CALLING the PITCHES - the sequence

[Cannonball]

Steve, I understand that a lot of colleges and universities are going up and down in the zone. However, in a fairly decent level of 16U and then 18U playing up, I had my pitchers throw curveballs to slappers. It seemed to unnerve them. More than a few times they bailed out and/or swung over the top of the pitch as they bellied out toward 1st. Is this a bad strategy in your opinion?

 

[BoardMember]

There's nothing more un-nerving to a slapper then running directly into a pitch headed up/in toward her head..........Twice in a row.......

Then just have the catcher turn to the umpire and say out loud......."Hey blue, make sure she's not outta the box on these change ups"..........

Once you do that, the plate is yours..........

 

[Steve Huff]

Steve, I understand that a lot of colleges and universities are going up and down in the zone. However, in a fairly decent level of 16U and then 18U playing up, I had my pitchers throw curveballs to slappers. It seemed to unnerve them. More than a few times they bailed out and/or swung over the top of the pitch as they bellied out toward 1st. Is this a bad strategy in your opinion?

NO! Absolutely not. Lets just set some parameters in my opinion.

1) First is fast low and in, slow away.
2) The drop-curve is probably the best pitch you can throw to a slapper, followed by a drop-ball and curve-ball. The only things to note, is that the slap hitter is about 2.5' in front of the plate, so that takes some of the break out of the pitch. What makes them effective, even with a few inches of break, is the constraint they have with their left leg forward. The lower then go, the harder to get the bat head down there. And it is almost impossible to react to movement.
3) The curve is also useful as a back-door pitch. The reason for this is the late break isn't reacted to. It comes over the corner almost after it passes them. They have given up on it, seeing it as an outside pitch.
4) Off-speed is useful away. There is a video here somewhere of Natasha Whatley slapping on a change-up. Her left foot is more than a foot outside the box.
5) A fastball on the knees is fine. This becomes more true after a change-up away, or if your pitcher pitches off of a fastball.
6) I don't think a rise-ball is bad later in counts if you have established a tendency in the batter looking for something down.

 

[Steve Huff]

Dropball away, changeup away, curveball away, riseball up and in

Fastball at knees, changeup outside corner, changeup off the plate outside, dropball inside corner at the knees

Betina


I can't comment on these.

Well I won't comment as to quality. I will let others do it. But I think the 2nd and 3rd pitches to the RH batter could be interchanged here and perhaps even be better. However, I know that trying to throw the curve for a 2nd strike could have been a bigger risk. This might have been one of those 5 pitch situations. So within the guidelines of 4 pitches, it was probably as wise sequence.

 

[curiousgeorge]

From a very good pitching coach he posted on his site when asked this question.

. I've seen more slap hitters than ever this year, yet every pitcher keeps throwing outside pitches to these batters. This is absolutely crazy to me. What is a slapper trying to do? He/she is trying to hit the ball to opposite field and beat out the throw from shortstop or 3rd base. They rely on their speed and are only looking for contact. Have you ever heard the expressions "Go with the pitch"? It means, you hit the ball where it's pitched. If a pitcher throws outside, you take it the other way. If they throw inside, you pull it or try to hit it back up the middle. Since a slapper WANTS to hit the ball to opposite field, I don't know why I would purposely give them the ball where they want it! Moreover, throwing riseballs to a slapper usually leads to more contact than dropballs. When a slapper is running out of the box, and the ball is rising into their field of vision, it's much easier to see/hit. If it's dropping, it's falling out of the field of vision and harder to make contact. Remember, a slappers job is CONTACT. A pitcher's job is to make it as hard as possible for them to make contact. And when they do hit it, we don't want them hitting it to the opposite side of the field. I throw down/inside to slappers 99% of the time. I'd rather them pull the ball to 1st or 2nd, which is an easier play to get them out than the long throw from opposite field.

Is this 100% accurate? No. Of course not. There will surely be times we can get slappers out with an outside pitch or a riseball. But, softball is a game of percentages. Part of winning those percentages is trying to keep the upper hand. There is no debate that it's harder for a slapper to hit the ball to opposite field when it's pitched inside and low than it would be outside. And, for what it's worth... the great slappers will always bunt the change up. I avoid throwing them with less than 2 strikes. As they are running out of the box, good slappers will recognize the change and just drop the bat onto the ball for a bunt. And with the pitch speed being slow on the change, the ball isn't going to go very far which usually means it's a great bunt. Play percentages and you'll win more than you lose... unless you're in a casino. Then you rarely win no matter what.

SB, I too would like to know the author of this. Based on the common sense approach I have my suspicions about who it is but, I don't recall having read it before. It makes a lot of sense to not pitch to where someone is trying to hit the ball, just as it would make sense to not pitch a riseball (for example) to someone who is an excellent riseball hitter.

With that said, I agree with the others that there are far too many variables to make an accurate reply. However, the post SBFamily made is a very general strategy which makes a lot of sense.

CG

 

[CoachFP]

As was quoted in the movie Grease: "The rules are that there are no rules". Trying to sequence pitching on a message board is a futile exercise. The game and players dictate what you do. What if your pitcher can't throw the pitch on a given day. The umpire isn't calling a particular pitch etc. etc. This discussion has run its course in my opinion.

 

[Steve Huff]

Betina sent the 10th sequence to replace the duplicate. Remember she is a pitching student, National Team but just learning a curve and drop. She will be pitching off her rise and drop as you can primarily see here. There are 20 more sequences she could come up with. Using these to maximize changes in location, speed, and movement is like memorizing any skill. Repetition in practice for example; the catcher calling a first pitch and location and working from there, trying not to get predictable. Five are posted here, and then 5 more below.

Betina

 

[Steve Huff]

As you can see, there is NO pattern in these sequences. There is a mix of speeds and locations. And if I examine them closely I think the 3rd pitch sets up the 4th pitch, or "out" pitch.

Betina

Next either she or I will do the slapper and Hillhouse formats.

 

[Perfect Circle]

Like your concept of gathering info...graphically. Thought I would save you some time on mine. Can see the spark chart coming !!!

 

[CoachFP]

Steve, not sure that Hillhouse would give you what a four pitch count was. I don't think he pitches in patterns nor would it be smart to do so.