Help me with pitch spin.

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Apr 16, 2013
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By now most here know my DD is a baseball player that's joining the world of softball. One question I have is about fastball pitch spin. My DD was a junkball pitcher so she knows a world about putting spin on a baseball and what it looks like at the plate. At 14u we don't expect a TON of girls bending the ball, but the fastball is one thing I'm honestly curious about. In baseball, or any overhand throw, you're finishing it with a flick on the seems that creates a lot of backspin, keeping it "up". I'd think, if you reverse that, and pitch underhand, that you'd create forward spin. However, as I know it, a drop curve is like a 12-6 curve in baseball with all forward spin. I remember lots of people talk about IR when pitching so that makes me think that sliding your hand to the side of the ball and pronating could create strong backspin. So is that how a pitcher creates backspin on a fastball? Or, does the typical fastball still have some forward spin?
 

Chris Delorit

Member
Apr 24, 2016
343
28
Green Bay, WI
Drop - softball forward seem spin rotation (12-6) - accentuated reverse of your baseball fastball.
Rise - softball backward seem spin rotation (6-12) - reverse of your baseball drop.

Chris
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
So a standard fastball still has forward spin?

Yes...however what I would encourage any pitcher in fastpitch softball to do is exactly what baseball pitchers do play around. Hold you fingers closer together, hold them closer to one side then the other side, spin a little, spin alot, try and put a 1-7 or 2-8 spin on a pitch and see what happens, put more pressure on different fingers in different grips understand what all these different thing do to the ball when you pitch and then find different pitches you can consistently control that have both speed and movement...

While beginning getting a pitch to go straight and where you want can be important...but most important is proper mechanics and letting the rest come...the more advanced you get you want a ball with movement even your fastball...alot of pitcher have a natural slight downward and tailing movement on their fastball DON'T fight it (as long as it is slight) understand it and control it
 
Apr 16, 2013
1,113
83
Hmmm, so forgiving my ignorance, what's the difference between a fastball and a drop curve? If they both have forward spin, are you just throwing it slower for a drop curve?
 
Nov 27, 2012
197
18
Drop curve don't have a true 12-6 spin, its more like 11-5 or 10-4 spin. Younger pitches will pull the ball across their body and make the ball curve out instead of making it drop down. In my opinion a pitcher has to develop a true dropball before going to drop curve.
 
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
Hmmm, so forgiving my ignorance, what's the difference between a fastball and a drop curve? If they both have forward spin, are you just throwing it slower for a drop curve?

Gotta understand axis, first and foremost when talking about movement pitches.
The ball will "break" in the direction it's spinning. So, a drop curve will ideally spin at a 45 degree angle... like djcarter said. but for a righty the spin axis on a DC would be 10-4
 
Apr 16, 2013
1,113
83
So can the term curveball and drop curve be used as synonymous? I was under the impression that a curve to fastpitch is a slider to baseball. Screwballs are the same between the two, just much more common and easier to throw underhand. I can also understand that sometimes people may not know the difference between the two. In baseball sometimes you'll see a "curve" that's more a "slurve", with a more 10-5 spin and some kids think it's a slider.
 
Nov 27, 2012
197
18
Curve-Breaks away from a righty, should have 3-9 spin
Screw - Breaks into a righty, should have 9-3 spin
Rise - Breaks up, will have 6-12 spin
Drop & Fast ball - Breaks down, will have 12-6 spin.

Rest of them are hybrid pitches, like you drop curve, curve rise or what ever you want to call the. Pitcher should be able to throw these 4 pitches with correct spin on the axis, before going to hybrid pitches. I have seen many kids who cannot throw a correct spin so the ball will break on two different planes and the parents will be like " my kid can throw 15 pitches including drop rise."
 

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