A person with a good eye can stand on 1B and 3B and determine if a pitch is a rise, drop, or fastball. I have to see about five pitches before I can decide whether the pitcher can throw a drop or rise.
To develop the skill, you start by looking for fastballs. The flight path of the pitch is more or less a symmetric arc. You might have to train yourself a little to see the arc because we "think" of a ball thrown short distances as "straight" or "flat", even though there is always an arc.
Once you can see the fastball arc, picking up the drop ball arc is easier. Its angle at the plate is much steeper downward than the release angle is upward.
(NOTE: This is for riseballs thrown less than 70 mph.)
A riseball is harder to detect because there are so many "false" riseballs being thrown. You have to look at the initial release and the ball path at the plate. The release position and release angle for a riseball are almost identical to that of a fastball. However, the ball flight will be "flat" at the plate. So, while a drop and fastball are descending at the plate, the rise is basically parallel to the ground.
The false riseballs (also known as "Daddy Riseballs") have a noticeably higher release angle. At the plate, they look quite a bit like a riseball. Of course, hitters past the age of 16 will notice the higher release angle and will not swing at the pitch.
Attached are side views of the pitches generated with the NASA curveball expert.
To develop the skill, you start by looking for fastballs. The flight path of the pitch is more or less a symmetric arc. You might have to train yourself a little to see the arc because we "think" of a ball thrown short distances as "straight" or "flat", even though there is always an arc.
Once you can see the fastball arc, picking up the drop ball arc is easier. Its angle at the plate is much steeper downward than the release angle is upward.
(NOTE: This is for riseballs thrown less than 70 mph.)
A riseball is harder to detect because there are so many "false" riseballs being thrown. You have to look at the initial release and the ball path at the plate. The release position and release angle for a riseball are almost identical to that of a fastball. However, the ball flight will be "flat" at the plate. So, while a drop and fastball are descending at the plate, the rise is basically parallel to the ground.
The false riseballs (also known as "Daddy Riseballs") have a noticeably higher release angle. At the plate, they look quite a bit like a riseball. Of course, hitters past the age of 16 will notice the higher release angle and will not swing at the pitch.
Attached are side views of the pitches generated with the NASA curveball expert.
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