Pitching off of the Fastball?

[Sweet Lou]

Your screwball moves? Then you are the only one that can do it. I need to see it. I was behind Jenny Finch when she was throwing hers and hers did not move other than be on an angle. Some pitches may ride inside to the batter with a little flick of the fingers but a true screwball (opposite of the curve) I have yet to see.

Who was the girl from UCLA a few years back? She threw probably 80%+ screwball and her ball definitley did move.

Though I agree with you at least at the lower level most of the girls I see throwing a "screwball" it is more of an inside fastball with different rotation. I think most grils who throw it tend to get too much of a reverse bullet spin on the pitch rather than the true 9-3 rotation (do I have my clock directions right?) for a true screwball.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Well can someone, anyone explain in detail why theory pitching in baseball is different in softball?
Someone please intelligently explain this phenomenon.

Well I don't know if it is intellegent or not but part of my theory is a 12" softball is a lot bigger than a 9" baseball and thus is easier to square up as batter,even if recation time is the same.

 

[Steve Huff]

Guess all those international pitchers are just not that good then.

And is the fastball not taught with a spin in America, just thrown flat? Every fastball I throw has spin on it. So it's not just a hard, flat ball. As do most pitchers who are taught the proper way to throw fastballs.

The truth is, when you consider the population, and the number of available players in Australia, the average player there has a higher skill level than in the US. There are a lot of good and bad players here. The Australian team demonstrates a level of play that is exemplary considering the small pool of players they come from.

 

[Steve Huff]

I just watched a video, I think from NCFA association meeting, and the speaker was teaching it (for rightie) as a fastball from one side of the rubber to the other side of the plate no left to right spin, so I guess that is a fourth. I never heard of such a thing.

I would equate that with putting a second period on the end of sentence. It is an exercise in futility. I guess she or he just created something new.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Well I don't know if it is intellegent or not but part of my theory is a 12" softball is a lot bigger than a 9" baseball and thus is easier to square up as batter,even if recation time is the same.

That is a fact. But I still can't fathom 3 extra inches is the sole answer to the riddle. Surely the die hard FP coaches can explain to us simple ex baseball players a unchallenged answer??

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Your screwball moves? I was behind Jenny Finch when she was throwing hers and hers did not move other than be on an angle.

This is what I'm saying. How do you know she wasn't throwing her/a version of a simple painted fastball.

 

[Lozza]

The truth is, when you consider the population, and the number of available players in Australia, the average player there has a higher skill level than in the US. There are a lot of good and bad players here. The Australian team demonstrates a level of play that is exemplary considering the small pool of players they come from.

Exactly. I think there are more fastpitch softballers player in America then we have people. We have 35,000 people playing here. That includes men, children, social and masters. For the entire sport. Maybe 10/15,000 of them would be potential players for the Australian women's team. That's probably over-estimating too. We're pretty darn good at softball here

 

[Steve Huff]

Exactly. I think there are more fastpitch softballers player in America then we have people. We have 35,000 people playing here. That includes men, children, social and masters. For the entire sport. Maybe 10/15,000 of them would be potential players for the Australian women's team. That's probably over-estimating too. We're pretty darn good at softball here

Denmark has 100 female players, and Croatia has about 40. I think Croatia will pass up Denmark this year in ability as they are working harder. Denmark has one really good 15 year old pitcher. Croatia has 1 good older pitcher and 2 good pitchers that are 16. That's it! Italy probably has as many players as Australia! And the Netherlands it is a big sport too, for longer, but better training. People would be shocked at all the softball and baseball fields in Italy.

I am proud of you Aussies playing ball down there among all those poisonous critters!

 

[Lozza]

Denmark has 100 female players, and Croatia has about 40. I think Croatia will pass up Denmark this year in ability as they are working harder. Denmark has one really good 15 year old pitcher. Croatia has 1 good older pitcher and 2 good pitchers that are 16. That's it! Italy probably has as many players as Australia! And the Netherlands it is a big sport too, for longer, but better training. People would be shocked at all the softball and baseball fields in Italy.

Eek. That's not a lot at all. I know some people here who have played ball in Italy and they're shocked at how big it is. We currently have a Ukranian pitcher who is AWESOME over here too. It's becoming more popular.

 

[Steve Huff]

Eek. That's not a lot at all. I know some people here who have played ball in Italy and they're shocked at how big it is. We currently have a Ukranian pitcher who is AWESOME over here too. It's becoming more popular.

A female Ukrainian? I have family in Ukraine, Melitopol! I have been there 9 times and lived there for almost 2 years. Tell them I say hello!