IR/drop explanation of spin

[Ken Krause]

Well, if you really want to talk about how the best in the world throw the drop ball, there is only one pitcher in the Women's game who has pitched the U.S. to a Gold Medal in the Olympics. She did it three times. Here's how she throws the drop. Definitely has her weight forward. Also not throwing a peel.

 

[Mark H]

Small sample size. I could as well say Ichiro had the most hits therefore everyone should hit like Ichiro.

 

[BoardMember]

The bottom spin is thirty percent rotated toward bullet spin. I don't doubt it will break some-kind of like a baseball slider or cutter. If that's working for you great but I'd like more. The greatest amount of magnus force is when the axis is perpendicular to ball flight. If I want a drop curve, I still want the axis to be perpendicular to the ball flight path. I just want it tilted over at 45 degrees give or take. And I'd like to throw that rh drop curve to left handers.

Not sure I follow you Mark. Are you describing one of these as a way to throw a peel drop?

 

[Ken Krause]

Small sample size. I could as well say Ichiro had the most hits therefore everyone should hit like Ichiro.

But either you want to follow what the best do or you don't. You can't make it conditional on whether you agree with what the person does. Who knows? Maybe if more players hit like Ichiro their batting averages would be higher.

My larger point, of course, is there is no one right way. As Boardmember demonstrated even within the peel drop at the elite level there are different techniques. You can't pick out one and say that's the way the "best in the world" do it and therefore how everyone should do it. Just because Cat doesn't get her weight forward doesn't mean others shouldn't. Cat is also over six feet tall, which means her drop automatically starts higher off the ground than girls who are 5'4" and may need a little forward lean to get the ball up a little higher at the start.

She was also able to strike out 18 National Team hitters (or something like that) while still in high school. She's a rare talent, so what she can do doesn't necessarily translate to mere mortals.

 

[Mark H]

Not sure I follow you Mark. Are you describing one of these as a way to throw a peel drop?

I'd have to go look through the thread now to remember why the subject came up but no, one of those would be what I would want for a drop curve. The spin I'd want for a drop would be 12-6 with the axis perpedicular to ball flight. I don't really want a percentage of bullet spin for any reason but if you are going for a little cutter action with a horizontal spin axis NOT perpendicular to ball flight and it's working for you, I have no problem with that.

 

[Mark H]

But either you want to follow what the best do or you don't. You can't make it conditional on whether you agree with what the person does. Who knows? Maybe if more players hit like Ichiro their batting averages would be higher.

My larger point, of course, is there is no one right way. As Boardmember demonstrated even within the peel drop at the elite level there are different techniques. You can't pick out one and say that's the way the "best in the world" do it and therefore how everyone should do it. Just because Cat doesn't get her weight forward doesn't mean others shouldn't. Cat is also over six feet tall, which means her drop automatically starts higher off the ground than girls who are 5'4" and may need a little forward lean to get the ball up a little higher at the start.

She was also able to strike out 18 National Team hitters (or something like that) while still in high school. She's a rare talent, so what she can do doesn't necessarily translate to mere mortals.

My point was, in hitting or pitching, don't take what one athlete does and use that for your model. Look at lots of clips of lots of athletes. IOW, avoid extrapolating from a small sample size.

 

[Ken Krause]

My point was, in hitting or pitching, don't take what one athlete does and use that for your model. Look at lots of clips of lots of athletes. IOW, avoid extrapolating from a small sample size.

I would agree with that. I do think there's a lot to be learned from studying top players, although more on general principles than specifics. I also have some other thoughts about it, but will save them for another thread. Didn't mean to hijack this thread. Sorry.

 

[halskinner]

Well, if you really want to talk about how the best in the world throw the drop ball, there is only one pitcher in the Women's game who has pitched the U.S. to a Gold Medal in the Olympics. She did it three times. Here's how she throws the drop. Definitely has her weight forward. Also not throwing a peel.

I think that is a drop-curve she is throwing.

Hal

 

[lhowser]

Definitely has her weight forward

Weight forward before, at, or well after release?

 

[halskinner]

Her weight is behind her stride foot. The center of her body weight is behind her stride foot. There is no weight on the pivot foot/leg, she has resistance against the stride foot.

Why does anyone think her weight is forward?

Forward of what?

She is using exaggerated curveball body mechanics and throwing a drop with those mechanics for a drop curve.

If any of your kids out there throw a curveball, do what Lisa is doing with her body and watch what happens.

Here endeth the lesson.

Hal