Why Are Softball Pants So Tight? (& How To Alter Them)

Whether you are a softball player yourself or a fan, you might have noticed that softball pants are often tight. There is a fine line between well-fitting and too-tight pants, so why are they so tight in the first place?

In general, softball pants are tight because they are more streamlined and conform to your body, improving your performance. Unlike loose pants, they won’t get in the way. The right pant tightness also feels more comfortable and looks better.

As the saying goes, when you look better, you feel better, and when you feel better, you play better! Now, for you to get a more in-depth understanding of the tightness of softball pants, let’s take a closer look at why they are tight.

Why Are Softball Pants So Tight?

There are three main reasons why softball pants are so tight: performance, comfort, and looks.

1. Performance

The most significant reason why softball pants are tight is that you will play better.

When your pants conform to your body without any flappy legs or loose waist, you will be faster and more confident.

Sliding to bases, launching with explosive speed, batting, and running for the ball will go much better when you feel secure and snug from your legs.

However, looser pants are much more popular in slowpitch softball than in fastpitch. For speed, you need snug-fitting pants.

2. Comfort

Think about it, when your pants are properly tight, and I don’t mean that they are squeezing the veins on your thigh, you will feel much more comfortable as well.

When you slide, sand won’t get inside your pants. When you run, you won’t feel that your pants are dropping, and you won’t need to focus on them at all. They are there with you rather than you are dragging them.

3. Looks

Last but not least, looks! Everybody likes to look and feel amazing, and pants that support your form and body will make you look much better.

Looking good will give you a confidence boost which is lacking for many people, especially nowadays. And as they say, confidence makes you better, and I couldn’t agree more. Self-doubt isn’t anything that you want on a softball field.

How Tight Should Softball Pants Be?

I have been talking about softball pants tightness quite a bit already, so what is the right tightness you should aim for?

Generally, fastpitch softball pants should be tight enough that you feel snug and support your legs without them squeezing your thighs like a peel on a sausage. Slowpitch softball pants can be a little looser, and you can use more personal preferences.

Fastpitch softball pants need to be tighter (properly so) than slowpitch pants because of performance and speed. Snug pants are the number one choice in performance, and fastpitch softball is all about that.

In slowpitch, you don’t need to be so precise with your pants and gear overall.

How to Stretch Tight Softball Pants?

So what if you have too tight softball pants? There must be some way to stretch them out, so you didn’t lose money or have to return them.

Stretch them by wearing them

If you are just trying out the new pants you bought online, for example, and notice that they are too tight, don’t lose hope just yet.

Doing some squats or walking around with them over the house is a great way to stretch the material to become slightly looser. As they are made from fabrics, they will stretch to a certain point.

To step it up a notch, try placing objects such as a soap bottle, deodorant, or something else between your legs/waits and the pants to give the fabric some extra work. Keep them in for 15 minutes and, in the meantime, walk around the house. This should stretch the pants a bit.

Just be sure that you won’t break them in case you want to return them. Also, you should note that this method doesen’t work if they are excessively tight.

How to Make Softball Pants Tighter?

There are more ways to make pants tighter than to make them looser, so if you want to get your pants tighter, there are ways to do so.

1. Try shrinking them

The easiest way to tighten your pants is by trying to shrink them. Before getting into the details, know that most softball pants are made from polyester, so that this method won’t work as well as cotton pants.

The way to shrink your pants is to place them in your washing machine and set it to as hot as it goes. If you have a drying option, dry them hot as well. This may shrink the pants by a certain level, and if you’re lucky, it may be just what you need.

2. Tighten them yourself

Probably the hardest method that requires skills that I don’t know about. However, if you know something about tailoring and sewing, it’s your lucky day.

There are some easy tips and tricks that you can get your pants tighter with. For example, tapering your pants is a great way to get your pants slimmer.

3. Put on some muscle

My personal favorite, even if it doesen’t happen overnight. Getting some muscle on your legs is always a great idea, especially if you’re a softball player.

Some great exercises you can work at the gym or home are deadlifts, squats, leg extensions, leg press, lunges, hamstring curls, and so on. Remember to eat enough (not too much) calories and protein to maximize your muscle growth.

4. Take them to a professional tailor

The easiest and most certain way to get your pants right to the proper size is to take them to a professional tailor.

All cities have a tailor somewhere, and a great part about it is that making a simple size adjustment to a tighter direction isn’t often so expensive. This is something to seriously consider if you want to ensure that the outcome is the best possible.

How to Buy Softball Pants Online?

Buying clothes online is always somewhat uncertain, and the same thing holds especially with softball pants as the size is crucial to get right, and the line is so fine between snug and too-tight pants.

Luckily, nearly all big manufacturers offer a sizing guide for softball pants and other equipment so you can be sure that the product comes in the right size.

Your perfect example of a size guide is the Rawlings Pants Size Chart that has the optimal measurements and sizes for women, men, and youth. I highly suggest that you check it out so you will be satisfied with your choice.