Screwball Video

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Aug 29, 2011
2,584
83
NorCal
I haven't read the whole thread but is the contention here that a screw ball doesn't break?

I would agree with all of the following -
A screwball is a difficult pitch.
Many pitchers who throw a "screwball" get very little break on it.
It is easier to get more break on a curve ball than it is to get break on a screwball.
A good curve ball will break more than a good screwball.

I would not agree with -
A good screwball does not break at all.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
I haven't read the whole thread but is the contention here that a screw ball doesn't break?

I would agree with all of the following -
A screwball is a difficult pitch.
Many pitchers who throw a "screwball" get very little break on it.
It is easier to get more break on a curve ball than it is to get break on a screwball.
A good curve ball will break more than a good screwball.

I would not agree with -
A good screwball does not break at all.

Because of the pitching distance, ball size, and underhand throwing motion, breaking pitches in softball will not move as much as baseball pitches. What you are looking for is "late movement" where the ball breaks 3-4" in 10-15 ft before it reaches the plate. This late movement is what keeps most batters from hitting the ball on the "sweet spot" of the bat and results in a lot of weakly hit balls.
 
Last edited:
Aug 29, 2011
2,584
83
NorCal
JAD believe me, I understand the physics behind it.

When I say it is a difficult pitch to get a lot of break on that applies to both SB and BB screw balls simply because of the way the human arm is constructed and how you have to turn it rather unnaturally to produce the correct spin axis.
 

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