Performance: 52/300 vs 40/325 vs 44/375
- Thread starter Danh1265
- Start date
I'd also like to throw 52/275 in there. These usually have an "NSA" stamp. I was pitching in an ASA league once and, since this ball didn't have an ASA stamp on it I asked the ump if it was legal. She said something to the effect, "Let 'em use it, they suck". Now based on my experience hitting with these balls off the T I disagree. They seem to travel quite well, even better than 52/300 ASA balls. This despite the fact they are supposedly "mushier".
r8dr_rider
Well-Known Member
Depends on bat too. Different stamps are made for specific balls.
EAJuggalo
Addicted to Softballfans
And where you are. A .40/325 Classic M is going to perform much differently in a hot humid environment vs a cold dry one. It seems to be much more temperature dependent than a Classic + .52/300 or a Pro M at .44/375. If it's hot I'd take the others over the Classic M in a heartbeat.
Hiltz
Built for comfort
52/300 cold weather = good+
52/300 hot weather = good
40/325 cold weather = ridiculous
40/325 hot weather = ridiculously terrible
44/375 or 44/400 cold weather = see "40/325 cold weather"
44/375 or 44/400 hot weather = good
We use SPN stamped Worth Hot Dots in Canada. They're labelled .52/275 unlike the ASA Hot Dots, which are .52/300. I think Bobby Buggs said on here that manufacturing tolerances exceed the 25# compression difference so they're most likely identical balls, just labelled differently.
52/300 hot weather = good
40/325 cold weather = ridiculous
40/325 hot weather = ridiculously terrible
44/375 or 44/400 cold weather = see "40/325 cold weather"
44/375 or 44/400 hot weather = good
We use SPN stamped Worth Hot Dots in Canada. They're labelled .52/275 unlike the ASA Hot Dots, which are .52/300. I think Bobby Buggs said on here that manufacturing tolerances exceed the 25# compression difference so they're most likely identical balls, just labelled differently.
Funny you mentioned this. I conducted an experiment once. I hit an ASA, and a 44/375 every other ball onto a high grass field ( Not much roll) with the same bat. Hit 50 or so, 25 each. When I was done I noticed 11 balls were clearly in the outer band. These were the 11 I hit the furthest. Counting them up, 6 were ASA, 5 were 44/375.
ShortYellowBus
Well-Known Member
Do the same experiment with a linear bat. If you can’t find a linear Asa bat, use any USSSA bat.
The USA/ASA are designed to not perform above 98mph, and the easiest way to do this is to simply add a restriction device inside the barrel, and make the outer walls thinner. The thinner outer walls benefit slower swing speeds.
A non-linear bat has credible evidence of reduction in performance with harder balls. Simply observe the results that you shared.
In summation, it all depends on the bat/ball combination. Especially Monsta.
A batted ball hits outer wall, bounces into the fib, then crashes all the energy into the third wall, which is the other side of the barrel.
It’s no secret that M4 hype tech is fragile, and all new bats made from that brand are literally made for beginners only.
TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
There are so many variables involved when it comes to saying which cor/compression ball flies furthest.
Most softballs are temperature sensitive. They'll feel and fly completely different in the cold than the heat.
What I've noticed is that .52 300s/classic + will fly surprisingly far in the heat while .44s or classic Ms mush up and die. Despite .52 300s having a lower exit velocity, they will stay aloft pretty well.
If I had to write a brief synopsis as to which cor/compression ball flies furthest, here's how I'd do it...
Hot weather: Best: 44/400. Mid: .52 300. Worst: classic M
Cold weather: Best: 44/400. Mid: Classic M. Worst: .52 300
Classic Ms shine when it's cold. The balls get extremely hard, and increase the trampoline effect of whichever bat you're swinging. Also keep in mind, that classic Ms are almost entirely dependent on the bat. The ball itself is dead and has no bounce.
.52 300s are soft and bouncy. Whatever distance you get with one of these balls is from the elasticity of the ball itself rather than the bat you hit it with.
.44 400s are probably the best of both worlds. A ball that has a little bounce and a little hardness.
There's a reason all the HR derby/illegal balls are something like .52/500. High cor and high compression is the ultimate combo for performance.
If someone really wanted to figure out which softball flies furthest and has the best exit velocity, the obvious thing to do would take measurements using a wood bat. By doing that you're testing ONLY the ball itself rather than the bat used to hit it. A wood bat will tell you how much elasticity the core of a softball really has. That's why classic Ms fly so terribly off wood. The core has very little bounce. .52s will fly much better with wood bats.
Most softballs are temperature sensitive. They'll feel and fly completely different in the cold than the heat.
What I've noticed is that .52 300s/classic + will fly surprisingly far in the heat while .44s or classic Ms mush up and die. Despite .52 300s having a lower exit velocity, they will stay aloft pretty well.
If I had to write a brief synopsis as to which cor/compression ball flies furthest, here's how I'd do it...
Hot weather: Best: 44/400. Mid: .52 300. Worst: classic M
Cold weather: Best: 44/400. Mid: Classic M. Worst: .52 300
Classic Ms shine when it's cold. The balls get extremely hard, and increase the trampoline effect of whichever bat you're swinging. Also keep in mind, that classic Ms are almost entirely dependent on the bat. The ball itself is dead and has no bounce.
.52 300s are soft and bouncy. Whatever distance you get with one of these balls is from the elasticity of the ball itself rather than the bat you hit it with.
.44 400s are probably the best of both worlds. A ball that has a little bounce and a little hardness.
There's a reason all the HR derby/illegal balls are something like .52/500. High cor and high compression is the ultimate combo for performance.
If someone really wanted to figure out which softball flies furthest and has the best exit velocity, the obvious thing to do would take measurements using a wood bat. By doing that you're testing ONLY the ball itself rather than the bat used to hit it. A wood bat will tell you how much elasticity the core of a softball really has. That's why classic Ms fly so terribly off wood. The core has very little bounce. .52s will fly much better with wood bats.
TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
Agree. Classic Ms (or any other .40 ball) is very temperature sensitive. .52 300s seem to be the least affected by heat.
I took BP in Viera a couple times, and the .52 300 balls flew out much more consistently than the others.
The Pro M isn't as affected by heat/humidity as a classic M. In Viera, ZN classic Ms were comically bad. It was like hitting nerf. Pro Ms down there lose a little zip, but are still fairly decent.