What is the fastest ball sport?
Jai alai and golf are often named the fastest ball sports. Golf balls can leave the club at more than 300 km/h, and jai alai balls have been recorded at around 300 km/h.
Jai alai, a Basque sport also called cesta punta, is played on a three-walled court. Players use a long, curved wicker basket called a cesta to catch and hurl a hard ball, called a pelota, against the front wall. Guinness World Records lists a jai alai throw of about 302 kilometers per hour. The sport is popular in Spain, France, Mexico and Florida.
Golf ball speeds depend on the golfer. Long-drive competitors have produced ball speeds of more than 340 kilometers per hour. Professional tour players typically reach around 260 to 290 kilometers per hour with their drivers.
Other fast balls
In tennis, serves have exceeded 260 kilometers per hour. In cricket, the fastest bowling deliveries reach about 160 kilometers per hour, and baseball pitchers have thrown more than 169 kilometers per hour. In soccer, powerful shots can exceed 200 kilometers per hour.
Did You Know?
If badminton counted as a ball sport, it would win easily. A shuttlecock smash of more than 565 kilometers per hour was recorded in 2023.