Fastball in college

[fastpitch]

I'm sure its been discussed before... so I apologize if it has.

Do pitchers still throw fastballs in college? Any idea how often?

I realize it depends on the pitcher too, but in general I'd imagine maybe a handful per game, located just off the plate or when its 3-0 and you'd rather not walk someone and aren't afraid of a HR. But I'd think they don't really throw them that often.

I know in A level TB after 12u, our pitchers only throw a handful of fastballs per game or even weekend if they do at all.

 

[NorthMS]

What's the difference between a FB and a drop ball, besides one breaking and one not? Hillhouse talks about a fastball as a mistake pitch made when throwing a drop ball.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I asked Cat Osterman, this question once and she said 'Some do, some don't."

I imagine if you can throw one 65+, you might as well use it.

 

[NorthMS]

Can you throw a true FB as fast as a drop ball? I see a lot of pitches on ESPN that don't seem to move much. These are generally the faster MPH pitches. Then I hear that FBs aren't used much in the college game. Help an old baseball junkie out here.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

A successful FB in college softball is no different than a successful FB in college baseball. You either need that FB to have some movement/action, or you need incredible speed. If you have both, it is surely a blessing.

The definition, or name tags, between FP and BB pitches has always been a interesting topic. What to me looks like a nice running/tailing FB in softball, has to be called a curve ( enter your own term ).

 

[NorthMS]

A successful FB in college softball is no different than a successful FB in college baseball. You either need that FB to have some movement/action, or you need incredible speed. If you have both, it is surely a blessing.

The definition, or name tags, between FP and BB pitches has always been a interesting topic. What to me looks like a nice running/tailing FB in softball, has to be called a curve ( enter your own term ).

That's what I've been seeing. I see a ball cut into a RH batter and think "cut FB". The announcers call it a screw ball. The balls I see in FP, doesn't have the break that a baseball does. Seems logical, shorter distance and slower speeds.

 

[sluggers]

To build a little on what GD said, throwing a FB isn't the problem. Throwing a FB belt high down the middle of the plate is the problem. If a pitcher learns the umpire's strike zone and can throw fastballs along the edges of the zone, it is very effective--which is exactly what MLB pitchers do.

My DD threw the FB in college. She preferred to stay away from it, but there were times when she had to...when the umpire was squeezing the zone, e.g.

My DD#1's FB did move. I'm not sure how to describe the motion. It would always move, but the distance it would move and the direction varied. Sometimes it would move two inches, sometimes three inches.

DD#3's pitched until she was 13YOA or so. Her fastball did not move. She had better control than DD#1 and threw the same speed as DD#1 for that age. So, DD#3 was more consistent and a good pitcher. But, when DD#1 at that age was "on" and hitting her spots with the FB, no one could touch her.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I'll add one to Sluggers too.

My D1 nephew throws submarine style, he is throwing underhanded much like softball. His FB has a very sharp "sink" at the end, but not the typical 2 seam "sinker" grip, he uses a 4 seam. So how would you classify the pitch? Sinker, plain old FB with action, drop ball, diving fastball? To him it's, "just my fastball". lol

 

[RetiredCoach]

I know that one of the top pitchers in the country today at the Division I level throws mostly fastballs. Albeit she throws it in the mid-60's with movement and is excellent at hitting her spots. Her coach says that she can pitch an entire game without putting the full width of the ball over the plate. She also has a "change up" where she takes about 6 mph off and tails it off the plate.

As a side note, my daughter at the high school/16U level throws mostly fastballs and is excellent at hitting her spots. Her fastball has a good downward break on it but I probably wouldn't refer to it as a drop ball. She throws an occasional change up and drop ball. She is a strikeout pitcher with good velocity. If she threw that fastball down the middle I suspect that her success would not be quite as much. I wish she would put more time into her other pitchers but it is a hard sell. At her game yesterday, I remarked to a friend that I wish that she would throw her changeup more. My friend said, "That's the third batter in a row that she's struck out. How much better do you want it to get?

 

[fastpitch]

The responses here make sense. I guess there is no one way to go about it. It really depends on the pitcher. If a pitcher can spot the fastball, and/or it has enough movement and velocity to be effective, why not throw it?

I think one of our pitchers movement pitches were more effective than her fastball which really was never well located hence she didn't throw the fastball so much.