Can we talk "low" riseball

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Feb 7, 2013
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Does anyone have a DD or student that throws the "low" riseball we any success? I'm thinking that this might be a good pitch to complement the drop ball as both pitches will look similar the first half of the pitch and may be effective. For example, you throw a drop ball out of the zone low (at the shins) and the next pitch you come back with a low riseball at the knees for a low strike.
 
Jun 18, 2012
3,183
48
Utah
For those who only think of a riseball as a release-low end up high pitch, they generally don't like or understand the value of the low rise. I LOVE THE LOW RISE (good speed and backspin) exactly as you have described its use.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
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How old is about average for learning a riseball? We watched our ex-team this weekend and the pitcher they got after we left is a tiny little thing, 9 or 10, and can throw a riseball. I was pretty impressed.
 
Jan 4, 2012
3,852
38
OH-IO
Has worked pretty well for my DD.

Really !!!!!! That ScrewBall off the LowRise as the payoff pitch vs. bamba needs to be on ESPN Sports Science... my screen capture just can't do it justice :(

HOPE a white KNIGHT will rescue me and give it a go. Its @ the 1hr. 5sec. on the 4-30 Replay....Would look really GREAT on his thread :cool:

Jake_lowRise.gif
 
Last edited:
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
How old is about average for learning a riseball? We watched our ex-team this weekend and the pitcher they got after we left is a tiny little thing, 9 or 10, and can throw a riseball. I was pretty impressed.
It depends on the coach. I've seen a couple who learned pitching with a rise... 99% of all others learn a fastball or drop first. Start teaching the basics of the rise now. Start with grip, slice, posture, backspin etc.... It'll probably be a year before she's ready for game use, but get her foot in the door early. In some cases, practicing the rise helped overall mechanics of other pitches due to understanding resistance and posture better.
 

JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
How old is about average for learning a riseball? We watched our ex-team this weekend and the pitcher they got after we left is a tiny little thing, 9 or 10, and can throw a riseball. I was pretty impressed.

out here every 9 year old throws a riseball, and a curve, and a screwball. They all have the same spin though.

Seriously- the riseball has a bouncer at the door and he will not let you in the club until the pitch is about 55 miles per hour. That is just general admission, to get backstage you need to be above 60. 9-10 year olds don't throw riseballs.

BUT- start the training before the speed comes. I do not think it is a good idea to start at 10 but somewhere around first year 12s when they are in the middle of their growth spurt and their speed is high 40s is a good point to start learning the feel and spin. For a girl that throws drops it is an alien feel and at first is hard but a slow and steady approach works well. DD first played with it in the middle of her first year of 12s. Got the spin right somewhere in the second year and the speed came as she was moving up the 14s late last summer. It was about 15 months from first playing with it to throwing it in games.

There are tons of pitchers out there that throw all their pitches with variations of drop ball spin, also a ton that throw all their pitches with some form of side/backspin. Train her to be able to do both and she will set herself apart from both crowds but DON'T jump the gun on saying the pitch is game ready. Insist that the spin is true and the location is controlled.

As for the low rise. In theory a rise ball at the knees seems like a killer and I see it used in D1 and the pros but I am finding it really hard for DD to be able to locate it there and we all know what happens if that pitch misses that spot a little high. NOTHING goes further that a waist high rise ball.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
This 9 year old doesn't break 50 but I swear, she gets it to rise. You can tell it's on purpose by how the catcher sets up. It's pretty crazy. We aren't doing new pitches with ours, we're perfecting what she already knows (change, fast, drop). I was just curious about it because it's the first time I've ever seen a good, intentional riseball in 10U. Given the history I'd rather not be impressed by that team but I can't help it ;)
 

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