Is a screwball a screwball?

Or is it just a fastball thrown at an angle?

If it is just a fastball thrown at an angle, what is/was the point of teaching to turn hand with a hitch hikers thumb?

If it is, why not just call an inside fastball? Does throwing it at an angle do something for perception?

If it isn't, does the hitch hikers thumb turn actually put a spin on the ball that is different than a fastball? If so, what does this spin look like?

My DD has just learned this pitch as a fastball thrown at an angle as opposed to turning the ball with a hitch hikers thumb. I'm trying to wrap my brain around it. Is the screwball just another one of those things that is/was taught like HE is/was? As in coaches think it does something when it doesn't?

Are you serious?
The whole point of different grips and releases is to get the spin oriented to make the ball move.....period!
As far as the angles across the power line goes, this is to give a perception of additional movement through the balls angled path. If thrown with a slight angle across the power line and good spin, the pitch will be extremely difficult to hit cleanly.

IME, if thrown correctly, the screw ball will break late and into a RHB. A fast ball thrown at an angle will not have that late-breaking movement that a true screw ball will have.

coach james said:

Are you serious?
The whole point of different grips and releases is to get the spin oriented to make the ball move.....period!
As far as the angles across the power line goes, this is to give a perception of additional movement through the balls angled path. If thrown with a slight angle across the power line and good spin, the pitch will be extremely difficult to hit cleanly.

Click to expand...

I am serious with my question. I hope that you don't think that I am trying to be argumentative, funny or snarky. I am really trying to determine if I am understanding things correctly. It may very well be that I am not.

And to clarify. PC said jump to the left 3-4" to set up angle. Throw just like your fastball. I'm not arguing his way. I'm plainly asking if this is the right way, what does the ball do differently than an inside fastball and if nothing, why just not call it an inside fastball? If it does do something different, what does it do? Does it spin different? If so, what is the spin?

A drop ball and a curve ball are two pitches that actually have a hard break to them(if thrown right). A screwball is an angled cut fastball. It doesn't have enough break to really throw off a batter, but has more of a running action. That, coupled with the angle of the pitch deceives the batter into thinking it will be an inside corner strike (rhp vs rhb), but ends up riding up their hands and tying them up.

A lot of pitchers will claim to have multiple pitches, when in reality they just locate a fastball. While my DD does not have a world class screwball, here is the screwball portion of her skills video. It is a couple of years old and she was 14 at the time.

plustoo said:

I am serious with my question. I hope that you don't think that I am trying to be argumentative, funny or snarky. I am really trying to determine if I am understanding things correctly. It may very well be that I am not.

Click to expand...

It's a good question and the fact is a screwball is a screwball. And an inside fastball thrown from the outside of the pitching lane is also often called a screwball. It's not but that's what some daddies and some announcers have been saying for years.

coach james said:

Are you serious?
The whole point of different grips and releases is to get the spin oriented to make the ball move.....period!
As far as the angles across the power line goes, this is to give a perception of additional movement through the balls angled path. If thrown with a slight angle across the power line and good spin, the pitch will be extremely difficult to hit cleanly.

Click to expand...

plustoo said:

I am serious with my question. I hope that you don't think that I am trying to be argumentative, funny or snarky. I am really trying to determine if I am understanding things correctly. It may very well be that I am not.

Click to expand...

Watch this short video. It explains/demonstrates what happens when a pitch is released with spin on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhXZ186FNIk