Does anyone have a good drop curve tutorial or advise

Looking to teach the same drop curve that Ueno, The Asian pitcher.She has a nasty CU/ DROP curve and it appears she has a split grip. If anyone could elaborate on how she throws this that would be great.

I see her release looking like shes twisting a lid off? Anyone that can expand or recommend drills that would be great


Thanks

Anything from YU is awesome... can you post the clip your talking about ?

<video width="512" height="100%" controls loop video controls autoplay>
<source src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/58923514/Resent/YU_Curve_HB.mp4" />
</video>

The clip below is a change (didn't know she threw a drop curve,) but I think the release is similar to the DC but the fingers are allowed to impart more spin/energy.



Not sure if this helps:
Pitching Video Collection

For the drop curve, use split fingers with pressure emphasis on the index finger. Some add the exaggerated pronation/twisting, then it can be the index, middle or ring finger (or all the digits) that pull up and around the ball.

Maybe not advice, but more opinion: Try everything, but focus on what comes naturally. If the student's interest is there, give her the cues to play with and she can explore and experiment to her liking

Not a drop curve, but still one of the best K's ever!

Ken summarized it pretty well in post #3.

I'll expand just a bit...although there's not much curve on that Ueno change, the contrast between the mechanics vs. ball exit speed was the difference maker. Exceptional. Her post-release includes a level of exaggeration.

There are so many different change-ups, you'd have to experiment on your own. Anyway you can take speed off of the ball, create 12-6 forward tumble & not telestrate can work.

If you like the Ueno change in that video, downswing sequencing & release are very important. Really, it's a pretty simple change to learn, and shouldn't take long to throw. However. throwing it will accuracy can take alot of practice.

From start to 3 bells, your arm circle is pretty typical. Between 3 & brush, your pitching hand will rotate/pronate to generally palm/fingers on the outside-ish of the ball (similar to shaking your catcher's hand). Just prior to brush, you'll want to stabilize the wrist & fingers as much as possible, with the ball deep in palm. Brush occurs, & within IR, you will simply pull your hand off the side & up over the top of the ball as you are releasing it, allowing the ball to fall out of your palm. With practice, you should get be able to accomplish a slight 12-6 forward spin, which will help with some drop, preventing the floating seen with a 6-12 backward spin flip change seen so much in the youth game.

As for drills, you can start with close distance little short pendulum whips, then slowly increase the pendulum swing distance as needed. Remember to stay as true to the 45-ish degree power-K model as possible. You can break the sequencing down from start to finish, or reverse as well, and really focus on the muscle memory of the seperate stages from arm circle start to release & follow-through. Something like 6-9, 9-12, 12-3, 3-6, 6-9-ish. You could use place a bucket in front of home plate & try to drop the ball into it...really anything imaginative.

This above slo-mo is pretty self-explanatory. I'm sure that if you search the web, Bill & Rick probably have some outstanding video as well.

Ken,

That's an absolutely beautiful pitch to watch on film (Post #4).

However, I would suggest some caution to coaches relative to the rise-curve CU, especially as a primary CU. Should a hitter either pick, or sit on it, the most common scenario for the pro, is a ball that is kept in the yard. The most likely scenario for the college player is a pitch that ends up in the outfield bleachers.

In my humble opinion, emulate the pro's CU as primary. The college girl's pitch can be a great waste or set-up pitch, locating it around-the-world, and outside of the strike zone. In the right scenario, you can certainly use it to compliment your arsenal. If you wish to use it as such, really practice at locating that one around the edges for strikes. Just be careful with it.

Edit: After re-watching the video in post #4, I agree with Ken that it was a floating off-speed curve & not a rise-curve CU. Thanks Ken, for pointing it out.

Here is one that Hawkins would throw

Dial said:

Here is one that Hawkins would throw

Click to expand...

Might be wrong, but I'd call that CH ^^^ pitch a screwball.... JMHO



that was her the last pitch to win WCWS

Dial said:

Here is one that Hawkins would throw

Click to expand...

How would you describe the rotation on the ball? And how it corresponds to the observed movement?

Reminds me of the circle change Lauren Haeger throws. The way she just rolls it over