Could you explain how you teach the down-in? I'm REALLY curious as to your take on this pitch. Are you coming up the ball with I/R... like a peel action?
Not familiar with the name... is the running fastball a 2-seam tailing fastball?
And then a cutter... what's the distinction you make with either the grip or seam orientation?... is this more of grip variation... or undercut spin... or are you just focused on more of a rollover drop action?
IOW, I really wanna know your spin on these pitches...
Going to add to this... so as to actually include some thoughts (willing to be right or wrong) of my own for the sake of a better discussion:
I originally bought into the concept of finger pressure for the in-cut -as a part of the grip, like index into the ball. However, I noticed that when I do this... I don't always get the spin I want. I seem to get more of a 7-1, 8-2 when I think about getting my thumb off the ball sooner AND coming up the inside of the ball with I/R as opposed to that feel of 'rolling' over it...if that makes sense.
As far as the 2-seam fastball... I'm assuming that's what you call a running fastball. To me, I've noticed more of a 'bend'... for lack of a better word in this... versus the 4-seam grip... but I also spin the crap out of a ball. To me, the I/R is the same as in a FB... just the seam orientation is different.
As far as the cutter... are you using a a drop action, like a rollover?... cause this is the only way I've been able to throw/teach it with girls that can really spin the ball.
Do you throw a roll over type drop?
I have never been able to throw a pitch like this without it coming off the hand like a change up.
I have had success throwing a drop by whipping my fingers up and over the outside of the ball. It has a genuine hump shape to the pitch and I can throw it full speed and it has straight forward and outward top spin.
A cutter to me is thrown 2 seam 1 -7 and has a bend in it similar to what you call a 2 seam tailing FB. It breaks back into the right handed batter. I whip my fingers across the ball towards first base and end up with my palm facing third with my fingers pointing to the catcher. Get it wrong and you can fetch it from over the HR fence.
I generally try to avoid the pitches with 4 seam 1 -7 spin because they don't tend to have any shape to them. I'd like to hear suggestions/arguments on this one.
