Negative Velocity

Velocity can be either positive or negative, but just because something has a negative velocity doesn't mean that the object is moving slower than something with a positive velocity.  Velocity deals with speed and well as direction.  There is always a positive direction as well as a negative direction, which pairs up respectively with a positive and negative velocity.

During softball, the pitcher releases the ball in the positive direction at a certain speed.  This will have a positive velocity because it is traveling forward.  After the ball makes contact with the bat, it travels in the negative direction with a certain speed.  This speed may be faster or slower than the original speed the pitcher pitched the ball at, but it will always have a negative velocity because it travels backwards.  If, for example, the ball came towards the batter with a velocity of +85 mph and left the bat with a velocity of -90 mph, the ball has a greater speed with the negative velocity, just in the opposite direction.