Slingshot changeup

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Dec 29, 2015
15
3
it's not a legal pitch, FYI.

Sling shot is ok,
but her arm may not make a complete revolution without the ball after release.

I always wondering if this would be considered legal or not. So at what point would the arm have to stop to make this legal? Is the rule that the arm cannot make a full circle from the point the ball is released? Or some other measurement?
 
Sep 10, 2013
603
0
I remember when DD's team had a tournament against a pitcher who would throw her CU's like this.
I was saying it was illegal, then an older gentleman said it's not and he's been an ump for 20 years, now retired. i admit i don't recall if she continued her arm circle after she released the ball though.

The biggest issue with that pitcher was that she had a very clear "tell" when she would throw a CU as her backswing would rise up much higher than her other pitches so it was easy to tell when a CU was coming.
but, from what i've heard, this pitcher was already committed.
 
May 30, 2013
1,442
83
Binghamton, NY
Rule 6.3.K (FP)
"The pitcher must not make another revolution after pitching the ball."

so, "another revolution" is somewhat up to Umpire judgement.
Usually if the arm continues past "straight up" overhead after release of the ball,
I've seen the IP called...
 
Last edited:

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
Crystal...

Your DD has some talent for pitching.

This pitch has been around for a while. If it is so great a pitch, how come you don't see it thrown in WPF or the World Championships or the NCAA D1?

Here is the deal:

Tricks like this pitch will work great against rec teams. You'll sit in the stands, laugh and have a great time.

When you play a high level team, the batters will kill your DD.

The *ONLY* things that work against high level batters are (1) control, (2) movement, (3) speed and (4) changing speeds. And, those don't work all the time...good hitters hit good pitches.

You are wasting your time and her time playing around with this worthless pitch.

It is hard, boring, repetitive work to become "good" at pitching.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
If it is so great a pitch, how come you don't see it thrown in WPF or the World Championships or the NCAA D1?

Meh, being too harsh here. It could work at the highest levels if it were legal. You could throw it a couple times a game.

There are lots of things done and not done at the highest level; I wouldn't use that as the standard bearer. The job of a NCAA D1 coach is to keep his/her high paying job. Being creative or doing things differently isn't among those things.

Case in point: Every coach in the NFL is a coward and defies logic when it comes down to going for it on 4th and inches (and going for the two point conversion). Ever wonder why that is?
 

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