DD struggles with drop ball. Screw is great

[JNew0872]

DD was taught a peel drop (this is her fastball). She had good success with this pitch until this season at 14u. Pitching coach taught her screw & curve and now she is throwing a lot of screws in the game. She is now having a hard time with the drop. She has a tendency to keep her weight more back and weight needs to be more forward on drop. This weight back issue was an issue before she started learning the screw and is one of the main reasons he taught it to her. She has always had some inconsistency with it although it has gotten worse. Her PC says the mechanics to throw rise/screw/curve just come more natural to her than the drop ball and so her drop ball is probably going to be a real challenge for her and something she will have to work at hard always. He said she will find that it is her most inconsistent pitch - somedays on and somedays really off - like homerun off because when she keeps her weight back on that pitch it is a fat meatball and at 14u A ball, you will pay. She does really well in games just throwing screw, curve & change (her screw is not flat, it "rises"). If her drop is working then games go really good. If drop is not working, she gets hit more than usual and harder. Problem is coach insists on calling the drop ball even when it isn't working. It then gets hit and he tells her she did not do well. Now he is telling her that without a drop, she cannot pitch at this level.

So my questions is: how many DD's who played college, are playing college, or are playing high level competitive ball (14u above) struggled with drop and pitched primarily rise, curve, or screw with a change? Was it difficult to find a coach that accepted this? Were they successful? Know of any college pitchers whose strength was up instead of down?

 

[Phathead]

I look fOrward to the replies from some of the guru's on hear. It would seem to me a peel drop would be tough to Mix in with screws and curves. Peel is striving for vertical rotation as close to 12/6 as possible while the other pitches are some form our degree of horz rotation. Would a roll over drop be easier?

 

[RetiredCoach]

The peel drop is the easiest movement pitch to learn and throw because it is so very similar to a fastball. If a pitcher has trouble throwing it, I strongly suspect that her basic mechanics are messed up. Is she stepping straight down the powerline? Is her arm straight and high within the throwing plane? Is she closing too soon or stepping one direction or another because this was how she learned to throw the screw ball or curve?

Hillhouse recommends using the same mechanics no matter pitch is thrown because it is hard enough to learn to throw with one set of mechanics rather than a different ones for each pitch. I believe that this may be an example of this. This pitcher may want to consider following the Hillhouse method.

A 12-6 rotation is the most natural rotation to throw. If she can't throw this it's a mechanics issue.

 

[knightsb]

The peel drop is the easiest movement pitch to learn and throw because it is so very similar to a fastball. If a pitcher has trouble throwing it, I strongly suspect that her basic mechanics are messed up.

Based on the experience with my DD, she always seemed to pitch with her hand more inside the ball with the index finger being the last to roll off the ball causing bullet spin. I think, overall, she has pretty good mechanics as far as drive mechanics and IR. For her, it boils down to hand position. She has always struggled with 12/6 spin. For my DD, the easiest movement pitches for her to learn have been the rise and screw due to the release that came more natural to her. Now as she gets older, she is getting better at controlling the position of her hand, but I see her being more a riseball/screwball pitcher than a drop ball pitcher, just because it seems to suit her best (more natural for her).

 

[knightsb]

Her PC says the mechanics to throw rise/screw/curve just come more natural to her than the drop ball and so her drop ball is probably going to be a real challenge for her and something she will have to work at hard always. He said she will find that it is her most inconsistent pitch

Same, here. DD's PC taught her the rise first for similar reasons.

So my questions is: how many DD's who played college, are playing college, or are playing high level competitive ball (14u above) struggled with drop and pitched primarily rise, curve, or screw with a change? Was it difficult to find a coach that accepted this? Were they successful? Know of any college pitchers whose strength was up instead of down?

GA pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson seems to do pretty well working the zone high and changing speeds.
ASU pitcher Dallas Escobedo, IMO is a good riseball pitcher, I haven't seen enough of her to know how her drop is.

My DD is 15, we haven't given up on the drop, but we also don't panic because her's isn't great. As far as her weight being forward or back, I seem to recall Hillhouse instructing to adjust release point versus weight shift. DD will purposefully try to get her stride foot down quicker to bring the ball down in the zone.

 

[RetiredCoach]

Based on the experience with my DD, she always seemed to pitch with her hand more inside the ball with the index finger being the last roll off the ball causing bullet spin. I think, overall, she has pretty good mechanics as far as drive mechanics and IR. For her, it boils down to hand position. She has always struggled with 12/6 spin. For my DD, the easiest movement pitches for her to learn have been the rise and screw due to the release that came more natural to her. Now as she gets older, she is getting better at controlling the position of her hand, but I see her being more a riseball/screwball pitcher than a drop ball pitcher, just because it seems to suit her best (more natural for her).

I am going to take this information and use it. You may have exposed my prejudice. I've always taught the fastball first, then a change, and then I'd go to the peel drop. I will keep in mind that this may not be the best approach for every pitcher. Pitching is definitely an individual thing. What works for one doesn't work for another.

 

[JNew0872]

"My DD is 15, we haven't given up on the drop, but we also don't panic because her's isn't great. As far as her weight being forward or back, I seem to recall Hillhouse instructing to adjust release point versus weight shift. DD will purposefully try to get her stride foot down quicker to bring the ball down in the zone."

This actually makes me feel better. DD is 13 so definitely not giving up on it. Her PC doesn't teach different stride or weight shift, the weight shift just seems to happen. I think I'll talk to her about getting her stride foot down early. I was actually thinking yesterday that maybe she is overstriding but I was concerned telling her to not stride as far would cause other issues. I think getting stride foot down early might be a good cue.