2 or 4 seam fastball?

[hememm]

First i would like to thank all of you who responded to my previous thread. It helps hearing from all of you "seasoned" softball parents.

My question is what fastball do you like for beginning pitchers better, the 2 or 4 seam?

She throws an 11 inch ball at 35ft.

I believe there are advantages and disadvantages to both and I wanted to hear some imput.

Thanks in advaance.

 

[chinamigarden]

I don't know any girls who throw a 2 seam fastball.

A 4 seam is the way to go as far as I am concerned. Easier to control and goes faster. As she gets older she will find that by applying pressure with 1 finger she can get it to move a bit, then with a few adjustments she will learn how to turn it into a peel drop.

What are the advantages of a 2 seam?

 

[Bucketrider]

My 12yo dd uses the four seam for inside fastball and a two seam for the outside. The two seam will break somewhat like a curve but not as pronounced. It's the cut of the seams that makes the difference.

 

[gvm]

I don't know any girls who throw a 2 seam fastball.

A 4 seam is the way to go as far as I am concerned. Easier to control and goes faster. As she gets older she will find that by applying pressure with 1 finger she can get it to move a bit, then with a few adjustments she will learn how to turn it into a peel drop.

What are the advantages of a 2 seam?

how much finger pressure? a little? or squeeze the daylights out of it?

 

[Ken B]

how much finger pressure? a little? or squeeze the daylights out of it?

I wonder if it's easier to think of it less as finger pressure and more of flipping with one or the other finger. For at right cut, flip with the middle finger. For a left cut, flip with the pointer. Am I on track?

 

[Amy in AZ.]

4 seam. I haven't even shown my students a 2 seam. I want to keep it as close to the overhand throw as possible and we work on the overhand, every lesson.

 

[Lozza]

4 seam to start.

I throw a 2 seam fastball only (I find the 4 seam too flat, the 2 seam will move in ways I can't control and I like that about the pitch) but for beginners 4 seam all the way.

 

[Soonerinfrisco]

For my daughter, (9yrs old, 35 ft with 11 inch ball), her 4 seam has a bit of drop and a bit of curve (tails outside to a RH batter) and I have her throw it on the corner or a +1 more commonly. Her 2 seam tends to run into a RH batter when thrown on the inside corner when she is pitching well with good spin. Actually her 2 seam tends to run in the direction thrown but somtimes it is unpredictable. It definitely looks different to a hitter. It frequently freezes her teammates when she thows live BP. So for her: 4 seam outside and middle (rarely as she only throws around 40) and 2 seam inside pretty much.

Screwball, Bill Hillhouse would definitely disagree with you on that one. I can actually cut a fastball with finger pressure and I am old, fat, washed up, etc. I have instilled a lot of what Hillhouse teaches into my daughters motion and as she gets older, she will be using finger pressure to move the ball.

 

[hememm]

Thanks for the info.... keep it coming.

 

[sluggers]

Just in case someone actually is interested in physics:

There is no difference in speed of a 2 or 4 seam fastball, either in baseball or softball. There is no difference in movement between a 2 or 4 seam pitch. This has been studied to death in baseball.

The difference between the two pitches is based upon "flicker fusion". "Flicker fusion" occurs when we watch TV or movies. As everyone knows, TV and movies displays single pictures. If the pictures change quickly enough, then we perceive it as continuous movement. Flicker fusion occurs around 40 to 50 frames or pictures per second.

So, if an average pitcher throwing a rise has 20 revs per second, then a 4 seam pitch gets about 80 frames a second. A batter cannot detect the movement of the seams. A 2 pitch results in 40 frames a second, so the batter can detect the seams.

Here is an article about flicker fusion and baseball:
Predicting a baseball's path

Additionally, if you've ever batted against a pitcher who has a dominant rise or drop, if the pitcher uses a two-seam grip, you will see two red stripes on the ball. If you see the two red stripes, then a batter has a clue about the direction of movement of the pitch.

The bottom line: throw 4 seam pitches.