Rise-curve

[riseball]

Interesting. DD who has only recently started throwing the rise ball has only tried to throw it high in the zone. Next time we practice, I will see if she can throw a low rise and see what happens. She may very well keep it high in the zone and have to aim lower to find the correct release point.

BTW - had a well respected D1 player swear to me and DD that she had faced pitchers in college who started the low rise out of the strike zone that "rose" into the zone by the time it reached home plate. While I am not going to debate the issue, it was a very effective pitch against her and her teammates.

Thrown properly the low rise is very effective. I would definitely work on throwing it low as it is much easier to then bring it up.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

Was it windy that day? My DD had a game like this at a college showcase, pretty stiff wind and and I just twirled my hand at the catcher and indicated, it's just riseballs for the rest of the game.

Actually it was evening calm - you could say the lights came into play.....?

 

[RubberBiscuit]

One of the dumbest things a coach can do is find some that is really working well and changing for the sake of changing.

Rules for great riseball pitchers:

1) If the rise is really on throw the damn thing until they start hitting it.

2) If the rise is really on they ain't gonna hit it.

Riseball it is amazing how many coaches through my DD's pre-college career did not figure this out (I guess I could have been more vocal as a parent but I always wanted DD to run her own show - so to speak)

So many coaches would see the riseball get crazy swings and say to themselves (my guess) "well we can't overuse that" or "they will eventually catch up to that and away it goes"........ (of course many catchers would miss-handle the rise so that would many times be the problem)

This last summer my DD beat a predominant "returning Big10 player team" when our TB coach finally decided "hmmmm I guess I will keep on throwing that".... If DD "missed" a riser the worst it would do is screw and chop of the bat at the handle. It was beautiful to behold.

 

[Jojo]

Re you familiar with Kentucky windage? Same principle here. It is often a leap of faith for them to throw a rise that low. Knowing that where they throw and where it ends up are often entirely different, or many a rag a few feet in front works well. But if they start actually hitting the rag or somewhere in front of home plate you adjust.

My DD was riseball thrower in college. Her freshman year she learned she couldn't rely on it high in the zone. Teams learned to hold on anything she threw that looked remotely like it was coming in just below the letters.
She worked hard that year and learned to get it low.
She could not do it with just the release alone she would get a pretty good dip and be practically a knuckle dragger, but she was able to throw it low to high in the zone.

 

[Jojo]

Actually it was evening calm - you could say the lights came into play.....?

Whatever works