am to ColoradoAg03
I'd rather try to return a serve.
Posted on 4/29/13 at 10:43 am to ColoradoAg03
A pitch in MLB is harder to hit IMO. The tennis racquet gives you more area to hit the ball
Posted on 4/29/13 at 10:45 am to ColoradoAg03
I would never try to hit off a pro pitcher, ever. Im more worried about getting hit. I might cry.
Posted on 4/29/13 at 10:46 am to ColoradoAg03
quote:
return a professional tennis serve
Posted on 4/29/13 at 10:47 am to ColoradoAg03
So I have to get a hit off of a pitcher? Definitely baseball then
Posted on 4/29/13 at 10:49 am to ColoradoAg03
Baseball player/fan so I might be biased, but baseball isn't just about the speed. They could throw you a 93 mph fastball, and then cross you up the next day with a 78 mph curveball that drops off the table.
Obviously tennis players can put some curve on their serve as well.
Tennis you have a large flat racket as well. If you do make contact, its gonna be easier to get a square hit on the ball. In baseball, as Willie Stargell said "They give you a round bat and they throw you a round ball and they tell you to hit it square."
It's close, but I give the edge to baseball.
Obviously tennis players can put some curve on their serve as well.
Tennis you have a large flat racket as well. If you do make contact, its gonna be easier to get a square hit on the ball. In baseball, as Willie Stargell said "They give you a round bat and they throw you a round ball and they tell you to hit it square."
It's close, but I give the edge to baseball.
Posted on 4/29/13 at 10:51 am to ColoradoAg03
If you only had one chance to do each then it would have to be hitting the baseball. The diameter of the bat is barely bigger than the ball whereas a tennis racquet has 10x's more surface area thus making your odds better. Doing either succesfully without lots of practice prior to would be pure luck anyways.
Posted on 4/29/13 at 11:00 am to ColoradoAg03
Returning a 140 mph pro tennis serve would be harder, imo. You can barely see the ball.
Posted on 4/29/13 at 11:05 am to ColoradoAg03
Is the a full swing at the baseball pitch or can I bunt? Cause if I can bunt than then give me the baseball all day. I have a friend that play #1 singles and doubles at bama and his serve is in 135-140mph range. I played against him one day with him just "serving half speed" and I couldn't keep the ball in play.
Posted on 4/29/13 at 11:14 am to ColoradoAg03
the 130mph serve would be hardest for me.
I can always bunt against Mariano Rivera.
I can always bunt against Mariano Rivera.
Posted on 4/29/13 at 11:17 am to ColoradoAg03
How many tennis players can serve it 140mph?
Posted on 4/29/13 at 11:18 am to ColoradoAg03
This post was edited on 6/22/21 at 6:25 pm
Posted on 4/29/13 at 12:09 pm to ColoradoAg03
This is actually a rather thought-provoking question
Posted on 4/29/13 at 12:23 pm to ColoradoAg03
My dad and his entire family paid their way through college on tennis scholarships, and my dad taught tennis out of school at country clubs in Dallas. I grew up playing so I think I can offer perspective others might not have.
First off, if you know what pitch is coming, how fast, where, you have a pretty good chance at eventually getting a hit. Same probably goes with returning a serve. A lot of it, like in baseball is disguise, but there is also the going for broke factor in a tennis serve. Pete Sampras is one of the only people who would hit his second serve harder than his first, most people hit it softer, put more spin on it, hit it to the side of the court, to increase their odds of getting it in play. But in Tennis you don't get 4 balls. You get a second serve and that is it. If you got up to three faults... professionals might get golden sets every now and then. Why? Well... making contact, getting a hit on it and returning it? Maybe you can get lucky. But you'll never return someone's going for broke perfect serve. Ever. Not even the professionals can do that 95% of the time. It isn't worth the effort because they'd probably hurt themselves even trying. Hitting a baseball, given a thousand tries, I figure is about the same, and even if you did.
Iunno. Both seem impossible.
First off, if you know what pitch is coming, how fast, where, you have a pretty good chance at eventually getting a hit. Same probably goes with returning a serve. A lot of it, like in baseball is disguise, but there is also the going for broke factor in a tennis serve. Pete Sampras is one of the only people who would hit his second serve harder than his first, most people hit it softer, put more spin on it, hit it to the side of the court, to increase their odds of getting it in play. But in Tennis you don't get 4 balls. You get a second serve and that is it. If you got up to three faults... professionals might get golden sets every now and then. Why? Well... making contact, getting a hit on it and returning it? Maybe you can get lucky. But you'll never return someone's going for broke perfect serve. Ever. Not even the professionals can do that 95% of the time. It isn't worth the effort because they'd probably hurt themselves even trying. Hitting a baseball, given a thousand tries, I figure is about the same, and even if you did.
Iunno. Both seem impossible.
Posted on 4/29/13 at 12:24 pm to ColoradoAg03
I think I would have a better chance in baseball, and I haven't played either since about the 5th or 6th grade.
Posted on 4/29/13 at 12:29 pm to ColoradoAg03
Depends on who was pitching. I'd take a Tim Wakefield fast ball in a heartbeat
Posted on 4/29/13 at 12:32 pm to ColoradoAg03
Fastest pitcher I've faced was in a Cotton States league dude threw 85. Can't imagine one coming in at 100. That would suuuuuck.
Posted on 4/29/13 at 1:06 pm to ColoradoAg03
I think part of it would also be the fear factor. Baseball goes wild and hits you in the temple and that could be it. A tennis ball served at 140 I'm sure could do some damage and I sure as hell wouldn't want to find out first hand, but I still think I'd take my chances on the court first.
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