I’ve played in adult leagues for both the common softball and the 16-inch softball (everywhere I’ve lived everyone called it Chicago style), as both a player and a coach. Aside from being an unusually expensive ball to purchase (I believe that they are all hand-made in the Caribbean), the 16-inch ball is a LOT more aerodynamically stable. A long distance/home run hit will have a lot of spin, so either ball flies well. But a super hard hit line drive in the infield will not have much, if any, spin on the ball. The common softball jumps around a lot, and I’ve seen injuries from people that were unable to catch one. But the 16-inch ball flies straight and true. And breaks your finger.