Why do softball pitchers have to grunt?

[Rocket Eagle]

This is a subject that really annoys me in fastpitch softball and I'm curious to know if anyone else out there has opinions on this.

Some pitchers let out an audible grunt during their push-off, but then there are others who let out a loud "shout" on the release - or even a split second after the release.

This is obviously done (and taught) to be distracting to the batter. I consider this to be poor sportsmanship and I've always wondered why this isn't illegal.

I've asked umpires what they would do if my batters yelled at one of these "shouters" while she was in the middle of her delivery - and the response is typically "Gee I don't know ... that's an interesting question."

 

[drc9805]

My daughter grunts because it forces her to breathe. It has nothing to do with trying to distract the batter. The only problem is...she won't do it in a game because it embarrasses her. The batter is so focused I doubt they even hear it anyway.

 

[fastpitch]

I don't think its something they are taught to do to distract the batter. I think some girls do it for timing as they exhale on release.

I spoke to my DDs pitching coach about it after I saw one young girl just dominating with her fastball doing it. She didn't grunt on the change which was kind of a tip off. It's not something she said any pitching coach she knew would really teach.

I saw the same girl pitch a year later and she had stopped the grunting and was just as dominating.

 

[SBFAMILY]

This use to be taught, but find very few teaching it now. Like many other things you can time the pitcher as a hitter and they will give away trends. . Very few elite pitchers grunt.

 

[drc9805]

That's the one thing my DDs coach told her...if you're going to grunt on your fastball then you better grunt on your change up.

 

[Daddy O]

We have a girl in our area that grunts and she is a very good pitcher for her age group. She does grunt or actually says "Ba" a split second after release. Not sure if it is to distract hitter or just give more umph, sorta grip it and rip it so to speak. During fall ball we played her team. We did not have a very good team and the head coach wanted to livin things up so he told the girls that whoever screamed back at her he would buy DQ. Man was the umpire pissed! He said he was not going to let our girls make a joke of the game. I think he mostly took offense when our girl took a ball and still screamed at pitcher. I thought it was funny, after all fall ball is supposed to be about fun.

 

[mad hornet]

It has nothing to do with sportsmanship or distracting the batter. This is the pitcher putting everything she has into the pitch. It signifies maximum effort and if that is how she's able to do it then leave it alone. If the batter lets it bother her then shame on her.

I used to grunt when I hit the ball and made solid contact. Not something I was conscious of, but putting forth maximum effort without inhibition. When I was up to bat I never heard anything.

At any rate, if you have a kid that will put out maximum effort without inhibition, don't try to reel it back!

 

[Coach JV]

When my daughter gets into a funk where she misses the zone for a few pitches, she will grunt or yell 'cut' to help with the timing of her release. It is not done to distract the batter.

 

[SBFAMILY]

From two very good hitting coaches. Good hitters love kids the make a noise, because they can time them better and most give away pitches, because they do not grunt the same with a fastball to a change up. It is just one more area that good teams study film or scout!

 

[New Coach]

Pitchers are far from the only athletes to grunt or yell. Wieght lifters, discus, javlin, and hammer throwers, and football linemen are a few that quickly come to mind. I remember reading that a good yell during an exercetion can generate up to 10% greater strength.