Exit velocity vs distance

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by BobC

Based on Newton's 3rd Law, that's apparently not even a question, but more of an absolute truth. Helps explain how smaller guys, like a Jose Ramirez, can hit out a fair amount of homers. But put someone Ramirez's size in a slo-pitch softball game, and home runs don't come so easy or often, if at all. Virtually all the force/energy has to be generated by the batter in softball. Not the case in baseball. LOL

I've never understood the physics. It seems to me it would take more force to make an object coming at you change direction than to hit it from a stationary place where it has no momentum that has to be overcome. I know that's wrong but not sure why.