Hit Distance and Carry are key batted ball metrics that provide insight into how far a ball travels and how it moves through the air after contact, helping coaches, analysts, and players evaluate contact quality, ball flight efficiency, and overall hitting performance.

What is Hit Distance?

Hit Distance represents the total distance the ball travels from contact to its landing point (or projected landing point). It reflects the overall outcome of the hit.

What is Carry?

Carry represents the distance the ball travels through the air before landing. It focuses specifically on the airborne portion of the ball’s flight.

Key Differences

• Hit Distance = total distance of the hit
• Carry = airborne distance only

Carry will typically be shorter than Hit Distance because it does not include ground roll or bounce.

How to Interpret These Metrics

• A higher Hit Distance generally indicates a ball that traveled farther overall
• A higher Carry often reflects strong contact and efficient ball flight
• Comparing both values helps identify how much of the distance came from air vs ground movement

For example:

• High Carry + High Distance → well-struck ball with strong flight
• Lower Carry + Higher Distance → more ground contribution after landing
• Shape