Core components of spin

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

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

Jul 7, 2016
35
0
DD has 22-23 revs on the ball. Need to increase that. Looking to know what the core drivers are for spin and if anyone did any drills with their DD’s that improved their spin.

We work on snap/spin drills each day, but very little progress when being measured.

I know it can’t be strength because we know other smaller, less stronger girls throwing slower, but have revs in the upper 20’s.

Guidance appreciated.
 
May 30, 2013
1,442
83
Binghamton, NY
22-23 revs is a really great number, depending upon the type of pitch and axis thrown.

Example 22-23 on a...
12-6 drop ball is pretty damn good.
6-12 rise ball is about maybe just below average, where 30rps seems to be the gold-standard mark
change up? 22-23 is pretty damn good, too.
Curve, I would think closer to 30 is better.
Bullet? who cares...lol
Screwball? (see Bullet above)

but again, rps is one important component that contributes, but axis orientation carries equal weight.
you really need both to claim you "have" a pitch.
 
Last edited:
Sep 3, 2015
372
63
Think of a peel drop, as you let the ball go you 'pull' upwards against the seams to create spin. The better the 'pull', the more spin you create.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
[MENTION=10413]riseball[/MENTION] told my DD that you keep a ball with you as much as possible and when you are just sitting down doing nothing, throw it straight up in the air just a little bit and try to spin the heck out of it. Get a real feel for the ball and how to get it spinning hard.

So DD has a ball in the car and when she is in the passenger seat she just sits there throwing it up about a foot and seeing how hard she can get it going in every spin direction. When she really gets it going it looks like it almost hangs in the air before coming down.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Think of a peel drop, as you let the ball go you 'pull' upwards against the seams to create spin. The better the 'pull', the more spin you create.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I completely disagree with this. The hardest part of the peel drop is the simplicity of it. "Pulling up" (as if starting a lawnmower or something) counter acts the whipping motion and I am guessing would contradict everyone's IR belief. It's my belief that the more one "whips" or "snaps" their elbow is what creates the most spin. I know it is what I did when I needed extra on the ball when pitching. If she's got good rotation on the ball, the more she loosens her elbow and whips across her body, the more RPM's you'll see, hear from the seams and get in the results of the pitch.

Bill
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
I completely disagree with this. The hardest part of the peel drop is the simplicity of it. "Pulling up" (as if starting a lawnmower or something) counter acts the whipping motion and I am guessing would contradict everyone's IR belief. It's my belief that the more one "whips" or "snaps" their elbow is what creates the most spin. I know it is what I did when I needed extra on the ball when pitching. If she's got good rotation on the ball, the more she loosens her elbow and whips across her body, the more RPM's you'll see, hear from the seams and get in the results of the pitch.

Bill

I believe this is the case also and if I recall (and understood) correctly this is what Java has indicated to DD and myself as well. We've been spending a lot of time lately on all things "Drop" partly as a result of our local coaches telling DD she needs to "roll over" the ball rather than understanding the difference and seeing what DD was actually doing, It threw her off for a while as she was really trying to be "coachable". Yes, it's new team for us. Anyway, given the speed of the forearm/wrist area during that phase of the pitch with IR I don't see how you could possibly have any effect on the ball by pulling up at the last moment? The ball has rolled off the fingers and spin is already happening isn't it? I wish I had access to a rev-fire so I could share DD's spin rate.
 

javasource

6-4-3 = 2
May 6, 2013
1,347
48
Western NY
[MENTION=11733]Tatonka[/MENTION]... Have one in NY... more than welcome to come out and use it... ;)

The core component of spin is the axis, period. Once this is mastered, many students will temporarily lose it, only to regain it with less emphasis on "creating it"... as the muscle memory has set in, and they need not "do" as much.

All that said, recognition of the spin axis WITHOUT a striped or marked ball is critical. Otherwise, you might as well turn the lights off and pitch in the dark. Recognition is a skill that needs to be developed. Once this is in place, every fix is possible. Otherwise, they'll lose the axis, not know they did, and call you from college in tears. And... we'll be stuck at home watching replays of bullets... while the commentators try and convince us otherwise... ughh.

Once the awareness of the axis is established, then you get to work on correcting it.

Then... you start working on rates... and only then.

Repetition of a good axis will improve rates.
Spin axis is nothing more than how the ball leaves the hand... so experimenting with a revfire then becomes worthwhile. There is no magic formula... each kid needs to constantly be willing to experiment.

Good frontside resistance always helps improve the rate.
Great whip can also help.
Which fingers "hold" the ball can help.
How deep the ball is in the hand can help.
Where the seams are in relationship to the pads of the fingers can help.
List goes on and on... but until the movement you perform becomes muscle memory, the rates will sort of statically hover.

Rates:

Drop... Avg 13-16 good 16-19 great 20+ Insane 25+
Rise... Avg 20 good 25+ great 30+ insane 36+ rare 40+
Curve... depends on the placement of thumb, but usually in between.

Anyone that's familiar with the right-hand rule... the axis and speed of rotation sort of works like a speedometer (compass is a good visual, too). West is drop axis... slowest on a speedometer, north is curve and faster rate, and rise is east... the fastest. The closer you get to a rise axis, the better the Avg spin rate.

Forgot about bullet... identical to curve rates... and a great way to throw a ball to the bat. :(
 
Last edited:
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
[MENTION=11733]Tatonka[/MENTION]... Have one in NY... more than welcome to come out and use it... ;)
Haha Thanks! Coulda used one the last time when I got that speeding ticket heading down 390 by Geneseo... "but Officer, this here RevFire gadget says I was only going 27?" ;-)
You'll be among the first to know when we schedule that trip back East this year...too bad all of our tournaments seem to take us further West!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,831
Messages
679,484
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top