For my research, I came to the conclusion that my topic will discuss how hitting a softball is different than hitting a baseball. By “different,” I mean harder. Most believe softball is a sport girls play when the can’t compete with “the big guys.” In fact, softball pitchers have much greater force than a baseball pitcher. The angle, speed, distance, and spin are just a few of the aspects of how difficult hitting a windmill pitch really is.
Most also indicate that since the ball is bigger and brighter, is must be easier, right? Wrong. Everything about softball pitching is totally different than baseball’s over hand style. The only aspect that seems to be the same is the batter standing in their same box. While researching, it has been proven over and over again how hitting a 65 mph softball is more difficult than hitting a 95 mph baseball.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/sports/article_07444756-beee-557f-9bf6-7814fdb3f653.html
The Essential Content of The Article: The point of this article is about comparing the two. Since a baseball is small, it can move more, but the softball pitch angles up and can continue to go on that up angle through the strike zone. This makes a pitch like this very difficult. The author also discusses how the distance and speeds differ. Though hitting the softball is not impossible, but getting a productive hit almost is.
What it Proves: This article proves that there are some comparisons with softball and baseball, but not many. The skills of the batter must also be in the equation as well. Their are batters at the college level hitting over .500. This can mostly be from their impressing hand-eye coordination.
http://pzoneacademy.blogspot.com/2011/10/which-is-more-challenging-task-hitting.html
The Essential Content of The Article: This author makes points that are focused on the actual eye muscles that the batter uses while waiting for the pitch. How we can’t see near and far at the same time, and how our eyes must adjust so quickly. Also, the author discusses the bats that are being used in the college level and professional.
What is Proves: This proves that the batter will have almost the same kind of aspects for hitting both baseball and softball. The difference in this is what the angle and distance of where the ball is coming from.
http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/fivering_circus/2004/08/the_softer_they_come.html
The Essential Content of The Article: This author discusses the many aspects of hitting a softball, and how the pitch is really thrown. It discuss how important the pitchers are in softball. We know pitchers like Jennie Finch and Liza Fernandez because of their ability to make batters unable to hit their pitch affectively. The author also goes into an overview of some of the softball history.
What it Proves: This proves how affective a softball pitcher can be. The point with the famous pitchers is something that is never thought much of. People know great baseball hitters like Babe Ruth and Mike Trout, but when do we see outstanding softball hitters? Softball pitchers also have almost twice as many pitches as a baseball pitcher does. Which is another aspect as to why hitting this ball is so difficult. The uncertainty of where the ball is going to end up and what speed it’s going to be is extremely challenging.
http://baseballrebellion.com/cpippitt/the-myths-of-hitting-down-and-through/The Essential Content of The Article: This article talks much on how to hit the ball. The angle the batter must take to make contact at the correct position. The author also discusses different kind of bat issues. There are also some diagrams explaining the angles and contact points made in the strike zone.
What is Proves: This proves more scientifically how a batter hits the ball. This article is mostly about hitting the baseball, but softball batters make almost identical swings. Softball batters hit with a different contact point because the different angle of the ball coming in. Which is why hitting that 12″, bright yellow ball is challenging.
Throw Like A Girl by Jennie Finch (page 167)
The Essential Content of the Story: Finch discusses a part in her life when she had a job at This Week in Baseball. During this time, most of her sessions their was for proving how powerful she is. They had her pitching the incredible professional ball players, and striking most out on a daily bases. She states that most players didn’t want to face her because of the teasing they would get from their teammates.
What is Proves: This proves that a few dozen professional baseball players, who hit 95 mph fast balls almost everyday, were scared to face the great and powerful Jennie Finch. I feel like this proves that even professional baseball players can’t even come in contact with Finch’s movement and speed. Being the “best of the best” in baseball means nothing when it comes to softball.
Rowan Counterintuitive 
I actually said in class quite explicitly that I would not accept as a thesis proposal that marijuana should be legalized. If you’re trying an end-around here by BROADENING the topic even further to include ALL DRUGS, then you’re headed in the wrong direction, Beyonce. The trouble with this topic is the ready availability of far too much pre-digested opinion. Writers get seduced by what look like answers and stop asking questions. The worst papers are just parrot noises repeating what’s been said too often already.
Your sources indicate you’re already in danger of producing one of these “survey” essays that gather the opinions of people who made up their minds years ago, balanced by the opinions available in the “pro and con” articles, the result of which is nothing at all new is added to the conversation.
When you’re finished, do you think your essay will be in any way different from your second source, The New Internationalist, “Legalize Drugs—All of Them!”? It’s all there for you. The introduction, the condemnations of the War on Drugs, the mitigating of the dangers of drug use, the shifting of blame to the illegality of drugs, the benefits of legalization, the final question of whether to merely de-criminalize or entirely legalize.
If the topic intrigues you, narrow its focus until you can prove—or disprove!—just one of its minor points.
Another danger of sources like these in proving an academic thesis is that they’re SO unreliable they don’t get the simple arithmetic right. Here’s a quote from your 5th source:
It’s pretty obvious what’s wrong with that math, and it does nothing to inspire confidence in the source’s validity.
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I love this unique topic, Beyonce. I’ve never read anything like it, which as you might imagine is unusual for someone who has examined thousands of student papers. It’s perfectly narrow, and I suspect you’ll find there’s more than enough complexity it to it once you focus in very closely. I look forward to the finished product.
If I could help you with some writing mechanics, I’d like to try.
First, a straightforward claim is always better than over-explaining:
NOT: For my research, I came to the conclusion that my topic will discuss how hitting a softball is different than hitting a baseball.
BUT: Hitting a softball is different than hitting a baseball, and by “different,” I mean harder.
Second, there’s no need to repeat. Once you say softball is harder, you’ve already confronted the common belief, so you don’t need to make the “Most believe” comment.
NOT: Most believe softball is a sport girls play when the can’t compete with “the big guys.” In fact, softball pitchers have much greater force than a baseball pitcher.
BUT: Softball pitchers at the highest level, whether male or female, throw with much greater force than baseball pitchers.
Once you identify force as a factor that makes hitting a softball harder, the other aspects are additional.
NOT: The angle, speed, distance, and spin are just a few of the aspects of how difficult hitting a windmill pitch really is.
BUT: Windmill pitchers also control the angle, speed, and spin to increase the difficulty of hitting them.
Again, no need to chastise your readers for their incorrect assumptions. Just state your case clearly and stay out of disputes (In other words, argue without appearing to have an opponent.).
NOT: Most also indicate that since the ball is bigger and brighter, is must be easier, right? Wrong.
BUT: The brightness of a softball, and its bigger size relative to a baseball, in no way make it easier to hit because everything about softball pitching is totally different than baseball’s overhand style.
You can’t put a singular “batter” into “their” box. The pronouns must agree in number. Easiest is to eliminate the pronouns.
NOT: The only aspect that seems to be the same is the batter standing in their same box.
BUT: The only similarity is the batter in the box.
Whenever possible, eliminate the “its” and “thats” that clutter simple declarations of fact.
NOT: While researching, it has been proven over and over again how hitting a 65 mph softball is more difficult than hitting a 95 mph baseball.
BUT: Research proves that hitting a 65 mph softball is more difficult than hitting a 95 mph baseball.
Does this help? Reply please.
I can also comment on your sources if you like. Just ask again for feedback.
Current Grade: N
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