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Apr 6, 2017
328
28
Any girls throwing a curve as their second leaned
pitch? Don’t think so but.. Girl wants to pitch but is
a mess. Her family wants her to throw her curve . 🤕
I don’t say much.
 
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
A simple compromise with the family is a drop ball with finger pressure. Call it a drop curve to appease them.
Pitch a low fastball, with weight distribution slightly forward, tall posture, then squeeze the ring finger slightly to create a tilted axis release... ball will break down and out.
I wouldn't recommend a flip change simply because the back spin. A "splash the cup of water" approach will be more deceptive and the spin will be forward.
 
Last edited:
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
If she is young she might not throw or spin it hard enough to break. Ok, to play with it but not going to move.

Some good college pitchers only use a fastball and change up.

Change up needs to be 2nd pitch, good changeup is deadly.
 
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
If she is young she might not throw or spin it hard enough to break. Ok, to play with it but not going to move.

Some good college pitchers only use a fastball and change up.

Change up needs to be 2nd pitch, good changeup is deadly.

A decent spin axis with approx 11 rps will in fact break! I do this every day with approx 15 students a week.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
Her family wants her to throw her curve . ��

Family? Or daddy?

Sometimes it helps to explain to Daddy that a curve ball in MLB is called a drop ball in softball.

In other words, a baseball curveball has 12-6 rotation...which is the same as the rotation for a softball dropball.
 
Jul 14, 2018
982
93
I wouldn't recommend a flip change simply because the back spin. A "splash the cup of water" approach will be more deceptive and the spin will be forward.

I have found the exact opposite just watching from the sidelines. The "water splash" or "handshake" change requires the pitcher to extend their open hand and fingers towards the batter, and I've never seen a girl throw it without slowing their arm speed. Not to mention that it hardly spins at all -- it usually looks like a knuckleball. Maybe there are some pitchers who have really excelled at this, but it's been obvious every time I see it deployed in 12U.

The flip, on the other hand, requires a full-force delivery just to reach the plate. And the spin dynamics work well along age lines: at the 12U level, hitters are not able to distinguish between backspin and forward spin. By the time they get sophisticated enough to recognize the spin, pitchers can throw a rise which looks similar to the spin on a flip.

Just the defensive reaction of a parent whose DD throws a filthy flip :cool:
 
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
I have found the exact opposite just watching from the sidelines. The "water splash" or "handshake" change requires the pitcher to extend their open hand and fingers towards the batter, and I've never seen a girl throw it without slowing their arm speed. Not to mention that it hardly spins at all -- it usually looks like a knuckleball. Maybe there are some pitchers who have really excelled at this, but it's been obvious every time I see it deployed in 12U.

The flip, on the other hand, requires a full-force delivery just to reach the plate. And the spin dynamics work well along age lines: at the 12U level, hitters are not able to distinguish between backspin and forward spin. By the time they get sophisticated enough to recognize the spin, pitchers can throw a rise which looks similar to the spin on a flip.

Just the defensive reaction of a parent whose DD throws a filthy flip :cool:

Bring dd to me for an hour.... I guarantee you'll have a change of heart after the lesson
 
May 20, 2016
433
63
My DD throws a slurve as her second pitch. Uses it as a changeup. Hard to throw but its pretty hard to hit. 10-12MPH slower than FB and breaks down and away from righties. Funny we came across it because she couldn't get the hang of a flip or horseshoe.
 

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