Drop/Fastball/Seams

Trying to help my second year 12u DD get a handle on a couple of pitches but she and I are a little confused. I introduced her to the two seam fastball to get some movement....it was awesome but she can't command the direction. It just goes down and in or away. Still awesome pitch. I owe DFP for the big smile it put on her face.

Next her PC introduces the two seam drop. She does well with it but me being a baseball guy know the two versus four seam thing. I asked the PC why two seams and the reason was it moves more side to side and down while the 4 is just down. Since working with the two seam fast ball I can see that..kinda

Since we saw the PC this is what we've played with...
4 seam drop-good downward brake
2 seam drop-less downward brake but little side brake

2 seam fastball- breaks some down and in and also a lot right. Spin orientation looks like the spin described in Java's drop ball thread.


What's the difference in a 2 seam fastball and a 2 seam drop spinwise?

What cues are used to differentiate drop and two seam fastball?

I really think we should just stay with the two seam fastball and the 4 seam drop.....Ideas welcome.

Of course I like the 2Seam... see my avatar. But you need both. Simple fingering of just the 2 & 4 seam gives the young pitcher easy way to start realizing movement, with just a que.

Gotta have your first pitch down. It would work either way. If her first pitch established was a 2Seam, and she had it down pat...simply switching to the 4Seam would make noticeable difference.

The 2Seam is tapping ***Magus Force... its going to have a mind of its own. It does things differently according to the wind...ect...

***The Magnus effect (often called the Magnus force and named after its 1852 discoverer Gustav Magnus) is a lift force of tremendous importance to all athletes who want to bend the flight of a ball.