Top Questions About Softball Pants
Updated on April 5, 2020.
Are Baseball and Softball Pants the Same?
The short answer? Nope. The long answer? It depends. Just like the sports themselves, there are similarities and differences between baseball pants and softball pants. 3N2 is here to help with everything you need to know about softball and baseball pants.
The difference between mens baseball pants and softball pants are very minimal and based on style. Mens softball pants are basically just stylized baseball pants, or baseball pants with a baggier cut for the ‘big boys.’ The differences only come into play when you compare mens baseball and softball pants to womens and girls softball pants. Here, the differences are very real and they matter.
Historically, there have also been differences in pant options; drawstrings vs. belt loops, pockets vs. no pockets. However, today most players – regardless of gender – prefer a pant with a belt loop to satisfy both function and style demands. A belt is reliable and with so many custom ones on the market, it’s easy to create a unique look.
So, it’s no big secret that baseball pants are primarily worn by men, and as mentioned, mens softball pants are typically just baggier versions of their baseball counterparts. Fastpitch softball pants are primarily worn by younger women or girls. It’s generally gender body type that drives the differences, or at least it’s gender body type that should drive differences (more on this below). By breaking down what makes a good fitting pair of girls softball pants, we can highlight the major ones.
How to Wear Softball Pants?
Easy answer. With confidence. You’re a gamer and you come to play. Being on top of your game means not having to worry about your gear. And although there may be no right or wrong way to wear softball pants, you don’t want a poor fit to kill your confidence. When it comes to both mens and girls softball pants, keep this in mind; comfort, flexibility, and protection are the friends of high performance players. However, the different demands of the game and style preferences often lead men to sport roomier softball pants, whereas girls choose softball pants that are more form fitting and flexible.
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How are Girls Softball Pants Supposed to Fit?
This is a bit of a loaded question. Traditionally, most manufacturers have just reverse-engineered a man’s pant to make girls softball pants, simply making them smaller and extending the color range. “Just shrink it and pink it,” they say. The end result, as you’ve likely seen and probably worn, is a very poor fit that translates to equally poor performance. Yikes! Needless to say, for years, it was hard to judge what makes for a good pair of well-fitting girls softball pants as there were so very few of them on the market.
Up until very recently, you also only had two choices in terms of design: low-rise or high-rise. The old-school high-rise design that could once be seen everywhere, has largely become outdated because most girls prefer low-rise pants designed specifically to accommodate the female form. However, the low-rise design was only addressing a partial need.
Let’s fast forward. Today, you’ll find the industry has adapted and fully embraced the need for a better design and fit for female softball players. Manufacturers such as 3N2 now offer women’s knickers, such as their patented NuFIT Knicker, — an innovative, fit-meets-function fastpitch softball pant designed with the female form in mind. A pair of NuFit Women’s Knickers features a low rise fit in front for comfort combined with a high rise in back for coverage, with poly-spandex cuffs that don’t rub or cut like traditional girls softball pants.
Many softball pants, even today, are made entirely of polyester. They provide no stretch, no support, and no flexibility in areas that need movement. The NuFIT Girls Softball Pants were designed with athletics in mind featuring a 4-way stretching poly-spandex design for the hips, thighs and calves, that hugs curves while allowing for easy movement. The NuFIT also features reinforced protection areas, or slide zones, largely missing or misplaced on other brands of girls softball pants.
So, if you ask the question today: How should fastpitch softball pants fit? We can answer confidently; they should be designed specifically for the female form and fit snugly and comfortably, with slide zones properly placed for protection, and do away with the worry of constantly having to pull up the back of your pants when you’re at the plate. They should fit well enough to help you keep your focus on your softball games instead of your softball uniforms!
Are Softball Pants Supposed to be Tight?
When it comes to impact on performance, one of the most important parts of slowpitch or fastpitch softball uniforms are the pants, but how tight should they be? For seasoned players it comes down to personal preference, but if this is your first time shopping for or wearing youth softball pants, you won’t quite know what you are looking for yet. If you play with intensity, softball pants should fit just right, meaning they should be snug enough to never get twisted or bunched up while playing. Casual players can afford to wear a slightly looser fit, but fastpitch softball pants should be largely be worn snug and tight without feeling like they are suffocating your lower torso. This is the key to enabling you to play your best game.
What if My Softball Pants Are Too Big?
Although loose fitting softball pants are popular in slowpitch softball, overly baggy or loose softball pants can affect your game in negative ways. Besides the discomfort, they will get in the way of the free movement you need to be the most effective teammate you can be. From stealing bases to fielding fly balls, you need to be able to make plays or you’ll be riding pine while watching your teammates. Using athletic tape to hold your pants in place or rolling up the legs will only give you more things to worry about, causing you to lose focus, or even worse, get injured.
How to Make Softball Pants Tighter?
So, you’re concerned about the roomy fit on your royal blue softball pants and wish you’d ordered a size down? Perhaps your favorite long charcoal softball pants are a poor fit for your short legs, or maybe they are just so dang baggy that you can barely run from base to base. The easiest answer? Return them for something smaller. If you can’t return them, the next best bet is to bring your softball pants to a tailor, but this isn’t always a cheap or convenient option. Of course, you could always go on an all-nacho diet. The extra 10 lbs would do the trick, but assuming risking your health isn’t a solution, what should you do?
Can You Shrink Softball Pants?
The best softball pants are never made from cotton, so washing them in piping hot water will not successfully shrink them. You are obviously too busy working on your fastpitch game to buy a sewing machine and take up a new hobby, and with your rookie sewing skills you would probably just make them worse. Since bringing them to a tailor costs as much (if not more) than a new pair of pants, perhaps the best solution for you is if we ask you a question…
How Do I Know What Size Softball Pants to Order Online?
Finding the perfect size for you is not rocket science, but it’s also not as easy as it seems. Many manufacturers offer women’s softball pants in adult or youth sizes ranging between XS to XXL. However, not every style of pant available from these manufacturers will be what you are looking for in terms of fit or comfort. Sometimes the answer is not as simple as regular versus plus size softball pants, as body type can play a huge role in what size will be right for you.
Say you’ve narrowed your options down to either white, grey or black softball pants. What materials are they made of? Are they polyester only or do they incorporate stretch and protective fabrics? Do the Mizuno softball pants you have your eye on designed with a low rise in front, also have a high rise in the back to ensure your pants stay up without you having to pull them up all the time? Are the Under Armor softball pants that popped up in your Google search actually designed to be girls softball pants or are they baseball pants in disguise? As you can tell, there are as many options available on the market as there are factors involved in determining what size fastpitch pants you should order.
A really good place to start is this sizing chart because it shows many of the popular brands you may already be familiar with in terms of sizing. Just scroll down under the shoe size chart to find the 3N2 NUFIT KNICKER section to get a better idea of what size you should order.
Of course, in the end – whether it’s a new pair of bright red fastpitch pants or classic white softball pants with navy piping – you will want a pair that allow you to play at the top of your game, so choose wisely!
Visit 3n2 Sports to buy your softball or baseball pants and enjoy 15% off with code 3N2PANTS15.