So it looks like our area softball organization will be using two different softballs. The more competitive leagues will ise the dudley 52/300 ball and the "Rec" will use something softer. No decision made yet on what ball will be used. What should we expect with a "softer" ball? The rec used to use the same dudley but now for some reason they decided to use two different balls. How much difference will we see? Will it negatively affect the bats? What compression is out there, 40, 44, 275?
Balls thats are softer than 52/300 but still Asa
- Thread starter rybred23
- Start date
40 and 44 are cors, and the 275 is a compression, but it's basically the same as the ASA's 300. The 40 and 44 will actually be harder balls. If they actually use a softer ball it'll probably be something like an incrediball, and you'll absolutely be able to tell a difference.
Ballisttic
Star Player
12" 14" 16" clinchers softballs may work for your league.
The 12" 14" fly pretty good but not as good as a 52/300. The 16" is about 50' to 70' behind the 12" ball.
I dont think clinchers are asa approved.
The 12" 14" fly pretty good but not as good as a 52/300. The 16" is about 50' to 70' behind the 12" ball.
I dont think clinchers are asa approved.
GOING 4 THIRD
Member
Sounds like your rec league is en route to clincher gold territory, i have my metal preferences, but broken in composites will still let em fly. A lot more fun in fall league. A good time in modified / fp ball, slowpitch will make for a more strategic game than just 'swing as hard as you can for contact.' Will weed out skilled players from 'luck' players.
GOING 4 THIRD
Member
Hasn't stopped minor rule changes from a sanctioned league in the past depending on the region. In the end $$ talks.
Scottishheat
Yep
If they're thinking about a Dudley .44/275 it's actually an impressive ball. Just started playing a league that uses it and thought, "are you serious?". Surprisingly, a lot of ASA bats and especially the DeMarini line kill it. Again, the brand matters - in my opinion. I subbed for a team the uses a Zulu .44/300 and that ball sucks IMO.
MarlSrSoftball
Into Semi-Retirement Still activebut not League
I believe that all the balls mentioned don't have the ASA stamp. The 52/300 is as low as it gets for ASA.
tattooball
Active Member
Clincher golds are good balls, they have a .44/375 poly core in an internal stitched cover. Hope they go to that ball. Now the kapok ball is a different story.
gaternation
Addicted to Softballfans
Have the league director take out him manpon and grow a set
Does everyone get a participation ribbon for playing and oranges after games too?
Does everyone get a participation ribbon for playing and oranges after games too?I couldn't have said it better!
single wally
Professional Amateur
I once played in a league where the LD brought out Incrediballs one night. It was a joke trying to play with those marshmallows. I would have given him kudos if he was just trolling but he actually thought it was a great idea.
single wally
Professional Amateur
When a league makes that **** official you quit, plain and simple, unless you're playing on a 200' field.
jhitman
Well-Known Member
I agree....we use the 52 core 300 comp softballs in our leagues for a number of years now. They are relatively safe compared to what we used to play with. The guys that hit them out with the old softballs still hit the 52's out. The exit speed is less and gives the fielders a chance. Why mess with something that is working.
single wally
Professional Amateur
Agreed.
These are basically 52/300's so you'll be fine. Bobby Buggs or one of the ball guys can speak better to this, but 300 comp is the upper range of the test, and some manufacturers market the balls as 275 while others are 300. I really don't think there's a difference between balls marked 52/300 vs 52/275.
MarlSrSoftball
Into Semi-Retirement Still activebut not League
They are about the same as the 52/300. So they don't have to be ASA softballs then.
Locally (northwet of LA) its due to the clueless LDs and umps believing that the COR has something to do with the size of the "core" in the ball and smaller must be better. Have had several umpires insist that is how it works.
Hiltz
Built for comfort
I agree with Wally. We hit SPN-labelled Worth Hot Dots, .52/275. Word is they come off the same line as the .52/300 Hot Dots and production tolerances account for the 25# compression difference. They sail when you spin them, but they can be bastards on a really windy day.
Not long ago, our leagues were hitting .40/400 Gray Dots. Even old ASA stamp tanks would fall victim to those things in cold weather. Recoils, Extendeds/Flexes, etc, wasn't rare to see weak hitters crack them.
Its worse than that- in SoCal most of the leagues are single wall metal only so it doesnt take long to turn bats into cricket paddles...
I agree. a 52/275 ZN flies well
sjury
The Old Man
COR is the amount of energy transferred between the bat and ball. The higher the COR the more energy the ball absorbs, which means it spends less time on the bat (which saves bats from breaking), spends less time on your face (which saves bones from breaking), but makes for a more "bouncy" ball (which makes it tough on bad fields as it will hop around). COR and core are in no way related, because most balls are a single molded piece of poly, with an outer cover. When someone says the core on a 52 COR ball is bigger, just shoot them, because they are stupid.
Compression is the amount of energy needed to squeeze the ball. The higher the compression the harder the ball, which means the more power the ball is hit with the farther the ball will travel, because it has less "give".
52/300 are a tested ball by these organizations. They give you the best of both worlds. A ball that is safe to play with, and has the "liveliness" to still make the game fun.
Compression is the amount of energy needed to squeeze the ball. The higher the compression the harder the ball, which means the more power the ball is hit with the farther the ball will travel, because it has less "give".
52/300 are a tested ball by these organizations. They give you the best of both worlds. A ball that is safe to play with, and has the "liveliness" to still make the game fun.