Fastball.  Slo pitch.  Orthodox.  Did you know that all three of these words can be used to describe the different types of softball played.  Although each type uses bats, balls, gloves and requires players to run the bases, the main difference between them lies in the pitching.

In fastball, most pitchers use a windmill motion (hands of the pitcher start in the front of their body and then throws the ball in a complete circular, 360 degree rotation prior to release) to get it straight across home plate.  Ball speeds in fastball can reach up to 80 miles per hour and the batter has very little time to react to the pitch when swinging. 

In slo pitch, the pitcher slowly releases the ball between their hip and knee and lobs it into the air - usually 6 -12 feet high - so that it will land on or close to home plate.  Because of these slower pitching speeds, the batter in slo pitch has much more time to set up, react to the pitcher's pitch and send the ball as far into the outfield as possible. 

With orthodox softball, the pitching motion has been adapted or modified so that the pitcher throws the ball in an underhand motion and releases the ball much like how a bowling ball is released so that it moves straight across home plate.  This type of softball strikes a balance between the slower pitching speeds of slo pitch and the faster pitching speeds of fastball.

So keep this in mind the next time you are thinking of playing softball and you come across these words as you're doing your research.  A small but critical piece of information that can help you decide what softball league works best.   

Source:  Softball Ontario