Reading spins

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Jan 28, 2017
1,661
83
As a college baseball player we would spend hours reading pitchers fingers to identify pitches. I would have pitchers throw curve balls, sliders, change, and fastballs without a ball and yell out the pitch by reading the forearm and fingers.

I know you can pick up some keys from fastpitch pitchers like the the way they get the grip. Any keys on how to read the pitch spin before it comes out of their hand?

I have asked this question to a few former fastpitch college players and they look at me like I'm crazy and say I just hit it. LOL.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
As a college baseball player we would spend hours reading pitchers fingers to identify pitches. I would have pitchers throw curve balls, sliders, change, and fastballs without a ball and yell out the pitch by reading the forearm and fingers.

I know you can pick up some keys from fastpitch pitchers like the the way they get the grip. Any keys on how to read the pitch spin before it comes out of their hand?

I have asked this question to a few former fastpitch college players and they look at me like I'm crazy and say I just hit it. LOL.

Interesting. We never did this consciously when I played college but it was only DIII :p. It would seem the type of eye focus necessary to do that
would be contrary to the type (soft focus??) you are supposed to have when hitting a ball. Only pitch I could pick up before it was thrown was a changeup if it was
thrown with a different motion, e.g. a bad changeup :D
 

shaker1

Softball Junkie
Dec 4, 2014
894
18
On a bucket
Not sure I buy into reading spins. Especially when kids get to where they can really bring it. Too many different variables. Let's take rise and drop spin, how can you tell which direction the ball is spinning? Trajectory may be a better thing to watch for.
 
Jan 28, 2017
1,661
83
Not sure I buy into reading spins. Especially when kids get to where they can really bring it. Too many different variables. Let's take rise and drop spin, how can you tell which direction the ball is spinning? Trajectory may be a better thing to watch for.

Agree it's to late. That's why we studied fingers before the ball came out. Please explain trajectory for me a little. FP is a different animal. The most commander answer from former players- I guessed at what she was going to throw.
 

shaker1

Softball Junkie
Dec 4, 2014
894
18
On a bucket
I believe the ball will follow a trajectory or path from the hand, based on spin, it may break more as it slows, closer to the batter. Unless you can throw a good knuckle ball, who knows where that thing will end up. JMO . I'm sure you'll get better responses
 
Jan 28, 2017
1,661
83
Interesting. We never did this consciously when I playedy
college but it was only DIII :p. It would seem the type of eye focus necessary to do that
would be contrary to the type (soft focus??) you are supposed to have when hitting a ball. Only pitch I could pick up before it was thrown was a changeup if it was
thrown with a different motion, e.g. a bad changeup :D

We did it everyday and I used it when coaching HS ball around 20years ago. I think it really helped. I think most good players do it subconsciously. The first time I was exposed to it, I was like yea I already do that but it seemed to help me pick it up earlier. Sometimes as it came out of the glove by the forearm angle. College coach always said if your looking for spin and it's 90 pray it's not at your dome. I honestly never remember seeing spin but was probably a better off speed hitter than fastball hitter.

Never taught anything about soft focus? Not exactly sure what soft focus is.
 
Last edited:
Jan 28, 2017
1,661
83
I guess we were in soft focus mode. Never talked about it really except know where the arm angle will release the ball. Tried to see everything in a tunnel and then fine focus for no better word.

i can see where the stride could give you some information in FP. Body lean may give you some information. I haven't seen any information on this with FP.

In baseball I can see a cutter and tailing fastball coming very early. My DD pitches and will throw a fastball that cuts or tails on accident. I think it's from finger pressure but I can't see that. Just looking for any information that may help later on.
 
Nov 16, 2015
184
18
Personally, i thought this was way easier in baseball than softball. Playing men's fastpitch we were looking for anything we could to get an idea what the pitch was. 80mph from 45' with a guy jumping you wanted anything you could get. Transitioning to coaching the girls game, i can really tell when people change the delivery to throw a pitch. Not striding, trying to "get on top" or "drop the back shoulder" is the easiest pick. My 14dd know this stuff and was calling pitches from teh dugout to her school coach and she was just amazed that she could read it. a lot of pitchers will show you the grip when they take the hand right out of the glove, especially girls with back arm swing.

This is what i teach my pitchers. We twist to get our grip and basically trying the same glove movement for each pitch. My goal is to get them to throw all their pitches with the exact same body mechanics. Obviously need to adjust for spins. Finally, i want them to keep hand in glove on initial push off until the nose. Basically teh ball is out of glove for 3/4 arm circle. that is all the batter gets to see
 
Jan 28, 2017
1,661
83
Personally, i thought this was way easier in baseball than softball. Playing men's fastpitch we were looking for anything we could to get an idea what the pitch was. 80mph from 45' with a guy jumping you wanted anything you could get. Transitioning to coaching the girls game, i can really tell when people change the delivery to throw a pitch. Not striding, trying to "get on top" or "drop the back shoulder" is the easiest pick. My 14dd know this stuff and was calling pitches from teh dugout to her school coach and she was just amazed that she could read it. a lot of pitchers will show you the grip when they take the hand right out of the glove, especially girls with back arm swing.

This is what i teach my pitchers. We twist to get our grip and basically trying the same glove movement for each pitch. My goal is to get them to throw all their pitches with the exact same body mechanics. Obviously need to adjust for spins. Finally, i want them to keep hand in glove on initial push off until the nose. Basically teh ball is out of glove for 3/4 arm circle. that is all the batter gets to see

Thanks, I think it's much harder than baseball also. I'm new to FP but I haven't seen much on picking up pitches.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,473
Members
21,443
Latest member
sstop28
Top