Topspin Vs Bulletspin, Which is Faster?

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May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
I have seen some of the better pitchers at the local Mid-Major colleges throwing bulletspin, I'm not sure if they consider it their fastball or riseball. I am curious about which pitch is faster, the topspin one or the bullet-rise one (for a given pitcher). I'm hoping that maybe Rick Pauly has some experience with this given that Sarah probably throws both.
 
Jul 26, 2010
3,567
0
Rise balls are unicorns. They don't exist, they neither rise, nor does any (female) actually throw one in the sport. It just sounds like a neat name for a pitch. It's hip, it's cool, it's something baseball doesn't have. It's like old coke that's new again but really it's just flavored cancer.

The fastball is the fastest pitch they throw.

-W
 
Dec 7, 2011
2,368
38
No matter which direction the fingers spin the ball the speed of it is an independent variable.

I bet one pitcher might throw one pitch faster that the other for this reason or that - but that will be an isolated case and not a general conclusion.
 
Dec 7, 2011
2,368
38
Riseballs are harder to hit than drop balls.

Batters are programmed to expect drop.

Riseballs are easier to hit out of the park than drop balls.

Solidly hit riseballs just go lunar......

From this you pick your DD's magical method. :)
 
Jun 18, 2012
3,183
48
Utah
Rise balls are unicorns. They don't exist, they neither rise, nor does any (female) actually throw one in the sport. It just sounds like a neat name for a pitch. It's hip, it's cool, it's something baseball doesn't have. It's like old coke that's new again but really it's just flavored cancer.

The fastball is the fastest pitch they throw.

-W

While I might agree with you if you're saying riseballs don't rise from their initial trajectory, given the ideal rotation of a riseball and given how a good riseball doesn't fall as much as any of the other pitches, thus gives the appearance of breaking upward, I have no problem with calling a backward/reverse spin pitch a "riseball."

What would you call that pitch?
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
While I might agree with you if you're saying riseballs don't rise from their initial trajectory, given the ideal rotation of a riseball and given how a good riseball doesn't fall as much as any of the other pitches, thus gives the appearance of breaking upward, I have no problem with calling a backward/reverse spin pitch a "riseball."

What would you call that pitch?

Its definitely a rise ball. And it definitely does not rise.
 
Jul 26, 2010
3,567
0
While I might agree with you if you're saying riseballs don't rise from their initial trajectory, given the ideal rotation of a riseball and given how a good riseball doesn't fall as much as any of the other pitches, thus gives the appearance of breaking upward, I have no problem with calling a backward/reverse spin pitch a "riseball."

What would you call that pitch?

You're kidding yourself if you believe a bullet spin ball has any "lift" and thus drops at a slower rate then any other pitch. It's all eyesauce. It's thrown low to high, it's a fastball with a fancy ego-feeding name.

I've yet to see video of any pitcher actually throwing a riseball with backwards spin. Finch, Abbot, Uneo, Tincher, they all throw bullet spin fastballs high in the zone.


-W
 
Dec 4, 2013
865
18
You're kidding yourself if you believe a bullet spin ball has any "lift" and thus drops at a slower rate then any other pitch. It's all eyesauce. It's thrown low to high, it's a fastball with a fancy ego-feeding name.

I've yet to see video of any pitcher actually throwing a riseball with backwards spin. Finch, Abbot, Uneo, Tincher, they all throw bullet spin fastballs high in the zone.


-W

Are all the experts in here in agreement with this?
 
Oct 22, 2009
1,781
0
Here's my 2 cents.

My DD's original PC taught her the bullet spin for her fastball. As soon as she learned other pitches I stopped letting her throw the fastball because it didn't move and it got hit REAL HARD.

Her L&D PC taught her the 4 seam downspin for her fastball.

Which could she throw faster? The bullet. Mainly because she was more used to it and more comfortable with it, but would she throw it? No, unless it was off the plate.

Now onto the rise...Call it a bullet spin thrown high, or whatever you want to call it. It didn't get hit, and when it did, never went far, and I'll take that all day long whatever it is.
 

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