Equipment

Gloves, bats, helmets, ball…these are all the necessary equipment needed to play a game of softball. Gloves are required to field and catch balls that are hit or thrown to you. Bats are used to hit the ball when the pitcher throws her pitch to you. Bats are pretty much a long metal or composite stick; the smaller the barrel, the faster the swing. Helmets protect batters from getting hit in the head with balls that are pitched, thrown, or hit towards you. It’s probably a good idea to put a face mask on your helmet as well, especially if you are playing fast pitch. Last, but most definitely not least, the softball is what you throw, catch, pitch, and hit. This 12 inch ball is usually made with a mixture of cork and rubber and has a yellow or white covering. Despite the sport’s name, softballs are not soft at all, so I would highly recommend a mouth guard as well to protect those pearly whites.