Screwball

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Nov 25, 2012
1,437
83
USA
DD1 (RHP) throws screwball as an inside riseball. She does step left and throws a riseball inside. Tried to get her to just throw a fastball inside but she insisted that she feels better throwing a riseball inside so I let it go and seems to work pretty well. Also tried to get her to throw a drop ball same way but she pushes back and says the riseball is what she is most comfortable with for the screwball. I have learned after all these years that she actually knows more than I think and if it works for her then it works for me. :p
 
Jun 19, 2013
753
28
You have to define the term "screwball". If you call a screwball a pitch that a RHP throws to a RH batter that breaks inside, then you have effectively defined a unicorn...because neither exist.

If you watched the CWS, you saw drops and rises... Pitches with the correct spin to make the ball break.

But, there were zero pitches with anything approaching the correct spin for a screwball.

In practice, a screwball is simply a "step left throw right" fastball, usually thrown with bullet spin.

The effectiveness of the pitch comes from the ball being released at a different position than the other pitches. That is, the release position of the ball is 6 inches or so further left than the batter anticipates.

So, the screwball is just an inside fastball.

I would like to respectfully disagree. If my DD can throw this pitch I know there are lots of other successful pitchers throwing it too. I am not saying it gets a ton of movement and yes she does step out a few inches to try to exaggerate the angle to the batter. But the spin is not a FB spin and when it is hit it mostly fouls off the 3rd base side. Maybe when we see Ken soon we can get some more good video. She throws it inside at the knees to a RHB and to lefty slappers mostly. Good pitch if you have a strong 3B I think to handle the weird spin on ground balls.
 

shaker1

Softball Junkie
Dec 4, 2014
894
18
On a bucket
I would like to respectfully disagree. If my DD can throw this pitch I know there are lots of other successful pitchers throwing it too. I am not saying it gets a ton of movement and yes she does step out a few inches to try to exaggerate the angle to the batter. But the spin is not a FB spin and when it is hit it mostly fouls off the 3rd base side. Maybe when we see Ken soon we can get some more good video. She throws it inside at the knees to a RHB and to lefty slappers mostly. Good pitch if you have a strong 3B I think to handle the weird spin on ground balls.
Just to add a visual of screwball from rhp, catchers view. Would be a tough spin to achieve for righty. Imagine throwing a curve, palm up, fingers up, trying to get flat spin. This would be the total opposite
 

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sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
ould be a tough spin to achieve for righty.

As in almost impossible...I've been asking for *years* for someone to post a video of anyone throwing a game speed pitch with screwball spin.

This is the Fermi Paradox of softball: If 1OU DDs are throwing screwballs, shouldn't there be *ONE* video from one softball pitcher somewhere showing screwball spin?

How about the CWS? There are lots HD slow motion video of pitches, but is no video showing screwball spin. Why? If a 10U kid can throw one, shouldn't every college pitcher be able to throw it?

Rick Pauly has been following softball pitching apparently since the dawn of man, and he has seen two screwball pitches with "true" screwball spin. Bill Hillhouse, who has been pitching since Roosevelt (Teddy, not Franklin) was president. Bill has never seen one. I've been following pitching for 20 years, and I've seen one. I've watched every "how to throw a screwball video" on Youtube...and *NONE* show a ball with true screwball spin.

You can find videos showing riseball spin, curve spin, and drop spin--but not true screwball spin. Doesn't that seem a little odd?

Basically...screwballs actually have "cork screw spin". A fast pitch on the inside part of the plate with cork screw spin is an effective pitch. Parents and PIs should know what the pitch is supposed to look like.

If you want some horizontal movement on a pitch, you need to check out [MENTION=10413]riseball[/MENTION]'s stuff on finger pressure. You won't get the big movement of a rise or a drop using his method, but there will be movement.
 
Last edited:
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
Any new opinions on a real screwball (no political comments please)? Despite what we have discussed here as to how it gets thrown mechanically it seems like more folks are talking it about it.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
Any new opinions on a real screwball (no political comments please)? Despite what we have discussed here as to how it gets thrown mechanically it seems like more folks are talking it about it.
I'm still waiting for a video showing a "real" screwball.
 
Jun 20, 2015
848
93
when I see a video with true screw ball spin on a softball pitch, it will be the first. It's physically impossible to get the reverse of curve ball spin in a flat plane type curve. Lefty or righty pitcher. NOW there are a bunch of pitchers that step left and get some run on a 2 seam FB type pitch that breaks inside to hitters. BUT again, not 'reverse' of a tru curve spin.
 
May 27, 2013
2,353
113
So now that dd is in college - I’d say don’t throw it to RHB unless you have the velocity to go with it. Screw usually will = hard hit ball unless they have a loopy swing (which I don’t see too much in college).
 
May 18, 2019
278
43
when I see a video with true screw ball spin on a softball pitch, it will be the first. It's physically impossible to get the reverse of curve ball spin in a flat plane type curve. Lefty or righty pitcher. NOW there are a bunch of pitchers that step left and get some run on a 2 seam FB type pitch that breaks inside to hitters. BUT again, not 'reverse' of a tru curve spin.
Well said. I've watched this debate for years now and it seems like much of the disagreement is the screwball skeptics pointing out the step and lack of pure spin and the believers focused on effectiveness and whether it moves at all. I was once a skeptic but I do have 2 daughters that use it effectively getting what appears to me to be at least a little run though certainly not anything approximating pure spin.
 

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